A/N: Hello! sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. It's been a really busy week. I hope to reach the climax soon!

Thanks a lot for all the encouraging reviews, special thanks to reviewers who have been faithfully reading and commenting on the story! If any of you have suggestions for the story development, please do tell me=) I may adopt the suggestion.

Sapphire2309: thanks for telling me about the spelling errors. I'll try to make less spelling errors=)

Sajna18: whoa! we're thinking along the same lines haha!x)

AzraelLilith: haha We'll see xD

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Alex Rider bent over, panting heavily.

"16 minutes 3 seconds. Not bad at all, Alex. You beat your old record by a full minute." An ecstatic Max Chenay informed him, hardly breathing hard despite having run the entire 3 km route with Alex. The training coach seemed oblivious to the half-dead state he was in.

"Just another round of push ups and we'll be done!" He announced cheerfully.

"Come on, come on, don't be such a couch potato. Push up position, Down!" Alex groaned but complied.

Somehow, he managed to pull himself into the position, his trembling legs threatening to give way. He knew that Chenay had a soft spot for him and treated him like a younger brother (albeit being an overly sadistic older brother), being the youngest student at the training centre and an extremely fast learner.

Sadly, Alex's potential all the more gave Chenay reason to push Alex far, far beyond his limits. If only Chenay was called away for a mission right now! Sadly, Alex doubted the overly enthusiastic instructor would be kind enough to allow him some slack even when he was away. Probably instruct me from a web-cam, he thought wryly.

Just then, gravity defied itself as a student hurried over.

"Sir? The principal would like to see Alex in his office now." Alex glanced up sharply, utterly shocked. The principal wanted to see him? him? Not Chenay?

Chenay looked rather upset that he was unable to carry out the last segment of his training torture.

"All right," He said reluctantly at last. "You may go."

Alex got up and hurried off, hardly able to believe his luck.

"Don't think I'll let you off so easily! Double push ups tomorrow!" Came the amused shout from behind. Alex sighed.

"I wouldn't dare think otherwise." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that? You wanted more?"

"No! No! I didn't say anything!"

...

Alex thankfully escaped to the principal's office. Chenay could get downright scary at times. However, as he knocked on the door, his relief was abruptly replaced with pangs of unease. Why would the principal want to see him? Had he done something wrong or perhaps, done poorly in a subject?

Alex chuckled at the thought. Different school genre, same old school dynamics. Even in a school of assassination with subjects such as shooting and (deadly) botany, passing a subject was of great importance, if not more. An inaccurate shot could miss the heart and a dose of deadly poison could result merely in paralysis instead of instant death.

"Come in, come in." Alex entered the room uneasily.

d'Arc sat at his desk, clearing a stack of paper which nearly reached his shoulder. Seeing Alex, he grinned and gestured at the chair opposite him. Alex sank slowly into the seat.

"Ah you're here, Alex. I suppose you're wondering why I requested to meet you. I need to talk to you about something of utmost importance."

Alex felt his stomach churn.

"Sir, did I fail a subject? Are you planning to expel me?" He couldn't help blurting out.

d'Arc's eyes widened a fraction and he doubled up laughing.

"Oh no, no,no. You most certainly did not fail any subject. Quite the opposite, in fact. You ranked among the top 5 overall in the academy, which was why I called you here today. Your excellent results indicate that you are more than ready to begin your very first mission."

A mission? Alex slumped back, shock written across his face.

"Erm, am I a bit young for a mission, sir? What if, what if I screw it up?" He asked weakly.

"There isn't such a thing as too young to start," d'Arc said firmly. "And I have absolutely no doubts about your ability. Look at it this way, if you saw a teenager in an office building in the middle of the night or a full grown man in the building, who would seem a greater threat to you? The impertinent teenager who probably broke in on a dare or the adult who probably knew what he was doing, perhaps stealing important documents?"

Alex couldn't help but agree. It did make sense. The younger you were, the less people would suspect that your capability and experience. Alex of course, had proved that the theory was utterly wrong.

You see, you are an important asset to us, and not to worry, unlike MI6, we will pay you what you are worth. Besides, take it as a chance to prove to us your capability as a true Scorpia member." Alex could feel d'Arc's intense gaze boring into him at the last few words.

"After all, you won't be doing it all alone. You will be assigned a mentor to guide you through your very first task."

Alex relaxed a tad bit. " Sir, may I ask who wil— "

Knock knock knock

"Ah, here he is. Come in. Let him answer your question by himself," d'Arc smiled, a strange gleam in his eyes. He checked his wristwatch. "And right on time to, I must add. Though I would expect nothing less from you..."

The door swung open.

Alex froze, his blood turning cold.

"...Yassen."

...

Halfway across the globe alone in his office, Alan Blunt head of MI6, gave a rather uncharacteristic growl into his cup of coffee.

He was not having a good day. Nor would he have one for the entire month, it seemed.

First of all, an entire football team along with their coach had just been completely eliminated by...nothing. Somehow, Scorpia had managed to crawl past MI6's intense security and caused their deaths without a single gunshot.

Thanks to invisible sword, or so Scorpia had called it, the entire office was running around in panic and the Prime Minister had ordered him to settle the problem in a month. A Month. How was he going to solve it in one bloody month? So far, the only thing discovered abnormal of the bodies of the football players was the content of gold in their blood. Was he supposed to get a lead from gold?

To top it off, MI6 most valuable asset had disappeared almost a month ago. Alex Rider had last been seen entering a suspected Scorpia training centre near Venice. The boy was irreplaceable in MI6. His successful missions had saved the world several times already. To think that he had now lost him to Scorpia...

Blunt sighed inwardly. If he knew how Scorpia worked well enough, the boy would probably come for revenge. He wiped his sweaty forehead and picked up the phone.

"William, put me on to Mrs Jones. Mrs Jones? Alan blunt here. I will be increasing security twofold for you and speaking to Smithers about the possible would be the most likely target. Yes, yes. We'll see in time." He put down the phone and picked up his organizer.

He was scheduled to speak at Brookland School a week later. Just his luck to get roped in by the Prime minister as part of the security education to convince parents that schools were not under threat in spite of Scorpia's threat. He snorted. As though MI6 would be able to do much for now if Invisible Sword was released.

No matter. At least he had settled the security for Mrs Jones. He was quite certain MI6 would be able to reel Alex Rider in when he attempted to assassinate her. Oh yes, everything would go according to plan—as always.

For the first time in 20 years, Alex Blunt made a deadly wrong assumption.

Please R & R! thanks=D