Late into the night, Wally finally left S.T.A.R. Labs. After bidding Jesse goodbye, he returned to his pocket dimension, though his mind remained preoccupied.
He couldn't shake the question of how Harry had been kidnapped. He was convinced Grodd was involved, but one crucial detail eluded him—how had Grodd used his telepathy to control Harry in the first place?
Wally was certain Grodd hadn't been anywhere near Harry at the time. Could an outside force have intervened to ensure the event unfolded as it had? Or was he simply overthinking, and Grodd's telepathic abilities were far stronger than previously depicted?
Pushing the questions aside for now, Wally focused on his work. He returned to his pocket dimension to continue the delicate and time-intensive process of cloning.
Cloning, in particular, required time and careful precision. However, Wally could still begin the initial phase tonight before leaving for Earth-2 tomorrow. Cloning was a multi-phased process, and while he could only handle the first stage now, Alfred would seamlessly continue the work in his absence.
Before concluding for the night, Wally took the time to refill the Speed Force energy reservoir, crucial for the sustained production of malleable cosmic energy. His plans for its application were already taking shape, and he was eager to test its potential.
He also prepared for his trip. He packed several vials of healing serums and three energy-shielding bracelets equipped with automated defense systems. There was no need for more since the suits he designed for himself and Barry already had the feature integrated.
Lyla had contacted him earlier about a renewed and updated contract. While she wouldn't be attending the meeting herself, she would send a representative. This responsibility would fall to Alfred, who now had a human-like synthetic body ready for such occasions.
The synthetic body was indistinguishable from a real person, bearing a middle-aged appearance with black hair and a beard that mirrored Alfred's holographic avatar. Despite this advancement, Alfred had rarely used it, as he preferred the vast efficiency of the virtual realm. However, multitasking capabilities made the physical body a useful option when necessary.
Meanwhile, Yorkin's cloning process had already started, requiring no further input from Wally for now. Satisfied with his progress, he retreated to his villa for a well-deserved night of rest.
Beep! Beep! Beep! His alarm rang as usual. Wally's eyes snapped open, though he had already been awake. It had become his habit to take a moment each morning to gather his thoughts before starting the day.
This morning, his thoughts drifted to the approaching Valentine's Day—an occasion now overshadowed by Grodd's interference. Silently, he promised himself he would make the telepathic gorilla regret his actions.
His smile widened as his thoughts shifted to Jesse. No matter how much he tried to stay composed, thinking about her always seemed to send his intelligence flying out the window.
Shrugging off the distraction, Wally got ready in a flash—literally. He was done within seconds, grabbing the breakfast Alfred had prepared for him. As he headed out, he made sure to take Jesse's super suit ring, the healing serums, and the energy-shielding bracelets. He hadn't forgotten the promise he made to her last year.
By the time he arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs, the team was already trickling in, one by one. It wasn't long before most of them had gathered. The clock read 10:00 a.m. as they assembled in the breach room, preparing for the rescue mission.
Just then, Cisco entered, carrying several boxes and announcing dramatically, "Hear ye, hear ye! Everyone, gather round!"
The team turned their attention to Cisco, who set the boxes on the nearest table and opened them with a flourish. "Behold! The energy shielding vests—Mark II! Courtesy of my genius and, uh… a night of no sleep."
Barry raised an eyebrow. "You pulled an all-nighter?"
"Only because I care, Barry," Cisco replied, mock-offended. "I spent my time making these bad boys."
Barry raised his eyebrow again. "Huh, what exactly do they do?" he asked.
"This, my friend, is a vest that implements energy shielding technology capable of withstanding direct energy blasts and kinetic impacts. Lightweight, breathable, and stylish. Well, relatively. In my defense, I didn't have enough time to make compact versions."
As he began passing the vests around, Wally coughed lightly. "Uh, Cisco, not to rain on your parade or anything, but…" He reached into his bag and pulled out a slim pair of energy-shielding bracelets. "I brought these."
"What are those?" Cisco asked.
"Energy-shielding bracelets," Wally said with a shrug, slipping one onto his wrist. "They're more compact, easier to wear, and they can automatically generate personal shields without restricting movement. I figured they might be a good fit for today's mission."
Cisco blinked, staring at the bracelets as if Wally had personally insulted him. "Are you serious right now? Then why didn't you say anything? I spent all night making these!"
"You Wests are an absolute menace," Cisco said, pointing his finger at Wally as he walked away.
At that moment, Jesse entered, wearing the usual STAR Labs sweatshirt and matching pants. While the others waited for Julian, Wally quietly pulled Jesse aside.
"I've got something for you," Wally said, a wide smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, similar to Barry's, a mix of gold and red.
At first glance, Jesse's brows furrowed, unsure of what Wally was about to do. Is he planning on proposing? she thought, her mind racing at lightning speed.
"Last year," Wally began, "I promised to make you a suit. But due to some circumstances, I wasn't able to. Now I've finally finished it. Here." He handed her the ring.
Jesse's facial expression cooled, her complex thoughts dissipating as she regained her composure. Why was I thinking— She accepted the ring, her confusion evident.
"Is this the suit? How?" she asked, inspecting it, turning it over in her hands.
Wally smiled at her confusion before turning sideways. "It works like this," he said, thrusting his fingers forward. The suit materialized, and he sped into it. Now fully suited up, Wally's thoughts drifted to nanotech. The ring suit felt kind of lackluster compared to what he was now capable of. It was only because he had so much to do that he hadn't already pursued it. "Maybe when we get back, I'll have even more to add to my plate."
"That's so cool! How did you come up with it? What's the principle behind it?" she asked, launching into a frenzy of questions just as Julian finally arrived.
"Sorry I'm late. It took a while to convince Captain Singh," Julian said as he entered.
"Wait, since when, and why is Julian coming with us?" Caitlin asked, her gaze shooting at Barry.
"It's not every day one gets to visit a parallel Earth, so why not?" Julian responded.
"We're not going sightseeing," Caitlin said, a hint of disapproval in her voice.
"Well, I came prepared," Julian replied, taking out his gun from his pocket.
At this time, Joe and Iris finally arrived. Joe, spotting Julian, immediately burst into laughter. "Why are you dressed like Indiana Jones?"
Julian just shrugged. "Good morning, detective."
"Now that we're all here, let's get going," Barry said, grabbing their attention. Just like Wally, Barry was now donned in his suit.
Wally took this time to pass each of them the energy-shielding bracelets. Afterward, they said their goodbyes to the remaining team, and Wally said his goodbyes to Jesse.
"You guys ready?" Barry asked as Cisco stood in front, his arms forward, opening a breach. "Earth two here we come!"
As they leaped into the breach, a feeling akin to enlightenment dawned upon Wally. He instantly felt the moment the frequency around them began to change. It was oddly similar to the defense mechanism he planned to implement for his pocket dimension.
This could mean that he could possibly use his pocket dimension as a medium for traveling parallel Earths. Though he knew there was a possibility he might be able to open a breach by himself through the Speed Force that connected time and space, it was still something good to add to his arsenal.
As they passed through the breach, he could see flashes of moments in other parallel worlds: different speedsters, heroes, villains. And for some reason, he could tell which Earth was which just by gazing at the images. It was surreal, to say the least.
Taking in the moment, he made a mental note. If the multiverse is truly infinite in size, what's to say the other DC universes I know aren't real? For all I know, there could be an Earth that relates to the DC cinematic universe or Young Justice. It might seem outlandish, but I won't outright deny it either.
A few seconds passed for him, and as he resumed his normal pace of thoughts, they appeared on the other side of the breach. It was the same African jungle where Harry had been brought.