Chapter 1: Two Alexs
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Tom- as much as he had learned to deal- cope? With the fact that so many more people knew that he existed. Most of them were not good. He knew it was just a fact of being best friends with Alex Rider. Then again. He really didn’t know what else to expect, from his friend who regularly showed up at his house after being on the run.
It wasn’t wrong to say that he was somewhat of a- hater of the British government before Alex ended up being blackmailed to shit by them. But afterwards. Well, he didn’t understand how they could even run the country. Alex would do a better job, and that was saying something.
Because they were currently in a cell. One, of which he had absolutely no idea what the location was. He did hate, that it wasn’t the most unusual thing to happen to him. The number of times he was kidnapped was still under 10, but he was sure that it was getting close. Alex, the ever-slacker, was knocked out. (Tom was genuinely concerned because normally, Alex would shake them awake, but Kyra and he were awake with no sign of movement from the cell opposite them.
“He’s not dead. Right?”
“I don’t think they’d bother keeping him in a cell if his heart wasn’t beating Tom,” Kyra scoffed as she sat back, she hadn’t been kidnapped as much. Most people didn’t know she had any connection to Alex. So wherever they were, whoever took them... they knew a lot more than most. Not a good sign. “You’re not injured, right?” Tom shook his head, his head was sore, and his ankle felt off slightly. But nothing that he really worried about.
He was more worried for the still body that was across from him. He watched the short rise and fall of his body. He was alive. But there were no other signs from him. Not that he would wake up. That was enough to make them both anxious and worried. Tom got up, his leg definitely didn’t feel right. But there was time to worry about that later. He stumbled over to the wall of their cell, looking through the tiny window which seemed to be a key feature in getting kidnapped. But there was nothing much to see, other than endless snow, ending in a forest. Good cover, but also there was no way to even have a concept of an idea of where they were.
It never was fun to sit and wait. Especially when they had done so many batshit crazy things. But they had no concept of what was even happening. So that was what they needed to do. Just sit around and wait for things. Maybe that isn’t what Alex would do. But neither of them was Alex.
Kyra was the most perturbed about it. She got up and paced, wandering around while Tom went to sit back down. Just to watch- watch and hope that Alex was fine. He was breathing, and Tom wanted to just break the bars that were holding them to make sure that it wasn’t another concussion, or he wasn’t injured anywhere. But they couldn’t do that and it pissed Tom off. He knew better than to make a ruckus. The less mess they made, the easier it was for them to either be underestimated or just left alone.
But the moment that Alex moved, Tom was back to being a hawk, watching him as he pushed himself up. No visible injuries. But he was quiet and slow. He turned himself up. Sitting up, and then he spotted Kyra and Tom. Still having not said a word, and when he looked at the two of them, it wasn’t happiness that sparked in his eyes. More confusion.
The only explanation had to be the blood which was streaming down the side of his head. Alex pushed himself to the wall, resting against it. But he still hadn’t said a word.
“Alex?” Kyra called, and it took a moment before Alex even looked up. Which started to concern them. Like he didn’t recognise his own name. “Alex, what happened?”
Tom... didn’t think that a concussion could change someone's voice. But he almost found himself entirely certain, that somehow, Alex’s voice was different. A different accent, or deeper. But it was wrong. “I’m fine.” Alex would have said something different. Tom didn’t want to think that he was looking too far into it. But everything felt off- wrong. Like he was looking at someone who had stolen Alex’s skin and was almost him. But with the way that this- not-Alex looked around, he stared at things in a way that Alex wouldn’t normally.
Of course, it probably could just be explained by a concussion. That would make sense- that a concussion was making his friend seem strange, that- it had to be why. He felt Kyra’s hand on his shoulder, and her confused eyes made it clear that Tom wasn’t exactly going insane in thinking that something was majorly off about the whole situation.
In any normal situation, Alex would be talking to them. Or at least acting like they existed. Yet, it seemed that Alex was working everything out in his head- like... Tom could see the gears that were grinding away. They were slow and he was almost certain that the concussion wasn’t helping. But there were no words being spoken. A strange- awkward silence that made him feel like there were so many things that were off- too many.
It was the last straw.
When he watched Alex- the second Alex. Walk into the room. Like this was normal.
“Tom! Kyra!” Alex- the one who had just entered, and not the supposed stranger sitting across from them- shouted. He rushed over to their cell, and seemed to ignore the fact that he- had a clone? He opened the cell. Somehow he had the key. Tom really. Really. Did not care. He was staring at two Alexs. With no explanation. There was no fucking reason why that should have been possible unless they were in some shitty sci-fi movie. Tom was ready to give himself a concussion to just forget the ordeal, because as far as he was aware, Alex didn’t have a twin. “Both of you aren’t injured- right?” He was checking over both of them. Like the situation wasn’t batshit crazy.
There were some things that he would forgive Alex for. Sure, he was somehow trapped in the forests of Alaska and had to escape bears while also on the run from armed guards. That was normal to them. His literally sinking too many ships, completely normal.
Being told that Alex had gone to space, and blew up a space station before falling into the oceans of Australia? Sure! A clone. No. Absolutely not. He had heard of the-.
Alex’s killer clone. The one who was meant to replace him. And the one that they were told didn’t exist.
God. Why the hell could their lives not be normal?
“Tom?”
He looked up- and Kyra and Alex were staring at him entirely concerned. “Why the hell do you have a clone.” He was just tired- god he was ready to hit the boy over the head with a bat if he was the killer clone.
“Julius! Fuck.” Alex- clearly knowing exactly what Tom was saying- The worst fucking part . Turned and saw Julius?? sitting there with a tired- clearly annoyed smile. “Shit-”
“It’s a head wound. It’s just bleeding a lot-”
“You’re concussed.”
“Alex, that's a normal Tuesday for me.”
“And you wonder why I always claim that I’m the smarter of us two. At least I don’t have brain damage.” Alex scoffed as he walked into the cell and looped Julius’??? arm over his shoulder. Half dragging the fucking clone out of the cell. “You sure you aren’t injured anywhere else.”
Tom turned to Kyra, he could not hold the annoyance back on his face. “Are... we meant to just accept that this is normal??” Exasperation could not explain the feeling that just bubbled up in his chest. God. Why the hell did their lives need to be complicated further by a clone?
“At this point, I scarcely think there is any part of Alex which is normal.”
It was weird- to watch Alex and Julius stumble into the hallway, with them following. Because they were like twins. Every part of them identical. They reminded Tom of Siamese cats, twin cats just stalking the hallways. Tom ignored the growing pain as he followed the group out. Kyra didn’t notice it, the way that he slightly stumbled. He was pretty sure that it wasn’t a sprain, but it didn’t help with things.
“Oh yeah. Uh. We better hurry out of here because it's rigged to blow. Not detonated yet. But--”
Kyra let out a soft huff. (One which in Tom’s opinion couldn’t have been soft. Yes, he was annoyed at Alex having a clone but also. Alex could not exist, without causing a fire, or an explosion. Or being an absolute menace.)“Alex. Is it ever possible for you to exist in a place... and not cause immense property damage?”
Oh no... Tom realized with a sinking dread- that this clone. Almost certainly was as chaotic, if not more, than Alex was.
Alex shrugged- while Julius hissed in annoyance. “I didn’t put the bombs there.”
“Alex. That doesn’t make it better.”
Tom looked back, seeing the twins (it was so much easier to think of them as twins- and not clones like Tom was almost certain Julius was.). They were just sitting there, amusement on their faces as they watched the place burn down behind them. Tom would never trust them to be anywhere together.
“Yassen called me, you didn’t visit him,” Julius muttered- clearly Tom wasn’t meant to hear that. Because- Yassen. Was the Assassin who killed Alex’s uncle. What the fuck.
Alex seemed almost guilty as Tom listened in to this conversation- and slowly started to remember the fact that Yassen was dead. Yassen had died after saving Alex from being shot. “I couldn’t slip away-”
“You know he’s going to make your training so much worse for you if you use that excuse. He visited you while you were surrounded and working with the Secret Service.”
“It’s a bit different if I’m in the middle of winter, I can’t just go traipsing out of some guarded facility and claim that I’m going for a walk. You need to lie down. I’m not going to let Yassen behead me for letting his favourite son die.”
Nope. Nope. Nope.
Tom was going to walk into the forest and never come back.
If Julius was Yassen’s son. That was it- he didn’t.
Alex had so much to explain.
“You know he never picks favourites between us.”
If that...
If that meant that Alex was also now Yassen’s son. God Tom wouldn’t be surprised with how fucked up Alex’s situation was, that Yassen and Ian were dating or some mental thing like that.
If he could have made a choice. He wouldn’t have ever met the blonde-haired blue-eyed kid who was trying to scale a tree when they were younger. Maybe his life wouldn’t get to the point that being kidnapped was normal, that there were assassins who were the dads of clones, and that his best friend was routinely blackmailed by the government-
Kyra didn’t even seem that disturbed by everything. Why was this his normal … “Oh. Uh, Alex.” Tom listened in he wasn’t going to miss out more, even if all he wanted to do was somehow make him forget that the day even happened. “So.. Yassen gave me the like whole tracker, button thing. Alert him that something happened and that we need-”
“You didn’t.”
“I have a concussion, I was with your little friends and I had no idea that you were just going to make a show of it and-”
“Julius. The K unit is coming.”
“Didn’t Ben like... Fight Yassen over custody of you.”
“I don’t think they’ve stopped arguing about that, and I am not about to have Ben start dating Yassen like Ian was.”
He was going to walk into the forest and drag Kyra there, and they would live the rest of their lives fighting off bears and eating raw venison.
Chapter 2
Summary:
Kyra is unsure about Julius, Tom decided to take the new chance at a friend.
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Kyra had watched Tom going slowly insane, and as much as it amused her. He wasn’t wrong about how their lives had become even more complicated than she could have imagined. And the fact that she had met Alex in a school that was run by a man trying to take over the world with his clones. Well. That didn’t even come close to what their lives had become so quickly.
Kyra, like a normal person who had a clone of her try to kill her, had been horrified at the fact that Alex’s clone, from the same place, was still alive. A clone who was trained to take over the world.
But the moment she had seen the worry and fear that fell into Alex’s eyes as soon as he realized he was injured... There was a story there. Somehow, and for some reason Julius wasn’t there to hurt Alex. It didn’t mean that she felt any more comfortable interacting with him. But she certainly couldn’t dislike him. Possibly the more reasonable twin. Time would have to tell.
While Tom was slowly going crazy, Kyra hadn’t really been as bothered. Of course it made her feel weird, seeing the duplicate of their friend just sitting there- laying there. While trying to recover from a concussion. It was weird. But it wasn’t like they hadn’t been through a lot. Kyra preferred confusion over mortal danger.
She knew when she escaped and ran away, learning that her parents were killed.. that her life would never be normal. That was very much the cost of being friends with Alex. Who escaped the facility they were held in, by snowboarding on a literal ironing board... The first real time that they met. He was batshit from the start.
Maybe the facility burning in the background concerned her. But they did need to rest. Tom had almost certainly sprained his ankle and just was walking on it, without letting anyone else know. Julius was down with a concussion- despite being really coherent through it. It might have been the ruthless training that she knew the clones went through. “So, what are the new plans?” Kyra asked- she didn’t hate a snowy forest. But. They had no supplies and she was pretty sure that the winter clothes that they wore in populated places were not made to withstand the cold they were in and it was going to set in soon. Her hands had already started to shake.
“Well. Uh. The original plan was for the K unit to come and extract us. There have been some... some complications. So. Julius and I have a mutual friend. Another spy. And, he gave both of us a beacon. Basically ‘I need help I have been kidnapped.’ because he doesn’t trust either of us not running into trouble.”
Kyra nodded and glanced at Julius. “So. We have two parties coming to collect us and- is that a good or a bad thing?”
Alex clearly didn’t know what to say- there was information that Kyra knew he was not telling them. Especially with how annoyed Tom’s expressions got more and more frustrated. She was ready to grab him by his jacket and stop him from wandering right into the forest where he would probably somehow get eaten by a tree.
“Umm. Yeah, I don’t know. They don’t hate each other at least, but they are... uh. In all technicalities on opposing sides...? Like uh... um. We aren’t going to get a... disagreement on our hands but it will be more awkward. If that is the way to describe it.”
“Your murder uncle isn’t too fond of the K-unit?” Kyra asked, and with how Alex spluttered. She couldn’t have chosen a better time. And, to make it even better, Tom looked at her horrified, and there was fury burning in those eyes. A joyous day. Even if she was kidnapped and taken away from being able to head to an event hosted by one of her favourite authors. “He met with me a few months ago and gave me the same device.” It wasn’t like she really was bothered by an international assassin. Yassen was pretty nice. He was- yeah sure he was threatening, but it was clear that he genuinely cared for Alex so who was she to judge really?
Tom looked ready to blow a gasket, and as amusing as it was getting. She was feeling somewhat bad. Tom never asked for chaos, even if he was friends with Alex. “Yeah. Uh. Yassen and the K-unit get along, but they are... They have a lot of friction between them. Yassen appreciates how they basically keep me as safe as they can from the British government.”
Julius sat up- in pain because of how quickly he moved. But he stared at Alex. “We have a problem.”
Of course, nothing could ever go smoothly. But... Kyra noticed something in Julius’ expression. It could have been nothing. But... it was almost like a hint of mischief. She couldn’t help but be suspicious, seeing as it was a fact not to trust Alex, and Julius was very similar.
“Alex. Did you... think through the K-unit collecting us? Because... as far as they know. I don’t exist.”
Alex bit his lip- of course, they would have no idea who Julius was. Other than one of the clones who were meant to take over the world, and... Well. If they shot first and asked questions later it wouldn’t be good. “That... might be an issue. I mean, we were trying to find a way to introduce you?”
“Alex... how the hell could you be the smarter one of the two of us.”
“Shut up and lay back down, we don’t need you getting more brain damage.”
Julius would have argued, but he just lay back down. Kyra was certain that he wasn’t feeling great, and there wasn’t really anything they could do to help. “Well. Uh. That is a problem because there isn’t really a way we can split up the group. I didn’t want the introduction to be in the middle of a winter forest. But...”
Kyra nodded, it wasn’t the most convenient place. But she had a feeling with Julius being injured, it would.. probably actually help.
But... If the K-unit didn’t know about Julius- how did the kidnappers? “So. Alex. What exactly... How.. how did we get kidnapped? Or moreover, why did we get kidnapped?”
Alex shrugged “I think it was a lure, trying to get me out and capture me. They were pretty intent on getting me to join their secret organisation-”
“And... they did- they kidnapped your friends to do that?”
“Exactly. Wild.” Alex shrugged “Some offshoot from Scorpia, they were really strange though. Like not well put together at all. They were kinda deadset on blowing up the place and killing the three of you so that it would like... not... distract me? I really really don’t understand their plans. But they are... probably dead.”
Kyra didn’t jump- nope. Not from the terrifyingly low voice that appeared behind her “They are dead little Alex.”
She was somewhat certain that Tom was going to have a heart attack.
Tom hated everything about all of this situation. Yeah, he was hurt by Alex not telling him all of these things. But also- he did understand. The whole thing of, the fewer people who know, the safer both parties are. But the fact that Kyra knew that Yassen was alive... Great. He was the one left out of the party.
Not that it was intentional on Alex’s part. It just... he didn’t like it.
“You can’t just kill everyone who tries to attack me. I can take care of myself.”
Tom was ready to just start drowning out the conversation because honestly... He was too tired to care, and that was more than enough reveals for one day. So he went to sit next to Julius, who was awake, and had the exact same expression as Alex had whenever he was annoyed.
Yassen and Alex were arguing about Alex being capable and whatever else. “So. Uh. You’re Julius.”
“Yep, Julius Greif technically. I would go by Julius Gregovich but. Not exactly smart to connect yourself to a dead international assassin. So I just go by Julius Rider in paperwork.”
Tom tilted his head “Paperwork? You have- paperwork?”
“Yeah, I mean I’m a legal citizen. Our cover story is that I’m Alex’s twin who moved to America to live with one of his dad’s friends' family because he and his wife couldn’t have children and they raised me as their own. Got a whole lot of documentation about it as well. Helps when you have an international assassin as technically your dad, and when your dad’s friends hate the British government as much as you. I think they’re just stupid, because who the hell would believe that.” Julius shrugged as he pressed his hand to his head. “Headaches are the worst.”
“At least you're not bleeding anymore,”
Julius blinked at Tom. “I see why Alex likes you, he talks about you a lot,” Julius mumbled- Alex and Yassen were still arguing, so it wasn’t like anyone was listening to them. “Mm, I wish I had a best friend like you. It sounds... so human.”
Tom would scream if Julius wasn’t human.
“But.. you are human?” He wished he didn’t ask because god he wasn’t ready if the answer was no.
“Technically yeah... Technically I am human. But it’s not really... I. I am human, yeah I am biologically a person. But it’s not easy to feel human when you grew up in a lab, were trained through propaganda and you were created as a tool?” He shrugged “Doesn’t... feel human to me. There are so many things I don’t have. I never was a child really. Childhood was training, and work. Alex, was my first experience actually being... given affection? Sure we had caretakers when we were kids. Because my DNA donator would never want to interact with babies, god forbid he do anything...”
Julius sighed as he turned and looked at Tom “Sorry- this isn’t a conversation you need.”
Tom didn’t really know what to say in return... because he didn’t know how Julius felt or what it was like. “I mean. You’re fine, I don’t really understand how it would feel. But... I mean, now that I know you exist, I’m not exactly opposed to us being friends.”
Okay. The way that Julius’ eyes lit up from just those simple words, Tom found utterly adorable. And Alex really cared for Julius- even if he never told Kyra or Tom. It would be weird. Yeah, every time he looked at Julius he would see Alex. But he had been friends with twins before. It just took a bit of time for him to learn the differences.
“So... where do... do you live?”
“Alex’s house normally. Actually, I lived in Spain for most of this year. I was tracking some corrupt businessman..”
Tom paused as he looked at Julius curiously. “What... do you do? Like. Alex is employed by the British government. Half as a front to just know what they are doing- but... you-?”
Julius shrugged, maybe- maybe Tom shouldn’t have been talking his head off when he had a concussion and clearly needed to rest. But it seemed to be helping to distract him. Also. Tom really, really didn’t want to learn what Kyra, Alex, and Yassen were talking about now that the arguing had stopped. “Freelancer mainly. Normally I just do simple jobs, like monitoring, and protection, but sometimes our dad has some things that he wants looked into, and if I’m not off doing something else I’m always happy to help. On paper, I am a security guard for hire, which... mostly covers my job.”
Tom had to say it. Julius was almost certainly the more calm twin ?? He seemed more reasonable than Alex did on a good day. He had thought things out, and yeah. Alex was extremely smart, but it was a much more chaotic intelligence. It was... strange. To sorta see Alex being calm.
“My head’s starting to kill me, I’d love to talk more. But I feel like if I try, I will throw up all over you.”
Tom nodded, he didn’t mind. “Do you want me to leave you alone-”
“You got any stories..? Like, about Alex.”
“A ton.”
“Tell me them all, I need all the blackmail material.”
Chapter 3
Summary:
The K Unit finds them! Chaos ensues
Chapter Text
Kyra was somewhat surprised that the K-Unit really didn’t seem surprised to see Yassen there. They probably assumed it was a guarantee at this point. “I think we need to get Julius back as soon as possible,” Kyra said, looking over at Julius and Tom. Who were avidly talking and it was.. just so strange. Julius looked like hell, he was pale and his face was covered in blood. So when the K-Unit originally looked over, they wouldn’t have noticed anything.
“Uh.” Alex clearly was stuck in the fact that he was the one to have to explain that Julius was alive, and in fact a good person-
“What the fuck happened to him-? I thought Julius was in France.”
Yeah. There were a lot of reveals. Kyra wanted to laugh, because of just how confused Alex looked when Ben walked over to check Julius over. “What-” He then looked over at Julius. “You. Told me that they didn’t know you.”
“Yep.” Julius smiled. “Technically the K-Unit don’t. Ben does.” Alex looked ready to murder Julius, and Kyra knew that she would have some fun. The fact that now she had a new person to be mischievous with, or against meant a lot of possibilities.
Ben was clearly ignoring the exasperation on Alex’s face because he seemed more concerned for Julius. “Every time. Is there ever a time that you go out and don’t get a concussion? This is your fourth one this year.”
“Good thing I can’t get another because the year is almost over,”
Ben looked ready to murder- They all had a very good family resemblance. Even if they weren’t actually related. Yassen probably had that exact same expression. But... he was the only one she was actually worried about murdering someone.
“Wolf, help get Julius in the truck. Snake you can wrap Tom’s ankle. Kyra, are you able to ride back with Eagle?” Kyra looked over to see Eagle sitting on a snowmobile. “Yassen I assume you have a way back yourself.”
“I would rather walk than allow myself to be wilfully trapped in a car with all of you. But thank you for the offer. I will be attending the Christmas party.”
Now Kyra was curious. Yassen was close enough with the K-Unit to be invited to the Christmas party. That was wild. But, honestly not unexpected.
Kyra walked over to the snowmobile. Julius was being handled and he had the worst of the injuries. “Alex. This time did you need to explore the place-”
“I didn’t do it this time.”
“Sure, sure.”
----
Tom wasn’t entirely sure how Ben knew his ankle was injured when absolutely no one else commented on it. But, at this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if Ben could read minds. (No. If that were true, Tom would break out of the moving car and rest forever in the snow. Because psychic powers weren’t real. He was not going to accept anything other than that.)
Maybe it was weird, to be pressed in between two people who looked identical. Well. Julius was half asleep against the side of the car, his head buried in his hands as a way to cope with the bright lights of the forest. Alex was talking avidly to Ben about the mission.
“They never learn-”
Alex smiled, “Nope!” he gleamed in happiness “If they hurt my friends, I will burn them to the ground.”
“How Daisy hasn’t somehow gotten you fired is a testament to her strength good lord.” Ben clearly said it with amusement. Somehow, Alex was still her favourite. She wasn’t nearly as bad as Blunt had been. But neither Alex nor Tom trusted anyone in that high of a power. Not even Smithers. “Julius, you good back there?”
“mmm. Not the worst concussion I’ve had.”
“Bud. You are going to give yourself brain damage at this rate.”
“I didn’t do it. They just decided that when I started to fucking fight back, it wasn’t enough work to get me to come peacefully. So, bash to the head and I wasn’t fighting back anymore.” Tom could not stop the concern- over the fact that Julius said this- like it was a normal thing??? It was not. Tom was somewhat horrified. But it seemed like... this was a thing that happened on the regular.
He huffed “Julius... That- What? Wait. You fought them off? I-”
“Failed to, but yeah,” it was clear through his voice that he was in pain, so Tom didn’t want to push it anymore. But from- the little that he was starting to remember, he remembered how burly the men were, and Julius giving them trouble? Well. He was surprised that they didn’t just break Julius like a twig.
It was probably the whole thing that Alex had- look like a poor twink and then have so much muscle underneath his jacket that he could probably crush a man's skull if he tried.
Tom knew better- than some of their mutual friends, to ever accept an arm wrestling contest. “Well. Uh. Well done, even if it just earned you a concussion...?” Julius grunted- in what he assumed was gratitude. He really didn’t blame him.
It didn’t take long for Alex to get back into a conversation with Ben. To be honest, Tom would normally be interested in it. He would love to hear what was talked about because they really... really did not care what secret information he would hear.
But the idea of- well everything that he had learned... Yeah. No. He didn’t need to know a single thing more. Really no. It was more than enough to know that Alex saw Yassen as a dad. He had no need to know that somehow he was dating Ian at one point- or that Ben and Yassen were something that Alex was trying to not let happen.
Enough was enough.
So he opted to sleep through the trip. It was a long way into the forest, and he had no idea where they were. Not even the country. - he really should have started to study the forests of different countries because by then he had been to so many places. In so many woods. Why did evil villains like woods?? He really didn’t understand. But then again. They were evil. So maybe he really didn’t need to understand them.
Also. He didn’t understand anyone that he knew anyway.
So, as Alex and Ben’s voices became static, Tom found himself falling asleep to the sound of their white noise.
Chapter 4
Summary:
Julius learns that these people really are his family now.
Chapter Text
Julius really wasn’t ready for the Christmas party. As much as Yassen claimed. It wasn’t because of the fact that he was terrified of meeting these new people in a proper-civilized session. No. It was more that his head had not stopped aching since that day. Concussions were his least favourite injury that he got on the regular.
To the point that a part of his mind wanted to consider Alex’s suggestion of glueing a helmet to his head to protect his clearly fragile skull and brain.
But also it was a personal thing. Tom had been... great about finding out about him. It was.. so weird. To be treated like that--? To be... cared for. Alex was a great brother- he was so kind and thoughtful and yeah he could be a dick. But they were family.
Tom felt like a friend. But... Julius really didn’t understand what it was to have a friend. He was caring and made sure that Julius was okay. He texted relentlessly, and... it felt human. It felt nice and that he was loved in so many ways. Tom was incredible, and he knew why Alex had stuck around with him for so many years. He was just... a neat guy.
Kyra. Uh. She was wary of him. He really didn’t blame her. Julius had known her clone. Not that... she ever had a name other than Kyra. But it.. it felt like a disrespect to both the real Kyra and his dead sister, to think of her with that name. But... his sister had never been a nice person. None of his family were. Since they were cloned, he was an outlier. It just turned out that he was chosen to replicate the world's biggest outlier of a person.
But Kyra’s clone. She... Uh. Yeah, she was a killer, and Julius was too. But that didn’t mean that he just- went by the code that their father thought was the right one. None of them had... an ability to think for themselves. Just drones. He was meant to be that. Just a drone.
“Julius,” that was about the amount of warning he got before his dark room was lit up by the door swinging open. He buried his face into a pillow, not out of frustration but a feeble attempt at saving his head from aching.
He felt his dad sit at the end of the bed, and he couldn’t bring himself to sit up. “You know you’re coming to the party. Ben texted. Even though I never gave him my number. I believe little Alex is at fault. But, he is going to make sure not to have many lights, and if you want you can wear sunglasses just in case.” He felt Yassen reach over and tussle his hair. He felt like a kid. Even if he didn’t know that... he didn’t know what a kid really felt. “Come on, up you get.” He wanted to complain, but really he knew that Yassen was right.
It was going to be at least another week until things were normal, so he didn’t mind Yassen helping him by choosing the clothes. Julius really couldn’t be bothered, and walked with his pseudo-dad out and to his car. Alex had been staying with Ben- as much as Yassen was annoyed by it. It kept Daisy off his tracks.
They made their way to the party- and most Christmas parties were full of lights. All shining everywhere. But, even without sunglasses, Julius didn’t feel like his head was going to implode.
“Julius!!” The yell of Tom somewhat grated against his ears- but then he was being hugged. “You’re looking less like the dead- but I guess. You were bleeding the last time we saw each other.” Tom was right back into avidly talking. Exactly like Alex.
It was weird to see the parallels between his friend- his friend?? and his brother. His brother who he was really uh- meant to just be exactly like. In all ways, Tom was more like Alex than Julius had ever been. Not in a way that Julius didn’t like. But in an endearing way.
“Hey, Julius you are looking better,” Kyra said as she came down the steps. “Alex still hasn’t shown up and Ben is really trying his best to try and stop Snake and Eagle from betting on if Alex shows up with fireworks. I of course am on Eagle's side so I told Alex to bring some, just for the fun of it.”
“You. Are a horrible influence.” Tom laughed, and Julius didn’t really know what to say as he was dragged into the party. Yassen smiled at him- like.. .a cruelty. Like he knew that this exact thing was going to happen and he wouldn’t be able to escape the crushing weight of having friends. Who knew that was going to feel so... weird. So- great but also uncomfortable.
He didn’t really care, when he was sat down in a comfy chair, curled up with Tom and Kyra, who were discussing what movie to watch. “We need to watch some shitty Christmas movie. It is tradition.”
“You and Alex have a tradition of watching horrible what- ninja movies? We can watch a proper Christmas movie. Like Home Alone,”
“Home Alone is a classic, it does not count. Even if it was bad, everyone would love it because of nostalgia.”
“What’s Home Alone?”
It only took Julius saying one thing, to instantly switch both of their minds. “Yep. Watching home alone. Text Alex to bring marshmallows. You’ve never had a Christmas here. So let us introduce you to the concept.” He didn’t think that Kyra had known the group that long. Only three years. That was three years he had missed out on. But what could there be really miss?
The movie started, and it didn’t take long until Alex dropped down and into the cuddle pile on the couch. There was a party going on in the background. At least he could hear the older people talking to each other. But the four of them were just snuggled up together, bundled in blankets and drinking hot chocolate.
Which, Julius was going to get on both Yassen's and Alex’s case for. Because they had never had him try hot chocolate before. Despite the fact that it was one of the best drinks that Julius thought he had ever had the pleasure of trying.
As much as Julius tried to act like it was normal- the way that they were and the lives that they were living. He was... just weirded out. By the idea that he could have his own interests, that he could have his own likes and dislikes. That the world- actually accepted him. As much as he tried to become human and learn to be a teen again. Even if he only had a year left of it. It felt wrong. Because he was betraying what he was originally made to do. What he was originally created for. It was weird.
But when Tom laughed, Kyra critiqued the movie and Alex started to go on about the ways that he would have improved the designs. He didn’t think that there would ever be a place where he would fit in more. He loved it there. Even if everyone who was sitting on the couch was insane. They were... family. People that he would willingly kill for.
He was born into a family, that was meant to obey and listen to their father because he was the ruling party. But he found a family in a bunch of people who the world deemed not to fit in. A misfit group of people who could not have been the better people.
Yassen appeared behind them- of course, Julius and Alex noticed. But Kyra hardly hid her jump and Tom didn’t try at all. He nearly fell out of the chair when Yassen coughed. “You all decided to start home alone. Without inviting us.” Ben complained as he ruffled Alex’s hair- eliciting a groan from his brother. “Restart it. We’re joining your little Christmas fest.”
Maybe Julius fell asleep halfway through the movie, but... he fell asleep around people that he knew loved him. Through everything, they were his family. A wonderful, confusing family. But one which would stick through thick and thin.
TheMan_TheMyth_TheBellend on Chapter 1 Wed 25 Dec 2024 09:39AM UTC
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Spadenadduo on Chapter 1 Wed 22 Jan 2025 01:07AM UTC
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keelsys on Chapter 1 Tue 11 Feb 2025 10:01PM UTC
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toro_en_la_luna on Chapter 4 Wed 01 Jan 2025 09:36PM UTC
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keelsys on Chapter 4 Tue 11 Feb 2025 10:15PM UTC
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AngstIzuku10 on Chapter 4 Tue 27 May 2025 12:54AM UTC
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