I am Wally west

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"Why are you here? Is it to say your final goodbyes?" Cisco said with a grumble, rolling his eyes.

"Come on, you don't have to be like that," Wally replied. "And who knows? You might win."

"Yeah, enough with the false encouragement," Cisco shot back, folding his arms lightly. His eyes lingered on Wally for a moment before he sighed and looked away. "We all know Gypsy's going to kill me and there's nothing we can do about it."

Wally glanced at Cisco thoughtfully. It was clear that Cisco had lost confidence, and a lack of confidence could be detrimental to the battle's outcome.

Wally also noticed that Cisco's attraction to Gypsy wasn't as strong as it should have been, though it was still present. That was precisely why Wally had approached him—after all, a man with a goal fights harder than one without.

With a sigh, Wally focused on Cisco again. "I've got to say, your impulsiveness rivals your smarts. Honestly, you should've left the challenge to Barry, but what's done is done. Now that HR's life is in your hands, you need to focus on winning, not on the possibility of losing. Forget what the others have said—and who knows? Maybe if you win, you'll even win her over."

Cisco raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" The tension between them eased slightly, enough to make Wally chuckle.

"Come on, I've seen the way you look at her. It's not exactly subtle," Wally teased. "It's pretty easy to tell you're interested. And honestly? You've got good taste."

Cisco quickly retorted, "That's not true! Why—why would I be interested in someone like that?"

Wally rolled his eyes. "Stop denying it. This might be your chance to finally have someone to love and care for. Look around—everyone here is finding their match. If you're not careful, you'll be the only one left."

Cisco fell silent, his thoughts racing. Wally's words had struck a chord. He thought of Gypsy—her dark skin, striking figure, and commanding demeanor. A smile slowly crept across his face.

Wally observed him with a knowing grin. In his opinion, Cisco and Kamilla weren't a great match. This time, Wally was determined to help things work out between Cisco and Gypsy. Hopefully.

"That smile says it all," Wally teased, snapping Cisco out of his thoughts.

Cisco shook his head. "Whatever."

As Wally turned to leave, he paused, glancing back. "One more thing. If you can't defeat Gypsy head-on, try catching her off guard. Remember, breaches don't transfer instantly—there's always a slight delay. Use that to your advantage."

"Thanks," Cisco said with a smile, his confidence reignited. He partially understood why Wally had come—to cheer him up. And honestly, he couldn't deny that it worked.

"No problem," Wally replied before exiting the workshop.

Left with some time to himself, Cisco began making plans. They might not work, but having a strategy was better than nothing. His gaze drifted to the array of prototypes he'd been working on. Among them was an energy shield, something he intended to provide for everyone on the team. It could potentially safeguard them in dangerous situations.

This project had only been made possible thanks to the pulse reactor Wally had given him—a marvel of engineering. Cisco had to admit, Wally was a genius in his own right.

For now, his focus was on creating a functional shield for himself. It might not stop everything, but even deflecting a few blasts could give him the opening he needed.

And while it might seem like cheating, Gypsy had never said there were rules against using external tools. Perhaps her arrogance had left that loophole wide open.

Though Cisco possessed unique powers, at his core, he was still a man of science. And science, he decided, would be his ace in the hole.

Focused on his work, Cisco barely noticed how much time had passed. His attention was entirely on completing the energy shield. Once it was integrated into his suit, he activated it, and a transparent blue layer flickered to life before vanishing. "It works!" he exclaimed, excitement bubbling over.

His celebration was short-lived, however, as his alarm rang, it pulled him back to reality.

"Oh, right," he muttered, glancing at the clock. There were only thirty minutes left before his showdown with Gypsy. Hurrying, Cisco slipped into his suit and equipped his gauntlet. The process didn't take long, but he still grumbled, "I have to ask Wally for one of those rings."

Before he could dwell on it, Caitlin entered the room, her expression clouded with worry. Her hands fidgeted nervously as she asked, "Hey, Cisco, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, though his voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

Caitlin hesitated before continuing. "Cisco, are you sure you can win against Gypsy?"

Cisco and Caitlin had been friends for a long time; it was only natural that she would be worried.

"I'm about 40% sure I'll win," Cisco replied with a faint grin. He knew his estimate wasn't entirely accurate, but he felt certain he now had a real chance.

-x-X-x-

The time of reckoning had come. With only five minutes remaining, Cisco stood in the chosen location for the battle. Not that it mattered much—their fight could spill into entirely different dimensions if it came to that.

As midnight crept closer, Cisco used the little time left to check his gear. From his holster, he pulled out a vial of glowing green liquid.

It was a serum Wally had handed him at the last minute before departing, accompanied by the simple instruction: Use it at the direst moment—it'll restore you to full health. Even his goggles had been replaced, though he still didn't know their purpose. He was only told they'd help.

Cisco stared at the serum, the eerie glow reflecting in his eyes. The substance fascinated him, though he didn't fully understand its workings. Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice the breach forming in front of him.

Quickly, he stashed the serum back into his gear as Gypsy stepped through the portal, her confident smirk cutting through the air.

"I didn't think you'd actually show, Cisco," she said, her tone sharp and taunting. "You've already failed my expectations. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to killing you."

Cisco chuckled nervously, trying to mask his fear. "Okay, maybe we can settle this like two adults—over coffee or dinner, if that's more your style. There's a great Thai place up the road."

Gypsy scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "You do know this is a battle to the end, right? I will literally kill you, Cisco."

Cisco's grin faltered, his expression hardening. "We'll see who dies tonight."

Gypsy tilted her head, a small smirk forming. "You know, part of me was hoping you wouldn't show up tonight." She said her tone a mix of truth and deception.

For a second, Cisco hesitated, her words disarming him. Did she really mean that? Does she feel the same about me? The thought distracted him, and before he could snap out of it or form a response, Gypsy moved.

Her hand shot forward in a blur, aiming to catch Cisco off guard.

But Cisco wasn't entirely unprepared. His goggles weren't just a flashy accessory. Warnings blared across the HUD, signaling the incoming attack. There wasn't enough time to dodge. Acting on reflex, Cisco raised his gauntlet and fired a blue beam just as Gypsy unleashed a crimson one.

The two beams clashed in midair, vibrations ripping outward as sparks of white ignited at the point of impact, sending a shockwave through the air. The force of the clash pushed the two of them backward.

Cisco gritted his teeth, holding his ground as the energy surged between them. "So... I'm guessing the Thai place is out of the question?" he muttered, his voice strained but defiant.

"You're better than I thought," Gypsy admitted, surprise flickering across her face. But she quickly dismissed the thought as mere luck. She was certain she would still win—there was no other possibility.

"Enough with the talk; let's get this over with," Cisco said, his confidence soaring. With his goggles, energy shielding, and strategy, his chances of victory had significantly improved.

"Gladly," Gypsy muttered before thrusting her arm forward, firing another beam of vibrational energy.

Cisco locked his focus on the predictive HUD, which calculated the trajectory and direction of incoming attacks, among other crucial data. He noticed no warning this time, which made him hesitate—but instinct took over. He moved sideways just in time, narrowly avoiding the blast.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind: Did she miss on purpose? Before he could figure it out, he felt himself being tackled backward, straight into a breach that had opened behind him.

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In STAR Labs, Barry and the team watched in alarm.

"Julian, where are they?" Barry demanded, though he already knew the grim answer.

"They could be anywhere," Wally said, his tone lax. "Any universe. We can only hope he wins."

-x-X-x-

Earth-3

A breach tore open, and moments later, two figures tumbled out: Gypsy, landing on top, and Cisco pinned beneath her.

Gypsy wasted no time, pressing her advantage. She loomed over Cisco, her expression smug. But after a moment, she stepped back, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

"Like I thought," Gypsy sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "You're still an amateur."

She glanced at him with something akin to pity, as if she were already bored with the fight.

"Stop talking as if you already won the fight. I'm not done yet!" Cisco charged forward, ready to showcase his best.

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