Here's Part 4. Enjoy.
Leave a review after reading, please.
Special thanks to Micky-The-Supernatural-Mouse, Darkness032, GreatRaoOfKrypton, and Jerry for reviewing the previous chapter.
Malcolm Merlyn was at Merlyn Global, watching the news. They were still discussing about the hearing regarding The Arrow. He grabs himself a glass of champagne. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream shatters the windows, and his glass. Merlyn gets down on the as he closed his ears, to no avail. When the screaming stopped, an intruder enters his office. He couldn't tell who she is because she was wearing a ski mask. She was also dressed in black leather and armed with a bo-staff.
"Who are you?" asked Malcolm.
The woman didn't respond. She just hit Malcolm across the face with the bo-staff.
"The archer who kidnapped those people last month. The one who murdered the mayor. I know you're involved," said the girl. Her voice was disguises with a voice modulator.
"What makes you think I have anything to do with it?" asked Malcolm.
"Did a little eavesdropping on your last chat with Moira Queen," said the girl. "You mentioned an asset to dispose of The Arrow at the hearing."
"And even if I do have an asset, what makes you think I would ask him to kill the mayor?" questioned Malcolm.
"Figured this wasn't gonna be easy. That's why I brought insurance," said the girl.
The masked woman heads outside and drags a body inside. It was Tommy Merlyn. His hands and feet were tied up and his mouth was taped shut.
"Now, here's how this is gonna work. You call off the assassination and I'll let your son go," said the girl.
"Involving my son? And I thought The Arrow was a brute," commented Malcolm.
The masked girl punches Tommy in the face.
"Do it!" she yelled.
The masked girl punches Tommy in the face repeatedly. Malcolm couldn't bear to watch this. He also couldn't bare to let his son die. He did the only thing he could do.
"Alright! It's me!" admitted Malcolm.
The masked girl stopped punching Tommy and faces Malcolm.
"The archer who killed the mayor isn't an asset. The archer... is me," confessed Malcolm.
"Why did you kill the mayor?" asked the girl.
"I was threatened," answered Malcolm. "A few days ago, someone broke into my home and left behind a green suit and some green arrow, along with a latter. It says that if I don't kill the mayor, my son pays the price."
Tommy couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew his father can be cold at times, but killing the mayor was something different.
"Who sent you the letter?" asked the girl.
"I don't know. There was no name on the letter. Just a threat," answered Malcolm.
The girl unties Tommy and removes the duck tape from his mouth before leaving Merlyn Global. Malcolm tried to help Tommy, but Tommy pushes his father away.
"Tommy, I can explain," said Malcolm.
"You killed the mayor," said Tommy.
"To save you," said Malcolm, trying to justify his reasons. "It was either him or you. What would you do if you were in my shoes?"
"I-I can't be here," said Tommy.
Tommy leaves his father's office, shocked and disgusted. Malcolm ends up smacking drinking glasses off a table in anger. Not only does his son know who he is, but someone has figured out that he framed The Arrow for the mayor's murder.
Meanwhile, at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry was standing in the middle of the cortex, looking at his suit. He was also watching the news channel on the monitor's. The city's leaders were still waiting at City Hall for The Arrow's return. Many people were outside City Hall, eager to know to outcome of this historic day. Authorities made sure the crowd stayed back using crowd control barriers.
"You're thinking of going, aren't you?"
Barry turns around and sees Caitlin entering the cortex.
"Just to make sure there isn't trouble, I suppose," said Barry. "What would you do?"
"I would've put him in jail instead of letting him go," answered Caitlin.
"Caitlin, that doesn't sound like you," said Barry.
"I know," said Caitlin. "Maybe this superhero job is changing me."
"You can't let it," said Barry. "No matter how dark the times get, you have to stick true to yourself. Joe and Iris taught me that."
"You're a hero among heroes, Barry," complimented Caitlin.
"I try to be," said Barry.
"You already tried back on Day One," said Caitlin.
Barry smiled. Caitlin could see it in his eyes what he wants, so she leaned forward and gave him a hug. Barry hugged her back.
"Is it just me or is getting cold in here?" asked Barry.
"Maybe Killer Frost left some cold in your system," joked Caitlin.
They both chuckled.
"To think, a few months ago, you were my classmate and doctor, but now, we're best friends," said Barry.
"Hey, I thought I was your best friend."
Barry and Caitlin turned their heads and saw Cisco.
"There's no rule saying I can't have more than one best friend," said Barry. "You. Caitlin. Iris."
"So, Cisco, any luck on the search for Killer Frost?" asked Caitlin.
"No. Trail's cold," said Cisco. He then laughs at his pun.
Barry and Cisco rolled their eyes in response.
"So, uh, Barry, can I come to your Christmas party tonight?" asked Cisco.
"Why? Don't you have a family to celebrate Christmas with?" replied Barry.
"He's just trying to stay away from his Dante," said Caitlin.
"But he's your brother," said Barry to Cisco.
"Yeah, a brother who told Melinda Tores that I wanted to be a priest so he can date her," said Cisco.
"Sorry, Cisco, but it's a no," said Barry. "As much as I love to have you over for Christmas diner, you need to spend time with your family. You're always here at S.T.A.R. Labs whenever we're not in school."
"Helping you save people. It's been one heck a ride, Barry. Can you blame me?" said Cisco.
"Barry's right and you know it, Cisco."
The three teenagers heard Harrison Wells coming into the room.
"Geez, don't do that," said Cisco. "Lurking in the shadows. Listening to our conversations. It's creepy."
"Well, I am on a wheelchair, Cisco, so my entrances are mostly quiet," said Wells. He looks at Barry and gives him a pile of letters. "These are for you."
"Who are they from?" asked Barry.
"I don't know," said Wells. "They just showed up at my doorstep this morning. No return address. Just your name written all over them."
Barry opens one letter after another. Messages in big, blue letters say:
"Barry Allen, you're blind."
"Barry Allen, open your eyes."
"Barry Allen, I haunt you."
"Barry Allen, I'm your ghost."
"Barry Allen, you're not fast enough."
Barry didn't understand what these messages mean, but they were scaring him.
"Someone knows my identity," said Barry.
"Am I the only one getting horror movie vibes right now?" asked Cisco, creeped out by the letters' messages.
Meanwhile, at the West household, Iris was preparing more of her special eggnog. Suddenly, someone covers her mouth.
"Shh. If you wanna stay conscious, don't scream."
Iris nods yes. The intruder takes her hand off Iris' mouth. Iris turns around and sees a woman wearing leather and a ski mask.
"Whatever you want, take it," said Iris.
"I'm not here to rob you," said the girl.
The girl takes out a recording device and gives it to Iris.
"What is this?" asked Iris.
"I need you to listen to it," said the girl. "Afterwards, I'm sure you know what to do. Tell anyone about our meeting and I'll come after you."
"Okay," said a scared Iris.
The girl leaves the door, but not before giving Iris a glare just to remind her that she's serious about keeping their encounter a secret. After the door closed, Iris looked at the recorder in her hand.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs...
Barry continued to read more of the letters.
"Barry Allen, you're no hero."
"Barry Allen, you have failed this city."
Before he could read the final letter, he and his friends heard the crowd roar on TV. The Arrow had arrived at City Hall.
The Arrow stood in the middle of the road and laid eyes at City Hall. This was the day he was gonna speak to the people of Silverstone City for the first time. He never cared about what they thought about him, but with the belief that he murdered the mayor, he knows that he needs to do this. Laurel wanted badly for the city to see him as a hero, so that's why he showed up. Before he can walk inside, he saw someone familiar among the crowd.
It was Laurel. He can see her smiling at him. He can already tell through her smile that she is trying to tell him, "Good luck. This city needs to know how much they need you."
The Arrow proceeds towards City Hall. Some people were a little intimidated just seeing seeing him walk along the halls. If The Arrow had to admit to himself, he was nervous. He was gonna be facing the city's leaders and give a statement just to clear his name. He doesn't expect them to believe he's innocent. He only expects them to listen to what he has to say.
The Arrow arrives at the court room, where the hearing was taking place. Everyone sat down as they prepared. All the people looked at The Arrow with fear in their eyes. He could see, but he tried to ignore them. He slowly opens the gate and stood behind the podium, facing the city's leaders. He can see the fear in their eyes as well, but they hide it pretty well, just not to him.
District Attorney Cecile Horton speaks first through the microphone.
"We're so grateful you could be here with us today," she said. "This is a very important day, not just for the people behind this table, but also for the city. Many people want your head for the mayor's unfortunate demise, as well as the hundreds of lives you have taken, corrupt or not. Need I remind you that this is not a place for secrecy and lies, because today is a day for truth. And only by speaking..."
Cecile was interrupted when they heard a phone ring. It was hers.
Assistant D.A. Kate Spencer whispered to her, "You know you're supposed to keep that silent."
"I know," whispered Cecile.
A blocked number was calling.
While Cecile and Kate were silently exchanging words, The Arrow turns his head and saw someone else familiar. It was John Corben, sitting on a motorized wheelchair. He noticed a blinking yellow light on the side of his chair. This alarmed him. He looks back at the DA. Cecile pressed answer. The light on Corben's chair lit red, which further alarmed The Arrow.
Suddenly, Corben's wheelchair explodes.
The explosion could be heard from outside. Smoke emerge from City Hall. The citizens screamed and panicked. Laurel saw this and started to worry, mostly for Oliver.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs...
Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, and Wells saw the explosion on TV. They were shocked to see it happen.
Barry opens the last envelope. It had a newspaper inside, showing the article about the day Henry Allen "murdered" Nora Allen. The big, blue letters say:
"You let your family die."
Barry Allen glares at TV with anger and fear in his face. He begins to wonder if the messages were trying to warn him about The Arrow, whom he suspects may or may not have caused the explosion at City Hall.
Inside the courtroom, The Arrow manages to save himself, and DA Cecile, with a piece of tech he prepared in case there was an attack aimed at him during the hearing. Cecile was unconscious, but she was alive, unlike the rest in the room. The Arrow looks around in horror. Everyone in the courtroom was dead. The bodies that weren't destroyed in the blast were simply burned by the fire that consumes the room.
The Arrow grabs Cecile and slingshots himself out of City Hall through a hole in the roof, via a grappling hook arrow. He gently places Cecile on the sidewalk. He looks at Laurel for a moment before fleeing from the scene.
Later that day, Barry visited his father at Iron Heights. They picked their phones and started talking through the glass.
"Hey, son," greeted Henry.
"Hey," greeted Barry.
"I assume you came here for some advice about whatever it is that's troubling you," said Henry.
Barry smiled. "I could never really hide that look from you."
"So, what's the problem, slugger?" asked Henry.
Barry was silent for a few seconds.
"I trusted someone I shouldn't have," said Barry.
"Who?" asked Henry.
"All I can say is that he's someone I look up to," said Barry, trying to make sure his words are close to the truth without telling the actual truth. "He has his way with handling bullies, and gave me some pointers."
"So, you've been fighting?" asked Henry.
"A few times, yeah. Don't worry. I'm fine," said Barry.
"So, what happened with this guy?" asked Henry.
"He wasn't the person I thought he was," said Barry. "He hurt innocent people and I can't look past that."
"So, you're thinking you need to face him," guessed Henry.
"He's like a hero to me," said Barry. "But now I know what I have to do."
"Can't you just call Joe and let him handle this?" asked Henry.
"Trust me. This guy has his way of evading the law," said Barry. "Only I can stop him."
"Barry, you know that's vigilantism. You'll get arrested," said Henry.
"Look, dad, it's complicated, really," said Barry. "I just need to ask you. If you trusted someone who lets you down, what would you do?"
"If that someone was a criminal, I would call the cops on him," said Henry. "But if that doesn't work, I would rather stay out of it. If this guy is dangerous, Barry, then you should stay away from him."
Barry hangs his head. He takes out the newspaper he received and showed it to his dad. It hurt Henry to be shown this, but the message caught his attention.
"This guy is baiting you, Barry. Don't fight him," said Henry.
"And what if I have to?" asked Barry.
"Just don't, son," said Henry. "It's Christmas and you should be more focused on having a great time with Joe and Iris instead of picking a fight with someone who is dangerous. I can it's personal, but please, don't get involved."
Barry wasn't sure if he was gonna listen, but he knew he was right about what he should be doing at this very day.
"Merry Christmas, dad," said Barry.
"Merry Christmas, son," said Henry with a smile.
Barry puts his hand on the glass. Henry puts his hand over his son's, glass and all. They looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
Hours later, at the Lance household, Laurel was on the phone with D.A. Horton. Meanwhile, on television, the news was reporting that the bomber has been identified. It was John Corben, who kept a bomb inside his wheelchair.
"I'm glad your okay," said Laurel over the phone. "Yes, it was The Arrow. I'll make sure to tell him 'thank you' for you."
Laurel sees Oliver, wearing his suit, standing in the balcony outside her room.
She tells Cecile, "I may have to call you back."
Laurel heads outside and slowly approaches Oliver. He was just staring at the stars in the sky. The look on his face could tell Laurel that he felt guilt over what happened at City Hall.
"I didn't see it, Laurel," he said.
"You couldn't have," said Laurel. "There are people behind this, Oliver..."
"I think I didn't see it because I wasn't looking," said Oliver, feeling hopeless. "After twelve months in hell, I came back to save this city. I put on the Hood to right my father's wrongs. Instead, I made enemies and they didn't care who dies just to get to me. The Hood. The Arrow. They're no different from each other. They're both only poison this city like the people they swore to bring to justice."
"The Hood was a killer who inspires fear. But The Arrow is a hero who gives people hope, even if he doesn't see it," said Laurel. She touches his hood and says, "This means something."
"It did on the island, but I'm not on the island anymore," said Oliver, still feeling down.
The Arrow fires an arrow and zips himself towards the roof. Laurel could only watch with sorrow as Oliver disappears into the night.
While Caitlin and Harrison Wells were at Barry's Christmas party at the West household, Cisco found an excuse to not see his brother at the Ramon Christmas party. He told them that Detective Joe West wanted him to check out the damage at the Snow household, involving Dr. Tannhauser's murder. He actually managed to convince Joe to back up his story to his parents. Joe agreed to this only because he believes Cisco. might find something that can help the police.
A few weeks ago, Joe asked Wells if he can borrow Cisco for help in investigating Nora Allen's case. Seeing what the Flash can do reminded him of the "crazy" story Barry told everyone about his mother's death. They returned to Barry's old house and discovered that the new owner kept the same mirror in the living room. Using a special device, Cisco manages to show holographic images of what happened during the night of Nora's death.
Cisco was using that exact same device in the Snow household. The mirror was shattered, thanks to the icicle that broke it, but Cisco was going to stall himself for the rest of the night if he has to. The holographic images were a little blurry since there was no speedster's lightning to spark the silver nitrate and enhance the images, but he could still see clearly enough.
He could see Caitlin and Dr. Tannhauser, well, part of them, thanks to the cracks on the mirror. However, there was something different about Caitlin. Part of her hair was white. Cisco kept on watching until he saw something that shocked him. From the looks of the image, Caitlin fired icicles at her mother.
Cisco stood back until he bumps into the wall.
"No, this cannot be. This cannot be," he said to himself, refusing to believe what he's seeing. "Caitlin's not Killer Frost. She can't be. Caitlin may be cold, but she's not that cold."
He tried to block these thoughts, but his mind wandered towards something that still involved Killer Frost. He wonders why Caitlin was never at S.T.A.R. Labs to help Barry whenever he was out on the field against Killer Frost. Maybe the reason is that she is Killer Frost. It made too much sense to ignore.
Cisco didn't want to believe it, but the images in front of him are proof enough. He was gonna call Barry, but remembers that Caitlin is at his house, so he decided to pack up and leave.
At the Queen mansion, the Queen Christmas party has finally begun. The man who planned it, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Oliver?" wondered Moira. "He wanted to have this party, so why isn't he here?"
"Maybe he just... wanted to make sure none of us bail out if he's not in the room," said Laurel.
"That's sounds creepy," said Thea.
"Honestly, now I can't walk through the halls without expecting Mr. Overprotective Big Brother popping out of the shadows," said a nervous Roy.
Thea smacks Roy in the shoulder and says, "She's just kidding."
"Well, Oliver's never known to be on time for anything," said Moira. "Let's just enjoy the party and hope he shows up."
Moira approaches Malcolm while Thea and Roy left to find someplace private to spend time together. That leaves Laurel and Tommy waiting for people by the front door.
"Where is Ollie?" asked Tommy.
"I... I don't know really," said Laurel, which was only half the truth. She knows Oliver is out of the city, but she doesn't know exactly where.
"So, uh, you wanna find a mistletoe?" asked Tommy.
"Very bold, Tommy," said Laurel sarcastically.
While Tommy just stands and acts natural, Laurel hangs her head in sadness. Oliver is missing the party he worked hard for, but he decided to bail on his family because of what happened at City Hall. She couldn't blame him, but she wishes that he could be here with her. She wishes that she could hold him close to her. That thought made her blush and mentally slap herself. She couldn't possibly still have feelings for Oliver? Could she?
At the West household, Barry, Iris, Wally, and Joe were celebrating Christmas Eve with Caitlin, Jesse, Harrison, and Cecile.
"This is the best Christmas party I've had in forever," said Jesse.
"Well, having friends your age surely help," said Wells.
"I'm just glad you could be here tonight," said Wally.
Everyone exchanged looks, agreeing that the looks and playful banter between Wally and Jesse is a sign of flirting.
"Okay. Who wants some of my special eggnog?" asked Iris.
Iris served everyone a cup of her eggnog. Those who are trying it for the first time definitely loved it.
"This is great, Iris," said Cecile.
"Honestly, this is amazing," said Jesse.
"If Caitlin and Cisco hadn't finished all that eggnog Barry gave us, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of trying it for the first time tonight with all of you," said Wells with slight sarcasm.
"Hey, we said we were sorry," said Caitlin.
"Speaking of Cisco, where is he?" asked Jesse.
"I told him he wasn't invited," said Barry. "I want him to be at his house with his brother."
"That's practically torturing him," said Wells.
"I believe Barry's just teaching him a lesson," said Iris.
While everyone was chatting, Caitlin heads to the window and looks outside. She looks down at her eggnog and started freezing it in her hand, making it colder. She takes a sip and smiles. She finds it as enjoyable as a cold drink as much as it is as a warm drink.
Things are looking pretty bad. Don't worry. The title fight will be in the next chapter. Hope you're patient.