Chapter 4: Three Irritating Battles

"What do they want with us?" Priston demanded hysterically.

"That's what I want to know," Mr Bray agreed, much more in control than his student.

But Alex and Tristan weren't paying them any attention. The duo had claimed a corner away from the other as their own and were busy conversing in extremely quiet tones.

"How many?" Alex asked.

"All but us," Tristan confirmed.

"Are they coming in?"

"Don't know"

"Try again?' Alex asked clanking at the locked door.

"How?" Even though they didn't search us, keys don't work on the inside. There's not a keyhole in sight on that door."

"Explode."

"With what?"

"Gadget nails."

"But we're bound to be guarded."

"And it's doo dangerous," Alex dismissed his original suggestion. "Enclosed area and too many people."

"What are you discussing?" Price asked, watching them with interest, but us somehow unable to eavesdrop despite the small area.

Alex and Tristan exchanged a look before Alex nodded, as if obeying Tristan's unspoken decision.

"Escape."

"You got a way?" Priston cried happily. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Alex and Tristan exchanged another glance.

"We can't," it was Tristan that spoke this time.

"What?" Priston exclaimed then turned to Alex accusingly. "You wanna help your friends?"

"Of course I wanna help my friends Michael," Alex rolled his eyes.

"I knew it!" Priston yelled. "We're all doomed!!"

The cell door opened, and all conversations were cut short to Alex's relief. They were being summoned to the control room. It was an unresisting Alex that was put in restraints whilst the others went free.

"So Alex," Tim tried again. "Are you going to help us?"

"Still on about Ahoy's plan?" Alex asked exasperated.

"It was good," Tim shot back.

"Good is relative."

"Are you going to join me Ride?"

"Why?"

"Money and freedom."

"Sounds nice doesn't it?"

"Join me. Or records will be wiped."

"I knew it!" Priston shouted. "I knew it! You really are a criminal Alex!"

"Stop deluding yourself Tim," Alex shook his head, ignoring his classmate.

"I'm not. Help me Alex Ride."

"I sabotaged the one where Degrand was involved."

"Don't you want your freedom?" Tim was confused.

"Of course, but I'll never be free."

"I can make you free. A clean state to start again. No record."

"I don't have a record Tim," Alex shook his head. "I never did."

"I can get Degrand to help."

"Only if you can raise the dead."

"W…what do you mean?" Tim stuttered.

"He's dead. I killed him. It's over Tim. Give up."

The teachers, Priston and the guards watched in amazement and horror as Tim gave in to his emotions and lunged at their restrained companion. Who was not so restrained any longer, to their surprise.

Alex had discreetly freed himself from his chains whilst Tim had been too angry to pay attention to his surroundings.

"Call them! Get out!" Alex yelled at Tristan as he calmly side-stepped Tim's desperate attacks.

"What about you?" Mr Brown shouted back at his student, concern evident.

"I'll manage," Alex assured them urgently. "GO!"

Having no choice but to obey him, they raced to the door, only to find it locked.

"The keys Alex," Tristan called.

Alex swore and ducked a blow from Tim, returning with a swift blow to the neck and followed up fiercely with a kick to the abdomen.

Instead of pressing his advantage whilst Tim was winded as was the usual course of action, Alex rapidly retrieved the set of keys and threw them to Tristan. By the time Alex returned his attention to the fight, Tim had recovered enough to punch at Alex head, much to close for the spectators' comfort.

Alex had expertly blocked the attack and lead Tim further away from his charges. Tristan taking the pro-offered time to unlock the offending door and lead the escape.

Alex was fighting Tim with the same vigour as the time they had first met fist to fist.

Block; parry; dodge.

Punch; kick; lunge.

Finally an opening – invisible to the inexperienced – presented itself to Alex, and he took it without a second thought. Jumping closer to Tim, Alex hooked his right leg behind one of Tim's and blocked his punch with a left arm. Alex the followed through with a palm to Tim directly into the soft cartilage of the nose.

Alex felt the nose bone of his one time 'friend' break beneath his hand, and the warmth of the blood trickling out.

Tim tripped backwards over Alex's leg, and Alex followed up with an elbow to Tim's temple, before smashing the only chair in the room over him.

Tim was immediately claimed by the darkness.

But Alex didn't relax.

As soon as he had finished with Tim, Alex felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up.

Impending Danger.

Alex tumbled over Tim's prone body, and not a moment too late.

A fist sailed past where Alex's head had been and landed on top of Tim's right lung with a sickening CRACK! Alex didn't need to be a doctor to determine the fact that Tim was now sporting severely broken ribs.

Alex was shuddered to think what would have happen if it had been his head.

Alex looked up and stared straight into the fierce eyes of Manly.

"You're not happy until you ruin everything are you?" he snarled angrily.

Alex didn't grace him with a reply. Instead, Alex straightened and fell into a fighting stance. Ready. He wasn't disappointed.

Manly flew at him and the struggle began in earnest.

Their fight was intense. Each participant pouncing on the other, blocking and attacking with as much strength as they could muster. Adrenaline coursing rapidly through their veins, giving extra power. The attacks of their opponent that rained down on them knew no bounds.

So engrossed in their battle they were, that neither Alex nor Manly realised that they had gathered an audience. Alex's classmates, the prison guards, and the SAS officers who had come to secure the building were watching in awe as Alex fought against the former prison guard.

Alex's adversary was getting increasingly frustrated as he failed to get pass Alex's defences. Manly just wanted to kill Alex and make a clean get away – his chances of that was lowering every passing second and he knew it. The longer the fight took, the more aggravated he became.

Alex noticed Manly's control slipping. He knew that defeat was practically inevitable – even if it was difficult – once it had gotten away. Scorpia had taught him well.

Alex focussed on watching his opponent, defending himself with the occasional offence. Then, just when Alex was beginning to tire – it had been a long day after all – Manly's made his mistake.

Manly punched at Alex, and Alex instantly saw that it had been overextended, overpowered. Alex waited until the last possible moment before the blow connected. Alex promptly leant back and grabbed Manly's wrist with one ice cold fist, pulling Manly further than he had anticipated.

Alex stuck out a leg and pulled his arms downwards, bringing his adversary head over heels, landing painfully on his back.

Mr Brown had a sense of déjà vu as he watched the fight end. Indeed, the fight that had began Alex's misadventure had concluded in the same way.

The SAS cam in and took a groggy Manly and Tim's prone form away. They weren't going to risk replacing them in a 'normal' prison environment any further.

Alex's class were going to be lead back to the tents where they had escaped to, separate from the guards whom were to be briefed differently. Alex lingered slightly as the group were exiting and shook Tristan's hand before tiredly following behind.

On the way to the tent, just as they were crossing the gate, K unit – including Snake – came to meet them. At the same time Danny Pie jumped out of a clump of bushes and snarled dangerously.

"I thought the grounds were secure," Wolf said conversationally, but nobody could mistaken the hidden deadliness in his voice.

"They were," Fox replied equally casual. "Somehow we must have missed him, or he managed to creep back."

"What a rookie mistake," Eagle added in the same manner.

"I figured that for myself," Wolf growled sarcastically.

"Enough of that," Snake snapped. "He's about to attack the students.

K unit rushed forwards to stop Pie, but their youngest – unofficial – fifth member had already intercepted him and engaged him with what was his fourth fight that day.

The clash was rough. Pie bent on completely wiping Alex from the face of existence, whilst Alex was tired and clearly irritated.

Alex had managed to deflect all Pie's murderous attempts, even landed some strong ones of his own. Anger had clouded Pie's judgement, and Alex used that to his advantage, winning after just a few tense minutes.

Alex had made a quick strike at Pie's throat, temporarily choking him, then broke Pie's leg with a strong kick to the knees. A palm to the side of Pie's face broke his jaw, and the combination of pain from all his accumulated injuries caused him to black out.

The SAS had used Alex's distraction to move the kids and themselves a safe distance away from the fight.

The trip back to the tents was mad in absolute silence. Alex's classmates and school authority figures were in shock, with Alex himself was simply weary.

The SAS escorted the quiet group up to the temporary base for their debrief.

Alex paid little heed as one of the officers explained the situation, and the future. The class was silent throughout, until they were asked for their individual accounts.

The students yelled over each other, each wanting to be heard. Priston stood up and shouted even louder with everyone following suit, the SAS too amused to stop them.

Alex snapped.

Alex suddenly stood up in one fluent movement, agitation clearly evident in his chocolate eyes. The students around him looked up at Alex in shock and quietened. Slowly, the hush spread outwards like a ripple with Alex as the epicentre.

"Thank-you," Alex spoke in a tightly controlled voice once it was completely silent. "If anyone needs me, I'll be outside."

Alex turned and walked out the tent from his position in the dead centre of the children. The sea of students parted silently before him, making a path for him to escape outside. They didn't want to cross him after his display of martial prowess.

As Alex drew to the end, Michael Priston held out his arm, obstruction his way. Instead of merely slapping the offending arm away, Alex opted to simply turn his world-weary eyes to Priston and stared straight into the child's corresponding organs until Priston turned away, lowering his appendage at the same time.

Alex continued to walk out of the tent, grateful for the silence, but too exhausted to care.

The SAS officers took advantage of the class' silence to give out instructions.

"All of you will head to an officer, and give them your statements."

"What about Alex?" Tom asked.

"There's someone with him," came the reply, and the class happily recounted their tales now that it was evident the danger was over.

As soon as Alex had made it outside alive, he promptly took a deep breath of the fresh evening air, filling his lungs to its maximum capacity then letting it out again, sighing.

Mrs Jones stepped out of a smaller side tent and joined Alex, standing with him in a companionable silence.

"I was told that they were separated," Alex's voice broke the quiet.

"They were, all over the country."

"But three of the most dangerous turned out here, together."

"I don't know how that happened, but rest assured Alex, I'll look into it."

"What now?" came the tired sigh.

"They'll be well and truly separated."

"I was told the same thing last time," Alex said sceptically.

"I'll personally see to it," Mrs Jones promised. "They'll be in Solitary Confinement for the rest of their lives, in different prison blocks, if not separate prison facilities altogether."

"And them?" Alex inclined his head slightly to the tent behind him.

"From what Tristan tells me, your identity can still be kept a secret. You did let Tristan take charge, and all you did was merely help him along.

"I did give out orders and acted as a sentry."

"Tristan also said that you hand many quiet conversations with him in front of everyone. We can make use of that and say that Tristan told you what to do and not the other way around."

"Fair enough," Alex nodded, satisfied. He didn't fancy his 'friends' finding out, especially if it meant that they would be dragged into the dirty, ugly world of espionage that he was now a part of – albeit a reluctant part of. "Do you want my report?"

"Later, when we call you in."

Alex nodded a second time as silence descended upon them once again.