Chapter 48: Fallout
Everyone just stared up at the sky as the smoke from the explosion, with Firestorm nowhere in sight.
"Where… where's Firestorm?" Flash asked.
Superman quickly started scanning around with his telescopic vision, trying to locate any sign of them. Luckily, he found Ronnie face first in the dirt, and an old man right next to him.
"Over there!"
The two darted over to the two of them, instantly moving to help them up.
"Professor Stein, I presume," Superman deduced, helping him up.
"Indeed," the old man replied. "And circumstances aside, I must say it is good to be myself again."
Ronnie began getting up, groaning slightly.
"You said it, Prof. No offense, but I am glad to be the only voice in my head."
"I know a certain scientist who would agree with you," Flash commented.
Ronnie perked, and then lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Cait..."
"Well why are you just standing there, Ronald?" Professor Stein declared, making 'shoo' motions. "Go to her!"
Ronnie quickly began making his way away from the site, Professor Stein and Superman following. The others prepared to follow, but then Flash noticed GL hanging back.
"You coming?" he asked.
"Still got one last piece of business to take care of," GL informed, turning towards a fleeing Plastique.
As she cleared the fence, Plastique attempted to make a break down the street when a large green hand stopped her.
"Going somewhere?" GL asked, hovering over her. "You know, I don't know much about mercenaries, but it must be bad for the image to slink away from a botched job in your underwear. Especially pink with polka dots."
Plastique glared and summoned energy into her hand. GL rolled his eyes and surrounded her in a halo of green, freezing her in place.
"That's enough of that. Now unless you wanna embarrass yourself even more than you already have, you'll surrender."
Plastique looked beyond furious, but killed the energy around her hands.
"Good girl."
GL then flew off with Plastique, ensuring she'd be placed in police custody.
…
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Ronnie came into the Cortex, Caitlin standing to greet him. When she saw his clear eyes and the smile on his face, she broke out into a grin.
"Ronnie?"
"It's me. Just me."
Caitlin instantly embraced and kissed him, a sentiment Ronnie was quick to reciprocate. Professor Stein walked in not long after, smiling warmly at the scene.
"Congratulations, Ronald."
"It is good to see you home," Wells agreed, wheeling up.
"Dr. Wells," Ronnie greeted. "Thanks for the suit, and the save. I'm afraid they both disappeared in the explosion."
"That's not important. What's important is that you're back with us."
"I'm just glad to be back."
"Excuse me," Professor Stein spoke up. "Not to interrupt what must be a touching reunion, but you wouldn't happen to have somewhere I can freshen up before returning home. Mr. Raymond is not the only one desperately missing the love of their life."
"Of course," Wells replied. "Cisco?"
"Right this way, Professor Stein," Cisco motioned.
…
At CCPD, Joe got off the phone with Barry, who told him everything that had happened.
"Right. Thanks for the heads up."
Just as Joe hung up, GL came flying in, Plastique still surrounded by the green barrier.
"Detective West," GL spoke. "This woman is responsible for trying to blow up the power plant as well as half of Central City. I recommend getting her a power damping collar… and maybe a pair of pants."
Joe nodded, snapping his fingers at Eddie to move. He returned with a collar, as well as some basic sweats. After the collar was snapped on her, GL dropped the field and she got dressed. Before Joe could even reach for his cuffs though, the elevator opened up and a man in a military uniform with a mustache and a cap on his head. He was accompanied by several soldiers flanking him on either side.
"Can I help you?" Joe asked.
"General Wade Eiling, US Special Services. This investigation is now a national security matter. We will be taking any and all evidence on this matter, and will be taking the suspect into federal custody."
Both GL and Joe look at each other in surprise and confusion.
"Is there something we need to be concerned about?" GL asked.
"As I said, 'Green Lantern', this is a matter of Nation Security, meaning it is none of your business any longer."
Several soldiers took Plastique into custody as they and Eiling left. As the elevator opened up, Kari was revealed to be inside, the scientist locking eyes with the General. The second they saw one another, the tension in the air was as thick as molasses in winter.
"Eiling..." Kari growled..
"Miller," Eiling replied dismissively.
He gestured to one of his soldiers, who grabbed the arms of Kari's chair, pulling her out of the elevator. She yelped, clinging to her chair as she was pushed to the side so Eiling, Plastique, and the soldiers could enter. She regained control of her chair as GL and Joe came over to her.
"You ok?" GL asked, walking up.
"Yeah…" Kari replied. "Eiling and I have never seen eye to eye, even before I became synonymous with the Justice League and Xenophilia."
"Damn."
"Yeah… anyway, that's not why I'm here. I need to speak to Detective West."
"Did you find something?"
"I did. Can we speak in private?"
"Ok…" GL noted. "I guess I'll see myself out."
GL then flew out of the building, leaving the two alone to talk.
"What'd you find?" Joe whispered.
Kari looked around, then spoke in a low voice.
"I ran the samples, and one came back as a match."
"Was it Wells?"
"No… It was Barry's"
"But we knew Barry was there that night."
"Not kid Barry's… I did a thorough analysis, and there were high levels of P16, a protein that builds up in the body as we get older. And the levels were way too high to be an eleven year old boy. The sample came from your Barry right now, Adult Barry."
Joe was genuinely shocked by this, unsure of how to process this.
…
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin was finishing up giving Ronnie a full check up.
"Your vitals appear to be normal, except you have a slight fever of 100.6."
"Cait, I'm fine, I promise."
"I know, but we just need to be...
"Shh." Ronnie insisted, kissing her again.
"Yep!" Cisco let out as he and Professor Stein came walking into the room. "Just when I had forgotten how awkward it was to walk in on you two."
"Well, you can get used to it again," Caitlin told him
"So I did a full medical workup on the Professor," Wells informed as he too came into the room. "It turns out that now that he and Ronnie are separated, they no longer possess the ability to harness nuclear energy."
"A practice I will not miss, I assure you," Stein replied.
"Professor Stein, you seem to be running a little hot as well." Caitlin noted. "Same as Ronnie... 100.6.
"Hardly a sweat, Dr. Snow. And hopefully now the only thing Ronald and I have in common is temperature."
"You know, you can call me Ronnie."
"As you told me, but considering everything I put you through, I feel as though I have not earned such familiarity."
"Right."
"So," Cisco spoke up. "You gonna miss being able to fly?"
"I will admit, flying was exhilarating," Ronnie allowed. "But if it means robbing me of my sanity and the Prof of his body, I'll pass."
"I appreciate the concern," Stein reassured. "Now I believe you and I have spent quite enough time together. If it is alright with everyone, I would like to go home to see my wife."
"Of course," Wells replied. "Mr. Allen will take you."
"Absolutely," Barry agreed as he and Stein walked off.
"I need some pizza," Ronnie commented.
"You got it," Caitlin agreed.
As she went to call for a pizza, GL came flying in, heading right for the Justice Leaguers.
"Guys, we have a problem."
"What's up?" Superman asked.
"Some General showed up and took Plastique away. Said it was a 'national security matter' but he seemed shady about it."
"What was the General's name?" Wonder Woman inquired.
"Wade Eiling. Apparently he and Kari have beef 'cause he literally shoved her out of the way to get where he was going."
"Well, she's not the only one," Wells commented. "S.T.A.R. Labs has had some history with General Eiling as well."
"Give us the cliffnotes," Superman requested.
"General Eiling wanted S.T.A.R. Labs to aid him in special projects for advanced soldiers. Basically, they wanted their own supermen and wonder women. I, of course, turned them away."
"Him showing up just after Plastique's arrival doesn't feel like a coincidence," Superman mulled over.
"No way it was," GL insisted. "I'll bet my ring he was her commanding officer, the one who ordered her to threaten the power plant to draw out Firestorm."
"That tracks," Caitlin agreed, walking back in. "Clarissa said General Eiling seized all of Professor Stein's work on the project after he disappeared."
"No doubt trying to make it work," Ronnie surmised. "And when he couldn't…"
"He went for plan b," GL finished. "Steal the results."
"Perhaps it's time we have a sit down with the good general," Wells decided.
…
Meanwhile, Barry managed to get Stein back to his house, setting the older man down in front of his door.
"After all this time… what should I say to her?"
"Something tells me you're not going to have to say anything," Barry told him.
Taking a breath, Stein knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Clarissa answered, her eyes widening and a hand going to her mouth at the sight of her husband.
"Martin?"
"Clarissa… I'm so sorry I put you through all this-"
He didn't even get the chance to finish before Clarissa kissed him. Once they broke off, she hugged him tightly, mouthing thank you to Barry. He turned to leave, but Martin stopped him.
"Mr- Barry… thank you."
"My pleasure," Barry replied before speeding off.
…
Later, Barry arrived at CCPD, where he was greeted by Iris walking up to him.
"Hey," he greeted. "What are you doing here?"
"Wanted to get a police statement about the excitement at the power plant," Iris explained. "Heard the burning man showed up."
"He did, yes, but he's no longer a factor. His flame's been put out. And off the record, both have been reunited with those they love."
"Well, I do love a happy ending. Although, also off the record, I hope you don't make a habit of disrobing supervillains to get the win."
"Just the one, and I was a gentleman about it. Well, as gentlemanly as one can be when someone decides to kamikaze herself to destroy a city."
The two shared a laugh at that.
"Did you ever imagine that this would be our lives?"
"No, but I couldn't imagine it any other way."
At that moment, Joe approached, pushing Kari's chair as he did.
"Barr, good to see you," Joe greeted. "Listen, Dr. Miller and I need to show you something."
"Something wrong?" Barry asked.
"It's easier to show you," Kari insisted.
…
At the old Allen house, Barry walked through the door with an expression of surprise and mourning. He looked around at his childhood home sadly.
"It's… smaller than I remember."
"You're a lot bigger than before," Joe commented.
"Barry, have you been here?" Kari asked. "Recently, I mean?"
"No… I could never bear to come back here after that night. This is the first time I've been here in the last 15 years. Why?"
"After the Reverse Flash stole the Tachyon device," Kari spoke up, "Joe and I began investigating that night. We found something."
"Two somethings actually," Joe added, walking over to the projector.
He hit the power button and the holograms turned on, showing the images of the fight that night.
"Mom…" Barry let out, seeing the image of his mother.
"You can easily see there are two very fast people fighting around her," Joe elaborated.
"Two speedsters," Barry pieced together.
"That's not all," Kari explained. "We found blood from both of the speedsters, and I ran it through. One of the samples… it was you."
"What? That doesn't make sense. I wasn't even downstairs yet."
"Not that you Barry," Joe corrected. "This you."
"The proteins in the sample could only be found in a full grown adult," Kari clarified, pointing to the holographic image of the red speedster. "That's you, Barry. You were in your house that night. You're the one who got your younger self to safety."
"Me…" Barry let out, honestly in shock.
…
Meanwhile at a secret military base, Plastique was standing before General Eiling as he paced back and forth.
"What did you find?" Eiling asked.
"A man in a specialized suit showed up calling himself Firestorm," Plastique relayed. "From what I can tell, he was our 'Burning Man'."
"Were you able to ID him?"
"Professor Stein called him 'Ronald', as well as 'Mr. Raymond'."
"Ronnie Raymond… one of Wells' boys. Good work, soldier."
"Thank you, sir."
…
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Joe, Barry, and Kari met with everyone else, explaining what they had learned.
"So, you were there both as a kid and as an adult?" Cisco asked. "How is that possible?"
"Time travel," Wells answered.
Everyone looked at each other in surprise.
"Is… is that even possible?" Superman asked.
"If there's one thing I've learned working with the League, it's that anythings possible," Barry replied.
"But still," Wonder Woman let out. "to actually travel through time?"
"Well, the greatest minds in human history put their collective genius towards solving that puzzle," Wells commented.
"So... Is it possible?" GL asked.
"Yes, it's possible, but potentially problematic," Kari spoke up. "Assuming you could create the conditions necessary to take that journey... well, that journey would then be brimming with potential pitfalls. The Novikov principle of self-consistency, for example."
"Wait, the what, now?" Superman questioned.
Basically, if you travel back in time to change something, then you end up being the causal factor of that event," Barry clarified.
"Like Terminator," Cisco chimed in, getting a nod from Supes.
"Or is time plastic?" Wells proposed. "Is it mutable whereby any changes to the continuum could create an alternate timeline?"
"Back To The Future," Cisco compared.
"I am afraid I don't get out to the movies that much," Wonder Woman lamented.
"Justice League doesn't have a movie night?" Cisco asked.
"Back on topic, please," Joe requested. "I still haven't gotten an answer."
I might be a clever guy, Joe, but if you're asking me to give you a working theory on how to travel through time, I'm afraid I just can't do that," Wells admitted.
"Maybe so," Kari spoke up, "but there is someone else we can talk to about this."
…
Sometime later, Barry and Kari arrived at the Stein house, the former hesitantly knocking on the door. After a few seconds, Clarissa answered, surprised to see the two at her door.
"Mr. Allen," she greeted. "How nice to see you again. Who's-?"
"Dr. Kari Miller," Kari introduced offering her hand. "We were hoping to speak with your husband."
"Is he here?" Barry asked.
"After more than a year apart, I'm not letting him out of my sight," Clarissa insisted. "Um, S.T.A.R. Labs did some tests on Martin, right? They said… everything was fine."
"Uh, yeah," Barry confirmed. "Why? Is there something wrong?"
"He's just… a little different, now."
"Different how?"
"He's been asking for pizza. Martin despises pizza."
As if on cue, Professor Stein came rounding the corner.
"Is that the delivery man?" he asked, seeing his guests at the door. "Ah, Mr. Allen. I don't suppose you moonlight as a delivery man?"
"Barry," Kari spoke up. "Why don't you go get the Professor's pizza? We can talk while he eats."
"Right," Barry agreed, speeding off.
Barry returned seconds later with a pizza in hand.
"Ah, bravo! Thank you!" Professor Stein let out, taking the pizza. "Please, come in. Both of you."
The Steins retreated inside and Barry helped Kari get through the door.
"So, what can I do for you?" Stein asked as they made their way inside.
"We were hoping to talk to you about a paper you wrote for the Oxford University Press 25 years ago," Barry explained.
"I wrote many papers for that publication. Could you be a little more specific on the subject matter?"
"Time travel," Kari answered.
Stein paused for a moment, processing their words
…
A few minutes later, Stein led the two into a private study of his, pulling a tarp off a chalkboard with calculations and equations.
"These are just a few of the random thoughts I've had on the subject."
"Few?" Kari remarked.
"See, I believe that space-time is a free-flowing highway that intersects the physical world," Stein elaborated. "We live in... in the moments between the on and off ramps. Theoretically, to travel through time, one merely needs to find a way onto the highway."
"Okay, so... so you're saying that this is actually possible to... to travel into the future?" Barry questioned.
"Undoubtedly."
"What about the past?"
"Yes. I have a few personal favorites in mind. The Old West for one, I loved cowboys as a child. Or perhaps, the Chicago World's Fair, 1893. I... I think Nicola Tesla and I would have some wonderful arguments. What about you two? Would either of you be interested in taking a trip into history?"
"Well, depending on whether time travel is not limited to just Earth, I'd love to see Mars in its prime, and meet J'onn's family."
"Yes, I heard about him. To think that Mars had a thriving society once long ago is quite astonishing. What about you, Mr. Allen?"
"I think that I already have," Barry replied. "Professor, um... 15 years ago, my mom was murdered and we recently discovered some evidence that... I was there that night, and not just as a kid, but as an adult."
"Astonishing," Stein let out. "That must be a side effect of your incredible speed. In some... future date, you actually move so fast that the resulting kinetic energy buildup smashes a hole in the space-time continuum!"
Despite Stein's enthusiasm, Barry still looked depressed. In fact, his face was almost completely shattered.
"Barry?" Kari let out. "Are you okay?"
"I will admit, you seem disappointed by the prospect," Stein noted.
"I mean, if I do somehow make it back there to that night, then... it means that I didn't save her. My destiny is to fail."
…
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin and Ronnie were chatting over their own pizza, with Caitlin sharing stories about everything that's happened.
"And then, we turned around and saw Superman, Batman, and the other heroes standing in the doorway," She shared. "I thought Cisco was gonna faint."
"And now they just pop up at random like they own the place?" Ronnie asked.
"Pretty much, and not just them. We've gotten quite a few constant visitors that Cisco's been making jokes about opening up the joint for tours."
"Not exactly how I thought S.T.A.R. Labs would be. But then… a lot of things have been different since that night…"
"But one thing's still the same." Caitlin reached forward, taking Ronnie's hand in hers. "Us."
"A constant, I am more than happy to have. It would be exactly the same as before but... it'll still be us."
The two started to lean in for a kiss, then Caitlin noticed a red dot trailing up Ronnie's arm.
"Ronnie…"
Ronnie looked down and saw it, prompting him to tackle Caitlin out of the way as several gunshots rang out. The two made their way behind the control desk as the shots continued to ring out.
"We gotta get out of here!" Ronnie insisted.
"Follow me!" Caitlin insisted, taking his hand and trying to lead him out of the Cortex.
…
Back at the Stein house, the Professor suddenly stumbled, clutching his chest as he felt his heart racing a mile a minute.
"Martin?" Clarissa let out, rushing over to him. "Are you alright?"
"N-no," he replied.
"What's wrong?" Barry asked.
"Adrenaline's spiking… I feel terrified… something is horribly wrong… I think Ronald is in trouble."
Barry instantly sped off, leaving Clarissa and Kari to tend to the Professor.
…
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, several soldiers began moving throughout the cortex, being led by, of all people, Plastique.
"Search the entire facility," She ordered. "Leave no stone unturned and do not stop until Firestorm is ours."
As the soldiers began spreading out throughout the building, some of them didn't get far before running into Superman.
"I'm only going to ask this once," He told them. "Leave now."
The soldiers ignored his request and opened fire on him, only for the bullets to bounce off of him.
"I warned you."
Superman then used his heat vision to melt the soldiers guns before using his super breath to blow them all down onto the ground.
"Taking down half a dozen soldiers without even throwing a punch," Plastique commended, walking up to him. "I'm honestly impressed."
"And I'm surprised you're not in prison right now," Superman replied.
"I got off for good behavior."
"Good for you. Now leave."
"I will. As soon as you tell me where Firestorm is."
"Not a chance."
"Fine, we'll do things the hard way."
She then pulled out a disk and tossed it at Superman, who quickly used his heat vision to destroy it. Unfortunately, upon doing so, it unleashed a green dust all over Superman, causing him to grow weak.
"Kryptonite," Plastique taunted. "Such an amazing thing."
Superman dropped to the ground in weakness as Plastique walked past, aiming to search the rest of the building.
…
Elsewhere, soldiers started moving towards the pipeline to begin their search, working to open it up. As soon as the doors were opened though, they were greeted by Wonder Woman, who looked more than a little pissed at the entire situation.
"You are supposed to protect and serve this country, not threaten innocent civilians."
The soldiers simply opened fire as she blocked the bullets with her gauntlets. After deflecting several shots, Wonder Woman slammed her gauntlets together, creating a wave of power that sent all of the soldiers flying while simultaneously causing the power to flicker ominously.
"Perhaps this will give you the chance to reflect on your transgressions."
…
Meanwhile, Caitlin and Ronnie continued running through S.T.A.R. Labs, trying to get to the exit. As they rounded the next corner, they were confronted by several soldiers.
"Ready tranqs! Fire!"
Just as the soldiers opened fire, several catcher's mitts came out, stopping the tranqs. Caitlin and Ronnie turned to see GL stopping the soldiers fire.
"Get going!" GL insisted.
Ronnie and Caitlin quickly took off down another hallway, allowing GL to turn the catcher's mitts into boxing gloves so they could punch out the soldiers. He sent them flying at them, causing them to get knocked to the ground one by one.
"Schmucks."
Just then, Flash sped in alongside him.
"What's going on?"
"Soldiers going after Firestorm. Go help Supes."
Flash nodded before speeding off. He quickly found Superman just outside the cortex, still covered in the Kryptonite dust. Flash quickly started spinning his arms so fast they created twin wind funnels that blew off the excess Kryptonite. Superman groaned in pain as he sat up.
"You ok?" Flash asked.
"Fine. Find Ronnie and Caitlin."
"GL's got them. We need to get rid of General Douchebag."
"We can start with his explosive assistant."
"Sounds good. Just try and avoid letting her touch you."
Superman nodded as the two went off, finding Plastique in one of the hallways. She quickly spun around and threw several explosive devices at them, prompting them to fly and speed around them to avoid getting hit. Flash managed to get in close and began circling around Plastique, creating a funnel to suck out the oxygen to knock her out. As soon as Flash stopped running, Plastique dropped to the floor out cold.
"Your move, Eiling!" Superman called out.
…
Outside in a tactical van, Eiling watched what was going on through a tap in the S.T.A.R. Lab's security cameras. He scowled at the sight before removing the headphones he was wearing.
"All units fall back," he ordered.
The van then pulled out, driving down the street before anyone inside could find it.
…
Back inside, the others were regrouping to discuss their next move.
"It would appear General Eiling wants his project back," Wonder Woman noted.
"And is willing to use any means to do so," Superman added.
"Including outright kidnapping in broad daylight," Caitlin spoke up, still clutching Ronnie's hand tightly.
"We won't let him hurt Ronnie," Wonder Woman reassured. "Or Professor Stein."
"Plastique's already locked in the Pipeline," Cisco added, walking up with a tablet. "Whose real name is Bette Sans Souci. Get this, she used to work as an explosives expert while serving under- guess who?"
"General Wade Eiling," Wells deduced.
"Bingo. My guess, she got hit by the wave and was quickly turned into a living weapon the second Eiling knew exactly what he had."
"So we were right," Superman realized. "He set the whole bomb threat up to draw out Firestorm."
"And the second he had positive ID, he moved in on them," Cisco confirmed.
"Well we fended them off here," GL noted. "And Flash should be back with the Professor any second."
As if on cue, Barry appeared in a flash of lightning, Kari's wheelchair skidding to a stop in front of him as he let go of Professor Stein.
"It would seem that Ronald and I are not as distinct as we believed," Stein relayed.
…
Ronnie and Stein were both hooked up to brain scans and MRIs, Caitlin and Kari going over the results. What they found shocked both of them.
"Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta…" Kari listed off, meaning back in her chair. "All of their brain waves are perfectly in sync."
"The chances of that happening are next to impossible," Caitlin insisted.
"Impossible is just another Tuesday for us," Flash remarked.
"Barry," Kari removed her glasses, rubbing her eyes before putting them back on, "I've spent my entire scientific career studying the strange and unusual, and I have never seen anything like this. Identical twins don't have this level of connection, hell, even J'onn and M'gann aren't this linked."
"Hey, you're talking to the guy who's taken down a man who can turn into toxic gas, remember?" Cisco remarked.
"Seriously?" GL asked, turning to Flash.
"Eh, that was only week three," Flash said dismissively.
"It would seem that the Firestorm matrix is still active in both your systems," Wells deduced. "It would explain how Professor Stein knew Ronnie was in trouble."
"A psychic/empathic connection unlike any other," Kari surmised. "That is… surprising to say the least."
"As much as I'd love to study this," Stein spoke up, getting out of his chair. "I fear General Eiling is of greater concern. If he tried to take Ronald before, he could try again. For either of us. I need to warn Clarissa."
"Don't worry Professor," Flash reassured. "If Eiling makes a move for her, I can get her out of the city in time."
"For your own safety, it would be best if you remained here," Superman insisted.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Stein questioned. "Eiling was able to breach this facility before. What's to stop him from doing so again?"
"Us," Diana replied.
"He comes knocking again, we'll be ready for em," GL promised.
"However," Superman spoke up, "Perhaps we can still settle this without further blows. Dr. Wells, can you help me get into contact with the good General?"
"As a matter of fact, I can. And I know a certain department director who'd like to have a few words as well."
"Sounds like fun," Superman remarked.
…
At Eiling's military HQ, Dr. Wells, Director Faraday, and Superman walked in, or rode in in the case of Wells. Eiling was in the middle of paperwork, barely sparing the trio a glance.
"Harrison, Faraday… Superman. Quite an unlikely trio walking, or wheeling, into my office."
"We need to talk, Wade," Faraday insisted. "Your war against Firestorm is at an end."
"War, Director Faraday?" Eiling repeated dismissively. "I'm not at war with Firestorm. I see him as the means to end wars. Look at the world around us. Metahumans, magical creatures, freaks in masks. It's only a matter of time until their might surpasses that of the US Army. if we want to survive, we need a new weapon."
"Firestorm isn't a weapon," Superman insisted. "He's a human being. Two human beings."
"And last time I checked, you're not," Eiling sneered. "So stay out of affairs that don't concern you."
"It concerns me when your methods put innocent people at risk. That Plastique character would have destroyed Central City."
Eiling rolled his eyes.
"And how is that any different from when one of you Leaguers tear up a city block fighting the week's big bad?"
"Are you saying this is our fault?"
"I'm saying that when it was just a side show like Wonder Woman, or nuts in masks like the Bat, we could handle things. But then you showed up, the Superman. You showed that super powered freaks weren't just a one time thing. After you came onto the scene, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and that robot freak you keep around followed after, as well as the monsters that came with them. The human race won't stand a chance against you, unless we have the means to protect ourselves."
"The Justice League are not a threat, nor is Firestorm a means to an end," Faraday insisted.
"Interesting hearing that coming from you, Faraday. Wasn't too long ago you would've been right next to me, fighting the good fight and keeping these freaks in their place."
"That was before one of those 'freaks' saved the life of one of my most trusted scientists and helped save the world from an impending alien invasion. They're never as evil as we think they are."
"You're whipped, Faraday. That martian has you and your little crippled alien lover wrapped around his finger."
"Perhaps we're getting off topic," Wells chimed in. "What will it take for you to leave both halves of Firestorm alone?"
"Until those two are in my possession and that Matrix is in my labs getting analyzed and reverse engineered, there's not a force in this universe that could stop me. Not you, not the DEO, not even the League. Now… get out of my office."
One by one, the three piled off, with Faraday holding back for a second.
"This isn't over Eiling," he promised. "Not by a long shot."
"We'll see," Eiling replied as they left. "We'll see…"
