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A firework exploded in the sky above Central Park, showering red sparkles across the New York City skyline, and Wally West frowned. He unwrapped a hyper-nutrient dense sandwich from the picnic basket and shoved it into his mouth, chasing it down with his sixteenth cream soda of the night. That sandwich contained enough calories to feed a baby elephant. Wally felt his stomach growl with dissatisfaction.

“Everything alright?” His aunt, Iris West, asked from the other side of the blanket. She gave him an easy smile that tapered over the concern in her voice.

Wally gave a half-hearted shrug of his shoulders. [color=ffea75]“Yeah, of course. Thanks for inviting me.”[/color] He nudged his chin in the direction of the fireworks display. Coming to NYC for the first time has been a culture shock and a half, even for him. This place made Central City look like Smallville by comparison. Visiting Lady Liberty and the JSA’s old place in Battery Park with Barry and Iris had been a blast. And watching the Stars kick the Yankees’ asses in their own stadium? Wally’d never forget it.

“I know Barry’s timing was…inconvenient.” Iris sighed, shifting in place. “You know he wouldn’t have left if it wasn’t important.”

[color=ffea75]“Duh.”[/color] Wally groaned, falling on his back and splaying out like a dead man. [color=ffea75]“I know it’s important! That’s the problem! He’s- I don’t know, fighting the Rogues or an Atlantean sea monster or something- and I’m here. Watching fireworks.”[/color]

Wally wanted nothing more in the world than to go with his uncle. He wanted to help him take down bad guys and spin tornados back into sky. But he couldn’t- not without slowing Flash down. By the time Wally would make it back to Central City whatever emergency had drawn Barry Allen there would’ve been over an hour prior. Wally was just too slow.

“Do you know what I did at CCPN for two years before I caught my current beat?” Iris’s smile fell away, replaced by a thin, serious line. “I did fluff pieces for state fairs and interviewed dog show winners. They had me buying coffee for the ‘big shots.’” She gestured quotation marks with her fingers. “I didn’t get a real chance to prove myself until that Batman story fell into my lap. You [i]just[/i] got your powers, Wally. Your time’ll come. Be patient, and be ready to chase it when its here.”

Wally gave a weak grin. [color=ffea75]“Thanks, Iris. I just wish my shot would come sooner rather than later, y’know?”[/color]

Somewhere a genie left it’s bottle as fire bloomed in the wrong part of the skyline. “You had to go and say something.” Iris mumbled, jumping to her feet. By the time she had her car keys out Wally was already gone, a streak of red and yellow blasting through Central Park.


Smoke billowed from Kid Flash’s bright, golden boots as he skid to a halt in the street. Chaos filled the neighborhood around him. Buildings were burning, people were hurt and trapped beneath rubble, and a gaggle of draconic lizard-men were shooting lasers at a young woman with a strikingly otherworldly appearance. Another figure in familiar red and blue floated nearby, though he wasn’t the man Kid Flash expected. An article Iris had read to Wally tickled the back of his brain like a half-remembered phone number. [color=ffea75]“Gonna guess you’re the super-tyke.”[/color] Rising to his full, unimpressive height, Wally spread his hands. [color=ffea75]“But who’re these clowns?”[/color]
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