Author's Note:
Hope you liked the last chapter; for once I was actually happy with how a chapter turned out. As there is more happening in this story it will inspire me to write more and update more often. Hope you like this chapter, review!
Warning: This chapter is a bit violent and bloody so you've been warned.
Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to Anthony Horowitz.
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Chapter 12
Nobodies POV
Brookland Prep,
1:17
A gleaming black Rolls Royce screeched to a stop in front of Brookland Prep. The second the wheels had stopped turning the doors were flung open and Mrs. Jones, Mr. Blunt and Wolf all jumped out of the car.
To those who did not know of the current situation at hand than this would have looked quite comical; Blunt in his gray suit, Wolf in his military attire and Mrs. Jones in her black pants suit, high heeled shoes and hugging a large, black laptop case to her chest running up their schools front walk. They dashed in through the doors and let them slam shut in their wake.
The students watching from the third floor art studios expansive window all looked at each other questioningly. They had been drawn over to the windows when they had heard the screeching tires in front of their school and had arrived in time to see three figures running at top speed into the school.
1:20
The loud speaker system crackled to life just a few minutes after the strange appearance of the three people.
"Attention teachers and students," a nervous wounding secretary began, "We are having a very important impromptu assembly. Would everyone please make their way to the auditorium quickly and silently at this time. Everyone is required to attend. Thank you very much."
The students looked at each other, the same question running through all their heads, what was going on? They all remembered what had happened the last time unknown people had entered their school.
1:22
"How much time do we have?" Mrs. Jones exclaimed frantically as she dashed down the center aisle in the auditorium, Blunt and Wolf close on her heels.
"Eight minutes!" Blunt exclaimed checking his silver Rolex.
When they reached the stage Mrs. Jones immediately began unpacking the laptop and hooking wires and cords to it. Wolf nimbly jumped up onto the stage, never breaking his pace and ran to the back where he pressed a button that made a big screen slowly lower itself from the ceiling. Wolf had been required to memorize the complete layout of the school so he probably knew it better than some of the students even.
He dashed back to Mrs. Jones and picked up the extension cord and plugged it into its rightful spot on the wall.
Mrs. Jones clicked the laptop on and soon the welcome screen could be seen on the big screen. She sighed in relief that it had worked and nervously unwrapped a peppermint and popped it into her mouth.
1:25
The first classes were just beginning to arrive.
"Please come in and be quiet! Sit where ever you want, just hurry!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed in a voice that was slightly high pitched. "How much time do we have left?" She asked Blunt again.
"Five minutes," Blunt answered checking his watch again.
Mrs. Jones tapped her foot on the ground nervously as students and teachers continued filing into the auditorium and taking their seats.
Wolf ran back from the back of the stage and gracefully jumped off of the stage landing on his feet. He faced Mrs. Jones and said, "Everything's set."
1:27
"Everyone's here!" Mr. Davis exclaimed as he dashed into the now full auditorium.
"Good, good," Mrs. Jones said.
"Its 12:27," Wolf said after checking his watch, which he had been doing impulsively for the last 2 minutes.
"What is all this about?" Mr. Davis questioned curiously since no one knew what was going on. Mrs. Jones, Wolf and Blunt had all just barged into the office saying that something was very important and to get everyone in the auditorium immediately before dashing off but of course the Mr. Davis and Mr. Burk had went ahead with their orders because after all, this was MI6 and generally what they say goes.
Mrs. Jones and Mr. Blunt looked at each other as if trying to decide who was going to tell the school why they had come but in the end it was Wolf who stepped forward and in a loud, clear voiced addressed the room. "You all know about Alex and why he hasn't been here for two weeks."
Fear gripped the hearts of many present, were they going to say he was dead?
Wolf continued, "He's not dead but still being held by Scorpia! Scorpia has blackmailed us, making us show you a video they are sending us. They threatened Alex's life if we did not do as they said. The vid…"
1:29
"One minute," Mr. Blunt announced from behind Wolf. Wolf turned to face the screen. He pulled back his shirt sleeve and kept his eyes glued to his watch that was steadily ticking away the last few remaining seconds until it was 1:30.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2…
"It's time…" Mrs. Jones whispered.
1:30
The second it was 1:30 a video popped up on the screen. It didn't give any warning or any options it just came. It took up the whole screen. At first it was blurry but the camera was quickly focused on a doorway.
A few seconds later the door was thrown open and a person was pushed through roughly. The person was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a black sweatshirt that were both dirty and there were several spots on his pants that were easily identified as dried blood. He was tall and well built but he looked a little too thin, his face was pale and his once perfect light brown hair was matted and falling messily in front of his eyes.
As he recovered himself from being pushed forwards he looked up and glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings silently. His eyes fell on the camera and the whole school was given a clear shot of the person's unmistakable eyes.
A collective gasp rose up from every person present as they took in the image of their former classmate.
"Alex, do you know what time it is?" A man wearing a black mask said in a hard voice from one corner of the room shown on the screen.
Alex looked up at him and you could visibly see him tense at the sight of the man, "Uh no I don't actually…" Alex answered in a voice that was so different from the voice his classmates were used to hearing.
The man laughed, "Its 1:30 p.m. Alex."
Alex raised his eyebrows, "And I care about the time why exactly? It's not like I have anywhere to be… no wait, I think I have a dentist appointed scheduled for right about now. Alex said sarcastically and Wolf shook his head slightly in despair.
"I'm in a good mood right now Alex and it is not in your best interest to change that at the moment," the man cut in. His voice sounded around the deadly silent auditorium.
Alex snorted and said, "Oh yeah I forgot, everyone gets such a kick out of torturing me."
The man ignored Alex's comment and gestured to the guard who was holding Alex's arms behind his back, the guard was also wearing a mask. The man grabbed Alex and pushed him forwards before shoving him down in the chair that faced the video camera and tying a rope around his chest and arms tightly so that he couldn't move. Alex raised an eyebrow questioningly at the camera. "What's the camera for? Are you making a movie?"
"Ah yes, well you see Alex watching you right at this very moment is your precious MI6 and your entire school."
Alex's eyes glinted with rage and he struggled against his bonds as he spat at the man, "You fucking bastard!"
"Ah ah ah, now Alex your teachers are watching you," the man said in a singsong voice.
"A don't give a shit if the fucking Queen on England is watching!" Alex yelled spewing out curses left and right, well it's a good thing that there weren't any young children present. Alex struggled again to get up but the ropes wouldn't budge.
The guard's fist came out of no where and hit Alex right in the side of his face causing his head to snap to the side. Through gritted teeth he said, "Why? Why are you making them watch this?"
"I believe I told you before," the man said coldly, "I intend to show everyone their precious golden boy in a new light. Everyone will see you for what you really are, a killer."
There were more gasps from the student body of Brookland Prep. Ever since they'd registered all the information about Alex they thought he was really cool, a mini James Bond if you will. It never really connected in their heads that he may have killed people. That just wasn't something someone would connect a 14-year-old with doing.
Alex shook his head furiously, "I haven't killed anyone!"
"I beg to differ; did the snowmobile you were riding on just happen to launch itself at Doctor Grief's helicopter? Wasn't it you who pushed Damian Cray out of Air Force One or did he loose his footing and simply just fall out?"
Alex looked like he had a few things he'd like to say to that man but he kept his teeth clenched, refusing to answer.
"So first thing's first," the man continued. "Scorpia has been far too lenient in your punishment as of thus far and having your whole school see you suffering is just too good a chance to pass up."
"Wha…" Alex started to say but the man interrupted him as if he hadn't even started to speak in the first place.
"Maybe they'd like to see why you weren't with them for 3 months?"
Alex's eyes widened in horror and he shook his head causing his light brown hair to bounce around a bit.
The students watched in horror as the guard stepped forward and untied Alex's bonds. He all but ripped of Alex's sweatshirt off to revel that he wore no shirt under it. He had a perfectly toned and muscular body but he was pale and his ribs showed. There were freshly healed cuts all along his arms.
Than there were the scars on his chest, the scars that crisscrossed over the top left side of his chest and the one that ran practically the whole length of his abdomen.
Despite the scars marring his perfect body the majority of the Brookland Prep's female population were openly ogling his chest, none more so than Blake.
!#$&
Alex's POV
I can't believe they're doing this to me! Making my whole school watch as I'm tortured.
Actually I can believe it, it's Scorpia after all. Is this why they haven't really hurt me yet? Because they wanted my school and MI6 to watch them as they did?
But I'll be damned if I'm just going to sit here and let them.
After untying me the guard pulled me up so that I standing. He roughly pulled my sweatshirt off over my head.
That's where his mistake was.
He wasn't holding onto me as he took off my sweatshirt so I took advantage of my momentary freedom and ducked down. Noticing this, the guard became outraged and made a desperate grab for me but I darted to the side, out of his reach.
"You little bastard!" the man howled. He was advancing towards me with a knife clasped firmly in his hands.
Now there were 5 guards closing in around me from all directions, I couldn't run. Basically I was as good as caught again though I'd never expected to be able to escape right now. No, that was just going to come later. But I wasn't going to be caught again just like that; oh no I'd have to leave my mark before I was caught.
I settled my eyes on the guard that was closest to me, he was my target.
As he closed in on me I grinned mischievously and he hesitated, frowning. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness I swung up with my right leg putting all my power behind it. My foot connected with his hard chest and he stumbled backwards from the impact. However, he quickly regained his footing and lunged forward at me.
"GET THE DAMN BOY YOU IMBECILES!" the man yelled outraged, twirling the knife around in his hand.
Five men lunged towards me at the same time from all different directions. In a desperate attempt to save my self I kicked out again and this time my foot connected with side of one of the guard's heads. He fell onto his back but I doubt I'd knocked him out. But now was not the time to worry about that, I had my own problems. Another one of the guards had caught my foot before I could bring it back down and twisted it at a painful angle forcing me down so that I was lying on the cold floor on my stomach as the guard knelt down on the small of my back and my arms were forcibly pulled behind me and I felt the rough, scratchy material of the rope digging into the flesh of my wrists.
I was pulled up and brought face to face with the man. His brown eyes were glinting with rage and fury; I narrowed my eyes and glared back.
"You just can't seem to do things the easy way can you Rider?" he said seething.
"Pardon me for not wanting to sit around waiting to be tortured."
An ugly grin spread over his hard features, "You've just made it harder for yourself." He gestured to one of the guards with his hand and I found myself being pushed back into the chair except this time my arms were tied around to the back of it.
The man came and stood behind my shoulder, I saw the blade glint out of the corner of my eye.
"It's gorgeous, don't you think?" the man asked holding the knife in front of my face. The blade it's self was long, about eight inches and the hilt was black metal that was imprinted with shiny, silver scorpions all over it. I shuddered, it was beautiful but in a menacing and deadly kind of way. The man tilted the blade so the sun glinted off of it, accentuating the sharpness and the point of the blade. "So beautiful and yet so… sharp," the man said as he dragged the knife along a couple inches of my chest.
The pain seared through me but I refused to show my pain, it was a sign of weakness. I gritted my teeth and looked down at the trickle of glistening red blood running down the ridges of my chest.
"Hmm…" the man said thoughtfully as he examined the blade. He held it in front of my face again and I stared impassively forward, refusing to look at the blade that was shinning and glistening in the sunlight with my blood. "You seem to have gotten my blade dirty." He proceeded to wipe it off on my chin.
I swallowed hard as I felt the hot, sticky substance settle my face. My lips twitched and I took a long, deep shaky breath to try and calm my pounding heart.
"Do you think you're strong?" the man asked me. "Do you think that you're strong because you're not showing any pain? Do think that makes you stronger? That it makes you a man? When all you really want to do is run to mommy so she can make it all better," he mocked me.
I felt the anger welling up inside of me, "I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!" I hissed.
"Wrong answer," he said as he dragged the blade down the upper part of my left arm. I clenched the muscles in my arm instinctively. This cut was deeper than the last and set off a new fire blazing inside me hotter than ever. But again I refused to show my pain, my eyes and face staying impassive and dark.
"I know you're just itching to yell out in pain… that's all I'm asking for, just a… little… emotion…" he said as he dragged the knife along the right side of my collar bone.
I felt the scream bubble up through my throat and I opened my mouth but fought hard to keep all sound back. All that came out was air, a breath I'd been holding. Blood was running down my chest leaving sticky trails in its wake just to be recovered by fresh blood oozing freely from the gashes. Rivulets of blood were running down my arm to soak the rope that bound my hands and coating my hands before dripping to the gray floor below. I clenched my hands together tightly and felt the hot, sticky liquid squish between my fingers.
"Your making this harder for yourself boy," the man hissed impatiently.
I heard the tiny speaker in my ear crackle to life and Wolf's voice say softly, "Cub, are you okay?" I didn't move, just stared forward into the clear lens of the video camera watching the man behind me. "Blink once for yes or twice for no," his soft, comforting voice instructed me. I paused for a second wondering if I should try to fight again but I felt all my pride and strength drain from my body and I just wanted to go curl up on the floor in my cell and lick my wounds and I blinked slowly once and than a second time.
"Alex," Mrs. Jones's soft, motherly tone said next, "Hang in there, we'll get you out soon. Okay?" I blinked once acknowledging that I understood her.
In the lens I saw the man lowering the blade back down to me. I squeezed my eyes shut waiting for the searing pain I knew was going to come. Suddenly my side was filed with such intense pain as the knife was dragged slowly by my ribs for several seconds.
"I know it hurts you," the man said as I twitched. "Just yell out, acknowledge the pain, I know you want to."
"Alex," Wolf voice sounded urgently inside my ear, "Just do it, he'll stop if you do! Just do it!" he pleaded with me.
I blinked once and opened my mouth.
But before the scream I had been trying so hard to suppress came out I thought about my school, my teachers, my friends, Wolf, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Blunt, all the people being forced to watch this. Fresh anger seared through my body hotter and stronger that the pain I was filled with. Anger towards these… people, for everything they've ever done, not just to me but billions of others to. Anger that my family had been kept from me all my life when in actuality they were only a few, short hours away. Anger that children's lives, Alex's, Lily's, Paul's, had been cut short, that they'd never had a chance to live because of Scorpia.
And I blinked a second time.
"Bloody hell Alex! Just do it!" Wolf desperately pleaded with me.
And than I remembered… how had I been so stupid! How could I have possibly forgotten!
"Mr…" I croaked my throat dry.
"What are you doing boy?" the man exclaimed outraged.
"Mr. J…" I tried to say again.
There was a searing pain in my wrist as the knife slashed across it.
Despite all my fighting it was too much. A scream ripped through my body.
"Wonderful…" the man said gleefully reveling in my cries of pain.
"He's not… he's not who you think he is!" I yelled frantically through my pain. "He's dangerous he works… he works for Scorpia!"
"Why you little…" the man exclaimed.
I cut him off and continued yelling, "Get him! Stop him! Mr. Je…" was all I got out before the hard, steel hilt of the knife slammed into my temple and I was suffocated by the darkness that relived me of my pain for the time being.
The last thing I heard was, "YOU FUCKING LITTLE BASTARD…" and than I knew no more.
!#$&
Nobodies POV
Brookland Prep, auditorium
The entire auditorium was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
They were horrified at what they had seen but at the same time they could not take their eyes away from the screen.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at the screen in horror as the knife slammed into Alex's head with a sickening crack, his bloody body almost immediately falling limp against the back of the chair and his head slumping forwards.
Was their great friend and their countries anonymous hero finally finished?
Would the boy who sat motionless in the chair on the screen before them ever open his eyes again?
His body was a sickening bloody mess; he looked nothing like the boy who all the girls whispered about how cute he was or what a great athlete he was.
Was that really their Alex Rider before them?
"BLUNT, JONES!" the man yelled from the screen. "YOU BETTER REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT! REMEMBER, THE BOY CAN FEEL MUCH WORSE THAN THIS! THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!" he roared menacingly before the camera was clicked off and the screen turned black.
The auditorium remanded in a shock and stunned silence.
They thought about what they had seen, mulling it over in their heads.
What about Alex's frantic yelling at the end? What had he been trying to say? Was it important or was he just loosing it? But the man had been so furious at him for it that it had to mean something, right?
But what? It sounded like a warning, but what could he be warning them about?
But most importantly, was this the end of the short lived legacy of Alex Rider?
A/n: Not very long, I apologize but I hope you liked it anyway! This is where the action starts so get ready for more! It only gets better from here! Review!
