A/N: Ok, so you have to love me. Just because you reviewed so nicely, I brought Perfectly Normal with me on a flash drive, along with a few other fics I'm working on and guess what – we have wifi. FREE wifi! Ok, so we probably aren't supposed to be on it, it's probably hacked, but we didn't mean to do it, and there wasn't a password... so... yeah, you're getting an update. Aren't you happy? Sorry, I'm babbling a bit – I'm jet lagged and I haven't had a decent night's sleep since Thursday. Two hours on the plane, two hours in the car and an hour in bed doesn't count as it was spread out over erm... I dno how many hours... a few? I seem to have lost a day somewhere as it's Sunday here, but I swear yesterday was Friday! Anyway, enough babbling, the story!
Disclaimer: Anthony Horowitz wouldn't have to result to hi-jacking wifi. Therefore, I am not him and do not own Alex Rider!
***
There was a moment of stunned silence, then...
"What the fuck is a druggie like you doing here?" asked an incredulous voice. It was Jared Freeman, a black haired boy who had always had it in for Alex. He was more than the traditional bully, brawny as you would expect but smart as well. It was a well known fact that he wanted to be a police officer and took offense at anyone who broke the law.
Unfortunately, this meant that Alex was top on his most-wanted list, with only a healthy self-preservation instinct preventing an all-out fight.
Alex sneered slightly.
"I don't see why it's any of your business," he said, outwardly casual while inside his mind was racing. How could he explain it to them? And why were they here in the first place? Had Scorpia threatened them too or something?
"If we're sharing this place with a criminal I'd say it is," sneered Jared.
"I'm hardly dangerous," he smiled, and almost felt the ripple of concealed amusement pass through the SAS men behind him. "It wasn't exactly the big stuff, was it?"
"They broke into our school just to shoot your guardian in front of you, Rider. How is that not the big stuff?"
Alex flinched and looked down at the ground.
"It's a government programme," he said quietly, with the air of an admission. "To encourage 'young offenders' to join the army when they get out so they can have a 'second chance'." To keep in character he muttered something insulting under his breath and Wolf, apparently catching on, cuffed him around the back of his head. Alex scowled.
Fox looked hard at Alex, with the same sneering expression as he held for the other kids, but Alex could read the warmth in his eyes.
"Right," said the soldier. "I better get this lot," he jerked his thumb towards Alex's class, "back to base. Sending yours over the assault course, Wolf?"
Wolf smirked, "Why else would we be up here? I'll see you later, ok, Fox?"
Fox nodded curtly and began to herd Alex's class away.
Alex watched them leave with a mixture of relief and regret. Had the situation been different, he could have been with them, accepted instead of despised. But in this situation, they were only a danger to his cover.
He turned back to his unit to suggest that they went back to the barracks, but was cut off by the sight of four thunderous expressions.
"Erm... guys?" he said hesitantly. "What's wrong?"
Wolf snarled and Snake lay a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Let's get back to camp first, shall we?" he suggested.
Wolf grunted his assent and Alex felt a hand come down heavily on his neck and propel him back to camp.
Once in the barracks, Alex was pushed firmly onto his bed and he looked up at the four men situated in a semi circle around him.
"What's the matter?" he asked, confused. What had he done to get them so angry? He ran his mind over the confrontation with his class, but honestly couldn't think of anything.
"They think you're in prison?!" exclaimed Wolf.
"Erm, yeah," said Alex, cautiously. That was what they were so worked up about?
"Doesn't it bother you?" said Leopard, uncertainty creeping onto his features.
Alex looked up, still slightly confused. "Well, I guess a bit, but it's not as if they could be told the truth, is it?"
"Jesus," said Leopard, sinking onto his bunk.
"So you have actively saved their lives at least four times – not to mention thousands of others – and you think that it's ok for them to dismiss you as a drug addict and gang member?"
It was Fox. He had appeared in the doorway to the hut with that same, furious expression on his face.
Alex's eyes flickered towards the newcomer.
"They can't exactly be told the truth, can they?"
"I don't like it," said Wolf. "It's not fair."
"You don't have to like it," said Alex quietly. "None of you do. It's simply the way it has to be."
He had accepted this before he had even come here. Now he had to defend this action against the others, even though it had completed his alienation from his peers.
"It's still not fair," said Eagle. He looked like a puppy who had just been kicked.
Alex smiled slightly. "Life's not fair."
"It should be," said Snake.
"But it's not."
Snake bowed his head in admission to the point, though the troubled expression remained on his face.
"Anyway," said Fox. "That isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."
Alex looked up hopefully at the potential change of subject.
"That boy – Freeman – he said they shot your guardian in front of you..."
Alex suddenly stood up, brushing past the soldiers.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said abruptly, walking out of the door.
***
He didn't want to see his unit, so he hid. He hid for hours, almost invisible amid the leafy branches of a tree. It was dark by now and Alex knew he would have to return to the barracks soon. K-Unit, plus Fox, had looked for him. He had seen them pass below several hours ago, but they had given up. It had been silent but now, once more, footsteps were approaching. They were too light to be a soldier, too noticeable to be Aikema or another agent.
He stilled his breathing and peered down through the gathering dark. When he saw the dark mop of hair and pale skin of the intruder, he smiled. It was Tom.
"Alex?" called the boy.
"Hey Tom," said Alex.
Tom jumped, and looked up at him a smile on his face.
"How did you know where to find me?" he asked.
Tom shrugged. "I know you – you're unit were tearing their hair out when you vanished, they didn't even try to hide it, so I knew you were hiding, and you're always complaining about how people search in 2D – all I had to do was wander through the woods calling you until you decided to scare the life out of me."
Alex grinned and swung into a lower branch, holding a hand out to his friend. "Come on up," he invited.
Tom smiled and took his friends hand.
They talked about everything and nothing. Tom complained about how boring school had gotten – and how he wished he was there rather than Brecon Beacons. Alex complained about how his Unit were ruining the SAS image and how he absolutely loathed economics. Tom laughed and made fun of him – saying that it was his own stupid fault for using a flag pole as an adventure playground.
Eventually, they lapsed into silence. Alex leant his head against the tree branch and looked towards where his friends white face was just visible in the darkness.
"We should get back," he muttered, preparing to swing down to the ground.
"Yeah," agreed Tom, then paused, as if something had just occurred to him.
"Jack misses you, you know."
Alex froze and turned towards him.
"Would it have killed you to call her?" sighed Tom.
"Tom..." said Alex slowly, shock etched into his expression. "Jack's dead."
***
A/N: Yeah, so I'll try and update in Tokyo, assuming you've all reviewed!
