A/N: OOPS! SORRY! I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I HAD A HALF FINISHED CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY! I THOUGHT I WAS ALREADY ON THE NEXT CHAPTER (SEE 'DEATH CUTS SHARPER THAN KNIVES' FOR REASONING BEHIND ME NOT UPDATING LIKE AT ALL-I DON'T FEEL LIKE REPEATING MYSELF) ANYWAYS, AS CONSOLATION, I AM POSTING THIS HALF CHAPTER AS A FULL CHAPTER SO THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING TO READ. SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER

Chapter 16:

Approximately 14 hours later, Alex woke up. He opened his eyes in time to see Ben standing over him, about to dump a glass of ice water on his (Alex) head.

"Don't even think about it," growled Alex. He had never been much of a morning person, and the threat of getting water dumped on his head wasn't helping the fact.

"Why not? It's just a little bit of water. What harm can it do?" Ben questioned innocently.

"Hmm…let's see. It can cause the people who dump it a considerable amount of pain and torture from the receiver of the water. And, I hope you do remember that I have the means to cause this torture."

"You'll never get away with it!" Ben cried dramatically.

"Says who? I've been dead for two years. I don't exist. You can't punish someone who doesn't exist."

"Touché, Alex."

"You know, Ben, you seem to say that word a lot. I just realized that you have yet to win any word battles with me. What kind of spy are you that you can't even win a simple twist of words by your own comrade and partner?"

"My own comrade? I don't see anyone who falls under that category here. After all, my partner and comrade died two years ago, and so no one exists for me to loose word battles to."

"Wow, Ben. That hurt. Throwing my own words back in my face. Wow."

"Get used to it, Alex. Or should I say 'figment of my imagination'. After all, Alex died two years ago, so I can't be talking to him."

"You must be mentally unstable if you talk to a figment of your imagination, especially if said figment died two years ago."

"Or maybe you're just mentally unstable and are using my words against me to hide the fact that you are."

Alex let out a fake sob, "I can't believe you actually feel that way. You've just sent me into a state of clinical depression."

"Great. Cry yourself a river, build a bridge, and stare at it. Let me know who wins."

"What the heck?" Alex wondered. "Isn't it 'and get over it' at the end?"

"Yea," Ben agreed. "But Eagle made me promise never to say that again, because apparently he got it copy-writed. Stupid, right? Anyways, it's better than 'and jump off it' at the end."

"I guess so."

There was a knock on the door. Ed Shulsky walked in and bade them good morning.

"I'm guessing there's a reason for you being here?" Ben questioned.

"Yes. Mr. Byrne would like to see the two of you at some time in the near future. Alex, he said he wanted to talk about what happened with you in Cairo."

Alex sighed, "Didn't Mr. Blunt tell him already?"

"No," Ed replied. "Apparently Mr. Blunt didn't find it fitting enough to inform Mr. Byrne, no matter home many times he asked for intel on what happened."

"So I seriously have to tell him everything? I hate my life."

"Alex. What happened in Cairo?" Ben asked.

"Don't you remember when Blunt gave you my mission files? Well, they had the sick thought to name it 'Scorpia Rising'. You remember it now?"

"Ooooohhhh. That one."

"Yea. That one," Alex agreed in a very non-cheerful manner.

A/N: LIKE I SAID, HALF A CHAPTER. I WILL WORK AS HARD AS I CAN ON ALL OF MY SCHOOLWORK SO THAT I CAN UPDATE (HOPEFULLY) TOMORROW. SORRY! PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME AS I AM IN ALL HONORS CLASSES AND MIDTERMS ARE IN A WEEK!

BTW: I PUT OFF STUDYING FOR TWO IMPORTANT TESTS TOMORROW TO UPDATE, SO I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.