Dropping In

[swoopyhair]

Once he'd gotten word from Noah that it would be safe, Peter was eager to visit Central City and see Claire. It was nice to hear she'd finally settled down, and something he expected to happen sooner or later. What he didn't expect, however, was to hear she'd gotten herself into a relationship. At least not so soon after moving in.

But he understood all too well what it was like to fall in love with someone at first sight. He was glad that it seemed to be going much better for his niece than it had for him.

There was also some lingering curiosity about the dream he'd had. The one where he was in that weird room with Claire and a bunch of people he didn't know - her friends, he would later learn after talking with Noah. He assumed he'd meet them eventually, though maybe not today. It would make sense if she wanted to introduce him slowly and let them build up trust in him. She'd never been so open with her relationships that he could remember - the last one he knew anything about had been with Gretchen and even then he barely had met the woman. Peter didn't want to push too hard and end up distancing himself from Claire all over again. He was all too aware that his involvement with Sylar had put a strain on them, and he wanted to use this time to try and set things right.

Claire had texted her address just after moving in, so he knew right where to go. But rather than teleport directly into the apartment, Peter popped into the hallway. He was planning to surprise her, and now that he was there, he hoped she was home so he didn't have to text her and ruin the surprise.

He knocked twice, then waited for her to answer.

Comments

[feelthelightning]

Now they were both blushing. "If you need to teleport in for any reason, I sleep decent. So you have my permission to bypass the front door." In an emergency, she could be 'ported back to STAR in her pyjamas without much embarrassment. At least Barry had seen her in her sleepwear before. If they needed her, Cisco would give Peter her address. She smiled warmly and reluctantly pulled away from him to go gather her purse and keys to head home.

Jesse looked excited. "It's such a rush, isn't it! I'm sure we'll have you on the track in no time! Crisis-es aside, of course. I guess that makes you officially part of Team Flash, now. There's always a crisis initiation." She joked. "Dad's was Zoom, mine was Magenta, yours is Savitar."

"Magenta was one of the Metas Alchemy made. She's just a kid with an abusive dad and a split personality like Killer Frost. The personality, Magenta was going to use her powers to destroy an entire hospital to kill her foster father. Jesse saved the day while I talked Frankie back into control of herself." Barry explained, resting his head against Claire's shoulder. "She has ferrokinesis."

"Magneto." Jesse supplied.

[swoopyhair]

It worried him, letting her drive after pulling an all-nighter, but he didn't think it was his place to speak up. "I have clairvoyance, so... I can find you if anything happens." Peter paused and winced at himself. "I mean, I won't try to find you unless it's an emergency or something. I'm not trying to be a creep. Drive safe."

Now it was his turn to feel a little like a lost puppy. But Caitlin getting some rest was way more important than his own comfort.

"I do feel more a part of the team than ever," Claire admitted, relaxing even more as Barry rested against her. Suiting up had a lot to do with that. "You're really good at talking people down in a crisis, babe." She knew from experience.

It had been a while since Cisco had taken Alchemy's stone away, she realized. "What do we do with the stone Alchemy had? Do you think maybe we need it to break Wally's cocoon somehow?"

[feelthelightning]

Cait laughed softly. "I don't think you're a creep." She clarified so he wouldn't feel so awkward. "Thank you."

Barry bumped his nose into her neck. "A good friend of mine told me the lightning chose me for that reason." Oliver had called him a guardian angel of Central City, something the Arrow could never be to Starling City. Barry wasn't sure he believed Oliver couldn't inspire, but he was grateful for Oliver's constant and unwavering belief in him.

"I dunno. I'm sure Cisco will hit us up when he has some information on it. I'm a little surprised Wells went to bed instead of down to the lab. Jesse must've really done a number on him."

"He was exhausted. I think the adrenaline crash wiped him out once he saw I was fine." She said.

[swoopyhair]

Peter looked relieved, and pulled out his phone, and the sticky note. "I'm... gonna, text you my number now, so you have it in case you need anything." He was far enough away from Jesse that his cell signal worked fine. Though he was curious to see if technopathy could bypass, that, he'd wait for another time. They'd all been through a lot for one day.

But the fun thing about the ability to communicate with machines was that he didn't have to type out text messages, or tap the screen for anything. He made a new contact for Caitlin and sent her a quick 'hello' with a smiley face.

"Obviously the lightning chose you 'cause you're amazing. But... I'm probably biased." Claire couldn't stop a grin from spreading across her face. It just happened automatically whenever Barry got cuddly with her like this. "I'm glad Harry's getting some rest."

She was about say more when Peter wandered into the Med Lab alone. "Caitlin's gonna go get some sleep," he said, hands in his pockets. What else was he supposed to do with his hands if he couldn't hold hers? He missed her already, dang it. "I told her I'd let her know if there's any emergency. But I'm pretty sure I can handle it and let her rest."

It reminded him that he hadn't really set up a place to stay in Central City. Really, he could just teleport back to his apartment in New York to sleep, when it came to be time for that. "I can hang out for a while, just in case. And even when I go, I'm just a 'port away."

[feelthelightning]

If peter could modify the frequency around enough to bypass the noise deadzone created by Harry or Jesse, he probably could use his ability to compensate and get messages through the scrambled deadzone.

Cait was surprised when she got a text right on cue without Peter seemingly doing a thing. She checked her phone and smiled fondly, saving his number before she left.

Barry chuckled. "You're totally biased."

"I dunno, you're pretty amazing! You guys saved me and my Dad! Maybe I'm biased too." Jesse laughed, looking up when Peter entered the room and waving. "Hey." She greeted then nodded. "And you got me here too in case you need help! We can let Caitie and Dad sleep. They need it."

Barry smiled, lifting his head from Claire's shoulder. "So... you and Caitlin...?" He asked playfully. "Has that been going on all day?" Look, he missed a lot while at the precinct and setting up an ambush for Alchemy.

[swoopyhair]

"It seems neither of them slept last night. Caitlin insisted Harry get some rest, but Harry..." Peter had to laugh a little, because it had been so unexpected but a real testament to how much the man cared. "He, uh, shared his concerns about Caitlin getting some sleep via telepathy. So I gently suggested she get some rest."

Claire just beamed. It was exactly the kind of subtle show of caring she'd come to expect from Harry. While still being a little petty about it, after Caitlin called him out for not sleeping. That was her family, and she adored them.

Peter blushed though, as Barry questioned him about what was going on with Caitlin. "It... just started happening, really. We had a few tense moments and she seemed to lean on me for support," he explained, running a hand through his hair. "I'm following her lead, 'cause it's been a while since I've been really involved with anyone, and I know she's been through a lot recently." He hesitated, then decided to go ahead and say more. "She floated the idea of me staying in Central City. Said she had contacts at the hospital in case I wanted a paramedic gig there. I'm considering it, mostly because I know I'll be hanging around a lot anyway helping my ma and Noah with the New Company."

"And visiting me!" There might still be some tension about things, like her suiting up as Phoenix, and the Sylar thing, but Claire was so happy to have her uncle back in her life as a regular fixture. "I think you and Caitlin are cute together."

"Yeah, and visiting you." Damn it, he was blushing again. "The last thing I expected happening when I 'ported in today, but I'm happy to see where things go. I'm being extra careful, not just because I feel like you'll all kick my ass if things go wrong. I really do like her."

I did NOT expect you to post that early! I wasn't bothering to watch my notifs. I'm sorry!

[feelthelightning]

Barry laughed too. "It'd kill him to actually admit he cares out loud." He shook his head. Lord forbid Cait find out Harry was worried about her in turn. He might combust. Right down to being a petty tattletale.

"You know she's only ever had two serious relationships. The first left her a widow, the second kidnapped her after faking his death and tried to keep her like a prize. She's a strong woman, but there are some deep scars she's still mending. Since Zoom abducted her, she startles easily, so try to announce your presence around her like you would a patient with PTSD." Barry wouldn't deny that they were cute. But he was also worried about Caitlin. But if she wanted him to stay, she must really like him. At least he knew Peter wouldn't turn out to be an evil speedster.

"Pretty sure Cisco will Vibe you into another dimension I'd you hurt her." Jesse said seriously. "And Dad will try to shoot you."

"He ain't the only one." Joe said from across the room. "You heal like Claire, right? Then I don't got a problem shooting your ass if you hurt that girl."

Barry laughed at Joe's input. "She clearly likes you too." He agreed.

Aww, it's okay! I was wide awake wayyyy too early today. XD

[swoopyhair]

Peter was far too used to men like that, who were more closed off with their emotions, unlike him wearing his heart on his sleeve. His empathy was stronger than ever, so it wasn't as difficult for him to navigate those relationships anymore. Harry seemed like a good man, and he fully understood why Claire had grown so attached to him as yet another father figure.

He listened as Barry explained more of Caitlin's history, and his heart sank. "I noticed how jumpy she is," he agreed. "Which is good to know so I remember not to pop in without warning. She, uh... she did give me permission to 'port into her home, though, if needed. I told her it'd only be for emergencies, or if she asked me to." Given her past, it was a huge step toward trusting him, and he wasn't going to take it lightly.

"I'll kick your ass if you hurt her too," Claire chimed in, grinning. It didn't surprise him a bit, nor was he mad.

"You can all get in line if I screw this up. I'd deserve it," said Peter, huffing a soft laugh. "I have the same regeneration as Claire, since I got it from her. Only difference is I still feel pain."

But it was only fair he got a little teasing in on his niece. "You can rest assured we won't be moving as fast as Claire and Barry. At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow they come around telling us they ran off to Vegas in the night."

Claire giggled, blushing crimson, but then emphatically shook her head. "Nope. Cisco would never forgive us. Not gonna happen."

Wayyy too early. XD And I need to get back to sleep.

[feelthelightning]

Harry would disagree with that assessment. He though of himself as a terrible person, but he was trying to do better. But if you asked anyone else, they'd agree with Peter. Which is why Harry doesn't get a say.

Barry looked surprised by that. Only because it was Caitlin. They were all being less guarded with Peter because they trusted Claire. He was almost certain if Peter had just been someone in off the street to help them, they would all be more wary after the number of times they'd been burned. "She trusts you." Barry said earnestly. "But I'd still try to warn her if you can before you pop in, however you can."

He did smile, though, when Claire joined in and Peter agreed he'd deserve it. He heard Jesse giggle too. But that quickly turned into a blush and awkward squirming beside Claire. Sure enough both the statements and Barry's reaction caught Joe's attention.

"Is there something I should know?" From across the room he couldn't really see the ring. "You go off and have a shotgun wedding without me and I'll box your ears, son."

Now it's too late for me to nap. ;-;

[swoopyhair]

"I was planning on it. I don't often show up without warning... except today, 'cause I wanted to surprise Claire," he said sheepishly. She knew he would be showing up sooner or later, and Noah told him Claire's friends had given the green light, so Peter figured it would be safe enough.

"We're not having a wedding unless everyone's there," Claire said firmly, and then she was blushing even more, flustered enough that it took her a moment to get the next words out. "No shotgun weddings and no eloping. The regular kind. Barry proposed last night, Joe. There's no date set, but it's happening... eventually."

Planning a wedding would be a nice break in between figuring out how to stop Savitar from killing her. Having the wedding would be quite the proverbial middle finger, too. To Savitar and to Thawne. Try to talk her into leaving Barry? She'll double down and marry him.

"And now I'm taking the idea of having the officiant dress up as Elvis under consideration. Maybe a leopard print wedding dress," she added cheekily. Don't worry, Barry, she's joking.

And I can't fall back to sleep...

[feelthelightning]

"I'm glad you did show up." Barry said with a smile. Not just because he helped save Barry but because he made Claire happy. And he'd wanted to meet him anyway.

Joe got up and walked over to them. He took Claire's hand with a smile and looked over the ring. "Congratulations, you two. It's fast, but I know both you kids make each other happy. Does your father know yet?" The happy dad energy would be a lot stronger if he wasn't so worried about Wally.

"Elvis?" Barry looked helplessly to Peter almost asking if she was serious. Because he couldn't tell her no.

Oh, nooo. It's one of those days for disrupted sleep, I guess!

[swoopyhair]

"I'm glad I did, too." For all of the same reasons. He was still relieved that Claire was happy to see him and wanted him around. These new developments with Caitlin were just a bonus.

Claire beamed as Joe looked at the ring, then ducked her head shyly. "Thank you. Dad doesn't know yet. I'm going to tell him when I see him. This kinda news I like to give in person, you know? Except I'll be doing FaceTime with my mom, 'cause she's in California." She wasn't too worried about waiting to tell her parents, she knew they would be happy. Noah and Barry got along well, and Sandra couldn't wait to meet him.

Peter tried not to laugh at Barry's helpless look. "Some of those drive-thru chapels in Vegas have Elvis impersonators," he offered.

"I'm kidding." She burst into giggles. "I went through Vegas a bunch of times. Never got married, of course, but I did some exploring and talked to people. I liked it out in the desert." Thawne taking her to Arizona couldn't change that, though now she was a little more hesitant to go out that way again. It didn't matter, her home was in Central City now.

It was almost a surprise to Peter, because he'd heard so little of her travels. They had a lot of catching up to do, he realized. All those experiences had shaped her, and he barely knew about any of it, after spending so long rebuffing her attempts to visit him. "Didn't you go to Alaska with Noah? I remember him saying something about it."

"Last summer." She looked so proud and happy. "And then Hawaii at Christmas. That's all fifty states. I'm hanging my hat now, though. No more trips unless it's for work... or date night."

Seems like it.

[feelthelightning]

"You prefer the desert and you decided to settle down in Missouri?" Barry teased. But he was glad she did or he wouldn't have met her. He relaxed knowing she was kidding. The giggles were a nice breath of fresh air after the earlier stress.

"Date night trips can hardly be called trips when I chan have us there in seconds." Barry snuggled her close again. With a telepoeter in the room, it wasn't much of a boast, but it still felt romantic to him to be able to take her wherever whenever on a whim.

Cisco's voice interrupted them over the PA. "Hey, guys, your Death Eater's awake."

Hopefully we can both get some rest!

[swoopyhair]

"I don't know that I really preferred any specific place. I found things to like everywhere I went," Claire mused. "Except... if it gets too cold here in the winter, I might have one regret." There was a reason she went to Alaska in the summer. She still wasn't being fully serious - Central City was home, and she wasn't going anywhere.

"Date night trips totally count." She nuzzled against Barry's shoulder with a sigh, only to be startled with a little squeak as Cisco's voice came through the PA system. So much for a giggly and snuggly mood, now she was pissed again. "That bastard. He's lucky I have no authority to do anything to him, or he'd wish he stayed unconscious."

It always worried Peter when his niece got that aggressive. He saw shades of that alternate timeline, and he didn't like it. Though in every case her anger was directed at people who did harm to her or her loved ones, it didn't help him worry less. "Claire, cool it. Take it easy," he warned, his expression darkening slightly.

"I'm not gonna do anything. But I'm damn sure gonna be mad at that jerk talking about how much he hates Metas and then pulling this crap." She pulled away from Barry as she spoke, somewhat fired up now. If only she still had speed! She could run down to the Pipeline and smack Julian around, and no one could stop her... except for the two speedsters in the room, and Peter if he teleported to her. But other than that, no one could stop her...

There was a more important thread through all of this, though, and it was enough to settle her down so she could focus. "We need to know what he knows about Savitar."

Hopefully! <3

[feelthelightning]

"Hey, if it gets too cold, I can always be your personal space heater." Barry promised laying on the schmoop.

Barry ran his fingers through her hair gently then cupped her face to gain her focus. "He'll get what's coming to him, sweetheart. I promise. We'll find out what he knows, and assuming he's not a Meta himself, he'll go to Iron Heights with all the evidence we've gathered." He kissed her forehead.

"If you're coming with me, put your mask back on. I'm only going down there to talk." He said and pulled his own cowl back over his face. "If not, I can bring up the CCTV footage for you in the Cortex.

She took over again...

[infinite1ups]

A little bit of schmoop always went a long way. Claire softened almost immediately, melting in Barry's hands. She was still angry, but it was under control.

Later, she'd have to talk to Peter. It almost felt like he didn't trust her fully, and she couldn't figure out why. Was it that stupid timeline? After all these years, she would have thought he'd let that go.

She smiled up at Barry, a flush cresting high on her cheeks as he kissed her forehead. He gave her butterflies, every time. She hoped that feeling would never go away, no matter how many bad things were happening around them.

"I get to go?" That truly surprised her, she wasn't a cop like he and Joe were, after all. She would be going as Phoenix, though, not Claire Bennet. The thought gave her such a thrill that she almost squealed. Fortunately, she held it back just in time. "I'm going. My mask is in the Cortex, I'll grab it on the way."

It wasn't until she had the mask on with her suit that she really felt the difference in her demeanor. Something about it made her feel like she was standing a little taller (quite the accomplishment, considering she was just about all of five-foot-two), and made her more confident. Not in the invincible way she was used to - it was more the feeling that she could do anything.

And just like the aggression toward anyone who wronged her, that change in her worried Peter. He couldn't shake the feeling that even with the team around her, she was getting in over her head.

XD

[feelthelightning]

Don't worry, Peter, they've got her. Barry took her hand after she donned the mask and ran them down to the Pipeline...

Except, Alchemy's cell was open and he was gone. He darted to the console near by and keyed the comm, "Cisco! He's gone!"

"What?!" After a few more seconds, Cisco answered back again. "Someone iced over the cams!" Barry's gaze lifted to the security camera that was still covered in ice. He took Claire's hand again and ran them back to the Med Lab.

"Caitlin might have Julian."

It was only a matter of time!

[infinite1ups]

By the time they were back in the Med Lab, Claire was just as confused as she was angry. Peter was also confused, though above all, he was extremely concerned.

"Caitlin said she was going home to sleep," he said, brows furrowed. "Why would she have Julian?"

There was a possibility in Claire's mind, and she didn't like it one bit. Killer Frost. Is this how Cisco's Vibe comes true?, she thought, and her uncle's head turned sharply to look at her. He didn't say anything, mostly because he wasn't sure what she meant by that last part. Cisco had visions of Claire being killed by Savitar, he knew, but he wasn't aware of any visions with Killer Frost. Even seeing Caitlin transform earlier, he knew he hadn't dreamed of her looking like that - only as herself, and even then it was just a vague glimpse.

"She still had her necklace on when she left, right?" Claire said, her eyes on Peter. Hearing her voice outside of his thoughts broke him from his reverie.

"Yeah." He was absolutely confident about that. "She didn't take it off again once she put it back on after freezing Cisco's coffee."

She looked to Barry with a sinking feeling. "Maybe Savitar got to her when she was on her way home. She was alone. He could've gotten her necklace off and sent Killer Frost back here to free Julian."

"I knew I should have offered a teleport." Peter ran a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh. "But I thought I was just being too paranoid about her falling asleep at the wheel, and I didn't want to smother her. If something happened to her, it's my fault."

I totally don't mind if Claire fights to go with him.

[feelthelightning]

Cisco, not a speedster, but still came running into the Cortex as fast as he could. He hit the consoles and started a cryo search. Barry saw him and pulled out his phone, calling Cait's cell. It rang a few times then went to voicemail. "Her phone's still on!" He called to Cisco, who changed his search.

"This isn't your fault, Peter. We couldn't have known." Barry said, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"Got her! Her GPS is pinging in a warehouse off 2nd and Main. No huge cryo spikes, so if she is Killer Frost, she's not doing much." Cisco announced.

Barry kissed Claire. Once she had more training with V-9, he wouldn't hesitate to bring her with, but if Savitar was involved, he didn't want her anywhere near that warehouse. "Peter, you might be able to get through to her."

Oh, good. :'D It would have been hard to stop her from pleading her case, lol.

[infinite1ups]

Peter nodded, but clearly he still felt guilty. Deep down he knew that none of them could have predicted it - even with two precogs among them, but it stung, anyway.

Claire leaned into the kiss, then belatedly realized it was a parting kiss. She knew why, and she didn't like it one bit. "I'm going with you." There was no attitude, no sass. Just a simple statement of fact. With evidence and cohesive arguments to back her up and everything. Hanging around scientists is already a good influence on her.

"Savitar can't kill me yet. If he could, he would've tried it on the pier. Even going as fast as he can, whatever he needs to finish me off, he doesn't have it." None of them knew how exactly Savitar does it, there'd been no positive ID of what he stabbed her in the chest with. The only person with enough data on her now, that she knew of, to be able to create something that would dampen her ability to that extreme was... Thawne.

That's a thought she hated, one that she'd try to come to grips with later. Sure, maybe there was some secret government facility that's left over from Building 26 who could be working on an anti-regeneration serum of some kind. But could Thawne have finished such a dose? Would he? He was warning her to save her life, it wouldn't make any sense for him to be the one to create the means of her perma-death. Her point stood, though. It hadn't been that long since the pier, even with a super-speedster work rate, she was betting her life that it hasn't been long enough. From the knowledge they have, it was simply too early in the timeline.

"I can't just hang around here while he hurts you again." She was careful not to sound too desperate, but it was there in her eyes.

Peter was slow to speak up, almost reluctant. But Caitlin's words from earlier echoed in his head, about how Claire would do what she wanted anyway, without support. "Better if we can keep an eye on her," he conceded. "She'll find a way and by then there'll be too much of a risk for the situation to get way out of control." He gave her about as stern a look as he could muster. "But if you pull something crazy, I'm personally teleporting you to friggin' Madagascar and you can go tell it to the lemurs."

Only until things were taken care of. He wouldn't leave her there.

"I want answers," she said. Peter being on her side was a victory in itself, but she wasn't calling it a total win just yet. "I want to know who Savitar is and why he wants to kill me."

XD She's so precious! <3

[feelthelightning]

Barry crumbled quickly under her gaze. Not just her words, but he found it so hard to tell her no. Then with Peter supporting her, he sighed and took her hands in his gloved ones. "Okay. But be careful. Or lemurs will be your only friends for a while." He teased.

He knew the argument that Savitar couldn't kill her yet wasn't exactly a valid one. He didn't know Savitar's plan, but if he really wanted to kill her now, he could. They had no idea if they'd changed things when she faced him to save Barry or not. Or if that had been what prompted the God of Speed to look for a way to kill her. They just couldn't say until they knew more.

"I'll run Claire. Are you teleporting?" He asked Peter and saw Cisco settle at the comms station, ready to do this solo from his end. Fortunately, Jesse rushed to his side and kept an eye on vitals just as Cait would usually do.

Barry doubling down on the lemurs is just as precious honestly. XD

[infinite1ups]

"Thank you, baby. I love you so much." The relief on her face when Barry agreed was immediate, though it didn't last long. She immediately focused up. "If we need backup on comms, you can try to get ahold of my dad and he'll get here ASAP." Noah had left his contact info, she remembered.

Something about the way Savitar had talked about the Rising Phoenix coming to fall so soon had somehow convinced her that he wanted her dead. Her showing up to save Barry wasn't the spark to light that fire, she thought. There was something else, something deeper. There had to be.

"I'll 'port after you," Peter agreed with a nod. "I can just focus on either of you and pop in." Or Caitlin, really, but it'd be safer to stick with the two of them.

"I'll follow your lead," Claire told Barry. She wasn't making any promises, but she was damn well going to try. If Barry ended up in danger, though, all bets were off. She'd do whatever it took to save him. There was a small sense of security in knowing this couldn't be Cisco's vibe about Killer Frost - she'd been with him in that vision, and now he was staying here at the lab. He wasn't even suited up.

It was too bad she didn't have her gloves, or another injection of V-9. She tried not to feel so helpless, remembering all the things she'd done just as she was right now. No speed, no fancy gadgets. At this moment, the mask and suit were nothing more than a lifeline back to the lab and a confidence boost. Barry and Peter would be there. Her heroes. She had everything she needed. "Let's do this."

XD The lemurs made me giggle.

[feelthelightning]

Barry pressed a kiss to her forehead above her mask. "I love you too. More than anything."

Cisco gave her a little salute when she mentioned getting a hold of Noah. He wasn't sure they'd need that many people at the helm right now, but if they did, he'd be ready to get on the phone right away. "I'll be ready to Breach in if you need me and Joe can take over until Noah gets here." He offered.

Lightning crackled through Barry's eyes, then around him and finally Claire before they both whooshed away. In seconds, Barry stopped in the middle of a warehouse with Claire, quietly looking around as he listened for movement. There was no sign of Savitar. But after a moment a blast of cold, like a warning shot, skimmed past Barry. It deliberately missed him and Claire.

Caitlin had Julian tied to a chair. "What are you doing here?" Cait hissed at them. She was decidedly not Killer Frost.

He needed a threat that was serious but not too serious. :D

[infinite1ups]

Things were dire, but still okay enough that sharing speed with Barry remained a thrill. That was comforting, at least.

"What are you doing here?" Claire knew Caitlin could have hit them if she meant to, but she took a step in front of Barry, anyway. And it was Caitlin, her hair was brown, not white, and even at a distance her eyes didn't look blue.

"We went down to the Pipeline to ask this asshole some questions, and he was gone. The security cams were iced over. We thought something happened to you. We were--"

Before she could finish, Peter appeared out of thin air next to Claire, his hands raised as though ready to defend himself. Or attack, whatever was necessary. Except... that wasn't Killer Frost, was it? It couldn't be.

"What the--" He looked around and saw no sign of Savitar - he could still feel the Speed Force enough that he'd know, even if he couldn't access it strongly enough to run. There was a man tied to a chair, who Peter figured must have been the missing criminal from the Pipeline. "What's going on?" he asked softly, taking a few steps toward Caitlin.

It was great! XD

[feelthelightning]

Caitlin looked flabbergasted for a moment then narrowed her eyes when Julian started talking behind her. "What are you lot waiting for? I've been kidnapped! Save me!"

"He's Alchemy." Caitlin ignored him and said as if that was all the reason she needed. Then elaborated, "If he can give Metas powers, maybe he can take them away, too. If he can get rid of Killer Frost, I don't have to worry about ever becoming her."

"She's psychotic! I've no idea what she's even on about!" Julian said, trying to look over his shoulder at them. "Flash, you're supposed to stop psychotic Metas like her!"

Cait gave Peter a desperate look, begging him to understand. She was scared, exhausted, and had taken the opportunity presented when sent away.