First of all, I would like to thank Aragorn II Elessar, CallMeMiles, white collar black wolf, and Lupo95GxD for replying to my suggestion of continuing "Unjustifiable" through this separate story. Thank you for your support.
Second of all, I know the title sounds dramatic, but it's accurate in a way. "Unjustifiable" is an incomplete story, but all I have to show for it are remnants. I am so sorry that such a big and ambitious story has been reduced to this, but (as I said in my apology) I did this to myself. I still hope you can enjoy this.
These chapters will be written in chronological order (more or less), but these are strictly still just the big moments (or smaller moments that I just wanted to write).
If you wish, please leave a review after each chapter and let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated.
"Journal Entry 09-59. My heart, it continues to remain unfrozen. The blood in my veins, every bone in my body, even the fluids in my tear sack, they're all as cold as I can be. But my heart, it's immune to my powers. The frost in my genes can coat my heart in ice, but the core cannot be touched. My heart still beats like everybody else's. I can still feel. Anger. Fear. Love... oh, my god. I should stop visiting Barry in jail, yet I can't stop no matter how much I want to. Worse, what I say to him, every sappy word, every sentimental word, I mean it. My heart continues to dominate my head and my mouth. I consider myself cold-hearted, but my heart isn't even that cold. The progress that I made with my team, it's amazing. But I can't really call it that if I myself fail to make progress. I guess it all comes down to patience. Remember, Caitlin, nobody wants to be a Laurel Lance."
Caitlin couldn't stop thinking of her latest journal update as she drank herself silly at the Saints and Sinners bar. After two bottles of tequila, her head barely feels fuzzy. One disadvantage of her powers is her super metabolism. She started drinking the third bottle through the top, desperate to bury her emotions, at least temporarily.
"I guess not even good alcohol is enough to burn through the frost, Frosty."
That mocking tone came from none other than Laurel Lance. Caitlin puts the bottle down and expresses her feelings through an annoyed sigh.
"So, how did it go with Dr. Dwarfstar?" asked Laurel.
"I had to carry a disgusting tiny Ralph to the bathroom," Caitlin answered, irritated. "I admit, I was tempted to freeze him in my hand and crush him to pieces."
"Well, there's always tomorrow," said Laurel.
"If you're looking for Snart, he's in 1948," said Caitlin.
"I'm not here for Snart," said Laurel. "He and I broke up. Well, he broke up with me."
"About damn time," Caitlin commented.
Laurel whips her head towards Caitlin quickly, apparently bothered that her teammate doesn't care that her heart is broken. Caitlin ignores Laurel's glare and continues drinking.
"Well, at least I confronted my feelings. That's more that what can be said for you," Laurel insulted.
"You call what you had for Snart feelings?" Caitlin laughed.
"Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the tequila has burned through the frost already," Laurel replied bitterly.
"I wish it was, but it's not," said Caitlin. "To be honest, Lance, you amuse me with the whole you-and-Snart thing. Did you really think that what you had with him was love?"
"Well, I'll tell you something even more amusing. You visiting your one true love, Barry, when you were supposed to stop feeling anything," Laurel retorted. She steals Caitlin's bottle and says, "Now, that's amusing."
"You're lucky I'm not drunk, Lance, or I might just freeze your hand off for that," Caitlin growled.
"You brought the team together. You offered each of us something we couldn't refuse. That makes you our leader," said Laurel. "But how can you be our leader if you keep visiting our Friendly Neighborhood Speedster?"
Caitlin's hair slowly turns white as her fist turns blue, slowly freezing the counter as she tries to keep her temper in check.
"At least I'm willing to admit my vulnerabilities," Caitlin said calmly. "What about you, Laurel? Music Meister put you up to that whole romantic ordeal with Oliver, but you haven't talked about since. Instead, you thought throwing yourself into Snart's arms would make you forget. Well, tell that William."
"Watch it, Frosty," Laurel warned.
"Is it because of his face? Or is it more?" Caitlin continued. "Do you miss your Oliver? Or are you two beginning to see each other as new and different from who you each knew back then?"
"Don't push me," Laurel warned again.
"No, I will push you, Lance," Caitlin insisted. "You and the rest keep wondering if I'm emotionally fit to lead this team. I know I am not. But it's not about my emotions. I lead the team because I am the one with the plan. What I feel for Barry, for my friends, I know it weakens me. At least I acknowledge that. But you, Laurel, you keep dodging questions about Oliver Queen every time."
"I visit William to get close to Oliver. That's how much I admitted to him and myself," Laurel said angrily.
"Okay, but get close to him, how? To get in his head? To sabotage him from the inside? Or romantically?" Caitlin questioned.
"I swear, Snow, if you say one more word..."
"You love him," Caitlin accused.
That was the last straw. The anger on Laurel's face, it was as clear as daylight. Caitlin takes her bottle back and drinks every last drop inside. She's still sober, but she felt a little satisfied. A pleased sigh escaped her lips, along with some cold smoke.
"So, now that that's done," Caitlin said casually. "How about..."
Laurel interrupts Caitlin by unleashing her sonic cry, sending Caitlin flying towards a pinball machine, scaring everyone in the bar (everyone being only 4 people). The bartender ducks behind the counter, knowing a fight was about to go down. As for the other people in the bar, they stood back in fear. Everyone knows who Laurel Lance is and they know what scary power she possesses.
"Get up, Snow!" Laurel said.
The seemingly unconscious Caitlin starts to transform. Her hair turns completely white. Her skin gets paler. Cold smoke forms from her fingertips. The ice-powered meta's icy blue eyes open as she picks herself up as if her recent crashing to the wall didn't bother her one bit. One advantage of her powers is her accelerated healing.
"Okay, Little Mermaid, let's do this," Caitlin said determinedly.
Caitlin and Laurel start the fight by charging at each other. Hand-to-hand combat is more personal, after all. A few punches to the face. Some jabs to the sides. Striking the stomach with a knee. The first ten seconds were definitely filled with fist-flying action. Laurel goes for a high kick to the face, but Caitlin blocks the kick with her arm before spin-kicking Laurel in the stomach. Caitlin dodges Laurel's next punch, grabs her arm, elbows her in the nose, and then flips her on her back.
"I offered to teach you to fight. You should've accepted the offer," said Caitlin.
"I know how to fight, Snow for Brains," Laurel insulted.
Laurel gets up and unleashes another sonic cry. It was less powerful this time, as she only wanted to throw Caitlin off-balance to give her room for an opening. With Caitlin on the ground again, Laurel attacks. Caitlin reacts in time to block the first kick with an ice shield, but couldn't dodge the second kick, which hit her face. Laurel smacks Caitlin across the face and kicks her hard in the stomach. Caitlin's back hits a billiard pool table.
Laurel throws another punch, but Caitlin spin-dodges it. She grabs Laurel's arm again and slams her face to the pool table.
"Eyes on your opponent. Always be ready to react," Caitlin said, talking like a fighting instructor.
"Hey, beautiful!"
A flirty drunk man throws a cue stick towards Laurel. Laurel grabs it and whacks Caitlin in the face with it. Laurel wipes the blood off her nose as she throws the cue stick away.
"Always be ready to react, huh?" Laurel mocked.
Caitlin's response is trapping the other customers behind a wall of ice in the corner. She looked at the bartender, and he did the wise thing of just ducking completely behind the counter.
"Is this a fight to the death, Lance?" Caitlin asked.
"Depends on how far you're willing to push me," Laurel replied with hostility.
"Aw, I thought we were like sister," Caitlin said with fake sweetness.
"You're a worse sister than Sara, you ice bitch," Laurel insulted.
Both Caitlin and Laurel get ready to unleash their powers. Laurel breaths in. Caitlin conjures some ice. Laurel screams. Caitlin fires. A sonic beam heads Caitlin's way. A frost beam flies towards Laurel.
Caitlin gets hit by the sonic cry and crashes into yet another pinball machine. Laurel gets hit by the frost beam and crashes onto a table with a slightly frozen upper body.
One second later, no movement.
Two seconds later, still nothing.
Three seconds later, they're both still lying down.
Due to the silence, the bartender peeks. The two metahumans are lying down, seemingly hurt bad. They were moving, though, so they're still conscious. Caitlin dips her finger into her ear and finds some blood. Laurel shivers as she tries to sit up. Caitlin gets up and keeps herself standing by putting her hands on a pool table. Laurel continues to shiver as she sits down on a pool table.
The two glared at one another. They were both breathing in and out heavily as they tried to recover from the pain they're suffering right now. Caitlin has a bleeding ear and few cuts on her right arm. Laurel is just feeling cold. The bartender fears that the angry staring would lead to another fight. Because of that, he leaves immediately. After a minute...
Caitlin chuckled.
Laurel chuckled.
The two girls were actually laughing together. It's as the fight they had was just a friendly slap fight, nothing more. It's like two sisters trying to pull each other's hair off only to regret it and think of their scuffle as something to laugh about together.
"I suppose I should thank you. For reminding me why I hired you in the first place," said Caitlin.
"And I should thank you. For being a better, more fun sister than Sara," said Laurel.
"Do you really wanna consider our relationship like that, Lance?" asked Caitlin. "Close relationships are what I'm trying to avoid."
"I know, but we are sisters-in-arms," Laurel joked.
Caitlin and Laurel laughed together again, just for a little while. They can't deny that they've felt the bond between them grow stronger since they teamed up. Laughing off what was basically a friendlier "fight to the death" says a lot.
"Mind thawing me?" Laurel asked, still shivering.
Caitlin and Laurel's bond is one that I really wanted to emphasize in the story. It was a big part in the "Unforgivable" series, and I wanted to make it a big part again. Maybe it's not always going to be the big moment. Sometimes, small friendship or romance moments will be included. These are basically the parts that I've always wanted to write on the story, but could never fill the context before/in between said parts.
So, what do you think? Leave a review and tell me what you think. I would really, really appreciate it.