A/N: Sorry for the long wait…basically me just procrastinating. Well, not exactly. I've been pretty busy with school and all (being in all honors courses comes at a price). And I have spring break this week….but I'm going away, so that means no updates for you guys. Sorry. But I'm updating now at least. I just want to say thanks for the 6 reviews that I did receive (even if I had wished for more). And great guesses as to who that assassin guy was...I still haven't decided whom I am going to make it.

By the Way, I live in America and have never made it off of the East Coast of the US, let alone to a different country, so if I get anything wrong in that regard, don't kill me. It's not my fault that I don't know these things.

Anyways, without further ado, here is chapter 1.

Chapter 1:

Alex and Ben sighed as they made their way out of the airport with the four soldiers trailing behind them.

"This is going to be a lot harder than first expected I see," Ben started once they were out on the sidewalk.

"Yup. So what do you say we find the nearest ATM machine, grab enough money for six train tickets to the border, and get out of Slovenia before it starts to downpour or something." As if on cue, the skies opened up. "Like that," Alex responded before walking down the street as if he didn't even notice the rain.

Which, of course, caused the other five men to look at him in shock. "Alex?" Scooter started. "You do realize that you're now soaking wet and no train conductor will let you on looking like that."

Alex smiled a Cheshire grin, "Yea, but I've still got my good looks and charms, right? I mean, no one can resist when I want something."

"I'm kind of scared to ask whether that's because you have mind-control powers or you're a trigger happy maniac," Sparks commented.

Of course, X-Ray smacked him on the back of his head for that comment, "Are you really that stupid? He'd be in jail before you could blink if he was trigger happy and he obviously cannot control people's minds."

Ben smiled, "You sure about that last part?"

"Yea. He would've convinced those people at the airport to let us get out of the building BEFORE we had to jump on some random flight to some country no one's heard of."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "Plenty of people have heard of Slovenia. I've actually been here at least three times."

"Wow," Texas replied sarcastically, "A whole THREE times. That's going to help us out here."

"Actually…it might," Ben replied. "It just depends on why Alex was here."

"Why?" Scooter asked, confused. "Wouldn't he be here because of a mission? I mean, it's not like anyone in their right mind would come to this dump on vacation."

"Well, Ben, you're right. I was here because of a…job. Anyways, the flat I own should have enough clothes to fit us, and a shower. Speaking of showers, Texas really needs one."

"I do not!" And then Texas had the decency to sniff his armpits, "Well, at least not any more than the rest of you guys!"

"Shut up," Sparks commanded before Scooter could start bickering with Texas. "So, Alex, what kind of job are we talking about here? I mean, I thought working for MI6 was a full time thing."

"The kind that would probably have me arrested if anyone ever found out about. Speaking of which, if any of you speaks to anyone about that part of my life, where this flat is located or anything else of that nature, I will personally hunt you down and kill you myself."

The four soldiers seemed shocked at Alex's cold, harsh tone and words.

Scooter was the one to break the silence…well, would be silence if it weren't for the steady but light rain coming down around them. "I'm guessing that we can guess your side job from that description."

Texas grinned, "But you wouldn't want to kill us, would you? I mean, we're your friends. You'd never kill us, even if we did rat you out."

Alex ducked the arm that Texas was trying to put around his shoulder and was about to reply when Ben beat him to it, "No, just because you're friends with him doesn't mean anything. You'd still be betraying him. You'd just get to look forward to a quick sniper shot verses a slow, drawn out death."

White faces were plastered on the soldiers.

"But don't worry. That's only if you betray him. And he's a bit more lenient on what he counts as betrayal when it comes to his friends," Ben reassured them. "As long as you don't go seeking out someone with political power and spill all that you see, you'll be fine. At least you will be if I'm reading Alex correctly and if he hasn't changed drastically over the past two years."

Alex smiled, "Who says I haven't, Ben? You remember all of the assassins that kept showing up on your missions and taking out the guy about to kill you? How merciless those assassins seemed to be?"

Ben nodded and suppressed a shiver, "I don't know why they never killed me, but I can tell that I'm lucky to be alive…wait! How did you know about that?"

Alex smirked, "Take a wild guess. Me = assassin. Me = master of disguises. Me = master of finding out information. Me = your adopted son. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

Ben's eyes widened, "Wow. You really have changed. And that explains why they never killed me and why they sometimes even told me information I didn't know myself…speaking of which, how did you even stay in the SAS? I mean, with your side job and going on missions for MI6. When were you even in the camp?"

"Well…being with C-Unit was more of just a place I could live. I really wasn't there all that often. But my missions never lasted more than 3 weeks-except for that one time I got captured and tortured for information- but that's beside the point. And I'd just disappear for like one day at a time for my side job. No one got suspicious. They just figured I was more involved with MI6 than most agents. It worked out. They still don't know anything."

"You know what would be funny?" Texas suddenly asked. "If you were on one of your side jobs and your location got leaked and then the head of MI6 came to brief the soldiers about hunting down an assassin and then they found you and found out that you are actually some heartless killer."

Silence followed.

"And how exactly would that be funny?" X-Ray finally questioned.

"It wouldn't be," Ben replied for Texas.

"What about Ben?" Scooter suddenly asked, confusing all.

"What about Ben?" Sparks asked, tired of being constantly confused.

"I mean, what if Ben were to betray Alex? I really can't see Alex going and killing Ben. It would probably make him suicidal after Ben's death."

Ben smiled grimly, "If I betrayed him-which I would never- I'd probably find myself kidnapped and taken to some secure place where I would be unable to escape from. And then Alex would probably beat me up within an inch of my life and then help me recover. And then I'd probably be forced by him to get a new identity and start a new life elsewhere with no contact to anyone from my old life-except for Alex."

Texas whistled, "And to think that would be what would happen to Alex's adopted father and closest friend."

"Hey!" Alex replied, indignant. "I am not THAT cruel, Ben!"

Ben simply raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, so maybe I can be. But I probably wouldn't make you cut off ALL contact…just most. I mean, you would still be allowed to talk to K-Unit over the phone."

"As long as I didn't reveal anything about where I was located, where you were located or any other dangerous information of the sort," Ben replied with a smile.

"Or maybe I'd offer you a job," Alex replied. "I mean, we'd have to work on your shooting abilities, but it wouldn't be too hard. You know, that's not actually a bad idea-to get a partner I mean."

"I'm fine with you getting a partner as long as they don't betray you. If they do, let's just say nighty-night assassin," Ben replied with a determined look in his eye.

"This is the point in time where I throw a teenage tantrum and complain all about how I don't need my ADOPTIVE father looking out for me and how I'm capable to make my own decisions, right?" Alex questioned with a wry smile.

"Have you even ever thrown a teenage tantrum?" Texas asked.

Ben and Alex glanced at each other, "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether trying to make the head of MI6 get really mad a riled up or throwing one as part of a cover counts. If not, then no."

Before Texas could ask for any more details, Alex stopped walking.

"Here we are."

They entered the building and Alex led them to flat number 13.

Ben raised an eyebrow at the number, "Coincidental, or trying to be funny."

"Second one," Alex replied with a grin. "I mean, it was a choice between 13 or 6. I chose 13 because where else would you hide the luckiest man on Earth but in a flat numbered with the unluckiest number?"

After pulling out his ipod and opening up a hidden compartment in the back, Alex pulled out a key from said compartment and unlocked the flat.

"I'm surprised you don't have more than one key in there," X-Ray commented. "Surely this isn't the only flat you own?"

"You're right, it's not. But this is the key to every single one of them. One key fits all as it were."

"That's…useful," Scooter replied.

"Go take your showers while I run out and get some money," Alex commanded. "There should be clothes of several different sizes in the guest bedroom. Help yourself."

As he turned to leave, Texas stopped him, "What about food? I'm hungry."

"You can try anything you find in the cabinets, but make sure you check the dates. I have no clue how old most of the stuff is."

And with that, the spy/assassin walked back out into the rain looking for the world like some typical teenager caught out in the storm. You could almost believe that he was some innocent kid and not someone that could very easily kill you.

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Italy was beautiful this time of year, Ben mused looking around after exiting the train.

"Remind me never to visit Slovenia again," Texas groaned.

"Why?" Ben questioned. "It's not like anything bad happened."

"I don't know. I just didn't like it. Australia is so much better."

"Well," Alex commented, "I liked Slovenia. One of the only places where things didn't go drastically wrong. I didn't even have to go to the hospital after that mission."

"Mission?" Sparks questioned. "I thought you had a side job there."

"I had both. I just bought the flat during one of my side jobs."

"You know something?" X-Ray started as they walked down a street of the mid-sized city.

"What?" Texas asked while practically jumping up and down.

"I really like it here in Italy. I mean, the sun's shining, it's a beautiful day. Almost as if nothing could go wrong."

"Well, good for you. That makes one of us that likes Italy," Alex replied.

"And as for the beautiful day? Well, red sun, sailors warning. Blue sky, spy's warning. It's at times like these where nothing seems able to go wrong that all of hell breaks loose," Ben replied.

And they were just about to find out how right he was.

A/N: Sorry about the lack of action. I PROMISE there will be more in the next chapter. This one just basically gave more information of the enigma that is Alex Rider. Sorry if you disliked it, as I am not a very good writer. If you are uninterested, I PROMISE things will get more interesting. I just needed a chapter to start to set things up.

Anyways, hope you'll stick with me as the plot will unfold more in the next chapter. And if you don't like that Alex is a part-time assassin, well, that's your problem. I can't promise that you won't see more links to his life as an assassin in the future, but I'm pretty sure Alex won't go on any assassinations. But you never know. After all, I'm just winging this story. All I do is start writing a chapter and at the end see where it has gone. For those of you who are worried, though, yes, I do have a basic plot in mind. Please R&R! I was really hoping for more than 6 reviews, but it's understandable.