Hey everyone! So here's a byproduct of my homework avoidance. It's not the most original idea in the world but it was fun. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider.
In hindsight he supposed the fight was an obvious outcome to the conversation he'd attempted to have with the kid. It was hard knowing how the boy would react to anything as he was closed off to the world in general. The fifteen-year-old MI6 agent was hard pressed to trust anyone and his current bouncing around from place to place did little to help.
Wolf could remember clearly when MI6 had approached him with this problem. They'd told him that with Cub's old guardian gone for the time being they needed him in a home with someone both parties could trust. Not that Cub would trust anyone, most of all him.
The kid had shown up a week later covered in bruises and cuts, one arm in a sling. Having grown up as an older brother Wolf wasn't surprised when his protective instincts kicked in on the sight of the boy. He knew he owed the kid for saving his career, even if it had involved kicking his arse out of a plane. Not that he hadn't somewhat deserved it. Besides, Blunt had told him that Cub's old guardian would be back by the time his Unit was ready to go back into the field.
So Wolf had agreed and Cub had been there for little more than a month. Eagle had been ecstatic to see the kid again. Cub had still been asleep when K-Unit had come to visit and Eagle's choice of greeting was to bust into the kid's room and flip the mattress to send Cub to the floor. He'd received a sharp kick in the stomach from Cub and a smack upside the head from Wolf.
Snake had instantly inquired about the boy's health as the bruises still had yet to heal. Cub refused point blank to say anything answering every question with, "Can't tell you. Classified." It was frustrating to say the least.
The most surprising thing was learning that Fox had worked with Cub on a mission. However, both couldn't say anything about it except that it had happened in Australia.
Wolf had, on several occasions, tried to tell Cub that as his guardian he had a right to know and the classified accuse wasn't going to work on him. Cub steadfastly refused to say anything remotely substantial and after awhile Wolf had stopped asking.
He figured that if Cub wanted to talk he would eventually. Not to mention he'd run out of patience with the cryptic answers and words behind words. Wolf had always hated talking to anyone from MI6; he found it mentally exhausting and hated that Cub had picked up the habit.
After all but giving up on getting any information out of the kid a couple of weeks passed by rather smoothly. They'd settled into a routine and even he had to admit that the kid wasn't too bad. Then all hell broke loose.
St. Dominic's called about an unfilled prescription of pain medication. Curious and hoping for a real answer Wolf asked what it was for. He'd been shocked to hear it was for Cub's gunshot wound to the chest. He'd been expecting something about appendicitis which, obviously, Cub had never even had.
When Cub came home from school that day Wolf had confronted him. The ensuing fight had been loud with anger on both their parts. Cub had shown more emotion than Wolf had ever seen out of him. He no longer looked like the tired adult with too much on his plate, now he looked a seriously upset teenager. It was a breakthrough of sorts but Wolf wouldn't be able to appreciate it until much later.
"What's the big deal?" Cub said exasperated. "I'm fine!"
"No, you're not fine," Wolf snapped at him. "You were shot in the heart!"
"Above the heart," Cub automatically corrected.
"Close enough!" Wolf returned.
"I still don't get why you're freaking. Jack never did anything," Cub said. Wolf's jaw clenched at the mention of Cub's old guardian. He'd only spoken to her once over the phone but it was clear that she genuinely cared for Cub. Despite this, the man couldn't help but be furious over her lack of concern regarding the bullet wound.
"That's the whole problem Cub. You can't just do nothing with a wound like that."
"But I'm fine," Cub said for probably the millionth time. The heated discussion turned into a full out fight with the frustration and tension that had been between them in the last month or so finally thrown out into the open. Trying to explain to Cub where his old guardian had gone wrong with his care was like trying to explain something to a brick wall, or Eagle.
Cub was hard headed, like Wolf, a fact Eagle never missed a chance to tease them about, and in his eyes Jack hadn't done anything wrong. Cub was defensive of Jack simply because he felt the American was the only family he had left. So Wolf shouldn't have been surprised when his criticisms of Jack sent Cub into a flying rage that once started had little to do with the present conversation. He also shouldn't have been surprised that when told to go to his room Cub had taken the opportunity to leave through his bedroom window.
Wolf had figured the boy would simply come back once he'd calmed down and after waiting till almost midnight he went to bed. When Cub still wasn't back the next morning he called his mobile only to get voice mail. By that afternoon, he was picking up his car keys to go look for the boy, faintly worried.
As he left the small house he wondered, not for the first time, just what he'd gotten himself into.
Hope you enjoyed! Review!