Ironic

Chapter 1: Out to lunch

Summary: Alex had been an agent for years now, with multiple missions under his belt and lots of success to his name. He deserves a vacation. He's not so sure that's what he got though, when he hears of his return to Brecon Beacons.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Period.

Update: I've been informed of several discrepancies in my research and writing. I AM American, and I will be clearing up a few questions in the coming chapters. For now, I've updated to give a couple of answers, but it will all come out eventually. (7/23/2015)

Enjoy!

The sky was still dark when Alex woke up suddenly. It wasn't a nightmare, his body just wouldn't let him sleep any more. He reluctantly rolled over and turned on the lamp that sat on his bedside table. The light glowed a warm yellow, and Alex didn't feel so bad about waking up at 4:30 in the morning anymore.

He got up, and grabbed an economics book from his desk, settling into an armchair to wait for a more respectable time to get up.

Two hours should be a good amount of time to wait.

At precisely 7:30, Alex shut the book with a snap and rose, going back up the stairs to dress for school and complete his morning routine. He was brushed, shaved and dressed within ten minutes and was in the midst of pouring himself a bowl of cereal when the doorbell rang.

He rose cautiously, stepping lightly to the door and peering out to see another pair of eyes squinting through the doorhole. He rolled his eyes lightly, before he unlocked the several locks that adorned his door. He opened the door to a shoulder clap and a whoop as his best friend, Tom, strode by him into the kitchen.

"Parents fighting again?" Alex called as he closed the door, locking it behind him.

"Yup!" Came the muffled reply as Alex entered the kitchen, finding Tom chowing down on his cereal.

Alex rolled his eyes and sat down, pouring himself yet another bowl. Tom chattered in between bites, with Alex just nodding along every once in a while.

Finally, the time came to go to school. Alex casually tossed a helmet to Tom, who fumbled slightly before he tightened his hold on it.

"Aleeex! What if I dropped it?" He clutched the helmet tighter as Alex laughed and shrugged.

"You would've walked." He continued towards his shining black motorcycle, a gift from Ben when he got his license. Tom continued behind him with a fake pout on his face.

Tom sobered as he got on the bike behind Alex, holding onto the sixteen-year old as he started up the bike. They pulled out of the drive and screamed down the street, Tom screaming along with the wheels of the beautiful motorcycle.

It was 8:15.

Tom was hoarse by the time they pulled up to the school.

8:19. A new record for completing the school route. They had eleven minutes to settle in before classes started, plenty of time.

"Hey, Al, how long until you need to meet with the Bank again?" Tom never could get over his awe at Alex's… extra curricular activities.

"I actually have a financing meeting this afternoon. I'm cutting out seventh period."

Tom visibly wilted. They had Spanish together seventh, and Tom knew that the only reason he was passing was because his seat partner was Alex. Unfortunately, he also knew that a chapter exam was scheduled for seventh period today. When Alex wasn't going to be there.

"I don't think I want to go to school today."

Alex just laughed and walked into the lobby of Brookland Comprehensive.

Alex barely kept his head from hitting his desk. His lab partner had just spilled the entirety of her water bottle across his perfect lab sheet, ruining the thing beyond repair.

The girl -Rebecca?- let out a small meep before scurrying to grab paper towels to sop up the spilled mess. He let her go without a word, after all, the druggie Alex Rider didn't care, so he shouldn't worry about his formerly perfect, precise lab. Right. Nope, this day clearly wasn't going to be a good one.

"Did you get the shakes, Rider? Haven't gotten your daily fix?" And it had just gotten worse.

Alex lifted his head to view one of the "popular" kids, Richard, swaggering up from his own lab table. Richard and him had been friends for a few years, before Alex quit the football team and Richard gained a posse.

He had been insufferable ever since.

"Hello, Parker." He would remain calm, and not slam the desk into Richard Parker's smug ponce face. That wouldn't be right, and he would probably be forced to fill out paperwork for it. That cemented it, he would not lose his temper with this idiot. Paperwork was evil.

"How are you today?" Maybe not the most subtle dismissal, but Parker wasn't exactly the brightest bulb.

"What're you talking about, druggie? I didn't come over here for some pansy small talk."

"Oh? Then what did you come over for?" Alex kept his face blank but on the inside was sniggering wildly. He wouldn't have gotten away with this at work.

Richard paused, thinking of a suitable response before being interrupted by Rebecca as she rushed back.

"I'm so sorry, Alex, I wasn't looking where I put it."

"No harm done, I'll just copy it over later." Alex gave a strained smile. Rebecca looked up at him surprised, before she noticed Richard next to him.

"Richie! If you don't get a good grade in chemistry your mum is going to skin you!" She glared at him as he shuffled his feet a bit. "And don't you dare think I'll give you mine! You won't learn anything that way!" Alex blinked.

Parker sneered a bit, before caving into her glare and heading back to his own table. He let out a sigh. Crisis averted, he wouldn't kill a classmate today.

"Was he annoying you, Alex?" She looked up, curiosity in her tone. Alex snapped himself out of his surprise

"A bit. Nothing I couldn't handle." She studied him for a bit, then nodded and finished wiping up the water. She looked over to him.

"I am sorry, though. If you want, you can copy my lab, we did do the same work, you know." She smiled. It wasn't false or strained, and he found himself genuinely returning it.

"Thank you." She handed over her sheet, and they found themselves working in comfortable silence for the rest of the period.

Maybe school wasn't so bad.

"Class, you have forty minutes to complete the exam. There is a 100 word composition on the back, so don't forget it. Alex, you'll be taking it on Monday, if you're here." There was a sharp rebuke in Mrs. Bentley's words as she gave him a stern look. Alex simply smiled.

Mrs. Bentley was one of the few teachers who didn't take it as a personal affront when he missed class, making her one of his favorite teachers. Although Mrs. Bentley was stern, she kept his door open should he need it, even though she came across as rather strict and unapproachable.

"Of course.I'll head up to the office now." He wasn't sure he was going to be there on Monday. That depended on the conversation e was going to have with Blunt.

Mrs. Bentley gave a nod, and began to pass out the exam. Tom gave Alex a scathing look, which then turned to pleading look as Alex turned to leave the room. Tom wouldn't do well with the composition, he never did even with Alex's help.

Alex headed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time as he raced towards the door to the lobby. He was stopped by the voice of Mrs. Bedfordshire.

"Alex, your guardian is here to pick you up for your appointment!" She was leaning out of the front window, waving a bit. A man was next to her, grinning slightly at the expression on Alex's face.

"F-Ben!" Alex strode over quickly, embracing his friend with a hearty clap to the back. Ben smiled back at his psuedo-little brother.

"Here to pick up Mr. Rider for his appointment, Ma'am." He stressed an American accent, causing the secretary to inhale a tad sharply. Ben had always been a bit of a charmer.

"O-of course, Mr. Daniels, was it? All you have to do is sign him out." She looked over at Alex, giving a false stern shake of the finger. "You had better come back from this, I don't care if you're out with the flu."

Ben gave a snigger as Alex nodded furiously. Her expression melted back into the amiable secretary look.

"Good. Now, don't you boys have an appointment?" She waved them off, settling back to her paperwork. Demonic material that it was.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bedfordshire." She smiled a bit at the Rider boy and his brother. She was glad he had found a permanent guardian at last.

"Thank you for picking me up, Ben, but I have my bike…" Ben ran a hand through his dark hair, giving a sheepish laugh.

"Actually, I kind of wanted to take her for a spin." He gestured towards the bike and held up his car keys. "Trade?"

"Sure." Alex grabbed the keys and walked towards Ben's BMW, rolling his eyes lightly at the excited whoop Ben gave as he mounted the bike.

They drove towards the bank, enjoying the power of their vehicles before it was cut off at the entrance to the headquarters of the most powerful sector in the United Kingdom. MI6.

Alex handed off the keys to an agent standing by the front door, and took the entrance to the far left. There weren't great memories associated with the concrete on the other side. If Alex had squinted slightly, he would be able to see the faint discoloration of the sidewalk. Not a good memory to pull up.

Ben shared a look with the agent at the door, the other giving a sympathetic nod at the older agent before turning forward and returning to door duty.

The teenager who had passed by so casually was a hero, he knew that. There was a reason he was third in command.

Hey all, this is a repost of a previous work. I sort of felt ashamed at my last chapter so I've tried it again. Maybe I'll be able to keep it up this time.

As always, reviews are my sustenance. I absolutely love them, and would love some, please! Motivation!

-SidewaysSkyscrapers