Nobody moved, everyone stared at the now unmoving body with blood pooling around. The airbase was quiet as the assassin lowered his gun, taking a few steps towards the body looking at it, as if to confirm the boy was really dead.

"You see this?" Yassen said looking at Mrs. Jones, "this is all your fault" he said simply, making the woman look away from the dead boy and back to the assassin.

She didn't say anything because she knew it was true, they were the ones to blame, they were the ones that brought a Child to play an adult game, the outcome had been predictable from the first day, but they choose to ignore it despite Alex pleads, they had put him on Scorpia radar, knowing full well what happen to people that attract too much attention.

"What are you doing?" this time she spoke when she saw Gregorovich ordering two Scorpia assassins to pick up the body.

"Scorpia wants to be sure, after last time they can't trust a bullet" of course he was referencing Alex's father, Scorpia had left the body behind not checking if he was truly dead, but this time Yassen knew what he has done, it had been him to fire the gun, he was just taunting them.

Mrs. Jones watch as they hauled the body inside the jet, leaving a red path on the floor.

They all watch without doing anything as the jet door closed and the plane promptly left

Mrs. Jones could only stare at the red liquid splatter on the floor, it was the only thing that was left from the boy she swore to protect. Already a hose was being prepared to clean the blood that stained the floor, no investigation would be needed.

"It's best if you leave, I will handle this" Crawley said making her turn in the direction of her car, her body moving automatically "Tulip" he called using her first name, something that he rarely did "it was best this way" he said referring to the quick painless death that Alex experience.

She only shocked her head before entering the car leaving the airbase, leaving behind the place where Alex Rider took his last breath. She silently drove back to the department, the last few events replaying over and over in her mind until it almost drove her insane

"Alex Rider is dead, Gregorovich kill him" was the first thing that she said when she entered Blunt's office.

The man stops what he was doing and looked at her, "he shot him right there, and took the body with him"

"It's not your fault, Jones, you can't let this affect you at such personal level."

"How could I not, Alex was just a child, he was my responsibility and I let him die. I let him down, Alan."

"Alright, it's best if you go home for the day and take a day off tomorrow" blunt finally said getting up, ordering someone to take her home

As soon Mrs. Jones open her flat door, Q came running meowing only to stop when it didn't see Alex. Mrs. Jones pick it up holding the cat against her, "it's just me Q, he's gone, he's gone and not coming back. And it's all my fault" she cried out to the cat, a tear coming out of her eyes. In years the agent hadn't cried, but seeing Alex die in front of her, broke her all over again, that is what you get for getting too close in her line of work.

A couple of days later she stood in the graveyard, a small funeral was organized for Alex. No one that he knew had showed up, they hadn't been informed and probably wouldn't be, so everyone that was there worked for MI6, maybe one or two were sad and shocked about the boy's dead, the boy that they didn't even know the real name, the boy they thought that was Blunt grandson. And that sadden Mrs. Jones even more, not even in his final moments Alex could have someone that deeply care for him, someone that would shed a tear and give a heartfelt speech in his memory.

They got four men to carry the casket, although only two would be enough, it was empty inside, they had nobody to bury, something that seemed to see the rider tradition. Only a medal was put inside, something that Blunt had arranged to be given to Alex for his contribution to the country, for given his own life just to make their job easier.

The coffin was buried right next to his parent and close to his uncle, all the rider family reunited, all three empty caskets symbolizing the end of the Rider name.

Everyone left to get back to work, like nothing had happened, but Mrs. Jones stayed behind watching as Alex grave was covered. Crawley didn't question her, maintaining his distance, waiting for her. As the dirt finally covered the hole, she got closer to the grave putting down the flowers they had brought with her "I'm sorry I failed you Alex" she whispered, making her way towards Crawley.

Alex never thought of what dying felt like, not even when he thought that he would get killed in Point Blanc, maybe he should have thought as a way to prepare himself when the time came, but now it was too late, now he was dead.

It felt weird as he opens his eyes to be met with a white ceiling, his head hurt, was it supposed to hurt? He thought that when you died that was it, no more pain, but here he was, body sore with a headache. Someone opened the door and entered the room, his vision was still blurry, but he could clearly see that it was a man that had entered the room. Was this it? Was he going to finally meet his father.

"Dad?" he called out, his voice raspy and in clear need for water. The figure froze for a second before coming closer to the bed, bringing a glass of water closer to his lips.

Alex greedily drank it all until the glass was empty. Alex leaned back in the pillows now feeling a little bit refreshed with his vision finally adjusting. The man had sat down on the chair next to his bed, making Alex look.

As soon his eyes landed on the person, Alex body sprung up in shook, "Yassen?" he yelled.

"Good morning, Alex" the assassin said in his calm nature.

Alex mouth open and closed without knowing what to say, "I am not dead?" he finally asked

"No you're not" he simply answers, Alex looked down at himself, he wore different clothes, a with shirt with no blood staining it, he pushed it down to look at his chest only to see a bruise, no hole from the bullet. His cast also had been cut off, now a removable splint replaced it

"But you shot me" Alex said quietly.

"It wasn't a real bullet, just something to make you look dead."

"But why?" Yassen was still Scorpia, and last time he checked, Scorpia wanted him dead.

"Your father saved me Alex, I couldn't save him, but I can save his son" Yassen explained.

"But you work for Scorpia, they want me dead."

"Not quite"

"I killed Rothman, I blew up Malagosto, they have every right to want me dead, it checks all boxes."

"You did what you were intended to do" Yassen said simply, as if it explained everything.

"What do you mean, 'were intended to do" Alex asked confused.

Yassen sighed, "Rothman was becoming a problem, the others Scorpia members wanted her dead, but killing an active board member is not that simple. If I were to kill her to the outside, it would appear that Scorpia was weak, unstable. If it was someone from outside, someone who wanted revenge however" Yassen explained. Alex eyes widen, he had been played yet again, he had been just a puppet for Yassen to play around, "you planned this, you trick me for me to murder her."

"I didn't trick you, Alex, I just told you the whole story and left you the tools. She had been a terrible person responsible for multiple murders including children" Yassen paused, "including your parents."

"If Scorpia doesn't want me dead, why did you shoot me then?" Alex asked, wanting to change the subject.

"It wouldn't improve their image if they let you live, Alex, but if it wasn't for me, they would have killed you" Alex looked at Yassen confused waiting for him to continue "I'm getting old for this industry, killing Rothman was my last assignment before I retire. They approved you doing it, you were the perfect person to do it, avenging your parents, my payment for this job was that I get to keep you."

"Your father and I were close, I didn't lie about that, he save my life and I will be in a forever debt to him. You wouldn't be safe in MI6, they were already planning to use you again, taking full advantage of the fact that you were fully trained now. So, I stage your death, everyone thinks that you are dead, killed by Scorpia." Yassen leaned forward "you get a new life, safe from MI6, safe from Scorpia, this way you get to have a normal childhood."

Alex didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say, it was what he wanted to get away from MI6, but what about his whole life that he left in London, his friends, jack everyone that he know.

"I will let you think about it, Alex" Yassen said before exiting the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

A year later

If someone said to him that one day Alex would be living with an assassin, Alex would have called them crazy and walk away. But here he was now having dinner with one retired assassin, telling him about his day.

The beginning of their relationship was rough, Alex had a hard time adapting to his new life, adapting to Yassen, but eventually they found their balance and Alex enjoyed that, more importantly Alex enjoyed having his life back, getting to take his own decisions without anyone pointing a gun to his head.

Yassen had enrolled him in a fancy international school that followed the British program so that he could catch up easily. Thankfully they let him take exams so that he wouldn't have to retake the year, something that he had to thank Yassen for since the time he spent in Malagosto doing his work had paid off.

It still hurt thinking about jack and Tom, but it was best this way, safer for everyone. He knew they were happy since he regularly checked their social media, so Alex decided to be happy too.

He had a new life, new friends, a new future.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The end!

hope you've enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writting it. 

thank you for sticking until the end!