voice | un: w.west

[otherflash]

[ After a few hours of failing to fall asleep, Wally gets bored and decides to address the network at some point in the middle of the night. He can get oddly reflective when he's tired. ]

For curiosity's sake, what is everyone's thoughts on time travel? I suppose it's even possible some people here might have experience with it given we come from so many different worlds.

[ He stops to release a loud yawn, before continuing on. ]

I mean, if you knew something in your past was wrong, would you go back to change it and just deal with whatever the consequences are if you could do it? What if someone told you that by going back to save their son it would save thousands of lives?

[ If one was to get the feeling he has found himself in such situations in the past, then they would be correct. ]

Or, would you simply accept things for how they are and move forward no matter how hard that might be?

Comments

[otherflash]

Can't a guy just be curious? But I will admit I know a few people back home capable of it in theory.

[ One of the names on that list of people would be his own. ]

[otherflash]

I tend to agree with you. Not so much because another me in some other universe is living a life where those things happened, but the risks would be too great.

[ Spoken like someone who has some knowledge of those potential risks becoming reality. ]

But where would you fall about going back to prevent the actions of another time traveler?

[otherflash]

Really? Things work different where I'm from. The smallest changes, even if it's just fixing things, has consequences you could never even imagine. Not that I have a lot of experience with it.

[ The majority of his own time traveling experiences has been going forward rather than back. ]

[otherflash]

[ It's a relief to know Deathstroke didn't destroy time as they know it. ]

Does there really need to be a reason? Maybe I just wanted some outside perspective on things.

[ While that is true to a degree, there could be other reasons for his curiosity. ]

[otherflash]

It's certainly not something someone should do just for anything simply because they can.

But what if the world as you know it was on the verge of ending? What if someone died sooner than they were supposed to?

[jolting]

Let me make it easy for you: don't do it. Whether it's for yourself or for some other reason, don't do it.

What would be the point in changing what someone else changed first? It would just end up creating yet another alternate reality, so it's not like you could ever go back to where you started.

[ikols]

[ Aside from Billy's drool, maybe. Yes. ]

You're clearly the prettiest one of all, that's why you're not allowed to live! That's how I like to laugh away the existential trauma, anyway. What's the timestream like? If there's a white rabbit with a pocket-watch I'll be so pleased.

[otherflash]

That seems to be the consensus.

Does that mean you have actual experience with time travel?

[likeacoupon]

Yeah but it sounds kind of depressing.
Instead of focusing on the past, shouldn't we focus on where we are or where we're going?

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[otherflash]

[ Wally doesn't disagree with any of that. While Grant Wilson's death was certainly tragic, it was something that happened through the normal course of events and should stay that way even if he wishes he could have done something about it. ]

That's what I told the father. That he needed to accept it happened and move forward because going back could impact things in ways he couldn't even imagine. Needless to say, he didn't exactly agree after I said I wouldn't help him.

[ Which resulted in the father giving him a big speech about how his speed powers were wasted on him. Of course, he doesn't put much stock in what Slade Wilson, who is an unrepentant killer among other things, has to say. ]

I know I made the right choice there. But I guess the 'what if' of it all is still on my mind.

[otherflash]

[ Wally's lips quirk up into a smile at that. ]

Truth is I don't really remember much after being anchored back to reality. I think there was some flashes from different points in time, maybe from other universes, that I couldn't make out. But there could have been a white rabbit with a pocket-watch in there somewhere.

[ So don't let him stop you from believing. ]

Is it safe to assume the King failed in his endeavor? I mean, you seem relatively sane to me.

[otherflash]

Ideally, that would be true. But sometimes it isn't so easy.
Though I agree it's depressing.

[ Having the life he had stolen from him because someone manipulated the timeline certainly qualifies as depressing. ]

[ikols]

[ Disappointing not to hear more about the timestream, but he has a vague idea of his own. ]

Ah, I'm never going home. Let's just say that. [ He won, but also kind of lost. Ego-death would wipe his memories and emotions into that of a new Loki. ] As long as Billy here thinks I'm alright, there's no need for panic. He's one of those inherently beloved-by-all heroes, but don't tell him I said that or he'll blush ... and pinch me.

[likeacoupon]

So why are you thinking about it?

[personifications]

Not in a "traditional" sense.

[ God, is there such a thing? ]

But I'm familiar enough with the theory. And I know people.

[sonofab]

You've been here for months, haven't you?

How about instead of wasting my time dodging the subject you just tell me what's going on and why you're bringing this up now?

[franciscoramon]

[ Well now that is just weird. After all, Cisco had nicknamed the souped-up treadmill he'd built for Barry 'cosmic', but the two of them were the only ones who knew that nickname. It had been a joke, just a little nerdy thing for them to share. So hearing Wally call his treadmill that is jarring.

But that is neither here nor there. Curious as Cisco might be about the potential differences between the two machines, the conversation about time travel and its ethics is a bit more pressing at the moment. ]

Yeah. He came back in time to murder Barry as a kid, but that plan failed, so he stabbed her and then framed Barry's dad for it. He spent, like, seventeen years or something in jail.

[ It's a little easier, discussing Thawne like this. Not as easy as it might have been by text, but better than in person. Cisco can pause and figure out what he's going to say, before he says it. ]

And then he stalked Barry, all those years. Caused the accelerator explosion to trigger his powers and then made friends with him, kept pushing him to get faster, so he could use his speed to get back home to the 23rd century. 'Cause the rest of it wasn't fucked up enough, I guess.

[ There's enough sarcasm and bitterness in Cisco's voice that it might be a hint that it wasn't just Barry that Thawne had hurt. ]

[bringbackgold]

I think in those cases...I probably would have to do something. I don't know if I could just let it be.

But those are pretty extreme cases. Something wrong compared to the worst things.

[otherflash]

I know trying to change something that's already fixed in time is a fruitless effort. Something just as bad or worse would take its' place in history.

[ It might not seem like it based on this conversation so far, but Wally really is adverse to using time travel unless there's no other alternative. ]

I was talking more about preventing something before it became part of history. Like if the father managed to go back in time in this scenario, wouldn't you want to stop him before his actions became fixed in the timeline and altered history as you know it?

[otherflash]

It's complicated.
Let's just say my life back home was impacted by it and I'm still dealing with everything.

[ He knows his life here would be different anyway, and he is dealing with things better now, but his mind still drifts back to what he has lost when he's feeling lonely. ]

[otherflash]

[ "Never going home"? Definitely doesn't seem like a quite so happy ending to the story. ]

I won't say anything. Though something tells me you might actually enjoy it if he did that.

[otherflash]

Who knows? Maybe I didn't think about bringing it up until now.

[ Wally sighs, knowing that won't be enough to satisfy Damian or stop the questions if the boy shares a fraction of his father's stubbornness. ]

All you need to know is I know better than to actually do anything. Here or back home.

[otherflash]

Pretty extreme cases happen more often than you'd believe where I'm from.

[ Nobody ever said being a superhero with superpowers would be easy. ]

[otherflash]

As opposed to the nontraditional sense?

[ While the intricacies of time travel are plenty complicated, the concept of it seems pretty straightforward. ]

Theories can only get one so far. I don't think I'll ever truly understand it.

[ikols]

He's one of the only mortals I know with the ability to bruise me, so. It depends on the context!

[ Chuckling as he strokes Billy's hair. ]

We're from the same world.