Orion - Chapter Three: The Hunting Dogs
CHAPTER THREE: THE HUNTING DOGS
Title: Orion
Subtitle: The Hunting Dogs
Author: dracox-serdriel
Word count: ~6,200
Rating: MA/NC-17
Summary: Caitlin must find a cure for Killer Frost's insatiable hunger for heat while Zoom makes preparations for his next move. In the past, Caitlin and Jay argue about his choice to lie about the cause of his illness.
Spoilers: Orion may reference characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 Invincible, all comic books that feature Zoom and/or Hunter Zolomon, and all New 52 comics featuring Killer Frost.
Important note: In canon, Killer Frost talks about her backstory in 02x19 Back to Normal, but in Orion, her origin story based off the events in the New 52 comics.
Caitlin stared at her doppelganger with a combination of curiosity and confusion. They were supposed to be genetically identical, which meant neither had the metahuman gene. So how did Killer Frost have powers?
"Play nice," Zoom ordered.
Then he disappeared in a flash of blue.
"You must be Caitlin Snow," Frost said. "Your little friend Cisco wouldn't shut up about you."
"He mentioned you," Caitlin replied. "You don't seem to be dying."
"Dying to get out of here. Tell you what... You break me out, and I'll get you down those cliffs."
Caitlin sized her up. If she wasn't ill, then Hunter had chosen a particularly stupid lie. He was a lot of things, but unintelligent? No.
"I'm hungry," Frost replied. "It's been too long since I've had a nice, warm meal."
She had a sharp look in her eye that matched the icicles collecting at the edge of her lips. She clearly wasn't talking about food.
"Did dark matter do this to you?"
"Oh this?" she asked as she raised her hands, icing them over for effect. "Hardly. I'll spare you the details. Let's just say I had a little accident at the STAR Lab's Arctic facility three years ago. I woke up freezing cold and starving, and... well, you can guess the rest."
"Your body needs heat," Caitlin said, cottoning on. "It's trying to compensate for the energy imbalance. I'm guessing additional calorie intake isn't enough?"
"Smart cookie," Frost said blandly.
"So you aren't sick or injured," Caitlin continued. "I don't understand. If you've lived like this for three years, what's changed?"
"Spoke too soon," Frost replied. She tapped on the wall of her cell. "I attacked the most dangerous man alive. Instead of killing me quickly, he left me to rot. A few more days in here without another mammal for company, and I'll be frozen solid."
"Why other endotherms? They'd be unreliable, but an insulated thermal suit - "
"I had someone," she confessed, ignoring Caitlin's comment. "He kept me warm and never cooled down."
Caitlin saw something pass over her doppelganger, a flicker of sorrow that cut through her bravado, crushing her facade of steel and ice. There was only one person in any universe that had that kind of effect on her heart.
Caitlin whispered, "Ronnie."
A few moments of silence passed between them, and as much as it hurt to remember Ronnie, his memory fueled her mind. If Firestorm's power counteracted Killer Frost's energy imbalance without negative effects, that meant a permanent solution existed somewhere in the Firestorm matrix.
"We need to get out of here," Frost said, interrupting her thoughts. "Zoom could be back any minute."
"I think I might be able to help you," she replied. "Something that mimics Firestorm's - Deathstorm's - fusion. The power source will be tricky, but - "
"Don't bother trying to fix me," Frost interrupted. "If I don't die on my own, Zoom will kill me. He's just messing with my head. Our heads. The only chance either of us have is getting out before he comes back."
If Frost could get them down the cliffs, Caitlin could reach out to Earth-2 Iris and Barry. They could help her hide, maybe even return to Earth-1. Somehow, Harrison Wells had done it without a speedster, so there must be a way.
"Can't you freeze your way out of there?" Caitlin asked.
"Nope. Carbyne."
While freezing would have no effect on carbyne, heat could make the barrier fragile. Without proper ventilation, she couldn't rely on fire or chemical thermogenesis, but if she passed an electrical current through it and amplified it, the wall would become like glass. All she needed was a power source that wouldn't burn out before the job was done.
"I get you out, then you get us out," Caitlin said.
"Deal."
She made her way back to the lab, which was farther than she expected. She pushed through the door, not really paying attention to her surroundings, only to jolt in surprise.
"That took longer than I expected," Hunter commented mildly. "Planning your escape together?"
He was dressed in dark jeans and a plain t-shirt with his leather jacket, leaning against one of the counters, not a care in the world. She had expected a rush of his telltale blue lightning, not to find him lounging in some back room.
He seemed rather nonchalant about the whole thing, but she'd witnessed his cold calculation erupt into a violent rage of triumph when he tried to kill Barry after stealing his speed. How could she be certain that this wasn't like that?
"You realize what will happen if you let her out of that cell, don't you?" he asked. "She'll drain all the heat from your body. Even if she resists that particular urge, she'll absorb heat from the environment, plunging the entire cavern into below-freezing temperatures, and it won't get any better once she's outside. A localized pressure drop like that has a catastrophic effect on weather patterns. Within the first hour, she'll need heat, and a lot of it. Killer Frost will leave a trail of ice and bodies. She'll be a sitting duck for the MTU."
"MTU?"
"Metahuman Tactical Force."
"So you expect me to believe that you care what happens if she escapes?" she asked. "That you care about how many victims she kills before she's arrested?"
"The MTU doesn't arrest people," he said. "They capture metas, but you're right, I don't care how much damage she inflects or how many people she kills. But I do care if she harms you, Caitlin."
He stood up, and she shifted away, unsure of how to react.
"I assumed she wouldn't be very forthcoming about her condition," he continued. He held out a large file. "This illustrates it fairly well."
She took it. A quick glimpse showed her that it was filled with autopsies and CSI reports. She closed the file and put it behind her on the nearest counter, hoping that being dismissive of the content would put Hunter off his guard.
"I need blood and tissue samples," she said. "And if I do find a treatment, I'll have to administer it. I can't do any of that until she's out of that cell."
He smiled. It was a wicked thing with all his teeth showing, upturned lips, and a malicious gleam in his eye. It was so different from when he smiled as Jay, which was kind and shy. Had he really disguised everything about himself, down to his smile?
It was all an act. There was never any Jay. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom.
A flash of blue erupted, followed by a rustling wind. After a moment, the blue lightning reappeared, and Hunter stood in front of her in his Zoom suit, a sample kit in one hand and his mask in the other.
"Blood and tissue samples," he said as he placed them on the counter. "That should be more than enough for now. We can discuss administering treatment when you have something."
"Why?"
He cocked his head, and his brow knit with confusion.
"Why are you doing this?" she clarified. "Any of this. Why not just kill her?"
"Because you want to save her."
"I do, but Cisco told me she was the reason they were able to escape. She attacked you."
"She did."
It's like Frost said. He's doing this to mess your head.
"Then why didn't you kill her?" she asked.
Hunter looked uncomfortable, despite being inside his super-villain lair in his super-villain gear. For a few minutes of unsettling silence, it seemed like he wasn't going to answer her.
This is all a game to him. Helping Killer Frost is just a way to distract you while he sets up his endgame. Don't trust him.
"I couldn't kill her," he said finally, his voice unusually quiet. It sounded like how he spoke when he pretended to be Jay. "I wanted to. She ruined months of planning, she'd gotten the upper hand on me. No one else ever has. As soon as I broke free, I knocked her out and went after the others, the ones she'd helped to escape. She was unconscious when I returned, so I put her in that cell. I told myself I spared her because I didn't have time. I had to go after Wells and Barry before they crossed the breach. But the truth is, I looked at her and saw your face, and I couldn't kill her. That day and every day since. Is that what you wanted to hear, Caitlin?"
"Is... is it the truth?"
"Yes."
"Then, yes," she said. She quickly added, "I, uhm, suppose I should get started."
Just like that, Hunter's smug grin returned, as if he hadn't poured his blackened heart out to her. Was that because it had been a lie to begin with? Or his nonchalant arrogance his way of covering?
Does it matter? He's dangerous. Don't trust him. Don't believe what he says.
"I'll be back in a few hours," he said. "Do not let her out of that cell. She will kill you."
He vanished in a swirl of blue lightning.
Caitlin was ready to free Killer Frost and hope for the best, but the file in her hand felt too heavy to ignore. So she spread its contents out across an empty counter.
The official coroner's reports - no doubt stolen from CCPD - contained dozens of homicides going back three years. There were two primary causes of death: acute hypothermia ('flash freezing' as several reports called it) and penetrating trauma to the heart or brain via sharp icicles.
Her name is Killer Frost. What did you expect?
Caitlin didn't know enough about Frost to free her. As loathe as she was to admit Hunter was right, she had no way of defending herself from her counterpart's powers nor surviving freezing temperatures.
To dupe him, she'd have to play along with part of his plans. Saving a vicious, heat-hungry killer was easier than kissing him, which made it best bad option she had.
So she went to work.
Earth-1. About one month ago in April... Jay bit back a growl as Caitlin applied an antibiotic gel over his freshly cleaned wound, the cool sensation more startling than painful. He felt a tension between them that hadn't been there at breakfast.
"I promise you that won't happen," he said. "I won't let Barry and Cisco get stranded on Earth-2. I'll find a way to stabilize the breach in time."
"I know you will."
She smiled at him, but it was strained. Whatever was bothering her hovered between them as she applied the bandage. He couldn't stand it.
"Cait?" he prompted. "Is something... is everything all right?"
"You should've told me."
He already didn't like where this conversation was going.
"You knew how dangerous Velocity-6 was, but you didn't tell me," she continued. "Not even when I asked you to use it."
"One more dose wasn't going to kill me," he replied. "And it was the only way to save Wells."
"All this time, you've convinced me that stopping Zoom would get your speed back and save you," she added.
"Because stopping Zoom is what matters," he replied. "It's why Wells and I created the Velocity serums. It's the reason I needed to get faster in the first place."
"It won't save you."
"If we don't stop Zoom, then there is no saving me," he said as he stood up. "Don't you understand, Caitlin? Wells said he hunted me, but if that were true, I would've been dead a long time ago. Zoom stalked and tormented me, but he was just toying with me. This is how he has fun. I thought we were enemies battling for Central City, me to save it, him to destroy it, and good people died helping me. Even more died because I failed to save them, but every time, I managed to escape with my life. I thought... I thought it was because I was a hero, because I was destined to defeat Zoom. But I was never any match for him. All those times he could've killed me... I didn't escape him, he let me go. He kept letting me go. I still haven't... I've never escaped him, Caitlin."
She put her hand on his good shoulder, guiding him back to his seat.
"Jay, I - "
"Please, let me finish," he interrupted. She nodded her head, yes. "Everything changed with Velocity-6. Not the exact formula you created but similar. I was finally fast enough to disrupt Zoom's plans, and I guess he decided his favorite punching bag had become too much trouble. But he couldn't just kill me. No, that would've been too easy."
He paused for a breath, taking her hand in his to calm himself before continuing.
"My mom used to take me on the monorail when I was a kid. We'd ride around the city together, and she'd always have something new to point out to me. Every time. So whenever I needed to clear my head, I'd take a train ride. About a week before I came to this earth, I learned what Velocity-6 was doing to me, and... it was stupid, I wasn't thinking straight. I knew that Zoom was coming after me. I shouldn't've... I got on a train to get out of my head, and I didn't even think twice about the danger I was putting everybody in. Zoom had one of his metas blow out the track, timed it just right to circumvent all the safety protocols. Hundreds of people were on that train. I tried to save them, but I only got to ten people before Zoom attacked and drove me away from the crash. He broke half of my ribs and one of my hips. Then he went back to the monorail crash and killed all the survivors. It took me five days to heal, and during those five days, Zoom attacked anyone who had anything to do with me or the Flash: my lab, my home, STAR Labs, Kansas State University, where I'd done my undergraduate. He decimated buildings for that had images of my helmet, and he didn't care how many people were inside. That was the last straw for me. I decided that I needed to take him down, whatever the cost, so I added a delivery device to my suit, one that would give me a continuous dosage of Velocity-6. And that night, I went after him with everything I had. I knew it was what he had wanted. He was goading me. He killed more than five hundred people in six days because he wanted me to come after him. I was faster than I had ever been, and it still wasn't enough."
"That wasn't your fault," she said, her hand cupping his cheek. "You did everything you could to stop him."
"And it wasn't enough," he said quietly. "You've seen what he does, what he's doing. Not just to Barry but to Wells and all of you. He'll keep doing it until you're all broken like me. The only reason I'm still alive right now is because he thinks I'm dead! If he knew - if he had any idea that I was here, that I was with you..."
He stopped. He couldn't finish that sentence. He stared at the floor, his eyes burning with tears of frustration and relief. He couldn't let them out.
Caitlin let go of his hand and tipped his chin back. When he looked at her, she seemed... angry.
"Did you ever think that saving you could help us stop Zoom?" she asked with an edge to her voice that he wasn't expecting.
"It's not that simple, Cait."
She shook her head as she moved away from him. She wouldn't make eye contact, suddenly focused on nothing but repacking her medical kit.
"When I found out about the Flash on this earth, about his team and how much good you all did, I decided that my best bet - our best bet - was on Barry," he continued. "And I promised myself I'd do everything in my power to prevent him from going down the same path that I did. Getting my speed back... I want that, of course I do, but it's not as important as helping Barry defeat Zoom."
That won her attention.
"This isn't just about your speed, Jay!" she shouted. "You're sick. You're dying, and you didn't tell me because you believe stopping one bad meta is more important? That saving you doesn't matter?"
As the Flash, Jay had faced down countless metahumans - some with devastating powers, others with wretched plots, and a few with both - yet somehow, Caitlin Snow in a passionate fury trumped them all.
"There are times when I don't think I'm worth saving," he admitted.
"You are!" she said harshly. "And not because of your powers or because of the good you've done, but because Jay Garrick is worth saving."
Caitlin closed in on him, and her hand cupped his cheek. It took him a moment to meet her eye.
"You are worth saving," she repeated.
"How can you still think that?" he asked. "After I kept the truth from you for so long?"
"You're flawed," she replied. "So am I."
"No, Cait, not like me. What I've done - "
She put a finger on his lips to shush him. Then she said, "A few months ago, when we were searching for a new Firestorm counterpart for Professor Stein, I met two people. One was an educated scientist, the other was a mechanic, and that's exactly how I saw them. In my mind, Doctor Hewitt was the only option because he was like Ronnie, and whoever it was that was going to take his place... he had to be like him. I dismissed Jax, even when the science told me that he was the better match. I want to say that it was grief and short-sightedness, but the truth is, I decided Jax was a washout after reading three pages about him. I didn't give him a chance because of arrogance and prejudice, and it almost cost Professor Stein his life."
"You misjudged him," he replied. "You didn't know - "
"You didn't know," she cut him off. "You didn't know about the SpeedForce back then. You were trying to stop a madman who was four times faster than you. Alone. Why can't you forgive yourself?"
"You're right, I didn't know," he said, taking her hand in his. "But I should've. When I was working on the Velocity serums, there was this voice in the back of my head saying this wasn't the way. Every instinct I had was warning me not to take it, not to take more, but I kept telling myself there wasn't any evidence to support those instincts, ignoring the fact that I hadn't even looked into the science. But I kept doing it anyway because I was too afraid. Afraid of Zoom, of what he'd do if I didn't stop him. I wasn't even brave enough to admit that I was falling into the same pattern as any doping athlete and I needed help. The only way I was able to stop myself from going back into that vicious cycle with Velocity-6 on this earth was to punish myself for it."
"And now?" she asked, her voice strained. "Do you still need to punish yourself now that you're not alone anymore?"
"I... I thought I did."
"You don't," she said. "I meant it when I said you have me. I won't let you fall back into that habit, not with Velocity-7 or any drug. I'll figure out a cure. I will. But I need you to forgive yourself, so we can move forward together."
"Together," he repeated, wiping away the tear on her cheek. "I will."
She leaned in and kissed him, sweet and gentle, and the unspoken promise sealed between their lips.
Jay pulled her close so that soft fabric of her blouse pressed against his bare arms. He didn't deserve her help or her affections, let alone this kiss, yet here she was, fighting for his life with more strength and courage than he ever had.
Caitlin's arms came up around his neck, caressing the back of his head, and he felt the weight of everything he was feeling break the surface. He was in love with a beautiful, fiery genius from another universe, and he had been for a long time.
Her head tilted back as he stood up, not wanting to break away, and he met her with equal fervor. He felt like his time with her was running out, like he'd never get enough, and he wanted her to feel it. He wanted her to know what he felt, to experience everything he had been holding back.
She nibbled on his bottom lip, and he opened to her tongue as she deepened the kiss until they needed to break apart to inhale. He leaned his forehead against hers to feel her breath tickling his cheek.
"Jay, we shouldn't," she mumbled against his skin.
"You're right," he agreed. "Not now."
Caitlin's eyes met his before they flicked down to his lips. She kissed him, this time long and demanding. His skin pricked with heat as his heart began to thump harder in his chest.
"Cait - "
"Don't stop," she whispered.
With those two words, his resolve snapped. He hoisted her up, and her legs wrapped around his lower back. There weren't many places in the Breach Room that afforded the requisite support, so he spun them around so he could brace her back against the wall by the door.
Jay unbuckled her belt and unbuttoned her pants, loosening them enough to slide one hand inside. He followed the seam of her underwear down until he felt dampness under his fingertips. She gasped when he gently tapped against her clit, careful to apply minimum pressure. Her body was incredibly responsive, and her exquisite sensitivity required a slow, sensuous build. He loved the way she rocked into his hand, opening up a little more each time.
He dipped inside her panties, the scent of her arousal wafting up to his nostrils. His pants became uncomfortably tight as his fingers glided into her, his palm rubbing against her clit as his fingers teased her opening. He couldn't help but watch the pleasure on her face as he worked his fingers over her, slipping one deep, straight to that place he knew would make her squirm.
Caitlin groaned, anchoring one hand to the back of his neck for support while the other cupped his erection through his pants, her knowing figures stroking him, driving him insane with want as she nibbled on his ear.
She moaned against him when two more of his fingers entered her, and his thumb began circling her clit. She was dripping and ready, but he wanted to feel her come apart around his fingers first.
He slowly lowered her so her feet touched the floor, then he kissed down her neck and blouse as he went down on both knees in front of her. He dragged his free hand down her legs, tugging her pants off with her help, still rubbing her off with his other hand, only stopping to help her step out of the tangle of clothing and shoes.
Then his fingers returned, crooking inside her as his tongue went to her center. He groaned at the taste of her - spicy and sweet - as she grabbed his hair. She moaned, the flutter of her walls telling him she was right at the edge. He sucked her clit into his mouth and began tapping on it with his tongue. It only took a few flicks before her walls clamped around his fingers as her hips jerked into him, his name falling from her lips in a generous, drawn-out gasp.
He loved watching Caitlin climax. Her entire body tensed before she went boneless. He stood up and caught her, taking in every part of her as she slumped against him for support, her breaths coming in short, ragged bursts. She was always beautiful, but when she came for him, she was a goddess. He couldn't help but fawn over her, his hands rubbing her thighs and caressing her breasts as she came back down.
"Take off your pants," she murmured, her voice somewhere between an order and languid awe.
He didn't need to be told twice. He shucked his trousers and then lifted her up again, pushing her back into the wall before lining up and letting her descend slowly over his aching cock, biting back his moan. She dragged him into a pleasant kiss before she circled her hips.
Jay nearly lost his head with the friction, but he wrapped one arm under her to support her and braced them against the wall with the other. She grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper, while angling his head to keep their faces close. They both vocalized their pleasure as he thrust long and deep into her.
Like every time he was with her, he forgot about the world around him. He forgot about losing his speed and Zoom, about STAR Labs and metahumans, about the breaches and Earth-2. There was nothing in this or any universe except for him and Caitlin, their bodies entwined as he chased her to the edge of her second climax, her sweet juices dripping between them as she urged him on.
He was so captivated staring into her eyes that he hadn't noticed how close he was. He changed the angle so his pubic bone hit her clit with every thrust, and her back arched away from the wall, her sinewy body slick with sweat as both her hands when under his arms for support.
"J-j-jay," she whimpered, begging him to give her the release she so badly needed.
He leaned forward so his head was over hers. Watching her while he moved inside her was second only to witnessing her climax, and only by a hair. He slowed down, changing the rhythm, giving her exactly what she needed, holding on with everything he had so he wouldn't come before she did.
She looked up at him with such wide, earnest eyes, and he felt his balls tighten as she shifted her hips, increasing the sensation of her around him. When Caitlin squeezed his cock with her walls as she worried her lower lip, it pushed him over the edge, his orgasm making his hips roll into hers erratically as he spilled into her.
"Oh, God, Cait..."
She came with him, her walls milking his throbbing member as she rode it out with him. Her hands burrowed under his tank top, and her nails raked down his back.
Jay slumped against her as he came down. He pulled out before setting her on her feet, his arms still wrapped around her. She leaned into his chest, despite the sticky sweat clinging to his undershirt, kissing him before reluctantly moving away to redress.
He followed her lead, relieved that the tension between them from earlier was now gone. His well-used body was fast approaching cuddle-and-sleep mode. Once clothed, he embraced her from behind, desperate to feel her close.
"We don't have time to rest," she said. "I need to clean up."
"Do you think we can make it to one of the showers without Joe or Iris seeing us?"
"We should go separately," she replied. "We both know that if we take a shower together, we'll be in there for another hour."
"Mmmmm, sounds nice."
She turned around and kissed him, sweet and gentle. It was her way of telling him that the breach had to be stabilized before they'd have time for shower sex.
He had to tell her now, before his nerve failed him.
"Cait, I - I..."
"I'll go first," she interrupted gently.
She looked at him, and her expression told him that she knew exactly what he was struggling to say. He didn't need to say it. Not yet.
Jay watched her leave the room before turning his attention to the Speed Canon. As he looked over the damage, his mind wandered off, pondering Caitlin's scent and lips.
He was going to need a very cold shower before he'd get anything done.
Earth-2. Now... Zoom raced around the mountains, pushing his newly augmented powers to the limit far from prying eyes. Absorbing Barry's SpeedForce had done far more than heal him from the havoc of the Velocity serums. It made him faster, his mind sharper, and his senses more keen.
In many respects, it made him feel more alive. He felt the world around him differently, and more than that, he felt hungry, in a very literal sense. One of the first - and in many respects, worst - effects of Velocity Sickness was complete appetite suppression, which was problematic for a man who required fifty times the average person's calorie intake.
He made a habit of running through Keystone and Central City daily. It allowed him to acquire information while simultaneously keeping his body in peak physical condition. The high from running was exhilarating, so he raced out west to check up on Coast City.
He made a pit stop in Star City, mulling over his situation as he ate two dozen hamburgers.
Hunter's first instinct was to call it a day and return to Caitlin. He had no doubt she would find a way to contain Killer Frost's powers, and leaving them alone gave Frost time to manipulate her counterpart into freeing her.
Stop acting like she needs your protection. One of these days, she'll make you regret abducting her.
The trouble was that he had other concerns beyond the unfortunate turn of his love life. During the five weeks that Team Flash struggled to make Barry faster and return to Earth-2, Central City hit a particularly turbulent time, partially due to Reverb's demise. He had been a nosy jackass, but he had kept the more unruly minions under his thumb.
Zoom immediately reassigned Reverb's territories to Blacksmith, a metahuman who could merge organic and inorganic materials, her particular forte being the fusion of metal and flesh. It was important for everyone to know that anyone - no matter their position or their abilities - could be replaced.
Except Caitlin Snow.
But all the metahumans could be replaced, and any doubt that might have existed on that subject was expunged entirely by Reverb's death. He overstepped, defied Zoom, and paid for it with his life. Blacksmith received word of her promotion less than an hour later.
Still, for the last five weeks, Zoom had no Spymaster, which meant he had to work with partial information. Several plans were nearly derailed by nothing more than the element of surprise, and he couldn't have that.
Can't let them see you fail.
That was one of Zoom's rules. None of his minions were allowed to see him fail, no matter how loyal or devoted the underling happened to be.
That's why your plan with Caitlin will fail. Pretending she's some doctor you abducted won't work. She's nobody's underling.
Hunter shook his head. He wasn't going to resolve his issues with Caitlin by sitting a thinking about it, nor would he fix everything with a single, sweeping gesture. He needed to be patient, which meant obsessing over the situation was a bad idea.
In the end, he knew that if he showed her what was at stake here on Earth-2, what the Cause was facing, she would do the right thing. That was what heroes did, after all. She would stay to help and that would buy him time, and right now, time was exactly what he required. He didn't just want her allegiance, he wanted her heart, too.
She'll never love you. You're a monster.
Hunter forced himself to focus on a problem he could address. More than anything, he required a new Spymaster. He had put it off long enough, and further delay was unacceptable.
As he finished his last burger, a surprising solution occurred to him.
Totem, the secret weapon.
She had been his secret ace-in-the-hole for the past two years, and making her Spymaster served a two-fold purpose. The role required her to maintain a constant communication connection with him for emergent news. Beyond that, she would provide frequent reports, which would not only inform his plans but also enable him to keep tabs on her with minimal effort.
He avoided using her too much because Totem wasn't metahuman; instead, her powers were - for lack of a better word - mystical. Then there was her annoying penchant for nonviolence, but he endured it for the rarity of finding a powered person with no conflicting ambition.
Totem would gather information in the shadows, and unlike Reverb, she'd never attempt to usurp his position.
With the decision made, Zoom disembarked, racing home to check up on those under his command in Keystone and Central City. Blacksmith, Hazard, Doctor Midnight, and Black Siren were all engaged in their own enterprises, so he didn't stop to chat. He zipped by their major operating centers. There were no surprises.
There were never any surprises.
Satisfied with the state of the universe, Zoom sought Totem. It was time they had a conversation.
Trusting Totem as Spymaster? After that last disaster? She's gone underground because she thinks you'll kill her.
The last order he had given Totem had produced a less than desirable outcome, but she had warned Zoom about that possibility and even advised him against it. Well, begged him, really. She was one of the few soldiers with courage enough to actually speak to Zoom. It would be impressive if it wasn't so foolish.
What if she's told others what happened? She knows too much. She's a threat.
That was why he needed to keep tabs on her. She knew too much. It had been four weeks, so had she divulged any of Zoom's secrets, he would've known about it by now. She hadn't said a word, which meant she was an uncompromised resource and keeping her on a short leash was his best option.
He spotted a silver-backed fox that blended in almost perfectly with the burnt debris surrounding an abandoned diner. Normally, he allowed one of her sentries to spot his approach, but today, he wanted her to know how vulnerable she was to him.
Zoom circumvented the fox and cased the interior. Totem had set up a reasonable security system: sentries at every entry point with several reinforced walls and an adaptation of STAR Labs' metahuman detection protocols.
The alarm sounded a few seconds after he sped into the room.
Aida Mndawe, alias Totem, was lounging in a large, circular chair with her aardwolf and Cape hunting dog at her feet. When she saw him, her eyes went wide in fear, reflecting his blue lightning.
Her aardwolf and hunting dog rose as she got to her feet. She was five feet eight inches, a respectable height, but still short compared to Zoom. She adjusted herself, pushing a few medium-length dreadlocks into place and smoothing out her dark trousers. And just like that, she eliminated all signs of fear.
"Totem," Zoom spoke. "I have a job for you."
"A job?" she repeated. "You're not here to kill me?"
"If I wanted you dead, you'd never see me coming."
"I'm guessing this job isn't pleasant."
He laughed, and she flinched. Totem was strong and determined, but even she was terrified of him. That was good. It meant she wouldn't refuse his order. She clearly had no intention of escaping his empire. No doubt she knew how futile it would be to try to outrun the fastest man alive.
"Send out your creatures. From this day forward, you'll be watching all of Central City."
Totem's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"I will require more familiars. That will take time. A day."
"I'll be back tomorrow night for a report."
He ran, leaving his new Spymaster confused at her sudden and unexpected reprieve. Soon he could begin moving the Cause forward.
The Cause? You've never cared about the Cause. That was all a smokescreen.
Every villain needed a master plan. The Cause had done nicely for him before, and it would continue to be useful, especially with Caitlin.
Hunter was elated by the prospect. He had done far too much waiting for the past few weeks, but he was back in active mode, where he belonged.
He darted through the outskirts of the city, enjoying the emotional and physical high.
Then it all came to a screeching end. His heart skipped a few beats, his breath caught in his chest, and his stomach dropped. It was like someone had just walked over his grave. He staggered to a graceless halt, tumbling forward from uncontrolled momentum.
She's going to kill her!
The alarm echoed inside his head like a mantra. He didn't have time to wonder why the verbal warning didn't hit him first, nor did he consider the implications of such a phenomenon's existence. He raced back to the Roost at his highest velocity, for there was only one explanation.
Caitlin Snow was in mortal danger.
Chapter notes: The title of this chapter, The Hunting Dogs, comes from the name attributed to four of stars in the constellation Orion, or the Mriga ('The Deer'), as it is called in the Rig Veda.
Blacksmith, Hazard, and Doctor Midnight are all characters from various comic series in the D.C. Universe. Black Siren is Earth-2 Laurel Lance.
Totem is an original character inspired by characters from the Animal Man comics. Her surname, Mndawe, comes from the true identity of Freedom Beast, Dominic Mndawe, though they're not related. Her abilities and history with Zoom will be revealed in later chapters.
Author's note: I know that this chapter introduced a ton of new things, such as the MTU (Metahuman Tactical Unit), the Cause, and several new characters. The only thing I'm willing to say about it so far is that there is something happening on Earth-2, and it's not based on anything from canon (comic books or TV show), though it was inspired by some events of Season 1.
Also, I apologize for the cliffhanger, it just sort of... happened. Good news: the next chapter is already being proofed, and I hope to have it out either tomorrow or the day after.
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Chapter Four: The Hearth Stones
Primary Post: Orion
Title: Orion
Subtitle: The Hunting Dogs
Author: dracox-serdriel
Word count: ~6,200
Rating: MA/NC-17
Summary: Caitlin must find a cure for Killer Frost's insatiable hunger for heat while Zoom makes preparations for his next move. In the past, Caitlin and Jay argue about his choice to lie about the cause of his illness.
Spoilers: Orion may reference characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 Invincible, all comic books that feature Zoom and/or Hunter Zolomon, and all New 52 comics featuring Killer Frost.
Important note: In canon, Killer Frost talks about her backstory in 02x19 Back to Normal, but in Orion, her origin story based off the events in the New 52 comics.
Caitlin stared at her doppelganger with a combination of curiosity and confusion. They were supposed to be genetically identical, which meant neither had the metahuman gene. So how did Killer Frost have powers?
"Play nice," Zoom ordered.
Then he disappeared in a flash of blue.
"You must be Caitlin Snow," Frost said. "Your little friend Cisco wouldn't shut up about you."
"He mentioned you," Caitlin replied. "You don't seem to be dying."
"Dying to get out of here. Tell you what... You break me out, and I'll get you down those cliffs."
Caitlin sized her up. If she wasn't ill, then Hunter had chosen a particularly stupid lie. He was a lot of things, but unintelligent? No.
"I'm hungry," Frost replied. "It's been too long since I've had a nice, warm meal."
She had a sharp look in her eye that matched the icicles collecting at the edge of her lips. She clearly wasn't talking about food.
"Did dark matter do this to you?"
"Oh this?" she asked as she raised her hands, icing them over for effect. "Hardly. I'll spare you the details. Let's just say I had a little accident at the STAR Lab's Arctic facility three years ago. I woke up freezing cold and starving, and... well, you can guess the rest."
"Your body needs heat," Caitlin said, cottoning on. "It's trying to compensate for the energy imbalance. I'm guessing additional calorie intake isn't enough?"
"Smart cookie," Frost said blandly.
"So you aren't sick or injured," Caitlin continued. "I don't understand. If you've lived like this for three years, what's changed?"
"Spoke too soon," Frost replied. She tapped on the wall of her cell. "I attacked the most dangerous man alive. Instead of killing me quickly, he left me to rot. A few more days in here without another mammal for company, and I'll be frozen solid."
"Why other endotherms? They'd be unreliable, but an insulated thermal suit - "
"I had someone," she confessed, ignoring Caitlin's comment. "He kept me warm and never cooled down."
Caitlin saw something pass over her doppelganger, a flicker of sorrow that cut through her bravado, crushing her facade of steel and ice. There was only one person in any universe that had that kind of effect on her heart.
Caitlin whispered, "Ronnie."
A few moments of silence passed between them, and as much as it hurt to remember Ronnie, his memory fueled her mind. If Firestorm's power counteracted Killer Frost's energy imbalance without negative effects, that meant a permanent solution existed somewhere in the Firestorm matrix.
"We need to get out of here," Frost said, interrupting her thoughts. "Zoom could be back any minute."
"I think I might be able to help you," she replied. "Something that mimics Firestorm's - Deathstorm's - fusion. The power source will be tricky, but - "
"Don't bother trying to fix me," Frost interrupted. "If I don't die on my own, Zoom will kill me. He's just messing with my head. Our heads. The only chance either of us have is getting out before he comes back."
If Frost could get them down the cliffs, Caitlin could reach out to Earth-2 Iris and Barry. They could help her hide, maybe even return to Earth-1. Somehow, Harrison Wells had done it without a speedster, so there must be a way.
"Can't you freeze your way out of there?" Caitlin asked.
"Nope. Carbyne."
While freezing would have no effect on carbyne, heat could make the barrier fragile. Without proper ventilation, she couldn't rely on fire or chemical thermogenesis, but if she passed an electrical current through it and amplified it, the wall would become like glass. All she needed was a power source that wouldn't burn out before the job was done.
"I get you out, then you get us out," Caitlin said.
"Deal."
She made her way back to the lab, which was farther than she expected. She pushed through the door, not really paying attention to her surroundings, only to jolt in surprise.
"That took longer than I expected," Hunter commented mildly. "Planning your escape together?"
He was dressed in dark jeans and a plain t-shirt with his leather jacket, leaning against one of the counters, not a care in the world. She had expected a rush of his telltale blue lightning, not to find him lounging in some back room.
He seemed rather nonchalant about the whole thing, but she'd witnessed his cold calculation erupt into a violent rage of triumph when he tried to kill Barry after stealing his speed. How could she be certain that this wasn't like that?
"You realize what will happen if you let her out of that cell, don't you?" he asked. "She'll drain all the heat from your body. Even if she resists that particular urge, she'll absorb heat from the environment, plunging the entire cavern into below-freezing temperatures, and it won't get any better once she's outside. A localized pressure drop like that has a catastrophic effect on weather patterns. Within the first hour, she'll need heat, and a lot of it. Killer Frost will leave a trail of ice and bodies. She'll be a sitting duck for the MTU."
"MTU?"
"Metahuman Tactical Force."
"So you expect me to believe that you care what happens if she escapes?" she asked. "That you care about how many victims she kills before she's arrested?"
"The MTU doesn't arrest people," he said. "They capture metas, but you're right, I don't care how much damage she inflects or how many people she kills. But I do care if she harms you, Caitlin."
He stood up, and she shifted away, unsure of how to react.
"I assumed she wouldn't be very forthcoming about her condition," he continued. He held out a large file. "This illustrates it fairly well."
She took it. A quick glimpse showed her that it was filled with autopsies and CSI reports. She closed the file and put it behind her on the nearest counter, hoping that being dismissive of the content would put Hunter off his guard.
"I need blood and tissue samples," she said. "And if I do find a treatment, I'll have to administer it. I can't do any of that until she's out of that cell."
He smiled. It was a wicked thing with all his teeth showing, upturned lips, and a malicious gleam in his eye. It was so different from when he smiled as Jay, which was kind and shy. Had he really disguised everything about himself, down to his smile?
It was all an act. There was never any Jay. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom.
A flash of blue erupted, followed by a rustling wind. After a moment, the blue lightning reappeared, and Hunter stood in front of her in his Zoom suit, a sample kit in one hand and his mask in the other.
"Blood and tissue samples," he said as he placed them on the counter. "That should be more than enough for now. We can discuss administering treatment when you have something."
"Why?"
He cocked his head, and his brow knit with confusion.
"Why are you doing this?" she clarified. "Any of this. Why not just kill her?"
"Because you want to save her."
"I do, but Cisco told me she was the reason they were able to escape. She attacked you."
"She did."
It's like Frost said. He's doing this to mess your head.
"Then why didn't you kill her?" she asked.
Hunter looked uncomfortable, despite being inside his super-villain lair in his super-villain gear. For a few minutes of unsettling silence, it seemed like he wasn't going to answer her.
This is all a game to him. Helping Killer Frost is just a way to distract you while he sets up his endgame. Don't trust him.
"I couldn't kill her," he said finally, his voice unusually quiet. It sounded like how he spoke when he pretended to be Jay. "I wanted to. She ruined months of planning, she'd gotten the upper hand on me. No one else ever has. As soon as I broke free, I knocked her out and went after the others, the ones she'd helped to escape. She was unconscious when I returned, so I put her in that cell. I told myself I spared her because I didn't have time. I had to go after Wells and Barry before they crossed the breach. But the truth is, I looked at her and saw your face, and I couldn't kill her. That day and every day since. Is that what you wanted to hear, Caitlin?"
"Is... is it the truth?"
"Yes."
"Then, yes," she said. She quickly added, "I, uhm, suppose I should get started."
Just like that, Hunter's smug grin returned, as if he hadn't poured his blackened heart out to her. Was that because it had been a lie to begin with? Or his nonchalant arrogance his way of covering?
Does it matter? He's dangerous. Don't trust him. Don't believe what he says.
"I'll be back in a few hours," he said. "Do not let her out of that cell. She will kill you."
He vanished in a swirl of blue lightning.
Caitlin was ready to free Killer Frost and hope for the best, but the file in her hand felt too heavy to ignore. So she spread its contents out across an empty counter.
The official coroner's reports - no doubt stolen from CCPD - contained dozens of homicides going back three years. There were two primary causes of death: acute hypothermia ('flash freezing' as several reports called it) and penetrating trauma to the heart or brain via sharp icicles.
Her name is Killer Frost. What did you expect?
Caitlin didn't know enough about Frost to free her. As loathe as she was to admit Hunter was right, she had no way of defending herself from her counterpart's powers nor surviving freezing temperatures.
To dupe him, she'd have to play along with part of his plans. Saving a vicious, heat-hungry killer was easier than kissing him, which made it best bad option she had.
So she went to work.
Earth-1. About one month ago in April... Jay bit back a growl as Caitlin applied an antibiotic gel over his freshly cleaned wound, the cool sensation more startling than painful. He felt a tension between them that hadn't been there at breakfast.
"I promise you that won't happen," he said. "I won't let Barry and Cisco get stranded on Earth-2. I'll find a way to stabilize the breach in time."
"I know you will."
She smiled at him, but it was strained. Whatever was bothering her hovered between them as she applied the bandage. He couldn't stand it.
"Cait?" he prompted. "Is something... is everything all right?"
"You should've told me."
He already didn't like where this conversation was going.
"You knew how dangerous Velocity-6 was, but you didn't tell me," she continued. "Not even when I asked you to use it."
"One more dose wasn't going to kill me," he replied. "And it was the only way to save Wells."
"All this time, you've convinced me that stopping Zoom would get your speed back and save you," she added.
"Because stopping Zoom is what matters," he replied. "It's why Wells and I created the Velocity serums. It's the reason I needed to get faster in the first place."
"It won't save you."
"If we don't stop Zoom, then there is no saving me," he said as he stood up. "Don't you understand, Caitlin? Wells said he hunted me, but if that were true, I would've been dead a long time ago. Zoom stalked and tormented me, but he was just toying with me. This is how he has fun. I thought we were enemies battling for Central City, me to save it, him to destroy it, and good people died helping me. Even more died because I failed to save them, but every time, I managed to escape with my life. I thought... I thought it was because I was a hero, because I was destined to defeat Zoom. But I was never any match for him. All those times he could've killed me... I didn't escape him, he let me go. He kept letting me go. I still haven't... I've never escaped him, Caitlin."
She put her hand on his good shoulder, guiding him back to his seat.
"Jay, I - "
"Please, let me finish," he interrupted. She nodded her head, yes. "Everything changed with Velocity-6. Not the exact formula you created but similar. I was finally fast enough to disrupt Zoom's plans, and I guess he decided his favorite punching bag had become too much trouble. But he couldn't just kill me. No, that would've been too easy."
He paused for a breath, taking her hand in his to calm himself before continuing.
"My mom used to take me on the monorail when I was a kid. We'd ride around the city together, and she'd always have something new to point out to me. Every time. So whenever I needed to clear my head, I'd take a train ride. About a week before I came to this earth, I learned what Velocity-6 was doing to me, and... it was stupid, I wasn't thinking straight. I knew that Zoom was coming after me. I shouldn't've... I got on a train to get out of my head, and I didn't even think twice about the danger I was putting everybody in. Zoom had one of his metas blow out the track, timed it just right to circumvent all the safety protocols. Hundreds of people were on that train. I tried to save them, but I only got to ten people before Zoom attacked and drove me away from the crash. He broke half of my ribs and one of my hips. Then he went back to the monorail crash and killed all the survivors. It took me five days to heal, and during those five days, Zoom attacked anyone who had anything to do with me or the Flash: my lab, my home, STAR Labs, Kansas State University, where I'd done my undergraduate. He decimated buildings for that had images of my helmet, and he didn't care how many people were inside. That was the last straw for me. I decided that I needed to take him down, whatever the cost, so I added a delivery device to my suit, one that would give me a continuous dosage of Velocity-6. And that night, I went after him with everything I had. I knew it was what he had wanted. He was goading me. He killed more than five hundred people in six days because he wanted me to come after him. I was faster than I had ever been, and it still wasn't enough."
"That wasn't your fault," she said, her hand cupping his cheek. "You did everything you could to stop him."
"And it wasn't enough," he said quietly. "You've seen what he does, what he's doing. Not just to Barry but to Wells and all of you. He'll keep doing it until you're all broken like me. The only reason I'm still alive right now is because he thinks I'm dead! If he knew - if he had any idea that I was here, that I was with you..."
He stopped. He couldn't finish that sentence. He stared at the floor, his eyes burning with tears of frustration and relief. He couldn't let them out.
Caitlin let go of his hand and tipped his chin back. When he looked at her, she seemed... angry.
"Did you ever think that saving you could help us stop Zoom?" she asked with an edge to her voice that he wasn't expecting.
"It's not that simple, Cait."
She shook her head as she moved away from him. She wouldn't make eye contact, suddenly focused on nothing but repacking her medical kit.
"When I found out about the Flash on this earth, about his team and how much good you all did, I decided that my best bet - our best bet - was on Barry," he continued. "And I promised myself I'd do everything in my power to prevent him from going down the same path that I did. Getting my speed back... I want that, of course I do, but it's not as important as helping Barry defeat Zoom."
That won her attention.
"This isn't just about your speed, Jay!" she shouted. "You're sick. You're dying, and you didn't tell me because you believe stopping one bad meta is more important? That saving you doesn't matter?"
As the Flash, Jay had faced down countless metahumans - some with devastating powers, others with wretched plots, and a few with both - yet somehow, Caitlin Snow in a passionate fury trumped them all.
"There are times when I don't think I'm worth saving," he admitted.
"You are!" she said harshly. "And not because of your powers or because of the good you've done, but because Jay Garrick is worth saving."
Caitlin closed in on him, and her hand cupped his cheek. It took him a moment to meet her eye.
"You are worth saving," she repeated.
"How can you still think that?" he asked. "After I kept the truth from you for so long?"
"You're flawed," she replied. "So am I."
"No, Cait, not like me. What I've done - "
She put a finger on his lips to shush him. Then she said, "A few months ago, when we were searching for a new Firestorm counterpart for Professor Stein, I met two people. One was an educated scientist, the other was a mechanic, and that's exactly how I saw them. In my mind, Doctor Hewitt was the only option because he was like Ronnie, and whoever it was that was going to take his place... he had to be like him. I dismissed Jax, even when the science told me that he was the better match. I want to say that it was grief and short-sightedness, but the truth is, I decided Jax was a washout after reading three pages about him. I didn't give him a chance because of arrogance and prejudice, and it almost cost Professor Stein his life."
"You misjudged him," he replied. "You didn't know - "
"You didn't know," she cut him off. "You didn't know about the SpeedForce back then. You were trying to stop a madman who was four times faster than you. Alone. Why can't you forgive yourself?"
"You're right, I didn't know," he said, taking her hand in his. "But I should've. When I was working on the Velocity serums, there was this voice in the back of my head saying this wasn't the way. Every instinct I had was warning me not to take it, not to take more, but I kept telling myself there wasn't any evidence to support those instincts, ignoring the fact that I hadn't even looked into the science. But I kept doing it anyway because I was too afraid. Afraid of Zoom, of what he'd do if I didn't stop him. I wasn't even brave enough to admit that I was falling into the same pattern as any doping athlete and I needed help. The only way I was able to stop myself from going back into that vicious cycle with Velocity-6 on this earth was to punish myself for it."
"And now?" she asked, her voice strained. "Do you still need to punish yourself now that you're not alone anymore?"
"I... I thought I did."
"You don't," she said. "I meant it when I said you have me. I won't let you fall back into that habit, not with Velocity-7 or any drug. I'll figure out a cure. I will. But I need you to forgive yourself, so we can move forward together."
"Together," he repeated, wiping away the tear on her cheek. "I will."
She leaned in and kissed him, sweet and gentle, and the unspoken promise sealed between their lips.
Jay pulled her close so that soft fabric of her blouse pressed against his bare arms. He didn't deserve her help or her affections, let alone this kiss, yet here she was, fighting for his life with more strength and courage than he ever had.
Caitlin's arms came up around his neck, caressing the back of his head, and he felt the weight of everything he was feeling break the surface. He was in love with a beautiful, fiery genius from another universe, and he had been for a long time.
Her head tilted back as he stood up, not wanting to break away, and he met her with equal fervor. He felt like his time with her was running out, like he'd never get enough, and he wanted her to feel it. He wanted her to know what he felt, to experience everything he had been holding back.
She nibbled on his bottom lip, and he opened to her tongue as she deepened the kiss until they needed to break apart to inhale. He leaned his forehead against hers to feel her breath tickling his cheek.
"Jay, we shouldn't," she mumbled against his skin.
"You're right," he agreed. "Not now."
Caitlin's eyes met his before they flicked down to his lips. She kissed him, this time long and demanding. His skin pricked with heat as his heart began to thump harder in his chest.
"Cait - "
"Don't stop," she whispered.
With those two words, his resolve snapped. He hoisted her up, and her legs wrapped around his lower back. There weren't many places in the Breach Room that afforded the requisite support, so he spun them around so he could brace her back against the wall by the door.
Jay unbuckled her belt and unbuttoned her pants, loosening them enough to slide one hand inside. He followed the seam of her underwear down until he felt dampness under his fingertips. She gasped when he gently tapped against her clit, careful to apply minimum pressure. Her body was incredibly responsive, and her exquisite sensitivity required a slow, sensuous build. He loved the way she rocked into his hand, opening up a little more each time.
He dipped inside her panties, the scent of her arousal wafting up to his nostrils. His pants became uncomfortably tight as his fingers glided into her, his palm rubbing against her clit as his fingers teased her opening. He couldn't help but watch the pleasure on her face as he worked his fingers over her, slipping one deep, straight to that place he knew would make her squirm.
Caitlin groaned, anchoring one hand to the back of his neck for support while the other cupped his erection through his pants, her knowing figures stroking him, driving him insane with want as she nibbled on his ear.
She moaned against him when two more of his fingers entered her, and his thumb began circling her clit. She was dripping and ready, but he wanted to feel her come apart around his fingers first.
He slowly lowered her so her feet touched the floor, then he kissed down her neck and blouse as he went down on both knees in front of her. He dragged his free hand down her legs, tugging her pants off with her help, still rubbing her off with his other hand, only stopping to help her step out of the tangle of clothing and shoes.
Then his fingers returned, crooking inside her as his tongue went to her center. He groaned at the taste of her - spicy and sweet - as she grabbed his hair. She moaned, the flutter of her walls telling him she was right at the edge. He sucked her clit into his mouth and began tapping on it with his tongue. It only took a few flicks before her walls clamped around his fingers as her hips jerked into him, his name falling from her lips in a generous, drawn-out gasp.
He loved watching Caitlin climax. Her entire body tensed before she went boneless. He stood up and caught her, taking in every part of her as she slumped against him for support, her breaths coming in short, ragged bursts. She was always beautiful, but when she came for him, she was a goddess. He couldn't help but fawn over her, his hands rubbing her thighs and caressing her breasts as she came back down.
"Take off your pants," she murmured, her voice somewhere between an order and languid awe.
He didn't need to be told twice. He shucked his trousers and then lifted her up again, pushing her back into the wall before lining up and letting her descend slowly over his aching cock, biting back his moan. She dragged him into a pleasant kiss before she circled her hips.
Jay nearly lost his head with the friction, but he wrapped one arm under her to support her and braced them against the wall with the other. She grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper, while angling his head to keep their faces close. They both vocalized their pleasure as he thrust long and deep into her.
Like every time he was with her, he forgot about the world around him. He forgot about losing his speed and Zoom, about STAR Labs and metahumans, about the breaches and Earth-2. There was nothing in this or any universe except for him and Caitlin, their bodies entwined as he chased her to the edge of her second climax, her sweet juices dripping between them as she urged him on.
He was so captivated staring into her eyes that he hadn't noticed how close he was. He changed the angle so his pubic bone hit her clit with every thrust, and her back arched away from the wall, her sinewy body slick with sweat as both her hands when under his arms for support.
"J-j-jay," she whimpered, begging him to give her the release she so badly needed.
He leaned forward so his head was over hers. Watching her while he moved inside her was second only to witnessing her climax, and only by a hair. He slowed down, changing the rhythm, giving her exactly what she needed, holding on with everything he had so he wouldn't come before she did.
She looked up at him with such wide, earnest eyes, and he felt his balls tighten as she shifted her hips, increasing the sensation of her around him. When Caitlin squeezed his cock with her walls as she worried her lower lip, it pushed him over the edge, his orgasm making his hips roll into hers erratically as he spilled into her.
"Oh, God, Cait..."
She came with him, her walls milking his throbbing member as she rode it out with him. Her hands burrowed under his tank top, and her nails raked down his back.
Jay slumped against her as he came down. He pulled out before setting her on her feet, his arms still wrapped around her. She leaned into his chest, despite the sticky sweat clinging to his undershirt, kissing him before reluctantly moving away to redress.
He followed her lead, relieved that the tension between them from earlier was now gone. His well-used body was fast approaching cuddle-and-sleep mode. Once clothed, he embraced her from behind, desperate to feel her close.
"We don't have time to rest," she said. "I need to clean up."
"Do you think we can make it to one of the showers without Joe or Iris seeing us?"
"We should go separately," she replied. "We both know that if we take a shower together, we'll be in there for another hour."
"Mmmmm, sounds nice."
She turned around and kissed him, sweet and gentle. It was her way of telling him that the breach had to be stabilized before they'd have time for shower sex.
He had to tell her now, before his nerve failed him.
"Cait, I - I..."
"I'll go first," she interrupted gently.
She looked at him, and her expression told him that she knew exactly what he was struggling to say. He didn't need to say it. Not yet.
Jay watched her leave the room before turning his attention to the Speed Canon. As he looked over the damage, his mind wandered off, pondering Caitlin's scent and lips.
He was going to need a very cold shower before he'd get anything done.
Earth-2. Now... Zoom raced around the mountains, pushing his newly augmented powers to the limit far from prying eyes. Absorbing Barry's SpeedForce had done far more than heal him from the havoc of the Velocity serums. It made him faster, his mind sharper, and his senses more keen.
In many respects, it made him feel more alive. He felt the world around him differently, and more than that, he felt hungry, in a very literal sense. One of the first - and in many respects, worst - effects of Velocity Sickness was complete appetite suppression, which was problematic for a man who required fifty times the average person's calorie intake.
He made a habit of running through Keystone and Central City daily. It allowed him to acquire information while simultaneously keeping his body in peak physical condition. The high from running was exhilarating, so he raced out west to check up on Coast City.
He made a pit stop in Star City, mulling over his situation as he ate two dozen hamburgers.
Hunter's first instinct was to call it a day and return to Caitlin. He had no doubt she would find a way to contain Killer Frost's powers, and leaving them alone gave Frost time to manipulate her counterpart into freeing her.
Stop acting like she needs your protection. One of these days, she'll make you regret abducting her.
The trouble was that he had other concerns beyond the unfortunate turn of his love life. During the five weeks that Team Flash struggled to make Barry faster and return to Earth-2, Central City hit a particularly turbulent time, partially due to Reverb's demise. He had been a nosy jackass, but he had kept the more unruly minions under his thumb.
Zoom immediately reassigned Reverb's territories to Blacksmith, a metahuman who could merge organic and inorganic materials, her particular forte being the fusion of metal and flesh. It was important for everyone to know that anyone - no matter their position or their abilities - could be replaced.
Except Caitlin Snow.
But all the metahumans could be replaced, and any doubt that might have existed on that subject was expunged entirely by Reverb's death. He overstepped, defied Zoom, and paid for it with his life. Blacksmith received word of her promotion less than an hour later.
Still, for the last five weeks, Zoom had no Spymaster, which meant he had to work with partial information. Several plans were nearly derailed by nothing more than the element of surprise, and he couldn't have that.
Can't let them see you fail.
That was one of Zoom's rules. None of his minions were allowed to see him fail, no matter how loyal or devoted the underling happened to be.
That's why your plan with Caitlin will fail. Pretending she's some doctor you abducted won't work. She's nobody's underling.
Hunter shook his head. He wasn't going to resolve his issues with Caitlin by sitting a thinking about it, nor would he fix everything with a single, sweeping gesture. He needed to be patient, which meant obsessing over the situation was a bad idea.
In the end, he knew that if he showed her what was at stake here on Earth-2, what the Cause was facing, she would do the right thing. That was what heroes did, after all. She would stay to help and that would buy him time, and right now, time was exactly what he required. He didn't just want her allegiance, he wanted her heart, too.
She'll never love you. You're a monster.
Hunter forced himself to focus on a problem he could address. More than anything, he required a new Spymaster. He had put it off long enough, and further delay was unacceptable.
As he finished his last burger, a surprising solution occurred to him.
Totem, the secret weapon.
She had been his secret ace-in-the-hole for the past two years, and making her Spymaster served a two-fold purpose. The role required her to maintain a constant communication connection with him for emergent news. Beyond that, she would provide frequent reports, which would not only inform his plans but also enable him to keep tabs on her with minimal effort.
He avoided using her too much because Totem wasn't metahuman; instead, her powers were - for lack of a better word - mystical. Then there was her annoying penchant for nonviolence, but he endured it for the rarity of finding a powered person with no conflicting ambition.
Totem would gather information in the shadows, and unlike Reverb, she'd never attempt to usurp his position.
With the decision made, Zoom disembarked, racing home to check up on those under his command in Keystone and Central City. Blacksmith, Hazard, Doctor Midnight, and Black Siren were all engaged in their own enterprises, so he didn't stop to chat. He zipped by their major operating centers. There were no surprises.
There were never any surprises.
Satisfied with the state of the universe, Zoom sought Totem. It was time they had a conversation.
Trusting Totem as Spymaster? After that last disaster? She's gone underground because she thinks you'll kill her.
The last order he had given Totem had produced a less than desirable outcome, but she had warned Zoom about that possibility and even advised him against it. Well, begged him, really. She was one of the few soldiers with courage enough to actually speak to Zoom. It would be impressive if it wasn't so foolish.
What if she's told others what happened? She knows too much. She's a threat.
That was why he needed to keep tabs on her. She knew too much. It had been four weeks, so had she divulged any of Zoom's secrets, he would've known about it by now. She hadn't said a word, which meant she was an uncompromised resource and keeping her on a short leash was his best option.
He spotted a silver-backed fox that blended in almost perfectly with the burnt debris surrounding an abandoned diner. Normally, he allowed one of her sentries to spot his approach, but today, he wanted her to know how vulnerable she was to him.
Zoom circumvented the fox and cased the interior. Totem had set up a reasonable security system: sentries at every entry point with several reinforced walls and an adaptation of STAR Labs' metahuman detection protocols.
The alarm sounded a few seconds after he sped into the room.
Aida Mndawe, alias Totem, was lounging in a large, circular chair with her aardwolf and Cape hunting dog at her feet. When she saw him, her eyes went wide in fear, reflecting his blue lightning.
Her aardwolf and hunting dog rose as she got to her feet. She was five feet eight inches, a respectable height, but still short compared to Zoom. She adjusted herself, pushing a few medium-length dreadlocks into place and smoothing out her dark trousers. And just like that, she eliminated all signs of fear.
"Totem," Zoom spoke. "I have a job for you."
"A job?" she repeated. "You're not here to kill me?"
"If I wanted you dead, you'd never see me coming."
"I'm guessing this job isn't pleasant."
He laughed, and she flinched. Totem was strong and determined, but even she was terrified of him. That was good. It meant she wouldn't refuse his order. She clearly had no intention of escaping his empire. No doubt she knew how futile it would be to try to outrun the fastest man alive.
"Send out your creatures. From this day forward, you'll be watching all of Central City."
Totem's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"I will require more familiars. That will take time. A day."
"I'll be back tomorrow night for a report."
He ran, leaving his new Spymaster confused at her sudden and unexpected reprieve. Soon he could begin moving the Cause forward.
The Cause? You've never cared about the Cause. That was all a smokescreen.
Every villain needed a master plan. The Cause had done nicely for him before, and it would continue to be useful, especially with Caitlin.
Hunter was elated by the prospect. He had done far too much waiting for the past few weeks, but he was back in active mode, where he belonged.
He darted through the outskirts of the city, enjoying the emotional and physical high.
Then it all came to a screeching end. His heart skipped a few beats, his breath caught in his chest, and his stomach dropped. It was like someone had just walked over his grave. He staggered to a graceless halt, tumbling forward from uncontrolled momentum.
She's going to kill her!
The alarm echoed inside his head like a mantra. He didn't have time to wonder why the verbal warning didn't hit him first, nor did he consider the implications of such a phenomenon's existence. He raced back to the Roost at his highest velocity, for there was only one explanation.
Caitlin Snow was in mortal danger.
Chapter notes: The title of this chapter, The Hunting Dogs, comes from the name attributed to four of stars in the constellation Orion, or the Mriga ('The Deer'), as it is called in the Rig Veda.
Blacksmith, Hazard, and Doctor Midnight are all characters from various comic series in the D.C. Universe. Black Siren is Earth-2 Laurel Lance.
Totem is an original character inspired by characters from the Animal Man comics. Her surname, Mndawe, comes from the true identity of Freedom Beast, Dominic Mndawe, though they're not related. Her abilities and history with Zoom will be revealed in later chapters.
Author's note: I know that this chapter introduced a ton of new things, such as the MTU (Metahuman Tactical Unit), the Cause, and several new characters. The only thing I'm willing to say about it so far is that there is something happening on Earth-2, and it's not based on anything from canon (comic books or TV show), though it was inspired by some events of Season 1.
Also, I apologize for the cliffhanger, it just sort of... happened. Good news: the next chapter is already being proofed, and I hope to have it out either tomorrow or the day after.
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Chapter Four: The Hearth Stones
Primary Post: Orion