A Whole New Multiverse: Flash

Chapter 9

Carla was still reeling from the fact that her daughter had attacked her, but at the same time, she also knew that it wasn't completely Caitlin's fault, so by the time the CCPD had arrived, she made sure that the CCPD would not be able to identify Caitlin as the attacker, though considering the change in her daughter's voice and appearance, she doubted anyone would've recognized her anyways, though her words might've done something, but Carla made sure everyone kept quiet by promising a 200 dollar bonus to everyone who'd seen the attack and agreed to keep quiet about what they'd heard, since she wanted to keep Caitlin safe.

Anyways, now she was talking to Joe as CCPD looked over the scene.

"So, an ice woman attacked you at your office. Any ideas why?" Joe asked.

"No, but I can tell that I was their main target, since she wasn't aiming for anyone else." Carla said.

"Security footage?" Joe asked.

"Cameras were wiped when I went to check." Carla said, though she neglected to add so she could wipe them herself.

"She's right. All security footage of the incident was wiped from the servers." Eddie Thawne said as he walked up to Joe.

"Really. Do you have any ideas why someone would target you specifically?" Joe asked.

"Not a clue. I mean I've had some issues with my daughter, but for one thing, she's not a meta and she'd also never attack me, despite our issues." Carla said.

"Well, we'll let you know if we find anything." Joe said.

"Thank you." Carla said as the detectives left her office.

Later that day, Carla was trying to figure out how her security feeds were wiped when her secretary informed her that she had visitors. Caitlin's boss in fact and Carla immediately called them in, since she was hoping that they'd have some insight on how exactly Caitlin had turned into Khione.

"Dr. Tannhauser. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us." Wells said as he, Cisco and Barry entered her office.

"Well Harrison, I was hoping that maybe you'd have an explanation on why Caitlin tried to attack me. And you two are?" Carla asked.

"I'm Barry Allen and this is Cisco Ramon. We work with Caitlin at Star Labs." Barry said as he and Cisco shook hands with Carla.

"Anyways, we believe that Caitlin's abilities are a result of the particle accelerator explosion." Wells said.

"So, you know about those." Carla asked.

"I'm actually the one who wiped your security footage to protect Caitlin from the CCPD." Cisco said.

"Well then you did me a favor Cisco, since I was about to do that myself." Carla said.

"You were?" Barry asked.

"Caitlin may hate me, but she's still my daughter and I know that she is not in control of her actions right now." Carla said.

"How would you know that?" Wells asked.

"Caitlin's powers may have been triggered by the particle accelerator explosion, but they weren't caused by it. Her powers have been a part of her since she was a kid. They were just repressed until recently." Carla asked.

"If her powers didn't come from the particle accelerator explosion, then where did they come from?" Barry asked, even though he already knew.

"From her father." Carla said.

"What do you mean?" Cisco asked.

"I'm sure Caitlin told you that her father died of ALS." Carla asked.

"Yeah. She did." Cisco said.

"Well, unfortunately, he passed that genetic marker down to Caitlin." Carla said.

"But Caitlin's shown no sign of ALS." Cisco said immediately.

"My husband was a brilliant man. He'd already been working on a cryogenic treatment to freeze the progression of ALS in himself, but when he discovered that Caitlin had the potential to develop it as well, he took drastic measures, testing his unfinished research on himself before using a modified version of on Caitlin." Carla said.

"So I'm guessing Mr. Snow is not actually deceased." Wells asked, even though Barry knew that Thawne already knew that Thomas was alive.

"No, he's not. But the reason I said he was is because of the side effects of the treatment. While the treatment cured them both of ALS, both Caitlin and Thomas began to exhibit dual personalities. Their normal selves, kind and benevolent, and then their ice personas. Thomas and I both knew that due to how rudimentary the procedure he performed on himself was, he wouldn't be able to stay in control for long, so we decided to isolate him in a remote Tannhauser site at the north pole until I could find a cure." Carla said.

"Why didn't you tell Caitlin?" Cisco asked.

"Her father didn't want her or her brother to see him as the monster he'd become." Carla said.

"Okay, but why would her ice persona want to attack you?" Barry asked.

"Because I'm the one her suppressed her. Caitlin was only 13 the first time Khione appeared." Carla said.

"Khione?" Cisco asked.

"That's the name her father gave her. He named himself Icicle." Carla said.

"Cool names." Cisco said.

"Anyways, Khione was easier to suppress than Icicle was since Caitlin was younger and the treatment used on her was more advanced." Carla said.

"How did you suppress her?" Wells asked.

"Experimental gene therapy. But I guess the particle accelerator finally gave Khione the strength she needed to break through." Carla said.

"But Caitlin is still in there somewhere. We need to convince Khione that just because she was treated like a criminal doesn't mean she has to become one." Barry said.

"We'd have to find her again first." Cisco said.

"I can help you with that." Carla said.

"How?" Wells asked.

"Khione will never stop coming after me. Use me as bait to lure her in. Then Mr. Allen here can restrain her." Carla said.

"What?" Barry asked.

"Please, that mask was not enough to conceal your identity, especially since you're wearing the same clothes the man who saved me was wearing." Carla said and Barry sighed, knowing she had him.

"You really think you can get through to her?" Wells asked.

"I have to try. I owe Caitlin that much." Carla said.

"Okay, come back to Star Labs with us and we can begin to make a plan." Wells said and Carla nodded.