Chapter 1: First glances

I don't own Alex Rider

Alex had moved into K-Unit's flat after Jack's death. He had gone to stay with the Pleasure family at first but found he could not fit into their normal life style. So he moved back to the U.K. and signed contract with MI6.

MI6 had sent him to live with K-Unit. It hadn't taken long for them to bring Cub into the family. They never replace Fox so they took Cub with them for training. When Alex had turned 16, he decided to drop out of school, and hired a tutor. Ben stayed in the flat when he was off on leave.

Life was climbing for Alex Rider. Soon it would take a nosedive into the unknown land.

Alex stood at the bus stop on his way to the bank. He was on his way to see Ben, who had just returned from Italy. The teen looked up from his I-Phone to meet cold, brown eyes. The man who they belonged to looked familiar to Cub. The bus pulled up with a scream. Both he and the stranger were headed to the Royal and General Bank.

Ben had sent the boy to a coffee shop to pick up drinks for the two. He was second in line. He found himself playing with the dog tags his unit had given him. One read "CUB" and the other read "K-U'NIT".

His spy trained ears picked up the low voice of the stranger in front of him. "One black hot coffee." It was the middle of the summer. Alex had grown up with man who drunk hot coffee any time of the year. Only black.

No! Ian died. He reminded himself. The voice was identical to Ian's. However, Ian had died two years ago. Alex sighed and closed his eyes to collect himself. When he opened them, the stranger was gone.

A.N. This is my first story. I will try to update whenever possible and will not abandon it.

Chapter 2: Shocking Resemblances

I don't own Alex Rider

Alex was headed home on a new bike from Smithers when he had a feeling someone was watching him. He turned around. It was the same man from the bus stop. He stood at the spot where Alex got shot, watching after the 16 year old boy. Alex shook it off. A block away from the flat his phone rang. He pulled up short across the street from a old fashioned phone booth. A lady with flaming red hair hair was crying on the phone.

Hair like Jack's. "Jack died. Keep it together Rider." Alex muttered. Then he picked up his cell.

"Hullo." "Cub. It's Snake. I ordered a metic book. Can you pick it up for me from the libeary." "Sure. See you soon." He hung up and pettled toward the libeary.

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Alex was looking at the book that Snake had ordered as he bumped into a women. She gasped and dropped a novel. A picture floated out of it. Alex kneeled to pick up the books when he got a got look at the image.

It was of two adults holding a young child. "Who are you? And why do you have a picture of my family?"he growled looking up at the women. He open his wallet to compare the pictures. They were identical.

"Who are you?"he growled again, looking up at the confused women. He looked back and forth from the women and the picture. The women in real life and the photgraphic women were one and the same. Alex muttered two words. "Helan Rider?"

(They are two different women)

Chapter 3: IS IT REALLY?

I would like to thank youngjusticefanatic for betaing.

I no own Alex Rider

The women stared into the cold brown eyes that resembled those of her husband.

"How do you know my name?" The woman asked.

"Meet me here tomorrow at noon." The boy said before darting off to his bike and leaving Helen Rider in the dark.

(Alex)

Alex rode down the street of the flat the next day an hour before noon. He saw the man from the bank standing on the street curb with a hooded man.

"Little Alex." The hooded man said quietly. Alex skidded to a stop in front of the duo.

He got off his bike and pretended to tie his shoe under the now familiar gaze.

"Cub, get in. We headed out." Ben's car pulled up next to him. Eagle was sitting in passenger seat chatting to the teen, his window rolled down.

Alex pushed the bike down the street to park it in the flat's garage. He jogged back to the parked car before climbing into the back seat. He watched the figures disappear.

After going food shopping with Fox and ever hyper-active Eagle, the trio headed over to the library. Helen sat with the men from the corner in the farthest spot. Alex and his two SAS back up headed over.

The woman looked up from the picture. The bank man gripped her hand.

"Al, they look so much like you." whispered Ben.

"Who are you? How did you know my wife's name?" The man stood up and looked down at the blank faced teen, anger filling the adult's eyes.

"Rider." a gruff voice interrupted. Alex whipped around to face two men with a scorpion on both of their jackets. Both SAS men whipped out guns.

"Rider, your much younger then we pictured, and alive." One assassin said.

"I pride myself on both those features." Alex shot back. He then proceeded to signal the two gunmen to shoot. Both SCORPIA agents were down for the count.

"Thanks Ben, Eagle."

"Oh Cubby, what would you do without us?" asked Eagle with a small, over performed bow and a grin.

"Anytime, Alex." Ben said while putting away his gun.

"Little Alex. Nice to see you're still well." The hooded man push past the bank man and was revealed to be Yassen.

"Yassen? But I thought you died. I saw you die." The spy started to raise his voice in slight anger.

"I did die, but I came back."

"To do what? Finish what Scorpia started?" Alex pulled out a gun and positioned it at the ex-assassin. The woman gasped and the other man pulled out a similar gun and position himself behind Yassen in caution.

"Al, who is this?" Ben asked staring between the two of them.

"Yassen Gregorovich." Growled the boy.

Both men reacted instantly. They aimed at the Russian man.

"Why Little Alex, have you learnt nothing? I refuse to shoot children."

"Then why are you here?"

"I was checking up on you." Alex slid his gun into the holder.

Yassen and Alex exchanged a short glare before a smile crept on the boy's face. The bank man had retreated to his wife and held her close in fear of guns being trained on them.

"Then Yassen, you would know better than me. Are these really my parents?"

Chapter 4: Could it be?

I don't own Alex Rider

"Then Yassen, you would know better than me. Are these really my parents?"

Alex looked Yassen in the eye.

"Maybe you should ask them." said the Russian assassin.

"Ben, Eagle, guns away." The two men glanced at the boy with concern. He had never used such a firm tone with them before.

"Are you Helen and John Rider?" Alex asked walking in circles around the frightened couple.

"That's us." The man said with authority in his voice.

Yassen nodded at Alex from behind the couple. "Well then, I'm Alex Rider, Your son."

Helen gasped. Then she realised why the boy was so familiar. He was a splitting image of John.

"He looks just like you." she murmured to her husband.

"But he has your eyes." He whispered lovingly back.

"Is this true, Yassen?" John asked the assassin.

"Indeed."

"Son." Murmured the two.

"Ben. Parents! I can start over!" The boy cried excitedly. Helen opened her arms, welcoming her son into her love.

Alex froze in surprise. Then he slowly walked into her embrace.

"Hi son." John tried out the word.

"Hello father." Alex tried out how it felt.

"Oh, Alex." Helen said, tears falling down her checks. It was the first time in fourteen years that she was able to hug her son. Ben smiled at the joyful family.

"So, you saved Alex?" Ben softly asked the assassin in a protective way.

"In a way." Yassen replied, not looking away from the scene in front of them. Alex had told Ben about all his missions, something he had never done before. Fox smiled at the teen in his family's arms.

"Mom, dad," Alex said testing the unfamiliar words, "this is Ben Daniels and his unit mate, Eagle." Alex pulled away from his parents.

"It's nice to meet Cub's family." said Eagle, Ben nodded in agreement.

"And Alex, you seem to already know Yassen." John said suspicious.

"Yes, I have had the pleasure of meeting little Alex on more than one occasion." Yassen replied.

"You know what, come to our flat. You can get to know your son, and meet his guardians." Ben said, shaking all the adults' hands accept Eagle's who looked a little abandoned.

"Yassen, you too." said the boy firmly.

The parents of the MI6 legend exchanged glances between each other lovingly and then nodded at the blonde.

Soon the dead sat across from K-Unit. Alex did a quick introduction.

"So Alex, when did you learn to handle a gun?" John asked suspicion in his eyes. Alex held up one finger to silence them.

"I've got one question first, if all of you are alive, is Ian?" Alex asked almost desperately. The couple glanced between one another and then at their son. They smiled at the hardened teen and nodded. Alex nodded, expecting the news

"Call him and tell him to get over here. I want him here for this story. Don't tell him I'm here. I want to surprise him." John pulled out a shining new iPhone. He went to go stand in the hall.

"Hey Ian, can you head over to this address. They have info about Alex." John said through the phone. He wasn't exactly lying to his brother.

A few more words were exchange and then the address. John returned to his wife.

The doorbell rang a few minutes later. Alex went over and opened the door, hiding behind it. He held a playful finger to his lips. Eagle nodded, he was over excited. A tall man with a gun in his back pocket entered.

"What do you know about my nephew?" He growled.

"Ian, come sit down." Helen said with an inconspicuous wink to the quiet kid behind him. They led him to the living room and sat him on the sofa opposite K-unit and next to Yassen and John.

"Hello Uncle." Alex said appearing behind his now seated Uncle. Eagle started to crack up. The Riders and Yassen jumped a foot in the air.

Ian turned to meet his nephew's eye's to find out he was no longer there.

"Now Alex, tell us that story." John demanded.

In a mocking tone Alex began, he had went to sit on the arm rest next to Wolf. How the kid was able to move so quietly and so fast was a mystery.

"Once upon a time..."

Chapter 5: Once Upon a Time

"Once upon a time.." Alex grinned at his parents and uncle.

"You see, Ian raised me, but he was almost never home. When I was seven he hired a housekeeper called Jack Starbright. She was American and she took care of me when Ian was away. Ian enrolled me in karate lessons and took me on an assortment of holidays." He stood up and whispered in K-Unit's ears to play along.

"My best friend was Tom Harris, well he still is. He is a hyper-active kid, much like Eagle with sugar."

"No one can be that bad." Wolf grunted.

"You'd be surprised." Fox commented, remembering when he had met Tom.

Alex continued with his story.

"Anyways, when I was fourteen, Ian died in a car accident, leaving me an orphan yet again and Jack became my guardian. I got sick a lot because my immune system was weak from the shock. It's better now."

Ian knitted his eyebrows. Alex was always a very healthy kid. He almost never got sick.

"Kids at school called me druggy because I was out so much, but I didn't care. Well you see about a month after Ian's death, I was recovering.

"Men with a Scorpion symbols on their jackets came after me. They were arrested by the military and nothing major happened again, except for me getting appendicitis. "

"A few questions, Alex." said John.

"Yeah." He said a bit nervous.

"One, what happened to Jack? Two, how do you know Yassen? Three, you still haven't answered our original question." He listed. Alex sighed. He hated lying but he didn't want them knowing about his job.

"Two days after my fifteenth birthday, Yassen came to my house with two men to 'kill' me." Yassen shrunk under the glares of the Rider adults. "He wasn't informed I was a child. He refused to shoot me for two reasons: he refused to kill children and I reminded him of my father."

John's eyes softened. Snake was mumbling to himself about how correct that assassin was. Alex continued. "The men with him went on to shoot the assassin in the skull and shoot Jack. I got away." Ian dropped his head in grief for the American.

John looked at Yassen as if to check for a hole in his forehead. He knew how the assassin was there. He and Helen died as well. Not to mention Ian. Snake got up and used the excuse of having to use the bathroom.

"MI6 brought me in to apologized, to give me some protection and discuss my new living arrangement. I met Ben Daniels in the hall. He took a liking to me and felt bad about my predicament. At the time i was developing slight PTSD. "

John and Helen looked angered and upset that their son could talk so calmly about PTSD and death. Especially death

"Is Fox getting soft?" teased Eagle. Alex shook his head with a grin. "He brought me down to a nice man named Smithers who gave me spy gadgets to protect myself. Then I met the heads. Ben offered to take me in and said I could stay with him and his SAS unit in their flat.

"They thought it was a great idea so I moved in here." Wolf growled when Alex returned to perch on the armrest next to his unit leader. "So they welcomed me and called me Cub because of my age.

"Wolf wasn't the happiest bout it in the beginning but I think he warmed up to it. After my PTSD went away they started to train me physically so I could protect my self. I got Ben to teach me to shoot on the side for protection. So yeah, that's what you guys missed."

"Al, it seems to me we missed a lot." Ian said.

"Yup."

"Thank you for looking after my son." John and Helen took turns thanking K-Unit. Snake had returned when Alex was finishing his lie.

Yassen didn't show any reaction to the story. He had barely moved during it.

"Al, can I talk to you?" Ben asked as he pulled Alex out into the kitchen.

"Bring back some sugar." Eagle called.

"Cub, why did you lie?" He whispered in a voice so low the ex-spies couldn't hear. "I don't want them to know about my job just yet, besides I've got until I'm 18 before I can be a full agent. Right now I'm just the odd job."

"Just be careful, Cub."

"When am I not?" He laughed. Alex still had some kid in him. He grabbed a packet of sweets as he ran out of the room.

"Eagle, catch!" He called at threw him the sugar.

"CUB!" Wolf's shout echoed through the flat.

Chapter 6: Guys this is

Don't own Alex Rider.

Three months later found the newly reunited Riders back in the Chelsea house. Alex had warmed up to the idea of having parents but kept them in the dark. Yassen had his own apartment down the road.

Today was the day Helen and John were meeting Tom. Tom and Jerry were moving back to Chelsea, on the same street as Alex, to finish Tom's education. Tom was ecstatic when he heard Alex was in the country and could meet him at the house.

The doorbell rang and Alex tumbled down the stairs to answer it, but Helen beat him to it. Tom was bouncing in the doorway saying something about Elmo.

"Hey Tom." The youngest Rider said from the hall.

"Alex!" The boy flung himself over to his friend, knocking Alex over.. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Helen laughed and left the two boys to get reacquainted. Tom looked at the unknown woman as she walked off. He guessed Alex would introduce her at some point, maybe she was a spy!

"Tom, I want you to meet some people, we will give you cookies if you're good." Tom perked up at the idea of cookies. He sat on top of Alex reading the dog tags.

"Cub." he murmured. He then got off of the boy. "Where are those cookies?" Alex laughed leading the way.

In the living room Helen had laid out a plate of steaming chocolate chip cookies.

"Tom, this is my dad John, my mom Helen and you remember my uncle Ian (Tom knew Ian)." The parents waved at the short boy. Tom looked at all the faces and then back to Alex before passing out.

"That went better than I thought it would." Alex said looking down at his friend sprawled on the carpet. Ian got up to stand next to his nephew.

"What were you expecting?" Asked the man.

"Screaming, sugar filled babble, etc." Alex replied. Alex picked up a cookie and held it under his friend's nose. Tom bolted up grabbing said cookie, stuffing it in his mouth.

"Hi Ian." He said with his mouth full. "Ian?" He said quietly then screamed a very high pitched, girly scream.

As it died down he started to babble.

"There it is." Said the teen spy.

"What,how,why,zombies?" He froze. "Zombies!" He ran in circles around the house.

"Does he ever calm down." Asked John. Ian shook his head sadly.

"'fraid not." Said Alex, sitting down next to his mother.

Tom finally slowed and stayed bouncing in place.

"You're not going to eat my brain right, cause I kinda need it." Alex rolled his eyes. "Or are you ghosts, or are you vampires here to drink my blood!"

"Why am I missing Eagle?" Asked John.

"Tom has that effect.", explained Alex.

"Please don't hurt me." howled the boy. Alex cocked his head.

"Um, Tom, do I need to call the shrink." The ex-teen spy was getting antsy.

"I would." Said Ian.

The youngest Rider picked up the phone.

"Are you calling more vampires, Al?"

"Yes." Tom did the girly scream once more then curled into a ball on the floor.

"Jerry. Its Alex...

Yeah I quit... Does Tom see a shrink?...

No. Cool, I can call one...

Rolled on the floor muttering about vampires...

oh and Elmo...

ok thanks Jerry bye."

Alex called a professional. "Snake, I need you."

-Line break-

Twenty minutes later found Tom and Snake locked in Alex's room. Snake had said the session had to be private. That didn't stop Alex. He had hunkered down in a secret compartment in his wall. He soon felt guilty and exited through the back exit, which connected to the hall closet.

Snake came out about an hour later. Tom was calm afterwards. Alex didn't ask. He just didn't. As long as his friend was alright what happened in there was his business.

"So Tom, Alex do you guys go to school together?" Asked Helen pleasantly.

They all sat around the dinner table. Snake had left after speaking with Alex.

"Yup. Brookland."

"We use to go to the same school." Corrected Alex.

"Wait Al, you dropped out?" Cried Tom.

"Yeah, Ben tutors me on Sundays." Alex explained. Ian Rider was dumbfounded. Alex had been raised to value education. It was unlikely he would drop out without prompting.

"So boys, what do you want to be after school?"

"Army." Answered both. John raised his eyebrows at his brother who shrugged. Alex's phone buzzed.

ALEX. I CAN'T GET A HOLD OF TOM. CAN YOU TELL HIM TO HEAD HOME. MOM IS STOPPING BY TO SEE US.

"Tom, Jerry wants ya home, your mom's coming." Tom went pale.

"I'll walk you home." The two left without a word from adults.

-line break-

Alex was questioned a little more personally by his uncal after. His parents sat on the couch having a quiet conversation. After Alex left for bed the adults shared thier opinions. All in all they approved of their son's friend. Ian was still suspicious of why his nephew would drop out. He always dreamed of college when he was younger, why would he quit now? There had to be something more to it and he would find out somehow.

Chapter 7: a tattoo

I don't own Alex Rider

Three months later found the adult Riders in the dark more then ever. Alex had almost forgotten about Scorpia. Key word, almost.

Ian and John had decided to take Alex out while Helen was at the shops. The two men and the boy walk along the streets of Chelsea.

"So Al, what do you want to do?" Asked Ian. Alex looked at his Uncle.

Alex saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Rather like a dart flying through the air.

"Dad, look out!" He cried. John collapsed in a pile, Ian following. Alex spun in circles. A truck sped up towards them, a scorpion painted on the side. Alex's last thought before falling into darkness was, they've found me.

Linebreak

Alex was awake before any of the adults. Ian, John and Helen were all there with him. They were in a good sized cell with a black scorpion painted n the wall. Alex wasn't surprised when he saw Helen in there with them. He knew Scorpia didn't like to leave loose ends.

"Dad, Mom, Ian?" He whispered, standing up to shake everyone. John and Ian woke on the first shake, Helen took three.

John jumped to his feet going into spy mode. Ian watched his old brother before getting to his feet as well.

Helen stayed down on the stone floor, still half enveloped in the oblivion of sleep.

"Alex, are you ok bud?" Asked John.

"Fine." Alex replied harshly. Ian was surprised by his tone.

Alex had fallen back into his spy mode. He scanned the room for bugs and found a hidden camera. The door was a slab of cold iron and no bricks were loose. The room was barren of any furniture.

Alex was unsure of what to do. He looked over to see his family's reactions. Ian looked disappointed, probably because his nephew had been pulled in the deep end of his old life, his mum look tired. His dad's face had gone blank and his eyes had gone hard.

He had been pulled back into the world he tried so hard to escape, bring his family with him. They didn't suspect that he was the reason they had returned to captivity, or that he had old ties with Scorpia.

A man entered and Alex recognized him as Doctor Three. He growled out a few cuss words in Russian at the agent.

"Nice to see you too." Three said polishing a knife on his shirt.

"Doctor Three?" Asked John weakly. Ian's eyes grew wide.

"Ah, John and Ian Rider! Nice to see you all once more." Alex was chained to the wall by three goons who had entered with out notice a minute before.

Ian and John tried to protest but Dr. Three waved his knife at them then toward Alex.

Alex didn't struggle. The drug from before made him weak and his mussels sore. He wasn't willing to fight back, yet.

Doctor Three turned to face the blonde boy hanging on the cell wall. He grinned his wild psycho smile.

He ran his cold blade along Alex's cheek and turned to his family.

"Do they know, Alex?" He asked teasingly.

"Do we know what, Three!" growled Ian. John's previously blank spy face now looked outraged and Helen didn't even try to hide her worried.

Three twirled the knife and pressed the hilt into Alex's bullet wound. He hissed in pain.

"Tell them, Rider." He hissed angrily.

"No." growled the youngest.

Three ripped the corner of Alex's shirt to revel a scorpion tattoo.

John gasped and Ian shook his head in shock. From where Helen lay she couldn't see the symbol on her son's hip and wondered what the men were gaping at.

Three gave a rough shove on Alex's wound, making him cry out in pain, took down the chains and left the room.

Alex crumpled to the floor.

LINE BREAK

Ben stalked

I Ben stalked into MI6 headquarters. The Riders had gone missing a week ago and he was just alerted now before his and Alex's usual tutoring session.

He was going to kill Blunt.

"One more year." He reminded himself. Blunt was retiring in a year and Jones was taking over.

K Unit had yet to be told about Cub's kidnapping. He felt bad for the agent who had to tell them.

K-Unit was like a group of over protective older brother for Alex. They wouldn't let anything happen to him. If something did, well lets say it wouldn't be pleasant.

He entered the elevator with out stopping at the front desk. As it slid close Fox muttered, "Hold on Al. I'm coming."

Chapter 8: Explain NOW

John and Ian rushed to help Alex up. As soon as said boy could stand, well lean against the wall, John and Ian looked at him speechless.

"Alex? What's this?" John asked, trying to stay calm. Helen had been pulled back under by the heavy drugs in her system.

Alex looked up at his father with pitiful brown eyes.

"Dad, it's a scorpion." He whispered, so out of breath from the previous pressure on his wound.

"We know that Al, but why do you have a SCORPIA tattoo?" Said Ian in a calm voice, never good.

"Well, I um" Alex trailed off.

"You what?" Ian squatted to look his nephew in the eye.

"Well you see." Alex tried again.

"Spit it out, Alex." Demanded an impatient John.

"It's a long story."

"We've got time." John gestured to the stone walls.

"So when I was fourteen Ian died."

"You already told us this Al." interupted Ian.

"I lied." the boy stated rather bluntly.

"Give us a run down then."

Alex grinned at his father's words. "Okay." Alex took a deep breath before he started.

"Well, I lied to you. Really I've been working for MI6 since I was fourteen, I managed to tick off SCORPIA, and all of that junk. That's why Doctor Three knows about me and that kinda stuff."

Ian and John gapped at the fourteen year old standing proud.

LINE BREAK

"What!" screamed an anger filled Wolf. His voice echoing throughout the small flat. Ben cringed backwards.

Snake slithered behind his unit leader. "Ben. Who has Cub now?"

"SCORPIA. They've got the whole family." Eagle trudged over.

"We should have whats- his-name help us!" Eagle walked in circles around Ben.

Snake looked at the other man, worry clear in his eyes.

"Who are you taking about?" Snapped Wolf, even angery then before,

"The cold man with a gun." Muttered a terrified Eagle,

"I'm afraid Eagle's right. We're going to have to ask for Mr. Gregorovich's help for this mission." Fox stared his unit leader in the eye as he agreed with the sugar-high man.

LINEBREAK

" What do you four want?" Asked Yassen as he stared at the solders in his apartment.

"Mr. Gregorovich, we have come to you begging for your help, a team member of ours have been kidnapped and we need your help." Ben asked nervously, knowing if they got caught they would lose thier jobs and be imprisoned for treason.

Yassen didn't blink as he spat at the men. "Why should I care a out your petty friend, can't your MI6 help him?"

"They said his luck ran out and they refuse to send in help," hissed Snake.

"So. Why do you need my help,"

Wolf steped up from behind his soldiers, getting fed up with the Russian.

"It's Cub and he and his family were taken by Scorpia,"

Realization and shock filled Yassen's eyes, quickly replaced with pure hatred.

Wolf let Fox take over, guilt in his soul, felling as if he was betraying his country every minute he was with this man.

Ben took a deep breath and asked once more,

"So Yassen? Will you help us rescue Cub and his family?" Ben shifting nervously under the ruthless man's gase.

"I would do anything to help Little Alex and his father. Why not?" He said in his Russian accent.

Eagle thanked the man over and over and over again until Yassen pulled his gun.

"Shut up." he growled at the hyper-active solider who glared back at him, before returning to stand behind his unit leader.

"Should it make me feel safe that men like you protect our country?" Said a new voice.

Chapter 9: How

Don't own AR

Tom was sitting on the windowsill of Yassen's apartment. He had a box of sweets in his hand.

"So, why are a bunch of SAS men begging an assassin for help?" Asked Tom, strolling around the apartment.

K-unit looked at the boy puzzled, Cub had brought this kid home with him before and interdicted him as his best friend, but never gave much hinting about how much he knew.

Yassen saw the teenage boy and instantly reached for his gun. Within milliseconds he realized this child was not a threat due to his slouched body language and lack of weaponry.

"Boy, how did you get up here? We're on the tenth level." Spat Yassen.

"I borrowed some of Alex's climbing gear." He said rather bluntly.

Yassen raised his eyebrows. Alex never told him that another kid knew about his spy life, never mind had access to his gear and Yassen's address. Hell, Yassen had never met this kid!

"Why does everyone look so down?" Asked the kid as he strolled around.

K-unit shared a look. How do you tell a kid his best friend has been kidnapped?

"Tom, can you come here?" Asked Ben. Ben had known the kid the longest.

"Ben. What's going on?" Tom asked, knowing it couldn't be good.

Ben's voice had been gentle and sad. He was almost in tears as he sat with the boy on Yassen's couch.

"It's about Alex." That's all he had to say before the usually hyperactive child drew grim.

"He's gone away again hasn't he? The bloody bank made him didn't they? Where is he?" The boy had shinning tears on his cheeks.

Ben had tears in his eyes as he continued. "No. It wasn't the bank. Scorpia kidnapped the Rider family. Yassen is going to help us find him, hopefully before it's too late."

Tom ran out of the room into the bathroom behind him. The door slammed shut. No one blamed him. He just found out the world's biggest threat had his best friend, and that Alex might not even be alive still.

Line Break

Tom emerged minutes later. His eyes were red but his posture was strong. "If you're going after him, I want to go too." He said rather bravely.

"Tom, no, it's not safe. You're only a kid."

"Really Ben, so is Alex. Please."

"Kid, it's safest here." Argued Wolf

"Don't make me drop down to the Bank's level."

Tom was begging them. "I'll tell MI6 and you'll all be locked up."

The adults shared a look.

Line Break

Alex looked in his uncle's eyes.

"You don't believe me." He said in wonder.

His father's eyes held the same disbelief.

The door opened and Doctor Three was back with more toys.

"Hello Alex." He said, beckoning to the men behind him to grab Alex and the adults.

The men were forced to their knees and Alex was rung back up.

"What do you want, Three?" He growled.

Three didn't answer, he just set up water boarding supplies.

"I heard you had experience with this treatment Alex."

Alex shuddered, MI6 better come quick.