Chapter 12

"What do you mean he's gone?" Iris asked, just as shocked and confused as everyone else after hearing that Matthew had escaped their unbreakable prison. 

"I don't know!" Ron cried out, his eyes red from exhaustion, and his hands shaking in fear. 

Caitlin put a hand on his shoulder, "why don't we go to the lounge, get some coffee and you can tell us what happened, okay?" 

Ron nodded and followed Caitlin and Iris while the rest of the team went to the pipeline. 

They stood in front of the prison that had shattered glass all around. 

"Not my baby," Cisco weeped as he crouched down to investigate the scene. 

Harry rolled his eyes, "your 'great mechanic skills' couldn't stop a meta. You've failed."

"How was I supposed to know? He's not even a meta from our earth."

"He's not even a meta from our earth," Harry repeated in a mocking tone.

"Guys," Barry said in authority, this is not the time." He picked up a glass shred but then quickly dropped it, "ah!" He shook his hand. 

"What?" Savitar asked.

"It's hot, like really freakin' hot!" Barry replied. 

"You don't think he blasted himself out with his heat powers, do you?" Savitar questioned.

"That's impossible!" Cisco exclaimed, "the glass is specifically made to dampen meta humans' powers."

"Meta humans from this earth," Harry contradicted, "meta humans who received their powers from the particle accelerator." 

"Okay so his powers weren't gone," Cisco thought out loud, "even so, he'd need heat at least over 9000 degrees."

"Which is possible," Savitar shrugged, "it's crazy to think about, but it's possible."

Back in the lounge, Caitlin and Iris sat next to each other while listening to Ron's side of the story. 

"I knew something like this would happen. It's why I stayed here to prevent it, or try to anyways," he shook his head, disappointed in himself. 

"There's nothing you could've done to change the fact that he escaped," Iris tried to console him. 

"I wish I could believe that. I was right outside the pipeline, I made sure not to talk to him, to ignore all his witty comments, I did everything, but then I feel asleep. Next thing I know the glass is all shattered, Matthew's gone, and there's this stabbing pain in the side of my stomach." 

He lifted his shirt and Iris gasped. 

"Matthew did this?" Caitlin asked. 

On Ron's skin, there were the words, 'come find me' inked onto him with his own blood. 

"Hellfire did this," Ron whispered. 

Caitlin, without fully turning into Frost, iced the top layer of his skin, "that should help you heal." 

*********

The next morning, Savitar and Barry were running across the world while Ron was resting at Caitlin's apartment. 

They stopped somewhere near Spain, Barry huffing, out of breath. 

"Wasn't that amazing?" Savitar laughed, exhilarated. 

"Yeah," Barry took a deep breath in, "I never really thought of running to a different country before." 

"Why not?"

Barry shrugged, "I don't know, it just feels wrong." 

Savitar chuckled, "you've got to be kidding me." 

Barry rolled his eyes, "this place is really beautiful, but why are we really here?"

"What? Can't we just come here for fun?"

"Is it Nora?" Barry asked, trying to get to the bottom of things, "or is it the whole Caitlin and Iris thing? Cause-" 

"It's everything!" Savitar shouted, but Barry barely flinched.

"Savitar..." 

"Isn't it fu*king weird that this woman who looks exactly like our mom, who died - got stabbed by a psychopath villain -  is here with us, living and breathing and smiling?"

"Doppelgängers aren't new to us." 

"And now Matthew's gone and God knows where he is and what he's about to do next."

"He's no different from any other bad guy we've faced." 

"Not to mention Caitlin and Iris are literally on the edge of danger and we have no idea how bad it is!" He flopped onto a nearby bench and put his hands on his face. 

Barry sat next to him, "it's a good thing that you're worried, you know." 

"Really? 'Cause it doesn't feel like it."

"It means you're caring for someone other than yourself." 

"Am I though? I don't want Nora here, 'cause at the end of the day, it makes me miss mom more. I don't wanna loose Cait 'cause I can't be lonely anymore. That seems pretty selfish." 

"And Matthew? You wanna catch him for the better safety of our citizens, you're willing to put yourself in danger to help others." Barry smiled, "Savitar, you're on your way of becoming a hero." 

"If this is what it feels like, I'd rather not." 

"It can be hard at times, not gonna lie, but when you win, when you hear all these people cheering for you ... everyone you saved, coming home to people who love you, who're glad your alive, that feeling is indescribable."

Savitar didn't say anything, he looked out into a distance, as a small child giggled and played around with a figurine toy. 

"We'll find Ron and we'll save Caitlin and Iris, we always do," Barry said, hopeful.

Savitar nodded, "are you still tired?"

"No, why-"

"Race you back to Central City!" And in a flash, Savitar sped off, Barry following close behind.

*********

While the speedsters were in another part of the world, Frost was awake in Caitlin's apartment, playing loud rock music and drawing. 

Ron came out of his room, hands covering his ears, "can you please turn that down?"

Frost smiled, "and disturb my inspiration? No way in hell!" 

Ron walked over to the speaker and turned the music off.

"What the f*ck?" Frost roared with her cold, loud voice. 

"I asked you nicely!"

Frost took the paintbrush she was working with and stabbed it into Ron's bicep. 

"Argh, wh-what's wrong with you?" He yelped in pain and fell onto the couch. 

Frost towered over him, "your brother escaped, so what? I'm not gonna stand here and tell you 'everything's going to be fine' because no one really knows if it will be."

"Okay, I get it, you're nothing like Caitlin." 

"Or Crystal," she put an arm on the couch and leaned forward, "I'm my own person, understood?"

Ron looked her in the eyes, unintimidated, "you didn't have to stab me though."

Frost smirked, "you heal fast anyway." 

She got up and turned her back to him, resuming her painting with another paintbrush. She put the music back on, but lowered the sound. 

Ron smiled, he had gotten to her after all. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm so sorry for such a late update! I got into a car accident and was in the hospital for a while, wishing I had super healing ;) 

It wasn't bad, but I did have a bunch of school work to catch up on, so yeah. 

QOTD: Would you guys watch a spinoff of the Flash? If yes, what would you want it to be on?My Answer: Of course I'd want a spinoff! For each season of the spinoff show, they should base it upon different earths. It'd be so interesting to see the different characters with different personalities and also we'd have to get snowbarry. 

You can't tell me that there're a billions of earth and no snowbarry, it just doesn't make sense. 

Also, do you guys ship Ron and Frost?