totally meta

chapter 18

Henry sat in the sterile, brightly lit room of Seven Labs, his head still throbbing from the meta-human's sonic assault. Dr. Harris hovered nearby, adjusting the brain scan machine, her face set in a mixture of frustration and concern. He knew what was coming. He'd been reckless—again—and Dr. Harris wasn't going to let him off easy.

The machine whirred softly as it processed the scan, a holographic projection of Henry's brain mapping itself out in front of them. Bright flashes marked where the sonic waves had hit him hardest, and the damage, though temporary, had been severe. Still, the fact that Henry's cells were healing at an accelerated rate had saved him from worse.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are?" Dr. Harris's voice cut through the silence, sharp and direct. "You could have died out there. And not just from the sonic blast—those guys had guns, and God knows what else. And now, because of your little confrontation, this meta-human knows you've got some kind of connection to Rachel. Do you understand how bad that is?"

Henry winced. "I didn't tell her everything. Just... enough to get her to stop digging."

Dr. Harris crossed her arms and gave him a look that could pierce steel. "That's not the point. You shouldn't have said anything to Rachel. If you hadn't told her there was a connection, that meta-human wouldn't have been able to use her against you." She shook her head, clearly exasperated. "Now, we've got someone who not only knows about Rachel but is threatening to expose her secret—and possibly yours."

Henry dropped his gaze, guilt gnawing at him. "I wasn't thinking about that at the time... I just—"

"You just what? Thought you'd throw in some cryptic remark about a 'past mistake'? You may have thought you were protecting her, but you've put Rachel in more danger now than she ever was before."

The weight of her words hit him like a punch. He knew she was right. He had been careless with his words when he'd saved Rachel, trying to keep her at arm's length without thinking about the consequences.

Dr. Harris turned back to the brain scan, her voice slightly softer but still firm. "You better hope this meta-human doesn't make good on her threat to expose you, Henry. Because if your identity gets out, it won't just be you at risk—Rachel, me, and everyone connected to you will be in danger too."

Henry sat quietly, the gravity of the situation sinking in. He knew the risks of being the Flash, but now he'd dragged someone else—someone innocent—into the crossfire.

"I have no choice," Henry muttered, half to himself. "I have to figure out Rachel's secret and tell her the truth."

Dr. Harris sighed, leaning against the counter. "Yes, you do. Innocent lives are at stake, Henry. You can't just ignore this." She rubbed her temples, clearly stressed by the situation. "But remember, you're dealing with someone who can produce soundwaves that nearly killed you. You don't have time to mess around with this."

Henry nodded, a sense of determination settling over him. He couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of his carelessness.

Dr. Harris turned back to him, the scan machine now silent as it finished its work. "Your brain's healing faster than I expected," she said, her tone softening a bit. "It looks like your cellular regeneration is kicking in at a rapid pace. You'll be fine in a couple of hours, at least physically."

Henry let out a small sigh of relief, though the emotional toll of the day weighed heavily on him. He had so much to figure out in such a short amount of time. Rachel's secret, how to confront her, and how to stop the meta-human before she hurt anyone.

As Dr. Harris began to clean up the equipment, she muttered something under her breath, too quiet for Henry to catch.

"What was that?" Henry asked, glancing up.

She froze for a second before quickly shaking her head. "Nothing. Just... thinking out loud." She forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Henry stood, wincing slightly as he stretched his muscles. "Thanks for the help, Dr. Harris. I'll... be more careful next time."

"See that you are," she said, her voice tinged with something Henry couldn't quite place. "And stay away from Rachel, Henry. She's not just a danger to you—she's a distraction. You've got enough on your plate without getting caught up in whatever she's hiding."

Henry nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Dr. Harris had always been blunt and logical, but there was something different in her tone today. It wasn't just concern—it was something else, something more personal. But he couldn't dwell on it now.

As he turned to leave, Dr. Harris's voice stopped him once more.

"And Henry... whatever you do, don't underestimate this meta-human. She may know more than you think."

Henry left the lab, the weight of her words heavy on his shoulders. He had 48 hours to figure everything out—Rachel's secret, his own, and how to stop a meta-human who was gunning for them both.

The clock was ticking.