Wally West or rather the costumed hero known as the Flash stood alone, staring out into the vast expanse of space. It made him feel small, an insignificant spec in a great unknown and right now he welcomed that feeling with open arms. There was something about the Speed Force that scared him; it niggled at him, the dark corners of his mind always wondering when he would succumb to its irresistible sirens call. Wally knew he was fast, but he had never really pushed himself before, he never really had to. For the most part he could save the world, save the cheerleader, save whatever, without becoming one with some cosmic energy. But now, now it was different. Should he be pushing himself? Did he even want to push himself? Wally blinked, his eyes focusing on one particular star; there across the universe was another sun, another solar system.

Then quite suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder, Flash stiffened and turned in an instant. His visitor didn't even bat an eyelid.

"Hey," was Wally's quiet response to the intrusion.

"Hey buddy," his companion leant forward on the railing and let out a long whistle "makes you think, don't it?"

"Yeah," Wally replied.

His friend gave him a sidelong glance, "you good?"

"I'm..." Wally paused, on the verge of saying fine. "I've been better."

His friend nodded and resumed stargazing. It was a comfortable silence; the two had known each other too long for a silence to be anything but.

"Hey, Roy?"

"Yeah Wally?"

"Why do you insist on GA calling you his ex-partner?"

"A whole lotta reasons, I just grew out of being a sidekick. I mean Robbie goes to a whole new city, gets a really bad haircut and I? Well I get pissed if Ollie tells anyone that I'm his ex-sidekick. If he does they assume I'm just some sort of extension of GA, that I can't do anything without his say so, that I'm not my own person." Roy paused, pulling an arrow out of his quiver, twirling it between his fingers, "look I'm sure a shrink would give you more answers, probably something about an Oedipus complex yada yada..."

Wally laughed, "yeah you've got issues man..."

"Issues? You wanna go there?"

"Come on, you fell in love with a villainess." Flash paused, boy did that sound stupid out loud.

"Cheshire was... Cheshire's a footnote in my life, Lian actually makes the main page."

"She's a sweetheart alright," Flash grinned, an image of a small paint covered Lian coming to mind and a pissed off Roy yelling at him for being irresponsible. Pot, kettle was all that he could say.

"Speaking of, I better get back to Star City." Speedy clapped his friend on the back, "We should get a beer sometime, I could do with a night without the tights."

"Yeah, and I'll be dragging your drunk ass back home no doubt."

"Hey! Don't be mad at me cos you cant get wasted,"

The two friends grinned at each other before Roy headed off towards the teleporters and his little girl.

Flash once again looked out into space and heaved a sigh, trying to shed all of his worries in one go. Did he want to push himself? He knew the answer, deep down he always had. No. Barry was the Flash. And Wally? He was a sidekick trying to fill those golden boots. If he went that fast, pushed himself that hard there was every chance that he'd be just as good, maybe even better than Barry. Barry who'd laid down his life. Flash sighed once more, he knew it was stupid, he knew that if he was faster than Barry it wouldn't lessen his efforts, it wouldn't make his sacrifice any less important. Barry had left a legacy sure, and every time he put that costume on he honoured that legacy, but it didn't rule him. Wally shook his head ruefully remembering Roy's words – he was his own person. And right now, he was Wally West, Fastest Man Alive.

A/N: Ok guys, this just kind of popped into my head and I felt like writing it down. Just to clear some possible queries up, Roy is Roy Harper. Erm I think in the DCAU he's just been left as Speedy, well I'm pretty sure that's what Green Arrow calls him in that one episode he pops up in JLU. In case you guys don't know Roy and Wally were in the Teen Titans together. When Roy refers to Robbie he means Dick Grayson, the first Robin. Also, Barry = Barry Allen, the second Flash and Wally's mentor. So, I hope you guys like it, feel free to let me know what you think.