Disclaimer: This fic is the sequel to "A Moment of Hope" and contains various spoilers for the DC Comic Firestorm: The Nuclear Man up through issue #85. This fic paraphrases a lot of action from issue #84 and #85, both of which were written by John Ostrander, penciled by Tom Grindberg, and inked by Sam de la Rosa. The dialogue that is in blue is quoted from these two issues. Some parts of the panels from both issues are described. However, Ronnie's thoughts at the final merger are changed from his thoughts in issue #85. Dialogue enclosed with <> indicates it is in Russian, and an enclosure of ** indicates telepathic communication.

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This was not how Ronnie had envisioned finally meeting Mikhail.

But nonetheless, here he was in Moscow, running for his life from a soulless clone that had stolen Firestorm's power, and trying to keep up with his partner who didn't speak a word of English.

There had been better days.

The last few weeks had been pretty good. Lorraine's dad had finagled Vandemeer into joining with S.T.A.R. Labs to form The Institute of Meta-human Studies and (by the skill of former Senator Reilly's silver tongue) Martin was one of the subjects of study. Oh, sure, the dissipation of his tumor was the result of something besides a meta-gene, but IMHS didn't need to know that. It was a good cause, so if the funding was a little shady, it all averaged out.

Reilly had insisted that Martin's 'physical therapist' come along with him, which meant they both had a job, despite Ronnie having flunked out of college and Martin having amnesia. They were back at the old apartment, because the lease still hadn't run out. The Professor obviously believed in paying his bills early. And unlike his dad and Felicity, Martin never asked why Ronnie slept on a couch instead of a bed.

And that was the only thing that wasn't perfect.

Well, okay, things had still been weird with Firestorm. But that was miniscule, really. It was now his job to look after Martin Stein. Show him around, help him readjust to life.

Ronnie couldn't think of anything better to do with his life.

Which meant staying alive; dodging the blasts of fire that Svarozhich was throwing at him and Mikhail. Not to mention not losing Mikhail as he ducked into the subway, and being lost and alone in Moscow. Ronnie grabbed the turnstyle and vaulted over it, just like he used to do back in New York, except with a super-powered creature hot on their tail throwing fire at them.

Mikhail had hooked up with a young blonde girl. Ronnie didn't know who she was, but if she had a way out, he was all up for it. Svarozhich was right behind them as they ducked down into a tunnel. As they ran down the tunnel, Ronnie saw Soyuz up ahead. This was the first time he'd seen them outside of Firestorm, and he was struck with just how young the members of the little Russian team were. They were little more than kids; he even thought one might be younger than he had been when Firestorm had first been born.

But by some luck they got out, just as Svarozhich wiped the tunnel with fire. He and Mikhail were fine, and the kids of Soyuz were only a little battered. Out on the streets of Moscow, Ronnie had some time to catch his breath. And envy Mikhail the long brown coat he was wearing. Ronnie wrapped his arms around his chest in a futile attempt to stop shivering. Anyway, it was officially time to panic. Russia. I'm in freakin' Russia! Great. Great!

How in hell am I going to get home?

My brave American friend. Mikhail looked up at Ronnie, who stood over him and Serafina, vase in his hand, poised to strike at Dimitri. Mikhail didn't understand a word Ron was saying to his brother, but the look on his face was unmistakable.

Mikhail knew it was a bad idea to trust Dimitri. His black-marketeer brother was not someone he wanted to know his secrets. But Ron had no papers, no clothes. And Serafina was right; they couldn't take him back home, because Mikhail had no home anymore.

But the last thing Mikhail expected was that Dimitri had telepathic powers just like Serafina.

I should be looking after you, my friend. Yet you are protecting me.

Mikhail never wanted to be a superhero. His political leanings had cost him, so he had been a technician at Chernobyl when the meltdown happened. At meltdown he fully expected to die and never see Nina or the little ones again. And afterward, when it had activated his meta-gene and he'd become Pozhar, he'd hadn't expected to see them either. It was for his family that he had gone to fight Firestorm.

One takes KGB threats seriously.

Yet, Mikhail respected Firestorm. He didn't want to fight him. He respected what Firestorm was trying to do. As he saw it, all Firestorm wanted was peace in the world. That was a world Mikhail wanted as well. He hadn't expected their governments to try to kill them both.

They had both been betrayed.

And yet, even though he didn't believe he would ever be able to hold his children again or make love to his wife, Mikhail did not want to die. As Pozhar, he didn't have the power to save them, but Firestorm did. So he had linked hands with the human identities of his opponent, pushing all of his remaining energy towards them. He had hoped to help them form Firestorm again.

He never expected to be drawn into the matrix himself.

When they had fissioned, and his ball of light had come to rest at his ruined apartment, he had been exhausted; simultaneously scared and happy. He was no longer Pozhar, and his touch no longer burned everything. But afterward, being Firestorm had caused him such pain and trouble. It had brought nothing but danger to him and his family. The KGB had imprisoned him, and they were called off only because Serafina had rearranged Zastrow and Soliony's memories. But worse, Firestorm had broken up his marriage. They had not been there to help Nina and the children during the invasion, they had been fighting elsewhere, and she blamed him for it. He could still hear her accusations echoing in the back of his mind, 'You should have been there.'

If he had been, he wouldn't be sleeping on his brother's couch.

And Firestorm was pain for his partner, too. He could feel it, every time their minds touched in the matrix. Mikhail, never used to control of such powers, didn't think he could fully grasp how the loss of control felt to Ron. But he could well imagine how he would feel if he'd lost Nina, so Ron's rage and grief over Martin's loss was completely comprehensible. Mikhail often pitied him, for while he had family to support him after Nina left, Ron's didn't know the extent of his relationship with Stein. Mikhail was the only one who knew. Ron was alone, and held his grief inside.

Mikhail could feel it tearing him apart, until they had found Stein alive. Then there was such joy from his partner, tinged only a little bittersweet.

But no matter the adversity and whatever his problems, Ron valiantly rose to meet them. Even as his life spiraled out of control, even as it tore him apart inside, he still pushed forward as Firestorm. He'd been a hero for years now. Mikhail was new to it. On one hand he looked to Ron for guidance; on the other he tried to guide him, to keep the young American's rage in check.

Perhaps it was that rage that Dimitri backed down from, for he was all obsequiousness now, releasing Mikhail and Serafina from his telepathic attack, promising help with everything - including Firestorm's stolen power. They had no choice but to accept, even if Mikhail still didn't trust Dimitri, and wanted answers from Ron first.

He wrapped his arm around his niece's shoulders. **Please link me with Ron - I want to understand why Dimitri backed off.**

Mikhail felt Serafina's mind touch his and then the more familiar touch of his partner's. **Why did Dimitri back off from you, Ron?**

Ron grinned. **I'm a trained athlete, Mikhail, even if I'm not the best in the world. Bluntly, I react with my body - not my mind. And I let him see just how physical my reaction would have been.**

Mikhail chuckled. **And Dimitri was always something of a physical coward. Well done, my friend.**

**Es nada, bro'. Now, we'd better head out; our host is getting impatient.**

Great. Now, not only am I in Moscow, I'm in the bad part of Moscow.

Dimitri had brought them to a seedy little building with a surprisingly nice apartment inside, to introduce them to his mentor. Ronnie considered the man might be mad, after all, anyone who said they might be the mad monk Rasputin couldn't be completely sane. But he seemed to know everything about them, so Ronnie supposed he could tell the story of Firestorm's origin.

Even if he laughed and told Ronnie it was patently ridiculous; it should have killed him. Ronnie knew better, he and Martin had lived through it, after all. They were both still alive.

Rasputin had a different explanation for it though. The explosion of the nuclear plant hadn't been planned by greater forces, but the creation of Firestorm was no accident. Rasputin called himself a dabbler in the mystic arts, and as such had knowledge of these matters. Firestorm was an elemental, a spirit of the Earth. The elementals are raised by the Earth and fuse with mortals to form avatars. This happens in times of crisis, as the Earth seeks to protect itself.

Every change they had been through over the last few months, with Mikhail becoming part of Firestorm, with Firestorm having a consciousness based on Stein's amnesiac mind, even with Jama becoming part of their matrix briefly, had been the efforts of the elemental spirit to reassert itself. Finally, with Svarozhich the entity was freer to act, that was why it left them. Without human memories, feelings or scruples, the world should fear destruction at the hands of the fire elemental.

So, no matter the pain it brought them, Ronnie didn't even need to ask Mikhail whether or not they would try to reclaim their power. There wasn't any other choice.

Indeed, fear they should. Svarozhich would burn Moscow, and then cleanse the world in flame. He would destroy everything. With their concentration and all of Serafina's and Dimitri's mental abilities, it was barely enough to let them reform Firestorm. Yet, the fight with Svarozhich was close. As their will and power were pitted against him, with victory in sight for neither, they heard Rasputin's voice.

**You who are Firestorm, listen to me! This is Rasputin! You cannot win! You and your doppler are too evenly matched! Your only hope is to surrender! But not to Svarozhich! You must surrender to the fire elemental - to Firestorm! You have always held something back of yourselves, never surrendering your identities, your sense of yourself! The meld has never been complete and now - to defeat Svarozhich - it must be! Even if it means you never return to your own lives, you must surrender to Firestorm! Otherwise, Svarozhich must inevitably win the struggle! Are you willing?**

In his mind, Mikhail saw Nina and his daughters. **To say yes is to bid farewell to my family - never to hold my children again; to abandon all hope that Nina and I can be reconciled.** But in his vision he could too easily see them consumed in flame. **To say no is to condemn them and all that lives to death. What choice is there but to say - I agree. I consent.**

**What about Martin!!** Ronnie's mental voice was nothing but anguish. **When we are Firestorm, he goes into a coma! This will kill him!**

**I think not.** Rasputin countered. **He is not here. I believe the matrix will exclude him this time.**

**He will live? I can't condemn him to death again!**

He felt the answer, but not from Rasputin. From within Firestorm, the answer was affirmative. **I will set him free.**

**I would have spent my life with him. Even if he never remembered what we had together. Even if we never had it again. I love him. I could wish to be bonded with him, but I will gladly give my life for his. Yes, I'll surrender.**

Firestorm was at peace, even as he turned to his opponent. "<And you, Svarozhich - will you enter our meld as well? Our struggle is useless. We are the same being, after all.>"

The answer from the clone was quiet, but unmistakable. "…yes…"

The elemental was reborn.