SHIELD [Book 1 of Alex & Allie Save The World]

Chapter 20 Patrol Pt. 1

III

The official plan for Friday is as follows: Alex will feign illness in the morning and have Margaery (or Bruce) take the wheelchair bound girl to work; then halfway through the day Alex will call Allie to tell her she isn't going to the dinner but Bruce can take her place as Allie's escort. Finally, the dinner with the free lance journalists will be canceled secretly and Bruce is going to take her to the same restaurant but they will have a private dinner, thus tricking Allie into a first date.

Until then the duo will have to work on integrating Allison Gray into their nightly routines as well as keeping her alive.

III Wednesday III

Bruce Wayne's sends flowers to the Sentinel tower three times; once in the morning, again at lunch time, and then once again as Allison Gray and Alexandra Aldridge are leaving for the night. Madison is sufficiently annoyed by the end of the day but unfortunately Bruce Wayne has no plans of stopping. However, Margaery finds the gifts endearing and so Madison will continue to tolerate the antics of a billionaire loverboy.

Allie finds it flattering and on the ride home she weaves three flower crowns from the bouquets; Alex fears who she intends them for.

III

The crowns are for the "Gotham Vigilante Unit" or "GVU" as Allie has decided to call Batman, Gypsy Sentinel, Alfred, and now her and the doubles.

III Wednesday Night III

"Alright, I have nine Dr. Peppers, three flower crowns, two pillows, two blankets, three laptops, and three headsets for my first night on the GVU," Allie announces and pats the large bag set on her lap. Allie Three stands behind her holding the handles of the wheelchair while Allie Two stands to the side carrying the sleeping supplies.

Alexandra Aldridge stares blankly at the trio of overexcited and overprepared Allison Grays. Alex herself is half dressed in her suit and holding her mask in hand.

"Allie, it is just a patrol," Alex says but the tiny blonde girls enthusiasm cannot be swayed.

"It's my first time being in on the vigilante activities! And it's most of the night so I need things to keep me awake and things to put me to sleep," Allie defends and Alex half nods. "So let's go! Or stay? Or how does this work normally?"

"Depends. Sometimes I hop into the humvee and meet Batman in the Batcave or he meets me somewhere on the streets or even on occasion we meet at my safehouse in the city," Alex explains and the Allies tilt their heads in confusion.

"Does he never meet you here? I thought you had an underground base on the island."

"I also had a you on the island," Alex reminds. "A you I wanted to keep safe and hidden from the darker side of my world."

"Oh," the Allies hum.

"Tonight, however, I'll be driving you three to the Batcave first where you will spend the patrol with our guy in the chair, Alfred," Alex relays and pulls her hair up so she can place her mask over her face. "Have your invisible arms or whatever carry you down the stairs so I can show you how to get into my secret lair."

Alexandra Aldridge adjusts her mask and then her fingerless gloves and with that she becomes Gypsy Sentinel. Gypsy walks down the stairs with Allie Two and Three behind her followed by a floating Allie in her chair. The scene is comical; a very serious and seasoned vigilante and then her three little blonde ducklings one of which has a broken wing and two broken feet.

Things only get funnier in the basement when Alex goes straight for the drink fridge.

"Wait the switch for your secret lair is in the drink fridge?" Allie questions incredulously and watches as Alex swings open the door.

"No, the passcode panel for my secret lair is hidden in the drink fridge," Alex corrects and shoves aside a handful of Diet Dr. Peppers to reveal a code pad.

"Holy fuck," Allie Two and Three gasp while original Allie smacks a hand over her face.

"Gotta be fucking kidding me," Allie grumbles.

"There? Alex, really?"

"You won't touch Diet Dr. Pepper," Alex points out and the Allies reluctantly nod.

"Fucking genius," Allie Two remarks.

"Goddamn diabolical," Allie Three scoffs and crosses her arms.

"You're right, Alex. I respect that," Allie admits begrudgingly and her friend smirks.

"The code is 05031997," Alex recites as she types it in.

Across the room a bookshelf parts in the middle and slides open to reveal an elevator. The bookshelf is Alexandra Aldridge's prized collection of signed first edition copies of her favorite series' all organized in reverse order for the aesthetic.

"I admit I was not expecting an actual secret spy entrance to a secret underground lair. This is crazy, Alex. This is straight out of a movie," Allie marvels and her eyes sparkle. Allie has always loved dramatic flare and secret corridors and hidden levers or switches. Allie herself has a secret passage in the back of her closet as well as a safe under her floorboards.

"The code," Allie Two says suddenly, taking the attention of those in the room.

"It's a date," Allie Three adds on and she nods to Allie whose eyes widen.

"May 3rd, 1997," Allie concludes and furrows her eyebrows. "Why does that date sound familiar?"

"It's the day our school bus crashed in Smallville or better known the first time we almost died," Alex elaborates, a sardonic smile on her face. "The first time something weird happened to us involving a metahuman or some otherworldly force."

"That boy, Clark I think, saved us, somehow," Allie muses, a nostalgic tint in her gaze. "You chose that date for the code?"

"It's a date I'll remember forever," Alex replies with a shrug and gestures to the elevator. "Are we going or what?"

"Definitely going!"

III

Gypsy Sentinel's secret lair is really more of a cavern filled with assorted weaponry, back up suits, alternative suits, a black truck, a sleek convertible, a submarine, and of course the humvee.

"What do you call the hummer? Does it have a name like the Batmobile?" Allie Two queries and Alex nods.

"The Caravan."

"And your lair? Or lairs I should say," Allie Three questions.

"This is The Sanctum and the safehouse is The Haven," Alex responds and heads towards The Caravan, grabbing the keys off her belt as she does.

"Load up!" Allie Three opens the side door with a vector and then helps to hoist the wheelchair in the backseat and then situates herself next to Original Allie. Allie Two takes the passengers seat. Once everyone is buckled Gypsy Sentinel revs the engine and slams the gas.

The Caravan careens down the cavern towards what seems to be a solid wall of rock but it quickly drops down like a drawbridge and Gypsy drives down another tunnel.

Allison Gray views the tunnel in amazement, she had no idea there was a tunnel beneath their bridge and under the water to the mainland. She almost questions how Alex constructed any of this but then remember this is Alexandra Aldridge their talking about and Alexandra Aldridge can do anything.

The tunnel leads up to an opening on the public road hidden by trees, bushes, and an automated faux grass wall.

Gypsy Sentinel drives like a crazy woman down the streets of Gotham, breaking all sorts of traffic laws, but no police ever show up. She is helping them after all.