totally meta

chapter 25

Henry stood on the edge of a rooftop, his red Flash suit glowing faintly in the dim light of the street lamps below. His heart raced as he watched the familiar police officer exit his car and look around the alleyway where they'd agreed to meet.

Henry leaped down from the roof, landing softly in front of the officer. The man jumped slightly but quickly regained his composure, clearly trying not to look too startled.

"So, you wanted to talk," Henry said, his voice steady through the distortion his suit provided. "About working together."

The officer nodded, crossing his arms as he regarded Henry. "Yeah. I've been thinking about what we talked about earlier. The department's interested in working with you, Flash. You've done a lot of good, and if we're going to deal with these meta-humans causing chaos, we need someone who can keep up."

Henry took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to say. "I'll help you catch the meta-humans, but let me be clear: my goal isn't just to stop them. I want to protect innocent people, yes, but I also want to help these meta-humans. Some of them are lost or scared. They aren't all trying to be criminals or threats. If I can help them control their powers, maybe they won't be a danger to others—or to themselves."

The officer raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "You think meta-humans can be *rehabilitated*? Most of the ones we've seen so far are pretty dangerous."

Henry crossed his arms. "I get that it's hard to believe. But the truth is, meta-humans aren't born evil. Most of them didn't even ask for these abilities. They're just trying to survive in a world that sees them as monsters." He paused, feeling the weight of his own experience settle over him. "And yeah, they can be dangerous. But so can anyone with a gun, or a knife, or just bad intentions."

The officer frowned, considering Henry's words. "But can they really not be a threat? To the public, I mean. Isn't it in their nature to be... different?"

Henry's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "I'm a meta-human," he said firmly. "And the general public sees me as a hero. So, yeah. I believe meta-humans can do good with their powers if they know how to control them."

The officer was silent for a moment, studying Henry. Finally, he nodded slowly. "You're not wrong. People with power—whether it's a badge or some kind of ability—can choose how they use it. I've seen people with everything handed to them go bad, and I've seen people with nothing do good." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand what it's like to have powers, but if you think some of these meta-humans can be helped, then I'm willing to back you on that."

Henry felt a small surge of relief. This was progress. "I'm not asking for you to go easy on them. If they're a threat, they need to be stopped. But I don't want to treat every meta-human like a criminal just because they have powers. None of them even had a choice in the matter."

The officer nodded again, more firmly this time. "Alright, Flash. You've got yourself a deal. We'll work together to stop the dangerous ones, but I'll do what I can to make sure we give them a chance to be more than just a threat."

Henry allowed himself a small smile, hidden beneath his mask. "Good. Let's get to work, then."

As the officer turned to leave, Henry watched him go, his mind already racing with thoughts of what would come next. He knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy—there would always be people who saw meta-humans as nothing but a danger. But for now, he had an ally. Someone who was willing to see the good in others, just as Henry did.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough to make a difference.