"I can't believe this," one of the SAS soldiers exclaimed. He was thin, fair-haired, and spoke with an obvious Scottish accent. He was known as Snake. "There's no way that the kid would've done that! Are you sure -"

"You didn't see him," Jack broke in, her voice trembling. She looked at each of the soldiers in turn, meeting their gazes. "He's so different. . .so sad. . . Please, you've worked with him before. I'm just asking you to find him, and bring him back."

"Why us?" The shortest of the four soldiers grunted. He was compactly built, with a once-broken nose and cool brown eyes. He was Wolf.

"Alex is familiar with you," Algonthin stepped in. The thin man once again managed to speak without seeming to. "If unknown agents were to chase after him, he'd only run away. However, if you showed up, there's a chance that he would cooperate."

"If what you're saying is true – that he's killed two people," a third soldier said, "what makes you think he's going to listen to us?" He regarded Jack and Algonthin with serious blue eyes. He was Fox. "Killing is no simple thing. He's probably not the same Cub we knew."

The K-Unit exchanged uncertain glances with each other. Jack watched their display of doubt, and clenched her fists.

"He's just a child!" she cried. "Are you just going to sit there, and let a child destroy himself?! You should be ashamed – what kind of human being would stand by and watch a child go through something like this? I – I just - !" She covered her face and turned away from the group.

The soldiers looked properly ashamed. Three of them looked towards Wolf, waiting for his verdict. The gruff man grunted. "Fine."

Jack didn't turn around, but her voice drifted out to them. "Thank you."

Algonthin held out a thick file folder, and Wolf took it. "This contains everything you need to know," the deputy head said. "If you need anything, let me know. MI6 is at your service."

"Cool," the fourth soldier finally spoke up. Snake and Fox gave him a grim look, and the slightly dumb smile on his face faded quickly. Eagle sighed.

ARAR

"Hyaa!" The wiry man lunged forward, an open palm flying straight for Alex's face. Alex saw it coming, and silently ducked. The hand shot over his head, and he grabbed the man's wrist with both hands. A mere second later, the man was lying on his back, defeated.

Alex stared down at his opponent with empty eyes. Then he turned away, moving to walk off the mat.

"Wait!" The voice stopped him, and Alex turned to see a tall girl step onto the mat. She was May, a girl who had previously beaten him over and over again in these classes. She was one of the top students in the unarmed combat class. "Fight me," she said, a wicked smile curving her lips.

Alex stared at her. It doesn't matter. In two days, I will be in Washington. Nothing can change that, now. Wordlessly, he stepped forward, and settled into a low stance.

May's grin grew larger, and she started walking. She walked right around Alex in a large circle, watching him. Alex didn't move from his stance. He listened, letting her faint footsteps echo loudly inside his blank mind. Whenever she would come, he would be ready.

She came from behind, leaping up in a spectacular kick. Alex heard it - the moment her footfalls stopped, and her feet left the ground. He dove to the side, rolled, and got up in a crouch.

May was right there, her arm pulled back for a ferocious punch. He blocked it with a forearm, not even blinking at the impact. Alex watched her, and reacted without even thinking. He was like a machine, doing what it was supposed to, and nothing more.

Mechanically, he blocked her attacks one after another. Her eyes grew wide, stunned that she couldn't even land a hit. Before, she had always been the victor, but now. . .something was different. Alex was different.

She leaped backwards, putting some distance between them. It made no difference – Alex had chosen to go on the offensive. He came right at her, getting frighteningly close. Suddenly frightened, she backtracked, trying to get away.

She blinked -

- then he was there, right in her face. She froze, eyes wide. May never saw the fist that smashed into her gut. There was sparks. . .then darkness.

Alex looked down at her for a moment, his face a stone mask. He turned, then left the mat. A few people stepped out of his way; seeing that cold, expressionless face, nobody wanted to mess with him.

Alex didn't even notice them.

ARAR

It's quiet.

Not even an echo remains.

Darkness. . .coldness. . .

Loneliness.

Nothing remains.

Emptiness.

ARAR

Alex stood alone, but he knew he wasn't alone. Scorpia agents were intermingled within the crowds, watching. They were here to ensure that everything went according to plan. That he got on the plane, and didn't run away.

After all that I've done, they think I will run away?

He glanced at his brand new watch. 2:15 p.m. His flight would leave in twenty minutes.

The couple in front of him stepped forward as the line shifted. Alex closed the space. Now he was three families away from the ticket counter. He'd already gone through customs – there had been no problem. His story that he was an Italian exchange student had held firm.

"Excuse me?" Alex turned to see an elderly woman behind him. She was grasping the arm of a young man – possibly her son. "Are you all by yourself, young man?"

"Yes." Alex made to turn back around, but she reached out with her free hand, and clutched his sleeve.

"Oh my! Aren't you afraid to be traveling all by yourself?"

Alex knew she meant well. But he really had no desire to talk with her. He put on a smile, and said, "No."

Lady, I've become an assassin. A killer of people. Why should a plane flight scare me? A dry, miserable voice cackled humorlessly inside his head.

"Well!" she beamed. "Aren't you all grown up! Your parents must be proud! Right, Charles?" She looked at her escort.

"Yes, Mother," The young man dutifully replied. He rolled his eyes at Alex, but his expression held no annoyance. Alex could see that the man adored her.

He turned around, and found that he was next in line. Alex stepped up to the counter, and handed the lady his ticket.

"Hello," she smiled at him. "All by yourself, today?"

"Yes."

Her name tag read Carol. She was probably in her forties, but had a warm, inviting smile. She stamped something on his passport, and ripped a piece off his ticket. Handing it back to him, Carol smiled. "Thank you. Enjoy your time in the United States."

Alex nodded. I'm going to kill the President. How could I enjoy it? He walked past the counter, heading for the walkway that led to the plane.

"Alex!" A voice shouted. Startled, Alex hesitated, and looked around.

What?

"Alex, wait!"

Alex picked out the voice then, pinpointing it to a young man in his twenties. He blinked. That man looked slightly familiar.. .

But it didn't matter. He had to get on the plane. That was his mission. He turned.

"Alex! Please, wait!" That second voice was vaguely familiar, too.

He looked over his shoulder, and froze. That first man was there, along with a second. And not far off from them, were another two. Each with vaguely familiar faces.

But it was enough. Alex knew who they were, and what they were doing here.

K-Unit. They actually got K – Unit...!

The back of his neck tingled. He couldn't do anything here – not with Scorpia watching him. He walked towards the walkway.

"Um, is there a problem?" Carol called after him. "Those people - "

"I don't know them," Alex said. He ignored their shouts, and headed for his plane. However, just as he stepped to the doorway, he glanced over his shoulder.

He met the eyes of the man he'd known as Wolf. The man was scowling, yet. . .there was something in his eyes. A concern that seemed out of place.

Alex suddenly felt an urge to run to the K-Unit. He wanted to escape from this nightmare, to get away from Scorpia's grasp. He knew, without a doubt, that K-Unit wanted to help him. He could see it in their eyes, the way they desperately tried to stop him.

But Scorpia was there.

And Alex. . .was no longer the cub they knew.

He gave a sad, bitter smile, and broke Wolf's gaze. And then he boarded his plane.

ARAR

K-Unit watched through a window as the plane took off. Fox swore. "Jack wasn't kidding," he muttered. "Cub is. . ." He clenched his fists.

"Why didn't he stop?" Snake asked no one in particular. "It was clear as day – he wanted out. So why didn't he stop?"

Wolf, who hadn't uttered a single word for the past ten minutes, stared at the shrinking dot that was Alex's plane. His eyes were dark. "He wasn't alone."

"Huh?" Eagle exclaimed. "What are you saying? I didn't see anyone!"

"No, Wolf's right," Fox said softly. "Can't you feel it? We're being watched. Probably by Scorpia, and Cu – er, Alex – knew that. He had no choice."

Wolf pulled away from the window. "Let's go."

"To where?" Eagle questioned.

"To the United States," Wolf answered gruffly. "I'm not sure why Scorpia's sending him there, but we've got to stop him."

"Right," Snake pulled out a cellphone from the folds of his jacket. "I'll give our lovely new friends a call."

K-Unit walked away from the window, and mixed with the crowds. Yet, even as they walked among all the people, there always seemed to be a few feet of space around them. People took one look at their grim, serious faces, and unconsciously stepped back.

And amongst the crowds, sharp eyes were fixed on the four men. Sharp, malevolent eyes.