Alex Rider ran through the streets of Cairo. It was dark, raining and he could barely see where he was going but he didn't care, all he cared about was catching Julius. He killed Jack. He had to pay for what he did. Alex felt rage and anger burning through all his insides like poison. He was in so much pain. He was crying uncontrollably but the rain and his anger made him unaware of it.

Jack was one of the only adults Alex could ever fully trust and rely on. Jack was like his big sister and even a mother at times. She was gone forever and would never come back.

He could faintly hear Julius laughing. He had taken his revenge and was gloating in his success. Alex was responsible for the death of his 'father' and as a result, he had killing someone important to Alex. It didn't matter that Julius needed psychological help; he would always be a monster. Jack was different; she was a good person while Dr Grief wasn't.

Julius was fast and fit from extensive physical exercise, but yet again, so was Alex. They continued down the streets, passing people and turning around street corners. Everything other than Julius seemed like a blur to Alex.

Then in a fast motion, Julius was hit by a taxi and hit the ground with a sharp thud. He was at Alex's mercy but at that critical moment Alex had calmed down and wanted to leave Julius on the street to die alone. It all changed when Julius held out a gun. In a knee jerk response, Alex brought out his own gun and pointed it at Julius.

Despite everything Julius was still laughing and Alex could hear him joke: "You couldn't kill me, Alex. We look too alike."

Through the heavy rain Alex could not see his face but involuntarily, he could picture it. It would be just like his: the same blond hair; the same brown eyes; the same facial features; the same characteristic unnaturalness that came with having too many traumatic experiences at a young age. Julius was an artificially created Alex, a diabolically evil Alex. He and Alex could be twins or even the same person with Julius being his dark side coming out as a separate physical entity.

He felt anger at MI6 now over being used for their spy plans. They were responsible for what was happening and Alex was nothing but an insignificant pawn in their plans for the greater good. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for them. He wasn't supposed to be here. No kid should have to point a gun at another with the intent to kill. He was meant to be with a family: preparing for school tomorrow, watching TV, complaining about doing his homework, doing other things that a fifteen year old would normally do and be concerned with. MI6 had taken that away from him.

Alex was thinking out of loss and anger. Pain clouded his thoughts, raced his heart and throbbed through his veins. Even if MI6 allowed him to leave, the legacy they had left him with would last his whole life. Alex felt that he was encased in a cruel world and he wanted to get out. He wanted his life to end.

Alex replied blankly, "You're wrong, you mean nothing to me."

'Nothing means anything to me anymore', he thought as he placed the gun to his temple. Julius wasn't laughing anymore, his face contorted into an expression of surprise. This was obviously not going according to Julius' plan. Julius wanted to keep tormenting Alex and this wasn't going to be possible if Alex killed himself. Alex could see Julius lower his gun a little.

'Death will be nothing as well; I'll just leave my body and never come back. Julius can have this world all to himself. He deserves it, he really does.'

He took one last good look at the world around him; it was dark, cold, raining and large enough to swallow him whole without a second thought. The last thing Alex would ever see was Julius pointing a gun at him. The city people were oblivious and apathetic to Alex's pain. Cars kept driving past and umbrellas shielded pedestrians on the pathway from rain. They didn't care that two fifteen year old boys were pointing loaded weapons at each other.

Sabina and the other people he loved would stay in this cruel world but they could go on without him. If there was an afterlife and if God did exist he hoped that there would be mercy, love, kindness and all of the other things he desperately needed…

BANG!