'"How cliché," Wally thought bitterly. This encounter had almost broken his spirit. It was the most humiliating battle he had ever fought—even Savitar hadn't pushed him this far.
Yet, he refused to despair. The gap in strength was simply unfathomable for the current him.
But this only steeled his resolve. He had to rise beyond his limits, to delve into the depths of true power. He possessed the tools; he just needed to harness them properly.
His gaze lingered on Grodd's fading form, dissolving into nothingness. The world around him began to crack, reality fracturing at its seams. Then, in an instant, everything shattered and disappeared into oblivion.
"A false reality? An illusion?" he wondered, his thoughts heavy. This display of power only underscored how far he still had to go to reach what he sought.
On his feet, Wally glanced around. The once-deafening cheers of the gorillas had faded into uneasy silence. Their champion, Grodd, had been defeated effortlessly—almost as if the human hadn't even tried. Fear crept into their hearts, magnifying their wariness of humans.
Wally's eyes shifted to the stands, catching Barry's smug smirk and the astonishment etched on the others' faces. Yet, Wally himself was utterly clueless about what had just happened. He hadn't even taken a step against Grodd.
He exhaled heavily, frustration and confusion mixing within him. His gaze turned toward Solovar's seat. The leader's expression was unreadable, but a faint sense of relief seemed to linger in the air around him.
Deep down, Solovar was grateful he hadn't chosen to challenge the human himself.
Even he hadn't noticed the moment Grodd was sent flying, beaten mercilessly until he crumpled to the ground in defeat.
One thing was certain—this group of humans was no joke. Solovar knew he couldn't hold them, even if he wanted to. It was best to give them what they came for: their friend.
The crowd of gorillas dispersed, their wary glances lingering on Wally as they retreated. Soon, they were guided back to Solovar's abode.
As they walked, Cisco slung an arm around Wally's shoulder with an excited grin.
"Dude, that was badass. Wicked! You totally destroyed him—you didn't even give him a chance! For your first time, I'm surprised you handled it so well."
Wally shrugged, offering a faint, forced smile. "It was... easier than I expected. Honestly, I'm surprised Barry used to lose to that thing."
At that, Barry's gaze snapped toward him, narrowing slightly.
"Oh, come on! I could have beaten him just as easily," Barry defended himself quickly. "Back then, he usually caught me off guard."
Wally rolled his eyes, unimpressed.
Caitlin stepped in with a warm smile. "You did great, Wally."
Julian, however, remained mostly silent. He and Wally didn't share much familiarity, so his quiet demeanor was expected.
Soon, they arrived at the castle-like structure, its towering walls casting long shadows over the group as they approached.
The gorillas on guard parted, allowing them entry. There, Solovar sat on his throne, but this time, a familiar figure stood beside him. It was Harry—his hair and clothes disheveled, his limp betraying the struggle to stand. It was clear his treatment had been harsh.
The gorilla behind Harry gave him a shove, motioning for him to step forward. After a few shaky steps, the team rushed to support him, steadying his frame.
Caitlin wrapped him in a light hug, her concern evident, while Cisco couldn't help but complain. "What's that smell?" he muttered, wrinkling his nose.
Harry shot Cisco a glare. "Ramon, we both know it's me," he grumbled, clearly annoyed.
But Cisco's expression quickly softened into a smile, and the two shared a handshake, the brief moment of camaraderie easing the tension.
Finally, Harry stood before Wally, his expression shifting to something more complicated. His thoughts briefly flashed back to the moment the young man before him had kissed his daughter—especially with him standing right there. The audacity, he thought, before quickly forcing a smile and extending his hand to Wally.
"Thank you for participating, Wally," Harry said, his voice polite but guarded. He then turned his attention to Barry.
"Thanks for coming for me. I appreciate your effort."
Barry gave a nod, his tone reassuring. "It's no problem, Harry. I know you'd do the same for any one of us."
"Hmph." Solovar's grunt interrupted their conversation, drawing everyone's attention. The team quickly shifted their focus to the silver gorilla. They were ready to spring into action if the gorilla decided to renege on its agreement.
It wasn't just the gorillas who were wary of humans—the humans, in turn, were just as cautious around the telepathic gorillas.
"Humans," Solovar began, his voice low and commanding, "I've completed my end of the deal. Now it's time to fulfill yours." His expression hardened, growing hostile. "Leave Gorilla City... and never return."
"That's fine by me," Cisco muttered under his breath as the team turned around and made their way out of Gorilla City under the watchful, cautious eyes of its inhabitants.
Once the power restriction was low enough, Cisco opened a breach, allowing them to safely return to Earth-1.
The first person they encountered in the breach room was Jesse, who wasted no time rushing into her father's arms.
"Ow, ow, ow," Harry winced at the tight embrace, his voice laced with both pain and amusement.
Jesse quickly pulled back, her face apologetic. "Sorry, Dad."
"It's okay," Harry responded, gritting his teeth as the pain subsided.
"Harry, you need to rest. Let's go," Caitlin chimed in, guiding him toward the med bay with Jesse's help. As they exited the room, Jesse glanced back and smiled in Wally's direction before disappearing through the door.
At that moment, Joe and Iris finally arrived.
"Well, that didn't take as long as I expected," Joe remarked, approaching Barry and pulling him into a light hug.
Stepping aside, Iris wrapped her arms around Barry, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "I'm sure you handled it well," she said warmly before leaning in to give him a light kiss.
"So, what now? Are we sure we've changed the future?" Joe asked, his expression growing solemn.
Barry and Iris had told him about the future the night before. His initial reaction had been anger and deep disappointment in Barry and the team, but it wasn't as explosive as the original timeline. He'd quickly come to accept the situation and focus on finding a solution.
"Not exactly," Wally said, breaking the tense silence. His words caused everyone's gaze to snap toward him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Joe asked, his voice edged with agitation.
"HR's explanation of time, while close, isn't entirely accurate," Wally began, his tone calm but firm. Barry's stance stiffened at the statement, his unease evident.
"Then do you have a more accurate explanation?" Barry asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and concern.
Wally nodded and turned toward a whiteboard in the corner. He grabbed a marker, his movements deliberate as he began to sketch out his thoughts.
He drew a long line across the board. "Alright, let's break it down. This line here represents time—past, present, and future," he explained, pointing to each segment as he spoke.
He added five smaller dots between "present" and "future. "These are key events—things that will happen, like what we saw in the headlines."
Wally paused, then drew a second line parallel to the first one. "Now, unless you know something about the future in advance, it's pretty much locked in place. The future's set in stone," he said, tapping the second line.
"Wally's expression grew serious. "Changing a few events doesn't guarantee the ones that follow will change too. In fact, it could make everything worse."
He paused, his gaze steady on Barry. "The truth is, we have no way of knowing if any of the headlines we've seen actually connect to Iris's death. And honestly, we shouldn't treat them like they're the be-all, end-all. They're just... possibilities."
Barry's jaw tightened as he listened, his voice sharp when he finally spoke. "So what are you saying, Wally? That all of this—everything we've been doing—has been a waste of time?"
Wally shook his head, keeping his tone steady. "No, Barry, I'm not saying it's pointless. I'm saying it's dangerous. Changing the future isn't as simple as moving a chess piece. Think of it like magnets," he explained, raising his hands to mimic the invisible forces.
"When two magnets are far apart, their pull on each other is stable and fixed," Wally began, gesturing toward the parallel lines he had drawn. "That's the line between the present and the future. If you truly want to change the future, you have to completely knock the present magnet off course. When that happens, the universe will naturally try to stabilize itself, altering the future timeline—including Iris's death."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing. "However, if the present magnet isn't altered enough, it'll eventually stabilize itself back onto the original line—and might even accelerate toward the end....."
As he finally came to a conclusion the room fell silent, tension thick in the air.
The expressions on everyone's faces turned grim, and Barry's brow furrowed deeply. "So, you're saying… the closer we get to Iris's death, the harder it'll be to stop it? And if we don't change it properly, we might make it even harder to change—and possibly even more faster and dangerous?"
Wally nodded solemnly, his gaze steady. "Exactly. Reckless tampering with the timeline can lead to even more catastrophic events."
"So, what's the definitive solution?" Iris asked, her voice tinged with panic.
"The solution is simple," Wally said, his tone calm but firm. "Why couldn't Barry save you from Savitar?"
Barry's expression darkened as he answered, "I wasn't fast enough."
"There's your answer,"