How fitting that the colour of remembrance is red. It was the colour of her hair. It was the colour of the fire that would rage inside of her. Some think that this child in front of them couldn't understand true grief. But he did. For Alex Rider was well associated with the way of death. Many times had he cheated it, but, many times before have his loved ones been killed.
"Come on Alex! Is that the best you've got?" Jack's voice yelled at him. She was running with a water gun in her hand. Alex was 8 years old.
Alex remembered that day perfectly. Jack had been looking after him for one year by then. It was one of the rare times when Uncle Ian was home to play with him and Jack.
"It's going to be okay. I'll take care of you now." Jack firmly said, tears running down her cheeks.
They were at a funeral, much like this one. Only that one had taken his uncle away, this one was taking his only sister away. Mrs. Jones and Blunt were standing several feet away. There was no sign of emotion on Blunt's face, only looked the tinniest bit sorry.
"Stay here Alex, let me give them a piece of my mind." She had ordered him. Storming out of his hospital room Jack had then yelled of the heads of MI6. They didn't bother him for month after.
Rain poured down, soaking Alex Rider. Unknown to him, tears were slowly falling. For the first time in several months, Alex Rider was showing emotion.
"It's okay, you can cry. If your hurt really bad, it's okay not to be strong." Jack murmured into his ear. Alex tripped and fell out of the tree. He was 7 years old.
Slowly the casket was lowered into the ground. The minister spoke with a sad heavy voice.
"Today we are here to remember a much loved Jacqueline Starbright. She was a daughter, sister, and friend. She may have died young, but"
Alex stopped listening
"You're never to young to die." Darius Sayle hissed anger gleaming.
How true that had proven in the last month. Tom had been sniped at school. Alex was away 'sick' at the time. One week later when he returned, he had to attend his best friends funeral. Looking up, he realized there was only a few people left. Approaching the grave he placed the red and orange flowers on her grave. Only one week ago Alex had spoken to her. But now, now she was gone. Jack would never return. MI6 had lost their bargaining tip, however now, Alex had nothing to lose.
"Hi, are you Alex?" An older women asked quietly. She had flaming red hair, just like Jack. Slowly he nodded.
"I'm Laura, Jack's were her ward? Right?" She asked.
"Yeah. She, she was like a sister to me." Alex whispered.
"She loved you. When she started to take care of you she would only speak about how adorable you were." said Laura, her voice was coming close to breaking, "I'm glad that we got to met you, thank you for getting us plane tickets for her funeral."
"It wasn't hard. She would've wanted you to be here." Alex managed to rasp. They stood together for a couple of minutes before Laura excused herself and left with her husband.
"Hey Alex, I was thinking that this summer we should go on a holiday. I haven't seen my parents in ages and you've never met them before. My Dad is even a teacher, I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you out with your courses!" Jack said, looking up at Alex. Alex nodded and said
"That sounds great! How about you book the tickets right now, I think we could both use a break right now." Jack laughed and they continued to eat their dinner.
Little did they know that everything would change. If everything had gone as planned, Alex and Jack were supposed to have left last night. But now Jack would never go home to America. She would never go home to where her brothers and sisters waited, where her friends laughed and joked with her. And it was all because of him.
"I'm sorry for making you stay here with me." Alex rasped quietly. Jack look at him and replied
"I'm not staying because I have to. You're my little brother, so why would I want to go back to America, my place is right here. Looking after you." But Alex could see the small hint of regret, the regret of not being able to see her family. That had been six months ago.
The rain continued to pour down, soaking the red roses that were placed on her grave. Still Alex stood and stared into the distance. He caught a glimpse of a man with a gun on his hip.
"They should be giving you a gun! If you are old enough to be doing that kind of work, then you need an actual weapon. As soon as we get back from America I'm going to sort that one out." Jack growled, "Come on, let's get a movie for tonight." Alex nodded and said
"I'll go get some takeout."
That was the last thing Alex had said to her. He had left the room to find a phone, the next thing he heard was a gun-shot. He had ran in to help Jack, but it was too late. She had been killed instantly.
Some boys were running past the cemetery.
"Race you to the field!" one of them yelled. The others nodded and took off running, one of them was carrying a football.
"I bet that we can beat you two at soccer, I mean football!" Challenged Jack. She and Ian were standing on the opposite side of the lawn, football in hand. Tom and Alex looked at each other and charged. Jack had taken one step forward before slipping in mud. Ian got a glint in his eye and jumped on her. With a cry both Tom and Alex leaped on top of them, Jack had both of them locked in a headlock within the next minute. It was Alex's tenth birthday.
There was nothing left anymore. Never again would Alex do something so foolish as love someone. After all, anyone even associated with him was killed. So really, what was the point? When Alex turned to leave the cemetery his eyes and face had gone blank.
"Hey Alex, have you ever thought of running away?" Jack had asked him after school one day. Alex had blinked in surprise and replied
"I don't know, it'd be hard to slip two people by MI6." That had been 3 months ago.
It'd be hard to slip two people by MI6, but one person was possible. Now after all this time, Alex would get his revenge on Alan Blunt and Tulip Jones. This time, he would see the job finished. A cold gleam had grown in his eye. The time had come for Alex Rider to die, and for Raven to rise from his ashes.
"Imagine having a company called Ravenwing! It's such a good name, if I was going to start a new business I would totally call it that. What do you think Alex? If you ever start a new business can you call it Ravenwing? Please?" Jack and pleaded until Alex had given in. That had been 2 years ago.
"Luke. I want to call in that favour. I need to disappear from MI6." Alex spoke calmly.
"Sure thing, a favours a favour right? What will be your new contact name?" Luke asked a little to cheerfully.
"Raven." Alex replied shortly, hanging up the phone he dialled a new number.
"Guess what! I just overheard some guy name Mark yelling that MI6 is stupid, which means you're not the only one who thinks that anymore! Maybe you could become friends, besides the fact he's like 7 years older then you of course. JAck had broken it off at that. Alex had followed up and talked to Mark Dawson.
"Mark, it's me. I separating, do you want to join me?" Alex asked
"I'd be glad to be your cute little mole. Anyone I should know about?" Mark murmured
"I'm asking Shadow, I'll call in a week." Alex said
"The name you wanted?" Mark questioned.
"Yeah." With that Alex hung up the phone.
"Promise me Al, promise me that you'll never become a assassin for MI6. Or a contract killer in general." Jack pleaded. Alex had looked her in the eye said
"I promise I will never become an assassin for anybody."
"Sorry Jack. But, I am a chronic liar. What difference is one lie that I fed to you? Goodbye, I don't think I will be coming back here again." Alex whispered. The gates to the cemetery clanged shut and Alex Rider faded into the shadows of night, never to return.
Two weeks later
Ben Daniels sat looking out a window. He was supposed to be packing up, all of MI6 was packing up. After Ravenwing's attack on Alan Blunt and Tulip Jones, he couldn't stop thinking of Alex. The former head and deputy head had been assassinated, and a black feather left at the scene. He knew it meant something, just what? The organization known as Ravenwing had been targeting senior agents ever since, what if Alex was targeted? The fact the headquarters had been attack was why they were moving. With a sigh Ben put it out of his mind and started piling the files into a box.
Only a roof away a boy sat. He would erase anyone who knew him before. He stood in the same place as the sniper who shot him down, and waited. He didn't have to wait long, John Crawley strode out of the Bank. All it took was one shot, and unlike the person who had stood here before, he didn't miss. Ben Daniels was next, he could just see him moving, coming closer with a box in his arms. When Daniels was close enough he shot. He threw down two black feather and slipped into the shadows. Raven, head of the new organization Ravenwing, had struck again.
I don't own any of the Alex Rider series.