Heya everyone! This is my second fanfic and I'm so excited. I don't know exactly where this one will go yet but I know that my amazing readers will help. This story is also featuring Yassen and Sarov but it's just Alex. NO slash and please don't flame me.

Anyway please enjoy and review to tell me what you all think!

Disclaimer: What do you think?

There is a point where time ceases to exist.

The teenage boy made his way down a deserted corridor, the echoes of footsteps minutes behind urging him onward, always onward. There was a chance he would make it. He had to.

His body thirsted for a reprieve, the days of constant pain and torture melting in his mind. Survival was the main concern and no one was going to stop him this time.

The facility in which he had been taken was dull grey in color, the lifeless halls rarely interrupted by sliding electrical doors. No one was in sight and he could almost taste outdoors looming just ahead.

He came upon an intersection, breathing hard and clueless how to proceed. Veering left he came to a cement door with no electronic eye to open automatically when someone gets close. That could mean two things; outdoors, or a room off limits to the nobodies who worked in the underground facility. With no time to waste, he kicked at the old fashioned lock and was rewarded with the door swinging viciously open.

Light accosted the teenager as he stepped out on the grassy floor. A clearing surrounded by forests was in front of him, the blue sky interrupted by pale clouds waltzing across the expanse. He took a long breath and hurried out, heading towards the forest. MI6 had planted a locator in his back but they had not come to his rescue as they always said they would; imagine that.

His body hurt from the beatings he had endured as a captive but he kept on, not daring to stop.

A man emerged from the foliage, his forest greens aiding in his disguise. Alex stopped, wary and angry that it had taken them so little time to find him and that he didn't have the strength to fight.

"Alex Rider?" The man's voice came out as a question though who else would be near an underground SCORPIA facility, bloody and bruised.

"I'll not go back," stated Alex defensively, mustering the last of his endurance. His stoic face portrayed none of his emotions, but his body was becoming uncooperative very fast. He gritted his teeth in determination. He would NOT give up now.

"I'm here to help, Rider," said the man patiently. "But we need to get moving." Alex nodded suspiciously and began striding through the foliage. But the teen spy, Alex Rider, failed to see the hand signals to the men waiting in the bushes and the text message the man sent while his back was turned.

Mission Accomplished.

ARARARARARARAR

A plane waited on an airfield three miles away. It sat dormant for the moment, the silence in the cabin palpable.

Yassen Gregorovich sat motionless in a padded chair, awaiting the arrival of the package. Two years after his near death experience, the assassin had led SCORPIA to believe in his demise while freelancing under the name of Cossack.

He was unsure why he had agreed to General Alexi Sarov's offer of a job dealing with Alex Rider or why he was allowing the boy to know he was alive. Over the years he had checked up on Alex, his strange bond in his mentor's son unexplainable. He had always prided himself in his ability to quarantine his emotions, eventually not letting himself feel at all.

But Alex was different. He was John Rider's son.

And he was going to be trained to be the best.

A man led a tall blonde teenager out of the forest. None of the other men were visible though Yassen knew they were there. Alex must have made it out on his own.

Yassen could see the cautious movements from the boy, suspicion laced with weariness gracing his features. His body was taunt with pain but his perfect physique was undeniable. Yes, he was definitely the best choice. The only choice.

Dialing a number on his mobile, the assassin heard two rings before a cultured, hard voice interrupted.

"Yes?"

"We're almost ready."

"Injuries?"

"We'll know once he's on board. We should be there in five hours, six at the most."

"Good." The line went dead.

ARARARARARAR

Alex took inventory of where he hurt as the man led him through the forest to a clearing. He knew bruises marred his face and his ribs were black and blue, one possibly broken. Minor abrasions speckled his skin but he could fight if he had to. He could not go back.

A plane stood dormant on a wide runway, the white body devoid of decoration or insignia. The windows were tainted and the man beside him seemed to grow more agitated with every step.

All at once, Alex felt a presence, the forest obscuring any view of the person he knew was there. Alex stopped, earning a confused glance from the man.

"What is it?"

"There's someone out there," stated Alex in a hushed tone, no doubt in his voice.

"Nonsense. Let's go." The man tried to pull Alex by the arm but the teen easily maneuvered out of the man's hold. All pretense left the man as he stood facing Alex squarely. "Get on the plane, Rider." The authority and emotionless voice cued the young spy in on what he had missed; the quiet assurance, stealthy gate, finely toned muscles. The man had to be an agent.

Or an assassin, his mind countered.

He mentally slapped himself for his stupidity. How could he have missed the signs? His blood froze. Was the man SCORPIA?

He had no more time to think for at that moment, twenty men stepped from the surrounding forest, all in camouflage uniforms and carrying semi-automatics. Circling around, they prevented escape, the open lane leading to the plane.

"Who are you," Alex asked with clenched teeth, anger boosting his lagging energy.

"Friends," the man said, "unless you don't cooperate."

"And if I don't," asked Alex obstinately.

"We'll force you."

No way.

Before anyone was ready, Alex had struck out towards the nearest soldier, his right foot colliding with his sternum. As the others were startled into action, Alex had already thrown one burly man past him, his weight carrying him towards the forest's waiting arms. Arms encircled the teen's torso, trapping his arms to his sides. One soldier walked forward but missed the bunching of Alex's abdominal muscles. The front kick took him completely off guard, knocking him on his back.

An elbow to the stomach and head butt to the chin set Alex free and he surveyed who next to fight.

Just as the soldier in front of him started to close in, a man snuck behind and tackled him to the ground. The air whooshed out of his lungs, dark spots dancing in his eyes. Pain shot from the now fully broken rib and he clenched his teeth to keep from crying out.

As the man bent to pull him to his feet, Alex struggled against the hold but found a gun pressed into his neck. On his feet, his hands were bound in front, a stupid move on their part he thought. Even without the gun in his neck, there were too many to take on by himself; he would bide his time.

The soldiers glanced at him warily, some nursing injuries and one trying to stifle the bleeding from his nose. Inwardly, Alex was grinning at the visible battering these men took because of him but outwardly he could barely put one foot in front of the other.

Breathing was painful. Just gazing at the flight of stairs leading to the open portal of the plane made his side twinge in agony.

Unknowingly or purposefully ignoring his discomfort, the man who first approached him outside the SCORPIA compound prodded Alex forward.

A deep forest green met him as Alex's eyes adjusted to the interior lights. The carpet was a rich green and the seats a stylish beige. Windows lined the luxurious cabin. No one could be seen and only two of the twenty men followed their leader onboard.

"Where are your cronies," asked Alex sarcastically.

More than fed up with Alex by now, the man pushed him forcefully into one of the chairs and buckled him tightly in.

"Wouldn't want you to wander accidentally from the plane, would we?"

Forsaking his bravado, Alex glared hotly at the man. "Who are you with? MI6? SCORPIA?" Alex wanted to know who he was dealing with so as to give him a clue how to proceed.

To the teen's surprise, the man laughed. "All in good time, Rider. All in good time."

Alex angrily yanked at his restraints, his breathing labored from pain but the necessity to escape was choking.

Grinning humorously, the man walked to the men waiting below the stairs and shouted orders to start preparations for take-off. A few moments later, the large door was closed, escape impossible.

No, I'll just wait. Desperation gets agents killed.

The revving of engines could be heard and the two men who had followed their leader on board just stood dumbly by the closed portal.

"So, how did you guys find me anyway?" Making conversation seemed the best answer though silence was more his style.

"A friend," was all they said.

"Friends that like to put scorpions in your bedroll and watch when you get in or friends who come over without asking?"

They shrugged. "You'll find out."

Frustration mounted along with his headache that had formed when being tackled in the clearing. If he was going to think of an escape plan, he needed a clear head and the haze of pain was making it impossible.

"Would one of you perhaps have pain killers on you," asked Alex innocently.

Sighing in exasperation, one of the burly men disappeared through a hallway behind Alex.

Moments later, the teen had successfully wriggled out of his bonds and had disarmed the now unconscious guard. During his skirmish, Alex failed to hear the approach of someone from behind until the man spoke.

"Here are your pills," came the voice, clear and familiar. The teen froze; he knew that voice. He shivered in realization of who the deep, slightly accented voice belonged to.

Turning slowly, Alex looked towards the hallway where a familiar face greeted him with a stoic expression of nothingness.

Crap.

ARARARARARARAR

Okay, so what do you guys think? Something to keep going on or not? When I get a few reviews and see if this is even a good idea, I'll update, so please just tell me what you guys think so I know if it's worth it. thank you all and God bless!