章 9: Frenemies
After a few minutes, finally, Iris broke the silence.
"I say we give this a shot, guys," she proposed tentatively, her eyes scanning the faces of her teammates, seeking their opinions.
As each of them pondered our proposal, their eyes met in agreement, signalling their willingness to proceed.
Looking that they accepted our deal, I brought my palms together, the sound echoing faintly in the room, and spoke up.
"Okay. Looks like we are in agreement," I said, my voice infused with relief. "So, can we get going? I'd rather not prolong my stay here any longer."
"Not so fast," Iris interjected, putting a halt to our departure from the cortex. "Like my dad said, we can't trust someone we know nothing about."
"Oh, come on," I muttered under my breath.
Must be a West family trait. I thought, rolling my eyes in slight frustration.
Everyone paused, their curiosity piqued, waiting for me to unveil my true identity. I turned to Killer Frost, searching for support but instead, she met my gaze with an icy stare, her expression urging me to press on without delay.
"Time is ticking," she said with a hint of impatience. "Savitar's mind isn't going to fix itself."
Exhaling a mix of exasperation and irritation, I removed my crimson mask, revealing my face to Team Flash. "Happy?" I asked, spreading my arms wide.
With the revelation of my true identity, we dispersed, each of us eager to attend to our respective tasks.
...
As Killer Frost and I stepped into Cortex, the voices of Team Flash discussing the devastating fire caused by 'Heat Monger' filled the air.
"You just called me a superhero, right? A good one? Even without memories, I can't stand by and let people die if I can prevent it," Barry declared with unwavering determination. In a flash of orange, he disappeared, only to reappear and awkwardly admit, "Um, forgot the suit," before rushing toward the inferno.
Barry hurried towards the burning building, his attempt to halt abruptly proving futile as he collided with an obstacle, resulting in a resounding thud that echoed through his comms. "Barry? Are you okay?" Iris's voice expressed concern.
"Oh my god, he's beyond pathetic," I uttered, pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation at Barry's helplessness.
While Wally stressed over how to assist him, Killer Frost, who had been silent until then, spoke up, pointing to a metal plate resembling a cockpit pilot's controls. "There's something we can do. We can jump-start his brain using that device."
"We haven't run any tests," Cisco rejected the idea, shaking his head.
"If we don't jump-start his brain, he'll die along with everyone in the building," I interjected.
"What is that thing?" Joe frowned, expressing his concern over the risk.
"This device can send electrical charges through the transmitters in his suit, theoretically jolting his memory," Cisco explained.
"But won't that further damage his brain?" Iris asked. Her worry was evident.
"And if you don't, everyone in that building will die," Julian urgently replied as the fire continued to devour the structure, spreading like a rampant disease through a human body.
"Life's a game of chance," Killer Frost remarked coolly.
Pausing for a split second, Cisco made his decision and addressed Barry, "Okay, Barry, you're gonna feel something. Might hurt, might sting, might suck."
"Wait, what?" Barry questioned, confusion apparent on his face.
"Probably all three. Okay, here we go," Cisco closed his eyes and pressed down on the large button on the metal console. Instantly, Barry's agonized scream reverberated through the comms system.
"Wanna bet?" Killer Frost said to me, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Hm?" I gestured for her to continue.
"I guarantee you he won't remember a thing. A hundred says I'm right." she declared confidently.
"I'll take that bet," I replied, reluctantly accepting the challenge.
As Barry's cries subsided, he apologized, "Uh, yeah, I still don't remember. Sorry."
Tsk.
Expressing my annoyance, I clicked my tongue and handed Killer Frost the money as she extended her hands, victorious.
"Why didn't that work? It was supposed to work," Julian accused, frustration evident in his voice.
"We kick-started his temporal lobe. Now he just needs to access it, using a visceral memory to spark his brain," Killer Frost explained, a glimmer of understanding illuminating Cisco and the others' faces.
While Iris attempted to jog Barry's memories, I cast an accusatory gaze at Killer Frost. She turned towards me, annoyance evident in her voice, and warned, "Stop staring, or the next thing frozen will be your eyeballs."
"You knew he wouldn't remember," I shoot her an accusatory look.
"Never bet against a doctor on a biology subject," she responded coldly, delivering a cold wink.
Ugh. I sighed in annoyance as I watch as Iris gave some sappy motivational talk which brought back Barry's memory and he save the day once again.
...
As Barry returned to S.T.A.R. Labs, a barrage of questions greeted him, each person eager to confirm whether his memories had truly returned.
"So, you've regained your memories. Now we can all focus on stopping Savitar," Joe said, his voice heavy with grim determination.
Killer Frost scoffed beside me upon hearing his words and muttered, "Good luck with that," before striding toward the exit.
"Until next time, Team Flash," I nodded, following her outside.
As we were waiting for the lift, the trio, Barry, Cisco and Julian appeared.
I raised an eyebrow and quipped, "Oh, great, the golden trio are here."
"Now you want to fight?" Killer Frost snarled, raising her hand menacingly, ready to turn them into human popsicle.
"We don't want to fight you," Cisco shook his head.
"Can't really avoid it, can we?" she scorned.
"Yeah, we can. You can stay here with us. We're your friends and your family. Even you, Jason," Barry replied.
"So what? You think just because you know my real identity, we are friends now? Dream on," I scoffed. My fingers traced the cool metal of my pistol, a subtle warning that I was ready to defend myself if needed.
"I know you lost your wife in a devastating fire in your apartment. That's likely the hold Savitar has on you, isn't it? He promised to travel back in time and save her for you. Am I right?" Barry inferred, drawing from the information he had gathered about me.
Barry's words struck a nerve, and my expression darkened at the mention of my wife. Silence hung heavily in the air as my mind replayed painful memories.
"I understand the pain of losing someone you love with all your heart. And if you don't help me right now, my wife Iris will suffer the same fate at the hands of Savitar, just as your wife did in that fire." Barry's voice was filled with a mix of empathy and desperation, but it only fueled my anger.
For the first time in a long while, I lost my composure and snapped, "SHUT UP! DON'T DRAG ME INTO YOUR PROBLEM! THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT ME, IT WAS ABOUT YOU FINALLY LOSING TO SAVITAR AND YOU COULDN'T STAND IT!"
Surprised by my outburst, everyone, including the typically impassive Killer Frost, displayed visible shock on their faces.
"Hu..."
After exhaling, I took a moment to regain my composure.
"Let's go, Frost."
However, before we could leave, someone stopped us again. Julian made a final desperate plea, saying, "Caitlin, I can fix you."
"You've already tried," Killer Frost replied.
"Then I'll try harder. I don't care what it takes. I don't care what I have to do. I swear to you, I will find a cure for you, Caitlin. I love you," Julian confessed.
I stared at her for a moment, watching her eyes flicker from blue to brown and back to their piercing blue hue, before she shattered his heart into pieces.
Her voice turned cold as she addressed Julian, her words piercing through him.
"I don't love you, Julian. I never have," she stated, her gaze sweeping over the others with a cold detachment. "And don't think for a second that any of you matter to me."
Ding!
Right on cue, the elevator arrived, and we both stepped inside.
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