The mirror shows her
Two futures: one where she's good
And one where she's not.
.
Mind over matter:
Never let it close enough
To kill you - or them.
.
The instructions: "Don't
Gaze at blue basilisk eyes;
They won't forgive you.
.
"If your hair turns white
Cut it off. You're Medusa,
Not Samson. Looks kill."
.
"Your heartbeat will slow
To a glacial crawl. Don't let
It give you away.
.
"Those icicles are
Fatal to living creatures.
Touch at your own risk.
.
"They'll say they love you
No matter who you become
They have no idea."
.
"When their breath stops in
Their chests, don't say I didn't
Warn you. We both knew.
.
"(Luxury: item
Of remarkable value.
Example: a hug.)
.
"They make you feel loved.
They don't know you're the worst thing
That happened to them."
.
Caitlin stares at her
Shaking hands. Would they follow
If she ran away?
.
How long would they look
For the Caitlin they once knew
Before they caught on?
.
Cisco's doppel
Was evil; Barry's, harmless.
Hers was a monster.
.
Heroes aren't born with
Ice in their souls. Friends say, "Cold
Hands." She says: "Cold heart."
.
A doctrine presides:
"Speed and cold are opposites."
She's a threat to him.
.
Barry has lightning.
Cisco has waves. They could take
Her down. Break them first.
.
Thermodynamics:
Cold is not injected. Warmth
Is taken away.
.
Take Barry down first.
He's the lesser threat. Cisco
Could shatter her spine.
.
He's smart. Strong enough
To be deadly. He won't go
Down without a fight.
.
On Earth-2, Reverb
And Killer Frost were partners.
On Earth-1, they're friends.
.
Is it easier
With her eyes closed, her last sense
Of self demolished?
.
Would he surrender?
Could she live if his dying
Words were "Caitlin, please"?
.
Blood-soaked suit, crumpled
Knees, would he still entreat her
"Caitlin, don't leave me"?
.
The cuffs chafe her wrists.
She'd take them off if she knew
She couldn't hurt them.
.
Poor circulation,
She lies, heart beating faster
Than she thought it could.
.
She tries to avoid
Physical contact with them.
But they still love her.
.
Their love language is
Good morning coffees, random
Bursts of affection.
.
Personal space is
A suggestion, not a rule
Rules can be broken.
.
They're her family.
In family, we share, we
Do not keep secrets.
.
She's lonely and she
Misses them. They'd let her in
If she would let them.
.
STAR Labs doesn't feel
Like home anymore, not since
She froze over.
.
She never planned to
Tell them. Unless she had to,
She'd die with the truth.
.
With heat and without
Remorse, Cisco says, "Tell them.
They deserve to know."
.
Caitlin wants to scream
To rage or balk or bleed out.
Anything but this.
.
Cisco knows; Barry
Shouldn't. Flashpoint altered her
Destiny. He knew.
.
Cisco says, "We'll find
A way." Barry says, "Nothing
Is written in stone."
.
She wants to carve it
On his soul and on his skin
"Next time, write with stone."
.
. o .
.
She breaks because
Ice put under pressure is
Tragedy in wait.
.
Barry makes the first
Mistake: he holds his punches.
She doesn't hold hers.
.
The rage is revenge
For the singularity;
Barry never paid.
.
Speedsters are people
With too much power that does
Not belong to them.
.
Caitlin puts him down
Like Achilles, through his leg.
An artery bursts.
.
She's unresponsive,
Grenaded, shell-shocked, white noise
Blocking her senses.
.
(Thermodynamics:
Death is not injected. Life
Is taken away.)
.
Cisco pleads, "Caitlin,"
And it isn't his own life
He's bargaining for.
.
"Caitlin," he repeats,
"Caitlin, please." She looks at him.
Hands up, surrender.
.
Blue eyes soften; ice
Retreats. The world-consuming
Haze disintegrates.
.
She can't touch him; at
Best, her hands would burn his skin.
Cisco hands her cuffs.
.
She can feel the warmth
Return to frigid fingers.
Need crushes defeat.
.
Cisco's hand on her
Shoulder shakes. He doesn't fear,
But trust is too far.
.
Barry looks ghostly
By the time Cisco and she
Haul him to STAR Labs.
.
She feels Frost flare up
Under her ribs. Barry's blood
Stains her fingertips.
.
A war of the worlds
Claims clearheadedness, but not
Her competency.
.
Cisco hangs back, jarred
From his comfort zone. Her
Presence agitates.
.
Even with the cuffs
Her palms are numb. If Barry
Dies, it's on her hands.
.
Barry puts his hand
On her forearm. And he says,
"I'm okay. I promise."
.
The lightning is an
Undercurrent to his words,
Truth from turbulence.
.
They're not even scared
In such close proximity.
They haven't learned fear.
.
They're afraid for her,
But they're not afraid of her.
Fearlessness is trust.
.
She can feel Frost wax
And wane between the calming
Presence of them both.
.
Vibe is singular.
Speedsters are plural. Both are
Irreplaceable.
.
She says, "I'm sorry"
Over and over. They let
Her, but they don't leave.
.
When Barry insists
On standing too soon after
She accepts the hug.
.
Cisco pulls a grunt
From Barry when he joins in;
Bruised wounds forgive.
.
Caitlin thinks, I can't
Lose you. You're my family.
Cisco says, "We know."
.
"We're gonna get through
This," Barry says. Cisco adds,
"However we can."
.
When Barry's leg loses
Strength, Cisco helps him keep his
Footing. "I've got you."
.
They sit on a bed
Together, still suited up.
Caitlin hesitates.
.
Cisco reaches out,
Takes her sleeve, and pulls her
To his other side.
.
It doesn't matter
That she's cold. Barry runs hot.
Cisco falls between.
.
Equipoise: balance
Achieved between opposing
And equal forces.
.
"We'll be okay. This
Is a setback. We've survived
Worse," Cisco affirms.
.
Caitlin tries to think
Of a worse time, when their bond
Was more tenuous.
.
But she feels the strength
Beside her. She knows that they're
Strong enough for this.
.
She's strong enough. Frost
Is one choice. They're another.
In the end, she stays.