Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day I graduated high school, my brother in-law gave me a watch. It belonged to his father. And his grandfather before that. The watch had been handed down generation after generation with an inscription on the back, "Every second is a gift." My brother in-law was an optimist. I used to be an optimist, too. Until the day the watch broke. I lost time. We all did.

I look down at it and know without question: I love this world. But there's something missing. Growing up, I had a father who was always absorbed in his job, and had little to-no time to raise his kids, and a mother who was largely absent. I had one sister. But no real friends. Until the day I met my hero. I found hope and inspiration. I was blessed with power and a purpose. I became part of a Legacy. My life was better than I ever imagined it could be. But it was all ripped away.

As bizarre as it sounds, I used to find myself lost outside of reality like this. Sometimes it was because I was pushing myself too hard, sometimes it was because someone else was. Still, I always found my home. Because I had a lightning rod to ground me. But as hard as I've tried, I haven't been able to find her. So I've been searching for someone else to make contact with.

This is Bruce Wayne. He knows what it's like to lose everything too.

"{Reporter} No New sightings of Superman since he was declared missing after his confrontation with an unknown metahuman yesterday..."

"Master Wayne?" as voice calls out. "What is it Alfred" the costumed man replies. Maybe Bruce can help me.

Alfred comments on the Joker. Bruce questions everything, explaining that "in Civic City, one dead in a candy store, two more held hostage, but the Joker was caught outside Baltimore three hours ago. They're transferring him to Arkham as we speak." Alfred still questions the validity of the theory, "so what? There aren't three Jokers then. Two?"

Most people think bats are blind, but that's a myth. Bats can see as well as us. Sometimes better.

Still confident in his quest for answers, Bruce insists that "the chair said there are three. He needs to find out what that really means."

That's why I started with Bruce. Every mystery the universe has ever faced-- from the streets of Gotham to the solar pits of Apokolips-- he's solved them. I hope Bruce can see through the fog that's fallen over everyone. Because he might be my only chance at this. The moment Darkseid was destroyed, reality flickered. And the door keeping me out cracked open, after years of trying to get back-- I'm finally able to break through. Making direct contact like this can kill me. But I have to try.

Because right now, I'm worse than dead.

"BRUCE!" I call out.

I'm forgotten.

My name is Wally West, and I am the fastest man alive. But no one remembers that, once upon a time, I was the Flash, too.

"Bruce, I need your help!" I explain. "Barry?" Bruce asks, confused. Attempting to elaborate, I shakily reply "No. I'm not Barry, but you know me Bruce." Angry and curious, he asks "Who are you?" Continuing to reach out, I say as much as I can, "I'm younger than you would remember. We all are. My n-name is Wa-"

He doesn't remember me. The connection isn't strong enough. I'm getting reeled back as I scream in pain. There's so much to say... to do... but the Speed Force isn't going to wait. The extra-dimensional energy may give speedsters our speed, but tapping into it is always a risk. If you move to fast, run across the edges of time, you can fall in. Once you do, you begin to lose your memories, all sense of self. You become one with the Speed Force.

"N-name is w-Wally..." Ie begin to spit out everything at once. "R-remember how you got the letter, Bruce! The letter from your father. From Thomas Wayne! It's how this all started! Ask Barry." Needing more information, he shouts "Wait! Don't go. Don't--" His life flashes before his eyes.

Your body breaks down, transformed into kinetic energy. You become fuel for the next generation of speedsters. Time rips open as I get sucked back into the Speed Force. Reality from across existance spills out. I think I'm going to die.

I hope that if I dies, my death will mean something. I hope, but it's getting harder to. I hope it will help somebody. Bruce couldn't bring me back... so I have to find someone else. I have to warn my friends. Before it's too late.

As I tumble back into the Speed Force, my life flickers in front of me like an old film. At least, my life as it was before the Flashpoint hit. When I was little more than a mere toddler, a boy named Barry Allen move in across the street. His mother was murdered by the impossible. As he grew older, he became close to my sister, Iris. And then the Accelerator exploded. And he became the impossible.

One night, I joined my Dad on stakeout. This was supposed to be the big night where the Flash finally fought the Reverse-Flash. But Reverse-Flash went slightly more personal with his approach to hurting Barry. He nearly killed me. But then the lightning, the Speed Force chose me. Barry called it a freak billion-to-one coincidence, though we later theorized that Barry was subconciously drawing the Speed Force into me, to make a sad kid's greatest wish come true.

The happiness that I found after that wasn't because I could outrun a jet, or even that I was being trained by my idol. It's because I had oppertunity. I could run around the world in less than a minute. And by this point, Barry and Iris were my real family. I found friends too. Then one day, the skies turned red. And Barry died saving the universe.

To honor him, I stepped into his boots. I even recruited a Team. But it wasn't until I met the love of kmy life that I felt like I deserved to become the Flash. Over the years, as my power grew, there were times I'd run so fast I'd break the time barrier- and, like now, I'd get lost and imprisoned within the Speed Force. Everytime I thought I was lost forever, Linda helped me come home. Our love transcended dimnsions. We were connected no matter where we were. Like I said, she was my lightning rod.

But then, not long ago, a miracle happened. Barry returned from the Speed Force himself. And for a brief moment... It seemed like everything was perfect.

But the it wasn't.

Barry traveled into the past to try to prevent his mother's murder at the hands of Eobard Thawne. And Barry did it. He saved her. But what's called a Flashpoint was created--a powerful and devestating "butterfly effect." The Flashpoint resulted in the complete rewriting of reality. In this new reality, Dr. Thomas Wayne became Batman after watching his son, Bruce, get gunned down. Together, along with entrapeneur Cisco Ramon, military subject Kal-El, and american hero Victor "Cyborg" Stone, they saved the universe, and Barry stopped himself from changing the past.

But someone outside of time watched it all happen. Someone saw history unravel when Barry first created Flashpoint, and when history was coming back together, they attacked. As out timelines reformed, someone stole ten years from us. A decade was removed like a jenga piece. I don't know exactly how or why, but it changed everything. Heroes that became legends were now novices. Bonds between them were weakened and destroyed. A darkness from somewhere has infected us. It has for a long time now, I think. Even before the Flashpoint. And no one knows this but me.

The secret isn't that a Flashpoint changed the universe. It's that someone else did. And whoever they are, they're still out there. I can't give up. I have to get back. For Linda. For Barry. For my family and friends. I reach out for something to grab onto that could bring me home. Someone. Anyone. Before I'm gone forever. Before whoever attacked my friends attacks again. My name was Wally West. I was the fastest man alive. I was the Flash. Whether I ever will be again isn't what's important. What's important is that I get back so I can warn everyone. So I can deliver a message.

It's not over.

Chapter Text

As I travel to my next stop, I hear screaming.

"YOR'RE NOT ALLOWED OUTSIDE OLD MAN!" It sounds like he's trying to escape. "YO HEAR ME, OR ARE YOU SENILE AND DEAF?" as the old man keeps running, he finally responds, crying "I have to get out of here! I have things to do!" The screaming match continues as the guard tells him to "GET BACK TO YOUR ROOM!" and the man saying that "YOU DON'T CONTROL ME!" The guard grabs onto the man's robe. He tells the man that "Court order says different, old-timer. You have to stay inside like the rest of the grandmas and grandpas and they'll drop the trespassing charges. Don't make us drag your granddaughter down her again!" the guard threatens the man. But the man runs for it, proclaiming "I won't stay locked up."

This man's words echo mine. At first, I think that's why I'm drawn to him after Bruce. Then I feel that static in the air around him. He's connected to lightning, too.

In a mixture of anger and sadness, he cries "Please just go away. Let this old man be."

He was born in 1917. He's been in and out of rest homes the last thirty-seven years. He tells tales of his youth to everyone he sees. How he was part of a covert team of mystery men that helped end World War 2. Except for his great-grandson, they all think he's crazy. Every doctor in the state has told him so. But he's not.

"I see you" the man says, noticing something.

The memories of the universe before the Flashpoint silip away with every second I'm back.

It's time. "I don't know how long I have... please listen to me carefully! Their history may have been stolen, but you're friends weren't completely lost!" The man tries to explains, "McCarthy yelled 'Take of your masks!' You know I was only trying to protect them. I'm sorry for what I did!" Ignoring what he said, I scream it all out "It's wartime again. The world is going to need your friends. But you can bring them back. You have that power, Johnny. Use the genie. FIND THE JUSTICE SOCIETY!" With tears in his eyes. he proclaims "It's all I've been trying to do!"

The moment Johnny panics, I lose what fragile connection I had. The Speed Force pulls me back in. I fight it. It hurts. I don't know how many more times I can do this before I'm completely ripped apart. I need help. I take a deep breath, like diving back into the water. My lungs burn. A buzzing fills my ears. I feel someelse outside of time... lost like me... but they're out of reach.

{Inside a police station, cops interrogate a mystery woman}

"She won't give me her name, Captain. She says its too dangerous for us to know it." The captain can't even discern the woman's accent. The woman suggest "french, maybe? I don't know." The captain doesn't even know the charges. The woman reminds her that the charge was "theft." The woman being interrogated said that where she came from, "food was free." They thik this woman needs help.

The woman being interrogated says that she's "came to speak with Superman." She's a friend of his. The woman interrogating her breaks the news. Superman's missing, possibly dead. The woman being interrogated says that she can "wait until he gets back. He may very well be dead, but she does not think this is a joke." The woman interrogating her questions this, asking "why are you smiling?" to which the woman being responded states "because everything is going to be all right. Because she's seen the future. She then hands over a ring.

What I see flicker in front of my eyes bext, it's like reality is trying to tell me... don't stop fighting... you're not alone.

At Ivy University, there's an elderly woman yelling. "This is the fifth class Professor Palmer has cancelled in a week. I know every scientific journal in the country calls him the "next" Neil DeGrasse Tyson, but he is still an employee at Ivy University with students to teach. Ray Palmer has a responsibility, Mr. Choi." The boy responds, "Professor Palmer knows that, Dean Plumm. Uh, he knows a lot." The woman, enraged at his response, screams "Why are you standing there, staring at me through those coke bottles, muttering nonsense. Go and find your boss, BEFORE I DEPORT YOU BACK TO HONG KONG!"

The boy runs, yelling for "Professor Palmer!" Ray was actually on the Waverider. But it doesn't really matter. He was using a Hologram. And now both real Ray and holo-Ray are gone. The boy explains "I know you've told me to NEVER disturb you when you're on a "serious project", but I think this is important." Still calling for his professor, telling him it's just Ryan, but no response. He finds a key under the door and calls out, "hello?" He seems confused until he hears a voice, "RYAN!" Concerned at what he's seeing, he questions, "Professor Palmer?"

On the screen, Ray continues to explain. "Ryan... if you're receiving this message... well I'm in big, big trouble. Last week, I detected a disruption within the temporal nanostructure of the timeline. I thought it was Chronos trying to loot history's greatest treasures again. I put on the A.T.O.M suit, shrunk down, and while I knew it was unwise, I jumped into the time pool. And I quickly discovered this disturbance wasn't because of Chronos. I found evidence of something much bigger than a few historical robberies within the very essence of time. Looking for answers, I shrunk beyond the atomic. And I discovered something unbelievable... What I can only call the Microverse. I need you to cancel mu classes for the forseeable future. Let Jean know her alimony check will be late, tell her... tell her I love her. I know you don't play sports. You hate the outdoors and you're afraind of herights. You have asthma and allergies. Honestly, you're a bit of a mess. But you're also the only person that knows my tech and what I do with it as the Atom as well as I do. And more important then all of that... you're the only one I can trust with this. I left you a size-changing belt, identical to mine. It has a tehter to me. It should be able to lead you to my exact atomic location so you can fish me out of here and bring me back to the lab. You'll not only be saving my life, Ryan, you may be saving the entire universe. Oh, there's one last thing, God, how could I forget? This is extremely important: When you reach the first world of the Microverse. You're going to meet someone. They're going to seek you out. Whatever you do, whatever you say, do not---"

The video ends as the boy cries out "Professor Palmer!" The boy sees the belt on the ground, saying "uh-oh?"

Is that what the universe is trying to say? There are others like me?

{In another lab-esque setting}

"This feels wrong, Mr. Kord." the young lad says. He couldn't be more right. But Ted interjects "This couldn't be more right! And call me Ted, Mr. Kord was my Dad." The boy, more serious about his situation then Ted ever could be, comments that he'd "rather spend his time trying to figure out how to get the scarab off his own back instead of building giant bugs." Ted, explaining his device says that this is The Bug, their "mobile headquarters, like a flying Batcave." Continuing, the Ted I know really comes out, "Jaime, my father founded Kord Industries to make a difference in the world. When I inherited it, I swore I would too. And making and designing tech, that's good. But when you came to me for my help, that's destiny. Like you and the scarab. You're the Blue Beetle, Jaime! And together,you and I are going to figure out eactly what it can do and help as many people as we--" Jaime interrupts with "I appreciate your enthusiasm Mr. Kord, but I gotta fly, I'm late for school." Jaime is a good kid. And Ted, well Ted is Ted. And Ted is alive, which is good news for all of us.

What happened next, scared Ted shitlless. A voice called out, "Theodore Kord, I am Doctor Fate. You do not know what you're dealing with." Ted, confused asked "who?" A decent question if you ask me. Fate continued, "I said what, not who. Jaime Reyes is an innocent in this, fused with something you both misunderstand." Ted, defending his position tries to push back a little, saying "look doctor, you're kinda freaking me out-- I think I undrstand enough, Jaime's a good kid, he's gotta good heart, and he's fused to to an alien scarab--" Fate, not giving two shits comments that "you believe the scarab to be xeno-technology. That is a lie, purposely perpetrated by the darkest of sorcerers. You're not playing with extra-terrestrials, you're playing with magic.

There are more of them. New heroes. With new ideas. Shining new light. Men and women who not only discover their power but embrace it. And then the images stop. And I hear a woman's voice.

"I won't run away from it anymore. This won't hide what you've done. It's been my burden to carry. My curse to suffer through. The naive little Pandora unleashed evils upon this world. Skepticism. Doubt. Corruption. All things your cold heart believes in. But in the end, there was hope. And the heroes of the universe embody it. Their hope, their devotion, their love for one another will vanquish what you've done. It may be over for me but they will prove you wrong. They will prove you are nothing but a lonely, cruel monst--"

In a flash of blue light, the woman dissapears, leaving behind a small pile of red smoke.

Chapter Text

I hear a scream. Did it come from the Speed Force? Or somewhere else? Something's happened. Someone's been hurt. Someone's died. Superman. Or.. I can't see him clearly for some reason, but I feel what they all do. And then I see it.

EARTH-TWO

Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance. Green Arrow and The Black Canary. They barely even know each other anymore. But when their eyes meet, they feel a spark that neither one of them can explain. A void deep inside them. Something buried deep in their hearts. This strange feeling keeps them up at night. Wondering... what have they lost?

EARTH-PRIME

{Scene shifts to a motel}

The TV is blaring, reports of "White Canary missing, presumed dead" are everywhere. A woman discusses with her wife what's going on. "I'm concerned about the rest of the team, Sara. They're asking too many questions." She responds, "There's questions to be asked, Ava. I was just abducted by aliens, but when I return, everything seems different. Some things, some events--- "are repeating" the woman interjects. Continuing, she tries to rationalize the situation, "Oliver didn't die in the Crisis in the timeline you remember, but he did in the timeline everyone else does. And let me guess, you think he's gonna return from the grave?" Sara, greatly conflicted just says, "I hope so." Outside of the hotel they were spending the night at, a man in a robe appears. The man calls out for Sara, "Ms. Lance, your memories seem to be returning. You must be greatly confused." Sara asks "Who are You?" Annoyed, the cloaked man responds, "Who I am does not matter, at least, not yet. For now, you can call me Leviathan if you like. What I am, oh, that's a different story. Friend or enemy is too simple a term when you consider the long game. Some might call this that." Becoming slightly defensive, Sara asks "What do you want? Are you associated with the terrorists in National City? Or the League of Assassins? Tell me!" And Leviathan said it all right there, "To tell you something in the wake of this 'tragedy.' You and your family are not what you believe you are. And neither is the rest of your team.?

{fade out}

I have so many questions left unanswered. The history I know continues to echo. My heart warms. My pulse races. It's what I needed, this is what I needed!I'm drawn right to it! I feel it! I found her!

A reporter asks for the police to "please let her in." The crop gruffly responds, saying he "ain't heard of no SuperNews." She protests, telling the cop she knows it's not the Daily Planet, or something like that, but she asks him are the rumors true? The cop says they aren't, but he doesn't know for sure.

She's so young, so beautiful. I hadn't forgotten, but it's been so long. I've missed her so much. I've missed us. If anyone's going to remember me.. Linda will. And once she does, it'll bring me back. The world might've changed, it might be under threat, but as long as Linda and I are together, it'll be ok. She's one of the most brilliant investigator's I've ever known. We can warn everyone together. The lightning strikes and I call out, "Linda!" she's confused. "Oh my god!" she mutters, while I continue. "I'm back. It's me Linda. It's Wally. Take my hand, and I can come home." Still shocked, she tries to rationalize.. "you... you're....," I continue, "Someone who loves you very much. You remind me of when I first met you. That look in your eye. Questions on the tip of your tongue. You were still trying to find your voice. And I was trying to find mine. We helped each other. We will again. We'll help everyone. But it starts with us Linda. You and Me. Forever." She doesn't remember, as she backs away, "I.. don't know you." No. It can't end like this. I try to call out, "LINDA, IT'S ME. IT'S WALLY! WALLY WEST! GOD, PLEASE, PLEASE, LET HER REMEMBER ME! PL--"

Chapter Text

"Linda!" I keep calling for her, but I know that I'm being pulled away. I've never given up in my life. There has to be something else I can do. If I can get back to see her... if I can get one more chance with Linda... but I've lost her. I'm out of control. I'm out of control, pulled to people I know. "Digger!", Digger, confused shouts, "Oi! Watson, get me out of here!" Some things never change. "Dick!" Dick is startled, curious. He only recently remembered the Titans. "Vic!" He still doesn't remember. Great man, founding member of the Justice League, my ass. But it doesn't matter. Now I'm not only lost, but my body is breaking down. I'll be one with the Speed Force soon. And I'll forget everything. Linda, the Titans, Barry, even my own name. Then I see him.

In Central City. The other Wally West. My father, Joe West had a brother, Daniel West. My Uncle Daniel had a child, also named Wally West, after our great-grandfather, Wallace West. I didn't want to believe it before, but I knew it. I knew this Wally West was struck by lightning, too. My cousin is connected to the Speed Force like I am. Time slows down as I watch him save some girl's life. My days of being Kid Flash are over. His are only beginning. I'm glad it's in good hands.

Without Linda, there's no place for me in this world. Without Linda, I have no way back. It's over. As I feel myself dissolving away, I'm pulled to the man who started it all... Barry Allen, The Flash. He's smiling as he saves everyone from an apartment fire. He stops as he always does, seeing if anyone needs a trip to the ER. One of the kids is hungry, so he brings them all pizza. Even tips the restaurant owner by renovating his kitchen. He seems happy. And that's enough for me. I can do this... then I can die in peace. I'ts time to let the past go, Wally.

"Barry!" I call out. He's shocked. I continue with what I have to say. "You don't know who I am, and you won't remember. So this is hello, and goodbye. Before I say anything else, you need to go to Batman. Ask him about the letter from his father. Tell h-him that something is wrong with history. Someone has infected it and.. you all forgot things. Like me." Barry, confused, asks "who are you?"

There's no more time. I'm out of time. This is it. I say my final goodbyes, "Barry, thank you for an amazing life. Thank you for your kindess, for your inspiration. For being there for me so many times. For now, the last time." Barry, shell-shocked, says "I don't understand!" I finish my speech, "I hope one day you will. You were right, Barry. Every second was a gift. That's why I won't die in anguish. I'll die with love in my heart. Goodbye, Barry. Goodbye."

Something happened. He says my name. "Wally!" He pulls me out. I'm amazed. "I-I'm back. You said my name. You brought me back." Barry breaks down, "I'm so sorry Wally. My God. How could I ever forget you?" He asks as we embrace as if we haven't seen each other in years (which is true). He then says "I-I remember it all now. You're Iris's brother, you were on a stakeout with Joe. Reverse-Flash tried to kill you. You were hit by the lightning. You created the Team. You were, Kid Flash! You worked with me, and then one day you disappeared, fighting alongside the Teen Titans. There was a Teen Titans years ago." I respond, "yes, there was." Barry still dealing with this revelation, says "Guess, I forgot?" I have no real choice but to say, "Yes you did. That's not all you forgot. There used to be more. I had a different life before the Flashpoint changed it all. I didn't disappear with the Teen Titans. I- it's getting harder to remember. I had more of a life. We all did." I tell Barry about the Flashpoint changing history. "Barry, it wasn't just me that was forgotten. There were others. There were friendships. Relationships." Self-doubting, Barry asks "are you sure it wasn't my fault?" I calm him down. I tell him "It wasn't you, Barry. It was something else. Someone else. Whoever they are, they did this for a reason. I think they took years from us to weaken us. They struck deep at our hearts, Barry." Barry, rationalizing the situation asks, "Thawne?" I finish my statement, "No. They're more powerful then Reverse-Flash. More powerful than even Darkseid. There's a force out there we've never met. There's going to be a war between hope and despair. Love and apathy. Faith and disbelief. When I was outside of time, I felt their presence. I tried to see who it was. I couldn't, but I know they're out there. And they're waiting to attack again for some reason. I can feel it. Even now, Barry, we're being watched.

Chapter Text

"I sense it is coming. The Doomsday Clock ticks forward."

Chapter Text

Dear reader,

You have just finished reading DCTV Universe Rebirth. With that in mind, here are some reflections on the current state of the universe that you may like to know.

The character narrating the story is Wally West l, or as he is alternatively known The Flash III or Kid Flash I. This is the Flash from JLU (or the Kid Flash from YJ for the younger readers).

I changed Wally's origins to fit the universe of the TV Show.

Barry was a founding member the Justice League.

Batman was missing for several years in relation to the storyline featured after 'Batman: Endgame', a story told in Scott Snyder's Batman comic.

=

The events of Justice League: Apokolips War have already taken place.

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, we were Team Flash. Heroes yes, but more than that... lifelong friends... family.

Years Ago:

Cecile: Come on. We're not holding these smiles forever!

Barry: Glk! Quit it, Iris!

Iris: Just smile.

Caitlin: Pizza, Cisco? Really?

Cisco: I missed breakfast.

Wally: Look at the camera on three...

There was a special spark that held us together.

Wally: Three...

It was a rare thing

[Camera flashes]

Like a lightning strike. You couldn't just make it happen. Every second we had together was a gift. Then it became a memory

The Present:

And then even the memory faded. Time has been taken from us. Stolen. It's ripped apart out friendship. And I'm the only one who remembers. I've come back to repair the damage. I've come back to make things right.

[Iris enters the room]

Iris: Who are you?!

Wally: Iris?

Iris: How do you know my name?

Only Barry Allen has remembered me. To everyone else, I'm a stranger. But because Barry remembered me, I hoped I could reach my sister, too. Now I'm thinking that wearing a brand new costume was a mistake.

Iris: I don't know who you are! How did you get in here?

[Iris presses her alarm as she approaches Wally]

Wally: Iris, slow down. I'm not here to hurt-

[Iris is briefly electrocuted as she touches him]

Iris: [Screams]

What was that? I didn't mean to...

Iris: Did you just tase me? What the Hell, Wally? What was- Wally?

She knows me. She knows me!

Iris: I don't understand. I know your name. But I don't know how...

Wally: I'll explain soon. I promise. But first, where are the rest of the Team?

[The rest of the team enters]

Cisco: Right here. Man, did you pick the wrong building to bust into.

Wally: Ah. Hi, guys.

Work fast. They don't know me either. And they think I've just hurt Iris.

[The team begins attacking]

They attack me from all sides. In their attack, I see the very qualities that made them my friends. Cisco's rock-steady determination. Joe West.. my Dad's protective fury when someone hurts his loved ones. Chunk, absorbing the environment around him. Cecile, exposing her vulnerable mind to the truth.

Cecile: I sense our intruder did something to Iris. Her mental patterns were altered!

Frost: What did you do to them?

Caitlin, the unwavering friend you're lucky to have. Don't know what's going on with the white hair. How can I prove I'm not their enemy? They have to remember me.

Iris: You guys need to stop!

Joe: Who is he?

Cecile: Not matter how fast you are, you can't outrun your own thoughts.

Or I'll have come back for nothing...

Chester: I think I can get him!

[Chester uses his powers to try to pull Wally closer to him]

The sparks go off.

YEARS AGO

Wally: Chester P. Runk, why are you doing this, Chet?

Chester: Head ringing. Hard to concentrate - Musn't upchuck, No. No. No. Musn't lose our precious metals. Not Chet. Hate Chet. Chunk. That's what you call me. That's what they called me.

Wally: You're a brilliant scientist, man. What's with these robberies?

Chester: I get "hungry." Thre's this thing... a Void... it's inside me...

THE PRESENT

[Cisco hits Wally]

Cisco: It's okay. We got him.

Ow. He hits hard. But it's solid contact. The sparks fly again. I feel mini earthquakes as his body tenses up. The memory dam bursts.

YEARS AGO, CISCO'S APARTMENT:

Wally: Wow. You live here alone? What does Wells think of that?

Cisco: He thinks I still live with my Mom. He's not around much, Wally. I kinda look after myself. Isn't it annoying having the Flash breathing down your neck all the time?

Wally: Actually, Barry never-

Cisco: Hey, wanna beer?

THE PRESENT:

[Frost jumps on Wally]

Frost: What are you doing to my friends?

Okay. Maybe just this once. Running's not the answer. Caitlin's back on me. This time, I let her make contact. Sparks fly. The white hair seemingly reverts to its normal brown. More memories.

YEARS AGO:

Cisco [Over comms]: Wally, get out of there now!

Caitlin: No! No!

Wally: Caitlin, we have to go.

Cisco [Over comms]: Run!

Caitlin: [Screams]

THE PRESENT:

Cecile: He put Caitlin into some kind of trance! Grab him, Joe and...

I stop running. I let the sparks fly...

YEARS AGO:

Wally: Cecile, we can't let Barry get locked up! We have to do something!

Cecile: Wally...

THE PRESENT:

[Joe tries to restrain Wally]

YEARS AGO:

Wally: [groans]

[A bolt of lightning comes down in the garage where Wally lies in a pool of blood]

Joe: Wally!...

[Wally is hit by lightning]

Joe: Son!

[Wally rises, Speed Force flowing through him]

Joe: [gasps]

THE PRESENT:

I stand back. It worked.

Caitlin: Wally... it's Wally.

Cecile: Wally! Wally!? Joe: I don't understand...

Wally: The Speed Force must've sparked something in each of you... and shocked your memories back to life.

Iris: But the first thing I remembered, wasn't a big thing. It was some stunt we pulled years ago.

YEARS AGO:

Wally: This is Dad's car! Did he allow you to drive it?

Iris: Yeah. If he doesn't find out.

THE PRESENT:

Iris: We've missed you, Wally.

At long last, I'm finally home.

[Barry zooms in]

Iris: Always late. Even for an emergency meeting at this level.

Wally: There's a lot to tell you. I'm not exactly sure where to start.

Barry: The beginning.

Wally: I've been away. Like, away away. Outside of time.

Joe: Outside!? Wally: Trust me, Dad. It's not a trip I want to repeat. I was outside of time, looking in. I saw the whole universe.

Cisco: Dude, you know you're not making a ton of sense, right?

Joe: This still isn't right. How could I not have known my own son?

Iris: I think we did all know. We couldn't give it a name, but we knew there was something missing. It was you, Wally.

Caitlin: Iris is right. In the years since we thought we formed this team, how many times has one or another of us expressed that feeling?

Cisco: Life hasn't been fun for us, man. Until recently, there was much we didn't even know about each other. Something stole-

Wally: -Our memories! Something took ten years from us! Not only years but specifically the times we met. The times we bonded.

Iris: Slow down, Wally. Are you talking about DeVoe? Reverse-Flash?

Wally: No. I don't know their name. I just know what they did. They attacked the world by changing its history.

Barry: It has to be Thawne. He's the only one that could've made us forget things like this.

Caitlin: But why?

Wally: That's why I came back. To find out. To warn you.

Cecile: You came back to warn us?

Wally: Yeah, I had to. We all lost so much. You don't know, but... Linda... they tried to keep us apart.

Cisco: But we found each other.

Wally: Whoever did this probably knows that. They probably know I'm here. We need to be ready.

Joe: What are you saying, son.

Cecile: He's saying it's going to happen again, aren't you, Wally.

Wally: I think it is. But they don't understand how strong we are. No matter what we do, they won't keep us apart. Team Flash is gonna figure this out, together.

Chapter Text

Time is out of step. It's been broken. Edited. Parts of it are rearranged or erased. Once, I was Kid Flash, running side by side with my mentor, Barry Allen. Then we were the Titans. Man those were good times. Eventually, I found the love of my life. I was happier than I've ever been. But then something terrible happened. Something reached into the world and rewrote my whole life. My friends forgot me and I ended up in a place outside of time. I've never felt so alone. But Barry remembered me. He reached out to me. He brought me back.

[Hours Ago]

Wally: Something's out there. Someone. I can feel it even now, Barry. We're being watched.

Barry: We need to find out who did this to us.

Wally: I'm gonna talk to the rest of the team. See what they no. Something tells me I'm already a bit late.

Barry: You'll need a new suit. You're not Kid Flash anymore. You're a Flash.

I told Barry I'd reweave the molecules of my suit to make a new one. Because he was right. I'm a Flash. And I'm going to rejoin my friends so we can put this right. Put time back together... As fast as I can.

[The Present, STAR Labs]

Wally: And believe it or not, that's the story. Now you want me to...what? Tell you my name? Cecile, we know each other.

Cecile: Yes, but saying our names will make the psionic link between us stronger. So who are you?

Wally: I'm Wally West. The fastest man alive.

Cecile: And I'm Cecile Horton. I don't have a codename. I'm also your friend. Now relax, Wally. Just relax... I'm getting something already... the most powerful thought on your mind....it's a name...who's Linda Park?

Wally: Linda is the girl I knew back in my time... before history got all screwed up.

Iris: Linda Park... I used to work with her... I haven't seen her in years.

Wally: I tried reaching out to her... she doesn't remember... like she never even knew me.

Barry: I say you find her. Talk to her. Make some new history. But first, cen we try again and see if Cecile can lift any details from your subconcious? It'll give us an edge over whatever this threat is.

Cecile: I can try. Whole lot of "Linda Park" in there, though.

Joe: Give him a sec, guys. Son? This girl... Barry's right, you can meet her again.

Wally: As I said, Dad... I tried once before. I appeared out of a storm... crackling with lightning and babbling about how I knew her and loved her... and... I terrified her.

[Keystone City {Linda POV}]

My name is Linda Park... and I'm the fastest reporter in town. I have to be, to even get a break on a story. Super News is just a website. Bush league. I have to stay ahead in order to beat the major outlets to a scoop. So that maybe one day, a major outlet will give me a job. And I'll make enough to repay my student loans, repay my Mom's foreclosure and make a name for myself. Some one appeared out of nowhere last night. He looked like the Flash... but I'd never seen him before. Superhero, super-villain, I don't know. A new metahuman in town, that's a big story. The weird thing was... he knew my name. He said crazy stuff about us being together. He said his name was Wally. Wally West. I used to know someone named West. It scared me at first, but then I realized something. This isn't just a big story. This is my big story. Besides... I want to know who he is. I don't like being afraid... and I don't like not knowing.

[STAR Labs, {No POV}]

Caitlin: This threat. This massive extra-dimensional threat that eats time and erases memories and is probably cruel to kittens and puppies... I wish it had a name... "the Threat" is so vague.

Cisco: We could call it "Scissorman."

Caitlin: We could.

Chester: "Scissorman?" Really?

Cisco: A group of villains I fought once. Painful. I have an idea. It's highly probable that we've already tangled with this threat once before.

Chester: You mean "the Scissorman?"

Cisco: Ha ha. Before Wally came back, it took the form of Mr. Twister. Caitlin, Twister mindwiped us, but we weren't the only ones in his thrall. There was his tank, Bork.

Barry: Hey, that's not bad, Cisco. Maybe Bork knows something we don't.

Cisco: I can check out some leads. I think Bork used to work as muscle for some of the drug gangs in Keystone.

Barry: Ok, great. Meanwhile, if you're ready, Wally, let Cecile work her magic and take another look inside your head.

[Keystone City]

Cisco: Okay. I asked nicely.

Criminal: It's Vibe! Get him-

[Cisco blasts a criminal into a truck]

Cisco: Carl Bork. Big guy. Ugly as hell. Used to do heavy lifting for you. Where is he?

[Cisco knocks out Mammoth]

Papercut: Mammoth works for that nut-job Carmichael now.

[Papercut aims his weapon at Cisco]

Papercut: Fat lotta good that info's gonna do-

[Caitlin freezes Papercut's hand, forcing him to drop the weapon.]

[Papercut tries to attack Caitlin. Cisco breaches him to where the other criminals are.]

Caitlin: I think that's all of them. And we got a name. "Carmichael."

[Cisco briefly stares at her]

Caitlin: You knew where to find these guys, Cisco.

Cisco: Because they're never far away. This place has a bad habit and these guys feed off it. Besides, I used to be one of them.

Caitlin: Really?

Cisco: Yeah. I've got chunks of the past I'm not proud of, Cait. More chunks than not, actually. I used to run an operation like this in Detroit.

Caitlin: The past was stolen from us, Cisco. We forgot so much. I know that hurt me. Did it hurt you? Is that what made you turn to-

Cisco: I could say yes, Cait, but that's too easy. No one made me who I am except me. But I kicked it and now I wanna make sure that no one else has to. And the fact that I used to operate behind the scales means I know how these guys operate.

Caitlin: It's just sad. We've all lost so much.

Cisco: Then let's get it all back, Caitlin. All the good stuff we lost. Make ourselves whole again.

[S.T.A.R Labs]

Cecile: Come on now...

Wally: Maybe we should take a break? You look exhausted, Cecile.

Cecile: Try focusing on something other than Linda. Maybe your early days as Kid Flash...

Cisco: We're back. You still at this?

Iris: Relentlessly.

Joe: I take it the Bork leads came up blank?

Caitlin: Actually, no. He works for a man called "Carmichael" now.

Cecile: Just a few more minutes, Wally. Wait.. I'm reading something... a presence... [sighs]... Sorry, Wally. I lost it.

Wally: It's okay, Cecile. You're doing the best you can.

Barry: We should probably start tracking down this "Carmichael" guy.

Chester: I'm with Barry on this one. There's no real substitute for getting answers the old-fashioned way.

Cecile: Wait!

Joe: Cecile?

Cecile: I just felt something. That presence I felt before. It's like... I reached so deeply into Wally's thoughts I touched someone else's. It was an awful mind. Closed. Shuttred. Dormant. No memories there at all. And by touching it... I woke it up. We have to go to Keystone City right now!

[Keystone CIty Suburbs]

Karen: Oh my God, Grace, where did you find this guy? He's the worst!

Grace: I know. Believe me, next year, when Billy says he wants to go to Space World, we're going to Space World. I'm not booking a lousy maigician like "Mr. Hocus Pocus" again.

Magician: And Hocus Pocus! Ta-da!

[Magician pulls flowers out of his sleave]

Magician: No round of applause?

Biily: They were up your sleave.

Magician: No, no, you man. By the mysterious power of magic, I conjured these flowers.

Billy: You're a really bad magician. This is dumb. I wanted to go to Space World. I wanted to go on the faster than light ride.

[Magician becomes delerious]

Magician: Well faster than light, young man, is a... is a... faster than light.

Karen: What the Heck is wrong with him?

Grace: Is this part of the act?

[Magician begins changing]

Billy: Are you okay, Mr. Hocus Pocus?

Magician: Yes, yes, I'm fine. In fact, I just remembered something. It all came back to me in a flash.

Billy: Mom! I wanted to go to Space World! Magic is dumb!

Grace: Oh, Billy, I'm sorry.

Magician: Magic is dumb, is it? You wanted to got to space, did you?

[The Moon]

Magician: Is this space enough for you, Billy?

[People begin losing air]

[Keystone CIty Suburbs]

Magician: Relax. You all can breathe again. if you die, you can't tell all your friends! Round of applause, I think.

[Uses wand to make them clap]

Magician: You're too kind.

Karen: What is happening? Who are you?

Magician: You don't know who I am. Of course not. I fear everyone has forgotten me. My name, Madam, is not Mr. Hocus Pocus. I don't know what I was thinking when I came up with that. I am, in fact, tremendously famous, and there is one feat for which I should be remembered.

Abra: I am Abra Kadabra! The greatest magician of all time! I'm the man who made Wally West disappear! And for my next trick, I'm going to destroy him!

Chapter Text

[Keystone City, Linda POV]

It's Sunday night in Keystone City, and though the weather's been nice all day, a storm has just broken out over midtown. This is exactly the sort of phenomena I've been tracking, since... well... my encounter with the guy from no where. I'm Linda Park. In fact, these days, I'm "Linda Park, Super News" because I'm so used to saying it that way. The reflex of a reporter on the hunt.

Linda: 'Scuse me! Linda Park, Super News, can I just-

[Passes through crowd]

Linda: Thanks!

[Linda approaches a Cop]

Linda: Linda Park, Super News. Can I get through?

Cop: Super what?

Linda: Never mind. What's happening?

Cop: Dunno. These guys just appeared now, like "Hey, Presto!" out of nowhere. They've just been standing there ever since. You know 'em?

[Linda sees these individuals. She knows most of these people from the news. A few, she's met in real life.]

I think, come on officer. Everyone knows them. I see the Flash, Killer Frost, Shockwave and Chunk. But aren't most of them known by other names now? And then I realize...

Linda: It's him. Oh my God! Wally? Wally West?

[Linda crosses police tap]

Cop: Hey, you can't-

Linda: Mr. West? What's this about?

[He stares at her]

Linda: Mr. West?

Kid Flash: Do I know you?

Linda: You do, somehow. The other night... you appeared to me out of a storm just like this. You knew my name. You knew me. I want to know why. I've been looking for you. Don't you remember

Kid Flash: No. I don't remember anything. It's like I've just been born.

Linda: What does that mean?

Flash: Kid Flash? They're coming. It's time to go.

Linda: Go? Go where?

Flash: Go crazy.

He moves so fast, the force pushes me back. He's off like a ray of light. People start screaming. Then he breaks the sound barrier... over and over again.

[Keystone City, No POV]

Abra Kadabra: Magic. It's all in the presentation. The curtain should rise on a stage set for drama and suspence. In this case, six marionettes. Perfect reproductions of the original Team Flash, conjured by my craft to test Wally West and his allies to their limits. For West is the heart of this. I despise him beyond measure. He turned me into a nobody. He took everything from me. But now I'll make him pay, dearly. To this stage, we now add terror and menace to make the crowd cry out for help. And then, the final ingredient. And for that, Keystone City, the great Kadabra will need the help of the audience.

Barry: Okay team, we attack on three.

[Here we have Flash, The Leader and Cecile, the Psychic]

Barry: Two!

[Chunk, the Scientist and Flash II, the Man Out of Time]

Barry: One!

[Snowstorm, the Medic and Vibe, the Tech Man]

Barry: Charge!

Wally: I'll fight myself, Barry.

Cisco: Seeing as you're the only one who can catch him, Wally, that's what the plan was.

Cecile: This is what I unleashed when I probed Wally's mind!

Chester: You saw a Crisis here in Keystone, Cecile. You never said it was us.

[Vibe and Shockwave begin fighting]

Cisco: Nice troy, Breach Boy, but you'll have to aim better than-

[Puppet Cecile tries to attack Cisco]

Caitlin: Watch out, Cisco!

[Caitlin freezes puppet Cecile]

Cisco: Nice one, Cait.

[Elsewhere in the city, Barry is trying to clear the streets]

Barry: Get back! Everybody! Office, get this street cleared!

Cop: Who the Hell are you?

Barry: We're Team Flash and we'll get this contained!

Reporter: Team Flash? Who are they? Is that like Team Arrow?

Journalist: I don't care, Joe! Get the camera on them! This is golden!

Barry: Please, get back quickly before-

[Chunk attacks Barry]

Chunk: I think you just ran out of "before," man.

Barry: [Grunts]

Chunk: Prepare to die.

[Chunk tries to strangle Barry]

Caitlin: Get off him!

[Caitlin attacks Stretchy Man]

Barry: Caitlin, you-

[Puppet Flash fires the BOOT at Barry]

[Barry throws lightning at the BOOT, frying it]

Flash: Slick move.

Barry: Trained by some of the best.

Flash: Me, too.

Barry: Who are you? Were you paid to play us?

Flash: Play you? I am you.

Barry: How?

Flash: That's magic for you. And for next trick-

[Elsewhere, Wally fights his puppet counterpart]

Kid Flash: Hi.

Wally: Hi, yourself.

Kid Flash: Caught up at last?

Wally: I don't know who you are.

Kid Flash: You know exactly who I am.

Wally: Actually the past few days, it's been a bit of existential crisis. Not even sure who I am.

Kid Flash: Aw. Poor you. Here's a clue, I'm the fastest man alive! How fast are you? Faster than sound? Faster than light? Can you run into the Speed Force? Into thhe infinite itself?

Wally: I've done it before, once upon a time.

Kid Flash: Prove it.

Wally: I'm the fastest man alive

[Punches Kid Flash]

Wally: Not the dumbest. I'd forgotten what going that fast was like. Guys? Guys?!

Caitlin: These imposters sure fight like the real thing! But how is this possible?

Barry: Just take them down, Caitlin. Then we'll get some answers.

Cisco: Sure! Let's not wory about just foe goddamn insane this is. But if these people are somehow our younger selves, we've at least got an edge in experience.

[Elsewhere]

Cecile: Are you all right? You've got to get clear, fast.

Linda: I'm fine.

Cecile: Wait. You're Linda Park.

Linda: Yeah, Linda Park, Super News. I mean, yes. How do you-

Cecile: Wally's Linda.

Linda: What does that mean?

Puppet Cecile: Yes, what does that mean?

Cecile: Get out of my head!

Linda: Oh my God!

Puppet Cecile: This one, Maestro. This girl. She is special to Wally West, the boy you hate. He loves her. I have seen it in the thoughts of my counterpart.

Linda: Get the Hell of me, you psycho!

Abra Kadabra: But that's presposterous! Impossible! Park and West only meet years from now! I've read the chronicles! They're not supposed to know each other yet!

Chester: Who are you talking to? Is there someone up there directing this? Flash! Vibe! Snowstorm! Key Player! Up there on the rooftop! Pulling the strings of all these puppets!

[Elsewhere]

Cisco: Speaking of which, who are you working for? Whose behind all this?

Killer Frost: k--k--

[Elsewhere]

Abra Kadabra: Linda Park? No! No! No! That's wrong. TIme is wrong. He must have... he must have broken history already! That means I'm short on time. I must speed up my act to its finale. Every second is a gift. I will not be plain "Citizen Abra" again! I came to this primitive era to be adored, and Wally West will not rob me of that glory a second time-

[Chester hits Kadabra]

Chester: Playtime is over. Who are you? Why are you doing this?

Abra Kadabra: Chester P. Runk. Well, I suppose it is just after Crisis so that tracks.

Chester: Answer me!

Abra Kadabra: A magician doesn't reveal his tricks, boy. As for my identity-

[Elsewhere]

Killer Frost: Kadabra.

Vibe: Guys! His name is Kadabra!

[Elsewhere]

Barry: Chester! Back off! Don't face him alone! We need to find out what we're dealing with! Hmm.

Abra Kadabra: That's sound advice.

Chester: You--

Abra Kadabra: Observe, my wand. Made of priceless metal. Imbued with the properties of trans-temporal warping. It's how I came to these backwaters of history. Doesn't hold the charge it once did, but it's still enough to hurt Wally West dearly...

[Kadabra fires a beam of electricity at Chester]

Abra Kadabra: By killing the first of his precious friends!

Chester: [Screams}

Wally: Chester!

Chapter Text

KEYSTONE CITY

Barry: Chester!

My name is Wally West. I'm the fastest man alive. Fastest at getting my friends into trouble.

Caitlin: Oh no!

Cisco: Aw crap, Wally, you crazy --

I've been gone for a while, but now I'm back...

Cecile: Wally!

And within hours Keystone City is a mess and Team Flash have gone toe to toe with dopplegangers of our younger selves. Who's behind it all? The obvious answer is Abra Kadabra, crazy techno-wizard from the 64th Century.

Linda: Oh my God.

Kadabra: For the fastest man alive, you are quite slow on the uptake...

Wally: Chester, you ok?

Chester: Little charred, but yeah. What day is it?

But that would be to easy. Kadabra's only back to his old tricks because of me.

Kadabra: But at last I see I have your undivided attention. I'm back, Wallace. Back to make you suffer for all that you have done to me.

Wally: You know me?

Kadabra: Of course.

Wally: Interesting. Most people have forgotten me.

Kadabra: Because I made sure they did. I wiped you from time and recollection. My greatest trick!

Wally: You? You threw me into the timestream? For God's sake, Kadabra, why? What do you think I did to you?

Kadabra: Thwarted me! Every. Single. Time. You robbed me of all the acclaim I deserve! You're going to make me famous!

[Kadabra is hit by a bolt of yellow lightning]

Barry: Need a hand here, Wally?

Wally: Get him!

Kadabra: Spoil my aim, would you? I don't care. The fun is only just beginning!

[Kadabra disappears]

Barry: Dammit!

Wally: Where'd he go?

Chester: It's Tuesday, right?

Barry: There! Across the street!

Kadabra: People of Keystone City! People of the World! I hope you enjoyed the performance! This is just opening night! Book your seats early for my finale! Until then, in case you're wondering, I am ABRA KADABRA! Remember the name!

[Kadabra and the fake Team disappear]

Wally: He's gone!

Barry: And he's taken his fake team with him. Everyone okay down there?

Cisco: Yeah, we're fine!

Cecile: You alright, Ms. Park?

Linda: Sure. But maybe you'd like to tell me what the Hell's going on?

Cecile: I'm part of the Flash's team. We've just encountered a very dangerous being.

Wally: Linda's down there. I need to --

[Barry grabs Wally's arm]

Barry: Slow down, Wally. Let Cecile talk to her first. She's trained at this. Linda's probably in shock.

Wally: You're right. Last thing Linda needs is even more crazy.

Barry: So I take it there's more of a history with Kadabra then I remember?

Wally: Yeah. This time it looks personal. Revenge.

Chester: Maybe we should go and help the crowd.

Barry: Are you sure your okay, Chester? You almost took that blast full-on.

Chester: Well, I owe Wally big time. That man wielded magic. I should be dead. I don't know why I'm not.

Wally: Hey, I just pushed you out of the way. And it's not magic. Just advanced tech that feels like magic.

Chester: He's a Techno-Wizard?

Wally: That's one word for him. "Whack Job" is another.

Chester: Magic or tech. We face the same dangers. I'd be dead now if it weren't for you Wally. Once again, you demonstrate how lost we'd be without you.

Wally: I don't know, man. I'm starting to feel like if I didn't come back, you guys wouldn't be in danger in the first place.

Cisco: Show's over, folks. Everything's safe now. Just calm down and disperse.

Journalist: Who are you again?

Cisco: I'm Vibe. We're Team Flash. And thanks to us, Keystone City hasn't been shot into space ...

AL'S DINER, KEYSTONE CITY

Cisco: So he's Hell-bent on vengeance?

Chester: What did you do to him, Wally?

Wally: Kadabra was longtime foe of Barry and I back in the day. He's driven by a desire for universal fame.

Caitlin: And we've faced him before?

Wally: It's scary how most of you don't remember that.

Barry: That's probably another example of how the past was edited.

Wally: He told me to my face that he's the one who cast me into the timestream. Wiped me out of history, blanked your memories...

Caitlin: So he's the big threat you came back to warn us about?

Cisco: That adds up, Cait. It would take something like magic to change history to this degree.

Barry: It feels off to me. This isn't what Kadabra is usually like. It's all tricks and showmanship with him. He acts like a spoiled kid.

Cisco: A spoiled kid with magic could still destroy the world, Barry. Even without a master plan.

Wally: And with his powers, he could pop up anywhere.

Chester: Right. So, how do we cope with that?

Barry: I don't know, Chester. I wish we had some way to track this guy.

KEYSTONE THEATRE DISTRICT

Kadabra: Tell me what you learned! I conjured each one of you to test Team Flash! Evaluate them. So?

Flash: They are strong. Very unified.

Kadabra: Big deal.

Killer Frost. They have a great affection for each other. A bond that is hard to describe.

Kid Flash: But West is brittle. He is traumatized. He is not grounded like the rest. But he has power. The speed in him... it has changed. It is if he has tapped into an even deeper level of the infinite Speed Force.

Kadabra: When I came to this era, it was always him and the Flash who thwarted me! Denied me my name. I came to this primative age to be wonderful. And everyone always thought he was more wonderful than me.

Shockwave: That is why you made him vanish, Maestro?

Kadabra: At a great cost. Much of my power was lost in the effort. And the consequences were so miserable. The shock of the act blanked my memory too.

Puppet Cecile: The girl is the key Maestro. I read it in her mind. West is preoccupied with her and she is now fascinated by him.

Kadabra: Yes, the Park girl. What an oddity that is. They shouldn't know each other. Not yet. In the future, they are destined to be close. But his obsession with her suggests time has been knocked askew. History had been muddled. This is not West's doing. This is... his... handiwork. It can only be. Which means time is short. I have but a small window in which to make myself famous. I refuse to go back to that soulless future. Oh.

Chunk: What is the matter, Maestro?

Kadabra: When your counterpart hit me, he broke my nose. And evidently, I got blood on my Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather's watch. Thanks to your evaluation, I've formulated a plan. Linda Park and Team Flash. They are the keys to my success. Wally West will clearly put himself in harm's way for his friends. He risked his life to save the Runk boy. So we will use his selfless loyalty to his friends against him. Through them, I will craft an even greater trick.

AL'S DINER, KEYSTONE CITY

Chester: I could try to track down Nash and Allegra. Maybe they know of a way to stop this.

Wally: There's gotta be something we can do. We need to find him before he seriously hurts somebody. And all the while we're sitting here--

Cecile: Wally's right. There's a mood of panic out there.

Wally: Where's Linda? Is she okay?

Cecile: She's fine. Shaken up. I left her with the EMTs. It's been a big night for her.

[Wally speeds off]

Barry: Wally, don't!

Cisco: Come on, Barry. The heart wants what it wants.

KEYSTONE CITY [Wally POV]

[Wally arrives near where Linda is]

Linda: Whoa! Don't do that.

Wally: Oh God. I'm sorry. I keep doing that.

Linda: You came to apologize. Yeah, wow.

Wally: Linda, I'm--

Linda: A man with a bad habit of appearing out of nowhere?

Wally: I'm Wally.

Linda: Wally West. I know. So, tell me... what crazy thing have you come to share with me this time Mr. West? Last it was that you lvoed me and we had some sort of relationship and life together. What is it this time?

Wally: I'm aware of a history that you don't know.

Linda: Because?

[Awkward silence]

Linda: So what? I'm just supposed to fall into your arms?

Wally: Oh, God, no. I just came to see if you were okay. I'm sorry for scaring you. Both this time and last time.

Linda: Okay.

Wally: That's all I wanted to say. If you want me to leave yo alone from now on, I can do that.

[More awkward silence]

Linda: You know, the more you talk, the more this kinda tracks. I have a few questions.

Wally: Okay.

Linda: Are you "The Flash?"

Wally: I'm a Flash.

Linda: Right. So suddenly, there's this "Team Flash", and all the city's heroes are part of it, along with a new Flash. So, Wally West, why are you here?

Wally: Well, that's kinda hard to explain.

Linda: You say you were gone and now you're back. Where did you vanish to?

Wally: Um... well...

Linda: And how long before you vanish again?

[Kadabra arrives and grabs Linda]

Linda: Wally!

Wally: Linda!

Kadabra: Now you see her, now you don't.

[Kadabra and Linda vanish]

I came to her, so he took her. This is all on me. I never should've come back. Just by being here, I'm going to destroy everyone I love.