(A/N: Wow, I haven't updated in a long time... enjoy :P)
6. Police
The man got a head start and he was fast, but so were the Alexes, who pursued him immediately. He disappeared into the crowd, and without thinking, Alex grabbed Alex Rider and hoisted him up into the air. "Do you see him?"
"By the fruit stand!" He got back down, and they took off yet again, knocking over other people in their exuberance. They apologized but didn't stop. Alex Rider was obviously in better shape than Alex, who was out of breath before long. Only his worry for Vivie and the fact that Alex Rider was there kept him going.
Alex Rider got to the man first and grabbed his arm. "What are you doing, kid?" the Aaron-lookalike growled.
"I think you know."
"Look, kid, you're not involved in this. Get out of my way before you get me caught."
"Hm, looks like another world leader wannabe."
"I'm not just a wannabe." He smiled maliciously. "I know what I'm doing- and no punk kid's going to stop me."
"I'm not a punk kid, so I'll be able to stop you."
"Well, well, let's just see." Without warning, he struck, and Alex Rider fell back. Before Alex could think, he had thrown himself at the man and knocked him to the ground. Just as he did that, he heard a police car and froze.
"What are you boys doing? You're attacking the weatherman?" he inquired puzzled. The Alexes exchanged glances. "Mr. Yzcheck, are you alright?"
"Call me Andrew." Alex gasped soundlessly. His name also started with an A (like Aaron) and had the very rare last name. But when had he become the weatherman? Surely Nessa and Vivie would have noticed…
Andrew Yzcheck glared at the two boys. "I was minding my own business, and they attacked me for no good reason. That's all I can say."
The policeman scowled. "I'll take care of it. You two, come with me."
Alex's heart was pounding. He hadn't been to Littlebrook, his hometown, in almost two years. But what if he was still wanted for Jane's crime?
It looked like Alex Rider had noticed Alex's anxiety, since he whispered, "I can get us out of this," before they were handcuffed and forced to stay silent.
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"You've got to listen to me!" Alex pleaded with the officer. "I'm from the MI6! I'm a foreigner! You've got to let me explain!"
"Hey, he didn't say the Miranda rights, did he?"
"What are the Miranda rights?"
"Well, basically, they can't keep us in here if they didn't read them to us… something like that."
"This is stupid. I would get the MI6 to prosecute them- and I should! We almost had him!"
"Yeah, almost. Almost isn't close enough," Alex Meyer pointed out. "Besides, we still don't know what he's doing."
Finally, an officer came in. "Which one of you two was claiming to be from MI6?"
"That would be the blond one," Alex quipped lightly. "Seriously, I called their office just now when I got my one phone call. You better let me out unless you want them on you."
"There's no way you're from MI6. You're a college student!"
How shallow was this man? Could he not even see the pain reflected in Alex's eyes? Sure, as Vivie had said, Alex looked gentle, but that was why Ian Rider had put him in karate, wasn't it? To show that looks weren't everything?
"You better take me seriously." Alex rolled his eyes. He was used to doing this now. "I'm a black belt. Get these things off me if you like your life."
In Alex's four years as a spy, he'd still never killed anyone. That wasn't about to change now, but he was sorely tempted to do the opposite. He decided that he would be as diplomatic about this as possible.
Fortunately, the guard was smart enough to follow Alex's orders, and he immediately turned around and broke a bench into two equal halves. Alex Meyer looked just as astonished as the officer.
"How-"
"It just might be something that I picked up after running from snipers, walking on tight ropes, saving the world- it just might have helped."
The officer scowled. "Fine. I'll take care of your friend. I'll have someone else look you up."
"Wait, he didn't do anything, he was helping-"
"He's wanted for murder, Mr. MI6 agent. I suggest that you leave me to it."
"But he's innocent!" Alex yelled at him.
"The court will be the judge of that."
Alex swore. Why did he care so much about Alex Meyer anyway? The ice-cream shop scene must have changed everything. He kind of understood the other boy now.
"Alex, let it go," Alex Meyer quietly ordered. "I'll do my best to prove my own innocence."
"Wait a minute- you're both named Alex?"
"Always have been," Alex joked tensely.
"Hmph. Well, Mr. Alex-the-MI6-agent, go call them and tell them that we're letting you out. You come with me."
"I'm not going anywhere until Meyer's name is cleared," Alex firmly stated.
"Meyer? I thought that your last name was Browne."
Alex Meyer rolled his eyes. "That was the hang-up? Well, I'm not Alex Browne, I'm Alex Meyer."
He reached for his wallet but couldn't get it with his chained hands. Alex helped him get it, and Alex Meyer whispered his thanks. Alex wondered what was going through Alex Meyer's head…
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Alex silently complained about Jane (without cursing her memory) and wondered why it had to come down to this. Why did his life seem to just be one mess after the other? Why couldn't he get away from his past?
Alex Rider took out his identification- a driver's license from Littlebrook and his senior year ID card- useless, but now revived to serve some importance. He was grateful beyond words that he had left it there.
"How do we know that you didn't change your name?"
"I have all my ID cards since middle school," Alex simply stated. In Alex's Volcom-brand wallet, Alex Rider found the plastic cards and handed them to the officer, who studied them.
"You're blond in all of your pictures except your seventh and junior year."
"I bleached my hair," Alex elucidated, "but that's still my face. You can't deny that."
"What if I don't believe you?"
"First of all, you'll be in trouble with the MI6," Alex Rider reminded him. "Let's not forget them."
"Besides, officer, you can't do that, you didn't read the Miranda rights to us."
He scowled. "Oh, fine, run along, you two." Alex was going to leave when Alex Rider stopped him.
"Clear his name from the murder. It was Jane Browne, not Alex."
"You really expect me to believe that?"
"Yeah."
The officer scowled yet again. "Man, you're too nosy to live."
"I've heard that about ten times already in my life, and I'm still here." Alex Rider shrugged. "Are you going to fix that or not?"
The officer stared at Alex Rider, then turned and left. The two were left alone.
