Karry Universe

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A Fiery Confrontation

Kara was in the office when Winn called her over. "You got to see this," Winn said looking at his computer. "So, Ms. Grant asked me to look into anything strange, stuff Supergirl could be alerted to, so I hacked video feeds looking for metas and look at what I found." Winn showed security video footage of a man seeming to be in a debate with himself who then suddenly spontaneously combusted and flew away while still on fire. "So cool right? Imagine being able to do that."

Kara wasn't paying attention to Winn though. "Can you rewind that? To before he caught fire," Kara asked and Winn nodded as he did. "Pause." Kara said at a moment the face was looking toward at the camera. "Can you zoom in a little?" Winn did as asked and Kara was shocked. She had seen that face before. Not in real life but in pictures Caitlin had showed her. Ronnie. Ronnie Raymond! Kara thought, then turned while Winn was not paying attention and left.

"Yeah I wonder what we should call this… Kara?" Winn asked finally realizing his friend was not there and was nowhere in sight. "How does she do that?"

"How does who do what?" Lucy asked, having been passing by Winn.

"Nothing," Winn said quickly, turning back to the computer.

-Superflash-

Kara had changed into her outfit and grabbed Krypto. Barry had gotten his outfit and was running as well. Both hadn't told STAR labs what they were up to as they lied, saying it was for the DEO. Are we sure it was Ronnie? Barry asked.

Yes, Kara complained to Barry. Let's find him and then beat him up for leaving Caitlin like that.

He might have a good ex… Barry stopped when he felt Kara's annoyance. Okay, beat his fiery ass up. Barry chose to agree so as not to get his fiancée mad at him. Seriously how hard can a guy on fire be to find?

Apparently pretty hard, Kara commented. The two had circled all of Central more than once looking for Ronnie. Maybe we should really get the DE… Kara paused when she saw the same familiar face under a bridge. Found him.

Kara landed in front of him. "Ronnie," Kara said, anger in her voice as Barry appeared next to her. Krypto growled next to him.

"No, no, no more Ronnie, not even Martin…" the man muttered, not seeming fazed at their appearance, or even noticing they were there. He seemed to be lost in his own head.

"I don't care what you call yourself now, you hurt my friend," Kara said. "And why? Because you're a meta now? It's not a good enough reason." Kara put her hand into a fist.

Ronnie stood up, a sudden concentration on his face, and fire appeared in his hands which he threw at Kara. Ah… that actually stung, Kara mumbled in her head as Barry stopped the flames by hitting Ronnie. Ronnie threw Barry aside, flying up into the air with the force of the hit. Air is my thing! Kara suddenly complained.

Kara jumped up, followed by Krypto. "So you have a little fire blast," Kara said as she dodged another fire ball from Ronnie. "I have freeze breath." Kara let loose her freeze breath, which seemed an even match to one of Ronnie flamethrowers. Krypto joined in, giving the edge to Kara, but Ronnie still managed to hold his own.

Barry, looking up from the spot he'd landed, was a bit unsure at what to do until he saw a nearby apartment building. He ran up the wall and used it to jump right at Ronnie. He rammed into the man while Kara and Krypto had him occupied, bringing him back to the ground. Barry then punched him.

"Nice," Kara said, punching Ronnie unconscious herself after she landed.

"That's what partners are for," Barry said with a smirk and Kara could feel the pride coming off him. "Take him to STAR?"

"No. The DEO," Kara corrected with earnest. "Before we show him to Caitlin I want answers." Kara picked up the man and flew away. Barry shrugged and followed her.

-Superflash-

Kara had locked Ronnie in one of the containment cells in the DEO. "Supergirl," Hank said, he didn't seem pleased at her appearance. "A word." Kara nodded, looking at Barry who knew she wanted him to stay put. Krypto was sleeping off to the side.

"What Hank?" Kara asked.

"Do you believe the DEO is your own personal prison or something?" Hank asked and Kara gave him a look. "I mean we have a couple of metas you put in here. We had Maxwell Lord until you decided he should be released. This is not a prison for Supergirl's enemies. It's for aliens – escaped Fort Rozz prisoners – which, may I point out, you have not been helping capture lately."

"I still help," Kara said a little annoyed at Hank's words. "Maybe not as much as I use to but I have my own team now, and there are far more metas attacking now than aliens lately."

"There are still a lot of aliens out there," Hank said. "They just went into hiding when we defeated Non. They will be back and we don't have Supergirl behind us. Half the time we call you, you don't answer anymore. I can't…" Hank stopped his words.

"You can't what?" Kara asked inquisitively, but Hank said nothing. "You can't protect me?" Kara suddenly finished, remembering Hank's promise to Jeremiah. "That's what this is about. You're not upset I put a meta in a cell, you're upset I'm not the DEO's puppet so you can keep an eye on me."

"You were never the DEO's puppet," Hank said, not denying any of the others. "If it was up to me you would have never have been Supergirl, but you chose to. At least when you worked for us I could keep an eye on you. But now you're off on your own I can't keep my promise."

"I'm not on my own! I have my own team. A team I feel a lot more comfortable with than relying on the government. Barry has my back. Caitlin and Cisco are amazing tech support. Even Wells has his uses." Kara decided not to mention her dislike of the man though. "Forget the promise when it comes to me. Jeremiah was not my father. He was a foster father to me for about a year. I barely knew him and while I appreciate everything he did for me, and you have done for me, I don't need protection."

Hank took breath. "Maybe you don't," he said, somewhat sadly. "Do whatever you want with this meta."

Kara turned around and back to the cell where it appeared Ronnie had woken up and was trying to escape. "You're not getting out of that unless I say so," Kara said. "So Ronnie, tell me why I should let you out. Right now I am thinking about letting you rot."

"That was a bad rhyme," Alex said from her spot in the room.

"Ronnie Raymond… Martin Stein… Maybe both," Ronnie said deliriously. "Or Firestorm."

"Is this guy nuts?" Alex asked and Kara shrugged. "Who's Martin Stein?"

"A scientist," Barry said with a smile, making both look to him. "I've heard of him. Actually I met him once. On the train back from Starling before the explosion. We talked about Einstein and I…" Everyone looked at him. "He asked if I had a girlfriend so I showed him the ring. I had just bought it. He wished me luck before I left the train."

Kara smiled. "You're a nerd and I love it," Kara said kissing him. "But what does Stein have to do with anything?'

"He's in my head. Both of us," Ronnie said. "I don't know who I am. Martin… Ronnie… Firestorm. Can't go back. Not to them. Not to Clarissa. Not to Caitlin. Don't know… don't know."

"Okay this is officially the weirdest meta problem," Kara said.

"Weirder than being cloned?" Alex asked and Kara nodded. "Yeah, I do have to agree. Besides I like Karen. She's a lot like you." Alex looked at Ronnie again. "Well if they got combined maybe we can split them?"

"You'd have to know how they got combined first," the group heard a voice and turned around to see Astra had walked in. "Has to be more than just the explosion. Something else, an agent of sorts, acting with the explosion caused this."

"He keeps on saying 'Firestorm'. I assumed it was just what he was calling himself now but this guy is weird. You think he could make up a name like that?" Kara asked.

"I got it. Computer," Barry said, running out at super speed and Kara followed. Alex and Astra looked at each other and then walked to find Barry and Kara by a computer. "Found it. The paper on F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. It's big but I can read superfast" the computer screen was a blur for a moment before Barry say back, "I've got an idea on what happened" he groaned.

"This is advanced," Kara said, having read it as well. Science may have never been her thing but thanks to growing up on Krypton she knew a thing or two above Earth standards – Krypton was more advanced, after all.

"May I?" Astra asked and Barry stepped aside to let Astra look over the thesis. "Oh this is advanced! Impressive for a human."

"Not sure if that a compliment or an insult," Alex chimed in.

"Why can it not be both?" Astra teased.

"Can you split them, Aunt Astra?" Kara asked.

"I'd need some help," Astra said.

"Anyone at the DEO is at your exposal," Hank said, having been in the room when Barry and Kara ran in and listened in on what they were talking about.

Astra laughed. "No one at the DEO is this smart," Astra said bluntly.

Cisco, both Kara and Barry thought together and Barry ran out, surprising everyone in the room.

"Where did he go?" Alex asked, obviously having not heard the revelation the pair had thought up.

"To get the help Aunt Astra needs," Kara said, as not long later Barry returned with Cisco in hand. Almost literally as he dropped the other man from his arms.

"Man, a little warning… whoa where am I and is that a space ship?" Cisco said impressed, looking around.

"Yeah that's actually mine," Kara said with a smile.

"Oh I want a picture…"

"This is really the person you went to for help?" Alex asked annoyed, cutting off Cisco and grabbing his cellphone that he'd already taken out. "No pictures."

"Help? Help with what?" Cisco asked, and was then filled in on everything about Ronnie. Cisco seemed shocked when the explanation was over. He had to sit down. "Wow… no wonder you two didn't tell us what you were doing. If Caitlin had just thought Ronnie left her…" Cisco trailed off, unsure what else to say. "Let's unbind those two."

Astra was unsure Cisco was as smart as Kara and Barry claimed he was, so before she let him help her she tested him. She was surprised at how easy it was for him to respond correctly to the difficult questions she fired at him though. "Okay…" Astra finally said.

After what felt like days for the duo, but was really only a couple of hours, Cisco and Astra came out with a device. "Your friend is smart Kara. He came up with the solution needed."

"Your aunt is pretty good herself," Cisco added.

"So, this will split them?" Barry asked.

"Possibly," Astra said. "Either split them or blow them up. It's the best we've got though."

Kara nodded, taking the device. "I'll take Firestorm or whatever you want to call him to the wastelands. Safest place in case it's the alternative," Kara said.

"I'm coming too," Barry said quickly.

Kara wanted to argue but choose not too. Just keep a greater distance than me, just in case, Kara said as they went into where they had Firestorm locked up and released him. "You're coming with me." Kara grabbed hold of Ronnie and then the trio flew out into the desert. "Okay this is it. Either you come out of this as two people or Caitlin and this Clarissa never have to know you were alive after the explosion."

Kara put the device on Ronnie's chest and pushed the button Aunt Astra said would turn it on. She got herself a little distant as the device activated. There was a moment of unassured nothingness, then a rush of sound and light as an atomic explosion took place before the duo's eyes. It was all Barry could do but to grab Kara and run, she not complaining as they reached a safe distance to look back.

"Did it…?" Barry asked worriedly as Kara used her X Ray vision to look through the smoke and dust to see two people lying on the ground, the younger one already stirring.

"It worked!" Kara said amazed, running back to the other pair, going to Ronnie first as the dust already started to settle. "Ronnie?"

"Yeah?" Ronnie groaned, haphazardly getting up as Barry appeared by Kara's side and checked over the older man, he was breathing. "He never let me be in control." Ronnie was now explaining, glancing down to Professor Martin Stein, "he never let me see her."

"You should be thanking me," Stein coughed, his eyes opening as he looked up to Ronnie. "Because of me, she never got hurt."

"I would never have hurt her!" Ronnie objected as Barry helped Stein to his feet.

"You two can bicker some other time," Kara butted in, not wanting to hear any more. "Barry, can you take Stein back to his wife? I'm taking Ronnie back to Caitlin."

Barry nodded. Have fun, Barry said in his head as Kara grabbed Ronnie and flew off. "Do you remember me?" Barry asked the professor, removing the mask from his head.

"Yes, the boy who was going to see the Accelerator turn on with his girlfriend he was proposing to," Martin Stein said with a small smile. "That the girl?" Barry nodded. "Did she say yes?" Barry nodded once again. "Well congratulations on getting the alien girl. Unusual taste in women."

"How did you…?" Barry started to ask.

"Know she's an alien?" Stein finished. "Superman is an alien, she wears his symbol and from what I've witnessed so far, has the Kryptonian's abilities of the superhero. It's simple math, my boy."

"Come on, I'll bring you home," Barry said, smiling himself as he put his mask up.

-Superflash-

"Before we do this Ronnie," Kara said as they landed near STAR labs. "One thing: Caitlin is my best friend. If you hurt her I will hurt you ten times worst. Got it?" Ronnie nodded, unsure when Caitlin got such a powerful and protective friend like this. "Let me go in. Wait until I call for you."

Kara went into the main lab where Caitlin and Wells were. "Caitlin?" Kara said, doing her best to sound normal

"Is whatever the DEO needed both you, Barry, and Cisco for over?" Caitlin asked bluntly, a little upset at being left out.

"Yeah although kind of left Cisco behind," Kara said, realizing they had indeed left Cisco at the DEO and feeling bad for it now. Not for Cisco. Kara was sure Cisco was having the time of his life. It was Alex she felt bad for.

On it, Barry said to Kara in her head. He had returned Martin Stein to his wife and was running back to the DEO.

"Caitlin, remember when we first met and you promised to return Barry to me?" Kara asked.

"Yeah, that was the start of our friendship," Caitlin said, smiling in spite of her cold out-front

"And you did it. You gave me Barry back. Now I am giving you this," Kara said. "GET IN HERE!" Kara yelled, confusing the other two in the room until Ronnie walked in. Kara could see the look in Caitlin's eyes. "I found him, and please let him explain before you get mad. Also, if you ever want me to toss him into space just say the word." Kara joked and stepped aside to let Ronnie explain.

Ronnie told Caitlin everything that happened the night of the explosion and afterward. How he was merged with Stein, and how Kara had just untangled him and Stein. Afterward Caitlin hugged him. "Thank you," Caitlin said, looking at Kara with a smile as Wells welcomed Ronnie back.

"You're welcome," Kara said. "Oh, and I am serious. If you ever want me to throw him into space just ask." Kara smiled as she said this and then sped off.

"You have a very scary friend," Ronnie informed Caitlin.

"And a very great friend," Caitlin said happily.

-Superflash-

That night Kara and Barry were having dinner when they got a call from Caitlin yelling at them to get back to the lab. When they got there they found everyone there including Martin Stein and his wife. "What's going on?" Kara asked.

"They are still connected," Harry said. "And the FIRESTORM matrix wants to be whole. If they don't recombine they could die."

"I will never go back to being part of him," Ronnie said angrily.

"You think being a part of you was so great," Martin responded coolly.

"Please, no bickering," Kara said, rolling her eyes.

"The problem is you two fought the matrix," Harry explained. "When you first combined you were both lost. If you accept it now, things will be better."

Both Martin and Ronnie argued against this. "I think Wells is right," Barry said, trying to stop the argument.

"I agree with them too," Kara said, making everyone look at her. "Okay, everyone without superpowers. Get out now." Everyone opened his or her mouth to argue. "I said out." Cisco, Caitlin, Wells and Clarissa decided it was better not to argue with a super powered alien and left. "We know what it's like. To have powers and not be able to accept or control them." Kara now added to the latest metas.

"Your powers are different. You don't need to be part of another person to have them," Ronnie said.

"Kara and I are mentally linked," Barry stated quickly, knowing Kara was about to say it anyway. "If there is anyone who knows what it's like to have someone in your head it's us. And yes we're different because we don't combine bodies, but every thought, every emotion, it's very hard to hide. We've grown use to it and love it."

"Couldn't live without it," Kara said. "The reason we are linked though is because we're soul mates. It's a Kryptonian thing, but you two are linked through a special power. One neither of you asked for, and guess what? Neither of us asked for our powers either. I was a 12-year-old girl put in a pod and sent to a planet where the sun powers my cells and I was suddenly a super-freak."

"And I was a normal guy who got struck by lightning," Barry said, explaining his powers to them.

"And we've all gone through that point of 'we don't want this'. I hid my powers for years until Barry's accident forced me to reveal myself. Made me want to protect people," Kara said.

"And I went through a point where I thought I could only be her sidekick," Barry said. "We both had to learn to accept who we are now and become the people we can to become heroes."

"You two have to do the same," Kara said. "Be who you can become. Be Firestorm. Or die deciding not to be. Leave Caitlin and Clarissa again this time for good."

Ronnie and Martin looked at each other. Ronnie then took the device Astra and Cisco made off the table where it had been put earlier and put it back on himself. Staring resolutely at one another, they then held out their hands. "Let's give this a try," Ronnie said and then they touched. There was fire suddenly engulfing the pair of them, and when the fire died out Ronnie was standing alone, fire surrounding his body.

"Ronnie or Stein?" Barry asked.

"Ronnie," Ronnie said. "But Stein in here. I can hear him… It's different now."

"Because you accepted the power," Kara said. Do not say it! Kara warned but Barry didn't listen.

"With great powers come great responsibility," Barry said with a smile. You know I had to say that. Kara laughed at her fiancée antics.

"Come on, let's see what you can do Firestorm," Kara said, lifting her feet off the ground and Ronnie flew after her. Ronnie had trouble keeping up with Kara in the air. Kara was faster and also more experience of a flying. Barry, on the ground, was going faster than him in the air.

The group spent a while goofing around in the cortex before they rejoined the rest still in STAR. Ronnie and Martin managed to separate without an explosion, too. "You two did it," Caitlin said and Ronnie nodded.

-Superflash-

The next day Ronnie and Martin Stein were leaving. They were going to go train in their power elsewhere, refusing Kara's offer to help them. "We need to do this on our own," Martin said and Ronnie agreed. Both were saying goodbye to their respective others, promising to be back soon before joining together again and flying off.

"I'm sorry Caitlin," Kara said, genuinely sad. "I tried to bring him back to you."

"You did," Caitlin said with a smile. "And I'm fine. I know he's out there now and I have you guys." Caitlin hugged Barry and Kara. "And I believe you two should go to work now." Barry and Kara nodded taking off and leaving the group.

"You know you got to admit. We have a cool life now," Cisco said to Caitlin as he watched their two superheroes fly and run away.

"Yeah wouldn't change it for the world," Caitlin said with a smile.

Post Chapter Note: Ronnie and Martin Stein are around. Hope you enjoyed. REVIEW. Karry Master OUT.