Sleeping Powder, An Alex Rider fan fic. Titled after Sleeping Powder by the Gorillaz sung by my daddy 2-D.

Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider obviously. XOXO

A sigh escaped from his pale lips, in the darkness of the night he was barely able to make out the silhouette of the lighter encased in his clammy hands. His finger nervously tapped ash from the end of a cigarette. The smoke curled into the foggy air. The hoodie didn't do much to stop him shivering, as he hid under a bus shelter. Rain mercilessly assaulted the thin plastic shelter.

Late November was never a good time of year; he'd decided this a long time ago. The buses had long since stopped running, as it was about two am on a Tuesday. He sat there in silence for another ten minutes, the cigarette he'd been smoking was tossed carelessly onto the floor, before being haphazardly stamped out.

He dropped his lighter back into the baggy pocket stitched to his jumper. He produced a phone from the same pocket. He tapped a number familiar to him. One ring later a groggy voice mumbled from the other end.

"You've reached the Daniels residence. Ben speaking. It's two am, but whatever." Ben grumbled.

"Ben?" He asked.

"Alex." Ben replied.

"It's two am. I swear to God if you're drunk Alexander." Ben hissed.

"I'm not." Alex assured him, whilst flinching at the use of that name- the last person that called him that- God no.

"Can you come get me?" Alex asked hopefully, tears that escaped from his haunted eyes mixing with the rain.

A sigh- "Fine, where are you?" Alex knew he could count on Ben.

Alex mechanically told him the address.

"See you in ten." Ben assured.

-Click-

-Alex's POV-

I took a sliver of gum from my pocket- strawberry of course. When I was a kid you would have seen me with peppermint gum but I despised the very scent now. It was all to formal and it reminded me of them. How they'd taken everything away from me, damn I wish I had some vodka. There was an off licence about ten meters away.

I bought vodka using one of my many fake ID's as proof I was eighteen. I walked back to the bus stop and opened the bottle, the alcohol burnt its way down my throat, I began chugging it now. All self-restraint had given in. I'd drunk around half of it by the time Ben showed up.

He was pissed; I woke him up at two am, told him I wasn't drinking and now am. I wordlessly slipped into the passenger seat.

-Ben's POV-

"How much have you had to drink, young man?" I tried to sound harsh yet soft. Like wolf with his younger siblings.

"Only the vodka." He said, his voice completely clear.

I sniffed the air, and realised Alex smelt faintly of cigarette smoke.

"If you're smoking cigarettes, God so help me Cub I will phone Snake." I yelled.

I saw him flinch.

Shit.

"Al, I'm sorry." I sighed.

"N-no I'm fine." He whispered, I watched as tears sprung to the corners of his eyes.

I stepped on the gas, I reached my apartment in 5 minutes.

Even though Alex didn't live with me I still tended to keep some of his meds around my flat. As he'd often come over, claiming he couldn't stand being alone in the house he lived in. I pushed him through the door ahead of me.

"Anti-depressants?" I asked.

"Please." He plopped onto the couch that had become his second bed over time.

"I forgot to say, Wolf's visiting, he's in the spare room." I rushed before going to the kitchen.

"Ben?" I heard Wolf call from the end of the hall.

Speak of the devil.

"Here." I called back.

"What are you doing, it's two am. And who's anti-depressants are those?" Wolf asked pointing to the box.

"Not mine, just go back to bed James" I told Wolf.

"No way, I wanna find out who those belong to." He pointed to the anti-depressants again.

"Fine, they probably won't like you though." I replied whilst grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. I shuffled back into the living room. Wolf following close behind.

"Al, I bought your meds." I sighed while handing him the bottle of water and the box of tablets. I saw Alex glare at Wolf.

"Ben, this kid is like eighteen why'd you know him?" Wolf asked.

-Wolf/James' POV-

"Actually I'm sixteen." The blonde boy on the sofa grumbled, while numbly trying to get the tablets from the foil.

"Why do you know Ben?" I asked.

"Jeez Wolfy, I thought the kid that kicked you out of a plane would be more memorable." The blonde boy said in a voice that I recognised.

"Wait- Ben why the hell is rich boy here?" I hissed.

"My name's Alex, Alex Rider. Hope that clears it up." The boy- Alex said sarcastically.

"What we thought wasn't true. Al wasn't some rich kid- he doesn't even have a family for Christ sakes. His legal guardian is '6." Ben complained.

"sixteen? You went to Brecon two years ago, you were fourteen? And you don't have a family? I'm so sorry for what I said about your parents." I gushed.

"It's fine, they died when I was a baby. If you'd made any jibes about my uncle the man who raised me before he met his untimely demise, I would have cut off your balls and fed them to you." Alex muttered. Before swallowing the pills he'd finally gotten from the packet.

"How'd '6 become your guardian?" I asked.

"They weren't originally after Ian died. A lovely woman called Jack Starbright. But she got killed in Egypt." He frowned at me softly.

"Ian, like Ian Rider, famous agent and John Rider's brother?" I gasped.

"The very pair. Ian was a shitty uncle to be honest. He was never home. And obviously, I don't remember my dad." Alex sighed.

"Jeez Alex, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I apologised.

"It's fine, nobody did." Alex sighed again…

TADA! I don't know if I should keep this as a one shot or not? Review if you'd like me to add more. Have a lovely day!