## S.T.A.R. Labs Testing Chamber
The testing chamber felt different at five in the morning—the harsh fluorescent lights somehow seemed more aggressive, the reinforced walls more imposing, and the general atmosphere carried that particular quality of spaces that weren't meant to be occupied before sunrise. Karan shuffled in wearing rumpled jeans and a S.T.A.R. Labs t-shirt, his hair sticking up at odd angles and his eyes carrying the glazed look of someone who'd been pulled from deep sleep without adequate warning.
Barry looked marginally more alert, though that was probably due to his enhanced metabolism processing caffeine at superhuman rates. He'd managed to find matching socks and run a hand through his hair, which counted as formal attire by their current standards.
Cisco, by contrast, looked like he'd been awake for hours—which, knowing Cisco, he probably had been. His eyes were bright with the manic energy that came from consuming too much coffee and stumbling onto what he was convinced was a groundbreaking scientific discovery. He was practically vibrating with excitement as he bustled around the testing chamber, adjusting sensors and pulling up holographic displays with the fervor of someone who'd found religion in the form of theoretical physics.
"Okay," Karan said, settling into one of the observation chairs and trying to wake up his brain through sheer willpower, "remind me again why we're doing this at five in the morning instead of at a reasonable hour when my cognitive functions are actually online?"
"Because I couldn't sleep!" Cisco announced, spinning around to face them with a tablet clutched in his hands and what appeared to be his fourth energy drink of the morning balanced precariously on a nearby table. "I was lying in bed, thinking about your armor's capabilities, running through the theoretical applications of concentrated solar energy manipulation, and suddenly it hit me!"
Barry rubbed his eyes, still trying to achieve full consciousness. "What hit you, exactly? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like caffeine and sleep deprivation hit you pretty hard."
"Flight, Barry. Flight!" Cisco gestured dramatically at the holographic displays showing various energy readings and theoretical models. "Karan's armor doesn't just create constructs and provide protection—it manipulates solar energy at the quantum level. And if you can manipulate energy at that level of precision..."
He trailed off, looking at them expectantly, as if the implications should be immediately obvious to anyone with a functioning nervous system.
Karan blinked slowly, trying to parse Cisco's caffeine-fueled logic. "You think I can fly?"
"I don't think you can fly—I think you've probably been capable of flight this entire time without realizing it!" Cisco pulled up a new display showing what looked like energy flow patterns around a human figure. "Look, your armor generates and controls photons, right? Concentrated light energy that you can shape into solid constructs?"
"Right..."
"Well, what's the difference between shaping light into a bow and arrow versus shaping it into, say, a propulsion system? Or an anti-gravity field? Or a localized manipulation of electromagnetic forces that could provide lift and directional control?"
Barry was starting to look more awake, his scientific curiosity overriding his need for sleep. "You're talking about using the armor's energy generation to create flight-capable constructs?"
"Not just flight-capable constructs—integrated flight systems that work with Karan's existing armor configuration!" Cisco was practically bouncing now, pulling up additional theoretical models. "Think about it—the armor already enhances his physical capabilities, provides protection, creates weapons and tools. Why wouldn't it also provide mobility enhancements?"
Karan stood up, moving closer to the displays and trying to wrap his sleep-deprived brain around the concept. "Cisco, even if the theoretical physics work out, wouldn't that require massive amounts of energy? Creating enough lift to support human body weight plus armor, maintaining directional control, dealing with atmospheric resistance..."
"That's exactly what I thought initially," Cisco said, pulling up new calculations, "but then I remembered—your armor doesn't just use energy, it converts and amplifies it. Every photon of sunlight, every form of ambient electromagnetic radiation, even thermal energy from your own body heat. The armor is essentially a living solar collector and converter."
He gestured at the energy readings they'd recorded during Karan's previous testing sessions.
"Look at these numbers. Even during indoor testing with minimal light sources, your armor was generating energy output levels that were off the charts. In direct sunlight, or in situations where you're actively drawing on solar energy, the power levels would be exponentially higher."
Barry leaned forward, studying the data with growing interest. "So you're saying Karan's been walking around with a personal power plant that could theoretically support flight capabilities?"
"I'm saying Karan's been walking around with divine solar manipulation abilities that we've barely begun to understand or utilize properly." Cisco turned to Karan with barely contained excitement. "Dude, what if everything we've tested so far—the enhanced strength, the light constructs, the protective capabilities—what if all of that is just the baseline functionality? What if we've been looking at a Honda Civic when you're actually driving a spaceship?"
Karan felt a familiar warmth building in his chest as he considered the implications. The armor had surprised him before with capabilities he hadn't known existed—the automatic identity protection, the sophisticated targeting systems for his constructed weapons, the way it seemed to adapt to whatever situation required his attention.
"There's one way to find out," he said, though part of him wasn't entirely sure he was ready for the answer.
"Exactly!" Cisco clapped his hands together. "Controlled testing environment, full safety protocols, medical monitoring in case something goes wrong. We start small—basic energy manipulation focused on lift generation, see what happens."
Barry looked between them with the expression of someone who wanted to be supportive but was also concerned about the potential for spectacular failure. "Just to be clear—we're talking about Karan potentially launching himself into the ceiling of our testing chamber at five in the morning because Cisco had a caffeine-induced epiphany?"
"When you put it like that, it sounds less scientifically rigorous than I was hoping for," Karan admitted.
"Hey!" Cisco protested. "This is totally scientifically rigorous! I've been running calculations for hours, I've modeled the theoretical energy requirements, I've even programmed safety protocols into the chamber's systems in case we need to abort the test."
He gestured at the testing chamber around them, which Karan now noticed had been modified with additional sensors, protective barriers, and what looked like some kind of emergency response system.
"Plus, we're not talking about launching Karan into the ceiling. We're talking about controlled levitation—maybe a few inches off the ground, just enough to prove the concept works."
Barry rubbed his face, clearly trying to wake up enough to provide appropriate best-friend-level concern. "Karan, are you actually comfortable with this? Because we could just as easily do this test tomorrow, when we're all more awake and thinking clearly."
Karan considered the question seriously. Part of him was still half-asleep and would have preferred to go back to bed for another few hours. But a larger part was genuinely curious about what other capabilities his armor might possess, especially if those capabilities could make him more effective at helping people.
Plus, there was something appealing about the idea of flight—not just from a tactical standpoint, but from the pure wonder of it. Who hadn't dreamed of soaring through the sky under their own power?
"I'm comfortable with trying," he said finally. "But we start really small. Like, barely-off-the-ground small. And if anything feels wrong or unstable, we stop immediately."
"Absolutely," Cisco agreed quickly. "Safety first, scientific discovery second. Though hopefully we can achieve both simultaneously."
Karan moved to the center of the testing chamber, manifesting his armor with the familiar flow of golden light. The transformation felt as natural as breathing now, the divine protection settling around him like a second skin that enhanced rather than restricted his movement.
"Okay," he said, looking down at his hands as golden energy began to dance around his fingers, "how exactly do I go about generating lift? It's not like the armor comes with an instruction manual."
"Try thinking about it the same way you approach creating constructs," Cisco suggested, monitoring various readouts on his tablet. "You focus on what you want the energy to accomplish, and let the armor figure out the specific mechanisms."
"But instead of creating a bow or arrow, focus on creating... upward force?" Barry added helpfully.
Karan closed his eyes, reaching for that warm presence in his chest that represented the armor's connection to solar energy. Instead of shaping that energy into weapons or tools, he tried to imagine it as pure force directed downward, pushing against the ground to create an equal and opposite reaction that would lift him upward.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then he felt a subtle shift in the energy patterns around him, a gentle pressure that seemed to emanate from the armor itself.
"Karan," Cisco said, his voice tight with excitement, "look at your feet."
Karan opened his eyes and looked down to see a faint golden glow surrounding his boots, with what appeared to be small jets of concentrated light extending toward the floor.
"Are those... thrusters?" Barry asked, moving closer to get a better look.
"They're energy projectors," Cisco said, taking readings from multiple devices. "Karan, you're generating controlled streams of photonic force that are creating measurable downward pressure. The equal and opposite reaction should be providing lift."
Karan could feel it now—a gentle upward pressure that was fighting against gravity, making him feel somehow lighter on his feet. It wasn't dramatic, but it was definitely present.
"Try increasing the intensity gradually," Cisco instructed. "Just small adjustments—we want to see if you can achieve actual lift without launching yourself through the ceiling."
Karan focused on amplifying the energy flow, and immediately felt the upward pressure increase. His boots began to feel less solidly planted on the ground, as if gravity was becoming more of a suggestion than an absolute rule.
And then, so gradually that he almost didn't notice it happening, his feet left the floor entirely.
"Holy crap," Barry breathed, staring at Karan hovering approximately six inches above the testing chamber floor. "You're flying. You're actually flying."
Karan looked down at the gap between his boots and the ground, feeling a mixture of exhilaration and mild terror. "I'm flying," he said, his voice carrying a note of wonder that he couldn't quite suppress. "This is... this is incredible."
The sensation was unlike anything he'd ever experienced—not the simple absence of gravity, but a controlled defiance of it. He could feel the armor managing dozens of micro-adjustments to keep him stable, balancing the energy output to maintain consistent altitude while compensating for his breathing, his movements, even his heartbeat.
"How does it feel?" Cisco asked, frantically taking readings while trying not to miss any details of the historic moment.
"Like I'm being held up by invisible hands that know exactly how much support I need," Karan replied, experimenting with tiny shifts in position. "It's not effortless—I can feel the energy being consumed—but it's not exhausting either. More like... maintaining a low-level physical exertion."
Barry was circling around him, studying the flight mechanism from different angles. "Can you move horizontally? Or just hover in place?"
Karan tried shifting his focus from pure lift to directional movement, and immediately felt the energy patterns around him adjust. He drifted forward about three feet, then backward, then in a slow circle around the center of the testing chamber.
"Directional control seems to be intuitive," he reported, gradually settling back toward the floor. "The armor is handling all the complex physics—I just think about where I want to go, and it figures out how to get me there."
As his feet touched down on solid ground again, Karan felt a profound sense of accomplishment mixed with the kind of giddy excitement that came from discovering you could do something you'd only dreamed about.
"Cisco," he said, turning to their caffeine-powered engineer with genuine gratitude, "this is amazing. How did you even think to test for flight capabilities?"
Cisco's grin was so wide it looked like it might actually break his face. "Because I've been thinking about the mythological implications of your armor. Karna wasn't just a warrior—he was described as someone who could move like the wind, who could appear anywhere on the battlefield instantly. I started wondering if those descriptions weren't just poetic language, but actual references to mobility capabilities we hadn't discovered yet."
"So you figured I might have mythologically accurate flight powers?"
"I figured your armor might be capable of abilities that the original Karna never fully explored, because he was operating in a time and place where tactical flight wouldn't have been as useful as it is now."
Barry was still staring at the spot where Karan had been hovering. "This changes everything, doesn't it? For our team operations, for the kinds of situations you'll be able to handle..."
"It changes a lot," Karan agreed, though something about Barry's expression was bothering him. "But Barry, why do you look like someone just told you that your favorite restaurant was closing?"
Barry shook his head quickly. "No, it's not that. This is incredible, Karan. I'm genuinely happy for you. It's just..." He paused, seeming to struggle with how to articulate what he was thinking.
"Just what?"
"Well, now you can fly and I can run really fast. Which is awesome for both of us, but it also means we're developing in pretty different tactical directions." Barry's voice carried a note of uncertainty that Karan hadn't heard before. "I guess I'm wondering how that affects our partnership."
Karan studied his friend's face, recognizing the insecurity underneath the question. "Barry, are you worried that having different abilities means we can't work together effectively?"
"Maybe? I mean, flight opens up tactical options that super speed doesn't. Three-dimensional movement, aerial reconnaissance, access to situations that ground-based heroes can't reach..." Barry shrugged, trying to look casual about concerns that were clearly weighing on him. "I guess I'm wondering if I'm going to become the slow one on the team."
"Barry," Cisco interjected before Karan could respond, "you can run faster than the speed of sound. Possibly faster than light, once you really push your abilities. There is no universe in which you are the slow one on any team."
"Plus," Karan added, "our abilities are complementary, not competitive. You can cover ground distances instantly, respond to emergencies across the entire city in seconds. I can access vertical spaces and provide aerial support for situations that require a three-dimensional approach."
He moved closer to Barry, his expression growing more serious.
"But more importantly, our partnership isn't about having matching abilities. It's about having compatible values and complementary skills. You're better at forensic analysis, I'm better at mythological research. You have connections to law enforcement, I have connections to the academic community. You're naturally optimistic and inspiring, I'm naturally protective and stubborn."
"You make me sound like a golden retriever," Barry said, but he was smiling now.
"You make me sound like a guard dog," Karan replied. "But together, we make a pretty effective team. Flight doesn't change that—it just gives us more tactical options."
Cisco nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! Barry, you were worried about coordination and communication when Karan first started operating solo. Now imagine how much more effective you'll both be when one of you can provide aerial overwatch while the other handles ground-level response."
"Plus," Karan added with a grin, "think about the dramatic rescue possibilities. You run people to safety at super speed while I provide air support and cover. We'll be like a supernatural emergency response team."
Barry's smile was genuine now, the insecurity fading as he considered the tactical possibilities. "Okay, when you put it like that, it does sound pretty awesome. Though we're definitely going to need to practice coordination before we try any aerial-ground combination maneuvers."
"Definitely," Karan agreed. "I have a feeling flying is going to take some getting used to, even with the armor handling the technical aspects."
Cisco was already pulling up new testing protocols on his tablet. "We should run extended flight tests—duration limits, maximum altitude, speed capabilities, energy consumption under different conditions..."
"Cisco," Barry interrupted gently, "it's still five-thirty in the morning. Maybe we could save the comprehensive flight testing for later today when we're all more awake?"
"But we're just getting started!" Cisco protested. "What if Karan can achieve supersonic flight? What if the armor can create force fields for passengers? What if—"
"What if we go get some breakfast and let our brains catch up with what just happened?" Karan suggested. "I just discovered I can fly. That feels like the kind of thing that deserves proper celebration, not just immediate transition to more testing."
Cisco looked like he wanted to argue, but the combined weight of Karan and Barry's expectant expressions finally convinced him to power down his various monitoring devices.
"Fine," he said with exaggerated reluctance. "But we're definitely doing comprehensive flight testing later today. And I want to explore the possibility of passenger-carrying capabilities. And atmospheric ceiling tests. And—"
"Cisco," Barry said, clapping him on the shoulder as they headed toward the testing chamber exit, "you're a genius. This discovery is incredible, and we're all going to have plenty of time to explore its implications."
"Just promise me you won't try any solo flight testing without proper safety protocols," Cisco added, looking at Karan with the expression of someone who'd learned not to underestimate his friends' capacity for well-intentioned recklessness.
"I promise," Karan said solemnly. "No unsupervised flying until we understand the full capabilities and limitations."
As they made their way through S.T.A.R. Labs toward the kitchen, Karan found himself thinking about how much his life had changed since waking up from his coma. Nine weeks ago, he'd been a confused teenager trying to figure out how to live with divine armor and borrowed memories. Now he was part of a superhero team with flight capabilities and friends who stayed up all night figuring out new ways to help him become more effective at protecting people.
It was overwhelming and exhilarating and terrifying, all at the same time.
But as he listened to Barry and Cisco arguing about the aerodynamics of superhero flight, he realized that whatever challenges came next, at least he wouldn't be facing them alone.
And sometimes, that made all the difference in the world.
—
## The Next Day - Central City Airspace
The emergency alert came through at 2:47 PM, cutting through the relative calm of S.T.A.R. Labs' afternoon routine like a klaxon designed specifically to ruin peaceful moments.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Cisco's voice echoed through the facility as he burst into the main lab where Karan was reviewing his mythology homework and Barry was pretending to read a forensic science journal while actually napping. "Guys, we have a situation. A big situation. A really, really big situation."
Barry jerked awake with the startled expression of someone whose enhanced metabolism had been rudely interrupted mid-caffeine processing. "What kind of situation?"
Cisco was already pulling up news feeds on the main display, his fingers flying over holographic interfaces with caffeine-fueled precision. "Central City Airways Flight 447, Boeing 737, 186 passengers and crew. Left engine exploded about twenty minutes ago, they're losing altitude, and they're maybe fifteen minutes out from either landing successfully or..." He gestured vaguely at the screen. "Not landing successfully."
The news footage showed a commercial aircraft trailing black smoke from its port side, flying at an altitude that looked wrong even to Karan's untrained eye. The plane was clearly struggling, its flight path unsteady as the pilots fought to maintain control with asymmetric thrust.
"Emergency services?" Barry asked, already standing and moving toward his Flash suit.
"En route, but..." Cisco pulled up additional data streams, his expression growing more grim. "The damage is extensive. They're losing hydraulics, the remaining engine is overheating, and they're coming down whether they want to or not. The question is whether they can make it to the airport or if they're going to end up scattered across Central City."
Karan felt that familiar warmth building in his chest as his armor responded to the urgency of the situation. "How long until impact?"
"Twelve minutes, maybe less."
"Can emergency services handle it?"
"Not unless they've developed the ability to fly alongside a damaged aircraft and manually hold it together," Cisco said grimly. "This is the kind of situation that requires..." He paused, looking directly at Karan. "This is the kind of situation that requires someone who can actually get to them."
Barry was already suiting up, the red leather flowing over his enhanced physique with practiced efficiency. "I can run up the side of buildings, but I can't exactly sprint to thirty thousand feet."
"Actually," Cisco said, pulling up altitude readings, "they're down to about fifteen thousand feet and dropping. Still way too high for ground-based assistance, but maybe not impossible for someone with recently discovered flight capabilities."
Karan stared at the screen, watching the aircraft struggle through increasingly unstable flight patterns. 186 people. Passengers who'd gotten on a plane expecting a routine flight and were now facing the very real possibility that they were about to die in a fiery crash because a mechanical system had failed at the worst possible moment.
"I can get to them," he said quietly.
"Karan," Barry's voice carried a note of concern, "you discovered you could fly yesterday. Are you sure you're ready for something this complex?"
"I'm sure I can't live with myself if I don't try." Karan was already manifesting his armor, golden light flowing over his body as the divine protection settled into its familiar configuration. "Cisco, what do I need to know about aircraft emergencies?"
Cisco's fingers were flying over his interfaces, pulling up technical schematics and emergency procedures. "Okay, the good news is that modern aircraft are designed to glide even with total engine failure. The bad news is that this one has structural damage and compromised flight control systems."
"What can I actually do to help?"
"If you can get alongside the aircraft, you might be able to provide physical support—literally holding damaged components together, or creating constructs that could serve as temporary flight surfaces." Cisco's voice was gaining momentum as he worked through the possibilities. "Your light constructs are solid matter, right? Could you create additional wing surface area to improve their glide ratio?"
"I... maybe? I've never tried creating anything that large or complex." Karan felt a spike of uncertainty. "And I've never flown at altitude, or at speed, or anywhere near an aircraft moving at several hundred miles per hour."
"Which is why this is insane," Barry said, though his tone was more supportive than argumentative. "But also why it might be the only chance those people have."
Karan looked at the news footage again, watching the aircraft's increasingly erratic flight path. In a few minutes, 186 people were going to die unless someone with extraordinary abilities intervened. He was the only person in Central City who might—might—be able to reach them in time.
"Cisco, I need real-time communication and telemetry. Barry, I need you on standby in case I can't stop this and they end up crashing in the city." Karan moved toward the lab's exit, his armor already beginning to generate the energy patterns associated with flight. "And both of you need to be ready to explain to Dr. Wells why I decided to test my flight capabilities on live television."
"Wait," Barry called after him. "Karan, what if your armor can't handle the altitude? What if the speed requirements are beyond what you can manage? What if—"
"Then I'll find out," Karan replied, pausing at the doorway. "But I'd rather find out while trying to save people than find out while watching them die on the news."
He was out of the building and airborne within thirty seconds.
The sensation of rapid ascent was unlike anything he'd experienced during his previous testing. Where yesterday's controlled hovering had felt like gentle support, this was pure acceleration—his armor converting solar energy into thrust at rates that made his stomach drop and his inner ear file formal complaints about the sudden changes in spatial orientation.
"Karan!" Cisco's voice crackled through the communication system they'd jury-rigged from his costume's built-in electronics. "Your ascent rate is incredible. You're climbing at over two thousand feet per minute!"
"I can see the aircraft," Karan replied, his enhanced vision picking out the struggling commercial jet against the afternoon sky. "It looks worse in person than it did on the news feed."
And it did look worse. The damage to the port engine was extensive, with jagged metal and trailing smoke that spoke of catastrophic mechanical failure. The aircraft's flight path was increasingly erratic, with the pilots clearly fighting to maintain control as multiple systems failed simultaneously.
"Cisco, I'm going to try to get alongside them. What's my approach vector?"
"Come up from below and behind, match their airspeed gradually. The 737 cruises around 500 mph, but with the damage they're probably doing closer to 400."
400 mph. Karan had never moved faster than maybe 30 mph during his flight testing, and that had been in perfectly controlled conditions with no external variables to worry about.
*Well,* he thought, pushing his armor's energy output higher as he began to catch up with the aircraft, *no time like the present to find out what I'm really capable of.*
The acceleration was incredible. His armor seemed to understand the urgency of the situation, drawing on energy sources that he hadn't even realized existed. The golden light around him intensified until he was essentially flying inside a miniature star, and his speed increased until the ground became a blur below him.
"Karan!" Barry's voice joined Cisco's in his earpiece, both of them sounding increasingly panicked. "Your velocity readings are off the charts! You're approaching the sound barrier!"
"I'm what?" Karan could hear the wind roaring around him, could feel the air pressure changes as he pushed through increasingly thin atmosphere. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know!" Cisco's voice was nearly lost in static as Karan's speed continued to climb. "But you're at Mach 1.2 and still accelerating! This is incredible! This is terrifying! This is—"
The sonic boom that erupted around Karan as he broke the sound barrier properly was like being inside a thunderclap. For a moment, everything went white as his armor adjusted to supersonic flight conditions, and then suddenly the world became very, very quiet.
"Did I just—" Karan began.
"You just broke the sound barrier," Cisco confirmed, his voice carrying a mixture of awe and terror. "On your second day of flight testing. While rescuing a commercial aircraft. Karan, do you understand how impossible this is?"
"I understand that there are 186 people who need help, and I'm the only one who can reach them," Karan replied, pulling alongside the struggling aircraft. "Everything else is details we can figure out later."
The commercial jet looked even worse up close. The damaged engine was barely hanging onto the wing, trailing debris and smoke that could have been toxic for all Karan knew. The pilots were clearly fighting for control, and through the cockpit windows he could see their faces—professional calm overlaying genuine fear as they dealt with what might be an unsurvivable situation.
"Cisco, I'm in position. What do I do now?"
But before Cisco could respond, Karan's attention was caught by something else in the sky—a figure approaching from the east at speeds that made even his supersonic flight look leisurely.
The newcomer was small, blonde, and wearing a blue and red costume that was unmistakably Kryptonian in design. She moved through the air with the kind of effortless grace that spoke of years of flight experience, and as she drew closer, Karan could see features that made his heart skip several beats.
Milly Alcock. It was definitely Milly Alcock, looking exactly as she had in House of the Dragon but somehow more radiant, more powerful, more impossibly beautiful than any mere television screen could convey.
*Supergirl,* he realized, his concentration momentarily wavering as the most attractive woman in several universes approached the crisis scene. *The universe's casting director really doesn't mess around.*
"Unknown flyer," a clear, confident voice came through his communication system, apparently patching into his frequency with Kryptonian technology that made S.T.A.R. Labs equipment look like tin cans and string. "I'm Supergirl. Are you here to help with the aircraft emergency?"
"Karna," Karan replied, trying to sound professional despite the fact that he was talking to someone who looked like a warrior goddess wrapped in primary colors. "And yes, I'm here to help. Though I'm not sure what I can actually do."
"Well, for starters, you can try not to stare," Supergirl said with amusement that was audible even through the radio static. "I know the cape is impressive, but we have a situation that requires focus."
Karan felt his face burn with embarrassment, grateful that his armor's face guard concealed his expression. "Right. Sorry. Professional first, admiration later."
"Admiration later," Supergirl agreed, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Now, I'm going to stabilize their flight path and try to support the damaged engine. Can your armor create large-scale constructs?"
"I think so. I've never tried anything as big as aircraft components, but theoretically..."
"Show me."
Karan focused on the damaged wing, extending his armor's energy toward the failing engine mount. Golden light flowed from his hands, coalescing into a complex support structure that wrapped around the damaged components like divine scaffolding.
"Impressive," Supergirl said, her voice carrying genuine appreciation as she moved to the aircraft's other side, using her strength to provide physical support to the struggling plane. "Your constructs are holding together under stress. What are they made of?"
"Concentrated solar energy, apparently. I'm still figuring out the specifics."
"Solar energy manipulation. That's new." Supergirl's position allowed her to study both the aircraft and Karan simultaneously, and he tried not to notice the way her blonde hair caught the afternoon light or how her blue eyes seemed to assess him with professional interest that might have included personal curiosity. "Are you new to the hero business?"
"Brand new. Like, discovered-I-could-fly-yesterday new."
"And you decided to jump straight into aircraft rescue? That's either very brave or very stupid."
"Probably both."
Through their communication link, Karan could hear Cisco and Barry having what sounded like simultaneous panic attacks.
"KARAN ARE YOU TALKING TO SUPERGIRL RIGHT NOW?" Cisco's voice was so loud it probably registered on seismographs. "Please tell me you're getting her contact information for our database!"
"FOCUS ON NOT DYING," Barry added helpfully. "Flirt with the Kryptonian superhero AFTER you save the airplane!"
"Sorry," Karan said to Supergirl, who was definitely close enough to overhear the commentary through his speakers. "My support team is very excited to meet you."
"Your support team sounds... enthusiastic," Supergirl replied diplomatically. "Now, the pilots are signaling that they're ready to attempt an emergency landing. Can you maintain your constructs during descent?"
"I can try."
What followed were the most terrifying and exhilarating ten minutes of Karan's life. Working alongside Supergirl, he helped guide the damaged aircraft through a controlled descent toward Central City Airport, his golden constructs providing structural support while she used her strength and flight capability to literally hold the plane together.
The landing was rough but successful, with the aircraft touching down hard but intact, skidding to a stop on the emergency runway while fire trucks and ambulances rushed to provide assistance.
As the crisis ended and it became clear that all 186 passengers and crew were safe, Karan found himself hovering next to Supergirl in the afternoon sky, both of them watching the successful rescue operation below.
"Not bad for your second day of flight," Supergirl said, turning to study him with undisguised curiosity. "Though next time, maybe start with something smaller? Like rescuing cats from trees?"
"I'll keep that in mind," Karan replied, trying not to stare at the way the sunlight made her blonde hair look like spun gold. "Thank you for the backup. I'm not sure I could have managed it alone."
"You were doing fine. Your constructs are remarkably stable, and your flight capabilities are impressive for someone so new to aerial heroics." Supergirl's smile was warm, genuine, and absolutely devastating. "Though I have to ask—Karna? That's an interesting choice for a superhero name."
"It's from Indian mythology. Karna was a warrior who wore divine armor."
"I know the story. Son of the sun god, generous to a fault, died because he was too loyal to the wrong people." Her expression grew more serious. "Are you planning to follow the mythological pattern all the way to its conclusion?"
The question carried weight that went beyond casual conversation. Karan found himself looking into blue eyes that seemed far older and wiser than Milly Alcock's youthful features should have supported.
"I'm hoping to write a better ending this time," he said finally.
"Good. The universe needs more heroes who understand that mythology doesn't have to be destiny." Supergirl began to drift away, preparing to leave. "I hope we have a chance to work together again, Karna. Central City is lucky to have you."
And then she was gone, disappearing into the afternoon sky at speeds that made even his supersonic flight look pedestrian.
---
## Meanwhile, in S.T.A.R. Labs
The medical wing of S.T.A.R. Labs had never been designed to handle the specific type of crisis that occurred when your facility's resident biomedical engineer discovered that her colleagues had been conducting unauthorized superhero operations without proper safety protocols.
Caitlin Snow stood in the doorway of Cisco's workshop, her tablet clutched in white-knuckled hands, her usually calm professional demeanor completely abandoned in favor of the kind of cold fury that made arctic temperatures seem tropical by comparison.
"WHAT," she said, her voice carrying the particular quality that suggested someone was about to be subjected to a lecture that would make their ears bleed, "did I just hear coming from this workshop?"
Cisco and Barry, who had been celebrating Karan's successful rescue operation with the kind of excited chatter that followed any crisis where everyone survived, immediately went silent with the guilty expressions of teenagers caught drinking their parents' liquor.
"Caitlin," Cisco began, his voice carrying false brightness that fooled absolutely no one, "we can explain—"
"Can you?" Caitlin's voice dropped to the kind of whisper that was somehow more terrifying than shouting. "Can you explain why I was in the middle of calibrating medical equipment when I heard you SCREAMING about supersonic flight and sound barriers and someone named Karan apparently BREAKING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS?"
Barry cleared his throat carefully. "Well, technically, Karan's abilities don't break the laws of physics so much as they—"
"DO NOT," Caitlin interrupted, advancing into the workshop with the measured pace of a predator approaching cornered prey, "attempt to mansplain aerodynamics to me while our teammate is apparently FLYING AROUND CENTRAL CITY AT MACH SPEEDS WITHOUT PROPER MEDICAL MONITORING."
She gestured at her tablet, which was displaying what appeared to be a complex array of medical readouts.
"Do you know what happens to the human body when it experiences rapid acceleration to supersonic velocities? Do you have ANY idea what kind of physiological stress that represents? The G-forces alone could cause brain hemorrhaging, organ displacement, cardiovascular collapse—"
"But Karan's armor—" Cisco tried to interject.
"Karan's armor is an UNKNOWN VARIABLE," Caitlin continued, her voice rising again. "We have no baseline data on how divine protection interacts with extreme flight conditions. For all we know, he could be suffering from altitude sickness, hypoxia, nitrogen narcosis, or any number of other conditions that could kill him even if the armor keeps his body intact."
Barry and Cisco exchanged guilty looks, clearly realizing that their excitement about the successful rescue had blinded them to the medical implications of what Karan had just accomplished.
"Plus," Caitlin continued, pulling up additional data on her tablet, "according to the telemetry you two IDIOTS were transmitting, Karan reached altitudes exceeding fifteen thousand feet. Do you know what the atmospheric conditions are like at that elevation? The oxygen levels? The temperature variations?"
"The armor probably—" Cisco began weakly.
"THE ARMOR PROBABLY NOTHING," Caitlin exploded. "We don't know what the armor does about life support systems because WE'VE NEVER TESTED FOR THAT. We've been focused on combat applications and energy output, not on whether Karan can SURVIVE THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE FLIGHT."
She paused, taking a deep breath and clearly trying to regain some semblance of professional composure.
"And another thing—" she continued, but was interrupted by Cisco pointing at the large display screen that dominated one wall of his workshop.
"Caitlin," he said quietly, "you might want to look at this."
The screen was showing live news coverage from Central City Airport, where emergency crews were still helping passengers evacuate from the damaged aircraft that had successfully landed just minutes earlier. But what had caught Cisco's attention wasn't the rescue operation—it was the aerial footage of two figures in the sky above the airport, one in golden armor and the other in unmistakable blue and red.
"Is that..." Caitlin began, her anger momentarily forgotten as she stared at the screen.
"Supergirl," Barry confirmed. "Karan just successfully helped Supergirl rescue a commercial aircraft with 186 people on board."
The news footage showed both figures clearly, with the golden-armored hero creating what appeared to be complex energy constructs around the aircraft while Supergirl provided physical support. The coordination between them was seamless, professional, and undeniably effective.
"He saved everyone," Cisco added, his voice carrying a mixture of pride and awe. "Karan flew at supersonic speeds, reached altitude, coordinated with one of the most powerful heroes on Earth, and helped execute a perfect emergency landing."
Caitlin stared at the screen, her expression cycling through anger, concern, amazement, and finally settling on something that looked like reluctant pride.
"He broke the sound barrier on his second day of flight training," she said finally, though her voice had lost most of its earlier fury.
"He did," Barry confirmed.
"And worked alongside Supergirl."
"He did."
"And saved 186 people."
"He did."
Caitlin was quiet for a long moment, watching the news coverage of Karan and Supergirl guiding the aircraft to safety.
"Next time," she said finally, her voice carrying its usual professional calm, "we implement proper medical monitoring protocols BEFORE anyone decides to test their abilities in life-or-death situations."
"Absolutely," Cisco agreed quickly.
"And we establish altitude limitations based on atmospheric conditions and physiological safety margins."
"Of course," Barry added.
"And someone explains to me how Karan's armor apparently includes life support systems that we never tested for, because according to this telemetry, he should have passed out from oxygen deprivation at the altitudes he reached."
"We'll run comprehensive tests," Cisco promised.
Caitlin looked at them both with the expression of someone who was choosing to be reasonable despite having every right to be furious.
"Good. Because while I'm proud of what Karan accomplished today, I'm also terrified by how many ways it could have gone wrong." She paused, then added more softly, "He's lucky to be alive, and we're lucky he succeeded. But luck isn't a sustainable strategy for superhero operations."
Before either Barry or Cisco could respond, the workshop door opened and Harrison Wells rolled in, his expression carrying that familiar mixture of paternal concern and calculating interest that had become his trademark.
"I've been watching the news coverage," he said without preamble, his eyes moving between the three of them and the display screen showing ongoing rescue operations. "It seems our young Mr. Matthews has had quite an eventful afternoon."
Barry and Cisco immediately tensed, clearly wondering how much trouble they were about to be in for the unauthorized superhero operation.
But Wells' expression wasn't angry—if anything, he looked almost proud.
"Dr. Wells," Caitlin began, "we can explain—"
"No explanation necessary," Wells interrupted gently. "What Karan accomplished today was remarkable. Supersonic flight, high-altitude operations, coordination with established heroes... it's everything we could have hoped for in terms of his development."
He paused, studying the news footage with obvious fascination.
"Though I do have some questions about the physiological implications of his performance. The speeds and altitudes he achieved should have been fatal for an unprotected human, even one with enhanced capabilities."
"That's what I was trying to tell these two," Caitlin said, gesturing at Barry and Cisco. "We need comprehensive testing to understand how his armor provides life support in extreme conditions."
"Agreed. But first, I think we should simply appreciate what he's accomplished." Wells' smile was warm, paternal, and somehow deeply unsettling. "Central City now knows that it has a protector. Someone willing to risk everything to save innocent lives."
On the screen, the news coverage was showing passengers being evacuated from the rescued aircraft, all of them safe thanks to the intervention of two heroes who had risked their own lives to ensure a successful outcome.
As they watched the coverage, none of them noticed the way Wells' eyes lingered on the footage of Karan and Supergirl working together, or the calculating expression that flickered across his features when the news anchor mentioned the unprecedented coordination between the two heroes.
Eobard Thawne had been planning Barry Allen's development as the Flash for fifteen years. But the addition of a mythological hero with supersonic flight capabilities—and apparent connections to Superman's family—was an interesting variable that would require some adjustments to his timeline.
Still, every complication was also an opportunity. And Karan's public debut as a hero had just provided several very interesting opportunities indeed.
The game was becoming more complex, but Eobard had always enjoyed a challenge.
After all, turning heroes against each other was so much more satisfying when they started as genuine allies.
---
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