Random Alpha Force fact 3: In the thing before the book starts when they describe the members, Hex got "Rarely without his Beloved palmtop" added to his round about Black Gold

Chapter 3: Bullies

Alex walked down the street with Hex, school-bag on back.

He still couldn't believe the sheer size of the buildings, how close together they were. London wasn't anything like Northumberland. He also couldn't believe that three Alpha Force members were in the same city in the school term, let alone same school. Alex remembered when he had gone to enroll.

Start flashback

"Ahhh… Alex is it?" asked the principal. "Alex Craig?"

Alex nodded.

"We got your form but of course, you are enrolling in the middle of the year."

Why on earth is that important?

"We need to do more paper work than usual. I hate bureaucrats" complained the principal, as if he had read Alex's mind. "Also I need to ask if you have any people you know at this school, so we can put you together. I know it must be hard to start in a whole new city."

"I know Hex", stated Alex. "And if a girl called Li has enrolled here then I know her too. She told me she was coming to London."

"Hex is a bad influence, but I'll be nice and put you with him anyway. Li… Yes! A Miss Li Ping has enrolled here too. I remember her asking about a certain Alex… And Hex. I didn't know that the boy had become so popular."

Alex got up. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Oh no, not yet. See me first thing Monday morning"

End Flashback

Alex snapped out of his daydream when Hex darted into a nearby alley, pulling the Northumbrian with him.

"What the…"

"Shush, they'll hear us!" hissed Hex urgently.

Too late. Suddenly three boys filled the entrance, leaving no escape route. They were all big thugs, who looked as if they could crack a brick in their bare hands.

Two of them were identical, with black hair and dark brown eyes. The other one was smaller, with reddish-blond hair and cold grey-green eyes. This one seemed to be the ringleader.

"So… if it isn't the Geek-boy…" The tone he spoke in was as cold as his eyes.

Hex appeared to stay calm, but Alex, who knew him well, noticed that he was struggling to control his temper. "If it isn't the moron and his tame puppy dogs".

The twin on the left spoke up. "We are nobody's Puppy dogs!" He spoke the word as though it was the worst insult imaginable. "More like pit-bulls", added his brother.

The leader took a step towards Hex, causing the hacker to step back. Then in one smooth movement he picked him up, took out his palmtop and dropped him in a heap on the ground.

"Hmm… Wonder what geeky-kid has on here. Here's an interesting file… Dear Amber, I just wanted to say-"

"- give it back!" yelled Hex.

The boy with reddish blond hair waved the palmtop tantalizingly In front of his face, just out of reach.

Alex decided that now was the time to intervene, even though he hated the thought of using his knife as a weapon, not a tool. He stepped forward, reached for his knife – and was held back by one of the twins. They must have just noticed he was there.

Suddenly there was a crash and the other twin was on the ground, a small Anglo Chinese girl stepping over the body.

"Li!" croaked Alex in relief, "thank goodness you're here"

"Ha!" snorted the main bully. He didn't sound so sure of himself though- they could all see the unconscious figure slumped in a doorway.

Before he could do anything else, Li jumped up with a flying kick that knocked both the Palmtop and the boy to the ground in opposite directions. Hex shakily picked himself up and fetched it, while Alex, no longer outnumbered , twisted round in a judo throw and flipped the last bully.

Then, dusting themselves off, the three continued on their way to school.


"Li you're a life saver", said Hex. "I thought I was dead meat"

Li smirked "You're welcome. Anyway, you just didn't want anyone to know about your undying love for Amber."

"What!?" yelped Hex, turning red.

"It's obvious" grinned Alex. "You think we haven't noticed? I know you've got the highest IQ out of all of us, but we're not idiots you know. Try asking her some time."

The hacker was speechless for the first and only time in his life.

"By the way", asked Li, "how did you get into that mess in the first place?"

Hex seemed to regain his voice. "Don't try to change the subject", he said, "not when I was about to start annoying you about Paulo."

Li covered her face. "I do not like Paulo!" she protested, but when she lifted her head up she was blushing.

Hex felt like paying her back for unveiling his thoughts for Amber, so sunk his teeth right into it.

Alex, who was normally quiet, and anyway didn't get everyone else's obsessions with the other sex stayed silent, except to add a few more "its obvious"'s at either persons expense.

They bickered happily like that until they reached the school.

Alex and Li entered the headmaster's office together, and Hex waited outside, fiddling with his palmtop.

Just typing on it made him feel better, made him forget the embarrassment of the way to school.

Hex knew he should have deleted that letter when he had had the chance.

He'd be the laughing stock of the school by lunchtime. Everyone would know how he had been saved by a girl, and that he was in love with some other girl called Amber. Then they'd say that he was cheating on her with Li, despite the fact that they didn't know Amber and Li wasn't his girlfriend.

Hex grinned. Actually she probably was. Li was a girl and she was his friend, so she was his girlfriend. For that matter, Alex and Paulo were his boyfriends. But try telling that to anyone older than ten and they'd look at you like you were crazy.

"Hey Hex!" someone called." I heard you were rescued by a girl."

He looked up and saw the face of his one and only school friend, Max.

"Well what do you know, it's the attack of the fitness freaks", grinned Hex. Max could get even more hyper than Li. He had ADHD and therefore needed 23.99 hours of exercise in a day. Ok, maybe that was pushing it a bit but he certainly needed one hell of a lot of exercise. Unfortunately he hated extreme sports so he had to find another way of using up loads of energy. Therefore Max spent all his free time at the gym, and that was where Hex had met him.

The two friends had just started talking when Alex and Li came out.

"Hex, the principal needs to see you, and Max too if you can find him", said Alex. He obviously didn't know who Max was.

Max stood up at attention. "That's me!" He then cart wheeled into the office.

Sighing, Hex got up and followed Max into the office.

Li wondered what the head master wanted with Hex and Max. Knowing Hex, probably to tell him off for bringing his palmtop to school. But what would he want with Max, who probably wasn't able to sit still for two seconds.

Alex apparently had the same thought on his mind. The quiet Northumbrian spoke up. "Why on earth did he want Hex and Max?" Then his face broke up into a smile. "That's the first time I've seen someone more hyperactive than you."

Li had to agree with him.

She mused about other things too. She wondered where Amber was, and what Paulo was doing now. She thought about her little brother Tom and wondered how he always managed to fake sick. She had just recounted Alpha forces adventure in Australia when the door creaked open.

"Come on", said Alex. "I think that we have to go".


Now there where three of them in the same city. They would be easy to catch, to pick off one by one or all at once. John would be well paid tonight.