Episode 5 The Flash Fanfic

Chapter 1

Astrid raced through the entrance doors with her assistant at tow, a pile of documents in one hand and her phone in the other. Caitlin was on the other end. "Jane, can you run these documents over to Dr Raymond on level two, set up an appointment with our attorney for Friday, and then run down to Jitters and fetch me a latte... And please don't forget to order my lunch while you are there..." She dismissed Jane and continued on with her conversation to Caitlin.

"Don't you think you have been a little hard on that girl ever since you found out that she and Cisco were dating..." Caitlin sighed, "I'm not sure why, considering you're with Oliver now, and although he is back in Sterling City, he is still a much better catch than the adorable nerd. Speaking of love interests, have you heard anything on Ronnie... I mean Dr Stein, is it?"

Astrid scanned her badge and entered the elevator before she answered Caitlin's question. "He has been working with the team on the 81st floor on his project. They have been working out a way to separate Stein from Raymond's body. Are you saying you haven't visited them since we arrived back from Smallville?"

"I did have an awkward moment with him. But I don't really want to go into it right now... Look, I have to go, Barry is here." Caitlin said.

"Alright, I will see you soon... and Cait... Please try to control your temper with those two... We don't need you to go all Snow Queen on them... not until you can learn to control it." Astrid added, before she ended the call. As she did, she saw that she had missed a call from Joe. He was struggling with the burden of knowing that his partner at the CCPD was Barry's twin brother. It was a secret that neither he nor Astrid were willing to reveal just yet.

The doors opened to the 81st floor where Astrid found the same man that Barry had rescued from Smallville, leading the team of scientists.

"Ah, Miss Sutherland! It is very lovely to see you again. I have just been teaching your scientists a thing or two about the firestorm matrix. I believe that they were quite marveled when I revealed to them the project that we will be working on." Astrid had to remind herself that Dr Martin Stein was an older gentleman. A well-known scientist that even her father had been a fan of.

Ronnie, on the other hand, was much younger and had been involved with Caitlin before the meteor shower. "I have to ask..." Astrid started, "How much of Ronnie is really in there? Can he make any decisions whatsoever? I am only asking on behalf of Dr Snow..."
"Ah yes, the lovely Dr Caitlin Snow. Mr Raymond does have some input in our actions... more than I would prefer in fact... He likes pizza a little too much for my liking and yes, he still is very much in love with your friend. But I assure you that we are working very hard in perfecting the firestorm matrix, even if it has caused a few accidental damages..."

"I'm sorry! Damages?" Astrid asked pointedly.
"All in the name of science, my dear. But enough about that. I understand Miss Caitlin was rather nervous about approaching me earlier, you can tell her from both Ronnie and I, that she need not be nervous. I am willing to explain everything to her, and I do believe she could be of some assistance."

Astrid gave a polite smile. Dr Martin Stein had a very distinguished way of speaking and he liked to use it, to his full advantage.
"I will let Caitlin know." she said. Her phone rang again and she saw that once again, it was Detective West. She excused herself to answer it.

"Would either of you know what is up with Joe? He hasn't spoken to either of you at all, has he?" Barry asked Cisco and Caitlin while he had the two of them together. Ever since he had arrived back from Smallville, Joe had been avoiding him and cutting all their conversations off quickly.

Cisco scrunched up his face. He thought back to over a month ago. He knew that Joe was looking into the death of Barry's mother, but nothing had come of it, as far as he had known.
"I can't say that I do. I haven't seen him in a while. How has the old det..." He was interrupted by the beeping from his computer. He raced over to see that a crime had been committed over at Jitters. "Barry. Something is up at Jitters! You..." before he could finish his sentence Barry was gone.

"Jitters? Are you sure?" Caitlin asked.
"That's what it says right here." Cisco replied, pointing to his computer screen.
Caitlin bit her bottom lip, concerned. She had gotten off the phone to Astrid half an hour ago, and knew that Jane had just been sent over there. She didn't want to say anything.

"Caitlin? what are you hiding?" Cisco probed.
"Nothing. Everything is fine. Your girlfriend is not over at Jitters right now..."
"You're a terrible liar. You know that." Cisco said, frantically, as he began calling Jane's phone. Jane didn't answer.

Barry reached Jitters to find the entire coffee shop covered in ice and a lot of scared customers.

He saw Iris and phased his entire body so that she couldn't recognize him in his red suit. Iris ran towards him from behind the counter. She was in a terrified state. The villains had clearly, already left.

"That man that had the cold gun a few weeks ago! He is back! My dad works for CCPD and he said that he escaped being transferred to Iron Heights. He came here looking for someone." She told him.

"He said he was looking for his sister." Jane, Cisco's new girlfriend and Astrid's assistant, made her way towards them, still clearly shaken up. 

"His sister?" Barry asked. He thought back to the time when he last encountered Leonard Snart, at the bank before he had been arrested. Astrid had said something about him having a sister.
"Yes. He was looking for his sister, but she wasn't here." Jane confirmed, clearly excited to be in the presence of The Flash. Barry thanked the girls and was gone again.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I know you from somewhere." Iris said to Jane as the girl was about to leave.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I guess I just have one of those faces." She replied. She realized that she still had Astrid's latte in her hands and it was going cold. She left abruptly.

Barry found Astrid in the Sutherland Labs car park, making her way to her car. Still in his red suit he grabbed her and brought her back up to the 97th floor to meet with Cisco and Caitlin, before she even knew what had happened.

"Barry!" Astrid snapped. "I wish you wouldn't do that! Next time you speed someone from one place to another you need to tell them first. You need to stop being so reckless!"

Their sudden arrival startled their friends. "I agree with Astrid." Caitlin chimed in, "You can't keep doing that, Barry. You're going to get caught, or bring attention to the fact that you are associated with the CEO of Sutherland Labs."

"I'm sorry. But Leonard Snart broke out of prison and somehow he was able to retrieve his cold gun." Barry replied.
Astrid groaned and glared at Cisco. "I wish you never built that weapon." She told him. He crossed his arms behind his back and stared at the floor, out of regret. 

"Jane was there, she told me that Leonard was looking for his sister. Astrid, when you spoke to Leonard at the bank, you said something about him having a sister." Barry told her.
"I remember that. But at the time I was only hearing his thoughts. I didn't see what she looked like in his mind. But, before you brought me here I was on my way to CCPD. Maybe you should come with me, Barry... And Cisco... I hope you still have those shields handy. The police are going to need them."

"That... I have done..." Cisco replied. "I can get in contact with my team and get those shields to CCPD asap." He raced off to get the job done.

A thought crossed Astrid's mind. "Before we go anywhere I need to chat to Dr Stein. He may be able to help!"