Rider Meets Bond
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Alex Rider or the iconic figure, James Bond. They belong to Anthony Horowitz and Ian Fleming respectively.
Chapter Four: Quartermaster
Heathrow Airport is the official gateway to England. To be more precise, Heathrow Airport is one of the most important airports in the world, each day receiving hundreds of thousands of foreigners, looking to enter the British Isles for one reason to another, varying from migration, vacation or seeking to become a bread winner. The immigration officers have a handful when expecting to keep control of these foreigners, who are particularly restless; especially from a long and exhausting trip. The timely arrival of Alex Rider with his new covert partner signalled some immediate clearance from the officers.
Preferring to keep their arrival low-key, MI6 had requested for either of them to travel commercially. British Airways Flight 922 to Rome was due to take-off. From the briefing they received earlier, Alex could make out that there was a new threat to the world and he was going to be asked to remove it. Actually, Alan Blunt rarely left any other option for the taking. Alex Rider was after all, the most lethal weapon Britain had asides from James Bond. Looking over at James Bond, it seemed surreal that he could maintain his cool and calm demeanour despite the task at hand. He smiled inwardly as they boarded the plane.
Arrival at Rome was quick and routine. James had met up with a contact and both of the British agents travelled in an arranged vehicle. As expected, MI6 prepared an Aston Martin DB9 as used in the movies. Clearly, the writers were completely attuned to MI6's procedure or somebody somewhere decided to provide it as a joke. James smiled and entered to the driver's seat of the car. Looking over at Alex, he pointed at the left passenger seat before igniting the engine. The twelve cylinder engine roared to life as James closed the driver's door. Alex walked towards the car and admired the fine British workmanship of the vehicle. They headed towards a nearby hotel situated in the heart of the Sicilian capital. Upon checking-in, Alex and James were surprised to find the MI6 gadgets master in their room. In truth, Smithers never really depicted the Quartermaster in the films. Asides from their amazing gadgets and role, they share almost nothing in common. Alex wouldn't have been surprised if he was recognised almost immediately in any place.
"Hello there. Lovely weather the Italians are having. It's nice to get out of the office every now and then, don't you think?" he asked in his usual jovial nature. James nodded in acknowledgement as Alex greeted Smithers. "So, what do you have for us today, Smithers?" Bond asked. It didn't seem likely that Smithers could've transported several field gadgetry through customs but Alex was sure MI6 had their ways. He watched as Smithers wielded a briefcase from out of nowhere with the precision of a magician. Unlocking the briefcase, he pulled out a watch for James. "I'm sure you're familiar with this 007. It functions like your previous watch but I've added an additional feature this time. In addition to your grappling hook and light-up feature, I've added a com link with Alex's watch. Here you go, Alex," Smithers mentioned as he handed James an Omega and a Swatch for Alex. "Pretty darn useful to keep in contact if you get separated, I'd say…"he said, nodding. Alex took the watch and follow James' example as they put on the watch.
"Now, I'm sure you would've requested for your usual Walther P99 but it seems that we couldn't get one from the Armoury. However, we've managed to get an American gun for you. Let's hope it suits your needs, this Colt M1911. Completely user friendly with a short recoil and I've modified it even further to suit your needs. Silencer with a scope, if required is provided. Just in case, I've also attached the manual for the gun…not that you'd need it anyways, 007," Smithers said as he handed Bond a small case which presumably contained the purported gun. Smithers then returned his attention to the younger agent. "Alex, in the best of interest, I do hope you'll come out alive in this one. Scorpia maybe nasty business but the murder of members on their board of directors…Whoever it is, I'm sure that he has a lot of nerves to test Scorpia. I'm really bending the rules and I hope it is in my better judgement to provide you with this Alex," the gadgets master said as he removed another case from within his briefcase.
Alex felt his heart lurch when he saw the case. Was Smithers seriously considering arming him with a handgun? He had been adept in training with a weapon but he was never sure whether he could kill a man in cold blood. In Malogosto where he trained with Scorpia's recruits, he had displayed a failure, especially killing one. Alex was pulled out from his train of thoughts by Smithers' words. "This here, Alex is a Smith & Wesson's Sigma 9mm Automatic. I've spoken to the Armoury and they were keen to arm you with this gun. Obviously it isn't as excellent a gun as 007's but I've remodified it to suit your characteristics. You did mention once that Scorpia trained you in the usage of handguns. I think you'll find this better than theirs," Smithers said proudly and handed Alex the gun.
In the background, James could be seen studying the characteristics of his new gun. After all, this was the first gun used by 007 which isn't from the Walther series. Alex took the gun from Smithers' hands and looked at it. It was compact and definitely concealable, at least better than 007's weapon anyways. "It has a 100 test reliability and a seventeen round magazine. More than enough for self defence, I would think. It also has a better grip than the M1911 over there and a quicker reload," Smithers said with a smile. Alex nodded as he pocketed the weapon before looking back at Smithers. He already handed the manual to Alex and he was about to pull out another gadget before realising something. "Alex, don't forget to return me the gun once you're finished with it. Mr. Blunt doesn't exactly know about this and the Armoury has been told not to inform him in their report. You also must remember not to use it unless ultimately for self defence. Unlike 007, you are not granted with a 00 status and therefore, don't have a license to kill," Smithers said with a slightly sombre expression.
"Now, I'm sure you're familiar with the Aston Martin's features, 007. Oil slicks, missiles and whatnot are installed. I've also included a manual in the compartment, not that you'd need it anyways. Try returning my gadgets this time, though. I don't think my R&D staff enjoy trying to replace whatever you've destroyed in the past," Smithers said with a small grin. "For Alex's sake anyways, I've managed to pull out something secure for you. This here is a windbreaker, excellent for scouting work but ultimately protects your life. I've lined it with Kevlar and something I've developed. Stops a bullet more efficiently than the usual bullet proof vests in the market, and easy to develop too. Now, here you go…"he said before handing Alex the attire. He then pulled out some specs and a credit card and a pocket Palm.
Turning back to 007 who seemed to have mastered the usage of the Colt, he handed the specs, credit card and Palm. "The usual, 007. I think you know the Palm fairly well. You didn't use it the last time we provided it with you," Smithers mentioned. James nodded his thanks and took all the items. With one last trick up his sleeves, Smithers pulled out a Sony PSP out from his briefcase. "I enjoyed working on this one, Alex. It features like the iPod with the Game Boy before this, during the Stormbreaker mission. If you recall, I have several cartridges here for your use. I think you'll manage well enough," he said before shutting his briefcase with a click.
Walking towards the door, he managed to look back at Britain's formidable pair of secret agents. "Do come back in one piece, Alex. It was fun having you around and try to remind 007 to return my gadgets. They never do," Smithers said with a smile and opened the door. "Thanks, Derek," James said, using Smithers' first name. It was also a first time Alex discovered MI6's gadgets master's name. With a wave, he was gone and leaving Alex with 007 alone.
A/N: Now, I really enjoyed trying to think up of gadgets for both James and Alex for this mission. Some of you will however notice that the gadgets are mostly adapted from the movies. I'm taking no credit in this. The only original gadgets are the handguns I provided both Alex and 007 with. Don't forget to drop me a review on your way out.