Charlotte Dawson

Prolouge ~ Thirteen Years Old

Algebra, it was gonna be the death of me. I've spent two hours on math homework and have barely made a dent in it. About an hour ago I'd moved from the couch to the floor. Now, my brothers have taken over the couch and are bickering over the TV remote. However I've have learned by this point to tune them out. I looked up at the kitchen where mom was making dinner while dad was drinking a beer and talking to her. I decided to listen to them.

"I don't know Victor. It might be best to send her to Jessica's. I mean. She's thirteen now, and hasn't manifested."

Dad sighed and said, "Becca. You remember what Matt said. Children who are sent away tend to manifest as villains."

"Charlotte is a bubbly, energetic girl. And, most importantly, she's understanding. I think it would take a lot for her to become a villian."

"But she's thirteen and impressionable."

"But she's not safe here Victor, and I've already talked to Jess. She's agreed to take her. Her name would be changed to Lindsey Valaski to match my sister. Then Jess and her husband would say they decided to foster and Lindsey was their first foster."

I felt like my head was spinning. Mom and Dad want to send me away? My gaze turned to Harvey and Amherst. Both of them were completely oblivious to the conversation in the kitchen.

Then I heard dad say softly, "alright Becca. But, let's have Charlotte meet them first. See if their even compatible."

With that my heart jumped to my throat and I was crying faster then I could stop it. I ran towards the stairs and heard Amherst and Harvey say in concern, "sis?!"

I also heard mom and dad say, "I think she heard us."

As I reached the top of the stairs my vision was blurred and I felt like I was gonna be sick. Everyone in my family has a manifest power. Why couldn't I have gotten one.

I fell at the top of the stairs and I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. So I rolled over and grabbed my ankle. Crying now through pain and, well, whatever was causing me to cry like this.

I still couldn't see very well through my tears so the next thing I knew someone picked me up and carried me to my room. My hands were pulled away form my ankle and I whimpered, "it hurts!"

However, my rescuers attention turned to my face. He wipes my cheeks and says softly, "Sweetheart breath."

It was dad. I did and then I wiped my eyes. Then he surveyed my ankle and says, "can you wiggle your foot?"

I nodded and wiggled it so he says, "so it's not broken"

then he yelled, "REBECCA!"

Mom ran upstairs and dad says, "I think Charlotte might've twisted her ankle..."

Mom got a pitiful look and walked over freezing her hands over and putting them on my ankle. Then dad kissed the side of my head and said, "I'm gonna go get Matt."

He left and mom stayed. Once dad was gone I whimper, "Why do you want to send me away mom? It's not fair."

Then we heard, "You want to send Charlie away?"

It was Harvey. He was standing in the doorway with ice packs and gauze, while Amherst was next to him, holding bandaids and rubbing alcohol.

Mom blushed and said, "Come here, I feel like your father and I should've spoken to all three of you about this."

Amherst sat on one side of me, surveying my slowly bruising ankle as he says, "does it hurt?"

I nodded. Being a super it's really really hard for them to break bones or sprain anything.

Then Harvey sat on my other side and hugged me, being gentle so he doesn't crush me.

I blushed and leaned into him before mom explains, "When Charlotte was a baby, we had her tested like we had you boys tested... and all of her tests came back negative. So, with Matt's guidance we decided to test her again when she was five... again she came back negative. So, we made the decision to raise her with you boys, as if she's a super as well. However, now you three are teenagers. meaning you boys will eventually be going off to Jamesport for superhero and power training. Meanwhile, you sister will have to go to a human high school. Which puts her, and all the kids she goes to school with, at risk for attack. So, your father and I want to send Charlie to live with your normie, aunt and uncle. This would allow you boys to go off to school with no hiccups, and allow Charlie to slip out of the light of the media."

Harvey and Amherst looked at me. I felt like I wanted to puke. or scream. Or kick. Or something. I wanted to be like my brothers so badly it hurts.

So Amherst says, "Won't people ask where she went?"

Mom blushed and said softly, "That... would be for Bradley to figure out... we were thinking a villian attack... Charlie gets kidnapped and the villian kills her. We spend a few months "grieving" and in that time we get Charlie into my sister's place. Then Jess and Isaac foster your new cousin, Lindsey."

My jaw dropped and is ay softly, "So I could never come home?"

Mom blushed and Amherst and Harvey shout, "NO!"

So Mom sighed and said, "that's why we're still deciding."

Then Dad and Matt walked in, and everyone else backed off so Matt could examine my ankle.

Was it worth loosing my family? The promise of mine and other's safety. As I looked at mom and dad, two high trained and professional supers, I knew then that it was to them. Saving lives would always go above their own happiness.