In the pitch-black void, a dormant figure suddenly stirred, his eyes snapping open to find himself engulfed in an impenetrable darkness.

It felt like he was suspended in nothingness, his limbs bound by an unseen force that held him immobile, with each shallow breath coming in erratic gasps.

The sensation was both suffocating and oddly exhilarating, as if he were teetering on the brink of something unimaginable.

He struggled fiercely against the invisible restraints, his mind racing with panic. But no matter how hard he fought, his efforts proved futile. Exhausted and frustrated, he finally ceased his thrashing, attempting to collect his thoughts.

"Wait... am I not supposed to be dead?" he wondered, fear creeping into his mind like a slow, insidious poison.

The memory of his demise was vivid—he had met a brutal yet strangely painless end, struck down by a relentless barrage of lightning.

The scene replayed in his mind with haunting clarity: the sky split open by crackling bolts of energy, each one striking him with merciless force.

The first strike had stunned him, leaving him paralyzed and defenseless as the storm unleashed its full fury upon him.

It was as if he had incurred the wrath of the gods, a divine punishment beyond mortal comprehension.

"Did I survive? Am I trapped in a coffin, thought to be dead?" The thought sent a fresh surge of panic through him, his heart racing as he contemplated the horrifying possibility.

He was on the verge of resuming his desperate struggles and screaming for help when, unexpectedly, the darkness around him began to change.

The walls and edges of his confinement started to glow with an eerie, otherworldly light. Lightning surged through his body once more, but this time it was different.

The electric currents danced along his veins, crackling with a strange familiarity, as if they belonged to him.

Before he could fully grasp what was happening, his consciousness was swept away in a blinding flash.

.

.

.

Even as his consciousness floated in the abyss, he could feel the electricity coursing through his veins, through his cells, through his very essence.

It was apparent now—he had gained a connection to a mysterious force, one that was beyond his understanding. The Speed Force.

The surging energy began to flicker, as if it were responding to his will, obeying his commands.

The lightning that once threatened to tear him apart now danced around his frame in a controlled rhythm.

Just as he felt a semblance of control, a cold blade seemed to slice through the substance that held him, cutting him free.

The next sound he heard was a panicked voice, "Joe, don't!" And then, whatever had shackled his body was blown to bits.

His nostrils flared as they took in fresh air, and his blurry vision caught sight of words that read, "S.T.A.R. Labs."

But before he could process any further, his body, overwhelmed by the transformation it was undergoing, shut down, plunging him into unconsciousness once again.

"…Wally? Wally!" The faint echoes of concern filled his ears before all his senses dulled into oblivion.

.

.

.

~A Few Hours Later~

"His vitals are stabilizing. His brain is adjusting to the needs of a speedster. Other than that, he's completely okay.

He should be waking up soon." Caitlin's voice was steady as she delivered her report on Wally's condition, though her eyes betrayed a deep unease.

Her gaze briefly flicked to the meta-dampening cuffs she wore, a grim reminder of her own unwanted powers, before she exited the room with a downcast expression.

Cisco, noticing her distress, quickly followed after her, hoping to quell the rising guilt he knew was eating away at her.

Meanwhile, Barry stood apart from the others, radiating a deep self-blame that weighed heavily on his conscience.

He knew all too well that the situation they were in—Wally's transformation, Caitlin's struggle with her powers—was a direct result of his actions during Flashpoint.

Because of his selfishness, Caitlin now bore powers that came with a dangerous second personality. Cisco's brother was no longer alive. And countless other lives had been irrevocably altered in ways they had yet to discover.

Barry couldn't shake the feeling that every terrible thing that had happened, and every tragedy that lay ahead, was his fault.

The guilt was overwhelming, his thoughts unfocused and heavy. Iris, who had been watching him closely, noticed the turmoil in his eyes. She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, trying to offer him solace.

"Barry, I know by that look of yours that you think this is your fault."

Barry's voice was strained as he replied, "Iris, it is my fault. Saying otherwise is just... The number of lives I've changed—ruined—because of my selfishness... It feels like every bad thing that's happening is because of me. I mean, Alchemy, and now this Savitar..." His voice cracked, his eyes welling up with tears as the weight of his actions bore down on him.

Joe sat by Wally's bedside, his hands tightly clutching his son's, praying for his safety and well-being. His eyes were red and teary, a mix of fear and hope swirling within him. Then, suddenly, he felt Wally's hand twitch slightly. It was a subtle movement, but it was enough to make Joe's heart leap in his chest. Wally's consciousness was snapping back to life.

"Damn, feels like I just had a hangover," Wally thought groggily, his mind still hazy as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. His vision was blurry, the world around him swimming in and out of focus. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his sight. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud, his voice raspy and weak.

As his vision sharpened, he noticed the figure holding his hand, the familiar warmth and presence grounding him. "Joe?" he asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

Joe's teary eyes softened, and a relieved smile spread across his face. "Yes, yes, it's me, son," he replied, his emotions barely contained. "I'm here."

Wally's mind raced as he processed the situation. "Oh shit, don't tell me..." Before he could finish the thought, another voice broke into the room, pulling his attention away.

"Wally!" Iris's voice rang out, filled with joy and relief. She and Barry had been standing at the doorway, hands clasped together, but now Iris ran forward, wrapping Wally in a tight embrace. The warmth of her hug was a stark contrast to the cold, sterile environment of the hospital room.

Wally let out a resigned sigh as the reality of his situation sank in. "Yep, I'm in the soon-to-be-doomed Arrowverse," he muttered to himself, mentally bracing for the countless dangers he knew were lurking in the near future. Savitar was the immediate threat, but Wally's mind was already racing ahead to the looming challenges: DeVoe, Cicada, Ramsey, and the inevitable Crisis. Even an alien invasion was on the horizon.

He leaned back against the pillows, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on him. "Why did I ever stop watching the series?" he mused, regretting his decision to drop *The Flash* around the middle of season six. He'd missed so much, and now he was living it.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Wally decided to take things one step at a time. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to center himself. When he opened them again, he was startled to find everything around him frozen in place. The room, once filled with the bustling energy of life, was now eerily still. It was as if time itself had stopped.

"What the hell?" Wally's eyes widened in shock as he looked around. Barry, who was still standing at the door, seemed equally perplexed, though he appeared to be the only one not frozen in place.

"How are you doing that?" Barry asked, his voice filled with both awe and confusion.

Wally ignored the question, too absorbed in the new sensation coursing through his body. "I feel electricity running through my veins. It almost feels... addictive," he thought, savoring the raw power that surged within him. The connection to the Speed Force was palpable, intoxicating.

"This must be Flash Time," Wally realized, his mind racing with possibilities. "How do I get out of it?" Instinctively, he focused on pulling back the energy he was emitting, and just like that, the world around him snapped back into motion, everything returning to normal.

"Yep, I've got a whole lot of questions to answer," Wally thought, already feeling the weight of his newfound powers and responsibilities. But before he could dwell on that, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "But first, let's see just how great that Big Belly Burger actually is."

Whoosh~, he sped out of star labs at shocking speed, leaving behind a trail of light blue leaving Barry in contemplation.

Wally surfing through the memories of the body he shared a similar name with, quickly located the joint. Speeding through and getting himself some Burgers, and of course he forgot to pay.