Title: Sunset Dusk
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Alex R/Cub/ Yassen G
Summary: "That's for me to know, and for you to find out."
Alex Rider never believed in heaven or hell. Well, after the whole deal with MI6, maybe the latter actually existed. After he graduated from Brooklands with flying colours (with the help of an MI6 issued tutor of course) he was 'officially employed' as they put it. And now, ironically, he had a license to kill. That was his job after all, even at twenty-one.
His eyes were closed, though he did get the tingling feeling on the back of his neck that let him know that someone was watching him. It came to no surprise when someone sat down next to him.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" the man next to him asked. Alex opened his eyes, slightly irritated at the fact that he was interrupted in his silent reflections.
"What is?"
"The silence," the man replied. Now that Alex actually studied him, he noticed the man seemed vaguely familiar, with dark hair and piercing grey eyes that didn't seem right.
"Well, not so quiet now is it?" Alex shot back, sighing inaudibly.
The man chuckled. "You don't seem like the type to sit here alone in a church. Where are your friends?"
Alex frowned. That was almost a perfect British accent. Except for the slight foreign accent. Russian? "Jobs," he stated plainly. "Who are you anyway?"
The man sighed. "An old...accquintance. I must say that I am surprised you don't remember me."
Alex tilted his head, quirking an eyebrow. "How about a hint?"
The man smiled and agreed. "Alright. I had a job, much like yours, though a bit different. We met a few times, running into each other on assignments..." He trailed off, waiting for Alex to catch on.
"...Yassen?"
The man smiled and nodded. "I changed my name and Yassen Gregorovich is long dead and gone, killed on the mission you know as Eagle Strike. I'm known as William McLayne now. An accountant."
Alex frowned, perplexed. "An accountant?" he scoffed. "That's a major change in career choices."
"Yes, but a good change. I don't have to run anymore." William said wistfully, sighing as he stood up.
Alex grabbed onto the man's sleeve. "Hold on—how are you still alive?"
William smiled as he loosened Alex's tight grip. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out."
What a cliched line, he thought to himself, watching as William turned away, laughing softly to himself.
And once again, Alex discovered that while he believed in hell, for some people out there, there might actually be a heaven.
At least there was for the late Yassen Gregorovich.
