At an ARGUS black ops site, Diggle arrives and a scientist tells him that the "specimen" is ready for transfer. The scientist assures Diggle that they have meta-dampeners trained on the building, and tells the guard to drop the dampener. As "Diggle" goes in, he complains about the modern music a guard is listening to on his headphones. Thinker uses Kilgore's power to change the music and exert gravitational force on the guards and scientist, and reverts to his original form. The men collapse, and Thinker goes in and disposes all of the guards in his way. He uses Elongated Man's power to absorb the bullets and shoot them back, and his gravitational powers to kill some guards and feeds the taser energies of the others back at them. One guards blasts Thinker through a wall with a grenade, but Thinker recovers and kills the remaining guards. More guards arrive, and Diggle animates them and sends them to attack their comrades.
The technician in charge of security tries to call out, and runs when Thinker comes in and activates the cell with the captive metahuman.
Flash checks every launchpad on the planet to see if Thinker is there and returns to S.T.A.R. Labs where Cisco and Iris are waiting. Cisco says that they need to split up, and Barry warns that they're not at full strength yet. Harry comes in and trips over a chair, and says that someone is blogging about Thinker. Iris tells him that it's her byline, and reminds him that she asked him to proofread it for her. As Harry leaves, Iris tells Barry that she has 400,000 new views. There have been Marlize sightings as well, and Iris warns that she's just as dangerous as Thinker. Barry warns that they're endangering people, and Iris says that they're inspiring people. A text comes in alerting Iris that she got a tip about Fallout.
Caitlin meets with Dr. Finkel and tries to describe her situation without giving away that she's a meta. Finkel asks about Caitlin's father and how Caitlin felt when he died. She says that her "missing friend" disappeared a few months ago, and gets a text and says that she has to go.
When Caitlin arrives, Cisco is unscrambling Kilgore's code that has scrambled the Fallout tip. It says that Thinker is coming for Fallout, and Barry superspeeds off to get Diggle. Diggle says that Fallout's location is classified information but finally tells them that the black site op is a thousand miles away from everything. He checks the site and discovers that he supposedly checked in six hours ago. They figure that Clifford has taken over the building.
In his containment cell, Fallout screams in pain.
Team Flash detects the radiation that Fallout is emitting, and they realize that Thinker is using Fallout's body as a battery. At the current rate of fusion, they have twelve hours until the Enlightenment begins. Barry takes Diggle back to Star City, and Cisco warns that the site is equipped with motion-sensitive electrical plates. Considering the blueprints, Barry suggests that he go into Flash Time, use each battery as a fuel source, and go fast enough to enter Thinker's pocket dimension. Cisco discovers that there are six plates and six hostages, and Barry realizes that Thinker is using his gravitational powers.
Thinker tells the technician that he likes having a captive audience as he suspends her over an electrical plate.
Joe brings everything Cecile needs, and she reads his mind and says that they don't need a katana. He leaves another message for Wally, and Cecile assures him that it'll be totally sick. Cecile starts talking like a stoner, and a pizza delivery man arrives and talks the same way. He and Cecile laugh the same way as the delivery man leaves.
Harry returns to the Cortex and asks Iris how she's tracking Marlize. He says that she should be focusing on feelings rather than facts, and Iris figures that she should dig into Marlize's past to find out where she feels safe. She thanks Harry for helping, and he says that he doesn't feel so useful anymore. Iris asks Harry to help her investigate and he immediate agrees.
Caitlin and Cisco summon Barry and say that they can save the hostages if Barry brings them into Flash Time with him. His friends explain that they figured out that Barry generates Speed Force around him, and physical touch just focuses his abilities. Cisco tells him to train them how to function in Flash Time.
The trio gathers in the speed lab and Barry takes them all into Flash Time. He lets them go and Cisco tries to open a breach. Barry tells him to say calm as his legs freeze, and he falls over. They leave Flash Time, and Cisco insists that he's going to get it. Joe and Cecile call Caitlin, and Barry says that it's time for a break. They go to the Cortex and Caitlin checks Cecile. She says that the hormones released by her pregnancy is "stretching" her mental powers, so that she's inhabiting people's minds rather than reading them. Cecile starts inhabiting Caitlin's mind, acting like her, and realizes what she's doing. Caitlin says that their best bet is to keep Cecile isolated. As Caitlin goes, Cecile tells her that she was trying to ignore something big and warns that no one can hide from anything forever. She tells Caitlin to be careful and leaves with Joe.
Iris and Harry go over Marlize's background and Harry says that her meeting with Thinker is romantic. Iris tells him that it's not a love story, but Harry figures that Marlize left Thinker when he lost his feelings for her. He suggests that they should turn Marlize to help them so she can protect Clifford. iris says that they tried it with Savitar and they can't save monsters, but Harry says that Marlize isn't a monster. Iris reminds him that Marlize stabbed him with a katana, She insists on going home to get her files, and tells Harry to stay there.
Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco go back into Flash Time and this time Cisco opens a small breach. Caitlin tries to use the cold gun and loses her concentration, trips, falls out of Flash time, and remembers almost being hit by a car when she was a child.
Cisco and Barry take Caitlin to the Cortex, and Barry says that they have to talk about what happened. He warns that she would have died if it was the real thing, and says that he's putting them in danger by training them. Caitlin and Cisco insist that they have to help him, but Barry refuses to train them just to get them killed.
At the loft, Iris is going through her files when Harry knocks on the neighbor's door and calls to Iris. She opens the door and he tells her that she was right and didn't empathize with her feelings. Iris insists that Marlize isn't going to help them out of love, and Harry says that Marlize has always tried to save people. Iris doesn't believe it, and Harry tells Iris to empathize with Marlize. She complains about Harry tracking mud in, and realizes where Marlize is hiding.
At the West house, Joe finds Marlize acting like him. He sits down with her and gives her the inhaler Caitlin provided to help her get control. Cecile further "becomes" Joe, and Joe has her focus on relaxing. He talks her into remembering herself again, and says that he used Lamaze training.
Cisco asks Barry if he figured it out why he lost his mind. Barry warns that it takes more than ten hours to learn superspeed, and that he won't lose his friend. Cisco tells him that Barry can't sideline him because of what happened to Ralph. Caitlin comes in as Cisco says that Barry isn't the only one who mourns Ralph's death. As Iris and Harry arrive, Cisco says that he created the portal to the Speed Force. Barry says that everyone he's taught has ended up dead, and Cisco asks if Ralph was worse because he made the choice to be a hero. They want the same choice, and all they need is someone to teach them. Once Cisco and Caitlin leave, Iris tells Barry that Marlize is in England. Barry gives her their last extrapolator so they can get to England and approach Marlize. Fallout is reaching maximum output, and Barry says that they have to go.
Thinker watches as Fallout goes into overload.
Flash, Vibe, and a masked Caitlin breach to the site. Caitlin is armed with wrist ice shooters so that she can save the hostages. Thinker shrinks Fallout's chamber and creates a portal as the temperature drops and he realizes that the heroes are there. Flash takes Vibe and Caitlin into Flash Time. Once Flash absorbs the charge, Caitlin freezes the hostages in place while Vibe opens breaches below them Moving at heightened speed, Flash goes through the portal.
Thinker appears on a city street, enlarges the satellites, and sends them into orbit. Flash speeds out of the portal, races up a building, leaps into the air, and throws Amunet's alloy ball at the satellite, destroying it. Thinker tells him that he destroyed one satellite and can destroy a thousand more, and tells him that once the world is enlightened, soldiers will lay down their arms and all poverty and famine will become eradicated. Thinker will be there to teach them, and Flash says that husbands won't remember their wives. His nemesis says that feelings are a distraction that impede progress, and he learned it from experience... and soon Flash will as well. With that, Thinker departs via a portal.
Back at the ARGUS site, the technician asks where Thinker is. Vibe assures her that Flash is on it. Once they're alone, Caitlin tells Vibe that she needs his help. She describes the memory that she had and says that she might be repressing it. Caitlin insists on Vibe vibing her, and they enter the memory. After the accident, Caitlin sees Killer Frost manifest in her even though the accelerator hadn't exploded yet.
Iris and Harry arrive at the first place that Marlize and Thinker had together. Marlize steps out, wielding a katana, and demands to know why they're there. Harry can't say why they're there, and Marlize realizes that his mind is being rebooted. soon he'll be without memories or relationships, and soon they'll all be like them. Iris tells Marlize that they need her help to stop Thinker, and she insists that her husband is right. Iris repeats Marlize's words about optimism being smarter than pessimism, which she said two weeks before she met Thinker. As Marlize stares at Iris, Iris says that she believes in Marlize and asks what she's willing to do for the world.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry tells Cisco and Caitlin that Thinker didn't care that he destroyed a satellite. Thinker uses Kilgore's power to take over a S.T.A.R. satellite. They realize that Thinker is there, and Barry goes to the time vault. The door is sealed, and Thinker puts the battery into the AI. Gideon enlightens the Enlightenment protocol, and a beam of light shoots up into the sky. Caitlin and Cisco arrive, and Barry admits that he doesn't know what they're going to do.
The five satellites in orbit spread an energy web across the planet.
Written by Gadfly on May 16, 2018