The Indus Valley – 4 Years Ago
Julian is making a log about the voice that has driven him there. A woman, Danielle, comes in and tells Julian that they've found it. He accompanies Danielle to the nearby dig site and a temple that they've unearthed. Julian pries lose one box and insists that it needs to be set free. He opens it and a glowing blue light envelops him.
The Present
At S.T.A.R. Labs, HR is decorating the lab. Caitlin hasn't found out anything else about Savitar, and figures that they need to figure out the source of the stone that Alchemy uses to create metas. As Cisco goes, he has a brief vision of Dante standing in the door. Meanwhile, Barry tells Iris that he wants their first Christmas together to be perfect. Cisco checks his email and finds a dissertation about the myth of an ancient Hindu weapon-called the Brahmastra. It is rumored to have the power to create metas, and it looks just like Alchemy's stone... and Julian wrote the dissertation.
The next day at the lab, Barry enters his former lab and asks Julian about the Brahmastra. He shows him his dissertation, and Julian says that years ago he heard about the Brahmastra, also known as the Philosopher's Stone. It was said to be the first object to give humans powers, and Julian used his future inheritance to fund an expedition to find it. They never located it, and Julian came to Central City. Barry asks if he ever heard the name "Savitar," and Julian says that all he knows is that Savitar was the first meta with superspeed. He advises Barry not to waste his time with it and move on.
Once Barry leaves, Julian goes to the cabinet and takes out the Alchemy mask.
Joe gives Cecile a file on aliens, and invites her to come to the family Christmas party at his house. They decide to have an eggnog challenge and Joe says that he'll pick her up.
On Earth 3, that world's Trickster is leaving a bank when the Jay Garrick Flash arrives to confront him. Trickster opens fire and the Flash catches his bullets in his helmet. The villain reveals that he's wire to explode... and the Flash arrives, removes the bombs, and ties Trickster up. once the police take the villain away, Barry says that he needs to talk to him about Savitar.
The two Flashes return to Earth 1 through the breach, and Jay says that he's never seen Savitar. From the stories he's heard, Savitar was the first man eve granted speed. He eventually became the God of Motion and sends a predecessor to each Earth to prepare for his arrival. Savitar is going to fight Barry because he threatens his power, and will be back. Jay says that he'll help Barry fight Savitar.
HR and Wally go out to a lake and Wally practices running on water. The sensor shows that Wally is faster than Barry was, but HR says that they shouldn't tell the others for fear of angering Joe and Iris.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry is going through Hindu textbooks at superspeed but fids nothing on Savitar. Jay says that the answers typically come in time, and that during Christmas Barry should be with the ones that he cares about.
In his workshop, Cisco has another vision of Dante. Caitlin comes in and Cisco explains that he keeps seeing Dante. She points out that it's his first Christmas since Dante died, and suggest that Cisco's mind is playing tricks on him. Cisco talks about how one Christmas, he and Dante talked rather than fought. Caitlin describes her last Christmas with her father before he died.
At the West house, Iris is looking at the presents and then sits down with Barry. They kiss and Iris says that she has everything she needs. Barry admits that he got her something but he didn't wrap it. Iris explains that she did some digging on Julian's background, and learned that four scientists were killed in an excavation in India and he was the point person. She suggests that Julian covered something or someone up.
Barry goes to S.T.A.R. Labs and tells Jay, Joe, and Cisco that Julian lied about finding the Stone. He doesn't answer Joe's calls, and HR and Wally arrive. Cisco detects the energy from the Stone atop the Schultz Building. Wally insists on going with Barry and Jay, but Joe and Barry refuses. When Wally mentions his training, HR claims that they were doing vocal training but no one believes him.
At the Schultz Building, Alchemy is using the structure to restore the metas of Flashpoint and make them servants of Savitar. The Flashes arrive and Savitar appears as well. Jay is able to see him as well, and Jay tells Barry to get the Stone while he fights Savitar.
Alchemy fire the energy at the structure, and Flash bounces it back at him.
Savitar easily outspeeds Jay and beats him. The God of Speed says that it's not Jay's fight.
Barry knocks out Alchemy and places his tone in its box... and Savitar disappears. He then removes Alchemy's mask, revealing Julian.
The speedsters imprison Julian in the pipeline, and he seemingly has no idea what he did. Flash explains what Julian did as Alchemy, and Julian insists that he isn't. He figures that Flash is setting him up, and Flash closes the door and goes back to the cortex. Jay is recovering, and congratulates Barry on stopping him. When he says that Henry would be proud of Barry, Barry abruptly leaves.
Barry checks with Cisco and Caitlin, who are monitoring Julian. They figure that he believes what he's saying, and Cisco says that the box doesn't show up on any equipment.
Joe lectures Wally about going behind his back, and then complains that HR betrayed him. Wally says that he pushed HR to train him because no one else was, and walks out. Joe goes out and finds Barry, and Joe describes about how Wally is acting liking a different person.
Getting an idea, Flash asks Julian if he's had periods of missing time. Julian insists that he hasn't, and Flash asks him to trust him. When Julian points out that he's wearing a mask, Barry removes it and says that he needs his trust. Julian admits that he's been blacking out, and explains that it began when his sister Emma died. She returned to him, seemingly real, and told him where to find the Stone and how Julian could use it to bring her back. Then he mounted the expedition to India and found the Stone. That was his first blackout, and there was a news report about the deaths of his teammates. Julian explains that he blacks out when he hears the voice.
Cisco is examining the Stone's box when Dante appears before him. Dante says that he can't leave and warns that if Cisco leaves then he'll have to leave as well.
Julian insists that he can't be Alchemy, and Barry says that he has to accept what is happening to him.
Dante tells Cisco that if he reopens the box then they can be together again. Cisco says that he wants it to be real, and opens the box. Blue energy emerges from it and Dante disappears... and Savitar appears in his place.
Caitlin alerts Barry that Cisco opened the box. Flash speeds there and Savitar slams him around. The others watch on the monitor and can't see Savitar. Jay is too injured to move, and Wally goes to help Flash.
When Wally arrives, he can see Savitar. HR has him get his attention, and Savitar throws him away.
Caitlin tells Cisco to close the box, but he can still see Dante and refuses. She warns that it's Savitar, and "Dante" says that Cisco is a good brother. Cisco refuses to lose his brother again, and Caitlin tells him that Dante is gone but there are people that Cisco can save. "Dante" warns that if Cisco closes the box then they can't be together.
Savitar moves in to kill Flash and Wally.
Cisco says goodbye to his brother's image and closes the box... and Savitar disappears. Flash thanks Wally, who says it was awesome.
Later in the cortex, Cisco figures that they can use Julian and the box to find Savitar. As the others go, Joe complains that HR endangered his life. HR says that he helps Wally because he's special, and tells Joe that the longer someone is denied their potential, the more they're going to look for it elsewhere.
The team releases Julian and says that Savitar had Alchemy's voice. They figure that Savitar possesses someone to gather worshippers. Once they sync Julian's brain to the Stone, they can speak to Savitar. Julian reluctantly agrees and they sync him with the Stone. He screams and then greets Barry by name in Savitar's voice, saying that it's been awhile. He insists that he's a god and says that he knows all of their fears and weaknesses... and their destinies. Savitar says that one shall betray them, one shall fall, and one will suffer a fate worse than death. Barry asks what Savitar wants, and Savitar says that he wants everything that Barry took from him. When Barry wonders why he hasn't already destroyed them, Savitar says that Barry's future self trapped him in eternity. Now his freedom is at hand.
Barry detaches the sync device, and Julian has no idea what happened. Back in the cortex, Barry says that Savitar is never going to get free. Jay says that the Stone is the key, and Barry figures that if they destroy the Stone then Savitar is gone for good. Julian warns that it can't be destroyed, and if they bury it then eventually someone will find it. Jay says that they need to throw the box into the Speed force: an endless voice of time and energy. He figures that Barry can siphon off some of his speed, enough to throw it into the Speed Force.
The two Flashes speed around the pipeline, and Jay hands off the box as Barry siphons off his speed. He throws it into the Speed Force and the energy backlash knocks him down. When Flash recovers, he discovers that he's on a street in the city, and a newscast is displaying a date five months in the future. Nearby, Savitar is holding Iris and Barry's future self begs him to stop. Savitar says that he's free of Barry, and kills Iris. The God of Speed disappears, and the future-Flash can only hold Iris' corpse in his arms.
Jay pulls Barry back and says that Barry was in the future. Barry describes what happened, and Jay admits that he doesn't know if what he saw will happen. The younger realizes that the newspaper in the vault changed to have a different writer, because Iris is dead eight years in the future. Jay says that it's one possibility, but warns that Barry can't travel into the future again. He warns that no one should know their future, and the future isn't written yet. Jay tells Barry to focus on the here and now, and live his life.
Barry returns to the cortex and hugs Iris, and explains that Jay went back to Earth 3. He says that the Stone is gone, and HR says that they should celebrate Christmas. Everyone agrees except Julian, who starts to walk out. Caitlin goes after him and invites him to the West Christmas party. He says that he prefers to be alone at Christmas and leaves.
Later at the West house, Cisco thanks Caitlin for talking him off the edge. Iris finds Barry sitting alone and tells him that they won. Joe and Cecile compare eggnog recipes, and they finally kiss. Iris and Wally see them and say that it's about time. Cecile gets a call from her daughter, and Joe gives Wally a present from all of them. It's a Kid Flash costume, and Joe says that it's time.
Someone knocks at the door, and Barry answers it. It's Julian, and he says that being alone felt lonely. He gives Barry his resignation back and says that Singh hadn't put it through again. Barry thanks him and shakes his hand, and Caitlin offers Julian some eggnog. Carolers sing outside, and Caitlin takes off her power suppressors and freezes the rain so that they can have a white Christmas.
Barry has Iris close her eyes and takes her to their new apartment. He explains that he signed a lease and put both of their names on it, and Iris says that it's a big step. Barry tells her that it isn't for him, and all he knows is that he wants to spend every moment of the present with him. Iris kisses him and says that she loves him, and Barry says that he loves her.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 7, 2016