Keystone was busy during the summer and Wally was even busier. Barry was doing business with the speedforce (again). So that left Wally as the stand in Flash for the time being. He didn't hate it, it was the same job as he always did, just more leadership and bossing around his superiors at the station. He wasn't quite sure how Barry didn't find it awkward.

It seemed that lately there had been case after case that needed him. He yearned for the more simple days of putting out fires and helping kittens out of trees. Today he was fighting a guy with a shark head and getting yelled at for standing in the middle of an intersection. Like come on people! There is a guy with the head of a shark right in front of you and you're mad at me for being in the road? Let's reanalyze the situation!

His earpiece buzzed as he narrowly missed the shot of a laser from the shark-guy. (Yeah you read that correctly. The guy not only has a shark head, but also a laser gun).

"Your phone is getting spammed with texts, man," Cisco, his man in the chair, alerted him. "What'd you do? Ghost some random booty call?"

"What do they say?" Wally said, yelping when he felt the laser burn his shoulder.

Cisco typed on the other side of the communication device. "Password?"

"Three, five, two, seven, four."

"You need to work on less predictable passwords, man."

"What do they say!"

"Uhm, Dick says that he's in town and wants to hook up," Cisco stated plainly, "that's the most PG way I can summarize it. Who's Dick?"

Wally skidded past the shark guy, giving himself enough distance to charge up. He ran forward and jumped, landing a lightning charged fist straight in the guy's chest. The guy was sent across the street, landing in a thankfully evacuated park. When he didn't move to get up, Wally placed the meta cuffs on him and alerted the P.D.

"A guy that I'm kind of dating," Wally spoke, focused back onto the conversation they were holding before. "We haven't really labeled it considering we have like a thousand miles between us."

"Didn't peg you as the long distance type."

"Easier to be distant about the whole double life when you're already that far apart."

"How long have you been seeing him?"

"Coming up on two months?" Wally saw the police cars approaching. He began his run back to the labs. "It's casual. I don't know if it's going anywhere but I'm happy where it is right now."

"Sounds sick. Hey, before you head back—."

The sound abruptly crackled as Wally waited for Cisco to finish. He tapped his ear, looking around as if there was some random signal blocker around.

"... it... —ruption."

"C, man." He tapped his ear again, watching the police detain the shark man. "Hey, can you hear me?"

When Cisco didn't respond for another minute, he decided that running back to the lab would be the only option to figure out their signal issues, when he suddenly felt a stutter in his step. It was quick enough to throw his whole rhythm off balance. He tripped, spiraling and skidding into the street. He got up quickly, trying to continue his run but he was struggling to feel the crackling of static flow through him. He glanced back at the police, praying no one saw for the sake of his own embarrassment.

"Cisco," he tapped his communicator. There was still no response.

He tried to run forward at his accelerated speed again but there was no difference. He was a Flash that was jogging down the road no faster than a little leaguer.

He tapped his communicator again. "Cisco!" He hissed.

He groaned, hurrying in his fastest sprint back to the labs. It took him two miles until he just hailed a cab and spent the next ten minute ride in awkward small talk. Apparently he looked like a cosplayer so he took that with as much dignity as he had to spare.

He met Cisco up at the top floor and threw his hands in the air. "Where is my speed? Cisco, what just happened."

"You remember those frequency fields you told me to look out for a while ago? Well one was radiating a street down from where you were," Cisco clicked open a few files, rolling to chair over to Wally. "It disrupts technology and the communicators."

"Then why is my speed being affected?" Wally questioned, he pulled down his mask, revealing a really flushed face. He was exhausted.

"I'll run some tests, but just take it easy for now," Cisco said. He handed Wally his phone.

Wally sighed, trying to push his core, feeling the faint buzz of the speed force but in an odd muffled sense. He deflated, sinking back into a chair, opening his phone to the texts from Dick, and responding quickly.

Wally: perhaps I can squeeze you into my schedule?

***

A meow breaks the tune of the quiet rural air. A breeze shakes the leaves of the nearby trees and the crickets hum a distant chirp. The corn maze shudders, the old tire swing creaks.

Beyond the farmhouse, the moon casts an eerie glow over the sprawling cornfields. The wind carries the faintest sound of something mechanical, a subtle whirr that doesn't belong in the countryside. A pair of glowing eyes peek out from the corn stalks—just a stray cat, eyes reflecting the moonlight.

But the presence of something else was hidden among the rows. The cornstalks rustle unnaturally, parting in a way that suggests an invisible force. The cat hisses and bolts back toward the farmhouse, disappearing into the shadows.

In the distance, a strange, pulsing light flickers sporadically, hidden deep within the corn maze. It's a soft blue, barely noticeable unless one is looking directly at it. The light pulses in a rhythm, almost like a heartbeat, and with each pulse, the nearby electronics flicker—the old barn light, the farmhouse porch light, even the digital clock inside the kitchen.

A faint hum begins to grow louder, a sound that seems to vibrate through the air and into the ground. The tire swing creaks more violently now, swaying back and forth as if pushed by an unseen hand. The leaves of the trees rustle with increased urgency, as though whispering secrets to one another.

In the heart of the cornfield, nestled among the stalks, lies the source of the disturbance. An unidentifiable device, sleek and metallic, its surface covered in strange, glowing runes. It pulses with energy, each wave of light disrupting the natural order around it. The frequency it emits is beyond human hearing, but it's enough to disturb the peace of this quiet night, sending waves of unease through the air.

A figure steps cautiously into the field, flashlight in hand, drawn by the strange phenomena. They move closer to the device, unaware of its origin or purpose. As they approach, the pulsing light intensifies, and the hum grows louder, filling the air with an otherworldly resonance. The flashlight flickers and dies, leaving them in the eerie blue glow of the alien technology.

The figure reaches out, hesitant, and the device reacts, a tendril of light extending toward them. The night air feels charged, every sound amplified, every shadow deeper. The calm rural night is shattered by the presence of something otherworldly, something that doesn't belong.

***

"What happened?" Dick asked, tracing the pink area of where he got shot by the laser earlier that day. It was healing at a great rate, but not as fast as it usually would when Wally had his full speed.

Wally leaned into the touch, humming softly. "Stood too close to one of those machines with a label that says, Caution Hot Surface." He propped himself up on his elbow, "I thought it was talking about me." His other hand began to snake up Dick's shirt, pulling at the cloth, he helped him take it off. Wally then pushed his chest back down, tracing one of the larger scars that littered his skin.

"Stabbed." Dick said almost casually. "The one next to it was when he missed the first time." Wally's fingers moved down next to a smaller scar.

"Do you get stabbed often?" Wally asked, trying not to let his concern ruin the mood.

"Just enough to spark conversations."

Wally traced the scars like connect the dots, loving the way Dick exhaled under the touch. He dipped down to kiss him. His finger slid lower down his abdomen.

"Motorcycle accident," Dick chuckled lowly. "My dad almost banned me from riding them."

"I would too."

"Eh. I lived," Dick shrugged. He reached out and tapped an almost circular scar on Wally's abdomen. "Bullet?" He asked knowingly.

Wally looked down at the scar and back at Dick, eyebrow raised. Wally doesn't have too many scars considering his accelerated healing, but that one happened to him when he was bound by his own powerless cuffs. "What? You're familiar with gunshot scars?"

"Gotham," Dick replied like it explained everything. Wally would have moved on considering one of his best friends lived in Gotham and had several wounds, but that's also taking into account that he was a vigilante.

Wally's thoughts wandered briefly to the earlier encounter with the shark man. The absence of the energy humming at the tips of his fingers weighed heavy. "Have you," he started, his voice softer, "have you figured out those weird devices yet? I know it's not my job but I was wondering if there was an update on that case."

Dick shifted, a frown falling short. "No, and it's happening to other cities as well. I wish I could tell you more but we're stuck until anything new happens."

Wally sighed. Nightwing had said the same thing. He was already aware of the odd occurrences appearing in Star City and Jump City. Nothing new from their finding.

"But let's not talk about work," Dick said, bringing his attention right back to him.

Wally smiled, his hand wandered to another scar on Dick's side, a longer one that curved around his ribcage. "What about this one?"

Dick glanced down, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Fell off a ladder. Didn't quite stick the landing."

Wally couldn't help but laugh softly. "You need to be more careful."

Dick grinned, pulling Wally closer. "Says the guy who got burned by a Crockpot."

Wally pulled away, a mock look of hurt striking his face. Dick's eyes softened, and he leaned in to kiss Wally gently. "I'm sorry, I'm sure the font wasn't even big enough to read on the easy bake oven."

"I did not burn myself on an easy bake oven, Dick Grayson," Wally sat up, looking down at him, appalled. "How would it even manage to burn my shoulder?" The dark haired man only smirked and sunk down onto the bed. Wally shifted, moving his chest over Dick's, closing the space. "You're lucky you're hot," he murmured, descending down to kiss the line of Dick's jaw.

He didn't even have to look at the man to feel the devilish grin growing on his face. "Should I put a caution label on myself just for you?" He giggled.

Wally pulled away quickly and grabbed a pillow to lightly smack on the man's face. "I hate you," he laughed.

Dick mumbled something beneath the pillow. Tired of trying to understand it, he removed it, hoping to hear a string of apologies, but no.

Dick took no second to take a deep breath and say, "I've been told that there's a thin line between love and hate."

Wally set the pillow aside and chose to snuggle up to Dick's side. He rested his head on the man's shoulder and closed his eyes. "You're right," he breathed. He reached over for the bedside light and turned it off. "You can choose love or hate when I force you to go on a run with me tomorrow."

The man jerked subtly from under him, his head clearly turning to look at him in the dark. "Wally, I thought you said you just jog in the mornings."

The red head tapped his cheek and grinned. "I decided that tomorrow's a running day."

***

Wally felt ecstatic. The wind brushed through his curls. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping.

He woke up that morning with the speed force humming in his core once again.

It took every cell of restraint in his body to not immediately leap out of bed and run halfway across the country. The opposing pull was the magnet in his arms, taking up the shape of the Detective.

He brushed the hair out of Dick's face and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Slowly, he peeled himself out of the blankets and away from the bed. Slowly and quietly, he changed into a pair of workout clothes and crept into the kitchen.

He cracked a few eggs into the pan and stirred them with the spatula, the sizzling filling up the quiet of the small apartment.

Eventually, Sleeping Beauty decided to peak his head from out of the bedroom. Sneaking up on Wally from behind and placing a hand on his waist as he moved to grab a glass from the cupboard.

Wally snapped his head to the side, wide eyes staring at Dick. "Oh—! Damn, you're quiet."

"You looked like you were in your element," he responded, morning voice a little gruff. Wally pushed back the thought of how similar he sounded to that stand in Batman a few years back. (Not that they ever confirmed that it was a stand in, but Wally had his suspicions).

"Well good morning to you too," he smiled, leaning back to get a kiss from Dick. "How do you like your eggs?" He asked.

"Scrambled is fine."

As they ate, Wally couldn't help but feel the energy coursing through him. The Speed Force was back, and he felt alive. "I know a great spot for running. It can be steep at some spots but there's a great view."

Dick raised an eyebrow, his mouth full of eggs. "So a hike?" he asked after swallowing. "Sounds good. Just promise you won't leave me behind in the dust."

Wally smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

They quickly cleaned up and grabbed their things, heading out to Wally's car. The drive was pleasant, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the landscape. Wally kept the windows down, letting the cool breeze wash over them. He glanced at Dick, who was leaning back in his seat, sunglasses on and a content smile on his face.

Wally reached over and took Dick's hand, squeezing it gently. "Thanks for coming with me."

Dick turned to him, his smile widening. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

They chatted lightly about everything and nothing, enjoying each other's company. The radio played softly in the background, (Wally didn't trust his Bluetooth to play anything other than 90's boy bands), filling the silence between their conversations. Wally felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the Speed Force.

As they approached the hiking spot, Wally slowed down, turning onto a gravel road that led to the trailhead. They parked the car and got out, stretching their legs and breathing in the fresh, crisp air. He smirked, watching Dick stretch in the borrowed shirt and shorts. (He didn't pack any work out clothes because he didn't account for them to be doing any strenuous activity outside the bedroom).

Wally grabbed a small backpack with some essentials and handed it to Dick. "Ready?" He asked, shutting the trunk of his car and then locking it with a 'beep'.

"Always," Dick replied with a grin.

They started the hike at a leisurely jog, taking in the beauty of the surroundings. The trail wound through a rocky trail. The trees fed a natural path around a lake and some rocky hills. The birds sang their morning songs, and the occasional rustle of leaves hinted at small animals scurrying about.

As they walked, Wally felt a familiar itch in his legs. The Speed Force was calling to him, urging him to move faster. He glanced at Dick, who seemed to notice the restless energy in his partner.

"Want to pick up the pace a bit?" Dick asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Wally grinned. "You sure you can keep up?"

Dick laughed. "Try me."

Wally took off, not at full speed but fast enough to sprint to feel the rush. He heard Dick's footsteps behind him, and for a moment, they were in sync. He had to give props to Dick, as much as he seemed to claim that he wasn't too fast, he could definitely sprint for a long while. The trees blurred around them, and the path became a ribbon of dirt beneath their feet.

After a while, Wally glanced back and saw Dick starting to lag. He slowed down, letting Dick catch up. They were now running in place, going nowhere. Dick stopped, leaning over his knees as he struggled for air.

Wally's expression softened. He moved closer, placing a hand on Dick's back. "Sorry, got carried away."

"This isn't casual running, man," Dick choked. "This is murder." He straightened up, taking in his partner as he sipped his water. His partner who was breathing normally and had little to no sweat on his face. "You're unreal," he claimed.

Wally laughed. "I do this run everyday. I build up stamina." He flicked some water at Dick's scrunched up face. "Plus, I thought you said you could take it."

Dick scoffed. "That was before I realized you were an Olympic runner." He slowly fell to the ground, drinking his water. "Have you ever considered that you're a meta human?" He asked, looking up at the mechanic.

Wally raised an eyebrow, looking down at Dick.

They've never really discussed opinions on metas before. As much as Wally would like to believe, he wasn't completely sure what Dick's mindset would be. Sure the guy has visited Wally countless times, whether they're in Keystone or Central City, areas with a greater population of metas than others. And sure, his situation may be more easily digestible since he was a Flash and all, but...

He was a superhero who often overlooked parts of the law.

He was also kind of dating someone in law enforcement.

Wally sure knew how to pick them.

"Wait, you are?" Dick asked after a few silent moments where Wally just stared at him blankly, no effort for answering leaving his mouth.

"Uh..." Wally blinked. "No?

"No?" Dick questioned. He tilted his head, squinting his eyes, probably using all those hot detective skills he has.

Wally cleared his throat. "Well— I mean, what is your— y'know— stance on metahumans and such."

Dick shrugged. "Honestly? I have a lot of respect for metahumans. I've seen firsthand how much good they can do. Take the Flash, for example. He's incredibly powerful, but he uses his abilities to protect people and fight for justice."

Wally's expression softened, feeling more at ease. "That's... good to know. It's just, you know, a lot of people don't see it that way."

Dick sat up straighter, his expression sincere. "I've seen too many heroes get judged unfairly. It's not about what you can do, but who you are. And you, Wally, are one of the best people I know, meta or not."

Wally felt a warm rush of relief and appreciation. "Thanks, Dick. That means a lot."

Dick smiled and stood up and stood a little closer to Wally. "You don't have to tell me anything but just know that I like you any way that you are." He held his stare. "You'll have to actually kill me on this hike to get me to even consider changing my mind on that."

"Sheesh, so I'm not that safe yet," Wally gulped, breaking the moment. He laughed as he got a pair of rolling eyes in response. Dick smacked him but Wally pulled the dark haired man back to him. "Thank you, though."

"Yeah, well that's just a free trial of all of my sincere chats. If you want to book me in the future, I charge by the minute."

Wally pushed him back with a smile and shook his head. "You're absolutely full of shit."

Dick with the wise cracking grin cackled. "How come you're the only one who's allowed to joke around?" He gasped as he dodged an incoming splash of water. "Shit— Oh, you better start running."

Wally, laughing like a madman, quickly collected his things into his bag again, looking around at the paths. "Which way? Continue the hike or head back to the car?"

Dick paused. "Uh, do you still want to run for a bit?"

Wally shrugged. "I'm always in the mood to run so I'll probably just go to the gym later."

"You sure?"

"Are you sure you won't pass out if we keep going?" Wally questioned. Dick turned to look down the path that continued on the trail. He glanced back at Wally and shook his head. "Okay, let's go find an alternative way to waste some energy."

And at that, blue eyes seemed to widen with a newfound energy. Wally could already see the eagerness. Something that would keep them delayed in the parking lot for just a while longer.

***

Sirens blared across the streets, their piercing wails slicing through the night. The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and charred wood as a fire smoldered down to embers. Amidst the chaos, a woman emerged from a curtain of smoke, her hands glowing with a faint, dying light. Tears streaked down her soot-stained face, falling like the dying embers around her.

The Flash watched from a distance as the police surrounded her, their expressions a mix of caution and pity. Her cries and pleas were a heartbreaking symphony of despair. He stood back, his heart aching as he listened to her beg while she was gently but firmly escorted away.

"It's gone!" she sobbed, her voice breaking. "I can't feel it anymore!"

Wally took a mental note to check out the official report once it was filed. There was something off about this incident, something that tugged at the edges of his intuition. He decided it was time to consult Cisco.

In a flash, he was at Star Labs. Cisco was at his computer, as usual, engrossed in studying the small technology of their communicators. He jumped back momentarily as a spark flew from the device he was tinkering with.

"Speed is back?" Cisco asked, barely looking up.

Wally nodded, pulling his mask back. "Speed is back. Still not sure what happened, but I woke up and it was more present."

Cisco hummed, staring down at the device. "Remember when you and Barry used to keep me updated on these developments? I recall there was a time when we'd freak out if a speedster got stuck in the Speed Force or lost his speed."

"What matters is that it's back," Wally said, nodding. "But I did see something odd."

"Something more odd than a cab driver tweeting a picture of you with the caption 'hashtag cosplay'?"

Wally froze. "That didn't happen," he stated, his voice edged with disbelief.

Cisco scoffed. "Right. Just don't look at Twitter."

Wally shook his head, focusing back on the pressing matter. "There's going to be an incoming report about a young woman who I believe can produce fire or heat from her hands. I don't think she set this fire on purpose, though."

"I'm lost but keep explaining," Cisco nodded, his curiosity piqued.

"She was crying about losing something or not feeling something. I think she was talking about her abilities."

Cisco nodded and slowly slid the communicator to the side. "Where was this fire? If this was near one of those frequencies, then we may have just found one of the common denominators for this case."

Wally slowly peeled off his suit, listening to Cisco as he explained, and changed into a normal graphic tee with a cat pun on it. "I've seen some spikes along Winston Street and around 24th."

"The building that went down was that old dry cleaner's that Francis John ran," Wally yelled from another room as he put away his suit.

Cisco typed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's the exact spot I said." He glanced up at Wally, who seemed to be preoccupied, looking around the room for something. He kicked the rolling chair beside him to roll out in front of the speedster. The redhead perked up, seeing his flannel draped across the back.

"Thanks," he said, slipping it on.

"Don't mention it." Cisco sat back, looking at the multiple screens and files. "So..." he started, but Wally was beginning to walk out before he could even get a sentence out. "Wally!" he yelled.

He stopped in the doorway, looking back at him.

"Sit down," Cisco said, pointing at a seat. "These frequencies may be temporarily muting meta abilities, and you're running around like a headless chicken, eager to go home."

"Right, sorry," Wally apologized with a guilty expression. "You're right. Something's up with that." He moved to the computer to open up a report. "These frequencies and what we suspect are off-world technologies producing these obviously have a plan." He twisted the screen around, pointing to each city. "We have meta abilities being targeted, and technology. Gotham and Blüdhaven have technologies getting taken out as well, not sure about meta abilities yet. Star City reported artificial storms and cell communications being down."

"You think that whatever this is, it's attacking based on the cities' heroes and vigilantes?"

"Well, thanks for finally sharing that revelation," Cisco sighed. "Jesus, is dick that good to be ditching me this soon?" He asked as Wally was collecting his things back up.

"Oh, Dick is so good," Wally said with a grin.

"Uh huh?" Cisco hummed. "And what about the guy?"

Wally laughed. "Shut up."

"Next time you ditch me, I'll run a background check on him."

"Don't care and don't want to know!" Wally shot back, heading for the door with a laugh. He recalled the few relationships he's had that had been ruined with just a simple Google search.

Cisco leaned back in his chair, watching Wally with a mixture of amusement and concern. "Just be careful out there, alright?"

"Always am," Wally replied with a wink before speeding out of the lab.

As the door swung shut, Cisco sighed and turned back to his screens, his mind already racing with the next steps in the investigation.

***

KF: [FILE023.pdf] New updates to add to the report.

NW: ???

NW: [IMG510.png] This you?

(image description: A Tweet with the caption "Guess who I'm dropping off at Comicon!" A selfie featuring a man in a button-up baby blue shirt and baseball hat, also including the Central City hero, The Flash, in his red suit on the passenger side of the car. The Flash is not smiling.)

KF is typing...