The next day, in the wastelands of Utah.
"We'll be testing some new drinks designed to restore your electrolytes to levels suited to a high metabolic rate." Dr. McGee handed Wally a cup of water.
"Thanks."
"We'd like you to run this track first. Twelve kilometers out, twelve back. We'll time you and do some basic calibration," said Professor Schmitz, the director of S.T.A.R. Labs' Utah branch. "We could do this indoors. We have treadmills and a circular track—"
"I'm not getting on a treadmill, and I don't think you'd be interested in a sonic boom inside the building." Wally loosened up, then sprinted forward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"At his current speed, he should be back in under two minutes, right?" Roland asked.
"About that." Professor Schmitz nodded.
But five minutes passed, and Wally still hadn't returned. Professor Schmitz found that rather strange. "That shouldn't be happening."
"Looks like he ran into something unexpected." Roland raised an eyebrow.
"This place is deserted. What could possibly happen?" Francis asked. Still, she couldn't help drawing on her magnetic force and leaping forward. A few seconds later, she saw what had happened.
Amid the windblown sand, a giant robot had appeared and was fighting Wally.
"What is that thing?" Francis asked, puzzled.
"An extraterrestrial visitor. Either it's biomechanical, or it's operating one hell of a complicated machine." Wally dodged rapidly as mechanical tentacles like pythons pursued him beneath the sand.
"Just a lifeless hunk of junk." Francis stepped forward and stomped on a mechanical tentacle, driving her power to its peak. Sand blasted into the distance, and the tentacle was crushed to pieces. "!"
"—That's way too powerful!" Wally exclaimed.
Seeing this, the giant robot formed countless weapons and unleashed a barrage at Francis.
"Keep your scrap metal out of