Within Seconds // Barry Allen

A Night With an Archer

"There comes a day
When I'll be the one, you'll see..
It's gonna-gonna-gonna-gonna-gonna ..."

"It's gonna be me!" sang Parker. 

"All that I do--"

Parker pressed the pause button on her computer. She narrowed her eyes at the buzzing phone on her lap, wondering who was awake, besides herself, at two in the morning. 

"Is this Parker Sylas?" growled a deep voice. 

"Uh, it might be," she cautioned. "Who's this?"

"Come down to the train station where your boyfriend fought a man of ice."

Without thinking, she responded, "Frozone isn't real." 

"What? Parker, just go down there. You are not in danger," promised the voice. 

"See, that's what a person who is danger would say," said Parker. 

"Parker."

"Still doubting it. You'll have to do a lot more to get me to leave the house."

"It's the Arrow!" snapped the voice finally. "It's the Arrow," he repeated calmly.

"Oh, hey, bud. I'll be down there soon."

××××

Grudgingly, Parker shoved her hat further down her forehead. Against the cold, her scarf, mittens, or the three layers of sweatshirts didn't help at all. It was freezing. 

The land where Captain Cold once tried to kill Barry was wiped clean of broken train car pieces. A layer of snow had fallen over the charred grass. Scorch marks continued to exist on the ground. 

Parker spotted Oliver in the same attire as her. She wasn't sure if he was cold. It wasn't like she would be able to tell, unless he verbally said it. Nobody could ever tell Oliver's expression. It was always the same: unresponsive.

"What do you possibly need at two in the morning?" sighed Parker. 

"What were you doing up at two in the morning?" retorted Oliver. "And Frozone? Really?"

Parker swayed slightly in the harsh winter breeze for over a minute, glaring at Oliver to see who would break first. For the first, and only, time, Oliver was the weaker link in the staring contest.

"I would like to take a tour of all the places Barry has fought at--"

"The Flash," corrected Parker. 

Oliver sent her a glare. "--and have you tell me the back story behind all of them. While I am here, I figured I could be of help for the... Flash."

Parker glanced around the train station. "Well, for this story, we start with a man whose name is Leonard Snart."

××××

It was nearly five in the morning by the time Parker and Oliver finished their journey. The two strolled through the park together, critiquing Barry's performance. 

"He runs blind when he's emotional," said Parker.

"He has the time; he should use it to scout around the perimeter," said Oliver. 

"Because there could be more than one threat!" added Parker, throwing her hands into the air. "Duh."

"He doesn't know how to listen to plans sometimes, it seems," observed Oliver.