Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider, and while I might be able to lay some kind of claim on Alex-bots, I have no idea how to actually make them. Sorry to disappoint all of you who wanted one!

***

Alex tried to fight, but against four Scorpia-trained guards, he didn't have a chance. He was dragged away from a screaming Jack and white faced Silvia and into a separate cell. He was searched thoroughly and beaten mercilessly. By the end, the only things keeping him upright were the two thugs on either side of him. Eventually it ended and they released his arms

They jeered as he fell to the floor, but Alex couldn't care. The bitter taste of defeat was in his mouth. He had failed. He had been supposed to get Jack and Silvia out before the SAS men came in. Now Scorpia had hostages.

"Leave him," ordered the woman. "We'll come back later after we've had an opportunity to think of some more... creative punishments."

Alex let his head fall back against the wall, exhausted. The extensive beating had sapped the last of his strength. He drifted into an uneasy sleep, hoping desperately that the SAS men would arrive before the thugs returned.

***

Jack glared at the woman standing in front of her. "How could you?" she hissed. "He's just a boy!"

The woman laughed. "Miss Starbright, a boy he may be, but hardly 'just'. He ruined a major operation of ours and has caused the deaths of two of our board members. No, he is no mere boy. You don't understand him anymore, do you, Jack? May I call you that?"

Jack was positively shaking with rage, but didn't answer.

"Oh good," said the woman, "I would tell you my name, but there doesn't really seem to be much point as you're going to die soon anyway."

"What are you going to do to him?" said a quiet voice from the back of the cell. It was Silvia.

"Torture him."

Both Jack and Silvia paled, and Jack launched herself at the woman, only to be knocked back by the two men flanking her. Silvia rushed to her side and helped her up, but the both stood still as the woman crossed the cell to circle the Alex-Bot.

"Interesting," she murmured. "It really is an amazing piece of technology, though I can't believe that MI6 thought we would actually fall for it."

"I thought you made a pretty good show at falling for it at the start," smirked Jack.

"Yes, well that was the point, wasn't it?"

Silvia and Jack scowled and the woman walked out.

"I'm so sorry Jack," said Silvia, "I-I'm sorry I was so mean to him... if I had known..."

"Don't worry about it. It's a dangerous world and you had every right to be suspicious of a stranger."

Apparently this didn't comfort Silvia though, as she promptly burst into tears. "He- He's just a- a child and they're- they're..." she trailed off, sobbing.

"Don't worry," came a voice from the other side of the room. "I've told Mrs Jones. The SAS are on their way."

It was the Alex-bot. "You know, she really should have realised the communicating advantages of a robot before she tried this little scheme," said Smithers, thoughtfully, through the speaker.

Despite herself, Jack let out a weak, watery laugh. Things were going to be ok. They had to be.

***

When Alex woke up, it was to frantic footsteps and loud curses outside his cell. Warily, he clambered to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall for support.

"Hurry up, you fool!" snapped an impatient voice. "We have to get out of here; they could break through at any moment!"

The door burst open. "Grab him," ordered the woman, "Grab him and follow me."

OK, so no torture, that's a nice surprise, mused Alex as he was dragged through the corridors of the facility. But what has got them so upset? Unless...

She had said they could break through... she wasn't talking about the SAS, was she? Could Mrs Jones have actually ordered the attack anyway? Alex felt hope leap to life inside him.

He was dragged through seemingly endless corridors and back up the flight of stairs he had come down. But this time he was led, not back to the fire escape, but to another, smaller set of stairs that led up to the roof.

He was pulled out of the door at the top, the door he had dismissed immediately after seeing the swipe card mechanism on the lock, and was pushed into the middle of the roof. Jack and Silvia were there, bound and gagged, and the thudding beat of helicopter blades was deafening him. He looked up just in time to see it land. They tied him up as they shoved Jack and Silvia on, then threw him on after them. Only one guard climbed on, along with the woman.

They took off, quickly leaving the facility behind. Through the closing door, Alex could see the SAS surrounding the compound. Hopefully Mrs Jones would get the information she wanted, but he couldn't say he was really worried about that. At the moment he just wanted to get Jack and Silvia out.

He made as if to sit up, but the guard kicked him in the stomach, sending him sliding back into the wall. The wall was good, he could hide his hands, but still that bloody hurt!

He relaxed his wrists and was pleased to feel the ropes loosen. Quickly he twisted them until he could reach the knot. Within minutes he was free. Alex kept his hands behind his back and inched his way over to Silvia and Jack.

"Jack," he whispered as loudly as he dared, pulling down her gag. "Jack, I'm going to untie you. Lie still until I get up, then I want you and Silvia to take those two parachutes and get out. Ok?" He indicated the two items under the seats in front of them, currently level with their heads.

Jack turned her face to him. "But... I don't know how..."

"Just count to five then pull the cord as hard as you can. And for God's sake, bend your knees when you land!"

The guard and the woman still hadn't turned around, for which Alex was eternally grateful as he swiftly untied the two women.

He pulled himself into a crouch, just as the man turned around.

"Hey-!" he yelled, only to be cut off as Alex leapt at him with a back kick. The man staggered backwards, then threw a punch at Alex.

Alex dodged back then ducked to avoid a knife hand from the woman. The spinning of the blades got louder, and he saw with relief that Jack and Silvia were standing by the open door.

"Just go!" he yelled, ducking another punch from the man.

He could see Jack wanting to protest, but Silvia took her arm and they jumped. Alex sighed in relief.

His momentary distraction cost him, however, and he felt a punch land on his jaw. He could feel himself weakening. He was already at the end of his endurance. He had to finish this quickly.

He aimed another kick at the man. It would have hit his head, but the man dodged. But he had lost his balance and fell out of the still open door. The scream quickly died away, covered by the noise of the beating. Alex turned his attention back to the woman, just in time to catch her fist as she aimed it at his temple. He pulled her forward and raised his elbow, ramming it into the back of her head. She fell unconscious.

Alex turned his attention to the pilot. The man was white faced. He obviously knew what was going on behind him, and was powerless to stop it. He had to keep his hands on the controls or kill them all.

Alex pulled the gun from the woman's holster. He didn't know why she hadn't used it, although he guessed that shooting your only hostage is not a good idea when you have the SAS after you.

He levelled it at the pilots head.

"Move," he commanded. The pilot glanced back at him nervously. "Now," he added, gesturing to the empty co-pilot's seat. The man slowly began to move, letting go of the controls at the last minute. The helicopter jerked and began to spiral out of control.

Alex grabbed onto the seat to support himself and quickly hit the pilot over the head with the gun before seating himself in front of the controls. Desperately, he pulled on the joystick and, by some miracle, managed to slow their descent. He scanned the controls nervously. He had no idea what he was doing! The only thing that he had any clue about was the joystick in front of him, and even that looked fairly complicated.

Suddenly it all became immaterial as a hand closed around his neck. The woman had woken up.

He grappled with her frantically as he felt his airways constrict.

"Are you mad?" he gasped. "You'll kill us both! Get off!"

But the woman was psychotic. She wouldn't listen to reason.

Now she was in front of him, flailing at him with her fists. Alex blocked a punch, fully aware that he couldn't keep control of the helicopter and fight her. He had to get out before they crashed

He was over the back of the seat in an instant but almost lost his footing as the helicopter went out of control again. It was falling fast. He staggered over to the door. They weren't all that far off the ground now, and it was closing fast. He did the only thing he could.

He jumped.

Briefly he became aware of a lake far below him, sparkling blue in the newly risen sun. The water sprayed up around him as he landed.

He slipped into darkness.

***

A/N OMG this is the PENULTIMATE chapter! Can you believe it? Just one more left! I know I can't.

I was almost late updating this, only an hour left before the stupid internet cuts off. But aren't you proud that I remembered?

And I am officially VERY sorry to all the wonderful reviewers who haven't been able to reply to. Normally I try to reply to every review before I update, but with the exams (only five papers left, I'll be done by Friday, YAY!) I don't have time to, and I thought you probably wouldn't be too happy about waiting until the end of the exams to have an update. But please keep reviewing. They always make me happy and less stressed out.

So yeah... please review!