"I'll see you tomorrow Cisco." Caitlin says as she switches off her computer and gets up, she looks over at her friend and sees the pain etched into his face. "Try not to worry too much. I'm sure whatever's bothering Laurel, she'll tell you."
Cisco nods. "I'm sure. Anyway, have a good night."
Caitlin walks over to Cisco, plants a soft kiss against his cheek then turns and walks out. She gets into the elevator, taking her phone out of her bag, she texts Barry, letting him know she's leaving and that she'll be home soon. The elevator pings at the entrance level, and she gets out. She walks out of the front door and into the car park. She feels a slight chill in the air, and she makes a note to wear her jumper tomorrow. Likely it'll be even colder tomorrow. She gets to her car, and feels something shift, before she can do anything she feels something hard hit her, and the world goes black.
Caitlin blinks, her head thrumming with pain. The world is dark around her; she turns her head to the left and groans as a jolt runs through her. She hears footsteps and calls out. "Hello? Is there anybody out there?"
Silence, then a voice says in hushed excitement. "She's awake my lord, she's awake." The voice disappears, and then silence descends once more for a time. Caitlin blinks and tries to get the dull ache in her head to go away. Her bag is with her; it's wrapped around her as it was before she got hit. She tries to figure out just where she is, but she can't see anything. Why is it so dark in here?
As soon as she thinks that, a light comes on, though there are no candles, or bulbs here from what she can see. A hooded figure stands before her. "Ah, Caitlin Snow. I am glad that you are awake. We were beginning to worry." The figure's voice is distorted, like Zoom's was.
"Who are you?" Caitlin demands.
"A concerned party." The voice replies.
"Where am I?" Caitlin asks, fear creeping into her tone now.
"You are somewhere away from the activity of the world. Somewhere safe, for now." The voice replies.
"What do you want with me?" Caitlin asks, hating how her voice shakes.
The hooded figure comes closer, she can see nothing of his face, but she can see the darkness of his clothes. "I have come here to talk to you about some things. Specifically, the Flash."
"I don't know anything." Caitlin lies.
The hooded figure laughs. "Oh come now, do not lie to me. We both know the truth of the matter. The Flash is your boyfriend, and he works for the police department in this city. What I want you to tell me is this. How did he defeat The Rival?"
"What concern is that of yours?" Caitlin asks, pain ripples through her then and she has to bite down hard not to scream.
"The Rival was an experiment. He failed. So, tell me, how did he defeat him?" the hooded figure demands.
Caitlin grits her teeth, she does not want to give anything away to this thing, whatever it might be. Yet pain shoots through her, demanding attention. She bites down the urge to scream, and eventually reluctantly she says. "He was faster than him, smarter about how he went about doing his business."
The pain stops, and the hooded figure sighs. "I see. Claris was far too inexperienced for me to give him the power and the responsibility I did. I see that now."
"You gave Claris his power?" Caitlin asks, seizing on that little titbit of information. "How?"
"I have power beyond your wildest comprehension. I know how to use that power. And I have seen what you will become." The hooded figure says.
Hesitantly, Caitlin asks. "What do you mean?" She thinks of her Earth 2 doppelganger and shudders at the thought.
"I have seen frost everywhere, when I look for you. I have seen your power and it is glorious. Do you wish to have such power? Such strength as to never depend on anyone ever again?" the hooded figure asks.
Caitlin listens to the words and is horrified to find that a part of her is actually tempted by them. But then she remembers the things Barry described how dejected he sounded when he told her what had happened between their two doppelgangers and she shakes her head. "No. I do not want that."
The hooded figure laughs. "I thought you'd say that. A shame, for you must have that power for this plan to work." Before Caitlin can say another word, she sees a light glow somewhere close by, she hears a word being said over and over again. The pain in her head echoes around her, like an annoying symphony and she demands release, she screams, by god does she scream. Then the pain stops and the figure stands before her, a glowing light illuminating a masked face, a death mask. "It is done now. You may leave." The binds holding her disappear.
Caitlin staggers forward, is horrified to see ice coming out of her hands as she reaches for the hooded figure, only to find him gone, nowhere in sight. "Where are you? Who are you?" she bellows, her voice one she does not recognise.
"I am Alchemy. And this is the beginning of the end." The voice says, before the room goes quiet.
Caitlin tries to calm her breathing, looking at her hands in the darkness, eventually the ice recedes. Somehow she manages to make her way out of the room wherever it is, she staggers back into the night, takes her phone out and calls Barry. Her boyfriend is there in an instant, and she wants to tell him everything, but she doesn't she merely tells him of who took her. Inside she cries for grief.
