A/N: MY FIRST ALEX RIDER FANFIC! Yes... I'm supposed to be working on my other fanfiction, but I've been meaning to post at least a little something for the Alex Rider community. I haven't read the books in a while (as all the fanfiction writes seem to be doing), but I still hope it's okay. If you spot any mistakes, please tell me (nicely)! Lately, I've been reading a lot of incomplete fanfics and I just wish someone will write a finished one! This will be really awkward if I don't finish this story...
Right now, my Percy Jackson fanfic, Chaos, is my first priority, but I'll be working on this one too. That might change depending on the responses I get. Obviously, the story with more reviews and stuff will be the story that I'm more motivated to write. On that note, if you're interested in Percy Jackson...
A few things you, as a reader, should know before you delve into the text. (How awkward did that sound?) LOL, anyway.
In this story:
Alex is female and is 18 years old. She is technically out of school (since Wikipedia is telling me that "...September 2013 the education leaving age will be raised to 17, and from September 2015 it will rise to 18"). Tell me if I'm wrong and I'll make up some sort of excuse for the leaving -grin-.
The members of K-Unit are in their mid to early twenties. I messed with their ages a bit because the gap was a little too uncomfortable for me...
I don't live in the UK, nor am I an expert on the slang over there. I apologize for my American...ness? If you notice anything wrong or something that can be better, don't hesitate to tell me!
ONE LAST THING: I kind of impulsively put this up... I don't have a definite plot yet. I usually don't do this, but if you have any ideas about where this should go, please tell me!
Disclaimer: I once wished that owning certain books would make me awesome. Since then, I have learned that I am awesomely awesome. I own awesome. I don't even know what I'm saying. I like quotes, so I decided to put a quote on. I wish I was all smart and stuff so I could say a smart... quote. I'm tired.
01: In Which Alex is Rescued
"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
~Mahatma Gandhi
Alex had the worst luck in the entire population of the United Kingdom, she would definitely admit that. Between getting kidnapped on a weekly basis and her run-ins with the Russian Mafia, she didn't think it could get worse. But then again, the world is filled with billionaire psychopaths.
Alex was in a bare cell. The walls were cement and the door was barred – not that it mattered. She was tied, hanging from the ceiling, her feet barely able to touch the ground. The rope was course and rubbed at her wrists, which had become raw. She had gotten used to the feeling of not being able to put her arms by her sides. Her ankles were wrapped in dense chains, but her socks mostly protected her sore feet.
Like any other terrorist organization, this one – Lowr – tortured anyone and everyone for information. Alex was quite glad to know that Lowr (what kind of name was that?) was a fairly new organization. Her captors didn't actually want to torture the alleged eighteen-year-old spy.
Alex sighed impatiently as she listened to her watch tick- ironic, seeing as it was a digital watch. She craned her head to glance at the time.
The idiots. Lowr hadn't taken her watch, where a tracker was located. Alex wasn't complaining, but honestly. Shouldn't they know what spies are capable of?
Alex bit her tongue softly, in thought. She was worried, considering how she had been trapped for nearly (if her calculations were correct) three weeks. MI6 still hadn't come for her. Did they still think she was a fourteen-year-old, incapable of knowing when she was about to die?
When I'm in danger, I'm in danger.
Alex's head jerked upright. Was she hearing things? In the distance, there came a sound like gunfire and the return of gunfire.
Hope began to bubble at her stomach, but she pushed it away angrily. False hope was destructive. She had learned that the hard way too many times.
More questions began to surface. Were they coming for Alex? Were they allies? Would they kill her?
The gunfire grew closer and closer, until Alex could hear each individual ping of the bullets, and she could hear the chains on her feet clattering. The fire stopped for a brief moment and she knew they were right outside her barred doors.
Bang!
Alex didn't flinch when someone outside shot the lock. She simply stared at the figures, bursting in. If she was going to die, she was going out on her own terms, not sniveling like a coward.
She could see four muscular men. They wore combat clothes and held large guns. On their uniforms, blazed the flag, proudly. SAS.
Alex relaxed.
Another man slipped in, lither than the other four men. He was dressed in black, loosely holding a pistol in his hand. Alex recognized his blue eyes. Ben.
Alex hadn't seen much of Fox – or Ben, as she now knew him – after their encounter on her mission in Australia. They had met once more when Alex was on another mission, this time in the Bahamas. She had coincidentally bumped into Ben (meaning she had discovered him half-dead on a beach…).
She'd called for MI6, waited for them to come, and then continued her mission. After another week, she was able to visit Ben in St. Dominic's. Mrs. Jones had then sent Ben to live with her, just until he was better.
It turned out that 'better' was six months. Alex and Ben had become fast friends and now they were almost like siblings.
"Ben," Alex wheezed, her voice cracking slightly, "late again."
His eyes were serious, no playful glint in his sharp blue eyes as he rushed to Alex's, but he smiled a little anyway, "Sorry, Al. Hang in there."
Alex rolled her eyes as the rope loosened around her wrists, "What do you think I've been doing?"
Ben rolled his eyes, catching her before she could collapse with exhaustion. Alex steadied herself on his shoulder, leaning most of her weight on him, "Let's go. I think I need to stop by St. Dominics."
The soldiers led them out, twisting and turning through the hallways. Alex limped after them, clinging onto Ben.
It was a large compound with grey walls and grey tiled floors. Every room had bars over the doors and windows. Alex could see small wires poking out from under a door. What was that? It looked vaguely familiar…
Alex began to limp faster. Panting, she managed to wheeze out, "Ben?"
Ben, almost carrying her now, replied with a soft hum.
"This place is going to blow." Alex stated simply, pushing herself even faster. Her breaths came out in short little pants.
"What?" Was Ben's reply, "You didn't think to tell me sooner?"
Alex looked up at him sheepishly, "I just figured it out…"
Ben swore colorfully in French, then scooped her up in one fluid motion, "Let's GO!" He shouted to the SAS soldiers. They began to run, Alex hissing at every jolt that sent pain through her wounds. She kept silent, knowing that it wouldn't help.
They burst through the entrance. A sleek, black helicopter waited, its blades whirring. Ben, still carrying Alex, ran faster, nearly tossing her in.
They got situated quickly, the soldiers telling the pilot to take off. Alex watched the compound with a baited breath, her stomach rolling over in an unpleasant manner.
The helicopter took off, quickly ascending. Below them, Alex saw the first explosive detonating, a second quickly following. A ball of bright orange fire tried to snatch their helicopter out of the sky, but they were too far away.
They were safe.
Alex was safe.
"Get some rest." Ben advised, closing his own eyes.
Alex nodded, looking at her friend gratefully, "Ben?"
Ben cracked open one eye, a small smile stretching across his face, "Yeah?"
"Thanks."
SPIES*LIE
Alex woke up, lying on a hard mattress in a completely white room. She panicked for a moment, clenching her fists, but relaxed when she heard the familiar beeping noise of the heart rate monitor.
"Good morning."
Alex didn't jump. She'd sensed Ben's presence by her bed time the moment she regained consciousness, "'Lo Ben."
Ben grinned at her, patting her hands, which were the only things not covered with some sort of bandage. Alex didn't think her wounds were too bad. Not like the others that she had suffered through.
"Mrs. Jones is here to see you." Ben stood, clearly about to leave, "I'll get her."
He left the white room, the air feeling cold after he was gone. A moment later, the door opened again and Mrs. Jones stepped in, her grey suit adding a small splash of color to the room.
"Alex," she sounded relieved, "I'm glad you're looking better. How are you?"
Alex gave her a polite smile, not bothering to sit up. Mrs. Jones had become closer to her in the past years. She had become something similar to a worried aunt, "I'm fine."
"Good." Mrs. Jones sat down, looking worried now, "Alex, I have to be frank with you. I've been getting a bit concerned with your lack of self-preservation on missions."
Alex raised an eyebrow, "I'm just getting done what needs to be done."
Mrs. Jones' eyebrows furrowed together for a slight moment before her face relaxed again, "I've asked Daniels to let you stay with him until you show that you're better. Of course, you can visit your own home regularly, but I'd like you to stay over at Agent Daniels' house."
Alex tried to shrug, but a shot of pain travelled up her neck. She settled with a small noise of acknowledgement.
Mrs. Jones stood, her features morphing into one of concern, "Get better, Alex."
Almost dramatically (Mrs. Jones never did things dramatically), she swept out of the room, leaving the lingering scent of peppermints.
Ben entered once again, his sharp eyes scanning the perimeter of the room predatorily. He relaxed as his gaze settled on Alex, "The doc said you'll get out in a week or so. You're coming to mine, right?"
Alex grinned at him teasingly, " Sorry, Ben, but you're just too old for me."
Ben pretended to be hurt, "Only by six years. I'm only twenty-four!"
She laughed, struggling to sit up without any support, "Old, then. Maybe you should retire soon."
Ben snorted, sitting, "You never retire with a job like ours."
"You can try," Alex agreed inwardly, "Now get me something to do or else I might climb out of the window."
"Again?"
A/N: Like I said: impulsive posting. Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks!
-Alice