STAR Labs, 1100 hours.
Caitlin was in the cortex manning the main console and checking the screens for information on the energy output from the fifty-two miniature breaches using the STAR Labs satellites. She was worried that the breaches could get bigger, but they hadn't. Even so, she, Cisco, and Harry had spent the entirety of the previous day and that morning to finish as many breach closing 'footballs' as possible. They wanted to be prepared in the event that any of the breaches managed to tear open on its own.
"Ummmm… guys! It's Barry!" yelled Caitlin as the alarms in the Cortex started to go off. She then reached for a microphone just as Harry and Cisco ran from a rack of white coloured, blue accented 'footballs', that was located near the wall in front of the mannequin that would ordinarily hold Barry's Flash uniform, and rushed to the console. Caitlin reached for a button and pressed it just as Barry ran in carrying a blond in a tight, black, uniform.
"Hey," said Barry as he let Kara down, feet first, on the floor. She stumbled back while Caitlin, Cisco and Harry just looked on in mild surprise as Kara fixed her hair while shaking her head. As Barry steadied Kara, Cisco pointed a trembling finger at Kara and whispered.
"It's you, Powergirl."
"Supergirl," said Kara as she held onto Barry's shoulder.
"Guys," said Barry looking at everyone, "I know that…"
"Zoom!" barked Caitlin as she looked at the screen, and then at Barry, "he's coming here and…"
"Kara," said Barry. He wanted to introduce the blonde to his friends, but with Zoom already out on Earth-One, Barry knew that for his plan to work.. he needed to distract the black suited speedster, "you know what to do."
"Yeah," she replied as Barry took off in a hurry, leaving Kara all alone with the three strangers. Swinging her hands nervously, she turned to the woman she thought was Caitlin, and asked her if she happened to have an set extra clothes, and a white lab coat, "oh, and I'm sorry but I'm Kara and Barry said he can only keep Zoom away for a few seconds and.."
"We need to go to my locker and….," said Caitlin as Kara zoomed up to her and, to the surprise of Cisco and Harry, gently grabbed onto Caitlin's shoulder before asking her to show her the way. She then flew as fast as possible through the hallways while carrying Caitlin.
"Ummmmm…." Said Cisco as he pointed at the door that Kara had taken, "I know I've seen her do that stuff in my vision but… but to actually see her fly is… wow!"
"Ramon," barked Harry as he pointed at the screens, "where's Barry?"
"Oh, right." Cisco and Harry rushed around the console and looked at the satellite tracking of Barry and Zoom as they ran through the city. They watched as Zoom would occasionally get near to the Scarlet Speedster, but Barry would then have a burst of speed that pushed him further away from Zoom. It was a few seconds later that that Barry's voice came through the speakers in the Cortex, asking if Kara was done.
"Snow," said the gruff sounding Harry into the microphone, "Barry needs to know if…. Oh."
Before Harry could even finish, Kara was back in the Cortex with Caitlin, whose hair was all over the place. She had her eyes opened wide in surprise as she stumbled towards the console with Kara, who was now in one of Caitlin's spare skirts, a red blouse, and a white lab coat, gently holding onto her back. Cisco and Harry asked Caitlin if she was feeling all right as she leaned on the edge of the console trying to catch her breath after having flown at high speed while Kara just grimaced, saying that it take people a while to get used to her flying.
"I'm okay," said Caitlin as she looked back at the concern on Kara's face, "I'm okay.. that was just… well… new."
Kara, whose face was simply framed with her blonde hair on either side, then nodded her head before she helped steady Caitlin. Once the scientist was nodding her head and reassuring Kara that she would be alright, Kara told Caitlin and the others to play along with whatever was about to happen. Cisco and Harry nodded their heads, the latter going off to a side room and grabbed a rifle before heading back to the console.
"Tell Barry I'm ready," said Kara while she smiled at Cisco.
"Yeah, sure" nodded Cisco as he pressed down on the button that connected to the earpiece on Barry's suit, "Barry, she's done."
"On my way back," whispered Barry over the microphone when, a few seconds later, Barry… his yellow lightning trailing behind him, stopped in front of the console. He was facing Harry and Cisco, with Kara and Caitlin to his left side. It was just then, just as Barry stopped that time slowed for Kara. She remembered the plan they had discussed earlier while she watched, with a chill up her spine, as a figure dressed head to toe in black with blue lightning trailing behind him, ran into the room. She did everything possible to stop herself from interfering by rolling her hands into fists as she watched, in slow motion, while Zoom attacked Barry. She knew that they were two fast for the others to see, that all the others could see were two blurs, but Kara could see them clearly… she saw Barry and Zoom circle around the room… their lightning intermeshed as they fought.
Kara knew that while they had a plan; the plan itself could be revealed if Barry had taken it too easy. But it still hurt Kara to see the Flash taking so many hits. Kara could feel the heat growing behind her eyes, but she pushed it back down.
She was their ace in the hole, and Barry had already asked her not to reveal her powers while on the run from her Earth to this Earth, in case their first plan failed. While the two speedsters were fighting all around them, Kara saw Barry take the fight into the hallway. She then turned to Caitlin while hearing Barry's feet running on the floor and said, "keep me away from Barry".
"Huh?" asked a confused Caitlin while Cisco, who was looking at the screen with Harry, yelled that Barry was coming back.
And he came in hard.
Kara and the others saw him slammed into the wall in front of the console, the impact causing the rack of 'footballs' to fall onto the floor, while Zoom held Barry in place by his throat.
"Flash."
Upon hearing Zoom's deep, guttural voice; Kara's felt as if her skin was crawling while at the same time it erupted in goosebumps. Coupled with the black suit, mask, eyes… she had just noticed the eyes when Zoom looked back at her, and then at the others, before turning towards Barry; his eyes were deep black.
And she swore that she could see her reflection in those eyes.
Everything about him just exuded evil.
To Kara, Zoom looked just like a demon; a very fast demon. And a chill went up her spine.
"You've gotten faster," growled Zoom as he faced Barry, "good; but not fast enough."
And Barry knew that Zoom was right. He thought he was already fast enough, in fact Barry was able to keep up with Zoom... even outpace him at times while they were racing through the streets of Central City just a few moments ago. But the black suited speedster would always catch up. As he glanced at Kara, he knew he made the right choice in asking her to help him.
"Barry!" gasped Kara as she put on a worried face and took a few steps forward with a hand outstretched towards Barry. Caitlin, guessing that this was the time to intervene, rushed to Kara and held onto her arm… pulling her back while Kara, with tears in her eyes, begged Zoom to let Barry go.
"You know what I want, Flash," said Zoom, "your speed."
"Jay!" yelled Caitlin as her voice started to break. She had been distraught ever since finding out that Jay was really Zoom, and she had kept her sorrow well hidden. He had toyed with all of them, and especially her given that he took advantage of the feelings she had for him. She had pushed everything she felt about his betrayal deep down into herself, but seeing Zoom again threatened to release her anger and her sorrow all at once. She tried to keep her anger down, but her sorrow was causing her voice to break as she begged Jay to stop.
Zoom looked at Caitlin, and then at Barry who punched the man's face. Zoom's head snapped to the side, which soon turned back to look at the red masked man. Zoom then started punching Barry's abdomen multiple times at super-speed.
"Stop!" screamed Kara as Caitlin held her back. Zoom stopped and looked at the face of anguish on the blonde as she begged for him to stop, that he was hurting Barry, "please, stop!"
Zoom then slammed Barry against the wall again and said that he had one day to decide; one day to decide if he wanted to give up his speed.
"I will finish her off.. she will be the first to fall as punishment," said Zoom as he pointed a finger at Kara while looking at Barry, "and…
"No," said Barry shaking his head, "please… not… not her, and…"
"Give me your powers," said Zoom.
"Barry! Please… don't, don't do it," begged Kara before she gently broke away from Catlin, "let him go you monster!"
"Kara! No!" yelled Barry, his face in worry, just before Zoom let go of him and then dashed behind Kara. Barry fell onto the floor as Zoom put one arm around Kara's abdomen, and one arm around her neck. He squeezed the arm that was around her neck, and the blonde started gasping for breath.
"Let her go, Zoom," said Harry as he walked around the console while aiming the weapon at the dark figure.
"Let her go!," said Barry as he slowly got up off the floor.
"You care about this one," said Zoom as Kara continued gasping for air, while grabbing onto the arm that was around her neck as it tightened. He then moved his hand off her abdomen, and raised it into the air.
"Zoom!" yelled Harry as he inched closer to Barry while cocking his weapon; in the meantime, Barry was looking on with fear on his face as Zoom started to vibrate the hand that was in the air. He then pulled it back while aiming right behind Kara's heart. Zoom told Harry if he was really willing to take the chance of shooting Kara, instead of him.
"Please, please," begged Barry shaking his head as he pushed Harry's weapon down, "Jay, don't hurt her. Please."
"You have one day to think it over, Flash," said Zoom as he began to thrust his hand down, "or else I will come back and do what I'm about to do to everyone you care about."
"Kara!" yelled Barry as Zoom's arm was travelling down towards her heart, "now!"
Zoom suddenly stopped his hand just before vibrating it into Kara's back. He then howled in pain when Kara used her strength to break his arm, before pushing it of her. Turning around, Kara looked at Zoom who was attempting to cradle his broken arm for a millisecond before she grabbed his collar, and then lifted him into the air with one hand. She then flung him through the air where, at the same time while he was flying back, Barry super sped forward and punched him at high speed. Zoom rocketed through a glass wall, shattering it, and into another room where there were medical supplies and two beds side by side. Barry then ran towards Zoom who was still flying through the air. He grabbed the villain by the collar in mid-air, before slamming him onto the floor while screaming out loud.
Looking down at the unconscious Zoom, Barry looked back at Kara who had already sped to his side; with Caitlin, Cisco, and Harry right behind. Barry asked Harry if he still had that device that he had used to siphon his power the day before they went to Earth Two.
"Yeah," Harry replied.
"Get it," said Barry as Harry put down the weapon he was carrying, and ran back out of the room and into an adjacent lab. Barry then looked back at Zoom before crouching down and taking off his mask to reveal Jay lying on the floor with his eyes closed. Caitlin quickly ran past the others and kneeled down next to Jay. Kara, noticed the worried look on Caitlin's face before she ran her X-ray vision over Jay's body.
"He's alive," said Kara as Caitlin looked up at her, "just a broken arm, and a few torn muscles."
"How did you know?" asked Caitlin.
"Ummm.." said Kara as she looked at Barry, who just nodded his head, saying that she can trust them. Kara then turned back to Caitlin just as Harry ran back in with the siphoning device, ran past them, and handed it to Caitlin. Once Caitlin had placed the device on Jay's shoulder blade, she activated it and then sighed before looking up at Kara.
The blonde then pointed at her eyes and said that she had X-Ray vision, that's how she knew about the broken bone and the torn muscles.
"I kind of knew about the broken bone since I broke it," said Kara with a grimace on her face, "sorry, I figured that was the best way to get him off-guard."
"Impressive," said Harry nodding his head.
"So," said Cisco as Kara looked at him, "you have super strength, X-ray-vision; I saw in my vibe that you can fly, you can take a massive beating, and you have… I guess are.. laser eyes?"
"Heat vision, freezing breath, and… yeah," said Kara.
"Cool," said Cisco, "now.. I have a few questions and…"
"Before you say anything," said Kara as she extended her hand towards Cisco, "I just wanted to thank you for telling Barry that I was in danger. If it wasn't for him then.. then I'd be dead. So thank you."
Cisco shook his hand. And as she did… Cisco was telling her that he had so many questions.
"Like how can you fly? Then there's the heat vision, and X-ray vision.. and…"
"Guys," said Barry, "let's get Jay into the pipeline first."
"Right," whispered Caitlin as she looked at Jay, "I need to set the bone in his arm, and then we put him in the pipeline."
"Pipeline?" asked Kara as she looked at Barry.
"Something you should see," he replied before he waved his hands. Barry then properly introduced Caitlin, Cisco, and Harry to Supergirl; he was careful not to reveal her real name unless she wanted to reveal it… especially since they weren't sure if there was a Kara Danvers on this particular Earth. Once the introductions were out of the way, Harry and Cisco helped Caitlin put Jay on a bed before she went about setting the bone. IN the meantime, Barry took Kara down to the pipeline; a place that Kara was surprised to see while Barry told her that while some of the meta-humans they captured were being held in the meta-human wing at Iron Heights prison... the pipeline was for the meta's that couldn't be held anywhere else since each cell was designed for a particular ability that the meta's exhibited.
"We even have one for a female speedster who got her powers from a drug," said Barry as the both of then walked into the vast cavern, "but she died before we could put her in there."
"Oh," said Kara as she looked at the closed cells which reminded her of the prisons in the DEO, "so you'll be putting Zoom inside that cell?"
"Yeah," he replied as the both of them turned around and walked out of the pipeline. Pressing the button that would close the door to the cells, Barry and Kara then walked down the ramp that led to the corridor, "but Jay's dying from an overdose of the drug."
Kara looked at Barry in surprise as he told her about Jay overdosing on Velocity Nine to become faster. She continued listening as he told her that Jay needed his speed as a cure, but that would mean that he wouldn't be the Flash anymore.
"And Zoom would be free to damage his own world," said Kara nodding her head in understanding, "and yours."
"Yeah," said Barry as he rubbed the back of his head while the both of them walked back towards the cortex, "I know it sounds harsh, but.. but I can't let that happen."
"There's no choice," Kara said softly as she imagined the thoughts that must be going round in Barry's mind. It was one thing to defeat Zoom, but something completely different to watching another human being die when there was something that could be done to save his life. Kara hoped that she would never be faced with a similar situation.
"I know Cisco, Caitlin, and Harry have a lot of questions for you," said Barry as the both of them continued to walk through the hallways, "when do you want to go back?"
"I'd like to see what's out there," said Kara, "I mean it's a new Earth so… hey, I wonder if there's another version of me here. Or my cousin. I wonder… yeah, there are some things I'd like to know and…"
"We could do some sight-seeing," said Barry as Kara gave a small smile, "I mean.. unless you want to go alone and.."
"No," Kara shook her head, "no."
"Oh," stopped Barry to a standstill. Kara stopped as well and turned looking at Barry in confusion, "I need to go to Earth Two. When Zoom was keeping me prisoner, there was someone else there. A man in a metal mask. I promised that I'd come back for him and… well, you feel up to taking a trip to Earth Two?"
"Oh, yes," said an excited Kara.
TBC.