A/N: So recently I got into Alex Rider and I had an idea for fanfic so I thought "why not!". So I would greatly appreciate comments and reviews. Enjoy!
Kali Richards was a typical ten year old girl. Except for the fact her father was one of the richest men in London. She was usually a well behaved girl but sometimes, her curiosity got the best of her. One evening at Hemsworth summer adventure camp she got bored and decided to go for a little stroll. As she walked along the beach she noticed that the gate of the restricted area was open. Kali paused for a minute. Was it a good idea? No it wasn't. But she went anyways. From the moment she was told she couldn't go in there, she'd been dying to go in. She tip toed through the gate. It was nothing exciting, just a forest. She continued to walk for maybe ten more minutes through the forest, taking many twists and turns along the path. The further Kali walked the more she thought about the others. Two kids had gone missing from camp already. Had they come in here? Were they lost in this forest? Was she going to get lost too? Finally she came to a clearing. This was a section of the beach that seemed to be untouched. Except for one lone dingy. That boat had to go somewhere so Kali climbed on. Kali was very strong for her age and had been doing plenty of kayaking this summer so rowing this boat was a piece of cake for her. She rowed for a long time, the camp getting smaller and smaller. Kali was growing tired and her interest was decreasing. The results of her walk were very disappointing. Until she noticed the small island approaching. There were tall trees along the edge and she could see a very tall castle type house peeking through. Kali rowed even faster. Finally she got to the island she put the dingy on the sand so it wouldn't float away. She walked along a path and came to another large clearing. The house was giant and looked like a castle. There were tall windows and small towers. On the right side of the house there was a flat roof that must have been for helicopters. Kali had to tilt her head up to see the roof. It was very high up. Kali felt sorry for the person who ever fell of the ledge. Not only was the roof high, there was plenty of rocks along the edge that would crush your spine. Putting aside her fear, she looked for a door. Finally she found two huge wooden doors that made an arch shape. They had two large golden rings on them that reminded Kali of her mothers solid gold hoop earrings. Just as Kali was going to knock on the door, she felt something hit her in the head and then everything was black.
Alex walked through the elevator doors and made his way toward Blunts office. Why on earth had he called him here in the middle of a school day? Not to mention the day before summer break and a week before he turned sixteen. As he got to the office he heard other voices. Alex knocked and he heard someone say to come in. When he opened the door he saw Blunt sitting behind his desk, Ms. Jones eating a peppermint, Wolf standing beside Blunt and the figure of a young girl with her back to him
"Ah Alex" Blunt said "I'm glad you could make it"
Alex kept his eyes on Wolf. He hadn't seen him in ages
"Wolf" Alex said "good to see you"
All Wolf did was nod. He seemed to be scolding the young girl
"Alex I'm sure your wondering why your here" Blunt said
Before Alex could respond the young girl spoke up
"Blunt are you ever going to tell me why you dragged me here or are you just going to continue to beat around the bush"
She didn't have a British accent. She was an American. Blunt ignored her
"Alex I'd like you to meet Layla"
The girl finally looked at Alex. She had long brown hair with a couple blue streaks mixed in that was toes back in a ponytail. She had dark brown eyes and was close to the same height as Alex. She was wearing army pants, combat boots and a thin strapped green tank top. She was giving Alex a funny look
"So your the famous Alex rider" she said
"Um yes" Alex said, feeling a loss for words
"I don't see what all the fuss is about" she mumbled
"Sphinx!" Wolf scolded
Layla lazily looked back to Wolf
"What?" She asked
"That is not how we treat out partners!"
She looked like she just about fell over
"Excuse me?"
Alex also felt confused. Blunt stood up and looked to Layla
"What your father meant to say was that we should treat our equals with respect"
"Yea because he knows so much about..." Alex's voice died off "wait did you say father?"
Layla crossed her arms and sank into her hip
"Yes I did" Blunt said casually "Layla here is Wolf's daughter from America. She has just recently moved here"
"I've been here six months Blunt" she corrected bitterly
"Oh yes right" he said "my apologies"
She continued to look bored and annoyed
"Blunt could you please just tell me why I'm here?" She pleaded
"Right. Why don't you and Alex take a seat"
Blunt gestured to the two leather seats in front of his desk. Layla took the one on Alex's left and he took the other
"Now your both obviously curious as to why your here" Blunt said
Just as Layla went to open her mouth Wolf shot her a warning look
"Sphinx!" He warned
She closed her mouth and sank a little lower into her seat. Blunt continued
"Now we have just learnt that a very wealthy man named Richard Hemsworth has just started a summer camp just on the outskirts of London. Now usually we would think this is a normal investment but we learnt last night that three children have already gone missing"
"And you think Hensworth is responsible" Layla cut in
"We'll that's the thing" blunt said "no one is quite sure. Every time a child goes missing, he's in a different country. Something isn't right here and we need your help"
He looked to Layla
"Both of your help"
Layla stood up "no way! I'm not joining MI6!"
"You don't really get much of a choice" Alex mumbled
Layla shot him a quick death glare then turned back to blunt
"Isn't it bad enough you forced me through six months of training with SAS?!"
Alex looked at her in shock. She trained with SAS?
"I realized that this is not something you would ordinarily do Layla but we really need your help" Blunt said politely
"No freaking way!" She cried "I'm not doing your little spy work. Especially not with him!"
She pointed to Alex
"What did I ever do to you?" He asked standing
She turned on him "this is all your fault! It's your fault my father has turned me into this British army robot!"
Wolf had enough "Sphinx!"
She turned to him
"Dad you said you wouldn't let them use me as a spy!" She cried
He walked over to her "sphinx you are to refer to me as sir or Wolf. Is that clear?"
His voice was harsh and intense. Layla shrunk and became very...sad
"Yes sir" she mumbled
"Good!" Wolf said "now you *will* do this mission for MI6 and you *will* work with and respect cub! Is that understood?"
She nodded "yes sir"
"Good! Now I'll meet you back at home!"
He turned and made his way for the door but he stopped and turned to Alex
"Good to see you again cub"
"You too Wolf" Alex said grinning
Out of the corner of his eye Alex saw Layla all of a sudden look very different. When he turned to her she seemed hurt and angry. When she saw Alex looking at her she shot him another death glare. Wolf left the room without another word. Layla sat back in her seat
"So what do you want us to do?" She asked quietly
"We want you and Alex to go in posing as campers" Blunt said "now you must know that this camp only seems to accept the children of the wealthy so Layla, you will be Layla Smith. Only daughter of David Smith, American billionaire. Alex you will be Alex Jaminson. Only son of William Jaminson the third, British billionaire. Tomorrow we will fly you two there on a helicopter. In that time you can read these files we have made up"
Blunt handed Layla and Alex two folders, each containing information on the people they will be playing
"Remember, this mission could get messy. Stay with each other at all costs. We don't want to loose either of you"
Layla nodded and stood up
"Good to see you again Blunt and thank you for ruining my summer"
She turned and walked away. Alex stood awkwardly
"Um yea thanks. See you tomorrow"
He quickly followed Layla out into the hallway. She walked quickly so he wouldn't catch up with her but he was quicker than she thought
"I didn't know Wolf had a daughter" he said
Layla pressed the button to call the elevator
"Yea well he isn't the kind to scream from the top of a mountain about anything" she said bitterly
Alex looked at her funny "why did he make you call him sir or Wolf?"
She turned to him sharply "because he's an ass hole who wouldn't know kindness and love if it hit him in the face"
The elevator doors opened and they walked in. Layla leaned against the wall in the corner while Alex awkwardly stood there
"So do you like London?" He asked
"Despise it" she grumbled
Alex was taken back "look I know being drafted into MI6 isn't fun at first but you'll get used to it. You don't have to be so bitter about it"
Her body went tense and she turned on him, looking angry. Alex sensed he plucked a nerve
"For your information I've been training six months straight with MI6" she said, her voice sharp "not to mention the fact my dad has basically been training me since the day I was born. Look I don't care how famous you are around here, your still a sixteen year old who was brought here against they're wish after a tragedy, just like I was. They just give you special treatment because you know how to throw a punch in some guards face"
Right away Alex could tell she had a serious problem with him. Finally the doors opened and she walked out, Alex at her heels
"God they act as if they've never seen a spy before" she mumbled
She made her way down the street in the direction of the Tube. Suddenly Layla turned to him
"Look superstar, if you think I'm going to baby you like those British wuss's up there your wrong. Your just another soldier fighting in this messed up war we call life"
She turned on her heels and walked quickly. Alex stood where he was. He figured she wouldn't want him following her. After she was out of sight he continued to walk. His walk home was a blur to him. He kept thinking about all the things Layla had said to him
"A sixteen year old who was brought here against they're wish, just like I was"
"Just another soldier fighting in this messed up war we called life"
About twenty minutes he arrived home, not even noticing it. Jack was home as usual but he ignored her. He went straight to his room and started packing. What does one bing to a summer camp?
Layla walked into her home, mentally praying her father wasn't home. As she walked further into the house she saw her prayers had come true. He still hadnt gotten home. She sighed in relief as she ran up to her room. The nerve of him! He promised that she wouldn't become a spy! Ever since this Alex Rider kid came into the picture all he's ever done is try and make her into him. It's bad enough he practically tried to make her into a boy as a child but now, he was turning her into a soldier?
"I hate you Alex Rider" she mumbled
As she sat down on her bed she laughed sarcastically. Alex Rider. That's all he's talked about in the past six months
"Alex wouldn't do it like that!" She mocked quietly
Alex this, Alex that! He might as well adopt the kid an kill her. It was obvious he wanted him as his son. He had made it pretty clear he wanted a son, not a daughter. Layla kicked her shoes off and grabbed her yoga pants. She changed and took out the blue extensions. She put them in the makeup bag with the rest and grabbed her suitcase. For a moment she just studied it. Layla hadn't been to a summer camp since she was ten. She walked to her closet and grabbed all her shorts, bathing suits, tank tops, t-shirts, pants and pretty much everything else. After she neatly packed just about everything she owned she studied the suitcase harder. Even with almost all her clothes and toiletries, her suitcase had plenty of room to spare. Layla gave up on trying and walked downstairs. When she entered the kitchen she jumped. Her father was standing in front of the stove. He turned to look at her
"Something wrong?" He asked
She shook it off and returned to being hostile. She didn't answer him and walked to the fridge. As fast as she could, she got a water, large enough snack to fill her up, and left the kitchen. She had no interest in speaking to her father. When she returned to her room she picked up her suitcase and took it off her bed. She sat down and turned on the tv. Some hours later she heard her fathers footsteps walk past her room. It was obviously time for bed. She turned out the light and changed into a pair of pyjama pants. Before she went to bed she picked out her outfit for the next day and closed her suitcase. She turned out the light and crawled into bed
"This is going to be one long summer camp" she whispered
When Alex woke the next morning everything seemed to be a blur. He got showered, changed, ate and said bye to Jack without even thinking twice. As he stepped outside at 10:30 AM there was a black limousine waiting for him. He walked closer to the car and saw Blunt sitting inside. Alex climbed into the car and sat next to Blunt. The driver closed the door and made his way to the drivers seat. As Alex felt the rumble of the engine underneath him Blunt spoke
"Good morning Alex. Hope you slept well"
"Just fine thanks" he replied
"Now I understand that you usually have cool gadgets with you"
"Yes Smithers gives them to me"
"We'll sadly Smithers fell ill and wasnt able to make it but I was told to give you these"
Blunt opened a grey briefcase and looked inside. There was a ballpoint pen, notepad, iPod touch and digital camera. Alex took them and studied them hard
"What do they do?" He asked
"Well" blunt replied "the pen may look like an ordinary pen but really, it's invisible ink that will only show up on this notepad. There's a special light on the tip that can be used as a LED flashlight that can be used on land and underwater. That may seem like a digital camera but really, any pictures you take will be sent to us if you press that red button that reads 'share'"
He pointed to the red button in the top right hand corner of the camera
"Now my personal favourite is the iPod" he said "Smithers took a regular iPod but created a few of his own apps. The one with the radar can detect any incoming people. The one with a bug will detect any "bugs" that need disabling. Ah lets not forget the one with the words! That one will decode any type of combination lock. And my personal favourite, the one with the speaker. It gives you the capability to listen to any conversation in a certain range"
Alex nodded
"Oh and I forgot to mention Smithers downloaded about a thousand songs on there in all types of genres" Blunt added "in case you felt like listening to music"
"Sweet" Alex said "tell him I said thanks and get well soon"
Blunt smiled and looked out his window
"Ah we're here"
The car stopped suddenly and the climbed out. Alex looked around and found himself standing in the same army base he was trained at. A few yards away stood Layla and Wolf. Alex and Blunt approached them. Today Layla looked a little different. She had red and purple streaks in her hair and was wearing ripped shorts, Keds, a loose white tank top with a bright pink band underneath. She didn't look thrilled to see him. Blunt approached her with a smile
"Good morning Layla. I have your weapons here"
She nodded. Blunt opened another briefcase. Alex hadn't even noticed him carrying it
"So what do you have for me" she asked, sounding bored
"A comb that will blow up any lock, no matter how thick, a pair of earrings that can record any conversation, a cell phone that can send any information to us and a belt that can shoot a grappling hook that can hold up to three hundred pounds. I hope these will be alright"
She smiled "there fine thank you. Give Smithers my best"
He nodded "will do. Now lets get you two off to camp"
Alex nodded and saw a black helicopter landing not to far from them. The four of them walked to the helicopter. The pilot killed the engine and waited. Blunt turned to Alex
"Remember, if things get too rough we will pull you out"
"I know" he replied
He paused
"No gun?"
He laughed "no but if you desperately need one, Layla has one or two with her"
Alex whipped around and found Layla smirking at him. Out of nowhere Wolf put his hand on her shoulder and she whipped around quickly
"Now remember" he said sternly "you stick to orders"
She nodded "yes sir"
He looked at her as if wanting to say something else but didn't
"So I'll see you when I get back then" she said, almost sounding hopeful
"Yes" he said "remember sphinx, if things get messy, you contact us"
"Yes sir" she said sounding defeated
"And take care of cub. He isn't fond of orders"
"Yes sir" she repeated
"Good luck soldier"
Then he walked away. Layla looked at him for a minute. She looked almost a little sad. Suddenly blunt put his hand on her shoulder
"Time to go"
She turned around and hoped in the helicopter. The pilot had taken their bags without Alex even noticing. Before Alex climbed in Blunt looked at him
"Alex I want you to do me a favour"
"Besides the one I'm doing now?" He asked
"Yes" Blunt said ignoring him "I want you to look after Layla"
"Why? She seems pretty capable of handling herself"
"It seems that way but things aren't easy for her right now. You went through what she is and even though she seems to hate everyone, I think she just wants a friend"
Alex looked at him, waiting for more
"Would you please just try and make friends with her? She needs it"
Alex sighed "I'll try"
Blunt smiled "thank you. Have a nice trip"
The he walked away. Alex climbed into the helicopter and took the seat next to Layla who was already strapped in and ready to go. Alex looked at her quizzically for a minute. She unexpectedly whipped around
"Can I help you?" She asked bitterly
"May I ask you a question?" He said ignoring her
She sighed "if you must"
"Why does Wolf call you sphinx?"
"It's my codename" she said turning to him "you know, like how your cub. Or double o nothing"
He looked at her in shock "how did you know about that?"
She shrugged "the K-unit guys like to share stories"
"You know the K-unit guys?" He asked
"Yea. Their pretty decent guys. As long as your related to one of them"
Alex chuckled "at least they treated you well. Did you know your father practically tried to kill me in training?"
She chuckled "sounds like him. What exactly did you do to make him want you dead anyways?"
"I'm not too sure. I think he didn't like they were using a fourteen year old"
She paused but then laughed sarcastically
"Oh the irony" she said
"What?" Alex asked
"Nothing" she mumbled turning away from him
Alex felt that was the end of that discussion. He sat back in his seat and prepared himself for a very long and silent ride.
Alright well I left a bit of a cliffhanger because I'm not sure how to continue it... Anyways I'd love your opinion and if your reading this, thank you for reading this much!
