Chapter 4

It was the next Saturday and Nancy was in her home waiting for Alex Rider to come. She had asked her colleagues about Alex's symptoms but none of them seemed to know what the symptoms added up to. Nancy felt slightly guilty at the fact that she had done exactly what Alex had asked her not to. She remembered those all too serious dark brown eyes boring into her eyes that previous Monday when he had been called out of class. She had found herself strangely drawn to the child. He intrigued her. She wanted to uncover those secrets.

'Don't mention this to anyone outside of the school,' begged the boy.

Alex had then turned on his heal and returned to P.E. classroom. Nancy presumed that the boy was paranoid about anyone finding out he was having therapy. But the psychologist believed he needed it. No child should look that serious ever. But if only the boy would tell her the truth so Nancy could help. She couldn't tell where the truth ended and the lies began. But she knew in her gut that he was keeping something from her, something big. Despite the bruises the fact that he could talk so easily about his guardian led her to the belief that he wasn't being abused.

Then what were his secrets? And where had he really obtained all the scars from? Why did he have such old eyes? Why was he always missing from school? In the name of the wee man that boy was such a mystery. And Nancy Kaspar really hated mysteries! But little did she know that right this moment across town several armed men were moving across the city. The events of this afternoon Nancy would lead Doctor Kaspar to become the patient when she found out the truth about Brookland's most mysterious student.

At exactly one O'clock Nancy heard her doorbell ring. Nancy was slightly surprised none of her other teenagers had arrived on time even with their parents there. Nancy turned up at the door where Alex Rider was standing his longish blonde hair flowing in the air. Alex's eyes were as serious as ever and he was looking calm with little (if any) emotions playing upon them. He was wearing what seemed to be a motorbike suit (1). Typical teenaged boy too young to drive but still adoring vehicles Nancy thought. At least there was something ordinary about Alex.

Nancy looked at the boy from his sturdy black leather boots to his tight fitting leather trousers and jacket. When Alex turned to walk into the living room she saw the back of his jacket there a symbol that she recognized. It was a dagger with wings and the motto "who dares wins" (2). Nancy had seen it before on the news and knew it to be the SAS symbol. Nancy could only presume that the boy like so many others his age saw the heroes of the SAS and wished to join. But that didn't fit in with the young boy's essay. There was another oddity about Alex Rider. Was this boy anything but a mystery?

She and Alex had settled into the lemon yellow living room with laminate flooring. There was a large bay window which Alex couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding about. Alex somehow doubted that the window of a psychologist's living room was bullet proof. Alex sat down on the white armchair in the corner deciding that in this very open room it was best be here where he could jump either way if there were any attackers. Alex hated being in a room like this that made him feel so vulnerable.

Well at least he had his bullet proof clothing on. Alex had managed to get one with an SAS symbol which he knew the psychologist would have spotted even if she wouldn't realise what it meant. It wasn't until the psychologist sat down all to near the window for Alex's liking that the talk began once more. Alex didn't know why but he was feeling quite uneasy just now. Alex hadn't planned on coming here but Ben (who had received the letter from the school) had said that it would look suspicious if he didn't come so Alex had come. But he had given her another background check and she had come out fine.

'How are you feeling today, Alex?' smiled Nancy.

'Good,' Alex said not expanding on that.

'So what have you done today so far?' asked Nancy expecting him to say sleeping didn't all teenagers sleep until like one in the afternoon.

'Went for a run,' the boy said.

Did this boy do anything that was expected of him wondered Nancy. Nancy knew the answer to that question. No! Alex Rider was just unusual. She wondered if he was worried about his weight. It was something more associated with females than males but it could happen sometimes. Nancy decided she would check to see if her worries were true. But he hadn't appeared to be. He certainly had plenty of food if he refused to eat foods high in E numbers or were too fatty unlike most teenaged boys.

'Any particular reason?' asked Nancy.

'Want to keep fit,' replied Alex.

'Anything else?' asked Nancy.

'Did some catch up work,' replied Alex.

'Good, good,' Nancy said. 'Did you find that difficult?'

'Not particularly,' shrugged Alex.

'Do you find that the work is too easy for you?' asked Nancy.

'Only Spanish,' replied Alex.

'Spanish?' asked Nancy.

'I lived in Spain for a year when I was six,' replied Alex.

'Did you like it there?' asked Nancy.

'The weather was nice,' replied Alex giving absolutely nothing away to Nancy.

Nancy sighed, 'any friends?'

'I went to a Spanish school,' Alex said.

'Did you find it hard to fit in with the Spainyards?' asked Nancy.

'I was six,' Alex replied.

Nancy was beginning to wonder if she would find anything out about this mysterious boy. In her two sessions with him she had found out that Alex's guardian Ben Daniels had a mate called Ben Edwards. Ben Edwards got hyper when he was on sugar or caffeine. He had a housekeeper who became his guardian until she too died in another car crash whilst holidaying in Egypt. Ian Rider often worked away. Alex liked to keep fit, was fluent in Spanish having lived there when he was six. Did that boy give anything away?

'How did you feel coming back to England?' asked Nancy.

'It was cold,' Alex said wryly.

'Did you miss your friends?' asked Nancy.

'I was six,' repeated Alex.

'How about at school now only Tom Harris seems to be your friend. How does make you feel?' asked Nancy.

'I have Tom,' Alex said.

'Do you find your rely on him?' asked Nancy.

'Hardly,' Alex replied.

'Alex I can't help you if you don't give me anything to work on,' Nancy said.

'Who said I need help?' asked Alex sharply. 'A newbie teacher,' he sneered.

'I think you do,' Nancy said ignoring the jibe on her colleague. At least he was now responding.'

'Rosenhan, 1973,' replied Alex.

Nancy knew what Alex was referring to. In 1973 David Rosenhan had done an experiment on how mentally ill patients were diagnosed. He and several of his associates pretended to have hallucinations to get them checked into a mental hospital. After that they dropped the act. It took months for them to be let out of the hospitals. It was found that the staff saw normal signs as the sign of mental illness (3). Nancy realised that Alex was implying that she was seeing what she wanted to see.

Nancy frowned unsure what to say to the boy right that second. But it turned out that she didn't need to think of what to say as she was interrupted. Just as Nancy was thinking of what to say the glass in her living room window shattered into a million bits. There framed in the pale winter sun were three men dressed in black ninja suits obscuring their faces. But what terrified Nancy more than anything was the fact that they were all carrying large guns. That was when Alex Rider had bounded in front of her and pushed her down behind the sofa with an order.

'Okay stay down and whatever happens DON'T get involved,' he said putting particular emphasis on the word "don't".

Nancy was in too much shock to not listen to Alex so let him push her down behind the sofa. Nancy watched as the teenager turned and faced the ninjas. It felt vaguely like a scene out of bad film. It was then that Nancy noticed the silver shapes on their arms glittering. Alex didn't even look frightened. It was as though he did this every day. What was Alex Rider involved in? He was just a kid! Nancy felt herself shaking. She knew she was having a panic attack. It was usually her who dealt with panicking children but now she had no idea how to help herself.

'Ah well if it isn't SCORPIA you would think after everything you would give up on trying to murder me,' Alex said.

Nancy could only watch in horror as the scene before her unfolded. So the ninjas were after Alex! But they didn't seem like a normal teenage gang. So then what in the name of all that's holy was Alex Rider involved in? Who on earth was scorpia? Why did they want Alex dead? And no wonder Alex looked so hardened if he had almost been killed before? But Nancy felt herself unable to move; her body frozen in it's terror. She was whimpering like a wounded puppy but just couldn't do anything about it.

'Agent Rider,' greeted one of the ninjas in a Scottish accent. 'You brought down SCORPIA.'

Agent? Nancy couldn't make head or tale of what was going on. What the crazy gunman mean agent? What was Alex an agent of? The way that the ninja had made it sound she'd have thought that he meant some sort of spy? But that was crazy. Who in the right mind would employ a fifteen year old kid as a spy? The government surely wouldn't do that. It was illegal for anyone under sixteen to join any branch of the military that Nancy knew. And what did they mean Alex had brought down scorpia?

'Quite,' agreed Alex. 'I remember when you were the biggest and most terrifying terrorist organisation in the world. Now look at you going after children and psychologists; no longer able to bring down countries and assassinate presidents. People take you about as seriously as they do clowns.'

Nancy couldn't believe what Alex was doing. He was purposely jibing these, these terrorists! Who in the right mind would do that? She knew that Alex seemed slightly depressed but she didn't think that he was suicidal. But he didn't even seem frightened of confronting terrorists! But here he was calling these terrorists clowns! Nancy heard a hysterical laugh escape her. It was a second before Nancy realised it was her who had made the sound. This of course had made the terrorists see her. But they seemed to be more focussed on Alex Rider.

'Ah but you are no ordinary child,' said the leader.

'MI6's bloody brain child,' muttered another American sounding man.

'Ah Walker long time no see,' smirked Alex. 'How have you been? How did you escape being arrested?'

How Alex could be smiling at a time like this Nancy didn't know. But apparently Alex had managed it. Nancy was wondered once again if the boy was completely mad. How did the boy even know the terrorist? But it seemed that Nancy's thoughts had been confirmed. They had said Alex was MI6's brain child whatever that meant. So the boy was a spy. They had a spy in their school. A spy that was being attacked by terrorists he had offended right now. She had been employed after the shooting last year. Had Alex had something to do with it?

'The CIA thought I was working undercover like daddy dearest was,' the terrorist called Walker said. Nancy could here the smirk in his voice. 'You could have been a great assassin.'

"Daddy dearest"? Thought Nancy getting even more lost with where this insane conversation was going. Were they actually offering Alex a job? Nancy doubted that the boy would take it considering that he had apparently torn the terrorist agency that Nancy had never even heard of apart. But what about the comment on Alex's father she wondered. Was Alex's father also a double agent for scorpia? Or was the senior Rider in MI6 like Alex? Had he been killed by these assassins? What was going on?

'Afraid it's spying that's in my blood,' Alex said cheerfully.

So Alex's father was a spy! Or at least that's what it sounded like to Nancy. But how could Alex sound so cheerful when here she was having a breakdown on the floor. Nancy was unashamed to say she was completely terrified at what was going on.

'Indeed,' agreed the lead man. 'But you have no qualms about killing people, do you, Alex?'

Did the man mean what she thought he did? But surely Alex hadn't … wouldn't! Nancy may not have full accepted the fact that her student was a spy. But being a spy was one thing. Killing was another. But those dark brown eyes set in a fifteen year old's face that should be full of innocence was telling her something else. Alex Rider had killed. It explained his essay on heroes; his steadfast belief that there was no such thing as heroes. He wasn't depressed he saw the world differently through the eyes of one with a legal if not moral job.

'You know that as well as I do,' Alex said calmly.

'Even children,' Walker added.

Nancy's violet eyed widened. Surely the man didn't mean what Nancy thought he meant. Even spies wouldn't kill children! What had Alex done?

'I wouldn't count Julius as a child,' Alex said in a hard voice.

"Julius"? thought Nancy. So Alex had killed a child!

'Neither would I you,' added the terrorist.

'I'm no clone,' Alex said.

A clone? What the hell! This was sounding more and more like some bad Saturday morning cartoon show with teenage spies … bloody hell were there more? And child clones. But by the looks of these four figures it seemed that all this insanity was true. No wonder Alex had been unwilling to tell her anything. If he had she would have said he was insane and he would be locked up in a mental asylum forever. Well that's probably not true MI6 would probably free him. They couldn't leave their agent there.

'No your not,' agreed the leader. 'But before long you'll be dead.'

'I don't think so,' Alex said in a hard cold voice.

Alex too brought out a gun this one much smaller than the terrorists' guns. It was only then that looking between the four men and seeing the SAS symbol emblazoned on Alex's back did Nancy realise. The boy must have connections with the SAS. He was a spy after all. As was his father. He must have some sort of connections with the SAS through his work. But then a shot rang through the air cold and clear as crystal. Alex had fired it! Nancy watched as the lead man fell down. Alex watched the boy making no obvious reaction to this.

It was clearer than ever to Nancy that Alex had done this before, perhaps many times. Nancy felt physically ill. How could someone especially a child do this? Nancy now knew that it was not like in the movies not at all. Suddenly there was the sound of gun shots ringing out all across the room. Alex ducked behind a nearby seat using it as a cover. Soon the other two men were also dead having no cover. Alex swept himself down concealing his weapon once more then walked over to Nancy. Nancy couldn't help the flinch that had followed.

She had seen the same in many of the frightened post shooting children and many abused children all over London but never for a second had Nancy considered she herself would display the same fear. But Alex knelt down next to her no longer looking ice cold and terrifying. No longer with the eyes of a cold blooded killer that made Nancy wonder why he wasn't an assassin! Now in those justifiably serious brown eyes was concern for her. He didn't try to approach her again. Nancy knew this was a technique used for all abused children.

'Hey, Nancy, right, it's okay, it's okay,' Alex tried to reassure her.

When Nancy didn't – couldn't – make any reply. Alex sighed and pulled out an expensive looking Iphone which looked much like many other similar phones Nancy had seen among other children. But knowing what she did about Alex Rider she knew this could all be a deception. He put it to his ear obviously wringing someone.

'Snake,' the boy said.

Snake what a weird name thought Nancy.

'Just been attacked by three scorpia agents,' Alex said. 'Nancy Kaspar the psychologist I was telling you about she seems to be in shock. What do I do?'

Obviously getting instructions from this person called Snake. It couldn't be the man's real name. Nancy just presumed that it was some sort of code name. They used code names in the army didn't they? Maybe it was the same in MI6. Nancy didn't know enough about it to say. It was called the secret service for a reason!

'Okay your safe,' said Alex and when Nancy didn't reply he repeated it. 'Safe all safe.'

Alex eventually managed to get Nancy calmed down.

'Shouldn't I be doing this?' murmured Nancy.

Alex chuckled at this, 'I'm used to this. You are most certainly not. I have an assigned psychologist like all military field personnel do. Plus I've been trained to deal with situations like this.'

'Oh,' was all Nancy could think of saying.

'My friends are coming soon,' added Alex.

Nancy could only nod.

'Do you kill often?' asked Nancy suddenly.

'Yes,' Alex said simply after a hesitation.

Barely five minutes later and Nancy's house was filled with the military. Nancy was taken to a hospital to be treated by the few cuts on her face and arms were the glass had hit her. Alex had stayed with her the entire time. She had been forced to sign the Official Secrets Act. She then got a psychologist herself which if she hadn't been feeling so shattered would have been a novel experience for her. As it was she decided to retire and move home unable to cope with the memories and the fact that three people had been murdered in her old home. She never saw Alex Rider again but thought of him often.

Where was he now? Was he still spying? Had he been killed yet? And that was the last anyone at Brookland ever heard of Doctor Nancy Kaspar. Only Alex Rider and Tom Harris (if a much toned down version) knew of the reasons why she had really retired. Jessica Collins suggested several times that Alex get counselling but nothing ever came of it. Soon Jessica forgot about the troubling essay on heroes. Alex graduated and moved quickly through the ranks of MI6 and that was that. If anyone ever connected the dots with Alex's counselling session and Nancy's sudden retirement nobody mentioned it.

Couldn't help but include this. I love the idea of Alex on a motorbike. I think it's just so him.

Really SAS symbol

This is a real psychology experiment that I learnt about in Higher Psychology

So this Fic is done. I'm planning to do a sequel to My Daddy the Hero soon. It will be about what happens when John Rider gets into the SAS and surprise for him his dad is giving a seminar.