Out of Place
"J'onn" Alex called as she entered his City office.
"Down here" J'onn replied.
Alex made her way to the back of the building, "down where?" she asked, glancing around the cabinets.
J'onn suddenly appeared in front of Alex, smiling. "I have something to show you," he said, holding out his hand.
Without hesition, Alex took J'onns hand and the two phased through the wall opposite and entered a secret room beneath the building.
"Your very own secret headquarters" Alex said with a smile as she turned on the spot. The room was the same size as the office above; filled with monitors for the internal and external cameras above. Tech computers, communication equipment, a conference table with chairs, training equipment, weapons, motorcycle loading bay, "someones been busy."
J'onn chcukled, "I've had a little free time lately; I still need to add an entrance."
Alex nodded towards some boxes, "what's all this?"
"Some artefacts I've collected over the years" J'onn replied, "I'm in the middle of cataloging each item."
"Why aren't they at the DEO?"
J'onn raised his eyebrows, "because not even I know what or where these objects have come from; I couldn't risk them falling into Haley's hands."
"Good call" Alex's eyes fell on a bronze, clock like device, "I recognise this," she said, picking up the object and turning it over in her hand.
"You may have seen it before," J'onn took a step closer, "it was once in your fathers possession."
Alex looked back at J'onn, "my father?"
J'onn nodded
"How did you come across it?"
"When your father died, I visited your home and removed anything the goverment could use against Kara and Clark; I discovered this locked away in his office safe. There were notes but they were in code." He looked into the box, "they should be around here somewhere."
The image of her fathers office, located in the basement of their home flashed before her. It was an area her father had forbidden her from entering but that hadn't stopped her; she'd often sneak down as a child.
"J'onn, Alex" Karas voice suddenly came from the speakers.
Alex looked back to the CCTV monitors and watched as her sister walked around the office above.
J'onn disappeared and returned within seconds with Kara by his side.
"Coooool, your own secret hideaway" Kara said, excitement in her voice. "We should give it a name," she thought for a moment, "how about, Green Martian headquarters? GMHQ for short."
J'onn gave Kara a disapproving look and Alex wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"Ok, OK," Kara thought, "How about The Martian Cave?" She looked between Alex and J'onn, "Oh come on, it isn't that bad. besides Oliver has the Arrowcave and Bruce Wayne has..."
"I like it" J'onn said, nodding his head.
Alex chuckled and shook her head.
"I thought you left the DEO to get away from all this," Kara said as she made her way across the room.
Alex turned her attention back to the clock like device.
"I did but since you no longer work for the DEO, I thought you could do with a base a little closer to home." J'onn replied as he followed Kara.
"You did this for more?"
J'onn nodded, "and Alex."
"Thank you" Kara replied, wrapping her arms around J'onn and kissing his cheek.
J'onn chuckled and rubbed his hand up and down Kara's back before taken a step back, "you're welcome."
The room suddenly filled with a blinding blue light, followed by a big whoosh of air.
Kara lowered her hand as the light faded; she blinked and glanced around the room, "Alex," she called. Her eyes fell on the unconscious child lying where Alex had been standing. She and J'onn exchanged looks before making their way over to the child.
"Is that..." J'onn began.
"Alex" Kara interrupted.
XX
As Alex regained conciousness, her eyes worked on focusing, trying to make sense of where she was. She peered around the small room; her eyes coming to rest on the familiar mahogany desk, cluttered with files, maps and graphs.
"Alexandra" Jeremiah called from upstairs.
Alex propelled her-self forward.
"Games over Alexandra; now come out." Jeremiah called, panic in his voice.
Alex stood and made her way to the bottom of the basement stairs. She held her breath as her father passed the basement door and made his way into the kitchen.
"I'm going to count to three; one...two...three." Jeremiah tilted his head and listened for his daughter.
Alex froze
Jeremiah sighed, "I should know better then to play hide and seek with this one," he halfed joked before making his way outside.
Alex exhaled her breath and glanced around the room; she was in her fathers office but had no recognition of how she had got here and her father or someone that sounded very similar was upstairs, searching for her. Her eyes fell on the clock like device which she'd been inspecting in J'onns office; she hurried over and retireved it from the floor. It looked different, newer.
"Who are you?" Jeremiah asked as he slowly made his way down the basement stairs.
Alex spun around, "Dad."
Jeremiah frowned and glanced towards the object in her hand, "that doesn't belong to you."
Alex opened and closed her mouth; her mind racing, "Dad, I..."
"Why do you keep calling me Dad?" Jeremiah interrupted.
"It's me, Alex."
Jeremiah raised his eyebrows, "I don't know who you are or how you got in here but it's time for you to leave."
"I'm Alex"
"Stop it" Jeremiah snapped. The thought of his daughter hiding somewhere upstairs with this stranger in the house brought a fresh wave of panic.
Alex looked around the office, quickly retrieving a framed photo from her fathers desk, "this was taken at Lake Huron when I was four."
Jeremiah looked between the photo and Alex, "you need help..." he began.
Alex sighed in frustration and placed the photo back down on the desk. "This can't be possible" she whispered, seeing the date on the calendar. She looked down at the object in her hand as her mind pieced everything together. She remembered inspecting the object and recalling the memory of her four year old self playing in her fathers office and coming across the same clock like object.
"Listen, I know this sounds strange but you have to believe me." Alex took a step towards Jeremiah.
"No you listen" Jeremiah said more firmly, "I'm about three seconds from calling the cops."
Alex rolled her eyes; she was getting no where with Jeremiah and who could blame him for not believing her. She decided to try another tactic, "I think this object brought me back in time," she said, holding up the clock like device.
Jeremiah glanced at the object in Alex's hand, "I've heard enough" he said, moving towards the phone.
"Jeremiah, Alexandra" Eliza called from above.
"Mom" Alex instinctively took a step forward and made her way towards the stairs.
"Stop!" Jeremiah said. As Alex reached for the bannister, the back of her jacket raised up, revealing the gun tucked in the small of her back. Jeremiahs eyes opened wide and he launched forward, pulling the gun from Alex.
Alex spun around and saw her father pointing her gun at her.
"I won't let you hurt them" Jeremiah said.
Alex stepped back down, her hands raised, "I'm not here to hurt anyone." she took a step closer.
"Stop moving"
Alex froze, "I'm out of time and I need you to help me get..."
"Turn around, slowly." Jeremiah ordered.
Alex did as he asked and slowly turned.
"What's going on?" Eliza asked as she appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Stay back Eliza" Jeremiah shouted.
Alex quickly spun around and snatched the gun from her fathers hands.
Jeremiah launched at Alex but she sidestepped him; causing him to crash head first into the filing cabinet; he dropped to the floor as blood ran down the side of his head.
"Jeremiah" Eliza shouted as she raced down the stairs and dropped down beside him.
"I'm sorry, I never meant..." Alex fought back her tears and tucked her gun back into her jeans.
"Who are you, what do you want?" Eliza almost shouted. Her eyes met Alex's and for a second she thought she recognised the women standing over them. She looked back to jeremiah, "Where's Alexandra?"
"She's hiding" Jeremiah replied as he pushed himself up.
"Where?" Eliza asked.
Jeremiah sighed and shook his head.
Eliza quickly stood and faced Alex, "if you've hurt my daughter..."
"I wouldn't, I mean I couldn't" Alex replied.
"Please, just leave" Jeremiah pleaded.
Alex looked between her mother and father, "I'm sorry," she said, deciding to figure out the way back to her time without paused at the stairs and looked over her shoulder, "theres some loose boards in Da...in your wardrobe; that's where Alex will be hiding." It had been her secret hiding place as a kid; her go to place, espeacially when playing hide and seek with her father. Alex turned and made her way out of her home.
"Who was that?" Eliza asked.
Jeremiah shook his head, "I don't know."
"She looked familar" Eliza replied before standing and going in search for her daughter.
XX
Kara stood, biting her thumb nervously as she watched the young Alex sleeping in her bed.
"Kara" J'onn called as he entered her apartment.
"Did you find them?" Kara asked as she made her way into the kitchen.
"I did" J'onn replied, holding up Jeremiahs coded notes. "How's Alex?"
Kara sighed, "still sleeping."
"We will fix this," J'onn said, placing the notes next to the clock like device.
"How? we don't even know what this is" Kara said, pointing to the object. "Apart from the fact it turned my sister into her four year old self."
"I'm five actually."
Kara and J'onn spun around.
"Alex" Kara said, she took a step forward but froze when Alex took a step back; clearly afraid. "It's me; it's Kara."
Alex looked between Kara and J'onn; fear in her eyes, "I want my Mommy." Her lipped trembled and tears ran down her cheeks.
"It must have wiped Alex's adult memories" J'onn whispered so only Kara could hear. He picked up the object and began inspecting it, carefully.
Kara's heart ached for the young child. "don't be afraid," she said as she slowly approached Alex and knelt down in front of her.
"Where's my Mom, I want my Mom."
"Eliza, your Mom had to go out of town for a little while; she asked me to look after you until she returns" Kara said.
Alex eyed Kara suspiciously, "My Mom would never leave me with a stranger."
Kara tried to hide her smile; her sister hadn't changed much, "Than it's a good job I'm not a stranger," she held out her hand, "I'm Kara, your...cousin from the City."
Alex hesitated before shaken Kara's hand.
Kara followed Alex's gaze, "and this is my friend J'onn."
J'onn waved and pulled a silly face which got a small laugh from Alex.
"Alex, can you..."
Alex laughed
"What's funny?" Kara asked.
"Mommy and Daddy never call me Alex; its always Alexandra."
Kara smiled. The only memories she had of Jeremiah and Eliza using Alexandra was when Alex was in trouble, "what would you prefer?"
Alex rocked back and forward on the balls of her feet, "Alex, I like Alex."
"Ok Alex, can you tell me the last thing you remember before waking up here?"
"Why?" Alex asked
Still inquistive, Kara thought to her-self. "It's just a game I like to play."
Alex raised one eyebrow. "I was playing with daddy...I was hiding." she looked away, suddenly afraid she would get into trouble.
"What is it?" Kara asked.
Alex avoided Karas gaze.
"I'll make you a deal; you tell me what you were doing and I promise to keep it a secret."
Alex continued to look away.
"And I promise to get you some ice cream" Kara added.
Alex's head snapped up, "you promise?"
"Pinky promise" Kara replied, holding up her little finger.
Alex smiled and sealed the deal, "I was in daddys office but I'm not supposed to play down there."
"What were you doing?"
"Playing with that" Alex nodded towards the object in J'onn's hand.
J'onn raised the object up, "you were playing with this?"
Alex nodded, "I heard daddy's voice and then whoosh."
"Whoosh" Kara repeated.
Alex's arms shot up above her head, "whoosh." She laughed, "can we get ice scream now?"
Kara took Alex's hand and sat her on the sofa, "cartoons and ice cream coming up."
Alex wrinkled her nose, "I want the discovery channel?"
"Why am I not surprised" Kara said as she switched to the discovery channel. "Happy?"
Alex looked up at Kara.
Kara nodded her understanding, "right, ice cream" she said, making her way into the kitchen. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I am" J'onn replied, "This could be some sort of portal or travel device."
"There you are little one" Kara said.
Alex's eyes opened wide as Kara handed her a full tub of ice cream.
"Are you sure that's wise" J'onn asked, "that's a lot of sugar."
Kara shrugged, "she'll be fine."
J'onn gave Kara a knowing look.
"Are we both thinking this thing somehow swopped our Alex with baby Alex?"
"I'm not a baby" Alex said, with a mouthful of ice cream.
"It's possible" J'onn replied, lowering his voice so only Kara could hear.
"So that means our Alex is stuck in the nineties" Kara sighed. "I suppose we've been in trickier situations." She said in an attempt to reassure her-self and ease the anxiety building within. "Is it possible that our Alex and little Alex were both playing with the device at the same time; could that have triggered it?"
"Maybe, we will know more once we decode Jeremiahs notes."
Alex suddnely cried out and pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead.
"What is it?" Kara asked, panicked.
"Brainfreeze" Alex sobbed.
Kara hid her amusement and pressed her warm hand against Alex's forehead, "better?"
Alex nodded and ate another mouthful of ice cream.