Chapter 2: Rebirth

Alex was not the type to believe in the afterlife. Ian and Jack had not been particularly religious either, but he did know the basics of most common faiths.

Both had been and encouraged being accepting of other cultures and people of different beliefs. He was, therefore, surprised to wake up at all after having been shot.

He was not in any kind of room he recognized. He moved his hand to his chest and felt that it was completely unscathed. Alex was alone for the moment.

There was no furniture and no distinguishing marks whatsoever, just a greyish-white light. There was no furniture, no plants, no people, and no door that he could see. Who the hell made a room with no door?!

He first thought was that if this was heaven, it was awfully boring and lonely. Though he could be in purgatory, he supposed. Murdering Julius Greif had definitely been in cold blood, but he had saved millions of people.

Did it count for anything? He supposed he would find out. It just didn't seem fair that he had lost everything. If he was honest, he was more than a bit angry at the intelligence forces.

Not angry enough to join a terrorist organization, but still angry. He had been a pawn, sacrificed for the greater good. No more. He'd found the courage to refuse only after Jack died. It was too late.

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Death was displeased with the fate of Alex Rider. Gunshots were far too ordinary and cliché after all the things he had survived.

Plus, he didn't get to send that Blunt fellow to hell for a number of years...in that universe. He smirked to himself.

Well, the kid would want a second chance at saving his dear departed loved ones, wouldn't he? And Fate could just fall off a cliff for all he cared.

He did need some entertainment in his long, boring immortal life, right? That's it! The kid gets a second chance; he was the most deserving in a long, long time.

Now what age to put him as?

Ten-year-olds were appropriately imaginative and only slightly mature. He would just leave that part as a surprise.

Besides, making the kid go through puberty again would be amusing, just for the stream of multilingual curses the kid could come up with. Rules? Nah. Who would believe him anyway?

Oh well, better go in for the talk (reincarnation back into your own life 101). Yes, that talk IS a thing.

Hey, he was bored and his darling coworkers liked their procedures so much that they didn't care if he scribbled a few extra weird ones in there.

He doubted they noticed the difference, in truth. None of them had ever been human.

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Alex was very confused by the time a man in a charcoal suit appeared from seemingly nowhere. It rather resembled the one Mrs. Rothman had bought for him when he had joined SCORPIA.

The figure looked deader than Blunt had at his uncle's funeral. He had black hair, black eyes, a black suit, and black lips.

Alex waited for the figure to speak since he didn't think it would appreciate him asking when the funeral was. "So... No snarky comments?" The man seemed amused.

Alex paused "I was dead. I got shot in the chest, didn't I?" The figure smirks.

"Dead, yes, of course. But then, nobody escapes me in the end."

Alex sighs, "What now?"

Death actually smiles with an unholy glee. "You get to choose. You either go on or go back and have a redo."

Alex was instantly suspicious. "Does everyone get this? Who are you?"

The figure sighs. "Well, no. You get it because I like you and I am bored."

Alex was not reassured. "Really? This could be a trick."

The man chuclkes. "That would be a couple months brainwashing, you would notice, and we already established your tragic untimely death. Let me make this clear. Me Death. You Person who can go back and fix their life."

Alex groans. At any other time, he might have laughed. Or had a comeback. "Do I get a choice?"

Death mentally groaned. "Yes. But are you really considering the easy way out?"

Alex stared. "You'll do it then? I get to go back and save Jack?"

Death kept his face blank but internally cheered. "Yes, and I highly recommend you keep this to yourself. You can get sent to an asylum, you know. Also, you may be on the younger side. Good luck."

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Alex was still suspicious when the figure vanished into thin air. Rather reminiscent of SCORPIA stealth training.

He closes his eyes and decides that even if it is a trick, he would still like to go back and save Jack.

Just as he thinks this, a black vortex appears under him and pulls him into itself. He didn't even have a chance at resisting.

He opens his eyes, surprised at the force behind the hole. Were there black holes in the afterlife?

Was this even the afterlife?

He could be going back, he supposed. The figure didn't seem trustworthy and Alex usually went with his instincts.

It had saved him a few times, in the end. The world begins to fade and go black again as his heads sank into the vortex.

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Death was smirking like a homicidal lunatic who just got away with murder.

Actually, he'd gotten away with the opposite, but that was beside the point.

The kid took the deal. Who wouldn't? Honestly, it was like nobody took mythology seriously anymore.

Who had ever gotten a fair deal with Death? Besides, he was going to have an even more interesting life now and more guidance.

I might even give him a break and send a specialist or two his way. Alex was going to be so pissed when he woke up.

Let's see. I have a burned-out black-ops agent or five, assassins, fanatical fighters in various regions.

I am just eager for the amount of chaos and mischief I can send Alex's way.

I never said his new life would be intrigue-free, now did I?

Plus, he was way too special to have a normal life.

The possibilities were just endless. The poor sap would get a few choices…