Prologue
A big storm is coming towards Central City. The weather newscaster reported it that morning. While in the laboratory, scientist Barry Allen chuckled over an old Flash comic magazine.
"What a character Flash was- battling crime and injustice everywhere!" He said as he turned the page.
"And what a unique weapon he had against the arsenal of crime! Speed! Supersonic speed!" Then his father Henry entered the lab to see his son slacking. "Bartholomew Henry Allen! What are you doing?"
"Sorry, Dad! Just having a quick read. I'll get back to work. I promise."
"You better be." His father said.
Barry puts down the magazine and returns to his work. "I wonder what it would really be like - to be the fastest being on Earth? Well... I'll never know. The Flash was just a character some human dreamed up."
Shortly, as the scientist returned to his work, he looked for the chemicals to use for his father's experiment. Just then, the lab explodes with blinding light as a bolt of lightning strikes Barry and the chemicals near him. The scientist sparked and his eyes exploded with electricity. After that, Barry dropped down to the floor, motionless.
His father Henry heard what happened and rushed inside the lab only to see his son lying still! "No! Barry! I can't lose you too! Not you!" He picked up his son's body and dragged him to his other lab with all the devices he had created. Henry placed him on his operating table and brought out a large power battery. "Stay with me, son! Stay with me!"
Henry opened up his son's chest and connected the power battery to his main core. Then Henry turned on the battery, powering up his only son back to life. Barry's eyes opened and then sat up. It takes time to reboot his entire system.
Soon, other scientists rushed in after hearing the lightning strike. One of the scientists called out, "Doctor Pym! What happened?" They saw Barry at the operating table. "Is Ultron-1 okay?"
Henry was enraged and yelled at them, "His name is Barry and he is my son!"
They apologized. They forgot that Doctor Pym turned his own robot into his child.
"Father..." Barry started to speak. "The lightning... it knocked me over... but didn't scratch the cabinet. It smashed the chemicals- and gave me a bath in them."
"But it is alright now, son. You are alright." Henry embraced him tight like all parents do when they almost lose their only child. Barry, still analyzing what transpired, moved his arms and hugged his father gently.
NU: The Engine
Chapter 1
In a world where technology and artificial intelligence had reached heights beyond the wildest dreams of humanity, two exceptional scientists, Hank Pym and Nora Allen, found themselves at the forefront of a revolutionary project. Despite their differing fields of expertise, they shared a common vision for the future of artificial intelligence.
Henry "Hank" Pym, celebrated for his groundbreaking work in robotics, had always dreamt of creating an AI entity that could not only understand human emotions but also replicate them. He believed that such a creation could bridge the gap between man and machine, bringing AI to a level of sophistication and empathy previously deemed unattainable.
Nora Allen, an expert in neuroscience, brought a special perspective to their project. She'd always wanted to make robots more like humans, not just smart but also aware of themselves and how people feel. She dreamed of a future where robots would not just know things but truly understand what it means to be human.
Their shared ambition ignited a collaboration that would change the course of scientific history. Together, they embarked on a journey to create a being that would combine the best of both worlds, a machine with artificial and emotional intelligence. They were driven by a shared belief that such an entity could bring about a new era of human-robot interaction, transcending the limitations of mere programming.
As they delved deeper into their work, the lines between human and machine blurred. Their project, initially an experiment in artificial intelligence, took on a life of its own. It developed emotions, a sense of self, and an uncanny understanding of the world around it.
Little did they know that the entity they were nurturing would become more than just a scientific achievement. It would become their child, a being born from the union of technological innovation and the human desire for connection.
In the heart of their work, the seeds of an extraordinary life were sown, a life that would one day be known as Ultron-1.
Nora was bothered by that name. "Ultron-1? Sounds ominous."
"Do you have a name in mind?" Henry asked.
"Barry."
Doctor Pym checked his son's vitals to make sure nothing had changed. His core doesn't look damaged and only burn marks on his metal plating and synthetic flesh. "I don't think you are good to go out, Barry."
Barry looked at his burnt chest, revealing his robotic armor. "Don't worry, Dad. Iris and I are just going to the movies."
"Make sure she doesn't notice your missing skin. I don't think she is ready to know. Everyone on Earth is not ready to accept robots in society."
"I know, Dad." Barry buttons up his formal shirt before going out of the lab. Doctor Pym's fellow colleague Silas Stone watched
Later, Barry hurries to meet his date with the Picture News reporter Iris West. She waved at him she saw him getting out of the cab. "Barry! You're always late! Why are you so slow?"
He made an excuse, "Sorry, Iris! I was checking some new chemicals that just came in and-"
Suddenly, everything slowed down around him. Barry was startled. "What is going on? Why did everyone stop?" Then he noticed a single bullet slowly moving towards Iris's head. "I'm seeing an impossible thing! A bullet heading straight for Iris!"
With a desperate lunge, the scientist hurls his date out of the way a split-second before the bullet hits the wall.
Iris was shaken after that close call. "Barry- If y-you h-hadn't accidentally stumbled against me just before that stray bullet struck- I would have been h-hit!"
"Where did that bullet come from?" Barry asked himself.
After the date, Barry returns to the lab and starts to question what happened earlier. Everything around him stopped like time stopped itself. "There's no doubt of it. By a freak accident- caused by that lightning striking a strange combination of my father's chemicals- I was drenched with a solution that must have changed my entire power system. I am now... the fastest being on Earth!"
"There must be some way I can use this unique speed to help humanity." With that thought, Barry went back to the Flash comic magazine he was reading. "This gives me an idea!"
Sometime later, the remote control hookup that he fixed up with the alarm system at the police headquarters paid off. It's signaling that the burglar alarm at the Central Bank has been tripped. Barry removed his clothes and artificial skin and revealed his metal armor now painted red and yellow. "Finally! I can use my true form to help everyone I can!"
The robotic speedster leaves the lab in a blink of an eye unnoticed by his father and the staff. He ran towards the Central Bank and saw the robbery in progress. "The people still have their hands up. it looks like I've come in time to throw a roadblock against the robbery." He saw the bank vault open and expected the robbers to be inside. He enters but the vault is empty and the money is untouched. "Now why should the robber go to all the trouble of attempting a holdup and then stop before completing it?"
Then someone answered, "Because they want you here."
"Who said that?" Barry turned around and saw a man standing at the entrance of the vault. A man of yellow and red. "Who are you?"
The man grinned, "I am the Future!" He then disappeared from his sight until he attacked Barry at super speed!
Barry felt the punch and it hurled him out of the bank vault. Bystanders witnessed the red robot and panicked to see his appearance. The mysterious man emerged and said, "Look at that! With your first appearance, they fear you!"
The robot speedster got up and demanded an answer. "Who are you!? How do you know me?"
The man gave him an answer. "I already told you. The name is self-explanatory."
Barry then recalled what the man said. "The Future." That leaves so many questions. "You are like me. You have super speed."
"I am like you!" The Future said revealed to be a machine like Barry, "But at least, I look human."
"What do you want with me?" Barry asked.
"I want you to suffer!" He attacked Barry again but this time, he phased through Barry's chest and grabbed his core. "All that power! The Speed Force! All of it is inside this core! I can take it all!"
Before he could do that, The Future was struck by a bullet and it caused him to malfunction. The evil machine began to vibrate and disappear into thin air. Barry almost lost his life. But that left him wondering who fired the bullet that saved him. He might never know.
Then he noticed the faces of the humans looking at him in fear and disgust. His father was right. People are not ready. Barry left the scene before the authorities arrived.
Later, as the robot speedster returns to his human identity, he and Iris pass by a paperboy who exclaims "READ ALL ABOUT THE ENGINE- THE TERRIFYING MACHINE IN THE WORLD!"
Iris commented, "How horrifying it would be to meet a robot like that. It will be a nightmare."
Barry wanted to say something but he didn't want to risk revealing his identity to Iris.