"To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing it's best to make you somebody else is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight…Never stop fighting"

-E. E. Cummings

Chapter 3: Wally West to Kid Flash

-Blue Valley, Nebraska, year 2008-

"Hmm…a little to the left…no a little to the right, there perfect." A spikey ginger hair boy confirmed, as he took a step back to better admire his handy work. He couldn't help but grin at the newest Flash poster he had bought with his monthly allowance. Even though he would be going without lunch for a couple of weeks it was worth it to get the last limited addition live scale Flash poster from the comic book store this week.

Many of the kids from school had thought it was stupid to spend all his lunch money on such a trivial thing but to the boy who considered himself the leader of the Blue Valley Flash fan club it was nothing but a mere sacrifice. Wally West had been a hardcore Flash fan ever since he saw him save several people from a burning building in a blink of an eye on the news. That was the moment a nine-year-old Wally made up his mind to be just like the Flash when he grew up.

"Wally, get down here the family reunion is starting," he heard his mother call from downstairs. With one more glance at his newest poster he ran downstairs as fast as he could.

As soon as he had made his way towards the backyard his mother pulled him towards her. "There you are Wally, why are you always late?" his mother scolded. When she didn't get a reply from the downcast boy she sighed as she went on with what she had called him over to tell him. "Anyway your Aunt has been asking for you so hurry up and go greet her."

Hearing that his favorite aunt, Iris West, wanted to see him made a large smile appearing on his face as he scampered off towards the direction of a medium size ginger woman that was talking to a few relatives before she caught sight of him. Aunt Iris was his favorite relative by far not only because she was the only person that would listen to his wild dreams about one day becoming a speedster just like his idol, but because she always brought new stories about the Flash to tell him.

"And then what happened Aunt Iris?" Wally asked eagerly when the short ginger woman in front of him stopped right at the best part of the story as a man with blond hair came towards them. As Wally looked up to where his aunt's gaze was directed he couldn't help but pout. Even though he knew that the man was his aunt's newly married husband, he still didn't like the fact that he was about to ruin his favorite thing about the family gathering his parents held.

Looking down at her sulking nephew Iris couldn't help but smile softly at him as she bent down to his level. "You know, all this story telling is kind of making me thirsty, would you mind-"

"No problem Aunt Iris, I'll back in a flash and then you can finish the rest of the story right?" Wally stated, more like a bargain than a question. This caused his aunt to laugh a little while she promised him the end of the story while shooing him towards the refreshment table.

I wonder what the end of the story is, Wally wondered as he took the jug of punch and started pouring juice into a plastic cup. I bet he uses his supper speed to take captain freeze gun right out of his hands. Or, maybe he did his arm tornado move and caused the villain to ice himself, or, or, or-

"Wally get your damn head out of the clouds your making a mess!" a voice yelled, jolting Wally out of his thoughts only to see that the cup he was filling for his aunt was over flowing onto his mother's nice expensive white table cloth. It was the tablecloth his mother only brought out on special occasions, in other words, he had really done it this time.

"Sorry I-"

"Wasn't paying attention? Of course you weren't! It's always Flash this and Flash that. I want to be Flash when I grow up, well you can't! Just give up on such unrealistic dreams. Look son you aren't going to grow up to be some flashy superhero. You'll probably grow up normally and work at the same plant the men in our family have been working at for generations."

"You don't understand anything! You'll never understand!" Wally shouted back as he dashed back into the house as fast as he could so that no one would notice his trembling body and the painful tears flowing down his cheeks. He had heard that same lecture hundred times, to just give up on his dream and grow up like every other kid his age. All he ever heard from his parents was to be normal, act normal, or you're normal! He hated the word with a burning passion because the last thing he wanted was to be like everyone else around the small village he lived in.

The sort of village he lived in was like a never ending song that someone put on replay. The children eventually grow up, trained in their parent's profession, and take their parents' places in society. And the same is done in the next generation and then the next, it made him sick there was no way he was going to get stuck in that never ending cycle. He wanted to follow his own path, do his own thing, and become his own person. Why couldn't they just accept him for who he is? Wally thought as he sobbed into his Flash themed blanket, curled up in his bed. As sobs started to die down he perked his head up from his bed when he heard a knocking sound from outside his door.

"Ah, can I please come in?" Wally heard a man ask from outside his door. Usually when he was this upset he would've sent the person packing; however, for some reason Wally felt himself getting up and unlocking the door to his room. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't recognize the person's voice, Wally thought as he opened his door slowly, only enough to poke his head out.

"Hi, I don't think we've been properly introduced I'm your uncle, Barry Allen. If it's not too much trouble, do you mind if we had a little talk?" the blond man that had interrupted his story time with his aunt asked with a soft smile. With a slight sigh Wally opened the door to let the man in.

From what he could tell by looking at the tall man, he wasn't like most adults. He didn't carry an intimidating air about him nor did he seem like he was some kind of all knowing being like most adults. No, he seemed more reasonable, laid back, and cheerful than any adult he had ever met.

"I'm sorry about Aunt Iris' drink," Wally mumbled as he watched his uncle seat down on his computer chair that he directed so that he was facing Wally.

"Don't sweat it kid, accidents happen," the man said with a warm smile. Some how that smile was able to make the boy, who still had a few stray tears falling down his face, return his smile. "You know all your parents want is what's best for you right?"

Hearing that caused Wally to turn away from the man with a pout, the last thing he wanted was to hear the same old boring speech from yet another adult.

"Okay, okay, yeah I know those are the last words you want to hear but it's true. Every parent wants to see their child to grow up to be the best they can be. But I also get where you're coming from. I bet you don't want to be like other kids or like your parents when you grow up, do you?"

"No, I want to be a hero just like the Flash," Wally mumbled back as he shifted towards the young man once again.

"Well then there are other ways you can be a hero like the Flash. You could become a doctor, a fireman, or a police officer."

"Hmph, what do you know? I bet you have a boring job like every other adult."

"I guess I can't argue with you there, I'm a forensic scientist and although I'm not out on the front line I still help people like the police officers and the Flash to catch the bad guys," Barry answered with a smile as he saw his nephew's ears perk at the mention of his favorite superhero's name.

"If what you say is true then that means you've met the Flash haven't you? You have to introduce me to him, you just have to!" Wally pleaded with wide green puppy dog eyes that were shining with hope. There was no way Barry could bring himself to turn down the one person who could be the biggest fan of his superhero identify. So against his better judgment he felt himself agreeing to let Wally come over next week to check out his laboratory and met the Flash.

"Thanks Uncle Barry, you're now my favorite uncle," Wally boomed excitedly as he got up out of his bed to follow his uncle back towards the family gathering.

"Aren't I your only uncle?"

"That's why you're the favorite," Wally answered with a cheeky grin that caused Barry to smile warmly down at the boy before affectionately ruffling his messy ginger hair.

"Now remember to behave yourself, Wallace. And try not to make any trouble for your Aunt Iris," Wally's mother lectured while she rang the door to her sister's house. A slight grimace appeared on her face as she watched her little boy practically bouncing up and down with excitement to the point she was sure he hadn't heard a single word that had come out of her mouth that day.

"Hi, you came just in time Barry's…is in the kitchen…" Iris broke off slightly as she watched her energetic nephew race into her house calling for the man that had promised that he would let him see his idol of all time.

"Sorry, I told him a million times to mind his manners, are you sure you can handle him for today?"

"Of course, you can't blame the kid for being excited. Its not everyday you get a private audience with the world's fastest man," Iris chuckled as she looked back to see Wally bouncing around a very flustered Barry as he tried to get all the stuff he needed for work.

"Well if you're sure than I'll see you in the evening than."

"Have a safe trip it looks like a storm might be coming," Iris called out as she watched her sister get into her car and drive off. The Central City reporter was about to close the door when she felt her husband give her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Have a good day Barry…and are you sure that you have the whole Flash thing under control?" Iris asked slightly worried that he would not be able to pull off the seamless switch between his identity as a forensic scientists and his alter ego without Wally noticing something was up.

"Don't worry everything's under control-"

"Come on Uncle Barry! We don't want to keep the Flash waiting!" Wally exclaimed as he tried to pull his uncle away from his aunt, which caused them both to laugh as Barry quickened his pace out the door.

"Has anyone ever taught you that waiting is a virtue?" Barry asked as he ruffled his nephew's messy ginger hair affectionately.

"I hate waiting, plus I bet the Flash never has to wait for anything," Wally countered as they got into Barry's car.

"You would be surprised," Barry sighed as he started to drive off in the direction of the police station.

"Okay here's the deal Wally, you wait inside my lab and I'm sure the Flash will be here in a few moments-"

"Where are you going Uncle Barry?" Wally asked absentmindedly as he looked around at all the chemicals that were on the shelves of his lab.

"I'll be in a meeting with the chief of the policeman for most of the morning, so you'll have the Flash all to yourself until I get back, ok." Barry answered as he picked up the young boy and sat him down in one of the chairs around his work area. "Wally be a good boy and wait patiently for the Flash and try not to touch any of the chemicals while I'm gone," Barry warned causing the ginger haired boy to bob his head up and down with a huge smile that only grew when he watched his uncle leave the room. This was it, Wally thought with excitement as he ran through the many questions he had thought up to ask the Flash on his long drive over to Central City. He wasn't even half way through the questions he had thought up when he heard a knocking on the door before it swung open revealing a red streak. Wally barely had time to blink before he saw the steak materialize into a man in a red costume with yellow lightening bolts.

"Y-y-you're t-t-the-"

"The Flash, why yes I am, and they probably call you articulate, uhn?" the superhero joked causing the small boy to snap out of his trance with a few shakes of his head before getting off his chair.

"I'm Wally West and I'm your biggest fan from Blue Valley," Wally introduced himself while holding out his hand to shake hands with the Flash; hoping that his bursting admiration for the hero wasn't showing.

"It's nice to meet you to Wally. Now your uncle told me that you have some questions for me. It's best to get straight to the point cause Central City has a bad habit of not staying saved for too long. If you know what I mean," the Flash stated cheerfully thinking that the young boy would only have a few questions, but little did he know despite the size of the boy's head he could fit a lot of questions; about two hours worth.

"…and is it true that you have to eat a gallon worth of food to satisfy your hyper-accelerated metabolism?"

"Well I'm not sure that it is a gallon but I do have to eat a lot or my body will use up all it's energy reserves and shut down?" the Flash answered while tapping his foot under the table he was seating at and looking at the clock periodically with his super speed so he wouldn't offend his nephew.

"Shut down? Does that mean you die if you don't get enough to eat?" Wally asked in a worried tone that got the super hero to snap to attention.

"Of course not, it means I just have a fainting spell nothing serious. Anyway I should get going it's almost time for my daily patrol of Central City," the Flash answered while seating up, but before he dashed out of the room he felt hands gripping his leg.

"Wait our time can't over already! I still haven't asked you the most important question yet!" Wally whined with a cute pout that caused Barry's resolve to breakdown as he turned back towards the child.

"Okay I guess I have time for one more question."

"Yaya! My last question is how did you get your powers?" Wally asked with a cheeky smile as he let go of the Flash's leg.

"Well I don't have time to go into the scientific detail…not that you will understand it but the long story short is that I got hit by lightening and a bunch of chemicals like the ones over there fell on me and voilà I got super speed."

"If that's what happened then it should be easy to get super speed if I recreate the accident right?" Wally asked with anticipation that flattered when the Flash's carefree face turned serious.

"Sorry bud I like that you are such a big fan, but what happened to me is a one and billion event. If you attempted to recreate the accident there is a higher chance you will end up getting hurt or worse. Do you understand?"

"Ah…fine…do you think I can hang out with you again sometime?" Wally asked trying to up lift his spirits.

"Of course only if you promise you'll be a good boy and stay out of trouble," the Flash bargained while ruffling the boy's hair before he was nothing more than a red streak disappearing out of the door. Little did Barry know that request may not be possible for a curious young boy especially on a day like that one. As the boy began to feel restless while he waited for his uncle he decided to take a better look at the chemicals that the Flash said were similar to the ones that changed him into a super hero. Being too short to get a good look he climbed on to the shelf and started to read the chemical labels on each bottle.

"Wally how was your talk with the-!" Barry broke off dead in his tracks as he stared up in surprise and horror at his nephew. Before he could make a move to drag the small boy down a streak of bright light crashed through the roof hitting the boy.

"Wally!" Barry yelled as he zoomed to his nephew's side on the ground drenched in the chemicals that had turned him into the Flash and electricity sparking around the boy. That day changed Wally's life as he awoke with the very power that would allow him to realize all his wildest dreams. He was finally free from having to conform and follow the future of carry on his father's life.