A New Life

Chapter Five

A new life. Another chance. A fresh start. These were some of the things racing through Alex's mind as Natasha spoke, the others watching on expectantly. More than anything, he wanted a shot at being a normal teenager. He wanted the ability to hang out with his friends and do whatever he wanted, without having to be pulled out of class to go take out another bad guy or go on another mission. But deep down he knew that this would never happen. No matter how hard he tried, he would never be a normal teenager. These people were offering him the chance to not live in the shadow of his former life.

"We will give you a new identity."

These words, coming from Fury's mouth, caught his attention.

"You will no longer be known as Alex Rider, the teenage spy. We want you to be Alex Rider, the Avenger."

Alex could think of hundreds of questions he wanted to ask but only spoke one out loud. "What about Jack?"

"She will, of course, be told what is happening. As with Peter's guardian, she will be under constant protection. No-one will be able to get near her without our consent," Natasha said, walking over to one of the couches and sitting down.

Alex followed her and sat down on the arm, looking directly at Peter for the first time since he had entered the room. "Is that true?"

He nodded, and Alex looked back to Fury.

"Why do you want me? I mean, the only reason MI6 recruited me was that I was a child. No-one would ever suspect a kid as being a spy."

"Romanoff was a kid once too," Tony repeated with a smirk, earning him a glare from the woman.

Alex, ignoring the comment, continued. "But I've grown since then. Not many people would think I was the innocent kid I once was."

Fury nodded in understanding. "I see your point. But you are more worthwhile than you think."

Alex crossed his arms, waiting, and Fury continued.

"You're uncle trained you from a very young age. You learned Karate, diving, and climbing... to name a few, and also how to speak several different languages. You trained with a SAS unit before joining MI6, where you learned how to survive in the wilderness, work as a part of a team, and parachute. You were also taught self-defence and fighting techniques, along with learning how to operate a gun." He paused to let this set in. "You have been sent on an unknown number of missions, being sent to numerous other countries and cities, not to mention the trip into outer space on which you met Agent Romanoff. On another mission, you were sent undercover into an organisation that calls themselves SCORPIA, after which you were shot by a sniper, which would have resulted in your death, had you not-"

"What?" Natasha exclaimed. She turned to Alex, and he could see that she was clearly shocked. "You were shot?"

He nodded sullenly. "If I hadn't stepped off the curb as he fired, it would have got me right in the heart. That's according to the doctors, anyway."

Natasha put a hand on his arm. "I had no idea."

He shifted awkwardly, and she removed her hand quickly.

"Sorry."

The director cleared his throat. "I believe I have made myself clear. Due to your extensive training and amount of successful mission, you are more than ready to take on something bigger. So what do you say, Rider? Do you want to be an Avenger?"

This time, Alex didn't laugh. He looked over at Peter, who was standing between Steve and the person he knew to be Clint Barton. The other boy caught his eye and smiled, giving him a slight nod. Letting out a deep breath, Alex stood and turned to face the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"When do I start?"