Hey guys! It's been forever since I wrote. Forgot how much I missed it. But I haven't disappeared though! Been reading all those awesome stories you guys write.

The plot for this one just popped into my head. There'll be more action and romance in later chapters. Hope you all enjoy!

(23 Jan 2012) A.N. Hello! Thank you for checking the story out(: the first chapter is just an intro to the action to come(: I really hope you enjoy it like some of the readers here have. I would REALLY appreciate reviews. And if you do, please tell me what you like/dislike about the story and what you hope to see. You never know, your idea might get featured(:

Enjoy~

He woke with a start, wrenching his eyelids open, throwing off his covers and jerking into a stiff sitting position.

Just as his alarm went off.

His eyes went wild for a moment, before he got is bearings again. Relaxing his tensed muscles and releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, he brought up a shivering hand to wipe the sheen of sweat that layered his brow. Slowly, he lowered his hand to his chest, feeling his heart pump as though it were trying to escape from his ribcage. He lifted his palm, and realized his thin shirt was soaked through. Partially because of the summer heat, and mostly because of the nightmare he'd just escaped from.

He threw himself back onto the bed and switched off the alarm simultaneously. With his limbs sprawled across his bed and his head atop a rather lumpy, deflated pillow, he watched his chest rise and fall with each quick, shallow breath he took. He did this with a strange detachment as he tried to remember what his dream was about… He recalled gunshots… moans of pain… blood in the water… drowning… Stop, he told himself, and covered his eyes with his forearm. It was bad enough dreaming about it. Deliberately trying to recall whatever thing that was plaguing his memories was like digging his own grave.

There was school today, he thought with a smile. He managed to drag himself off his bed and into the shower, tossing his clothes on the floor on the way, with the standard reluctance of any teenage boy woken at 6AM in the morning. But Alex Rider wasn't the standard teenage boy. This fact was made obvious as he stood under a jet of steaming hot water working its way into his thick brown mane of hair. The bruises that he had sustained over the period he'd spent during his… absents had faded over time. But the countless grazes, cuts, deep and shallow, scratches etc that were inflicted upon him had left their mark. Leaving scars crisscrossing all over him. The most prominent of them all, the almost-fatal bullet wound that he'd still not fully recovered from. Subconsciously, he stroked his wound, a stark reminder that his seemingly average life was just a weak façade…

It was Friday. The last day of the first week he had back in school since that dreaded call from the "Bank" several weeks ago.

Things in school were going much better than he had expected, his friends, those who had stuck by him anyways, had welcomed him back with open arms. They'd finally stopped asking about his absence and instead and bombarded him with the latest news in school. Also giving him vigorous tuition every night since he got back. So much so that he was able to keep up in class. Sabina had left for some other random country where her father was needed again. But he no longer felt that aching pang in his chest when he thought about her.

Things were looking up, he grinned briefly to himself, at least for now.

"Jack! You up yet?" He called, careful to keep his voice low so she wouldn't wake up if she weren't.

"In here Alex," She answered.

He followed the sound of her voice to the kitchen, and tossed his school bag, loaded with overdue homework, onto the kitchen counter, then took a seat himself.

Fiery red hair, an even more fiery attitude, blue eyes, a quick smile, a quicker temper, slender form, toned arms that were currently holding out a large plate of standard British breakfast for him. Oh yea, Jack, his guardian was a keeper.

He flashed her a large smile and dug into his scrambled eggs.

"Anything special happening today?"

"Not really, why?" He answered.

"Nothing… You just look so," She looked for the right word. "Happy, excited, content, whatever"

He pursed his lips with his fork still in his mouth and shrugged.

"Just hopeful today will be as whatever as the other days this week I guess."

"By whatever you mean good, right?"

"Sure."

She crossed her arms over her well-aged apron and looked Alex over slowly. The bruises on his face since the last mission had almost completely faded off. Though he didn't show it, she knew the other injuries he had were still hurting him. She could hear him hiss with pain while he was in the showers sometimes. And that itself hurt her more than the scrapes did him. His eyes were brighter today, compared to others. Yet, there was that lingering seriousness that she associated with lawyers and soldiers that still hovered within his orbs of brown, turning into a strange combination.

"I'm done," His sudden statement shook her out of her reverie. "I might be back a little later, catch a movie with the guys or something. Ok?"

"Yea, sure. Of course," She smiled inwardly. Quietly glad at how well he was settling back into his normal life.

"Bye Jack," He said, as he leaned over the counter to give her a quick kiss on her cheek, then picked up his bag and strode out the door.

Be safe, have fun, she thought. As she did every time he walked out. Huh, maybe the kid really was getting a break after all…

They both couldn't have been more wrong.

Thanks to his early rise, Alex was one of the first to make it to school. He smoothly glided his bike in the bike shed, hopping off and bending down to lock it. He was quickly growing out of it, due to his sudden growth spurt, already reaching 5'8. He shouldered his bag, and smiled to someone he knew vaguely who just rode in as he walked out.

He smirked and loosened his tie on purpose as he walked through the wide doors of the entrance, as was tradition for anyone who reached Year 8 and above. He pushed his hair back and ran his fingers through it a few times. He'd let it grow out a bit, giving him a sexy, carefree look, and made a beeline for his locker. He got out whatever books he needed and held it in his arms, as his bag was already bursting at the seams.

"Alex!"

He slammed his locker shut with his shoulder and turned, to see his closest friend walking towards him. "What's up Harris," he grinned.

Any conversation between the two boys after that was filled with soccer gossip and technical car terms. Too much for a certain young female writer sitting at her keyboard to type out.

Reaching their homeroom, they broke off their discussion on whether Chelsea or Liverpool would win the finals and would continue exactly where they left off after school with that mysterious and detailed memory boys had when it regarded soccer.

"Ok class, please take your seats," Mr. Bricks said, like he always did as he entered the classroom every morning.

Pupils took their time to do so, and it was a full five minutes before the class settled down.

"Abbey, Stacey."

"Here"

"Adams, Josh"

"Here"

Alex sat back and watched his classmates from his seat right at the back of the class on the right.

Preppy cheerleader… Nerd… Joker… He thought, as his teacher read out their names. Big fat head of a loser who annoys the crap out of me, he though with a smile, as Harris, Tom was read out.

"Owen, Sarah"

"Here."

That name caught his attention and tilted his head slightly to the left and looked at the girl who was sitting diagonally in front of him.

She was a transfer student who'd joined the school just a week before he had returned from his latest… Adventure. He couldn't quite place her stereotype yet; maybe she didn't even have one. She was a pretty thing, but not beautiful. Sleek, straight, long, thick mane of black hair that fell halfway down her back, and just above her eyes as bangs. The style brought out her Asian features, yet there was enough English in her blood to balance it out nicely. Large, dark brown eyes, to match her luscious lips.

She could have fit in nicely with the preppy cheerleaders with no brains, and from what he heard, she did for a while. Even learning a few of their routines, which could have outdone the head. But she had made a fatal mistake of talking to the nerds and loners and Goths in the school too. That had almost killed her chances of being with the 'It" girls. But she had that loud and cheerful demeanor that just drew people in, and that had given her open doors yet again. But she'd insisted on keeping her other friends as well. And that left her… Well, nowhere. Some people said she was the most popular girl in school at the moment, being seen everywhere with practically everyone. But Alex knew better. Socializing everywhere just meant she hadn't found a place where she really fit in. He couldn't quite place her yet. And that made him curious. Which was a bad thing.

"Alex, Alex!"

He was jolted from his thoughts, and found the entire class looking at him looking at her. And yet, she was the only one not turned towards him. "Here" he quickly said, ducking his head, earning laughs from his peers.

"It seems like you've graced us with your mighty presence the whole of this week Mr. Rider, lets keep your mind here as well."

"Yes sir," Rolling his eyes for the sake of the few who were still looking at him. Alex Rider, supposed gangster slash druggie.

"Slate, Henry"

He relaxed again, slouching into his seat. And felt a ball of paper hit the side of his head.

Sarah Owen huh? WAY out of your league.

He recognized Tom's untidy scrawl and quickly scribbled a reply, throwing it with more force than strictly necessary.

I wasn't thinking like that you idiot.

Yea, sure. She's turned everyone who asked her out down though, both guys AND the lesbians.

Gross. Didn't need to know that. But… just out of curiosity, how many guys?

Last count, about twenty?

Not bad for a newbie.

Yes.

Sounds a bit sour to me… She turned you down too?

Yes. Let us never speak of this again.

He had to laugh at this, but he managed to restrain it to a soft snicker. He crushed the paper and looked up. Into her eyes.

She must have heard him or something. He waited for the flicker of fear or annoyance that leapt into most people's eyes when they met his to appear. Owing to the ridiculous rumors surrounding him. But she simply held his gaze, a slow smile forming on her lips, and in her eyes. Before turning back to the front.

He blinked, twice. Slightly dazed.

He felt another piece of paper hit him.

Way. Out. Of. Your. League.

And crushed this one too.

The last bell for the day rang, and instantly the screeches of chairs being drags across titled floors could be heard.

"Okay everybody, remember that review on Henry the Third due next Tuesday. No more extensions either. Heaven knows I spoil all of you too much. See you next week." Mr. Baxter tried in vain to catch their attention.

But the class was barely paying their teacher any attention as they scrambled to pack their bags.

"Are you guys listening to me? Oh forget it." He chuckled to himself as he watched his class chatter about anything other than history and literature. Proud. That was what he was. Extremely proud of this class. That he somehow managed to convince to become at least remotely interested in the subject he was in love with. A great feat for particularly rowdy teenagers. He smiled and turned towards the door.

Pride and a smile.

Those were the last things he felt and did before a single bullet from a Browning 9x19mm Hi-Power punched through his heart and out the other side of his body. He fell with the ghost of his smile still on his face.

There was instant pandemonium. Everyone was screaming and yelling like their lives were in danger. Which was quite possible. Somehow, through the mayhem, Alex caught Tom's eye. And a silent message passed between them.

Four armed men stepped through the doorway of the class. It was like they were clones, each had the same body build, heavily muscled and huge. They wore the same amour, carried the same equipment, and wore the same emotionless expression.

A very beautiful, very dangerously armed woman followed them in. She donned a bright red dress, hugging her well-endowed body, with the skirt slit up at the side all the way to her mid thigh. She held an old-fashioned revolver in her hand, and when she walked, a gun holster could be seen through the slit of her dress. She hair was a dark brown, curled to perfection. And her make up was heavy, enhancing her beauty. Her large oval ambers quickly took stock of the situation.

"Shut up." Showing traces of a faint Italian accent. She neither raised her voice nor threatened them. Yet her command, said in such a soft spoken, polite tone cut through the mayhem and silenced each of them.

"Follow my instructions, and I promise all of you that none of you will be hurt."

"How do we know that you're lying?" One of the more arrogant jocks asked, in a tone that challenged hers.

From where he sat, Alex cursed inwardly. Bloody Joel. Didn't she tell you to shut up? He looked at Tom, and as if they shared a telepathic link, he turned to meet his eye. They both nodded.

Apparently, she was thinking the same thing. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?" She smiled at him, sweetly. And then lifted her gun in his direction and fired. The bullet buried itself into his chair a fraction of and inch away from his balls. Trembling from terror, he nodded, mouth agape, unable to form coherent words.

'That was a warning," She smiled again. Batting her eyelashes. "Now, obviously none of you know why I'm here?" She waited a beat, watched them look at each other and shake their heads. "That's alright. Because someone does. Someone that my friends and I here have something against. We're just going to take him and leave, and all of you will be unharmed. Well now, since you know we're here for you, why don't you just come on right up?" She looked at every one in the classroom. Except him. Which told him she knew exactly who he was.

There was a moment of silence. During which an internal battle raged within him. What the hell should he do now?

A brief flicker of impatience crossed her face.

"I am a very busy woman. Come out now or every minute that you don't one person will die. Starting with that one," She pointed right at Stacey, and the dumb blonde had the senselessness to squeal.

"One, two, three, five, ten, thirty, fifty, sixty." She counted, her lips, painted blood red, formed a smirk. "I'm sorry, my math was never that good." She raised her gun again, the barrel pointed directly in between the girl's widened eyes. "Please, please don't. Please." She whimpered over and over. But this seemed to bring joy to the sadistic bitch, who sauntered over and stroked her cheek, smiling when she cowered away. Abruptly, she struck out. And her palm connected with Stacey's cheek. The sharp pain seemed to push her to the brink of her sanity as she started to sob and plead. The woman smiled and pressed the barrel against her forehead. Cocked the gun. Tightened her finger on the trigger…

"Okay! Wait!"

She lowered her gun, and turned towards Alex, who had leapt out of his seat to draw their attention.

"Its me you want, you have me. Lets go."

His classmates all turned towards his. Except Sarah. Again. Most of them wore an expression that was fairly close to hatred, obviously blaming him for this mess. Others wore similar expressions, including faint signs of "We knew it, stupid druggie".

"Hmm, ok. But I'd still like to kill her anyway. She annoys me." The gun was raised again, and Alex had no choice but to throw the exposed blade of his penknife into her arm.

The blade buried itself two inches deep into her arm, puncturing an artery. She let out an unearthly shriek, watching blood squirt out of the slice in her arm. She attempted to rip the blade free, but the flimsy material broke and imbedded itself even more deeply into her arm.

She screeched. Both in pain and anger.

"You think because of that I won't kill her? I'll kill the whole damned class because of your fucking heroics." Her accent became more obvious as her composure slipped. And Alex, after getting past the shock that his throw penknife plan had actually worked, felt a brief moment of panic. There was no way his classmates would be safe now, even if he sacrificed himself.

"Gun all of them down, slowly. I need to feel their terror." She ordered, her voice tight from controlling her obviously flaring temper.

The men raised their rifles, leisurely picking out ones they wanted to end. Alex was near to freaking out. He had to do something. Something… His eyes danced around the class frantically, looking for something that would give him an inspiration that could somehow safe everyone. And his eyes fell on Sarah. She neither whimpered nor begged nor cried. She simply sat in her seat and watched one of the men aim at her.

NO. Why her.

Suddenly, the windows that stretched from floor to ceiling on the sides of his classroom shattered. And one by one, the mercenaries went down with a fresh bullet hole in their heads. The woman jerked her head towards the direction of the bullets just as one hit her right in her jugular. Her body was thrown onto the teacher's desk, before sliding down in a fashion not unlike a ragged doll.

Pandemonium returned to the class. People sobbed in their seats from relief, others simply hugged their friends happy to be alive. The more levelheaded ones watched Alex, clearly wondering what the hell was going on. But he didn't pay them any attention.

He walked over to Tom's seat and sat on his table to face him.

"You pressed the button like I told you."

"Yea, I did." With clammy, shaking hands, Tom passed Alex back his watch. A watch that Smithers had custom made for him. Including an alarm button direct to Blunt's office.

"Thank God they came this time huh?"

"Yea… So, I still vote for Liverpool."

Alex smiled tentatively, appreciating his friend's attempt to let him enjoy his last bit of normality before he had to face the shit that came with MI6. So much for the last day of the week being whatever as the rest.

"No way. Chelsea's hot this season. They're dead."

And they continued this. Even while over half a dozen SAS stormed into their classroom along with Tulip Jones and Alan Blunt.

There you go, first chapter up. I've got the second and third chapter ready, but I'm not sure of your responses so far. So I'm not sure when I'll put the others up. Tell me what you think! And I'll work on it. Review. PLEASE(: hahas. Love you, and thank you for reading all the way to the end. Kisskiss!