Wally West was cold.

An unnatural, bone-deep chill that gnawed at his core, turning every movement into agony. His muscles screamed with each attempt to stretch, sending sharp spikes of pain through his body. A cough rattled from his chest, dragging him from the foggy embrace of unconsciousness, and the world came into focus slowly, the edges blurred by the lingering haze of pain.

He blinked against the void that surrounded him, thick and impenetrable, swallowing sound and light alike. Shapes shifted in the gloom, but nothing stood out, nothing familiar. He squinted, straining to see, but all that greeted him was more of the same suffocating void.

"It's quiet here," a voice murmured from somewhere in the darkness. Wally's head snapped toward the sound, heart lurching. The voice was calm, steady, unmistakably familiar. "You've been out of it, Flash. Are you awake now?"

His mind struggled to catch up, thoughts sluggish and heavy. He searched for the source of the voice, but his memories were scattered, slipping away before he could grasp them. There was something... a gala? No, that wasn't it. The memories were fragmented, elusive, like trying to hold onto smoke.

"Kaldur?" Wally croaked, his voice rough, barely a whisper. Another cough tore through him, leaving a raw, painful rasp in its wake.

A silhouette shifted in the darkness, and a small, relieved smile touched Kaldur's lips. "Yes, Flash," he replied softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm tired of people asking me that," Wally muttered, the words coming out more bitter than he intended. The question felt like an accusation, a reminder of his current state of weakness.

Kaldur's expression grew serious, concern lining his features. "I'm sorry, but I need to know the extent of your injuries. Can you move?"

Wally tried, willing his body to respond, but the cold was too much, freezing his muscles into painful stiffness. He grimaced, shaking his head. "It's too cold... and she's not there," he mumbled, barely coherent. "Why isn't she there?"

Kaldur's gaze sharpened, worry creeping into his eyes. "Who's she, Wally?"

"The Speed Force... I can't feel her anymore, Kaldur. What's going on?"

A heavy silence hung between them, Kaldur hesitating, the weight of Wally's words sinking in. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked cautiously.

Wally closed his eyes, trying to sift through the fog in his mind. "It's all hazy," he admitted. "The last clear thing I remember is being at my apartment... but after that, everything's scrambled. I was running away from Nightwing... but I don't remember why. I was in Gotham and I was scared."

Kaldur's expression softened with understanding. "It will come back to you, Flash. You and Nightwing have been working on the offworld technology case together, right?"

Wally blinked, confusion flickering in his eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Because you both sent an email to the League, asking for reports on any findings. This tech has been affecting every city that has a hero or vigilante protecting it."

Wally nodded slowly, trying to piece it all together. "That makes sense," he murmured, but the memories remained out of reach, just beyond his grasp. Gotham, maybe... his boyfriend? Every time he tried to focus, a masked face loomed in his mind, shrouded in shadow, the connection too painful to untangle.

"Kaldur... how did you get here?" Wally asked, trying to redirect his thoughts away from the confusion.

"Some electromagnetic frequencies have been affecting life around my city," Kaldur explained, his tone measured. "I went to investigate and was electrocuted and pulled into a device."

Wally let out a weak laugh, though the sound held no real humor. "Like a Pokémon? I imagine this is what they feel like."

Kaldur allowed himself a small smile. "Sure, Flash," he replied, humoring him.

"Central City's technology muted my abilities," Wally continued, his voice growing softer. "But Gotham and Blüdhaven... they affected my mind, my emotions. The anxiety, the paranoia..."

Kaldur frowned, concern deepening. "How often were you exposed to the tech?"

"Every time I went on patrol... and every time I went to Gotham to visit my boyfriend." The words slipped out, and Wally's mind immediately conjured images of those visits, nights where he lay awake, watching Dick's peaceful face. But now, that memory brought only a dull ache, a reminder of all that was unraveling.

The darkness pressed in from all sides, a suffocating weight, while the faint hum of alien technology pulsed around him, growing louder, more insistent. Kaldur's calm presence, just a few feet away, was the only thing tethering Wally to reality, but even that felt distant, like it was slipping away with each passing second.

"It's quiet here," Kaldur repeated softly, his voice cutting through the oppressive dark. "But I can tell something troubles you beyond this technological magic. What is it, Wally?"

Wally flinched at the directness of the question. "I don't think this is the best time to get into it."

"Perhaps not," Kaldur conceded, his voice steady, "but I am here to listen. You do not have to bear this burden alone. And there's little we can do with me dehydrated and you out of commission."

Wally took a deep breath, trying to steady the rush of conflicting emotions. "Well, my boyfriend has been lying to me since the start of our relationship," he admitted, the bitterness clear in his tone. "And with everything going on—this tech, the frequencies—it's like they've been amplifying all my doubts, my fears."

Kaldur's expression remained calm, though there was a hint of curiosity in his gaze. "Do you believe the paranoia is feeding on your existing fears, or is there something more?"

"It's my insecurities," Wally confessed, his voice trembling slightly. "I never told him I'm the Flash because... he's in law enforcement, and mixing hero life with civilian life... it just doesn't work."

"Understandable," Kaldur murmured, his tone patient, encouraging Wally to continue.

"But I care about him a lot. And now, being stuck here, away from the noise, I realize we were both trying to protect each other. That's why we were lying."

Kaldur's eyes narrowed slightly, more in thought than suspicion. "Is he... in our line of work?"

Wally hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I found out just before all this happened. It complicates everything."

"Do you find it difficult to reconcile who he is as a mask with who he is to you?" Kaldur asked gently, questioning but without judgment.

"No, that's not it," Wally said, his voice thick with emotion. "I... I love my boyfriend but I think I loved his hero identity before. That's what makes it harder. I think he knew who I was all along."

"Do you believe he was using you?" Kaldur asked quietly, concern evident in his voice.

"No. I think he really cared about me. And in costume... I never got the feeling he was anything but genuine."

Kaldur leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. "I know it's not my place to offer advice on your relationship, but Nightwing has cared deeply for you for a long time."

"I didn't say it was him—." Wally started, but Kaldur cut him off with a faint smile.

"You didn't need to, Flash. Only someone from Gotham would be cautious enough to uncover your identity so early. If I had to guess, Nightwing's civilian self probably made the first move, didn't he?"

Wally fell silent, staring into the thick darkness around them, the alien presence still lingering, a constant reminder of the trap they were in.

"You know," Kaldur continued after a moment, his voice quieter, almost reflective, "back when you were Kid Flash and he was Robin... he once confided that he never thought you two could be more than friends. The distance, the different lives you were living... he didn't see a way."

"I've loved him since then," Wally whispered, his voice filled with a deep, aching sadness. "How am I supposed to move forward when all this history just got dumped on me?" He shifted, ignoring the pops in his back. "I've been dating this guy for close to four months and then I come to find out that I've actually known him for over a decade. How is that fair to me if he already knew both of my identities?"

Kaldur looked at Wally with understanding in his eyes. "There is no easy answer, Flash. But I do know that your feelings are valid, and they deserve to be understood, even by you."

"Thank you," Wally sighed. "As much as I hate feeling powerless and useless where we are, this has been the most clear headed I've felt in a bit."

"We will get out of here, Flash," Kaldur said, "and you will have a much needed conversation with Nightwing."

The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating, until Wally finally spoke up. "Kaldur, how do we figure out a way out of this place."

Kaldur remained calm and focused. "First, we assess our situation. We're surrounded by the tech that brought us here, and my communicator is down—probably due to interference from the frequencies."

Wally nodded, thinking it through. "Yeah, those frequencies mess with signals and tech. We'd have to shut that down before we can do much else."

Kaldur's expression was patient as he listened. "You've been investigating this technology for months. Have you uncovered anything that could help?"

Wally shifted uncomfortably, the cold seeping into his bones. "I dissected this one generator a few months ago, but nothing really came from that. I'm not sure how much assistance I'll be. My speed's shot, I can barely move without cramping up."

Kaldur's tone was steady and reassuring. "We'll manage together. Even without your speed, you're sharp, Wally. You've dealt with similar tech before. Think back, is there anything that stands out?"

Wally frowned, struggling to recall past encounters. "There was something in Blüdhaven, but that's not quite right. Wait, when we first ran into this tech, we noticed a pattern in the interference."

Kaldur's eyes brightened with realization. "Okay, we trace the frequencies back to a central source. If this technology is operating the same way, there could be a central hub or node controlling this entire space."

Wally nodded. "If we can find that node, we might be able to disrupt the frequencies and create a feedback loop to give us an opening."

Kaldur's expression grew. "Then we focus on locating that node. How did the tech respond to your speed?"

Wally shivered as he remembered. "It dampened my speed, controlled, but there was a rhythm, like a pulse. If we can sync with that, we might be able to—."

A sudden, sharp noise sliced through the air, and both Wally and Kaldur tensed, alert. The darkness around them seemed to shift, the alien technology's hum growing louder and more oppressive.

"We need to move," Kaldur said, his voice firm and low. "Whatever's happening, it's not good." The Atlantean stood, reaching out to the wall to steady himself before making his way toward the Flash. He pulled the speedster up despite the pops and groans coming from him.

Wally gritted his teeth against the pain as he forced his limbs to cooperate. Together, they stumbled through the thick darkness, the hum of the alien technology echoing in their ears. As they pressed forward, Wally couldn't shake the feeling that something, or someone, was watching them from the shadows. He tried to dismiss it as lingering paranoia, but this was different.

"Kaldur—" Wally started, but soft taps around them seemed to spawn like chatter.

They both exchanged frightened looks. Wally reached for Kaldur's hand, desperate for any reassurance that he wasn't alone... but something was suddenly off. The tapping grew closer and louder. Wally pressed himself against the walls, inching nearer to Kaldur, who fell deathly still. The energy in the air fell quiet, and the tapping stopped.

All he could hear was their ragged gasps, both of them out of shape and bent so far they were close to breaking. Wally tugged on Kaldur, but the man's body fell forward at the slightest pull.

The deafening thud that followed silenced the loud drumming in Wally's ears. He dropped to his knees too easily, his sore limbs giving way, and slapped Kaldur's cheek. The man was out cold. The drumming grew louder, faster, and the tapping around him resumed. Wally clutched his chest, just behind the lightning emblem, gripping his heart, just to know if it was still beating.

Wally West felt ill.

Everything was going too fast, too slow, too much for him. He tried to focus on breathing. He tried to stay alive. He tried not to focus on the squeezing force that snaked its way up his leg.

Wally knew it wasn't likely he would find a way out of here. He knew he was probably going to die with no last words to Barry, Cisco, his friends, and Dick. It was too dark to focus on anything other than the tightening around his midsection. He wondered how Kaldur had survived this for so long, and now they were only deeper in. There was no chance he'd figure out the technology before it was too late. (It was already too late.)

In a final, desperate act, he reached into his core. He called for the speed force. He prayed to her. He cursed, apologized, and begged for her forgiveness. He wasn't a fan of how much he's been disconnected recently and he knew she wasn't either. He needed her just as much as she needed him.

The tendril that was making its way up his body reached his neck, wrapping tightly and cutting off his breath. Stars began to form in his vision, and a hot flicker burned in his chest. Sparks danced around his arms, forming into a charged dance of lightning. The tendril fell hard to the floor, and so did he.

He pushed harder for the Force, the air shifting to something more charged and static... more him. He shook, staring ahead, gripping the collar of Kaldur's suit as he took one breath and forced himself to his feet. Every part of him groaned and creaked in protest.

He snapped his head to the side as several louder taps and steps echoed down the hall. He ran, stumbling and stuttering for a few steps, but just enough to keep their distance from the oncoming attack.

He didn't see the attackers step out of the leaking darkness until they wrapped around his limbs. He cried out as his arms were pulled back, losing his hold on Kaldur and watching his friend fall back down to the ground.

His muscles strained, and a stray thought entered his mind: how much he would need an ice bath after this one—if they made it out. He clung to that thought, trying to block out how Nightwing lying to him didn't even seem that bad compared to this moment... He should definitely talk to someone about that, though.

He pulled back against the tendrils, drawing the attackers closer. A deep, uncharacteristic growl rumbled within him. He wasn't going to leave now, he decided. Not while these beings had been tormenting him for months, tormenting him and his friends.

He waited until the air paused.

If these beings had hair, Wally had no doubt it would be standing on end.

His eyes sparked with something dangerous. He stood firm against the being trying to pull him back, but he was stronger. He gripped the tendril that wrapped around his bicep and snapped it off, sending its force toward the being that was pulling. He did the same to the rest, one by one.

Then, with a burst of speed, he sent a right hook into a group standing perfectly aligned. His speed carried him through as he took down the attack. He kicked, punched, and threw bodies at more bodies. He paused for a moment, surveying the destruction around him. He grinned.

He lifted Kaldur and ran down the hall, dodging the other beings spilling out of rooms—long silhouettes that he'd rather not see the faces of.

He ran, checking each room for a control panel, anything that could get them out. He stopped short at the end of a corridor, where double the usual security pads and panels lined the wall. Not a bad guess. He punched the panels with a charged fist, causing the doors to glitch and open raggedly.

The lights flickered on, revealing a tall figure with its back to him, standing over a large command board. Wally slammed his fist back onto the pad, shutting the door. The figure jumped and turned to face him. It looked like a human body stretched and distorted, like one of those rubber figurines twisted into something disturbing. Long tendrils flowed behind it, inching forward like a threat. Wally beckoned it closer as he gently laid Kaldur down.

The limbs glowed and flew at him with speed equal to his own. He dodged, just barely, reaching for an arm and yanking it forward. The tendril fell limp, and goop poured out of the being's shoulder. It made a noise Wally couldn't identify, but he could bet it hurt. He tossed it aside and stomped over to the being, gripping the next incoming attack and leveling it with a stare.

"How do we get out of here?" he growled, his voice barely restrained under the burning rage in his core.

The being frowned, then spat in his face.

Wally took that as a "not sure."

He raised the being's final arm and mimed an action, pointing at Kaldur and himself, then toward the door.

The being remained silent, narrowing its dark eyes.

So Wally shrugged, hoping the alien could translate "fuck it" from his body language. He held onto the arm with a death grip, then lifted Kaldur again. He stared at the being, who began to shake as Wally pressed a button, unsure of what it did. He pressed another, then spotted one that was green like his eyes and pressed that too. The being struggled against his grip, panicked. He smirked at it and pressed a blue button, blue like Nightwing's emblem. Finally, he saw a button hidden under a clear plastic flip cover. The red label and bold characters were undeniably the same in every language. He pointed at it and looked at the being with mock confusion. The being made a noise, gesturing its head down to a smaller side of the board. Wally moved over and started tapping carelessly. He heard a distant boom, an explosion probably.

With one final tap, Wally felt the cold darkness surge over him like a tidal wave, pulling him under into its unforgiving depths. The sensation was disorienting, a vertigo-inducing plunge where up was down, and time seemed to stretch and compress all at once. His breath caught in his throat, the icy grip of the void wrapping around his chest as the ground disappeared beneath his feet. For a brief, terrifying moment, he was suspended in nothingness, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him like a leaden shroud.

This time, he desperately hoped that when the world reassembled around him, it would be someplace warm, safe and with food. He was starving, his body aching from the energy it had taken to summon the speed force, and now he could barely keep his eyes open. He clung to that small, foolish hope, as everything seemed to spin out of control around him.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the darkness spat them out onto a beach. The abrupt transition left Wally gasping, the salty tang of sea air filling his lungs as he hit the ground. Sand spilled into his mouth, gritty and real, as his body collapsed under its own weight. He barely registered the soft thud of Kaldur landing beside him before his survival instincts kicked in.

He threw Kaldur off to the side, the movement automatic, as he reached for the alien being. His fingers sparked, a burst of electricity arcing from his hand as he shocked the creature, watching it convulse and then fall limp. The adrenaline was fading fast, leaving him hollow and trembling, but he had enough presence of mind to smack the lightning emblem on his suit. The distress call beeped faintly, barely audible over the roaring in his ears, but it was done. He had to call for backup. Had to get help before he collapsed entirely. Which would likely be happening soon.

He dragged Kaldur's limp body toward the ocean, every step a monumental effort as his legs threatened to give out. The tide was coming in, the water practically reaching out to Kaldur like a friend eager to embrace him. Wally watched through bleary eyes as the waves smothered the Atlantean, healing and rejuvenating him with a gentle, almost reverent touch.

Wally didn't have the strength to feel relieved. He barely had the strength to stand. He sank to his knees, the exhaustion crashing over him in waves, heavier than the water that was now lapping at his ankles. His vision blurred, but he heard it, footsteps pounding against the sand, the familiar cadence of speedster strides.

"Kid," Barry's voice cut through the fog of his thoughts, filled with an urgent relief that made Wally's heart ache. He'd been gone too long, too far away. But he was home now.

Wally forced his eyes open, just enough to see Barry standing over him, concern etched deep into his features. He glanced at the alien being lying unconscious just a bit further away, then back at Barry. "Take them to the Watchtower," he croaked, his voice ragged and frayed from exhaustion. "I need to question them for the case."

"What?" Barry's response was incredulous, his eyes wide as he took in the scene before him. "Kid, you went missing."

Wally's head lolled back, his eyelids drooping as the overwhelming weariness began to pull him under. "We'll discuss this when they're contained," he mumbled, barely hanging on to consciousness. "Just please... please take care of this for me." His gaze flickered to Kaldur, still in the water. "Also call Aquaman, I don't want to leave Aqualad alone."

Barry approached the alien with caution, his gaze lingering on Wally's battered form. "Will you be following me?" he asked, his voice tinged with the worry he couldn't hide.

Wally shook his head, the motion making his world spin. "No, you're going to come back and take me home. I physically can't do anymore."

Barry nodded, his expression softening with understanding as he lifted the alien being, checking it over quickly. He gave Wally one last look, his frown deepening. "I don't want you to be alone, kid," he said, pulling out his communicator.

Wally waved him off weakly, his hand barely moving. "I'll be fine. Just be fast."

"I'll be fast," Barry promised, his tone firm as he pocketed his device.

Wally hummed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I should hope so with the name, Flash," he murmured, the last of his energy spent on the attempt at humor. He felt a hand ruffle his hair, the gesture so familiar and comforting that he almost let himself drift off right there.

He probably did drift off for a bit, as the oceans called and the crashing waves played a mesmerizing rhythm against his ears.

"Thanks for waiting, man," Barry's voice sounded distant, but Wally's eyes stubbornly remained shut, sleep pulling at him like an undertow.

"It's times like these when I struggle to see why we deemed them ready to go out on their own," Aquaman's voice cut through the haze, his words tinged with worry as he splashed through the water toward Kaldur.

"It happens to all of us. We can't stop it, we just have to accept that they're grown-ups, older than we were when we started, with far more years of experience. They're our kids, and I'll take any opportunity to treat them like it," Barry replied softly as Wally felt himself being lifted, the motion swaying him toward unconsciousness. "Have a good night, Arthur."

"You as well, Barry," Aquaman said, the faint splashes of water fading into the background. "Tell him thank you for me."

"I will," Barry said, adjusting his hold on Wally's limp body. The younger Flash felt the rush of wind against his face as Barry took off, the familiar sensation a comfort even as he finally let himself slip into the darkness.

Maybe now, he thought, just before sleep claimed him, he could finally rest.