ϟ barry allen | the flash

[supertardiness]

	✔ Cʀᴏssᴏᴠᴇʀs/AU ✔ Aᴄᴛɪᴏɴsᴘᴀᴍ ✔ Pʀᴏsᴇ	✔ Pɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛs ✔ Oᴛʜᴇʀᴡᴏʀᴅʟʏ ✔ Sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀs	♥ F/M ⏰ Uᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ

Comments

[supertardiness]

[And Barry will lead the way slowly, and it's not like they have far to go. Caitlin's lab has always been close to the Cortex itself just in case there was a medical emergency.]

Agreed. And once we have an explanation, we can try and figure out how to reverse it.

[lowerlipthing]

[ when they return to the lab, it's every bit as cold and ominous as they left it. Caitlin shivers immediately, and rubs a phantom ache along her arm. ]

The frost accumulation doesn't seem to be centered a-around the ventilation shafts. It most likely didn't originate there. And you said it couldn't have been someone with abilities like yours?

On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, supertardiness - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org <javascript:_e(%7b%7d,'cvml','dw_null@dreamwidth.org');>> wrote:

[supertardiness]

[Yeah, and that frost is making him Wonder because Caitlin's Earth-2 counterpart did have frosty talents. But last he checked, Caitlin wasn't a meta.

Right? Did he miss something?]

Yeah, I mean - I've seen a meta do something like that before. But last I checked she was on a whole other Earth.

[lowerlipthing]

Well, at least superpowers are gender-inclusive.

[ She purses her lips and returns to her station, fussing over the notes. ]

Oh -- oh...

[ And then she's pulling the top sheet,away from the stack and sliding it into the middle where it'll be less likely to be seen. ]

[supertardiness]

[Yeah, Barry notices that, because he's observant like that, but he'll try not to push her and just go look over her shoulder curiously.]

Did you find something?

[lowerlipthing]

[But how could he possibly see through her stealthy ruse? She is being the most discreet.]

What? Find something? N-no, of course not.

[Such is the behavior of completely unsuspicious people.]

[supertardiness]

[Yep, and there will just be a look. A totally not suspicious look.]

Caitlin.

[And there's the tone. The "tell me what's happening right now" tone.]

[lowerlipthing]

Yes that's my name. Of course I recognize my name why wouldn't I do that? It's certainly got nothing to do with an invoice for psychopharmacology if that's what you're thinking of!

And frankly, I find it a little outrageous that you might even suggest such a thing.

[supertardiness]

[Barry's quiet for a moment, just watching as she rambles through all that.

Then holds out his hand for the clipboard. He's not going to be able to help you if you're keeping secrets from him, Cailtin.]

[lowerlipthing]

[But she was so convincing! She lets the silence linger in the air for a long moment after. And then she snatches the paperwork and deposits it in his hand, thoroughly sulking.

The invoice in question details a list of chemicals, mostly. It's all medications, hallucinogens, antidepressants and others. The quantities are small enough for single use, processed dutifully with Caitlin's own signature at the bottom. Subsequent attached pages quickly deconstruct into genetic jargon, but the end goal seems to be to suppress or inhibit something.]

[supertardiness]

[His head tips to the side as he studies it for a moment and then he looks back up at her again.]

It looks like you were trying to suppress something.

[lowerlipthing]

Sure does look that way.

[She chews on her bottom lip and shifts her weight from one foot to the other.]

We're supposed to be friends, right? Is this the kind of thing I'd tell you about?

[She suspects it isn't. Otherwise, he would've already mentioned it. Right?]

[supertardiness]

[Yeah, you would think it would be. But he also knows that Caitlin liked to play things close to the vest.]

I would hope so, but you also were pretty secretive when it came to problems. You liked to see if you could handle it on your own first.

[lowerlipthing]

So... This might just be an example of me handling something. Somehow.

[She rubs her inner arm gingerly.]

I guess I must've handled whatever it was. [Did she know too much about something? What if Barry's some kind of mafia contact?? ]

[supertardiness]

Yeah, maybe.

[He sighs a bit, before looking down at the paperwork again.]

Why don't we table this until Cisco gets back? I could run out and get us some pizza or something?

[lowerlipthing]

[She's not hungry. It feels like she might never be hungry again, the way everything still feels off. Could it have been appetite-related? This seems extreme for a new diet pill.]

That's the second time you've brought up Cisco. Is he a friend of yo--ours?

[supertardiness]

[He nods a bit, because man this was going to break Cisco's heart.]

Yeah. He's your best friend, actually. You guys have been through a lot together.

[lowerlipthing]

Then I'll probably want to get some space heaters going while you're making a food run. It's not exactly room temperature in here.

[It seems particularly important to do something to get rid of all the frost, especially now that they're settled in it.]

[supertardiness]

[He's about to correct her that he isn't going to be gone that long, but it'll give her something to do, at least.]

Yeah, sure. There should be some in one of the supply closets down the hall. I'll go grab a few pizzas and I'll be right back.

[And with that, he'll zip out in a streak of red and gold.]

[lowerlipthing]

[He leaves and it sets everything flying in a burst around him. She's left to her own devices then to pull flying paper out of the air and try to reorganize it. There's something vaguely familiar about the shade of annoyance, but nothing to tangibly take hold.

But the paperwork brings new glimpses of things and subsequently new questions. When he returns, she'll be ready for him.]

When were you going to tell me about Killer Frost?

[The "hello" is implied.]

[supertardiness]

[Cue Barry, standing in the middle of the office with a tall stack of pizzas with an adorably dumbfounded expression on his face. He didn't think this occasion would take a turn to Killer Frost quite so quickly, but here we are.]

... I was working up to it?

[That's not a good answer, Barry.]

I didn't want to freak you out until we knew for sure she was relevant.

[lowerlipthing]

Well I'm officially freaked out, so I guess you're late.

[ her lips press together. ]

Have I been hurting people, Barry?

[supertardiness]

No. No no no no no.

[He moves to place the pizza down on one of the tables and takes a few steps closer.]

Killer Frost isn't you, specifically. Killer Frost is you from another Earth.

[lowerlipthing]

Then why does it look like a freezer suffered acute emesis all over my workspace?

[ She barely knows this man, and his dismissal feels like a betrayal somehow. ]

[supertardiness]

Because you and Killer Frost have the same metahuman ability. But you are very different people, who lived very different lives. I thought that Cisco built you some power suppressing tech to help you control it, so my brain didn't go there right away.

[He had had time to think it over on the run there and back, and this makes the most sense.]

You must have been looking for a more permanent solution without looping us in.