03/03/17- Currently editing and finishing this up. Sorry for the false upload.
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I know it's been too long- it's just... you can't force writing, if you know what I mean. Still, I apologize for the slow updates and late review replies- speaking of which...
Guest- Yep, you and me both.
Guest- Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. It's been an amazing experience for me as well- really, I only have you guys to thank.
Torchwood, you've been extremely patient with me, and I think it's finally time. I know it's probably not exactly what you expected, but I hope you enjoy it.
Oh! And a thank you to Ghargr18- s/he noticed a mistake from the previous chapter. Thanks for pointing that out ;)
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The assassin watched as a familiar teenager disembarked from the helicopter, brown hair rustling from the upturned wind amongst the blades.
The boy had a duffel bag- most likely only carrying a few changes of clothes and his weapons- tossed carelessly across his shoulder. Except Yassen knew that hewasn'tcareless.
Perhaps the spy was still adjusting from a previously played role on his now-completed assignment.
"Alex," Yassen greeted as he came closer.
The spy inclined his head. "Sir," he said stiffly.
If he had been a soldier, there was no doubt that he would have respectfully saluted. As it were, it was not the Army, and thus the formalities were entirely different.
"I have some people for you to meet," Yassen said smoothly. Seeing his bemused expression, he explained. "After your debriefing, of course."
The younger assassin nodded, and Yassen was pleased to note a spark of curiosity in his eyes.
Brown eyes flickered up to meet his. "Where?"
"I'll find you," the man answered simply.
With that, his light footsteps took him through a different hallway, leaving a wary teenager behind.
O-o-O-o-O
"What if he doesn't remember us?"
Fox sighed. "Wolf, stop pacing. And of course he'll remember us." He pushed all inward doubts aside.
Snake frowned thoughtfully. "He's been out of commission for over a year. He didn't remember us at allthen... it seems like it wasn't until Yassen got him that he began breaking out of his shell."
Eagle narrowed his eyes. "Why the hell do you trust Yassen, anyway? I mean, doesn't being a globally feared assassin put him on anyone's radar?"
"You of all people should understand," Fox pointed out meaningfully.
"I don't kill people for the fun of it," Eagle snapped. They all knew he had been ordered to assassinate people- through a sniper's scopes.
"Easy," Snake said quietly. "We've all been soldiers before. We know what it's like to follow orders."
Eagle glared, but let it go.
"The stress is all getting to us," Wolf st down in one of the chairs. "It's great being back together, but we need to remember why we're here- to get Cub out of this life. Obviously, it's going to take some time to readjust to being in a team, but we need to be there for him." His mouth was in a tight line, brow furrowed. "It's been almost a week since we got here- where the hell is he, anyway?"
Snake twirled a combat knife through his fingers. "Yassen said he was already on a mission when we got here- do you know how long they usually last?" The question was directed to Fox.
The spy shrugged. "Last thing I heard, is that he's alright. The Nakket, despite their bad reputation,really are the good guys- according to Yassen, they're vigilantes, almost. World governments and intelligence agencies put bad light on them to cover up their mistakes. The Nakket may send him on assassinations, but you can bet it's people who deserve it."
Snake pursed his lips. "You're saying it's okay for them to send a kid toassassinatepeople?"
Fox bristled. "Of course not. Yassen already explained this- he wasn't happy about it, either- it was the only way to provide protection to Cub until we got here."
Eagle, deciding not to delve deeper into the mild argument, switched topics. "So it there something we need to know about you and Yassen?"
Ben raised an eyebrow." I already told you: he's a contact from way back- when I was still a new agent. Some info was bad, and Yassen and I said each others lives a couple of times. MI6 didn't know about him, and I didn't tell them. Yassen's a bad guy, but there are worse ones out there."
"Like Blunt," Wolf muttered.
Echoes of agreement followed.
O-o-O-o-O
The door swung open; three and one ex soldier stood up abruptly as a familiar teenager entered.
There was a moment of silence as the spy hesitated in the doorway, analyzing them.
The boy's face paled before he spun around on one heel, turning to leave the room... but was stopped by a raised hand.
"No, Alex," the order was quiet, but firm.
The teen blinked. "These men worked for Blunt. It'stheirfault I'm like this."
The soldiers opened their mouths to protest, but Fox stopped them, knowing the assassin would take care of it.
"Stay."
Alex's jaw clenched, seemingly debating on whether or not to continue arguing.
"Stay, Alex- that's a direct order," Yassen said in a warning tone.
The boy stiffened. "Yes, sir."
Gracefully, he slipped back into the room and sat down- albeit reluctantly.
Awkwardly, the other men took their seats opposite him.
Fox stole a quick glance at him- sitting straight in his chair, eyes glassy and distant- he definitivelydidn'twant to be here.
Just great- they had a moody teenager on their hands now.
Eagle gave him a watery smile. "Cub. It's good to see you."
The spy glared icily at him. "My name is Alex. Not Cub."
"Of course. It won't happen again." Fox stepped in before another fight broke out- which would have happened, by Eagle's suitably chastened features.
Alex seemed to study him closely before glancing once more at Yassen.
"We don't work for Blunt," Snake reassured him. "I mean, Fox did, albeit indirectly. We were trying to stop him from hurting you,."
Alex ignored him. "What's the point in them being here?" The question was obviously directed toward Yassen.
"They are working with us to bring MI6 down," Yassen replied smoothly.
"How?" The spy demanded. "Last I checked, we don't need any help."
"They all have powerful contacts- Wolf and Eagle specifically in America, Snake in the Royal Army, and Ben on a global scale," The man answered simply.
Alex just looked away, sullen.
"Are any other Nakket leaders planning on making a move on MI6?" Fox jumped to switch the subject.
"Nakket despises governments and the intelligence community, mostly because they're so corrupt," Yassen explained. "MI6 is at the top of their list."
"And?" Wolf prompted, knowing that there was something he wasn't telling them.
"We tipped off MI6 on one of our compounds," the assassin admitted. "We're expecting them to raid it this weekend- and we'll be ready, waiting, to send a message."
Snake looked skeptical. "You really think MI6 will back down?"
Yassen smiled grimly. "If the ambus is lead by two ex-agents, along with former SAS soldiers, then yes, I believe it will send the right message."
"What if MI6 doesn't back down?" Eagle challenged. "Or worse, if your plan goes wrong and they get Cub?"
"Alex," the teen snapped, correcting the soldier. His eyes darkened. "And I'd kill myself before I let them use me again."
If Yassen was taken aback from the statement, he didn't show it.
"If MI6 fails to relinquish their hold, we have... other methods of getting our way," Yassen promised.
Alex let loose a sharp bark of laughter. "You're wrong if you think getting rid of Blunt will solve your problem, " he said bitterly. "Anyone that takes his place will be just as corrupt as him- if not worse."
"Spare us of your cynicism," Snake sighed, but not entirely disagreeing. It was more the principle of the matter- being cynical so young.
Wolf nodded firmly. "I can't speak for the rest of my team, but I'm game for participating in the ambush."
"What message are you aiming to send?" Fox asked cautiously. he didn't like the idea of possibly killing fellow agents- ones that could easily be loyal and honest.
Yassen looked like he was about to reply, but Alex beat him to it. "I couldn't care less if we slaughtered the whole lot. Anyone that works for Blunt has blood on their hands- and they're definitively not innocent."
Eagle glared coldly at him. "Aren't you generalizing a bit too much? Surely noteveryMI6 agent is corrupt. I mean, look at Fox!"
Immediately, the soldier knew he had made a mistake- by the absolute rage that clouded the teenager's face.
"It doesn't matter if you're soldiers- you don't know what you're talking about, and I know for a fact that anyone that managed to get a badge has an utter contempt for morals," he seethed, expression murderous. he rose from his chair, stalking to the door. "I'm done here," he barked sharply- eyes daring Yassen to order him otherwise. With that, the boy left, door closing behind him with a click.
"I want a psych eval on him," Snake said immediately after he was gone.
Wolf nodded. "He's changed so much- I've never seen him this angry before."
"And a medical," Fox insisted. "Either supervised or carried out by me."
Yassen chuckled. "Good luck with that. Alex doesn't let anyone near him- and there are many here that are loyal to him- you'd have to get past them, first."
"I get the psych eval, but why a medical?" Eagle questioned.
"We haven't seen him in over a year," Fox sobered. "Or did you already forget what MI6 did to him in a few months?"
O-o-O-o-O
"Come on, Alex. Get up."
Alex blinked, suddenly aware that he was gaining consciousness.
When had he-?
Right.
Muscles screaming abuse, the teen gingerly got to his feet.
He sighed, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. Lips dry, mouth parched, he eagerly grasped at the water canteen that was handed to him
Alex forced himself to drink slowly, as he knew gulping it down would have little to no effect.
He gave the woman beside him a questioning glance.
"You passed out a few minutes ago," she answered. "Exhaustion, not dehydration- thank god. The docs would have skinned you alive if it happened three times this month." Lance hesitated, face growing serious. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Resolutely, the boy shook his head.
Lance was one of the first people he'd met when he had started regular training. They, along with many of the recruits, blew off steam at the gym, or other physically strenuous activities. Like today, they often ran on the trail that was on the outer perimeter to the base.
Intelligent, strong and attractive, along with a successful career in the U.S. Marines, Alex hadn't quite understood why she was with the Nakket- until he had gotten a hand of her file. Apparently, she had been dishonorably discharged for the assault of a superior office. What the Military filedidn'tmention was that it had been in self-defense of an attempted rape.
Alex took an unsteady step forward, deemed himself fine, and began to walk back to base; Lance falling in step beside him.
"I'm going back to the gym to spar, you're welcome to join me, if you'd like," she offered.
Alex shot her a grateful. look. They both knew him passing out during their run didn't necessarily mean that a distraction from the arrival of K-Unit wasn't still necessary. Most people wouldn't be up to the challenge of hand-to-hand combat immediately after a two hour trek through the desert... thankfully, the Nakket recruits were not most people.
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There was an abundance of people on the base that could beat the crap of of him... that being said, Lance and Alex were usually evenly matched, depending on their moods and injuries.
It didn't take long before his mind had cleared, easily flowing into the rhythm of various martial arts forms.
While the ex-soldier attempted grappling the spy in a series of movements taught by the U.S. Military, Alex responded with a rapid-fire style of blocks that he had learned at Malagasto. The two opponents suddenly broke off into more basic and simpler attacks- roundhouse, side, half-moon, and crescent kicks, mixed in with jabs, palm-heel strikes, hooks, and overcuts. Alex tried Aikido, she countered with Muay Thai. The cycle continued, styles blending in a mix of different Martial Arts that spanned worldwide.
Focus and concentration solely on the sparring at hand, the teen was too absorbed to notice the assassin enter.
"Alex."
The boy stiffened immediately, half-turning whilst neatly blocking the knife hand aimed at his throat.
Face impassive, Alex analyzed his handler's facial features. "Sir." He was breathing heavily, face dripping with sweat.
"Clean up and get changed," Yassen ordered. "Meet me in the same room as before. You have ten minutes." Leaving no room for arguments, he left abruptly as he had come.
Alex shot a glare at the disappearing figure, but stalked off the mat. "See you later."
"We protect our own," she reminded him quietly. "All you need to do is ask."
The boy nodded in thanks, before leaving.
O-o-O-o-O
Alex had to reinforce the memory block- he could feel the pain that was being suppressed, if only at the edges of the wall. He would hold it off- hehadto; he didn't know what would happen if let those memories through, didn't know what it would do to him if they were absorbed.
Alex knocked briefly before entering- and completely ignored the soldiers inside, opting to focus on his handler.
"Sir."
Yassen's eyes swept over him, studying his charge. "You've been gone for nearly four hours."
The teen shrugged. "Training."
Yassen allowed a flicker of annoyance on his normally blank features.
The spy turned to Snake. "Yassen can get you the results of the psych eval. I had the shrinks gave me one earlier," he grumbled." I was cleared by the docs after the debriefing." He frowned. "But I've had too many medicals and strip searches to care anymore."
The assassin let loose a dry chuckle. "You don't disappoint, Alex."
K-unit didn't look surprised that he had eavesdropped, either.
Fox smiled grimly. "Thanks, Alex."
Alex looked sharply at him. "I don't like you, and I don't ever want to remember whatever sort of friendship I had with any of you." His features didn't soften like they should have. "But I'm willing to work with you if that means taking down MI6."
If Wolf was upset by his bluntness, he didn't show it. "I-we understand."
Snake swallowed, but nodded once in a sign of agreement.
Eagle's eyes hardened into the depths of unwavering loyalty. "We got your bank."
O-o-O-o-O
Alex raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You ever done this before?" he asked doubtfully.
Fox shot him a look of irritation. "Of course- you think I would do this if I hadn't?"
The boy supposed he was right- the callous hands were rough yet gentle, moving with practiced ease. He wasn't as cold or detached as other docs Alex had met at any rate.
Snake watched idly from where he sat, eyes tracking both of their movements.
Alex was relieved that Fox was collected and professional... he'd met too many people who had tried taking advantage over him when he was vulnerable- emotionally, sexually, and physically.
If anything, the ex-spy was most fixated on the skin grafts. "Do you know how many you've had?" he asked curiously.
The teen shook his head numbly. "My memory of MI6 is still blurry. I know I've had it more than once, but I couldn't give you the exact number."
"Hmmm..." Fox examined the remnants of the faux skin carefully. "It was a cheap job, by the looks of it."
He snorted. "They were only supposed to last a mission or two- Blunt would never have paid for thousands of pounds' worth of surgery on me."
Fox's brow furrowed. "Right." Obviously distracted, he studied the boy's right shoulder. Where the X-shaped scar from the tracking chip should have been, was bare. "How did the Nakket disable the microchip?" his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "They didn't give you a skin graft, did they?"
"What microchip?" Alex immediately twisted about, facing him.
Fox exchanged glances with Snake. He didn'tknow?
"You don't remember?" Snake murmured faintly.
"The microchip," Alex began frantically, panic setting in his features. "What was it?!"
Ben swallowed. "It was a tracker," he answered quietly. "Yassen must've gotten it out- how he managed that, I don't know; the skin grafts should have covered it up and only MI6 tech could have detected it."
"I'm going to kill him," Alex growled, throwing on the shirts Snake had tossed him- signally that the medical was over.
"You and me both, kid," Fox muttered under his break.
O-o-O-o-O
"Why didn't you tell me about it?"
Yassen was mildly surprised. "I thought it would bring you unwanted memories."
The teen nodded thoughtfully, still mulling over it.
"They're here to help, you know," the man said quietly. "Don't let your personal feelings cloud the main objective."
The boy sighed. "I know."
Quieter still, "They care about you."
Alex was already walking away.
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You don't forgive easily... nor will you ever forget.
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Anything you want to see more of? Specifically the interactions and portrayals of the characters...? How's Yassen going for you?