Lovin' the reviews! I was going to add more to this chapter... but then it would've taken another week (and I don't want to do that to you guys). By the way, the bold later in this chapter is supposed to represent another language. Profile has individual review replies.

Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider.

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"First, you need to understand: Alex has grown up in a family of spies... it's all he's ever known."

("Mr. Blunt will see you, now."

John nudged his brother. "Any ideas what this is about?"

"No clue."

. . .

"You are SAS, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good... You're being reassigned to SO. Is this understood?"

Hesitation, then, "Yes, sir."

"Ian, I am now promoting you to a full-time field agent. Understood?"

"Yes, sir.")

"His parents were killed when he was a baby- he was left to his uncle, also a spy. He never really did have a normal life..."

("Stop whining, Alex."

"But it hurts," the four-year-old complained [he should have known better]. "'sides, none of the other kids had their training wheels taken off."

"You're a big boy- and you need to learn to ride a bike like one. Understood?"

A pause. "Yes, Ian."

"Good- I have some work to do; don't disturb me.")

("Ian, I can't-"

"I already told you, Alex," Ian interrupted. "We're only speaking Spanish for the next two weeks."

The six-year-old struggled to find the right words. "Me- I, don't know, understood," he clumsily built the sentence, hoping his uncle understood, and would relent- or at least help him.

"I don't care. Disobey, and I'll add a few more weeks.")

(" But I don't want to stay out here alone!" He protested.

"Be quiet, Alex," Ian snapped. "It's just a weekend camping trip. Besides, you're nine years old- you can take care of yourself, right?"

A slight nod.

"Good. Now, I'll meet up with you in three days. Remember- you're just tracking me. I've left you with water purification tablets and a sufficient amount of supplies you will be able to use to make traps for food, along with the necessary camping equipment. Leave the blindfold on for one hour, then try and find me.")

Fox clenched his jaw. He guessed that Alex hadn't exactly had an ideal childhood (that was an understatement)... but this 'Ian' character sounded downright brutal.

Wolf wore a similar expression, except he was a bit guilty as well. He had already apologized and made amends about his attitude during basic training, but still... all of them had completely misunderstood the situation.

"He shouldn't have had to grow up that fast- it's not right," Eagle said bitterly.

"Why didn't he ever tell us?" Snake asked quietly, cooling down the amount of anger he had for Alex's uncle.

"He wasn't allowed to say anything- Alan made sure of that," Mrs. Jones answered. "Of course, MI6 didn't approach him until he was fourteen."

Until he was fourteen? K-Unit shared their mutual horror. Yes, they had had an idea during basic, but still... Cub shouldn't have been... exposed to something like that until he was an adult! He was a child living in an adults' world- he only acted like an adult because of the situations he had been forced in... not to mention the people that had put him in those situations in the first place.

"Alan had been planning it for years- he manipulated Ian into thinking it was the right decision, to treat him like that way," she continued. "He told Ian that if his enemies ever came after him, Alex would need to prepared- hence the training. Ian really did love Alex... he just showed it differently. He was worried that if he didn't properly make sure Alex could defend himself, it would be his fault if he ever got hurt. Still, that plan backfired when Ian died. All along, Alan had been training him- until the opportune moment."

("Don't you see, Alex? Ian was training you for this- he wanted this. You want to him to be proud of you, don't you? You need to live up to his expectations..."

Alex inwardly struggled with the dilemma. He didn't want to be a spy- Ian couldn't have meant for him to become one... right? But still... he yearned for that praise. Ian had praised him sparingly- he could almost always do better, try harder... Was Ian's dying wish really for him to become a spy? That was ridiculous, but still...")

Wolf's eyes blazed with anger. "Blunt did this? He told him Ian wouldn't be proud of him because of his stupid expectations?"

"It wasn't enough... was it," Fox guessed grimly; it was more of a statement of confirmation, not a question.

"What do you mean?" Eagle asked worriedly.

Mrs. Jones shook her head, moving to further explain. "No, it wasn't."

(No, I'm find, thanks," Alex said finally. "I don't want to be a spy."

He thought that it would be fine- after all, the man in front of him fought for justice and equality, fighting for the good of England. Despite the unsettling personality, he was sure it wasn't that bad and-

"That's really too bad..." Blunt carried on. "I hate inform you, but we're your legal guardians. You see... you really have no choice in the matter. We could easily, say, send you to an orphanage and perhaps deport your housekeeper... you wouldn't want that, now would you?")

K-Unit erupted in curses.

Wolf was downright furious. "He did what?"

"He's just a kid," Snake seethed. "How can MI6 do this to people?"

"How can you live with yourself?"

"We need to see him," Fox urged. Cub was sixteen- it had been two years since he had first been blackmailed. But... those agents had been given an hour with him- and Blunt must have been angry with him; Cub had deliberately disobeyed him... they needed to know what had happened to him.

Mrs. Jones turned those intent eyes at him. "Not yet- you need to know everything."

Fox sighed, running a hand through his hair. He needed to be patient- but still.

She hesitated. "It didn't take long after that... he came home more and more broken. After his guardian died... well, that was the last straw."

(Screams.

Fire.

Restraints holding him down, crying and watching.

The bomb- the bomb.

And Jack was gone- a burnt-out skeleton.

Dead... like the others before her.)

"He went to America- Blunt staged a retirement," she continued. "He wanted Alex to think he was done, before pulling him back in. He knew it would only be a matter of time before his adoptive family was killed. So he waited... biding his time."

("I think you will find that we never forced you to complete those missions. In fact, it was of your own free will that you accepted. Although we often offer great benefits when you do them." Blunt leaned comfortably back in his chair. "It is rather unfortunate you did not save them, especially if you had simply made the right decisions. Making the simple choices such as staying in England, telling them the information that they wanted, obeying me instead of acting foolish." The gray eyes hardened. "It was your fault that the Pleasures are dead. The blame is completely on your shoulders. Do you understand, Alex?")

"You mean he blamed their deaths on Cub?!" Wolf roared.

"That's sick," Eagle spat out. "And he did missions because of this?!"

Mrs. Jones gave him a melancholy look. "Blunt didn't give him a choice... and MI6 is still his legal guardian."

("You're our property. We own you- and you will obey."

"You don't own me," Alex said dully. "No one does."

"Be quiet, Alex."

The teenager closed his eyes, worn.

"Now, about your next assignment...")

K-Unit didn't bother to hid their shock.

"How long?" Snake asked, voice hoarse.

Mrs. Jones stared at him. "It's been almost eight months since the Pleasures died- but MI6 have been using him for over two years."

Fox swallowed, mouth dry. Two years- eight months of being treated like a dog.

"I'm going to kill him," Wolf growled.

"Get in line," Eagle muttered.

Snake looked suspiciously at her. "When did his uncle die?"

Mrs. Jones sobered. "Two years," she said quietly.

It took a moment to click into place.

Fox clenched his fists. "When was he sent to basic?"

She hesitated. "Two days after Ian died."

"You sent him to a boot camp after his only living relative died?!" Wolf raged.

Mrs. Jones nodded. "And a mission after that."

More curses.

She remained quiet- deep in thought.

Then, surprisingly, she asked them a question.

"Do you know what happened to him after he ran away?"

K-Unit sobered.

Wait.

She didn't know?

How could she not know?

"I was out of the country at the time," Mrs. Jones explained.

Eagle sent her a poisonous glare. "Would you have stopped it if you could?"

The woman visibly paled. "Tell me what happened?"

Shooting Eagle a sharp look, Wolf curtly answered. "Blunt put a... tracker in him."

Mrs. Jones closed her eyes, leaning against the wall. "I should have known something like this would happen to him," she murmured.

Snake studied her with narrowed eyes. She seemed sincere enough- but that was her job. Who knew what was real or fake?

Fox's head snapped up. "You've told us enough- we need to see him now."

Mrs. Jones finally nodded. "Alright." She swallowed, then turned to the control panel.

She flipped a switch.

The two-way mirror flickered on.

Then they saw him.

Fox swore angrily, already heading to the door- along with Snake, who was desperate to get over there and help Cub.

A hand stopped him.

"Wait."

Surprisingly, it was Wolf. His attention was on the other room-

Fox turned and could only watch at the screen in horror as the doorknob turned.

The door opened, revealing a familiar gray man.

"Ah, Alex. We have much to talk about."

O-o-O-o-O

The amount of people knowing that you are a spy will either make things easier or harder for you- time will only tell...

O-o-O-o-O

Another non-Alex-chapter, but at least it had K-Unit in it. So what do you think happened to Alex?

Sidenote: Americans, who do you want to win the Superbowl? Who do you think will win the Superbowl?