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After an intense back-and-forth with Alfred, Wally finally took a deep breath, calming himself. The funds had already been spent, and there was nothing he could do about it now. He had only himself to blame for not keeping a closer eye on the budget.
This setback meant he'd have to postpone his plans for a thinking cap, one that would elevate a speedster's brainpower far beyond what DeVoe's ever could. But without the resources for that project, he could now shift his full attention to establishing West Tech, a company focused on advanced, energy-based technology.
With the knowledge gleaned from the Dominators and Alfred's support, he could tailor alien tech to suit human needs, refining core information while discarding anything too foreign or impractical.
One major hurdle still remained: explaining it all to Joe and the others. He couldn't hide something of this scale if he planned to use the West family name—it had to be West Tech. No substitutes. "I really need to explain this," Wally muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"Alfred, you're now in charge of managing the clones' workload. It shouldn't be overwhelming, so you should be able to make it work," Wally instructed. "And we need to start utilizing the space we have. I noticed some drones on the list you showed me. They should be capable of construction work, right?"
"Indeed, they can," Alfred replied as holographic images of the drones appeared in midair. Wally examined them closely, noting their capabilities. The drones could fly, allowing them to handle complex structural tasks without restriction. Each was equipped with multiple arms and appendages, perfectly suited for construction.
However, another issue arose: money. To build enough drones to cover an area the size of multiple football fields, he'd need thousands—if not more.
"Alfred, we're in dire need of funds. Got any ideas?" Wally asked, though he already had one, hesitating to voice it.
"Until we can generate our own revenue, I suggest we source it… elsewhere," Alfred said, hinting at Wally's unspoken plan.
"You're authorized. Just make sure it's untraceable," Wally replied. There were plenty of criminal organizations with more than enough funds to spare; siphoning a few million here and there would go unnoticed, as long as he covered his tracks.
"Say no more, my liege," Alfred responded smoothly. Moments later, Wally's phone pinged with a notification: a credit alert for $45,000,000.
"Why bother earning my own money when I could just take it?" Wally thought, a sly grin forming. "Is this how thieves feel? Rich without effort… it's strangely addictive."
"Alfred! Order all the materials we need in bulk. We're working non-stop today," Wally commanded, already piecing together a story for Joe. "I'll just tell him I'm moving out… maybe mention Jesse might need a place if she decides to move to Earth-1," he reasoned with a shrug.
He grinned, thinking of all the free time he'd have. Should he consider early graduation? He dismissed the thought almost immediately—his clones could take care of his college obligations if needed.
But one thing still lingered in his mind: how to convince Joe and the others. He needed to roll out his plans carefully, so it didn't raise any suspicion.
Just then, a light bulb went off in his head as he got an idea. "Alfred, print the blueprint for the first design of the pulse reactor and the prototype we've made." Wally quickly swiped all the materials into his backpack, his eyes lingering on the energy tech before him.
The pulse reactor had a circular design. He almost couldn't contain the urge to call it the arc reactor. Although the design looked similar, the principles were vastly different.
The energy it provided was enough to power a city like Central City for a year. That was how advanced Dominator technology was, and this was just the bare minimum. Even powering the entire planet wasn't far-fetched from what the Dominators were capable of, but doing that would require immense resources.
He placed the pulse reactor into his backpack and faced Alfred. "So, how does one exit this dimension?" he asked, as it was untested.
"I've placed multiple anchors around the world. It just depends on where you want to go; I'll get you as close as possible," Alfred explained.
"Okay, then, get me to STAR Labs, as close as possible," he requested, disappearing in a fading blur.
In the next moment, he appeared on the streets of Central City, away from prying eyes. He glanced around and immediately noticed STAR Labs not too far away, chuckling. "I guess I don't need the hideout in Coast City anymore."
He glanced around once again and immediately sped into STAR Labs. Just in time to encounter Cisco in his workshop. All he had to do was ask for assistance, to spread the information better. This way, it wouldn't seem abrupt.
He noticed Cisco working at one of the consoles, completely absorbed in a new gadget design resembling a gauntlet. Wally took a steadying breath, rehearsing the casual approach in his head. This needed to feel natural, like he was just dropping by for help with a project.
"Hey, Cisco!" Wally called, trying to keep his tone light.
Cisco glanced up, blinking in mild surprise. "Wally! Didn't expect to see you so early in the morning," Cisco said, with Wally glancing at the clock on the table. It clearly read 12:50 p.m. "Need any help?"
Wally shrugged and chuckled. "Yeah, actually, I wanted to pick your brain about a project I'm working on."
Cisco's curiosity piqued, and he gave Wally a thoughtful nod. "Alright, lay it on me. What kind of project?"
Wally pulled the blueprint for the pulse reactor from his backpack, along with a rough prototype. "It's something I'm calling the pulse reactor," he said, setting it down. "Basically, an energy generator—but one capable of producing vast amounts of energy."
Cisco's eyes widened as he scanned the blueprint, his fingers hovering over the design. "Whoa. This is… next-level, Wally. Where did you even get this idea?"
Wally hesitated, careful to avoid mentioning the Dominators. "I've been doing a lot of research lately," he said, sidestepping the truth. "Think of it as a new direction for me. I want to use my speed for more than just… you know, running fast and taking down bad guys. There's so much tech out there that we haven't tapped into. I figured, why not start something that could benefit everyone? Make the world safer and more efficient." What a load of nonsense, he thought with an internal chuckle.
Cisco nodded slowly, still studying the prototype. "Man, this is… already on the level of things we've done at STAR Labs. I mean, it could revolutionize power grids and make cities self-sustaining. Are you planning to run this solo?"
"Of course not. I'm planning on developing a company in the future. I'm thinking of naming it West Technologies. What do you think?"
Cisco paused, listening to his plan. When Wally finished, Cisco moved closer, placing a hand on Wally's shoulder, activating his vibe to confirm this was the real Wally.
It took a few seconds for his vibe to activate. Unusual, but not unfounded, he shrugged this off as he focused on what he saw. He saw Wally painstakingly working, writing on a board, making several errors, starting all over. Cisco quickly noted that if Wally wasn't a speedster, he might never have made this progress.
Seeing this, he smiled, knowing there was nothing suspicious. To ensure Wally wasn't aware of his probing, he said, "You, Mr. West, have a very nice future ahead of you."
Eyeing the reactor in his hand, he added, "But I don't think you need my help; the reactor is stabilized and running efficiently. All you need is to complete the design. If you still need my help with that, I'm here."
"Thank you, I'll need help on that design," Wally smirked, pleased his plan had worked. The watch he wore had foiled Cisco's attempts at unveiling his secrets. "Dominator tech for the win," he mused internally.
"Let's get to it…" Cisco called him out of his thoughts. They grabbed several kits and materials, contemplating various other things.
"With your smarts, you could really help more around STAR Labs…"
They continued fine-tuning things around the workshop. When they finished with the reactor, Wally gave Cisco the blueprint and some important notes. He planned to make a pulse reactor for STAR Labs so they wouldn't be reliant on the city's power grid.
Just as they were wrapping up for the evening, Wally's watch suddenly beeped, attracting Cisco's attention.
"That watch is definitely not normal. What's it for?" Cisco asked out of curiosity. Wally sighed internally at Alfred's abrupt notice, though he could only blame himself for instructing Alfred to notify him when the materials for the drones and thinking cap arrived.
"You're right. It actually hosts the artificial intelligence I've been working on. Say hi, Alfred."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr.Ramon. It's an honor…"
After that, nothing major happened, but he planned to go to Joe's place for dinner to inform him about moving out, even if he had just moved in not too long ago. His plan required a lot of his time.