Frozen Fear: Part 3

Far North of the Arctic Circle:

Hal was bent over, vomiting violently into the snow. Diana turned away from the gruesome scene, crying. She inhaled deeply. Finally she faced one of the security officers.

"Where is Clark?" she asked. "He went to the command building just before you guys came here, where is he now?"

"He was the one who told us to come look at this," the officer said. "He stayed back at command. I guess he didn't want to see this again."

Command Building, the same time:

Clark sat in the chair gazing out a wide window across the tundra. Tears silently rolled down his cheeks and he was trembling slightly. He mumbled incoherent sentences to himself, all involving the word "Barry."

He heard the large metal door open from the outside and a frozen breeze rushed around the corner and chilled him to the bone. Clark shivered and listened as the door was shut and latched.

"Who's there?" he asked without averting his gaze from the window. "That you Diana?"

Heavy footsteps fell upon the floor, coming closer and closer to Clark. A large form cast its shadow, enveloping Clark from behind.

"I'm sorry that you had to see your friend like that. I get a bit carried away sometimes."

The night before:

"What do you mean?" Barry asked the voice.

"I am the perfect balance of life and death. I feel no remorse in destruction, but find beauty in creation nonetheless. I am the impossible. I am the unknown."

"Please, I don't know what you're saying. Just come down and show me who you are." Barry fumbled with a pistol that had been hidden under his bed.

"Very well."

Something enormous landed on the floor of the barracks. It was well over eight feet tall and Barry could see that it was bulging with muscle, even in the darkness of the room. Barry fired all six bullets into the creature. It did not flinch.

"I can't be destroyed. I'd let you if I could. I have tried everything, but I will not die. Perhaps I already am. I wish to be left in peace, nothing more."

"We will leave you in peace, I assure you!" Barry pleaded.

"Your very presence disturbs me."

"We'll leave then, study elsewhere," he desperately told the thing.

"You'll tell others of me. I must kill you."

"I don't even know what you are!" Barry begged hysterically.

"But you know that I am."

It reached a huge hand out of the shadows and lifted Barry by his neck. Barry squirmed and flailed and gasped, but it was useless.

"Please," Barry whispered, "at least tell me who is killing me."

"I have no true name. But your people call me by the name of my creator."

"Who is your creator?" Barry breathed.

"Frankenstein."