A/N: I'm really excited to say that I'm finally rewatching YJ! It's been years since I got to season 2, and I finally got to see my boi Bart enter the show. In honor of my baby, I'm going to write a terribly angsty but sweet fanfiction about Bart in the future since I haven't seen a whole lot of those. Keep in mind that this is all just what I feel like could have happened to Bart in his future, so yeah! It's currently 11:51 am on 8/5/21 so let's begin!
Feeling the Mode
Third Person POV
Bartholomew Henry Allen remembered the first time he met Wallace Rudolph West. He'd ran up to him, hugging the redhead tightly and refused to let him go as Wally desperately pried him off his body. He remembered meeting his grandma and grandpa for the first time, smiling widely and refusing to be honest about what he was really feeling when he saw Barry Allen in the Flash costume.
In all honesty, Bart didn't care much for his blonde ancestor. Sure, he idolized the Flash, but it wasn't Barry Allen. The truth was that he'd met Wally before. He knew Wally better than he knew himself. He acted like that had been their first meeting when he'd traveled back in time, but he knew it wasn't. He didn't show how hurt he was at his cousin's blatant rejection and dislike towards him.
This is the story of how Bart Allen met Wally West, and why the redhead speedster would always be Impulse's all time favorite hero.
In the original timeline, Barry had died. Neutron had quite literally incinerated him, and the Flash had died. Wally had been forced to come out of retirement, taking up the mantle for his deceased uncle. The world needed the Flash more than it needed Wally West. At least that's what Wally had told Bart all those years ago. The redhead had ended up breaking up with Artemis, his grief and new responsibilities and helping Iris and her unborn twins taking priority over his own happiness.
Nobody knew Flash had ever died besides a few League members and the original Team Wally had worked with. Wally overworked himself, pushing himself as hard as he could to keep up the appearance that Flash was the same as he always had been. Always would be.
Then the Reach invaded.
It had been a disaster. In the long run, the Reach had placed twenty magnetic field disruptors (or MFDs) across the globe to terraform the planet. The heroes had been able to stop all of them, but at the last minute there had been one more. It hadn't been detected, and Wally had raced to the site as quickly as he could. He'd ran around the device that was already beginning its work, his speed helping to slow down the chrysalis.
The sad truth was that he simply hadn't been fast enough. He was too slow. He couldn't create enough kinetic energy on his own in time, and had vanished into thin air. When the League arrived, it was too late. The chrysalis hadn't been stopped, Wally was dead, and the planet was doomed. The Reach had little difficulty taking down any remaining superheroes, either killing them or enslaving them. Earth was conquered in the span of two weeks, leaving the entire world burning and her occupants nothing but meat bags for the Reach. It took years to set up the proper encampments, filing away civilians and putting inhibitor collars on every last one of them. Slaves died more often than not, leaving behind only the determined and strong. Bart's dad and aunt had been some of the strong. Iris had passed away seven years after giving birth to them, leaving the twins on their own. Nightwing had been one of the few superheroes to survive and happened to be in the same camp as the Allen twins. He did his best to take care of them, feeding them and caring for them.
Dick Grayson succumbed to infections from whip gashes on his back only a few years later.
The Reach needed the humans around to continue their labor, and so as soon as a slave turned twenty they were expected to bear a child of their own. It was difficult for the women to do their work while also pregnant, so it was rare for the mother and unborn child to survive. Slaves would be forced to continue trying until one of their offspring lived. Even then the child had to actually live. As soon as they turned four, they began their laborious life as a slave. Don Allen had stood by Dawn's side as she died, her unborn child going with her. He was forced to watch the Reach dump his sister into a ditch filled with bodies that would be burned later that evening.
After six years of failed impregnation, Don finally succeeded in a job he wished he'd failed. Meloni Thawne had been a new transfer into the camp, sent there specifically to be bred. Nine months later, and Bartholomew Henry Allen II was born. It had been incredibly hard on Meloni, but Don helped her as much as he could. Most of the male slaves wouldn't care for their partners, which was one of the reasons they'd die. Don took care of Meloni though, giving her most of his rations and doing a portion of her workload.
Bart had been given a swaddle, a collar, and a tattoo on his hip signifying what number he was at birth. For three years, Bart was taken care of by his parents. Meloni died two days before his third birthday, and Don simply collapsed one day a few months later.
He never got back up.
But then came Bart's savior. A redhead man with sunkissed skin and an infinite amount of freckles had transferred to the camp. He wore the typical slave garb; a tan jumpsuit and inhibitor collar. He looked strong though, far healthier than the rest of the slaves. When he saw the three year old brunette sitting in a corner clutching his torn and mauled swaddle, the man smiled. Bart couldn't remember the last time he'd seen someone smile at him, or even just smile in general. The man's green irises seemed so bright, so full of life. Bart watched with curious eyes as the man was walked into the camp's facility.
When it was meal time (it happened once a day, and each slave was given a single slice of stale bread and a four ounce cup of muddied water), Bart saw the man again. He looked more run down and tired, but his face lit up once more when he saw Bart. After the brunette got his food, he hobbled over to his corner of the camp, tucking himself beneath two wooden beams that had collapsed a while back. He'd barely began dozing when the sound of footsteps reached his small ears. He sat up and scrunched himself as far as he could against one of the beams, hazel eyes wide and frightened.
The man from before leaned down, his long red hair flopping all over the place as he smiled at Bart. "Hello there," he said. Bart wasn't used to people talking to him. They usually yelled at him. This man sounded... nice. "Do you mind if I sit with you? The people here are a bit territorial over their sleeping areas."
Bart nodded slowly, scooting over so the large man could curl up next to him. They were silent for a few minutes, the man sitting quietly while Bart tried not to tremble. While the redhead seemed nice, he could be just like the other slaves and try to steal his small blanket or his half eaten slice of bread. Instead, the man held out his own meal. "Would you like some? You look hungry."
Bart furrowed his brows, slowly moving forwards. As soon as his fingertips brushed against the bread, he snatched it back and quickly began munching on it. The man laughed at him, a warm smile and straight white teeth lighting up the dark ashy night. Bart didn't know teeth could look so perfect. "I'm Wally, by the way. Wally West. What's your name?"
"...Bart," he said near a whisper. "Bart Allen." The man- Wally- looked shocked before smiling again.
"That's a pretty cool name. I had an uncle named Barry Allen. You wouldn't happen to be related to him, would you?"
Bart cocked his head to the side. "My dad talked about a man named Barry. I never knew him." Wally's smile faded a little and Bart felt regret curl up in his stomach. This man treated him like Mommy and Daddy did. He looked at Bart, not as a slave but as a person. "Why are you helping me?"
Wally furrowed his brow. "Well, I'll tell you a secret. You have to promise not to tell anyone else though, okay?" Bart nodded. It's not like he had anyone to tell Wally's secret to in the first place. "I'm actually a time traveler," he said as he leaned in towards Bart. "I'm the Flash."
Bart gasped. "Like... a superhero?" Wally beamed and nodded his head.
"Exactly. Barry Allen was the Flash before I was. I was only the Flash for a few months, but I'm a superhero."
The brunette toddler stared at Wally in a new light. "How'd you get here?"
Wally pursed his lips. "You know how the Reach invaded a little over thirty years ago?" Bart nodded slowly. "Well I was there when it happened. I tried to stop the bad guys but I failed. I was hit with a lot of energy and thought I died, but I actually was sent thirty years into the future. I was captured a few days ago, and now I'm here." Bart took the information in with wide eyes, trying to understand that this man was a real superhero, someone who saved people. "So where are your parents, Bart?"
Instantly his face was neutral. "Dead," he said with a bland tone. "The bugs killed him." Wally winced.
"So no one is taking care of you?"
Bart narrowed his eyes. "I don't need help. People who help end up stealing from me."
Wally put his hands up in a placating gesture. "I promise I won't steal from you, and I'm sure you can take care of yourself just fine. It's just that I don't have anyone taking care of me. How about we make a deal? I'll help take care of you, and you can watch my back for me."
The toddler looked thoughtful before quirking an eyebrow. "Can you tell me more about the past? About reading and writing?"
Wally openly gaped. "That doesn't exist here?!"
Bart shrugged. "Not really. Only the really old people here know how to do it."
The redhead nodded his head. "Well then, there's a lot I need to catch you up on. For now, we'll stick with the basics." He dragged his finger in the dirt, making a strange symbol. "This is the letter A. Now you try." They spent hours scrawling things into the dirt that night, the bright LED spotlights surrounding the camp making it easy to see.
That was the first time Bart got to meet Wally West, the hero that would change his life forever.
They were stuck in the camp for two more years. Wally had ended up losing a lot of the muscle he'd originally had, his body thin and gaunt. His eyes were still bright though, and the twenty three year old had kept his promise to take care of Bart. The five year old had began working for the Reach as soon as he turned four, Wally forced to work on the other side of the yard from him. He was the youngest child at the camp, the next youngest being eight. Bart didn't talk to the blonde haired girl though, only ever conversing with Wally. The redhead had stayed with Bart and given him most of his rations. The brunette only ever ate a few bites of Wally's food since he knew the man wouldn't eat unless Bart was full. In all honesty, the child was never truly full. Wally didn't need to know that though because Bart was pretty sure Wally was starving himself just to make sure the kid got to eat.
Bart had been beaten a few times, but never as badly as Wally was. The redhead speedster would take any punishments Bart were to receive, getting whipped and beaten. There was one time that one of the Reach had shattered Wally's knee cap when Bart tried stealing rations for his guardian.
He never walked the same after that.
Wally taught Bart lots of things though. He taught him to read and write, and he always had fun stories and missions to regale the child with. While being a slave wasn't exactly ideal, being with Wally had been the best two years of Bart's short life. A new transfer was led through the yard, most slaves ignoring the bald man. Wally had stared after him with hatred. Bart had never seen Wally look so mad.
That night, Wally wasn't at the two wooden beams like he usually was. Bart would always meet Wally there, but Wally wasn't there. Bart could feel a panic attack coming on- Wally had told him about those when Bart had one the first time Wally was publicly whipped- when a calloused and freckled hand gripped the beam above him. Bart's breath caught in his throat, and then a head flopped to the side to stare with a large smile at him. It was just like two years ago as Wally peered into their little 'home', offering a small "why hello there!" Bart had been told it was a movie reference.
Wally had nearly had a conniption when Bart asked what a movie was.
"I brought someone today, Bart. Hope that's okay." The bald man from earlier sat down in front of both Wally and Bart, a lost look on his face. "This is Nathaniel. He was a scientist who worked for Star Labs way back when. He's going to help us escape."
Bart frowned. "Why? You worked for Star Labs too."
Wally smirked. "I was an intern there in high school. Nathaniel was a full time scientist who was working on string theory."
"String theory?"
Nathaniel's voice was raspy and trembled as he spoke. It sounded like that one time Wally dragged his nails down the side of the metal walls surrounding them. Bart hated it. "String theory is the theory in which different dimensions-"
"He's only five, Neutron," Wally commented.
"Don't call me that!"
"I'll call you whatever I please," the redhead spat out. "Now Bart, all you need to know is that Nathaniel is a very smart man and is going to help us out. Isn't that right?" He glared at the old man and he shook his head frantically. "Good. I've been able to hack into inhibitor collars since I was thirteen, but I don't have the tools I need. I've managed to get a lock pick, but I need access to a computer in order to reprogram the collars. We want to leave them on for now, but I need to be in control of them so I can turn the shockers off. I also need to be able to manipulate the collars so I can turn them on and off. As much as I hate them, these damned things are what's keeping Bart and I alive. I mean, if Bart has superspeed. If he doesn't then his can come off, otherwise he'll starve to death from an enhanced metabolism. Neutron, the Reach have already decided to use you for their technology department. I want you to get me a small electronic like a phone or even an advanced calculator so I can rewire them to use as a control for the collars. Bart, you're going to act normal and keep doing your work in the camp. I'll hit one of the guards in the morning to distract them. They'll have their bug eyes on me for the next few days unless someone else acts up." His green eyes were filled with determination. This is why he's a hero, Bart thought. He can bring anyone together. He makes this place better. "Get in, get out. Keep it simple and make sure you hide the tools somewhere the bugs won't look. As soon as the Reach are off my back, we'll make our move. Only another week or so in this Hell and then we're out of here." He looked at Bart, smiling softly as he placed his hands on the brunette's shoulders. "We're going to get out of here, Bart. You're going to be free. I promise."
Shockingly, the plan went off without a hitch. Nathaniel managed to steal a USB cord and an ancient looking Nokia. Nathaniel helped sort through the rubble and metal to find technology or anything that would prove to be useful for the Reach. Stealing a single phone wasn't overly difficult, and the damned bugs truly believed that they had beaten resistance out of their slaves. That's why when Nathaniel slipped the device into his jumpsuit, none were the wiser. Wally had ended up trampling one of the guards, begging for food as he clung to the alien's legs. The redhead had been violently beaten, his limp worse than usual as he hobbled around the yard doing his work. While thin, Wally was still incredibly strong since he did a lot of heavy lifting for the Reach. Bart helped rewire machinery since his hands were small and nimble. He couldn't count how many times Wally had ended up needing to bandage his hands.
The guards kept a close eye on Wally for all of two days. A slave had killed another person over their rations. It was fairly common for that to happen. Wally had told Bart and Nathaniel to save as much of their bread as possible since they didn't know how soon they would be able to find food outside of the camp. "It'll take me an hour or two to rewire the collars since there are three of us. Nate, I need to to cover me while I work on Bart's collar." despite it being night and the Nokia displaying little light, none of them were willing to take any chances. It took almost forty minutes to fix Bart's collar, but Wally sat back with a relieved smile as he removed the cord attaching the Nokia to the five year old's collar. "Done. You won't be shocked anymore, Bart." The boy beamed, hugging Wally tightly. "Nathaniel, you watched what I did right?" The man nodded and Wally smiled. "Good. I can't reach the back of my collar, and we don't have time to rewire mine like I did Bart's. For now, I just need you to attach the Nokia to my collar and turn off the shocking system. Once that's off, we can escape the camp without being shocked to death." Wally had tried it once. The redhead had been shocked nonstop as soon as he flung himself over the fence. It took almost five minutes for the guards to realize what was happening, whipping him violently for almost an hour afterwards to make an example out of him.
Nathaniel nodded, his back still covering the entrance of their small 'home' as he worked. It took him a solid hour and a half to remove the shocking feature, Wally giving him instructions slowly and meticulously. Once that was done, the redhead removed the ex-con's own shocker. Since Nathaniel was adamant about keeping the power dampeners on, it only took Wally fifteen minutes to recode the collar. "Thank you," the man rasped out.
Wally nodded. "No problem. Now there should only be one guard out at night to watch over the slaves. He'll walk past our spot here in a few minutes. As soon as he disappears around the corner, we have less than seven minutes to jump the fence and run as fast as we can. He doesn't typically look at our corner since it's one of the darkest areas and we're behind a lot of broken down wood, so hopefully that will give us more time. This is it you guys. Now or never," the redhead stated. The two others nodded, and Wally waited patiently as the Reach guard walked dully around the building in the center of the camp. As soon as he turned the corner, Wally whispered "now" as he grabbed Bart by the arm and pulled him up. Nathaniel was the first to go over the seven foot tall metal wall, Bart being placed on top and forced to jump down into Nathaniel's waiting arms. Wally was last, reaching up and easily pulling himself over the edge. As soon as he was over, he was holding Bart in his arms and running as fast as he could towards the desert that was East.
"Why aren't we headed for the city?" Nathaniel whispered quietly as he trailed behind the duo.
Wally cast a sidelong glance at the demolished and apocalyptic city that was once Central. "They'll expect us to go that way. Besides, I know exactly where we can go." They ran for hours, stopping when they made it to a completely ash and burned forrest. Dead trunks stuck up out of the ground, leaving behind skeletons of what once was. "We'll stop here for the day. As soon as night falls again, we'll need to move. They'll be looking for us soon once they do their daily checks and realize three slaves are missing." Wally dragged them towards the small opening at the base of a tree trunk. It was hollowed out, and there was just enough room for the three of them to squish in. The redhead grabbed a nearby rock, dragging it over and covering the entrance. "Sleep while you can and make sure you stay quiet."
It wasn't a pleasant sleep for any of them, but they managed to get a few hours in. As soon as the sky had darkened, Wally dragged the two back out into the dead forest. "Wally, I'm hungry."
"I know, Bart. Here, eat some of this." He held out a slice of bread to the brunette, and the five year old eagerly chomped down on it. "You too," he said as he held one out to Nathaniel.
"What about you?" Wally shook his head as he hefted Bart onto his hip, limping East once more.
"Not hungry. Now hurry it up. We're wasting the night away standing here." They began their trek again, moving a little slower than they'd been going yesterday. They never stopped, walking barefoot and pushing themselves as best as they could. Once again they found somewhere to stay for the day, settling down and sleeping.
It continued on like this for weeks. They'd find a few canned goods and any supplies they could find at night as they walked, never going into large cities. "The bugs'll be crawling there. People go into cities for food. Only the smart avoid them," Wally had explained to Bart as they made their way past Lexington, Kentucky.
"Where are we going again?"
"New Jersey. We're going to stop there for a while." Bart frowned a little but nodded, resting his chin in Wally's hair.
There were a few times Reach ships would fly overhead, large spotlights searching the desolate surface of Earth. The three escapees managed to hide every time, Bart listening to Wally whisper "stay quiet and stay down. Whatever you do, stay still."
Bart had learned by now to take Wally's word for it.
They hadn't had time to work on removing Wally's power dampener programming on his collar, and Bart had yet to have his turned off. Wally had said that they would lose rations quicker that way. The three of them finally managed to get to New Jersey, carefully sticking to the shadows and avoiding downtown areas. "I thought you said only smart people stay away from cities," Bart questioned.
"They do. I never said we were smart people."
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Why are we in Jersey anyways?"
Wally smirked. "We're heading to Gotham."
"Why would we-" Nathaniel's eyes widened drastically. "But they're all dead."
"I don't know about that," Wally whispered as they ran across the street to hide behind a dumpster. "They tend to fake their own deaths a lot. Besides, even if they're not alive, the Cave will prove to be useful for what I have in mind."
"What cave?" Bart looked at Wally with big hazel eyes and Wally ruffled his hair.
"The Bat Cave, Bart. We're going to the Bat Cave."
They managed to make it to Wayne Manor within a few days since they had to travel through Gotham to get to the secluded property. "There's a change the Reach might know who Batman was, so we'll have to be careful going in." Wally moved quickly and quietly, Bart's arms wrapped firmly around the redhead's neck. They'd long since changed out of their prison garb, having found some dark clothes in a suburban house a week or two back. They still hadn't found any shoes in their size though, and had simply wrapped them in ripped up clothing to offer some protection against the hot ashy ground.
Wally hopped through a slightly opened window, landing lightly on his feet in what appeared to be a library. Nathaniel followed him, eyes darting everywhere as they walked into the large home. The redhead poked his head out the double doors and into the hallway, checking to see if the coast was clear. His green irises scanned every inch of the room they'd go into before they even entered. Bart personally thought the place looked completely abandoned, but looks could be deceiving. The trio eventually stopped in what looked to be some kind of office with dull red carpet and dust saturating everything in the room.
Everything except the glass on a large clock against the far wall.
Wally smiled as he moved towards it, gently turning the hands in a strange pattern. Bart openly gaped as the antique slid to the side, revealing a long stairwell into what appeared to be a dark cave. Bart clung tightly to his guardian, Nathaniel shaking as he closed the clock behind them. They walked down the slick rock steps, stopping at the base of the stairs. While it was dark, the five year old could see vague outlines of strange objects in the cave. There was a single light on, one that was white and rectangular in appearance. The redhead speedster easily strolled towards it, smiling down at the man sitting in the chair.
Bart personally thought he was terrifying, what with his dark green mask and dark looking clothes. He appeared to be in his late forties, a long sword held out and pointed at the tip of Wally's nose. "Who are you."
Instead of being nervous though, Wally smiled widely. "Oh come now, you don't recognize me? I know it's been a long time but surely you remember your brother's dead best friend?"
The man narrowed his lenses before sitting back in alarm. "West?! How are you alive?!"
Wally chuckled as he leaned against the Bat Cave's computer. "It's a long story Damian, but the basics are that I didn't die when the MFD went off. It sent me thirty years into the future. Glad you're still alive, by the way."
Damian glared at the redhead. "What proof do you have that you're really West?"
He tugged lightly at the collar around his neck. "I reprogrammed their collars, but I didn't have the time to do mine. Turn the collar off and I'll prove I have superspeed."
"That would be foolish to do." He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, though his body was still tense.
Wally sighed. "Damian, I get the whole Bat paranoia thing, but I swear I'm really me. I've got a plan by the way," he commented as he started typing things out onto the computer. The now much older Robin squawked indignantly at the redhead digging around the Bat Cave, but openly gaped at the password being typed in for Dick's computer account. "When Dick and I were younger, we were obsessed with this TV show called Rabbids."
"Yes, I recall him watching that idiotic show after you ceased. What is your point?"
Wally smirked as he pulled up a file, opening it up. "Remember that one episode where they made a time machine out of a dryer? Well Dick and I were obsessed with the idea of it and began making a time machine of our own." On the screen appeared to be blueprints for some kind of sleek egg-like contraption with multiple math problems and theories on the sides. "We never went any further than this since we couldn't find a way to make the machine actually work, but Nathaniel here was a scientist who specialized in string theory. With his mind and my mechanical skills, I think we can make it work."
Damian stared at the redhead like he was insane. "Are you implying we travel back in time?"
Wally's face was deadly serious. "Yes, I am. This isn't a world anyone should be living in."
All four men were quiet for a few minutes before Damian nodded. "Very well. I believe you, West. It will take years to put together, but I agree that the timeline must be fixed."
Bart watched with confusion as the three adults began talking with words his five year old brain definitely couldn't comprehend.
Two years later and Bart was zipping around the Manor, a smile on his face as Wally ran with him on the underground track. "This is so crash!" The seven year old speedster had been training the past few months to learn how to use his speed. Luckily Damian had more than enough food stocked up for the duo to snack on. They still went out to get rations once a week, and Nathaniel had actually started a small garden in the Bat Cave that would hopefully help them out. Damian would teach Bart the basic education he needed, and Wally and Nathaniel would help the brunette learn more about the multiverse and time travel. They had already decided that Wally would be the one to go back in time since Neutron wasn't exactly a good guy and Damian felt he'd ruin the mission. Wally was determined that Bart would go with him, but in all honesty the redhead wasn't sure they had enough supplies to make the machine bigger, yet alone the time to alter the physics to allow another person to go.
Wally smiled at the young speedster who ran face first into a wall. "Bart, remember what I told you about vibrating your molecules! Come on, you can do it!" The boy nodded his head, and with a determined look ran at the wall again. Wally groaned loudly as he rubbed his forehead.
"Hey West, Neutron requires your assistance with one of the equations," Damian said as he stomped into the room. Wally nodded and sped out of the room, leaving the Demon Spawn with a seven year old child. "Allen, you are doing terribly for a naturally born speedster. You have genetics from good ancestors. Why are you not doing better?"
Bart pouted. "Wally thinks I'm doing good."
"Well obviously West is lying," Damian spat as he marched towards the brunette. "Since he is busy trying to find a way to fix this ruined reality, you and I are going to spar."
"Spar? But why?" He cocked his head to the side, not understanding.
Damian crossed his arms in annoyance. "Because while your speed is useful, you will be weak and vulnerable if you do not know how to defend yourself. I will turn your inhibitor collar on and we will practice your hand to hand combat until West returns."
Bart whimpered as a gloved fist made its way towards his face.
They finally managed to work out all of the theoretical problems for the time machine, and Damian had already collected a substantial amount of the supplies that would be necessary. The eleven year old boy sat in the rafters above, swinging his feet as he snacked on a slightly stale granola bar. "Do you understand any of this garble?"
"Science is something that still eludes me," Damian spoke back in Lhasa Tibetan. He'd been teaching the boy his native language, seeing as West wanted Allen to be fluent and well rounded.
"Do you think it will work?"
Damian stared at the dingy looking exterior that was nothing like the sleek design from the original blueprints. "It doesn't matter what I think. It has to work."
Bart frowned, already knowing from the way the man worded it that he didn't think it was possible.
"Okay, that should be the last of it!" Wally sent a large smile towards Bart, ruffling the long brunette locks. "The suit fit you okay?" The thirteen year old nodded enthusiastically, turning his head every which way to look at the red and white material covering his form.
"Yup! Man, this is gonna be so crash Wally!" The thirty one year old chuckled.
"Totally crash." He stood in his own suit, one that had been made to look like his Kid Flash uniform. They would be traveling back to the same day that Barry faced off Neutron. If they could save the second Flash, then hopefully that would help fix the rest of the timeline. Even if it didn't, Wally and Bart would be there to make sure things went well. After all, the time machine was a one way ticket.
Bart didn't think this was a future worth returning to anyway.
"Alright Damian, Nathaniel, you both ready?" The old Robin nodded his head, sending a glance over his shoulder at the time machine strapped onto the Batmobile. Nathaniel offered a thumbs up, smiling at the two speedsters as he hopped into the passenger seat. "This is it you guys. Bart and I will scout ahead. Remember to keep radio silence at all costs. The Reach will know something's up if they hear us chatting over their radio signals. Drive carefully and quietly Damian, and keep your lights off."
"I know that already, West. I'm not an incompetent fool." Damian rolled his eyes as he lowered himself into the black vehicle.
Wally scoffed, even though he was smirking. He cast a sidelong glance at Bart, lowering down onto one knee and brushing a few strands of brunette hair behind his ear. "Be smart and stay safe for me, okay? We're almost free Bart. I promised you'd be free." He leaned forwards, placing a soft kiss on the boy's forehead. "I love you Bart, more than you'll ever know."
Tears threatened to spill over the teen's cheeks as he hugged Wally tightly. "I love you too, Wally." The duo stayed like that for a moment before pulling away, Wally wiping at a few tears of his own.
"Okay, let's do this!"
The two speedsters ran out of the Bat Cave, the Batmobile zooming through the darkness like a long forgotten shadow. It was exhilarating to be able to run outside the Cave for once. Bart loved the feeling of the wind through his hair and the way his body felt truly alive for the first time in years. He and Wally had finally removed their inhibitor collars, no longer needing them since they wouldn't be necessary.
They managed to get to Happy Harbor when things went wrong.
Wally screamed when a sonic blast hit him from behind, sending him tumbling to the ground and skidding a few hundred feet. Bart felt a panic attack threatening to come on when Wally stumbled to his feet, swaying side to side as he clutched his lower back. There was a gaping hole in his side, blood staining his canary yellow suit. "Wally!"
The redhead looked up at Bart and pointed to the large crater not far from their position. "Keep going! Make sure you get there!"
Bart's hands shook as he ran past Wally, the Batmobile not far behind. Bart turned back to watch Wally fighting valiantly against a few of the Reach, his speed making the playing field a bit more even. Bart knew what was going to happen though. With that injury and all of the Reach he was battling, Wally was going to die. The man who'd been taking care of him for ten years was going to die when they were so close to succeeding.
Bart wouldn't allow that.
As soon as the Batmobile made it to the demolished mountain, Bart was frantically helping to remove the machine and lower it to the floor. Damian growled, using his sword to cut the ropes keeping it in place and then getting back into the Dark Knight's car. "I'll take care of West. You get that machine set up and ready for take off!" With that, the last member of the Bat family was peeling out towards the fight, the time machine clunking heavily to the floor in the crater from the rapid acceleration. Nathaniel quickly moved forwards, opening the strange door and typing in the time Bart needed to appear in. Bart zipped around the device, making sure nothing looked broken.
"Alright, everything should be in order. You have to go, and now!" Nathaniel shoved Bart towards the machine, the teen stumbling in shock.
"What? But I'm not leaving without Wally!"
"Yes you are!"
Bart stood firm in his place, body trembling in rage. "No I'm not! I'm not leaving without him!"
"You have to!" Nathaniel seemed adamant about Bart leaving, but the brunette was stubborn.
"I'm not leaving Wally!"
"YOU WERE ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE HIM!"
Bart felt the color drain from his face. "...what?" It was said so meekly, so sadly that Nathaniel only saw a child who was scared out of his mind.
"I... Wally never planned on leaving. It was always supposed to be you."
"But... but why?"
Nathaniel ran a hand over his bald head, eyes downcast. "We didn't have the materials to make it a two seater, nor the time. Wally and I made this time machine specifically for you. It won't work for anyone else." Tears fell freely down Bart's cheeks and Nathaniel placed his hands on his shoulders. "He wanted you to have a second chance. This is it. Give us all a second chance."
Bart nodded shakily, scrubbing at his cheeks as best he could since his eyes were covered by his goggles. "I-"
A quick breeze and cloud of dirt was all the two could see as Wally skidded to a stop, his weighted boots making marks beneath his feet. "You need to go, right now. Damian's dead. They're sending reinforcements to eliminate us as we speak." The freckled man was bleeding heavily all over the place, his hand tightly clenching the hole in his side. Bart felt like the few things that were good in this world were being taken away from him all in one foul swoop. Wally wrapped his arms around Bart, hugging him tightly.
Both ignored the blood staining through Bart's suit.
"I love you so much, so so much Bart. Don't you ever forget that."
"I don't want you to go, Dad, please don't leave me!" Wally was sobbing heavily now, clinging to Bart like a lifeline.
"It's okay, Bart. You can do this. I love you."
"Wally-"
Bart gasped as he was shoved into the time machine, the door sealing shut. Light began to swirl around outside the device, and Bart pounded violently on the door as the time machine floated into the air. "WALLY! DAD! DAD, PLEASE!" Wally smiled up at Bart, and the last thing the brunette saw before the light engulfed the machine was a large missile dropping down to the Earth, leaving nothing but red flames behind.
"DAD!" He stared out the small window in shock, tear tracks staining his lightly freckled cheeks. The man he'd looked up to for ten years, the man he'd seen as a father...
Wally West was dead.
Bart sat back in his chair, hazel eyes wide with shock and grief. He idly realized that he'd never said I love you back to the redhead.
The machine beeped, signaling that Bart's destination would be arriving soon. With a shaky breath, the thirteen year old lifted his goggles to wipe away the tears that had been there. He had a job to do, and he wasn't going to fail Wally. He was going to save Earth. He was going to save Barry Allen.
But most importantly, Bart was going to save Wally West.
His arrival had been a bit rough, but he'd managed to wash the blood off his suit when he found the showers. It took only half a second to violently scrub the still wet red away.
Bart did his best to ignore that it was Wally's blood he just washed down the drain.
He ended up being knocked on his ass by Nightwing (Wally told stories about him all the time), blinking blearily as his arms and ankles were put into handcuffs. He had to remind himself that he was safe, that he wasn't being enslaved by the Reach. Instead of addressing the future, Bart smiled falsely at the heroes in front of him. "Why so surprised? Half the meat at Comic-Con are from my era." When he didn't get a response, he spoke up again. "Look, look guys, we should all be friends. I'm really one of you. Part of the heroic legacy, right?" He sat up straighter, smirking knowingly at the glaring heroes. "My name's Bart Allen. You know, grandson of Barry Allen."
"The Flash... Noted. Not believed, but noted." Bart pouted at Nightwing.
"What's not to believe? I've clearly got Flash's speed, his amazing good looks. Frankly, I can't wait to meet him. Uh, you know, back when he was in his prime," he tacked on helpfully.
"Well Bart, coming all the way from the future, you must've worked up quite a thirst." The black and blue clad hero approached with a glass of water. Bart didn't hesitate. He needed to earn these people's trust.
"Thanks!" He ignored how clean and crisp the water was compared to what he was used to. "Oh, ah! You're trying to get a DNA sample! You need my spit!" He hacked loudly, spitting a large glob of saliva and drainage into the water. "Ha, that's such a Dick Grayson thing to do."
Said man reeled back in shock. "How did...?"
"See?! I know stuff only a future boy would know!" He motioned towards each individual hero. "Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Garfield Logan."
Beast Boy grimaced, pointing at the two Bats. "Your name's Tim? And yours is... Dick?" He stared at Nightwing incredulously.
"Oops! Spoilers. This secret identity thing is so retro. I mean, you can call me Impulse or Bart or Bart Allen or Bart Impulse Allen, it's all crash." He shrugged, still wearing a fake smile. Just keep smiling. Wally did it all the time for you.
He sat patiently for as long as he could while the three heroes argued about whether or not he was the real deal. As soon as he heard his opening, he took it, offering a small salute before running off. He needed to save his grandpa so Wally could live. If he were being honest with himself, Bart didn't really care about Barry Allen. He was just some man that led to his birth. Wally was the one who raised him. Wally is the person who took care of him. Wally taught him how to use his superspeed. Wally helped Bart escape from the Reach.
Wally was probably the only person who had ever truly loved Bart.
Do it for him, he had to tell himself. Do it for Wally. He slowed down as he neared Central City, ignoring his natural curiosity to explore this new and healthy world. The door to the Allen residence was wide open, and he did himself the favor of inviting himself in. Besides, when he came from there was no such thing as personal space. He caught the end of a blonde man's sentence. "He says he's my what?"
"Your grandson!" He threw his arms out to emphasize his point. He faked his joy at seeing this unknown man, throwing himself at him and hugging him. He greeted Iris and the two Garricks, smiling sheepishly when he gave away the fact his grandparents would be having twins. "Oops. Spoilers."
"Careful, kid. If you are what you say you are, revealing too much could crash the whole time stream." Bart stiffened in shock, turning to stare at the twenty one year old standing in a thick jacket by the door. His hair was clean and groomed, his freckles brighter than Bart remembered them. Instead of bursting into tears and hugging the redhead speedster and telling him how much he loved him, Bart smiled widely and zipped up to him. He hugged Wally tightly around the waist, basking in the soft clothing and the warm Christmas smell Wally had always had.
"You're Wally West, my first cousin once removed!" He looked up into the man's eyes, hoping and praying that he recognized him, that he remembered him. Instead, all he got was a nasty scowl as he was shoved away.
"Yeah, the operative word being 'removed'." Bart ignored the pain that threatened to suffocate him. Wally didn't remember him. Made sense since he was in the past, but still. Bart had hoped...
A phone ringing returned his attention to the mission at hand. He wasn't here to play games or get attached to anyone. He was here to save Barry Allen so Wally West could live. The fight with Neutron had gone shockingly well, although Bart was a bit confused why Wally was so slow. He'd been much faster in the future, so what had happened? Bart ignored the scathing glares sent his way. It was obvious this Wally didn't like him.
That was okay. Bart didn't need to be loved or even liked. He just needed to save Wally.
He knew that if his Wally saw how skewed Bart's mind was, the redhead would have had a conniption. Superheroes were supposed to care about everyone, no matter who they were. Bart didn't care about people though. Bart came from a timeline where it was every person for themselves, not one person saves everyone else. Wally was a kindred spirit, a soul that shouldn't have gone out the way it did.
Bart wasn't going to let anything happen to this Wally West. Never.
Bart stayed with the Garricks. They were a nice couple, but Bart didn't want to stay with them. He wanted to run to Palo Alto where he knew Wally was, wanted to just tell him everything. He wanted his Wally back, the one who hugged him and carried him and would never leave him.
But he did leave you, a voice said at the back of his head.
Bart chose to ignore it.
He'd managed to make a few 'friends' in the past that was now his present, though he didn't feel all that close to them. He knew that he would never be as close to anyone as he had been to Wally, not unless he told someone the whole truth. At least Bart had befriended Jaime Rays. If he could stay close to Blue Beetle, then he could take him out when the time came. There was no way the bug didn't turn evil. He'd worked hard to be a member of the Team. It was cool that he got to work with people Wally worked with. For months though, Bart didn't get to talk to Wally much. They'd seen one another all of ten times since Bart had arrived, and none of it had been one on one. He couldn't trust anyone here besides the redhead speedster, but nobody knew that. Not even Wally.
So Bart practically tortured himself by staying isolated and ignoring how much he wanted to tell Wally the truth.
As time moved on and Bart grew accustomed to his life, he began to realize that his teammates actually cared about him. Tim was incredibly smart, so talking to him was always enjoyable. Garfield liked showing Bart new things that the brunette hadn't previously known about, and Jaime would take the speedster out to hang out. While his main priority was to keep Wally alive, Bart felt that maybe, just maybe, it was okay to build a life for himself. He still felt like he was in a strange alternate dimension, but he began to feel that maybe he fixed the timeline. Maybe the Reach really would fail.
He was proven horribly wrong when the Reach launched the MFDs.
He did his best, he really did, but it wasn't enough. He thought that maybe if he and Barry siphoned off the kinetic energy, they would die and Wally would live. Wally deserved to live.
In the end, they failed.
Wally vanished into thin air before his very eyes. For the second time in his very short life, Bart watched Wally West die. He knew he wasn't dead, just trapped in the Speed Force, but he still screamed when Wally seemed to disintegrate into thin air. The MFD stopped then, almost as if to laugh at the sobbing speedster. Bart was on his knees, the snow soaking through his suit and leaving him cold.
He'd felt cold for a long time. He was truly alone now.
A hand rested on his shoulder and Bart turned to look up at the red clad hero. He felt anger and hatred rise at the sight of Barry Allen in the Flash suit. "It was supposed to change! You were supposed to die, not Wally!" Barry reeled back in shock, unsure what to say. Bart wasn't done though. "He's gone, he's gone all over again. I just want my dad back. Give me my dad back!" He yelled up at the sky, knowing there would be no answer. "Please," he sobbed silently. "I'll do anything. Please."
"Flash, Impulse?" The two looked up at Nightwing, M'gann floating close behind. Artemis ran up to them, looking out at the snow.
Bart knew there was no point in looking. Wally wasn't there anymore.
"Where's Wally?" The archer had tears falling down her face, and Barry walked forwards.
"He wanted me to tell you-"
"No," Artemis breathed out, hands cupping her mouth as she sank to her knees.
"He loved you," Flash finished. Bart clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth in anger.
He's not really dead. He's not really gone. I'll just have to get him back. Bart looked up, his gaze catching Dick's own. White lenses stared into broken hazel, and in that moment both knew what they had to do. With a steely gaze, the thirteen year old stumbled to his feet and nodded at Nightwing. The hero offered a small nod in return.
They would find a way to bring Wally back.
"Where is he."
Bart scowled, crossing his arms. "What makes you think I know?"
"Don't play games with me!" Dick lunged forwards, clenched hands lifting the speedster off the ground and pinning him to a wall.
Bart scoffed. "Your Bat tricks don't scare me, Dick. Nothing you can do will scare me."
Slowly the Boy Wonder lowered him to the ground, teeth grinding together. "Where. Is. Wally."
The brunette narrowed his eyes. "You're going to help me get him back then?" Dick gave him a 'you are an idiot' look and Bart smirked. "Good. We'll need to make a cosmic treadmill, which means we're going to need Bruce and Barry."
Dick frowned. "I have no idea what that is. And why Bruce?"
The speedster quirked an eyebrow. "Well, a cosmic treadmill allows a speedster to go into the Speed Force. We're pretty sure there's more to it than that, but by then the treadmill had been destroyed and there weren't any blueprints left behind to replicate it. As for Bruce, I believe that he and Barry were the ones to hide it away in the first place. If we wanna save Wally, then we need at least one of them."
The raven haired teen frowned. "I still don't get it. Speed Force?"
Bart nodded as he rummaged through a few things in the Bat Cave. "Yup. It's where speedsters get their powers. It's also where we go when we die."
"How do you know that? Have you been there?"
The brunette shook his head, golden gaze settling on the Batmobile. "No," he whispered softly. "I knew someone who did though."
"Go into the Speed Force?" Bart nodded. "Who?"
"Doesn't matter. They're dead now anyways. Doesn't make a difference."
"Do I know them?" Bart frowned, turning to look at Dick with a quirked brow. "What? Just asking."
Bart figured that since the timeline had safely been diverted, he was okay to say a little bit. "You do." Nightwing snapped his head up, eyes wide since his mask was off. "They were a great person. They were accidentally spat out of the Speed Force in my time, and they found me. They took me in and raised me. I would have probably died if it weren't for them."
"Was it... was it Wally?"
Bart smiled shakily at the acrobat. "Yeah. Yeah, it was. My timeline was way different from this one. I wasn't supposed to meet Wally until he found me thirty years from now. I don't... I don't think he liked me very much."
Dick laughed. "Are you kidding me? He asked about you all the time!" Bart stared at Dick with wide eyes. "Kid, Wally would call me just to check in on you. While you might not be close, Wally cares about you. He told me he was proud that you were going to step in for him as Kid Flash."
Tears fell down pale skin. "He... really said that?" Dick nodded. "He was supposed to be the Flash," he said absentmindedly. "He was supposed to take Barry's place when he died."
Dark brows furrowed in confusion. "But didn't Wally retire?"
"Yeah, he did. But Neutron killed Barry in the original timeline. Wally took up the mantle. He said it was hard on him, taking on so many responsibilities all at once, but he didn't regret it at all. He said going into retirement was just a dream, because people like us don't get to leave the hero business." Bart tried not to show how much talking about the future was affecting him. It had been almost a year since he'd traveled back in time, and he finally said something about where he came from. It wasn't a lot, but he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Wow. Who knew Wally could be such a badass," Dick joked.
"I did," Bart said softly. "I just want him back."
"And we'll get him back. Come on, let's call Flash and Batman."
The two founding members seemed doubtful at first (mainly Bruce), but as soon as the cosmic treadmill was brought up and Bart said Wally had traveled through the Speed Force thirty years into the future, Barry was completely on board. "If there's even a chance that Wally is alive, then I'm bringing him home," the Flash had said with a determined look.
"Flash, you'll go in to retrieve-"
"No!" Bart scrambled over to the glaring Batman, a steely expression on his face. "I want to go in. Besides, I don't die in the original timeline, so-"
"Wait, I died?" Barry looked horrified and Bart nodded.
"Yeah. That's why I was mad. You died in the original timeline. Wally lived." Bart didn't give anymore details.
Barry looked like he'd been slapped in the face with one of the Trickster's giant sticky hand toys. "Okay, that's messed up on way too many levels. I'll go in and bring Wally back."
Bart groaned, pulling at his hair. "You're not listening! Barry dies in the original timeline. If speedsters that die go into the Speed Force and Barry goes in, then we don't know how alive Barry will work with dead Barry. For all we know, Barry could get sucked in too!"
Batman seemed to think it through before nodding. "That seems plausible."
"What?! But if I died in the original timeline but I'm alive here, then wouldn't that mean that my soul is here?"
Bart shook his head. "It's really complicated from what I've been told, but basically there are infinite timelines just like there are infinite Earths and dimensions and so on and so forth. Essentially, the Speed Force connects every single reality, dimension, Earth, everything together. It's almost like an entity in its own right. It picks out which people it wants to become speedsters, then boom! There's a speedster. The timeline I'm from ended up with a lot of dead speedsters, so therefore there will be a ton of dead speedsters from my single timeline in there. An example would be Grandpa Barry. He died, right? Well because I went back and time and prevented that from happening, it made an alternate timeline. Barry is here, but he's also in the Speed Force. It's a whole thing that Wally explained to me. Complicated as hell, but-"
"Wally told you this?"
Bart looked at the heroes with wide eyes. "Oops. Spoilers." He rubbed his neck sheepishly and Barry took a trembling breath.
"So what I'm understanding is that Wally was alive in your timeline, right?"
The teen pursed his lips. "Essentially, yes. I'm not going to get into it more, but yeah. Wally was okay." Keyword being was.
"How do we know there isn't some alternate reality where you die and your soul is in the Speed Force?"
Bart blinked at Barry. "Uhh... I guess we don't."
"Then I'm going."
Impulse looked pissed. "No! I'm going!"
"How about you both go?" Dick shrugged at the three pairs of eyes trained on him. "What? If they wanna go, let them go. This is Wally we're talking about here."
Bruce growled beneath his mask. "Fine. Barry, is the treadmill set up?" He nodded.
"It's ready in Star Labs."
"Good. Let's save Kid Flash then."
Bart cheered as they took a Zeta Tube to Star Labs in Central City. Apparently Barry had a secret lair of his own. It was an underground room with varying different things scattered about. Bart eagerly zipped around, finally settling in front of the cosmic treadmill. "Woah." He ran a gloved hand delicately across the front of it, eyes wide as he admired it. "This is so crash."
Barry chuckled. "If we're doing this Bart, we have to be careful. I've only ever gone into the Speed Force once. It's a dangerous place. Stay with me, and we'll find Wally together."
"Got it," Bart stated as he readjusted his glasses and hopped onto the large treadmill, placing himself behind Barry. "Let's bring Wally home."
Batman started the device up, the two Bats standing back and watching as red and white blurs moved faster than they could keep up with, a bright blue and white light engulfing their forms and leaving behind a small portal no lager than a nickel. "Uhh... is that supposed to happen?" Dick looked confused and Bruce smirked.
"Yes." He looked back at the small portal, hoping his friend and colleague would come back with two speedsters in tow.
Bart didn't entirely understand what was going on. One second he was running, and the next he felt like he'd been squeezed through a straw. Everything was painfully bright. It felt like he'd turned his phone on full brightness at two in the morning. He could see Barry running ahead of him and did his best to focus on the red suit. "C'mon kid, we gotta keep going! Focus on Wally!"
And so Bart did. He thought of the first time he'd met a kind man offering him stale bread. He thought of how he got to run with Wally around the track in the Bat Cave while Damian watched from the rafters. He thought of how Wally took care of him, always putting Bart above himself. Most of all, he thought of those moments where Wally was his dad. It had taken him a long time to realize what Wally West was to him. Nathaniel had actually been the one to point it out. "Where's your dad, kid?" An eight year old Bart had stared at the bald man in confusion and simply stated that his dad was dead. "I was talking about Wally. Geez, Bart." After that, things just kind of... clicked. He started noticing all of the little things, like the way Wally would tuck him in every night and tell him stories, or when he'd hug Bart and kiss his forehead when he'd get nightmares. While Bart would never forget the dad who brought him into this world, the brunette knew that he would never ever be able to forget about Wally.
With thoughts of the man who raised him in what could only be described as a hell hole, the lights faded away and left Bart standing in front of a house that looked all too familiar. He could tell he was still running despite not appearing to; he just knew he was moving. Nonetheless, the thirteen year old walked up the stairs on the side of the two story building and knocked lightly on the door. The soft yellow door swung open, showing a warm and welcoming home inside. Bart began to sob when he saw a thirty one year old man amiably talking to Barry Allen. "Wally?"
Green eyes landed on Bart, a large grin spreading across his features. "Hey Bart. You've grown up, haven't you?"
Bart ran forwards, hugging the man that he knew was his timeline's Wally. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry-"
"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. It's okay. You did exactly what needed to be done."
"You'll come back, right?"
That same smile Bart remembered right before Wally was blown up appeared. It was a smile that was an apology on its own. "I don't think I can. I want to, believe me, but-"
"I think that you can come back." Three heads turned to look up at the younger Wally West, the one they'd gone into the Speed Force to find. Standing next to him was a younger version of Barry, though it wasn't very visible. "Dead Barry and I were talking, and we theorized that because we're technically the same soul as the one that died in the previous timeline, we could essentially merge into one person. It's kinda weird and odd, but I think these two deserve a second chance. What do you say, Uncle B? Willing to give it a try?"
Barry blinked up at his nephew before smiling and nodding. "I suppose so. Let's do it." Wally smiled and approached his older self, reaching a hand out and offering it up as a handshake. Future Wally sent one last glance at Bart before reaching out. As soon as their hands were clasped, a golden light filled the room. Standing before them was Wally West, still twenty one but also different. His body was scarred in the same places the older Wally had been scarred, his eyes older than what they had once been. "Wally? Did it work?"
The redhead turned and smiled at his uncle, nodding his head. "Yeah, it definitely worked. Your turn!" The blonde pouted a little before copying his nephew, blinking rapidly at the very few new images that assaulted his memories.
"Oh. Guess all I really got out of that was a timeline without Bart there and memories of being incinerated. I... don't know how I feel about that." Wally chuckled, placing a hand onto Bart's shoulder.
"C'mon, let's head home." With that the house around them faded away, the brilliant lights from before coming back full force. The trio ran together, Wally in the lead since he knew the most about the Speed Force. While Barry had died and gone into the Speed Force, Wally had been trapped there for over thirty years. He'd continued running when Barry was able to stop.
The three speedsters emerged from the strange entity, flopping onto the floor as Batman turned the treadmill off. "Flash, Impulse, how did it go? Was it a success?"
Bart raised an exhausted arm into the air, offering a weak thumbs up. "We totally crashed the mode. We got him back." They untangled the men, laughing at the distraught face Wally wore.
He looked at Bart and hugged him tightly. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I lied to you, Bart. I never should have-"
"No, you shouldn't have." He had his arms crossed as he leaned against the redhead. "But you did what you thought was right, and in the end it all worked out. I'm glad you're okay, Dad."
Dick's eyes bugged out of his head in shock. "DAD?! What does he mean by dad?!"
Wally laughed sheepishly as he rubbed his neck. "Well, that's kind of a long story..."
Bart smiled as he took a deep breath of fresh air. It was wonderful weather, the autumn breeze ruffling his hair and bringing a warm and crisp smell with it. "Hey kid, enjoying yourself there?" Bart turned to look at the red clad superhero with a smile stretched out on his face.
"Yeah. The air is so clean here. I forget sometimes how nice the small things can be." Flash smiled softly, ruffling the brunette locks sticking out of Bart's own Kid Flash suit.
"I get what you mean. How about we go visit Sally's Ice Cream parlor and afterwards we'll head over to your Grandpa Barry's house, hm? I think he misses running and I'm sure he'd love to go for a little trip around the globe."
Bart nodded excitedly. "Yeah, that would be great! Think Great Grandpa Jay will come along? Or maybe Max or Johnny?"
Wally laughed, Bart imagining the small crinkles in the corners of his eyes beneath the Flash cowl. "Maybe." As they turned toward the rising sun, Wally held out a loaf of fresh bread and a small wrapped box with a bow on it. "Happy fourteenth birthday, Bart."
The teen grinned widely, breaking the bread in half and offering part of it to the concealed redhead. "Thanks, Dad."
A/N: Aaaand that's it! In case you can't tell, Wally ended up taking up the role as the Flash when Barry decided to retire so he could take care of his kids. Bart took the role of Kid Flash, and they're basically living their best lives now. I'm honestly really happy with how this story turned out. If I'm being honest, I wasn't expecting to actually finish this soon, but I did and I love the simple and open ending. If you've decided to read the author note then thank you for reading this! Please review! This story took me a little under eight hours to write, seeing as it's now 7:33 pm.
Love,
sKaEtrgrL
