Whoosh! Wally skiddled to a stop as he entered the cortex, stunning Caitlin and Cisco, who were intently scanning the city for any sign of Alchemy and Savitar.
"Wally, why are you here so late? It's almost 8 o clock," Cisco inquired, a lollipop dangling lazily from his mouth.
"Well, I thought I should come in so Caitlin can complete her tests... also, I got you guys some coffee," Wally offered, holding out two steaming cups with a grin.
"Thanks, but HR already made us some," Caitlin calmly rejected, her focus never wavering from the monitors.
"Speak for yourself! I don't mind having another," Cisco quickly retorted, snatching a cup of coffee for himself before heading off to his workshop.
"Meet me in the speed lab in 30 minutes," Caitlin said before walking off, leaving Wally to his own devices.
Without missing a beat, Wally dashed to his workshop, coming to a stop in front of a black-colored mannequin that would soon hold his new suit.
"Time to start," he muttered to himself, glancing at the suit designs and the array of materials he had gathered just three days ago.
Over the past few days, Wally had meticulously balanced his time between off-Star Labs training and running across the city to become more familiar with his surroundings.
But during these days, he also discovered something extraordinary. He found that he could easily grasp new abilities, almost as if it were second nature.
It wasn't something that could be explained by mere talent. Wally vividly remembered how he was able to phase through objects simply because he willed it, without any prior training or guidance.
It was the same with how he quickly gained perfect control over the electricity he generated, even manipulating it without needing to move.
Typically, speedsters needed to be in motion to generate energy, but Wally could summon it at will, without any form of physical movement.
As he reflected on this, he attributed his newfound capabilities to various factors, including a higher connection to the Speed Force. However, one possibility stood out the most.
Could it be a reward from the being who had transmigrated him? Perhaps his memories of the encounter had been erased, leaving him with unexplained power. Regardless of the reason, it was clear to Wally that he could master anything related to his connection with the Speed Force on the first try.
"But is it limited to just what a speedster would be capable of with enough training, or can I invent entirely new moves and sub-abilities?" Wally mused aloud. "Well, I'll find out eventually."
For now, he decided to keep his secret hidden, choosing to reveal it only when Iris inevitably planned on shutting him down. But today, his focus was solely on creating his suit.
Glancing back and forth between the 3D design on his computer and the materials laid out before him, Wally instantly went into full drive.
His hands moved hastily yet meticulously, assembling the suit piece by piece. As he worked, the materials gradually disappeared, and the suit began to take shape on the mannequin. But even with the suit now complete, Wally wasn't finished.
With a cheeky smile, Wally reappeared with paint in hand. Without hesitation, he began designing the suit in his own unique style. The suit was first coated in black, with lines of silver carefully drawn to highlight its sleek form.
Finally, Wally finished it off with a bold white lightning bolt across the chest. To give it an extra touch, he coated the bolt with a luminous substance, making it glow subtly in the light.
[Image]
Coming to a halt, Wally couldn't help but appreciate his own work. "Damn, I really outdid myself, didn't I?" he said with a grin, admiring the final product.
After ensuring the design was perfect, Wally walked over to a spacious, unobstructed section of the wall on the right side of his workshop.
He placed his hand on a particular spot, causing the wall to open with a light hum, revealing a hidden room just large enough to house the suit. The room was of course many of the places hidden in star labs he had miraculously found when he phasing around the place.
"Just perfect," Wally whispered, grinning from ear to ear as he tucked the suit away. Now, with his suit complete and hidden, Wally finally had a full house of cards to play against Iris, whenever the time came.
"Wally, don't keep us waiting," Caitlin's voice echoed through the speakers installed in the workshop. With one last glance around, Wally made his way to the speed lab, reappearing before Joe, Iris, Cisco, and Caitlin.
"I can't wait to finish all these tests so I can start taking down some bad guys," Wally quipped joyfully, shooting a glance at Iris, whose expression hardened, her gaze furrowing bitterly.
Before anyone could respond, Wally dashed off, circling the lab at blinding speed. Caitlin focused on running critical tests, while Cisco monitored his speed, eyes glued to the data streaming in.
"He keeps getting faster every time we test him," Joe observed, watching Wally's blur as it zipped around the room.
"Yeah, he's already approaching Mach 3," Cisco said, broadening their view on the monitors. Iris shifted uncomfortably, the news only deepening her concern.
"Already? And he just got his speed a few days ago. Caitlin, how are his vitals? Are they okay?" Iris asked, hoping for something—anything—that might be off.
"Yeah, they are. In fact, they're beyond expected levels. His running economy and lactate threshold are well above average," Caitlin responded, her tone tinged with the disappointment Iris had been hoping for.
"Well, I think we've got a prodigy on our hands—a wizard of whiz," Cisco quipped with a smile, fiddling with a Rubik's cube.
"Guys, I don't want Wally to think he's Barry. I don't want him rushing off half-cocked, trying to take down Alchemy or Savitar when he's clearly not ready," Iris said, her voice firm with worry.
"But Iris, Wally doesn't want his powers gone like mine. We're gonna have a hard time convincing him not to use them," Caitlin pointed out, her voice heavy with concern.
"Yeah, well, we have to... until he's ready..."
Wally, moving so fast that the world outside his speed seemed like a slow-motion dream, adjusted his senses. As he did, he started to catch fragments of their conversation.
The more he heard, the more his irritation grew, prompting him to come to a stealthy halt just before Iris could finish her words.
He remembered what he had seen Wally do in Season 6 when he returned to Central City just before the Speed Force died—speed clones, or at least that's what Wally thought they were.
Channeling that memory, Wally quickly achieved the desired effect, a clone appearing right where he had been running moments before.
Simultaneously, he vibrated his body at a frequency so fast that the human eye couldn't detect him, making him effectively invisible.
He watched as the clone continued to run in circles while he stood unseen, observing the group. He moved carefully, positioning himself close to them without giving away his presence.
"That means no encouraging him, no training him, and you," Iris pointed directly at Cisco, "no talking to him about a suit... please, it's for his own good."
Cisco, uncomfortable with the idea, scoffed lightly. "Why the hell not? It's just another lie between friends."
Before Iris could formulate a reply, Wally decided to reveal himself. He appeared in a sitting position just a few meters away, seemingly out of nowhere.
Joe was visibly stunned, his hand instinctively moving toward his gun, while Cisco jumped to his feet. Caitlin stood on guard, her expression wary, and Iris froze, eyes wide, trying to gauge how much Wally had overheard.
"Wally, how did you..." Joe began, but Wally cut him off.
"I just vibrated faster than the human eye can perceive. I've been here the whole time," he replied, his gaze locking with Iris's, his tone calm but firm.
"But how are you doing that?" Cisco asked, his eyes flicking between Wally and the clone that continued to run, leaving a trail of blue lightning in its wake.
"Is it a speed mirage?" Cisco asked, his curiosity piqued.
"No, it's not," Wally explained. "Think of it as Speed Force energy given form and shape, along with a single command: run."
Before Wally could finish his explanation, Cisco's eyes widened in realization. "Speed clone!" he exclaimed, naming the ability.
"Yeah, it really fits," Wally replied, ignoring Iris and the awkward tension hanging in the air. With a snap of his fingers, the clone dissipated, the energy returning to his body.
For a moment, the room was silent, the weight of the situation settling in. But the quiet was abruptly broken by HR's voice cutting through the speakers: "Test, test, your presence in the cortex would be appreciated."
"His presentation... that's tonight," Cisco said with a sigh, the reminder of their responsibilities breaking the tense atmosphere.
Wally didn't say a word, simply walking out of the lab toward the cortex, leaving the others to follow behind him.
As they trailed him, Wally's thoughts were racing. "It seems the aliens are about to arrive," he muttered under his breath, recognizing the plot unfolding.
Reaching the cortex, Wally found himself a seat and sat down, pulling out his phone and opening a game, his mind already planning his next move.