"Siren:

A woman who is considered to be alluring or fascinating but also dangerous in some way."

The day after Oswald was affected by Crane's fear gas, was a busy day. Charlotte and Oswald made a brief visit to the GCPD to warn Jim Gordon he had twenty-four hours to catch the creator of that gas. Or he locked Crane up or he would have to admit to Oswald he failed and would have to allow Oswald to clean the city up with the help of his licenses. An ultimatum Gordon wasn't all too happy to hear.

Once Oswald returned to his club, he was received by Arthur Penn, his new accountant, with not so satisfying news. Barbara Kean was alive and taking advantage of Oswald's licenses to create a new business.

"What?" Oswald shouted at Penn, who recoiled at the sudden change in Oswald's demeanor.

"Uh,... Miss Kean has a weapon business ready for the people who get their licenses," Mr. Penn explained again hesitantly as he saw the red color on Oswald's face. "She expects to... uh... sell the criminals the supplies they will need to commit their crimes and make a... profit out of it".

Oswald closed his eyes and inhaled sharply before looking at Penn with a smile filled with mischief. "Oh, is that so? I say we pay Barbara a visit".

"Can I go too?" Ivy asked as she eyed Charlotte and Oswald hopefully.

"Only if you keep your mouth shut," Oswald told Ivy with a sharp look in her way before he walked out of the club. Ivy huffed angrily but didn't say anything and followed after him, Zsasz and his henchmen.

Charlotte placed a hand on her back as they walked. "Don't mind him, Ivy. He's just angry 'cause Barbara is taking advantage of his licenses to gain profit and is not giving him his share. You know every criminal business has to run through him first now".

"I don't care about that," Ivy whispered to Charlotte with an annoyed tone. "I'm just tired of him not treating me with respect. It's not just him. No one does".

"I do," Charlotte reminded her redheaded friend, but Ivy wasn't convinced and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"You? You've been spending more time with Zsasz than with me and when you're not at the club, you're with Freeze," Ivy complained.

Charlotte didn't find Ivy's words to be fair at all. "It's normal. Zsasz is my work partner and Freeze is my boyfriend. You know I've been trying to help him revert his condition".

"And I'm your friend," the redhead glared at the blonde. "An even better friend than Oswald has been to you in the last couple of months. It's not fair, Charlotte. And we both know that nothing will ever help revert Freeze's condition". Her words were harsh and they caused a sense of sadness to spread inside Charlotte. Mostly, because she feared Ivy was right about Victor, but also because Ivy was the last person she expected to hear those words from.

"Are you sure I'm the one not being fair with you now?" Charlotte asked Ivy bitterly before walking ahead to join Zsasz's side right behind Oswald. At least, Zsasz never complained about her not being a good partner or questioned her relationships with other people. He actually didn't even care and couldn't focus on a conversation like that for more than two seconds.

Ivy was left at the back of the group with a frustrated sigh. She regretted saying those harsh words, but they were still true in her opinion.

After a few more minutes, they finally reached Barbara's new place. From the outside, it looked big and expensive, but only when they got in did they realize how fancy it really was. The walls were of dark gray wood and all the decoration appeared to be very expensive. Charlotte thought to herself it would be impossible for Barbara to have paid it all by herself. She had lost everything at the 'Sirens club' after all.

What caught Charlotte's attention was the extra decoration on the walls and the reason why they had to make their way there in the first place. Guns were displayed on the walls and Charlotte heard Zsasz gasp beside her as soon as his eyes landed on them. The two shared a glance before walking past Oswald and stepping in front of a wall, completely ignoring the blonde woman standing by her desk.

"My, my!" Oswald exclaimed.

"Well, come on in, I guess," Barbara said, but Charlotte and Zsasz weren't even listening anymore. Instead, they stared at all the assault rifles before them with wide eyes. Victor placed a hand over his heart and extended a hand for one of the weapons. Then at the same time, he and Charlotte grabbed the same one. An AR-15 that seemed to be calling their names.

They glared at each other and pushed the rifle to their side, but neither of them let go of it. Charlotte was tired of it and pushed it to her side with a little more force, causing the rifle to be ripped from Zsasz's hands. He sent her an intimidating glare with his wide brown eyes, but she didn't care and proceeded to observe the gun she intended to keep. Zsasz huffed and searched the other guns, only to find an assault rifle he thought was even better than the one he lost to Charlotte.

"We're not open yet," Charlotte heard Barbara say.

"Looks pretty open to me," Oswald replied after he took a quick look around the room.

"Yeah, I'd say it's open," Zsasz interjected as he turned his new rifle around in his hands. Charlotte had never seen him so happy. "Hot damn, it's like Christmas".

"Definitely open," Charlotte nodded at Barbara. The other blonde had changed since the last time Charlotte saw her. Her now platinum blonde hair was shorter and she seemed more detached than before. Her expression was emotionless as she heard Oswald speak.

"Which is upsetting, because this was definitely something you would want to run by me first," Oswald told.

Barbara just smiled slightly at Oswald. "Is it, now?"

"Oh, yes, absolutely," Oswald nodded and limped all the way to Barbara's desk to stand right in front of the blonde. "All enterprises pertaining to the criminal underworld shall, from this time forth, be approved, monitored, and taxed by me".

"My apologies. I'm still waiting for my partners to come aboard," Barbara told just as Oswald walked away from her to observe the different types of guns displayed on the wall behind her desk.

Ivy's interest was picked at that last sentence. "Who? Tabitha? Selina?" The truth was she wanted to join Barbara on this new business of hers and if her friend Selina was involved then it would be easier to join.

Barbara looked at the redhead with slightly narrowed eyes. "Perhaps".

Oswald chuckled and turned to look at Barbara again. "Well, good luck with that. Slippery characters, the both of them. Also, people can often carry grudges after you shoot their boyfriends".

"I could talk to them... if you want," Ivy suggested, but she was quickly shut down by Oswald, who sent her a sharp look.

"I distinctly remember saying you could come if you kept your mouth shut," he said rudely. Ivy glared at him before turning her back and walking away. Charlotte sighed, feeling bad for her friend even if she had been harsh to her not too long before. Oswald ignored the look Ivy sent him and faced Barbara. "You will need an operating license, obviously. Then pay a weapon tax".

"Weapon tax?" Barbara asked as if saying 'really?'

Oswald ignored her too and finished his sentence. "And then, perhaps your little store can open".

"Well, you don't ask for much now, do you?" The blonde smiled.

Oswald turned serious. "I am not asking for enough," he said shoving the chair standing beside him against Barbara's desk and taking a step closer to her. "Let me be absolutely clear, Miss Kean. I will be keeping a very close eye on you. The first rumor I hear about you and your little partners making moves to contest me, and Victor and Charlotte,..." Oswald paused to look at the two and they sent a wink and a wave at Barbara. "...Will end you with your own merchandise".

Barbara's expression remained the same. "Understood".

Oswald walked away from her and looked around the room. "Couldn't have been cheap". Charlotte nodded, having thought the same as soon as she came in.

"I'm sorry?" Barbara asked in confusion.

"You lost your money on 'The Sirens Club', then went missing. Rumor was you were dead. And now you're back with a brand-new fancy place," Oswald said signing with his hand to the room they were on. "Who paid for it?" Barbara just stared back at him and didn't say a word. "You really think I won't find out who it is?" Oswald laughed with a shake of his head and walked out of the house.

Zsasz pointed at the rifle he was holding. "I'm gonna take this".

Charlotte nodded and pointed at her own. "And I'm gonna take this". Then her eyes landed on a Beretta M9 behind Barbara's desk and went to grab it. "And this. Nice to see you again, Barbara". Charlotte noticed the fire burning behind Barbara's blue eyes even if she looked at her with a neutral expression. Charlotte smiled and walked away.

On the next day, Charlotte and Oswald were back on the GCPD to see if they had managed to capture Crane. Instead, they were received by an angry Jim Gordon. But Oswald was prepared and promised to triple the wage of any cop who decided to help him with his licenses. Obviously, Jim was still against it. Not that Charlotte expected anything else from the Detective. She knew he would be trouble from the start. Oswald left, but Charlotte stepped closer to Gordon.

"Looks like you had a rough night, Detective," Charlotte said to Jim as she noticed how tired he looked.

"I had to walk into a riot at Arkham Asylum filled with patients affected by Crane's fear gas," Jim told her and Charlotte arched one eyebrow as she looked around at the cops who were observing them.

"You mean to say none of these idiots helped you?" Charlotte chuckled at the glare Jim sent her. "Wow, how generous of them. But was that kid really so difficult to catch? Did he sprayed you with the fear gas too?"

Jim took a step closer to Charlotte. "Listen, Jonathan is not just some innocent kid anymore. He goes by the Scarecrow. I placed him back on his cell in Arkham, but I won't let Penguin hurt him".

"Even after what the Scarecrow did to you, you still try to protect him," Charlotte stated. "Don't worry, I won't tell Oswald". Jim was taken aback by that last sentence. However, she wasn't finished. "I will choke that son of a bitch myself with his own gas".

Charlotte was going to walk away but Jim grabbed her arm. "You won't do anything. That gang forced Crane to make the gas that affected Oswald. It wasn't his fault".

The blonde woman nodded. "Have it your way, Jim. You are lucky I have other things on my mind right now. But I'm warning you if that kid crosses my way, I won't be so forgiving". She pulled her arm away from Jim's hold and walked out of the GCPD.

Back in 'The Iceberg Lounge', Charlotte retreated to the room she stayed while there at the club. But her eyes landed on a green note that was on top of her covers. 'Charlotte' was written in red with elegant handwriting. That handwriting was familiar and Charlotte recognized it as being Ivy's. With a confused expression, Charlotte opened the green envelope and took out the small letter inside.

"Charlotte,

I'm sorry for the things I've said earlier. You didn't deserve it. I wish things didn't have to come to this. Just want you to know I don't blame you for anything. It's all Penguin's fault. That freak is the one who treats us as if we're all his servants and manipulates us into doing what he wants when he wants. I couldn't take it anymore, so I left. I'm tired of not being taken seriously. I intend to change that very soon. I will be back as a better version of myself. Remember, Nature always wins.

Love,

Ivy"

Charlotte sighed sadly and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she did so. At that moment, she felt the temperature of her room getting lower and a chill ran down her spine. She didn't open her eyes because she knew exactly who had stepped into her room. A cold arm rested around her waist and she felt the armored chest press against her back.

"What happened?" Victor's voice said from behind her and she opened her eyes to look back at him over her shoulder.

"Ivy. She left," Charlotte told him, holding out the letter for him to see.

Victor read the letter and then gently turned Charlotte's body in his arms, placing his ungloved hand on her cheek while the other kept a hold of his freezing gun. "Don't worry about her. She will be fine".

Charlotte nodded, wanting desperately to believe everything would be okay with her friend. "I really hope so".

***

A/N: And I hope you all liked this! Have you seen the first episode of season 5?! I can't stop crying today because of that episode. At least, I can update a new chapter for this story. That definitely makes me feel better.