Once he was an average high school kid. He excelled in sports, and his grades were average, but then a strange and wonderful occurrence happened. In a freak accident, his very atomic structure was merged with that of a scientist, and the two joined to become Firestorm, The Nuclear Man!

Those days of a shared existence are forever over, but now College student Ronnie Raymond carries on the tradition he started with Dr. Martin Stein , as he fights the good fight, and struggles with maintaining his grades as well as knocking the villain of the week back into the last one! He has the power of atomic manipulation, can fly through space and can fire nuclear blasts capable of leveling a city block! But he still can't get to class on time!

The Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man! #7

Winding down.

By Ralph Angelo

Firestorm touches down lightly amid the rubble, his right foot landing first, his left tapping the ground a micro second later, as he stares at the rubble and roped off wall of his college building, the classroom wall he was last in is decimated. Standing staring at the rubble are two women he recognizes.

'That's Professor Jacobs, and that girl form my class, the cute blonde, what's her name? Jennie something or other. What are they doing here yet?'

Both women turn towards the sound of Firestorms burning head .

"Firestorm." Professor Jacobs exclaims excitedly as she runs towards him, Jennie Graf following a little slower behind. "We're looking for Ronald Raymond, a student of mine, who disappeared after the attack."

'Oh man!' Thinks Firestorm, ' I'm Ronnie Raymond How am I gonna get out of THIS one?'

"Uh, have you called his home?" He stammers out, before thinking 'Dumb Raymond, of course they did.'

"Yes Firestorm, that was the first thing I did, after your battle with that flaming thing yesterday. Did you see him? He was the young man who was forced out the window on by that flaming man."

"No, but I'll look for him now, first let me fix this mess."

Firestorm stares at the hole in the wall of the college building, and quickly raises his hands, turning the atoms of the very air to brick and stone and mortar, instantly repairing the damage.

"There you go, good as new." He finishes.

"Y-yes, but what about Ronnie?" Jennie stammers out , obviously worried.

'She knows my name?' The nuclear man is stunned. 'I guess she's just concerned.'

"I caught him as he fell yesterday, and zipped him off to safety before I tangled with the fire elemental. Where did you look for him? His dorm room? Or his parents house?" He asks quickly.

"I'm sure the police called his parents, Firestorm."The Professor continues, "But perhaps we'll double check there as well ourselves."

"Okay then, Professor. I'm sure your missing student is fine and that you'll find him. I have to be going now. Justice League business and all, but I'll swing around the campus a little and see if I can find him at all. If not, I'll use my League contacts with the local authorities to speed up whatever search they're doing. I wouldn't worry to much though, I'm sure he's fine "

"Yes Firestorm, I'm sure you're quite busy."She states incredulously.

Jennie steps forwards a pace, "I'm going to find where Ronnies parents live and see If he's there. Thank you Firestorm."

"Okay, Miss. Good Luck." He takes to the sky before finishing his sentence, then waves goodbye, smiling as he disappears into the sky, an atomic signature marking his arc across the manhattan skyline.

"This is just great." he thinks, "Now I have to get home and cover all this nonsense up. And why did I get the feeling that Professor Jacobs didn't believe me? Or that she suspected something? Not cool."

He lands in an alley behind a mini mart, away from all prying eyes in Glen Oaks, a suburb of Queens, on the Nassau county border, where in a characteristic burst of energy, changes from Firestorm the Nuclear man , to Ron Raymond, college kid.

"Time to find out if dad and Felicity are home."

He walks a block and puts his key in an apartment building door, hesitantly twisting it, before giving out a shout. "Anyone home?"

His only answer is a "Meow" from the kitchen, as Chauncey, Felicity Smoaks cat wanders out. The grey and white tabby purrs as it rubs up against his leg.

"Hiya Chaunce." Ron smiles as he pets the friendly feline, then he notices a note on the refrigerator. "What's this? It's for me? How'd they know I'd be stopping by?"

"Dear Ronald, we went for the day upstate to visit your Uncle Phil and Aunt Nina. There's cold cuts in the fridge, if you decided to stop by. I saw the news yesterday about your problem on campus, and I was glad to see that Firestorm handled that situation promptly. Feel free to relax here for a while, if you need it. Your father and I will be back this afternoon, Love, Felicity"

"Man."He thinks, "Sometimes that lady is to cool. I thought it was gong to be a hassle originally, with dad marrying Felicity and all, and her knowing my Secret, but it all worked out, lots better then I originally thought it would too. Man, I could really use a nap though. I'm beat."

Ron walks into the spare bedroom and lies down, almost immediately passing out, as Chauncey curls up on his chest, purring contentedly.

Elsewhere...

A man in a lab coat scurries around his lab adjusting a device and then checking a screen , before going back and adjusting it some more. Finally, he stands up and sighs a breath of relief.

"Good, I have my nucleo enhanced tracker aligned. Now to see where the Nuclear man has disappeared to. I must know his secrets."

He turns on his device and begins scanning with it. "Hhmmm, a trail leaves Manhattan and then lands in Queens, before finally disappearing. Perhaps he can turn his powers on and off at will? Interesting. I will have to compensate further to be able to discern his whereabouts as it were when he is not using his abilities. I'm sure it can be done, after all, isn't anything possible for Doctor Zero?"

An hour later, a doorbell rings incessantly, rousing a snoring Ron Raymond form his sleep."Who? What time-? "

He checks his watch, and stumbles for the door, pulling it open, his eyes widen in surprise at who is on the other side of it.

"Jenny?" he asks, surprised by her appearance there.

"H-hi Ronnie."She answers shyly. "I was so worried about you, when you disappeared yesterday, I thought that horrible thing had killed you."

"Gee, uh, thanks for the concern, Jennie, but I'm fine, Firestorm whizzed me away, and I came here after he disappeared yesterday. I've been asleep since. I guess that experience got to me, big time."

"Oh, well, um, I'm sorry to bother you." The pretty blonde says sheepishly, looking down as she speaks. "I guess I should be going." She turns to leave, and Ron stops her.

"Wait a minute, Jen, hang on. Why don't you come in? You came all this way from the school, I can't let you go back that easily now, can I?"

Ronnie smiles at her, as he takes her hand and leads her inside. "Have a seat. Chauncey, keep Jennie company." The cat leaps onto Jennies lap, as she pets its purring body.

"You hungry Jennie?" Ron calls out from the spare bed room, as he changes his clothes.

"Actually, I'm famished, Ronnie, But I didn't even realize it until you asked, funny huh?"

He smiles as he pulls on a sweater overhead. "Not really, Jennie. I'm starving myself, right now, but would never have woken up if you didn't knock. Feel like Pizza?"

She doesn't answer, and Ron scowls at the lack of response, before he returns to the living room area, where he finds Jennie staring at a newspaper that was lying on the coffee table.

"What are you looking at?" he asks.

"This, this is horrible." she stammers, as she points to an article. Ron takes the paper from her outstretched hand and reads it aloud.

"Fourth girl found brutally murdered, screams heard minutes before witnesses find body." "Nice." He grimaces, then continues "Police are searching for any and all clues to the capture of the 'Scream Killer'. Great, they put a tag line on this psycho. Just what we need, another 'Jack the ripper' type serial killer."

He puts the paper down, and takes her hand, coaxing her up from the sofa. "C'mon, Jennie, let's go get a pizza or something."

"Y-you sure ? I mean we never even spoke before this, and you want to go and get something to eat together?"

He smiles, then speaks. "Jennie, it's no biggie. You were cool enough to come looking for me, you were concerned, and that's nice. Let me do something nice for you."

"Okay, Ronnie. Why not, right? I like Pizza too."

"Who doesn't? Right?" He laughs as he leads her towards the door.

They leave the apartment, locking the door behind them as they go.

A half hour later, they're sitting in a neighborhood pizzeria quietly laughing, as they eat a pizza in the back corner of the restaurant, where it's quiet.

"So what are you majoring in?" Ronnie asks her between bites.

"I'm taking social sciences., what about you?"

"Believe it or not, science. I'm not sure what area, but I think I may end up in nuclear sciences. I have a... little interest in it from when I was in high school."

"Umm, how old are you Ronnie?" Jennie asks coyly as she takes a small bite out of a slice. "You don't look like the other guys on campus, you seem, um, older."

"Haha," He laughs I am. I took a few years off before going back to school. I'm actually 23. You?"

"I'm 19, I'm going to be 20 in a few months."

"Cool. Where are you from? I hear a little bit o' southern accent in there every so often."

"Gosh darn," She smiles as she takes a sip of her coke, "And I thought I was doing so well hiding it. I'm from North Carolina, originally."

Soon they're walking back towards his parents apartment, as dusk begins to fall. Ron puts his key in the door, as suddenly it opens by itself from within. His eyes widen in surprise.

"Dad! Felicity! What are you guys doing back so soon? I thought you were upstate?"

"We were son, but your Aunt and Uncle had plans for the night, so we came home early ."

Hi Ron," Felicity smiles as she hugs him, "we were hoping you'd be home, we tried calling you, but there was no answer in your dorm, then when we got home we saw your bed was a mess."

"So we figured you slept here." Ed Raymond continues. Then he sees the pretty blonde standing behind his son. "Who's your friend, Ron?"

"Oh sorry Dad, Felicity. This is Jennie, she's a friend of mine from one of my classes."

"So nice to meet you Jennie." Felicity exclaims as she extends her hand warmly.

Ed takes her hand next. "Can you stay for dinner, Jennie?"

"Well, we just ate, Mr Raymond."

"Well aren't you going to be hungry again in a few hours?" He smiles as he takes her hand and walks her towards the couch, while Felicity gets closer to Ronnie and whispers in his ear.

"I like her. She's nice. By the way, nice work yesterday with that fire guy."

Ronnie turns towards her, "That was Martin."

"Stein?" she asks incredulously.

"Yep." He whispers "He was a little... unbalanced for a while. I helped him find his footing again. He's all good."

"How about you? Are you all good?" She asks with a little concern.

"I'm fine, and I think I'm getting better actually." He eyes Jennie as he speaks, and felicity knowingly smiles.

"And what are you two talking about oh so secretively?" Ed Raymond asks from the other side of the room where he and Jennie are sitting.

"Nothing honey," Felicity answers, "Just Step mom to step son stuff."

"Okay good," Ed smiles, "I wouldn't want to think my wife and son had some secrets." He laughs.

Felicity and Ronnie exchange knowing glances, and then she walks towards the kitchen. "I'm going to make some coffee."

Jennies rises from the sofa "I'll help, Mrs Raymond."

"Sure Jennie, I could always use another set of hands in the kitchen, come on." She smiles and waves Jennie on with her.

Ed sits next to Ronnie, and asks, "How are you doing son?"

"Pretty good dad, pretty good." he reaches for the TV remote on the end table, and clicks it on, settling back into the thick cushions, and all four people relax...

Elsewhere... A madman toys with his scanning devices, and suddenly he bolts upright. "Eureka! I have it! When next Firestorm uses his powers, I'll know exactly where he is, and I'll be able to track him accordingly. Then he will be the scientific curiosity of Dr Zero~!"

Next Issue:

The Dr makes a house call!

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