The last time I updated, Scorpia Rising hadn't come out yet, so let's say this takes place in a universe where that doesn't happen. I'm also sorry that it actually took that long to update, but every now and then I get an email telling me that another person put the story on alert and that makes me so happy. Therefore, I will definitely be finishing the story though it's just gonna take a while.

Jack had made it perfectly clear to Alex many times that she didn't approve of his lifestyle, but for better or worse, she always watched out for him. After having known him for most of his life, she understood that he needed the support of a friend more than any fancy gadget MI6 could offer him. She knew him better than anyone else in the world and because of that, the young woman thought she had seen and heard it all when it came to his life.

But that phone call from Alex was perhaps the most terrifying thing she'd ever experienced. None of the precious little Alex had told her in the past about his missions struck fear in her heart life his voice over that phone. Hollow and confused, but most of all, afraid.

And in the midst of all her worrying, Jack laughed.

She laughed at her fourteen year old charge trying to reassure her that things would work out, but it there was no humor in her heart. Her thoughts wandered to how his life had gotten so out of hand, and how five years ago, she figured the worst she wouldn't be able to protect him from was a bully he couldn't fight or a girl breaking his heart. The young woman had also seen enough action movies in her lifetime to know that she was being followed by the blue car behind her.

What she would do next would go against everything those movies—not to mention what her copy of Cosmopolitan advised about avoiding would-be attackers— had ever taught her. The first thing she did was panic. The second? Formulate a plan. She would look back on it a few hours later and realize it was a horrible plan, mostly because she had allowed herself to panic before deciding that confronting her pursuer with a crowbar would be the most rational thing to do in the situation.

Jack quickly turned on her emergency lights and gradually pulled over on the side of the empty highway. She watched as several cars sped by, unfazed by her distress. As she suspected, the blue car that had consistently trailed four cars behind her followed suit.

In the rearview mirror, Jack saw the driver exit the car. Her mind worked furiously, trying to convince her that she could take this man. He didn't seem particularly large or well muscled, though it was hard to tell through his coat. She took deep breath and opened her own door.

"Sir, do you think you can help me take a look at my car? I'm not sure, but I think I could use a jump…" Jack called to him, sticking her head out and looking towards him with a flustered expression.

"Of course, miss," he responded amiably enough as he walked towards her, with an accent not quite English. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll get you on your way."

Jack's gut was screaming that this was exactly the vague response an attacker would give and her hand tightened around the crowbar once he reached her. She figured the same thing was going through his head, he probably didn't want to show his hand until he got close enough to grab her.

Exiting the vehicle in what could only be described as a combination of jumping and falling, she struck out in the general direction of the man's head with all the strength she could muster, deciding that his average stature would even the odds somewhat.

It didn't.

Without so much as blinking, he caught her weapon with one hand and looked more annoyed than anything else. He stood there and watched her trying to pry her weapon lose for a few seconds before finally wrenching it out of her out of her hands and tossing it behind the guardrail, out of reach.

Her reflexes surprising even herself, Jack jumped on the hood of her car and held her hands up in what she only hoped was a threatening manner.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you! I learned martial arts in a monastery where they made me shave my head!" Just hearing the words come out of her mouth made her want to give up right there.

Instead of attacking her, the man finally laughed, something that almost never happened to a man of his disposition.

"Are you done yet? I'll admit that I'm very amused by all this, but I don't have all day. In fact, I really need to be on my way."

"I will not make it easy for you to kill me!"

"I'm not—" he was interrupted by the sound of several black SUVs racing down the road, screeching to a halt in front of both their cars, efficiently creating a roadblock. The man cursed under his breath, yet Jack observed that he seemed to counting… whether it was the cars, the number of men, or even the seconds as they ticked by, she wasn't sure. Yet, he seemed completely unfazed.

The next two minutes went by at lightning speed, even Jack found it difficult to keep up as the man pulled out two guns from his waistband that she didn't even realize he was carrying. With incredibly precise aim, he hit the first five people while their own machine guns seemed to miss him completely. Then, instead of taking cover behind his car, he simply threw the two hand guns through the window and reached in to pull out a machine gun of his own, easily dispatching anyone that was still standing. There was neither arrogance nor satisfaction in his facial expression as he carried out his work.

When he was done, he walked back over to Jack, still petrified and perched on her car from earlier.

"Have you been hit?"

"No… not that it's any of your business!" she snapped.

"I don't have the patience for this," he said, reaching up and wrapping his free arm around her waist and dragging her back over to his car. The stranger threw his weapon in the back seat and deposited her in the passenger seat.

At this point, Jack felt too stunned to argue or even fight him off anymore. He may not have pulled a gun on her during their confrontation, but seeing what he did to a team of twelve mean made her realize she didn't want to test him.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I know Alex Rider."

"A lot of people know Alex Rider, most of them are very unsavory characters."

"I will be honest with you, I am one of those unsavory characters you speak of."

"Oh God, you're going to kill me… I'm going to die," Jack despaired.

"I assure you, your life is safe in my hands. Consider Alex and I allies. My name is Yassen Gregorivich."