Disclaimer: I own nothing except that of my own creation (plotline, OC's, etc.)
Author's note: The inspiration for this story began with a very strange dream, the details of which I won't go into. Although mainly Alex Rider, there are some elements taken from other books I've read. If I've inadvertently stolen an idea from another author's fanfic, please let me know so I can remedy that. I've read so many that it's hard to keep straight where what came from. Enjoy!
Alex Rider was taking a vacation after his latest mission. Although it really wasn't a vacation. More like a you're-not-going-on-any-more-missions-for-now-but-you'll-still-work-for-us vacation. Alan Blunt had shanghaied him into this mess, and was now under fire for allowing a teenager to be placed in threatening situations, not to mention facing charges for child labour and blackmail. So he had decided that it would be better if Alex took a break from his wild life and became acquainted with other branches of government. Specifically Government Communications Headquarters.
So now Alex was in someone's office, waiting for his new "boss" to arrive and brief him. Whoever it was had quite a classy office, if a bit Spartan in taste. The room's decor was predominantly brushed nickel and marble. The desk and cabinets were given a brushed nickel coating to soften the harshness of the steel, while black marble countertops gave the mini-kitchen behind the desk a smooth yet modern feel. White tile swirled with black covered the floor, causing whoever entered to step quietly for fear of waking a sleeping unknown. No paintings, no diplomas or awards, nothing to give away the identity of the owner of the office. This office was clearly designed to intimidate.
A door left slightly ajar caught Alex's attention. He quietly tiptoed to the door and gently pushed it open. This office was definitely much less polished and organized. Stacks of papers covered every surface available, while a cold cup of coffee sat on the crowded desk. Checking to make sure no one was visible behind him, Alex crept into the office and softly closed the door, then carefully sat down in the seat. When nothing terrible happened, he grinned and began rummaging through the top files.
The Lioness was stalking down the hallways of GCHQ, daring anyone to comment on her cane as she glared at everyone and anyone who attempted to meet her gaze. She was not in a good mood.
"First that damn megalomaniac tries to shoot me, then he sends his crazy goons after me with his dying breath, and then it turns out that his twin brother who was posing as him while he was in Cairo was the guy I shot and that he's still alive, and on top of all that…" A stout man with a moustache and buckteeth approached her, interrupting her dark mumblings. "What do you want, Nigel?"
"Well, I heard you were back, so I thought…" he began, but the Lioness stopped him.
"You better not have bought me flowers or chocolate or any of that nonsense," she said ominously.
"Of course not! I brought you paperwork instead," Nigel pouted, acting hurt and placing his hand over his heart.
The Lioness rubbed her forehead. "And only paperwork?" she queried, placing emphasis on the only.
Nigel leaned in conspiratorially and lowered his voice. "Actually," he murmured, "I also managed to get the… items you asked for without arousing suspicion. They're sitting on your desk."
"Excellent," she whispered. She straightened up, having unconsciously bent towards Nigel. She patted him on the back and said in a deliberately louder voice, "I knew I could count on you to dump all my paperwork on me at once." The Lioness grinned, suddenly in a much better mood.
The pair continued to stroll down the corridor, chatting amicably and trading tales of what they had been up to since they had last seen each other until they reached the lone door at the end. The Lioness pulled out her keys and made to open it, but Nigel shook his head and turned the knob. The door silently opened.
The Lioness laughed. "Already anticipating me, hm? And you oiled the hinges. Whatever would I do without you?"
Nigel smirked. "Probably either lock yourself in the office and work on new codes, have a dozen near-death experiences a day, or wander around the building in a spaced-out fashion. If you'd like better results, I can take a poll on everyone's opinion."
She playfully smacked him on the side as they entered, stifling a most uncharacteristic giggle. The grin slid from her face as she heard objects being shuffled in the room next door. Cocking her head at Nigel, she raised an eyebrow, to which the man next to her rejoined with a shrug. She swiftly moved toward the door, then realized her mistake as the stitches in her side pulled in protest. The Lioness stifled a groan as she gently turned the handle and peered inside. Nigel simply looked over her head; he was slightly under the average height for a male, but the Lioness was tiny.
A fair-headed boy was sitting cross-legged in her chair – her chair! – and casually flipping through the pages of one of the files Nigel had retrieved for her. His expression, however, was not one of nonchalance; instead, pain was written on his features as he carefully scrutinized every page. He was so absorbed in his reading that he didn't even look up as the couple entered the office. Then again, both of them had been trained to be invisible when necessary.
A quiet whisper startled Alex out of his trance. "Boo."
"Argh!" So suddenly unsettled, he jumped, causing a massive landslide of papers as a result of his abrupt movement. Breathing hard, he reflected that had he been on a mission, he would very well be dead. He did manage to choke out, "Who the hell are you?"
Delicate but unyielding hands seized him and turned him to face the person who had startled him. "Doesn't matter. Any particular reason you're in my private office, Mister…" The woman trailed off looking to her companion for an answer, as Alex remained stubbornly silent.
Nigel looked down, reminiscent of a schoolboy caught red-handed, as he replied to her unspoken question, "You see, Blunt… well he asked for you to take on an intern for a while, and I was going to tell you, really, but then you didn't come back when I thought you would, and today was supposed to be his first day, but it slipped my mind?" he offered weakly.
The woman's words cut through the silence with deadly accuracy. "His name, Nigel?"
Ah. Now Alex knew (vaguely) who one of them was, but the female was still a mystery. If she knows who Blunt is, then I've got a surprise for her… "Alex Rider at your service, ma'am," he answered as cockily as he could.
His name certainly had an effect. The woman's lips turned white as she bit down, hard, and looked at her companion – Nigel, Alex reminded himself. Nigel returned her look with some unfathomable expression in his eyes; clearly he was trying to hide whatever he was feeling until a more appropriate time.
Recovering her composure, the woman asked, "Well Mr. Rider, it seems you have been sent here to do what, exactly?" Her frigid tone indicated business, and Alex decided that if Blunt had sent him here, she must be okay. Then again, he mused, how many times had Blunt sent him to certain danger?
"I'm surprised you haven't heard about it," Alex said airily, surprising himself with his detachment. "Mr. Blunt, as you clearly have not heard, is currently getting his pruney self investigated for blackmailing me, an innocent orphan, into working for him."
"Mhm," hummed the woman. "I had heard rumours, of course, but I never realized that Alan would actually go so far… I'm rather glad, this means I have a bit more room to manoeuvre." She stretched, wincing at some pain known only to her. "Anyway, who are your parents, and why did they allow you to do this?"
"Dead," was all Alex had to reply. "And my uncle and godfather are dead as well, thanks for asking. Mind telling me who you are?"
"My name is irrelevant," the woman snipped. Checking her emotions, she continued, "For now, simply call me Leana."
"Interesting," Alex quipped. "Let me guess… your parents wanted a unique name, so they changed one letter in a pre-existing name?"
Leana frowned. "No, actually. That's Latin for 'lioness' my codename."
"Oh." Alex couldn't think of any smart comebacks. "So… why do you have my parents' files in here?"
Leana and Nigel exchanged a glance. "Let's go somewhere else to talk," Nigel finally declared.
So… How'd you like it? I've decided I was unhappy with the way the story was going, so it's being completely revamped. Starting now. I'd really like feedback about anything really. Errors, what you'd like to see, things you liked or didn't like. So review and encourage my Muse!