The residential wing of S.T.A.R. Labs was a study in contrasts. Where the medical and research facilities were all sterile whites and clinical efficiency, Wells' living quarters felt almost cozy—warm lighting, comfortable furniture, bookshelves lined with everything from quantum physics textbooks to what looked like first-edition novels. It would have been homey, if not for the fact that Karan knew it belonged to a time-traveling serial killer.
*At least he has good taste in interior design,* Karan thought, settling into what Wells had designated as "his" room. It was spacious enough, with a view of Central City's skyline and a bathroom that was definitely several steps up from hospital accommodations.
"This is temporary, of course," Wells had said when showing him around. "Until you decide what you want to do next. College, perhaps? Your parents had such hopes for your academic career."
*Right. Because nothing says "normal college experience" like living with the Reverse Flash while hiding divine armor under your school clothes.*
But Karan had nodded and smiled and played the part of the grateful, confused teenager who definitely wasn't planning to interfere with a centuries-spanning revenge plot.
That had been three days ago. Since then, he'd settled into a routine that was both mundane and completely surreal.
Mornings meant breakfast with Wells, who had an unsettling talent for making small talk while obviously cataloguing every reaction, every word, every breath. Afternoons were spent in the lab with Cisco and Caitlin, who had approached the task of testing his abilities with the kind of scientific enthusiasm usually reserved for discovering new elements.
And evenings... evenings meant catching up on what this universe looked like.
It was 2024, which explained why everything felt familiar but slightly off. This wasn't the Arrowverse he remembered from 2014—this was a world where superheroes had been appearing steadily over the past few years, building toward something that felt bigger and more interconnected than any single TV show.
Superman had been active in Metropolis for over a year now, and from the news footage Karan had seen, he looked exactly like David Corenswet—square-jawed, genuinely heroic, with the kind of smile that probably made villains reconsider their life choices. *And if this world follows the casting patterns I'm noticing,* Karan had thought while watching a particularly dramatic rescue on the evening news, *that means Supergirl is going to look like Milly Alcock. Universe, you're really testing my teenage hormone regulation here.*
Mister Terrific was operating out of Los Angeles, using T-Spheres and an intellect that made Tony Stark look like he was working with finger paints. Guy Gardner was somewhere in space with the Green Lantern Corps. Hawkwoman had been spotted over Egypt and Midway City, her wings catching sunlight like burnished metal.
In Starling City, Green Arrow was doing his brooding vigilante thing, and Oliver Queen looked exactly like Stephen Amell—which meant this universe had very specific opinions about superhero casting. Batman was in Gotham, though Bruce Wayne kept a much lower profile. The few photos Karan had found showed a man who looked suspiciously like Robert Pattinson, all sharp cheekbones and intense eyes.
And Wonder Woman... well, according to the historical records Wells had access to, she'd fought in World War II alongside the Allied forces. The few photos from that era were grainy, black and white, but even through the low resolution, Karan could swear she looked like Alexandra Daddario.
*This universe has a type,* he'd concluded. *And that type is "ridiculously attractive people with excellent bone structure." Not that I'm complaining.*
"Karan!" Cisco's voice echoed through the lab, interrupting his thoughts about whether teenage hormones or nine-month coma recovery was responsible for his recent preoccupation with superheroine appearances. "You ready for today's torture session?"
"It's not torture," Caitlin called from across the lab, not looking up from her tablet. "It's comprehensive physiological assessment with a focus on metahuman ability mapping."
"Right," Cisco said, grinning at Karan. "Torture with a fancy name."
The past three days of testing had been... illuminating.
Karan's baseline human capabilities were, to put it mildly, off the charts. Without manifesting the armor, he could bench press a small car, run a four-minute mile without breaking a sweat, and had reflexes that made Caitlin mutter things about "superhuman neural processing speed."
With the armor active, the numbers became downright ridiculous.
"Okay," Cisco said, pulling up the latest test results on his tablet. "So we've established that you're basically Captain America's cooler older brother even without the glowy god-armor. But with it..." He gestured at a series of readings that looked more like phone numbers than scientific measurements. "Dude, you punched our reinforced testing dummy so hard yesterday that Caitlin had to recalibrate the sensors."
"I said I was sorry about that."
"Don't be sorry, be proud! You literally broke our unbreakable equipment!" Cisco was practically bouncing. "Plus, the armor seems to be learning. Each time you manifest it, the integration gets smoother, the power output gets more refined."
Caitlin nodded, scrolling through data on her tablet. "The bio-symbiosis is unlike anything in the literature. It's as if the armor isn't just protecting you—it's optimizing you. Your cellular regeneration rate has increased by 400%, your bone density is now comparable to high-grade steel, and your muscle fibers are generating force at levels that should be physically impossible."
"Plus," Cisco added with a grin, "you look like you stepped out of a fitness magazine. I'm pretty sure that's not standard metahuman side effects."
Karan shifted uncomfortably. The enhanced physique was still taking some getting used to. Every mirror was a reminder that he was wearing someone else's life, even if that someone else happened to look like Bollywood's answer to a superhero casting call.
"Speaking of which," Cisco continued, "we need to talk codenames."
"Codenames?" Karan raised an eyebrow.
"Dude, you have superpowers. Glowing golden armor. Divine mythological connections. You need a superhero name!" Cisco started ticking off options on his fingers. "Golden Guardian? Armor Master? The Protector? Oh! Sun Warrior?"
"Those are all terrible," Caitlin said without looking up from her readings.
"They are not! They're... okay, they're pretty bad." Cisco deflated slightly, then perked up again. "What about Divine Knight? Mystic Defender? The Golden—"
"Karna," Karan interrupted quietly.
Both scientists looked at him.
"Sorry?"
"Karna. That's... that's the name." Karan manifested just the helmet, the golden metal flowing over his head like liquid light. "It's close enough to my actual name that I'll remember to respond to it, and it honors the original owner of the armor. Plus, it's simple."
Cisco and Caitlin exchanged looks.
"You know what?" Cisco said finally. "That's actually perfect. Classical, powerful, and it doesn't sound like we came up with it during a brainstorming session at 3 AM."
"Plus, it has historical weight," Caitlin added. "If you're going to carry the legacy of mythological armor, you might as well carry the name too."
Karan let the helmet fade, grinning at their approval. "So I'm officially Karna now? That's... weird to think about."
"Get used to it," Cisco said. "Because once you start using those powers to help people, you're going to need—"
He was interrupted by the sharp beeping of Caitlin's tablet. She glanced at it, then went very still.
"What is it?" Karan asked, though he had a sinking suspicion he already knew.
"It's the hospital," Caitlin said, looking up with wide eyes. "Barry Allen just woke up."
The lab went completely silent for a moment. Then Cisco whooped loud enough to probably be heard three floors up.
"Finally! I've been dying to meet this guy!" He was already moving toward the door. "Nine months in a coma, caught in the same explosion as our newly minted mythological superhero—this is gonna be *so* cool!"
Caitlin was more restrained, but Karan could see the excitement in her eyes. "We should head over there immediately. He's going to be confused, disoriented, and probably terrified when he realizes how long he's been unconscious."
"Plus," Cisco added, pausing at the doorway, "he might have powers too! What are the odds that two people from the same explosion both got superhuman abilities?"
*Higher than you think,* Karan thought, but what he said was, "Yeah, we should definitely go check on him."
As they made their way through S.T.A.R. Labs toward the exit, Karan felt that familiar mixture of excitement and dread settling in his stomach. Barry Allen was awake, which meant the Flash's story was about to begin. And somehow, Karan was going to be part of it.
He just hoped he could keep Barry alive long enough to become the hero Central City needed.
*And maybe,* he added silently as they climbed into Cisco's van, *I can figure out how to keep us both alive when Eobard Thawne decides we're threats to his master plan.*
Through the van's windows, Central City stretched out before them—a city full of people who had no idea their world was about to get a lot more complicated.
In the best possible way.
---
The hospital room felt different when they walked in. Where before there had been the steady rhythm of machines monitoring an unconscious patient, now there was the electric energy of confusion and awakening.
Barry Allen sat up in bed, looking exactly like Grant Gustin and exactly as bewildered as someone who'd just woken up from a nine-month coma should look. His brown hair was sticking up at odd angles, his eyes were wide with panic, and he was staring at his hands like they might spontaneously combust.
Which, given what Karan knew about Barry's tendency toward Speed Force mishaps, wasn't entirely unreasonable.
"Barry!" Caitlin rushed forward with medical efficiency, immediately checking his pupils with a small flashlight. "How are you feeling? Any nausea? Disorientation? Memory gaps?"
"I... nine months?" Barry's voice was hoarse from disuse, but the incredulity came through clearly. "You said I was unconscious for nine months?"
"The particle accelerator explosion," Cisco explained, moving to check the various machines around Barry's bed with obvious familiarity. "You were struck by lightning in the same moment the dark matter wave hit the city. You've been in a coma ever since."
Barry's gaze drifted around the room, taking in the medical equipment, the flowers that someone had obviously been replacing regularly, and finally settling on Karan.
"You're..." Barry paused, studying Karan's face. "You were here before. In the other bed. But you look..."
"Different?" Karan supplied with a grin. "Yeah, comas apparently come with unexpected side effects. I'm Karan Matthews. Roommate for the duration."
"Barry Allen." Barry extended a hand, and Karan shook it, noting the slight tremor in Barry's grip. "You said side effects?"
"Long story. Involves archaeological discoveries, divine armor, and the kind of coincidences that make you think the universe has a really weird sense of humor."
Barry blinked at him. "Divine armor?"
"I told you it was a long story."
Caitlin finished her preliminary examination and stepped back, tablet in hand. "Your vitals are remarkable, Barry. Better than we could have hoped for. No signs of muscle atrophy, no cognitive impairment, reflexes are..." She paused, frowning at her readings. "Actually, your reflexes are testing significantly above normal human ranges."
Cisco perked up with interest. "Above normal how?"
"I'm registering reaction times that are roughly three times faster than baseline human capability." Caitlin looked up at Barry with scientific curiosity. "Barry, have you noticed anything unusual since you woke up? Any changes in how you feel physically?"
Barry was quiet for a moment, and Karan could practically see him trying to figure out how to explain that the world seemed to be moving in slow motion around him without sounding completely insane.
"Everything feels... fast," Barry said finally. "Like I'm thinking faster, processing things faster. And sometimes when I look around, it's like everyone else is moving through syrup."
Cisco and Caitlin exchanged meaningful looks.
"That's... that could be neurological acceleration," Caitlin murmured, making notes on her tablet. "Enhanced processing speed, heightened reflexes. If the dark matter exposure affected your neural pathways..."
"We should run some tests," Cisco said, practically vibrating with excitement. "Both of you guys got powers from the explosion, right? This is like the beginning of every superhero team ever!"
Barry looked between them with growing alarm. "Powers? What do you mean powers? I don't have—"
He was interrupted by his own gasp of surprise as he reached for the water glass on his bedside table and his hand moved fast enough to blur.
The glass shattered against the wall.
"Okay," Barry said slowly, staring at his hand in shock. "That's new."
"Super speed!" Cisco shouted, loud enough to probably alert the entire hospital floor. "Dude, you have super speed! Do you know how cool that is? You're like the Flash!"
"The Flash?" Barry looked confused.
"My favorite superhero. Comic book character. Red suit, lightning bolt, fastest man alive." Cisco was gesturing wildly now. "And you're totally him! Well, you could be him. If you wanted to be him. Do you want to be him?"
"I want to not break things when I try to drink water," Barry said weakly.
Karan laughed, and the sound seemed to relax some of the tension in the room. "Trust me, the adjustment period is rough. I spent my first day out of the coma accidentally manifesting divine armor every time I got startled."
"You keep saying divine armor," Barry said. "What does that actually mean?"
In response, Karan let golden light begin to emanate from his skin. Barry's eyes widened as the radiance coalesced into gleaming plates and articulated joints, flowing over Karan's body like liquid metal until he stood transformed.
"Holy..." Barry breathed.
"Language," Caitlin said automatically, though she was smiling.
"This is the Armor of Karna," Karan explained, letting Barry take in the golden and silver plates, the crimson collar, the Sanskrit inscriptions that pulsed with their own inner light. "Divine protection that fused with me during the explosion. Makes me stronger, faster, harder to kill. Plus, apparently it comes with a built-in personal trainer, because I woke up looking like I spent nine months at the world's most expensive gym."
Barry was staring at him with undisguised awe. "That's... that's incredible. You look like something out of mythology."
"Technically, I am something out of mythology now." Karan let the armor fade back into golden light, then dissolve entirely. "But we're both still figuring this out. The important thing is we're not alone in it."
"Plus," Cisco added with a grin, "you've got the best possible support team. Caitlin's a biomedical genius, I'm pretty good with the engineering side of things, and Dr. Wells—"
He was cut off as the door opened and Harrison Wells wheeled in, flanked by a nurse who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"Barry," Wells said, his voice warm with apparent relief. "Thank God you're awake. We've been so worried."
Barry's expression shifted to one of recognition and confusion. "Dr. Wells? But the particle accelerator... the explosion..."
"Was my fault," Wells said quietly, and the guilt in his voice sounded genuine enough to fool anyone who didn't know he was actually a time-traveling psychopath. "My responsibility entirely. The accelerator malfunctioned, and people got hurt because of my arrogance."
*Oscar-worthy performance,* Karan thought, watching Wells maneuver his wheelchair closer to Barry's bed. *He's got the guilt-ridden scientist act down to an art form.*
"We've been monitoring your condition ever since," Wells continued. "And Karan's, of course. You both were affected by the dark matter wave, and we wanted to make sure there were no lasting effects."
"Lasting effects like super speed and divine armor?" Barry asked weakly.
Wells' eyes lit up with what looked like paternal pride mixed with scientific fascination. "Extraordinary abilities that come with extraordinary responsibilities, yes. Barry, what happened to you... to both of you... it's unprecedented. You're not just metahumans—you're the first of a new kind of human being."
*And you can't wait to figure out how to use us in your grand plan,* Karan added silently.
But Barry was nodding slowly, still processing everything. "So what happens now? Do I go back to my old life and pretend I can't accidentally move faster than the human eye can track?"
"That's up to you," Wells said. "But I'd like to offer you both a place at S.T.A.R. Labs. A chance to explore your abilities in a controlled environment, with people who understand what you're going through."
Cisco bounced on his heels. "Plus, we've got the best equipment, unlimited coffee, and did I mention we're basically building a superhero team here?"
Barry looked at Karan, who shrugged. "I can vouch for the coffee. And Cisco's right—having people who understand what you're going through makes the whole 'suddenly having impossible abilities' thing a lot less terrifying."
"I..." Barry was quiet for a moment, then looked up at Wells with something that might have been gratitude. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that. I don't think I'm ready to go back to my normal life yet."
"Excellent," Wells said, and his smile was warm and encouraging and absolutely chilling if you knew what it was hiding. "We'll take good care of both of you. After all, Central City is going to need heroes like you in the days to come."
As the group settled into plans for Barry's discharge and transition to S.T.A.R. Labs, Karan caught Wells' eye for just a moment. The older man's expression was pleasant, paternal, completely unthreatening.
But behind his glasses, his eyes held the calculating gleam of someone who had just acquired two very powerful new pieces for his chess board.
*Game on, Eobard,* Karan thought, letting his own grin widen. *Let's see who's better at playing the long game.*
—
Barry was quiet for a moment, then looked up at Wells with a hesitant expression. "Dr. Wells, I appreciate everything you're offering, I really do. But before I move to S.T.A.R. Labs permanently... could I go out for a bit? I need to see Joe and Iris. It's been nine months, and they probably think..."
His voice trailed off, but the emotion was clear enough. Nine months was a long time to disappear from someone's life, even if it hadn't been by choice.
Wells' expression softened with what appeared to be genuine understanding. "Of course, Barry. Joe West and his daughter have been visiting you regularly—once a week, without fail. They were..." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "They were initially reluctant about your transfer to our care. Understandably so, given that S.T.A.R. Labs was responsible for the explosion that put you here."
Caitlin looked up from her tablet. "But the hospital's equipment wasn't designed for your... unique physiology. Sometimes your heart rate would spike so high it didn't even register on their monitors. Cisco had to design specialized equipment just to keep track of your vitals."
"Plus," Cisco added, "regular hospitals aren't exactly equipped for divine armor manifestations and super speed incidents. No offense to the medical establishment, but they're not really up to speed on the whole metahuman thing yet."
Barry nodded slowly. "I understand why they were worried. But... could you not contact them? I'd like to surprise them. Show up at home like..." He managed a weak smile. "Like I'm actually okay."
Wells studied Barry's face for a moment, then nodded. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Family should be the first to know you're truly well."
Karan straightened up in his chair, seized by a sudden impulse. "Actually, Barry... would you mind if I came with you?"
Everyone turned to look at him with varying degrees of surprise.
"I mean," Karan continued, feeling slightly self-conscious under their collective gaze, "I haven't been outside this facility in nine months. Hospital to lab to residential wing—that's been my entire world since I woke up. I could use some fresh air and a reminder of what normal life looks like."
*And I could use a chance to see more of this universe,* he added silently. *Figure out exactly how different this world is from the one I remember.*
Barry's face brightened considerably. "Yeah, absolutely. I'd... I'd actually really like the company. Everything feels so overwhelming right now, and you're the only other person who knows what it's like to wake up after nine months and discover you're not quite human anymore."
Cisco bounced excitedly. "Road trip! Well, city trip. Local trip? Whatever, this is awesome. You guys are gonna be like a buddy cop movie, except one of you has super speed and the other one has divine armor."
Caitlin was already pulling up what looked like monitoring apps on her tablet. "I'll set up remote tracking for both of you. Just in case there are any... incidents... with your abilities. Your physiologies are still stabilizing."
Wells was watching the exchange with that calculating look again, but when he spoke, his voice carried only paternal concern. "Are you sure you're both ready for this? Being in public, around people who don't know about your abilities... it could be challenging."
"We'll be careful," Barry said, and there was something determined in his voice now. "Besides, I need to do this. Joe and Iris... they're my family. They deserve to know I'm okay."
Karan nodded in agreement. "And I promise not to accidentally manifest glowing armor in the middle of Central City. Though I make no guarantees about the enhanced physique drawing attention."
"Trust me," Cisco said with a grin, "you walking around looking like you stepped out of a superhero casting call is the least weird thing that's happened in Central City since the explosion. Half the city's metahumans now. You'll blend right in."
Wells wheeled back slightly, his hands folding in his lap. "Very well. But I want you both to take this." He reached into his jacket and pulled out two small devices that looked like high-tech fitness trackers. "Biosignal monitors. They'll alert us if your vitals spike or if there are any unusual energy readings."
*And they'll let you track our every movement,* Karan thought, but he accepted the device with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Dr. Wells. That's... that's really thoughtful."
Barry took his own monitor, strapping it around his wrist. "So... how exactly do we get there? I mean, I could probably run, but I'm not sure I have the control yet to not accidentally break the sound barrier."
"I've got a car," Karan said, then paused. "Well, technically it belonged to my parents, but Wells had it brought over from... from the house." His voice caught slightly on the last words, the borrowed grief feeling surprisingly real.
"Take one of the S.T.A.R. Labs vehicles," Wells suggested quickly. "Your parents' car... well, it's been sitting for nine months. Better to let Cisco check it over first before you try driving it."
Cisco was already moving toward a cabinet filled with keys. "I've got just the thing. Hybrid sedan, boring enough not to draw attention, but fast enough to outrun most problems. Plus, it's got some of my modifications."
"What kind of modifications?" Caitlin asked suspiciously.
"Nothing major! Just enhanced GPS, emergency beacon, reinforced frame in case of metahuman encounters..." Cisco tossed the keys to Karan. "Standard superhero support vehicle stuff."
Barry stood up from the hospital bed, testing his balance. Everything seemed to hold together, though Karan noticed he was moving with the careful deliberation of someone who wasn't quite sure how fast his reflexes were going to kick in.
"Ready?" Barry asked, and there was nervous excitement in his voice.
Karan caught the keys and grinned. "Let's go see what Central City looks like when you're not recovering from divine armor fusion."
As they headed toward the door, Wells called out one final time. "Boys? Remember—you're not just representing yourselves out there. You're the first of a new generation. Be careful."
*Right,* Karan thought as they walked out into the corridor. *Careful. While visiting the home of Detective Joe West, who probably has more questions about S.T.A.R. Labs than we're prepared to answer, in a city full of people who don't know superheroes exist yet.*
He looked at Barry, who was practically vibrating with nervous energy, and his grin widened.
*This should be interesting.*
---
The S.T.A.R. Labs garage was a study in organized chaos—sleek vehicles parked next to what looked like experimental hovercraft prototypes, with Cisco's various mechanical projects scattered around like a mad scientist's fever dream. Karan found their assigned sedan easily enough, a dark blue hybrid that screamed "responsible adult transportation" in the most boring way possible.
"So," Barry said as they settled into the car, Karan behind the wheel, "this is weird, right? Like, really weird?"
Karan started the engine, noting with approval that Cisco's modifications included an eerily quiet motor and what looked like a heads-up display that definitely wasn't factory standard. "Which part? The superpowers, the nine-month time skip, or the fact that we're both pretending to be normal teenagers when we could probably bench press this car?"
"All of it?" Barry fastened his seatbelt with careful deliberation, as if he wasn't sure he could trust his enhanced reflexes not to snap the buckle. "This morning I woke up thinking it was still 2023. Now I've got super speed and I'm living in a facility run by the guy whose particle accelerator put me in a coma."
"When you put it like that, it does sound pretty messed up." Karan pulled out of the garage, squinting slightly as actual sunlight hit his face for the first time in over a week. "But hey, at least you get to go home to people who love you. That's got to count for something."
Barry was quiet for a moment, staring out at Central City as they drove through streets that looked familiar but somehow different. "What about you? I mean, your parents..."
"Are dead, yeah." Karan's voice was matter-of-fact, but he could feel the borrowed grief underneath it—Karan Matthews' love for parents he'd never actually met, grief that felt real even though the memories weren't his. "House collapsed in the explosion. They were trying to protect me when it happened."
"I'm sorry, man. That's... I can't imagine."
"It's weird," Karan said, turning onto what his GPS indicated was West Avenue. "I remember loving them, you know? Remember family dinners and Dad getting excited about his archaeological finds, Mom helping me with mythology homework. But it also feels like... like I'm watching someone else's home movies. Like the grief belongs to someone else, even though it hurts."
Barry shot him a sideways look. "That doesn't sound normal. Even for post-coma trauma."
*Because it's not,* Karan thought. *Because I'm literally wearing someone else's life like an ill-fitting jacket.* But what he said was, "Nothing about our situation is normal. Divine armor and super speed aren't exactly covered in standard psychology textbooks."
"Fair point." Barry settled back in his seat, watching the city go by. "So what was your life like? Before, I mean. Your memories might feel weird, but they're still yours, right?"
Karan considered how to answer that. The memories he'd inherited from Karan Matthews were detailed enough—a quiet kid who'd grown up between two worlds, American and Indian, academic and mystical. His parents had met in graduate school, Bryan Matthews studying ancient civilizations while Radha Patel wrote her dissertation on the deeper meanings hidden in Sanskrit epics. They'd fallen in love over late-night discussions about the historical basis for mythological stories.
"I was kind of a loner," Karan said finally. "Had friends, but I always felt like I was on the outside looking in, you know? My parents were these brilliant academics, and I was just... ordinary. Good grades, played some cricket at the community center, spent most of my time reading or helping Dad catalog artifacts."
"Cricket?" Barry perked up with interest.
"Mom's idea. She said if I was going to be half-Indian, I should at least understand the sport." Karan grinned at the memory—or at least, at Radha Matthews' memory. "I was actually pretty good at it. Fast reflexes, decent arm. Though I guess that makes more sense now."
"So you were enhanced even before the explosion?"
"Maybe? Or maybe the armor just amplified what was already there." Karan shrugged. "Hard to tell where baseline human ends and divine intervention begins."
They drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Barry occasionally pointing out places that had changed since the explosion. A coffee shop that had been destroyed and rebuilt. A park where the trees were all saplings now. The subtle reminders that Central City had been through something traumatic and was still recovering.
"What about you?" Karan asked. "What was Barry Allen's life like before lightning and dark matter decided to get creative?"
Barry's expression grew softer, more animated. "I worked at the CCPD crime lab. Forensic scientist. I know, I know—totally glamorous career for someone who runs everywhere because he's always late."
"Ironic, considering."
"Right? Joe—Detective West—he used to joke that I'd be early to my own funeral if I could figure out how to die on schedule." Barry's smile faltered slightly. "He's been like a father to me since I was eleven. My real parents... my mom was murdered when I was a kid. My dad was convicted for it, but he didn't do it. Joe was the only one who believed me."
Karan glanced at him, noting the tension in Barry's shoulders. "Must have been rough. Growing up with that kind of injustice hanging over your family."
"It was. But Joe and Iris—his daughter—they gave me a home. Made me part of their family even when I was this obsessed kid who wouldn't shut up about impossible evidence and conspiracy theories." Barry's voice carried deep affection mixed with nervous energy. "I haven't seen them in nine months. They probably think..."
"That you're still in a coma?"
"Or worse. What if they think I'm different now? What if I can't control the speed thing and I accidentally hurt someone?" Barry's hands clenched in his lap. "What if seeing me makes it worse for them?"
Karan considered this as they turned onto a tree-lined residential street that screamed "middle-class cop neighborhood." "Barry, you threw yourself into a lightning storm to help people, right? That's how you got struck?"
"Yeah, but—"
"Then you're the same person you always were. Just... faster." Karan pulled into the driveway of a modest two-story house with a well-maintained lawn and a porch that looked perfect for family barbecues. "The people who love you aren't going to care about superpowers. They're just going to be happy you're alive."
Barry stared at the house through the windshield, and Karan could practically see the war between hope and anxiety playing out on his face. "What if you're wrong?"
"Then we'll deal with it together." Karan turned off the engine and grinned that crooked grin. "Besides, I've got divine armor and you've got super speed. Between the two of us, we can handle whatever family drama gets thrown our way."
"Even if it involves Detective Joe West interrogating us about our new living arrangements with the people responsible for the explosion that nearly killed us?"
"Especially then." Karan opened his car door, then paused. "Though maybe let me do most of the talking when it comes to S.T.A.R. Labs. I've gotten pretty good at the 'confused teenager grateful for help' routine."
Barry managed a laugh, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Right. Because a guy with divine armor is definitely the normal one in this partnership."
"Hey, at least my powers don't involve accidentally running through walls or vibrating through floors." Karan stepped out of the car, noting how the late afternoon sun made the ordinary suburban street look almost golden. "Though I should probably mention—if things go badly and we need to leave fast, don't try to carry me while super-speeding. The armor might not play well with Speed Force physics."
"Noted." Barry joined him on the sidewalk, staring up at the house that had been home for most of his life. "Okay. I can do this. We can do this."
"That's the spirit." Karan started up the walkway, noting the way Barry fell into step beside him with the easy companionship of someone who'd found a kindred spirit in shared impossibility. "Just remember—you're Barry Allen, forensic scientist and all-around good guy who happens to have accidentally acquired the ability to break several laws of physics. Everything else is just details."
As they approached the front door, Karan couldn't help but smile. Whatever else happened in this new universe, at least he'd found a friend. Someone else who was trying to figure out how to be a good person with impossible abilities, someone who understood that sometimes the hardest part of being a hero wasn't the life-threatening situations—it was explaining to the people you loved why you couldn't just be normal.
Barry raised his hand to knock on the door, then paused, looking at Karan. "Thanks. For coming with me, I mean. This would have been a lot harder alone."
"That's what partners are for," Karan replied, and realized he meant it. "Now come on. Let's go give your family the best surprise of their lives."
---
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