Within Seconds: Sylas & Allen

Hoe Don't Do It

Hands on his hips, Barry watched his girlfriend aggressively tuck her youngest brother into the guest bed. Slightly amused, he mumbled, "So much for horseback riding."

"If you would have waited for me to explain why I didn't come to the farm, we wouldn't have this problem," Parker said.

"Or," said Barry, annoyed with her tone, "You could have just told him I was the Flash."

"Don't even start!" she shouted, spinning to face him. "He is a fifteen year old boy. He can't keep a secret for shit."

"What's the worse that happens? He tells your family?" Barry asked. "It's your family. I trust them."

"You've never met them!"

"If they're anything like you, I see no problem in telling them."

"They have no reason to know. The people that know your secret are the necessary ones. The people on our team, other dedicated heroes, your close family. They know because they need to, and that's the standards we need to keep it at," she said.

At a loss of a counter-argument, he said, "I don't think you should use my secret as a justification for knocking your brother out."

"I didn't do it for fun, Barry, I did it to keep us safe. I will not risk your secret."

"And what happens if you do?" he challenged.

"Where would we be safe?!" Parker yelled. She was at a loss of words for several minutes, distraught at how utterly ridiculous their fight was. "You keep this carelessness you have about your identity, someone lethal will find out. That happens, we're all in danger, because we're all connected to you. For the safety of everyone we know, your secret stays hidden. I won't risk their lives, or mine. You better do the damn same," she snapped.

Explanation included, Barry understood why she went to such great lengths to keep his secret. In short, it was for him. Parker wanted to take every possible chance she got, in order to stay in his life for as long as she possibly could. Although he understood, he stayed silent. Satisfaction on yet another win over a verbal fight was something he didn't feel the need to give her.

His cell phone beeped; a text from Oliver Queen. "Oliver and Malcolm set a meeting up with Vandal Savage," he said.

Parker tilted her head. "Why?"

He shrugged. "But I don't plan to negotiate with terrorists. I'll get you when I'm done?"

"Without speed," she warned.

"Oh, relax."

"Barry, I'm not kidding," she said exasperatedly. "Don't do it."

His face lit up. "When you wanna get to it--" he sang, before she pointed at the door, saying a strick, "Get out of here."

Barry laughed, athen he was gone from her house, off to a meeting with Savage. It didn't take long; ten minutes and Barry returned to Parker's apartment. "He's still out?" he asked. "How hard did you hit him?"

Parker shrugged. "What did you learn?"

"I'll tell you on the farm. We should go," he said.

Parker looked sadly upon her brother. Leaving him to wake alone in her apartment wasn't what she aimed to do, but the Flash world called for her return. On Dylan's chest, she left a brief note. A kiss to his forehead was delivered, then Barry swept her into his arms, and he used his speed for a quick transportation to the farm.

On the mass open area of land, behind the house, stood a red barn. Together, Barry and Parker readied two gorgeous horses for a ride. He spoke as they did so. "We have twenty four hours to turn over Kendra and Carter to Savage, or he destroys our cities."