I own Alyssa, Katie and Alex (Hayes). Don't steal them


Daughter of Destiny

Alyssa Stokes flicked her sweat-soaked fringe out of her face and checked her rifle was loaded. Her eyes fixed on the white building, surrounded by the electric fence she stood behind. A small beep from her earpiece informed her she had a call. She held her fingers up to the earpiece, pushing the button to take the call.

"Yeah?"

"Hunter, you need to get out. They're onto you, they've sent someone for you."

Alyssa opened her mouth to reply, and felt something cold press against her neck, and someone's arm around her waist. Aboy spoke near her ear.

"She's busy. You'll have to call back later."


"She's busy. You'll have to call back later."

Katie Bryant slammed her hands down on the keyboard. An error message flashed at her, and she snorted in disgust. The other girl shook her head.

"She got herself caught. I knew you should have sent me."

Katie glared at the other girl, her dark eyes narrowed. Alex Hayes was a tall blond girl, with very wide blue eyes and a permanent suntan.

"Alex, you're on surveillance. We can't afford for you to be captured."

Alex raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"And Hunter's expendable?"

Katie groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Hunter can get herself out of this mess. You don't have the training."

Alex nodded slowly and turned to the computer. She sighed.

"Well, all we can do is wait."


Alex Rider watched the CCTV screen for the cell, his eyes following the red-haired girl as she paced around the tiny room. Every few minutes she would kick the door, but the titanium plating stopped her breaking it down. Alex turned to the woman sitting at the desk.

"I should talk to her. She'll be exhausted if she keeps this up."

Mrs Jones looked up from her paperwork, her normally stern face softening as she looked at the teenager. Now sixteen, Alex had started to grow up, and the baggy jeans and T-shirt he wore disguised muscles gained through martial arts training. She nodded.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into her. All we need to know is who sent her, if she's a contract killer. She'll have done this for money."

Alex nodded and left the room, crossing the small corridor and unlocking the door to the girl's cell. She glared at him, her indigo eyes glittering under her damp fringe.

"What do you want?"

Alex closed the door behind him, hearing soft clicks as the automated locks closed.

"To talk to you. My name's Alex Rider. What's yours?"

"Hunter."

Alex shook his head.

"Not your assassin name. Your real one."

The girl turned away from him, facing the wall.

"Alyssa Stokes."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Why are you here?"

"I was sent to kill Alan Blunt."

Alex nodded and pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Who sent you?"

Alyssa turned and glared at him.

"I sent myself. Blunt killed my dad."

"Who's your dad?"

Alyssa bit her lip and looked at the floor. Her answer was whispered.

"Yassen Gregorovich."

Alex stepped back slightly, leaning against the concrete wall.

"Alan Blunt didn't kill Yassen. I did. But it wasn't meant to be like that."

Alyssa shook her head.

"He was an assassin, like me. He trained me since I was small. Then he got a new assignment. He was working with some guy called Rider…"

Alex nodded.

"That was my dad. He died when I was really young. I was living with my uncle, who worked for MI6. He was teaching me since I was a kid. Yassen kept trying to kill me, and I never knew why. Then he told me that…my dad saved his life, years ago, before I was born. It's a complicated thing, but I killed him trying to save myself. Given a choice, I wouldn't have done it."

Alyssa gasped.

"So…you killed my dad but didn't mean to? Alan Blunt didn't kill him?"

Alex nodded again. He smiled at her.

"Yeah. But seeing as our dads were friends, maybe we could be?"

He held out his hand. Alyssa tilted her head slightly to one side, her eyes scanning his face, and took it.

"Friends. When can I get out of here?"

Alex shrugged.

"When you promise to train as an agent. I could use having a friend around."

Alyssa nodded, grinning.

"Sure. Can I get some food? I haven't eaten since five this morning."

Alex laughed and unclipped a walkie talkie from his belt.

"Mrs Jones, can you let us out and get some food sorted? We've got a new recruit to train."


Alex and Alyssa stood opposite each other, both wearing nondescript jeans, T-shirts and trainers. Alex grinned at her.

"You know anything about hand-to-hand combat?"

Alyssa leaned her weight on one leg, chewing the end of a scarlet curl.

"My dad taught me. I can use any weapon, and I can kinda fight without them."

Alex nodded.

"Right, so we don't need to teach you much. That's good. I need to see how good you are, how fast, how much you need to learn. To do that, I want to actually fight you."

Alyssa stepped into a casual fighting stance, her open hands held up, guarding her face.

"Just don't pull your punches because I'm a girl."

Alex laughed and stepped into his formal karate stance. Mrs Jones nodded, watching them. She blew a whistle, and they started fighting.

Alex swung his leg round, aiming for her head. Alyssa ducked and swung her arm up, catching his leg, pulling him off balance. He rolled to his feet and grinned as she straightened up.

"Not bad. You're quite fast."

Alyssa swung round, kicking with her heel. Alex moved back, avoiding the kick and the elbow strike that followed. Alyssa lunged forward in a punch, which he blocked, and Alex twisted her arm behind her back. She twirled and grabbed his shoulder, reversing their positions. She grinned.

"That was stupid, Alex. That was the first thing I learned to get out of."

Alex nodded, panting slightly.

"You're fast, and strong. Aren't you tired yet?"

Alyssa shook her head, releasing him from the hold. He sat down and patted the floor beside him. She sat.

"That was like a warm-up. An assassin needs speed, strength and stamina. That's what Dad always told me."

Alex nodded again, thinking.

"Your dad was good at what he did. So are you."

Alyssa blushed, and Alex noticed how pretty she really was. The way her eyes sparkled, the way she wrinkled her nose up when she smiled, the way she twisted her hair around her fingers…

"Alex? Why are you staring at me?"

Alex looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm not."

"You were."

Mrs Jones coughed, making them both jump.

"Mr Blunt just sent a message down. Alex, he has an assignment for you. Alyssa, I think you should go too. It involves you."