Twenty-Four Hours Until Iris West Dies
H.R. and Tracy have coffee
Cisco works at his lab and checks the time.
Joe sits at home and looks at a photo of his family. Wally comes in and they hug.
At the loft, Iris and Barry lie in bed and look at the ceiling. Iris says that she wants caviar, and Barry goes out to get some. He asks her to stay with them and promises that the team will come up with something. They kiss and then Barry speeds out. Once she's alone, Iris records a message for Barry.
The next morning, Barry and Iris are getting dressed when Cisco calls. Once he hangs up, Barry tells iris that they have good news.
Barry and Cisco meet with Lyla outside of ARGUS. They explain that they're building a bazooka and they need an extremely powerful energy cell. Cisco spotted what they needed inside of ARGUS via satellite. Lyla admits that thy have a piece of the Dominators' technology, but says that they can't have it. Barry wonders if it's about Baby Sarah, and Lyla tells him that it's the kind of tech that wars are fought over. If it gets into the wrong hands, millions could die... and she doesn't trust Barry. As Lyla goes, Barry says that Iris will die. Lyla tells him that he'll have to find another way.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry tells the team that they should break into ARGUS and take the tech. Cisco determines that there's a metahuman dampener on the building, and the Dominator tech is the only thing that can provide the energy. H.R. suggests that they put Iris on a plane overseas, but Barry figures that Savitar will find her anywhere. Cisco points out all of the security systems, and Barry figures that they need a master thief.
In Siberia, 1892, Len is returning to Waverider when Barry arrives and says that he needs his help. He explains that he needs to recruit him for a mission. Len points out that he has a team of his own, and Barry explains that Len has a particular set of skills. When the villain wonders why Barry is desperate enough need to ask for his help, Barry explains that Iris will die. Len is amused that Flash has to become a thief, and agrees but says Barry follows their rules.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, H.R. is spinning a plan when Barry and Len arrive. Barry explains that Len is going to help them, and Len goes to Cisco's lab to get everything ready. Joe realizes that Barry time-traveled again, and Barry reminds them that he said he would do whatever it takes. He plans to put Len back where he found him, and they agree.
Savitar-Barry is working on his suit when Killer Frost comes in. She points out that they're Barry and Caitlin together again, and Savitar-Barry says that she's not Caitlin and he's not Barry. Frost wonders if he can kill Iris, and Savitar-Barry explains that if she doesn't die then he's never born. When Frost asks if he's ready to end Iris' life, Savitar-Barry says that he remembers being created as a disposable life. He wonders if Frost is having second thoughts. When she says that she isn't, he tells her to be ready. Savitar-Barry has new memories of Barry recruiting Len, and tells Frost to let them take it because no speed gun can stop a god.
Len reviews the ARGUS blueprints and figures where the power cell is. When Barry wonders what else is down there, Len says that it doesn't matter as long as Barry follows his plan. Joe asks how he's going to get in, and Barry says that he's handling it. H.R. brings Tracy in, and Barry says that they can trust her with his identity. Barry tells Joe to take Iris somewhere that he doesn't know so that Savitar won't, and tells her that it's not goodbye. Iris tells him not to lose himself trying to save him.
On Earth-2, Harry is working in his lab when a breach opens. It's Kid Flash, Joe, and Iris.
Barry sets his watch and tells Len that it's how much time that they have before they lose.
At ARGUS, Lyla prepares to leave for San Francisco via chopper. A few seconds later, Lyla brings Len in and says that Flash gave her an unexpected gift and she's taking Len to lockup. They check her ID and it comes up positive.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco says that the fake ID he made is a masterpiece.
The guard asks "Lyla" a password, and Cisco tells Barry over the earbud to stall. The disguised Barry takes out the guards and shuts off the transmorgifier, while Len slips his handcuffs. Cisco directs them into the building.
On Earth-2, Joe is cleaning his gun and Iris watches him. She figures that what's happening is hardest for Joe, and tells him that when she was 16, she snuck out past her 8 pm curfew. Joe admits that he was strict, and he tells her that he took some of the money he was saving for their college to go on a blues cruise. Joe bursts into song and dances with Iris, and tells his daughter that he loves her. She gives Joe her engagement ring to give to Barry just in case, and they hug.
Barry and Len go past the Suicide Squad's previous cells, and find the door leading to the power cell. There's signal interference near the cell, and the lock is a Montgomery 3000. Cisco warns that it can only be unlocked by three different voice codes from three different people. Len gets it open in 37 seconds, and the two men start opening the door. King Shark peers out through the window. Once he moves on, Barry realizes that ARGUS is using King Shark as a guard dog.
When Barry tells Len to give him his cold gun, Len realizes that Barry plans to kill King Shark and wanted a partner who wouldn't care if he killed. He hands over his gun and Barry prepares to shoot King Shark. Len refuses and tells Barry that sharks avoid killer water. If they loser the temperature enough, King Shark will fall asleep. He tells Barry to choose whether to kill King Shark or not. Barry hands the gun back, and Len removes the cold cell from the gun and slides it into the room.
H.R. finds Tracy making a miniature Jitters, and she gives H.R. some coffee. He admits that he's never felt like he completely belonged until she arrived. Now he understands his purpose: to inspire her. H.R. asks her to come to S.T.A.R. Labs with him, and they'd be together with him inspiring her. Tracy says that she'd love to join Team Flash with him, and they kiss.
King Shark passes out, and Len and Barry go in. The villain rises up briefly and then passes out again, and the two men get to the power cell. As Barry takes it, the door starts to close. He slides out, leaving Len trapped on the other side. Len tells Barry that it's his chance to show how ruthless he is, and says that sometimes he has to make a tough call. After a moment, Barry moves away from the interference, calls Cisco, and explains the situation. Cisco warns that he can't hack the mainframe, and Barry goes back and tells Len that Cisco is working on it.
King Shark wakes up, and Cisco gets the door partway open. As Len crawls out, King Shark grabs his leg and Barry pulls him free and tells Cisco to close it. The door slams shut, cutting off King Shark's hand. It regenerates the damage, and the two men turn to find Lyla and her guards waiting.
In her office, Barry tells Lyla that he'll do anything to save Iris. She points out that she saw the whole thing on the security monitors and Barry risked his freedom and Iris' life to save Len. Lyla gives Barry the cell, figuring Barry would do the same thing if it was Diggle's life on the line.
Back in Siberia, Barry asks Len if he thought Barry could leave him behind. Len tells Barry that his goodness is his strength, and he shouldn't play Savitar's game. The two men shake hands and Barry tells Len to take care of himself.
Barry returns to S.T.A.R. Labs and asks where Iris is, and H.R. says that she's on Earth-2. They realize that Barry is Savitar-Barry. As he speeds off, Cisco calls Barry and tells him that Savitar is coming.
On Earth-2, the team prepare for Savitar's attack. Savitar comes through the breach and Kid Flash attacks him. he finally grabs Wally and beats him, breaking his leg and then throwing him across the lab. Joe and Harry open fire, but the shots bounce off the armor. Savitar-Barry emerges from the armor and confronts them, and promises to kill them if they aim their guns at him. Joe tries to get through to him while Harry secretly draws a pistol. When Joe calls their opponent Barry, Savitar-Barry yells that's not his name and says that they have to watch Iris die. He tells Joe that Iris has accepted her fate, and Joe should to. as Harry draws his gun, Savitar-Barry grabs Iris and goes back through the portal. As Harry goes to Wally, Barry arrives and Joe tells him that Savitar took her.
52 Minutes Until Iris West Dies
Back on Earth-1, Barry takes Wally medbay and assures him that he didn't let him down. He goes back to the lab and H.R. apologizes for screwing up. Barry tells the others that they have to go to Infantino Street because they know where Savitar will be. Tracy insists that the bazooka should work, and H.R. assures her that it won' fail. Barry goes so he won't H.R. and Tracy's plan and neither will Savitar.
As Cisco packs his gear and H.R. waits with him. H.R. finally says that he didn't inspire anyone, and they're the ones who have inspired him. He figures that he hasn't contributed anything and led Savitar to Iris. Cisco says that it could have happened to any of them, and asks him if he's going to hold down the fort. H.R. says that he will, and Cisco knows that he will because he's the one that shows up and they depend on. As Cisco goes, H.R. says, "Until next time."
As Cisco goes down the hallway, he has a vibe-vision of Frost in a forest telling him that it's time for a chat. Barry arrives and Cisco tells him what he saw. He explains that they had vibes of him and Frost fighting in a forest. Barry tells him to go and save Caitlin, while he saves Iris.
Flash arrives at Infantino Street and hears the same newscast that he did when he jumped to the future. Tracy is in a nearby car and preparing the bazooka, and Joe is on a rooftop with a rifle.
Vibe goes to the forest and calls Frost out. Frost says that in order to join Savitar as a god, she has to kill Caitlin once and for all. She blasts Vibe and he defends himself, but she knocks him down and moves in for the kill.
Savitar arrives with Iris and says that the time for his ascension to godhood has arrived. Flash fires the bazooka at Savitar, but he avoids the blasts at superspeed at superpseed at first. The hero finally manages to hit him, but Savitar shrugs off the energy. He holds up the Philosopher's Stone and explains that it's made of calcified Speed Force, and Flash gave it to him. Savitar says that he's free of Barry and tells him that he loses, and prepares to impale Iris.
Iris records her message that she loves Barry. If something happens to her, she needs Barry to hear that she takes him as her husband.
Flash runs forward as fast as he can, but Savitar kills Iris and runs off. She collapses into Flash's arms, as Joe watches from the rooftop,
Written by Gadfly on May 17, 2017