A/N: Ok, so I realised last time, I forgot to credit Amitai with James san Luca as Wolf's name. Her In Loco Parentis was one of the first fics I read on here, and it kind of decided to fit as Wolf's name in my head... others just seem weird now, so yeah... her name, not mine. Anyways, in other news, I have a one shot and five chapters to follow Duty to the Dead... but I can't post them until I get home as my school internet blocks the topic choice page... don't know why. So yeah... if anyone is waiting for that... try on the 23rd – 24th of May... sorry quite a long wait from now. Anyway... onto the chapter...

... or not.

DISCLAIMER: I tried to bribe Anthony Horowitz with chocolates and roses... but he still wouldn't give them to me... so still all his. *pout*

Now onto the story...

***

Despite his best intentions, Alex had left his room. He was, in a word, bored and was out searching for something to do. He hoped he wouldn't run into anyone.

He heard voices coming from the small library where he had been heading and turned back, not wanting to meet anyone. His luck had once again abandoned him though, for when he turned around Wolf was walking down the corridor with a tray of drinks.

"Ventured out of your room, have you?" he grunted, smiling slightly – the sight still creeped Alex out slightly if he was honest, though he tried not to show it. Wolf's nose had been set as well from the looks of it. Alex guessed that having a doctor in the family was pretty useful.

Alex shrugged in answer to the rhetoric question and tried to slip past him, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Don't do that, Alex. There are some people I want you to meet."

"But...!" exclaimed Alex, trying to back away.

"No but's," growled Wolf. "Now come on."

Alex sighed in defeat and began to warily approach the partly open door. There were voices on the other side, familiar voices. But it wasn't until he heard the voice of Ben Daniels that he managed to place them.

Instantly he shied away from the door as if it were a viper.

"No!" he exclaimed, turning on Wolf.

Wolf frowned, "Come on, Cub, they're not that bad."

Alex let out a disbelieving snort and began to move away from the door, but his exclamation had attracted the attention of the room's occupants who were now all crowding around the door.

"Cub!" exclaimed Snake. "What are you doing here?"

Alex glared at Wolf, who simply smiled back. "Sadist," he muttered.

Wolf grinned and pushed him forward. "Found him outside about three days ago, almost unconscious in the woods. He still hasn't said why." He sent Alex a glare. Alex ignored him. He was not about to tell them that.

Eagle reached over and took the drinks from Wolf and Alex quickly found him hustled inside the room and seated on the sofa next to Ben. He smiled at the older man slightly, and Ben winked back, before turning back to his team mates.

Alex blinked at the sight in front of him. Snake was sitting in an armchair – that was fairly normal at least. Wolf was sitting on a small table with his feet up on the back of Snake's chair and his shoulders against the wall, Alex could just about understand that. But Eagle had somehow managed to climb up onto the top of the two metre tall bookcases and was lying there with his chin resting on his hands.

"So, Cub," he began. "How did you end up here?"

Alex sighed. He wasn't going to get away with 'he felt like a walk' this time. "Bad luck, I guess. Hopped on a train in London and fell asleep. Conductor woke me up and chucked me off the train."

"Bad luck?" repeated Wolf incredulously. "If I hadn't found you, you would almost certainly be dead by now!"

Alex shrugged awkwardly and turned his face away.

"Cub..." began Snake awkwardly. "That mission at that school... that was a onetime thing right?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably.

"Not exactly," he muttered.

"So how many missions have you been on?" asked Eagle curiously.

"Classified," said Alex.

Wolf scowled.

Fox grinned. "That was his second mission. His first was something to do with those Stormbreaker computers. He has done seven missions, assuming that he hasn't done more since then."

Alex glared at him. "How do you know that?" he growled.

"I've seen your file, remember, Cub? Though... there is barely anything in there about your missions after Point Blanc..." Fox trailed off, frowning slightly. "Nothing in fact, just the number."

"Why have you seen his file?" asked Snake curiously.

"Ah... erm... you see..." he stammered, looking desperately at Alex.

"Classified," smirked Alex.

"Liar," accused Wolf.

Fox caved under his former leader's glare. "I was on a mission in Australia with him," he finally admitted.

"Hold on... back up," said Snake. "Wasn't that the mission you got shot on? I thought you said it was the hardest one you've done?"

Fox nodded.

"And they sent a TEENAGER on it?!" exclaimed Snake, angrily. "What were they thinking?!"

Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Luckily, it hadn't occurred to them to question him yet.

"Oh, lay off, Snake," called Eagle.

"Lay off?" asked Snake incredulously. "Don't you think that there is anything wrong with them asking Cub to do this?"

"Of course I do," snapped Eagle impatiently, "but I'm smart enough to realise that yelling about it is not going to do anything except make Fox feel guilty and Cub try to slip away."

Alex cursed. He had indeed been trying to slip out of the door, but as four pairs of eyes settled on him he gave up and took his seat again.

"Sorry, Cub," muttered Snake.

Alex shrugged. "It's fine."

Wolf had remained curiously silent throughout this exchange, and when Alex glanced at him, he was wearing an expression of barely repressed fury underneath his usual stony exterior.

"You know, Cub," said Eagle, obviously trying to change the subject and break the awkward silence that had descended. "There is something I have always wanted to congratulate you for."

Alex looked up, surprised. "Congratulate me?" he asked, curiously. "For what?"

"For kicking Wolf out of a plane. I never thought I'd meet anyone with that kind of guts!"

Alex grinned. "Honestly," he said, wide eyed and innocent. "It wasn't payback, I swear!"

Eagle, Snake and Fox all roared with laughter as Wolf flushed and muttered about 'goddamn cheeky teenagers'.

***

They talked for what seemed like hours, the soldiers reminiscing about their time in training – especially the morning after Cub had left and the four had been yelled at for hours about stealing – having no idea what he was talking about until he withdrew a familiar, rather battered, box of matches.

They managed to keep straight faces, right up until the point when Eagle had proclaimed innocently, "But, sir! Cub gave them to us!"

According to them the sergeant's face had been classic. He had gone so red that they actually thought he was about to explode, before stalking off and muttering angrily to himself.

"Yeah, I think you might get an earful when you go back, Cub," said Fox, evilly.

"Go back?" said Alex. "Why would I do that? I'm suicidal, not dumb!"

Only Wolf looked slightly worried by this comment. The others burst out laughing, assuming he was joking and, to be fair, he was; Wolf just thought that there might be more to the comment as well. After all, Alex had nearly killed himself once already, and though it was an accident, he had shown every sign of trying to do exactly the same thing again.

There was only one down point in the evening – when Alex brought up Fox's replacement. Apparently, he was called Lynx and had gone missing about a month ago. He was presumed dead.

Slowly, the soldiers – and Alex – drifted off to sleep where they sat. Maria found them on her way to bed and, smiling, turned the light off. They were peacefully unaware of the threat that lurked outside.

***

"In position," whispered a man into a radio in his hand. He was dressed in black body armour and had a gun strapped to his waist.

He stared through the scope of the sniper rifle next to him, flicking on the night vision. In the eerie green light, he could make out the figures of four men and a smaller one that was his target. He centred the crosshairs on the boy's chest.

"Proceed as directed?"

***

A/N: So there you have it. Chapter 8. So there isn't much action, but there will be next chapter, I promise, in fact from chapter 9 to where I am at the moment in writing (about halfway through chapter 13, but then I have been for about 3 weeks now...) is pretty much all action, so don't complain too much! Lol. Please review and tell me if you liked it!