(The Flash) Frozen Flashpoint: Chapter 9 – Controlling the Temperature

Chapter 9 – Controlling the Temperature

Summary: Caitlin catches up with the team, and training for Jessie and Frost begins.

Caitlin opened her eyes slowly and took her time to readjust to reality. The first thing she felt was her hand, which was being held tightly by someone else.

She could feel a smile spreading across her face, the warmth from their combined hands radiating through her entire body.

‘You found a good one, Caity,’ Frost spoke in the back of her head. Something that had caused her so much trepidation just an hour ago was now a source of comfort.

But Caitlin also felt a pang of something else coming from Frost... was it envy? But what could Frost be jealous of? Unless... ‘Frost, do you have a crush on Barry?’ Caitlin thought toward the presence she could now clearly feel in her mind.

‘Caityyyy,’ Frost whined, and Caitlin could sense her embarrassment. Deciding to drop the matter for now, but knowing they would have to talk about it later, Caitlin took a deep breath and focused her gaze on the man holding her hand next to her.

Before Caitlin could speak, Barry began frantically asking, “Cait, are you okay? Did the conversation go well? Is your other half going to cooperate with you?”

Jessie, annoyed with his endless questions, covered Barry’s mouth and shouted at him, “Will you give the woman a chance to answer?!”

Barry’s jaw locked, and he looked sheepish, which made Caitlin giggle. She looked at Barry with warm eyes and said gently, “I’m fine, Barr.”

Deciding she had spent enough time lying down, Caitlin sat up in bed, facing both Barry’s and Jessie’s curious looks.

She gave them both a comforting smile, the kind she used to give her patients, and said, “First of all, her name is Frost.”

Jessie and Barry gave a nod with wide eyes, clearly unsure of what to say. Well, they would have an even harder time understanding what came next. “And apparently, her and my powers are not a result of the particle accelerator.”

Barry and Jessie blinked twice and then frowned, but before either of them could speak, the forgotten man in the room appeared behind the two speedsters and began speaking. “How the hell can that be possible?” Cisco paused, thinking about something for a moment, before adding, “Now that I think about it, we’ve never encountered a meta whose powers caused a split personality, so maybe you have a point. But then what gave you these powers—and the extra passenger?”

Caitlin shifted a little on the bed she was sitting on. Now that she was about to talk about it, she felt bile rising in her throat. Barry squeezed her hand again, giving her the courage to speak. “My dad is the reason I have powers.”

Jessie looked even more interested. Cisco and Barry, who knew more about her history with her dad, reacted differently. Cisco immediately looked away to the glasses he had just taken off her, with a worried expression. Barry, however, looked straight into her eyes and said gently, “You want to tell us about it, Cait?”

Caitlin was touched by Barry’s concern and his willingness to let her keep her privacy on the matter, especially after the way she had treated him over the past week because of her secret. If it was possible to love this man even more, she was falling hard.

Caitlin gave Barry a small smile before saying as quietly as she could, “My dad had ALS.”

Barry and Cisco just nodded—they both knew that already. As far as anyone knew, that was the reason for his death. But if what Frost had said was true, then how exactly... No. She had more important things to focus on right now.

Caitlin frowned at the memory of Frost’s story and began explaining. “After he found out, he started developing a gene treatment to cure ALS. He succeeded.”

Jessie, Barry, and Cisco all had wide eyes now, and Jessie was the first to speak. “He did?!”

Caitlin sighed heavily. “Well, not completely. He only tested it on two people. And while the treatment worked, it had severe side effects. The people who received the treatment developed split personalities with ice powers.”

Cisco frowned. “Wait. If your dad was the first patient, then the second one was...”

Jessie’s eyes grew wide in worry. “You.” Caitlin gave a short nod, so the teenager from another Earth asked, “But why would your dad have experimented on you?”

The bile in her throat stopped her from saying those words. She still had a hard time accepting them. But Barry had a deep, concerned frown on his face as he delivered the news he had managed to piece together. “You had ALS too.”

Sometimes she forgot her boyfriend was a seasoned CSI for the CCPD and was raised by one of the best detectives she had ever heard of. With a short and quick nod, Caitlin confirmed his conclusion.

Jessie frowned deeply and asked with honest confusion, “Still, trying this kind of dangerous treatment even after knowing the consequences. Why would your dad do it?”

Before Caitlin could answer, a new voice spoke as if the answer were obvious. “Because he loved his daughter more than anything else.”

All of them turned to the entrance of the room to see Harry standing there. He was as firm as always, and his face was still blank, but his tone had a gentleness in it that Caitlin had never heard before.

Jessie looked at her dad in shock and could only ask, “Dad?”

Harry looked between Caitlin and Jessie as he answered with such determination it frightened Caitlin a little. “How can a father not act when learning that his own child is going to die in such a horrible manner when the solution is within his reach?”

Then the older man’s gaze locked onto Caitlin’s, and his voice was filled with remorse as he said, “I wanted to apologize, Snow. I was out of line in my behavior and should have shown better judgment considering all the information I had.”

While the apology seemed a little lacking, Caitlin knew that Harry never admitted to being wrong. So far, the best they had ever gotten was a reluctant silence when he had been proved wrong. So Caitlin understood the real depth of the apology. With that in mind, she gave him a wide grin and responded, “It’s okay, Harry. I understand where you were coming from. This is just a little overwhelming.”

Harry only acknowledged that with a soft nod, which made Jessie beam at her dad.

Cisco gave everyone a moment to enjoy the easy atmosphere before asking, “Then you’ve had these powers since you were eight years old? But why did they only show up now?”

Caitlin swallowed before answering. “My mom convinced my dad to suppress Frost and her powers, and he did it before he... died.” Barry caught her eye, and she knew he noticed her hesitation in saying the last word. Ignoring it for now, she kept talking. “It took a strong trauma to wake Frost up, and once she woke, it was just a matter of time before she was strong enough to take over.”

Barry nodded and asked softly, “But have the two of you reached an understanding about it?”

Caitlin gave him a small smile and said, “We did. Actually, after saving Jessie, she felt so good that she decided she wants to be a hero and go out in the field with you.”

Harry looked surprised; Cisco looked downright shocked. Jessie had a smile on her face... and so did Barry. The scarlet speedster gave her a small smile and said, “I’d love to add Frost to our team, but she’ll need training—both with her powers and with teamwork.”

Before Caitlin could say anything, she heard Frost’s voice: ‘He’s right. I sure could use some training. And I’ll get to watch Handsome all sweaty and hot. It’s a win-win.’

Caitlin had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the meta. She and Frost would need to have this conversation much sooner than Caitlin had planned for. She focused back on Barry with a wide grin and replied, “She says she’s up for it. We agreed that for now, she’ll take over during training and fieldwork, and we’ll go from there.”

Barry gave her a happy nod. He seemed enthusiastic about the idea, and Caitlin was glad for it.

Cisco, on the other hand, glanced at the glasses he had taken off her before looking at her with a frown and asking, “You can talk with the ice-woman without the glasses?”

Caitlin snorted when she heard Frost grumbling, ‘Tell that geek that if he calls me that again, I’ll freeze his nose.’ Caitlin nodded at Cisco before saying, “Apparently, acceptance is a powerful thing. We can’t share memories or anything like that, but we can talk to each other. Oh, and I’d suggest not using that name when she’s in control unless you want frozen limbs.”

Cisco took a step back, raising his hands in surrender as if Caitlin had been the one to threaten him. All Caitlin did was laugh at her best friend.

Harry cleared his throat before saying, “I believe this is enough excitement for one day. We should all rest.”

Barry nodded before offering Caitlin his hand, saying, “Good idea, Harry. Jessie, Cait—tomorrow afternoon, we start training.”

Jessie pumped her fist in the air, saying, “Yes, Barry!”

Caitlin smiled and responded simply, “Frost can’t wait.”

With that, both Caitlin and Barry left, heading back to her apartment. She wondered when Barry would settle things with Joe and Iris. At this point, she and Barry could practically say they’d moved in together, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Especially since she still had to have that talk with Frost.

FF FF FF FF FF

Barry watched as an orange streak of lightning zipped around the training room, dodging icicles being launched by Frost, who stood in the center of the room.

“Remember, Frost, anticipate where she’s going to be, not where she is now,” Barry called to the ice meta.

Frost’s eyes narrowed, and the ice attacks stopped for a moment, causing Jessie to slow down just enough for Frost to predict her path. Frost used her left hand to shoot an icicle where Jessie had been, causing the speedster to pick up speed again.

But Frost had a plan. The left-hand attack was just a distraction. Her right arm shot another icicle farther ahead, and when Jessie sped up, she ran straight into its path.

Thanks to being in Flash time, Barry could see the way Jessie’s eyes widened when she realized the icicle was coming toward her. He thought she was about to freeze in fear again and was ready to intervene. But instead, Jessie dug her heels into the ground, twisted her upper body, and bent forward.

The icicle flew over her, and once she was clear, she stood up again. With her heels off the ground and only her toes pushing her forward, she ran straight toward the center of the room.

Frost’s eyes widened, and she quickly erected an ice wall to block the approaching speedster. Jessie decided to pick up her speed and readied a punch to shatter the wall.

But before she could, Barry called out, “Stop!”

Surprised by the sudden command, Jessie dropped her speed all at once and collided face-first with the ice wall.

Barry chuckled as the young woman stood up, glaring at him.

With a gentle smile, Barry asked, “Can you tell me where you went wrong, Jessie?”

She let out a heavy sigh before saying, “I fell for her trap.”

“Actually, no, that wasn’t the issue,” Barry corrected, surprising the young speedster. “Your first mistake was slowing down when Frost stopped attacking. You should never drop your guard in the field. It’s less about falling for her trap and more about letting her predict you in the first place.” Jessie frowned but nodded, so Barry continued, “And your second mistake was heading straight through the ice wall. It wasn’t necessarily the wrong choice, but you didn’t consider any alternatives. Frost could have been waiting behind the wall with another attack. In that case, it would have been better to run around the wall and catch her off-guard. Got it?”

Jessie rubbed the back of her head sheepishly and nodded again. Barry placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “That said, I’m really proud of you. When you fell for her trap, you didn’t freeze. You dodged the attack and immediately planned a counter. You’ve come a long way these past few weeks.”

Jessie stood taller, a proud smile on her face—one Barry felt she’d earned.

He patted her shoulder before adding, “Of course, you still have a lot to learn. Next, I’ll teach you how to throw lightning—that’s pretty useful.”

Jessie practically jumped in excitement. “Thanks, Barry! You’re the best!” She gave him a quick hug before walking toward the door, calling back, “Sorry, gotta run! I’ve got plans with Wally.”

Barry shook his head, then turned to Frost, who was smirking. He raised an amused eyebrow and said, “You’ve got some things to work on too, you know. It took you too long to predict her next move. If she hadn’t dropped her guard, your trap would’ve failed. You’ve got good control over your power, but you’re a bit too set in your methods. Why keep attacking with icicles when you’ve got so many other options, like freezing the floor?”

Frost scratched her chin for a moment before shrugging. “You’re right, Handsome. I’ll work on it next time.”

Barry smiled widely. “I know you will. These past couple of weeks of training have been really good for you. You’re getting better each time. Soon, you and Jessie will be ready to join me in the field.”

Frost patted Barry’s chest and smirked. “All thanks to you, Handsome. I’ll have to thank you properly one of these days.”

Before Barry could respond, Frost’s smirk turned into a blush. “Sorry, Handsome, gotta talk to Caity for a moment,” she mumbled before leaving the room.

Barry was left feeling confused by what had just happened, but before he could dwell on it, his phone began to ring. Pulling out his phone, he saw Joe was calling. Without hesitation, he answered. “Hey Joe, do you need me at a crime scene?”

Joe sighed on the other end. “No, Barr. I was hoping you’d come over tonight for dinner. Iris will be here too.”

Barry’s whole body tensed at the mention of Iris’s name, and he began protesting. “Joe, that’s not a good idea...”

But Joe cut him off with a firm, “Barr, you and Iris can’t keep avoiding each other forever. I’ve talked to her, and I want to sit down with both of you. Please, son, for me?”

Barry let out a heavy sigh before answering, “Fine, Joe. But that’s a low blow.”

Joe chuckled before saying, “Great! See you at 8 PM at the house. I’m making Grandma Ester’s recipe, so don’t forget to bring Caitlin.”

Barry’s eyes widened, but before he could say anything else, the line went dead. Just then, Caitlin stepped into the room, still wearing the pants, T-shirt, and leather jacket Frost had been using for training while Cisco worked on her hero suit. He and Frost just couldn’t agree on a design.

Caitlin took one look at his face and frowned. “Everything okay, Barr?”

Barry gave an awkward laugh before saying, “So... we’ve got plans for tonight.”

Caitlin just stared at him blankly.