Within Seconds: Sylas & Allen

Father Reunions All Around

A tiny box clutched tightly in her hand, Parker peered into the Cortex, listened, looked, then began to speed for the medical wing of the room. While shoving the box into her coat pocket, she heard Barry scream from the conjoined treadmill room. Two thuds followed; the sound of him hitting the treadmill, then it launching him to the floor.

"Are you okay?" she heard faintly from Iris. Her father shouted something along similar lines.

Parker moved her crutches quickly. She found Barry limping back to the treadmill, resetting it with shaky hands.

"It's nothing," Barry was mumbling to his family. "I'm good, all right?"

"Barry," Iris tried again. "Talk to us. We can help you."

He shook his head wildly. "No. You can't help me. Not this time. You just-- you wouldn't understand."

Defeated, Iris glanced at Joe. He shrugged in response. Scrunching her nose with frustration, she stormed from the room.

Joe's eyes followed Iris' retreating figure. He saw Parker, then nodded after his daughter. "Could you give us--"

"She stays," said Barry.

Parker closed her gaping mouth, trying to play off her surprise by scratching the tip of her nose. "Well, I'm ready to listen when you're ready to talk, Bar."

Barry took a seat on the edge of the treadmill. As he spoke, his eyes never left his converse. "Zoom destroyed me. He showed everyone in Central City what I could do, and that I'm powerless to stop him.

They gave me a key to their city...I'm supposed to be their hero, I'm supposed to be the guy that can protect them from something as evil as that, and I failed. In front if all of them," Speaking about the traumatic events lit a spark within him, igniting the anger and disappointment he felt when he first woke from his short coma. He stood, rubbing at his eyes. "When they think of the Flash, all they see now is someone not strong enough to protect them."

Joe and Parker shared a look when he left the room. "I got him last time," Joe said. "Good luck. You got this."

Parker shook out the pressure before the left to console him. Head in his hands, he sat on the medical bed. She lingered in the doorway. "Protection of this city isn't a lone job, you know that? We're all inside of you."

Barry lifted his head. "You might want to rephrase that."

"I mean," she rolled her eyes. "Figuratively, Team Flash are all inside your head, your heart. Literally, we're all there through the earpiece."

"With your help, I still lost," said Barry.

"Okay, true, but being a hero isn't about your losses. It's not even about your victories. It's about the hope that Central City sees within you, Barry. They don't lose that -- we don't lose that -- because you get your ass kicked publicly."

"Yeah," Barry said; he tried to make it convincing for her to believe he was feeling better. By then, he was finished trying to talk out his feelings. No one was understanding.

Cisco then stumbled into the Cortex, hand over his cheek. "Did Caitlin come through here?" The couple shook their heads. "She just hit me. In the face. And ran away."

"Yo!" Joe shouted, alerting the trio to his return. He looked panicked.

"What's your deal?" Parker asked.

Joe panted one name: "Grodd."

"What?" Barry breathed.

"Grodd's back," Joe said.