AM I SUPERMAN?

"Barry, the results of the data comparison are in," Cisco announced with excitement. "Tony Woodward, aka 'The Metal Man,' versus Kaius, aka 'The Iron Body'—this is going to be epic!"

Barry scoffed at Cisco's enthusiasm. "Epic? Really? Do you even know what Kaius's capable of? This isn't going to be a fight—it'll be a one-sided beatdown."

Caitlin Snow chimed in, her tone serious. "Barry, Cisco's excitement aside, there's something to learn here. You rely too much on your speed without thinking about strategy or technique. You should ask Kaius to teach you some fighting skills."

Cisco nodded eagerly. "Yeah, man! When you fight, it's like a kid flailing his fists on a playground. You're fast, but you've got no finesse. Imagine how unstoppable you'd be if you knew how to fight properly—especially with your speed."

Barry sighed, realizing they were right. "Fine. I'll ask him for pointers."

Kaius, standing nearby, overheard the conversation and smiled. "Happy to help, Barry. Speed is a great gift, but power without control is wasted. Let's work on that."

Harrison Wells, observing silently, remained at the back of the room, his expression unreadable.

Back in the command room, Cisco pulled up the details on Tony Woodward. "Alright, here's what we've got. Tony Woodward has a rap sheet longer than a phone book. Ten months ago, he fell into molten iron at the Wedge Rock Ironworks. The timeline matches the particle accelerator explosion."

The group exchanged uneasy glances as Cisco continued. "The combination of molten iron and the particle accelerator radiation turned him into a metahuman with the ability to transform his skin into metal. So yeah, he's basically a walking tank."

Barry stared at the screen, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. "I know him... oh my god, I know him!"

Caitlin turned to him, surprised. "You do?"

Barry nodded, his expression tense. "He went to elementary school with me. He used to bully me—especially in front of Iris. Back then, I couldn't stand up to him. He was stronger, bigger, and... well, now he's got metal skin. Some things never change."

Barry's voice trailed off, and a hint of frustration crept in. "Even with super speed, I still feel like that scared kid sometimes. He crushed me back then, and now he's done it again—thirteen fractures, three broken ribs, and a concussion. What's changed?"

Kaius stepped forward, placing a hand on Barry's shoulder. "Barry, strength was never your greatest asset. Your speed is your gift. You need to use it creatively, not as brute force."

Barry frowned. "I'm stronger than you think, Kaius. I can hit with 900 kilograms of force in a single punch!"

Kaius chuckled. "That's impressive, Barry. But strength alone isn't enough."

Cisco couldn't resist jumping in. "Hey, Kaius, how much force can you punch with?"

Kaius shrugged casually. "Batman tested it once. I hit lightly during the test, and the dynamometer exploded. My maximum strength couldn't even be measured."

The room went silent. Cisco's curiosity got the better of him. "Okay... but how much was the dynamometer designed to measure?"

"Let's just say it maxed out at around 900 tons."

The command room filled with a collective gasp. Cisco looked like his brain had short-circuited. "Nine... HUNDRED TONS?!"

Caitlin froze, staring at Kaius in shock. Even Harrison Wells rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath, clearly overwhelmed. "And here I thought I'd seen everything..."

Barry stood silently for a moment, his mouth agape, but no words came out. Finally, he sighed and shook his head in defeat. "Fine. I admit it—strength isn't my strong suit. Kaius, how do I improve it?"

Kaius smiled and positioned himself across from Barry. "First, you need to understand that strength alone doesn't make someone invincible. Strategy and technique matter just as much—if not more."

Cisco, ever the joker, couldn't resist chiming in. "Coming from the guy who can punch through tanks, that's hilarious!"

Barry shot Cisco a sharp look. "Cisco, if you're not busy, maybe you should track down Tony Woodward's location instead of cracking jokes!"

Cisco threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright! I'll hack the traffic cams, breach the Queen Industries satellite network—again—and work my magic. Sure, no problem!" He grumbled but got back to his station, fingers flying over the keyboard.

Meanwhile, Kaius turned back to Barry. "For someone like you, Barry, it's not about learning advanced fighting techniques. It's about mastering basic power application. You need to focus on generating force effectively—punches, blocks, dodges, and whips—all combined with your speed."

Barry frowned. "That's great in theory, but it doesn't solve my problem. I can't even scratch Tony Woodward's metal skin!"

Kaius shook his head. "Barry, the key is your speed. Think about the kinetic energy equation: when mass is constant, speed exponentially increases kinetic energy. If you hit him fast enough, you'll generate enough force to break through his defenses."

Barry's eyes lit up with understanding. "How fast are we talking?"

Kaius explained, "Tony can resist bullets, right? Given your weight, you'd need to punch at a speed greater than Mach 1.1—about 837 miles per hour."

Barry gawked. "Mach 1.1? Are you sure I won't shatter every bone in my body if I try that?"

Cisco, overhearing, leaned into the conversation. "I just ran a simulation. Kaius's right—supersonic punching is totally feasible. But Barry, if you miss or miscalculate, you'll either pulverize the Metal Man or yourself. No pressure!"

Caitlin intervened, her tone practical. "Let's start with the basics. Learn how to generate force properly before we worry about supersonic speeds."

Barry nodded reluctantly. "Alright. Let's work on the fundamentals first."

Barry led Kaius to a spacious, unused room beneath S.T.A.R. Labs. Since the particle accelerator explosion, many areas of the lab had been left vacant, making them ideal for training.

"This should work," Barry said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get started."

Kaius demonstrated a punch with precise control, then broke down the mechanics. "Barry, when you're moving at super speed, stability is everything. Swinging wildly throws off your balance and reduces your power. Keep your center of gravity low, focus on precision, and let your speed do the work."

Barry mimicked the move, but his first attempts were sloppy. Kaius corrected his stance, guiding him patiently. At first, they practiced at normal speed, focusing on form. As Barry's confidence grew, he incorporated his super speed, turning the room into a blur of movement.

Kaius adjusted Barry's technique as they sparred, offering feedback in real time. "Relax your shoulders. Focus your energy. Don't waste movement."

Barry gritted his teeth, pushing himself harder. Sweat poured down his face, but his punches became sharper, his movements more controlled.

After hours of training, the practice was interrupted by Cisco's voice crackling through the room's speakers. "Barry, bad news. We've located Tony Woodward."

Barry paused, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Where is he?"

Cisco hesitated. "He's at Jitters—the coffee shop where Iris works."

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