Episode 6 The Flash Fanfic

Chapter 3

By lunch time, Barry had arrived at CCPD where he found Joe hard at work, he had brought him some Big Belly Burger to go. "What are you working on, Joe?" he asked him, as Joe hid a few folders from Barry's view.

"It's just some case, don't worry about it." Joe replied, he took the food that Barry offered him and then continued, "Bar, is everything ok?"

Barry knew that there was no point lying to Joe. He ensured that the door to Joe's office was shut so he wouldn't be overheard, before answering. "Dr Stein and Ronnie are in trouble." Barry said.

Joe put the burger, that he was about to take a bite from, back down on the desk. "What sort of trouble?"
"They're dying... Unless we can come up with some kind of miracle."
"A miracle?" Joe repeated, "are they both sick or...?"

"They are, in a way. We explained the firestorm concept with you earlier, do you remember?" Barry asked him.

"You did, but I really didn't get it," Joe said as he stood up, "you know I don't understand all that science stuff, Bar... but what I do know, is that you and your friends are heroes. You will do all that you can to help your friends and I will be here if you need me."

"What if it meant evacuating the city?" Barry asked, it was worth a shot.
Joe's eyes gaped wide open. "Evacuat... No, Barry! Do you know what it would take for us to do that?" he could see that Barry was being serious. He let out a long sigh. "It would take a lot for us to be able to evacuate the city. But I suppose that if we had no other choice, and it was an extreme circumstance, we could try... But I am pleading with you to find another option. You're my kid! I know that you will at least try."

Barry agreed that Joe was right. Evacuating the city was not an option. But they needed to do something. He sat down and took a bite of his own burger and noticed one of the documents on the desk. Joe noticed it and tried to hide it away, but it was too late.

"Joe, what was that?" he asked him. Joe tried to lie, but he knew that Barry had seen it.
"That document had my mother's name..." Barry added.

"Ok, Barry. Yes, it had her name. I have been looking into your mother's death. But I didn't want to tell you because I have only been coming up empty. I didn't want to keep your hopes up." Joe admitted.

Barry was ecstatic. "So they offered to reopen the case?"
"No, they haven't, yet, which is why I am trying to chase up some leads. I need to find them something to go on." Joe told him.

"I suppose it's better than nothing. I just wish that you had told me sooner." Barry replied.
"Was there something else bugging you?" Joe asked him, in an attempt to change the subject.
"Just Iris and her art..."
"... Article on the Flash, whom she is dead- set on calling him The Streak... Don't encourage her with this article! Only no good can come  out of it! The sooner she drops that phase, the better. Now, I need to get to work. I will see you later, Barry." Joe said as he ushered him to the door.

"Ok, I get the hint! I'll go!" Barry replied walking out the door.

"I brought you some supplies..." Astrid said waving a bag of Big Belly Burger in front of Cisco's face. He had been tinkering on some sort of gadget of Martin Stein's with a screwdriver, on the 97th floor. It was now roughly just after two-thirty in the afternoon.

"You are a life saver!" Cisco exclaimed, not taking his eyes off his work as he spoke, "I think the solution lies in this. Martin called it The splicer. It's a part of this frame thing here... This tool is responsible for everything. But it's been damaged. If we can minimize the impact from the meteor shower into this, we might be able to..." his voice trailed off. He swore as he received an electric shock.

"Have something to eat." Astrid told him, "I went looking for Caitlin, but I couldn't find her."

"You know Cait, she is probably just blowing off some steam," Cisco replied, adding on, "...and I mean that literally, you know because she is angry and she has a super cool ice power..."

Astrid didn't laugh. "This isn't like her, Cisco. It was like she just snapped... and it's not the first time that she has done this. It's like... it's like she isn't even Caitlin anymore. Caitlin wouldn't just walk out, while the love of her life is lying in a bed fighting for his life. She is stronger than that!"

"Oh, Astrid... That just goes to show just how much you really know about me..." Caitlin's voice broke in over their conversation. Cisco and Astrid both turned to see Caitlin standing by the doorway, but her hair color had grown pale white, her skin was almost colorless and her lips were as black as night.

"Caitlin," Astrid called out, stepping forward, "we were worried about you."
Cisco took hold of Astrid's arm, "Astrid, that isn't Caitlin..." he said to her, almost in a whisper.

Caitlin, or whomever it was, smirked at the two of them, "How clever you are, Cisco. Yet you are also wrong. Oh, I am still Caitlin. But I am the Caitlin that has been clawing to get out... Call me... Killer Frost!"

"Oh Hell No!" Cisco snapped at her as he stepped forward, "I make the nicknames here." Caitlin shot a bolt of ice at him, which struck him in the leg, bringing him to the ground. Astrid immediately knelt down beside him to examine the damage. "What is wrong with you Caitlin!" she yelled at the girl who was supposed to be their friend.

"Considering Astrid can read minds and Cisco is a pocket genius, the two of you aren't all that bright. Otherwise, you would realize that the two of you are standing in the way of obtaining your own true happiness." Caitlin sneered at them. "I am just tired of having to be good girl Caitlin all the time. I want to have some fun!"

Astrid looked back down at Cisco's leg. Fortunately, it was only a superficial wound. She looked back to where Caitlin had been standing, but she had already left.

She slumped back down on the floor next to Cisco. "That was not Caitlin." She told him.
"Nah, ya think?" he shot back sarcastically, his leg really hurt. "We need to call Barry. This is not good!"

"Already on it!" Astrid said as she sent the emergency text to Barry. "How's your leg?" she asked him as she pressed 'send'.
"It hurts! But my ego hurts more... She knows that nicknames are my thing!""I know, but we already established, that that wasn't Caitlin." Astrid reminded him.

"What wasn't Caitlin?" Barry asked as he entered the room, to find both Astrid and Cisco sitting on the floor. Astrid stood up and helped Cisco to his feet. He limped a little at the pain, but managed to stand upright. "Caitlin has gone all Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde... Or Miss Hyde... whatever you want to..." Cisco began.
"She came in here and attacked Cisco, unprovoked." Astrid cut in. "She called herself Killer Frost." Cisco bit his lip. He was certainly not happy about that aspect.

Barry noted the looks on their faces. "Don't worry, you guys. We will get her back! How did you go working on that... that thing?"

Cisco walked back towards his desk which was cluttered with loose wires and parts. "That thing being the splicer... I have my theories, but we might need a little more time. The energy running through this baby is ridiculously high."

"Cisco received an electric shock." Astrid clarified.
"Ouch!" Barry said out of sympathy.

"Yeah! One big ouch!" Cisco said, "But my theory is that if we can somehow minimize the impact of the meteor shower and add a few extra components into this thing, and I don't screw with the current wiring system too much they should be able to merge and separate on will and much more smoothly..."

"So how much time do you think we need?" Barry asked them.
"This can't be rushed!" Cisco told him, "Were talking about one wrong wire and all of Central City will be wiped off the face of the map."

Astrid checked the time. "Ollie will be getting in soon. We did have plans on going out to dinner, but I'm going to cancel. With things with Caitlin, Ronnie and Dr Stein... a pre-reopening dinner celebration is probably the last thing I should be doing right now."

"Don't be silly," Barry told her, "You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow and with everything that's happening, going out to dinner with Oliver, is exactly what you need. Go, Cisco and I have got this... and say hi to Oliver for me." Astrid smiled and left Cisco and Barry to work.