Of course I need to give thanks to my co-authors Brightburn1985 and thomasmarieamell who inspired me to create this story.
I'm so glad that a lot of people have taken an interest in my story and I thank those who have given me their positive reviews but I feel I need to address some things.
First off, Caitlin is not evil, nor will she ever be evil. She's in a dark place right now and is acting out because of it and her current attitude reflects that. She will be mean and sometimes not very likeable, but she is not going to become a villain. She's just someone who doesn't like Barry and she's allowed her own opinion of him.
Next, I'm sure I'm going to receive some hate for this, but I'm not sure if Frost is going to be a character in this story. At least on Earth-1. We might see a version of her on an alternate Earth. Who knows. The reason for this is because Caitlin has a different origin. Here, her powers are a result of the accelerator, not an experiment when she was little. Sorry.
Finally, Caitlin's powers won't be of much use during the first season. I've mostly added them because I'm planning something in season two, and it adds some hilarious scenes between the two. It's always fun to create an argument out of thin air with them and their combined powers make for some awesome results.
By the way, I will be trying to stick with a weekly update so check in every Friday.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash.
Over the next few days, Caitlin didn't see much of Barry Allen due to the fact there hadn't been any meta-human activity since the day they first formed the team. It wasn't until about a week later that she walked in on Cisco talking to someone.
"Who are you talking to?" Caitlin asks him with suspicion. She had a feeling she already knew who he was talking to.
"No one," Cisco answers, trying to remain casual.
"You wouldn't happen to be talking to Barry, would you?" Caitlin asks him once more.
"Who's Barry?" Cisco was trying to play dumb.
"Barry Allen? The man who was in a nine month coma that we nursed to health and woke up being able to run faster than the speed of sound and the man I hate with every fibre of my being?" Caitlin lists off everything she knows about Barry.
"Hate is a strong word, I think you just really dislike him at the moment," Cisco tries to diffuse the situation and redirect her attention elsewhere.
"I do hate him Cisco, every part of him brings rage to myself. He is annoying, arrogant, frustrating, lazy, inefficient, and stop trying to change the subject. Were you talking to him or not?" Caitlin asks one more time.
Before Cisco could try to deny it Barry yells over the comms. "Cisco! There's fire everywhere!"
Fire? What was he doing in a fire? Too bad the suit was fire resistant, otherwise he would have gotten a pretty nasty burn and Caitlin would be able to torture him for it over the time it healed.
"Okay Cisco, everyone's out of the building and safe from the fire. What else you got for me?" Barry asks.
"Hello Bartholomew Allen. This is Caitlin Snow," Caitlin speaks into the microphone.
"Hey Caitlin," Barry says awkwardly, trying to come up with something to distract her. "So what's been going on in your dull life? Nothing? Just as expected. Hey is Cisco still there?"
"Get to STAR Labs, right now!" Caitlin yells at him. "And don't think you'll be getting off from that comment you just made Fleet Feet,"
"Just lay off Ms. Frosty, I don't have to do anything you say," Barry tells her. After a moment of silence he starts talking again. "I'm coming to STAR Labs but not because you told me to. I'm doing it because I need to return the suit,"
"Sure, that's the reason," Caitlin replied snarkily.
Upon Barry's return, Caitlin really lay it into him. "What on Earth do you think you are doing? Are you even thinking like a rational person?"
"I am thinking like a rational person, in fact I think my thought process is superior to practically everyone on the planet considering I'm a speedster," Barry said.
"Increased thought process?" Cisco asked. Barry just nodded in confirmation. "That is pretty sweet,"
"Regardless, you can't keep putting yourself in the line of danger like some super fast firefighter, that's what we have the regulars for," Caitlin insisted.
"Why not? This is what we talked about, me using my powers for good," Barry said.
"We talked about using your powers to be able to take down other meta-humans that decide to use their powers for harm, and other than Clyde Mardon we haven't found any," Caitlin said.
"Well finding the metas is your responsibility, not mine, so get to work, and I'll use my powers however I want. If I can save someone from a burning building, or push them out of the way of a car, I'm gonna do it, and you can't stop," Barry said to her.
"You still have no idea what you are even capable of. Everyone has limits Barry, even you. It doesn't matter if you are unaware of them, they are still there, and one day they're gonna come out and bite you in the ass, and I will laugh," Caitlin said.
Barry got an alert on his phone telling him of his actual job. "I need to head out, some of us actually have work to do," he said before running out of there, forgetting to change his attire.
"When do you think he'll realize he didn't take his clothes?" Dr. Wells commented at the pile of civilian clothing in the med bay.
Barry arrived at the crime scene only to realize that he was still wearing his suit. He didn't want to run back to STAR Labs and face Caitlin, and his inherent laziness didn't feel like running back home to change, but he got an idea after noticing a store nearby.
Showing up to the crime scene in his new coat, no one suspected a thing, besides Captain Singh commenting on the label still on the coat. "A little fall shopping Mr. Allen?"
"Oh, I was going so fast this morning, I didn't even notice," Barry lightly laughed it off.
Sensing the awkwardness, Barry got to work. Taking a look at the crime scene, Barry was able to immediately tell some key factors. For example, he took some mental calculations in his head and that the footprints were nearly all identical. Size ten men, but they couldn't have come from the same person. There were too many tracks and they overlapped each other too much. Based on the sheer amount, there had to at least be 5 guys.
Barry heard Eddie show Joe and Singh the security footage before the single robber on the video shot out the camera, but Barry was quick to inform them that there were more people than the footage showed. "Actually, the footage may show one guy, but there were five. Look at how the tracks overlap. We're looking for a gang. They're all the same size as well. Size 10 men. Just like you Captain," Barry said.
He quickly realized his mistake as soon as he said it. "Not that you're a suspect sir, just that…" he tried to correct his mistake, but the damage was already done.
"Just get to work Allen," Singh said before going to some other part of the crime scene that didn't involve Barry.
Joe pulled Barry away for a quick conversation. "You know, your ability to multitask truly impresses me. The way that you are able to embarrass me, the Captain, and yourself all at the same time,"
"Joe I'm sorry," Barry tries to say.
"I'm starting to think that's my actual name considering how much you say it," Joe interrupts him.
"It's just I have a lot going on right now. You will not believe what I had to go through in STAR Labs this morning. She is impossible,"
"She?" Joe asked at the mention.
"She. Caitlin Snow. She's supposed to by my physician, but I have a feeling she will leave me to burn if given the chance. She is so stuck-up, and aggressive, and…" Barry begins to rant off.
"And apparently is able to get you this worked up. I haven't seen you act like this since you started noticing girls," Joe pointed out.
"Joe! How could you say that? You are supposed to be on my side of this," Barry asks in disbelief.
"I've met Caitlin before Barry. She's not all that from what I've seen," Joe says.
"Then you haven't really gotten a good look at her," Barry says. "She is a despicable person and I hate her, and she hates me, which is just fine,"
"Hate's a strong word Barry, maybe you're just exaggerating," Joe suggests.
"Not strong enough in my opinion. It's like she was literally created to oppose me in every way," Barry says angrily.
"We'll be having a talk about that, but for now, let's get back on the case," Joe tells him.
"Yeah, let's do that," Barry collects the last of the evidence in a bag and they head off to the precinct.
Later that day, Barry returned to STAR Labs after attending an event dedicated to Simon Stagg to help Iris with her paper for her course, only for it to be interrupted due to a heist from what was likely the 5 robbers this morning.
When they made off with everyone's jewelry, Barry tried to chase them down, only to experience a fainting spell. He had no idea what caused it, forcing him to come back to STAR Labs and have Caitlin examine him.
"I told you that you wouldn't be able to survive without having me look you over. You are so lucky that I have my morals and won't let you die, otherwise I would let you figure this whole thing out yourself," Caitlin said.
"It's not like I asked for this. If you want to leave, leave. Nobody's stopping you. I can figure this out myself. I haven't been feeling light headed since I got my powers. It's not medical since I have enhanced healing meaning this is something that occurs naturally to the body." Barry lists off what he had already determined what was happening to him.
"Meaning that this is something that you brought on, because you are doing something wrong with your powers that weren't an issue beforehand. I mean for all we know, you might be having a transient ischemic attack," Caitlin warns him.
Barry looks slightly confused and when it turned obvious that Caitlin wasn't willing to tell him what she was saying, he turned to Dr. Wells. "Mini stroke, not likely though," Wells informs him.
"You of all people should know that in science we share, we do not keep secrets." Caitlin announced before storming out of the room.
Once she left, Cisco let out a breath of relief. "Wow, I have never seen her so angry at someone like you since Ronnie, but you just constantly cause that by walking into the room," Cisco comments on his friend's behaviour.
It was true. While Ronnie sometimes managed to tick off Caitlin so much it would cause her to explode, Barry somehow managed to push her buttons everyday. The both of them annoyed each other to the extent of constantly arguing and bickering. Even when they were on the phone with each other, they would just constantly be in a fight. The only reason they had the other's number was so that they could continue their fight without anyone listening in. It made Cisco sad that Caitlin, his best friend, and Barry, his newly found friend, could not get along.
They soon found the reason behind Barry constantly passing out. His new powers caused him to burn through calories at an immense rate, even if he wasn't using his powers everyday. His glucose levels were dangerously low, which was why he was always fainting.
They had discovered this by having Barry run on a treadmill Cisco had designed to be able to handle his speeds. After a few seconds, after they had discovered the problem, Barry had passed out midrun and collided with the wall behind him. Caitlin lightly laughed at him for that. Luckily the wall was covered in styrofoam just for the occasion.
Cisco had done the calculations. In light of his new powers, Barry would have to consume on average 10,000 calories per day. And that was just by having his powers. He'd have to consume more if he used his powers.
Barry had decided to eat another lunch since he had asked to take a day off to help Iris, but that was obviously a bust due to the heist.
Cisco was working on making a calorie bar to be able to help Barry keep up his calorie intake without having to eat an excessive amount of food everyday, but Barry didn't seem to mind having to eat more that much of a problem. But it might cause a strain on his wallet.
Caitlin however was trying to keep to herself. Since discovering that she was a meta, she had done a series of tests on herself. She learned that she was able to control the temperature around her. Her ability wasn't to create ice. She was able to absorb the heat out of objects leaving them in ice due to the lack of heat. She had thought of locating her mother and inform her of these new developments but she immediately shot that down, at least for now. There were still a few things that she could do, and so far it didn't seem like her powers were harmful to her. If anything, it would help her to annoy Barry constantly, which was a bonus. It made her embrace her powers more.
Over the week she had practised her powers, and she felt that she had a modicum of control. Enough at least to irritate Barry on occasion. She had some ideas of what she could do with her powers, and loathe as she was to admit it, she had taken some ideas from the movie Frozen that had come out last year.
Approaching Barry from behind while he was still eating on what might be his third lunch, she tapped him on the shoulder with an icy finger.
She watched as the ice travelled his sleeve, leaving it covered in frost. "Hey Barry," she greeted him.
"Oh, Caitlin. I thought I felt a chill in the air," Barry said.
"No need to have such a cold shoulder. You're gonna have to brush some of that snow off," she lightly teased him. Alluding to the fact there was actual snow on his shoulder.
"Ha ha," Barry laughed sarcastically. Still, he felt his shoulder growing colder, so he glanced at it quickly on to widen his eyes in shock. His arm was practically frozen. How had that happened? He immediately shook it off only to see Caitlin laughing hysterically at him.
"How did you…?" Barry asked, he was lost for words.
"You think you're the only meta? Please," she scoffed at him. She raised her hand to reveal mist flowing off it, and sparked her eyes into their icy blue colour.
"How long have you known of your powers? Why would you tell me this? Who else knows?" Barry rapidly asked her.
"A week. Just after we defeated Mardon. Nobody else knows. And it's gonna stay that way until I decide to tell them. And I did it because I knew it would annoy you." Caitlin rattled off her answers to him.
"Why are you literally the opposite of me in everything?!" Barry shouted.
"Luck of the draw," Caitlin replied. "Since speed and cold are opposites, we're going to be spending a lot of time together Fleet Feet."
"Oh, bring it on Ms. Frosty. You'd never be able to catch me, and I promise, I'll find some ways to irritate you. Like this," Barry smirked at her before running away.
The wind caused by his speed caused Caitlin's hair to fly everywhere. Some of it ended up in her mouth. She would have to keep her mouth closed whenever he did that. While she angrily spit her hair out of her mouth she thought, 'Game on Bartholomew Allen,'
The rest of the day turned into a blur. Maybe she shouldn't have revealed her abilities to Barry. She should have talked with Cisco about them first. But he was just finishing the cold gun without Barry finding out. He was under a lot of pressure.
The entire time, Caitlin was worried that Barry would be spiteful enough to expose her as a meta to the others before she was ready. She had no idea why she felt she was ready to tell Barry. Maybe it was because he was still a stranger to her and it was easier to tell someone without a face.
"What's bothering you? You have this 'I have a problem' look on your face." Cisco asked as Caitlin's eyes went wide.
"I-it's nothing Cisco," Caitlin stuttered out. Currently, she was scraping traces of blood from Barry's suit. She was hoping to isolate blood from their new meta, Danton Black, who Barry had confronted earlier. Caitlin was happy to say that Barry got his ass whooped, but now they had to get serious.
"You sure? There's not anything you want to tell me?" Cisco asked. "Because I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything,"
"There's nothing wrong Cisco, and if there was, I hope you respect my decision to keep it to myself for a while until I'm ready to tell you," Caitlin assured him.
"Yeah, I can do that," Cisco said. "So what are you trying to do anyway?"
"I'm trying to isolate blood from Barry's suit-"
"-My suit!" Cisco interrupted her.
"From the suit that belongs to Danton Black to try to see how his powers work." Caitlin corrected herself. "I want to try to see if I can find out how he can replicate himself,"
"Replicate! That could be a good name," Cisco said, mostly to himself. Lately he'd been trying to find names for the meta of the week. "No, no, could still use some work."
Caitlin just rolled her eyes at him before getting back to work. After she managed to obtain Black's blood cells, she introduced them to a gel protein, just wanting to see what they could do. Strangely, as she was looking at it through her microscope the cells were multiplying at an alarming rate with no signs of stopping.
When the cells became an entire arm, she had to stand up and just watch as an entire body grew. It was both fascinating and slightly disgusting at the same time. At least it came with clothes attached, but Caitlin had no idea how that worked.
Once the body was completed, both she and Cisco panicked at the thought that Danton Black would know who they were and that they worked with Barry, but the clone didn't do anything.
Taking a brain scan confirmed what they were both thinking. The clones were an empty shell. They performed the basic functions, but they did little else. That had to mean Black was mentally controlling them to do his bidding.
After relaying the information to Barry, they had a plan. If there were too many clones, Black would be straining himself to control every individual body. He would be the one showing the most signs of fatigue. If they could incapacitate the original, all of them would fall.
Determining his next target to be Simon Stagg was easy enough considering he'd already tried to go after him before.
Barry had interrupted the heist and took Stagg to a safe location before confronting Black. It turned out Black's motive wasn't because his research was stolen, it was because the research was to save his wife from heart failure. He was planning on using his research to create a healthy heart instead of waiting for an available one, but then it was all taken away and they had run out of time.
Barry was at first overwhelmed by the sheer amount of bodies he had to get through, and he still had no idea which of them was the prime.
"There's too many of them. I can't do this," Barry told them, slightly out of breath.
"We've told you Fleet Feet, you don't need to take all of them down, you just need to take down one. The Prime," Caitlin told him.
"Well Ms. Frosty I don't see you helping me out with this. They're identical clones, how do I tell the Prime apart from the rest?" Barry sarcastically replied.
"We have gone over this Barry! The Prime will be the one exerting the most force, look for the one showing the most signs of exhaustion. Honestly!" Caitlin yelled at him.
"Are they always like this?" Joe muttered to Cisco, who was currently in the Cortex, watching everything going on.
"No, usually it's much worse, and over much smaller things," Cisco replied.
"If the Prime is tiring, he'll likely be in the back having the rest of the clones protect himself. How do I get through that many people?" Barry questioned them.
"You've said you have gone so fast the rest of the world went still. I think you can move through a few bodies to get to the back of the crowd." Caitlin pointed out.
"That was just for short bursts of time. I don't think I can maintain it for that long," Barry said in doubt.
"You can do it Barry. You taught me that nothing is impossible, so go out there and take this guy down son," Joe chimed in, offering his own support after doubting Barry for some time about whether he should be doing these heroics.
Barry finally caught his breath. When he looked behind him he saw a sea of bodies all marching towards him. There were so many, some of them were even tripping themselves.
Bracing himself, he took a deep breath and let the lightning in his veins spark in his eyes before he charged forward, sparks of electricity coming off him. He had to find out if he could do anything with that besides it being a big light show.
Weaving through the still bodies, he made it to the back where there were few of them. One of them had to be the Prime. Looking at each closely, he saw that one of them had sweat dripping down their head. That one had to be the Prime.
Finally having a target, he rushed forward and grabbed what he dearly hoped was the Prime and slammed him into a pillar. Effectively knocking him out. Daring a look, he glanced to the rest of the clones to see that they too were all unconscious.
"We did it. We won," Barry confirmed their victory.
He heard several sighs of relief from the other end, but he knew it was well deserved.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it as the original Danton Black regained consciousness and charged towards Barry.
Barry, obviously, managed to dodge, but he didn't take into account the giant window behind him. Black fell through, and he was determined to meet his end even when Barry offered to pull him back up to live. Black refused and pried Barry's hand off himself.
When Barry returned, he was slightly bummed out about the fact that he couldn't save Black, but even if he did, they didn't really have a place to hold him. And Cisco finally came up with a name.
"At least we'll never have to worry about Multiplex ever again. Boom! Still got it,"
Once the others left, Caitlin tried to comfort Barry in her own way, "Don't feel too bad, the guy probably didn't want to admit he'd been saved by a dork."
Okay, so insulting him came naturally even when she wasn't trying.
"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Barry asked. "Because you are doing a terrible job."
"What I'm trying to say is that he didn't want to be saved." Caitlin tried to clear her previous statement. "You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved. Sometimes, you need to accept that they don't want your help, and you can't do anything about it,"
Barry nodded in contemplation. "Thanks Caitlin, I think I needed to hear that,"
They both just stayed in silence for awhile. Neither of them wanted to interrupt the peace they had reached for what seemed like the first time ever.
Barry sighed loudly, finally breaking the silence. "I'm gonna head out now. Get some sleep before going into work tomorrow,"
"Yeah, I got some things to do here but I'll be leaving pretty soon myself," Caitlin said.
Before leaving the building, Barry turned around to face her. "Hey, I hate you, Ms. Frosty," he said with a smile. A tender look on his face that spoke volumes.
Caitlin chuckled and replied. "I hate you too Fleet Feet,"
Barry ran out of the building causing her hair to fly everywhere again, but her smile stayed plastered on. She'd let this one slide. But the next one would earn him an icicle in his shoulder.
Tell me what you thought of this new chapter, tell me your complaints and I will try to address them as best as I can. And if you just straight up didn't like it, what the hell are you still doing here?