How much longer?" Alex asked Smithers for the billionth time.
"The lift should be working it's way down the the ground now, lad. Not to worry. I'm sure your friend is fine. It takes a lot to set an assassin off. Their emotions are all deeply repressed." The man assured the boy.
"You don't know the kid he's stuck in the lift with, Mr. Smithers. Tom could make a statue roll it's eyes in annoyance."
"Well, it looks like we're about to find out." He said as he gestured to the slowing descending numbers above the lift door signalling the elevator was finally moving down.
Alex waited impatiently and as soon as the doors dinged open a familiar blur of his best friend darted out and rugby tackled him to the ground.
"Alex! Thank god it was horrible. I didn't think it was possible to find anyone that talked less than you. Let me tell you you're a bloody chatty Kathy compared to Yassy over there." Tom said as he stood up and pulled Alex with him.
The boy looked over to the man in question. The poor guy looked like he had a headache by the way his forehead was creased. Alex almost felt bad for him. Almost.
"Oh, and Yassen still wants to talk to you. I don't think it'd hurt for you to hear him out, Allie."
"You don't know him like I do, Tommy." Alex replied, using the nickname he knew Tom hated. Tom knew he hated it when he called him Allie.
"I just spent half a day stuck in the lift with the man and lived to tell the tale. Just hear what he has to say." Tom said giving the boy a push towards Yassen who had also exited the elevator and was talking quietly with Smithers.
Alex sighed and approached the man.
"Thank you for not killing Tom. I know he can be...trying."
"Trying is putting it nicely. He does seem to care for you though. You have a good friend." He replied.
"Yeah, but a really bad judge of character. He says I should hear what you have to say."
Yassen was mildly grateful to the annoying little brat.
"I do want to apologize for what I put you through. I wasn't thinking clearly when I sent you to SCORPIA. Must've been the blood loss. But Blunt seemed to leave off one of my conditions I had for helping him and MI6 out though. A condition that has a lot to do with you."
"What?" Alex asked warily.
"I told him that I would help him with whatever he wanted and in exchange he would leave you alone. For good. MI6 is no longer your guardian. That right is now Jack Starbright's. And should Alan Blunt ever try or blackmail you ever again you just need to call this number." Yassen stated as he handed a phone number to a dumbstruck Alex Rider.
"If they give you any trouble be it money, guardianship, or missions you call me and I'll tear down every agreement Alan Blunt and myself made. Got it?" He said when Alex didn't reply.
"Why are you doing this?" Alex finally asked.
"I had a hand in getting you into this mess. And I clean up my messes."
"Awwwwwww! See, Alex? And you called him a cold hearted bastard!" Came Tom's cooing as he eavesdropped on the whole conversation.
"He's just a big ol' softy, aren't you, Yassy." Tom said clapping the man on his shoulder.
"Don't call me that." Yassen warned.
"Now don't go getting cranky you and I were really hitting it off in that lift."
"You're lucky he didn't hit you off, Tom. C'mon let's go before something else happens." Alex replied, deciding it was time to get Tom out of there as soon as possible.
"Oh, haha, clever Alex. Did his father make shitty puns like that as well?" Tom asked as Alex pushed him roughly to the door urging the teen to go ahead.
"Bye Yassy! Send me a friend request on Face book! We can like each other's selfies!" Tom exclaimed with a wave before exiting the building to wait out front for his friend.
Alex turned to the assassin who was muttering in annoyed Russian as the spikey haired teen vanished from his sight.
"Yassen...I...Thank you." Was all Alex could manage to say. If this worked, if Alan Blunt actually left him alone...Alex almost was afraid to feel the relief that was spreading through him for fear it would be taken away.
"Do not thank me, Alex. As I said I had a hand in this. Just do your parents proud."
"Run along then, little Alex. You're friend is waiting for you."
And that was it. Alex sighed in relief as he walked out of the MI6's building for what he hoped would be the last time in his life. He walked up to Tom and smiled.
"You think Yassen will really send me that friend request?"
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