Finally Free - Alex Rider

Chapter Nine

What happened next, I was not expecting. Wolf stared at me for a minute, seeming to contemplate the idea in his head before suddenly punching me.

Really hard.

In the face.

I almost fell off the bunk with the force, but thankfully, caught into the bed frame at the last minute and pulled myself back up, just in time to see Fox march straight over to Wolf, fist raised. I quickly jumped up and pulled him back, "Don't even THINK about it, Ben".

He struggled against my grip, but I had the height advantage and after a few more minutes he reluctantly stopped fighting me, and I firmly pushed him back towards his bed.

He spun around to face me, "He punched you".

Wiping away the blood from the corner of my mouth, "I know".

"Why did he punch you?" Ben asked frowning and I sighed,

"Maybe it's got to with the fact I'm a 19-year-old spy".

"Yet you're not going to let me punch him back?" He asked again.

I frowned, spinning around to face Wolf who stared up at me, half furious, half shocked, "SHOULD I let him punch you? He would do it you know, he's very protective of me".

"VERY protective" Ben muttered harshly.

Wolf looked between me, then Ben, then back to me again, "... You're a spy?".

"You wanted to know who I am. I told you" I replied flatly, "My name is Alex Rider. And I work for Special Operations at Military Intelligence number Six. The Secret Intelligence Service. MI6".

"I know who they are" he replied gruffly and I grinned, "Which would explain why you hit me".

"... Sorry" he muttered, "Kind of automatic reaction... I wasn't sure if you were real or not...".

I grinned even wider, "You wanted to see if I was real or not? Seriously?".

He glared at me, "Hey, you just told me you work for MI6. And that you're still a teenager. Kind of a strange combination, don't you think? What would the Secret Service want with you? Let me guess... Your rich daddy and mommy send you to them after you somehow got caught and tortured by Scorpia?"

My smirk fell at that, and an emotionless mask took over as I abruptly turned and walked over to Ben, sitting down next to him once again.

Wolf stared at me, a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth, "What? Something I said?".

I quickly put my hand on Ben's shoulder as he stood up to try and punch Wolf again. Instead, he relaxed slightly under my touch, and glared at the solider from across the room, "You really are an insensitive bastard, aren't you?".

Wolfs smirk fell slightly, "... What?".

Ben shook his head angrily at him, "You know nothing about this kid. NOTHING. You don't know what he's been through, you don't know what he's done, you don't even know... Anything. At all. You nothing absolutely nothing... Yet you still have the nerve to judge him... You don't have a fucking clue".

Wolf glared right back at him, "Oh and I suppose you do?".

"Ben" I warned quietly as he opened his mouth to reply, "Ignore him".

The leader laughed, "What? Playing the hero, are you Jaguar? Or should I say Cub instead? You're nothing but a rich little spoiled brat. I doubt those scars are even real".

Harsh.

Ben turned to me, "Alex. Please?"

"No" I replied firmly, "Don't answer him. Otherwise you'll do it for both of us".