Ch - 82 Abduction?

The next day, Dr. Harrison Wells and Cisco, with Joe's help, took some ballistic shields, modified them, and demonstrated their effectiveness to the CCPD officers. While they were busy working with Joe and the police, Swayam and Caitlin had decided to focus on finding Ronnie and helping him with his situation if possible. They searched for any clues related to the word "FIRESTORM," something Ronnie had mentioned. Despite scouring almost every database, they found nothing—at least, not until Barry suggested that Firestorm might be an acronym. This idea gave their previously aimless search some direction.

After digging deeper, they discovered that FIRESTORM stood for Fusion, Ignition, Research Experiment and Science of Transmutation Originating RNA and Molecular Structures (F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M.). This project involved the transmutation of elements by unzipping atoms and rebuilding them to create entirely new elements. The article on this process was co-written by Jason Rusch, a student at Hudson University. If anyone knew what had happened to Ronnie, it was likely Jason.

With Jason Rusch as their only lead, Swayam and Caitlin decided to meet him.

When they met Jason, he mistakenly thought they were there about the résumé he had submitted to S.T.A.R. Labs. Caitlin corrected him, and as soon as she mentioned "FIRESTORM," Jason became visibly worried and paranoid. He quickly tried to leave, apologizing, "I'm sorry. Uh, this was a mistake. I have to go." He attempted to escape, but before he could take a third step, Swayam blocked his path, preventing him from leaving. Caitlin, meanwhile, tried to calm him down, explaining, "No, look, someone we care about is in trouble, and you're the only clue we have to help him. So, please."

Jason agreed to help them. However, during the conversation, Swayam received a call from Barry, informing him that Joe and the CCPD had a confrontation with Snart but failed to capture him, despite using the modified ballistic shields from S.T.A.R. Labs.

It wasn't entirely their fault, though. No one had expected Captain Cold to team up with a flame-throwing maniac. The ballistic shields had been specifically designed to counter the cold gun, not a flamethrower.

Understanding the situation, Swayam informed Caitlin of what was happening. He bid her farewell, explaining that he needed to search the city for Snart and his accomplice. He left Caitlin with Jason to gather more information about the FIRESTORM project.

What Swayam and Caitlin didn't expect was that shortly after Swayam left—just fifteen minutes later—Caitlin, who had finished speaking with Jason, was being followed by Leonard Snart and his new partner as she headed to her car.

As Caitlin neared her vehicle, Snart used the cold gun to freeze the car, forcing Caitlin to stop in her tracks. But what Snart hadn't anticipated was that Caitlin was no damsel in distress—she was a dangerous force to reckon with. As soon as the freeze ray hit the car, Caitlin's instincts from her training with Swayam kicked in. She turned around and confronted Snart and his partner, retaliating with her own cryokinetic powers.

Snart, being the world-class thief he was, had always been prepared for unexpected challenges. He quickly reacted by using the cold gun again. However, when Caitlin's cryokinetic powers collided with the cold gun's freeze ray, something even more unexpected happened.

Because Caitlin was wearing a suppressing bracelet that limited her ability to fully use her powers, her freezing abilities—though more potent than the cold gun—weren't strong enough to overpower it in that moment. Unable to remove the bracelet in time, the freeze ray from Snart's cold gun slowly overpowered her abilities and struck her directly. But instead of freezing her, something remarkable occurred. The freeze was absorbed into her body. However, with her powers suppressed, Caitlin couldn't redirect or stabilize the massive amount of energy she had absorbed. Overwhelmed, she collapsed, unconscious, making it easy for Snart and his hot-headed partner to abduct her.