Frozen Flashpoint

Chapter 5: Failed Attempt

Summary: A new meta threat is destroying the city and team Flash argue.

Barry's mind immediately shifted from his suspicions about Caitlin's behavior to crisis mode as the alarms kept going off and Cisco ran into the room with Harry hot on his heels.

Cisco was the first to speak, his voice frantic. "Yo, we have a huge problem."

Caitlin gave a flat look to Cisco and replied, "We heard the alarms too, Cisco. Why don't you tell us what we're dealing with?"

Barry watched with everyone else as the main screen showed footage from a street security camera of a blonde man with disheveled hair, his eyes glowing red as explosions kept coming out of his palms.

The street was under construction and it was a Sunday, so it was empty, but construction equipment kept flying around as the madman kept cursing and laughing, sending more explosions in every direction. Every so often, he would yell out, "DIEEEE!"

Barry used his speed to put on his suit and stopped for a moment to survey the cortex. By doing so, he saw Jessie using her speed to put on her own suit.

Barry completely stopped and gave her a surprised look. "Where did you get the suit?"

Jessie gave him an odd look and supplied the obvious answer, "Cisco made it for me."

Barry nodded a little awkwardly and corrected himself, "Okay, I meant to ask why you're wearing it now?"

Jessie looked around as if someone else was going to answer, but when no one did, she spoke again. "Umm, because we're going after the bad guy?"

Barry put his hand up. "Hold on... we? Since when are you going on the field?"

Jessie seemed to get mad now as she replied with a huff, "Since you trained me?"

"Trained you?!" Barry cried before pointing out without mercy, "You just finally learned how to phase today. There's still too much for you to learn before you can handle metas on the field."

If Barry was without mercy, Jessie was downright brutal as she gave him a deadpan look and asked in fake innocence, "And when you went after your first meta, remind me what skill level you had?"

Barry looked down, not wanting to answer that question. He heard Cisco snickering at his predicament and wanted to glare at his best friend, but doing so put him at risk of Jessie's ire.

Of course, looking away didn't stop her from keeping her attack as she gasped mockingly and very sarcastically spoke, "Oh right! You just found out you had speed and went out against the advice of your idol and girlfriend."

"Umm, she wasn't my girlfriend at the time," Barry raised his head and pointed out weakly, but Jessie just glared at him.

Barry looked at Harry and asked desperately, "Come on, Harry, you've got to agree with me here."

Harry gave a short nod and said firmly, "Allen is right. You are not ready for the field yet."

Jessie glared at her father and accused him, "You wouldn't let me on the field even if I had twice Barry's experience."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Jessie was much faster and much angrier as she shouted at him, "The whole point of us staying here is so I could train and gain experience! So how can you justify me not going out?!"

Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times before his face contorted into an unpleasant expression and he said reluctantly, "Fair point."

"Harry!" Barry cried, and the older man just shrugged in return. Barry was counting on Harry to put this problem to rest, but now it fell to him. He looked at his student with a firm expression. "You still don't know what it feels like to be on the field, and this meta is too dangerous to be your first out there."