Orion - Chapter Six: Al-Jabbar (Part One)
Title: Orion
Subtitle: Al-Jabbar (Part One)
Author: dracox-serdriel
Word count: 13,000 (split chapter)
Chapter notes: The title of this chapter comes from the Arabic name for the constellation Orion: Al-Jabbar, which means 'the giant.'
Note: Due to LJ's length limitations, this chapter had to be split into two parts.
Zoom considered ordering someone else to handle the break-in at Palmer Technologies, but even the most obedient of minions could learn too much from such a mission. Some things he just had to do himself.
Unfortunately, that came with its own set of obstacles. While the government learned long ago that resisting Zoom was futile, he knew that they tracked his activity, which meant his appearance always drew attention, even when he didn't want it. So he ordered a few local metas to turn up the heat on all the human-run illicit enterprises on the west coast. He sent similar commands to his lieutenants throughout the country so the unrest wouldn't be limited to the west coast. Police, FBI, and DOD agents would be tied up for weeks processing the crime scenes, filling out useless paperwork, and scrambling to figure out the significance, the meaning, of it all.
A break-in at Palmer Technologies would garner some curiosity, but any official response would vanish in the shadow of the looming gang wars that law enforcement would anticipate.
Chaos was a beautiful weapon.
Zoom limited his exposure by racing inside during the apex of Typhoon's contributions to the abrupt turmoil, which covered Star City in thunderstorms. He sped up the inside of the elevator shaft and exited with the materials he required in under forty seconds, even with all the anti-meta and anti-speedster security in place, it was child's play.
He spent the rest of the day in one of his hidden labs in Coast City, perfecting the heating mechanism of the suit. He had to hand it to Caitlin for coming up with white phosphorous. If he had set his mind to the task, he would've wasted months spinning his wheels on a viable nuclear power source.
Caitlin was a very, very smart girl.
She's a smart woman. Much smarter than you.
Hunter tested the insulation of the suit to ensure that it properly contained the chemical reaction. He hadn't had the luxury of tinkering in his lab to solve an interesting problem in a long time. He'd forgotten how much he loved the work, the details, the rush that came from a crafted design coming to life.
Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, releasing a spark of electric blue from under his suit. It was a distinct sensation that alerted him to nearby predators, and it was never wrong.
Vibe.
No, Vibe manipulated the power of multiverse - when it wasn't manipulating him - and, thanks to Reverb's constant nosiness, the tiniest ripple in the fabric of that energy forewarned him of any intrusion. No, this was something else. Someone else. But who would dare attempt to spy on Zoom?
The Metahuman Tactical Unit had grown bolder in the recent months, but with Blink in their crosshairs, he doubted they had time for him. He had already destroyed those enemies who posed any real threat, which left only one explanation.
A new player.
He didn't have time to muse over that particular problem. He told Caitlin he'd return before dark with the suit, and he planned to keep his word, which meant he didn't have time to investigate this new challenger and shake whoever-it-was off his trail. Not tonight.
Before he could race from the lab, someone materialized before him, making him glad that he hadn't removed his cowl. He concealed his finished project before he swept the room in the blink of an eye.
Only then did he give the fool who barged into his domain uninvited a once-over. She was a young woman with light black skin and a buzz cut. Her eyes stood out in the lab lighting, but only because the circles under them were so dark. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her lips were chapped, which matched the dryness of her skin.
Clearly, Blink wasn't doing well on the lam.
"Blink!" he snarled in his Zoom voice.
"Apologies," she replied, flustered and afraid. "I... I have an urgent report."
"Shouldn't you be hiding from the MTU?"
"After what those bastards did to my son, they should be hiding from us."
Blink had always preferred the more subtle means of resistance, like smuggling and sabotage, yet today she was a woman demanding vengeance, blood for blood. It was enough reason for him to forget her impudence, but only this once.
"Speak," he commanded.
"We've found it," Blink replied. "The MTU's secret weapon."
His heart skipped a beat. For a government agency, the MTU had been unusually successful at capturing metas, and he had long suspected that they possessed something that gave them a tactical advantage. None of his minions had gotten close enough to figure out what it was, let alone locate it. But from the look on Blink's face, there was no doubt in his mind that she had done what even Reverb had failed to do.
"Where?"
"Close," she replied. "Very, very close."
Caitlin came up from the basement before seven o'clock. She hadn't realized how drained she was until she climbed the stairs and her legs weighed her down like lead. She pressed on until reached the kitchen-dinning room, which had a table set for two, lit by candlelight.
Hunter was already seated at the table, his elbows perched on either side of his plate, his chin held up by his two fists as he stared wistfully at the candle flame in front of him. The tiny fire cast his handsome features in a sharp relief, making him appear almost human.
Almost.
When his eyes fell on her, he stood up and his demeanor changing from moody teenager to absolute gentleman in a heartbeat.
"Caitlin," he said. "Please, sit."
Without a reply, she joined him at the table, which was set with mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and chicken. Without asking, he uncorked the bottle of wine and poured two glasses.
The candlelit dinner dug at old wounds, but she was too tired to argue with him.
"Totem is fitting Killer Frost with her new suit," he said.
"I need to see her before you take her across the breach," she replied.
"She's in the prison wing of the Comet, bottom floor," he replied. "You can visit her whenever you'd like."
"When are you taking her to Earth-1?"
"Not for another week or two," he replied. "You should eat."
To placate him, she spooned some potatoes and vegetables onto her plate and took a piece of chicken. She was hungry, but she didn't want to stay at the table any longer than necessary. So she took portions for a quick bite rather than the leisurely, romantic meal Hunter had planned.
For the next few minutes, the scrape of utensils against plates was the only thing that broke the silence. His constant gaze was stifling. The quietness had no visible impact on him, and it annoyed her. She desperately searched for a topic - any topic - to fill the void, but she couldn't think of anything to say,.
"You're quiet," he commented, finally. "Any particular reason?"
"What would I say?" she countered.
"You must have questions."
Why ask anything when you can't trust a word he says?
"Not really," she replied. "You want me to treat metahumans, so they'll owe you lifelong devotion and loyalty."
"I have my own means of ensuring lifelong devotion and loyalty," he replied, his lips curling into a wry smile.
"That didn't stop Killer Frost."
She drew some satisfaction when his knuckles whitened against his fork and his jaw clenched, but it was short-lived.
"The single exception," he stated calmly. "Loyalty and obligation don't motivate metas, not when it comes to governmental agencies who have the lawful authority to hunt them down and experiment on them to death."
"So, you hold an ax over their heads?"
"You think that's worse than what happened to Blink Junior?" he asked. "Or Mirage? Or Rush? Or anybody down in the Comet?"
"Mirage?" she asked.
"She's eleven," he replied. "Rush is six."
Her curiosity peaked, getting the better of her. She had assumed Blink Junior was an anomaly.
"We've never encountered metahuman children on Earth-1," she said. "I assumed it had something to do with the onset of puberty, but here, it's obvious that the meta-gene can express itself in early childhood."
"We don't know why some children hit with the particle accelerator have remained unaffected while others like Junior developed powers as quickly as their adult counterparts," he replied. "But there's every possibility that the MTU and its affiliates know."
Caitlin didn't like where this conversation was going, but she knew she had to ask him sooner or later. She might as well get it over with now.
"If the MTU is really this big threat, why haven't you..." she hesitated, fumbling for the right word. "Dealt with them directly?"
"You mean why haven't I killed every last one of them?" he asked. "I have to find them first."
A beeping abruptly filled the room. It wasn't an alarm or a ring tone. If anything, it reminded Caitlin of the beepers used in the nineties on Earth-1. Hunter's hand went to his hip and the sound stopped.
"I have to go," he said as he stood up.
"Go? Where?"
He gave her that toothy smirk that she hated.
"I'm sorry I have to cut dinner short tonight," he replied, completely avoiding her question. "Don't worry about the cleanup."
He walked right past her, so she stood up and grabbed his shoulder, halting him before he made it out of the room.
"What's going on?" she asked.
He turned back to her, surprised at the willing physical contact, and he wasn't the only one. She did it out of habit more than anything, but it was too late to take it back. Since she had obviously gotten his attention, she withdrew her hand slowly, trying to make the movement natural.
She failed.
"Too much to explain right now," he replied. "I'll tell you everything when I see you tomorrow at breakfast."
She saw no smugness, no knowing smile, nothing that she'd expect from Hunter. Whatever he was feeling, his face betrayed none of it, though something in his eyes told her that he was happy.
If he's happy, it's only because he thinks you're comfortable enough with him to try and stop him from leaving the room. He's manipulating you.
"Good night," he said.
"Night," she replied automatically.
He turned and left, walking out the front door like an ordinary human being.
She gathered her plate and utensils and moved them to the sink. She didn't like the idea of leaving a mess for someone else to clean up, but her brain felt like a wrung sponge. She needed to curl up in bed.
Before she went upstairs, she turned on the lights and proceeded to blow out all the candles. It was oddly satisfying to extinguish the tiny flames, like she was turning down something that Hunter had offered, however foolish that was.
She climbed the stairs and turned out the lights, though the floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the dim light of the dusk into her bedroom. She didn't mind. She was in a different universe living on top of a secret, hidden medical facility filled with badly injured metahumans, so the natural nightlight seemed like a wise choice.
As Caitlin sprawled out in bed, she wondered what was happening on Earth-1. Barr probably blamed himself for her capture, and, no doubt, Cisco was designing some kind of super-Vibe technology to get in contact with her, bickering endlessly with Wells. At first, picturing everyone on Earth-1 made her smile, but then it turned to worry.
What if they were concocting some ridiculous rescue mission? Wells and Barry wouldn't be stopped by a handful of impossibilities. Her stomach ached as she considered the number of things that could go wrong, not the least of which included running into a vengeful Zoom.
She sat up, her mind racing. She needed to find a way to contact them, if for no other reason than to assure them that she safe for now at least. Zoom was playing the long game, so there was no need to rush into a risky plan.
Hunter didn't seem concerned about her contacting other people. The Comet had internet connection. She could probably get her hands on a phone, but nothing that could reach Earth-1.
Unless Vibe reaches out.
Cisco had contacted Zoom about Wally and spoke across universes with little more than Jay's helmet to connect them.
So why hasn't he contacted me?
Cisco had plenty of Caitlin's personal effects to use to connect with her, yet she hadn't heard a peep. Had he tried and failed? Worse, had he tried and seen her nearly frozen to death or unconscious in Zoom's clutches?
Caitlin left the bed and wandered downstairs for a glass of water. She could think herself sick, cycling through every worst case scenario, but it wouldn't help anybody. As she climbed the stairs back to her room, she warily considered her options and came up empty. She wasn't going to figure anything out tonight. She'd have to start tomorrow.
The next morning, Hunter transferred all the clothing he stored at the Roost to his new hideaway, which was far from prying eyes and uncompromised.
He had grown up with nothing. The orphanage provided him with a kind of dreary uniform of dark slacks and long-sleeved shirts, which he had to wear even in the summer. When he'd first get them, they'd be several sizes too big, and once he grew too large for them, the process would start over, and his too-small clothing would be passed down to the next generation of hapless kids nobody wanted. When he was finally old enough to get a job for some spending money, he had to save up for weeks to buy a pair of jeans, months if he wanted new shoes, and he had to hide everything he owned to hold on to it and prevent theft.
When he finally escaped that place and went to college, he knew nothing about clothing other than how to do laundry. He hesitated to ask his classmates, as it meant explaining why he didn't know how to dress himself, and he avoided that at all costs.
Everything he knew about fashion was haphazard and random, and it never bothered him before.
Pretending to be other people didn't count. Other people had costume wardrobes, and then dressing became all about putting on someone else's skin, from a random delivery person to Jay Garrick.
He had never really found what clothing fit him. The sole exception was the leather jacket Caitlin had given him for their three-month anniversary. It was black and incredibly comfortable, and it was just perfect for him, Hunter.
He decided on jeans and a casual dark green v-neck shirt, which felt right. He grabbed a belt, mentally noting that he needed to find one that suited him at a later date, and then donned his jacket. He checked himself in the mirror and was pleased to see Hunter reflected back at him.
It was important for Caitlin to see him like this, as himself.
Like it will make a difference.
He returned to the island less than an hour later. He felt acutely aware of his behavior as he crossed the threshold of the door, like every little thing he did was a defining act.
You're nervous, you idiot.
Of course he was nervous. He had never mended a relationship in his life, and he had no idea how to do it. Each time he saw Caitlin was another opportunity, but it became more and more difficult for him.
Because each time there's more at stake.
He and Caitlin would be together. It might take a few months or a few years, but that didn't matter. He felt confident, which was basically a guarantee.
Hunter walked into the kitchen and began to make breakfast, setting several slices of bread to toast. He must've arrived later than he intended, for Caitlin appeared only a few minutes later wearing rumpled pajamas and her hair barely tamed by a ponytail.
She was gorgeous.
"Morning," he said. "What would you like?"
"Toast is fine."
"Bacon? Eggs?"
"If you're making them."
She was clearly still sleepy, as she sat at the table and took her head in her hands. He cracked a few eggs open and threw some bacon in, savoring the crackling pop that came from the pan.
Hunter sensed her eyes on his back. No doubt she was wondering why he didn't use his speed to finish in a flash, or why he hadn't ordered someone else to prepare the meal. He wasn't exactly a great cook, but he could do the basics. Jay had always cooked for her after they spent the night together, at least whenever there wasn't some emergency that forced them to race out the door. It was important to remind her of the good memories.
That's a new low.
He plated the eggs, bacon, and toast, then carried the dishes to the table. He placed hers in front of her elbows before sitting opposite her.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"How did you sleep?" he asked. "If you - "
"What's going on?" she interrupted.
He paused, buttering a piece of toast in the silence. He had hoped for a more cordial start to the morning.
"Last night, you said you'd tell me," she added.
"I suppose we could talk about that," he said. "We've uncovered a major MTU site, one we've been looking for a long time."
"'We'?" she asked skeptically.
"Yes, we," he replied. "The MTU has many captives. A lot of metas want to find where their loved ones are being held. We won't strike until we have enough to plan an attack, but when we do, there will be injuries and a lot of them. You should prepare yourself. Unless you plan on letting them suffer to spite me."
They ate for the next few minutes in silence.
"I should go," she said abruptly.
"Go?" he repeated.
"To the site," she said. "I'm going with you."
"Absolutely not," he replied. "I'm not taking you into a warzone."
"Which means there will be people who need my help," she pointed out.
"There are other doctors," he said. "You'll be here, under guard, out of harm's reach."
"Why haven't you brought Killer Frost to Earth-1 yet?" she asked. "Is it the suit?"
At first, he thought the abrupt change in topic was her giving up, but a quick study of her face made it plain that this disagreement was just beginning. It was tempting to lie, but he knew there would be repercussions for any further dishonesty, and he needed to avoid that at all costs.
"No, the suit was thoroughly tested," he replied. "It's ready for day-to-day use."
She can read you like a book.
He hadn't planned on telling her about Killer Frost's involvement, but there didn't seem to be any way around it.
"So why is she still here?" she asked.
"Because she's participating in the raid," he replied.
"I'm coming with you," Caitlin said stubbornly. "End of discussion."
"You think I won't lock you in a cell to keep you safe?" he asked. "I've already taken you to a different universe."
"You said you'd bring Frost to Earth-1 once the suit was ready," she said. "You promised me. Wasn't the whole point of that to show me I could trust you?"
"I will put her in the pipeline - "
She interrupted, "What if she dies?"
"Caitlin, I - "
"It'd be convenient if she did," she interrupted. "You bring her on a dangerous raid, and she dies. Then it's not your fault you can't keep your promise."
His patience was wearing thin.
"That is not why she is coming," he said loudly. He curbed his anger and continued, "When she heard what was happening, she volunteered. You don't have to believe me. You can ask her yourself."
"If she goes, I go."
How could someone he cared so much about inspire so much rage? Didn't she realize that all he wanted was to keep her safe? That losing her would destroy him?
She thinks that's all a lie, and that's entirely your fault.
"Caitlin - "
"If she does, I go."
"You are not going!" he yelled, pounding his fist on the table.
She flinched, and the fear on her face was enough to make him ashamed of his anger. Unfortunately, that only spurred him closer to the edge, the all-too-familiar combination of anger and shame raising his demons from the shadowy recesses of his soul.
He saw her jaw flutter slightly, like his plan to keep her safe was a bitter pill to swallow. Most women would be happy he cared enough to protect them.
She's not most women.
Having no idea what to do next, he continued eating, hoping she would do the same. It didn't take him long to finish, but she was still playing with the crusts of her toast, her dainty fingers holding only the very edge, ensuring she could cover as much as possible with yolk. It was an adorable habit.
When Caitlin finally looked up at him, her face was completely calm. He relaxed.
"If you think raising your voice and pounding your fist on the table is enough to get your way," she said harshly, "then you don't know me at all."
Do NOT lose your temper.
Hunter was not well-practiced in self-control, and though Caitlin's voice was strong, he could feel how scared she was. She hadn't been scared of Jay, not even after he and Wells traded blows in the cortex.
In the protracted silence that followed her statement, a look crossed her face. He knew it well because he saw it in his nightmares. It was the same look his mother had when his father wouldn't stop shouting, which happened pretty much every day after he returned from the war. He didn't know it back then, but that was the look people got when someone they loved terrified them.
Calm down. Don't become your father.
The very last thing in the world he should've thought about was his parents. It never came to any good, and it certainly never calmed him down. He knew that.
Hunter should've left. He needed to leave to calm himself down.
"I brought you here to keep you safe," he said, his voice rising. "To protect you. I won't let you run into danger, and if I have to lock you in the prison wing to make sure you stay safe, I'll do it. Do not make me."
"I'm not making you do anything," she replied, her raising her voice to match his. "You were the one who dragged me into this!"
"Caitlin - "
"I'm already your prisoner," she interrupted, her voice now calm and strong. "So if you won't take me seriously and bring me on this raid, then just... just stop pretending. Stop acting like you care about me, about who I am. Do what you do with all your other prisoners, lock me in a cell and stop lying to me."
"I'm not pretending!" he bellowed. "Do you have any idea how much I've done to keep you safe?!"
She glared at him, and it did nothing but fuel his rage. He stood up from his seat, the adrenaline making both his mind and his heart race. Everything was happening at all once, and he couldn't think.
"YOU ARE NOT GOING!" he barked. "And if you knew what was good for you, you'd stop trying my patience!"
Then he marched out of the room, straight to the front door, which he slammed behind him. He needed to run. He needed to race around the entire world before he could make it all stop.
Hunter raced to the Roost, letting the SpeedForce burn away the fury bubbling up inside him. He didn't stop running until he reached the back lab.
He paced at lightning speed, trying to contain his rage. The argument with Caitlin had brought up things he didn't want to remember and not just his parents. He had vivid memories of his many interrogations of Killer Frost. Even during his most wrathful moments, questioning her had been... difficult, given her mild resemblance to his Caitlin. Luckily, his prisoner cracked without too much effort on his part, but he never really trusted her answers, not even when Totem stepped in and confirmed everything. She had no reason to protect Frost, but she was against violence. She might've concealed things to prevent further injury, even to an enemy prisoner.
Totem need not have bothered, for Hunter couldn't bring himself to harm her again. He couldn't handle another scream from her lips. Just thinking about it conjured the horrible sound in his head, echoing over and over...
"Hunter, run!"
He tried to do as his mother said, but his father stopped him, grabbing him and turning him around.
"Stay, boy!" his father ordered.
His father placed his helmet on his head, staring him down as if daring him to flinch and dislodge it. Hunter was surprised at how heavy it was. The way his father wore it, it seemed as light as a feather, but its true weight was like a huge stone atop his head.
"You're gonna wanna see this," his father said.
Hunter looked at his mother as the tears poured down her cheeks. He wanted to do as she said, to run, but he couldn't leave her, not like this. More than anything, he wanted her to know that he wasn't staying because his father ordered him. He stayed because now that he saw how frightened she was, he couldn't leave her side.
His mother was the one who stayed by his bedside when he was too afraid to sleep at night. She had never failed to help him face his fears. How could he leave her?
Hunter wanted to do what she did for him. He wanted to tell her that everything would be all right, and he knew he could. She had taught him how. All he needed to do was go to her, take her hand, and lead her out of the house, and then everything would -
BANG! BANG!
The explosion of sound was deafening and made his ears ring. Hunter had never heard gun go off before - except on the television - and he hadn't been prepared. So it took him a moment to realize that his face and pajamas had been spattered with blood, though the helmet had been spared.
His eyes returned to his mother, who was crumpled on the floor, panic written all over her face.
"I need a damn smoke," his father grunted as he put the gun down on the living room table.
Then he went out to the porch, walking like he wasn't covered in blood. Hunter could see the lighter flicking on in the night air, just outside the front door.
The helmet fell off when Hunter ran to his mother. He could still fix this. Now that they were together, everything would be okay.
He curled up next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She was in pain, he could tell, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to help.
"Hunter," she whispered, her voice halted. "I... love... you."
"It's okay, Mom," he replied. "Everything's going to be okay."
Her hand, cold and clammy, covered his cheek, and she smiled at him with a fresh batch of tears. He mirrored her action and put his had on her chin, inadvertently smearing blood over her fair skin.
"It'll be okay, Mom," he repeated.
"Hunter," she said one last time.
She had more to say, he could tell, but she went still as her hand fell to the floor. And her eyes... something happened to her eyes.
"Everything's going to be okay, Mom," he repeated. "I promise. I promise."
He kept promising her until the police came and pried him away from her. Even then, he kept repeating that promise in his head, refusing to move, right up until they brought in the black bag to carry her body away.
When they zipped it closed and wheeled her away, he learned that nothing would be okay ever again. Maybe it never was, and he had only just realized it.
Reeling from the memories, Hunter retreated, ripping off his mask and collapsing on the cot. He focused his energy on what was important, taking deep breaths to chase away his demons, even if only for a little while. The shaking abated almost immediately, but the lingering memory of hopelessness persisted, as it always did. He'd never managed to chase off the bleakness - the sliver of darkness that stuck hard in his heart - from that night.
He took another deep breath and smiled. Caitlin had slept in this cot not long ago, and her scent remained, a faint reminder that he was no longer stuck in the shadows, the monster waiting to attack.
Except you are.
But not all the time, not anymore. After he became free of the insane asylum, he had spent all his time as one alter-ego or another because the name Hunter Zolomon had been forever tainted as a serial killer. Somehow, he had become the one thing he spent his entire youth trying to escape: forever known as the boy whose father murdered his mother in front of him. Nothing else in his life would be remembered, so why bother being a person? Why bother fighting so damn hard when the only possible outcome was failure? Why not embrace the darkness, where whispers couldn't get to him?
Caitlin would never do that, and she wouldn't want you to do that either.
That was true, but Zoom still existed - needed to exist - to keep the Cause under control. But zoom was no longer the largest aspect of himself, not anymore. Hunter was just as much - and as real - a part of him as Zoom, and now he had a reason to rebuild an element of his life, ot be a person again.
Not an invented person. Not a masked man. Himself. Really, truly himself.
Caitlin was responsible for that, and how had he repaid her? He put her in mortal danger, threatened to lock her in a cell, and then lost his temper when she stubbornly insisted on being herself. The look on her face... He scared her, and he hated himself for it. How could he prove his love to her if she was afraid of him?
Let her go. Bring her home.
No, he couldn't do that. If he returned her to Earth-1, he was all but guaranteeing her death. He knew enough about the future to be certain of that.
It wasn't as if he could simply let Caitlin roam free on Earth-2, not with a doppelganger like Killer Frost, who was a reasonably well-known scientist until an accident transformed her into a literal ice queen. Her story made national news a year ago when her crimes finally landed her on the FBI's most wanted list. The name Caitlin Snow would forever be tainted on Earth-2, just like the name Hunter Zolomon.
Once Frost was out of the picture, he could set up a new identity for Caitlin in this universe, but that required resources and time, especially for fabricated credentials. He could make that work with his later plans, but there was no way for it to serve him in the short term.
Stop treating her like a prisoner.
Hunter didn't like his options. He couldn't leave things as they were. He had to do something to show her how serious he was about their relationship, but he couldn't leave her unprotected, which severely limited his options.
Caitlin doesn't sit on the sidelines, and she won't let you control her.
He needed to find a way to treat her like an equal - or at least a partner - while keeping a watchful eye on her, keeping her safe. It was an impossible task, given that the woman demanded to be part of a major strike force that was going after an enemy stronghold with unknown defenses, all because she suspected him of ulterior motives.
There was nothing for it. He had to find a way to included her in the raid on the MTU, and whatever her involvement, he couldn't allow her to be harmed.
He smiled as an idea occurred to him. Perhaps there was a way to keep her safe and bend the situation to his advantage. Now that the daunting task of repairing his relationship with Caitlin had a way forward, he felt better. Calmer. More in control.
He pulled his mask back on. No matter what, he needed more intelligence before the raid, and Hunter was ready to make the MTU bleed for all its sins.
Caitlin sat frozen at the table for longer than she'd like to admit. Hunter had been radiating fury when he stormed out, and the blue electricity lighting up his skin only proved how angry he really was.
For a moment before he left, she thought he might come back into the room, and she didn't dare move, as if keeping still would protect her somehow. She'd never lived like this before, stuck with no way out in a place with someone who scared her. If she was being honest with herself, he terrified her.
She couldn't escape him, and his emotions were wild, nearly impossible to predict. She and Jay had disagreed before, but he had never lost his cool. Not like that. Never like that.
Jay was never real. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom.
She was just starting to realize how little she knew about Hunter.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. If this was her life - her real life, back on Earth-1 - she would go to Cisco or Barry about it. One of them would know what to say to make everything right again. Then she'd curl up on one of the cots in the medical bay and fall asleep, and when she'd wake up, she'd be ready to face the world.
Caitlin took her plate to the sink before she went upstairs. She wanted to curl up in bed, but she knew she wouldn't fall asleep, not after that. So she showered and dressed as if nothing was amiss.
But, of course, everything was falling apart.
She went down to the Comet and checked on Blink Junior. His vitals were stable, so she went to the office to plan the rest of her day.
As she approached the door, she heard angry voices. Apparently, there was a lot of that going around.
"If he was your son, you'd be singing a different tune!" someone shouted.
"What you're asking, I cannot do!" another woman yelled.
"So the answer is to do nothing?"
Caitlin went inside and found Totem talking with a dark-skinned woman with a buzz cut. They both clammed up as soon as they saw her.
She asked, "Is everything all right?"
"Bellatrix, this is Blink," Totem said. "Blink, Bellatrix. She's the doctor treating your son."
"Good, then maybe you talk sense to this fool," Blink said. "This woman can help people heal by creating psychic links with animals, but she won't help my son."
"I thought your son was already bonded to Scout," Caitlin said.
"He is," Totem said. "I bonded him with the best possible match."
"And that's how his healing is augmented," Caitlin added. "In a few weeks, his eyes will be back to normal, and we can wake him from the coma."
"Weeks," Blink repeated, the word bitterly leaving her tongue. "If this woman would listen to me, he could wake up in a few days!"
"You don't know what you're asking!" Totem retorted.
"Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere," Caitlin interjected. "Totem, what do you mean?"
"She wants me to bind her and her son," Totem replied. "It's forbidden."
"I don't give a damn about forbidden!" Blink countered.
"Will it help Blink Junior?" Caitlin asked.
"No! Psychic bonds don't work this way," Totem replied. "Between human and animal, there's a clear hierarchy, but from person to person? The imbalance creates discord in the soul. The recipient might heal, but the anchor will fall apart. If you're lucky, it will kill you. Otherwise, it will drive you insane until you take your own life."
"So all we do is nothing?" Blink asked, her voice filled with defeat.
"Your son is stable," Caitlin explained. "He's healing. Any medical treatment we attempt now will only make things worse and slow his recovery. I promise you, I will monitor him closely. He'll have everything he needs."
"You've been here for how long, exactly?" Blink asked. "Your promises mean nothing."
"She lives upstairs," Totem pointed out. "Because the people who made this place - who keep this place safe - trust her more than anyone."
"Maybe I don't care who The Flash trusts," Blink retorted. "I have work to do. Don't think this conversation is over."
Then she teleported into the hallway. Caitlin felt pulled in a thousand directions. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the name 'Flash', as if it meant Jay Garrick would return.
Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom.
"Her anger poisons her," Totem remarked. "She was not like this before."
"You mean, before the MTU took her son?"
Totem nodded.
"I understand," she replied. "She wants her son back, and she's worried about his recovery. I can't blame her for being angry."
"You're unwell."
"I thought I could check in on a few patients," Caitlin said, not wanting to talk about her argument with Zoom. "I also wanted to speak with Killer Frost. I was told she was on the prison ward."
"Zoom told you?" Totem prompted.
Caitlin nodded her head, yes.
"This not your fault," she continued. "He is not your fault. Neither is his temper. Even he knows that."
There was a long, stiff silence. Totem must've realized that Caitlin wasn't going to respond because she changed the topic without prompting.
"The prison ward is on the bottom floor," she said. "Junior is your only patient."
"That can't be true," Caitlin replied. "This place is enormous."
"The others are being evacuated to another facility," Totem replied. "Most here need no medical treatment, only a safe place to rest."
"So why move them now?"
"The Cause is going on the offensive. We need this center clear for the wounded."
"So you're moving everybody?" Caitlin asked.
"Not patients like Junior, who need constant care. Some will be here longer than others. I created a roster for your reference and left it on the desk. If you want to see the prisoners, do it today. They will remain here, but lockdown may begin as early as tomorrow. That means no visitors."
"Thank you, Totem."
"I must go," she replied. "Have a good day, Bellatrix."
Then she left the room.
Caitlin went over to the desk and found the roster, which easily had over a hundred names on it. She waited inside, hesitating to go to the elevator, collecting her thoughts. If she visited the prisoner ward first, then she could make rounds on the lower levels. Even if the patients didn't need medical attention, it would give her insight on the Cause, which she knew nothing about.
Her mind made up, she went to the elevator and pushed the button for the bottom floor.
What exactly was her plan? She was going down to ask Killer Frost if Zoom strong-armed her into going on a dangerous operation against the MTU? So what if he had? How could she help Frost if Zoom wanted her dead? Obviously, she couldn't count on talking him out of it.
Even if you tried, he'd want something in return.
No, she wasn't going down that road. She couldn't convince Hunter to become a better person to win her affections. She was just having a bad day. Or, rather, several bad days. She was shaken up, but she would be all right.
She had to be.
It felt like the elevator took an eternity to reach the bottom floor. The doors opened to a level that looked similar to the lair in the mountains with stone walls and poor lighting. When she stepped into the dim glow, she noticed that the carbyne cells were larger, about eight by eight, each with a bed. There were sixteen cells separated by blinder walls.
"Well, if it isn't Wonder Woman herself," Frost said.
She was in the first cell on the left, and it seemed like she had a rough night. Her bed was in complete disarray, and a ruthless anxiety clung to her.
Caitlin did a double-take when she saw the new suit. The fabric seemed to be leather, though she knew that wasn't possible. Even with a controlled reaction, white phosphorus required special synthetic materials to contain it. It resembled Killer Frost's leather pants and jacket, and it fit her form, hugging and highlighting every curve, somehow making her breasts more prominent, even though it covered most of her skin, save for the short v-shaped collar that revealed a sliver of her fair skin.
She found herself imagining Hunter constructing the suit, crafting something to her exact measurements, which he'd come to know so well those four months they were together. At first she felt a combination of flattered and just a little bit shy, but the pleasantly familiar sensation vanished rapidly in the face of her rising embarrassment. The image of his smirking, satisfied face enraged her, so much so that she had to force herself to examine her surroundings to eject the infuriating mental image.
Her emotions were all over the place, constantly swirling between anger and something akin to longing. It was like two snakes entwined, the more they struggled to escape one other, the more entangled they became. She couldn't think herself out of it.
She closed her eyes. She needed to stop thinking, to stop feeling, because any moment now her face and neck would flush. The very last thing she wanted was to listen to Frost comment on her fluster.
Caitlin breathed and a small smile came to her. Focusing on her doppelganger worked. She turned back to the cell, surprise to see that her double didn't seem at all interested in her odd reaction.
Frost said, "A little bird told me you would come to see me."
"Who told you that?"
"Oh, didn't you come to visit me?" Frost taunted. "Or did you come to wave hello to your masked friend instead?"
The man in the mask - who was listed as Sonic Boom on the roster - was at the far end of the floor in the last cell, sprawled out on his bed. It seemed like he was asleep.
"He's been really living it up since we got moved here," Frost sneered.
"I came to talk to you, about the raid," Caitlin said.
"You mean the MTU facility we're going to destroy? What about it?"
"You don't have to go."
"Oh, please. Of course I do," Frost said. "Not just because it gets me out of this cave, either. Those bastards have my mother."
"What?"
"Don't get me wrong, she's a frigid narcissist," Frost continued as if Caitlin hadn't said anything. "But she's family."
"Why would the MTU take your mother?"
"Is everybody from your earth this naïve?" Frost asked. "Isn't it obvious? The MTU wants to know everything about metahumans. That includes why some people have active meta-genes while others remain inactive. Last I checked, genes are inherited."
Caitlin didn't think it was possible to hate the MTU any more, but apparently she was wrong.
"But we - you - don't have the meta-gene," Caitlin pointed out.
"They didn't know that," she replied. "And trust me, they don't care. That just makes me more interesting. I guess that makes you and Mom interesting, too."
Frost gave her a wicked grin before continuing, "Tell me something. What makes you so damn special?"
"Nothing," Caitlin replied. "I'm... I don't have powers."
"Oh, you have something," Frost said pointedly. "For weeks, I sat in that tiny, voyeuristic cell wondering when Zoom would finally kill me. Then, out of the blue, you turn up, and all hell breaks loose."
"Because it was quiet and normal before?"
"When Zoom takes people, they disappear," Frost replied. "They don't reappear with shiny new suits."
"Your powers are unique," Caitlin pointed out. "Maybe Zoom needs you."
"Zoom doesn't need anybody," Frost retorted. "Uses people, maybe, but he never needs them. Whatever's going on, it's not because of me. It must be you."
Before Caitlin could think of a response, her double continued. "I don't care about the details. All I want to know is, do you have enough juice to protect Mom if I don't come out of this one alive?"
Killer Frost came off as cavalier, a woman with nothing to lose now that Deathstorm was dead, but in this moment, nothing could be further from the truth. She was devastated and angry, but most of all, she didn't want to lose the last person that she loved.
"I will," Caitlin replied quietly. "I'll find a way, I promise."
"Let's hope you're as good as your little friend Cisco said," Frost replied, her snide attitude returned in full force.
Frost began to pace in her cell, and it was pretty clear she had no intention of continuing their conversation. Caitlin walked to the end of the level to see how the other prisoner was fairing, but her approach didn't elicit a response, probably because he was sleeping, though the mask made it difficult to tell.
The mask was very large, and it made the man appear impossibly tall, especially with blankets obscuring his body. Hunter had said that he spared Frost because of her resemblance to Caitlin, though that could've easily been a lie. Still, there must be a reason that, out of all his enemies, only these two had been captured and kept alive.
She couldn't hope to solve that particular riddle without more information. All she knew about him was that he was a large man who went by the alias Sonic Boom. She could wake him and try to speak with him, but it was still early in the morning. Perhaps it was better to let him rest.
Caitlin returned to the elevator and went up one floor to make rounds on any patients on that level. All the rooms were empty except for the recreation room, which was brimming with people, most of which were children or teenagers. She didn't want to interrupt, especially not for an unnecessary introduction to a doctor who wouldn't treat any of them, so she continued up to the next floor.
To her surprise, the next four floors were exactly the same. According to the roster, each of the bottom levels were at full capacity, but all of them were perfectly ambulatory.
The Comet was more of a refugee center than a hospital.
Before she could continue onto the next floor, her stomach growled. She hadn't realized that it was nearly one in the afternoon, which was especially problematic as she was supposed to check on Blink Junior over an hour ago.
She went up to the top level to check on her patient, who was still stable and healing. Then she went upstairs to make something for lunch and found a turkey club sandwich and chips waiting for her. She was too ravenous to think about who made the sandwich or even wonder if it was for her. As far as she knew, she was the only one in the house on a permanent basis because she was the only one who had nowhere else to go.
The thought made her feel a little claustrophobic, like she had been stuck inside far too long. So she took the plate outside and enjoyed a walk on the beach in the sunlight. The warmth on her skin felt good, so she found a nice spot to sit and eat. It was tempting to avoid responsibility and stay outside all day, but Junior required monitoring. She couldn't abandon him.
So she returned to the Comet, where she ran into Totem and Terra Firma in the hall. They both looked frazzled.
"I had a question, if you have a moment," Caitlin said.
"Only a moment," Totem replied.
"I noticed that many of the patients on the bottom floors were children. There were a handful of young adults, but as far as I could tell, no parents. Are they not allowed?"
Totem raised a questioning eyebrow, but she shook her head, no.
"The bottom levels contain patients from orphanages," she explained. "The closest thing most of them have to parents are Ghost and Cloak."
"Ghost and Cloak?" Caitlin repeated. "I assume they're alos metahumans?"
"Siblings who watch over the kids," Totem replied. "They act more as guardians than parents."
"I haven't see them."
"You would not see them, Bellatrix. Not unless they wished it."
Caitlin wasn't sure if Totem was implying that the sibling caretakers were stealthy or invisible, but given their names, both scenarios seemed possible.
"Apologies, but we have much work to do," Totem said.
"One more question," Caitlin said.
It was ridiculous to ask, especially now, but the impulse had already gotten the better of her. She might as well follow through.
"What kind of animal would I be paired with? For bonding?"
Totem smiled, and there was something about it that felt genuine, honest.
"It's less about the kind and more about the individual," Totem said. "Though I suspect the best match for you would be among the great long-legged birds. A heron or a crane perhaps. But, the right bonding match can come from any species. Sometimes such things surprise you."
With that, she swept out of the room, followed by Terra Firma, leaving Caitlin alone.
And that's how she spent the rest of her day, save for her hourly check-ins on Junior and Scout the Macaw. She decided to use the rest of the afternoon to learn about Earth-2's emergency medicine, which was incredibly advanced. She then made the unfortunate decision to read up on known anti-metahuman technology in preparation for anyone who might be wounded during the raid on the MTU.
She was ready to call it a night as soon as the clock hit five. Reading about horrific weapons designed to maim people with meta-powers made the hours feel like eons.
Caitlin sat in Junior's room for over half an hour. He didn't need monitoring or company, but she did, especially after reading about the many terrible weapons designed to kill or control metahumans.
She didn't know why she thought sitting with Junior would help. He was only in this bed because of the MTU, and he seemed so small with all the tubes and wires sticking out of him.
It made her angry.
How many Earth-2 metahumans would've become heroes like Barry if they weren't afraid of the MTU? Would Reverb have worked for Zoom if they weren't hunting metas? What about Deathstorm and her own doppelganger?
She couldn't take it anymore, so she went upstairs to the house and found a basket of breadsticks next to a note about meatloaf in the oven. There was nothing to indicate that she needed to wait for company, so she served herself and ate alone at the table, hoping Hunter would stay away. She didn't want to face him, not after the draining day she had had.
It would be nice to have some company, though.
Caitlin ate quickly, nearly giving herself heartburn as she wolfed down her meal. She felt exposed on the ground floor and wanted to go to her room for the night, even though she would be just as alone there as she was here.
She took a few minutes to wash her dishes and store rest of the food in the fridge before she went upstairs for the night. She had the whole evening ahead of her and nothing to do, so she paced for quite some time, trying to think her way out of her situation.
The trouble was that, crazy as it seemed to her, Zoom might not be the most dangerous thing in this universe. If they were interested in anyone who shared Frost's DNA, certainly her doppelganger would qualify, even if she didn't have powers. Even if she could find a way to escape Hunter and return to Earth-1, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be abandoning people over here.
She bit her lip. Hunter had wanted her to pick a side, and whether she liked it or not, her conscience had chosen the Cause, which protected the meta-humans from inhuman torture, abuse, and experimentation.
It's not your universe. It's not your fight.
Maybe it wasn't. Maybe she just felt obligated. Maybe that was why Hunter brought her to the Comet.
She decided that, until she could feasibly escape to Earth-1, she wouldn't worry about the moral dilemma. So crawled into bed that night and wasted hours tossing and turning, her mind unable to rest until she drifted into an uneasy sleep, where even her dreams were filled with shadow.
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Chapter Six: Al-Jabbar (Part Two)
Primary Post: Orion
Subtitle: Al-Jabbar (Part One)
Author: dracox-serdriel
Word count: 13,000 (split chapter)
Chapter notes: The title of this chapter comes from the Arabic name for the constellation Orion: Al-Jabbar, which means 'the giant.'
Note: Due to LJ's length limitations, this chapter had to be split into two parts.
Zoom considered ordering someone else to handle the break-in at Palmer Technologies, but even the most obedient of minions could learn too much from such a mission. Some things he just had to do himself.
Unfortunately, that came with its own set of obstacles. While the government learned long ago that resisting Zoom was futile, he knew that they tracked his activity, which meant his appearance always drew attention, even when he didn't want it. So he ordered a few local metas to turn up the heat on all the human-run illicit enterprises on the west coast. He sent similar commands to his lieutenants throughout the country so the unrest wouldn't be limited to the west coast. Police, FBI, and DOD agents would be tied up for weeks processing the crime scenes, filling out useless paperwork, and scrambling to figure out the significance, the meaning, of it all.
A break-in at Palmer Technologies would garner some curiosity, but any official response would vanish in the shadow of the looming gang wars that law enforcement would anticipate.
Chaos was a beautiful weapon.
Zoom limited his exposure by racing inside during the apex of Typhoon's contributions to the abrupt turmoil, which covered Star City in thunderstorms. He sped up the inside of the elevator shaft and exited with the materials he required in under forty seconds, even with all the anti-meta and anti-speedster security in place, it was child's play.
He spent the rest of the day in one of his hidden labs in Coast City, perfecting the heating mechanism of the suit. He had to hand it to Caitlin for coming up with white phosphorous. If he had set his mind to the task, he would've wasted months spinning his wheels on a viable nuclear power source.
Caitlin was a very, very smart girl.
She's a smart woman. Much smarter than you.
Hunter tested the insulation of the suit to ensure that it properly contained the chemical reaction. He hadn't had the luxury of tinkering in his lab to solve an interesting problem in a long time. He'd forgotten how much he loved the work, the details, the rush that came from a crafted design coming to life.
Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, releasing a spark of electric blue from under his suit. It was a distinct sensation that alerted him to nearby predators, and it was never wrong.
Vibe.
No, Vibe manipulated the power of multiverse - when it wasn't manipulating him - and, thanks to Reverb's constant nosiness, the tiniest ripple in the fabric of that energy forewarned him of any intrusion. No, this was something else. Someone else. But who would dare attempt to spy on Zoom?
The Metahuman Tactical Unit had grown bolder in the recent months, but with Blink in their crosshairs, he doubted they had time for him. He had already destroyed those enemies who posed any real threat, which left only one explanation.
A new player.
He didn't have time to muse over that particular problem. He told Caitlin he'd return before dark with the suit, and he planned to keep his word, which meant he didn't have time to investigate this new challenger and shake whoever-it-was off his trail. Not tonight.
Before he could race from the lab, someone materialized before him, making him glad that he hadn't removed his cowl. He concealed his finished project before he swept the room in the blink of an eye.
Only then did he give the fool who barged into his domain uninvited a once-over. She was a young woman with light black skin and a buzz cut. Her eyes stood out in the lab lighting, but only because the circles under them were so dark. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her lips were chapped, which matched the dryness of her skin.
Clearly, Blink wasn't doing well on the lam.
"Blink!" he snarled in his Zoom voice.
"Apologies," she replied, flustered and afraid. "I... I have an urgent report."
"Shouldn't you be hiding from the MTU?"
"After what those bastards did to my son, they should be hiding from us."
Blink had always preferred the more subtle means of resistance, like smuggling and sabotage, yet today she was a woman demanding vengeance, blood for blood. It was enough reason for him to forget her impudence, but only this once.
"Speak," he commanded.
"We've found it," Blink replied. "The MTU's secret weapon."
His heart skipped a beat. For a government agency, the MTU had been unusually successful at capturing metas, and he had long suspected that they possessed something that gave them a tactical advantage. None of his minions had gotten close enough to figure out what it was, let alone locate it. But from the look on Blink's face, there was no doubt in his mind that she had done what even Reverb had failed to do.
"Where?"
"Close," she replied. "Very, very close."
Caitlin came up from the basement before seven o'clock. She hadn't realized how drained she was until she climbed the stairs and her legs weighed her down like lead. She pressed on until reached the kitchen-dinning room, which had a table set for two, lit by candlelight.
Hunter was already seated at the table, his elbows perched on either side of his plate, his chin held up by his two fists as he stared wistfully at the candle flame in front of him. The tiny fire cast his handsome features in a sharp relief, making him appear almost human.
Almost.
When his eyes fell on her, he stood up and his demeanor changing from moody teenager to absolute gentleman in a heartbeat.
"Caitlin," he said. "Please, sit."
Without a reply, she joined him at the table, which was set with mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and chicken. Without asking, he uncorked the bottle of wine and poured two glasses.
The candlelit dinner dug at old wounds, but she was too tired to argue with him.
"Totem is fitting Killer Frost with her new suit," he said.
"I need to see her before you take her across the breach," she replied.
"She's in the prison wing of the Comet, bottom floor," he replied. "You can visit her whenever you'd like."
"When are you taking her to Earth-1?"
"Not for another week or two," he replied. "You should eat."
To placate him, she spooned some potatoes and vegetables onto her plate and took a piece of chicken. She was hungry, but she didn't want to stay at the table any longer than necessary. So she took portions for a quick bite rather than the leisurely, romantic meal Hunter had planned.
For the next few minutes, the scrape of utensils against plates was the only thing that broke the silence. His constant gaze was stifling. The quietness had no visible impact on him, and it annoyed her. She desperately searched for a topic - any topic - to fill the void, but she couldn't think of anything to say,.
"You're quiet," he commented, finally. "Any particular reason?"
"What would I say?" she countered.
"You must have questions."
Why ask anything when you can't trust a word he says?
"Not really," she replied. "You want me to treat metahumans, so they'll owe you lifelong devotion and loyalty."
"I have my own means of ensuring lifelong devotion and loyalty," he replied, his lips curling into a wry smile.
"That didn't stop Killer Frost."
She drew some satisfaction when his knuckles whitened against his fork and his jaw clenched, but it was short-lived.
"The single exception," he stated calmly. "Loyalty and obligation don't motivate metas, not when it comes to governmental agencies who have the lawful authority to hunt them down and experiment on them to death."
"So, you hold an ax over their heads?"
"You think that's worse than what happened to Blink Junior?" he asked. "Or Mirage? Or Rush? Or anybody down in the Comet?"
"Mirage?" she asked.
"She's eleven," he replied. "Rush is six."
Her curiosity peaked, getting the better of her. She had assumed Blink Junior was an anomaly.
"We've never encountered metahuman children on Earth-1," she said. "I assumed it had something to do with the onset of puberty, but here, it's obvious that the meta-gene can express itself in early childhood."
"We don't know why some children hit with the particle accelerator have remained unaffected while others like Junior developed powers as quickly as their adult counterparts," he replied. "But there's every possibility that the MTU and its affiliates know."
Caitlin didn't like where this conversation was going, but she knew she had to ask him sooner or later. She might as well get it over with now.
"If the MTU is really this big threat, why haven't you..." she hesitated, fumbling for the right word. "Dealt with them directly?"
"You mean why haven't I killed every last one of them?" he asked. "I have to find them first."
A beeping abruptly filled the room. It wasn't an alarm or a ring tone. If anything, it reminded Caitlin of the beepers used in the nineties on Earth-1. Hunter's hand went to his hip and the sound stopped.
"I have to go," he said as he stood up.
"Go? Where?"
He gave her that toothy smirk that she hated.
"I'm sorry I have to cut dinner short tonight," he replied, completely avoiding her question. "Don't worry about the cleanup."
He walked right past her, so she stood up and grabbed his shoulder, halting him before he made it out of the room.
"What's going on?" she asked.
He turned back to her, surprised at the willing physical contact, and he wasn't the only one. She did it out of habit more than anything, but it was too late to take it back. Since she had obviously gotten his attention, she withdrew her hand slowly, trying to make the movement natural.
She failed.
"Too much to explain right now," he replied. "I'll tell you everything when I see you tomorrow at breakfast."
She saw no smugness, no knowing smile, nothing that she'd expect from Hunter. Whatever he was feeling, his face betrayed none of it, though something in his eyes told her that he was happy.
If he's happy, it's only because he thinks you're comfortable enough with him to try and stop him from leaving the room. He's manipulating you.
"Good night," he said.
"Night," she replied automatically.
He turned and left, walking out the front door like an ordinary human being.
She gathered her plate and utensils and moved them to the sink. She didn't like the idea of leaving a mess for someone else to clean up, but her brain felt like a wrung sponge. She needed to curl up in bed.
Before she went upstairs, she turned on the lights and proceeded to blow out all the candles. It was oddly satisfying to extinguish the tiny flames, like she was turning down something that Hunter had offered, however foolish that was.
She climbed the stairs and turned out the lights, though the floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the dim light of the dusk into her bedroom. She didn't mind. She was in a different universe living on top of a secret, hidden medical facility filled with badly injured metahumans, so the natural nightlight seemed like a wise choice.
As Caitlin sprawled out in bed, she wondered what was happening on Earth-1. Barr probably blamed himself for her capture, and, no doubt, Cisco was designing some kind of super-Vibe technology to get in contact with her, bickering endlessly with Wells. At first, picturing everyone on Earth-1 made her smile, but then it turned to worry.
What if they were concocting some ridiculous rescue mission? Wells and Barry wouldn't be stopped by a handful of impossibilities. Her stomach ached as she considered the number of things that could go wrong, not the least of which included running into a vengeful Zoom.
She sat up, her mind racing. She needed to find a way to contact them, if for no other reason than to assure them that she safe for now at least. Zoom was playing the long game, so there was no need to rush into a risky plan.
Hunter didn't seem concerned about her contacting other people. The Comet had internet connection. She could probably get her hands on a phone, but nothing that could reach Earth-1.
Unless Vibe reaches out.
Cisco had contacted Zoom about Wally and spoke across universes with little more than Jay's helmet to connect them.
So why hasn't he contacted me?
Cisco had plenty of Caitlin's personal effects to use to connect with her, yet she hadn't heard a peep. Had he tried and failed? Worse, had he tried and seen her nearly frozen to death or unconscious in Zoom's clutches?
Caitlin left the bed and wandered downstairs for a glass of water. She could think herself sick, cycling through every worst case scenario, but it wouldn't help anybody. As she climbed the stairs back to her room, she warily considered her options and came up empty. She wasn't going to figure anything out tonight. She'd have to start tomorrow.
The next morning, Hunter transferred all the clothing he stored at the Roost to his new hideaway, which was far from prying eyes and uncompromised.
He had grown up with nothing. The orphanage provided him with a kind of dreary uniform of dark slacks and long-sleeved shirts, which he had to wear even in the summer. When he'd first get them, they'd be several sizes too big, and once he grew too large for them, the process would start over, and his too-small clothing would be passed down to the next generation of hapless kids nobody wanted. When he was finally old enough to get a job for some spending money, he had to save up for weeks to buy a pair of jeans, months if he wanted new shoes, and he had to hide everything he owned to hold on to it and prevent theft.
When he finally escaped that place and went to college, he knew nothing about clothing other than how to do laundry. He hesitated to ask his classmates, as it meant explaining why he didn't know how to dress himself, and he avoided that at all costs.
Everything he knew about fashion was haphazard and random, and it never bothered him before.
Pretending to be other people didn't count. Other people had costume wardrobes, and then dressing became all about putting on someone else's skin, from a random delivery person to Jay Garrick.
He had never really found what clothing fit him. The sole exception was the leather jacket Caitlin had given him for their three-month anniversary. It was black and incredibly comfortable, and it was just perfect for him, Hunter.
He decided on jeans and a casual dark green v-neck shirt, which felt right. He grabbed a belt, mentally noting that he needed to find one that suited him at a later date, and then donned his jacket. He checked himself in the mirror and was pleased to see Hunter reflected back at him.
It was important for Caitlin to see him like this, as himself.
Like it will make a difference.
He returned to the island less than an hour later. He felt acutely aware of his behavior as he crossed the threshold of the door, like every little thing he did was a defining act.
You're nervous, you idiot.
Of course he was nervous. He had never mended a relationship in his life, and he had no idea how to do it. Each time he saw Caitlin was another opportunity, but it became more and more difficult for him.
Because each time there's more at stake.
He and Caitlin would be together. It might take a few months or a few years, but that didn't matter. He felt confident, which was basically a guarantee.
Hunter walked into the kitchen and began to make breakfast, setting several slices of bread to toast. He must've arrived later than he intended, for Caitlin appeared only a few minutes later wearing rumpled pajamas and her hair barely tamed by a ponytail.
She was gorgeous.
"Morning," he said. "What would you like?"
"Toast is fine."
"Bacon? Eggs?"
"If you're making them."
She was clearly still sleepy, as she sat at the table and took her head in her hands. He cracked a few eggs open and threw some bacon in, savoring the crackling pop that came from the pan.
Hunter sensed her eyes on his back. No doubt she was wondering why he didn't use his speed to finish in a flash, or why he hadn't ordered someone else to prepare the meal. He wasn't exactly a great cook, but he could do the basics. Jay had always cooked for her after they spent the night together, at least whenever there wasn't some emergency that forced them to race out the door. It was important to remind her of the good memories.
That's a new low.
He plated the eggs, bacon, and toast, then carried the dishes to the table. He placed hers in front of her elbows before sitting opposite her.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"How did you sleep?" he asked. "If you - "
"What's going on?" she interrupted.
He paused, buttering a piece of toast in the silence. He had hoped for a more cordial start to the morning.
"Last night, you said you'd tell me," she added.
"I suppose we could talk about that," he said. "We've uncovered a major MTU site, one we've been looking for a long time."
"'We'?" she asked skeptically.
"Yes, we," he replied. "The MTU has many captives. A lot of metas want to find where their loved ones are being held. We won't strike until we have enough to plan an attack, but when we do, there will be injuries and a lot of them. You should prepare yourself. Unless you plan on letting them suffer to spite me."
They ate for the next few minutes in silence.
"I should go," she said abruptly.
"Go?" he repeated.
"To the site," she said. "I'm going with you."
"Absolutely not," he replied. "I'm not taking you into a warzone."
"Which means there will be people who need my help," she pointed out.
"There are other doctors," he said. "You'll be here, under guard, out of harm's reach."
"Why haven't you brought Killer Frost to Earth-1 yet?" she asked. "Is it the suit?"
At first, he thought the abrupt change in topic was her giving up, but a quick study of her face made it plain that this disagreement was just beginning. It was tempting to lie, but he knew there would be repercussions for any further dishonesty, and he needed to avoid that at all costs.
"No, the suit was thoroughly tested," he replied. "It's ready for day-to-day use."
She can read you like a book.
He hadn't planned on telling her about Killer Frost's involvement, but there didn't seem to be any way around it.
"So why is she still here?" she asked.
"Because she's participating in the raid," he replied.
"I'm coming with you," Caitlin said stubbornly. "End of discussion."
"You think I won't lock you in a cell to keep you safe?" he asked. "I've already taken you to a different universe."
"You said you'd bring Frost to Earth-1 once the suit was ready," she said. "You promised me. Wasn't the whole point of that to show me I could trust you?"
"I will put her in the pipeline - "
She interrupted, "What if she dies?"
"Caitlin, I - "
"It'd be convenient if she did," she interrupted. "You bring her on a dangerous raid, and she dies. Then it's not your fault you can't keep your promise."
His patience was wearing thin.
"That is not why she is coming," he said loudly. He curbed his anger and continued, "When she heard what was happening, she volunteered. You don't have to believe me. You can ask her yourself."
"If she goes, I go."
How could someone he cared so much about inspire so much rage? Didn't she realize that all he wanted was to keep her safe? That losing her would destroy him?
She thinks that's all a lie, and that's entirely your fault.
"Caitlin - "
"If she does, I go."
"You are not going!" he yelled, pounding his fist on the table.
She flinched, and the fear on her face was enough to make him ashamed of his anger. Unfortunately, that only spurred him closer to the edge, the all-too-familiar combination of anger and shame raising his demons from the shadowy recesses of his soul.
He saw her jaw flutter slightly, like his plan to keep her safe was a bitter pill to swallow. Most women would be happy he cared enough to protect them.
She's not most women.
Having no idea what to do next, he continued eating, hoping she would do the same. It didn't take him long to finish, but she was still playing with the crusts of her toast, her dainty fingers holding only the very edge, ensuring she could cover as much as possible with yolk. It was an adorable habit.
When Caitlin finally looked up at him, her face was completely calm. He relaxed.
"If you think raising your voice and pounding your fist on the table is enough to get your way," she said harshly, "then you don't know me at all."
Do NOT lose your temper.
Hunter was not well-practiced in self-control, and though Caitlin's voice was strong, he could feel how scared she was. She hadn't been scared of Jay, not even after he and Wells traded blows in the cortex.
In the protracted silence that followed her statement, a look crossed her face. He knew it well because he saw it in his nightmares. It was the same look his mother had when his father wouldn't stop shouting, which happened pretty much every day after he returned from the war. He didn't know it back then, but that was the look people got when someone they loved terrified them.
Calm down. Don't become your father.
The very last thing in the world he should've thought about was his parents. It never came to any good, and it certainly never calmed him down. He knew that.
Hunter should've left. He needed to leave to calm himself down.
"I brought you here to keep you safe," he said, his voice rising. "To protect you. I won't let you run into danger, and if I have to lock you in the prison wing to make sure you stay safe, I'll do it. Do not make me."
"I'm not making you do anything," she replied, her raising her voice to match his. "You were the one who dragged me into this!"
"Caitlin - "
"I'm already your prisoner," she interrupted, her voice now calm and strong. "So if you won't take me seriously and bring me on this raid, then just... just stop pretending. Stop acting like you care about me, about who I am. Do what you do with all your other prisoners, lock me in a cell and stop lying to me."
"I'm not pretending!" he bellowed. "Do you have any idea how much I've done to keep you safe?!"
She glared at him, and it did nothing but fuel his rage. He stood up from his seat, the adrenaline making both his mind and his heart race. Everything was happening at all once, and he couldn't think.
"YOU ARE NOT GOING!" he barked. "And if you knew what was good for you, you'd stop trying my patience!"
Then he marched out of the room, straight to the front door, which he slammed behind him. He needed to run. He needed to race around the entire world before he could make it all stop.
Hunter raced to the Roost, letting the SpeedForce burn away the fury bubbling up inside him. He didn't stop running until he reached the back lab.
He paced at lightning speed, trying to contain his rage. The argument with Caitlin had brought up things he didn't want to remember and not just his parents. He had vivid memories of his many interrogations of Killer Frost. Even during his most wrathful moments, questioning her had been... difficult, given her mild resemblance to his Caitlin. Luckily, his prisoner cracked without too much effort on his part, but he never really trusted her answers, not even when Totem stepped in and confirmed everything. She had no reason to protect Frost, but she was against violence. She might've concealed things to prevent further injury, even to an enemy prisoner.
Totem need not have bothered, for Hunter couldn't bring himself to harm her again. He couldn't handle another scream from her lips. Just thinking about it conjured the horrible sound in his head, echoing over and over...
"Hunter, run!"
He tried to do as his mother said, but his father stopped him, grabbing him and turning him around.
"Stay, boy!" his father ordered.
His father placed his helmet on his head, staring him down as if daring him to flinch and dislodge it. Hunter was surprised at how heavy it was. The way his father wore it, it seemed as light as a feather, but its true weight was like a huge stone atop his head.
"You're gonna wanna see this," his father said.
Hunter looked at his mother as the tears poured down her cheeks. He wanted to do as she said, to run, but he couldn't leave her, not like this. More than anything, he wanted her to know that he wasn't staying because his father ordered him. He stayed because now that he saw how frightened she was, he couldn't leave her side.
His mother was the one who stayed by his bedside when he was too afraid to sleep at night. She had never failed to help him face his fears. How could he leave her?
Hunter wanted to do what she did for him. He wanted to tell her that everything would be all right, and he knew he could. She had taught him how. All he needed to do was go to her, take her hand, and lead her out of the house, and then everything would -
BANG! BANG!
The explosion of sound was deafening and made his ears ring. Hunter had never heard gun go off before - except on the television - and he hadn't been prepared. So it took him a moment to realize that his face and pajamas had been spattered with blood, though the helmet had been spared.
His eyes returned to his mother, who was crumpled on the floor, panic written all over her face.
"I need a damn smoke," his father grunted as he put the gun down on the living room table.
Then he went out to the porch, walking like he wasn't covered in blood. Hunter could see the lighter flicking on in the night air, just outside the front door.
The helmet fell off when Hunter ran to his mother. He could still fix this. Now that they were together, everything would be okay.
He curled up next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She was in pain, he could tell, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to help.
"Hunter," she whispered, her voice halted. "I... love... you."
"It's okay, Mom," he replied. "Everything's going to be okay."
Her hand, cold and clammy, covered his cheek, and she smiled at him with a fresh batch of tears. He mirrored her action and put his had on her chin, inadvertently smearing blood over her fair skin.
"It'll be okay, Mom," he repeated.
"Hunter," she said one last time.
She had more to say, he could tell, but she went still as her hand fell to the floor. And her eyes... something happened to her eyes.
"Everything's going to be okay, Mom," he repeated. "I promise. I promise."
He kept promising her until the police came and pried him away from her. Even then, he kept repeating that promise in his head, refusing to move, right up until they brought in the black bag to carry her body away.
When they zipped it closed and wheeled her away, he learned that nothing would be okay ever again. Maybe it never was, and he had only just realized it.
Reeling from the memories, Hunter retreated, ripping off his mask and collapsing on the cot. He focused his energy on what was important, taking deep breaths to chase away his demons, even if only for a little while. The shaking abated almost immediately, but the lingering memory of hopelessness persisted, as it always did. He'd never managed to chase off the bleakness - the sliver of darkness that stuck hard in his heart - from that night.
He took another deep breath and smiled. Caitlin had slept in this cot not long ago, and her scent remained, a faint reminder that he was no longer stuck in the shadows, the monster waiting to attack.
Except you are.
But not all the time, not anymore. After he became free of the insane asylum, he had spent all his time as one alter-ego or another because the name Hunter Zolomon had been forever tainted as a serial killer. Somehow, he had become the one thing he spent his entire youth trying to escape: forever known as the boy whose father murdered his mother in front of him. Nothing else in his life would be remembered, so why bother being a person? Why bother fighting so damn hard when the only possible outcome was failure? Why not embrace the darkness, where whispers couldn't get to him?
Caitlin would never do that, and she wouldn't want you to do that either.
That was true, but Zoom still existed - needed to exist - to keep the Cause under control. But zoom was no longer the largest aspect of himself, not anymore. Hunter was just as much - and as real - a part of him as Zoom, and now he had a reason to rebuild an element of his life, ot be a person again.
Not an invented person. Not a masked man. Himself. Really, truly himself.
Caitlin was responsible for that, and how had he repaid her? He put her in mortal danger, threatened to lock her in a cell, and then lost his temper when she stubbornly insisted on being herself. The look on her face... He scared her, and he hated himself for it. How could he prove his love to her if she was afraid of him?
Let her go. Bring her home.
No, he couldn't do that. If he returned her to Earth-1, he was all but guaranteeing her death. He knew enough about the future to be certain of that.
It wasn't as if he could simply let Caitlin roam free on Earth-2, not with a doppelganger like Killer Frost, who was a reasonably well-known scientist until an accident transformed her into a literal ice queen. Her story made national news a year ago when her crimes finally landed her on the FBI's most wanted list. The name Caitlin Snow would forever be tainted on Earth-2, just like the name Hunter Zolomon.
Once Frost was out of the picture, he could set up a new identity for Caitlin in this universe, but that required resources and time, especially for fabricated credentials. He could make that work with his later plans, but there was no way for it to serve him in the short term.
Stop treating her like a prisoner.
Hunter didn't like his options. He couldn't leave things as they were. He had to do something to show her how serious he was about their relationship, but he couldn't leave her unprotected, which severely limited his options.
Caitlin doesn't sit on the sidelines, and she won't let you control her.
He needed to find a way to treat her like an equal - or at least a partner - while keeping a watchful eye on her, keeping her safe. It was an impossible task, given that the woman demanded to be part of a major strike force that was going after an enemy stronghold with unknown defenses, all because she suspected him of ulterior motives.
There was nothing for it. He had to find a way to included her in the raid on the MTU, and whatever her involvement, he couldn't allow her to be harmed.
He smiled as an idea occurred to him. Perhaps there was a way to keep her safe and bend the situation to his advantage. Now that the daunting task of repairing his relationship with Caitlin had a way forward, he felt better. Calmer. More in control.
He pulled his mask back on. No matter what, he needed more intelligence before the raid, and Hunter was ready to make the MTU bleed for all its sins.
Caitlin sat frozen at the table for longer than she'd like to admit. Hunter had been radiating fury when he stormed out, and the blue electricity lighting up his skin only proved how angry he really was.
For a moment before he left, she thought he might come back into the room, and she didn't dare move, as if keeping still would protect her somehow. She'd never lived like this before, stuck with no way out in a place with someone who scared her. If she was being honest with herself, he terrified her.
She couldn't escape him, and his emotions were wild, nearly impossible to predict. She and Jay had disagreed before, but he had never lost his cool. Not like that. Never like that.
Jay was never real. Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom.
She was just starting to realize how little she knew about Hunter.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. If this was her life - her real life, back on Earth-1 - she would go to Cisco or Barry about it. One of them would know what to say to make everything right again. Then she'd curl up on one of the cots in the medical bay and fall asleep, and when she'd wake up, she'd be ready to face the world.
Caitlin took her plate to the sink before she went upstairs. She wanted to curl up in bed, but she knew she wouldn't fall asleep, not after that. So she showered and dressed as if nothing was amiss.
But, of course, everything was falling apart.
She went down to the Comet and checked on Blink Junior. His vitals were stable, so she went to the office to plan the rest of her day.
As she approached the door, she heard angry voices. Apparently, there was a lot of that going around.
"If he was your son, you'd be singing a different tune!" someone shouted.
"What you're asking, I cannot do!" another woman yelled.
"So the answer is to do nothing?"
Caitlin went inside and found Totem talking with a dark-skinned woman with a buzz cut. They both clammed up as soon as they saw her.
She asked, "Is everything all right?"
"Bellatrix, this is Blink," Totem said. "Blink, Bellatrix. She's the doctor treating your son."
"Good, then maybe you talk sense to this fool," Blink said. "This woman can help people heal by creating psychic links with animals, but she won't help my son."
"I thought your son was already bonded to Scout," Caitlin said.
"He is," Totem said. "I bonded him with the best possible match."
"And that's how his healing is augmented," Caitlin added. "In a few weeks, his eyes will be back to normal, and we can wake him from the coma."
"Weeks," Blink repeated, the word bitterly leaving her tongue. "If this woman would listen to me, he could wake up in a few days!"
"You don't know what you're asking!" Totem retorted.
"Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere," Caitlin interjected. "Totem, what do you mean?"
"She wants me to bind her and her son," Totem replied. "It's forbidden."
"I don't give a damn about forbidden!" Blink countered.
"Will it help Blink Junior?" Caitlin asked.
"No! Psychic bonds don't work this way," Totem replied. "Between human and animal, there's a clear hierarchy, but from person to person? The imbalance creates discord in the soul. The recipient might heal, but the anchor will fall apart. If you're lucky, it will kill you. Otherwise, it will drive you insane until you take your own life."
"So all we do is nothing?" Blink asked, her voice filled with defeat.
"Your son is stable," Caitlin explained. "He's healing. Any medical treatment we attempt now will only make things worse and slow his recovery. I promise you, I will monitor him closely. He'll have everything he needs."
"You've been here for how long, exactly?" Blink asked. "Your promises mean nothing."
"She lives upstairs," Totem pointed out. "Because the people who made this place - who keep this place safe - trust her more than anyone."
"Maybe I don't care who The Flash trusts," Blink retorted. "I have work to do. Don't think this conversation is over."
Then she teleported into the hallway. Caitlin felt pulled in a thousand directions. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the name 'Flash', as if it meant Jay Garrick would return.
Jay is Hunter, and Hunter is Zoom.
"Her anger poisons her," Totem remarked. "She was not like this before."
"You mean, before the MTU took her son?"
Totem nodded.
"I understand," she replied. "She wants her son back, and she's worried about his recovery. I can't blame her for being angry."
"You're unwell."
"I thought I could check in on a few patients," Caitlin said, not wanting to talk about her argument with Zoom. "I also wanted to speak with Killer Frost. I was told she was on the prison ward."
"Zoom told you?" Totem prompted.
Caitlin nodded her head, yes.
"This not your fault," she continued. "He is not your fault. Neither is his temper. Even he knows that."
There was a long, stiff silence. Totem must've realized that Caitlin wasn't going to respond because she changed the topic without prompting.
"The prison ward is on the bottom floor," she said. "Junior is your only patient."
"That can't be true," Caitlin replied. "This place is enormous."
"The others are being evacuated to another facility," Totem replied. "Most here need no medical treatment, only a safe place to rest."
"So why move them now?"
"The Cause is going on the offensive. We need this center clear for the wounded."
"So you're moving everybody?" Caitlin asked.
"Not patients like Junior, who need constant care. Some will be here longer than others. I created a roster for your reference and left it on the desk. If you want to see the prisoners, do it today. They will remain here, but lockdown may begin as early as tomorrow. That means no visitors."
"Thank you, Totem."
"I must go," she replied. "Have a good day, Bellatrix."
Then she left the room.
Caitlin went over to the desk and found the roster, which easily had over a hundred names on it. She waited inside, hesitating to go to the elevator, collecting her thoughts. If she visited the prisoner ward first, then she could make rounds on the lower levels. Even if the patients didn't need medical attention, it would give her insight on the Cause, which she knew nothing about.
Her mind made up, she went to the elevator and pushed the button for the bottom floor.
What exactly was her plan? She was going down to ask Killer Frost if Zoom strong-armed her into going on a dangerous operation against the MTU? So what if he had? How could she help Frost if Zoom wanted her dead? Obviously, she couldn't count on talking him out of it.
Even if you tried, he'd want something in return.
No, she wasn't going down that road. She couldn't convince Hunter to become a better person to win her affections. She was just having a bad day. Or, rather, several bad days. She was shaken up, but she would be all right.
She had to be.
It felt like the elevator took an eternity to reach the bottom floor. The doors opened to a level that looked similar to the lair in the mountains with stone walls and poor lighting. When she stepped into the dim glow, she noticed that the carbyne cells were larger, about eight by eight, each with a bed. There were sixteen cells separated by blinder walls.
"Well, if it isn't Wonder Woman herself," Frost said.
She was in the first cell on the left, and it seemed like she had a rough night. Her bed was in complete disarray, and a ruthless anxiety clung to her.
Caitlin did a double-take when she saw the new suit. The fabric seemed to be leather, though she knew that wasn't possible. Even with a controlled reaction, white phosphorus required special synthetic materials to contain it. It resembled Killer Frost's leather pants and jacket, and it fit her form, hugging and highlighting every curve, somehow making her breasts more prominent, even though it covered most of her skin, save for the short v-shaped collar that revealed a sliver of her fair skin.
She found herself imagining Hunter constructing the suit, crafting something to her exact measurements, which he'd come to know so well those four months they were together. At first she felt a combination of flattered and just a little bit shy, but the pleasantly familiar sensation vanished rapidly in the face of her rising embarrassment. The image of his smirking, satisfied face enraged her, so much so that she had to force herself to examine her surroundings to eject the infuriating mental image.
Her emotions were all over the place, constantly swirling between anger and something akin to longing. It was like two snakes entwined, the more they struggled to escape one other, the more entangled they became. She couldn't think herself out of it.
She closed her eyes. She needed to stop thinking, to stop feeling, because any moment now her face and neck would flush. The very last thing she wanted was to listen to Frost comment on her fluster.
Caitlin breathed and a small smile came to her. Focusing on her doppelganger worked. She turned back to the cell, surprise to see that her double didn't seem at all interested in her odd reaction.
Frost said, "A little bird told me you would come to see me."
"Who told you that?"
"Oh, didn't you come to visit me?" Frost taunted. "Or did you come to wave hello to your masked friend instead?"
The man in the mask - who was listed as Sonic Boom on the roster - was at the far end of the floor in the last cell, sprawled out on his bed. It seemed like he was asleep.
"He's been really living it up since we got moved here," Frost sneered.
"I came to talk to you, about the raid," Caitlin said.
"You mean the MTU facility we're going to destroy? What about it?"
"You don't have to go."
"Oh, please. Of course I do," Frost said. "Not just because it gets me out of this cave, either. Those bastards have my mother."
"What?"
"Don't get me wrong, she's a frigid narcissist," Frost continued as if Caitlin hadn't said anything. "But she's family."
"Why would the MTU take your mother?"
"Is everybody from your earth this naïve?" Frost asked. "Isn't it obvious? The MTU wants to know everything about metahumans. That includes why some people have active meta-genes while others remain inactive. Last I checked, genes are inherited."
Caitlin didn't think it was possible to hate the MTU any more, but apparently she was wrong.
"But we - you - don't have the meta-gene," Caitlin pointed out.
"They didn't know that," she replied. "And trust me, they don't care. That just makes me more interesting. I guess that makes you and Mom interesting, too."
Frost gave her a wicked grin before continuing, "Tell me something. What makes you so damn special?"
"Nothing," Caitlin replied. "I'm... I don't have powers."
"Oh, you have something," Frost said pointedly. "For weeks, I sat in that tiny, voyeuristic cell wondering when Zoom would finally kill me. Then, out of the blue, you turn up, and all hell breaks loose."
"Because it was quiet and normal before?"
"When Zoom takes people, they disappear," Frost replied. "They don't reappear with shiny new suits."
"Your powers are unique," Caitlin pointed out. "Maybe Zoom needs you."
"Zoom doesn't need anybody," Frost retorted. "Uses people, maybe, but he never needs them. Whatever's going on, it's not because of me. It must be you."
Before Caitlin could think of a response, her double continued. "I don't care about the details. All I want to know is, do you have enough juice to protect Mom if I don't come out of this one alive?"
Killer Frost came off as cavalier, a woman with nothing to lose now that Deathstorm was dead, but in this moment, nothing could be further from the truth. She was devastated and angry, but most of all, she didn't want to lose the last person that she loved.
"I will," Caitlin replied quietly. "I'll find a way, I promise."
"Let's hope you're as good as your little friend Cisco said," Frost replied, her snide attitude returned in full force.
Frost began to pace in her cell, and it was pretty clear she had no intention of continuing their conversation. Caitlin walked to the end of the level to see how the other prisoner was fairing, but her approach didn't elicit a response, probably because he was sleeping, though the mask made it difficult to tell.
The mask was very large, and it made the man appear impossibly tall, especially with blankets obscuring his body. Hunter had said that he spared Frost because of her resemblance to Caitlin, though that could've easily been a lie. Still, there must be a reason that, out of all his enemies, only these two had been captured and kept alive.
She couldn't hope to solve that particular riddle without more information. All she knew about him was that he was a large man who went by the alias Sonic Boom. She could wake him and try to speak with him, but it was still early in the morning. Perhaps it was better to let him rest.
Caitlin returned to the elevator and went up one floor to make rounds on any patients on that level. All the rooms were empty except for the recreation room, which was brimming with people, most of which were children or teenagers. She didn't want to interrupt, especially not for an unnecessary introduction to a doctor who wouldn't treat any of them, so she continued up to the next floor.
To her surprise, the next four floors were exactly the same. According to the roster, each of the bottom levels were at full capacity, but all of them were perfectly ambulatory.
The Comet was more of a refugee center than a hospital.
Before she could continue onto the next floor, her stomach growled. She hadn't realized that it was nearly one in the afternoon, which was especially problematic as she was supposed to check on Blink Junior over an hour ago.
She went up to the top level to check on her patient, who was still stable and healing. Then she went upstairs to make something for lunch and found a turkey club sandwich and chips waiting for her. She was too ravenous to think about who made the sandwich or even wonder if it was for her. As far as she knew, she was the only one in the house on a permanent basis because she was the only one who had nowhere else to go.
The thought made her feel a little claustrophobic, like she had been stuck inside far too long. So she took the plate outside and enjoyed a walk on the beach in the sunlight. The warmth on her skin felt good, so she found a nice spot to sit and eat. It was tempting to avoid responsibility and stay outside all day, but Junior required monitoring. She couldn't abandon him.
So she returned to the Comet, where she ran into Totem and Terra Firma in the hall. They both looked frazzled.
"I had a question, if you have a moment," Caitlin said.
"Only a moment," Totem replied.
"I noticed that many of the patients on the bottom floors were children. There were a handful of young adults, but as far as I could tell, no parents. Are they not allowed?"
Totem raised a questioning eyebrow, but she shook her head, no.
"The bottom levels contain patients from orphanages," she explained. "The closest thing most of them have to parents are Ghost and Cloak."
"Ghost and Cloak?" Caitlin repeated. "I assume they're alos metahumans?"
"Siblings who watch over the kids," Totem replied. "They act more as guardians than parents."
"I haven't see them."
"You would not see them, Bellatrix. Not unless they wished it."
Caitlin wasn't sure if Totem was implying that the sibling caretakers were stealthy or invisible, but given their names, both scenarios seemed possible.
"Apologies, but we have much work to do," Totem said.
"One more question," Caitlin said.
It was ridiculous to ask, especially now, but the impulse had already gotten the better of her. She might as well follow through.
"What kind of animal would I be paired with? For bonding?"
Totem smiled, and there was something about it that felt genuine, honest.
"It's less about the kind and more about the individual," Totem said. "Though I suspect the best match for you would be among the great long-legged birds. A heron or a crane perhaps. But, the right bonding match can come from any species. Sometimes such things surprise you."
With that, she swept out of the room, followed by Terra Firma, leaving Caitlin alone.
And that's how she spent the rest of her day, save for her hourly check-ins on Junior and Scout the Macaw. She decided to use the rest of the afternoon to learn about Earth-2's emergency medicine, which was incredibly advanced. She then made the unfortunate decision to read up on known anti-metahuman technology in preparation for anyone who might be wounded during the raid on the MTU.
She was ready to call it a night as soon as the clock hit five. Reading about horrific weapons designed to maim people with meta-powers made the hours feel like eons.
Caitlin sat in Junior's room for over half an hour. He didn't need monitoring or company, but she did, especially after reading about the many terrible weapons designed to kill or control metahumans.
She didn't know why she thought sitting with Junior would help. He was only in this bed because of the MTU, and he seemed so small with all the tubes and wires sticking out of him.
It made her angry.
How many Earth-2 metahumans would've become heroes like Barry if they weren't afraid of the MTU? Would Reverb have worked for Zoom if they weren't hunting metas? What about Deathstorm and her own doppelganger?
She couldn't take it anymore, so she went upstairs to the house and found a basket of breadsticks next to a note about meatloaf in the oven. There was nothing to indicate that she needed to wait for company, so she served herself and ate alone at the table, hoping Hunter would stay away. She didn't want to face him, not after the draining day she had had.
It would be nice to have some company, though.
Caitlin ate quickly, nearly giving herself heartburn as she wolfed down her meal. She felt exposed on the ground floor and wanted to go to her room for the night, even though she would be just as alone there as she was here.
She took a few minutes to wash her dishes and store rest of the food in the fridge before she went upstairs for the night. She had the whole evening ahead of her and nothing to do, so she paced for quite some time, trying to think her way out of her situation.
The trouble was that, crazy as it seemed to her, Zoom might not be the most dangerous thing in this universe. If they were interested in anyone who shared Frost's DNA, certainly her doppelganger would qualify, even if she didn't have powers. Even if she could find a way to escape Hunter and return to Earth-1, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be abandoning people over here.
She bit her lip. Hunter had wanted her to pick a side, and whether she liked it or not, her conscience had chosen the Cause, which protected the meta-humans from inhuman torture, abuse, and experimentation.
It's not your universe. It's not your fight.
Maybe it wasn't. Maybe she just felt obligated. Maybe that was why Hunter brought her to the Comet.
She decided that, until she could feasibly escape to Earth-1, she wouldn't worry about the moral dilemma. So crawled into bed that night and wasted hours tossing and turning, her mind unable to rest until she drifted into an uneasy sleep, where even her dreams were filled with shadow.
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Chapter Five: Bellatrix
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Chapter Six: Al-Jabbar (Part Two)
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