── ⚡ ──

Caitlin and Haylee worked together to remove the fragments from Barry's body, each pained cry was like another hit to Haylee's chest that resulted in her leaving the room per Ronnie's orders noticing the lights flickering and the electricity building on her body. She was pacing back and forth in the Cortex fighting her constant urge to find Eiling and tear him apart in the most painful ways she could imagine, those ways were not a pretty sight to see.

"I'm so stupid," Caitlin's voice caught Haylee's attention, she turned to listen to the conversation without looking at Barry. "Jason Rush, the grad student who was helping Professor Stein with his Firestorm research... he said that the army took all of Professor Stein's material when he disappeared. I should have known it was General Eiling," Caitlin explained to everyone in a disappointed tone. "If I kill him, the problem would be solved," Haylee called getting a collective "No" in response.

"Buzzkills," Haylee muttered with an eye roll. "Not your fault. He still thinks you hold the keys to the ultimate human weapon... both of you," Dr Wells explained to them. "Okay, let's just finish this. I gotta get to Stein's house," Barry told them as Haylee looked up to see Martin walking into the room. "Stein's fine," Ronnie told them. "How do you know?" Cisco asked him as he held the bowl for the fragments. "He's right there," Ronnie told them, they all turned to see him standing by Haylee's side.

"I don't think Mr Raymond and I are as distinctive as we had hoped," Martin expressed while Haylee looked at Barry with a clenched jaw. "Alright, this is taking too long," Haylee stated before walking up to Barry. "Everyone back away," Haylee warned, they all stepped back while Barry looked up at Haylee with a small trusting smile. "This will hurt a lot but you'll heal a lot faster this way," Haylee told him before closing her eyes and focusing on the energy of the fragments.

Everyone watched in awe as a blue smoky light slithered around the fragments from Haylee's hands, the energy wrapped around every single piece that was stuck in Barry's body. With a slow breath, Haylee closed her open palm into a fist tearing the fragments from his body causing a loud scream to escape his lips before he let out a breath of relief. Haylee opened her eyes to see the fragment pieces floating above them, she focused the energy and placed them into the bowl that Cisco was previously holding. "That's better..." Barry breathed out before Haylee kissed his forehead.

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Martin and Ronnie both sat on separate beds with machines connected to them as Caitlin conducted some tests on them, their brain scans were identical. "I'm still inside Ronald," Martin said causing Haylee to bite her lip to stop the laugh that threatened to escape at those words. "There has to be a better way to phrase that," Cisco stated as Barry smirked widely. "Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta... all your brain waves are perfectly in sync. The chances of that happening are next to impossible," Caitlin explained.

"Impossible's just another Tuesday for us, remember?" Barry told Caitlin while Haylee nodded in agreement with his words. "Yeah, but this is like some Twilight Zone level stuff, and I say that knowing full well that we have a guy locked up in our basement who can turn himself into poison gas," Cisco expressed gaining Ronnie's attention. "Wait, really?" Ronnie asked. "Dude, that was, like, week three," Cisco exclaimed while Haylee laughed.

"Look, if this Eiling is as dangerous as you say, then I need to warn Clarissa," Martin told them instantly as he removed the scanner attached to his head. "I promise, I can get Clarissa out of the city in time, but we need you to stay here," Barry told him with a reassuring smile. "Professor, I need you to trust us," Barry asked with a desperate expression. "Very well," Martin agreed. "Thank you, Professor," Haylee told him with a slight nod of her head.

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Haylee, Barry, Caitlin and Ronnie headed to the West household where Ronnie and Caitlin could stay until they knew he and Martin would be safe. "All right, here we are," Barry told them as they walked into the foyer of the quaint home. "You guys can stay down in Iris' old room. It's kind of small, but..." Barry trailed off as Joe walked into the room. "Hey," Barry spoke up as he walked down the steps running into Joe who stood there with a drink in hand.

"We have guests," Joe said with a surprised tone as Haylee hugged him. "Yeah, we do. I hope that's okay," Barry asked him as Ronnie and Caitlin looked at each other. "Mi casa," Joe spoke with his hands out making Haylee laugh. "This is Ronnie," Caitlin introduced. "Nice to meet you," Joe told Ronnie as they shook hands. "Ronnie, the..." Joe trailed off as Ronnie spoke, "Dead fiance." Joe nodded looking at all the faces, "Right. Beer?" Joe offered the beer to Ronnie.

Iris walked into the house gaining everyone's attention, "Dad? Barry? Haylee?" Haylee smiled kindly at her friend as she stepped up next to Caitlin. "Iris, hi," Caitlin spoke up catching Iris off guard at the extra faces. "What are you doing here?" Joe asked his daughter. "Uh, it's Tuesday. I was gonna make us dinner, remember?" Iris told them. "Yikes... Iris cooking, that's gotta be dangerous," Haylee teased to lessen the tension within the room.

"I knew you'd forget. Well, there's plenty for everyone," Iris told them before looking to Caitlin with a smile, "Caitlin, what brings you by?" Haylee looked to Caitlin for her cover story. "There's a gas leak in my apartment, so Barry said that we could stay here," Caitlin explained to her. "Oh, that's sweet of him. And, uh, who's this?" Iris asked as she looked at Ronnie. "This is my cousin, Sam. He's just visiting at the moment, he and Caitlin hit it off and I'm being cupid," Haylee expressed with a teasing smirk.

"Visiting from Coast City," Joe added on to Haylee's quick lie. "Oh yeah, Jesse works in Coast City sometimes. He told me you both had family out there," Iris said to Haylee who smirked at the others for her quick cover. "So what's for dinner?" Ronnie asked her. "Well if Iris is cooking, it'll be something simple and easy that's less likely to burn," Haylee teased as she winked at Iris. "You know what! You can help me cook," Iris told her before walking off to the kitchen.

"You are brilliant," Ronnie told Haylee before he and Caitlin followed Joe into the dining room. Barry approached Haylee and rested his hands on her waist with a grin, "You get more and more amazing every day, you know that?" Haylee shrugged before wrapping her arms around Barry's shoulders. "What can I say? I'm a quick thinker and Digs always taught me to have a lot of cover basis' through the state to ensure each cover story has no plot holes," Haylee bragged before pulling Barry into a kiss.

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Barry and Haylee arrived at Star Labs after Ronnie had a dizzy spell, Haylee felt an uneasy feeling about the situation and so they headed to Star Labs to find that Eiling had taken Martin Stein due to the lack of protection. "He didn't hurt you?" Barry asked Harrison while Haylee stood off to the side. "Barry, I told you... only my pride is hurt. Unfortunately, I'm not in the position to take on armed soldiers," Dr Wells expressed. "And yet, you didn't think to contact us straight away?" Haylee snapped.

Harrison and Barry looked to Haylee as she took a steady breath realising she couldn't slip up in front of Harrison if she was to find out the truth. "Sorry. Martin Stein is not just my idol or my friend, but someone who has inspired me in so many ways. I-I just wish I was here to save him," Haylee covered which made Harrison send her a sympathetic look, slight guilt flashing through his eyes that Haylee noticed but didn't react to.

"Where do you think Eiling took Professor Stein?" Caitlin asked Dr Wells. "I imagine some off-the-books military research facility," Dr Wells answered as Haylee walked towards Cisco. "We have to get him back," Barry told Dr Wells without hesitation. "Easy--Eiling has already demonstrated he has the weaponry to disable The Flash or worse," Dr Wells pointed out but Haylee sighed. "And yet, he has no clue who I am or what I'm capable of. I can go in, just get me the information on his whereabouts," Haylee told them.

"We don't know that for certain," Dr Wells told her, his expression showed concern but Haylee noticed the underlying look in his eyes almost as though her death would be him losing the most important pawn on the chessboard. "Well, we can't let him turn Stein into a weapon," Caitlin expressed. "How do we find him?" Ronnie asked causing them all to pause before looking straight at Ronnie. "What?" Ronnie asked. "Oh, Ronnie..." Haylee said with a smile.

They move back into the medical bay where Ronnie had been reconnected to the brain scan in hopes the link between Ronnie and Martin would help with locating the older man. "No abnormal brain activity. All vitals steady," Caitlin spoke up. "You really think Ronnie can somehow feel where they're keeping Stein?" Barry asked Dr Wells. Barry was seated next to Harrison with Haylee standing behind him leaning against the desk.

"Ronnie got dizzy when the soldiers grabbed Stein, and Stein developed Ronnie's obsession with pizza," Cisco explained with Haylee nodding along. "I don't feel anything right now," Ronnie told them. "Just keep trying," Caitlin encouraged with a small smile. "Whatever this is, it doesn't have an on and off switch," Ronnie told them. "It's possible it's just some kind of residual connection. A temporary link to your time together," Dr Wells explained but Haylee shook her head. "I don't think that's it. Their cells and atoms formed into one," Haylee pointed out.

"Wait," Ronnie spoke stopping Haylee from continuing, "I feel something. I'm... I'm cold." Within a few seconds, Ronnie began screaming out in pain causing Barry and Haylee to move and hold him down with worried expressions. "You're okay, man, we got you," Cisco assured him as Caitlin panicked slightly. "What's happening to him?" Barry asked but Haylee shook her head. "It's not happening to him, it's happening to Stein and Ronnie is feeling the pain," Haylee told them with Dr Wells nodding in agreement with her.

"You were wrong," Haylee told Dr Wells before looking back at the others, "The connection isn't temporary, it's getting stronger due to them forming as one via the explosion. I think the only way to help them is for them to merge together again." Caitlin looked up at Haylee with hesitancy in her eyes but Haylee sent her a reassuring smile. "Water," Ronnie gasped out, Barry handed him the glass that he was quick to shatter.

"Ronnie, no!" Caitlin rushed forward but Barry stopped her. "Wait, Cait, wait," Barry told her as Haylee watched Ronnie. "He's cutting himself!" Caitlin exclaimed at Barry. "I know. Let him," Barry told her. "Anything?" Dr Wells asked. "Nothing. Nothing, just--just cold. Like a metal surface. Pressure on and on and off," Ronnie explained causing Haylee's eyes to widen. "Tell me the order of the pressure," Haylee told him remembering her time learning Morse Code with Oliver and Diggle.

"Tap, tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap, tap, tap," Ronnie told her, Haylee closed her eyes repeating it in her head as she worked it out. "Twenty-seven," Haylee exclaimed before rushing to the computers and typing on the keys quickly. "Wanna let the team in on this?" Ronnie asked though he was impressed by Haylee's intelligence. "Army bases, they sometimes go by numbers, like Area 51," Haylee told them before finding what she was looking for.

"Facility twenty-seven, about 300 miles away," Haylee told them as Cisco stepped up next to her looking at the screen. "It was shut down in 1961," Cisco read out to them. "Well, that's where they're keeping Stein," Barry told them. "Bet you that's where they're keeping aliens too," Cisco added with a slight sneer. "I'm coming with you," Ronnie told Haylee and Barry after Barry had flashed into his suit while Haylee glitched into her own suit.

"No, you're not," Caitlin told him. "I'm connected to Stein. I have to go," Ronnie told her and Haylee let out a breath. "He might be right on that one," Haylee told them before nodding to Ronnie. "But did you ever stop to think why your connection to him is growing stronger by the minute? Maybe Haylee's right, maybe you're being drawn back together. Maybe your proximity will cause you to re-merge into one," Caitlin theorized with a scared expression. "And what happens to me if he gets killed?" Ronnie asked her.

"Cait, Barry was right. The world is different now. Look, I... I thought we could get away, start a new life, a normal life, together. But there is no normal life for us," Ronnie expressed to her as Barry and Haylee looked at each other, the two zoning out of Caitlin and Ronnie's conversation. Haylee smiled softly at Barry, she loved him with all her heart and she couldn't see her life without him but she also couldn't see them ever having a normal life and Haylee was completely okay with that.

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Haylee, Barry and Ronnie stood outside the facility ready to fight whoever they might come across and Haylee was ready to unleash her anger. "Oh, this place definitely doesn't look too shady," Barry sarcastically said while Haylee shook her head. "Stein's inside. I can feel our connection growing stronger... like he's pulling me," Ronnie expressed. "It's as I feared... the Firestorm matrix is building toward a proximity reemergence. Like all matter, it yearns to be whole," Harrison explained.

"Already said that," Haylee thought to herself before focusing on her energy. "If you do merge... we might not be able to separate you again," Dr Wells warned him. "Eiling has a gun to Stein's head. He's about to pull the trigger," Ronnie warned them, Barry flashed into the building grabbing Stein and bringing him out to Haylee and Ronnie. "Whoa... I never thought I'd be happy to see you," Martin told Ronnie. "Yeah, likewise," Ronnie replied. "Let's get out of here," Barry said as a car drove up.

A soldier standing within the top opening of the vehicle raised a bazooka towards them, firing a triangle-shaped missile that Barry raced forward to grab and throw it away but unfortunately for him, the missile exploded from his touch covering him in a chemical that caused him to scream out in pain. Haylee looked at Barry noticing the chemical clinging to his suit and skin, her eyes began to brighten from their usual smoky sky blue to a zapping aura of electricity.

"Run!" Barry told Martin and Ronnie, the two quickly rushed away as fast as they could. "Barry, I'm picking up some serious pH numbers on your suit," Cisco told Barry. "They hit me with some kind of chemical," Barry told them as Haylee looked from him to the car, she turned her body to the car as her eyes began to glow. The natural smoky sky blue glow had darkened into a static-like azure blue, long whips of energy formed in her hands creating the perfect long-range weapon.

Raising her hand, she slammed the right whip down on the front of the car cutting through the metal like paper causing the engine to spark and the soldiers to escape the car before it exploded. They began firing bullets at her as Barry ran circles to remove the chemical from his body, Haylee glitched safely out of the way of the bullets before throwing the whips forward wrapping them around the guns and cutting through them.

Eiling glared at her before smirking as one of the soldiers put a weapon into his hands, the older man raised the gun as Haylee was distracted fighting the other soldiers and fired his weapon. The sub-zero phosphorus hit her like burning acid causing her to let out a pained scream before she dropped harshly to the ground, the whips faded into nothing as she curled in on herself hoping the pain would fade yet it only worsened. Eiling went to approach her when a sudden blast of fire hit the pavement startling him.

Firestorm and Flash worked together to take down Eiling's soldiers as quickly and efficiently before Barry raced over to Haylee, kneeling down in front of her, he carefully lifted her head to look at him. "You need to run, Haylee... Run..." Barry whispered to her but she winced as she flickered like a lightbulb, her eyes feeling heavy. "Barry, don't let her close her eyes," Dr Wells told Barry as Caitlin and Cisco focused on her lowering vitals. "You need to get her here now!" Dr Wells stated sternly as Haylee whimpered.

"I love you, Barry Allen..." Haylee whimpered out before letting her eyes fall shut, the pain in her body faded out as she let the darkness consume her completely.

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Author Note
The tension is building between Harrison and Haylee, how will that turn out? Also, poor Haylee, right?

And as you can tell, Haylee is my main character so she will begin taking over certain scenes but I will alter them to her adaption. So some things will change from the original canon line.

-Rose <3
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