"We all got things that are hidden in the closet. We all got pain, and the same thing causes it. The spirit the flesh still flaws it –" Playdough, The Difference

Alex Rider had been taken away only moments after Katakana's threat, and Fox found himself alone in the room with Katakana. He closed his eyes, not wanting to be tortured, but not willing to give bend over and just randomly listen to Katakana. He exhaled forcefully, trying to make up his mind and decide what to do.

At least Alex was out of there, he thought, resigned. He couldn't help but wonder if one of the team was going to give their life for Alex Rider.

"We should go," Katakana said, surprising Fox. He'd expected to be tortured, or, at the very least, to be beaten and told to do as Katakana commanded him. Fox allowed Katakana to unhandcuff him and release him from where he'd pulled the chains.

It wasn't that he wanted to cooperate with Katakana. He was just doing it because it beat being tortured. That, and he hoped to be with Alex Rider when he escaped, even if it meant giving his life for the teenager. Fox stood, stretching, grateful to be out of the handcuffs. Even though Katakana hadn't been brutal towards him, yet, he knew that he still looked bad. He'd been beaten at least once since the K-Unit had been captured, and the back of his shirt was torn. He was pretty sure the "Where are we going?"

"Where Alex Blunt is. What are you, deaf? Don't you realize your job is taking care of him now?" Fox winced as he was shoved back down to the floor. "I didn't tell you that you were allowed to move," Katakana added.

"Sorry for breaking your concentration," Fox sneered. Katakana didn't respond, except to swing his foot to kick Fox viciously in the face. Fox couldn't help but groan as he reached his hand towards his face. He needed to try and see if all of his teeth were still there. Before he got a chance, however, Katakana yanked his arm back, causing Fox to cry out in pain as he heard his arm snap. Fox tried to yank his arm back, ready to attempt to overpower Katakana if he could, but Katakana's grip was too firm, and all Fox ended up doing was injuring himself.

"I said you weren't supposed to move without my permission," Katakana snapped, his voice tense. Fox visibly winced, his facial features tightening, as his hands were roughly forced closer together, and he felt the handcuffs snap, once more, around his wrist. "Let's get this crystal clear, right now. You don't move, you don't talk, you don't speak without my permission. I'd like you not to get killed."

The last words thoroughly confused Fox. What the hell did Katakana mean?

Alex Rider glared at Ian, wishing desperately that his eyes could be like daggers and kill the man. Normally, Alex would have been making a bigger stink, being dragged along in the car like this, but he knew it was pointless. He was surprised Ian hadn't commented; he knew his uncle "liked him better when he was subdued," meaning that he liked him better when he was drugged.

The trip had gone by without much incident, much to Alex's relief, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was punished for some reason or another.

Alex knew his uncle was a psychopath who wouldn't be bothered by hurting him.

Flashback

"You'd better get cleaned up," his mother said, looking at him. Alex glanced at her. He was twelve years old, and was slowly learning his way around the world. He had just survived his first year at boarding school, even though it had been awful.

Alex had been greeted by his father, who gave him a lovely welcome home present: a beating. He'd been viciously hit, kicked, and beaten until Alex had thought he would either pass out or die from the pain.

Unfortunately, he'd done neither. Alex still bore the welts of that beating.

"Your uncle is coming over. He wants to see you."

Shit, Alex thought, that wasn't good.

That night, Ian had beaten Alex unconscious – again – and had taken him on a week-long car trip throughout the UK. He claimed that had been on Alex's father's command, but Alex hadn't been sure.

Alex shivered, fighting the memories. That had been a week from hell that he didn't care to repeat. He was worried that Ian was acting on his own, and that his father was acting separately.

He could just imagine the nightmare that was going to happen if that was actually was true.

Ian greeted Alex in the room. "Hey, little friend," he said, "It's time we had some fun."

Alex ignored him in favor of finding out the answer to his question. "Where's Dad?" he asked.

"You mean Sir?" Ian said, looking at Alex pointedly. The last time he had called Alex father, instead of sir, he'd been beaten.

"No, I mean Alan Blunt," Alex said sarcastically. He winced as he was roughly slapped on the face. Ian's sweaty palm hit him again, and Alex backed up slightly.

"I don't remember saying you could talk or move," Ian growled as he grabbed Alex's shoulder. He roughly twisted Alex's arm, causing the teenage boy to cry out in pain.

"Let me go," Alex rasped out. "Aren't you worried Dad'll be mad about you hurting me?" He really didn't care what his father thought; he just wanted to try and get Ian's mind off of hurting him, which Ian seemed to be hyper-focused on.

"I hardly care what your father thinks," Ian snapped. He grabbed Alex by the chin and forced the teen to look at him. "He's not coming for you, little Alex."

Alex swallowed hard, his Adam's apple visible. "What do you mean?" He demanded, glaring at Ian. He felt his jaw drop open once Ian released it, and he rubbed it gingerly.

"What I mean is I own you now."

Those words sent chills of terror down Alex's spine. His fear was true. Ian had double-crossed his father, and had taken him away somewhere where his father would never find him.

Damn. He wasn't sure whether he would prefer Ian or Blunt. At least with his father, he knew what to expect. Ian was nothing but a wild card.

Right now, he would strongly have preferred neither.

"Wolf, you okay, man?" Snake asked, glancing in concern at Wolf. The leader looked absolutely exhausted.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Wolf responded, glaring at him.

Alan Eppes glanced at the two. "I think you look more to me like you're going to collapse than that you're okay," he remarked.

"Thanks. Makes me feel appreciated," Wolf said.

"Wolf, I know how you feel, but you're of no use to Fox and Alex if you keep pushing yourself," Snake responded. He checked his watch. "Wolf, it's ten at night. Come on. Let's let Eagle take this shift, since he's so busy talking to the sergeant about his theory, and then we'll come back tomorrow."

"Okay," Wolf responded, looking a little unsteady on his feet.

Snake did a double-take, glancing back at his comrade. Wolf never gave in that easily when it came to hospital care, ever, even if it didn't involve going to the actual hospital. "You sure you're okay?"

"Maybe not," he responded. At Snake's glare, he quickly amended. "Come on, Snake, it's not like I'm going to roll over and die, man. I just need a bed."

"Which for you, means you're about ready to roll over and die," Snake said. "Come on. I'm driving."

Charlie smiled as he watched the two walk off. "Wolf reminds me of Don," he responded. "He reminds me a lot of Don, actually. Kind of like the British version of Don."

"How so?" Alan asked, guessing at what his son meant, but wanting to know anyway.

"Oh, you know – the I'm a hardass team leader, and I put the entire team before me," Charlie said. He glanced uncomfortably at his watch. "Eagle – that's the redhead, by the way, Dad – he thinks that the dude they were being held captive with is in it from the start."

"Yeah?" Alan asked.

Charlie nodded, taking a swig of his coffee. "Yeah. By the way, speaking of sleep, it's our turn. Remember?" He said. Normally, he would have been happy to work through the night, but the computer was running his calculations and there was nothing more he could do.

"Yeah, yeah," Alan said as he and Charlie headed for the garage. "So, about Eagle's theory?"

"Eagle said that he thinks that Katakana gave away where Fox and Alex were going. He said that he thinks that Katakana also told Alan Blunt about where the K-Unit was, and that's why they were captured so quickly."

Alan nodded. "It certainly makes sense, unfortunately," he said as the two stepped into the parking garage.

Charlie winced as he heard a noise – a noise that sounded like the distinct sound of a bullet. "Dad, get down!" he screamed, knocking his father to the floor. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Get the hell back in the building, and get Don out here, now!"

"What about you? Where are you going?" Alan demanded.

Two more bullets fired back. Snake leapt out, firing two bullets at the men.

"To help," Charlie responded, grabbing the gun that had been tossed towards the ground. "Go, Dad, get Don!"

Charlie hated guns and weapons. He hated using them.

But as Don eloquently put it, there was a time and a place for everything, and if there was ever a time or a place, this was it. Charlie made a mental note to thank his bother for all the weapons training he went through.

Snake fired at the men, and then, seeing something move in the corner of his eye, turned towards Charlie, the mathematician. He had to practically restrain himself from firing a bullet in surprise. "What the hell are you doing? Get back inside!"

"Where the hell is Wolf?" Charlie demanded, ignoring Snake's question. The firing had stopped, meaning the bad guys were either leaving or they were out of ammo.

"Wolf is right –" Snake stopped upon seeing Wolf's still body on the floor about a hundred yards away. "Damn it!" Snake said, racing over to Wolf's side. "I sent him inside to get help…" he bent down towards Wolf's arm, and felt for his pulse.

There was none.

Challenge:

Is Ian acting on his own, apart from Blunt?

Will Wolf survive, or is he dead, and has he given his life for Alex Rider?

Review!

A/N: Remember, if you kill me, I can't update!