Alex Rider: Living with the SAS

Chapter 24

Alex stared at nothing. She felt so numb. She was the cause of both attacks on the two schools. Scorpia were there because of her, they wanted her dead and will NEVER stop until she is dead. Then it would be victory, victory for the evil ones. Sorrow for the fallen ones.
People watched as the girl stood in the firing range, emptying magazines after magazines in the same hole that has soon become big enough for the bullets to just whiz in. She was like a robot, her face blank and her eyes look like she was in a different world. Load, fire, empty, reload. The process kept repeating until she suddenly snapped out of it and slammed the gun on the table and continued glaring at the target straight ahead. Everyone knew better then to try approach someone who just literally shot the target without aiming and get each bullet into the centre of the bullseye. Someone who reloaded the gun without thinking how to, with movements so smooth and with such grace. The gun was like part of her.
She reach behind her for the phone vibrating in her pocket. "Rider." She answered after an caller ID check. Her mood literally darkened in the following seconds. Dark and dangerous aura surrounded her causing the surrounding soldiers to take a step back. She hung up and slid the phone into her pocket, her head hung as she supported herself with the table. Her hand grasped a rock on the table and she clenched it hard. Her hand started bleeding from the sharp jagged edges but the rocks with crumbling, crumbling into fine powder. She grabbed the gun with her clean hand and reloaded the gun with one hand. Did she just-. No way! What the. How did she-.
She tucked the gun back into the thigh holster and walked off casually.

"Madame?" A quiet timid voice called out to the spy pounding the hell out of the punching bag. "Drop the formalities, I don't care." Alex whispered as she stopped hitting the punching bag. That was her fifth punching bag, she destroyed the four in front. "Emma."
"Yes mada- I mean Alexa."
"Do you hate me?"
"Why do you ask?" Emma asked as she approached slowly, afraid that she wasn't allowed to stand so close or that she is in a restricted area. "... I lied, Emma. I lied to all of you."
"You lied to protect us."
"I lied. I got too comfortable and too close. I lost the person that loves me. Again." Emma stayed silent, knowing that the spy only wanted a listening ear and not advice. Emma sat down on next the the punching bag, where Alex hugged the punching bag while on the ground. "I lied and forged the friendship."
"No you didn't. That friendship was true to you and you know it."
"Not in my world. Friendships are advantages."
"No it's not. I can see it. You're suffering because you lost your friendship. You hated it. You hated forming bonds but you did it anyways, but only to break the bond. That's why you hated forming bonds!" Emma yelled and clamped her mouth shut realising she was yelling. "It's alright Emma. Shout at me all you want."
"No... I- you're not happy. What's wrong?"
"... Nothing."
"I'm not backing down until you tell me what's wrong." Alex looked up in surprise, she saw the determination in Emma's eyes. Emma was never one to not back down. She was always the first to back away and people would follow suite, knowing ultimately that's the only option. "I lost her." Alex whispered and a tear dropped onto her lap. "I lost another bestfriend, she's dead. She's dead. And it's all BECAUSE of ME. I killed her. She's dead because of me."
Emma pulled the younger girl into a hug. "It's okay. Let it all out. What's that beautiful girl's name?"
"Sabrina. Sabrina Pleasure."
"I'm sure Sabrina wouldn't want you to be upset."
"... You really don't hate me?"
"No."
"I might get you killed."
"I'll always stay no matter what."
"No. Don't stay."
"... I don't care Alexa, I'm ready to face the world... Come, let's go wash that beautiful face."
*************
Alex pushed her food around and her table and unit watched her in concern. She hasn't been eating a lot this few days she came here. She skips a few meals here and there and when she actually does gets meal on her plate, she pushes it around. "Hey Cub." Skylar called out. "What?"
"Eat."
Alex looked up in confusion. "Why?"
"What the f* do you mean why?! You haven't eaten a lot, only a few tiny bites here and there. You haven't slept properly. How are you functioning like this?!"
"I've been through worse," Alex said looking down at her plate as she continued pushing the food around. Skylar flinched, as Alex continued,"no food no water no sleep. For one whole week. All I have is pain."
Alex stopped talking about it and stood up. "Assault course." She said to her unit before leaving. "Alright kids! Let's go get a move on!" Wolf barked as they filed out of the mess hall. "Assault course. Go!" Wolf barked as he and his unit took off, leaving the children in the dust
When they arrived they saw Alex running the assault course. She was literally flying through the place and she wasn't even trying as she wasn't out of breath. She's not trying and she can beat the best timing held by Wolf by 2 minutes! Two full minutes.
"You guys have seen how the assault course is done, it is possible to do the course alone but not for you guys. This one is to practice your teamwork! Jog over to the starting point and Fox will time you guys." Alex said. Alex watched brooklands jog over. Jace and his squad stood there not moving. "What the bloody hell are you guys waiting for?! A car to drop from the sky?" Alex said in a thick British accent, almost growling causing them to flee as quickly as they can. "That sounds very British."
"I am British." Alex retorted. "You usually talk with no accent." Fox commented as Wolf yelled out colorful languages at the students for them to hurry their ass over the wall. "Comes with the job, Fox. Comes with the job."