Two figures stood motionless, their gazes locked. One was a gorilla with flaming eyes, radiating an aura of pure psionic power, while the other was a speedster clad in black and silver, his stance tense but unwavering.
Wally's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. The sudden appearance of what could only be described as a universal—or perhaps multiversal—force sent a chill down his spine.
'Did I do something wrong?' he wondered, his brows furrowing. Strangely, he wasn't entirely surprised. Somewhere deep inside, he had already suspected that a cosmic force might be tied to recent events.
His eyes flicked to the stands, where the spectators remained transfixed. Their expressions were disturbingly neutral, almost frozen.
It didn't take long for him to realize the likely truth: they were under an illusion. The gorillas in the crowd, however, continued to cheer wildly, oblivious to the confrontation unfolding before them.
Turning his attention back to Grodd, Wally's unease deepened. The gorilla's burning eyes seemed to pierce through him, and for the first time, Wally hesitated to act. He wasn't here to fight—at least, not yet. He wanted answers. Why had a multiversal concept manifested here? What did it mean?
Breaking the silence, Wally finally spoke. "Are we just going to stare at each other all day?" He paused, his voice calm but edged with curiosity. "Why don't you tell me why you're here?"
His words hung in the air, but Grodd—possessed—did not reply. The blazing eyes remained fixed on Wally, and for some reason, he felt like his very being was being scrutinized.
After over a minute of silence, the figure finally moved, pacing in slow circles around Wally. The deliberate steps radiated a mix of menace and contemplation, the tension thick in the air.
"Just cut to the chase and get to the point. I don't have all day," Wally barked, his frustration breaking through the calm facade.
The entity stopped, exhaling a deep, heavy sigh as if weighing its next words carefully. Then, with a gaze full of anger and hostility, it spoke, its voice reverberating not through the air but directly in Wally's mind.
"I don't get why the Speed Force's backing you, anomaly," it said, the words dripping with contempt.
Wally stayed silent, his composure unwavering, though inside his thoughts churned in overdrive. The Speed Force is protecting me? he repeated inwardly. An anomaly? The words echoed in his mind as he began piecing the situation together.
It seems my existence has already been discovered—by cosmic beings, no less, he thought, feeling a heaviness settle in his chest. His mind flicked to the conversation he had with his future self, one that had warned him about the ripple effects of disastrous decisions. Was this what he meant?
Despite the gravity of the revelation, one detail caught Wally off guard: the notion that the Speed Force was actively shielding him. That meant there was something personal—some unknown reason why it had chosen to intervene on his behalf.
"And why are you here? I don't think I've done anything to gain your attention?" Wally asked, his muscles tensing as he instinctively prepared for action.
His gaze stayed locked on the being before him. He knew the Sage Force wouldn't manifest without a motive, especially one accompanied by the seething anger that echoed in its voice.
The air grew heavy as the entity raised a spear, its tip crackling with energy that seemed to distort reality itself. The Sage Force's voice resonated again, colder and sharper this time.
"I have come to eliminate you, anomaly. Your very existence is a threat to the delicate balance of this multiverse—and beyond. You simply cannot be allowed to exist... unless you choose to serve me instead."
Wally remained silent as the Sage Force spoke. With that single statement, he pieced together that the force was targeting him for a specific reason—the same reason it hadn't tried to eliminate him on sight.
Whatever the reason was, Wally had no intention of switching sides. The Speed Force had protected him as he had heard, though it might not be entirely true; turning against it would only make him seem ungrateful, and that wasn't the kind of person he was.
"Thanks, but I'm going to have to decline your offer. You're just not on par with the Speed Force."
The possessed Grodd, as if expecting the response, didn't bother replying. It lunged at Wally with inhuman speed, spear and shield in hand, aiming for a lethal strike.
To Wally's heightened perception, the attack felt sluggish. But he wasn't arrogant enough to let his guard down. His focus sharpened, and he noticed ripples moving toward him—nearly invisible to the naked eye. Only his extreme state of concentration allowed him to detect them. The speed of the ripples was alarming, even to him.
Although the possessed Grodd couldn't move at high speeds, its attacks clearly could. Wally quickly deduced that this was likely a limitation of the Sage Force inhabiting Grodd's body. There was only so much of its power that Grodd's form could handle.
He shot back, creating distance, and without waiting for Grodd to recover, Wally shot his hand forward, unleashing a thunderbolt at the inanimate figure.
Boom!
An explosion resounded as dust filled the air. The ground trembled, and a shockwave reverberated through the arena. However, as Wally expected, his attack had accomplished nothing. It had likely been blocked by a telekinetic forcefield.
Still, this brief exchange revealed something crucial to him. Their battle wasn't one that would end with a decisive victory on either side—it was shaping up to be a war of endurance and attrition.
With his unending stamina and superspeed, Wally was confident the Sage Force-possessed Grodd wouldn't be able to land a hit on him. But confidence didn't mean recklessness.
Fighting a cosmic force, even one restricted by a mortal vessel, was a dangerous proposition. Wally knew this. There would likely be no clear winner here; in fact, he might lose, but he suspected the Sage Force wasn't trying to win.
He kept his thoughts to himself, silently preparing for the confrontation ahead. As he readied himself to attack, the air in front of him suddenly parted ways, and a glint caught his attention. A spear? His instincts flared, and in a heartbeat, he sidestepped, narrowly dodging a spear that blitzed past him.
Boom! The spear slammed into the wall, embedding itself deeply. Glancing back at it, Wally couldn't help but gulp. If that attack had connected, even his Speed Force aura might not have been enough to protect him. However, his future sight hadn't activated, which meant he likely would've been injured at worst.
After dodging the spear, Wally remained on high alert. There was practically nothing in his arsenal that could reliably counter the Sage Force. Not only could it perceive him despite his super-speed, but most of his abilities seemed ineffective against it.
As their battle unfolded, a whirlwind of attacks and psychic waves filled the space. Wally soon realized the unsettling truth: the Sage Force wasn't even exerting itself. His every move was dismissed like a mere inconvenience.
He tried phasing and creating clones to find an opening, but the clones were easily detected and destroyed, reduced to cannon fodder. Even when he drew on more Speed Force energy to amplify his attacks, they still proved futile.
The one silver lining? He hadn't been hit—yet. Eventually, it seemed the Sage Force grew weary of Wally's relentless, if futile, efforts.
"Is this the best you can do? Is this all you amount to? I thought there'd be something special about you. Disappointing," the Sage Force barked, its voice echoing with disdain as its fist clenched.
Suddenly, Wally felt an invisible weight slam onto his shoulders. He could barely move, unable to take even a single step. His bones creaked under the pressure as he resisted the urge to fall to his knees. Teeth gritted, he fought against the force.
He had known the gap in their strength was immense, but he hadn't realized just how overwhelming it truly was. With a mere clench of its fist, the Sage Force had immobilized him. In the face of cosmic entities, I'm still too weak, Wally thought bitterly, his own fists trembling as they clenched.
His illusion of strength was shattered in an instant. All the progress he'd thought he had made suddenly felt meaningless. His pursuit of power had dulled over time, his drive had slowed, and now, standing before something so vast, his achievements seemed laughably small.
But he didn't despair. This was a wake-up call—a stark reminder of how much further he had to go. Everything he had achieved so far felt insignificant, like a single drop in an endless ocean of potential.
As his resolve solidified, his eyes fixed on the Sage Force. "What do you really want?" The question echoed in his mind as the oppressive weight pressing down on him began to dissipate, fading little by little.
The Sage Force remained motionless, its presence unnerving, its intentions shrouded in mystery. The flames in Grodd's eyes flickered, reflecting the entity's silent contemplation. When it finally spoke, its voice was softer but no less commanding.
"Speedster, you have no idea of the attention you've drawn to yourself. In time, you will face beings and concepts far beyond your comprehension. If you lack the strength to withstand them, you will falter."
Wally's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And why are you telling me this? I thought you came here to kill me," he asked, his voice steady but laced with suspicion.
"Indeed, I came here to destroy you," the Sage Force admitted, its voice calm yet laced with an enigmatic edge. "But my curiosity has prevailed."
"Meaning?" Wally asked.
"I want to see how far you can go."