Wally was prepared to see evidence of the cave in etched into his cousin's skin, what he wasn't prepared for was the sight of the once-proud speedster in a wheelchair.
"So you get zapped by the energy surge, get transported through time, and wake up to a beating from your best friend's little brother? Dude, that's so crash! Well, not crash for you. I mean, the fact that you're alive is pretty crash, but getting the snot kicked out of you by the Robin-wannabe? Definitely moded!" Bart chattered away rapidly, hardly waiting for the others to keep pace with his speech, but that was typical of Impulse. In fact, aside from the wheelchair, Wally figured that Bart had probably changed the least compared to the rest of his friends. It was refreshing to have some sense of normalcy… no matter how annoying it may be. It helped to distract him from Bart's unnaturally still legs as they rested on the chair. Wally knew from experience that sitting still for a Speedster was no small feat. Sometimes, when sitting in class or hiding for a stealth mission, Wally would vibrate his toes (unseen by his shoes) to relieve some of the tension from sitting still! To see Bart paralyzed from the waist down, completely unable to move legs, Wally thought it must be torture! He didn't know how the speedster could stand the immobility, but judging by Bart's classic grin and shining eyes, he must have learned to cope over the years.
"Don't remind me. When I get back to the past, I'm gonna make sure Dick knocks some manners into that kid before he ever lets him wear the Robin suit." Wally groaned, rolling his eyes. He tried to keep things light for his cousin and his uncle, though Wally couldn't seem to tear his attention away from the wheelchair.
"Back to the past, oh right! The time machine! Yeah, I think I can help you build it. We'll need to track down Neutron, he's the one that put everything together. We can use the base model of the time machine I used when I first came back… Oh, dude! That means in the future, when I need to travel back to the past, I'll use a time machine based off of your time machine, that was based off of my time machine! That is so Crash!"
"Do you understand any of this?" M'Gaan asked, reaching out her telepathy to include both Connor and Wally.
"Not a word." Connor groaned, prompting a smirk from Wally.
"Neutron, Gramps, and I can build the time machine, that won't be the problem. The hard part with be pinpointing the exact moment you need to go back to. If you arrive too last, this timeline will already be set in motion, and you won't be able to save everyone." Bart continued, finally getting back on track.
"It's not that small of a window. I need to stop Joker from Killing Dick and kidnapping Artemis. There's a two year gap between when I disappear and when they get captured, it won't be that hard." Wally pointed out, not seeing the problem. Bart, who had been through all of this before, creased his brow at the thought of not taking this seriously.
"Don't underestimate this Wally. If you go back too early, you're very presence in that timeline will change things. The past will be skewed, unpredictable. Right now, we know the exact time and place that Nightwing dies. But if you go back and change things, we'll have no idea when Joker will strike. It might be in those two years, it might be sooner, might be later… nothing will be predictable. You've only got one shot at this Wally. If you go back too soon and Nightwing dies, then he stays dead." Bart explained, causing the rest of the room to somber.
Wally could feel the pressure rising as Bart spoke. Not only would it be up to him to save Dick and save the world, but if he arrived seconds too soon or too late, then their fates were set in stone!
"I suggest you take the next few weeks to do some research Kid. Nightwing's death may have trigger the divide, but it's not the only tragedy that set things in motion. Joker's murder, Artemis' capture, Roy's death, the battle for Star City… you need to find out what you need to change in order to stop this war. We'll take care of the time machine, you focus on where you need to go." Barry instructed.
Connor, M'Gaan, and Wally spent the next few days with the Wests. Iris was more than happy to have the company of the young heroes, and it was a chance for Wally to reconnect with his uncle and his cousin. They had managed to contact Neutron and were already working on the initial designs of the time machine. The time away from the city also allowed M'Gaan and Connor to resolve some of the tension between them. They hadn't been able to spend any time together since the Team divided, and all those feelings of betrayal, disappointment, and resentment that the two had harboured over the years were finally fading away. But as much as the three wanted to prolong their stay, they were needed back home. M'Gaan had already been contacted several times calling her home, while Connor's Team took a more direct approach, showing up on Barry's doorstep to drag the clone back themselves.
"You had no reason to come here Robin! I told you I was with Wally and M'Gaan; I told you I'd be gone for a few days!" Connor growled, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Robin, Aqualad, and Linx were all standing in the entrance to the West home, to the obvious resentment of the retired speedster who hadn't stopped grumbling since they arrived.
"You ran off with a known supporter of Superman and a potentially dangerous Meta from your past. When contacted, you replied only with ambiguous answers and non-committal responses, and when we traced your signal, we found you at the known address of a league deserter. We had every reason to come here, Superboy. Batman is beginning to doubt your loyalties as well as your commitment to leading this Team." Robin retorted, prompting nervous glances from his other two teammates.
"And I'm sure you did everything in your power to put his mind at ease." Connor bit back, every word dripping with bitter sarcasm. There had been a long-standing conflict between the clone and the new bird, and Connor just knew Damien was twisting this situation to his benefit. His thoughts were confirmed by the conniving smirk that twisted across the Boy Wonder's face.
"I just want what's best for the Team." He insisted, causing Aqualad and Linx to intervene before the tension grew any thicker.
"Regardless of Robin's intention, the truth remains: it is time to come home, my friend. Suspicions are rising on both sides. It is safer for all if you and Kid Flash returned to the Cave, and allow Miss Martian to return to her own Team" Aqualad spoke, as proper and as collected as his mentor.
"I don't see why you bothered coming here anyway. Flash is nothing but a deserter. He doesn't care about the Team, he only cares about himself!" Linx snapped back. Wally was expecting his uncle to object, but was shocked to see a shamed expression cross Barry's eyes instead.
"Lian… I am truly sorry about what happened to your parents. But there was no way I could have…"
"You were the only one who could have stopped it. You're the fastest man alive, Barry Allan. You were the only one fast enough to stop her. But you were here, hiding out in Canada, pretending that we didn't need you." Linx retorted, only calming when Aqualad placed his hand on her shoulder.
"When I found out about Roy and Jade… I wish I could have been there to stop it, Lian." Barry pleaded with genuine regret shining in his eyes. The young heroine met his gaze with one of hatred and blame. Aqualad had to escort her out of the house before anything more could be said to set her off. After a sharp glare in Connor's direction, Robin turned to follow the two. M'Gaan and Connor muttered their thank-yous and goodbyes to Iris, Barry, and Bart before they too left the house and prepared to depart, leaving Wally to bid farewell to his family.
"You fix this Wally. When you go back in time, you do whatever you have to to fix this."
"I will uncle Barry." Wally promised, not having the heart to deny him. The guilt and stress that sagged Barry's shoulders, creased his brow, and bleached his hair made the man look far older than he should. Bart's injury, Jade and Roy's deaths, abandoning the League… Barry didn't look as if he could handle any more heartache, and Wally would do anything to erase that suffering from his uncle's past.
With a warm hug from his aunt, uncle, and cousin, Wally left the house and boarded the Bioship, seeing all five of the proteges waiting for him. The speedster took his seat between M'Gaan and Lian, acting as a barrier between the two side (with Linx, Robin, and Aqualad clearly divided from Superboy and Miss Martian).
"M'Gaan, I need you to show me what happened to Roy. I need to see it for myself." Wally asked. M'Gaan turned her eyes to Linx, a silent plea for permission from the young archer. Lian clenched her jaw and squeezed Aqualad's hand so tightly that her knuckles drained of colour. It was with a reluctant nod that she accepted the Martian's plea, and offered her memories of the event to give Wally the full picture.
Wally leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, letting M'Gaan's telepathy take him back years ago, into the mind of ten-year old Lian Nguyen-Harper.