Dying was a funny thing.

Some people said dying came swiftly, silently. It snuck up on you, taking you at the worst and best moments. Many welcomed to embrace of death when they were old, on their death beds, and looking at the loving faces of their family.

However, one Wallace West did not have such luxury.

He died young.

He died in the middle of fulfilling his Stanford University scholarship.

He died living in a small flat that wasn't nearly enough room for he, his girlfriend, and their adorable pitbull, Brucely. (They swore they were moving soon.)

He died waiting for that same girlfriend to come home - she had died in and diving accident, you see.

Wallace West, called Wally by his friends, acquaintances, and even random strangers, died a hero in every sense of the word.

But, as the thing with hero's deaths, they never really stayed dead.

North Pole: Pre-Jump

Wally absolutely despised cold.

It had this way of burrowing deep into you, down to your bones, giving you a frosted chill that wouldn't go away until you drank about 5 tons of hot cocoa and cuddled with your girlfriend.

Man, what he wouldn't give to cuddle with Artemis right now...

He was close Uncle Barry, Bart, and the MFD, just having entered the Arctic a split second before, and about 3 seconds from reaching them. He as definitely not looking forward to reaching that annoying cousin of his.

"...even at our top speed, I don't think the two of us could create enough kinetic energy." He heard Barry shout. Wally smirked to himself, time for his badass entrance.

"Then how about the three of us? I may not be as fast as you to, but I can add my own fair share of kinetic energy." Wally told them with a cocky smirk. "Besides, I can't let the newbie take all the credit for saving the world."

Barry smiled warmly. "Good man!"

"So-ho Crash!" Bart exclaimed.

Their forms blurred with a new burst of speed, and they were lapping him. Again.

Wally felt a twinge of annoyance, but pushed it down. Now was so not the time for petty jealousy.

"Come on, Wall-man!" He berated himself, "You can do better than that!" He forced himself to go faster, straining his muscles, with the only thing keeping him going being sheer stubbornness.

Barry and Bart were going faster, it seemed like. Overlapping him more and more often. Or maybe he as getting slower. He kept his eyes ahead, the imposing flashes of the bomb always in the corner of his vision.

So, it made sense, in a way, that he saw the bolt before he felt it.

It arched, towards him, going impossibly fast. Like, even by speedster definition. He doubted he would have been able to dodge it even if he tried.

White hot pain stabbed him. It felt like his entire body was on fire, slowly being torn apart. Colors began to bleed together, he could see greens and purples and every other color imaginable. They whipped around like streamers, substantial to him, almost touchable. But, if he looked at them head on, they disappeared, leaving the tundra seeming more lifeless than ever.

In the back of his mind, he knew he was screaming.

"-slow down for Wally!" Someone yelled. It took him a few seconds to realize it had been Barry. Before he could reassure his Uncle, a bolt zapped him again.

He focused on his breathing.

Something felt... off. And not just as in the whole MFD lightning thing. He felt... not quite there. Tingly. Like hen your foot fell asleep, and you got hose aful pins and needles, except all over his body; and way more painful.

When he looked down at his hands, he could see right through them. He could see the packed ice and snow under a thin film of mustard and ketchup.

He was... disappearing?

Wally winced. "It's no good, Barry." He said shakily. "Aw, man..." He moaned, both from pain and regret. "Artemis is so going to kill me for this... And don't even get me started on Mom and Dad..."

"...Kid?" Barry whispered.

"Just... Tell her, okay?" Wally pleaded, looking at his former mentor sadly. Barry was every thing he had ever wanted to be. Smart, funny, happy. A hero.

Wally felt himself dissolve. That was the only way he could describe it. His body, his consciousness, everything that made him, him. It just broke apart. Scattered.

In his last seconds of consciousness, Wally could hear Barry scream his name.

End of Prologue.

Ha! I'm back! The first chapter of the revision is here, baby! I'm surprised I got this up when I did, high school has been a bitch let me tell you...

I love you guys so much. You all rock. You guys are so dedicated to this story, and, by extension, me. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Reviews are appreciated, as are suggestions to a new title. I need one.

LOVE YOU GUYS.

uehara-tsubasa