Five years ago...

Wally West had been Kid Flash since he was 10 years old and had been struck by lightning and exposed to the same chemicals that turned his Uncle Barry into The Flash. For 8 years, Wally ran side by side as The Flash's sidekick, their bond as speedsters a strong one. Barry Allen was like a second father to Wally, and a great mentor as well. During his tenure as Kid Flash, Wally met and befriended Dick Grayson (the original Robin), Roy Harper (Speedy), Garth Williams (Aqualad), and Donna Troy (Wonder Girl). And together alongside Victor Stone (Cyborg), Koriand'r (Starfire), Garfield Logan (Beast Boy), and Raven, they formed the Teen Titans. Life was good for Wally.

But there always comes a time in life when personal responsibilities come before superheroism. One day, Barry was in his Flash costume, browsing the JLA Watchtower. He was rather bored and was ready to maybe run to another state or country when suddenly, his nephew Wally ran in. But he was in his civilian clothes and not his Kid Flash costume. "Oh hey Wally, what're you doing here?" Barry asked, pleasantly surprised to see his nephew. "Uncle Barry, can we talk?" Wally asked, "it's rather important for me..." Barry nodded and said, "of course we can talk. Everything okay?"

"Uncle Barry, I'm going to step down as Kid Flash," said Wally in a serious tone of voice. Barry gave a look of surprise and asked, "you are? How come?" Wally put his hands in his pocket and said, "well a couple reasons. The first is actually a good reason. I recently got accepted into Central City University. I'm going to be attending college there, which means a lot of studying. And I feel it is a lot more important than running around as Kid Flash. I want to put my education first, especially since Dad expects me to do well. So that's one reason. Another reason is because Roy asked me to be there for him as he goes to rehab. He almost died from a drug overdose 2 weeks ago, and now he's finally wanting to get help and overcome his addictions, so I'm going to be his sponsor, regardless of my qualifications. I want to help him, he's my friend. And the third reason? Well, I think I'm a little too old to call myself Kid Flash now. I'm 18 years old, Uncle Barry. I'm a young adult, and I think I've grown too old to wear that costume. That's one of the contributing factors to why I've decided to step down. It's time for me to slow down."

Barry listened to what Wally had to say. He placed his arm around Wally's shoulder and said in a fatherly manner, "if anything, I understand. Wally, you were 10 years old when you went through the same process I went through when I first became The Flash and got my powers. I did my best to mentor you and help you cope with the same powers and make sure you used your powers responsibly. If anything, I'm glad to know that you're putting your education above everything. Education is very important and I'm proud that you got accepted into that college. College takes a lot of studying, so maybe stepping down from being Kid Flash is a smart idea. You may be fast, but sometimes it's a good idea to slow down when it comes to college. As for wanting to help your friend Roy, that's a good show of loyalty. The fact that you want to help Roy overcome his demons is respectable. Do what you need to do, Wally. You have my support." Wally smiled and said, "thanks Uncle Barry. That really means a lot." He then gave Barry his old Kid Flash costume.

Barry held the costume and said, "no matter what, you'll always be my favorite partner, Wally. Don't let anyone tell you different. And never stop believing in yourself." The uncle and nephew embraced in a hug. "I'll always keep in touch with you and Aunt Iris," promised Wally, "just because I've ditched Kid Flash doesn't mean I'm ditching my friends and family."