Alex Rider pays a visit to Brecon Beacons...

Failures? you could say that again.

As the ever-reluctant spys in training approached the start line, they glanced at each other and gulped. They were so dead."Remember, kitchen duty for a week to anyone who gets under twenty minutes!" So far kitchen duty hadn't been mentioned and they weren't sure if it was a good thing, but the sadistic glee on wolf's face said it all. Kitchen duty was not good.

As the whistle blew, they all stumbled forward, remembering the basic outline of the course they had been given. According to Hyena, there was a 'fairly short run' to start the course off. This translated into 'Before you actually start the course run several miles to exhaust you and make it hilarious to watch'. The really mean people who constantly show of -aka Andrew Sam Smith- ran ahead way to fast for anyone of there small skill level. The smart and reasonably fit ones started slow and once they realised that letting the others go ahead would stop them from ever catching them, they sped up slightly. Some so my couldn't be bothered to run and preferred kitchen duty.

The next obstacle, a thick net of ropes strung across the narrowing pathway, looked easy enough until you realised that if you stepped over the wrong one, you might get tangled and eventually stuck forever. some got stuck, but none actually had to be cut out of the ropes like some failed recruits had to.

Seven minutes in the first contestant, Thomas Darwin, reached the wall. He stared at it for a few seconds before taking a run up and leaping at it, quickly realising he could never reach it. Another run up later and he was slowly climbing up the wall at the side where there was more grip due to disuse. It took three tries, but eventually he got up. As he finished the next two arrived, Matthew Sanders and Jessebelle Hazelwood. They arrived just in time to see him stop climbing and move on. Quickly deciding on a plan, Timothy boosted Jessebelle up, who in turn pulled him up. They were on the move again. Most groups attempted on of these ideas, with some creating a human ladder to climb up.

The barbed wire crawl was an easy one, with a few careless people scraping there back as they ducked down or stood up. Ten minutes in and the wooden poles came into view. Slowly getting higher, they challenged balance and fear of heights and had a cold pit of slime underneath. As people arrived dry, they soon stepped of the final step sticky and several falling in numerous times.

The dark tunnels struck fear into their heart as most were still scared of the dark. After another three dreadful minutes the final phase came into their view. Some of the spys simply decided to fall down on the floor in utter exhaustion, others starting the climbs and jumps that awaited them. Chalk cliffs varying in size and gradient covered the path to the end. Their was no way around them, and unless you wanted to go back on the course, an idea that appealed to no one. They all ploughed onward, through the dark, rich mud that threatened them with its endless brown depths. The chalk was wet and slimy, a mixture of mud and moisture had thickened the dust into a slippery mess that slowly dropped down the hills and to the finish line.

A few daring operatives decided to jump the first few hills and run up the first two. As one reached the top of a hill and prepared to jump, Viper, who was finished with the three first spys, Thomas, Matthew and Jessebelle, spotted him preparing to jump down a hill that was actually a lot higher than it seemed. If he jumped now, he could break his ankle or leg or if he's lucky, simply fracture or sprain them.

As he spotted this, Viper stepped forward, shouting "Hey! Stop!" At the ever so slightly obese operative. The ignorant spy didn't respond and stepped back to take a run up. Turning round and sprinting to the closest soldier, at the time Eagle, he shouted "Stop him, he'll break his legs!". He pointed blindly behind him as he ran to Snake, simply saying he'd need his help.

He headed to the start of the course, as the end had a huge cliff with no hand holds for the last two metres. Sprinting there, he took the specially made shortcut which he technically shouldn't know the code for, and skipped ahead all the way to the hills. The shortcut was actually just a passageway that ran along next to the course and Viper sprinted it, arriving at the hilly section a mere two minutes after leaving Eagle to deal with the situation.

Weaving delicately between stunned spys, he leaped up the hill he had last seen the offending spy on. Looking towards the fence, he saw Snake, medical kit in hand, pressed up against the fence and shouting instructions at the stunned operatives. He jumped jumped didn't he? What an idiot. Rolling his eyes, he stepped up to the cliff edge where a woman, Alexis Creedon, stared in horror at the screeching body of John Avory.

Running back down the hill the way he came up, he quickly dashed to Snake who had a serious look on his normally calm face."He's been laying there for exactly three minutes, by the look of it his right leg is broken or fractured badly, his left ankle looks dislocated. I radioed the infirmary and they are sending medics here as we speak. I don't know how to get him out the course though. Help him now, sort out details later." Snake didn't just look serious, he sounded nearly as serious as when Viper had once stumbled in on the unit, who were currently playing a very late game of poker for no particular reason, after a mission in Austria with several major injuries.
"Oh shoot."

"Viper? What are you doing here? You were meant to come back three days ago!"

"About that... missions go wrong. Especially undercover ones in Austria, apparently. People get captured. Actually, they are also sometimes deprived of sleep for several days. If you'll excuse me I'll just go to bed now...."

Oh no you don't! Your going to the infirmary right now! And is that a bullet hole in your arm? And a dislocated wrist?! How did you get here?"

"Uh, I kinda stole some guys Nissan warrior and drove. Is there anything else or can I go to bed now?"

Good old days.

--authors note------authors note------authors note--
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise from the Alex rider books.

Sorry for the wait!! I completely forgot about this then read it through and kinda had a brain wave for a sort of exciting time filler. I'm sorry about the small cliffie but I will start writing the next chapter now. Please spread word of this, but most importantly enjoy it!!

P.S if you have an idea for a time filler for the training, it would be welcome!!
Date published: 6th November