Thanks for the reviews guys.
Warning: mention and flashback of abuse
Disclaimer: Alex Rider is not mine
It had taken a few hours but it finally dawned on Alex that he held the memory stick from his uncle around his neck on a piece of old string. It had taken another hour to convince Nate that he needed to borrow a laptop.
Now Alex sat on his bed, laptop on knee and his door locked, plugging the memory stick in "can't keep a promise to a dead man" he muttered feeling a tad guilty but he quickly pushed the thought away.
"Let's see what you've been hiding Uncle Ian" clicking on the icon, the 14-year-old leaned back and waited as information filtered onto screen "what?" he squinted scrolling through the information presented.
In the corner of each page there was a photo then a list of personal data followed by some notes on each person "Yassen, Alan Blunt" Alex tested the name in his mouth as he stopped on one of the profiles "assassins, Scorpia, Stormbreaker, MI6,what the hell is this?"
"Alex" a knock at the door had the blonde jumping from the bed and scrambling to hide the memory stick "may I come in please" unable to identify the voice his eyebrows knotted together.
"Eh two seconds" pulling the string back around his neck, he breathed deeply before pulling the door open to come face to face with a man he didn't know.
The man was in his late twenties like Marty but instead of broad shoulders he was quite tall and lanky, blonde hair shaved in a buzz cut and blue eyes knowing.
Alex snorted "let me guess, you're one of the new helpers"
"You could say that, names Eric and I'm the medic for over the summer" the Scottish man announced holding his hand out.
Curiously glancing around as he took the hand Alex pointed to himself "why do you want me?"
"I was informed that you had just lost a relative, I was asked to check up on you, though Marty said you weren't very bothered" he paused "although you do look a tad pale, are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine" his face closed off and posture became defensive.
"Do you mind if I come in and check on you?"
'Come on Al, let me in and we can play a little game, bond even'
Seeing the boy's eyes become blurry he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, trying to ignore the way Alex raised an arm to shield his face "if you don't feel comfortable with that Alex, I can always bring you down to the office?"
Alex stepped back into his room "just leave me alone" he slammed the door shut.
…
"You spoke to the kid then?" the short, broad shouldered man leant against the wall of the staff room that had become the meeting room.
"I did indeed Wolfie"
"Eagle call me that one more time and I'll strangle you in your sleep"
The last man snorted "come on Marty lay off Wolf he isn't good with kids and he's surrounded with them, did you and Snake find anything?"
Eagle stood so he was facing all the men in a dramatic fashion "well my dear Fox, Alex loves football but he doesn't get to play it often, I offered to take him out. He doesn't seem bothered over his uncle's death honestly"
"Why would he?" Wolf grunted.
"Because he was the only living relative the kid had Wolf" Snake snapped "I talked to him briefly, he seemed pale but when I offered to take a look at him he freaked out, slammed the door on me, I think he was remembering something"
Fox made a face, lip twitching as he thought "did we get his records?"
Wolf shrugged "we aren't allowed them, we only started and they can't just hand out records, plus I'm a cleaner, why would I need them?"
"I can help you out there Wolf man, Sam told me that there was an issue that had been running over two years, it was only sorted last summer, the kid likes his personal space…I have a feeling the kid packs a punch" Eagle concluded falling back onto the couch and yawning.
Fox and Snake exchanged serious looks "you think it was serious?"
"Look" Wolf took control over the situation "we aren't here to fix the kids problems, we're here to find out if his traitor of an uncle handed the USB off, I say we just demand it off the kid"
"He'll obviously say no Wolf and then what, we hold him down and search him, no" Fox snapped.
"Oh come on Ben, you must be pissed we need to do this"
Eagle stood and strolled to the door "well I need to go help Sam, see you later friends"
….
Lost in thought Alex didn't hear the teen approaching him so when Chase let out a yell beside the blonde boys ear Alex fell off the chair he had been huffing on.
"Bloody hell Chase, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"I heard a yell, is everything alright?" a brown haired man raced into the room, eyebrows creased together when looking at the two boys.
"Everything's fine Ben!" Chase told the new man with a wide grin "Alex here is over dramatic"
Ben let out a breath of relief "I told you Chase you can call me Fox"
"Fox" Alex snorted "did your mother hate you?"
"No" Ben smirked "I'm part of a military project, Fox happens to be my codename, four of us have been assigned here on leave to try and improve the future of the children stuck here, I've been put in charge of keeping the paper work and rehoming up to date"
Alex blinked "so you want to make us in to mini soldiers that you can send off into the big, bad world"
"Isn't it cool Al!"
"No"
"Spoil sport" Chase pouted sitting on the chair beside him.
Ben watched the two boys interact before clearing his throat "I don't think that's what the government have in mind Alex" he shrugged "and being a soldier isn't all bad, you already met Marty and Eric, right?"
Alex shrugged in response before muttering "what are they called Bunny and Kitten, it fits them"
"Eagle and Snake actually"
Alex sniggered "what did you even want Chase?" he turned his attention to the boy whose black hair was in his eyes more than usual and he wore a too big grey hoodie.
Scuffing his shoes along the wooden floor Chase moaned "the new medic wants to see me, come with me?" he pleaded, eyes wide and begging.
"Why would Alex come with you?" Ben raised an eyebrow, leaning against the open doorframe "Snake only wants to talk"
Chase blushed in embarrassment but Alex settled his hand on the youngers shoulder "sure Chase, let's go see him and get it over with" he glared at Ben as the two left.
Knocking on the door with a call of "room service" Alex didn't wait for a reply before pushing Chase in ahead of him "Hey bunny"
"Bunny?" Snake looked over the top of his glasses at the two.
"Fox said that was your name" Alex gave him a fake look of confusion but inside he was laughing at the put out look on the soldier "is it something I said?"
"It's Snake" the blonde man sniffed before waving to the seat in front of him "have a seat Chase, what are you doing here Alex?"
"Wanted to see what you had done to the place" Alex poked at an IV bag stacked on the shelf, ignoring the two as he continued his search of the room, he cursed when his bare foot hit off something under the shelves.
Kneeling Alex pulled the wood from underneath, a bat appearing. A bat with blood splats on it. Dropping the bat like he had been burned Alex glowered at it.
'What's wrong kiddo, I thought you wanted me to teach you how to play baseball?' the bat landed on his shoulder and Alex couldn't stifle a cry before the bat hit his nose, sending him falling to the ground dazed, blood squirting from his nose.
'Stop it, please' he whimpered 'I don't want to play anymore'
"Alex!" a hand was shaking his shoulder and the 14-year-old scrambled back from the offending touch "hey its only me" Chase held his hands up so the teen could see he was unarmed.
Snake knelt so he was eye to eye with Alex before he lifted the bat, not missing the way Alex recoiled in panic, carefully placing the bat out of sight Snake spoke softly "are you okay Alex?"
"Fine" the reply was strained but crisp "just haven't played a game of baseball in years" he attempted to joke.
Chase narrowed his eyes "does that belong to Prince?" he spat.
"Who's that?"
"Callum Prince, he was a care worker who-"
"Chase stop" Alex whispered his eyes clenching shut in despair "he's no one, I'm fine, are you finished because we have some gaming time coming up"
Snake shook his head "Chase can come back later and I'll take a look at him, you too, I won't take any of your game time"
Chase smiled apparently appeased with the offer "thanks Snake"
"Do I get a sticker?" Alex smirked.
"I thought you would be a bit old for that" Snake retaliated.
Pouting Alex crossed his arms and sauntered from the room.
…
Setting the controller down and falling back on the sofa Alex watched as Chase continued to shoot down men on screen a few cries and cuss words escaping his mouth in frustration.
"Aren't you going to play with me Al" Chase casted him a frown before pausing the game "are you thinking about him?" he whispered.
Alex cringed. Yes. He had been thinking about the man who had destroyed two years of his life, the man who had caused him to fear human contact and terrified to be left alone in the same room with a new care worker.
"No" the lie came naturally to the brown eyed boy who had done just that for years.
Chase chewed on his lip while contemplating if he should believe the elder or not but finally he sighed "okay, do you want to play something else? It's fine with me"
"How about I call Matt and he can play, he doesn't have any game time today so he should be in his room?"
Shrugging Chase hit play "sure Alex"
Alex headed up one floor in hunt of the 10-year-old explaining to him Chase was playing by himself before heading into the kitchen to get started on the cleaning from lunch.
Dishes were piled beside the sink and Alex blew out his cheeks in annoyance. Sometimes the punishment wasn't worth the thrill that running from the police created.
...
Friday Morning
BANG! BANG!
Alex kicked the football at the wooden fence once again in order to work out his frustration.
BANG!
"I think the fence gives up Alex" Eagle joked standing behind the boy, stopping the ball with his foot when it rolled to his side "what did the poor defenceless fence ever do to you?"
"Actually it knocked me out when I was 5" Alex chuckled lightly when Eagle's eyes widened "it may have been the trees fault as well, I fell from it" he pointed to said tree that overlooked the small patch of grass.
Eagle smiled softly "so maybe it deserves a few kicks" BANG! "So why are you hiding out here?"
"I don't hide"
"Seems like it"
"…just waiting for the rush to calm down, the younger ones are heading to their foster homes for the summer"
"Fox is swamped with paper work"
A silence filled the garden the only sound being the echo of screams and laughter coming from inside the orphanage.
Eagle shifted where he stood not use to being patient and quite "don't you go to a foster home during the summer?"
Alex stopped the ball with his foot in order to turn to the taller man "not since I was 11, I don't see the point in it at my age, I only have 4 years to go and then I'm free there're others that need it more than me"
"Sam said that you've had a tough two years, wouldn't it get your mind of everything?"
"Look Eagle" Alex's face went blank "you'll be here for a couple of weeks then you'll be gone, people forget about us, about me and that's the way I like it, don't get involved" his heart ached at the words but it's what he had to tell himself.
Years of foster homes and being returned had gave Alex a bad taste when it came to families, he would never have his own family and he was okay with that.
He was fine on his own.
Yet his mind drifted to the one time he had come so close to having a family. The Pleasures had been a loving family, mother, father and a daughter. The first few weeks had been fun but then Edward had taken on a news story that had led to an attempt on his life, after that Ms Pleasure had returned Alex with a promise that they would visit. They never did.
"How about we play some Mario Kart, things should have calmed down by now?" Eagle suggested seeing the faraway look enter the blonde's eyes that were too old for such a young child.
Biting his lip Alex nodded "if you think you can handle me but I must warn you, I'm a pro"
"Bring it you cocky brat"
2 hours later seen Eagle staring at the screen horrified and Alex in hysterical laughter beside the man.
"You cheated!"
Alex's hands flew up from his sides in defence "I did no such thing" he breathed through fits of laughter "you just suck"
Pouting Eagle set the remote down and narrowed his eyes "I can beat Snake"
"Snake sucks as well then" Alex stated his eyes alight with childish glee.
The sound of running feet interrupted the two males as they turned to the doorway as Chase skidded to a halt "Hey Al, there's someone over the fence who was asking about you, asked if I knew you"
Horror passed over Alex's face "what?!" he screeched "Chase are you crazy, ever heard of stranger danger!"
"But he said he was a secret agent" Chase defended "plus I didn't go out the gate"
"Fox!" Eagle shouted "someone was just asking about Alex, outside the fence, apparently he was a secret agent" he told the brown haired man when he appeared, a look passed between the two.
"I'll get Snake and Wolf to check it out" the man left with a glance at Alex, a look Alex couldn't identify in his eyes.
Feet itching to follow the man Alex wringed his hands "it wasn't him was it?"
"It wasn't Prince, no, I'm not stupid Alex"
"I didn't say you were" Alex narrowed his eyes in annoyance "I'm just looking out for you"
"Mind describing this agent Chase" Eagle prompted with an easy going smirk.
Chase nodded taking a seat on the sofa "em he had blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, lean and em he had an accent, I don't know what it was though, he had a gun under his coat though he showed me it and oh he had a scar on his neck" he drew a straight line at the side of his neck.
Mind flashing back to the flash drive Alex's hand insistently went to the object under his shirt "Yassen" he whispered hoarsely.
Eagle perked up when hearing Alex speak "how do you know that name?" he demanded to know now in serious soldier mode.
Swallowing Alex gave the first lie that came to mind "Ian mentioned his name when he came to visit me, said to be careful of him" his cheeks going red with anger when he seen that Eagle hadn't bought his lie "how do you know his name?" Alex turned the questioning around.
Eagle was saved from answering when Fox returned "well this secret Agent is gone, I sent Wolf to see if they could spot him but he's vanished"
"Like a ninja" Chase spoke up.
Alex's mind was racing, how did Eagle know who Yassen was, his profile had stated he was dangerous, had they met him on a mission?
Testing a theory Alex cleared his throat "MI6" he blurted out, analysing the way Fox stiffened and Eagle's eyes widened "he could work for MI6 if he's an Agent" he covered up.
Fox gave a nervous laugh "he sure could but I doubt a MI6 Agent would want to know about you Alex, no offense"
"I don't know I'm pretty amazing and handsome"
They were hiding something.
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Robin Rider x