Disclaimer: I do not own any Alex Rider characters. Any mentioned that appear at any time in this story are the property of A.H. Any others are of my own making; and if there are any references outside of A.R series that are real, such as places or people, it is not intentional.

Alex shuffled into school. After his trip to Kenya, he was simply happy to be home. His birthday had been an uneventful event nearly two weeks perilously. He had cheerfully turned in his mid-term paper. GM Crops. not the most exciting title. But after two weeks in the hospital, what else could he do. He sprained ankle had healed quickly. The burns that covered his back still bothered him, but he would live. Miss Bedfordshire looked up as Alex approached. Her forehead creased.

"What is it now?" She sounded slightly annoyed.

Alex looked he strait in the eye. "Car accident." It was the easiest way to explain the burns.

She looked horrified. Saliently she took the note. Because it was a Friday Alex knew he would have a lot to catch up in. He rushed to Biology. Mr. Gilbert turned from the board as Alex entered. Tom shifted in the back of the room. Alex ducked his head and hurried to the nearest empty seat.

Mr. Gilbert cleared his throat. "Do you have your paper?"

"Yes sir."

His hand extended. "Let me see."

Alex turned the paper over.

Mr. Gilbert scanned the title. "Honestly Alex. I expected you to put more effort in. GM Crops? That is not very descriptive of your paper…Let's see…'Although there seems to be many benefits of GM crops there are a few major issues.' What might those be Alex? We spent the whole term learning the benefits! Btu you weren't here. 'One of the many ways to control a country's output…'" Here mr. Gilbert trailed off and read silently. He looked up. "Who helped you with this?"

Alex shifted in his seat. "No one."

Mr. Gilbert became angry. "So you thought of this on your own!"

"Yes sir. I don't understand what the problem is."

"Here!" Mr. Gilbert jabbed a spot on the report. "It says 'One of the many ways to control a country's output is to add a gene to the crop that turns off the plant's reproduction.''" Here there were a few snickers around the room. "'to turn on the plant's reproduction, countries or farms would have to back to the company to grow the next years crop. This could be repeated for hundreds of years…' You thought of this by yourself? Companies that control crops? Whole entire countries dependent on them?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright." Mr. Gilbert rubbed his jaw. He placed the report on his desk. " Here we have the model of a cell…"

The lesson continued on.

Alex hurried home. His bike had been left changed to his front fence. Another part of his life left behind. He opened the door. Jack was sitting at the kitchen table. Mr. Crawley sat across from her.

"I see…" Jack trialed off as Alex entered.

Alex quickly crossed the hall. "Crawley? What are you doing here?"

Crawley stood. "I'm sorry, but I need to go. Jack can explain." And he was out, the door swinging shut behind him.

"Jack?"

"It seems that Blunt is in trouble."

"Why?"

Jack grinned. "I have no idea, but you need to be in court tomorrow at…ummm…six thirty."

"Alright." Alex smiled at Jack. "Let's eat."

"Chinese ok?"

"Sure."

Alex took a taxi to the court. Jack went with him. She had only one suggestion. "Don't even think about lying."

Alex nodded. It couldn't be that bad. Blunt could have done a number of things. He wasn't nessacarly involved. The taxi pulled up.

"Good luck." The driver grunted.

"Thanks!" Jack clambered out. Alex followed behind her. Jack had went to school to be a lawyer. She would know what to do. Hopefully. They entered the building.

Alex took a seat near the back. He saw Mrs. Jones and Crawley talking quietly. Ben Daniels in deep conversation with one of secretary from the Royal and General.

Across the room sat the prime minister. Sitting next to him were two men.

Jack leaned over. "They're Charles Blackmore and Simon Ellis. At that group over there... Join Chiefs of Staff."

Alex nodded.

The judge cleared her throat. "We will begin the trial."

The usual procedures were followed, then the debate began. The prime minister's lawyer stepped up first.

"We have evidence that Blunt hired a minor to complete dangerous missions. The child was removed from school and their education endangered, as well as their health and in some cases, their life."

Alex was shocked. Had they hired another teen spy? He looked at Jack, but she shook her head. She was watching too intently.

The judge looked interstater. "This child. Are they here?"

Mrs. Jones stood. "Yes."

Alex scanned the room. He was the youngest...

"Come forward please."

Alex stood. Was he going to speech? "I don't have a prepared statement."

The judge looked surprised. "You only need to answer some questions."

Alex nodded and sat in the witness box.

A young man stepped forward. At first Alex began to answer in short sentences, looking for hidden meanings in the questions that were asked.

Then he asked a storage one. "Have you ever killed someone."

Alex looked at him. "No."

"Really? Then why did everyone you went up agents get killed?"

"Accidents."

"Dr. Greif? Didn't you run a snowmobile into his helicopter?"

"He was going to kill me."

"So you killed him first."

"No."

"Alright." The man paused. "What about McCain?"

"What about him?"

"What happened to him?"

"He died."

"Did the RAW agent kill him?"

"No."

"So you did."

"No."

"So how did he get blown up?"
"Seaside?"

" He was standing on an oil drum. That's an odd was to go."

"Well...It was his choke..."

"Really? Then what about Cray? I don't think he jumped into a jet turbine."

Alex shrugged. "He went off his trolley, apparently."

"Do you find that funny?"

Alex paused. "No."

The man rubbed his eyes. "Alright. Let's say that your friend..."

Alex entrapped him. "Is this hip coal?"

"Yes. Now let's say that your friend is captured by some bad guys. "

Alex smirked. "Bad guys?"

The man looked annoyed. But he continued. "And you had to rescue him. What would you do?"

"What are my options?"

"i beg your pardon?"

"What can I do? Do i have back up? Do I have any means to defined myself?"

The man huffed in announce. "Does it really matter?"

Alex resisted they urge to roll his eyes. "Yes. It's is a matter of life and death right? Then I'd rather be the one alive."

The man grinned. "So you would kill someone."

"Wouldn't you?"

"What?"

"What if someone held your wife at gunpoint? Would you kill the tersest?"

"I am the one asking questions."

"I can tell."

Jack shook her head. Alex sighed.

"I have not killed anyone. I don't want to, and I hope to never will. Does that satisfy you?"

"I suppose so. How long have you would for MI6?"

"I never worked for them."

"I beg your pardon? You went on missions?"

"I never worked for MI6."

"Yes! You did."

"Am I on the pay roll?"

The man looked at a women at a table on the side. The woman shook her head. "No."

"Do I have an office?"

"No."

"So how could I work for them?"

"I...I... You did! you completed missions for them."

"Yes. I completed missions for them. But I never worked for them."

The man stared at Alex in shock. "But..."

Alex waited.

The judge looked at Alex, then at the man. she turned to Alex. "You may be seated."

Alex took his seat next to Jack.

She glared at him. "I can not behave you did that," she hissed. "Defending Blunt."

Alex looked at her. "He is the best at his job. And he make good decisions. If they sick some new green-behind-the-ears kid in there, lots of people are going to de before he gets it right."

They were salient for the rest of the day.

Finally judge stood. "Blunt may keep his job."

She left the stand. Alex and Jack hurried from the building.

"What do you want to do?"

Alex shrugged. "Let's go home."

And they did.

Random one-shot.