Within Seconds: Sylas & Allen

Running Back to You

Placing the painting carefully into the backseat of Turtle's car, Parker snuck a look at the license plate. Her sleuthing skills got her nowhere; the car was absent of one.

"Is it in?" asked Turtle.

Parker resisted the urge to say, "That's what she said," and instead, exited the back seat. He made her walk to the trunk of the car, proceeded to knock her from consciousness, then throw her limp body into the trunk.

Waking from a blow to the head, Parker resisted a groan she desperately wanted to release. Waiting to announce her awakening meant a chance to observe her surroundings.

The place was relatively clean, excluding the spots he frequently used. A dozen tables covered the middle strip of the facility. Clear bulky cabinets decorated with stolen treasures lined the room.

Parker was stripped of her diamond necklace, heels, and cell phone. Her hands were tied to the arms of the high chair in which she sat. Thoughts for an escape plan started to formulate within her mind.

"I detect a change in breathing," said Turtle. The clatter of a pen followed. He stood from the desk. "You're awake."

Parker decided to skip small talk. "Yes, yes. Let's get to the good stuff: how do you plan to kill me?"

"I'm not going to kill you; that's much too fast and messy. I like to take things nice and slow," he said.

'Sometimes I wish Barry did the same,' thought Parker. She shook her head. "And you kidnapping me, presumably to hurt me, that's--"

"This isn't about hurting you," interrupted Turtle. "This is about hurting someone who values you."

"And who values me?" asked Parker carefully.

"The Flash."

"I'm a civilian. He saved me. It's kind of what he does, you know? Save people."

"Saving people is a waste of time. They take everything for granted," he said bitterly. Slowly, he moved from his desk. "My wife, Rosalyn, took me for granted. She wanted to leave me."

"Look, Turtle, my man," said Parker sweetly, "My friends often tell me I'm a great therapist. What do you say I give you a session? First one is free."

Turtle ignored the offer. "I couldn't let her leave me," he said mysteriously.

Parker winced. "Tell me you didn't make a rash decision."

"I made her mine. Forever," he said. His path led to a clothed structure.

Parker tilted her head."But you did so when you married--" she started. Turtle ripped the cloth from the clear tube, revealing a pale, sickly woman frozen in place. Parker slammed her eyes shut and focused on holding back her vomit.

Using her ears, she heard Turtle reveal a matching tube. He sighed. "Hope I spelled your name right."

"S-Y-L-A-S?" spelled Parker, tone less enthusiastic than before. "Hope they get it right on the gravestone."

Turtle returned to his desk, fiddling with a crate of medical appliances. While he was distracted, Parker tried to slouch unnoticeably, aiming for her toes to touch the tiled floor.

"I should ask," started Turtle, slamming the crate on the collapsible table beside her chair. "Are you afraid of needles?"

Although Parker wasn't, she had a potential escape plan pop into her head after his question. She faked a scared gasp, sliding her back further down the seat to 'escape' the needle.

Turtle didn't bother fighting against her. He gripped her arm in one hand, stabbed the needle into a clear vein, which caused a non-scripted, "Fuck, Turtle, where was the warning?!" from Parker. Her hollering turned real when a rattle outside the room caused Turtle to accidentally rip the needle from her arm.

Into the facility came the Flash. At the same time, Parker's toes finally felt the coolness of the tile. She bought him precious time by using her toes to propel the chair backwards. In the process of falling, her foot smacked Turtle in the head.

Barry took advantage of her. He ran as close as possible, but Turtle recovered fast enough to use his ability. All Parker's eyes saw was Turtle appearing and disappearing around Barry, hitting him while he seemingly stood still. Multiple punches were stolen by Turtle, until he gave Barry a break, and the man dropped to the floor. One second free of Turtle Time and Barry left the scene.

Parker's lips split. "I know he didn't just leave me," she breathed. "Did he just..."

The appearance from Barry changed Turtle's calming attitude to straight annoyance. Stomping back to Parker, he said, "Guess he doesn't care about you as much as I thought."

Her struggle to break free from the chair heightened. "If I ever get my hands on either of you, you'll wish I died in here!"

Turtle's hands landed on the arms of the chair. Parker landed a few well placed kicks to his body, gaining time for an attempt to rock the chair on its side. Her effort quit, due to her ears picking up an approaching flickering, of a familiar lightning. A single blink, then Turtle was slammed into the tube her body was supposed to be in.

"Supersonic punch?" asked Parker after a beat of silence.

"Got that right," said Barry. He untied her. Not a second after she was standing, he held her. "Park, I thought that was it."

"I didn't," she said happily. "It didn't feel like the right time to go, you know? And what did I tell you?! I told you I shouldn't have joined you tonight."

"It was entirely my fault. I suckered you into going, and I'm so sorry, Parker. I'm sorry," he whispered.

Detecting incoming tears, Parker cradled his face. "Being kidnapped keeps me on my toes. Keeps me young," she insisted. "Look, did I die?"

"Not this time."

She rolled her eyes. "Out of the two times I've been kidnapped, I've been saved both times. I can't die during a kidnapping-- the odds are on my side."

"And what happens when they aren't?"

"Don't ask yourself that."