"They're MI6. They're always serious."

Sure thing. As soon as you join MI6, they take your ability to smile away. ^^

This is a lovely piece. It explains the tension between Ian and Alex as well, because, frankly, you don't start training your nephew at three or four to become a spy if you haven't stopped thinking about feelings a while ago. Sure, I think Ian cared for Alex, but I think that was more of a problem for him.

Last lines were beautiful. And, well, angsty. ^^ Thanks for sharing!

Aimael

OH MY GOSH! I love this, I love this, I love this! Thank you so much for writing it!
-Becca

cool chapter! was it just a one shot?

{Blinks, tilts head slightly} This is really intresting. I can honestly say I have no idea where this is going; But I think I will like it.
Please Update Soon!!

Okay, so I logged on for this one, because it is amazing. I like the emotions and the way you had the characters respond to each other. Brilliant. Thanks.

you'll have to forgive my language, but holy **, that was amazing. no, really, that's about the highest compliment i can give because it means all language skills have deserted me. that was just... gah. yes. *goes to rifle through other fic*

~cd

Wow. I have always liked your stories. I must confess they have never had quite the same place in my heart as those by Von and amitai but you have been up there on my top 5 favorites of those who can write decent and original Alex Rider fic. It's a small list. I also add dreamsinblackandwhite and nylah to that list. But this story is just... wonderful. I am so glad you posted it. It's one of those ones that can fit in anywhere, and isn't proven not cannon, just... hopefully we'll never find out. It's amazing. Just the sort of thing I like that dumps everything I know about cannon upside down and gives it a twist the side and makes me go yeah, it could have been like that. Just imagine if it had been... it gives me a dizzying sensation that is great. The last thing I can remember to hit me this hard was a Harry Potter one-shot about how Hermione and Ron see Harry. Itruns on a bit about how Hermione hates the colour red... it was great. And this is just like it. Only diferent. Similar in that the writer takes things I don't often think about and gives a whole new interpretation to it. Well done!

*stares* Dude... Come back from your semi-fanfiction retirement! Seriously. Awesome little snippet, this!

I love how you switch around the usual, almost-cliche-by-now Rider brother relationship. I love how Ian's the one who gets John into MI6 instead of the other way around.

"John nearly can’t take it all in. Ian, MI6, Scorpia... *its* way too much, all at once."

That should be "it's" there. :D

I have to say, though, poor John! He thought that his baby brother had escaped the world of war and killing, but no, Ian just chose a different part of that world to join.

"Just for a moment, John hates him. Hates this creature that has taken his brother’s place."

Can't tell you exactly why, but I love those two lines there. Maybe it's just the overall angstiness of that, and the (possibly slightly melodramatic) new point of view that John has of his little brother.

Ian is wonderfully cold and detached from John, but still able to manipulate him with ease, just by invoking their father's name and words.

All in all, I love this! Brilliant little oneshot... story... thing! ^_^

I rather like the idea that Ian was the one who pulled John into MI6, rather than the other way around. Interesting, their father's death and how it played into this and all that. Especially interesting of John's perspective on how Ian was supposed to be the one not in danger and all that.

So, long story short: excellent.

This - frankly, this is just AMAZING. I love the relationship that's so carefully painted here between older and younger brother, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the difference you've created here with the 'standard' views of the Rider brothers' relationship. It fascinates me - part of a fic I'm trying (and, er, yes, failing ^_^) to write centres round it, but I don't think anything will EVER top this. So much is said without anything being said at all.

It's just - yeah. Wow. Favourited like woah. ^_^ it's so short, and yet... *epic*.

Incredible.

YES! *points* that's Ian. And now his training Alex makes sense too. I can't believe how much sense everything makes now. Because I could never understand _why_ he was training Alex to become a spy.

Nylah