A/N: hello! so this is my first published Alex Rider Fic. I haven't read the series in a while so if i miss anything, I'm sorry and you can let me know and ill try and add it in. i'd love to know what you think so please review! I'm not sure if i should continue or not so let me know!:) hope you like it!

Disclaimer: i sadly do not own Alex Rider... but I'm working on it!;)

"And what is the answer to the equation on the board. Has anyone figured it out yet?"

Alex was sitting in the back of his college maths class. He would have rather been anywhere else but there but he sadly had no choice in the matter. If he wanted to keep his football scholarship he had to keep his marks up. His friend Matthew was in the desk next to him doodling in his textbook. Again. He reminded Alex so much of his old friend Tom. It had been almost 5 years since he had seen him. 5 years since-. His train of thought was cut short by the teacher.

"Alex. Can you please come up and solve the equation on the board?"

He sighed and scribbled down his answer on the board, knowing full well it was probably wrong, before taking a seat again. Only 35 more minutes before class ended and then he had football practice with the team. He could wait that long…maybe.

As the bell rang to dismiss class Alex shot up and gathered his things. Matthew was right behind him as they hurried through the hallways to the change rooms. They got there and changed with 2 minutes to spare; a record for them as their maths class was all the way across the grounds. They jogged out onto the field and joined their team.

"Wow! New record, mate! Did you sprint all the way here?" his friend Colin laughed as he playfully punched Alex in the shoulder. He had to suppress the urge to flinch and defend himself even though he knew Colin was just playing around. Old habits die hard he thought as they lined up around the net and got ready to take some shots. 45 minutes later they had a water break before they changed from drills to a practice match.

"did you see that shot Jared made! That was brilliant!" Matthew and Colin were talking to a few of the other guys on the team about Jared's perfect shot on the goalie. Alex had to admit it was good but it still amused him how exited his team got about the smallest things. He froze as he saw a shadow flit through the trees on the perimeter of the field. He watched for another minute but when he didn't see it again he tried to shake it off. It was probably a bird or something.

Matt called Alex onto the field. "Oi! Alex! Come on mate, were starting!"

Alex ran onto the field and got into position between Matt and a boy named Wyatt. He was center mid because he was the best on his team at endurance running. The whistle blew and they started the match. There were shouts from all around the field as to where to pass and Alex got swept up in the game.

"Cross!"

"Man on, Keith!"

"Pass!"

"Tyler, I'm open!"

Even though Alex tried to brush it off, he couldn't help feel like he was being watched. He kept looking over to the trees to see if the shadow was there again. And soon enough it only felt like minutes when the whistle blew again, signaling the end. It was beginning to get dark. They met in the center of the field, every boy trying to catch their breath. Keith, the captain spoke up.

"Alright, listen up you lot. That was good but we can do better. Eric, your passing was sloppy. Matt, if you've got the opportunity to head it then please do. Alex, keep your head in the game! It was like you were in neverland half the time or something-" he was interrupted by Garrett, the boy who seemed to have it out for Alex.

"Yeah, Cooper. Get your head out of the clouds." He sneered and Alex glared at him in return.

"Oh sod off, Garrett."

Keith gave them both a dirty look and continued to criticise. "Colin, stop talking to the other people on the field about tomorrow night's party. I know it's important but the middle of a football match isn't the place to talk about it…."

After he had addressed all the players they trudged inside to get changed. Alex pretended to forget his water bottle on the bench and waved his team ahead. He knew he should let it be, but he was too paranoid. Once a spy, always a spy, he thought. His training had been drilled into his head to the point where it was now reflex. He silently cursed Ian for getting him into the business and was glad that he was now past the legal age and had declined MI6's offer to join as a fully fledged agent. Jones had been forced to agree as she had nothing left to blackmail Alex with. Everyone he cared about was dead. Two days after his birthday, Alex had disappeared, leaving behind no trace of where he had gone. He was now known as Alex Cooper from Newport, UK. After looking around and deciding that he was just being paranoid he turned to go back inside when he came face to face with a man in black holding a gun.

"Alex Rider. You have hidden well. But now that we have found you, our boss would very much like to see you with a bullet through your head." The man spoke with a heavy Scottish accent and confidence. He obviously thought Alex couldn't beat him. Alex snorted, already positioned in a defensive stance.

"Yeah, cause that's gonna happen"

He didn't give the man time to respond before attacking. He lunged forwards, knocking the gun out of his hand and aiming a punch at the man's face. He blocked it and Alex sent a kick to his stomach. The man recovered quickly and managed to punch Alex in the nose. Alex went down and the man laughed.

"The great Alex Rider. You're nothing like what you've been described. One little punch in the nose as you're done." The man was laughing and didn't notice Alex going for the gun the man had dropped. He smiled up at the man and he stopped laughing.

"What are you smiling about?" he demanded.

"The fact that you are all as stupid as the next." And with that he pulled the trigger. The man dropped to the ground, a bullet hole in his forehead. Alex got up and examined the man. If whoever this was knew how to find him, did MI6 know? He shook his head and grabbed the gun, making his way to the change room. How was he going to explain his broken nose? Alex wondered if they would buy the story of him getting mugged. Well he was going to find out. Slipping the gun into the waistband of his shorts, Alex walked through the door to the change room and smiled at Matt. His friend stared at him with wide eyes.

"Whoa. What happened to you?" he asked, clearly taken aback by the blood.

"I was jumped by the bleachers." Alex said, mentally crossing his fingers that he would just buy the story and move on.

"Oh." It was clear that Matthew didn't believe the story but he let it slide when he saw the pleading expression his friends was giving him. Most of the boys had already gone and there was only 4 left, including Alex. Alex had cleaned off the blood from his face and as he was packing up his bag he heard a voice from the other side of the lockers that definitely did not belong to his team mates.

"Where is he?" the voice demanded. Alex could hear the sound of the hammer on the gun being pulled back.

It was Colin who answered in a shaking voice. "Who?"

"Rider!" growled the man and a shiver ran down Alex's spine.

"I-I don't know a Rider!" Colin cried. "I'm sorry!"

The other boy spoke up and Alex inwardly groaned. Garrett.

"Hey, mate. We don't know any Rider! Just let us go!" his whiny voice seemed to irritate the man even further.

"He was on the damn field with you!"

Alex looked over at Matthew to see him frozen in fear. He motioned for him to be quiet as he walked around the lockers.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" the man asked as Alex pretended to try and slip out the door unseen.

Alex turned around slowly and tried to look scared as he noticed the gun pointed at the two boys move to point at him.

"Whoa! Please don't shoot me!"

The man smiled and eyed Alex. "Liars. You can't protect him from us. He's had it coming for a long time now. Sit down beside your friends, Rider. Now, is there anyone else in here?"

Alex tried to play dumb. "Who's Rider?"

The man pulled out a knife and threw it. It lodged itself in the wall behind Alex.

"I said sit." He growled before going around the room and coming back with a terrified looking Matt. He sat down next to the other boys and waited.

"Four for the price of one!" said the man gleefully. "Now stop playing dumb or this one gets it." The gun was now pointed at Colin. He pulled back the hammer and Alex made a split second decision and stood up.

"What the fuck are you doing, Cooper?!" Garrett hissed.

"Cooper, is it now? Can't say I like it…Alex."

Matt's expression of terror morphed into one of confusion. "How does he know your name?" he whispered.

Alex just continued to glare at the man in front of him. Out of the corner of his eyes he was taking n as much as he possibly could about the locker room and the man in front of him. He could see he was standing in a position that would allow him to strike out lethally at any moment. A stance Alex was mimicking almost exactly. The man was holding the gun with a nonchalant sort of grip, something that suggested he was familiar with the weapon and knew how to use it. Alex could still feel the cold metal against his back of the gun that he had quickly slipped into the waistband of his trousers after he got changed. He just hoped he would be fast enough if it came to him having to use it. He didn't want to have to reveal his identity to his classmates, especially Matthew, but his top priority was getting them out of this safely.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, a safe question that anyone would ask in this kind of situation.

"You don't know?" the man said, a hint of disappointment could be heard in his voice. "I thought you of all people would be able to tell. I mean you were one, right?"

This made Alex's blood run cold. He couldn't be insinuating what he thought he was. He thought they were all dead after he had taken them down from the inside.

"That's not possible."

The man laughed a cold laugh. "You didn't think we were all dead, did you? You had to know that we would try and rebuild."

The three boys were watching the interaction with confusion. How did this man know Alex? And why was he talking about him being one of them? Matt knew that the man had to be barking mad because he knew Alex. Better than anyone. He had known him for almost 4 years and they were best mates. Alex must just be going along with it, trying to be brave or something stupid like always. That is until Alex started talking again.

"No. SCORPIA is dead. Gone. Destroyed. I made sure of that. You don't even have a leader anymore!"

"Oh but we do. What's that phrase again? 'never underestimate your opponent'. Although I suppose in this case it would be enemy."

The man continued smiling as he turned to look at Colin. "Here's another one for the conscience, Rider." And then he pulled the trigger. But Alex was already there. Matt watched as his friend moved faster than anyone should be able to. He shot forwards and kicked the man in the knee, causing him to fall to the ground, his shot missing Colin by inches before he dropped the gun. The man cried out in pain as Alex grabbed his hair and pulled his head back before kneeing him in the nose. He got up and came at the spy, throwing wild punches and missing all of them. His anger was making him reckless and Alex knew it. Alex ducked one of his hits and came up under him, sending his hand up into his throat and causing the man to drop to the floor trying to breathe.

Then Alex pulled out the gun that he had hidden and pointed it at the man. "Like you said: never underestimate your opponent."

The sound of the gunshot rang out through the room and the three boys were staring wide eyed at Alex as he put the gun back in his waistband and turned around. The look in his eyes was cold, hard and not Alex. Matt shivered at the look Alex had on. It was like a mask until it melted off and he seemed to notice his classmates were there. they stared at each other until Garrett (no surprise there) broke the silence.

"What the fuck was that, Cooper?!" he yelled

Alex rounded on him and glared, causing Garrett to visibly back off.

"The less you know, the better, Walker. But if you tell anyone what happened here I will come after you. we clear?" Garrett nodded and Alex turned to Matt.

"Er, we need to talk." Alex said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"No shit, Sherlock!" cried Matt but Alex just turned and walked out the door to the field.

Matt walked out to find his friend crouched near something on the far end, near the bench. It was already dark out but as he got closer he could make out a body and he stopped.

"Was he the one that broke your nose?" Alex nodded in response and stood up holding another gun and a wicked looking knife.

"Beautiful weapon, this….. You ever shot a gun before, Matt?"

"No! and I hadn't thought you'd have shot one either! Who the hell are you?!"

Alex checked the gun over before turning to look at his friend.

"OK…well my name isn't really Alex Cooper and I'm not from Newport." Matt was about to interrupt but was cut off by a wave of Alex's hand.

"My name is Alex Rider."

Matt supposed it sort of made sense that Alex wasn't who he said he was. He had watched him fight off a full grown, trained man and he had obviously done it to the man lying dead on the field in front of him. It was clear that Alex had also killed before and that troubled Matt. Not the fact that he had done it before but the fact that he was completely unaffected by what he had done. It was scary. It was silent as Alex picked up the body and started towards the car park with Matt in tow. As Alex dumped the man into the boot of his car Matt spoke up.

"How is any of this even possible?!"

Alex slammed it closed and turned to look at Matt. "Honestly, you don't want to know. And you would probably be disgusted. Most people are. Well except for this one bloke, he was a funny one. Always going off about his-"

"Alex!" he shut up quickly as Matt used the most serious voice he could muster. Alex glared at him with his arms crossed. He looked almost childlike.

"Oh come off it! Will you just tell me already?" Matt instantly regretted asking as Alex looked at him with an unhooded gaze and spoke with a flat and emotionless voice.

"I think the less you know, the better."

A/N: right, I'll make this short. What do you think? should i keep going? REVIEW and let me know!