emulation: effort or desire to equal or excel others

The sizzling black asphalt of the track tempted him from his classroom. It was a hot day in early June, ripe for the picking. Wally could've just died sitting there, never able to fulfill his temporary desires, forever glued to an uncomfortable desk. School was such a waste of time; time he could've spent out there. He longingly watched the trees outside sway in the wind.

And just when he was about to scream from the pure agony of it all, the bell rung. School was done for the summer. Wally West was free.

He was the first one out of the room. As his feet pounded the hallway tile, colorful dreams flew through his head, things like speed and lightning and the Flash. He had so many ideas and only limited time to try them all.

Nine-year-old Wally West wanted to be like the Flash more than anything, and that's what got him here today.