lullabies & other lies.
Name: Alex Rider
Family: John Rider (deceased), Helen Rider (deceased), Ian Rider (deceased)
DOB: 2/13/95
Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In // The Fifth Dimension
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.
(Let the sunshine in.)
"We'd better move on then to discuss your future," he continued. "Like it or not, Alex, the Royal and General is now your legal guardian."
Broom People // The Mountain Goats
Friends who don't have a clue;
well-meaning teachers.
But down in your arms, in your arms,
I am a wild creature.
Little Lion Man // Mumford & Sons
Weep for yourself, my man,
you'll never be what is in your heart.
In the end, the big difference between him and James Bond wasn't a question of age. It was a question of loyalty. In the old days, spies had done what they'd done because they loved their country, because they believed in what they were doing. But he'd never been given a choice. Nowadays, spies weren't employed. They were used.
One More Time, With Feeling // Regina Spektor
Say it in your mind until you know that the words are right:
this is why we fight.
Mr. Bray might have given him the excuse, but there was part of him that needed to investigate, to uncover the answers. That part had been deliberately cultivated by MI6 and his uncle. Using him wasn't enough. First, they had turned him into someone who wanted to be used.
Baobabs // Regina Spektor
You have tamed me,
now you must take me.
Bullets // Tunng
We're catching bullets with our
heads and hearts and all the darkest parts of us,
it's strange to find such light
in such endless night.
There was little colour left in the crowd, but the two people were entirely black-and-white. The man was very handsome, dressed in military uniform, with close-cut hair and a solid, serious face. The woman standing next to him was smaller and much more vulnerable. She had long, fair hair and eyes that were filled with sadness. The man said nothing. He was trying to hide his emotions. But the woman leaned down and reached out, her finger finding the exact spot where there was a small hole in his shirt.
Run (Ministry Chill Mix) // Snow Patrol
Have heart, my dear,
we're bound to be afraid,
even if it's just for a few days,
making up for all this mess.
And that was really it, wasn't it? That was what the boy in the mirror was trying to tell him. He was still only fourteen years old, but the last year - a year whose end they were about to celebrate - had almost destroyed him.
Maybe Sprout Wings // The Mountain Goats
Ghosts and clouds and nameless things;
squint your eyes and hope real hard,
and maybe sprout wings.
Lullaby for a Stormy Night // Vienna Teng
And someday you'll know that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and lands, and forests and sands,
makes the beautiful world that you see
in the morning.
"Alex... what you've been through... I know this has been very difficult for you. You were on your own, and that should never have happened. But the fact is, you have saved millions of lives. Whatever you're feeling now, you have to remember that. It might even be true to say that you saved the world. The president of the United States would very much like to meet you. So, for that matter, would the prime minister. And for what it's worth, you've even been invited to Buckingham Palace, if you want to go. Of course, nobody else knows about you. You're still classified. But you should be proud of yourself. What you did was... amazing."
"Well, that's that, then. Can you go now?"
(coda)
I Saved the World Today // The Eurythmics
Hey, hey, I saved the world today -
and everybody's happy now the bad thing's gone away,
and everybody's happy now the good thing's here to stay,
please, let it stay.