Wally's thoughts drifted to the Speed Force as he continued his training, intentionally tuning out the drills that Team Arrow and Team Legends were undergoing nearby. He had secluded himself in the back of the truck, seeking solitude to focus on his own progress.
He cast a sideways glance at the untouched plate of food beside him, his expression hardening in distaste. Pushing it aside, he reached for the package labeled Big Belly Burger that he had covertly brought along. Taking a large, satisfying bite, he felt a wave of contentment wash over him, which was only amplified as he sipped his iced Coke with relish.
"Now, where was I?" he thought, settling into his favored position that allowed him to achieve perfect concentration. With his legs crossed, eyes closed, and body relaxed, he prepared to delve deeper into his training.
The blue sparks of electricity danced around him more frequently, though they remained contained, absorbed back into his being. His goal of enhancing the Speed Force aura surrounding him was materializing faster than he had anticipated.
It felt as if he had entered a state of unyielding focus, where mind and body were perfectly synchronized—a harmony that transcended mere willpower.
The voltages grew more intense, yet before they could cause any real damage, they were swiftly absorbed back into him, leaving only the distinct energy aura encircling him like a protective shield.
Suddenly, his consciousness, now in perfect sync with the universal force, the Speed Force, was pulled away by an unseen force, leaving his body and mind disjointed.
In panic, he tried regaining control; however, the attractive force was more powerful than he could comprehend. Later, he resigned his efforts as futile and gave in to the invitation.
Traveling through a seemingly endless void of electric energy at speeds he couldn't even comprehend or keep up with, he suddenly found himself halted in a strange space. The world was indescribable. The sky was filled with lightning that left echoes of thunder in its wake.
"Where the fuck am I?" he thought with wide eyes, yet strangely, he didn't feel panicked; on the contrary, he felt relieved, calm, as if he had arrived home.
*Is this the Speed Force?*
"No," a reply echoed, startling Wally, who immediately went on high alert, ready to attack or defend if need be.
"Relax, I just wanted to chat a bit," the voice once again spoke, jolting Wally's reaction as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. This prompted Wally to immediately respond with a full-powered punch to his rear, where he expected someone or something to be, but to his surprise, all he met was air.
The figure finally revealed itself with a flash of lightning, appearing out of thin air on a magnificent throne.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Wally barked out with rising tension, though the void still felt inviting; the rising tension was immediately snuffed out.
Sighting the figure on the levitating throne dressed in mixed shades of blue, Wally immediately dropped his guard, realizing the being before him was something he shouldn't upset.
Resigning to peaceful means, he asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
"I just wanted to talk, but first, can you guess who I am?" the figure asked with a curved smile on his face.
Wally narrowed his eyes, studying the figure before him. The throne, the confident demeanor, the familiar energy radiating from the mysterious figure—it all felt eerily familiar, yet slightly off.
"You've got the same vibe as me," Wally finally said, guessing his way forward, his voice cautious but intrigued. "But... more refined, mature. And that look in your eyes… It's like you've seen it all."
The figure chuckled, the sound reverberating through the strange space they were in. "You're on the right track, Kid Flash—or should I say Black Phantom? But think a little further—what if you were to surpass your own limits? What if you could control time, space, and the Universal Force itself in ways you can't even imagine right now?"
"Don't tell me..." Wally's mind raced as he connected the dots. "You're... me? From the future?"
The figure grinned, leaning forward slightly on his throne. "Bingo. Though, I prefer to think of myself as who you *could* become—given the right choices, of course."
Wally stared at the figure before him with a look of resigned disbelief in his eyes, but quickly shifted his thoughts. "Won't appearing now bear the possible consequences of that future not occurring?"
"You don't have to worry about me, whether you die or live no longer affects me. After all, I am outside the normal flow of time and space," thinking back to the good old days, the figure chuckled internally as he remembered when he was almost wiped out from existence.
"I doubt you came here just to ask me that," Wally pressed, his face cold and eyes focused, his hands crossed as he waited for an answer.
The being sitting on the throne gazed back at Wally with an equally focused gaze, his cheerful tone turning ashen, causing the atmosphere to immediately die down, the sound of thunder muted out.
"There's the me I know, trying to hide his fear, constantly worrying about the future, pondering how to survive incoming disasters... yet you continue to change the timeline on a whim," he paused, waiting for Wally's reaction.
"I've only changed so little so far," Wally retorted, wondering if that was truly why his future self was here. A bit skeptical if that was truly him to be.
"So little? Wally Junior, you really make me laugh... do you think time cares whether what you do is little or big? Time is constantly folding with each decision everyone in the universe makes, and eventually, they will collide leading to better or worse events."
Wally stood there speechless, not knowing what to say, his gaze still focused as he expected his future self to continue.
"All I'll advise you to do is return that recording device that Cisco was supposed to find as soon as possible."
"Okay, why do you care so much? I thought you said you couldn't be affected by the past—my present."
"Sigh... I just don't want you to die when you've just begun to enjoy your new purpose-filled life. Taking that recorder and Cisco not finding it leads to one of the worst timelines possible," he answered, stunning Wally, who furrowed his gaze.
"You may think this is what you're meant to do as a transmigrator, but what's the essence if you're too weak to bear the consequences" Letting a bit of emotion out, his future self continued. "You might think this is one of the least messed up of the DC universe, but in truth, it's just as bad, if not much worse," he blurted, his thoughts lingering on when he battled the Omega Force itself.
Wally sighed heavily as he considered the implications, wondering what his next route should be. "So... I should just let things happen? Not interfere?"
"Not exactly," Future Wally replied, his tone more encouraging. "You've got to be smart about it. You're going to face challenges that Barry never did, decisions that will push you to your limits. But you can't just change things on a whim. There's a balance to maintain, and sometimes, the hardest part is knowing when to act and when to let things be."
There was a moment of silence as Wally absorbed everything his future self was telling him. Finally, he looked up, determination gleaming in his eyes. "Alright, I get it. But you're not just here to lecture me, are you? Won't you be giving me something in return?" Wally said with a cheesy smile that his future self quickly responded to with an equal expression, followed by a hearty laugh that echoed throughout the space. "You're sharp. I like that." He stood up from his throne, stepping closer to Wally. "I'm going to give you something to help you in the short run. It's not going to solve all your problems, but it'll give you an edge."
Wally watched as Future Wally placed a hand on his forehead, a surge of energy passing between them. It wasn't like the Speed Force energy he was used to—this felt deeper, almost like it was embedding itself into his very soul.
"What… what is this?" Wally asked, his voice slightly shaky.
"Future sight," Future Wally explained, stepping back. "You'll be able to see into the future when there's danger, but here's the catch—you'll have to learn how to control it manually. It won't just come to you whenever you want; you'll need to train, to focus. And trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds."
Wally sighed, wondering why his future self couldn't just give him complete mastery over it, but feeling the new ability settling within him, he quickly shrugged it off. *Well, I expect nothing less from myself,* he thought. "But you know I'll learn this easily, right?"
"I know you will," Future Wally said with a smirk. "But remember, it is just a tool. How you use it is what really matters. Now, it's time for you to head back."
Before Wally could respond, the space around him began to shift, the strange environment fading into a blur of blue energy.
"Wally," Future Wally's voice echoed as the world spun around him. "Make sure you don't just survive—thrive. And whatever you do, don't lose sight of who you are and those you care about."
With those final words, Wally felt himself being pulled back to reality, the familiar sounds of his world returning as the strange space vanished entirely.
He was back in the truck, the untouched Big Belly Burger still sitting beside him. What's that supposed to mean? he muttered, his thoughts lingering on what his future self had said last.
He felt like there was something else hidden in his words, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
With his efforts to decipher the message proving futile, he could only return to his training. He quickly made a clone, which swiftly returned the device he had taken.
"Maybe I was just overthinking it,"
-----
"The past might no longer affect me, but it can affect her," the future Wally thought, his mind drifting to someone important. "This journey is lonely without you," he thought the memories of her vanishing the more he tried to remember.