"Thank you for accompanying me," Martin began as they began their journey back into Central City, "Miss Flanagan could never handle the mission we're going to go on. I've been having these memory flashbacks that aren't my own, or at least they weren't, and now I know there is only one way to find a conclusion," he finished, leaving mystery still to their true goal.
"So that's what has been triggering your spurts of pain?" Alex asked curiously, causing Martin to let out an amused chuckle.
"It seems Miss Flanagan has already discussed my condition with you," he noted, the two making their way to a doorstep of one of the houses in a local neighborhood.
Alex quickly placed her hand on top of Martin's as he went to knock on the door. "You know, Lacy really cares for you," she said softly, "I don't know why we're here at this house, but I felt like that needed to be said," she finished, lifting her touch from his hand.
Martin nodded as he knocked on the door, "I wish she didn't feel so strongly for me because it only makes what I feel we're about to learn, that much harder."
The door opened and a woman around Lacy and Alex's age revealed herself and exclaimed, "Dad!" before embracing Martin in a hug. "Mom said you wouldn't be back for much longer but I'm trying a new recipe if you want to come in. Is Lacy in town too?" she asked, looking at Alex in confusion, "Mom is ok with you two, you know? You don't have to be afraid to bring her around."
Alex took a surprised step back, "What...is going on?" she asked, looking up at Martin.
Martin looked back at Alex, "I'm just as confused as you are, I assure you," he replied before looking back at the girl who he had learned was his daughter, "I can't stay, I'm afraid. I have too much to do but perhaps Lacy and I can come back another time," he finished as he turned to walk away, practically hauling Alex behind him.
Alex walked back into the hangar, avoiding eye contact with Professor Stein, as she made her way over to Lacy who was in the middle of training. Lacy, who had just fallen to the floor due to a hit in the face, was startled when her friend strutted over to her and pulled her up by the arm.
"You need to go talk to Professor Stein, right now," Alex ordered, a deathly serious expression across her face.
Lacy grasped her face as she looked at her friend, "Is that a good you need to talk to him or bad you need to talk to him?" she asked, the bruise on her face developing instantly.
Alex's lips tightened as she snarled up her nose in thought, "It depends, but it's definitely going to be a shock," she confessed before quickly making an exit.
Lacy scowled at Alex as she walked away before she looked at Martin, "What's going on with you?" she asked.
Martin looked over at Lacy, "It's hard to explain and after today it's gotten even harder but basically, I have a daughter because of our last interaction with my younger self and the pains I've been experiencing are the memories attaching themselves to my brain," he explained, much more calmly then he'd expected.
Lacy took a step back, holding her hand to her face as if that pain was the same, "How old is she?" she asked, hoping his daughter wasn't a similar age to her.
Martin looked at her, seeing the bruise for the first moment, "She is around your age but I don't see why that's the first thought on your mind."
"I can't become a stepmother to a girl my own age," Lacy replied, "Although, that really isn't in our future at all so I don't know why I'm even mentioning it. I'm sorry, Martin, I'm just really overwhelmed by us right now and it's making me act crazy," she began, "I'm going to go back to training because that's what matters. Sorry if I'm making things any harder for you then they already are," she said as she slipped away back into the battle without another word or allowing Martin to reply to her.