I am Wally west

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The night drifted away like a receding wave, leaving behind an uneasy calm. The tension had temporarily subsided, and the team had retreated to their respective quarters. While some managed to find rest, others struggled to sleep.

By the next morning, nearly everyone had arrived early, a heavy tension hanging in the air. The usual lighthearted banter was gone, replaced by an oppressive seriousness that weighed on the room.

By 9 a.m., the team had gathered in a large training area. Practice targets were set up across the space, while Julian and Caitlin monitored several screens from a nearby workstation. All eyes were on Cisco, who stood fully suited and equipped with his gauntlets, the weight of expectation evident in his stance.

Wally watched from the sidelines, his mind churning as he considered how he could help Cisco gain an advantage against Gypsy. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. In the original timeline, Gypsy had arrived later, giving them more time to prepare. Worse, they still hadn't discovered the weakness of her special move.

Cisco's odds of winning seemed grim. Gypsy had years of combat training and experience, along with powers likely honed since childhood under her father's guidance. In contrast, Cisco had only recently discovered his abilities and had barely begun to grasp their full potential with no one to guide him.

The gap between them was vast, and this time, there might not be a convenient twist of fate to save him. Wally sighed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Maybe I should've challenged her instead, he thought bitterly. His emotions had clouded his judgment, and now he was left grappling with the consequences of his decisions.

"Wally… Wally."

Iris's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

"Hey, sis," he replied, forcing a small smile.

Iris crossed her arms, her expression both worried and stern. "You've been zoning out all morning. What's going on?"

"It's nothing–I'm just wondering whether Cisco might be able to win," he said his face hanging solemnly.

"Come on, you know Cisco. One way or another, he'll find a way to win," Iris said, trying to lighten the mood.

Wally didn't respond immediately. His gaze flicked toward Cisco before returning to Iris. "Even you don't believe what you just said," he replied softly.

Iris sighed, crossing her arms as she stared at Cisco with an expression that held an odd sense of familiarity. Their situation was different, yet unsettlingly similar. If Cisco lost tomorrow, his fate—and HR's—might be sealed.

She could see the fear Cisco worked hard to conceal beneath his carefree demeanor. It reminded her of how she often hid her own fears about the future.

"Look, a little optimism wouldn't hurt, right?" she added with a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess," Wally muttered, nodding slightly as his gaze shifted back to the team helping Cisco train. But with so little time and their lack of expertise, it was painfully obvious that progress would be minimal.

Cisco, ignoring the worried glances from behind, focused entirely on refining his control over his powers.

"Come on, Cisco, you can do it," Barry encouraged, his voice steady and supportive.

Cisco silently repeated the words, using them to stoke his dwindling confidence. He extended his hands, and a vibrational beam shot forward.

A breach formed instantly, and with newfound resolve, Cisco leaped into it, vanishing in the bright light.

The room fell silent as everyone waited, watching for his return. But Cisco didn't reappear.

Julian, scrolling idly through security feeds, suddenly froze. "Guys," he called out, drawing their attentions.

"I'll go get him Caitlin said with a sigh, walking off to retrieve the heavily breathing Cisco downstairs.

"HR, is there no way to switch places with Cisco?" Barry asked in frustration, pacing back and forth as he waited for an answer.

"There's none, unless he forfeits" HR replied bluntly. "Barry, there's no need for that. Personally, I believe Cisco can beat Gypsy…"

They went back and forth, but it led to little progress. Eventually, the team resigned to silence for a while.

Barry sat in the cortex, his mind racing as he pondered the next step. A short while later, Caitlin, Julian, and Wally arrived. Joe remained absent, having stayed at CCPD to cover for both Barry and Julian.

Julian's voice sliced through the tense silence in the cortex. "Guys, I don't mean to be the pessimist here, but we need to face the facts," he said, his tone firm and measured. "Cisco's chances against Gypsy are slim to none. We need to start considering better alternatives—better yet, he forfeits."

Barry shot back immediately, his voice sharp. "Cisco's not going to forfeit. If he does, we lose our only chance of keeping HR here."

Julian didn't flinch, his expression as logical as ever. "And if he doesn't forfeit? I hope you haven't forgotten the winning condition is death. If—no, when—Cisco loses, killed by Gypsy, HR will still be taken back to Earth-19 for sentencing."

Barry's jaw tightened. "That's not going to happen."

"It's one life or two, Barry," Julian pressed, his calm reasoning only irritating Barry further.

Barry turned on him, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You know, Julian, you just joined the team. I don't think you're in any position to start throwing your opinions around."

"Guys, calm down!" Caitlin quickly exclaimed, stepping between Barry and Julian as the tension in the room threatened to boil over. "The decision isn't yours to make—it's up to Cisco to decide whether he wants to go through with this or not."

Barry and Julian fell silent, though their glares lingered for a moment longer. Barry's expression shifted as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a familiar habit when he was deep in thought.

"I saw him—HR—in the future," Barry said suddenly, his voice laced with uncertainty. "He was there with me, Iris, and Savitar. That might mean we don't let Gypsy take HR… or maybe Cisco wins."

Wally, leaning forward, shook his head gently. "Barry, the future is constantly shifting. It changes with every action we take. One decision can lead to countless outcomes. So it's not foolproof."

Barry let out a heavy sigh, slumping back down in frustration as the weight of Wally's words settled on him.

Unbeknownst to the others, Cisco had overheard their conversation. He stood in the corner, his expression solemn as their words echoed in his mind. For a brief moment, he considered their concerns, but just as quickly, he dismissed them. Maybe he had been impulsive when he challenged Gypsy—maybe he should have left it to Barry to handle—but there was no turning back now. He wasn't about to let Gypsy take HR. Not without a fight.

The team soon resumed their training, this time shifting their focus. Instead of practicing breach openings, they concentrated on refining Cisco's control, aiming, and the lethality of his vibrational blasts.

Donned in his deep blue glasses, Cisco stood ready as several tennis balls were fired toward him. His posture was firm, an air of determination about him. Vibrational beams shot forth from his hands, slicing through the air and vaporizing the balls in quick succession. Each blast hit its mark with growing precision. He was making real progress, mastering both the control and potency of his attack.

Wally watched from the sidelines, his gaze thoughtful and focused. As Cisco trained, Wally's mind replayed the possibilities of what abilities speedsters might possess. One particular idea held his attention: breaches.

Two speedsters had already demonstrated the ability to cross dimensions. The first, of course, was Barry, who had accidentally traveled to Supergirl Kara's Earth using the Tachyon device to amplify his speed. The second was Zoom, who had created breaches to Earth-2.

How they did it wasn't entirely clear, but one thing was certain: to cross between worlds, the dimensional barrier had to be broken or bypassed. The thought lingered in Wally's mind, but he pushed it aside for now. His focus returned to Cisco, who stood under the strain of his training, beads of sweat forming and rolling down his face as he powered through.

The hours wore on, each session pushing Cisco further. Exhaustion eventually took its toll, and he was forced to rest. There were just five hours left until the 24-hour grace period would end, and the team decided it was best to use the remaining time to recuperate.

With Cisco resting in his workshop, Wally took the opportunity to approach him.