I am Three

On the next Saturday after the best week of school he had since before Ian died Alex left his house at six in the morning for Royal and General Bank or MI6 headquarters to those, like Alex, who were aware of the secret that it kept hidden. Taking his black jeep he parked in the underground parking lot of MI6. Entering into the colourless foyer that lacked the posters and magazines of a normal bank which Alex had always thought would be a dead give away but nobody was willing to spend money on this considering that few came in here unless they were involved in MI6 business and anyone who wondered in found the "bank" so uninviting they had no reason to come back again. In the reception area Alex gave a huge grin to the young, curly, red haired woman who was MI6's receptionist.

'Molly could you ring to say Alex Rider is here,' Alex smiled a truly genuine smile (for once) at the pretty, curly red head. She had a fair share of admirers in MI6 but Alex thought she was pretty ugly compared to Sabina.

'Sure thing Mr Rider,' as she always called Alex as much as it annoyed him. Molly's chocolate eyes brimmed with concern at the sight of the young man standing calmly before her with eyes much too old for his face.

Molly was paid to keep silent but even so the teenager unnerved her with those eyes. It just wasn't right that a child should be involved in such business he was the same age as her younger brother; Louie who had inherited their mother's blonde hair and father's straight hair. Unlike Molly who had their father's red hair and their mother's curls. The only thing they had in common were there brown eyes much like Alex's but Louie's were filled with humour not seriousness. And those all too serious brown eyes just made her shudder.

'Alex,' smiled the blonde boy grinning looking like he was about to burst out laughing and calming Molly's nerves with this childish behaviour as they went through their usual routine of naming.

'Alex,' chuckled Molly at the boy's cheekiness so unlike Louie who would never be cheeky. Molly often wondered where he learnt it from; mother or father or friends. Alex laughed softly the smile lighting up his whole face making him look eighteen for once.

Quickly Alex placed his weapons under his bullet proof top. In order to conceal the weapons from Smither's careful screenings of people for weapons. Only Alex was ever able to sneak weapons past the screenings and no one had ever worked out how but he had frightened Mr Crawley often enough with his samurai swords when he was particularly angry. In the end they'd stopped trying to stop Alex bringing weapons up just as long as he didn't use them on them which Alex readily agreed to. They had of course tried placing cameras all about but Alex had managed to find them all and disable them meaning that nothing had changed about the situation. Returning to Mrs Jones' office as always reminded him of Alan Blunt and everything that pathetic excuse for a human being had put him through as a young child, well fourteen. But that was young to him now even though it was only four years ago – barely any time at all. Except to teenagers where four years were a whole lifetime. Well most teenagers but not to Alex Rider.

'Alex,' smiled the woman who had half adopted the teenager as her own helping him through the hard times after Jack, his sister in all but blood, had been killed by SCORPIA thanks to Blunt's meddling. It was she and Ben who he had lived with until sixteen and the rest of K-Unit still came around constantly but he liked living on his own so nobody pressured him about it that had got him back on his feet after Jack's death. Alex had filled the void in which her children, Tony and Blaize, had left. And she in return had filled the void which he had always had – the void that Helen Rider had left that of a mother. As a result they were closer than any spies ought to be. But nobody noticed or nobody mentioned it.

'Mrs Jones,' beamed Alex four years ago if anyone had said he'd have motherly feelings towards Tulip Jones he'd have told them to go jump but now he couldn't see her without his heart swelling. 'The mole,' he said seriously ignoring the urge to give her a hug as they would out of office hours.

'It's someone high up but we do not know who,' said Mrs Jones frowning worried that someone would betray their country and more importantly Alex but knowing she'd have to send the boy into danger once more. It was days like today she hated her job.

'How do we find out?' Alex asked knowing that he would be going off somewhere otherwise she wouldn't have called him in. He just hoped he wasn't too emotionally involved because of Brookland and all.

Mrs Jones couldn't bear to look at her child's eyes. Her child? When did that happen she wondered but pushing that thought away she looked away from the deadly serious young man that she had helped to create.

'What do you want me to do?' asked Alex correctly interpreting his boss' actions. Mrs Jones wondered if it was just Alex who understood her like this or could anyone. She shuddered at thought so decided that it must be her unique relationship with Alex or the boy's unique skill level. Alex was calm and very eager for another mission.

'Go undercover into SCORPIA,' replied Mr Crawley and Alex couldn't help but remember the last time that he had gone undercover into SCORPIA but refrained from touching his bullet wound. Alex was surprised that Mr Crawley had answered since he'd been silent since the moment Alex had entered the office as he usually was.

Mrs Jones looked worried as she always did she really hated sending him on missions but knew it was necessary. Plus Alex would never forgive her if she mollycoddled him, god forbid. Remembering the time when he'd have done anything to stop going on missions and wished that was still true. We did that sighed Mrs Jones sadly. But this didn't concern Alex at all but something was.

'But they know me too well,' Alex pointed out the fact that after everything he was top of the list of SCORPIA's target so knew what he looked like.

'That's why we've called in Chloe Webber to give you a complete makeover,' it was her holiday after all.

'Cloudy,' Alex's face visibly brightened at the mention of his old friend.

'Yes she's going to make like this boy,' Alex's interest was piqued as Mrs Jones picked up a red folder and took out a picture. The picture was of a teenged boy around Alex's own age. He was Chinese looking with eyes of liquid silver and he was grinning from above his blue tie on his pale silver shirt he looked smart and a little geeky.

'This is Chong Three,' Alex shuddered inwardly at his torturers name as Mrs Jones gave him a small smile he guessed she understood what was going through his head, 'he is nineteen,' older than me then Alex thought, 'and currently studies English Literature in Harvard.' Alex was quietly impressed at this news.

Alex whistled at the prestigious university.

'Yes he's currently in first year. When his mother, Ai Gwang, found out what Three,' Alex repressed a shudder at his torturers name again and he was given a kind look from both of MI6's heads, 'did she ran off to America with her five year old son – Chong or now Cong. They got deep cover like your father got from the CIA and are now known as Ailann and Cong Guan. Ai Gwang works as a florist and appears that her son knows nothing of his father.'

Alex inwardly flinched, 'then why's he so important?' he asked frowning at this.

Mr Crawley answered yet again this really was the most he'd spoken since he became Deputy Head of MI6, 'SCORPIA don't need to know that he doesn't think like his father, Doctor Three.' Alex flinched again this time it was visible and Mrs Jones looked at him concerned wondering whether he was the right Agent for the job – even if he had a hundred percent success rate Three was a soft spot but looking at his determined profile she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would not give it up now he had it – especially with hiss classmates in danger as they were a couple weeks ago. She just hoped it didn't upset him too much she really did love him and allowed John to go on. 'We've arranged for him to go on holiday so you'll spend a week taking his place before going hunting for SCORPIA. We've made sure it's a surprise so he won't tell any of his friends and block incoming text messages and phone calls we'll pretend to be his friends and text back and imitate their voices but it's all down to you to deal with SCORPIA. You should know that if you get captured we won't be able to save you,' Alex nodded understanding what they were saying he was on his own; if he was caught he would be tortured and killed.'

'Then,' Mrs Jones added hastily, 'you'll find our mole.'

Alex nodded knowing what he had to do; it was just doing it which was going to be problem. If it had been anyone but SCORPIA Alex would have said it would be a synch but it wasn't so it was going to hard and if he failed he'd die in agony and pain. He shuddered he really didn't want to be tortured again.

'These are his files,' Mrs Jones handed him the large pile of files in red folders, 'and your plane to Logan International Airport in Masscheutus,' Alex knew that this was in Boston so nodded. He'd been to Boston six months ago so it didn't faze him at all.

He journeyed to his office opening the files and glad again that he could remember everything in one read thanks to Ian he didn't feel bitter about this anymore, hadn't since he was sixteen. Opening them he realised the extent of them.

Name: Chong Bing Three

Known As: Cong Jing Guan

Age: 19

D.O.B.: 17.11.1985

Occupation: Student (Studying English Literature)

Lives: 116 Baker Street New York (Holidays)

331 Hillrise Flat (Term Time)

[See Profiles on Residences]

Mother: Ai Zhi Gwang

[See Gwang's Profile]

Girlfriend: Bonnie Rose Brown

[See Brown's Profile]

Friends: Aaron Taylor Cameron (19)

[See Cameron's Profile]

Tony Lee Essex (17)

[See Essex's Profile]

Ronaldo Oliver Bastos (19)

[See Bastos' Profile]

James Henry Nottingham (19)

[See Nottingham's Profile]

Michael (Mickey) Jones (19)

[See Jones' Profile]

Carlotta Rosetta Francesco (18)

[See Francesco's Profile]

Looks

Hair: Inky Black with a side parting very neat

Eyes: Slanted Silver eyes

Height: 6.1 Feet (Tall)

Weight: 12 Stone

Ethnicity: Chinese

Physical Fitness: Works out. In good shape with little health problems. There is a scar on his left leg where he fell off his bike when he was seven.

[See Childhood Profile]

By the time Alex had finished reading all the files he knew everything there was to know about Doctor Three's son and all his friends; everything from his last date with Bonnie or Bon as Cong called her to his first pet – Bubbles the tortoiseshell cat. Alex thought this was ironic – cats who traditionally hated water and Cong had called his car Bubbles. Alex had never had pets because they weren't in the house long enough to look after one. Then when Jack came she put her foot down because she had too many allergies – once he'd found a spider and looked after it until Jack found it and flushed it down the loo and Alex cried for a month until she bought him a toy dog.