"Okay... yes, Dr. Arkham... sounds good... I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good bye." Pressing the end button, Alex threw the phone lightly onto the sofa with a sigh. "Anything wrong?" "No... just my boss, calling to ask if I could come into work tomorrow."
Alex was currently sitting on the couch in Luke and Claire's house, watching them get ready to go on a date.
"As long as it not tonight, I don't care."
"Thanks for the brotherly love, Luke."
"Hey, you promised to watch the kids... no backing out of it just because some inmate tried to off someone else."
Alex scrunched her nose st her brother's blunt response, "Don't worry, nobody's offing anyone tonight."
Watching as her nephew, Max, played with a dragon figure, and her niece, Lizzie, draw with crayons, Alex couldn't help but smile.
Her family.
She loved them more than anything.
Though she was't loving Gotham, she was glad to be closer to her brother and his family.
"So how's work been? Luke doesn't tell me anything." Claire, her sister-in-law, said as she fiddled with fastening a bracelet.
"Here, let me," Alex stood from the sofa, and clasped the bracelet, "it's good. I don't really work with anyone dangerous." 'Not since Riddler had gotten my information and was thrown into isolation'
"That's good. We worry about you." Alex flopped back onto the couch, "How've you been? You've been sick a lot lately."
Claire waved her hand, "Oh, it's nothing serious. Just a stomach bug. Thank you, again, for watching the kids, Alex."
"Of course, it just gives me an excuse to stay here and drink your beer and eat your food."
"Ha. Joke's on you.." Luke called from the bedroom, "we only have Bud Light Lime."
"Auntie Alex, come play with me." Max yelled as he hurled himself into her.
Catching him against her chest with an 'oomph', Alex gingerly held her scar.
"Max, you need to be careful with Auntie Alex. She was hurt there, remember?"
"Sorry Aunt Alex. I forgot." "It's okay, sweetie."
"It still hurts?" Luke asked, a worried hint in his voice.
Nodding a 'yes' she took a couple deep breaths, hoping it would stop the tingling pain in her torso.
"It's not that bad. Just still a little sensitive. I'm fine. You two need to go, you'll lose your dinner reservation at the rate you guys are going."
"Fine, fine. I can take a hint. Just please take it easy, Alex."
"I'll try."
Claire and Luke walked out of the house and into the car, Alex gave a wave as Luke started up the car and drove down the street, out of sight.
"Well, your parents are off to dinner. Now it's just the three of us."
"Can we watch a movie?" Lizzie asked, standing from her spot on the floor.
"Sure! Why don't you pick out the movie, and I'll get dinner ready. Sound good?"
Lizzie nodded and went to work picking out the perfect movie.
While Max and Lizzy were busy arguing over which movie was better to watch, Alex got busy heating a frozen pizza.
"Who makes children eat pizza that doesn't have meat?" Alex didn't mind eggplant, but having it on her pizza was pushing it.
After it was finished baking, Alex cut it into small slices and plated them.
"Okay you guys, dinner's ready. Come wash your hands."
"Do you want anything to drink?"
"Lemonade!" "Juice!"
Opening the fridge, Alex plucked the juice carton and bottle of lemonade and poured them into cups for the kids.
"Thank you!"
Walking back to the fridge, Alex made a face before grabbing a bottle of Bud Light. 'Next time I babysit, Luke is paying me in better beer.'
"You guys decide on a movie yet?"
"Yeah. We're gonna watch this one!" Max yelled, holding up the DVD cover.
Picking up the DVD, she read the title, "The Iron Giant. Good pick."
Placing the movie in the DVD player, and turning down the lights, Alex sat in between Max and Lizzie.
"... No one ever heard from the wicked witch ever again. And the princess and the knight lived happily ever after. The End."
Softly closing the story book, Alex made sure both kids were asleep before quietly shuffling out of their shared room, and into the living room. Sitting down at the work desk, she logged into the family computer, and checked her e-mail.
Nothing important. Just a few ads for some stores, an old friend from Central City was getting married, another acquaintance was pregnant, spam, spam, spam. Once finished, she turned off the computer, and turned on the tv.
Getting comfortable on the sofa, Alex began channel surfing. News. Some Fashion Show. Iron Chef. Yoga Show. Old episode of Downton Abby.
Nothing good was on.
She ended up settling for a movie about a spy who had to stop terrorists from destroying the internet.
It looked cheesy, but she didn't have anything better to do.
Near the end of the movie, the front door unlocked, and in walked Luke and Claire.
"Hey, how were the kids?"
Standing up, Alex stretched, "They were great. I made them pizza, we watched a movie, drew some pictures, then they went to bed."
"Thanks, Alex."
She waved a hand, "No problem... but Luke, next time, buy better beer."
Unlocking her apartment door, Alex yawned.
It was almost 11pm, and she needed to be at work at 7am tomorrow.
Groggily making her way to her room, she left the lights off, and kicked off her shoes. Pulling out pajamas from her dresser, Alex lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it into the hamper. She was about to remove her camisole, when she noticed something strange...
The closet door was slightly open.
She couldn't remember leaving it open earlier today.
Fear gripped her heat in a painful squeeze.
She needed to call the police.
She was tired of everyone breaking into her house.
Cautiously turning her back to the closet, hopefully not alerting whoever was inside that she was on to them. She turned to walk out of the room to grab her cell phone, when she froze in her spot.
"You really didn't think I was in the closet, did you, Alexis?"
Standing just a few steps away, was the Riddler.
He was casually leaning against the bedroom doorway, blocking her escape to the front door.
"Edward...? How...? How did you get out?" Her voice quivered, and she felt her knees shake.
He smirked and began stalking towards her in slow strides, "Riddle me this, Doctor. How does one keep smoke in a jar?"
Alex backed up against the wall.
She was trapped.
Edward made his way toward her, "The answer," He paused to grip her chin in a too-tight hold between his thumb and forefinger, "is that, you can't."
And with that, the Riddler shoved a small cloth into her face.
Fighting to shove the cloth away, she took a whiff of whatever sweet-smelling stuff the cloth was drenched in.
'Chloroform. Shit.'
Passing out, Alex slumped into the arms of the Riddler.
