Author's note: Post season 2. References from comic character (Inerita and Sungirl) neither are mention on the Young Justice series. (Unless otherwise, please let me know).
Summary: Wally returned to his friend and family. As far as they know he vanished three years ago from the Arctic. Unfortunately, those last three years took more apart of him then he can count. How will the team handle the return of their suppose dead friend?
Warning: Rated T+ for Violence, blood, (maybe gore) minor coarse language. (It's one of those story 'Don't like, don't read type'. So please take the warning seriously)
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or Flash's comic book characters.
Beta: Thank you Angel Wolf for actually accepting this type of Rating (Trust me, it was not easy finding one who was okay with violence and blood) so thank you!
Chapter 1: Inertia's Goal
Light.
In the middle of no where, back to where it started, the Magnetic North Pole.
There were small particle of lights that started to reform out of nowhere, changing to something solid.
Tangible to the touch, and alive to interact with, they came with an electric blue lightning that danced around the entity until it reconstructed into it's rightful state.
Within seconds it was complete.
With one foot landing in front of the other, a person suddenly fell from the light, pulled down by his heavy weight.
Gravity.
He grunted from his fall and waited for his muscles to contract.
A few seconds later, he started feeling dizzy.
"Whoa . . . That was . .-ohh," he twisted on his back and placed his palm on his masked forehead.
It felt like Conner had stomped on his head a few dozen times.
In a word; Agony.
He tried to lift himself up but his limp legs wouldn't comply.
His mind struggled to jostle all the tasks he wanted to complete, considering it was going through its own war, so he sat uncomfortably on the frozen floor.
It made him realize he was alive.
Alive . . .
Alive!
He snapped back to reality and became aware of his location. What happened again?
The landscape was pretty much the same location, the Arctic, closely similar to the last time he saw both his uncle and his cousin. What happened to him?
Bart, Barry, Artemis, the team, his friends, his life. He began to recall it like it was yesterday.
He was running; running to help his family with some kind of crisis that could've destroy the world, and he . . . he-
"Not exactly what you expected, eh Wally?" The voice interrupted his train of thought.
West quickly turned to see a somewhat recognizable face. He'd seen it before, he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Wh-Who are you?" he asked, hoping that whoever this person was could help him.
Then, the sharp pain in his head twitched, shunting misery through his body.
Well, that wasn't helping anyone.
An unexpected grin appeared on the kid's face. It gave Wally an unsettling sensation in his stomach.
"The name's Inertia." He rasped at him, before disappearing where he stood.
Wally immediately looked around. Where did the man go? In front of Wally, in an instant, the man reappeared.
His eyes widen in shock, gaping at the new runner before him. He felt that it was impossible; not real; inconceivable!
He instinctively attacked, but the self-identified speedster caught his punch in a second, then flung the resurrected man across a distance of thirty feet.
So, the guy was strong too.
Wally tumbled and felt his arm almost dislocated. His face felt the sting of the powdery snow.
He felt around and managed to push himself off his front, faltering onto his sore back as Inertia zipped in front of him into a cool walk.
Green electricity surged in and out of the guy's body, disappearing as he slowed himself.
"Augh! S-Speed! How!? Who are you!?" He yelled, but by the time he reached that last part, he'd begun to slur his words.
He felt worse that dead. While rubbing his headache, he managed to get a grasp on his surroundings a bit.
The vile kid crossed his arms, sternly smirking at him.
Up close, Wally noticed something familiar, something . . . close to home. Home . . . Again he thought about his old life, he wanted to go back.
The boy leaned in closely to his hostage, "How about I help you with your headache? Penny for your thought."
"Wh-"
In the blink of an eye, Wally didn't see anything. In fact, he just never saw it coming. The kid sonically sucker punched him.
The jab knocked him out cold without a second thought. If he didn't use his speed, that would've hurt. But Wally was smarter than most give him credit for.
So he used his inert energy to dull his pain receptors, and so that punch in the eye felt relatively soft.
The last thing he saw was a scarlet splatter mark, then everything went black. At least his headache stopped . . . right?
Sometime Later
Everything hurt.
His head, his core, his legs, his arms and his neck. Everything was so painful, too heavy to be lifted, and yet he resisted.
He groaned and slowly began to move from his restraint.
Wally tried to move his head and observe his surrounding but an unexpected throb made him regret moving any body part.
So instead, he shifted his whole body from his stomach to his back. At first he thought it was easy. Things were going well.
But he soon regretted it.
"Agh!" He shrieked, arching his back for a second from the thrashing torment.
Slowly, he laid flat again. He was getting a little frustrated at himself for his weak body.
It begged to be left alone, to at least be given rest for awhile, but Wally's persistent need to know why this was happening superseded all pain.
Why was he being put through this at all? Who was that kid? Why was he so familiar? How could he get home?
Home.
He just wanted to go home.
He looked around again and this time noticed a substance in his surrounding; metal.
Everywhere was metal: the walls, the ceiling, the floor, and his chains. He thought it was a bit eerie. Then, he realized that his whole upper body was strapped into a used straitjacket.
For a very frightening reason, it was connected to chains behind him.
If only he had enough strength to phase out, he would've gotten himself free easy, but it was more than 24 hours since his last meal. No food, no energy, no speed.
He was stuck.
Wally couldn't comprehend his predicament, 'Where the hell am I? I need to get out, the team's gotta know where I am.'
He struggled until he heard a clink that made him turn on his side. Peering through the dark room to get a look, he saw it.
'A door,' He said to himself, but was cut short when he saw who stepped inside his confinement.
"Well, well, well, it looks like you're finally awake," Sneered the hostile voice, "You may not know me completely, but in due time we will grow . . . close."
A disturbed smile appeared on his lips as he prowled closely to Wally.
"What the hell is this is place!? Who are you!?" The speedster demanded.
His captor turned his back to him, moving into the shadows toward a control panel. As he fiddled with it, he turned back to him and said,
"Lets just say; I can't wait to spend some time with my dear, old cousin . . . once removed." He stated, turning his head to the side to show Wally his manic face.
Wally's eyes widened.
"What?" He was bewildered, noticing something that he didn't see before, "Y-You . . . You can't be-"
He thought quickly, putting everything together until the kid crouch down, with one knee touching the cold floor, staring back at Wally with his psychotic eyes.
"Bart." He concluded.
No. No that couldn't be right, they were fighting together just a day ago! Or was it a day? How long had he been gone? He hadn't even stopped to consider the consequences of dying.
Take away the blond hair, replace it with brown, and give him yellow electricity, and that was the him. Bart never mentioned a twin.
The guy in front of him certainly didn't think so, otherwise he wouldn't be claiming Wally as his cousin.
'What's going on!?'
"Aheh, no." He scowled, "I'm nothing like that pathetic, useless twin of mine." He grabbed a fistful of Wally's hair and pulled the man close to his twisted face.
"I'm named after my father, the one who made me. Thaddeus Thawne, the second. Ya see, he created me from genetic cloning for just one purpose."
He squeezed his hand back causing Wally to yell.
"To kill Bart, and you're going to help me. In fact, together? We're going to annihilate every speedster, including uncle Barry."
"N-No! Never!" Wally shouted in his face defiantly, "I'll never hurt anyone! You're wasting your breath on the wrong speedster!" He spat in the boy's face.
With his hair still being pulled back painfully, he continued, "Hehe, you'll see that we're not so easy to eliminate, not-Bart."
Always a jokester.
"-One way or another, my team will find me, and they'll stop you. They'll stop you and put you away, so there, kid." He finished.
Inertia cackled before slamming Wally's head roughly on the heavy metal floor.
"Oh, you'll join me, whether by will or . . . force. Sun Girl," he left Wally to welcome his ally, "Do it."
He stared at a gorgeous lady as the door closed. She'd been waiting for his order. Possessing tan skin and bright, ruby hair, the woman was dressed in a form-fitting uniform that left her sleeveless and little to the the imagination. With golden bands around her forearms, her toned biceps flared as she became delighted by the order.
Upon the bust of her yellow and orange costume was a crimson star symbol.
With the signal from his command, she began to engulf herself with a bright flare and stared at Wally on the floor.
Focusing her mind on a particular limb, she suddenly changed the temperature within the room, and the cold seemed to seep out.
Wally didn't notice at first, but the sudden excess of heat got him panicked. A ghostly smoke arose from nowhere at his legs.
He began to squirm, trying anything to just get away from the fog, but no matter how hard he fought to keep away, things got worse.
"What the fu-Ahhh! Stop! Stooop! Ahhh!" He said as it clawed at him, burning his legs and scorching his mind.
What power was this?
"Sun Girl's special ability: Pyrokinesis. She can manipulate heat energy from any location through her mind. Right now, you are experiencing a taste of her magnificent power." The boy explained.
He grinned as he watched sadistically. Wally was suffering.
"In time Wally, in time. You'll see things through my eyes. You'll come to understand the plan: it's wonderful." Inertia mocked him as he burned, ending his tone raspily.
Sun Girl heightened the output of her heat energy, to the point that it started to melt Wally's skin.
"AAAGH!" Wally screamed.
'Dear god someone help me! Anyone. Please! Make it stooop!' He struggled, resisted, and fought to do anything to make the anguish go away, but he was restrained far too well.
He was losing his legs, his precious tool, his gift from his uncle. His legacy. Wally yelled and begged, but it did him no good.
He actually began to cry, "P-Please . . . stop!"
His voice warbled, and the searing went on. He started to hear something. It seemed all too familiar and mundane, yet it shouldn't have been there.
Sizzling. A hiss emanated from the meat of his legs, being cooked on the metal floor like eggs in a pan.
The sound was absolutely unbearable. The flesh became darkened, blackening before his eyes until it all fell off. Even his elastic Flash suit was burning away, fusing within into his skin.
Inertia held a hand up, motioning to the girl but keeping his gaze fixed on his tortured cousin. At his signal, she released the man from her heat.
"Thank you, darling. You may leave. I'll be right behind you." He said calmly to his precious flame. She didn't reply back, instead leaving quietly.
"That was fun. Maybe next time we won't have to take it easy on you, so you can see what happens when we both join in." Wally's lurid captor smiled.
The man bit his lips. His will was too well preserved to be put down on account of a little burn.
"I s-said it before . . . And I'll say it again, never!" He growled, even though his legs were giving him excruciating pain.
Wally knew the consequence of his action, he still stood by what was right, even if that meant being locked up with a sociopathic psycho.
"Hm, I didn't expect it to be that easy, fine by me. This is going to be more fun than I thought. We will get through this together! As a family. Your only true family!" The wretched teen chuckled.
As he began to walk to the door, the blond boy turned his head and stopped.
"You know, your headstone was a beautiful touch at the cemetery. I especially thought it was just adorable when everyone was standing next to your beloved mother and father's graves as well.
One big, happy West family laying all next to each other," Then that cacophonous laughter surged up, "Haha-hahahehehe he he, eh . . . If there was a body to bury, that is."
The boy's eyes were more evil than anything he'd ever known, and that cackle was haunting.
Diabolical footsteps and a frighteningly loud door slam planted themselves into Wally's head.
'No!' Wally thought, staring back up at the ceiling in shock, laying on his back with burning tears falling across his temples and cheeks.
Realizing what that evil child just said about his family, about him. He was dead. His mom and dad were dead. So that meant no one was looking for him because . . . He was dead.
They're not coming.
No one's coming.
He was alone.
Left to be torture by this insane, crazy devil. Not even the pain from his legs could bring him back from this omen.
'It's over, and I'm fading into the ground. They can't come here, because they won't come here. This is where-. . . I rest.' He thought before the darkness around him finally consumed him.
He couldn't take it, not this. Can't take the news. Couldn't take the kid. He wanted to sleep. All he wanted at that moment was for the darkness to put him out of his misery.
And that's exactly what it did.
Three Years Later
It was a nice, bright, sunny day.
From his indication, Wally suspected it to be spring, or at least right in the early part of the season. One clear indicator was a slight breezy wind still lingering on his skin when it touched the air.
He continued his walk down to his destination, taking note of his new surrounding. He concluded that not everything had changed. Not much. It'd been a while since he last visited the neighborhood.
It was a family type of area, with less crime and a more kid friendly environment. The houses even scream out, 'Welcome to our happy home!'
He envied it.
Those laughs, the smiles, their joy . . . He wanted it.
He needed it, but it was out of his grasp.
For now.
He halted, and stood at the entrance of the lawn that he remembered so vividly. White picket fences, bright green, freshly cut grass, and an average two story house standing proudly before it all.
It was a warm tan color with a few line of brown on the edges and a black roof top. Everything about it made him feel.
Lies. Lies were attached to this facade.
He waited a moment before walking toward the mouth to this place. As he was made it to the door, readying himself to ring the door bell, he reminisced the last few years that were taken away from him.
'Love is beat, hate is key, and fear is good. Without it, I'll be dead.' He reminded himself before confronting the wooden door.
The color on the door knocker made him chuckle lightly, 'golden yellow.' He thought to himself, seeing a red W printed on the umber wood above it. His uncle resided here, or at least, the Flash.
He shook his head to erase his false hope and proceeded with his mission.
Knock, knock, knock.
Surprisingly, he forgot all about the door bell on the side.
'Huh, wouldn't be a first for me.' He smiled at his mistake.
"Coming!" He heard a female respond from the other side of the door and immediately recognized that voice. The owner received him at the door like any other unexpected guest.
"Sorry but I-" She cut herself off the second she saw the stranger, or . . . Not a stranger. Not anymore.
Her jaw hung open without control, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
For a second she thought she lost her voice when she tried to speak.
"Hello, Iris." Wally gave her his introductory smile, the one she used to remember all those years ago.
There was silence for eons.
"Wha-Wally?" She finally got her voice back, but it felt afflicted by doubt. She was still speechless, and uncertain about what to do next. For a second she thought her mind was playing tricks on her.
"I-Is that r-really you?" Her hands shook as she tried to reach out and touch this door step miracle, "Wally, is it really you?"
Tears instantly fell from her face to the ground, and her hand hesitated, until, finally, Wally's hand gently grabbed hers.
The warmth and the smile all reassured her.
"It's me. It's me." He kept repeating, "Sorry I left like that, but I'm here now. I'm back."
She grinned giddily. Everything was real, not some kind of joke.
"You're alive!" She spontaneously jumped and hugged her supposedly dead nephew.
The tears came rushing over his jacket. That's a bit annoying. After she held the young man tightly, overjoyed, never wanting to let go again, she let go and welcomed him inside.
All the memories came rolling in like a movie.
Inside
After about an hour of non-stop talking about the changes and the times he has missed, Wally felt a little out place in his aunt and uncle's sanctuary.
Everything about the place shout, 'Life!' That's what he was missing. He wanted to steal that quality from this home.
'Play house with them, play Wally the one they know and love,' He heard that monster's voice in his head talking to him as he took a glimpse at the family portrait above the fireplace.
He stared at it. He was different.
"Oh! That's right, you have to meet your cousins!" She happily revealed the news, and was about to leaving the room until the two siblings entered curiously.
They stared at the stranger in their home.
"There you guys are. Come here, you've got to meet Wally!"
He froze.
His heart began to kick into high gear as he glared at the one child. The male, Don.
'Stay calm. Must control self. Don't dare-'
"Wally?" Iris interrupted his debated mind and asked again, "They may look shy but they're a lot like their father."
"How so?" Wally asked.
"Full of energy!" She laughed lightly.
Wally laughed rather nervously, and a lot louder than Iris.
"R-Right. Uh how-how . . ." He followed.
"They're both roughly 2. Getting harder to remember everyday hehe . . ." She answered his would-be question.
Right, Wally wasn't there at their birth.
"Don was born first, then Dawn came after. Yeah, it's not so easy, let me tell you." She smirked.
Wally walked closely to the boy and crouched down to meet him at eye, "Hello there, Don."
He reached under his arms and lifted him up to rest on one arm.
"My name's Wally, buddy. How you doin?" He stated as the child in front of him began to laugh and clap at the man holding him.
With that Wally felt an instant connection with his cousin and began to play with him.
Dawn joined in as well. Wally couldn't help his inner child's enthusiastic character as the two played with him for the next hour.
Make no mistake, it's tough watching out for two people at once, but Wally's no slowpoke.
As they were playing swords, Iris couldn't shake the thought about Wally being here, playing with her kids, acting as if the incident in the arctic didn't happen.
She didn't want to believe it, she couldn't believe it. So she disappeared to the kitchen, using the phone to call the one person she could.
Later
After about fifteen minutes from the phone call, the front door open revealing the home owner to the family, "Barry! You're here, good. Finally."
Iris greeted her husband with her usual kiss and hug.
God they were such a stereo-typically suburban family. Wally hadn't really noticed that until just now.
"Hey you're-" Before he could even finish, Iris grabbed him pulling him upstairs, "Whoa, wait, whats the rush-"
"Don't talk, just follow me." She instructed as she guided the speedster a little roughly up to the second floor.
He hoped this was one of those 'kinky things' she said she'd planned for him, but was crushed when they past their master bedroom.
They stopped at the room next to theirs with the door closed.
"Ok," She exhaled, nervous, "Don't freak out."
She stared at him seriously.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, Okaaay . . . should I worry- I mean when you called me earlier I thought something-"
"No," She said, "Not this time. Just tell me I'm not seeing things because I-" She held her breath, feeling slightly unsure about reality at the moment.
"Seeing things? Iris, what are you talking about, are you feeling okay?" Barry observe his wife and notice she was slightly shaking from side to side, "Are you alright? What's happened to kids-"
"I'm fine, nothing's wrong with the kids. I just want you to look at something for me . . . More like someone, please- Just- Don't freak out, okay?" She took a step back.
"Freak out? Honey, I'm fine." He said confidently as he opened the door, "I'm strong as a- er-Rock. I don't freak out-"
He stopped dead in his tracks.
There sat Wally West, the Kid Flash.
She bit her lip and glanced at the stairs. Maybe if she got down there quick enough-.
"HOLY SHIT!" Barry yelled.
Iris darted in.
"Barry! Do/awn!" She scolded him for his language.
"BUT- ITS WALLY!" For some reason, Barry couldn't ever stop being loud when surprised.
Wally stood up, giving a closed smile.
"Okay, kids we're gonna give Wally and Papa some time to bond okay!? Great! Take care, buh bye then!" Iris said as she grabbed the twins and shuffled them out of the room faster than even Barry could.
Wally shrugged.
"Alright then." He said then turned back to Barry after they watched her briefly run down the stairs to get the children doing art or something.
Time stopped. Well, more like dilated.
For a speedster, that usually means a very important moment is occurring, or they're in the presence of another speedster.
For Barry, this was one of those memorable moments he wished would last him a life time.
"Wally-. . . I-" His words were faint with a slight ray of hope.
He was losing function to his basic necessity, his legs trembled as though he couldn't remember how to use them, and it frightened him.
"Hey there 'Care-Barr.' It's good to see you too." Wally's old nickname for him.
Barry's mind began to race. All those treasured moments when Wally was living with them played back.
He remembered when they ate takeout together, went out to the museum, did countless science experiments, laughed about silly jokes, told stories about his time as the Flash.
Then, the memories shifted toward Wally being Kid Flash; his first race with his uncle, trying out his Kid Flash suit for the first time, the day he was indoctrinated into the hall of justice.
Their missions together, their glories, their travel, and their-
'Remember Wally, every second is a gift,' his most memorable moment he had with Wally was at his graduation when he told him the importance about being a speedster.
Once it clicked, Barry finally mustered up his strength to move his legs, and he went to his 'dead' nephew and hugged him.
TBC...
Author's notes: Anyways, I love WallyWhump. It what inspire this story and I hope it would help me end it. So expect Flashback at the beginning of each chapter and present time at the end. Also I'm going to try and make it less than 20 chapter. That's my goal. So please comment or favorite this story, it help support a little of my spirit.
Thank you.