1. Eventful Shopping
As eighteen-year-old Alex Rider reclined in the airplane seat and sipped occasionally at his coke, he decided that there was nothing better than summer holiday. Well, nothing except being able to go visit Jack Starbright in Washington D.C. for a month- and Sabina Pleasure- before returning to his spy work.
It wasn't like Alex wanted to be a spy. If he had his way, he'd go to university like a normal person instead of "working" for the MI6. No one really owned Alex. It was just that his father and uncle had got him all mixed up in this when he as fourteen, and if he was honest with himself, he did happen to be good at it. Alex was a black belt, spoke multiple languages, and very physically skilled. And people didn't suspect teenagers as spies. The very idea was absurd. But that just so happened to be the world that he was caught up in.
Now that Alex was eighteen, he was in charge of himself- with absolutely no clue what to do about it. Spying wasn't easy to give up. As much as he tried to deny it, deep down, it actually was of mild interest to him. That alone was certainly enough to be confusing. Life had proved to be complicated over the last few years. He'd saved the world- literally- countless times. He'd lived a double life long enough to kind of get used to it even though he really didn't care to.
Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a bolt of lightning. He was in a window seat (in second class, but he didn't really care) and was sitting alone. There were plenty of empty seats on this flight. So much for the planet going green. He checked his watch and sighed. There were still three hours to go, and he couldn't sleep. He'd slept in worse conditions before, but for some reason, he couldn't settle down and just relax.
He was too stressed. He deserved this break. Alex had spent too much time and energy doing things that he really didn't care about. It was his turn to decide this time. First, he definitely needed to get some sleep. Soon, he drifted off to the occasional strikes of lightning.
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"Okay, let me get this straight. You're going shopping?"
Eighteen-year-old Alex Meyer smirked at his seventeen-year-old girlfriend Vivie Rivercreek. Not many things could surprise Vivie. That was just the way it was. Alex couldn't help inwardly grinning.
"You look a little busy to be taking Crisee for a walk," Alex pointed out, gesturing to the blanket that she was sewing. Vivie claimed that it had been her summer project and somehow survived both the earthquake and the tornado. "You also need groceries. Why not kill two birds with one stone?"
"Because you shouldn't kill and break the sixth commandment," Vivie quipped.
"You know what I mean." Alex bounced Crisee (he was carrying Vivie's baby half sister in his arms) and grinned. "Don't worry. I'll be coming right back to you."
"Oh, I know, it's just… well, you better not forget about me," Vivie joked.
"Of course not." He shifted Crisee so that he could give Vivie a quick embrace. "All right, if I don't go now, I never will. Later, Viv."
"Stay safe!"
"Right, like that's hard," Alex joked as he left.
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Alex woke up to absolutely horrible weather. Why were they still flying the plane? Didn't they know better? Apparently not. Some announcement came on and told him that they were going to land now. Absolutely fantastic. Now, all he wanted to do was go to bed, get over the jet lag, and then have a holiday.
He sat back in his seat and decided to enjoy these quiet moments while he could- he needed the relaxation.
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"Al-X!" Crisee exclaimed happily as Alex sat her into the child carrier. She was starting to get heavy. He couldn't carry her around anymore.
"Lex," he told the little baby, secretly glad that she could recognize him. They shared the same birthday- he was eighteen years older than her. It gave him a very strong connection to Crisee.
He took out Nessa's shopping list (Nessa was Vivie's cousin and stepmother since her mother's death) and scanned it quickly. A bolt of lightning struck, and Alex noted that the weather was getting nasty. He quickened his pace, "parked" the cart, and scrutinized an apple.
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How had the plane been blown to Texas? Alex could understand Pennsylvania, New York, or even Ohio, but TEXAS? That made absolutely no sense! Alex sighed. So much for relaxation in the east. Instead, he would have to find a hotel in the city until they could get a flight out of here. In the mean time, he was also without his luggage and most of his leftover gadgets from his previous missions.
Well, he could start at the grocery store and work his way up. He was eighteen now. He could handle this. Alex grabbed a cart and went in.
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"What do you think, Crisee?" Alex turned to the cart and nearly had a heart attack. Crisee was missing! Who would kidnap her right under his nose? Alex saw a vaguely familiar figure darting away and pursued him. In his frenzy, he knocked over a blond boy and called an apology over his shoulder. He had no time to waste.
"Hey, get back here, she's mine!"Alex yelled. The figure ignored him, and he forced himself to run harder.
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Alex made a face and rubbed his head. Couldn't that man watch where he was going? The rudeness of Americans nowadays. Did they enjoy messing with him?
"Hey, give her back!" the dark-haired man (Mr. Clumsy, he dubbed him) yelled again, tearing past the aisle in pursuit of a man holding a baby. Was Mr. Clumsy's daughter being kidnapped? Alex inwardly sighed. So much for a break. He certainly wasn't going to let this go. He began running and collided with the victim.
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"I'm sorry, I did it again!" Alex huffed, barely managing to speak. The college student had blond hair and dark brown eyes. He'd seen too much with those eyes- Alex could tell. The other boy reminded Alex of himself. He'd have to catch him later. Right now, he had to save Crisee.
"Wait!" Alex didn't stop running- the other boy simply caught up and kept pace with him. "I want to help!"
"Thanks! Go corner that black-haired dude with the baby! You take left, I'll take right!"
"Sure!"
The two managed to pin the man down. Well, the other boy did more of the pinning down part. Alex was the one who had to grab Crisee before she could get hurt. When Alex saw the kidnapper's face, he froze.
He looked exactly like Aaron Yzcheck, but worse, if that was possible. This man was utterly ruthless, and Alex knew it.
Their gazes met, and then the Aaron-lookalike wrestled himself away from the other boy and was gone- but not before the blond took his picture.
"Thank you so much," Alex managed, still shaken by the experience.
"No problem." He stood up. "Glad to know that your daughter's safe."
"My daughter?" Alex couldn't believe his ears. "Is that what you think she is?"
"What else, chopped liver?"
"No, my girlfriend's half sister," Alex explained, soothing Crisee by holding her. "What, do I really look that old?" Alex joked, pretending to look himself over.
"I just thought that you were in your twenties."
"Oh, no, I'm eighteen- but I'll be nineteen in August. Are you a college student?"
"They call it university in England."
"Oh, you're British then?"
"Yeah."
"I see. And how old are you?"
"I'm also eighteen." He gave the camera to Alex. "Keep it."
"No, I really couldn't… hey, don't walk away, I'm talking to you!"
"Look, I came here for a break. Can't I get a little time to just relax?" he snapped.
Alex shrugged. "Fine. But at least tell me your name."
"Alex." He scowled "Happy now?"
"Uh, not really."
"Why not?"
Alex sighed. "Because… my name's also Alex."
