"It might seem like the world around you slows down, but actually you are moving so fast that everything else seems to move in slow motion," Cisco stated the obvious.
Victor tuned out the conversation, seemingly lost in thought. He, in fact, was. His thoughts revolved around which ability he should showcase after Barry's demonstration. At first, the idea he had in mind was to showcase his superspeed. That way, Wells could see him as a high-value resource.
But a deeper analysis made him understand one thing: it was too big of a coincidence and would only make Wells more suspicious. And even though he had an overpowered ability of biokinesis, he knew it would not be wise to underestimate the Reverse-Flash, a speedster who, at his peak, could manipulate the timeline to his advantage.
Even Victor, with all his power, wasn't sure he could get rid of him. After all, just as Barry was the Speed Force avatar, the same applied to Thawne, he was the Negative Speed Force avatar.
And even though the Negative Speed Force was currently weaker than the Speed Force, it was still an omnidimensional force hell-bent on keeping Thawne alive no matter the cost.
So Victor decided against showing superspeed. Instead, he would showcase the next best thing: cryokinesis, the ability to manipulate cold, or, more fundamentally, slow down the movement of molecules, causing them to lose kinetic energy. It was a lethal counter to any speedster, at least if used properly.
Though it wouldn't entirely clear Thawne's suspicions, it would make sure he wasn't seen as a threat to his plans.
Now, on their way to one of S.T.A.R. Labs' many off-site properties, a vast airway that Wells conveniently had access to Victor glanced at Caitlyn, easily picking up on the clear disbelief still written on her face.
While Wells had likely talked about how special humans would soon appear, Caitlyn likely hadn't given it much thought, underscoring just how broken metahuman abilities could be.
"Mr. Cassian," Wells called, snapping Victor out of his thoughts as he approached. "It seems to me that something's bothering you," he added, tilting his head slightly in that creeping way that made Victor sigh internally.
The man was clearly trying to build familiarity, subtle manipulation.
Victor exhaled, thinking of a response. "I'm just thinking of the complications of having these… abilities. You know, how they'll probably change our lives forever. I guess I'm just thinking of the future," he said, chuckling weakly.
"The future…" Wells began with a pause. "Mr. Cassian, it's a tricky thing, unpredictable, unmalleable. Dwelling on it can do more harm than good. It's best to live in the moment," Wells said, channeling his frustration into his words.
Victor simply nodded, taking the advice with a grain of salt.
Soon they arrived at their location. It was still somewhat early in the day, just around noon.
The team quickly got to work, setting up equipment, monitoring, and speed-tracking devices around the runway so they could measure Barry's speed accurately.
It took almost an hour before everything was in proper order. When Barry finally exited the van, he was fitted in a red, tight, clunky suit that had clearly been put together in a hurry.
The moment he stepped out, a sharp click grabbed Barry's attention, his expression immediately turning sour.
"Did you just take a photo of me?" Barry asked in disbelief.
"No, I wasn't. I just took a selfie," Victor said, patting his phone back into his pocket with a wide grin.
Barry squinted, seeing through the obvious lie. He leaned forward, hands on his hips. "Why, just why would you take a selfie?" he asked, shrugging his arms into the air.
Victor smirked. "Historical moments. One day, we'll all look back at this photo and smile in nostalgia," he said mischievously.
"Certainly a man with clear priorities," Cisco remarked as he approached them. "So, how does it fit?" His ever-present smile lingered.
"A little snug," Barry replied exasperatedly.
"Don't worry. At least you'll be moving so fast no one will see you."
Meanwhile, Caitlyn stood beside Wells, her disbelief giving way to curiosity. "You don't really believe he can run that fast, do you?" she asked skeptically.
"Well, I believe anything is possible, and in a few minutes, maybe you will too," Wells responded vaguely.
"So, Dr. Wells will be monitoring your energy output, and Caitlyn, your vitals," Cisco explained, dragging Barry forward.
"What do you do?" Barry asked, curious.
Cisco chuckled lightly. "I make the toys, man."
"Check it," Cisco said, showcasing a device with a lightning bolt etched on its frame. "This is a two-way headset with a camera I personally modified."
"Typically designed to dampen battlefield impulse noise… or, in your case, potential sonic booms, which would be awesome," Cisco added, his grin growing wider.
His words left Barry speechless. Meanwhile, Cisco went off adjusting Barry's helmet as Victor and Caitlyn approached. Caitlyn was tweaking some parameters on his vital sensor when she noticed Barry's lingering gaze.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," Barry replied impulsively before finally speaking his mind. "I just noticed you don't smile too much."
Caitlyn paused, the pain in her voice evident. "My once-promising career in bioengineering is over. My boss is in a wheelchair for life. The explosion that put you in a coma also killed my fiancée, so… this blank expression kind of feels like the way to go," she said plainly.
On the sideline, Victor shoved Barry's shoulder, flashing him a familiar grin that only made Barry roll his eyes exasperatedly.
Wells' voice cut into their silent conversation. "Mr. Allen, while I am eager to determine your full range of abilities… I do caution restraint."
Barry nodded in understanding before walking over to the starting line. He took his spot on the track, one knee pressed to the ground.
Everyone present, including Victor, stared at the scene with anticipation. Barry exhaled, a flicker of lightning flashing through his eyes. His body tensed, and in the next instant, he vanished in a blur, leaving behind a gust of wind that almost knocked Cisco over, if not for Victor's firm grip.
The awe didn't last long when a loud crash echoed across the airfield. Barry had collided with several barrels of water. He groaned in pain, gripping his injured arm.
---
The drive back to S.T.A.R. Labs wasn't long. Barry had received first aid in the van, and by the time they arrived, his injuries were halfway healed. He rested in the med bay while everyone else gathered in the Cortex, their gazes fixed on Victor.
"Cryokinesis, sweet," Cisco muttered at Victor's explanation.
"I feel like there's more to it, but that's all I think I can do for now," Victor replied.
Wells removed his glasses, his mind already running a mile per second. His gaze flickered toward Caitlyn for a moment, curiosity and suspicion piqued.
"Mr. Cassian… now that all has been said, I think a demonstration is due," Wells said after a long pause.
Victor nodded, pushing off the desk he had been resting on. He grabbed Cisco's bottle of water and mug without complaint. "Watch," he said, pretending to focus.
Wanting to flex for a moment, he closed his eyes and let the cold loose. His already white hair turned even whiter. Thick white mist escaped his lips, and almost instantly, the temperature in the room plummeted. A shiver ran through everyone.
But most of it was directed at Wells. A biting chill flooded his body, and almost immediately, he could feel his speed drop by an estimated five percent.
"Mr. Cassian, that's quite enough," Wells called out, a quick vibration dispelling the cold.
"Oh, sorry, my bad," Victor said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he placed the frozen bottle back on the table.
"It looks like you'll need a lot of practice," Wells added, his cold and distant gaze barely restrained.
"Yeah, my bad," Victor agreed, glancing sideways at Caitlyn, who was the most affected. Staring in her direction, Victor's previous thoughts resurfaced—not about Caitlyn's ice manipulation ability, but about her split personality.
He had considered deleting the alternate personality, Killer Frost, but decided against it. In the long run, it might be a foolish decision that could cause catastrophic deviations.
The main reason he was intrigued by split personalities was simple: separate, independent thought. If he could apply it without the negative effects, he could potentially have multiple minds assisting the main one.
Not only would it make him more efficient, but his primary ability, biokinesis, could be pushed to its limits when all minds were focused on one goal.
The idea was experimental but not impossible; he'd try later today. For now, he returned his attention to the moment.
"Your cells… they're constantly absorbing thermal energy," Caitlyn explained, the principle behind his cryokinesis.
"But there's something else that I can't determine properly…"