"Alex Rider, aka Cub, was shot in the heart by a scorpia sniper. In the three days he has been unconscious in the hospital, 2 further assassination attempts have taken place. Therefore, I am sending him to Brecon Beacons with you, K-unit, and all other units for his protection, " Ms Jones informed a shocked K-unit (and Ben).

They were in Jones' office at the Royal and General bank where they had been unceremoniously summoned to discuss their "training". They now realised he actual reason they of all units had been called here

"Surely that isn't his only option, couldn't he stay with his parents and have guards on his house or something?" Wolf asked. He didn't have any problems with the kid, especially after Point Blanc but he just couldn't see why he had to be dumped on them again.

"Alex has no family and his housekeeper recently left, as of now, we are his guardians" replied Jones. All members of K-unit looked at each other in surprise, except Ben who already knew this. "As I was saying, you, along with him will be picked up first at the hospital tomorrow morning at 0630 sharp. You will be at the back with Cub. As the bus continues along and picks up the other units from their houses, they will be sitting as close to the front as possible as is standard SAS protocol and to give you room. If anything looks wrong with Cub you are to dial 911 immediately, is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," they all replied.

"If anyone asks about Cub, you are to say he is injured and that's all you know is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am," they all replied again.

"Good, and although you may not believe this, I do care about Alex so try to take good care of him. He will be with you now for 4 years and I would hate it if life was too unpleasant for him," said Jones.

"If he is there for 4 years he will be in for a whole lot of unpleasantness," Eagle said sadly.

"Which is why you have to try and help him, he will be in a lot of pain and unsteady for at least two weeks and then he faces 4 years of SAS training, he needs all the help he can get. You are excused."

They all filed out from Jones' office one by one.

"Poor Cub," Eagle said.

"Yeah, normally I would be angry at this but it seems like such a hopeless situation for Cub you can't help but feel sorry for him," Wolf said quickly.

"What's this, is Wolfy getting soft in his old age?" Ben asked cheekily.

Wolf returned one of his world-renown stares. Ben was wisely quiet after that.

"We should probably go and grab our stuff and meet at the hospital, it'll be easier to just sleep there tonight and I wanna check how Cub is doing," Snake said in his oh-so-medic way.

"Good idea, see you all then," Ben said

They all left their separate ways

THE HOSPTIAL

"Wow," Eagle said in such a child-like way everyone took their eyes of Cub to stare at him.

"Wow says it all," Ben replied.

They were all staring at Cub. He was lying on his hospital bed wear blue and white striped pyjamas that was open at the neck. He was pale but not deathly so, and had about 6 tubes connected to him.

His bullet wound was visible to everyone and they realised just how close he had come to dying. And this happened right outside the headquarters of M16. And what was he doing in a world meant for grown-ups anyway.

'Poor kid, this shouldn't ne happening to him," Snake said.

"Well it is, and there is nothing you or I or anyone can do so we ay as well just face it and get on with our lives," Wolf snapped, all traces of the softness they saw outside of Jones' office now completely gone.

"And Wolf is back," Eagle said.

A couple of hours after they had all nodded off in the visitor chairs scattered around the room, Ben was woken up by a low moan. Looking around and trying to find the source he found Cub, tension all over his face, moaning occasionally and judging by the wetness in his eyes about to start crying.

Not knowing what to do, he brushed the bangs off his sweaty forehead and whispered soothing words to him. After a few minutes he relaved a little and the tension left his face.

Seeing Alex like that, vulnerable and innocent, made Ben realise just how out-of-place Cub really was in this world. As he sat there pondering he heard , barely more than a whisper, his name being called. He looked around at his team mates expecting to see one of them looking at him, but they were all still asleep- the whisper had come from Cub.

ALEX POV

I woke up once again, in a place I despised. I always hated waking up here because I realised it was only a matter of time before I would begin to hurt. I looked around the familiar white room to see something not o familiar. Four bodies all around the room- and none of them Jack.

Three of them appeared top be asleep but the pone closest to him was awake and apparently deep in thought. I looked closer and realised who it was, and then as that realisation hit me, I also recognised the other 3 figures……K-unit and Ben.

"Ben?" I whispered groggy and confused- and blissfully pain free, I must be doped.

"Hey Cub, look you should probably be resting so I'll keep this simple and try not to argue till the morning I don't want you to hurt yourself…. For the next 4 years you are gonna be staying at Brecon Beacons with me and K-unit. You will still do missions for M16 and I will go on as many of them as I can with you. If you are wondering where your housekeeper is…I will explain in the morning, right now I wanna sleep and I am sure you do too so you can argue all the way to Brecon Beacons as much as you want…night," Ben explained in a rush as he moved back to his chair leaving Alex in a stunned silence.

It took longer than expected for Alex to go back to sleep after that.