Aftermath

A Matter of Time

"Barry just texted. They made it to Ferris Air and are setting up the Bazooka right now." As she spoke, Iris put her phone away and approached Frost, who was reclining at the main console watching tv.

"Oh, how the plot thickens," Frost replied in a contrastingly bored tone.

Iris chose not to comment on the sarcasm, instead taking a seat next to the doctor. The two of them had been left behind at STAR Labs to watch after Savitar while the rest of the team went to implement the plan. It was only a matter of time until Savitar's fate was made clear. And time had never really been on their side. That, however, was not Iris' chief concern right now. There was an uncomfortable topic she needed to broach with Frost, and the conversation could've gone any number of ways.

Iris cleared her throat and decided to bite the bullet. "So... Barry and Cisco tell me you talked with Julian shortly before he left. Did he... say anything?"

"Real smooth, Iris," Frost replied, immediately seeing through the journalistic facade. She didn't even need to turn away from the television. "You've obviously been sent to get an explanation, so just ask me what you really want to know."

Iris huffed, straitening in her chair. She'd hoped to approach this with more tact, but she could handle directness just as well. "Fine then. I saw the security camera footage. That was... intense – what you said to him. And not entirely deserved."

"You heard what I said, Iris; you know my feelings on it. I may not be Caitlin's number one cheerleader, but I know she deserved better than that."

"I didn't realize that that was weighing on you. We probably should've checked in about that sooner," Iris said with a grimace and, if Frost wasn't mistaken, a bit of regret.

She shrugged. "Don't lose sleep over it. I've always been the type to pick myself up and dust myself off. There's nothing you guys could've done to help that I didn't do for myself."

"Well, at least tell me this... I know why Caitlin was so afraid to be you, but why are you so afraid to be Caitlin?"

That question drew her attention away from the show. She squirmed. "It's not so much her. It's... this team."

"How so?"

Frost hesitated, unsure if she wanted to perpetuate a serious conversation – and with Iris, of all people. Then, after a beat... "Caitlin had a place here; I don't. I already feel like I'm living someone else's life and being here just makes it more noticeable. And don't think I don't notice the skepticism, the thinly veiled animosity. I took Caitlin away for you guys, and now you're bitter. That... is the one thing Savitar and I have in common."

Iris wanted to address the comments about animosity, but she got caught up in the mention of Savitar. "What do you mean?"

"What – Barry didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Frost scoffed. "Figures." At Iris' concerned look, she decided to elaborate. Anything she could do to enlighten Team Flash of their own shortcomings was a win in her book. "What exactly do you know about Savitar's creation?"

Iris shrugged. "Not much; I'm sure it was a sore subject for Barry to discuss with me. But, from what I've gathered, he was the only one of Barry's time remnants that Savitar didn't kill during their fight against him in the future."

"And?"

"And... he didn't take that well. He grew agitated and convinced himself that Barry was to blame."

"Not entirely true. Sure, he was rattled about being a time remnant – and the only one left, no less – but he didn't just immediately go off the deep end. According to what he told me, Savitar tried to adjust and work with Future Team Flash – including the other Barry. They wouldn't accept him, though. Having another version of Barry hanging around was too much for them to handle. They didn't see him as Barry; they saw him as a mistake, an inconvenience.