Gat and his men break open a crate of guns, and Gat says that Mitch is gone so it's his crew now. Two of the thugs go off through the warehouse and spot an overturned crate. An intruder knocks out the power, and the thugs move through the warehouse looking for the man. One at a time the intruder takes them out until only Gat is left. He returns to the guns and discovers that the intruder took them. Gat turns and Mitch attacks him.
At STAR Labs, Barry and Iris tell Frost, Ralph, and Cisco what they've learned about the Crisis is coming in 2019 instead of 201, and Barry projecting his mind to the future. Iris figures that they can change the future like they have before and keep Barry alive. Ralph gets a text from the CCPD but figures that it can wait, and Iris suggests that they take a break so they can approach the problem anew. Once they're alone, Barry says that he has to prepare the others to go on without him, and figures that he needs to start with Frost.
Ralph arrives at the CCPD and finds his mother Debbie under arrest. Joe explains that a pawnshop was robbed at gunpoint and the shop owner ID'd Debbie as the robber. Cecile sits down with the Dibnys and review Debbie's criminal background. Debbie admits that she was at the store five hours earlier, and finally says that she was at a gambling front. Cecile is ready to go there and find out if anyone there can alibi Debbie.
Barry and Frost go to the warehouse and Barry tells Frost that she'll pose as a metahuman consultant. Frost says that the body is covered in claw marks, and Barry points out that there isn't animal blood. Joe asks what's going on with Frost, and Frost notes that the guns have no ammo in them. Barry recognizes the guns as using dark matter bullets, and wonders who would kill for dark matter.
Ramsey returns to his lab and Frost puts an ice dagger to his throat. She asks what he did, and Barry comes in and points out that there's no evidence Ramsey was involved. Frost finally releases Ramsey, and Barry apologizes and explains that they're investigating meta-related murders. The lab is torn up, and Ramsey says that someone broke in. There's a similar substance as the one at the warehouse, and Barry figures that the same meta attacked Ramsey. Ramsey admits that he had a small amount of dark matter there, and tells Frost that someone was willing to help him with his research. He offers to help Barry analyze the substance, and Frost warns Barry not to trust Ramsey. Barry draws her aside and says that if Ramsey can stop people from dying, he's open to Ramsey assisting and she should be as well.
Allegra returns at The Citizen and has a story ready for Iris. Iris would rather she file, but Allegra tells her that Harrison broke in at McCulloch Industries and stole something. Shocked, Iris says that she'll look into it, and tells Allegra that she understands being an ambitious cub reporter but she'll handle it.
At the gambling den, the owner Tony approaches Ralph, Debbie, and Cecile. They ask for the footage from his security cameras, and Tony says that Debbie was there but he doesn't help the police. Ralph and Debbie point out the footage, and Tony offers the footage for $5,000. Once Tony leaves, Ralph suggests that they earn the money playing cards.
Ramsey asks Frost if he can speak to Caitlin, and Frost tells him that she'll hear him if he wants. The doctor points out that Caitlin turned her back on him. Barry comes in and says that the CCPD got a DNA match on Mitch. Frost knows Mitch as the head of the city's biggest gun-running operation, and he went to his own stash to get the dark matter. Barry gets an alert that someone broke into Mercury Labs.
At Mercury Labs, Mitch kills the guards and puts a piece of dark matter onto his chest. Flash and Frost arrive and Flash tries to handcuff the intruder. Mitch throws him against the wall, and Frost blasts Mitch out a window as a shocked Flash looks on. He complains that they're not supposed to throw metas out windows, and tells Frost that she let her anger get out of control again. Flash tells her that she has to stop listening, and Frost tells him not to be such a crappy teacher before walking out.
Debbie plays cards and Cecile uses her empathic powers, while Ralph extends an arm into Tony's office to get the USB with the video footage. Meanwhile, Debbie loses and Ralph comes over and suggests that they get her home.
Barry visits Ramsey and says that Frost is taking a breather. Ramsey says that the dark matter is destroying Mitch's normal cells, and the more dark matter he absorbs, the stronger he gets. Barry realizes that Mitch is already dead, and Ramsey offers to study Mitch to learn how the dark matter mutation works.
Cisco and Isis go to an alley where the facial recognition satellite has spotted Harrison. Harrison drops in on a line and they realize that he's from another Earth. The visitors says that he has a device that gives nightmare hallucinations to its victims, and his wrist device registered Iris' presence. He goes over to confirm her name, and Iris tasers Harrison unconscious.
At Ralph's office, the trio watch the video and note that Debbie left at 9:30. Ralph checks another angle and sees him with her ex-boyfriend, Marv Perez. Debbie claimed that Marv died in a car accident months ago, and Ralph realizes that Marv was with Debbie at the pawnshop. He figures that all of her boyfriends she claimed are dead are alive, and says that they were like family to him. Ralph explains that he moved on because he was strong for her sake, and Debbie explains that she ended the relationships because she knew they couldn't last so she ended them. Debbie assures Ralph that his father left him, and Ralph tells her to get out.
At STAR Labs, Ramsey says that with gene splicing he can use Barry's dark matter samples to weaken Mitch enough for Barry to arrest him. He asks for a second centrifuge and Barry goes to get it. However, he stops at the door and watches as Ramsey pockets the samples. Ramsey refuses to put them back, saying that he has nothing to lose and he's dying from HLH like his mother, and she didn't fight. Barry suggests that it takes more courage to accept death, and Ramsey realizes that Barry knows he's going to die. He dismisses Barry as naïve, and Barry asks him to prove he wants to save lives by helping stop Mitch. After a moment, Ramsey returns the samples to Barry. He wonders where Barry gets his strength, and he says that it's from the people he loves. The doctor figures that it was incredibly hard to tell them.
Later, Barry speeds around the track and remembers what Ramsey said about living with his coming death.
Cisco and Iris take Harrison to The Citizen, and when he wakes up they explain that they're friends with the Council of Wells. Harrison isn't impressed and says that he's on Earth-1 searching for an artifact with the same particles of Eternium that he's reading off of Iris. he explains that he dispels myths and they're no help, and Cisco says that things start off rocky between him and the alternate Harrisons, and eventually Harrison gets in touch with his softer hands. Nash isn't impressed, and Cisco reveals that he took Nash's equipment. The visitor releases a smoke bomb and escapes, and Allegra peers in the window from the patio. Iris says that she'll handle it.
Outside, Allegra tells Iris that she quits. She figures that Iris is a liar and tells her to be honest with her or she's leaving. Iris says that she can't tell her the truth about Nash yet, and asks Allegra to wait until the time is right. Allegra tells her that they're journalists dedicated to exposing the truth, and leaves for the day.
Later in the STAR Labs gym, Frost is stabbing a dummy. Barry comes in invites her to try and hit a real target. When she attacks him, Barry dodges her at superspeed and tells her to admit the truth about what's hurting her. Angry, Frost says that she doesn't want to die when she's just started living. Barry tells her that there's always going to be something threatening her life, and they're all living on borrowed time. Frost feels better that everyone is the same as her, and says that she wants to spend the rest of the day making sure that Mitch doesn't hurt anyone else.
Ramsey experiments with the dark matter in the lab, and realizes that someone has broken in through the air duct. It's Mitch, who grabs Ramsey and chokes him. Ramsey yells at Mitch to stop and he does so, then mimics Ramsey's motions. The doctor quickly realizes what Mitch is doing, and Barry comes in. He holds up a dark matter sample and runs, and Mitch runs after him.
Barry lures Mitch into a pipeline cell, superspeeds out, and seals Mitch inside. As Frost arrives, Mitch smashes through the door and the explosion of glass knock Barry and Frost down. Mitch grabs the dark matter sample and injects it into his chest, and Frost recovers and freezes him. She realizes that dark matter fuels Mitch's rage, and tells Barry to get all of the dark matter in STAR Labs and give it to Mitch so that he'll overdose. Barry does so and injects Mitch at superspeed, and he explodes.
Later, Barry and Frost confirm that Ramsey is okay. As Ramsey leaves, Barry thanks him for his help and offers to be there if Ramsey wants to talk. Ramsey says that he's fine and leaves.
Debbie returns to Ralph's office when he asks her to come back. She talks about how a young Ralph was hurt when his father left. Debbie refused to put Ralph through the pain when her first boyfriend Doug left. Ralph figures that they're the same and gives her an addendum for The Book of Ralph. The addendum talks about being open to love, and Ralph figures neither of them have been open to love since his father left. Debbie tells Ralph to find love and not worry about her. She kisses Ralph and they hug.
In his lab, Ramsey records a log about his theory of how he no longer needs dark matter. He holds up a sample of dark matter and confirms that it moves as he does. Ramsey figures that dark matter infused with healthy blood cells creates a substance that heals damaged cells. He throws a sample against the wall, shattering the vial, and then mentally causes the substance to flow into his body. Satisfied, Ramsey says that he needs more.
At STAR Labs, Ralph, Cisco, and Iris arrive to find Barry throwing Frost a birthday party. The people she knows cheer her. Barry goes out on the balcony and Frost comes out and thanks him. She figures he won't be at his birthday party in a year, realizing that he's going to sacrifice himself during Crisis. Barry admits that he doesn't know how to tell the others. Iris comes out, having overheard him, and tells him to do it with her at his side. She says that they should tell the others together.
Barry and Iris tells Ralph, Cisco, and Frost what they've learned about how Barry has to die during Crisis to save the others.
Nash tracks the Eternium into the city sewers.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 23, 2019