A New Perspective

Chapter 12: Darkness Rises

Barry's POV

Five months later

"Cisco have you found anything?" I asked
"Yes, she's at Jitters" I rushed over to Jitters and ran everyone out of the building before reentering.
"Flash trying to convince me to return... well it's not happening" A women with white hair and blue lips started.
"Please don't make me do this, Cait"
"Oh, but what about all the fun that comes with it," She said then fired a shard of ice at me.
I grabbed it out of the air and proceeded to say "Cait don't do this"
"Oh but I want to" She created a chunk of ice on her hand and ran towards me. She started to throw punches which I dodged.
"I'm not going to fight you" She stopped throwing punches and stabbed me in the leg. I fell to the ground in pain. Still with the icicle in her hand, she pressed in on my chest.
"They you will die"
"Do what you want Cait, just remember, I still love you" She hesitated to do it and dropped the icicle and walked out. Cisco breached to me and got me to STAR Labs. I patched myself up and wrapped a bandage around the wound on my leg.
"So what happened?" Nora asked
"I couldn't..." I could already feel tears run down my face.
"Couldn't what?" Cisco asked
"I couldn't hurt her. She's still Caitlin, I got through to her for a couple of seconds"
"So does that mean?"
"Yes Cisco, we can save Caitlin we just have to get through to her" We hear footsteps outside of the cortex and turn to see Harry who hasn't been here since HR arrived.
"Harry? What are you doing here?" Cisco asked
"Well, when Jesse and Wally returned to my earth they informed me on your predicament with Dr. Snow"
"Look, Harry, as much as we appreciate the help, we don't need it" I spoke up
"Speaking of help, Where's my doppelgänger?"
"He left to Earth-13 to continue writing his novel on the Multiverse"
"Allen, I'm staying and I'm going to help. Don't you remember what happened last time you weren't thinking straight?"
"What happened last time?" Nora asked
"I shot your father and threw him in the pipeline" I could see and hear a small quiet laugh come from Nora. I look at her with a 'are you serious' face which only made her laugh harder.
"Nora!" I yelled
"Sorry Dad But it's funny. The 'fastest man alive' got stopped by a dart" She struggled to get out.
"Not the time"
"Sorry"
"Fine Harry you can stay and help us but I'll deal with Caitlin. I don't need your guys to help to try to convince my fiancée to come home"
"Fiancée?"

Flashback: Five months ago

Caitlin's POV

"Caitlin, I'm sorry but I have to go" I started to cry knowing that I couldn't convince Barry to stay and that I would lose another fiancé who is trying to save me and the city.
"Barry no. I lost Ronnie once, I can't lose you to" Stream of tears were falling down my face now.
"Mom that's why you won't" Thomas said. Both Barry and I look over towards him. "Dad I'm sorry but this wasn't your fight or your fault so that's why I struck a deal"
"With who" We both replied
"With the speed force. For the next ten minutes, your speed will be gone so you can't stop me, but I am going"
"No Tommy" Nora said
"Nora, take care of Mom and Dad for me. I love all of you" Thomas ran off into the speed force which stopped the lightning strikes.
"No!" Barry yelled. We both start to cry and was shortly joined by Nora. We all went into a hug and shortly they all went into STAR Labs except Barry and me who only sat against the wall of the building.
Slamming his hand against the wall, Barry said, "It should have been me"
"Barry you have to stop putting everything on your shoulders"
"But Caitlin I'm supposed to be able to protect my family and now look where we are. My own son, lost in the speed force with no way of return"
"Barry! Who's supposed to protect you?! You can't always sacrifice yourself every single time! If you did sacrifice yourself it would have broken the team. Cisco would probably leave to Earth-19, Joe and Iris would be devastated and Barry, I couldn't live with the fact that you're stuck somewhere where we can't save you!" I got up and walk to my car and left to go home.

Barry's POV

I decided to sleep at STAR Labs to give Caitlin some space. I really hate it when we fight but I can't just tell her not to worry about me because it's just not possible for her. She has been worrying about me since day one. I could hear footsteps entering the Cortex, hoping it was Caitlin I rushed out only to see Cisco standing there with a coffee.
"Dude. What are you doing here this early?" Cisco asked
At first I did not want to tell Cisco about the fight between Caitlin and I but he's my friend and I really need to get this off my chest. "I've been here all night"
"What happened?"
"Caitlin and I had a fight last night. It was about me always protect her and you guys and being so selfless"
"You can't always protect her Barry. Sometimes you have to let them protect themselves as well or they get mad like this"
"Couldn't have said it better myself?" Gypsy said walking in
"Gypsy, hey. I thought you were going back to Earth-19?" When I asked her I could see Cisco was hiding something
"I still am but..."
"I'm going with her" Cisco said
"What your leaving?!" I yelled
"No... yes but not permanently. I'm going to be taking over the Collectors on Earth-19 but I'll be here whenever you need me to be"
"Okay. I can tell I can't convince you to stay so I won't. Good luck Cisco" I said giving him a hug
"Barry remember don't always act selfless. Sometimes other people should be able to protect themselves too" I sped off towards mine and Caitlin's house to see ice covering the door. Not wanting to cause any noise I just phase threw the door to see the whole house covered in ice and Nora frozen to the ground.
"Dad!" She yelled. I ran over to her and broke the ice off her
"Are you alright? Why couldn't you phase yourself out of it?" I asked. She showed me her arm which and a power dampener on it. I remove it and proceeded to look around the house for Caitlin.
"What happened? Where's your mother?" She did not respond you my question, she just looked down. "Nora. Where is she?"
"She's gone okay!" She started to walk off before I stopped her
"What do you mean she's gone?"
"She did this. All of this. This is the beginning. This is where she became Killer Frost"
"Killer Frost? Didn't you say she was just frost in the future?"
"Yes, but she started off as Killer Frost but we can't do anything against her. Speed and Ice are opposite and we don't have Tommy to help so..."
"Wait how long were you frozen for?"
"I don't know an hour maybe why?"
"You should be showing signs of Hypothermia but nothing. It's like you were trapped under metal or wood not ice"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you have powers similar to your mother's just not the way Thomas has them. You're not affected by the cold"

To be continued...

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