Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Science could explain everything in the universe. If not on the surface level, then at a molecular scale. He’d studied advanced physics, theoretical physics, Quantum chemistry, he knew all about atoms and molecules, the Schrödinger equation and the theory of everything. And yet, he still had trouble explaining what had happened to him back then.

Wally had been transported to the past after seizing from existence, and it had taken him over a year to figure out how to get back, and another year of trial and error to finally make it through the timeline and back to his own. 

He’d shown up in the middle of nowhere, or rather, he’d ended up exactly where he’d disappeared two years ago. What he couldn’t quite figure out was why he felt so… Exhausted. Perhaps a side effect from jumping back and forth in time to the point where his body felt like lead, his legs heavy and his vision filled with blind spots. He felt unreal, like a dead man walking or a visual character. Not even the cool snow engulfing his bare feet nor the cold air going right through his thin shirt felt real, like it was nothing but a simulation. But it wasn’t a simulation. He was back to the timeline he knew, his home. The young speedster took a deep breath, pleased by how clean the air was. It was nothing like the middle ages, and had it not been for his faster-than-average healing, he wasn’t sure he would have survived that era.

The redhead’s current challenge would be to fight the exhaustion and find his way to the Zeta-Tube. He was far from stable, his legs wobbling and the world around him spinning faster with each step he took. Perhaps that last time jump had been a bad idea. Taking on more than one at a time had proven to weaken him, unless he took breaks in between, but Wally had been determined to make it back as fast as he possibly could. Had it been reckless? Yes. Did he regret it? No, not at all. He had to get back to Artemis, to Dick, to those he’d missed for far too long. His heart ached at the thought of them getting over him, for his team and the love of his life to get on with their lives without giving him much thought, while he’d been dreaming of the day to finally reunite with them all. 

He’d been through more than history could ever pattern, been through every big event that took place before his time, watched himself grow up, watched his younger self blow up and watched his family watch over him at the hospital. He watched as his younger self hung out with his former team, and yet, throughout all that, he’d been unable to communicate. He was there, but at the same time, he wasn’t. He’d been nothing but an empty shell, a shadow of his former body, yearning for a chance to come back as he watched the events flesh out in super speed. He’d watched the team fall apart, watched Artemis become Tigress… He’d seen how Will looked at her, he’d seen them kiss each other, and seen the regret that followed. He’d watched over the newly founded team, watched them grow independent while he himself was stuck in time and space. Every attempt at breaking out had failed.

Until today. Today was the day for Wally to break free from his curse. Today, he was free, and he was back.
His determination and willpower were extraordinary. His fingers and feet turned a light shade of blue by the time he made it to the Zeta-tube. 

“Recognized, Kid Flash B03...Flash… Error, Kid Flash B03 is no longer registered. Access denied.” 

“Come again? I’m right here!”

“Error, Kid, No longer exist. Access denied.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” 

The speedster leaned against the panel, trying to think past the fog clouding his mind. There had to be a way to gain access, to contact the league. He didn’t have access to M’gann’s brain link, and he didn’t wear an earpiece, so by that logic, his only option would be to run all the way back to the city. In his current state, however, that would be impossible…
But what if he kept pushing the system? Like with every other computer tech, at some point he would get locked out from failed attempts, and whoever was in charge of the alarm would get notified. 

“Access denied.” 

“Access denied.” 

“Access denied.” 

“What, did they increase the attempts?”

“Access denied”

“Authorization fail.”

Bingo. 

Wally could feel himself getting heavier, the world fading in and out of existence as a zeta-beam lit up the area. 

“It… Can’t be… Wally?”

“Yeah, own flesh, and blood…” 

Unconscious.

Chapter Text

“You are certain this is the real Wally West and not a clone?”

“Kaldur, I’ve never been more certain than I am right now. It’s him.” Grayson stated as he replaced the cloth on his friend's feverish forehead. “I know Cadmus gathered our DNA, but in case you forgot, I destroyed both the machines and genetic material.”

“I see. Then should we not-“ 

“Inform the others? I already did. Though I couldn’t reach M’gann nor Connor.” Dick looked up from the unconsious, bedridden redhead to watch Barbara fiddle with a needle. He’d contacted her as soon as he reentered the watchtower, carrying Wally across the main hall and into the medbay. He’d been in terrible shape, shirt ripped apart and pants hanging loose, lips blue from the cold. 

Barbara wheeled her way back to the bed, cleaned the freckled shoulder with a sterile cloth and pricked in the needle. She’d already installed an IV with fluids, this shot was meant to combat the fever. 

“Recognized, Tigress B07, Zatana B08, Will Harper B06.”

Upon entering the watchtower, Artemis ran from the zeta-tube and into the medbay, falling to her knees beside the bed and grabbing Wally’s hand. It felt cold to the touch, her eyes watering.

“...Wally… Is he..?”

“Alive? Yes. Stable? No.” Oracle informed as she patched up his already bruising shoulder. “He’s in critical condition. Not only is he suffering from hypothermia, his fast healing seems non existent. Even the faintest touch leaves a potential mark, his breath is shallow and he’s lost a lot of weight…” She adjusted the oxygen mask before looking her way. 

“But he’s here, he’s actually here, he’s not dead. It’s been three years, I finally, he said he…”

Artemis let go of his hand to do a full turn, teary eyes sent in Zatanna‘s direction. “You lied to me! Limbo, Wally, what he told me, was a lie?”

The magician shook her head, trying to shake off the guilt gnawing at her chest. “I told you, I don’t have the ability to contact the dead. With the help of M'gann’s telepathy, we were able to create a mental playground, what you saw was what you wanted to see.”

“And this, is this another simulation of yours? If so, stop it! I’m not...”

“It’s not.” Zatanna sat herself beside her and let a hand rest on the blond woman's shoulder. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have lied to you, but you needed closure. We all did.”

Artemis pushed her hand away and got back to her feet, watching her long lost lover intensively, afraid that he might disappear if she blinked. It had happened before. “... His chance of survival, how high is it?”

“Slim, but if he makes it through the night, he may regain enough strength to stabilize.” Barbra informed them as she wheeled past to look at numbers on a screen. “I’ve taken a couple of samples and sent them to the lab for testing. What we’ve discovered so far is, well, moderate changes to his molecules. They’re… Vibrating at an unusual frequency.” 

“Which means?”

“Hard to tell at the moment. It’s not unusual for speedsters that are on the run, actively using their powers. For one who’s unconscious however… I don’t think that’s ever been documented.”

“So it’s a speedster thing. Should we contact Barry?” Will questioned, but before he could get an answer, the zeta-tube in the hall lit up, and the red clad speedster in question emerged.

“Recognized, Flash 04 “

“No need to call, I already knew. Sorry for showing up late, I had a mission to finish.”

“How’d you know?” Dick asked when the man entered the medbay. 

“Let’s just say I’ve got good intuition.” Or rather, a good mix of empathetic connection and futuristic visions. “So, where did you find him?”

“By the zeta-tube entrance at the north magnetic pole. He reappeared in the same area he ceased. He’s in bad-”

“Shape. I noticed. I can feel his molecules vibrating.”

“But what does this mea-ough!” Artemis, upon touching Wallace’s face, quickly withdrew her hand. “He shocked me! What’s going on?!”

“Unstable molecular frequencies. He’s using his speed unconsciously.”

“I’m, what?” Wally let out a raspy breath, his question barely audible. The room went quiet, every eye on him as he attempted to move, causing a tremble that left him invisible for a couple of seconds. “I’m not ghosting again, am I?” He couldn’t feel his own heartbeat, eyes still closed, radiating heat being the only sign he had of being alive. Despite his lungs refusing to produce enough oxygen to talk without trouble, he had to know what was going on. Could they still see him? 

Upon opening his eyes, he found himself looking straight into green orbs, a smile forming on his shaking lips. “Hah, hey beautiful… Missed me?”

“Stop talking, you idiot.” Artemis sniffed, holding back the urge to hug a literal electric circuit. “Gotta use your energy to heal.”

“I don’t feel like I am. I can’t feel, anything. Do I have a pulse?”

He tried to move again, wanting to check on his own, but the movement had him phase the IV through his arm, high levels of energy pulsing through the electrodes, causing the machine to short circuit, smoke emitting and threatening to ignite. 

“Everyone step back!” Dick ordered, Wally flinching from the sudden impact he’d made. 

What the hell had caused all this pend up energy? 

Chapter Text

“You what?” Dick questioned, stunned by his best friend's statement.”

“I traveled through time, in between realities. Crazy I know.” 

After a night of Wally going in and out of consciousness, heart beating so fast that it showed up as heart attacks, by morning he had been stabilized. Correction, he’d been stable enough to stay awake and breathe without added oxygen. His brain? Less foggy. He was well enough to talk and answer a few questions. 

“By how much? Backwards, forwards?”

“A bit of both? I Spent most of it in the near future until I figured out how to activate it. Then I spent a few in the past. Though each trip zapped me of energy.”

“How far back did you go?”

“Around the 18th century. Met a few interesting people.” 

“And the future? How long were you there?”

“Around a year I think? I don’t know, but counting the days, a year. No wait, I spend a lot of time in between realities, but I think a year fits. I never managed to, you know, become tangible. I was like a ghost, popping up here and there.”

“That makes you a year younger than you should have been. So, 25.” Kaldur stated, making Dick smirk.

“Keep doing that and I’ll end up older than you. Actually, you don't look a day over 2016.”

“In your dreams! I ain’t ever leaving again, don’t even think I can.”

“Makes sense. Running takes up a lot of energy, overdoing it would leave anyone fatigued. To run fast enough to travel through time, I’m surprised you didn’t faint halfway.”

“Don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

“How many years forward are we talking, a few years?”

Wally shook his head, wincing at the pain shooting through his spine and up his neck. He could feel his own pulse in his brain, as if the synapses were working overtime. “2030. 3 years from now.”

“We’re in 2020, 10 years.” Barbara corrected with a worried frown, having noticed the pained expression the redhead would wear whenever he tried to make the cogs in his brain turn. “You should rest, you’re low on energy, you of all people should know what that means.”

“I will, but not now, this is important.” Wallace carefully sat up, ignoring Artemis’ plea for him to lay back down. “In 2030, planet earth have gone poof. Nothing left. The few who survived fled into space. No one in this room was part of that group. I don’t know what happe’d, bu I…” The speedsters tongue knotted, head feeling like it was doubling in size as his heart pounded too fast, his chest feeling like it was going to split in half. The adrenaline running through him had triggered enough panic to cause another round of seizure-like molecular vibrations, his very being going in and out of existence, like an unstable hologram. 

“No… No, not again! WALLY!” Artemis panicked upon seeing him disappear and reached for him, not realizing that his current state was temporary. She’d only just got her hand pulled away by Will when the boy in question reappeared. Had said hand still been reaching, an archer would have lost an arm and speedster gained a third.

“Ah! Babe! Don’t do that!” Wally cried out, having sensed her action from the other side of reality.

“I think I’ve found the trigger!” Barbara called out from her chair, having analyzed the unexpected event with great care for detail. “Adrenaline. Whenever you sense danger or panic, adrenaline subconsciously activates your fight, flight or freeze. In this case, it seems to have a direct influence on your molecules.”  

“Is this a guess or backed by evidence?” Dick questioned, Barbara rubbing the back of her neck. 

“Guess, but with visual evidence. Or rather a hypothesis. It will need proper testing to be a statement.”

“Whatever! The reason this is happening isn’t important, not right now.” Wally sat up again, ignoring the attempts to keep him down. Barry went ahead and elevated the bed so he could lean back. 

“Earth, this earth, it’ll be gone a year or so from now. I don’t know who causes it, no one on the ship knew. The light possibly.”

“So you’re saying that earth will be destroyed by unidentified sources?” Richard pushed himself away from the wall he’d leaned against, intrigued. “Then you had more than one reason to come back. You brought a warning.” 

“But no solution.” Wally confirmed before leaning back with a sigh. “Ain’t got much fight in me either, so can’t be of much help.”

“You’re here, that’s more than enough.” Artemis assured him as she let a hand through his hair. “I still can’t believe it.” 

“And you’ll be back on your feet once you’ve recovered.” Kalduur assured as he himself but back to his feet. “Nightwing, we need to talk.”

“I will be there shortly.” The boy in question promised as he walked over to his long lost friend and shared a fist bump. “Heal up, I’ll see you in the evening.”

“You better bring something delicious, like cake, haven’t had that in what feels like a year.” 

“Alright, but only ‘cause you asked nicely.” Dick teased before leaving the room. If what Wally said was true, then they had no time to waste.

Chapter Text

“Starving much?” Richard joked upon hearing the ginger’s stomach growl as he entered the medbay. 

“As always.” Wallace replied with a smile as he caught the burger thrown his way. “Awww you shouldn’t have!”

“I promised to bring you something, didn’t I? Hey! Don’t eat it so fast!” 

Too late, the burger had already been consumed, the redhead now licking ketchup off his fingers. With a sigh, Dick took the crumbled paper and threw it in the trash, pretending to be playing basketball. 

“Dude, we gotta do something, I’m bored out of my mind just laying here.” Wally complained as he fidgeted with the IV in his hand. “Despite my numbers looking fine, no one’s letting me get up.” 

“Bored or not, you’re still too weak to be walking around.” Dick stated, letting out a sigh when his friend looked away in annoyance. “Where’s Artemis? I thought she would be staying with you.” 

“She did, until 5am, a mission called.” Wally explained as he moved to sit up straight, wincing at tender back muscles and clicking joints. “Dick! I’m bored! We gotta do something! Anything!”

“You’ve got a TV! Why didn’t you just turn that on?” Wally sent him a death glare and pointed towards the remote. “Ain’t allowed to get up, remember?” 

“Oh… Well, you could have called Babs, you’ve got a call button for a reason.” 

“I can’t just call her every time something’s out of reach. Besides, I knew you’d be here sometime in the morning, or should I say afternoon?” Another glare sent towards the raven haired boy shamefully rubbing his neck. 

“Sorry, I was caught up in a meeting… What you said yesterday, about earth getting destroyed, you’re sure you don’t know more? Maybe you forgot something.”

“Hey, if I forgot, I don’t remember forgetting. I’ll tell you if something comes up. That said, I’ve been gone for a while, and I'm pretty sure I didn’t see everything on my way back, mind putting me up to speed?”   

“Heh, you’ve missed quite a lot. Where should I start?” 

“Just whatever you think I should know. Spare me the boring stuff.” 

“You’ve been gone for years! Do you even realize how much happened during that time?” 

“No, which is why I want you to tell me! Jerk.” Wally stretched forward, trying to reach his toes as an attempt to crack his aching back, frowning at the effort. “God, remind me never to die again, I feel like an old man.”

At that Dick had to laugh, despite his attempt not to. “Want me to crack it for you?”

“Please?” 

Rolling his eyes, Richard went ahead and sat himself behind his best friend, wrapped his arms around his shoulders and, without a warning, pulled his shoulder blades back, creating a loud sequence of pops and snaps.

“H-hah, hurts, so good.” Wally cried out, the sounds making even Dick flinch.  

“How are you this stiff? You’ve only been lying here for a little over a day.”

“Like I said, I feel old.” 

The bat member shook his head and got off the bed, soon coming back to lie beside him, a PlayStation controller in both hands before handling one to the other. 

“You wanted to catch up, might as well do so over a game or two.”

“Dude, did I ever tell you I love you?” It was as if the green in Wally’s eyes became brighter, accepting the controller with glee. 

“Just don’t tell Artemis, I doubt she’ll forgive me for stealing you.” 

“I’m sure she won’t mind.”

Dick could feel his eyes sting ever so slightly whenever he looked at the ginger beside him, still not truly believing that he was back, alive, not in the best shape, but a shape nonetheless. It felt like a long dream, a dream he refused to wake up from. Life had never been the same after his death, and despite being told he had to move on, it had been impossible. There was no one like Wally, no one could replace his best friend, the first and only Kid Flash. There had been plenty of Robin replacements, each proving to be just as good as the last. But to replace Wallace? Even Bart had admitted he felt like a fraud when he accepted the baton as the new Kid Flash, and changed back to impulse not even a month later. It never felt right, of all the death’s, Wally’s never felt real. 

That was something Artemis and him had both agreed on.  

“Dude you suck! Are you letting me win on purpose?” Wally laughed as he K.O’ed Richard’s character with ease, not realizing said guy had been doing nothing but to stare at him for a minute straight. 

“Heh, I guess I am…” 

Chapter Text

Dick hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep, not until movement had him open his eyes and look to the side.

“Wally? What are you- why are you out of bed?”

“Relax, just going to the bathroom. You can go back to sleep.”

“You shouldn’t be moving around.” The former boy wonder sat up and rubbed his neck, not much of a fan of hospital beds. “Your cells haven’t fully regenerated.”

“It’s been two days! I can’t stay stationary for that long. Besides, my cells are fine, I’m standing ain’t I?” The redhead’s statement felt more like a question, having to lean heavily against the bedframe to avoid putting too much weight on his legs. He looked unstable and about ready to fall apart.

“Barely. KF, you have no deadline, no mission. Even if you did you need to rest.”

“Don’t KF me, I’m not a kid anymore." Wally let out a sigh and turned his eyes to his feet, focusing on gaining some stability. "I’ve been gone for years Dick, YEARS. I’ve missed out on so much, you think I’ll stay in bed and miss even more? No, no way. Besides, you’re wrong, I’ve got things I need to finish before…”

“Before what? The end of the world?”

“Yeah, sure, that.” He pushed himself off the frame, expecting to stand tall, but when the move almost made him hug the floor, he quickly grab onto the IV pole and used it as a means to stay on his feet.

“Wally!”

“I’m FINE Dick!”

“I’m starting to suspect you’re using my name as a slur.” Despite that, Richard got off the bed and walked over to his friend’s side, helping him walk by forcing an arm over his shoulder. “If you’re gonna be reckless and risk your own health, at least let me help you.”

“Sure… Sorry, I shouldn’t be yelling at you. This isn’t your fault.”

“Perhaps not, but you know, sometimes you need someone to blame, even if that someone doesn’t deserve it. It’s human nature.” Richard explained as they slowly made their way out of the medical wing.

“Even so, that doesn’t make it right. Hurting someone because someone else made you frustrated, that’s nothing but displaced anger.”

“Sounds like you’ve been studying some self reflection while you were gone.”

“You could say I’ve had time to think.” A joke, but with a slice of truth. He’d been gone for a while, but it somehow felt longer. Like an eternity. It felt like he’d wasted years of good memories, memories he would have treasured had he only been there to experience them. Instead he felt like a coma patient, skipping years to then wake up in a world that had changed completely.

A world that learned to live and move on without him.

With a single stray thought, the speedster disappeared. 

“Wallace!” Richard yelled when the redhead vanished in thin air, letting out a gasp when said guy reappeared a few seconds later. Wally stepped to the side to avoid crashing into Dick, only to face plant the wall, somehow still standing.

“Shit! Alright, not stable, not at all stable.”

“You think?! What the hell was that?”

“You know how I couldn’t vibrate my molecules to phase through walls? Lets call it an advanced version of that.”

“Yeah, when you phased through the machine, this wasn’t just that, you disappeared completely!”

“Same but different. It’s trying to pull me back in. I thought I had it under control, turns out I don’t.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“No, at least not yet.” Wally pushed himself off the wall, getting caught by Dick as he stumbled. “So far I’ve been able to fight it, but I don’t know for how long I can keep it up.”

“So then, that’s why you’ve been in a hurry, you’re running on borrowed time.”

“Yeah. I’m not sure there’s a way for me to stay here, if there is, I have yet to figure it out.”

The realization hit Dick like a brick, thoughts running wild as he guided the unstable speedster the rest of the way to the bathroom. “Should I call Artemis?”

“No. I don’t want her to know, not yet.”

“And the others?”

“Nope. I only told you for obvious reasons. I don’t want the team OR my mentor to worry.”

“Your parents?”

“Haven’t talked to them yet. In fact, I’d rather they don’t know I’m back.”

“I understand…” Finishing up, Richard guided him back to bed, frowning at every noticeable glitch. “So then, since you’re not planning on staying still, what’s your plan?”

“I don’t have one yet, for now I need to get strong enough to walk on my own, then I’ll take it from there.”

"And your memories? Are they coming back to you?" 

"Not really. Or, a few, but nothing of interest. I still don't remember who created the bomb, or how they got it past the justice leagues radar, I don't know whether it was the light, Martians, Klarion, Lex, or a mixture of all."

"And you don't know where this bomb was hidden?"

"Undergrown. That's all I've got, no coordinates, no country, just that it's under and not from above."

Seeing the frustration built up, Grayson placed a hand on Wally's shoulder. "We'll figure this out. I'll call the team, inform them of what we know and go from there. More clues may show up as we start to investigate."

"Right... Can I, be alone for now? I have to gather my thoughts." He needed time to think, to regain lost memories, and as much as he appreciated the company, he couldn't do that while also discussing the matter. He'd been granted a second change, a ticket back to his own timeline to ensure the future of millions, and he didn't want to waste it.  

Chapter Text

“Alright Wally, start off slow, like a nice evening jog. We’ll gather data on your vitals and check for abnormalities.”

“Wouldn’t it give out greater fluctuations if I put effort into it?” 

“Sure, but you’ve barely just learned to walk, running's, well…” 

The redhead was standing in the far end of the upper part of the watchtower, a vital watch around his wrist and a wearable cardiac monitor device plastered to his chest. Artemis, Kaldur and Barry all stood behind him, while Barbara and Dick stood in the other end, ready to catch him if need be. 

“Come on Barb, it ain’t like I’ll be running for miles, it’ll be but a few seconds. Ain’t like I’ll be destroying reality.”

“No, but you’re more than capable of destroying yourself. Just jog, don’t overdo it.” 

“As if we’ve got the time for this…” He mumbled the last retort, ignoring the glare Artemis sent his way. She was silently warning him, or rather trying to upon noticing the smirk he was wearing. This guy wouldn’t be listening to reason, he’d be going all out or do nothing at all. 

And sure enough, as soon as the signal had been given, he started to sprint. However, what started out as a straight line of energy speeding down the hall, suddenly disappeared only to reappear a few seconds later, far off to the right. He’d been prepared for the obstacles ahead, following the clear path, but upon suddenly glitching to a different location, he didn’t have enough time to regain his sense of direction. Once realizing he was running right towards a wall, it had been too late. Still affected by the glitch, instead of colliding with the solid object, he phased right through it. The speedster found his vision spotty, an iron taste in his mouth from the bloody nose the whole ordeal had caused. Not only that, but he felt hot, hotter than the fever he’d been dealing with for the past week. Upon looking back, he found the source of the sudden heat. He’d left a wave of energy behind him that caused the metal room divider to combust. 

“Ah, uh, did I do that?” 

“You did.” A union of voices roared behind him, sounding both displeased and surprised. Wally reached up to wipe the blood off his face, leaving it looking smeared rather than clean, the blood not showing any sign of stopping. The sudden blood loss was quite likely the reason behind the onset of dizziness, and he had to sit himself on the floor before potentially passing out. Artemis was soon by his side with a paper towel, forcing the idiot to look down instead of up as she tucked it under his nose. 

“Don’t do that, you’ll drown in your own blood.” 

“Arty, sweetheart, you sure you should be touching me? I might accidentally set you on fire.” 

The woman shook her head as she pinched the soft spot right above his nose drill. “I doubt that. What were you doing anyway? You’d been given clear instructions, would it hurt to follow them at least once?”

“Hey! going slow would have gotten us nowhere!” 

“Says the guy who set fire to a METAL wall!” 

“Yeah well, so what! Dick’s got it covered!” Wally pointed his finger at the raven haired young adult who was busy trying to kill the flames with a fire extinguisher. 

With a sigh, he took Artemis’ free hand in his and held it tight. “Babe, I’m sorry, but going slow ain’t the way. I need to see results and I need them now, tomorrow or the day after aren’t gonna cut it. I want to enjoy every moment, to take it one day at a time, but I can’t do that. You get that, don’t you?” 

“No, stop sounding all philosophical. We’ve got time.”

“Ah, this is getting melodramatic. We better stop.” The redhead pushed back the forming tears with a bloody smile, Artemis staring at him in disbelief. He was hiding something, she couldn’t tell whether he meant what he said in a literal sense or used it as a metaphor for his impatience.    

“So Dick, any clue what just happened? How did the wall suddenly attack me?” 

“It didn’t. I think you, teleported?” 

“Come on now, that didn’t happen.” 

“Sorry kid, he’s right.” Barry came forward as Wally got back to his feet. “That wasn’t a detour, you disappeared for a solid three seconds before reappearing at a different location. It’s possible you’re unconsciously jumping through dimensions.” 

“So what, I’m relocating? Through a dimensional portal of some sort? You realize how stupid that sounds?” The silence that followed killed him. How could anyone come up with such an illogic explanation and have others believe it? “No, no way, that’s not possible, I’ve been between the past and the future in a loop of some sort, dimensional teleportation doesn’t fit into time travel. You’re pulling at straws. I’m not in between realities, I’m right here, in this reality, I’m just…” Could that be what was pulling at him? Could it be the reason he felt like he was running on borrowed time? 

“Fuck it, real or not, I know I’m here for a reason. We need to try again!”

A hand to his shoulder guided him to the couch in the middle of the living quarters.  

“What we need is for you to sit down before you cause serious harm.”  To both himself and others.      

Chapter Text

“Dude! I can’t believe no one told me you were reborn!” Bart cried out as he ran into the infirmary, clear disappointment in his voice yet utter joy plastered on his face as he, without much thought, jumped at his cousin to hug him and never let go. “You’re real! You’re not a hallucination this time!”   

“Ah, Bart, you’re, cutting the air, you can let go-”

“No! Never! I’m never leaving your side again! You died!”

“I, yeah, so I heard. Now please let go or you’ll kill me for real.”

“Ah sorry!” Bart quickly backed away, tears making his eyesight blurry. “You weren’t, you know, you weren’t supposed to die… I thought it was my fault you ceased. Your death, it affected a lot of us. I don’t know how to feel about this.”

“You and I both. I thought I’d been gone for a year, I thought I’d gotten older, but tests are showing I’m the exact same age as back then. I’m 22, Artemis is 26, I’m four years younger than her now.”

“You didn’t age?” 

“I’ve skipped four years Bart, four years. People are getting married, having kids, and though she didn’t mention it… I know she found someone else.” 

“She did, but she mourned you for a long time. No one thought you’d come back from the dead.” 

“I’m glad she moved on, I am, I just wish she'd tell me. Instead she's skidding around the subject, pretending things haven't changed... I don't know, I'm not supposed to be here, I'm glad to be but it feels wrong. I don't know if I even got an identity anymore.”

“I feel you. I felt out of the loop too when I first got here, not really knowing if I belonged. But I came here for a reason, and I learned to adapt. You’ll get back in the loop with time. Trust me” 

“...I feel more like a coma patient than a time traveler, having missed out on so much.” 

“Don’t sweat it, I’ll update you.” Bart picked up the device laying on the bedside table “We can start off by getting you a new phone.” 

“New? What’s wrong with the one I have?” 

“Hello Wally? Its ancient! 5 years at least!” 

“Yeah well, maybe I like ancient now! Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“As if I would leave you now, I just got you back! I’ll help you learn the new interface.” 

Wally let out a sigh, a smile soon following. He couldn’t stay annoyed, it was nice having him there to ease his worries. Someone who'd gone through a similar scenario, someone who'd had a clear goal in mind and accepted his fate. Someone who got to stay afterwards.

It would be best not to tell Bart that his stay might be temporary. 

Chapter Text

“Look, you clearly got some kinda mission from the future. I get that, truly. But West, you’ve been out of bed for less than a week. You really think this is a good idea?” 

Bart stood beside Wally, the guy frantically trying to understand the interface of the computer in front of him. There’d been a few updates since he departed, and their current base of operation was one of many new, minor locations. They were hiding in plain sight, behind a heavy garage door inside a public, underground garage in the middle of central city. Inside you’d find standard lab equipment, a master computer and a Zeta-tube. Nothing fancy but enough. 

“Trying to use my time wisely. I need to know how much info they got on this guy, though I’m not sure they’d know him in this century.” 

“Who know what? You’re telling me there’s some big bad evil guy running around that we don’t know?” 

“It’s complicated- go-fuck! This system sucks!” Wally leaned back in frustration, hands on his forehead as the words ‘access denied’ blared with bold, red letters on the screen. “Did Dick change the password or something?” 

Bart looked at him in surprise. He’d never heard Wally swear before, it was an alien experience. “…Dude, it’s been years, of course he’s changed it since you used it last.” 

Wally frowned and crossed his arms, staring at the screen for a moment before letting out a sigh. He’d prefer doing it without his best friend knowing, but since he couldn’t get access, he was running out of options. Pulling out his phone, the redhead went and dialed his friend, groaning when he hit voicemail. “Hey dude, it’s me. Call me when you can, I need your help. It's important.” Sending the message, Wally turned off the computer and stood up. “Let’s go, I can catch him in Gotham once he’s off duty.”

“You know, you still haven’t told me what you’re looking for. Could give a name, location, anything really.” Bart spoke as they watched the garage door close. “Might be able to help ya.” 

“I’d rather as few know as possible, at least for now.” Looking behind his cousin, Wally noticed a young girl entering the building, “we’ll talk later, just trust me for now.” 

Bart let it go and followed him outside, the two now heading down the street. It was later in the day, the sun and the moon both clear in the cloudless sky. Every other passerby was wearing a mask, a sign on every shop window telling you to keep a distance and wash your hands. The city looked more run down than he remembered, the greenery unkept and fewer people on the streets. It felt gloomy.

“We’re in a pandemic, been so for a while. It got better, then it got worse.” Bart explained, noticing his confusion, “you should probably wear a mask, since you’re, you know, weak.” 

Wally ignored the statement and watched a couple walk past them, the two stepping a few to the side, “how long has it been this way?”

“About a year". Bart looked around, making sure no one was listening, or at least not paying them any mind. Being in their civvies, they didn’t attract much attention other than the occasional bad eye from not wearing masks. “Some are too afraid to go outside, and those who can will work from home. Surprisingly, crime’s been on the low for a while, guess villains aren’t risking it either.”

It sounded familiar. Wally remembered hearing about a pandemic around the 21th century, but whether that had a connection to the galactic war or the destruction of the solar system, or even the great famine of 2024, he didn’t know. What triggered the destruction of earth was still unclear. All he had was a name and a few details. He knew that something in this day and age would be a trigger, that a young girl working for a greater evil would escalate a blooming war, confidential information getting into the wrong hands. 

Wally came to a sudden halt. 

“What, am I walking too fast? Need a break?” Bart asked once realizing he’d stopped. 

“No, the girl we saw, she felt familiar. Like someone I should know.”

“We’ve walked past a few of those, one in particular you’ve got in mind?”

“The one at the garage, long white hair, looking twelve?” 

“... Did you drink enough water? It’s quite warm out, you might've gotten a heat stroke.”

“We gotta go back, I don’t think her being there was coincidental.” Perhaps it was nothing but paranoia, he might just be imagining things thanks to a mishmash of jumbled information and dates, but Wally knew he couldn’t let suspicion slide.

“Okay, we’ll head back, check and see if something’s happened, but we should take it-” Bart watched as Wally went into a full sprint, not quite as fast as he used to be but still leaving a gust of wind behind, “slow… Yeah, this is going great. Should have known leaving the hub was a bad idea…” With a sigh of regret, Bart ran after him and quickly caught up, only to be left in the dust when the speedster suddenly disappeared and reappeared ways ahead, sparks and waves of energy pushing Bart back and slowing him down. He felt drained, like energy was sucked out of him, his head spinning and stomach churning, making him stop in his tracks and bend over to dry heave. Looking back up, Wally was gone, and although he knew the garage wasn’t far from where he currently stood, he couldn’t find the will nor power to move. The world was going too fast, he couldn’t seem to follow, and before he had a chance to react, it went dark and he fell unconscious.