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•Charlotte•

Classes flew by during the day and I was thankful for that. Throughout the whole senior year, there were about 50 students who had decided to show up. Lizzie and I were part of that group. The group that wanted to meet their teachers and make a good impression. 

It had failed though. We didn't have a new teacher at all, just the old ones that hated or loved us. Our schedule matched, more of a pleading from Lizzie to the principal. 

Lizzie had Dyslexia. She struggled in all her subjects, finding it too hard to learn the way the rest of the class learnt. She used to record every class and go home to listen to it over and over,trying to learn anything. It never worked until I helped her with her maths homework. After that day, we were in every class together, we would be sitting together while I taught her in the simplest form. 

The bell screamed through the whole school and immediately everyone stood up,trying to leave class as Mrs Margaret, our english teacher shook her head at them. I picked up my bag and followed the students out. 

"I'm disappointed I can't see any eye candy." Lizzie pushed her arm through mine and we walked towards the cafeteria. 

"I knew nobody would come today." I chuckled at her as she pouted, her eyes wandering around the cafeteria as we entered it. 

The cafeteria was full of people either standing in queues or standing around tables, getting to know their new classmates. They were all freshmen mostly, just a few seniors who decided to stay and not skip class. 

"What are we getting today?" Lizzie asked me as we walked to the queue. She picked up a red tray and handed it to me. 

"You're the tallest. Stand on your toes and see what they're offering." I smiled at her as she grinned and followed my instructions. She was taller than me by an inch or two. 

"I can see fries…" she balanced herself on me. "I think there's pasta as well." 

"Do we really have to stand behind them?" A tired sigh came from behind us. I turned around to see Tiffany. 

Tiffany the ex bitchy and shady friend. Her blonde hair was curled perfectly and her black dress tight around her bulging chest. I sighed as I turned away. Lizzie suddenly became quiet as she faced ahead, waiting for the queue to move forward. 

"See something you like?" Tiffany with her high squeaky voice said to us. Her two friends behind her laughed. 

"No." I faked a laugh with them as if she had said something funny and moved forward in the line with Lizzie who was silent. 

Tiffany was our friend once upon a time. Lizzie's mom worked for Tiffany's parents. Her parents were rich and ran their own clothing company which she boasted about every day. When my mom died and I stopped caring about my social life, Tiffany dropped me like a bag of heavy potatoes. Lizzie remained her friend but she had bitched about her once to me in the bathrooms where Tiffany was listening to us. A week later, Tiffany started blackmailing her with a recorded video, saying she would show it to her parents and get her mom fired. 

When I had found out, I did the easiest thing I could. I grabbed her phone and threw it in the toilet when she had cornered us. I flushed it and she had a bitch fit. Lizzie's mom left her job on her own because she had a better offer at a different company that paid more. Lizzis never answered anyone back, no matter how many years she saw you walking through the hallways to class. 

Immediately Tiffany and her bitches stopped laughing as I smiled at them. Lizzie grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. I could feel the glare Tiffany burned into my back as I stood in line. A few more people and we would get out food and go outside to eat. 

"Did you do your homework, Lizzie? Or did you struggle like a baby?" Tiffany's annoying voice said behind them. 

Lizzie didn't answer her but I was seething with rage. I knew how much Lizzie struggled with Dyslexia in life. She couldn't get a job without her anxiety skyrocketing out of the roof. She would stay with me, because I was her safe blanket and I was not going to let Tiffany the bitch ruin our last school year. 

I spun around and smiled at Tiffany. "Did you get plastic surgery? I think your nose is growing with the amount of lies you spit out." I widened my eyes dramatically. "Might be time to get a refund, darling." 

Her face was burning with embarrassment or rage, I didn't know and didn't care as I turned around and moved further into the line. Lizzie picked up two small plates of fries and I got the exact same thing. We moved forward, Tiffany following behind us silently sneering at our food. I glanced behind me to see her getting one plate of fries and I held in a chuckle as I picked up the bottle of water and small sachets of ketchup before paying for the food. 

"Are we going outside?" I asked Lizzie who nodded silently. 

I followed her through the cafeteria and out the door. The weather was beautiful and warm as we walked to the benches.

"I can not believe you did that!" Lizzie grinned at me as we placed our trays down. She couldn't stop grinning as we sat down. 

"I really don't know how we even became friends with her." I muttered as I opened the ketchup and squeezed it in the side of the plates. 

"She was nice before she realised guys had dicks and she had a vagina." Lizzie said and I chuckled, agreeing with her. 

"Are you going home early today or are we going to be those nerds that stay behind while our whole year skips class?" Lizzie asked me as she ate her fries. 

I opened my bottle of water and asked. "What do you think?" I drank my water and ate my fries as she answered. 

"We're the good type of nerds." She grinned at me. 

"We're going to be the sexy nerds." I corrected her and her eyes widened.

"For Halloween,we should be sexy librarians!" She said excitedly. Halloween was two months away but it was mine and Lizzie's favourite holiday. 

I nodded to her and she started talking about how they should have white shirts tied just below their chests and short black skirts with black reading glasses. I didn't want to correct her by saying we would look more like sexy assistants, instead I nodded and prayed this day would be over soon. 

***

I opened the front door and walked into my house. Dropping my bag on the floor, I heard Mary's voice on the phone to someone from the kitchen. I walked into the living room to see dad holding a metal baseball bat in his hands and holding it out to me. 

I froze. 

"Who are you?" He screamed loudly at me, pushing the bat forward to me. "Get out of my house!" He shouted, throwing the bat onto me. I side stepped it, letting it bang on the floor. 

The silence echoed inside of me, knowing he didn't remember me. My heart screamed in pain and sadness as it twisted with every step I took forward. I lifted my hands up, showing him I wasn't going to hurt him. 

"It's me, dad. Charlotte, your daughter." I said to him softly as he picked up the lamp, ready to throw it at me. 

I heard Mary entering the room. She had taught me what to do when I had run to her the first time he had forgotten me. 

Talk to him. Tell him who you are and what you were doing. 

"I'm Charlotte. Your daughter." I repeated as I took a step forward. "I went to school and I'm home now. I'm going to make you your favourite food. Tell me what your favourite food is." My voice was a silent beg, hoping he would put the lamp down and answer me. To make himself think. 

"Oh." Dad muttered softly as he lowered the lamp and thought about his favourite food. "I like steak." He answered with a smile. I smiled back and nodded my head. 

"Can you pass me that please?" I asked softly as I reached out my hands for the lamp. He nodded immediately and handed me it. I grabbed the lamp and placed it back on the table. 

"Let's sit down. You can watch TV." I smiled at dad who nodded and walked towards his leather chair. He sat down and I handed him the remote as Mary smiled at me softly. 

"Are you going to work?" She asked me as I walked out of the living room, my heart beating in my chest. 

"I think I'll stay here with him." I told her and she frowned at me as she stepped closer and placed her arm on my shoulder. She hugged me. 

"You should go to work. I'll stay here with him." She said to me and I nodded softly. 

I couldn't afford to miss a single day. 

I pulled away from Mary and headed upstairs to my room. Closing the door behind myself,I leaned against it and let out a shuddering breath. My heart twisted with sadness and ached in pain as I let out a deep breath. 

Dad was at stage five with his dementia. I had spent every day of summer with him except for when I was working. I looked after him, hoping every day that his mind didn't forget me and push me out. One day. One day that was all it took for me to be erased. It was exactly what I was afraid of. I didn't want to be forgotten. 

Letting out a deep breath and holding in the tears, I moved away from the door and to my draws set. I opened the bottom one and pulled out a pair of black joggers that were wide around my thighs and a matching huge men's hoodie. I searched for my black mask and found it buried under the pile of other other hoodies. 

I needed to get to work. 

Changing quickly into the clothes, I lifted my hood up and covered my face. I unzipped the pocket on my joggers and put my phone inside. I pulled down the zip of the hoodie and hid my black mask inside then headed out of the room and downstairs. 

"Are you off to work?" Mary called for confirmation from the kitchen as she started making dad's favourite food. 

"Yeah. I'll be back home in an hour or two." I said to her as I walked out of the house. I closed the door behind me and ran down the stairs. 

"Hey!" I heard Tom's voice behind me. "I need the rent!" He called out to me. 

I pulled my hood down and turned to face him as I walked backwards. "I waited an hour for you yesterday. You can wait for me now. I'll give it to you tonight. I promise." 

Tom nodded, muttering something under his breath as I pulled my hood up and walked down the barely lit alley. He took pity on me, I knew it. He had seen the state dad was in one day, when he came to collect his rent and he had said he could take it off me next week and left immediately. He pitied me, and it didn't bother me at all. 

I walked the familiar path, ignoring a couple having sex in the alley, and a bunch of guys doing drugs and drinking during broad daylight. There were no cars through the back streets but they were groups of men and women cheering at each other. Some men were break dancing while women stood on the sidelines waiting to hook up with someone. 

Usually I came out at night, where the streets were empty or full of people who carried knives and tried to rob their fellow neighbours. There was no in between but I couldn't choose when to have money. I needed to work for it because dad wasn't working anymore. 

I came to the closed gym and smiled to myself as I waited in a quiet alley. Unzipping my hoodie, I pulled out my black mask and wore it. It covered every inch of my face, unknown to the world that wanted to see me. I pulled the zip back up and walked across the street towards the gym that was sealed shut. The metal shutters were down over the windows except the front glass door that was covered in newspaper so not a single soul could see them. I knocked three times on the door, standing in the light so they could see me in the cameras. 

Immediately the door opened and Mark grinned at me. "Hey Lightning girl." He held his hand out to me. I reached up and fist bumped him as I pulled the hood back enough so he could see my masked face. 

"Got any rounds for me today?" I asked him quietly, so the other men walking through the gym didn't hear me. 

"You bet your ass I do. Head down to see Joe." He winked at me and I smiled though he couldn't see it. 

He closed the door behind me tightly and locked it as I headed to the double grey doors that would lead me to the underground. 

My dad worked at this gym as a boxing coach. He was amazing at what he did, always on the right path and teaching men and women the right way to defend and attack an opponent. He never cheated in teaching anyone. I was obsessed with boxing since the day I learnt about it.

 Dad had taken me at the age of four to his boxing class and I had copied every move he was teaching. I was in love with it and I got better, day by day, I learnt everything. I trained hard in this gym with dad every single day after school and mom would always complain that she didn't see me enough because I was always here. 

Until I lost her. I lost everything that day. My passion for boxing had disappeared. I was strong at the age of 12 and dad was still working. We didn't need money until I saw Mark outside the gym at the age of 14. He had winked at me and said to come over one day again. I had gone that second, without thinking and I had stumbled into an underground boxing ring. I told them I wanted to join, to fight people so I could make money to help dad who was struggling with his work. Mark and Joe had laughed at me saying I was too young. I told them not to tell anyone about me. Who I was, was not needed to be shared with everyone. 

They had given me a chance,one chance to prove I could knock out a sixteen year old boy who was also constantly at the gym. I had fought him, and threw in a couple of good punches until he kicked me in the face, and it was complete torture. I had fallen to the ground, and he had won. I had thought that was it, but Mark and Joe pushed me forward. They trained me every day, after work when Mary had decided to offer her help with dad. I was so grateful for the people in my life that I wondered if I had done something kind in a previous life. 

Every day, I trained, every week I fought someone new. Until I was getting better and better, until people placed their bets on me, until my name was whispered through the fighting grounds in every gym. Mark had named me Lightning because I was swift, and didn't hesitate to put my opponent down. Joe had named me the devil because I was ruthless with one goal in mind. Make money. 

"Lightning devil!" Joe called from his desk in the corner of the underground gym that was full of men and women. 

The name lightning devil had stuck with everyone. I used to go by lightning some day and then others, they knew me as the devil. Someone had decided to be the perfect human and merge the names together making a ridiculous street name. But, people knew my name and they came here to watch me fight. To see me destroy her opponents. 

I smiled under the mask as I headed to his desk. He held his fist up and I fist pumped him. "Got any fights for me today?"I asked as I leaned against the wall and waited for an answer. 

He chuckled. "Yes. I've got two opponents that want to fight you but I'm thinking one today and one tomorrow. It'll bring these fuckers back here tomorrow." He grinned at me and I nodded, though my mask showed no emotion. 

"Make me go up next. I have to get home soon." I told him and he nodded. 

"How is Steve?" He asked me about dad. "You think we can come over to visit one day?" 

I shook my head." I think it's best if he sees less people but he's doing good." I told him as the fight in the ring ended. 

Joe and Mark had visited last month for the first time this year. They wanted to see him and they had come to the house. I had let them inside and dad had lost his mind. He had thrown them out of the house, saying no strangers were allowed. That was when Mary had diagnosed him with stage five Dementia and a bipolar disorder. 

I was working on a perfect schedule for him and I didn't want to mess it up. 

Watching the fighters coming out of the ring, I pulled my hood up completely over my head so my hair wouldn't peek through. I stood up straight as Joe picked up his mic. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's the one you've been waiting for." His voice echoed in the room that silenced around me. "Lightning Devil!" He shouted into the mic. 

The room erupted in cheers as I walked towards the ring in the middle of the room. Barely covered women walked around with trays full of champagne while shirtless men did the same. They handed the glasses to the rich men and women who ran away from their married life for a few hours to enjoy the explicit taste of women and men who were open to getting to know them. They betted on me winning, as they tried to impress their new hookup. 

I bent down and climbed through the ropes and into the ring. I grinned behind the mask as the cheers got louder with every step I took towards Michael who was the referee. He winked at me as Joe introduced my opponent. 

I watched him step into the ring, as he removed his shirt. He was built and ripped in every inch of his chest. Like The Rock. I could see the glare in his eyes, as if he was ready to rip apart my body to show to the world that I was just a weak human behind a mask. 

They didn't know if I was a male or a female. I wore baggy clothes to hide every part of my body. My hood never fell off. I didn't give my opponent enough time to try to hurt me because I had school and a father to look after. I couldn't afford to be in pain but this man promised me pain and violence. 

He tried to peek in through the hood but I was a foot shorter than him, and nowhere near as built as him. He bounced on his legs as Michael stood besides us, waiting for the cheers to calm down. For the violent threats that echoed in my mind which promised a death I did not want. 

He shrugged his shoulders, pushing his weight on his left leg as he watched me, trying to intimidate me. It didn't work as I stood there silently and watched him. 

"You know the rules." Michael told us and we nodded. 

I knew he was regular here, but I didn't know his name and I had never seen him fight. He knew the rules though. No death, no knives. Just pure body power. 

Michael stepped to the side of the ring, against the ropes as the bell echoed through the gym. Silence filled the room and I watched as the man eagerly came charging towards me. I didn't hesitate to step to my right, my left hand lifting up and punching him against his jaw. It hurt me more than it hurt him. 

It was a simple match and looking at his body size, I knew people voted against me. I loved it when they did that. It earned me more money when I destroyed them and they came to watch me again. 

The man flung his hand out, throwing a punch towards me. I dodged it and dodged his right hand that came at me. He hissed in anger. That was their problem. 

Men lacked patience. They couldn't wait to put a woman in her place but what they didn't know was that a woman was always one step ahead. 

The man charged at me as I took taunting steps backwards as if telling him is that all you can do? He ran towards me and I waited, noticing his left hand rising slowly while his right leg lifted to kick me. I let the kick hit me as I grabbed his left hand and twisted it as much as I could behind his body. The pain of the kick burned my skin but I ignored it as I  kicked the man in the back of his knees. He fell to the ground, on his knees, as I twisted his arm and lifted my right leg up. 

The crowd held in a gasp as I kicked him in his strained elbow. I heard the crack of his broken arm and heard him scream in agony as I dropped him to the floor. 

Not a single sound was heard as I lifted my head to stare at every man and woman in the room. They couldn't see my gaze. Joe grinned at me knowing I hardly broke a sweat with the fight. 

"The undefeated champion for years has been the Lightning Devil!" Michael's voice echoed in the silent room that echoed in cheers when they realised I had won. "Is there anyone that can beat her?" He chuckled into the microphone. 

I walked out of the ring, people trying to circle me as Mark walked towards me and pushed the people away. He walked me silently towards Joe's desk who opened his money box and handed me a clear bag full of notes. 

"Nine hundred dollars." He winked at me as I smiled behind the mask and stuffed the bag in my pocket with my phone. I zipped it back up, and fist pumped Joe. Mark walked me out of the underground gym, and back upstairs to the normal gym. 

"See you tomorrow?" He asked and I nodded at him as I walked out of the gym and into the street. I crossed the street and into the alley that was blocked. I climbed on the dustbin and jumped over the gate in the alley. It was the one that would lead me directly to my neighbourhood. 

I pulled my mask off and winced in pain at my rib that was burning. The kick had hurt though I didn't show any weakness. 

A good opponent watched every move you made. Every nervous step you took. The man had practically shown me his dominant side was his left side. Which would hurt him more. I had twisted his arm and broken it for him, because I was known as the ruthless fighter. People came to see me because I caused pain, but they wanted to find out who I was. 

My face had been a mystery to all the new people. After the age of 15, I had been wearing a mask to hide my identity to the world. 

In school I was Charlotte Woods, and in the underground fighting world, I was Lightning Devil. 

I leaned against the wall and sighed as I pressed a hand against my rib. It hurt a little and I needed to cool it. I felt a burning gaze on the side of my face and I turned around to see him. 

He was watching me, a smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall behind the gate that I had climbed. A gate separated us and he stood straighter, knowing I had recognised him. 

I pushed myself away from the wall and ran away from the alley and out onto the road, his laughter echoing in my mind. 

Why was Logan here? 

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Question- Theories on who Logan is?

Let's take a minute of silence for the old book which had chapters with 400 words. Now I'm at 4k. #improvement