Chapter 27: Welcome to America!

Yassen Gregorovich mentally added Nile to the list of people probably on directions from Doctor Three. Not that he could blame the man. His position was rather precarious and the good doctor had a lot of influence. He flipped his phone out to text Alex for the day. Nile just politely left the room. Yassen had carefully built a reputation for professionalism, ruthlessness and more than a touch of sadism. Texting Alex about the details of what he was doing was his only habit. He changed the times around a lot. It helped now that they were in a more similar time zone. Then again, he didn't sleep that much, so chances were if Alex texted he was up. They were currently plotting the death of a drug dealer and his competitors. The man had called on SCORPIA to fix his problem but had irked a board member in the process. Bad idea. Also, a fatal one. The doctor had decided to simply take over both sides of the business. Chase had seemed a little too smug about it, so Yassen had assumed this one was his operation. Nile suddenly walked back in. "Ruiz wants you."

Another annoying thing about their darling target. He seemed to prefer Yassen's deliberately prickly personality and he didn't accept that both of them had equal authority as far as he was concerned. Technically, Nile had the higher rank. However, Yassen had by far more experience, especially in assassination. Nile would most likely cede to his authority, should it come down to that. Not to mention, he was still young enough to rip the man's guts out if he chose.

"Do you think if we got him a dictionary and earmarked the pages with equal and rank he would take it personally?" Yassen stated in absolute deadpan.

Nile laughed and then caught himself halfway through with a surprised choke. "Dude, you really need to stick with one personality. It's kind of scary when you do that."

Yassen shrugged. "I can be social. I just prefer not to be." He snapped the phone shut after a quick goodbye to Alex and rose gracefully from the chair. A few elegant strides later and he was soundlessly out the door. Nile felt like he was about to pass out. Gregorovich made another joke. It felt like the universe was about to crash and burn any second now.

Nile groaned. Yassen was impossible to read. He also had a tendency to combat unwanted conversation with dead silence. It was like living with a large predatory cat. You just sort of sat there and waited to see what it eventually killed and prayed it didn't decide to rip your guts out one day. Other times, it was almost like he had a sense of humor. He would swear Cossack was playing some sort of sadistic mind game, except if Yassen wanted to torture him, he'd be pinned to a board by now. Nile sighed. At least with the way Yassen was reacting to their guy, he'd be dead as soon as they took out the opponents. The SCORPIA man was practicing with his swords when the other assassin returned. "That man is an idiot."

Nile smirked. "I'm sure Three won't mind if you offer to help him with the interrogation. You are one of his favorites."

Yassen didn't seem to react. "We will see." Nile sighed and then flicked his swords to restart his exercise. Yassen watched the display and took in the man's style. It would be useful if they were ever opponents. Nile's and his swords were as recognizable among SCORPIA as him and his guns. Personally, Yassen preferred knives. They were less noticeable. Nile was taking care of the opponents with one of their organization's many combat teams. Cossack was taking care of the subtler killing of Ruiz. It had to look like an accident, but also send a message. Luckily, Alex had a gift for creative writing (of the murderous sort). The man about to have an unlucky fall out a glass window, over the balcony, ending with a fatal face-plant in a bed of poisonous cacti. It was about the least believable accident Yassen had ever heard the theory of.

Alex had to say he was enjoying the weeks with Ian even more than he thought he would. He still made sure to call Jack and Tom at least once every two weeks. When Yassen had asked him what the least believable accident he could think of was, Alex had sent back something he considered slightly sarcastic. I mean really, didn't he have a whole bunch of assassin buddies he could talk with about that stuff? Or Nile, at the very least? When Alex had seen the man's death on the news he'd started giggling madly for about a minute and a half. He couldn't believe Yassen had gone with that suggestion and that it had actually worked. They had actually gone off-roading a few times. Alex had a new love of military vehicles and land rovers. He deliberately hadn't asked where Ian had gotten them (just the military ones, the civilian cars, they rented) or why he wiped them down for prints afterward. It helped that they drove around a lot. The Spanish had come in handy for most of the south. He found out about creole French in Louisiana and that they had a large Russian community in some cities in the north. The accents on the English were as varied as the ones internationally. Alex personally like the southern accent. It was easy to pick up. There was also the car lessons. Alex was beginning to think Ian had a car obsession about as bad as his bike obsession. Ian had just given him a totally innocent look before taking him to used car stores to see the engines. And talking with the mechanic for hours. Alex had a good enough memory that most of it stayed with him after a few times. After a couple weeks, he was starting to get the feeling a used car would be a great gift for Ian, as broken down as possible. Ian just grinned like a maniac before teaching him to drive a standard transmission. Well, Alex could now add cars to the list of things Ian liked. It was a start.

Ian considered what to do next. He couldn't really justify any more time with cars, which was a shame. It was one of his lesser known hobbies. Hunting maybe? America had some pretty liberal laws, especially if they went down south. He was licensed for a firearm in the US. Plus, nobody would blink twice if he gave Alex a training bow for archery. They ended up going to the archery range together, after their daily gun range visit (well, break-in, but they brought their own ammunition). Ian came out of the store with two giant cases. Bow and arrows for both of them. I'd been a while since he'd arched. It was considered an archaic skill for the most part, unless you needed to silently kill people within a certain range. It was a lot harder to learn than guns, particularly the wind adjustment. Plus, you had to draw and shoot straight. It was harder than it looked. Alex looked at him. "What on earth are those?"

Ian grinned. "Well, since you know how to use guns and throw knives, archery is the next step." Alex had a feeling they were going on another camping trip. With dead animals. Joy.

"We'll use the range first." Ian got out his own bow. At seventy-five pounds of draw, Alex wouldn't be able to pull it. His bow was about forty-five pounds of draw. For a kid, that was a lot. He estimated that it was about what Alex could draw without injuring himself. If not, they could build up to it. Alex already had the hunting knives to go with it. Rather, he had knives that could be used as such. After a few days of mostly archery all day, Alex seemed to be able to hit a stationary target with decent accuracy. Ian figured he'd get the moving ones pretty soon and then they could go hunting together. It was nice to have an uneventful trip with Alex again. And now they had all the time they could want together. Ian had never been gladder about taking Alex from school.

The two had once again entered the forest together. They had ended up going back to Texas. It was a nice place for woodland hunting. There were supposed to be quite a few deer. Alex had really improved his archery. Ian felt vaguely proud that he'd picked it up so quickly. It was nice, having someone intelligent to mentor. Time for their first hunting session together. "Right Alex, try to go for a male deer. You don't want to kill any pregnant ones by accident. Go for the younger ones if you can, the older ones are tougher to chew. And remember, they're really sensitive to their surroundings, so definitely move quietly."

The two walked silently for hours. Ian could have used a lure of some sort, but most people didn't carry around corn feeders. They settled into a tree near a water source (Alex had practiced firing from different positions. At about four in the afternoon, the entire herd came to drink. Alex knew he was hunting with Ian. It didn't quite have the same icky feeling as shooting at people, but it wasn't something he'd ever do for fun. As he saw the herd, he recalled his recent lessons with Ian. "When you fire a bow, you need to account for your draw, the wind speed and whatever you're shooting at. Do that and you'll hit your target."

It helped that Alex knew vectors. Alex pulled back, aiming for a younger buck and releasing his arrow. It blurred for a minute before the deer collapsed. A straight shot to the heart. The herd immediately scattered, fleeing the lake. Alex was so good that he could get it through the eye, but for this, it was good enough. "A clean kill, good job, Alex."

Alex suppressed a shiver at his uncle's phrasing. "And, Alex?" Alex looked up from the deer. "Remember this. Don't hunt for anything but food. Don't kill innocents. Don't unnecessarily torture anything, even an animal, and remember that the goal here is survival, not slaughter." Alex didn't have a reply for that. He repressed another shudder. They headed back to their campsite in silence.

Ian started talking again. "Don't mess with dead bodies unless you have to. The older they are, the more diseases you can get. Meat is always best fresh. Now, to gut a deer, or even most mammals…"

Alex felt slightly uneasy at the ease with which Ian took apart the deer. He tried not to imagine Ian or Yassen doing it with a person. Ian had moved up the hunting lessons because of the family reunion. Truthfully, he would have waited until Alex was older, but if he didn't teach Alex…Marion would have done it anyway. She was not known for her compassion or patience in teaching. There was also a decent chance she would have substituted deer for people, which Ian really didn't want to put Alex through. There was also swordsmanship, which Ian was confident Alex would pick up decently fast. He would save that until they were back in England. Ceremonial swords would be enough for now. Even Marion would probably not give him an actual blade. "Anyway, I think we can move onto snares and the like."

Alex felt a little better about that. There was something about watching animals die and knowing you did it that was mildly disturbing. Especially animals with dark, chocolate brown eyes that reminded him of Ian. He didn't think it was intentional, but it was unsettling. Ian noticed Alex was rather quiet. The ride back to dinner and another hotel was also quiet. Ian sighed. He hoped he hadn't permanently scarred Alex. It was a very gentle introduction to hunting. In the army, nobody really comforted you afterward. There had been a few people who couldn't even kill rabbits. He probably should have checked. Oops. Alex hesitated before turning back to his own room. "You can stay if you want."

Alex tossed his bag and keycard on the table. "I think I will, then."

Alex entered the shower. He was tired and he definitely wasn't picking hunting as one of his hobbies. It was different from shooting evil people. Sure, it was necessary to learn if you wanted to survive in the wilderness, but Alex didn't really want to do it. He sighed. It was nice that he had Ian here this time around. Bad enough he'd already shot a man to protect his uncle. He didn't regret it, but he still thought about sometimes. He sighed and stepped out of the bathroom. "Your turn, Ian."

The man was eating what Alex thought had to be the healthiest snack on the planet. I mean, really, who actually eats dried vegetables? The man sleekly got out of bed, his undershirt clinging to his frame. Alex was secure enough to admit that his uncle was attractive. Why didn't he have any relationships? It was another odd thing. No friends, no significant others. Alex supposed it could be the job, but hadn't Blunt and Jones had families? He supposed Ian had him, but that wasn't really what he meant. Alex shrugged and put the snacks up. He supposed he should try to sleep now. He missed his fur ball. Fenrir was going to be so grumpy when they got back. Jack would probably not be terribly happy either. Alex sighed a rolled over. Ian got out in less than fifteen minutes. Leftover habit, he supposed. He sat down the bed next to Alex before going under the covers himself. Ian gently pulled him into a hug. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Ian whispered, barely audibly, his head near Alex's collarbone. Alex adjusted his position while returning the hug.

"It's fine." It was. Or it would be, besides having Ian with him was worth it and it wasn't like they weren't eating the meat or giving it to other people to eat. They did have someone else cook it, though. He rested his head against Ian's shoulder blade and fell asleep rather easily.

Ian held his nephew for the longest time. He was relieved that Alex seemed to be able to sleep. Most people in the family tended to have issues falling or staying asleep if they had mental issues. Both John and he had periods of insomnia in the army and later in Special when operations took their toll. Then again, it didn't mean Alex was completely ok, just that the problems weren't immediately obvious. Ian sighed as he stroked Alex's hair. Alex didn't so much as stir. It was nice having someone here. Especially, Alex. His nephew looked positively angelic while sleeping. He was a beautiful child. The tanned skin was really a nice look on him. The blond hair, delicate lashes, and slender build all hinted that he would end up as a very attractive teenager and man. Ian sighed. It wasn't like John had any difficulty attracting either men or women. Ian vaguely wondered what a good age for reviewing the talk was. Thankfully, he'd already given it to Alex at age eight, so it would be a short one. He sighed and pulled Alex closer to him, trying to fall asleep wasn't easy for him sometimes, but staying up wasn't a healthy habit. He eventually closed his eyes, holding Alex close to him. It was better him than Marion. Jeez, her lessons had been traumatizing for him when he was a grown-ass adult just out of the army. No way was Ian subjecting Alex to that. He still remembered the time she'd wanted to go 'people-hunting' in a bloody war zone. He ran his hands through Alex's hair one more time before going to sleep. His dreams were bloody that night, but he didn't wake.

Nile was once again reporting to the board. Yassen had done so separately, but that was policy. The board liked to make sure that everybody's reports independently matched. Thankfully, they had done well. They had killed the drug dealers and seized all of the product (several millions worth of it). Nile wouldn't touch the stuff without gloves and a pair of pliers, but apparently, it was grotesquely profitable. He had no reason to be nervous. It was just Three this time. He knocked before entering. There were rumors about people who forgot their manners around Three and none of them were particularly pleasant. "Sir. Primary and secondary objectives achieved."

Three wasn't surprised. He already had the written report anyhow. "And Yassen?"

Nile mentally groaned. "He's pretty adamant about taking a student on his own terms, if at all. I think he might be considering it."

Three shrugged. "Yassen is a complicated man. What makes you think so?"

Nile sighed. "He's got a phone he uses every day. Mind you, it wouldn't be business because nobody is that micromanaging over assassinations. Maybe he has somebody searching?"

Three hadn't considered it like that. "A distinct possibility, Nile. Dear Yassen isn't a people person, but someone else could search for him, provided he gave the requirements."

Nile fought to keep his face blank. Understatement of the year, right there. "It would make sense, sir. He would have the minimum of interaction that way."

Three paused for a minute. "A person who could find Yassen someone to work with would be an asset to our human resources department."

Nile nearly snorted. Someone who could find an apprentice for that man deserved some kind of matchmaking award for superhuman abilities. "I'll keep that in mind, sir."

Three's smile made him seem like a harmless old school teacher. "I'm sure you will, Nile." He needed a nice round of sword practice and a shower.

Alex was still in America after more than a few weeks. It felt like there was a never-ending amount of wilderness training he needed to do. He had to admit that America had nearly every kind of wilderness and environment. Alex would have been impressed by the nature diversity if he hadn't been stuck wandering through it. Even if it was with Ian. Alex had once heard someone in the SAS whining about three-day survival training. They should try a few months of survival training and weeks in the wilderness with Ian. They tended to work on languages and other academics when they weren't hunting. It was a rough couple of weeks before both Riders had enough. "Ian, if I see another plain, savannah or woodland, I'm burning it to the ground."

Ian actually chuckled. "This is the last one, then." Ian's eyes were still sparkling with mirth. "If it makes you feel any better, I was about to say the same thing."

The two headed for civilization together. Alex checked the date and facepalmed. They'd both forgotten his birthday by at least a two weeks. Ian raised an eyebrow. "We forgot my birthday."

The look of horror on Ian's face was almost comical. Alex began laughing. "I am so sorry, Alex, really."

Alex was clutching his sides. "It's fine Ian, I forgot to."

Ian looked really upset. "That's not the point."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm not mad at you."

Ian sighed. "It's a parent thing, Alex. Forgetting a birthday is a cardinal sin."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Hey, I'm eleven now."

Ian gave him a dry look. "You just now realized that?"

Alex snorted. "Says the guy who completely forgot it. You're never living this down, you know that, right?"

Ian threw his hands up. "This is what I get for being nice."

Alex grinned. "If you were really nice, you wouldn't have forgotten my birthday." He'd gotten texts from Yassen, Jack, and Tom (his phone had been switched off until then for about two weeks).

The cities in America were enormous and comparatively new to their European counterparts. Alex enjoyed being able to wander like a tourist without the added pressure of people other than Ian or the special kind from intelligence agencies. Alex felt twitchy for some reason. Like he was being watched. He couldn't quite put a finger on it. It didn't feel creepy, but it was definitely making him paranoid. It had been going on for weeks, perhaps even the month. He went on his morning walk and caught a flash of brown in the corner of his eye. "Why are you following me?"

He didn't actually expect an answer. A petite teenage girl suddenly appeared as if from nowhere. Alex's senses went haywire. He immediately shot his gaze to her. She was clearly homeless and wearing ill-fitting clothes. "You're very pretty. You're like me, but you're pretty."

Alex was completely bamboozled. "Um, the word is handsome. Who are you?"

The green eyes fixed on his form. "Rhea."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "That your real name?"

Rhea smirks. "No, and you?"

Alex shrugs. "You can call me Alec."

Rhea raises an eyebrow. "Is that your name?"

Alex smirks. "No."

Rhea shrugs. "You are smart then."

Alex walked beside her. "So, I guess this is where I ask what you want."

Rhea shrugs. "For now, to watch."

Alex sighs. "Watch what?"

Rhea snorts. "You and your father. It is nice to know that I am not the only one who sees."

Alex sighs. He supposed that would be the assumption. Alex isn't about to correct her since she could easily be an informant. "Do you want lunch?" Rhea eyes him suspiciously but accepted.

It was an afternoon full of non-answers. Alex had once thought that Ian and Jones were vague. "Rhea" had a whole new scale of her own. The only new things he found out about her was that she was originally from Lithuania and she'd lived in what he guessed was either a complete shithole or a war zone before coming to the US. She also refused to trust any kind of government official. Well, that left his options for helping her wide open. Note the sarcasm. He may have white knight syndrome, but he wasn't about to leave someone on the street. It was about time for him to go back. "So, Rhea, are you going to keep watching me?"

The woman shrugged. "Yes."

Alex wondered if he shouldn't get a restraining order. "Then, you can come get dinner with me. After that, you can even watch me sleep from less than twenty feet away in my hotel room if you want." Yes, Alex, inviting a possible serial killer into your hotel is a great idea. Shut up, Grim. Fine, but if you get murdered in your sleep it is sooooo not my fault.

The woman smirked. "Am I meant to be your charity case or something?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "You can stay out in the cold if you want." Rhea shrugs. Alex questioned how he survived this long sometimes, but his gut instinct was that "Rhea" was only dangerous if you tried to be dangerous first. Besides, Ian got him a separate hotel room, so as long as the man didn't insist on eating together Alex would be fine. He doubted Ian would. They both had reached their capacity for family togetherness and were spending a few days apart. Alex liked exploring cities by himself. Rhea just followed him into the hotel. Thankfully, the hotel staff gave them zero weird looks. Alex got them room service and ordered clothes for her guessing her size. He was actually decent at it. At a hotel, you couldn't technically order clothes, but if you paid one of the staff that coming off duty most of them would take you up on it. He got a plain backpack on the way home. His allowance from Ian was pretty high, not to mention a certain bank account.

By the end of the day, Rhea was fixed in his mind for her name. Alex had tossed her the clothes and told her to shower and put the old clothes in the backpack. She raised an eyebrow and began undressing mid-walk to the bathroom. "Um, I meant in the bathroom."

He was sure he was bright red. He'd made sure to avert his eyes. "Nudity is not a big deal where I'm from."

Alex turned redder if possible. "It is in western society."

He got the feeling she was amused at the entire thing. "The underwear is the right size."

Alex groaned. "Praise Jesus, I got one thing right. For the record, I don't have the hormones to appreciate whatever you do have."

Rhea shrugged. "True, but seeing you that color is amusing."

Alex facepalmed. "Just go shower, Rhea." He heard her giggling inside the bathroom. Alex rolled his eyes as some of the red faded from his cheeks. Ok, it was kind of funny. Seriously though, seeing random naked women was not any kind of ambition of his for a while. He preferred actual dating, thank you. Alex decided to finish his dinner in peace. Ian knocked on the door. Alex pulled it open. "Why is the shower on?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "I'm about to get in it."

Ian shrugged. "Need anything?"

Alex replied. "Not really."

Ian ruffled his hair. "Goodnight." Alex shut the door behind him.

Alex lay down on the bed. His eyes were half-shut in the low light. Rhea came out fully clothed this time. He let out a sigh of relief. "How old are you, anyway?"

She loped across the room and sat on his bed a little too close to him. "Sixteen. And you?"

Alex scooted over a little. "Eleven. I like my personal space bubble, by the way."

Alex looked at her. Her forearms and legs were covered with a multitude of defensive scars. Some were thick, some were the thinnest he'd ever seen. Some were long and some were short. It made every instinct go on edge. The fact that she'd survived this long and won those fights… Rhea caught him looking. "It is like that over my entire body, for the most part."

Alex tried to settle down. "I don't mind, but, seriously, who do I need to murder?"

Rhea flipped over and loosely pinned him, rather like a panther. Her green eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Her dark, now glossy, brown hair surrounded her face like a dark frame of brown silk. "It does not matter. They are already dead, you see."

Alex swallowed thickly. Alex tried to gently push her off. "Um…Can you get off?"

She lightly dropped to her side of the bed with a huff. "Your father would not like me."

Alex sighed. She was right. "No, probably not, but I do a lot of things he doesn't like."

Rhea sighed. "I will not go where I am not wanted."

Alex suppressed his urge to sigh. "So what exactly can you do?"

Rhea shrugs. "Kill people. Not much else."

Alex resisted the urge to bang his head against the headboard. "Are you literate? Do you speak other languages?"

Rhea gave him the evil eye. "Don't be insulting."

Alex sighed. "Can you speak Russian?"

There was one other option that might work. "Yes."

It was a start. "You don't care who you kill or how you do it?"

Rhea snorts. "No."

Well, he knew a bunch of trigger-happy mercenaries who would be delighted to have her. "Would you do it for money?"

Rhea raised an eyebrow. "Are you recruiting me?"

Alex sighed. "No. It's more like a suggestion that may or may not pan out. Don't read over my shoulder." There was one near sociopath who might teach her.

Rhea would never be able to fit in with normal society. It was the only reason Alex was even thinking about sending her to SCORPIA. More specifically, Yassen Gregorovich. She was pretty much the closest you could get to an ideal candidate. More than that, she would be able to look after herself and not freeze to death on some street. Mercenary work was a good fit for some people.

-C

I might have found you a student. It's not really my business, but it might get your bosses off your back.

-A

Cossack was intrigued. It certainly sounded better than what he currently had to choose from. Three was being pushy, again. He did have a few requirements and he would make his own assessment, of course. Frankly, he had faith in Alex as far as picking people went. Alex knew him well enough that he would have a better idea than certain nosy board members.

-A

I'm intrigued. Age? Experience? Personality?

-C

Alex sighed. How did he put this tactfully? Oh well, these two were a partnership made to last. At least Yassen would have something to occupy his time with. Besides, if things didn't work out there was always SCORPIA's school for assassination and other acts of international lawbreaking. He would keep that name to himself.

-C

Sixteen. Loads of dead people. You two could be related, minus the looks. Plus, there is always the school, if you two don't work out.

-A

Cossack shrugged. This was true. Plus, it would get certain people to mind their own business. Why not? After all, Alex was not currently a possibility. Thankfully, Alex seemed to have found someone as socially inclined as he was. He could at least meet them. The meeting place would speak for itself.

-A

Yes. Time? Place?

-C

"Want to meet someone who can mentor you in assassination?"

Rhea looked at him like he was crazy. Alex supposed that he was, in a way. Assassins were kind of the rock stars of the criminal world, especially in organized crime. "I suppose. Is he good?"

Alex laughed. "He's considered one of the best in the world."

Rhea just looked at him oddly. "You'll see. He wants you to name a time and a place."

-C

Tomorrow. 9:00 a.m. Borough Park, New York. Good luck, you two.

P.S. If she calls me Alec, don't question it.

-A

Cossack had a feeling this might just work. It was during the day, with the morning mist just vanishing (sniper shots were harder). Near a hospital and police (in case things went south). Also, very prompt. No waiting or messing around (it would take longer than that to set up a trap). He promptly turned around and walked out of the school. He had a plane to catch.

-A

Agreed.

-C

"You're set, Rhea. Now, don't randomly stalk people. You might get shot."

Rhea smirked. "But it worked out so well this time."

Alex felt fully justified in throwing the first pillow in the ensuing pillow fight. It was fun having someone to wrestle with. Alex was sad when they had to quit. "Goodnight, Rhea."

The woman plopped herself down next to him. "Goodnight, Alec."

The next morning, Alex decided to go with her. They were meeting Yassen, after all. "Rhea?"

The woman glanced at him one final time. "Yes, Alec?"

Alex gave her a look. "Trust no one. Everybody at the school is deadly. Everything is a test. Don't talk about your past. Don't give anybody anything to work with and never, ever disobey the board."

Rhea's eyes hardened into jade. "Thank you, Alec. For everything."

Alex gave her one last look. "You are welcome."

The man in black seemed to appear from nowhere. His ice blue eyes coolly took her in, assessing. This was a man she could picture as what 'Alec' had described. An assassin, a killer for hire. He seemed to make a decision. "Come. I am known as Cossack."

His voice was absolute deadpan. Alec vanished into the trees. It was up to the two of them, now she supposed. "He did well in picking you."

Rhea was glad he thought so. "Thank you?"

The man's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile. "Do not thank me, yet. Besides, there may be a day you curse both of us."

Rhea followed, easily keeping stride with him, despite their height difference. "I will take you to Russia to train. I will leave you in a cabin and report to my superiors before returning to you. Then you will train until you are acceptable. Do you understand?"

Rhea answered. "Yes, Cossack." The man stalked through the woods and onto the nearest train, where he paid their fare. It was the most surreal experience she had. It was only in the cabin that she wondered exactly what she had agreed to. Then again, it was still better than before. The man seemed intent only on teaching her. She thought that perhaps she got what she was looking for.

Cossack glided through the halls of Malagosto at his top walking speed. He'd called most of his contacts, but SCORPIA preferred these types of notice to be given in person. Yassen was not about to risk making the board angry over something that trivial. Thankfully, Three had decided to dine with the teachers today. He swept into the room with the swift, lethal grace that was his most natural instinct. "A mutual acquaintance has found me an apprentice and I will be unavailable until further notice."

The entire table could barely contain their shock. Gordon Ross was first to speak. "Bloody miracle, that. What kind of voodoo are they an expert in?"

Yassen raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on Cossack, sharing is caring."

Yassen tossed him a glare that would melt steel. "You're depriving me of a teaching opportunity."

Yassen's eyes narrowed. "I can deprive you of your inner organs, Gordon."

Nile hastily cuts in. There hadn't been bloodshed in the cafeteria for nearly a decade and he wanted to keep it that way. "Ross, I'm sure you'll get your chance after Yassen is done with the preliminary training. His sources are his business."

Yassen mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Three got grouchy when he murdered teachers or students. Wasting money or something of that sort. Grouchy interrogation experts were not a good thing. Three cut in. "Yassen do sit down and have dinner. Of course, you'll have as much time as you want. You are, after all, your own agent." The entire table seemed to relax. Three mentally sighed. Sometimes Gordon didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Most people did like him, but with a personality like Cossack's putting them in a room alone would probably result in the man's dismemberment.

Later that night, Yassen texted Alex one last thing, aside from an update. He was confident that this would work out, Ross's personality of a brillo-pad aside. Most likely, he would train her for several months in isolation and then send her to the island to wrap it up. There was only so much he could teach by himself. He was back in the cabin. First things first, he would check how comfortable with silence she was. After instructions, of course. "First things first, the tap in the kitchen is safe…" Overall, he felt it went over well. It was a better start than some people had already. For Alex and now he supposed for her, he would give this his best shot. Starting with conditioning and sniper training. No apprentice of his was going to specialize in sharp, pointy objects outside of interrogation. He was a sniper. First, though there would need to be an assessment, however. They could work up to acceptable physical condition, if necessary. There were also medical concerns to be had…

-A

How did you find her?

-C

Alex was feeling extra snarky. Besides, he'd gotten a two-for-one in dealing with stalkers, at least for the next few months. Not that he particularly minded those two, but he started getting paranoid after a while.

-C

Well, Cossack, welcome to America! There's one of everything.

-A

Cossack snorted at the text. He should have known better than to ask. Oh well, two could play that game. Besides, this was the closest thing to friendly bickering he could get. He was sure his apprentice would keep "Alec's" secrets. After all, he would in the same position.

-A

No need to get snarky. Good job, by the way. Dear Gordon wants to meet you now, and so do half of the board, once they find out, that is.

-C

Alex grinned. So Yassen wanted to play, did he? As for the board, game on. After all, giving SCORPIA headaches was the family specialty. Ian would really murder him if he found out. This was so much fun, though.

-C

I'm afraid I have a permanent schedule conflict. I'll have to decline. It's called: I don't work for terrorists. You don't count and we have an agreement.

-A

Yassen smirked. He figured Alex would say that. Oh well, he didn't have anything better to do at the moment. This was fun. Besides, Alex knew what he was doing and was the only person not terrified shitless of him.

-A

Now, now, Alex. Don't be rude. Besides, I kept your secret. Dear Gordon will have to live with his disappointment.

-C

Alex sighed. He supposed Ross would have a personality conflict with Yassen. The man didn't have to be smug, though. At least Yassen would have his hands full. Probably for at least five months.

-C

Now, Cossack, that's just mean. Although it serves my purposes, so I'm not going to complain. Did you threaten to disembowel him or something?

-A

Alex had meant that as a joke. Yassen didn't normally threaten people that much anymore. He figured the man had a terrifying enough reputation that no one would actually irritate him that much. Besides, he honestly didn't mind Ross that much.

-A

Yes, actually. Goodnight, Alex. I have a student to test.

-C

Alex snapped the phone shut and placed it inside its usual spot on his person just as Ian knocked on the door. "Ready to go home?"

Alex grinned. He'd missed Jack and Fenrir and the rest. "Yep."

It had been nearly half a year since he'd seen them. Tom and Jerry would be about to get out for summer break. Exploring America and dropping a student on Yassen was nice, but he missed his home. Meeting Joe was fun, but he did want to see Tom and Jerry again at some point. Ian would teach Alex how to dodge the authorities at border control, but he honestly thought Alex was decent enough at that without his input (cough, Germany, cough). He was honestly curious about one thing, though. "How do you get around passport control?"

Alex smirked. "Why, do you need lessons?"

Ian rolled his eyes. "No, you brat, I was just curious."

Alex grinned. "Well…First, nobody works that hard to card a kid. Second, I kind of didn't."

Ian gave him the evil eye. "You bought papers without me? I'm hurt."

Alex snorted. "No, I actually made them. It took for-fucking-ever, though."

Ian snorted. "I'll bet. Were they any good?"

Alex gave Ian the evil eye. "Don't be insulting, Ian. You're just sore that I evaded you for two whole weeks."

Ian sighed. "True." Ian lost some of his mirth. "On another note, Jones isn't very happy with you."

Alex rolled his eyes. "And, why, pray tell, not?"

Ian sighed. "This is serious, Alex. The people I work for are dangerous."

Alex was now slightly pissed. "Yes, dangerously lacking in the ethics department."

Ian looked vaguely alarmed. "Alex!"

Alex flashed him an innocent look. "You're not denying it."

Ian sighed. "It's for the greater good."

Alex fired back. "That I don't believe in."

Ian groaned. "I know, just try not to make anyone angry."

Alex kept his voice down but was not happy. "So what? I just lie down and let them do as they please with me?"

Ian looked more sad than angry. "Alex, please. There are some people I can't protect you from."

Alex deflated. "That's the point, Ian. I shouldn't need protection from them in the first place." There was a bitter taste in his mouth at those words. It was the truth. It was a quiet way back home.