Barry wakes up and goes about his normal life without superspeed. He takes the bus to work and waits in line at Jitters for coffee. At the police lab, he drops his coffee cup and fails to catch it in time.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco tries to get a vibe from Jay's helmet. He confirms that Caitlin is in Zoom's lab, and they wonder what they can do. Harry points out that they're all suffering and now Zoom can come through the breach anytime he wants... and it's on Barry. When Iris says that they made the decisions as a team, Harry says that he didn't. He tells the others that he's going to find Jesse before zoom does, and explains that he found his daughter through cellular dead zones. Harry takes a pulse gun with him and points out that no one has the speed to help him. Cisco goes to his workshop and Joe tells Barry that it isn't all on him. Barry says that he's going to stick around now that he's finished his work at the police lab.
At Zoom's lair, Zoom tells Caitlin that she needs to eat. She refuses to talk to him unless he removes his mask, and Jay obliges. He assures Caitlin that he's not going to hurt her because he cares too much about her. Caitlin says that he only cares about himself and calls him Hunter. Jay insists she'll change his opinion of him as a monster, and she wonders why he's keeping them. He says that she's there because he loves her, and figures that she'll feel the same about him again eventually. Jay vibrates her manacles off and tells her to make herself at home, and then speeds off. Caitlin looks around and finds the prisoner in the mask, tapping on the wall. Killer Frost is in another cell and greets her doppelganger.
Wally meets Joe at the station and figures that Joe knows who Flash is. He asks his father to set up a meeting with Flash, and Joe warns that he can't do it right now.
Harry goes to an apartment and asks Jesse's roommate Johanna if he can see Jesse. She invites him in and Jesse wonders how Harry found him.She refuses to go with him, telling Harry that everything that has happened to them is because of him. Jesse says that she's just as afraid of Harry as she is Zoom and goes to her room.
As Harry drives back, a man steps in front of his van and stops it, unmoved. The impact stuns Harry, and the man, Griffin Grey, pulls Harry out of the cab.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry watches newscast about how crime is increasing since Flash hasn't been seen. An alarm goes off and Cisco says that the lab van Harry was driving was in an accident. He brings up an image of Griffin taking Harry sand realizes that it was no accident. There are no traffic cams in the area and Barry heads there while Cisco tries to identify Harry's abductor. Cisco says where Harry stopped before the crash, and Barry figures that Jesse is there. As he goes, he calls Iris and asks for her help.
Caitlin speaks to Frost, who complains about the prisoner tapping. The villainess figures that Zoom needs something from him, and Caitlin wonders why Zoom needs Frost. Frost says that she's not going to stick around much longer and tells Caitlin that she's going to help her get out. She suggests that they make a deal: Caitlin free her and Frost helps her get home.
Barry examines the van and lifts some fingerprints. Iris wonders what the van hit, and they figure that it was a metahuman… and they may go after Jesse next.
At the Central City Amusement Park, Harry toys with his watch. Griffin introduces himself and says that he's one of Harrison's mistakes. Harry insists that he's not Harrison, but Griffin doesn't believe him and says that he wants Harry to fix him. The metahuman demonstrates his superstrength, and explains that it's accelerating his aging. In a few months he'll be dead. Harry says that he can't fix it, and Griffin promises that if Harry can't help him then he'll also die soon.
Barry and Iris take Jesse to S.T.A.R. Labs, and Cisco says that the fingerprint belongs to Griffin. He went missing six months ago and Cisco confirms that the high school student is the same guy as the older man who abducted Harry. Jesse says that she majored in biochemistry in college and might be able to help, and Barry heads to the station to have Joe check the CCPD database while he runs facial recognition.
Caitlin rigs electrical wiring to open Frost's cell, and asks how she was imprisoned. Frost says that she woke up one day with cold powers after being hit by the dark-matter explosion. She flunked out of med school and had to move in with her mother. Frost had a brother, Charlie, who died, and Caitlin admits that she never had a brother. She then explains that she's going to use the wiring to heat up the carbine wall, weakening the molecular structure.
Wally approaches Joe at the station and asks again to meet Flash one time. Joe says that it's impossible, and Wally admits that he's been reckless his whole life. When Zoom took him, Wally thought for the first time that he was going to die. Flash gave up his powers to save him, and no one's ever done anything like that for Wally before. He wants to tell the hero how much that means to him, and Joe says that he'll see what he can do. Joe gets a call and as he goes, Wally thanks him.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry tells Jesse and Cisco that facial recognition picked Griffin breaking into Chemical. He insists on trying to help with or without his speed. Barry asks Jesse to stay there and run the blood tests on the sample they took from the van, and leaves with Cisco.
Once they meet Joe, the three men enter Ace Chemical and confront Griffin. He says that he can't let Harry go, and throws a metal drum at them. The trio takes cover and Barry tries to flank him. He fires his pulse gun at Griffin and misses, and Griffin throws another drum into Barry and tells him that he's too slow. The metahuman runs off, and Barry tells Cisco and Joe that he needs medical attention.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Iris bandages Barry's ribs. Jesse tells the others that Griffin's cell structure has mutated. He's suffering from oxidated stress: the oxidents are ravaging his DNA proteins. The more Griffin exerts himself, the faster he ages. Barry figures that they can provoke him until he weakens, and Cisco says that he has an idea. As he and Jesse go off to work something up, Joe heads back to the station. Barry contemplates his Flash suit and tells Iris that she's the first person he saved after he got his powers. Now he doesn't even know who he is anymore or who he's supposed to be. Iris tells him that he's same guy he's always been, suit or no suit,
As Harry works with the chemicals he had Griffin steal, Griffin wonders how he sleeps at night after he's destroyed so many lives. Harry says that he doesn't and explains that he has a daughter. Griffin says that he used to have a girlfriend, Jenny, but all of his dreams ended with the explosion. Jenny doesn't even recognize him since he's aged. Harry tells Griffin to stop talking so he can concentrate, and Griffin says that Central City is screwed up because of him. He hopes that it was worth it to Harry and walks off.
Caitlin turns on the electricity and then breaks the brittle hammer with a hammer. The prison raps on the wall of his cell, getting their attention, and Frost says that neither one of them is going home. She fires a blast of cold at Caitlin, who ducks out of the way and runs. Frost trips Caitlin with ice on the floor, and says that she realized that Zoom didn't kill her because she looks like Caitlin. With Caitlin there, Zoom won't need her. She throws an icicle at Caitlin, but Zoom speeds in, catches it, and stabs her to death with the icicle. He says that if Caitlin tries the same thing with the masked prisoner then he'll die as well, and speeds off.
Barry tells Cisco and Jesse that he's not finding anything on facial recognition. Cisco is unable to find a cellular dead zone and locate Harry. Jesse figures that Harry's watch with its meta tracking app will send a message to a server. She picks up the signal's point of origin, and insists on coming with them. Cisco says that they upgraded the Flash suit with dwarf-star alloy. They could only get enough to cover the chest unit of the suit, and it will only absorb one of Griffin's punches. Barry figures that will be enough.
At the park, Harry finishes the compound and gives it to Griffin. Griffin knows that Harry's been stalling and figures that he doesn't know how to help him. Harry says that there is no helping him, and Griffin punches him. as he moves in for the kill, the security alarms go off.
Flash, Cisco, and Joe enter the park and spot Griffin coming after them. Iris and Jesse turn on the lights, and Flash punches Griffin. Griffin shrugs off the blows and promises to finish Harry once he disposes of Flash. Joe steps out and tells Griffin to freeze, and Griffin throws a ride car at them and walks off. Jesse and Iris spot him heading for the Ferris wheel, and Flash goes after him.
Griffin is aging rapidly and manages to punch Flash, knocking him into a booth. He advances and tells Flash that not everyone was so lucky when they got powers. Griffin throws another punch, hitting Flash away, but then collapses as his aging finally overwhelms him. Joe and Cisco arrive, and they confirm that Griffin is dead… and back to his 18-year-old appearance. They find Harry and Jesse frees her father. She hugs him and apologizes, and Harry says that he's sorry as well.
Later, Jesse and Harry go to their room at S.T.A.R. Labs. Harry admits that it hasn't felt like a home since she left, and Jesse says that she has to bear the burden of Harry killing Turtle because of her. Harry says that what he's done is unforgiveable, and something inside him broke when his wife died. He swore on her grave to protect Jesse and he couldn't stand to lose the only other person he loves. Jesse says that she understands, but she needs to know that he won't hurt someone to save her. Harry promises that he will be the kind of father that she can be proud of, if Jesse promises that she'll never run away. She agrees and they hug.
Joe takes Wally to a rooftop and tells him to speak from his heart. Flash steps out on the nearby roof and Wally thanks him for saving his life. He doesn't know how he'll ever repay that, and says that he's not going to waste the chance that Flash gave him. Flash says that he's welcome and walks away.
At Zoom's lair, Jay checks on Caitlin. He reminds her that he saved her life, and refuses to let her leave. Jay remembers his father telling him to stay and watch him kill his wife, and tells Caitlin that now he's going to start measure his triumphs by the number of Earths he's conquered. He figures that her Earth has already been brought to its knees and laughs in triumph.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry is looking at his Flash suit when Harry comes in Barry admits that he has no idea how to get Caitlin back without his powers, and wonders what they're going to do. Harry explains that Griffin kidnapped him because he thought he was Harrison, and figures that he still hasn't paid for what he's done. He thought that he could forget about everything that he's done, but he can't. However, Harry has realized what he can do. He promises Barry that he's going to help him get his speed back... by creating another particle explosion.
Written by Gadfly on Apr 27, 2016