IF THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR, READ THE LAST CHAPTER!

For those wondering what the heck happened, I don't know either. All I know is that I thought I'd already put up the last chapter...which I didn't. So basically, you guys were missing one of the important chapers. Sorry if you've already read this! Please go and read the last chapter!

Chapter Five

"...every human chromosome will be labelled by a probe that fluoresces with its own characteristics, due to its own specific wavelengths. Because each chromosome-specific probe emits its own signature, abnormal chromosomes can be easily detected with the spectral karyotype, also known as simply SKY..." Ben droned on, regurgitating the speech which MI6 had written for him.

In the lecture theatre, Alex seemed to be the only one bored out of his mind. His friends were listening to Ben, or rather "Professor Saunders", their eyes wide with awe, seemingly able to understand and absorb everything that the MI6 agent had said. Robert was even taking notes, his hand flying back and forth across his page.

After being given the activity timetables that morning, Alex had been dragged off to the lecture theatre by three of his very excitable friends. Fifteen year old Dylan had decided to go off with some of his other friends to some lecture being given by a Literature Professor.

Alex sighed before glancing around as inconspicuously as possible. Everyone, boys and girls alike, seemed to be engrossed in Ben's monotonic lecture. Half of them were also taking notes, like Robert.

Suddenly, a pair of dark brown eyes caught Alex's. And just as suddenly, Drew looked away, turning his brown eyes back on Professor Saunders. Leaving Alex to blink rather rapidly, recovering from something akin to shock. Those eyes...they looked so familiar. Rather like what he saw sometimes, when he looked into a mirror. They were so cold, so hopeless and without life.

So lost.

Alex knew right then that, without a doubt, Drew was not a normal kid. There was a high possibility of him being a threat to the rest of the children at the camp. He might even be in league with James Olsen, blending in from the inside just like Alex was doing...

"...during gametogenesis, imprinting will take place. It marks certain genes as having come from the mother or father. Control over this process is governed by what we call imprinting centres, located within imprinted regions throughout the genome..." Ben droned one, completely oblivious to Alex's predicament.

For Alex now had no idea how to handle Drew. He remembered what Robert had told him about Drew last night at dinner... "First night he got here, he just spent it glaring at everyone, like he was trying to memorise our faces or something". There was a good possibility that Drew was actually picking out the victims, figuring out who would be the weakest and easiest.

The young MI6 agent gritted his teeth. He would have to keep an eye on Drew, as well as James Olsen. If the two were in league with each other, then they were both probably equally dangerous.

Then there was Drew's friend, Tim. The infinitely more friendly boy. But Alex clearly remembered Drew calling Tim "Matthew" that morning when he had been listening to them through his iPod. Great, another suspicious teen for the MI6 agent to observe.

"...And in my next lecture, which will be in two days' time, I'll be further explaining the process of genomic imprinting, as well as moving on to the independent assortment and homologous recombination in meiosis. Thank you," Ben finished, finally ending his lecture.

Robert turned to Alex with wide eyes. "Man, you are so lucky to have Professor Saunders as your uncle! He is so interesting!"

"Erm...yeah, he is," Alex said rather hesitantly, hoping that Robert wouldn't ask him questions about 'genes impregnation', or whatever Ben had been talking about.

Thankfully, Robert appeared to perfectly understand the process of 'gamete intestination'...or whatever. Instead the boy pulled out his timetable and shoved it under Alex's nose.

"Here, your turn to choose," he grinned.

Taking the timetable, Alex ran his eye down the options for 12 o'clock. His eye came to a rest at the third option. "Um, how 'bout option three?" Alex asked.

"The Science of Surveillance Cameras with Professor Hobbs – Lecture Room 5, West Wing," Robert read out for the benefit of Colin and Anthony. "Sure, that sounds interesting enough."

"Awww! But I wanted to go to the lecture Professor Willard's giving!" Colin whined, "Please can we go to that one? Please?"

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Colin, I'll go with you to that lecture if you stop bloody whining!"

"Yay!" The boy exclaimed, before dragging Anthony off, the latter boy looking like he was seriously reconsidering his offer.

Alex and Robert exchanged amused glances. "Guess it's just us two then, John," Robert grinned, before leading the way to the West Wing.

Lecture Room 5 was almost packed to the brim when the two boys arrived. It appeared that the link surveillance cameras had with spying was not lost on these trigger-happy teenagers. A group of girls waved at Robert, motioning to some spare seats next to them.

"Hey Rob! Who's your friend?" One of the girls asked as Robert and Alex sat down.

"Hey Sandy. This is John Saunders; his uncle's one of the lecturers this year."

"Hi," Alex said with the shy smile he had been practicing for hours so that it appeared natural. Sandy fluttered her long lashes at him, leaning in closer to the spy; Alex fought to keep his facial expression neutral as his nose was assaulted with an overwhelming amount of perfume.

"Hello John. It's a pleasure to meet you," Sandy smiled, extending a perfectly manicured hand towards the boy, "These are my friends; Amy, Tammy, Danni, and that's Chloe at the end."

"Hi," Alex repeated to them all, subtly inching away from Sandy so that he could breathe in some fresh air. Robert noticed his dilemma; the boy sent Alex a smirk from his perfume free seat. Alex scowled back.

"So John, I take it that you're from England?" Sandy asked.

"Er, yeah. Is my accent really that obvious?" Alex replied, secretly pleased that his attempts to be more "English" was working.

"It is," Sandy smiled, her emerald green eyes glowing, "I think it's kinda cute – ow!"

Someone had knocked their bag into Sandy's head; by the time the girl could get her hair out of her face, the perpetrator had already walked off so that the girl couldn't yell at them. However, unless he had mistaken the brown hair and cold eyes, Alex was sure that it had been Drew.

Sandy growled under her breath as Amy and Chloe leaned in to fix the girl's hair. Alex fought to keep the smirk off his face, while Robert had already dissolved into laughter. Like the wonderful friend he was.

At that moment, James Olsen walked into the lecture room, carrying a leather briefcase. Alex froze slightly at the sight of it, hoping that it didn't conceal a bomb or some other explosive. Or a gun or anything.

"Good morning everyone. I am Professor Hobbs. Today I will be talking to you about the science behind the surveillance cameras used in our shopping centres and homes, for security and of course, for TV shows with spies..." James Olsen said, beginning his lecture.

Alex zoned out on the actual topic, figuring that he already knew enough about that particular area. Instead he focussed on the ex-CIA agent, committing the man to memory.

The man looked slightly different to the picture MI6 had given him. For one, he had cut off his small beard. For another, he'd gotten a tan. The file had said that James was in his mid thirties, but actually looking at him, the man appeared a lot younger.

James Olsen didn't look like someone capable of torturing another human being into insanity. In fact he looked perfectly harmless. Maybe even a bit frail. But on the other hand, most psychopaths tried to be innocent looking, so that they weren't suspected. Still...

Alex knew that he had a good sense of judgement. He knew who he could trust, and who he couldn't. It was instinctive, refined from his many missions. If he hadn't been told that James Olsen had tortured someone into insanity, he wouldn't have ever thought it.

"...Alright! That's it for today. Have a good afternoon everyone!" Professor Hobbs finished.

As soon as the ex-CIA agent finished, Sandy turned to face Alex with what she assumed was a flirty smile. "Say John, would you like to accompany me to lunch? I'd love to get to know you better."

Alex was slightly taken aback. Not sure how to answer, he stuttered for a bit before giving a hesitant "Er...sure, I guess."

"Wonderful," Sandy beamed, grabbing Alex's hand and almost dragging him out of the lecture room.

"Catch you later!" Robert sniggered. It took all of Alex's self control not to send Robert the one-fingered salute. I'm a professor's shy nephew, not a trigger-happy spy. I'm a professor's shy nephew, not a trigger-happy spy, Alex repeated to himself inside his head.

"So John, tell me about yourself," Sandy said, hanging on to Alex's arm.

Really, it took more energy than Alex had ever used to refrain from throwing up at the way she was fluttering her eyes at him – she probably thought it looked flirty, but to Alex it was more like she had something stuck in her eyes. Finally, he managed a: "Oh, there's really not much to tell."

Sandy pouted. "I'm sure there's something! Okay, do you have any siblings?"

"No," Alex said, then seeing his chance added, "Do you?"

"Oh, yes! I have an older brother! He's four years older, and he's at uni right now studying engineering! And he's engaged, and..."

Alex smiled as Sandy began to chatter. Now this he could deal with.

They finally reached the dining room. Alex looked around, before spotting Colin waving madly at him. Sandy saw Colin at the same time, and dragged Alex over to the boys.

"Hey guys, I'd like you to meet John! He's from England, and–"

"His uncle is Professor Saunders, the amazing lecturer from this morning," Colin interrupted with a grin, "Honestly Sands, did you really think that there would be someone I don't know?"

Sandy huffed. "Well, it's possible," she said, though without much conviction in her voice.

"How was your lecture?" Alex asked.

Colin and Anthony exchanged identical looks of awe, before turning to Alex. "Dude, you seriously missed out on a great lecture," Colin said.

"Yeah, it was like, amazing," Anthony added, his eyes glazed over with admiration, "Professor Willard was just so...I don't know! He was amazing!"

"He's really good," Colin said.

"Made it sound like he's really been there, done that!" Anthony said.

"Amazing guy," Colin finished, "You really missed out, John."

Alex nodded.

"So," he said, "What was the lecture about anyway?"

"The different ways in which something tiny occurring in the cardiovascular system can result in death," Anthony replied.

"Sounds kind of morbid," Alex said.

"Yeah, it was a bit...but still...wow."

Before Alex could ask anything else, Sandy butted in. "Come on, John, you're my dinner date! Pay some attention to me!"

.:X:.

I am SOOO SORRY that I haven't updated in ages! I've been so busy, and then my laptop was infected by some virus, and now my mid-sems are coming up...

Anyways, I typed this when I'm supposed to be studying...so I expect some repayment (*cough* review *cough*)

I'll try update by Sunday, since I owe you guys so much!

Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for reviewing!

Love Chariots99