Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider.

It started as a normal Saturday with Wolf returning from a shooting range late afternoon. He'd been there for target practice with his team Snake, Eagle, and Bear. Fox had shown up as well, just for the sake of it. The moment he entered his small flat he knew something was wrong.

Things weren't how he had left them that morning. Doors that had been opened were closed, the TV was on to some music video channel he'd never heard of, and various things had been moved. It didn't look as if the place had been searched, at least not by someone very smart. He drew his gun and slowly went from room to room making sure no one was there; no one was.

"The hell," he said to himself. Again he went from room to room, this time making sure nothing had been stolen. Everything looked to be there even if it wasn't were he left it. Wolf had no idea what to do. Clearly someone had been there, but nothing bad had come of it. Should he report it?

Normally he would, but it didn't look as if whoever had entered was a threat. It appeared as if they'd broken in to hang out. With that thought he went to his kitchen and opened the fridge. Sure enough, some of his food was gone along with his last Monster. They'd also been kind enough to leave the dirty dishes in the sink for him. If he hadn't just spent the day with the man he'd have sworn Eagle had broken in.

Wolf hadn't given anyone a key to his flat so the only way into his third floor home was to pick the lock. Figuring the strange break in wasn't something to worry about just yet he went back to the living room to watch the game.

"That's really weird," Eagle said. Wolf had just finished updating him and Bear about the situation with his flat. "Maybe you're being haunted."

"I don't think so," Wolf said. The three of them were at the ice rink waiting for Snake and Fox to show up so they could get a pick up game started. They were sitting on the bleachers watching the last of the free skaters leave.

"Why not?" Eagle asked.

"They ate my food," Wolf told him but Eagle didn't look put out.

"So?" he said. "Maybe they were hungry."

"Since when do ghosts have to eat?" Bear asked.

"You never know," Eagle answered. "Besides, what do you know about ghosts?"

"Nothing really," Bear admitted. "But I'm pretty sure they don't eat." Eagle just shrugged, turning to eye the cute girl walking past. Wolf shook his head at his most helpless teammate.

"Think it's anything to worry about?" Bear asked him.

"Worry about what?" Fox asked as he and Snake finally joined them.

"You're late," Wolf said.

"Traffic," Snake said simply.

"Worry about what?" Fox asked again beginning to lace up. Wolf repeated the story of what he'd found on returning to his flat the day before.

"That's strange," Fox said. "Anything to worry about?"

"Not right now," Wolf said. "It looks like they just watched some TV and ate my food."

"How'd they get in?" Snake asked.

"Probably just picked the lock," Wolf growled. Despite the lack of threat in the break in he still was not happy about it.

"Or they've been in there all along," Eagle said with a mysterious tone as he turned back to the group.

"What are you talking about?" Fox asked.

"He thinks it's a ghost," Bear told the other two. Fox rolled his eyes but Snake didn't even bother reacting.

"Ghosts don't eat," Fox said.

"How do you know?" Eagle challenged.

"Because they're dead," Fox said with an Eagle-shut-up glare.

"C'mon," Wolf said already tired of the bickering. "Let's start playing."

"I'm telling you," Eagle said as K-Unit plus Fox climbed the stairs to Wolf's flat. "They'll lose." He and Bear were arguing over which team was going to win the football game that afternoon. The team had insisted that they'd only choosen to watch the game at Wolf's place because it was closest to the rink but the soldier wasn't stupid. They were all wondering if the ghost had come back.

Wolf unlocked his door and with a quick glance over as he stepped inside saw that the place looked like he'd left it.

They dumped their stuff in the front entrance and went to the living room. Wolf looked around for the remote and upon not finding it, just turned the TV on manually. It was still on the channel he'd had it on before. Apparently his ghost hadn't been back. Flipping to the game they sat back and watched.

A few hours later, Wolf was alone save for Eagle who was much too excited about his ghost theory to leave. Wolf thought the other man was hoping to prove it was a haunting. Fox had a date, Bear had a wife, and Snake was just anti-social so they'd already left. Wolf cursed them and felt that a review in the concept of 'never leave a man behind' was in order.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Wolf asked interrupting Eagle's non stop commentary.

"Yes," he said before continuing. He then followed Wolf to the kitchen never once shutting up. Wolf had learned in their three year friendship that Eagle didn't just like the sound of his own voice, he loved it. After that had been deduced Wolf had learned to ignore it.

Figuring he'd just heat up some of the frozen dinners he had in the freezer Wolf opened the freezer door only to slam it shut, then open the fridge door.

"Shit," he cursed.

"What?" Eagle asked.

"All the food's gone," Wolf replied slamming the fridge door then turning to check the cabinets. Everything was gone, including all the dishes and silverware. "Unbelievable." Wolf leaned his elbows on the sink and ducked his head to calm himself.

"Order a pizza," Wolf ordered after a moment. Eagle turned to where the phone normally was and finding it missing turned to look around. He found it shattered on the other side of the table.

"Uh," he said holding it up so Wolf could see it. Wolf shook his head and gave a strange smile.

"Great," he said.

"Kind of a violent ghost," Eagle said.

"It's not a ghost, Andy," Wolf said sternly. He was seriously over hearing this ghost conspiracy.

"Whatever," Eagle brushed off. "What now?"

"We have to figure out who this is," Wolf said already starting to formulate a plan.

"I meant about dinner," Eagle said disrupting his thoughts.

"Ever hear of a mobile?"

Wolf got out of bed the next morning at his usual time of late. When not on duty the man was rarely up at a normal hour. Because his flat was still completely devoid of food, Wolf went out to lunch, meeting Eagle and Fox.

He and Eagle had come up with a simple yet effective plan of action the night before in order to catch this 'ghost', as they'd taken to calling it for lack of a better word. Fox was going to loan him some mini cameras he'd gotten off MI6 and they were going to monitor his flat from a van across the street.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave the flat?" Fox asked. "The ghost might steal something else."

"Probably," Wolf agreed. "But I gotta eat."

"Damn straight," Eagle mumbled barely pausing from shoveling his food down his throat. Fox gave him a rather disgusted look before turning away.

"They'd have to be watching you to know when you're away," Fox continued. "Seen anyone?" Wolf shook his head.

"No, no one," he said. "Besides if it was an enemy I'd be dead, not being robbed of all food." He emptied his glass of soda, poured the remaining ice into Eagle's cup, and then dried the glass with a napkin. After making sure the waitress wasn't watching, he handed it to Eagle who slipped the glass into the deep pocket of his leather jacket. Fox raised his eyebrows at the petty theft.

"What?" Wolf said. "I have no dishes." Fox just shook his head and paid the check.

When they went back to his place they saw that the ghost had indeed, returned. Wolf's first aid kit was on the table as well as bloodied shirt. Whoever had been in his flat had been hurt. Picking up the shirt he saw the rip in the material where the stomach would be. They'd been cut. Wolf went to his closet and opened it. The man didn't have many clothes so if any were missing he'd notice.

A black hoodie and a plain grey shirt were gone. So was a thick gold chain he normally wore when off duty. He'd forgotten to put it on and the ghost had taken it. Wolf shook his head and slammed the closet door closed. This ghost was a thief and he was seriously leaning towards reporting the thefts. He wasn't sure what was stopping him. Maybe it was his own curiosity and his desire to deal with the person himself.

He went back to the kitchen to find Eagle and Fox cleaning up the table.

"The ghost stole some clothes and that necklace I usually wear," Wolf said.

"What do you think happened to them?" Eagle asked.

"Who knows," Fox said. "But it looks like a nasty cut."

"C'mon," Wolf said. "Lets get these cameras set up for tomorrow." They put them in various positions; one right outside the front door pointed towards the stair case, one in the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom, and the entryway.

"Alright," Fox said after doing a run through to make sure they were connected. "We'll turn these off for tonight and then you can turn them back on in the morning as you leave." He handed Wolf a small black box with several switches, one to each camera.

"See ya at Jake's," Eagle said as they left.

"Yeah, see ya."

The next morning saw Wolf in a more freaked out state than he'd ever been in his life. Everything had appeared normal until he'd actually walked into his living room. On the wall by the door, hidden from view of the hallway, were four poster boards.

Each had an incredible, hand drawn animal done in black and white artist pencils. One had a howling wolf, one had a soaring eagle, one had a regal standing fox, and the last had a coiled cobra. Wolf knew that this was supposed to be K-Unit and he couldn't help but stare at the amazing drawings as his mind whirled. Clearly this person knew about his job, but didn't want him dead, which in and of itself was a miracle. Wolf had a lot of enemies. He was good at what he did and that skill came at a price. He also saw that this person didn't know about Bear. They still thought of Fox as apart of K-Unit.

So who did Wolf know that knew him as a soldier, didn't want him dead, knew where he lived, and would break in to steal, eat, and bandage themselves up? He couldn't think of anyone. If it was any of the team, which he knew it wasn't, they would just knock on the damn door.

Wolf felt he was missing something. He felt no threat with the break ins; he couldn't even convince himself to. He was more than a little pissed about the thefts but he couldn't bring himself to be scared. Weirded out sure, but scared? There was something about this ghost that made Wolf feel he should know who it was. He felt frustrated that he couldn't figure it out.

Why? Why would someone break in and do nothing but make themselves at home? Why keep coming back and risk getting caught? Why bring the drawings? Hell, why do the drawings at all? It almost seemed to Wolf that the ghost was trying to make a peace offering. It was like the drawings were a…gift.

"You're crazy," Fox said after hearing that Wolf wasn't all that worried about the intentions of the ghost. "This person broke into your flat, stole your stuff, and ate your food, and you're telling me that you aren't mad?" They were sitting the surveillance van across the street from his building.

"I didn't say I wasn't pissed," Wolf said. "I said I don't think they're a threat."

"I like it," Eagle piped up finally putting his poster board to the side. "I'm gonna keep it."

"They are really good," Bear said never taking his eyes off the monitor showing the staircase. "Whoever drew it has talent."

"A lot of talent," Snake agreed also setting his poster aside. "I'll keep mine too."

"Oh, c'mon," Fox groaned. "Are you guys really gonna let the theft thing go because this ghost is good drawing?"

"No," Wolf said harshly. "I just don't think this ghost is a threat."

"So, who do we know," Eagle started. "That doesn't know about Bear, knows about our job and codenames, isn't afraid to break in to Wolf-man's flat, and isn't a threat?"

"A very forgiving enemy?" Fox suggested for lack of anything better to say.

"A very stupid former trainee," Snake said.

"One very brave spirit," Eagle said.

"Some kid," Bear said. His suggestion being said so seriously got their attention.

"What?" Wolf said.

"Check your monitor," Bear said. Wolf turned to his monitor of the front entryway to see a kid. He had the hood of Wolf's black hoodie up so they couldn't make out his face. The kid looked dirty with beat up jeans and white high top Nikes. He had a backpack with him that looked full. The boy hesitated in the entryway before dropping the bag and going to the kitchen.

They all turned to that monitor in time to see him drop the hood. "Oh my god," Eagle exclaimed. "Cub!" The boy was older, dirtier, and deader looking but it was him. He still had the same hair and the same closed off face.

"Who's Cub?" Bear asked surprised that the ghost had a codename. Wolf ignored the explanation Snake gave Bear, who was surprised about Cub being in Brecon Beacons. He also ignored Fox telling the Unit about the job he'd worked on with Cub. He'd already heard the story when Fox had asked him for advice about it. It hadn't sat well with Fox how Cub was being used and he'd come to Wolf to talk about it.

Wolf watched as Cub went to his restocked fridge and began taking out food like there was no tomorrow. The Unit watched as Cub made a huge ham sandwich, two cans of soup, and then ate a bag of cookies.

"Damn," Eagle said as Cub started packing fruit into his bag. "Kid eats a lot."

"He must be hungry," Bear said sadly. "Must not eat enough."

"He looks homeless," Snake observed.

"Ben," Wolf said gaining Fox's attention. "You said Cub had a home."

"It was three years ago Rey," Fox said. "A lot can happen."

"Shouldn't MI6 be taking care of him?" Eagle asked not taking his eyes off Cub as the boy rooted around in the drawers of Wolf's desk.

"Not if he doesn't want them to," Fox said. "Cub's stubborn." Wolf shook his head remembering the last time he'd seen Cub at Point Blanc. The boy had looked tired and beaten, which fit with the fact that he'd been hit by a damn train. But there had been something else, in his eyes. Despite the determination in them Wolf had seen a kid. A kid in over his head.

The soldier didn't care how much experience and training Cub supposedly had. A kid is a kid, is a kid, but he hadn't been able to do anything about it. None of them had the authority to and what was done was done. Cub was a soldier then, a weapon. Now he was a homeless kid.

He remembered when Cub had kicked him out of a plane, how that had saved his career no matter how pissed he was about it. So how had Cub come to stealing from his fridge and taking his things to sell or use to survive?

"What do you think happened to him?" Eagle asked voicing his thoughts. Cub was watching TV at that point. Wolf saw him turn to look at the wall were the wolf picture still hung.

"Who knows," Fox said. "Should we go talk to him?"

"No," Wolf said getting surprised looks. "Leave him be. If he wants to talk he knows where to find us."

"What if he doesn't think you'll listen?" Eagle asked.

"Maybe he doesn't want talk," Bear suggested. "Maybe he just needs a place to be safe for a little while during the day."

"I think we should talk to him," Snake said. "He needs help."

"Cub's a survivor," Wolf said.

"He's a kid," Fox spat.

"He's a kid that doesn't like to take direct help," Wolf said. "Unless someone else's life is in danger. Besides, when has Cub ever asked for help when hitting rock bottom?" They all thought of the hell that was Brecon Beacons. "Just leave him be for now, if he wants to talk he can."

"Maybe you should let him know he has that option," Eagle said.

"How?" Fox asked.

"Leave him a note," Bear said. They began to talk around him as Wolf continued to stare at the monitor. Cub watched TV for about an hour then went back to rooting around. In Wolf's nightstand he found a couple twenties which he pocketed. Wolf saw the hesitation and he was sure that if Cub hadn't needed it to survive he never would have done it. Again he wondered how Cub had come to this, a street kid, probably a runaway. Then he wondered how Cub had found him at all.

He wondered if the whole leave-him-alone policy was the best one. Then Cub gave a visible jump at some noise they couldn't hear and he knew cornering the kid into a conversation wasn't the answer. Best to let him know he'd listen and let the kid work on his own terms.

Wolf never saw Cub again. The kid would come to the flat when he wasn't there and when he was away on duty he knew Cub would sleep there but they never came face to face. Wolf had left a note for Cub thanking him for the drawings, telling him he was welcome to stay, but that the theft had either stop or he'd report him. Wolf would leave money for him in a marked envelope. He'd also left a key for him.

Cub stopped stealing from him and would leave random things around the flat. They were strange things, more like junk, but Wolf saw that Cub had left them for a reason. A street kid's treasures were rarely something valuable. The boy continued drawing and Wolf would keep the one's he left or pass them on to the person they were meant for. He'd eventually drawn a black bear for the new K-Unit addition.

They'd always wondered what had happened to Cub for the boy to become what he had but they never pushed a meeting, instead communicating through Cub's pictures and notes. They resolved that if he wanted to talk he would, but they wouldn't push it. It was strange to think that Cub had come to Wolf's flat in order to gain comfort, as they hadn't ever been entirely on good terms. But maybe that was what he needed; someone who hadn't entirely known him or liked him, someone who wouldn't really know how far he'd fallen. From the youngest MI6 operative to a street kid. It was a fall from grace in a sense, whether intentional or not.

They never hooked the cameras back up to see him, if Cub wanted them to see him he'd knock on the door. There were times when Wolf would find bloody clothing or bandages and would wonder if maybe he should do something else. Report it, confront the kid, something, anything. Then he would think on how little he knew Cub, and how little right he had to do anything than what he was doing. Cub had come for food and a place to stay, not to be lectured or confronted. Besides, who was he to tell Cub that he had to do something? Who was he to judge what had happened to this boy?

Wolf knew Cub was strong, had seen it in his eyes on their brief reunion at Point Blanc. Cub could find his own way and in the mean time Wolf would do what he was doing. He would give that brief and small respite with the money, food, and notes, and let the kid figure it out for himself. Cub could do it; there was little doubt in his mind about that. He wouldn't always be a ghost.

Ten years later the book hit the market. Bear had found out about it first, as his wife had bought it after seeing a glowing review on a talk show. Wolf had been surprised to see it. It was Cub's book, his story and his fight. It left out all details of MI6, Brecon Beacons, and anything remotely similar. He called K-Unit long lost friends and explained how he'd found Wolf's flat.

Out of sheer dumb luck he'd seen him on the tube and had followed him home. He'd broken in the next day hoping to get food, eaten himself sick, and then left. It went through the entire story of his guardian dying in an unsolved murder, his subsequent refusal to go to an orphanage, and his decision to runaway. His sink into the hell that was the streets of London and his fight to regain control over his life.

Wolf was glad he was stable. The author's bio in the back of the book said he was married and living in London. They never talked again, though Wolf did manage to send him a letter claiming he still owed him a new phone and a set of dishes. Cub replied by sending two drawings; one of the phone he'd smashed and one of a place setting. Wolf put them with the others he'd kept over the six years Cub had passed through the flat. It was quite the collection.

Okay, there it was. I'm not planning on continuing this in any way but I do have a challenge for whoever is interested.

Challenge: Fill in the holes of the one-shot. Why is Cub a street kid? What happened to Jack? What did he do to fix his life? You can address any or all of these I totally don't care. I really want to see what other people can do with this. Have fun!