Sorry it is so short. I just got this crazy idea, and I wanted to see if it was worth considering. I'm warning you now that I am American, so my English terms might be off. correct me if I'm wrong about anything.

And I'm sorry about the crappy title. I couldn't think of anything else, and I didn't want to just write "Untitled". If you have any suggestions, please tell me.

CHAPTER ONE

Alex lay on his bed, homework spread out in front of him. He was struggling to focus, but his thoughts kept drifting over the events of the past year. MI6… His first mission… Yassen Gregorovich… Getting shot… Going to space… Ash…

He shook his head vigorously to dispel the memories before they could become more painful. He was fifteen now. That life was behind him. He refused to be dragged back in again. And if MI6 called him, he would personally go to the bank and shove the phone up right up Blunt's ass.

When the phone rang, he jumped up from his bed and ran down the hall, calling down to Jack that he would get it. Repeating his previous thoughts in his head, he picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked warily.

"Hey, mate. What are you doing?" Alex breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Tom. It appeared as if MI6 were going to leave him alone. For now.

"Probably just hanging out with Jack."

"What? It's your birthday. You've got to do something!"

Alex sighed. "Jack has probably planned something. But it isn't a big deal."

"Oh, shut it. It is a big deal. I'm coming over there tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Ouch! It almost sounds as if you don't like me anymore!" He could hear the grin in Tom's voice. "I'm coming because birthdays are meant to be celebrated. And to be properly celebrated, there has to be a party of at least two other people."

"Or, you're coming over to eat the cake."

"Jack's making cake?"

Alex smiled fondly at his friend's antics. "Yep. That double layered one she made last year."

"I'm definitely coming over now. I challenge you to a rematch cake eating contest."

"I don't know Tom. I wouldn't want you to get sick again."

"Oh shut it! I'll see you later."

"Bye." He hung up and was about to return to his room when he heard a knocking on the door. He swiftly ran down the stairs and yanked open the door. Standing before him, was a tall man with dirty blond hair and serious blue eyes that warmed at the sight of him. He looked extremely familiar, but for some reason Alex couldn't place him. It nagged at the very edge of his mind and caused him to tense up warily, alert for any possible threat.

The man's face lit up in a smile. "Alex."

Alex narrowed his eyes at the man, but he seemed content to just stand on his door step and stare at him. The boy cleared his throat and prompted, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Pain flashed briefly across the man's face, but he quickly recovered. "I guess it's been awhile. Let me introduce myself." He extended his hand, smile still present. "Hello, Alex. My name is John Rider."

HA! I bet you thought it was going to be Yassen.

I'm not very pleased with this chapter. It was more of a filler to get things started. Sorry for the crappy quality.

So? What did you think? Should I even bother continuing? Drop a line. PLEASE!