Crisis On Earth-1

What Is Your Sin, Kara Zor-El?

[What Is Your Sin, Kara Zor-El? Eating too many potstickers, probably. So, you know how I won't shut up about my fabulous and talented editor? Well, meekayylaa has published a new book called 'A world unlike your own', and it's beautiful! I cannot stress enough how important she is to you guys getting these stories. Without her eagerness, encouragement, and compassion I'd have given up on writing ten times over. Go and read her work, tell her I sent you, and show her the love and compassion she deserves! Here's the link, https://my.w.tt/370xdvnEBN — Now, on with Crisis On Earth-1!]

Everyone was ecstatic to have Iris back safe and sound. To say a great weight had been lifted off their shoulders would be the understatement of the century; and no one was more relieved then Kara to see Barry back to his happy-go-lucky self once more. But there was still one major problem Kara couldn't shake. There was this ache in her chest every time she saw Barry and Iris laughing together, as if nothing had changed between them whatsoever. She felt the same way when James and Lucy were together, but that was different; James was with Lucy and Kara had a right to feel the way she did because she wanted what Lucy had. This time the roles should have been reversed. If anyone should have been jealous it was Iris.

Kara and Barry had both lost the loves of their lives, but found something in each other they desperately needed. For a time, they were happy as happy can be; but Kara knew first hand how an old flame could easily be rekindled with the right spark. James and Lucy had practically pounced on each other, despite their extensive list of differences. And even though Barry and Iris had broken up — and not on the best of terms — there was still a decent chance Barry would finally see Kara wasn't good enough for him and go back the person who he was destined to be with. After all, Kara had seen the future once before. A news paper article from 2024, 'Flash Vanishes, Missing In Crisis' with the name 'Iris West-Allen' on the byline. It hurt to even think about the fact that Kara was a rebound, nothing more then a distraction for Barry until things could be reconciled with Iris, but unfortunately her self depreciating thoughts weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Suffice to say, Kara wasn't too proud of herself for wishing her dreadful feelings onto someone else; but every time Kara saw them together she couldn't stomach it, and her poor excuses to leave were wearing thin. 'I gotta talk to Alex' or 'I have to take this' (when her phone wasn't in fact ringing) weren't going to work forever. Eventually Kara was going to have to face the music. But the stubborn Kryptonian was going to delay the inevitable as long as she possibly could.
She replayed old memories back of Barry and herself together, fighting the Dominators, singing 'Super Friend', announcing their devotion to each other in front of the entirety of National City. Her lips curved into a pleasant smile at the memories running inside her head, and tried desperately to convince herself that Barry truly loved her. That she wasn't a rebound. But she couldn't shake the thought.

Running a hand through her golden locks, Kara was startled out of her thoughts by Caitlin wandering into the Cortex with a frown, eyeing Kara worriedly. She and Alex had taken notice of Kara's odd behaviour ever since Iris was found. Girls always knew, it was like their unique superpower. She placed a cup of hot chocolate down besides Kara with a soft smile, grabbing one of the other chairs and wheeling it over. The Kryptonian took the cup and gingerly sipped from it, a smile on her face as the deliciousness washed over her. Despite her alter-ego being an Ice Queen named Killer Frost, Caitlin made an exquisite hot chocolate.

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Caitlin asked softly, so as to make sure no one else could hear. "Please don't say nothing's wrong, I want to help you." She practically begged, and Kara looked down at her feet with a sigh, putting her head in her hands. Delaying the inevitable was only going to make things worse, and Kara didn't want to have a mental breakdown. She conceded and drew her hands away from her face, placing them in her lap and running them down the fabric of her cheap business pants with a soft chuckle, a few tears in the corners of her eyes.