AN: hello my dearest readers!!! I am back with another one-shot that is not caught!!!

I am actually pretty proud of the title to this fic but everything else I don't know about so… you judge… and review!!!!! If you want of course no pressure here… but over there is another story…

Strangling the moon

Sinister was the only way to describe it, at least, if you were looking at it from Alex Rider's eyes.

Anyone else would probably have thought it beautiful; the cloud was rolling, tinged grey and silver against the powdery-blue twilight.

It looked just like the swirl milk makes when you just pour it into your tea, before it has time to blend.

The main body was enormous, and hundreds of tentacle-like strings twisted and stretched from it, reaching out to the bright, full moon as if they wished they could cling to it.

The ropes of fluff strained and strained, as if desperate for a chance to touch the glorious orb, perhaps embrace it, strangle it.

Defile its innocence.

In his minds eye Alex Rider saw the cloud as a predator, fixated on snatching its prey and killing it before it grew too strong. Before it could defend itself.

MI6 was a predator. A terrible, efficient hunter who fed off other peoples lives, and defeated them in the worst way imaginable.

For it is not the predator that kills the fastest, or is physically strongest, and it is not the hunter who can slaughter you in the most gruesome way possible that is the most fearsome of all the detestable things out there.

It is the one that stalks, and bides its time, the one who latches onto your only weak spot and won't ever let go. The one that plays with your mind and deludes you into thinking you are trapped, that you shouldn't even bother fighting because no matter what, they will always win.

MI6 were the second kind. They were evil and twisted and seemed to take joy in making peoples lives hell.

Well… Alex's at least.

MI6 was the cloud.

Alex was the moon.

They each had different weapons at their disposals.

MI6, the cloud, could block the sun, prevent the moon from breathing. But the moon, Alex, could shine, glow brightly through the clouds and bring calm to people's hearts.

Scene change

Alex shifted on the park bench that had been his home for the last seven days. Before the bench, his bed had been underneath a humungous oak tree. Before the oak, an abandoned house that was due for demolition.

All in all he had spent enough days outside in the cold to be sick, tired and extremely angry. He had not been a member of the homeless society for long but for someone who had just a month ago been living in a nice, middle-class house, with a housekeeper/adopted sister and $30,000 in a trust fund… he felt like he had achieved a lot in not dying; especially since he had a military intelligence organisation after him.

Not forgetting the vengeful terrorist organisation.

An owl perched on a high branch of a sapling that's leaves dangled just above Alex's feet. Alex watched it with curiosity… noting the majestic look in its eyes and the softness of its feathers. As he stared it raised its magnificent wings and pushed off from the branch, soaring into the air with ease.

Alex sighed. Maybe one day he would be free like the owl.

He closed his eyes, blotting out the moon and the cloud from his line of vision. The bitingly cold wind bit into his skin and seeped through his flesh and bones until it had nestled itself comfortably inside Alex's heart.

Maybe one day.

The first feeble rays of pale gold sunshine woke Alex the next morning at dawn. Everything had turned to frost while he slept and he felt like he had just spent the night submerged in a pool of ice water.

He heaved himself up into a sitting position and groaned as his stiff limbs protested. He stretched his arms and slowly got to his feet. Jumping up and down on the spot, he tried to work feeling back into his arms and legs.

The nights were getting colder; he had to find another place to sleep.

He gazed out at the park, and felt his spirits lift as he took in the playground.

The colourful metals had frosted over and dew drops clung to the monkey bars.

The lush green grass was in need of a cut and it had turned silver in the night.

One of the swings swung slightly, moved but a cold breeze. It was beautiful.

He took a step forward, intending to make his way to the public toilets so he could wash up a little. A snap stopped him mid step.

His instincts flared and he spun around, arms coming up in a defensive position.

Always he would be prey. Never would they stop hunting him.

The man was broad shouldered and strong. His dark brown hair barely concealed by a baseball cap. He wasted no time in warning Alex, or asking him to come quietly. They both knew the drill.

Alex had already thwarted four other attacks since he had given up and quit MI6.

All four times the agent had been left were they fell, unconscious and bruised.

Only once had Alex regretted fighting back. They had sent Ben, thinking he would be able to coerce Alex into going with him, thinking he would be much more reluctant to fight the familiar man who had saved his life.

They had been right. Alex had been reluctant. As had Ben, when Alex had explained. But orders were orders and Alex was forced to leave Ben lying on the concrete outside the condemned house.

The unknown agent lunged at him, fist flying straight at Alex's face.

He would rely on pure strength. Alex dodged. He was concentrating deeply on the ay the man moved, studying his tactics.

It took less then ten seconds to figure out how to beat him.

Alex ran at the man, and then dodged. The man's punch swung wide, a mere centimetre from Alex's face. Quickly, Alex used the guy's strength against him. Grasping his arm and pulling. The man stumbled forward, off balance. Alex twisted his arm around his back and a knee to the spine finished the fluid motion as the agent crashed to the ground.

The man grunted and tried to get up. Alex shifted; he wasn't strong enough to keep the man on the ground. With a sigh he brought his hand up… and let it come smashing down.

The man fell unconscious instantly.

Alex got to his feet, glaring down at the agent.

"Leave me alone." He growled, knowing it would be picked up by the earpiece hanging form the mans ear.

Then he ran.

It would not take long for a car to arrive. They would have had one waiting for when the unconscious agent brought him back.

Alex frowned.

Why had they only sent one man? Wouldn't MI6 have learnt one person wasn't enough to take him down?

This fight had hardly been worth it. At least the other four had put up some sort of a battle… were they giving up? Was this the last attempt? Weak because they couldn't be bothered? A last ditch attempt?

Alex stopped dead when he realised he was grinning.

No. I will always be prey. I will not get my hopes up. He glanced behind him. A man and a woman in business suits were running up to their fallen colleague.

Alex turned back around and started sprinting. A second later he was engulfed in a thick copse of trees.

Their light green leaves shielded him from view and he leant back against one broad, cold trunk.

He glimpsed soft yellow and orange glimmers through holes in the dense foliage, brighter then before.

The sun was coming. He closed his eyes, warming up as the rays fell on him.

He imagined the cold seeping from his fingertips, evaporating with every frozen breath.

Banished until the moon rose once more and the hunt for survival began again.

AN: Hope you liked! Lies.