A/N : Takes place after Scorpia Rising with a couple of tweaks.
Warning(s) for this chapter : language
Disclaimer : I don't own Alex Rider or anything in the series written by Anthony Horowitz.
Prologue
Alex Rider, the teenage MI6 spy who had saved the world multiple times, had died a week earlier when his guardian died. In his stead, was a young man who had seen and knew too much to live a normal life. He had witnessed people cloned, shot, killed and murdered... He himself even knew what it was like to shoot someone, and he was only fifteen. Alex knew that he had already outlived his expected lifespan and that it was the devil's luck and his young age which caused others to underestimate him, that kept him alive. But being underestimated could only last as long as he looked and he no longer looked young. In fact, he had the look war veterans had. His eyes were still as brown as when he was innocent, but it had lost its innocence. Instead, it had been replaced with the eyes of a doll, hollow and cold. Alex had grown to be 5'11" despite his ordeals, was even more fit than before, and still wore his wooden bead necklace with a new addition - a red charm in the shape of a lock with the letter J in the center.
Fingering his necklace, Alex sat on the couch staring into nothingness. He was in a room in the Royal & General Bank after being debriefed by the new head of MI6, Mrs. Jones.
-Flashback-
"Alex, I am very sorry for your loss. We shouldn't have sent Ms. Starbright with you to Cairo."
"..."
"It was never our intention to let any harm come to you or Ms. Starbright during your assignment."
Alex humorlessly laughed. "Much good that did, huh? She's dead now, Mrs. Jones. DEAD. And it was all you fault for allowing her to come. Hell, everything was your fault! Had you not 'recruited' me when I was fourteen, I could still be innocent and live without my scars. As if that wasn't enough as a daily reminder, I now have to live with the fact that Jack diedbecause of my 'job'. She could have been with her parents in Washington or..." Alex trailed off.
Mrs. Jones looked uncomfortable. "Alex, I truly am sorry. I was against ... as you said, 'recruiting' you, but it was necessary. Think of all the lives you saved! Alan had planned on making you work until you were eighteen but I think that there is another possibility for you."
Alex looked up and coldly asked, "And what would that be?"
Mrs. Jones sighed. "Before you had left for Cairo, we had a little talk with Ms. Starbright."
Intrigued, Alex raised an eyebrow.
"It was planned that after you finished this mission, we would send you to California to live with the Pleasures while Ms. Starbright would either go back to her family or continue to live with you. We had also come to an agreement that we would not contact you until you were eighteen, at which time, you would pick to work for us as a full-time agent with benefits or to live a normal life. As Ms. Starbright is no longer here, we had contacted the Pleasures and they had agreed to adopt you. ... if you agree to it, that is."
Alex was speechless. Jack had actually planned for this in case anything happened. If she had gone through all that trouble just for him, he would respect her choice and go with it. Alex looked at Mrs. Jones and nodded.
"Very well, Alex. Your flight will be scheduled to take off in two days. Before your flight however, you will not be allowed outside of the bank. Outside the door will be your escort and guard."
Alex stood up and walked out of the room. As he stepped out of the door, the guard turned to him and told him that he was to be escorted to his room where he would be staying until his flight. He was walked into the elevator and escorted to a room on floor 15. With the key the guard gave him, Alex opened the door and entered the room, leaving the guard outside.
The room Alex was staying in was almost like every other room in the Royal and General Bank. However, this room had a small bed with a wooden dresser next to it, an adjourning bathroom, a television set with a couch set right in front of it, and no windows. As glad as he was for no windows, Alex couldn't help but feel a bit claustrophobic.
'If an attacker were to come into the room, there'll only be one exit and that'll be blocked by the intruder...'
Shaking his head, Alex set side his worries. He walked over to the couch and heavily sat down.
-end of flashback-
A/N : 'Sic confectione.' Had to put that there ;) So, was it passable (unlike Alex's assignment *winks*) ?
Okay, so I kinda have the beginning of the story planned out but I don't exactly know how long it'll take to type up and upload since I have school. But hopefully a chapter will be up soon :]
That being said, please R&R!