Chapter 9
(Frost)bitten in the Ass
The steady thump, thump, thump caused the man to put down his newspaper and glare that the blond woman sitting across from him. Her cheek bulged out due to her poking her tongue against the soft wall. Her leg bounced due to the jiggling of her foot against the seat in front of her. Her fingers grasped the hem of her pink dress, her thumbs rubbing over one another. The fast-moving landscape outside the train reflected on the lenses of her glasses. It blocked her eyes from the man's view so he had to drop his glaring tactic.
"Excuse me," the man said, his voice gruff. Felicity jumped and the tiniest of squeaks popped out of her throat, making her cringe. "Could you stop that?" the man continued, nodding his head towards her bouncing foot.
"Oh! Sorry, I didn't notice I was doing it," Felicity apologized, uncrossing her legs. She pressed her knees together, her grip never leaving the hem of her dress. "See, it's a nervous habit. My mom always tried to get me to stop but it didn't work. …Not that I'm nervous! I mean, I should be nervous; I'm just going to Central City. To visit a friend. One who's been in a coma. Yup." She popped her 'p' at the end of the word and nodded her head. "You may have heard about him. Barry? Allen? He just woke up so I'm going to go see him.
"I shouldn't be nervous about that, right? I mean, he's just a friend. A male friend. But, but not a boyfriend. I mean, yeah, he's cute and everything and really nice and really smart but…but we're just friends. I'm just going to check on him. Make sure everything's okay. Friends do that, right?" She paused and blew out a breath, not noticing the exasperated way the man across from her looked at her when she stated speaking again. "It's not that big of a deal that I'm coming to see him, right? I mean, he managed to survive a nine month coma, that's something to go and check someone on. I mean, I would want someone to come and check on me if I were in a coma for so long. That's just…that's common courtesy, I think. And I'm sure he'd see it that way, too. Because there's nothing to look into. Nothing at all. I'm just taking…a little visit to Central City to see a friend because I've never been here before. Hey, are there any sights I should see?"
"Yes," the man said, snapping his newspaper shut. Felicity watched as she made a show of gathering his jacket and briefcase and stood. "My back," he finished and, with a flourish, he moved up the aisle and found an empty seat away from her.
She clicked her tongue. It wasn't anything she hadn't dealt with before but it still stung. She couldn't help that she was concerned for her friend and that concern had turned into boundless energy. Everyone had a nervous tick, why did hers always make people run away? Finally uncurling her hands from her dress, she dug into her purse for her phone. After swiping in her passcode she checked her messages, one from Diggle wishing her a good trip and a short one from Oliver telling her, in his Oliver way, to hurry back as soon as possible.
Her lips pursed and she made a noise as she scanned Oliver's message again. That's all he had to say? For her to return to Starling City at the earliest convenience? She shook her head and put it back into her pocket. Surely he could have at least wished her a good trip and some well wishes to pass onto Barry. He got struck by lightning. Though, she supposed to Oliver, that didn't mean much compared to his time and experiences on the island. Her lips curled up as she snorted at how much it sounded like a missing episode of LOST.
She had finished her nineteenth Sudoku puzzle by the time the train pulled into Central City. Felicity glanced out the window, her eyes taking in the sister city. At first glance it reminded her of Starling with the high skyscrapers and the luxurious buildings. There weren't as many as Starling but there were a fair few.
Gathering her purse, she waited for a few people to exit the train before she stepped out onto the platform. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm her beating heart. She was only going to see Barry, that's all. Just going to see a friend. Just…took a long train ride to see a friend; there was nothing weird about that.
Felicity left the train station and managed to hail a taxi to take her to her hotel room. Once she was settled she took the same taxi over to the Central City Precinct. She paid the taxi driver and hooked her purse higher up on her shoulder as she strode inside.
"Can I help you, miss?" the guard by the door asked her.
"Oh! Uhm, yes. I'm looking for a friend. Works here as a forensic scientist. Goes by the name of Barry Allen," Felicity rambled. "Struck by lightning, was in a coma."
The guard laughed. "Ah, yeah, Babyface. Does he know you're coming?"
Felicity's eyebrows—which had risen at the nickname—lowered and she blinked. "Oh, no. I'm here to surprise him. Haven't seen him in a while. Just wanted to catch up."
"Okay, well, I'm going to have to provide you with a visitor's pass that you need to have visible at all times. His office is up on the top floor. The elevators are over there. Should you need any assistance, find someone with a badge and they will provide you with any assistance you need," the guard said. He got a clip-cable pass from the front desk and attached it to her jacket pocket.
"I'll do just that," Felicity replied. And, as if her arm had a mind of its own, she saluted the guard and then got into the elevator. It wasn't until the doors had closed entirely that she groaned and slapped her palm with her forehead. Great, she was slowly leaving her mark on Central City but not in the way she hoped.
The elevator took her up to the proper floor and she had to take a moment to collect herself and calm her beating heart. "Just walk in and say hey. He'll probably be happy to see you," Felicity muttered to herself, her heels clacking against the floor. "…Unless he's hanging out with Iris. Of course he'd be hanging out with iris. She's always visited him in the hospital. Why would he remember you when he has Iris around?"
Her rant stopped as she passed through the doors into Barry's office, if it could be called that. It was much larger than she expected with windows that pulled in the sunlight and gave off a good view of the city. She tentatively walked along the racks of beakers that surrounded the room, over to the large map that had been pulled down, and then to the windows where high-rises dotted her view.
"Wow," she muttered, looking around at the city below. She pressed her hands together and brought her hands up to her mouth. Down below cars followed forward and people doted the sidewalks as they headed to their destinations. Where were they going? What was waiting for them? Family? Friends? Job opportunities? At least they didn't have to worry about being killed at any second of that day. That must be nice…
"Hey Barry, do youuu….know that you turned into a hot blond?" Felicity whirled around to spot a confused looking girl whose stride slowed as she entered the room.
"Are…are you talking to me?" Felicity asked, pointing to herself. She made a noise. "Of course you're talking to me. There's no one else in the room. But thanks, for that. The compliment, I mean. Never got that from a girl before. Not that…that's a bad thing! 'Cause it's not! It's great really. Thanks." She paused and then added while pulling on the end of her ponytail, "It's not real."
"Neither's mine. I wish this honey color were natural, alas I need some help from a bottle." She paused and her head tilted as she looked Felicity up and down. "Cute dress."
"Thanks." Felicity looked down almost as if she had to double check what she was wearing. "It's a little something I bought at the store." She clasped her hands together. "So…you're waiting for Barry?"
"Yeah, figured he'd be here by now but he's always late so…" the girls' words trailed off and she blinked. Felicity's eyebrows raised at the actions as the girl pointed. "Wait, are you his girlfriend or something? Is he actually dating someone and not tell me?"
"Wha—no. We're friends. Just friends," Felicity said, waving her hand as a dusting of red settled in her cheeks. "I'm Felicity. Smoak. Like the aftermath of fire only I won't kill you." She gave a strained laugh and held out her rigid hand. "You must be…Iris?"
"Ha, no. I'm not Iris. You're close, though. I'm her cousin, Sage, nice to meetcha." Sage grasped Felicity's hand and gave it a hearty shake that made Felicity's arm jerk. She had to grab onto her purse to keep it from falling off her shoulder. Sage's smile dropped as she said, "Oh! You're that Felicity! The computer girl. The one he wouldn't stop geeking out about. Should've known he didn't get a girl." She cleared her throat. "So what're you doing here?"
"I heard that Barry woke up so I was just going to check in on him," Felicity replied. "Make sure he's okay. No side-effects. Twitching or…anything of the sort."
"You know he may be slightly weirder than he was before, but that's not saying much to be honest," Sage stated. "He dressed up like Superman every year for Halloween until he was twelve."
"Out of all the superheros he could have chosen from he picked a good one," Felicity mused aloud. "It could have been worse. It could have been the Green Lantern."
"Wasn't that movie terrible?" Sage asked. "I liked staring at Ryan Reynolds' face for two hours but that plot? Couldn't latch on. Now, Spider-man. That's a good movie."
"Interesting." Felicity tapped her chin with her finger. "Which iteration? Raimi or Webb? Choose wisely. They both have their merits and their faults."
"I gotta stick with the original, Raimi all the way, and not just because we saw that one first. I feel it was more grittier and Tobey pulled off the dark aspects of Spider-man's life better than Andrew did. It felt more organic. Not only that but I had a better time believing that Tobey was a nerd as compared to Andrew."
"Perhaps," Felicity hummed, "but—as seen in the comics—there was the large humor factor lacking in Raimi's version that Spider-man is known for. Also we're shown rather than told how much of a genius Peter Parker is. He was supposed to have built his own web slinger, not have it given to him as well."
Sage nodded. "True, but with it built in in Raimi's version it showed Peter's inner struggle when it petered out rather than having to be told he was going through mental turmoil. …No pun intended."
"That was a good one," Felicity noted. "All in all I have to side with Webb's film but I will admit this: Tobey was a better Peter and Andrew was a better Spider-man."
"Are you sure it's not the nerdy tech boy that does it for you?" Sage asked. Felicity's mouth turned to the side. "You know, birds of a feather. You're into high tech computer stuff. Would you happen to know how to fix an old police scanner?"
"Of course," Felicity replied. "I could do that with my eyes closed…not that it would help matters. It is kinda helpful to actually be looking at what you're doing. In short, yes. Yes I can." Her thumb popped up in a last minute thumbs-up gesture. "Do you happen to have one?"
"Right here," Sage replied, digging into the rucksack that had been hanging off her shoulder. "I have to run to class but if you could get this fixed as soon as possible I would appreciate it."
"Um…sure," Felicity said as she took the contraption. She stretched out her purse and slid it inside as best as she could without damaging her equipment inside. "Do I get to know why?"
Sage shook her head. "Sorry, that's a secret."
"Ah, yes, I know all about those. Have to keep a few myself. Well…more than a few. A fair bit. …A lot actually."
Sage laughed and said with the ending sigh, "Don't all girls?"
# # #
"How is this fun? I don't get it," Cisco muttered, using the end of his pen to scratch at his head. He blew out a breath and stared at the scribbled out grid on the paper in front of him. Sudoku puzzles were something that Caitlin had introduced him to and it had him more confused now than he was before. It didn't help that he didn't have much room to try adding numbers to the boxed sequences anymore. Maybe if he squeezed in numbers in some places and wrote small in others…
"Forget it." He slapped the pen down on the countertop and sighed, running a hand though his hair. If Barry were with him they could be spending time running around and stopping small crimes while they waited for something big to happen. They could be having fun but no. Caitlin insisted on him finding new outlets that "didn't drain or cause potential harm to Barry as we continue to research and delve into the intricate enigmas that plague him".
Truth be told he found an appreciation for board games through her (he still thanked her for introducing him to the masterpiece that is Diplomacy), he entertained her desire to show him (and Ronnie at the time) how to crochet, heck he even played a few games of chess with her but Sudoku puzzles? He gave it a shot but even she wasn't enough of a catalyst to get him to stick with it. He preferred normal puzzles, the more pieces the better. He made a mental note to ask her if she wanted to continue their 1000 piece rainbow gradient puzzle in the future but for now he wanted to actually do something. And karaoke was currently out of the question even though his pipes were ready to burst.
His lips vibrated as he blew a breath out a breath. He checked his phone for messages—only to be greeted to a picture of his brother's newest piano trophy—and then checked his e-mail, which he then realized was a silly idea. He was at work; anything that needed to be said to him could be said to his face. And yet there was absolutely nothing going on. No petty thefts, no common crimes, no metahumans running around for them to take care of. Nothing fun.
With a dejected sigh, he dropped down in a computer chair and brought up files for the information they had gathered on Barry and his powers. He had read them over time and time again at this point but it was still fascinating. His cells could regenerate much faster than that of a normal person. He could heal himself in a short amount of time. He could run faster than many manmade modes of transportation. Barry's powers could bring them one step closer to making instantaneous travel a reality. Not only that but unlock the key to extending human life!
The smile on his face stretched the longer he read over their findings. Once he exhausted that information he switched over to the information gathered on Sage's ice-based powers. He rubbed his chin and then propped it up in his palm. Her powers gave them as many questions as Barry's did. Was it possible for her powers to work against her? Could it freeze her if something went wrong? How did she cope in cold temperatures? Did she get affected by frostbite? If she couldn't touch other people did that mean she had to be careful around herself? How much more could she do that they haven't seen or tested yet?
It was amazing how much they still didn't know about the particle accelerator and its effects on people. Hell, it turned one guy into gas of all things. Were their powers brought to them by the environment that they were in at the time of the accident? Were they mutually exclusive? Barry was struck by lightning and Sage had been exposed to harsh temperatures and The Mist had been in an execution chamber. What kind of person could they encounter next? Someone turning into a coal monster due to being trapped in a sauna? Oh, the possibilities were endless! Cisco had to keep himself from clicking his heels together in glee.
"Do I want to know what you're looking at, Cisco?" Caitlin asked as she walked into the room, briefly looking up from the clipboard that was in her hand. "You're smiling the same way you did when I walked in on you and Ronnie looking—"
"We said we'd never speak of that again!" Cisco said, holding his finger in her direction. She cracked a smile, one of the few she's allowed since the accident. "Besides, it's Ronnie you have to blame for that. Not me."
"That's easy to say since he isn't here to defend himself," Caitlin countered. Cisco stiffened at her words. A lump lodged in his throat, stopping his breath until he could swallow it. His fingers gripped the mouse beneath his hand a little tighter so the plastic creaked. She didn't notice his posture as she continued, "Besides, we all know that you were the bad influence in that little partnership."
"I like to think we influenced each other," Cisco replied, his once stiff posture softening as he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "It wasn't my idea to make a firework gun."
"So whose was it to shoot it indoors?" Caitlin's eyebrows popped up and she pressed her lips together. He could see her lips twitching in the corners.
"Don't act like you didn't like it. I recall someone wanted to use it on one of your indoor date nights."
Caitlin's lips parted and she tried to appear indignant but the red pooling in her pale cheeks gave her away. "Who am I to not give your inventions the proper attention it deserves. We need to know how the end results will play out…for science, of course."
"For science," Cisco mockingly agreed. Caitlin shook her head and turned her attention back to her clipboard. He pushed away from the computer and crossed the room to get to his stash of assorted candy. "Hey, do you think The Mist likes sweets?" he asked as he dug through the bag, bypassing small packages of Smarties and SweetTarts.
"I dunno, I always thought he'd be into Italian," Caitlin replied. Her quip made him take pause and stand to look at her. She kept her head lowered so her hair, a long curtain, shielded her face.
"Ahhh. Mob bosses, hitmen, I get it, I get it," Cisco said aloud. He let out a small cackle of victory when he found a few Twizzler pieces. He yanked the wrapper off one and stuck it in his mouth. The rush of —artificial cherry—or was it strawberry—assaulted his tongue. "Do you think that would work? I mean…he may be a killer and everything but I'm sure they have their favorite foods and stuff."
"I don't recommend getting too close to ask."
Cisco snorted and chewed on the end of his candy. But certainly even The Mist had to be normal enough to have food preferences. And just because he was now in a…containment room of sorts like a prisoner didn't mean they had to be removed from all the comforts they had on the outside like good food. He attended public school, he knew what it was like to have bad food day in and day out.
He hummed as he chewed and then moved over to the computer that Caitlin was sitting in front of. He may as well get a quick few games of Minesweeper in as he waited for something to happen. His wish was granted within the next few minutes as Barry walked in through the doorway with Felicity in tow as she commented about hacking into their satellite.
"Rude," Cisco commented, taking the Twizzler out of his mouth. Caitlin wrung her hands together as she spoke to Felicity and Cisco waved it away. After all, Barry wouldn't bring just anyone to S.T.A.R. Labs to show them around. Especially with the suit on display as it was. And then…wait, what? "Sweet!" Cisco gasped as Barry's revelation. "Now it's all making sense. You know who the Arrow is! Wait." Cisco turned to Barry, pointing at him with his candy. "Do you know who the Arrow is?"
Cisco bit down on his candy again as Barry shook his head and denied knowing who the Arrow was. But they were both superheroes, now, surely Barry had to have some clue if he's been to Starling, knows Felicity, knows that Felicity know who the Arrow is, and has worked with her. Of course secrets had to come into play but since Felicity knew theirs it was only fair that they could know the Arrow's right?
They moved over to the viewing area as Barry started running on the treadmill and Cisco relaxed in his seat. His rolled his shoulders and was surprised to find that the weight that had been sitting on it before was gone. It was nice to tell someone else their secret and it was nicer to tell someone else and have them immediately understand what they were doing and not still see the accident that fell onto Wells's shoulders. Of course, working with the Arrow could have something to do with that.
"So he can do everything fast?" Felicity mused aloud, watching as Barry ran on the treadmill. Little bolts of electricity shot off him the faster he ran. "Go to the bathroom? Burn through food? He must have a buildup of static, is the shock much more painful if he touches something susceptible to the electricity? Would it cause a burn because of the built up electricity? Is he fast in all areas of his life?"
"Trust me, I've been wondering about that myself. I'm especially curious in his…nightly activities," Sage commented as she walked into the room. She set her helmet in one chair and dumped her drawstring bag into it as she approached the group. "Make me happy, Candyman," she said while extending her hands and curling her fingers in a gimmie-gimmie motion.
"Good point. Does he slow down when he sleeps? I wonder how fast he is in bed," Felicity continued. That earned looks from both Cisco and Caitlin that made her quickly backtrack, "Not that I was thinking about him in bed. Of course not, that'd be weird. I was just thinking in the sense…does he compress more sleep in a few hours than we do? Does he need that much sleep?"
"I want to know how fast his hair grows," Sage commented as she popped open the bag of Sour Patch kids that Cisco had given her. "How often does he need to go the barber? He'd be their best customer. You could make wigs out of his hair, stop male patterned baldness."
"All questions of which we should have answer soon enough," Harrison commented, his mouth lifting in the corners. "Your inquiries are certainly…colorful."
"It's the only way I can get away with asking these sort of questions, especially with him behind that window," Sage said in a stage whisper while pointing at a still sprinting Barry. Dropping her voice she turned to the side and muttered, "Did you fix it?"
"Of course." Felicity patted her purse. "I just hope you're not going to do anything crazy. I've been around some crazy things. I could write a book on crazy things, actually."
"I have an uncle who is a police officer and a father who was in the military," Sage relayed, "I grew up with no room to do anything crazy unless I wanted a gun in my face." At the expression on Felicity's face she added, "I'm kidding."
Felicity laughed a little bit it, her eyes shifting back and forth behind her glasses. She passed the now fixed police scanner over to the girl and turned her attention back to Barry. She couldn't keep the words in her mouth, her new questions flew out as fast as her mind came up with them. And when Barry attempted to run backwards only to trip and fly off the treadmill she winced.
"Don't worry, he heals quickly too," Caitlin said nonchalantly. A couple seconds after her assessment Barry was back on his feet and joined them in the room, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We need more padding on that wall," he commented with a goofy half smile.
"Are you okay?" Felicity asked, approaching him.
"Of course. Hardly felt a thing," he replied. "See?" He shook out his arms and legs. "I'm good to go."
"Well, now that that's out of the way how about I show Felicity what I can do?" Sage asked, setting her bag of candy aside.
This made Felicity turn around, her eyebrows raised in astonishment. "Wait…something happened to you too? Did you get struck by lightning as well?"
"No, I—" Sage started.
"Ms. Moreaux, you have more experiments to go through before you even have the right amount of control over your abilities to be able to show someone else without causing them harm," Harrison spoke up, cutting her off.
"But I've been practicing!" Sage protested. "I mean, it's kinda tricky at home…and around work and school…but I've found time! I've gotten better, really! I can even do this!"
"That's enough," Harrison said before she could even move to take off her gloves.
"But you really have to see it! I can—"
"I said that's enough, Ms. Moreaux." Gone was the previous softness in Harrison's voice. It had been replaced with a cold, calculating clipped tone that stopped her in her tracks and made everyone else freeze. He pressed the lever on his wheelchair and wheeled towards her, stopping a few feet away from her. "When I tell you something I'm not saying it because I like to hear myself talk. I am trying to protect you and the others in this room from getting hurt because you are too eager to take your time and do things the right way. Now, it would be wise for you to heed my warnings and follow proper procedure if you would like to see yourself improve. …We wouldn't want any more accidents." He wheeled his chair around, holding her gaze until he wheeled himself right out of the room.
Heavy silence hung over the room. Cisco's fingers twitched. His body ached to say something, do something to break the tension but he didn't know what that could be. Thankfully he didn't have to do anything for Barry was the one to break the silence by clearing his throat.
"Well…Felicity and I were going to be late anyway," he spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. "I still need to show her around Jitters. Um, Sage, d'you wanna come? I'll treat you to a caramel macchiato."
"Uh, no thanks," she replied, giving her head a shake. She tried for a smile and while it appeared it didn't last long. She cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I have some homework I need to do anyway. It'd be better to stay here…where it's quiet."
"Okay. I'll bring you back biscotti," he said. He reached out to hug her and she kept her arms pinned by her side. "What, no 'Barfolomew'?" He asked as he held her at arm's length. He gave her shoulders a shake. "I know he was a bit strong with his wording but he's just concerned. He just doesn't want anyone getting hurt due to a mistake."
Cisco and Caitlin looked at each other from either side of Barry and turned away. It's been nine months but the results of the particle accelerator exploding still weighed on their hearts. Hell, Cisco'd rather the world be mad at him than be mad at Wells. At least then he could spend the rest of his life working to fix his mistake and change his reputation around. Wells wasn't exactly young and his reputation was probably tarnished at that point. It was funny how fast one could fall from grace.
"Okay, we'll see you guys later," Barry said, addressing Cisco and Caitlin.
They waved their goodbyes and watched as Felicity and Barry walked out of the room. Caitlin's heels clacked on the floor as she wordlessly gathered some papers and walked off. Cisco popped the rest of his Twizzler into his mouth and swallowed. "Well, I guess it's just us," he announced. Sage barely cracked a smile. "Hey, it's like Barry said. Wells is just looking out for us. He just doesn't want anything else to happen if he could prevent it this time." He cleared his throat. "Come on, you can help me with inventory and I can show you all of my toys. Did I tell you about the firework gun?"
"You made a firework gun?" Sage asked as she followed him. He didn't miss the excitement in her voice as much as she tried to hide it. "Like, it pops off those big explosions with all the colors?"
"And it even works indoors in the daylight," Cisco replied. "It's one of my better inventions, if I do say so myself. Right behind turning a potato launcher into a French fry gun. We've abuse that one many times."
"Do you guys eat fast food all the time? How many hours do you pull here?"
"A fair amount. Honestly, we're not too concerned about eating right when we're onto something. Big Belly Burger loves us."
Cisco paused by a door and held up his S.T.A.R. Labs I.D. A green laser beam shot out and scanned the photo on the front before briefly flashing blue. Access granted. The door slid open and Cisco stepped inside, motioning Sage to follow him. "This is where we keep most of our inventory. We used to have a warehouse full of stuff in Starling but Caitlin and I were sent to clean it out. That's how we met Felicity, actually." He removed a clipboard from the wall and removed the bottom paper that was on it. "Here, you can take this one. All we do is go down the row is make a note of the tech that's inside. The reference numbers are already on the paper so you just go down the row and mention if it's there or not."
"You made all of these yourself? Man, I can't even make a good LEGO structure. I just ended up making a bunch of walls."
"I jumped past LEGOs and went straight to K'Nex. After creating a Boeing 747 and creating a robot that could pick up trash I figured there was more of a challenge creating something from my mind from scratch. I'm totally like the Professor Roy Hinkley of S.T.A.R….labs…"
He stopped, blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then blinked again. Where one of his inventions, a cold gun, was supposed to sit instead was an empty space. He reached his hand out and searched around in the darkness for it but all he got was a handful of air.
His heart bypassed the option of ramming against his chest in favor of lodging in his throat. Oh no no no no! He set the clipboard aside and stared numbly at the gaping black hole. It hadn't been there the day before either and he had just thought that he had misplaced it. But now…
He barely noticed Caitlin appearing behind them. He barely noticed her calling for Dr. Wells and he barely noticed stuttering that one of their tech was missing. It was as if his body had shut down and he was having an out of body experience. His brain was making him answer the questions that Harrison asked even though he wasn't sure what he was saying. He could barely hear his own thoughts over his beating heart.
No. This can't be happening. This can't be happening.
"I'm gonna ask you again, Cisco. But when I do, I expect a more specific answer than 'I don't know'. Now, how long has this weapon been gone?" Harrison's jarring voice made Cisco flinch. He took a shaky breath and licked his lips.
"A day, maybe two," he admitted his voice cracking. He continued in a rush, "One of the janitors didn't show up for work this morning. He was probably the one who took it. I didn't think that—"
Sage, Caitlin, and Cisco all jumped when Harrison slammed the door shut. It briefly squeaked before clanging against the wall. Cisco's once steady breath became shaky as he waited. He wrung his hands together and licked his lips.
"You didn't think, because if you had, you would have discussed with me first your desire to build something that could, in theory, hurt anyone, and in particular, Barry Allen."
"I'm sorry," Cisco stated. "If you just let me explain—"
Once again Harrison interrupted him using a tone of voice that made it clear that he was only going to say things once. "You know how I feel about weapons, Cisco. They do not belong in S.T. A.R. Labs." He paused and when he continued speaking his words were a cold whisper, "Now, you are gonna figure out a way to locate this gun and you are gonna do it right now."
"This thing you built…what can it do?" Caitlin asked only once Harrison had left and was out of earshot. She watched his retreating figure for a moment and then forced her attention over to Cisco.
"Bad stuff," he replied.
Caitlin was the one to lead the charge out of the room. Cisco had never seen a woman run so fast in heels before. For a fleeting moment a thought passed through his mind about how she could run with about three inches added to her feet and not break and ankle. But then he shook his head and focused on their task at hand.
"Does it have a tracking device in it?" Caitlin asked as she dropped down in front of a computer. Her fingers flew across the keyboard to effortlessly type in her password.
"No, I…I didn't think about it," Cisco replied. "I didn't think anyone would just come in and take it."
"Yeah, we didn't think about a lot of things," Caitlin agreed with a sigh. "The longer we try and find something to track it the more damage can be done. We have to figure out an answer and fast."
"But what if whoever has the piece of tech goes around and hurts people while we wait?" Sage asked.
"Well, we're just going to have to wait for Barry to catch whoever it is that has it. Assuming they're out there using it against civilians," Caitlin replied.
"That's too much time," Sage mumbled, voicing Cisco's concerns.
He grumbled and rubbed his hands over his face, earning Caitlin's and Sage's attention right away. "I'm sorry," he uttered. "If it weren't for me…had I thought about what I was doing…" his words trailed off. "Wells is right. I was only trying to help…"
"Cisco, you do help," Sage spoke up. "I mean, you made Barry's suit right? Without it he'd be a pile of ash. And…you made those high calorie bar things for him."
"Yeah, but Wells…"
He didn't want to finish his sentence, it was too hard. Wells was disappointed in him. It was one thing to have his own parents to basically pass him aside for his brother but to have Wells—the only father-like figure he had in his life—actively angry at him? He couldn't bear it. It left a strong ache in his chest. It hurt to breathe, like a rock had been strapped down.
"We'll figure something out, Cisco," Caitlin reassured him, her eyes on the computer screen. Her brows were furrowed and lines appeared in her forehead and by her mouth. She appeared much older than she actually was. Cisco had to turn away.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when Sage placed her gloved hand upon his arm. "How is your hand cold through the leather?" he asked her as she pulled him aside.
"I dunno, I think I create a sort of ice glove on the inside," she replied. "Anyway. I was thinking…we could get back on Wells' good side. Something is bound to happen soon. A theft. Maybe…a carjacking, I don't know. But if I can go out and stop it and with your help maybe it could show him that—or remind him in your case—that we can help out the team."
"You want to go against Dr. Wells?" Cisco asked.
She bit her lip. "Not go against him exactly… He said to track the tech, right? Someone with something like that…they're not going to just sit around and not mess with it. The urge is too strong. Come on, Cisco." She grabbed his arm with both hands and jumped up and down. "We can make things right. I know I can do it. Wells said I need more practice. Well, how else can I get practice if I don't go out and use what I have?"
"What if you get hurt?" Cisco asked.
"I know how to use a gun," Sage replied. "Not that I'll need it!" she hastily added at the disturbed expression on Cisco's face due to the nonchalance in her words. "Please, Cisco. I just want my chance. That's all."
He heaved a sigh. He could feel a tug on one side of him and a tug on the other side of him. One half of him yelled in his ear to stay put, that doing anything else wasn't a good idea, to jut focus on getting the gun tracked. The other half yelled, equally as loud, that it was a good idea, that showing what he could do in a positive light could help his stance and maybe earn Wells's forgiveness back…
He dragged his fingers through his hair, pulling at the strands. He glanced at Caitlin over his shoulder and then placed his hand on Sage's shoulder, pushing her away from the computers and out of the room. "Okay, I have something for you that I think you'll like."
Sage gasped and clasped her hands together. "My suit! You made my suit!"
"You designed it," Cisco countered, swiping his card to enter a closed off room. "I just brought it to life." He flicked on the light and stepped aside as Sage entered the room. He smiled at her enthusiasm at the sight of her costume but, deep in the pit of his stomach, knots were twisting.
He hoped he hadn't made a mistake.
# # #
"…Suspect has entered the theatre. Requesting backup. Suspect is armed. Confirmed civilians still inside…"
Sage pressed against her ear, successfully cutting off the transmitted police report that moved through the earpieces built into her suit. She still couldn't believe something that she had taken time creating on paper she was now wearing.
Her hood hung low over her forehead, shielding most of her face while her goggles covered up the remaining half, leaving her nose, mouth and chin exposed. She danced a little on the spot. She felt so cool, like the Arrow! Although she was sure he wouldn't be caught dead wearing arm and leg warmers. She had to convince Cisco to throw that in; while he saw it as a strange accessory she saw it as a necessity. After all, wearing a hooded romper left her with her arms and legs exposed and she needed to keep her body temperature up somehow.
Focus, Sage, focus! She stopped her dancing and gave her head a shake, thankful that her hair was tucked back in her hood so it wouldn't fly all over her face. Snart's in there. Take him down and show them what you can do. That's all. It's easy. Like…riding a bike. …Riding a bike up Mt. Everest maybe.
Slapping her forehead with her hand she then turned and slipped in through the side door she had been crouched near. She navigated her way through the semi darkness until she burst into the theatre of building. She could hear faint screams from the front of the building which made her heart beat harder than she had ever felt it beat before.
Her fingertips tingled and she rubbed them against her palm as she crouched down, waiting for Snart to show up. She licked her cracked lips, wincing a little at the sting. Flashed of bright blue light burst in the distance that made her eyebrows furrow. She'd seen that light before, from her own hands. Was it possible… Did Cisco make what she thought he made?
"Suspect is in sight! Approaching," a security guard mumbled as he made his way up the aisle. Sage stayed behind the curtain as she watched the man move up the aisle. Her eyes widened and her breath cut off as she watched, as if in slow motion, the bright beam of light shot down the center of the aisle towards the man. And then she blinked…and he was on the ground, Barry in his flash suit crouching next to him. She didn't have to get closer to see what had happened to him.
He was frozen solid.
"No," Sage whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut to squeeze out the image of the man lying there on the carpet. So still. So frozen. Just like that man in the newspaper…
She clenched her teeth. As Barry ducked his head to inspect the man she slipped off side stage and moved her way through the theatre and out to the front. It was deserted, almost like a ghost town. She carefully closed the door behind her and tried to even her breathing. She didn't have much time before the police showed up.
She looked up to the second floor balcony, letting her eyes roam around and scan the sight for her. She held her breath and waited, listening. Nothing. Briefly pressing against the wall, she made a dash for the stairs.
"Peek-a-boo," Snart's voice taunted from above her.
She saw the flash of light in her peripheral. Sage managed to turn around to see the bright beam flying towards her. Instinctively she held up her hands to block her face only for the familiar white-blue light to shoot out of her own hands, colliding with the other beam. The creaking, popping sounds of ice cracking got louder the longer the beams touched one another. Behind her goggles Sage's eyes were fixated on the sight of a rapidly growing thin wall of ice.
Her arms began to tremble and a bead of sweat slipped down the side of her face. The width of her beam of light began to shrink. Dropping her hands, she dove out of the way of Snart's gun. The ice between them smashed against the ground, sending shards flying everywhere. Sage cried out as her elbows and knees struck the steps beneath her.
"Run little mouse," Snart taunted, holding his gun up again.
Sage held her hands together as if cupping something and pulled them outwards. Between her palms a small ball of ice appeared and grew the further she separated her hands. Once it was big enough she threw the ball at Snart. It was enough for him to jerk his gun out of the way and shift his position to avoid being hit. She took the advantage to get to her feet and run up the stairs.
"Not so fast," Snart growled, shooting off the gun again. Sage ducked as the beam hit the wall above her head. The light fixture attached to the wall exploded, raining glass and ice shards down atop of her. She grew another ice ball between her palms and threw it Snart again. He shot the gun once more. She could feel the cold explode above her head and seep down the back of her neck, making goosebumps arise. "What are you? Some Arrow copycat?"
"I'm the one that's going to stop you," Sage stated, rubbing her tingling fingers together and against her palm.
"How cute," Snart quipped. "Run along home so you won't get hurt."
Sage swallowed to steady her shaky voice. "I'm not going anywhere."
Snart made a scoffing sound. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Snart took aim with the fun and fired. Sage ducked and extended her hand towards the floor where an ice beam shot out and formed a layer over the carpet beneath his feet. His feet slid around a little as he tried to catch his balance. Oh no, oh no! Sage's brief smile of victory switched over to an expression of panic as ice beams shot out of her hands in rapid succession. "Stop, stop!" she cried out. She tried curling her fingers in to stop the flow but it wasn't working. Her beams hit the banister, wall fixtures, the stairs, the hanging chandeliers, anything and everything around her but Snart. He grabbed onto the banister behind himself to keep on his feet, his jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched.
"I'm bored of this game," Snart mused aloud. "Why don't you cool down?"
Sage could hear his gun powering up. She looked up to see him pointing it right at her chest. She saw his finger pulling on the trigger. The white-blue beam shot out of his gun. Again, she held up her hands in an effort to block his attack but his was more powerful than hers. A small explosion rocked between their beams. The force knocked Sage backwards and over the railing. Wind rushed by her ears as the high ceiling above her moved further away and she could only watch and brace herself for the collision.
"Oof," she grunted as she fell into someone's arms. Barry's arms. Through his mask she could see the concern settling in his eyes as he looked down on her, breathing heavily from running so fast.
"Sage! Are you alright?" he panted.
"B-Barry," Sage gasped, her voice a light rasp. Her body shook uncontrollably and her chest heaved as she tried to get her breath back. Her eyes drifted down from his face and to her hands and her eyes widened in horror at the sight that stared back at her. Ice slowly encased her fingers and crept up her hands. Her fingers felt so cold it was almost as if someone had stuck them in the middle of a fire. "Barry…help me."
a/n - Well...my plan to update every monday fell at the wayside faster than I thought it would. I apologize for that, I ended up busy between my two jobs! But, this chapter is nice and long to make up for it! And Snart appears! Yay! I hope you all enjoyed it! Felicity came to Central City and we got to see more with Cisco. I'm anxious to hear what you guys thought of this, so please leave a review! Thanks to all those who have fav'd/alerted/reviewed so far!
Review Replies
guest27 - I hope this chapter reached your expectations and more! There's more Snart not only in the next chapter but in the rest of the story as well! Stay tuned!
babyj - I love Eddie so much! I was worried that I was one of the few that would. Man, I was so upset we didn't actually get to see any yelling but I guess that would be out of character for Joe. I hope you liked the chapter. There's more Snart action to come!
guest - I was wondering how long it would take for someone to point this out. I do already know about Killer Frost and what she can do. There is a point to Sage having ice-based powers as well but I recognize that there is room for me to alter her powers and give her restrictions and the like. I'm working with a superpower wikia to get a better idea of how to handle it. I also want to point out that there are a lot of people in the DC and Marvel comics universe that can control the same element though I do understand it is to varying degrees. I'll work harder from this point on to show differences. Thanks for reviewing!