A.N.: Sorry for not updating in a long time. School had been killing meh...Sometimes, I wanted to be an Alex Rider and skip school, but the missions...ugh, nevermind.

Alex sighed. Not for the first time that morning. He spooned the food into his mouth and tried to avoid the curious stares from the soldiers around him. It wasn't easy for he did not hone his ability to tune out to its perfectness. Snippets of conversation kept on making their way into his ears, even though he had turned the 'nice day at beachside' station on in his head. Of course, when he had first made his way into the cafeteria, the soldiers were too busy eating and chatting away to notice his meek presence. Then Wolf, it just had to be Wolf, who started to complain loudly about his presence and his ignorance, causing the soldiers to turn their attention to the new arrival.

"Hey, kid!" A soldier called out after a while, just as he had expected. There was always one or few brave souls that just love to torment little kids.

Alex paused and turned slowly, his spoon halfway in the air, "Yes?"

Then he purposely made a show of shoving the food in his mouth and chewing loudly, all the while staring at the soldier with a raised brow. It would have worked on any other normal soldiers, Alex realized, but it wouldn't work on the abnormal ones. A great example would be those rash and easy to anger soldiers like Wolf. Especially Wolf-type soldiers, those big burly ones that have more brawn than brain.

"Don't think that will make me uncomfortable." The soldier sneered as he came over to their table, "Why are you here, kid? This is for soldiers. Man. We are here to serve our country. This is not a playground for kindergarteners like you."

"All my information are classified," Alex said with a small smile as he smacked his lips together in mock appreciation of their groovy breakfast, "Though I will let you in on a little secret." He winked with a poke of his spoon, "I have passed kindergarten a long time ago."

He swore he heard Fox saying 'that is so you, Alex' under his breath and Alex had to hide a smile, "But that is classified information as well so don't tell anyone else, okay? It is our little secret." He placed his index finger on his lips to emphasize his point before dipping his utensil back into the pile of food.

"You!" The soldier growled, seemingly enraged.

Alex raised an eyebrow. Soldiers these days are getting more and more Wolf-like. Not the animal wolf of course, but a certain Wolf sitting at the table. They always act with their fists first before their mind could process what went wrong. He blinked upon recognizing what he had just thought. Was he…thinking like a teenager just a moment ago? He shook his head with another sigh.

"Are you sighing at me?" Alex looked up in mild surprise. He thought the man had gone back to seat during his silence musing, "No, I was just thinking."

"Don't ignore me, kid." The man growled, "What is your name?"

"I believe it is common knowledge that you present your name first before asking others." Alex smiled politely, finally decided to place his spoon down and face the SAS soldier squarely.

The man growled, "Bear, J-Unit."

"I am Coyote. K-Unit." Alex replied, "Nice to meet you too."

"Why the fuck are you, a kid, doing here?" Bear growled like his namesake. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"School field trip," Alex replied with a small amused smile tugging at his lips as Bear turned more furious.

"Back down a little, Coyote." Fox muttered as he stood up, getting the man from J-Unit's attention, "Coyote is here with special permission. That is all you need to know. You can ask the Sergeant if you do not believe me. Though all his information are indeed classified."

"I bet a kid like you can't even do a single thing right in this camp without screaming your head off or whining." Bear sneered.

Alex merely glanced up, knowing more control over his years of spy work than to get angry over something as insignificant as that, "I have never screamed in my entire life except maybe the first day I was born. Oh oops, that was another piece classified information!"

Bear stepped closer, leaning his face in threateningly, "Why don't we have a little competition down at the shooting range later? Then we will see as to how good you really are."

"You are of course better than I am." Alex raised an eyebrow, "What is there to gain by beating a 'kindergartener'" Alex air quoted with his fingers, "in shooting? Won't that be even more humiliating?"

"I will beat you and wipe that smug smile off your face," Bear continued as if he hadn't heard what Alex had said, "And then you better not go running off to your mommy. Why don't we have a little bet? If I win, you will be my servant and slave for the rest of your time in the camp."

"What if I win?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bear blinked then laughed out loud, "You winning? Against me? That is just ridiculous! Well then, I will never provoke you again if you win, deal?"

Alex glanced at Fox in question and groaned inwardly when the said man merely looked away, his eyes not betraying anything. Make your own decision, Fox was trying to say. Alex bit his lips. He didn't want to give away anything than more than he needed. All he needed to do right now is to survive long enough to find a way out of here. Here as in the MI6 hell hole, not just the SAS torture camp. Besides, he wasn't here to make friends and be all cheesy chatty with them. Ben was just a…special case. They were friends already. He threw a small glance toward the rest of the K-unit and saw that they were staring at them with interest, waiting for his response like the rest of the suddenly quieted cafeteria. If he agrees to the deal, he will have to win for sure, or he will be humiliated and be a slave to some arrogant fool for the rest of his time. He gritted his teeth. No way will he do that. But by not agreeing to the deal, he would be seen as a weakling. Alex closed his eyes and ignored the glances threw upon him from all around.

Opening them again, he turned to Bear with a huge sigh, "I must kindly refuse your offer. I am not your match."

That was some freaking response, Coyote." Fox said quietly, a dried leaf crumbled beneath his feet.

They were taking a small walk outside their cabin after their 'dinner', something consisted of a mixture of unidentifiable substance on a plate. Alex gave a long suffering side-way glance at Fox and sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"Well, I couldn't possibly agree, right?" Alex asked quietly, rubbing his shoulder where Bear had hit him out of fury. He was half-way turned when he was hit, sending him crashing onto the floor.

Fox did not miss the movement, "Is your shoulder alright?"

"Yeah," Alex muttered, pausing the movement. I've had worse, "It is nothing big."

There was a long silence between them. It wasn't awkward, instead, it was warm and comforting as they took in each other's presence and enjoyed it. It had been long since they had last seen each other, neither of them wanted to lose probably their only chance to be together again.

"What are you going to do about it?" Fox asked after a moment.

"About what?"

"This," Fox gestured with his hands wildly at their surroundings.

"That is vague, Fox." Alex remarked dryly, "I am not sure what I can do about the environment, Fox. Though I am well aware of the global warming situation."

Fox groaned, "Sometimes, I seriously feel sympathetic for Wolf."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

"You know what I mean, Alex." Fox sighed, "You can't just let them boss you around. You have to show them what you are made of."

"I am made of blood, cells, and bones." Alex replied dryly, "Though I am sure they know what I mean.

Fox sighed again and decided to give up as they headed back toward their cabin. Alex hid a grin behind his hand. No matter how good Fox think he was, he could never beat Alex in his stubbornness. As much as Alex appreciated the concern he received from Fox, he couldn't bear to receive them. After all, everyone got hurt when they are too close to him. He swallowed. He did not want to take the risk. Again.

"Back from your stroll?" Eagle called out cheerfully as they came in and Fox, being the last one in, closed the door behind him.

Alex glanced at him, "Yeah."

Fox must have caught the difference in his tone for he gave him a glance but chose to say nothing. Alex climbed up to his bunk and lied down after he took his boot off. Pillowing his head with his hands, he shut his eyes.

"Coyote, are you going to sleep already?" Eagle's voice made his eyes flickered open and gave the said man a long side-way glance.

"I am tired." Alex replied after a moment and closed his eyes again, "Good night."

"That was cold." Eagle whined though he did take the message and left him alone, "Oh well, I will go find Wolf. Good night, Coyote!"

Alex turned away. As much as he disliked K-unit for what they had done to him on his first day at Brecon Beacon, he couldn't bring himself to curse them to any terrible fates. After all, they were just ignorantly bullying him when he had first come. It wasn't intentional for they did not know the whole truth about him. He didn't blame them. They came to the camp through harsh recruitment tests and he just…came, without any clear reasons nor needs to pass through the trials. They have their own rights to dislike him.

As much as the tortures they had put him through, he couldn't bring himself to cause them any harms. Yet just by being there and getting to know them, he was bringing harms and dangers to them. Too many people had died for him. All of them innocent. And Jack…He thought his throat constrict at the thought. Jack's death was all his fault. His frame shook as he tried to push away his emotions. If he had persuaded Jack to not go on that freaking mission with him, she wouldn't have died.

Alex knew that he had come into contact with too many people yet he couldn't prevent it. People close to him were all dead, leaving him alone with a gaping hole as they left his life with goodbyes, not knowing how much it tormented him. Or maybe they did but was unable to say it out loud, being six feet under the ground he stepped on. Maybe not all of them were his faults, but the majority of them were. Some of them were 'bad' people, as Mr. Blunt put it, yet he couldn't help but feel the twinge of sadness and guilt as they die. Indirectly or directly, it was all because of him. He had saved the world countless times. He wasn't hoping for any thank-you cards, yet he was saddened at the thought of no a single appreciation from anyone. No 'thank you' from the MI6, merely 'go on the next mission'. Of course, they might pay him a small visit when he was in the hospital but he wondered how much of it was sincere. Was it seriously concern about his welfare or the agency's welfare?

Alex led the comforting snores of the unit lured him to sleep. He had to think of something fast before everything came crashing down on him.

Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites I received! They really drive me on the road of writing! Keep up the good work (direct mostly to myself)!

Kawazoe Kumiko