Chapter 8: Assassination Plot

By: Valak

Alex's schedule made it so he wasn't at home a lot but now that Yassen and Jack were dating even the few hours he was at home were a nightmare. He couldn't win. Yermalov was grinding his body into dust with his physical training and he had a perpetual headache from hours of regular class and individual instruction with his various professors. He couldn't remember the last time he had done anything other than sleep, study, train, or eat, and with no end in sight, Alex was quickly reaching his breaking point. He needed it to stop but he couldn't run, they would find him and it would just serve to make everything worseand he couldn't take himself out mainly because he didn't have time which meant he needed someone else preferably someone who would miss and just land him in the hospital for a while which brought him to Gordon's room holding a bottle of Ian's best scotch.

He set it on the man's desk pointedly "I need Walker's contact information."

"Yassen has him following you, get it from him."

"Discreetly, so it can't be traced back to me."

"Why?"

"One of my classmates won't drop the I'm your son thing. Intimidation tactics aren't working. I can't afford to get detention for fighting and I can't kill them on my own without getting kidnapped by Yassen."

"You could just give me a name and I'll have it taken care of."

"Oh, and how would that look, Ross?" Alex snapped.

"Good point, but if you want them taken out I would go with literally anybody other than Walker. He'll probably shoot himself on accident…. which may not be the worst idea…"

"I can't afford anyone else. MI6 doesn't pay me." Alex pointed out.

"You may not be able to afford Walker then. I doubt he'll take a pixie stick and energy drink which seems to be all you have."

"Shut up, Ross, I do have some money. At least give me the chance."

Ross studied him. "You're sure you want to do this?" Alex nodded eagerly. "Fine, I'll email you the number to his contact you can deal from there."

"Thank you," Alex said stiffly and moved to take his seat.

Striking a deal with Walker was easier than he imagined he had negotiated him down to a pack of gum and a bouncy ball. Definitely in Alex's price range. All he had to do was wait for Walker to take the shot during Yermalov's class and he was out of here. Hopefully, he didn't miss like the last SCORPIA assassin.

Just as he headed out for PE he heard his name called over the intercom and shot a despairing look out to the field. So close. Maybe if he hurried he could still get back in time for Walker to take the shot. He set off for D'Arc's office at a jog and skidded to a stop just outside.

"I'm gonna be late for Yermalov's class and he…."

Alex's words died as he took in the room in front of him. Yassen was there glaring openly at him, his arm on the shoulder of a crying Jack, Walker was standing awkwardly off to the side and it took everything in Alex's very limited self-control not to strangle the Yankee bastard.

"What's all this?" He tried innocently.

"Alex. We know. There's no reason to pretend…" Yassen began only to be interrupted by Jack.

"Alexander John Rider how could you?! Suicide?! What is wrong with you?! Everyone here just wants to help and then you go and—" she was sobbing again.

Fuck. "Jack. I'm sorry I…"

"You what, Alex?"

"I shouldn't have done it."

"Then why did you? You have good grades, and friends, and teachers that care about you, and MI6 isn't using you and you have me."

"I know I have you Jack and I'm grateful for it but…"

"But what?! What more could you want?"

"Sleep? Not being trained by terrorists for 14 hours a day, more if they're feeling particularly sadistic, not being fought over by them like a toy?! I'm tired and I need a break and no one listens to me when I tell them that!"

"So, you wanted to kill yourself?!" Jack demanded.

"In my defense, I hired Walker so I was pretty sure he would miss and I would just get to sleep it off in the hospital. Speaking of what the hell, Walker, you had one job. And it was breaking my neck."

"Yassen paid me more."

"How much?" Alex demanded with narrowed eyes.

"A yoyo." All of his pent-up anger snapped and he tried to leap across the desk only to be grabbed by the Russian and slammed back in the chair "I was even going to not fight you at all!"

"Bastard," he snarled.

"Alex watch your language. There are children nearby," D'Arc admonished.

"None of my classmates are here."

"Walker and Ross are and they're children."

"Ross? Did you rat me out too?"

"Nah, Walker did it all on his own, most useful he's ever been, to be honest."

"Walker, the moment I'm out of their sight I am going to kill you and they will never be able to find your body."

"Solid threat, Alex but not enough specifics. C plus."

"I swear to Christ, Gordon now is not the time!' Alex snarled.

"Actually, given you'll be under suicide watch for the next several weeks I'd say it's a perfect time."

"I... What?" Alex said blankly.

"Surely you did not think we would let this cry for attention go unanswered, Alex? We need to make sure you're safe and while Jack is a fantastic guardian," Yassen squeezed her shoulder supportively earning a watery smile from her and a gag from Alex "You need a stronger hand. So we've made up a room for you here. Nothing sharp, nothing dangerous, and of course, no chance of escape. Steiner will meet with you daily as will the rest of your professors and Jack, of course, when she is free." Alex resolved to kill him too even if he failed nothing could be worse than this.

It was Ross who broke away. "Now come on, we'll go get you fitted with your jacket and you can take some time to cool down while we talk with you, individually of course."

"Fuck off," Alex said, gathering himself to fight.

"You can get knocked out or you can walk on your own." Alex nodded sullenly and waited until they were in the hallway before he struck out at Ross but he felt a prick at his neck at the same time.

"Nice try, kid but I'm not that dumb or drunk."

His mind felt fuzzy and he pitched to the side only to be caught by Ross. "The fuck did you hit me with?"

"Mild sedative, not enough for me to have to carry your ass but enough to settle you down. With the talks, you have coming your way, you can thank me later."

"What talks?"

"Talks about you trying to kill yourself, you think you can just do that without anyone saying a word to you?"

"You people have been trying to kill me for months."

"It started that way but now we're training you and then you go and try and kill yourself?!" Ross sounded legitimately angry at that. Which was surprising. And it was complete and utter bullshit.

"You kill yourself with alcohol like every day."

"Slowly, much more socially acceptable. Didn't see me bitching about your caffeine addiction."

"Actually, you did." Alex pointed out as he was herded into what had used to be a supply closet. Middle of the school, no windows, vent bolted over the door that would be a bitch to get out from, but not impossible. It was doable if given enough time and something to pick the lock.

"Alright so fuck off I care about you and I don't care about myself just get better alright?"

"If you people had left me alone in the first place then we wouldn't fucking be here." He snapped.

"Yeah, well you'd probably be dead because of MI6 so you're welcome."

"Given I just tried to get myself assassinated I obviously wouldn't have minded that."

"You know what Rider. I'm sending Gregorovich in. Maybe he can talk some sense into you." He slammed the door shut behind him and Alex heard a lock engaged. Electronic. Fuck. Gordon had probably covered it, though, he would just need time to inspect it.

Alex carefully searched the room. He needed something thin and sharp but whoever had been responsible had cleared it pretty good. He looked up from where he was on the ground when the door opened again. Yassen. He didn't even bother getting up, just went back to searching.

"You won't find anything, I checked the room myself."

"Bully for you," he snapped.

"Alex." Yassen chastised.

"What?!"

"I would like you to take a seat so we can have a discussion."

"That's nice."

Yassen narrowed his eyes. "I can incentivize your participation."

He knew what that meant and, honestly, he just wanted to get this over with.

"Fine, what do you want?"

"Alex...I know things have been…. difficult." he huffed, that was an understatement "However," the man stressed, obviously angry "That it is no excuse for your actions. Suicide is not an option."

"You kill people for a living, you don't get to take the moral high ground here."

"If we were discussing my life I would agree but we are not...Alex, despite what you may believe...I do care about you."

"No, you care about getting into Jack's pants."

"Alex," he snapped.

"What? You're here for pussy points. Don't pretend like it's anything it's not."

"Alex," the man growled. "I took a bullet for you…"

"And now you're sleeping with my housekeeper so you can fuck right off with that."

"If it is a problem then we will break it off."

"What?"

"If us being together is some evidence to you that we do not care for you then we will not be together."

The fuck.

"No, it's fine, whatever," Alex murmured. He so did not want to deal with this right now.

"Alex."

"No, you don't fucking get it, Yassen. It's not about you! I'm just really fucking tired."

The man arched an eyebrow "I literally played reverse Russian Roulette with my life when I thought everyone had betrayed me. I don't care how tired you are. There's no excuse for you when you're surrounded by people who want you to succeed." Well, that was fucking news.

"You're killing me." He pointed out.

"So maybe we aggressively care for you but it is still there so you will merely have to deal with it because you will not be getting away from it." And that wasn't terrifying.

Yassen seemed to appreciate his horrified look and just nodded leaving the room.

Dr. Three stopped by not long after, he didn't even bother taking a seat, obviously intending to keep it short so he could go back to torturing whatever student had pissed him off in class. "I don't blame you, Alexander it is likely the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain from physical exhaustion and several other factors." Holy shit. Someone fucking reasonable. It was a miracle. Maybe he should have gone to Three first, he was a doctor he may have stepped in and helped. Why hadn't he? "But if you try something like this again I will make you want to live." Oh yeah? He was a murdering psychopath. Alex just gave a shaky nod and Three smiled "We'll work on it together, of course, Alex. Don't worry." He got a pat on the head and then the man was gone. Thank fuck.

Jet and Yermalov came together. Jet's eyes were rimmed red and she kept sniffling into the tissue and he felt almost as bad for upsetting her as he did for upsetting Jack because out of the SCORPIA professors Jet was the nicest, in that she didn't wake him up if she found him sleeping in the greenhouse and that was more than he could ask. Enduring 30 minutes of her tearfully recounting how wonderful Alex was and what a brilliant student he was and how the world would miss a mind as bright as his like she was speaking at his wake while Yermalov just grunted approvingly next to her was not helping his suicidal urges. They were helped even less when Jet got up to leave Yermalov leaned over and said that he would make Alex cry for every tear Jet shed over him. "It's 74. I will see you on the sparring mats."

In the end, he had just been left in his new room to wonder what the fuck was wrong with all of these people. Clearly, there was something in the water. He should get that checked the moment he got out. If he got out.