"What do you mean my school mates are coming here?!" Alex practically shouts. The others wince at the tone of his voice.
"We thought you knew," Fox defends helplessly. Alex is having an internal panic. Why is this his life? He thinks to himself. Alex doesn't hate is class or anything but he also doesn't want them to know of his "alter ego."
When he returned home he could pretend he was just a normal schoolboy but if people then find out that he's a spy everything would change.
"We need to go pick them up," Wolf says. The unit continues their walk to the gate and when close enough Alex can recognize all of them.
Jackson Townsend is a egotistical prick. He's the one who started all of the rumors about Alex alongside his girlfriend Hannah Smith, who was also here. To say Alex didn't like them was an understatement. They both had what looks to be their mothers with them.
Alex didn't recognize the parents but their were subtle similarities between the mothers and their children.
Next to Jackson and Hannah was a boy named Jeremy Reyes. Alex never had a problem with him in fact they used to play some football(soccer) together. He was with his father who Alex vaguely recognized.
Along with those three there was one more kid. Alex's best friend Tom and Alex was Sure glad to see him. Tom was with his brother Jerry and Tom was the first to look up at the soldiers.
Tom broke away from the group and ran to Alex pulling the other boy into a tight embrace. Alex hugged him back having missed his best friend.
The others just turn to look at the two boys.
"Alex?" Jermey asks in question. Alex nods his head at him in greeting.
"Anyway let's show you where you'll stay," Snake says in an almost questioning tone. After all it's not everyday that you have "guests" at a military base.
Everyone follows k unit and Alex still tries to process the past few moments.
They reach the area that the kids and their families will be staying.
"How about we introduce ourselves, I'll go first. I'm Fox the unit's linguist," Fox says trying to break the tension. Wolf and snake go after followed by Eagle.
"I'm Cub and I'm basically all of them combined," Alex says not really knowing how to explain. Tom snorts at the answer.
"He's just a child with foolish dreams though," Jackson's mother whispers to Hannah's mom. Alex hears it and ignores the comment but Wolf seemed to have heard the comment as well.
"Here at SAS it's required that whoever comes has to do our assault course," Wolf tells them.
"Excuse me?" Hannah asks in repulse.
"It's a requirement," Fox points out. The mothers don't look exactly happy about it but the others don't seem to mind.
Wolf leads all of us outside and to the course. Alex could see the small smirk on Wolfs face and couldn't help but be suspicious.
He clears his throat and all of the attention is turned to the unit leader. "Cub will demonstrate," Wolf says with a bigger smirk.
Of course, Alex thinks to himself and Wolf smiles proudly at himself.
"Druggie Alex can't do anything," Jackson says with a scoff. The unit glare at the boy and Alex can't help but have a bad feeling about all of this.
"Now Cub," Wolf demands. Alex sighs knowing that he has to do it. He also knows that he can't slack off because Wolf knows what he can do.
With another sigh Alex walks over to the staring point. Wolf gives him a quick count down before the boy shoots off into the course.
Alex gets through everything fairly easily. He's quick and agile and everyone at the SAS base knows that. Even Alex knew that he was good.
Of course Alex finished the course quickly and was barley out of breath by the time he reached the end. The mothers along with their bratty children had their mouths dropped in shock. Jeremy and his father looked a bit surprised at the young boys skills but Tom and his brother weren't surprised.
Alex felt a small pain shoot through him. He subconsciously reached up to rub his sniper wound. Eagle then walked up to him and slapped a hand on the boys shoulder.
"No need to show off Cub," Eagle says jokingly. Snake saw the boy rub the wound though and refused to ignore it.
"Wound flare up Cub?" Snake asks even though he already knew the answer. Alex of course knew that the medic would would see it and couldn't help but dread his mother like actions.
"I'm fine Snake," Alex tried to assure but Snake disagreed not that Alex was surprised.
"What did you get a little scratch," Jackson asks teasingly. Alex didn't give any response because he knows he's not worth the time.
"He was shot by a sniper dumbass," Snake said in anger. Everyone except the unit, Tom and Jerry were surprised.
Before anything else could be said, a man stepped out of the woods with a gun pointed at Alex. Alex could easily tell that it was a Scorpia agent simply from the mans black uniform.
"Alex Rider," The man says menacingly. Alex just kept his eyes trained on the man.
"They only sent one guy?" Alex asks the man. The agent shrugs.
"I have backup so I wouldn't try anything," the man snarls.
"Where's you backup?" Alex asks curiously. Before the Scorpia agent could reply a voice cut him off.
"No longer standing," the man answers. The Scorpia agent looks confused by the answer. It registers in the mans mind that his backup was taken down and the man immediately as his gun at his betrayer. The other man was too quick though and shot a bullet before the Scorpia agent could.
The agent was dead, mothers were screaming, children were crying, and men were standing in surprise and shock.
Wolf points a a gun at the man standing not far from them who began walking towards Alex.
"Alex," the man greets in a thick accent.
"Yassen," Alex greets in a monotone voice. Wolf lowers his gun slightly because of the fact that the two recognized each other.
Alex didn't know how to feel. Yassen turned out to be a very good friend to him but he also worked against the government that Alex "worked" for. Alex didn't really care about what Blunt had to say so Yassen and Alex continued to help each other out whenever the other needed it. It became sort of routine though neither felt as it the other owed them anything. It was a silent mutual agreement and both of them knew the loyalties. No matter what Alex would be loyal to Yassen and Yassen would return the loyalty.
"I thought I told you to get out of this business," Yassen says in his rich Russian accent.
"I tried. Through you were too," Alex responded.
"I tried," Yassen said with a small smile reserved for the boy alone.
"Well I guess all we can do is try," Alex said.
All anyone could do is try.
