My first Alex Rider fanfic, if anything you see seems wrong please tell me, they may be OOC... Enjoy!

When James Mitchell was in his first year of GCSE's he turned to Tom Harris and smiled like he had just won the lottery and figured out the answer to the life the universe and everything on the same day.

"I'm going to join the army, one day the SAS." He announced at the back of their English class. This announcement had been inspired by the creative writing piece 'What you want to be', James wanted to be like his long time best friend Alex Rider who was never scared or backed down, he was strong.

"I'm going to be a medic in the SAS." Tom added, this too had been inspired by Alex Rider whom Tom wished on many occasions he could heal from his many injuries.

"See you there." The conversation was over but never forgotten.

James joined the army from college and quickly rose in the ranks. When he was 24 he was asked if he wanted to be in the SAS. He didn't even have to consider it. He said yes and threw a celebratory party with Tom and Alex, not telling them why. Tom was in Africa and Alex in Malaysia, he didn't get a chance to see them before he went to the Brecon Beacons.

Tom graduated from Cambridge Medical school with a first and was snapped up by the SAS instantly, he tried to throw a celebratory party but Alex was in Lebanon and Tom was in China. He left for the Brecon Beacons without a second thought and didn't see his friends before leaving.

Alex lounged against the wall grinning at Ben Daniels who he had been making fun of. They were at the BB shooting range and Alex had received seven bulls eyes in a row, Ben was struggling with three. Eagle had got one, Snake none and Wolf five. Yet none could beat the youngest.

"Show me again." Ben demanded,

"New recruits." The murmur went around the range and all the groups scattered not wanting to be there when they first shot, in case it went wrong, Ben and Alex tried to leave but were stopped by the other three.

"Are we normal shooting or instinctive?" Alex asked,

"Behave or we are changing your name back to Cub." Wolf growled. He was now Jaguar, although he was technically MI6, he and Ben visited when they could.

"Wolf!" The Sargent in charge of the new recruits bellowed, the recruits flinched, Alex's eyes widened as he recognised two of them. "Bring another!" Wolf went to grab Alex but he was having a conversation with Ben,

"Jag, come on." He stated,

"No, I know two of them." Alex stated,

"And..."

"What is the last thing anyone needs in selection?" Ben sighed, "A distraction, if it wasn't for that Jag would be over there now and reuniting. Anyway, we are MI6 still."

"Today would be appreciated, bring a '6 or and SAS I don't give a fuck!" The Sargent bellowed, again the recruits flinched,

"Eagle." Wolf pulled him along instead,

"So you know them?" Snake queried,

"I went to school with two of them." Alex replied,

"Tom and James?" Ben checked,

"Yep. My only friends." Alex sighed,

"Why?" Snake asked, Ben and Alex raised eyebrows,

"'6 remember. Blackmail." Both spies groaned,

"How far into training are they?" Snake commented leaving that conversation understanding it was a no go area.

"Given by the exhaustion and low numbers I'd say ten weeks." Ben commented, a man ran up to them,

"You have been summoned to Sanders." He told them, both spies groaned,

"Bye." Both muttered, "Say bye to them for us." Alex added looking at Eagle and Wolf,

"Will do."

James watched the two figures leave, one was awfully familiar, but he had to concentrate, he turned his concentration back to Wolf and what he was demonstrating. Then it was time for practice, he saw Tom looking apprehensive,

"Lets see how good you were then hey Alex." He muttered confusing James completely. It was a comment that was not meant to be heard.

"Congratulations. Two days off then your units will be finalised." Sanders paced in front of the recently completed training recruits. There were eight of them and had been in two groups since the start so it was obvious who was going where. "For now, Bear, Cheetah, Panther and Leopard to J unit, the rest of you L unit." They scattered heading towards the huts. Inside they collapsed,

"Don't know about you Chee, but I think I can sleep for a week." James sighed,

"Me too Leo, me too." Tom agreed as the other two went for a shower, a few minutes later they both heard footsteps returning to the opposite cabin, then Bear and Panther returned and lastly a familiar voice,

"Aren't you a sorry sight." Cheetah and Leopard jerked upright and the other two looked confused,

"Hey, I'm Jaguar, congrats on making selections." Alex smiled warmly at the two boys he didn't know.

"Hey, I'm panther, that's Bear, Cheetah and Leopard. Do you know each other?" A blonde boy asked,

"You caught that did you?" Tom laughed pulling Alex into a manly hug, "How long have you been here man?"

"This time, about ten minutes. But I saw you a few times over selection." He admitted,

"Are you SAS?" Bear asked a south African accent colouring his voice,

"Yes, and no." Alex replied slowly,

"Huh?" The four member of J unit said in unison,

"Yes, he trained with us, no they are both traitors and are hated by any SAS member." Snake said from the doorway,

"Hey, I didn't choose to become SO." Ben exclaimed, then stuck his head around the door, "Guess what Al." He grinned slightly sad,

"Great, see you." Alex groaned and turned to the room smiling then left,

"What's SO?" Panther called,

"Sorry bound by the OSA." Ben and Alex teased,

"The what?" Bear and panther and Leopard exclaimed,

"May I?" Tom asked the two spies,

"No skin of my nose." Ben shrugged,

"SO is special operations in MI6, OSA is the official secrets act." Tom explained,

"And how do you know that?" Bear asked,

"I am friends with him, and know who he is, mostly. You still haven't told me everything." Tom glared at his friend.

"Maybe later." Alex laughed,

"You said that seven years ago..." Tom raised an eyebrow,

"I only wish that was an exaggeration." Ben muttered in Swahili,

"Tell me about it." Alex agreed in the same language,

"Yo, I thought we went through this, no going off all lingual if we don't speak it either!" Eagle complained.

"What did Jones want?" Alex asked when they left the hut,

"Don't know, it wasn't good, she's video conferencing from a nearby base." Ben sounded grim, they slid into a truck and left the SAS base,

"Sorry you didn't get to talk to your friends." Ben said apologetically,

"It's fine, we'll catch up. I'm used to it." Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair any lightness that was hiding the darkness in his eyes was gone for when he was talking with his friends.

"No." Both Ben and whispered faces drained of colour when they saw the image on the desk in the head office of Royal and General through the camera.

"I am afraid this is real. You are in control of this, you chose your agents." Jones was willingly placing the power in the hands wholly. It only reflected the seriousness of the situation.

The images on the desk showed surveillance images of Ben and Alex, then Sabina, Alex's girlfriend, Jenny, Ben's wife and Ami and Callum, his two children aged two and five respectively. There was a single message,

"Come and get them then." Only one group would be brave enough to do this.

"SCORPIA." Alex breathed,

"We believe so, it may be because they hate you, or because you are too good at what you do, either way, you may rescue them if you so wish."

The two men were out the door in seconds and heading to Smithers who had come down for them. On the way there Alex and Ben pulled out their phones and dialled numbers they knew by heart.

"Alex? What is it?" Sabina's voice said over the phone, Alex's knees almost gave out in relief,

"You're OK." Alex breathed,

"What's happened? Where should I go?" It was a sign of her utter trust in him that decided Alex's mind, he would ask her.

"BB. Can you do that for me? Tom and James have passed. They have two days leave. I'll see you there later." Alex asked noticing the paleness of Ben's face he paused, "Sab, go. Go now."

"I'm going, see you then, love you. Can I stay on the phone until you need to go?" She asked, Alex nodded even though she couldn't see.

"Of course, love you too."

"JEN!" Ben exclaimed,

"Shall I go via Jenny's?" Sabina asked, Ben's gushing words of worry reached Sabina's ears. She made her own decision. "I'm going." She pulled into the road and parked on Ben's drive then knocked on the door, then entered without waiting. Both Alex and Ben grinned in relief when the heard the conversation between the women, they reached Smithers office and entered,

"Alex! Ben! I have heard! Sorry, didn't see the phones." He started bumbling around the room humming to himself bring out various things. Ben put his phone on speaker as Alex and Sabina hung up.

"Alex, you there?" Sabina asked,

"Yes, how are you?" Alex asked,

"We're fine, just heading to the door," They heard the door open then two muffled shots were fired,

"NO!" Three voices exclaimed, in the room then they heard the phone been taken off jenny,

"Come and get the if you are so amazing at what you do." A scornful voice taunted over the phone then the line was cut. Ben kicked the table and swore loudly,

"Alex, I'm sorry, they wouldn't have Sab if she hadn't gone-" Ben started,

"No, it wasn't anyone fault, now we just have to get them back." Alex replied, Ben nodded and the two agents turned to a pale Smithers.

"Browning High power and a Sig Sauer P226, DNA recognition for both of you on both of them. This place where we are getting images of it is in Wales, two parachutes, strong enough to hold four people each, your usual belt with weapons, knives, holster and wire in. Also the metal eating cream and small detonators. If you have any trouble here's the watches with updates, press and hold the time button and it sends a signal to me and the near agents." Ben and Alex strapped the watches to their wrists. And holstered the weapons, Alex taking the Browning and Ben the P226.

"The satellite images are being sent to BB when we get them. They'll be fine, just bring yourself back in one piece, they left the room and Alex turned to Ben when they were in their car again,

"There's something you're not telling me." He commented, they had known each other too long for Ben to bother lying.

"Jenny's pregnant again." Ben admitted, Alex gasped,

"That's amazing, congrats!" Alex grinned at Ben who grudgingly smiled back.

"Lets get them all back in one piece eh?" Ben commented grimly, "Then you can ask Sabina your question." Alex glanced at him and the smug smile on his face,

"How..." Alex trailed off,

"How long have I know you Al? I saw the decision on your face today." Ben smiled at the younger man,

"What if she says no Ben?" Alex voice his greatest fear,

"Al, You have been dating on and off since you were fourteen, her parents died and she stuck by you through everything, I heard her today, she is sure. She won't say no." Ben ruffled his hair,

"HEY! That was fine when I was 14 but not a decade later!" Alex exclaimed,

"A decade Christ Jag, you make me feel old." Ben muttered sliding out the car,

"You're telling me." Alex muttered. They headed to the head office of BB and entered,

"What happened?" Sanders demanded seeing the expressions on their faces,

"SCORPIA have kidnapped my wife and children and Jaguar's girlfriend. We ask for a unit to help us. Sir." Ben stated,

"We only have one and a half units here free at the moment." Sanders paced, "You can have them both, I will get them while you set up in the briefing room. Ben headed to the briefing room while Alex collected the emailed files holding the satellite images.

Then they set up the images and swore as the image appeared on the wall.

"You get more colourful in your cursing whenever we meet Jag." An amused voice commented from the doorway. Alex didn't turn and smirked,

"What can I say, I was corrupted at a young age." He replied,

"Who corrupted you! I shall have to have words with them." Eagle teased,

"Well you always were good at talking to yourself." Ben commented also without turning around. Tom and James walked in with their other unit members confused, they had overheard the conversation and were puzzled, they saw the five people they had met earlier studying a map projected onto the wall, Tom recognised the form of Alex and paled at the sight of the scar littering his arms, James was staring wide eyed at his arms too,

"Attention on the screens soldiers." Wolf barked, they looked at the maps.

"There's no way of getting in there unless you are an assassin or invisible." Panther commented,

"It's true, what's in there?" Snake asked, Alex brought up the surveillance photos of their respective loved ones.

"Oh." The three K unit members said, Tom blinked confused,

"Wait, Sabina died seven years ago." He stated,

"Sabina's parents died years ago, we made every think she had died too so that she would be safe from anyone trying to hurt me." Alex explained, Tom shrugged,

"Makes sense, why didn't you do that to me, I almost got sniped because I knew you."

"It wasn't necessary, the one who was aiming at you wasn't shooting to kill, he was not an enemy." Ben replied,

"Well..." Alex raised an eyebrow,

"Wasn't not on our side?" Ben tried,

"Blunt." Tom summarised,

"He learns fast." Ben commented,

"I know." Alex replied with a slight smile,

"So unless we have an assassin, a suicidal person, John, Ian or Alex Rider or an invisibility cloak we are not getting in there." Bear summarised,

"Yeah, but John, Ian and Alex Rider are dead, killed by SCORPIA and the invisibility cloak is only in Harry Potter." Eagle sighed looking like someone had just cancelled Christmas. Everyone looked disconsolate but Alex was looking at Ben deep thought on both of their faces,

"Your call, its your favour." Ben was saying,

"What?" Wolf demanded, Bear, J units leader let Wolf deal with the threatening looks. He had had much ore practice.

"Are you OK with that?" Alex checked,

"I'm fine with it, you trust him, that's enough for me." Ben nodded once, Alex pulled out his phone,

"What the fucking hell is going on!" Wolf growled,

"Back up." Ben said with a shrug, Alex dialled a number.

"Da?" The voice came over the phone,

"I have a favour." Alex said in Russian,

"OK." The response was wary,

"Where are you?" Alex asked,

"Wales with an apprentice, she wants a normal life after... You changed her Alex."

"Would she like a training mission?" Alex asked, Ben looked over at him confused.

"I suppose, is this to do with the SCORPIA unit in Wales?" The voice checked,

"Da." Alex replied,

"I'll see you at the northern back entrance in two hours." The line was cut off.

"Two of them." Alex said to Ben, "Northern back entrance in two hours. I'll go with them, you Chee take the front, Snake and Leo north, Wolf and Panther south, Eagle and Bear back east." Alex summarised,

"Be as quiet as possible, guns and grenades when our cover is blown, quieter ways, knives, drugs until then." He flashed a slight smile at Alex, "De ja vu much?"

"No parachutes or threat of Royal Blue this time." Alex replied with a smirk,

"And boy am I glad." Ben grinned,

"It seemed like a good idea to programme my hand into Royal when I was doing it..." Alex sighed, "I never think ahead." This conversation had passed while the others were studying the maps, it was heard and filed for later discussion.

"Everyone understand?" Ben and Alex checked,

"Yes." The seven chorused, "Lets go."

"Shotgun!" Eagle shouted, running to the weapons area,

"Does he mean front seat or weapon?" Snake asked, Wolf was shaking his head,

"I don't know."

"Ho gave him sugar?" Alex asked,

"Whoever did is spending the next hour in a car with him." Ben added,

"Hey, Jag, can I ride with you?" Tom asked,

"Sure." Alex smiled slightly and led the way to the car,

"I'm driving." Ben announced snatching the keys,

"No you are not!" Alex snatched them back,

"Boys, play nice!" Snake called,

"He started it." They both exclaimed,

"And you wonder why you are the office jokers." Snake shook his head, "You make Eagle seem positively adult."

"Hey! I take offence at that!" They both yelled,

"Are you sure you are twins, or brothers separated at birth?" Eagle asked reappearing with weapons for them all.

"Here." Eagle handed the spies another gun, this one a small Sig Sauer P230, "These ones aren't DNA coded so anyone can shoot them." He added as a reasoning.

Alex and Ben slipped the guns into their waistbands with a nod to Eagle.

"I'll drive you can catch up." Ben slipped into the drivers seat leaving Alex in the back wit his friends and Snake in the front.

"That's quite an accumulation of scars you have there Jaguar." Tom commented examining them with his medical eyes,

"Snake, you corrupted him!" Alex whined jokingly,

"No, its a medic thing. Wait until you see him with his shirt off. I wanted to drag him back to med school with me." Snake grinned at the younger medic, "And that was six years ago now." Alex glared at him but his heart wasn't in it, he was preoccupied by the other assassins identity.

You changed her Alex.

The words reverberated around his head.

"What's bugging you Alex?" Ben asked noticing his expression in the mirror,

"Oh I don't know the fact his girlfriend has just been kidnapped." James commented,

"No, I know that face, this one is different." Ben replied,

"The phone call, he said he was bringing a friend, apparently I changed her." Alex admitted, Tom and James blinked,

"How can you get answers out of him like taking candy from a baby but for us its like drawing blood from a stone?!" James exclaimed,

"I have known him too well too long." Ben replied still watching Alex concerned.

"He's got a point, I thought he was a bank manager until today." James commented,

"I knew he wasn't but not how much he wasn't." Tom added,

"Do you know anyone he knows?" Ben asked referring to the comment earlier.

"I can't think of anyone." Alex cursed and sighed,

"We're almost there." Ben pulled up to the side of the road and they all slipped out, Alex disappeared into the shadows.

"Where'd he go?" Cheetah whispered,

"I'm right here you moron, keep your voices down." Alex said form behind, the second group joined him, and had the same trouble spotting Alex and now Ben as well. Wolf made the signal to go and they spilt. Alex jogged low to the ground to the back and eyed the house, he saw the two assassins and headed towards them,

"Nice to see you haven't lost your touch Alex." A familiar Russian voice commented when Alex put a hand on his arm.

In front of him was none other than Yassen Gregorovich.