A/N: Ok so I was going to post this tomorrow... but I was bored (ish) so decided to post it tonight instead. Don't you just love me? In other news... I'll be posting every Wednesday regularly, or if that isn't an option I'll post Tuesday evening instead. That ok with everyone? (If you're wondering about FFH, it'll be updated Saturday or Sunday. Again once a week.)
I would also like to dedicate this chapter... ok well this entire story really... to Timon x3 as she was the one who gave me the confidence to post this. She has read every chapter before I have posted it and pulled me up a lot when I started to wander all over the place. It's thanks to her that... ok well I can't tell you that, it would spoil the story line, but anyway. Suffice it to say she has given me some really good ideas.
And finally, onto the chapter. There was something else I was going to say, but I've forgotten it... aren't you glad that you don't have to listen to even more of my waffle?
DISCLAIMER: Oh come on, haven't you got the picture by now?
***
Alex quickly worked out the rules. He would not be punished for lack of knowledge, or lack of skill, unless it was due to his own inattention. He would be punished, and severely, for disobedience, or disrespect. Despite this, Alex found himself eager to learn from the man, having frequently been denied the opportunity when he was at Brooklands due to his lack of attendance and then, after the teachers gave up on him, lack of attention. Here that was not a problem and with one-on-one lessons, Alex found that he was progressing faster than ever.
This, combined with his swiftly delivered punishments, led him to hold his teacher in high, if slightly nervous, regard and heightened his pleasure in learning.
He quickly realised that Aikema was not only to be his tutor in his school work, and the various other subjects that MI6 felt it would be beneficial for him to study, but also in martial arts and to continue the ninja training he had received with Scorpia. But the work was hard and combining it all with the regular SAS training left him worn out. And while Aikema's methods were effective, they did nothing to help Alex's steadily increasing exhaustion.
Languages were the worst though. As well as the more conventional lessons in each new language, Alex frequently found him having to fumble his way through economic lessons in Russian, or work towards his maths GCSE in Japanese.
His ninja assignments were often quite fun, however, and more than made up for the thickness of his tongue in the new languages. One day he had been instructed to follow K-Unit, do exactly as they did, and not be seen. He had almost managed it. Unfortunately, an ill-timed shout from Jackal and Alex's relaxed state now that the end was in sight caused the four soldiers to turn around and see him.
Eagle sealed his fate. "Cub! How are you? We've not seen you all day!" he exclaimed.
Out of nowhere, Aikema appeared. "That is too bad, Cub. I really thought you were going to succeed."
Alex didn't reply.
"Where did you go wrong?" asked Aikema.
Alex sighed and hung his head, avoiding Aikema's accusatory gaze.
"I relaxed before the assignment was completely over," he muttered sullenly.
"I think we shall make it two hours, Cub."
Alex's head snapped up. "What?! That's not-"
His complaint was cut off by a powerful blow to his cheek that sent him to the floor.
"You do not answer back," stated Aikema calmly.
Alex glowered at him and climbed back to his feet. "I apologise, Sensei," he said, albeit with bad grace.
"Three hours, Cub. Starting now."
Alex sighed and jogged off.
As he disappeared, K-Unit approached his tutor.
"What was his assignment?" asked Wolf, curiously.
"To follow you from breakfast to dinner, doing everything you did and not be seen. He failed, though I was impressed that he managed it for as long as he did."
Eagle's mouth had fallen open slightly. "I'm sorry. Did you just say he has managed to follow us since breakfast and we have only just seen him?" he asked incredulously.
Aikema nodded, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Snake's eyes narrowed. "And did you just hit him because he failed to complete it?"
"No, I hit him for being disrespectful and arguing with me. He should know better – he does know better, usually."
"And the three hours thing?" asked Leopard, tilting his head to one side.
"That is his punishment for failing."
"You can't punish him simply because he couldn't do something," said Snake, frowning.
"No, but I can punish him for failing to do something he should have been able to do, because of his own inattention."
Snake was still frowning slightly, but let the matter drop, for the moment.
"And what is this punishment? Mess duty or something?" grunted Wolf.
"That," said Aikema, "is singularly the most pointless exercise I have ever witnessed. If I were to use something like that to punish Cub, it would have no effect apart from to irritate him. He is not here to learn how to scrub pots."
The MI6 tutor walked off, leaving four very confused SAS soldiers behind.
***
It was dark when Alex finally returned from his punishment and he was distinctly glad that there had been no lecture tonight as he was already exhausted. His arms were cramping from exertion, and from being locked in one position for the last three hours. Carefully he stretched out his taut muscles before sliding into his bunk. When the others came in ten minutes later, he was fast asleep.
The soldiers looked at the boy who had, once again, been unceremoniously dumped on them. He looked so much younger when he was asleep. Tension they had never even realised was there had left his face. He looked peaceful, and almost innocent, something he could never achieve when you could see his weary, watchful eyes.
Leopard swore under his breath. "He's just a kid. Why did they send him here? He should be at school or something."
"Apparently he doesn't have anywhere else to go," said Snake quietly, looking at the boy in front of them.
"Bullshit," said Leopard forcibly. "They could have found him somewhere if they tried. Why not a boarding school? Why stick him in a camp full of soldiers?"
"It's not our problem," said Wolf harshly, looking away from the boy.
"Wolf, come on, he's part of our unit. Surely that makes it our problem."
"Part of our unit? You really think they're going to send him on missions with us? He's just a kid!"
"How should we know? We don't know anything about him; that could be exactly what they are planning!"
Snake sighed and sat down on his bunk. "So what do we know about him?"
"More skills than relationships. Has completed twice as many missions as we have in the same time length. He is stubborn, and extremely good at what he does, or so I would assume from what I've seen."
"Wolf," whined Eagle, "You sound like you're writing his file!"
"There has to be more than that," said Leopard frowning.
"Somewhere between his first visit and now he has been taught how to shoot and whoever taught him, the information is classified, which means that it wasn't MI6." That was Eagle.
"His father was a member of the SAS," offered Snake. This earned him a curious look from Wolf, so he shrugged and said, "I remembered a mention of a John Rider in one of our seminars. I looked him up and he looked just like Cub. He died about twelve, thirteen years ago, along with his wife."
"Did it say how they died?"
"Plane crash, apparently, but I don't believe it. He was given a dishonourable discharge three years before he died, and yet his death was still recorded."
"So the discharge was probably a cover?"
"Seems like it to me," agreed Snake.
"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Leopard, in hushed tones. "We know more about the kid's deceased father than we do about him!"
"We know he has nightmares," said Eagle quietly.
The other three soldiers turned to look at their youngest member in surprise. The sight was horrific. Although he was completely silent, he was thrashing around as if someone was trying to kill him with a look of pain and fear etched into his once peaceful features.
"Do we wake him?" wondered Snake.
"It's not our problem," insisted Wolf, then hesitated and added in a low voice, "and besides, would you want to know that others had seen you like that? I can guarantee that Cub won't."
"So we do nothing?" said Leopard with a frown.
"At the moment, we don't really have any other options."
***
A/N: Only one thing to say here... REVIEW, even if you disliked it!