Chapter 4 – I Long to Hear the Story of Your Life, Which Must Captivate the Ear Strangely

Wally couldn't really remember if he had particularly expected anything when he saved Bart. If he had, it definitely wasn't anything remotely close to this.

How could this kid, whose ridiculousness had rivalled Barry's, be so completely terrified of him?

More than once today, he found himself questioning if this really was the Bart Allen he knew.

"Who are you?" Bart suddenly spoke up.

Wally realised it was the first time he'd heard the kid speak since he saved him. His voice was different, darker with a hint of what might have been fear or maybe sadness.

"My name's Wally," he replied cautiously. The kid just nodded as a frown etched onto his face.

After having found Bart in the ruined city, they narrowly avoided a Reach patrol before he ran them back to the sewers. He had just put the kid down when he had spoken.

"Are you Wally West?"

"Yes."

"As in, Kid Flash Wally West?"

"The one and only."

The face Bart pulled at this information was a strange mix of sceptical, hopeful and terrified. He opened his mouth to respond when Wally's stomach growled loudly.

"That's all well and good, but can we find my backpack? I'm starving," Wally tried to usher Bart along the tunnel they were in but things were never going to be that easy.

"Wait!" Bart turned to face Wally with a glare, "How do you know my name? How do you know who I am? Why did you save me? If you are who you say you are how can you possibly be here?"

Wally was somewhat impressed by how fast he spoke considering he was still wearing the inhibitor collar. A true speedster through and through.

"Come on, you know what a speedster's metabolism is like! Let me find some food and I promise I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability. And we need to work on taking that collar off you too."

Bart continued to frown for a moment before nodding and turning back around.

"Okay."

Dull. That's how Wally would describe Bart's voice. Eerily dull.

They'd been walking in silence for a while when the thought struck him. He'd pinpointed exactly what it was about Bart's voice that was so different, and it was a little bit unnerving.

They rounded another corner and finally found where he'd left his bag. He hoped Bart didn't realise that he'd actually gotten lost and it was pure luck they even found it. That being said, Wally was ecstatic for food. He scoffed some down in seconds before offering a can to Bart.

"I'm fine," he claimed while slowly and awkwardly sitting down.

"More for me," he attempted to say through a mouthful. It stung Wally a little bit to know the kid still didn't trust him.

"Can you tell me how you know who I am now?" Bart interjected.

Wally swallowed.

"Uhh," he didn't know where to start, he hardly understood what was going on himself, "Yeah sure. But I don't think you're gonna believe me."

Bart simply gave him a blank look in response, so Wally began his tale. He started off with what he thought the most unbelievable fact – he was from the past – but to his surprise, Bart nodded at this fact like it was what he expected. Carrying on, he told him how he had been Kid Flash in the past and that his Uncle Barry – Bart's Grandpa – had been the Flash.

"You already seemed to know that," he commented but again Bart just nodded.

He told him how he'd been attempting to save the world along with the Flash when the Chrysalis energy had started attacking him. How he thought he was going to die. He was so sure he was a dead man. But then he had woken up in the North Pole and everything had changed. He told him about his trip south, how he'd hoped to find answers in Central, how he'd gone down into the sewers and eventually how it was that he'd come across Bart and saved him. How he didn't realise it was the future until that moment.

"Yeah, so in summary, I'm Wally West, your first cousin once removed, from the past. If that isn't cool I don't know what is," he finished his story with a dumb smile on his face.

Throughout the deluge of information Bart had nodded a couple of times but otherwise he hadn't moved.

"But how did you know it was me? I mean, how do you know exactly who I am?"

Wally froze. It wasn't like he'd done it on purpose, but something made him leave out any reference to Bart's own escapades in the past. And, of course, the kid had noticed the inconsistencies.

"Um," he was really struggling to think on his feet, "That would be because… Spoilers?" He offered up Bart's own word in an effort to cover his tracks. It didn't work.

"How can it be spoilers if you're from the past?"

Wally was struggling to keep a lid on his growing discomfort at the situation.

"It's complicated! Ok?" He instantly regretted yelling as Bart stiffened and attempted to withdraw into the wall he had been leaning against. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell. Believe it or not I've had a stressful couple of days."

His apology didn't seem to make much difference to Bart who was still visibly attempting to shrink away. So Wally took a different approach.

"You know, if it wasn't for that collar, you probably could get your wish and disappear through that wall."

His words seemed to help because Bart lifted his head and looked over at him with curiosity, so Wally tried to continue on the topic.

"I could try and take it off again if you want?"

Bart reached up and casually fiddled with the large metal brace.

"I don't even know if I inherited the family speed. Even if I did there's no guarantee that I could vibrate my molecules. I've had this thing on me for as long as I can remember."

Wally had guessed as much, but he was still saddened to hear it was true.

"Then it's definitely time to find out," he reached into his bag and pulled out the screw driver he'd managed to acquire. Bart stiffened again for a split second but the nodded.

"Ok," Bart said while feigning the tiniest of smiles.

So Wally got to work. But really, he had no idea what he was doing, so he asked Bart a question in hope the kid didn't notice.

"Tell me Bart, how did you know that I was Wally West, Kid Flash?"

"The speed and the goggles kind of gave it away," he replied dryly.

"Yeah, but how did you know that Wally West and Kid Flash were one and the same?"

He paused and Wally started to think he wasn't going to reply.

"You're family," Bart continued, "Dad told me heaps of stories about the heroes in our family before…" he trailed off and Wally could easily guess what that meant.

He was trying to come up with something to say to get their minds of that depressing topic when by sheer luck, he actually managed to get the collar off. Bart's eyes widened as Wally pulled it off.

"Well, why don't you stretch your legs, see what you can do?" Wally suggested despite already knowing the extent of Bart's abilities.

Bart stood up relatively slowly and then, without a word, took off running at super speed. Wally was happy for him.

As the minutes wore on it occurred to him that maybe the kid wasn't coming back. He mentally face-palmed. Of course he wasn't coming back, he still didn't trust him! So he sped off in the same direction. However, he didn't get very far before he spotted him panting and looking as though he would pass out any moment.

"Of course, you're not used to the speedster metabolism!"

As much sense as that made, Wally couldn't help but wonder if Bart truly had intended to run away again. Regardless, he helped him to his feet.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked.

"I don't remember," Bart murmured.

"That's not a good sign. Come on let's see what food I have left."

Wally half carried Bart back to his bag; he really needed to stop leaving it behind.

It probably wasn't until this very moment that Wally realised just how much he ate on a regular basis. Somehow, there were only two cans of food left in his bag. On his trip south he'd scavenged what he thought was a substantial amount but it turned out that wasn't quite the case. He gave both cans to Bart who ate them surprisingly slowly.

"You're so different," Wally mumbled to himself, not intending for Bart to hear him, so naturally he did.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, Spoilers?" He was totally starting to appreciate why this kid said that word so much in the past. Or should he say the future?

Oh man, now things are getting confusing.

"Again with the spoilers, what aren't you telling me?" Bart was still only half way through his first can of food and wasn't looking any better.

"I just can't explain it," Wally rubbed his hands down his face in frustration, "We need more food," he blurted.

"You're avoiding my question," Bart pointed out.

"No, this is important. Without food, we'll be dead long before the Reach find us. You stay here I'm going to go find some."

"I'm coming with you," terror flashed across Bart's face for a moment which surprised Wally. Considering how much he had been trying to get away from him early it was definitely surprising that he'd want to come along.

"You can't."

"Why not!?"

"You can barely stand for one thing. Just stay here. Finish eating and then sleep or something."

Bart gulped and Wally noticed that he was shivering. The kid definitely wasn't looking good. Taking that collar off may end up being a terrible idea; for all they know it could have been helping to keep him alive. Wally sighed, shrugged off his jumper and place it over Bart's shoulders.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

He picked up his bag and ran off before Bart got a chance to respond. This was going to be harder than he thought. How was he supposed to get Bart back to the past when he was in this state?

A/N

Next chapter will be called "To Credit His Own Lie" and will be in the past again.

As always, please review ! Tell me what you love, tell me what you hate, tell me where you hope the story will go :)

Hellionil – Hello, nice to meet you too ! I hope you see this because I loved your review so much, it made me smile like an idiot :D you're a gem.