Alex Rider and K-Unit

1. Royal & General Bank

Alex Rider stopped in the busy London street, raising his face to the cloudy, dull sky above, and the union jack fluttering from about the 15th floor of the large building in front. The building was very simple, just another office complex of the many spread out across every city; the only thing setting it apart was a small placard next to the glass doors, reading 'Royal & General Bank.'

With a small sign escaping his lips, Alex stepped forward, leaning against the set of double doors, feeling the cold aircon sweep his sandy coloured hair away from his face for a second and was met with a quiet reception.

He walked up to the single desk, "I have an appointment with Mr Blunt."

"Alex Rider? Yes, take the elevator to the 15th floor, the 3rd office," the small woman smiled up at him for a second before returning to the computer screen between them.

A minute or so later, Alex knocked lightly on the solid wooden door, and without waiting for a reply, saunted in, closing the door swiftly behind him.

"There you are Alex. I expect a report by the end of the week on the mission you have just returned from. I assume everything was successful?" Mr Blunt barely looked up, continuing to read the thick file in his hands.

"Skipping the formalities then are we? Alex replied as he settled into the simple chair across a simple desk, in a simple room. There were no decorations, beige walls, and plain blinds. Just as dull as the man who the room belonged to, the head of MI6.

"And, yes, it was a success, with no help from you."

Blunt didn't react to the poorly concealed bitterness in the teen's voice. "Following a recent anonymous tip, we have reason to believe someone may try and target you, and seeing as you never completed training, you are being sent to Breacon Beacons for an indefinite amount of time. This is not up for negotiation.You leave immediately."

* * *

So here Alex was, stood in front of the barracks of K-Unit, the same unit he had been put in before, in the drizzling rain. Alex just hoped they had forgotten their old nickname for him, and he slowly pushed the door open. He was greeted by a minimal room, with 6 sets of bunk beds set against the wall, a small table in the middle. Around this table were sat 4 very buff men, playing cards

"So this is the MI6 agent sergeant said was joining our unit-"

"Wait, Cub, is that you? Is cubbiekins back-"

"Cub? Cub? Double 0 nothing?"

Alex let out a groan as he dropped his duffel bag on the bed closest to the door. So they hadn't forgotten his delightful nicknames, and were already being even more patronising than before.

He suddenly couldn't wait until his next mission.

PUBLISHED 3/3/18