The next day, the group were all gathered in the lab. Each was doing their own thing. Cisco and Dr. Wells were working with a few tools. Caitlin continued to stare at the computer monitor, seeing the image of Ronnie. Y/N was lost in thought at a small table in the corner of the room.

Suddenly, the four were alerted to a breaking news event. They looked up to see what was going on. Firestorm had reappeared. He was standing in a small, suburban neighborhood. This time, he wasn't alone.

Reporter: Breaking info. The fire man has been spotted once again on the outskirts of Central City. Thankfully, the army has been brought in to deal with the situation in a controlled manner.

On the screen, the team could see Ronnie surrounded by military-grade vehicles and soldiers, all of whom held their guns pointed at him. From out of one of the vehicles stepped a tall, stern man. He had white hair and a wrinkled face that held confidence and control.

Eiling: Ronnie Raymond, under the direct order of the United States armed forces, you are hereby under arrest for acts of grand arson and liability. I order you to stand down. Do not resist.

Ronnie: Please... I didn't mean to...

Y/N continued to look at the screen in concern. Ronnie and Professor Stein were both facing containment. The young man looked back to see Caitlin. Her eyes were frozen on the screen. Y/N could see the despair on her face. 

Y/N knew he had to do something. Without a second to lose, he grabbed his suit and ran out of the warehouse. He was so fast that the three scientists didn't even have time to register his actions until he was already gone.

Firestorm looked around at all the soldiers aiming at him. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. General Eiling had a grin on his face as he spoke to the meta-human.

Eiling: Let's get this done quickly.

Ronnie looked back at Eiling. He was about to ignite his hands when something happened. A red streak flew in and grabbed Ronnie. As quickly as it appeared, it ran off with the fire man. Eiling stared at the quick escape, grinning to himself.

Y/N rushed back into the warehouse and placed down Ronnie. The fire man looked at the fast man and jumped back in confusion. Y/N put up his hands and took off his goggles and helmet.

Y/N: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy, man! It's alright. You're safe. I brought you here.

Ronnie held up his hand but brought it back down when he realized Y/N meant no harm. He looked around at the old, abandoned warehouse he was now in. Cobwebs and dust lined steel girders near the roof. Old equipment had been cleared off and recently polished.

Ronnie: Where is here?

Ronnie then turned around to see three familiar faces staring at him. One in particular caught his eye.

Ronnie: Cait?

Caitlin stood there, frozen in disbelief. Tears then started to stream down her face. She rushed over to her fiancé, crying tears of joy.

Caitlin: Ronnie!

Caitlin jumped into Ronnie's arms, holding him tight and crying into his shoulder. Ronnie held onto her, swaying back and forth in joy.

Caitlin: I thought you were dead.

Ronnie: I'm alright. I'm here now.

Caitlin eventually let go, wiping away a tear and smiling wildly. She and Ronnie then shared a loving kiss, their lips meeting in graceful harmony. Y/N stood there, smiling at seeing the two lovers reunited.

Cisco: Gross. I forgot how much I hated seeing that.

Ronnie and Caitlin separated. Ronnie looked over at his two other friends. He noticed his old boss now confined to a powered wheelchair.

Ronnie: Dr. Wells...

Wells looked at Ronnie, smiling.

Wells: It's good to see you, Mr. Raymond.

Ronnie: I heard about your situation after the accident. I'm sorry.

Wells: Don't be. I'm paying my price. It is I who should feel sorry for you. It must have been hard these past few months.

Ronnie shrugged his shoulders and sighed, thinking about the last few months.

Ronnie: I don't remember much of what happened. I just woke up feeling... off. I can't really control what's happening to me. I've been on the run from the military for a while now, living under bridges and eating garbage. 

Wells: Well, with the help of our fast friend here, you can hopefully find an easier life on the run with friends.

Wells gestured over to Y/N. Ronnie turned around to see the man in the red suit with the lightning bolt on it.

Ronnie: Yes. I don't believe we've fully met.

Y/N outstretched his hand in offering.

Y/N: Y/N L/N, fastest man alive. People call me "The Flash".

Ronnie shook Y/N's hand firmly.

Ronnie: "The Flash", huh? Well, I must say you certainly earn that name. Seeing the red streak go by, I couldn't tell if it was a person or a flash of light.

The two shared a nice chuckle, shaking their heads.

Ronnie: Thank you.

Y/N: Any friend of these three is a friend of mine. 

Ronnie nodded, smiling at Y/N. Caitlin walked over, leaning into her love. Ronnie kissed the top of her head before turning around.

Ronnie: There's my favorite coworker.

Cisco: It's great to see you, Ronnie.

Cisco and Ronnie smiled and walked towards one another. They met in a firm clap, their hands coming together. Suddenly, Cisco felt himself spinning again. He found himself back in the dimly lit environment.

Ramon didn't know what to make of things. He heard distant voices shouting around him. He then saw two blinding flashes of light zip around him. Turning around and focusing, he thought he could make out two figures.

Ronnie appeared to be flying around, his head and hands on fire. He brought down his hands and threw a fireball at an orange streak of lightning. Y/N appeared from the lightning, dodging the fireballs. He jumped up and kicked Ronnie back before running around again. 

Cisco looked on in shock and confusion. The lights flashed again and he found himself standing back in the set up lab holding onto Ronnie's hand. The taller man looked at him in confusion.

Ronnie: Cisco, you okay?

Cisco gently nodded, still unsure by what he just saw.

Cisco: Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just something on my mind. 

Caitlin walked over, wrapping her arm around Ronnie. The three friends smiled and talked with one another. Wells grinned at seeing them together once more. He then turned towards Y/N who was leaning against a pillar.

Wells: Mr. L/N, if I may have a word with you.

Y/N: Sure.

Y/N followed Harrison down one of the narrow hallways. After a moment, they both stopped. Y/N was still smiling, but saw that Dr. Wells had now put on a serious face.

Wells: What the hell were you thinking?

Y/N sighed and rolled his eyes.

Wells: I mean seriously, did you really take everything into consideration before acting? You could have alerted Eiling to our location.

Y/N: But I didn't, alright?

Wells: Y/N, you know just as well as I that, in our current situation, we do not take risks!

Y/N: We do if it involves someone we know! Listen, I know you want to protect me. You want to keep me safe. But this is what I do. I help people not by hiding but by going out there. For once in my life, I can act upon those wishes without needing to sit idly by. I get why you want to protect me, but please, you need to take Ronnie into consideration. Think about him, or Stein, or Caitlin, or Cisco. You know all of them better than you know me. The way I see it, my life is less important than theirs.

Wells: Y/N, your life is important. Your cells are unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Y/N: I'm not talking about scientific value! I'm talking about personal value. Love, friendship, social connections. You four, you're a team. I am just a guy who runs fast and is willing to put things right. You said is yourself. I was simply standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I can use that poor timing to make things right, to make people whole again so that they don't end up with the pain I had to grow up with. And I'm going to do that. So if you were hoping for someone you can sit with and study, then you got the wrong guy.

Y/N exhaled and stormed off. Wells just stayed there, taking in everything the young man had said.

Later, Ronnie sat on a check up table while Caitlin went over his vitals. She looked at the thermometer that had been in his mouth, seeing he had a higher temperature.

Caitlin: Your temp is running a little higher than usual.

She looked at the number, seeing it was at 108 degrees.

Caitlin: Okay, a bit more than a little.

Ronnie chuckled with her at his state. He had just gotten a haircut and was now wearing a clean set of clothes.

Ronnie: I feel great for the most part. But it still feels like something's wrong with me.

The other three men stood around the two, taking in Ronnie's vitals.

Y/N: Professor Stein. He's merged with you.

Ronnie exhaled and nodded.

Y/N: Can you hear him?

Ronnie: Sometimes. He's been mostly quiet lately. I sometimes get these memories, memories I know are not my own.

Wells: You two are sharing the same body. Not only are you cells merged, but your consciousness too.

Cisco thought for a moment. He came up with an idea.

Cisco: I may be able to come up with some way of separating you two, try and get Ronnie back as just... Ronnie.

Ronnie: Could you do that? Make us who we were?

Cisco: I'm not sure. Maybe.

Ronnie: If anyone can come up with something, I know you can.

Cisco: This is a bit unseen before. It's new territory for me.

Y/N: So is a man moving as fast as a sports car, but you got me figured out.

Cisco and Y/N shared a grin, fist bumping one another.

Cisco: Alright. Dr. Wells, if you'll help me cook.

Wells followed Cisco into his lab while Y/N stayed behind. Ronnie stood back up and stretched.

Ronnie: Good. While they're doin that, I'd like to take a cold shower and spend some time with my girl. Maybe go for a slice of something fresh for once.

He wrapped him arm around Caitlin, the two sharing a quick kiss.

Caitlin: Sorry, sweety. We can't really leave here without being seen.

Y/N looked at them and grinned. He ran off in a blur. In less than two seconds, he returned with a few boxes of pizza and a bottle of wine.

Y/N: For the reunited lovebirds.

He handed the items to them, smiling. Ronnie took it in surprise while Caitlin just shrugged and smiled her own gorgeous smile at Y/N.

Caitlin: Thank you.

Ronnie opened the top box of pizza, whistling as the fresh scent hit his nose. Y/N reached over and took the box away from him.

Y/N: That one's actually mine. You two get the other boxes. The rest of us get this one. You would not believe the amount of calories I burn through.

Y/N walked off while shoving a slice into his mouth. Caitlin and Ronnie chuckled, shaking their heads at the fast man.

Later in the evening, Caitlin and Ronnie were finishing up a movie. Caitlin laid her head against Raymond's shoulder, the two wrapped in a soft blanket. Ronnie was fiddling with her hand, looking at the engagement ring on her finger.

Ronnie: You still wear this?

Caitlin: I could just never bring myself to take it off.

Ronnie smiled down at her, bringing her head closer to lean on his chest. From the side door, Y/N grinned at seeing the two lovers at peace. He then walked back into Cisco's lab.

Y/N: How's it coming?

Cisco: We've almost got it. 

Wells: Once calibrated, the splicer should hopefully be able to offset the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. matrix, separating Mr. Raymond and Professor Stein.

Y/N looked at the small device. It was a circular disk, about the size of a small frisbee. Metal clamps and covers lined the small item. Cisco put on the finishing touches, closing the lid on the front of the device.

Cisco: Ready. It just needs a jumpstart in power.

Y/N looked at the device and walked over to it. He had an idea. He began rubbing his hands together at high speeds. Generating a static shock between his fingers, Y/N eventually pointed his finger towards the splicer's power cell. An orange spark of electricity leapt from his finger into the device. The splicer turned on, its lights flicking on in unison.

Smiling, Cisco and Dr. Wells shared a handshake. Ramon then grabbed the device and the three walked out. 

Cisco: Ronnie, we've got it!

Seeing the three rush in, Ronnie and Caitlin groaned from their comfortable position. Stretching for a moment before standing up, they walked over to Cisco.

Ronnie: What is it?

Cisco held up the device for him to see.

Cisco: This is a quantum splicer. It will bombard your body with polarized atoms and allow you and Professor Stein's cells to unmerge.

Ronnie looked at the device.

Ronnie: This thing can make us who we were again?

Caitlin had a wide smile on her face. She held onto Ronnie's hand, intertwining her fingers with his. Ronnie looked at her before looking back at the device. Cisco took the splicer and turned it over. He began to raise it up towards Ronnie's chest.

Suddenly, the warehouse was bombarded by soldiers rushing in. Y/N didn't even have enough time to react before they were all surrounded. Men with guns and body armor circled the group.

Solider: On the ground, now! Put your hands behind your head where I can see 'em!

The group was stunned. One soldier came up, shoving Y/N onto his knees. The others followed, kneeling down and putting their hands behind their heads as more soldiers surrounded them. Wells was forced out of his chair and shoved onto the floor. Caitlin looked over at Ronnie, scared.

After a moment, a man with grey hair and a stern grin walked out from the shadows. He glared at the group in pride.

Eiling: Good to see you again, Dr. Wells.

Wells glared at the general. If looks could kill, Eiling would be a pile of ash. The general then looked at the man closest to him, noting the red suit he still had on.

Eiling: If it isn't the red streak. Nice get-up. We've been looking all over for you.

Y/N stared at Eiling with cold eyes. The general grinned at him before looking at one of them in particular. 

Eiling: Good work, soldier.

The group was confused by what he meant. At that moment, Ronnie grinned and stood up. He gave a pseudo salute to Eiling.

Ronnie: Thank you, General.

The others looked on in disbelief. Ronnie walked towards Eiling, grabbing the splicer that was placed next to Cisco. Caitlin was terribly confused. Raymond walked over to stand next to the general.

Ronnie: I think I deserve a promotion after this. "Captain" sounds nice.

The former S.T.A.R. Labs employees looked upon their friend in confusion.

Cisco: Ronnie... but... What?

Ronnie: It was nothing personal, Cisco. Just following orders.

Wells stared at his former employee. He swallowed hard and glared.

Wells: How long? When did this meat head general persuade you to betray us?

Eiling: Oh, there was no betrayal involved. Mr. Raymond here has been of particular use to me since the very beginning. He's been our man on the inside since you first announced your particle accelerator project.

The four looked at Ronnie with wide eyes. They were all in shock. Cisco then came to a sudden realization.

Cisco: Those files... You've been storing away everything we had on the accelerator. 

Ronnie gave a cocky grin and looked at Ramon.

Ronnie: I needed to give back something to my superiors. I couldn't go empty handed.

Cisco: But... but you were the structural engineer. You helped design it. What...

Y/N spoke up, realizing what was happening.

Y/N: The accelerator explosion. It wasn't an accident. You sabotaged it on purpose.

Ronnie smiled guiltily.

Ronnie: It was simple, really. I just had to cause a few issues with the core, realign the magnets so they wouldn't hold. Of course, things didn't go as smoothly as I'd intended.

He looked over at Cisco.

Ronnie: I had it all set. Disappearing into the cortex, I was ready to make my escape. But you and your brilliant mind decided to redirect the blast into the vents. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let you actually fix it. So I stayed behind and I got caught in the blast myself. But I think that may have turned out for the better.

Ronnie held up his hand, igniting it and examining the flame on his fingers. He looked at it as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world.

Wells: Why, Ronald? Why?

Ronnie: Why? Because I had orders. And, most importantly, because you were out of line. You could have done so much for this country, doctor. We could have had the best soldiers. But you instead decided to use your wealth and knowledge for a glorified generator.

Eiling smirked, looking at his spy.

Eiling: After you cut off your work with us, retracting your research, I knew I couldn't let you win. I knew one accident would cause your reputation to plummet, Dr. Wells. What I didn't count on was these "meta-humans" as you call them. But some of them have come in use.

He looked over at Ronnie before looking down at Y/N. Y/N realized what he'd meant. Girder had been one of his own as well. 

Y/N: You psychopath. Is that all you think about? Power?

Eiling knelt down so he was face to face with Y/N.

Eiling: Don't try to take the moral high ground with me, young man. I've seen true battle. All your little heroic acts out there are party games compared to what I've seen. This country needs its soldiers. And out of all the meta-humans I've seen, you in particular have become the most fascinating to me. 

Y/N looked at Eiling. He brought back his throat and spit in his face. Eiling wiped the saliva off his nose and stood back up.

Eiling: That'll be enough of that.

The rest of the group were all distraught. Caitlin in particular was taking