Chapter 2

Bruce stood there just looking over Alex's shoulder.

"Hello. Is there something interesting behind me." Alex's awkward greeting broke the silence.

"Oh, hi!" Bruce said quickly,"Sorry I was just daydreaming..."

Bruce was wondering what was going on at campus. It was so unfair that Kyle got to stay but not me, he thought. After all Kyle organised the prank and James carried it out, he just didn't do anything to stop it. As a result he had to go on a stupid recruitment mission and so far all the people who came in where over the Cherub's age limit. To stop thinking about it, Bruce started walking to show the new kid around. Surprisingly the kid had silently disappeared.

"Ehhh. New kid! Where are you." Bruce shouted in desperation.

"I was behind you." came a voice from inside the hall way, "Also, please don't call me 'New Kid'. Do whatever you want. I'll show my self around." With that there was a soft patter of feet as the new kid went up the stairs.

"The bedroom's on the first floor, second on the right." Bruce called after him in vain.

Bruce didn't see Alex for the rest of the day but Alex was there, subtly watching Bruce analysing him. It was kind of involuntary, he just did it to any one he met. He wrote the results on a piece of paper with lemon juice, aka invisible ink.

"Is always confident where ever he is. Obviously has extensive martial arts training."

That was as far as he got before he noticed something, the care home did nothing to do with self defence. Promising himself to question Bruce, he went up to the bedroom assigned to him. Once there he found it was shared. Guessing that he shared the bedroom with Bruce, he prepared to interrogate him. The room had three beds and three metal lockers at the end of the room. The paint was flaking off the walls from the damp. Five minutes later Bruce walked in with another boy.

"Well here's Mr. Cheerful!" Bruce said sarcasticly.

"Aren't you going to introduce your friend?" Alex asked.

"I'm James." the tall boy, James, answered.

"This is Alex the Cheerful Newbie." Bruce told James.

"I told you to stop calling me that." Alex replied, annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Bruce mocked. Alex suddenly realised the perfect way to question Bruce about his martial arts. Suddenly Alex's fist was flying towards Bruce. Blocking, Bruce smiled, "I know karate."

Alex took the moment of distraction and spun him around, wrapping his arm around Bruce's throat and whispering into his ear, "So do I."

The taller boy looked in shock.

"Where did you learn martial arts?" Alex questioned.

"We went to classes."

"Where?" Alex asked, putting more pressure on Bruce's neck.

" . We went to classes organised by the care home." this time James answered.

"Apart from the fact that there aren't any organised."

With that he let Bruce go and sat on the bed.

"It was the place we went to before this." Bruce answered.

Alex was pleased with that answer, it explained a bit, but he still wanted more information. However, one of the thing's he learnt during his 'career' was that you shouldn't press for to much information too soon or you would be suspicious. But, of course, he was probably already suspicious.

The next day James was straight on the phone to his mission controller, Maureen Evans (an apprentice mission controller).

"Look there is this boy, Alex Rider, who, I think, we should bring in. He beat Bruce in a fight and worked out that we didn't come from this care home."

"Well, we'll bring him in." came the voice from the phone, confused.

"You see, the problem is that he is 14, over the recruitment age." James said.

"I'll talk to Mac." After this there was a long beep, signifying she hung up.