as you can see i have changed my pen name. it was originally cjpatel05 and then i got bored with it. plus this one is much more related to me. anyway...ONWARDS!

He sat up, wincing.

Damn that hurts!

He looked around. The room was suddenly bathed in a white light that hurt his eyes. When his eyes finally adjusted, he looked around, taking in his surroundings out of habit. The room was, quite obviously, a holding cell, even though someone had tried to disguise the fact by putting in a queen-size bed, a night stand, a closet and a bathroom. They had failed miserably though, as all the furniture was bright white.

What the hell happened?

He squeezed his eyes shut against the brightness of the room and thought back. All he could remember was an intense burning heat that seared his skin, his hair his clothes, even his eyeballs; the heat burned him alive.

His eyes flew open as the sound of a slamming door shattered his thoughts. He watched as the door was shut again, blending in so well with the wall around it, you wouldn't have known it existed.

A man walked in, stirring something in the back of his mind as he took in the scar across his throat and his icy blue eyes.

I know him...he thought. But he couldn't, for all he was worth (which was quite a lot to the country of Britain) figure out who the man standing in front of him was. Though the sinister smile screamed at his senses, Alex couldn't help but trust him.

"Hello Alex."

Shelley was thrown back into the cell harshly. Blood poured from her nose and when she spit, it was with a reddish tint. But she would stay strong. No matter how many times they broke her body, how hungry she was and how many times they attacked her with their vicious words…she would not break. He was coming for her. He had to be. It was what he had promised to do and Alex Rider was a man of his word.

It had been a month.

Shelley collapsed against the metal bunk.

I love you…her last thoughts before she lost consciousness floated into the cosmos.

"How do you know my name?" Alex asked in a toneless voice. By this point, Alex knew that he was missing some really important memories.

"We've met. Maybe you'll remember someday."

Although I'm definitely not the one who's gonna help you do THAT…thought the man.

"Unfortunately for you, the serum you were injected with prevents you from accessing that information, as well as much else, at the present moment."

What is it with villains and injections? They're not doctors for god's sake! Alex thought.

"I remember enough," he replied.

"Only enough to keep you alive. No more. No less," the man replied.

At this, Alex heard a slight lilt in the man's diction.

Russian?

And indeed it was. Yassen Gregorovich had only failed at two things in his life: killing Alex Rider (though that had happened repeatedly, if he was being brutally honest) and completely eliminating his accent.

He had to force himself not to rub at the scar over his heart as he thought about the last time he and the boy had met. Though he was glad he wasn't dead, Yassen would have much rather he were dead so he didn't have to go through this whole situation with Alex yet again.

But Scorpia had a way of screwing with your life even after you were "dead" and he wouldn't be the one to change their ways.

No, that would have to be Alex.

And maybe that girl he had with him…

"I don't remember much, you're right about that. But I remember enough to know that there is nothing you could do to weaken me. Once you have no one, you no longer have any weaknesses. So why don't you just go tell your boss to give up and let me go. There's nothing I can do anyway…" Alex tried, even though he knew the attempt was pathetic.

"Now now, we all know you deserve just a little more credit than that Rider. But as it is, I shall leave you for now. I suggest you rest up before tomorrow morning. You can be sure, from now on, your life won't be as easy as it is at the moment" the man said wryly. For some reason, his tone irked Alex.

"Right. Because losing your memory after being awakened by a lunatic is easy. Ah well, what what is being captured without a little torture? I was hoping they (whoever they are) would stop at forcing me to look at you would be the end of it, but all you lunatics are the same. Keep playing with the toy until it breaks. But I think you'll find that this toy is made of harder stuff than the usual," Alex said smirking. He stopped abruptly though as he realized the man was just smiling at him placidly.

"We like to call it training, but it is, for all intents and purposes, torture."

Alex turned to walk into the bathroom.

"Who the hell are you anyway?"

But when he turned around to look at the man as he gave his answer, he faced an empty, once again silent, room.

He groaned, frustrated. Somehow, he wasn't surprised.

This chapter is dedicated to a reviewer named NoelAnderson who, with four little words, helped me get my lazy ass into gear. Now as you read (or don't read. Idk) this I am continuing on to the first part of the next chapter. I hope to have it done sometime this week but well… you never know. Anywhoos I hope you people are still out there. thanks to those of you left reviews last time! Leave me a word if you're there:D