Okay guys, this one is Henry Allen instead of Iris. This was a fun break in trend, for me at least, but I hope it will be for you too.
Prompt from Reveal Girl 666. After Henry tells Barry that "the man in the yellow suit has taken enough from us already," Barry yells that it's his job because he's the Flash and it is his duty to protect.
I didn't have access to the episode, so I had to do this from memory, but hopefully it's close to what actually happened.
Barry had just lost the man who killed his mother and framed his father. For fourteen years he had devoted his life to bringing that man down, but today, when the chance was given to him, he failed. He had to go apologize to his father. It was now his fault that his father was stuck in prison. Barry was too weak to bring his mother's murderer to justice.
Henry was excited to know that Barry had come to visit him, like he always was, but he also worried. His son usually came on Thursdays, and today was Tuesday. He knew something was wrong.
"Dad. I saw the man in yellow today. The one who killed mom." Henry Allen's eyes grew wider. He knew something was wrong but-but this was unimaginable.
"I swore I would catch him, and get you out of here because every day you spent in here was his fault. Until today. Now it's my fault. When I finally had the chance to catch him I failed. I'm sorry, Dad. I'll keep trying to get you out of here, but-" Henry needed his son to stop.
"Barry, every choice you've made in the last fourteen years has been because of me and your mother. Where you went to school, what you studied, why you became a CSI, even with Iris-" It was Barry's turn to interrupt his father.
"Iris?"
"You're my son, you don't think I know how you love her?" There were tears welling up in both men's eyes. Barry shook his head in disbelief.
Did everyone know except her?
"Son, you can't just keep making choices because of your mother and me. You're twenty five years old now. You need to live your own life now. I'll be fine as long as you are ok. Please, son, don't go after him. The man in yellow has taken enough from us. Don't let him take anymore." Henry Allen pleaded with his son. If his son ever listened to anything he had ever said, he needed to listen now. He wondered if he could get Joe to come talk to him about this. Maybe someone outside of prison could through to Barry if he couldn't.
Barry stared at his father. Here was the man who had been wrongfully imprisoned for fourteen years because they man in yellow killed his wife, and he was telling Barry to let the man go free because it would be easier. He didn't want the easy path. He wanted freedom for his father. He wanted a real murderer to be put in prison. He wanted his city to be safe.
"Dad, this isn't just about you and Mom anymore. There is more going on in this situation than you realize. It's my job to protect the people of this city! That man is dangerous. He killed mom, and now he is threatening Iris." Barry spoke in shock at his father's opinion on going after the man who had destroyed their family. His voice grew steadily louder as he spoke.
"Son, I know that you love her, but did you stop to think that maybe he's threatening her to make you go away. Maybe Iris will be safer if you just leave it alone." Henry truly knew how much she mattered to him, but that was not a good enough reason for his son to risk his life going after someone who had already proven that he was capable of murder. "Let the field officers worry about it."
"If the entire police department was out if the field, they couldn't catch him, Dad. He's a metahuman with super speed. They will not be able to catch him."
"So leave it to the guy Iris blogs about. The Flash or whatever." Barry laughed at the irony. "What's so funny? You spend fourteen years of your life believing in the impossible, and when your best friend finally finds it, you don't believe it? I think I've even seen him. He saved Joe's life when a green gas flowed into the room you're standing in." Henry didn't think that sounded like his son.
"That's what we let her believe." Barry thought he mumbled it quietly enough that his father wouldn't hear, but he was wrong.
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't you tell her that you believe in the Flash?"
"It's too dangerous. If too many of the wrong people found out that she was close to me . . ." Barry trailed off.
"What's going on Barry?" Henry pushed. His son usually told him everything.
"I'm the Flash, Dad." Barry spoke quietly, knowing there were guards just outside the door.
"Barry?" Henry questioned. It didn't seem like something he would claim without it being true, but it also didn't seem like something he would keep a secret from his father. He was hit by a sudden feeling of jealousy. He always felt jealous that Joe West was able to see Barry every day and be out there for him, but he must know Barry's secret, and he must have known for quite a while.
His son held up his hand and vibrated it. Henry was amazed. Barry, his little boy, whose life he had missed most of, was a super hero.
"I'm still not happy about you going after him." Henry said, after watching his son in silence for a few minutes.
"But you know why I have to, and why I have a chance?" Barry asked. He really wanted one of his fathers to be on his side about this. He knew Joe wouldn't change his mind on trying to protect him, and he knew his Dad would be the same way, but maybe if both of them agreed that he had to, or that he was the only one that was capable, it would make him feel better about going after a man that was faster and stronger than he was.
"Yeah." Henry nodded reluctantly. "Just be careful, Barry. I wouldn't be able to survive if anything were to happen to you."
When Barry left and Henry was escorted back to his 'room,' all he could do was cry silently. There was a chance he might lose his son the same way he lost his wife. He believed in Barry, but he knew that his son would not have the heart to kill someone, and he wasn't totally sure what would happen when this turned into a kill or be killed situation.