"What did you just say?"

Surely he had misheard. It couldn't be...

It was impossible, even for a Rider...

But those words, that grin and the damn fimilar gleam to those eyes.

It was all too fimilar to the spy, a look he had seen countless of times, but on another's face. What were the possibilites that two men with matching personalities would give him that same look as they spewed words only four people should know- Three of which were dead.

Maybe he had misheard?

The ropes were probably too tight or maybe fumes from the vat below them were messing with his head?

Yet that didn't explain how the man had known him a little too well for someone he only recently meet. It didn't explain the way he looked at Alex- with such an utter sense of longing and pride- when he thought no one was paying attention. It didn't explain why the man stayed near him or why he was constantly almost calling him by the damnable only his older brother knew.

Maybe... Rider's were known to do the impossible- just look at him.

Could Sirius be... Could John have...

No.

It was a coincidence- even if he didn't believe in such things- because if it wasn't...

If it wasn't that would mean John had knowingly and willingly abandoned Alex, not only to Ian's rather lacking parential skils but to Blunt's reach and future influence.

It was best for everyone if Sirius was just a man who had an extreme likeness in both attitude and personality to John Rider instead of Ian's rather possible theory being true. Sirius Black could not be John Rider, no matter what noticeable signs told him otherwise.

It had to be that way. He had to ignore the rather painful and obvious signs for both his and Alex's sakes because if he didn't...

Well Alex would be becoming an orphan twice over.

That was a close one.

Trying his best to ignore the sweat glistening down his face and into his eyes- wither from the steaming heat of the vat below them or sudden disquiet of discovery and its consequences - Sirius couldn't help but mentally sigh in relief as he allowed his body to go slack into the rope.

For a moment there the dark haired incarnate was certain he had blown his own cover but thankfully Ian was still as gullibly naïve as he had always been.

He was going to have to be more careful with his words around his brother if he didn't want to get caught and suffer a rather painful and agonizing death via Angry Ian Rider.

The only thing worse then an angry Ian Rider was an angry Yassen Gregorovich helping said Rider.

Alex couldn't help the sense of mild annoyance that consumed him. It seemed every time he fount his wayward Uncle some twist of Fate would yank the elder Spy out of his reach.

A part of him knew it wasn't Ian's fault but Gods above he was putting a leash on the man the next time he fount him.

And while he was at it he might as well but one of Black- honestly of all the gormless, reckless, simpleminded, self righteous...

No, Black wasn't his problem- He would leave that to the obviously suicidal man's friends- Ian was his problem...And apparently everyone else who seemed to have made a habit of kidnapping the spy every time blond teenager turned his back.

Why anyone wanted a spy like Ian though was beyond the youngest Rider's reasoning though he fully intended to find out and while he was at it maybe figure out how this 'Harry Potter' the child pedophile and his...

Organization- a whole secret group of pedophiles calling theirselves the 'Order of the Phoenix'- kept talking about tied into this situation.

Gormless- slightly lacking in the common sense department