Hostage Situation

As my fight came to an end, I watched the van vanish into the distance with amazing speed.

Damn it. She got away again.

Frustration surged within me, but I pushed it aside, knowing there was no time for self-recrimination. My attention was suddenly drawn to a crackling sound, accompanied by an icy chill. Killer Frost and the Flash streaked towards me, locked in a dangerous chase. Swiftly, I retrieved a specialized ammunition cartridge and deftly loaded it into my pistol, taking careful aim.

With each passing moment, the Flash and Killer Frost hurtled closer, the tension mounting in the air. I held my breath, poised for the opportune moment. As they closed mere inches from me, I squeezed the trigger, releasing a syringe filled with a unique concoction. The projectile found its mark, piercing the Flash's leg. Instantly, his control over his superhuman speed wavered, and he careened into a nearby light pole with a bone-jarring impact.

Approaching the fallen hero, I couldn't resist a taunt. "Nanites, courtesy of Palmer Tech," I announced with a touch of satisfaction. "They deliver a high-frequency pulse that disables your speed. You're not gonna be running around for quite a while."

The Flash struggled to his feet, still dazed by the impact. He attempted to retaliate, but it was futile. I took him down with ease.

As if on cue, Killer Frost alighted beside me, stepping off her crystalline bridge. Her icy presence chilled the air as she spoke.

"Savitar says, I'm not allowed to kill you, but we can't have you following me around," she declared. With one hand, she raised a deadly icicle from her palm. Addressing the Flash, she inquired, "Was it the left leg last time?"

"What?" groaned the Flash, still disoriented from his collision with the light pole.

Without awaiting his reply, Killer Frost drove the icicle deep into his leg, eliciting a pained cry from the Scarlet Speedster.

Ouch. That's gotta sting.

"Scar tissue is far more sensitive than regular tissue," she taunted, callousness dripping from her words. The Flash writhed in agony, his moans filling the air.

"This isn't you." He pleaded, attempting to reach the vestiges of humanity within her, despite the pain coursing through his veins.

"It is now," Killer Frost retorted, her voice devoid of warmth or empathy. I scooped up the unconscious Cisco, my gaze hardening as I issued my ultimatum.

"And also, bring us Tracy Brand to the XXXX warehouse by nightfall, or we will kill your best friend."

Retreating toward my awaiting vehicle, the Flash could only watch helplessly, his despair evident as his best friend was taken away before his very eyes, leaving him with a gnawing sense of powerlessness.

...

~XXXX warehouse~

Beep!

The beep of my wrist device resounded as I gracefully leapt off the stacks of crates where I had been lying in wait.

"They're here," I signalled, motioning for Killer Frost, who was meticulously examining her icy nails, to prepare herself.

Vaulting off another crate, she said with a hint of excitement, "Finally."

"Caitlin, you don't have to kill her. I know deep down there's still good in you," Cisco pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation, as Flash, Joe, and Tracy slowly closed in on our rendezvous point.

Lowering herself to where Cisco was bound, Killer Frost locked her piercing gaze with his and retorted, a cold smirk playing on her lips, "Awwww, how sweet. You actually believe there's a shred of goodness left in me? There isn't."

"I believe there is, Caitlin—" Cisco began.

"Stop calling me that." she snapped, her hands raised, a frosty mist swirling around her as she readied herself to attack.

"Enough," I commanded firmly, and with visible reluctance, Killer Frost begrudgingly yielded, assuming her battle-ready stance, prepared to confront the approaching adversaries.

...

As they stepped into the room, concern etched across Barry's face as he took in the sight of Cisco bound for a chair between me and Killer Frost.

"Cisco! Are you alright?" Barry asked in concerned.

"I'm okay. They didn't hurt me," Cisco reassured, nodding his head.

"That's because killing you does nothing for us." Killer Frost retorted.

"But killing Tracy? That's everything." I interjected, pointing at the terrified physicist.

"Hand her over or be beaten by us. Again." I motioned with my palm, signalling for them to release her.

"You both don't have to do this." Barry persisted, attempting to persuade us as I internally rolled my eyes.

How many times do we need to tell him so that he can get it through his thick skull?

"Yes, we do." Killer Frost responded.

"Why? Because Savitar commands it? He's not a god. He's just a man that's using you. Both of you." Barry continue to reason with us.

"Come on, you're one of us."

"One of us?" Killer Frost's voice cut through the air. Her words synchronised with the thoughts forming in Barry's mind. It was as if she could predict his every word before it left his lips.

"We're family." Undeterred, he pressed on, hoping to strike a chord within her

"Family?" she echoed, a mischievous smile forming on her lips, her eyes sparkling with a glimmer of amusement. It was as if she were teasing him, daring him to believe she possessed some psychic power.

"We protect each other-"

"Till the end?" I finished Barry's sentence, as I watched as shock and confusion flickered across Barry's face, his mind grappling with what is going on here.

Chuckling at his bewildered expression, Killer Frost explained,

"Savitar told us everything you'd say. You two are more alike than you realise. You see, that's how Savitar knows every move you're going to make. He's always one step ahead of you, because this is all history to him."

"That's how I know Gypsy's in the rafters right now." I smirked, revealing a remote detonator and triggering the hidden explosives above.

"Oh no," Barry muttered, his gaze drawn upward as a resounding explosion shook the room, debris and dust clouding the spot where the blast occurred.

"Gypsy!" Cisco called out in concern as the rafters disintegrated.

Fortunately for Team Flash, Gypsy's years of experience as a collector honed her reflexes, allowing her to escape the collapsing rafters. A blue portal materialised, and Gypsy, unconscious, tumbled out.

Team Flash readied themselves to take action. Barry raced toward me while Joe West aimed his handgun at Killer Frost.

Already expecting Barry's first move, I detonated the second trap I had placed in front of me. With perfect timing, my trap sprang to life, an electric maelstrom erupting in a blinding flash, electric tendrils latching onto his body. His muscles spasmed involuntarily. A symphony of agony was etched across his face. The relentless assault of 11,000 volts numbed his senses, leaving him disoriented and vulnerable.

Seizing the opportune moment, I closed the distance with lightning speed, my knee driving mercilessly into his unprotected stomach. The impact robbed him of his breath, and a guttural gasp escaped his lips as spittle sprayed into the air. He crumpled, his body collapsing like a marionette with severed strings.

But I wasn't finished yet. With calculated precision, I spun into a whirlwind of motion, my right leg arcing towards his head with the force of a tempest. The tornado kick connected with a resounding crack, propelling Barry through the air like a rag doll caught in a hurricane. The sickening thud reverberated through the room as his body collided with the unforgiving wall, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in its wake.

"Stay down."

Finally finishing my fight, I lifted my gaze to see where Tracy is at, only to be greeted by a harrowing sight: two vibrant colours of vibe blast hurtling towards me, one red and the other blue. Time slowed as the orbs expanded in my line of vision, their impending impact drawing closer with each heartbeat. My mouth gaped open, a futile attempt to brace for the inevitable.

"Shi—"

Realising that Cisco has gotten free and Gypsy is up and running again, a cry escaped my lips, a desperate plea cut short by the thunderous collision. The vicious blast struck my stomach with unrelenting force, shattering any remaining resistance. Like a discarded kite in a tempest, my body was flung across the room, propelled by the unforgiving power. The crates awaited my unwelcome arrival, their sturdy frames providing an unwelcome embrace as I crashed against them.

The pain surged through me, a symphony of agony reverberating through my being.

"Argh..."

A primal hiss escaped my lips as I struggled to regain my footing. The waves of torment crashing against the shores of my consciousness. An acute, searing pain radiated from my torso, my ribs bearing the brunt of the devastating blow. Clenching my side, I succumbed to the unbearable weight, my body surrendering to the pull of gravity as I knelt upon the unforgiving floor.

Seeking support, my gaze landed upon Killer Frost, who, like me, had also been struck by a powerful vibe blast. She lay incapacitated, with Cisco meticulously extracting her blood.

"We need to get out of here," I muttered. The words strained through labored breaths. Fingers trembling, I retrieved my smoke canister from my pocket, and with a swift flick of my wrist, it rolled towards our unsuspecting adversaries, ensnaring their attention in a dense cloud of thick smoke.

In that fleeting moment, the sharp sound of my grappling hook pierced the air. Ethereal tendrils extended towards Killer Frost's motionless form, securing her to me. With fluidity and unwavering precision, the hook retracted, propelling us skyward, soaring towards the meticulously planned escape route. As the dissipating smoke unveiled our absence, we vanished from the battlefield, leaving Team Flash behind, swinging through the air back to Savitar's hideout.