My new challenge that my friend gave me. If you want you can do it too but it's up to you. Doesn't bother me either way.

1- The story is made up of 26 drabbles, each chapter having a letter of the alphabet. The chapter title must begin with that letter.

2- You must have dialogue from Ash, Ian, Yassen and Helen Beckett in the story.

3- You must give on of the boys from Point Blanc Academy a cameo.

4- Each drabble must have less than 1,500 words.

5- You must include a popular saying or phrase in each chapter i.e. 'You look like you saw a ghost', 'Two heads are better than one'. You may alter the saying/phrase slightly to fit with the drabble.

6- No OC's may have any lines of dialogue.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Alex Rider series.

Alex readjusted his bag straps. They were cutting into his shoulders uncomfortably, making him wince in pain. He'd missed a month of school and now he had a lot of catching up to do, what with the GCSE's just around the corner. He'd been studying with in the centre of London with the tutor Jack had paid for.

Ironically, he'd actually been sick for the month he'd missed. He'd had a nasty cold which had developed into a bronchial infection which had delevoped into a severe chest infection. He'd spent the month forcing large, rather disgusting white tablets down his throat then coughing up thick yellow phlegm.

He listened to his feet slap against the sidewalk and smiled. He could barely hear himself over the din of London's streets. People rushing here and there. Nobody caring that he was present.

His phone buzzed loudly in his pocket and he pulled it out, pressing it to his ear.

"Hey Al!" Sabina's voice said cheerily.

Alex felt a smile worm its way onto his face. It wasn't even that Sabina could make him smile. She could, but he was smiling because of how normal it all was.

Normality. The thing he'd come to cherish but still hate. No crazy assassins. No hidden influences. He didn't have to watch his back constantly. The only thing he had to worry about were normal things. School stuff, homework; maybe the occasional girlfriend. At preset, he was torn between two paths.

He had a feeling that whatever path he took, he'd long for the opposite life. Sabina was normality. And normality, while it had its benefits, was not exciting.

He felt like he was standing at the fork in the road. Something was going to swing him soon. He knew that much. Maybe something big, maybe something small. Who knew? All Alex knew was that something had to give.

"Sabina" Alex replied.

"You haven't e-mailed me in weeks! I would've texted you but my stupid phone isn't working properly. You have exams or something, don't you? I wanted to wish you good luck".

Alex chuckled.

"Yeah, I was sick. I missed a whole month of school so now I'm playing catch up" he replied.

He crossed a road amongst a huge crowd of people and turned left, strolling down the street, enjoying the feeling of safety. He was in the middle of a crowd. A crowd that each had individual lives and worries of their own. And nobody cared about his. Safety felt good.

"Oh, poor baby!", Sabina said, teasing him lightly, "How's Jack keeping? I bet she took great care of you".

"She's fine. And yes, she was as great a nurse as usual" Alex said, smiling to himself.

Sabina laughed at that. Alex loved how easily he could make her laugh. Not like the people from his previous, abnormal life. The serious ones who hardly ever cracked a smile.

Alex turned onto another side street and, out of habit, scanned the people around him. He paused at the traffic lights along with a large group of tourists and waited silently, listening to Sabina describe a movie she'd seen recently.

The lights changed and as the group moved forward, Alex froze, his gaze now captured. He felt his phone slip from his hands. The world had slowed to snail's pace. He could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears.

The man continued walking across the road, strolling confidently. His hands were in his pockets and his eyes were on the traffic further down the street. Then, as though he sensed someone watching him, he stiffened. His eyes slid slowly to Alex, icy blue meeting dark brown.

He smiled slightly and nodded his head in a kind of greeting. Alex heard his steps as he crossed. Six steps. He was standing beside Alex. Just as he was about to pass, he winked very slowly at Alex. Then, the world returned to its proper speed.

A driver honked his horn angrily and Alex blushed, realising everyone else had crossed. Apologising profusely, Alex picked up his phone and rushed across the road, a taxi driver roaring abuse at him.

As soon as he reached the other side of the road, he spun around and looked back the way he came. He couldn't see the back of the man's head. He didn't expect to.

"Al? Are you there?" Sabina's voice wavered from the phone, snapping Alex back to his normal life.

"What? Yeah. Who was in that movie you were talking about?" Alex said, pressing the phone back to his ear.

Sabina continued about the film and Alex shrugged his shoulders, his bag once again hurting him.

At one time, he would have turned and rushed back down the street. The man he'd seen should have been dead. He couldn't be back in London for a pleasant reason. But, Alex reasoned, he was entitled to one more day of normality.

Then, he'd think about the situation before he went charging after the Russian and landing head first in a sticky situation. He'd drag himself back into his abnormal life.

Alex smiled to himself. He'd once again found himself in the midst of the life he'd once abandoned. But he'd seen who was protecting the country. Knew how many times he'd succeeded where their operatives had failed. He supposed a normal life was good, but his life was even better.

"You should really go see it Al" Sabina finished.

Alex's smile widened.

"Yeah, I might" he replied.

"Alex, are you okay? You sound like you've seen a ghost" Sabina said concernedly.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Look, Sab, I'll call you back" Alex said. He ignored Sabina's goodbye and cut her off mid sentence. Rude but necessary.

His little encounter with his past had convinced him of his path for the future.

Strange really. How a chance encounter could change your mind.

But Alex was certain of one thing. Just like his father before him, he would be the hunter. And people like Yassen Gregorovich? Well, that was another thing Alex was certain of. Yassen may have said he loved him. But he'd definitely pay for that stunt with the bull-fighting.

So, what did you think? I'd love to hear what you have to say about this chapter.