(Alex Rider Fanfiction) Floating in the Dark

Twenty

It rained Monday. A steady downpour that drenched everything within minutes. Ben had to give Ian a ride to school before he went to work, so as a result, the teen was there nearly thirty minutes early. With nothing better to do, he found his classroom, and sat in his desk. A chair had been placed beside his to accommodate Jasmine, so she could tutor him during class.

He propped his head up with a hand, and stared out of the windows. Gray skies, gray rain. Lovely weather. It didn't take long for him to grow bored with the view, so he laid his head down on the desk.

He found himself recalling what Wolf had said the day before. About how innocent people ended up dead because of a mistake. Because they didn't realize the people had been there, and because they never thought to check the entire cabin. . .

It wasn't just himself that had been responsible for innocent people's deaths. Wolf, the K-Unit, and probably a lot of other military units had seen such things through. Although, unlike Wolf, he had directly taken their lives.

Enough. I don't want to think about this. He was just so tired. Tired of the struggle to keep it all hidden away behind a mask. Sick of lying to Tom. Shouldn't he just stop hiding, or cowering like Scare had said? Couldn't he just behimself?

No! I can't do that! What would Tom do if he knew? What would I do? Could I really continue living normally knowing that I -

He shivered, suddenly frightened of the way his thoughts were going. Like countless times before, he emptied his mind, and relaxed slightly, drifting in the quiet, still emptiness. It was a kind of a peace, in a way.

The attempt to doze was interrupted as someone approached his desk. Ian ignored the person, hoping that whoever it was would get the hint and go away. But the person seemed to just stand there, breathing lightly. After a long moment, Ian lifted his head to see who it was.

Oh. He was too tired to feel much surprise, or even any emotion for that matter. "What do you want?"

Tom sat down in Jasmine's chair, fixing Ian with an intent stare. "You're different," he said simply.

"Everybody's different," Ian retorted.

"No, that's not what I meant. You're different from anybody else. You don't act like a student. And you just. . .look different."

"What, do I have two heads or something?"

Tom didn't see the humor. He was being totally serious, and Ian realized that Tom wasn't leaving until he got what he wanted. A faint smile crossed Ian's face. Tom. . . Tom could be pretty persistent when he wanted to be. He recalled a few times in the past when Tom had displayed that dogged determination, back when the two of them were just simple friends without all of this mess between them. . .

"You're a lot like Alex was," Tom told him quietly. "Yet, you're not. You knew him, and you knew how he died. And I know that you're what he used to be, a spy. I know that, and I won't tell anyone. But I want to know. . ." he leaned closer, lowered his voice. "Who are you, really?"

Ian stiffened, his eyes growing cold. "That's none of your business."

"You can't scare me away, Ian. Is that even your real name?" Tom didn't even flinch at Ian's icy glare. "I don't know what's going on, but you're going to tell me. Because if you don't, I'm going to tell everyone that you're a spy working for MI6."

"They're not going to believe you," Ian said calmly. "And it's not even true. I'm not a -"

"Don't try to mess with me! Alex was my best friend! I have a right to know what's going on, because he was involved with you!" Tom stopped, his face not even a foot away from Ian's as he glared at the transfer student.