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CHAPTER TWO

THE DEAL

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     IT DIDN'T TAKE long before Charlotte was sitting in the back of the squad car, squished in between two of the three henchmen. Her gut told her that things wouldn't end so well after numerous police spotted her with bloody hands, a dead body, and three men unconscious. Not mention, the amount of damage that was at the scene of the bar. Although, Charlotte wanted to plead her innocence — which, she should have, but her last name immediately proves she's guilty — she decided to give up her freedom candidly, which all lead up to this moment.

     She tries her best not to lose her mind as she walks into the police station, handcuff and all, as police officers and other citizens look at her up and down. In her mind, Charlotte can be sure they are probably saying things like, "Well, what do you know, Raymond's girl is following into his footsteps" or something like, "Like father like daughter, isn't it terrible". Either way, Charlotte was sure that people were talking about her. Everyone talks about her. It's not that she really cares if they talk about her or anything, she just doesn't like it when people talk negatively over her. There's a lot of things that have been twisted into the media about the young-adult. Things that aren't correct. Things that make her look like a trashy person. And of course, when people read those stories, they automatically assume they know everything about her and her life. Which, if she had the free will to speak (of course, the many lawyers that she has hired always tell her not to comment on any of these speculations) she would set all the records straight.

     Anyways. Charlotte is placed into a small room, her skin is pressed against a hard metal chair. By now, the guard has uncuffed her and she is able to feel her soft flesh again. Before she can ask any questions, he leaves. And just like that, she is alone. Again, she doesn't like this. She feels like a criminal. An animal being locked in a cage, waiting for a group of scientist to test or poke her. She's starting to feel like her father. And, if she had to guess, he probably felt the same exact way whenever he first ended up in police custody. Only, that encaged feeling probably didn't last that long, considering he was back in handcuff three months later.

     The door opens, and she sits upright into her seat. The detective from earlier comes in with a manilla file into his hands. He grabs the metal chair on the opposite of Charlotte and sits down quietly. He opens the file, and pulls out a criminal record. Charlotte leans over to look at them, her father's name makes her stomach do flips as she scans the report.

     Detective Joe West looks up from the file, and says, "Your father has been in and out of this system since the day I joined the force." Charlotte looked at Joe, eyebrows raised slightly in hopes he would explain himself a little further. Joe caught on, and sighed. "He's been Central City's main threat since basically the beginning of this crime spree. We all want him to pay for what he did."

     "He was in our custody once — or three billion times — why did you guys let him go?" asked Charlotte.

     "Because the law, well, it sometimes sucks," said Joe, blatantly. Honestly, Charlotte is really surprised by this. Maybe it's because a man who's stood by that same law for almost half of his life is now admitting to the mistreatment of rules fair played by the government. Interesting. "But we are doing everything we can to bring him down."

     Charlotte scoffed. "Doesn't seem like it. He's been roaming around the city, doing God knows what and all you can say is —"

     "I know," says Joe.

     "And he's getting worse, I heard that's branding up this new kind of drug—"

     "I know."

      "And also, I heard that he starting a new group downtown—"

      "I know."

      Charlotte frowns. She beginning to become annoyed with his response. Her mind is screaming with loud thoughts. Thoughts that would make her seem crazy, but she insist that she would be much better if she were to keep them inside. Although, things don't go totally as planned when she snaps and says, "Quit saying you know and do something about it damnit," she said. Her eyes are beginning to swell with emotions, but she held back. "He's a monster and he deserves to rot in hell. I don't care if he's my own blood."

      Joe, at this, doesn't really know what to say. He really wasn't expecting this coming from the girl who claimed she was invisible. He knows better than anyone else that she doesn't exactly have the best relationship with her father. Like any child, they all had something they didn't like about their parents.

      Whether they were too strict, too judgemental, etc. They all had something. But Charlotte's something turned to a long laundry list that no one could keep up with. And, deep down inside, if he could, Joe would do something to make her happy. He would do anything to cheer his poor friend up, but unfortunately, his hands were tied.

     "An innocent man died tonight, Joe. He died because of my father. His blood was on my hands — figuratively and mentally — and I couldn't stop him. I let everyone down, Joe. I wasn't able to save that man."

     "You aren't invincible, Charlotte," he said. He brought the folder closer to himself and closed it up. Charlotte looked up at him. He sighed slightly. "You are human. You are capable of making plenty of mistakes, whether you realize it or not. And you are able to rise back up and conquer the day. Because believe it or not, even the mightiest heroes screw up and redeem themselves somehow."

     She knew where he was going with this, but she let him continue on. "I know it's been a bit crazy after — well, uh, Harrison Wells, but things are getting back to normal. Slowly, if anything, but Roman wasn't built in a day," he said. "I know this might a little off topic, but Aurora — people around town have been noticing and hearing things about her appearing every now and then..."

     Charlotte feels lost for words. She could have sworn up until six months ago, the citizens of Central City spoke nothing but pure evil about their once golden goddess. But now they want her back? Clearly, this must be a mistake, right? She screwed up. Many people lost their lives because of her. The damage that she had made couldn't be undone. Instead, it was left as just a haunting memory for her to fear about. She was screw up, and no one like a screw-up. So clearly this was a mistake. It was mishaps. The people of Central City wouldn't dare want to accept redemption from someone like her. Right? So in other words, it is a mistake, right?

     "I don't know about this," she says. Joe frowned. "I messed up, I made a lot of major hiccups that I can't take back. And besides, Aurora — it's been awhile since she fought for something else other than Raymond."

     "Are you kidding me?" asked Joe. "I was able to see the tapes of the fight at the bar, and I have to say, you are ready for this Charlotte. The town needs it goddess back." Charlotte stared back at him. She forced a small smile on her face. "Plus, even if he wouldn't admit it, Barry needs you as much as he needs his speed. You two need each other. More than you would want to admit it. It wouldn't hurt to give it another try right?"

     "Right," said Charlotte. She swallowed hard at this. The mention of him made her feel some kind of way. Joe had a smile on his face. Her stomach sank. She felt bad because on the inside she was basically screaming at herself for answering too quickly. She didn't even have time to think. But she would've felt bad if she didn't accept this offer. Either way, she was just digging herself in a deep hole that she was going to have trouble getting out of.

     "Here," says Joe. "I'll make you a deal."

     Charlotte rolls her eyes, but nods for him to continue.

     "Bring back Aurora to Central City," he says. "And in return, I'll bring down your father. Personally."

     Charlotte smirks. "And if you fail?"

     "I promise you," says Joe, confidently. He smiles at her, and continues, "I won't fail, but if I do. You can leave this town, and I won't ask for another favor ever again."

      Ever again.

       Maybe she should just play along? Just for a little, and then maybe make another excuse to say that this doesn't seem right to her? At least then, she wouldn't feel like she's a disgrace (once again) to herself, her friends, and the citizens of Central City by up and leaving the town to wallow in its misery. Maybe even move upstate and start all over? At least then, she wouldn't feel like haunting memories of her past would come back to bite her in the ass.

★

     A COUPLE OF HOURS HAS passed since Charlotte was last seen in the custody of Central City. A couple of hours has passed since Joe had encouraged her to give the whole goddess homecoming a try. A couple of hours has passed since his name had been mention. And even now, Charlotte still found her stomach flipping inside and out at the thought of his name. Believe it or not, Charlotte hates the circumstances. Maybe, if she wasn't forced to team up with the boy she once had feelings for, it wouldn't be hard for her to be fully on board with Joe's offer. Possibly?

      "Are you sure this is something that you have to do?" her aunt had asked when she had arrived back the from the long drive from Central City. As obvious as it might seem, after the whole rampage that took place six months ago, Aurora, along with Charlotte disappeared. No one knew exactly where she had run off to. Some had said, she traveled off to a foreign country, while others said that she moved to a quiet place in Central. However, all sources were wrong. After the wormhole of Central City, Charlotte had run off to Starling City. It was there where she regained contact with some old and new blood. Oliver Queen, being one of them, followed by Ruby Summers, who happened to be Raymond Summers' sister. The two Summers siblings really didn't see eye to eye with each other, which was basically a common ground for Charlotte and her to share. "I just don't think going back there is the best idea for now."

     Here is where we find Charlotte. Her heels placed somewhere around the apartment while, clothes are being thrown from the other side of the room. Differentiating from dress pants to dresses, from heels to boots. Charlotte was making sure that she going to pack it all for the adventure that was in for. Of course, if she needed to quickly jet away when things got a little too out of hand for her liking then she stored the fastest taxi driver service on her phone. But she was hoping she wouldn't be needing that.

      But in all, Ruby Summers (who know is married and her last name is now referred to as Sullivan) is a smart woman, Charlotte knows this. She knows a lot, maybe a little too much, but she knows just enough to impress Charlotte. Opposite of her brother, Ruby Summers is a lawyer. She owns her own firm and is claimed to be one of the best of the best. Which is all really nice considering the fact that in the past she has been able to bail Charlotte out of a lot of things. But what she doesn't know is Charlotte's secret alter ego and her true reasoning for traveling back to Central City for a few months. All she knows is that Charlotte had been approached for a writing deal for her blog and she was going to take it.

     "Of course it isn't the best idea," says Charlotte. One hand holds a glass of red wine, while the other carries a pair of heels. She throws them into her overly packed suitcase. "Randomly going back to the city that despises you for your father is never a good idea. But it's something I have to risk."

     Ruby gives her a look. "Risking your life isn't worth leaving Starling to stay in Central City, where you dad and his mob are practically coming up with a plan to take over the town," she says. Charlotte frowns at her, but Ruby doesn't seem to stop worrying. Instead, she keeps nervously rambling. "He's a monster and he won't stop until he gets what he wants."

     "I know that," says Charlotte.

     "So you'll stay here then?" asked Ruby.

     "No."

    Ruby Sullivan, whose eyes are on her niece, takes a sip of her own glass of wine. She worried. But she worries a lot for her flesh and blood. Words cannot begin to explain how worried she is for Charlotte. But she knows her niece. She knows that she's very strong natured and stubborn. Just like her own father. So talking Charlotte out a crazy situation was a very complicated situation.

      "What if someone goes wrong?" asked Ruby. By now, Charlotte is done packing and is now still on her bed. Ruby is sitting beside her. "What if your dad finds while you are down there and kills you or something?"

     Charlotte feels (sort of) bad for lying to her aunt. She knows she only trying to protect her, but Charlotte is doing everything to protect her. Keeping her in the dark about Aurora and the real reason why she going back to Central City is the best thing she can do.

      "My dad has been trying to kill me ever since I was fourteen," says Charlotte. "I made it ten years escaping his deadly wrath. I am pretty I'll be fine. And even if he kills me, I've already made a list of things I want at my funeral. A Channel coffin—"

       Ruby, unsurprisingly, glares at her.

     "Charlotte, I am serious," says Ruby, after a couple of silence minutes. She wants to cry. She wants to beg for her niece not to leave, but she knows that it won't work. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. Even though we've known each other for a small amount of time, you mean something special to me. I just don't want to bury my own—"

     Charlotte stands up, moving closer to her aunt. She gives her a hug. Again, she feels terrible, but she has to do this.

      Everything might be a mess right now, but sooner or later things will be normal. After all, she won't be planning to be Aurora forever. It was only part of the deal. She was only doing this until things are right.

     And things will be right. 

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idk if this any good or not, but i really hope you all enjoyed it. i know this chapter was super short, but it was honestly intended because i am going to be doing filler chapters every now and then, but not too many. anyways, i really excited for Charlotte to be back in CC and working with TEAM FLASH! 

also if you guys are interested: should add an extended cast because there's going to a lot of original characters besides the main flash cast? let me know!

also i edited this three times, but if there are any typos i'll be sure to check back later. so sorry if there are some :)