(This is just something that popped into my head. Enjoy!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider, or any of the characters from the books. I wish I did, because Anthony Horrowitz is doing a really good job, but I don't. I do own Natalie Turner, and Tyler Stewart (As far as I know, that is) and you can't use them without asking me.

"Alex, I'd like you to meet Natalie Turner. Natalie is one of our best agents. She currently works as a counter mole."

Alex Rider nodded at Natalie. He recognized the term counter mole from a book he'd found in his school's library. A counter mole's job was to find enemy spies that had infiltrated an agency and take them down. It would be stupid for MI6 not to have people working as counter moles.

Natalie held out her hand and he shook it. She took a seat in the chair next to him. Alex figured that she couldn't be any older than 18. She had short, black hair and green eyes. She was wearing normal clothing, which was a change from the normally professional style MI6 seemed to boast.

Natalie turned to Allen Blunt, the head of MI6. "So, are you going to tell me what this is about, because I need to get back as quickly as possible? We're close to discovering the spy behind the Liverpool incident.

"I'm afraid that your group will have to make due without you, Ms. Turner. I have a mission for the two of you."

"I'm done with missions, Allen. I thought I made that clear 2 years ago."

"I think when you here what the mission is, you'll volunteer. Now, Alex, I'm waiting for your objection."

"I haven't heard what you want me to do yet."

"Well, it's time we change that."

Blunt typed some commands into his computer. A picture appeared on a view screen. It was a picture of a teenage boy, probably about 15 years old, making a peace sign with his hands. In this picture he was laughing. He had brown hair, cut short. He had grey eyes. Another picture showed him standing with four other kids. Alex stared at the photo. One of the girls was definitely Natalie. He turned to see that she'd stiffened. She was staring glassy-eyed at the image, as if lost in some far off memory.

Blunt spoke up. "Alex, this is Tyler Stewart. He was 15 years old in these photos. His best subject in school was science. He has an I.Q. of about 180, and is an excellent soccer player. He is able to speak English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian fluently."

Blunt paused and took a breath. "He is also a black belt in Karate and Jujutsu, and was training in a lesser known Chinese martial art Northern Praying Mantis."

Alex was actually impressed. He knew how hard it was to become a black belt in one martial art. Mastering two and learning a third at age 15 was no small feat.

Blunt wasn't finished. "Tyler is also proficient with a variety of weapons, including; .42 pistol; machine guns; sniper rifles; grenade launchers; dart shooters; katana; throwing knives; and staffs. He knows how to create several different poisons. He can make homemade bombs in his kitchen."

Alex stared at Blunt. "If you want me to take this kid out, I don't think I'd stand a chance."

Blunt looked at Alex with a shocked expression. Apparently Blunt didn't catch the joke.

Natalie didn't either. "You wouldn't. Trust me."

Mr. Blunt cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we don't want him killed actually."

"Then what is this about?"

"We need someone to reel him back into the fold."

"What does that mean?"

Blunt sighed. "The truth is, you aren't the first teenage agent that MI6 has ever used. There use to be five of them, actually. One of them was Mr. Stewart."

The second image on the screen took on a whole new significance for Alex. It had never really occurred to him that he wasn't the first kid caught in MI6's trap, but it didn't surprise him. Of course, that meant that Natalie had been through the same crap Alex had experienced. Alex noticed that she was still staring at the image on the screen. Alex was willing to bet that she hadn't registered a word Mr. Blunt had said.

Blunt started talking again. "A few years ago, after a mission that went south, Tyler fell off of our radar. He was gone. His assets were frozen, but no one ever tried to withdraw any money. We searched his parent's mail, but he never sent them a single letter. It was as if Tyler disappeared off the face of the earth. We haven't heard from him for two years."

"Of course you didn't." Alex turned to see that Natalie had snapped out of her reverie. "He didn't want to be found. Not by MI6."

Blunt nodded. "But now we need to. For more reasons than one."

"Care to explain that?" Alex asked.

"No."

"Okay then. Now I can object. I'm not going to do that to another kid."

"Oh really? Fine. By the way, how is Miss Starbright?"

Alex fumed. It was always the same story. If he didn't agree to go on these missions, Jack would lose her visa, He would be sent to a private school, and his house would be sold. Because Royal & General, a cover front for MI6, was his legal guardian. And they could do whatever they wanted.

Blunt smiled. "Recently, we received a tip-off that Tyler is currently hiding somewhere in London. It's up to you two to find him. Smithers will equip you two on your way out."

Natalie stood up and glared at Blunt. "I won't do this."

"Yes you will. If you don't, I can't guarantee that the next team will be as gentle as you would. You are the only one with a chance to persuade him to come back, Natalie."

Natalie shook her head. "It isn't right. He's done his duty. He's done it three times over."

"Nonetheless, we need him back here. Make your choice Ms. Turner."

Natalie stared at Blunt. "You'll regret it if you force him to come back."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Natalie nodded and headed towards the door. Alex turned to follow her. He didn't have a choice, really.

Mr. Smithers was waiting for them down the hall. He looked at Alex with genuine concern.

"Hello old chap! It's good to see you again, Alex."

Alex nodded. "Good to see you too." He generally gotten along well with Mr. Smithers, the man whose gadgets had saved Alex's many times.

"Now, for you, I haven't really had time to make anything new. But I have some gadget's you'll be familiar with."

Alex walked over to the table stared at its contents. He recognized the zit cream from his first mission. It was harmless to organic materials, but it burnt through metal quickly. He also recognized the nylon yoyo that could support up to 250 pounds and attached to his belt. Then there was the Harry Potter book that launched a tranquilizer dart. And there was the Game Boy Color that had a variety of functions, including a smoke bomb."

"You, Ms Taylor, get the real gadgets. I have to say, I miss the days when I designed gadgets for you and your friends."

Natalie blushed. But Alex suddenly remembered something.

"I thought you said you'd never designed for teenagers before?"

"I was told to lie about it. Terribly sorry, Alex."

Alex nodded. He was use to getting lied to, but Mr. Smithers didn't do it regularly.

"Anyways, we've got a few things for you Natalie. First off, we've got these."

He held out a pair of guns.

"These are tranquilizer pistols. Each pistol is loaded with 12 shots, and I have 4 reload clips for you. 1 shot could knock out a grown man in seconds."

Alex looked down at his Harry Potter book and didn't find it as useful all of a sudden.

"We've also got a bulletproof vest for both of you, and this is something I cooked up just now. These two earrings act as communication devices. If I remember right, Alex, you've already had your ear pierced. Just twist the stud two times clockwise, and it will open a line."

Alex and Natalie both nodded.

"So that's it for me?" Natalie asked.

"Trust me, those guns will be plenty. Alex will be acting as your tech person, you just handle weapons."

"Just the way I like it."

"Okay, I'm hungry. How about we get something to eat?"

Alex nodded. They'd been searching for a few hours. After they'd left headquarters, they'd gone around talking to Natalie's contacts, trying to find out who had sent the anonymous tip-off to MI6. But no one knew anything. The only thing that seemed useful was when a friend of Tyler's from his old school said he'd thought he'd seen him a couple of days ago in a bar. But the guy couldn't even remember which bar, so it wasn't a solid lead.

They entered the restaurant, and sat at one of the tables closest to the door.

"Eat as much as you want. We'll bill it to MI6."

Alex nodded in agreement. The two of them started making small talk as they waited for the food to arrive.

"So, when did you join MI6?"

Natalie sighed. "I was 9."

Alex coughed.

"Yeah, surprising isn't it?"

"A little, yeah."

"I heard about your last mission, Alex. That probably wasn't fun."

"No it wasn't. I just wish I could think of it as the last time."

"Don't. You'll only be disappointed."

"I'm starting to figure that out."

Natalie's jaw dropped open suddenly. She jumped up and ran out of the restaurant. Startled, Alex got up to follow her.

"Natalie, what are you-?"

"Of all the luck. You won't believe who I just found."

Alex felt a rush of excitement. "Tyler."

"No, but I found someone who can find him."

David Foster walked through the streets of London, trying to pass the time. He didn't have anything better to do.

At least, not for another hour. Later, he meeting Tyler Stewart at his apartment to discuss his friends new identity. For the past two years, David's best friend had jumped around from one identity to the next, trying to avoid MI6 and his other enemies. David had only heard from him a couple of times. But Tyler met with him one day and they started making a plan. Tyler was going to hide right under MI6's nose. All he had to do now was sign a couple of documents that David had in his pocket, and the plan would be set.

David looked around, wondering if he had been followed. He checked around but didn't see anything. There was no way. David turned to go down the alley to his apartment.

Then, out of nowhere, a figure pushed him against a wall.

"Natalie?"

"Hello David. How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you." This wasn't good. David knew that Natalie would only be here for one reason. She wanted to know about Tyler.

Alex was standing just a couple of feet away from the two of them. Natalie had told him to keep watch. So that's what he was doing.

"David, I could arrest you and haul you off to MI6 for questioning, or you can tell me the truth."

"If this is about Tyler, I haven't heard from him in two years."

"Really. Then you won't mind if I test that theory."

Natalie pulled out a bottle of what looked like perfume out of her pocket and sprayed it in David's face.

"Here's a lesson for you Alex. If you have anything left over from a mission, keep it. This truth serum's about 4 years old, but it should still work."

Natalie turned her attention back to David.

"Do you know where Tyler is?"

"Yes."

Natalie smiled. "Good. Now where is he and what have you two been up to?"

Alex and Natalie stared at the door. They both thought this was way too easy. Even though it had taken a truth serum to get the information out of David Foster, Natalie kept reminding Alex that Tyler was one of the best. They couldn't afford to let their guard down. Not for a second.

Natalie was the first to make a move. She reached for the bell and rang it.

"Come in." said a male voice.

Natalie opened the door, and gestured for Alex to enter first. He nodded and entered through the door. The apartment wasn't in bad shape, all things considered. The room opened up to a small living room, with a brown table surrounded by brown chairs. The table was near a T.V. and Alex had no doubt that many meals were spent there. The living room was also connected to the kitchen. There was a brown-haired boy standing there, chopping up what looked like carrots. He couldn't be completely sure, but Alex figured this had to be Tyler. They'd found him, and they'd done it quickly, all things considered.

Alex noticed a bedroom to the right. He couldn't see too much in there, but the bed looked made, and there was a suitcase sitting on it. The suitcase was either half packed or half unpacked, Alex couldn't tell which.

Natalie entered the room after him. She took the room in, noting the different exits. She was surprised at the lack of planning involved with this location. There was only one exit, and it would be blocked by anyone who entered. It wasn't like Tyler.

"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll be done in a second."

Natalie and Alex both took seats. They made sure to take the seats closest to the door. Tyler continued to chop vegetables. He didn't look to see who was there. Natalie was slightly disturbed by that. It definitely wasn't the same guy she once knew. He was never this trusting; his lack of trust had been both his greatest strength, and his greatest weakness.

Alex, for his part, was confused. For one of MI6's greatest, he didn't act the part. Tyler didn't radiate the sense of distrust or urgency that he'd come to associate with the agency.

Tyler spoke up suddenly. "So, Natalie, how have you been?"

Alex blinked. How had he known it was her? None of them had spoken up, and he hadn't turned around once. Alex stared at Tyler, realizing that he'd misjudged the guy. Natalie, for her part, was looking around, a look of puzzlement on her face. Then a look of dawning comprehension appeared.

"Ah. The mirrors, right?" She asked. Alex looked around the room and noticed for the first time the various mirrors placed innocently around the room. One of them was just to the left of Tyler. He must have looked at the reflection to see who was behind him. It was a neat trick, and it had obviously been carefully set up beforehand. Alex knew from David Foster that Tyler had been in London for less than twenty-four hours. The amount of preparation the mirrors represented was admirable.

Tyler turned around for the first time and nodded. Alex could easily see it was the same boy from the photo. But at the same time, something was off. It was in the eyes. The light was gone, replaced by a dull, haunted look. It was as if Tyler was in a different world. Natalie flinched when she saw the look on his face, but she didn't look away. Instead, she smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Tyler." She said.

He nodded, and then turned back to his cooking. After about half a minute, he set a timer and walked back to the table and sat down.

"You never answered my question, Natalie."

Natalie smiled. "Oh, you know me; I've done the same old stuff."

Tyler nodded. He turned his attention for the first time to Alex.

"Alex Rider. Blunt's newest pet puppy."

Alex held out his hand, and was surprised when Tyler held out his own. They shook hands. It was weird, seeing as they'd come here to force him to return to an agency that he'd long since abandoned. Alex would have been mad about it, but Tyler acted as if this was just a normal meeting between friends. If he knew what was coming, he didn't act concerned.

Natalie, for her part, seemed impressed for some reason Alex couldn't figure out.

"How did you know who Alex is?"

Tyler sat down on the opposite end of the table, closest to the kitchen. "I' figured that Blunt would decide that a new generation of teenage spies wouldn't be a bad thing, even if his first try ended badly. All I had to do was keep my ears open. Easy enough when you know what to listen for."

Alex nodded. "As far as I know, I'm the only one."

"Don't believe it for a second." Tyler said. Alex thought about this. He wondered if there might be more kids like him, blackmailed by Blunt to do his dirty work. Alex wasn't sure if he wanted to know, and hoped he never had to find out. He wouldn't wish his situation on anyone.

"Now, let's skip the small talk, shall we? You two are here to try to convince me to return to MI6. For whatever reason he's come up with, Blunt wants me back in the game. Well, you already know my answer, Natalie. I'm done with the spying game. I thought I made that clear two years ago."

"He was hoping that you'd have changed your mind." Natalie didn't look Tyler in the eye. Alex wondered if she could. Knowing what would inevitably come next. Alex could already see where this was going. Natalie and Tyler would argue for maybe half an hour. She would continue to use whatever she could to persuade him to come back on his own, and he would bat down every point. Alex could tell he was adamant in his decision. This was going to turn into a fight.

"His leverage is gone, Natalie. That was all that ever kept us there. Or at least, it use to be all that kept us there." Tyler's voice was tainted with bitterness. Natalie flinched, and her eyes looked a little watery for a moment.

"Things changed, Tyler. I changed."

Tyler nodded. "And so have I. If being a spy is what you want to do, then I'm going to stay out of this. You would be wise to do the same."

Natalie shook her head. "What happened to you, Ty?"

The use of a nickname seemed to shock Tyler for a moment. His eyes seemed to soften, and for a moment, the old light seemed to return. But the moment passed.

"You know what happened, Natalie. I died when the others did, remember?"

Alex inhaled sharply. The others? Was he talking about the other spies? Alex remembered, for a second, the other three kids in the picture. He stared at Tyler, and he suddenly realized what was botched about Tyler's last mission.

Tyler seemed to notice Alex's expression. "Oh, so Blunt didn't tell you. Well then let me."

Tyler took a deep breath. He seemed to gaze off into space as he started talking. Natalie also seemed to be lost in a memory. They both shared a pained look.

"It should have been a simple mission." He said. "We infiltrated a branch of the Nintendo Company in England. There were reports that kids who beta tested a new game called Dark Moon began dropping into comas. We investigated, and it only took a couple of days to find the proof we needed. The bad guy escaped, but the we stopped the game before he distributed it. That should have been the end of the story. It wasn't."

Tyler seemed to fall farther into the reverie. His expression grew hollow, and it sounded more like he was talking to himself then to anyone else. Natalie was now staring at him. She reached out her hand, but he ignored her. Alex doubted he'd noticed her.

"About a week later, the five of us were just hanging out. We usually did that after missions; it was a nice way to let loose some stress. The mission was already far behind us, forgotten, just another job well done. Of course, there were some things we didn't know."

Tyler took a deep breath. "No one bothered to tell us that the game designer was an expert marksman. He'd even competed. No one thought to warn us. And no one realized that instead of running, the man might lash out against those he deemed responsible."

A tear ran down Tyler's cheek. Alex looked and saw that Natalie was crying. Alex felt his eyes began to water. He didn't want to hear the rest; he knew what must have happened. He didn't want to hear the details.

But Tyler wasn't giving Alex a choice. "It was Sofia who went down first. The rifle had a silencer, so we didn't even hear the gun go off. Fred had just finished a joke, and we were all laughing. So it took us a moment to notice that she'd suddenly stopped. I think it was Sam who noticed first. He asked her what was wrong. That's when we saw the blood. Before anyone could react, Sam fell over in his chair. Sofia fell off of her chair and landed on the ground in pain. The rest of us tried to find cover, none of us really understanding what was happening. We tried to take cover. I motioned for Fred to hide behind a chair, and he turned around and ran towards it. But he wasn't fast enough."

It was horrible. Alex wanted Tyler to stop. Not just because of what he was saying, but because of the effect it obviously had on them both. But Alex's voice was gone.

"Finally, one of the security guards managed to shoot down the sniper. The ambulance arrived just after. Fred and Sam were already dead. And Sofia died a couple of hours later. No one, except their parents, ever learned the truth. Even at the funeral, it was said that a rogue madman had shot three innocent bystanders."

It reminded Alex of his uncle's funeral. The truth had been hidden then, also. It didn't seem fair, in his mind. To lie about how someone died seemed morally repugnant.

"Of course, a week after the funeral, Blunt had a second mission ready for us."

That shook Alex. He looked at Natalie again, and was surprised to see her face filled with resolve instead of tears.

"You can't blame him-"

"Yeah I can. And I do." Tyler seemed to finally snap out of his reverie. He wiped the tear off of his cheek and turned to face Natalie.

"So now we all know the details. And you know where I stand. And now we're in a bit of a fix. Because my bet, assuming I read the fact that neither of you have looked me in the eye once since you showed up, is that Blunt wants you to bring me back by any means necessary."

Natalie reluctantly nodded. Tyler smiled.

"It's okay. But now what do we do?"

Natalie's answer was cut off by the sound of a timer going off. Tyler stood up and walked towards the soup he was making. He grabbed a spoon and took a taste.

"Needs more potatoes." He decided out loud. He grabbed one and began cutting it into pieces.

Then the room was suddenly filled with white smoke. Alex jumped to his feet, looking around wildly for the source of the fog. Then a dart flew past his head and landed in the wall behind him."

"Hey, be careful where you aim that thing Natalie."

"What do you mean?" He heard her ask. "I haven't fired yet?"

Then the scope of the situation became clear. Alex took cover, just in time to avoid a second dart. He darted under the table, careful to avoid going into the open. After that, he only saw flashes of the battle going on in the fog. He saw Natalie a couple of times, and once Tyler crashed into one of the chairs. Then one of the tranquilizer guns fell under the table. Alex picked it up just as the fog cleared. He got out from under the table and saw the scene that had occurred.

One of the chairs was broken. Darts poked out of the walls, the soup spilled all over the floor. But the most interesting part of the scene was at the door. Natalie was standing in the doorway, pointing one of her dart pistols at Tyler. And Tyler was pointing his at her. Alex got out from under the table and pointed his gun at Tyler. The outcome was obvious to all three of them. If Natalie shot Tyler, Tyler would shoot Natalie, and they would both be unconscious, leaving Alex free to call MI6. Assuming Tyler's darts were tranquilizers. If he shot at Natalie, she would shoot her gun, and Alex would shoot his. Same results. The scene was quiet for a few moments.

Natalie was the first to speak up. "So, let me make sure I have this right. There was a smoke bomb in the potato?"

Tyler nodded. "You know me. I'm prepared for any situation."

"At least that hasn't changed." Alex understood. When Tyler had cut through the bomb in the potato, it had gone off. Tyler planned his escape to escape from the moment Alex had entered the room. He'd just been trying to lull them into a false sense of security. And it had almost worked.

"So, how about we put the guns away and sit down?" Natalie asked.

Tyler and Alex both nodded. Natalie put her gun away, and then Tyler holstered his. Alex now had the perfect opportunity to shoot Tyler with a tranquilizer. But he didn't. He handed the gun back to Natalie, who stowed it.

Tyler was looking pleadingly at his friend. "Natalie, please. Let me go."

"I can't, Tyler." Natalie stared at her friend. She was finally looking him in the eye. "Please just come willingly. I don't want to fight you."

It was eating her up inside. Alex could tell that she was tempted to let Tyler go. He wondered what he would do if she decided to do what he asked. He decided he'd back her decision. He was to torn to do otherwise.

"Natalie, that isn't going to happen and Blunt is a fool if he thinks it ever could. It's not an option. So you have to choose." Tyler stared at his friend. "Please, don't do this."

Natalie looked at Tyler, indecision evident on her face. "Tyler, I-"

"I'm afraid it's no longer her choice, Mr. Stewart."

Allan Blunt strode into the apartment and sat down in the last seat, followed by two other agents. Tyler stared daggers at the older man, but Blunt just smiled as if he were talking to an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

"I must say, Tyler, it is good to see you again."

"I'm glad to say the feeling isn't mutual, Blunt." Tyler stared coldly at Natalie. But Natalie was looking, if possible, even more confused.

"How did you find us? I didn't tell you anything."

Blunt nodded. He looked slightly abashed.

"I apologize, Natalie, but I was afraid that your emotions might get in the way of your mission. So I had one of Mr. Smithers lab technicians rig this up."

Blunt held up an earring identical to the two that Alex and Natalie were wearing. Alex's eyes widened. Blunt had heard every word that Tyler had said.

"I also had the technician place a tracer in Alex's game boy color. It wasn't hard, actually."

"Yeah, I bet you feel real smart, you managed to place a bug and tracer on two of your own agents. I'm really impressed." Tyler voice was dripping with open contempt. If Blunt noticed it, he didn't acknowledge it.

"None of that matters now, of course. As you can see, Tyler, there is no way out of this one. Why put up a fight. You never were one for lost causes."

Tyler glared at Blunt. "You haven't changed. You think that you can do whatever you want. Well your leverage is gone, Blunt. You can't make me work for you anymore."

Blunt smiled. "I'll figure something out. Now, are you going to insist on putting up a fight?"

There was a pause for a second. Then Tyler slowly turned to look at Alex.

"Don't let them do this to you, Alex. Get out while you can."

And everything that had happened suddenly became clear. Alex understood why Tyler had found it necessary to relive what was probably one of the worst memories of his life. He'd done so not for his own sake, but for Alex's.

Tyler stood up and slowly walked to the door. The two guards pointed two pistols at him. And these didn't look like dart pistols.

"Get out of my way." He said. The two agents turned to Blunt, unsure how to handle this. The stare down lasted for about half a minute. Then a dart hit Tyler in the back.

Everything seemed to slow down for a moment. Alex turned and saw Natalie, crying, holding the gun that had fired the dart. Tyler slumped forward, and fell to the earth. He stayed down, and didn't move.

Natalie continued to cry. Blunt stared at her for a moment, and then nodded to the other agents.

"Put him in the car." He said. "We'll take him back in a minute."

The two agents complied. One of them pulled Tyler over his shoulder and the two of them walked out. Now Alex and Natalie were alone with Allen Blunt. Blunt was smiling.

"Another job well done, you two."

Alex nodded. "Yes. Emphasis on done. I'm through with doing this, Blunt. I won't do your dirty work anymore."

Blunt smiled. "I'm sure Miss Starbright will be pleased to hear it."

Alex shook his head. He understood it, even if Blunt didn't yet.

"That isn't going to work anymore. I don't want to lose Jack, or my friends, or my school, or my house. But there are certain things I want to hang on to even more."

"Oh?" Blunt said. "And what might that be?"

"Like my identity. And my values. Those are things that get stripped away when I'm around you. I'm not letting you do that to me anymore."

Alex understood Tyler's warning. It was time for Alex to get out, before he lost everything that Tyler had. It was time to learn from other people's mistakes.

"So you can take Jackie. Send me to a boarding school. Sell my house. But don't think I'm going to sell my soul to the likes of you. You aren't worth it."

With that, Alex walked out of the apartment. Natalie and Blunt sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Natalie got up to go. Before she left, she turned to face Blunt.

"If you hurt that kid, I'll kill you myself, Blunt."

Natalie stormed out without waiting for a reply, leaving Allen Blunt alone in an empty apartment.