The Night of the Enlightenment
People run through the streets as fireballs rain down. XS rescues a woman, Spencer Young, recording what's happening and then speeds off. When her phone-camera glows, Spencer stares at it in confusion.
Now
Iris makes breakfast and manages to burn it, waking up Nora who is sleeping on the couch. Barry comes out and Iris says that she was thinking they could have breakfast together. Nora takes photos of Iris' pancake, saying that Iris makes lumpy pancakes in every time period. Barry rather unconvincingly says that he likes the pancakes, and Nora explains that Barry got her the new phone a couple of days ago. Iris is clearly not happy with it, and Barry says that he'll be playing in the charity softball game later.
Nora's phone rings and she explains that it's a call from Sherloque. Sherloque wants them to come to STAR Labs, and she quickly excuses herself claiming that she's not a breakfast person. once they're alone, Iris tells Barry that she and Nora aren' connecting, and even Iris realizes that the breakfast isn't very good.
At STAR Labs, Sherloque wonders where Cisco is. Barry explains that Cisco is healing at his parents' part, and Sherloque says that he'll pay off his debt by helping them catch Cicada. He reviews what they know about how Cicada kills meta, is a parent, and can control the dagger as an extension of himself. They figure that Cicada acquired his powers with the dagger, and Ralph suggests that they figure out what's up with Cicada's mask. Sherloque says that pursuing the mask angle hasn't helped him solve the mystery the last 37 times.
Barry and Iris go to the police charity game and Barry gets assigned to right field. Iris agrees with the manager, and Barry reluctantly heads to right field. He misses multiple catches and gets tagged out at first when he bats. Nora, Caitlin, Iris, and Cecile watch from the bleachers, and Nora gets a text from Spyn Zone about anything happening in Central City. Spencer runs the site and Iris says that Spencer worked at the paper and wanted to be famous, but didn't care how it happened. Nora notes that Spencer has three times as many followers as Iris does and goes to get something to eat. Her eyes glow as she walks off.
One of the players, Jones, walks off and Cecile says that something isn't right. She yells a warning and XS speeds in, grabs Jones backpack, and tosses it into the air. It explodes as the other players grab Jones, and Barry comes over and Nora tells him that she doesn't remember what happened. In the parking lot, Spencer takes photos and walks away.
The group gathers and Nora discovers that Spencer has already posted about the explosion and XS on her site. The police team take the field, and Caitlin and Iris realize that Cicada may pick Nora as his next target if he sees the post.
Ralph and Sherloque go to the dock where the team first confronted Cicada. Sherloque says that they won't find DNA there, and Ralph insists that Cicada wears the mask for a reason. Ralph looks around and says that Cicada's breathing got stronger the more he exerted himself. He collects traces of fluoropolymers that are used for industrial respirators, and emit a distinct odor. When they find out it is where the chemicals involved are used, they'll find Cicada.
At Jitters, Spencer is working on her blog when Iris comes over and asks how Spencer is doing. Spencer says that she followed Iris' example and left CCPN to pursue her own stories. Iris says that Flash and XS are in danger, but Spencer figure that her articles could make XS famous. Spencer says that she's going to make Iris' blog irrelevant.
That night, Barry and Nora check Jones. Jones doesn't remember anything of what happened from when he left his house until after the explosion. Joe says that the bomb came from the evidence lockup and the cameras show Jones taking it. He angrily says that Jones could have killed Cecile and his child, and Jones insists that he doesn't know how it happened.
Police officers run by, and one of them say that there was at a fire at CCPN. Flash and XS speed there and Spencer takes photos of them. They stop so Flash can instruct XS how to do it, and Spencer causes Flash to see a nearby sign as his being spotted in Las Vegas. Flash's eyes glow and he runs off to Las Vegas, and Iris tells XS how to put out the fire. XS manages to do it and Spencer captures it all on camera. Everyone applauds and Spencer smiles in satisfaction.
Barry arrives outside of Las Vegas and has no idea how he got there.
Barry returns to STAR Labs and Iris assures Nora that she was great. Caitlin tells Barry that there was some weird activity with his brain waves but everything is fine. She suggests that it was some kind of hypnotic induction, and Iris figures that Spencer did it to make them famous and become famous. They check her site and discover that Spencer posted it before it happened. Barry has Caitlin checks the biometrics on his and Nora's suits.
Elongated Man and Sherloque go to Szrek Chemicals which uses the same chemicals that Ralph found earlier. A foreman approaches them and recognizes them, and takes them inside. All of the workers wear the masks and there are fourteen plants in the Midwest. Szrek Chemicals isn't the only factory that uses them. Sherloque sarcastically tells Elongated Man to be more thorough next time. As they go, Orrin watches them.
Barry gives Nora a meta-watch to check Spencer with. Nora goes into Jitters and Barry and Iris from the STAR Labs van. Nora addresses Spencer by name and then says that she knows her from her app. Iris reminds Nora over the earbud to check the watch, and realizes that Spencer is flirting with Nora and goes in. She reminds Nora to check her watch, claiming that they're a little late, and the watch shows that Spencer isn't a meta. Iris realizes that Nora thinks Spencer is cute, and advises her not to get close to Spencer. Nora tells Iris that in the future, she put a power dampening chip in her to negate her powers and protect her, didn't find out she had powers until six months, and angrily says that she doesn't need Iris to protect her before walking off.
Back at STAR Labs, Iris tells Barry that Nora blocked her and she's trying to use the quantum computer to force Nora to take her calls. She admits that it's crazy and desperate, and wonders how she could have suppressed Nora's powers. Barry figures that Nora will forgive her, and Iris asks if Joe had done that to Barry. He says that he knows anything Iris does for their family is out of love, and he has faith that future-Iris did it for the right reasons and Iris should have the same faith.
Caitlin is checking the brain scans when Sherloque comes in wearing one of the masks. He says that he has a theory on Cicada's identity and needs Caitlin to punch him in the chest. Sherloque taunts her until she does it, and when he wheezes they realize he sounds just like Cicada.
An alarm goes off as CCPD evacuates the soccer stadium due to a bomb threat. Flash and XS speed there and check the stadium at superpseed but find nothing. A story is on at Spencer's site five minutes before the CCPD got the bomb alert. Iris checks Jones's brain scan and discovers that it has the same code as Barry's brain scan. She tells Flash that it's the headlines, just as Spencer brings up a headline on the stadium's board saying "XS Kills Flash".
XS attacks Flash and comes back for another pass, and sand he dodges just in time. Spencer flashes headlines around the stadium boards, and XS speeds after Flash. They race through the stadium, Flash barely staying ahead of her. Iris grabs a weapon and uses a breach device to get to the stadium.
Flash manages to stay ahead of XS but then she pulls him back to her and starts beating him. She vibrates her hand into his chest, and Iris arrives and stuns her with the energy gun. Spencer runs for it, and Caitlin can't ping her phone because the CCPD has deactivated the local cell towers. They realize that she's still in the stadium, and Flash finds her at superspeed, takes her phone, and handcuffs her.
Later, Barry and Nora return to STAR Labs and find Iris and the others watching a newscast about the mayor resigning. Iris got a statement from her exonerating Jones. Sherloque comes in and says that Cicada's lungs are injured. Since Nora helped destroy the satellite, the debris hit a new person and injured a different person. Thinker flooded the satellite with dark matter, meaning that Cicada and his dagger got their powers at the same time. Sherloque congratulates Ralph on figuring out the clue and apologizes to him. Barry checks Spencer's phone and discovers that it's mutated into meta-tech, which means anyone can have meta-like powers.
Later, Iris approaches Nora and apologizes for suppressing her powers in the future but thinks it was the right thing to do. She admits that she couldn't imagine such a situation, but figures that whatever reason she had for keeping her powers a secret must have been to protect Nora. Nora says future-Iris suppressed her powers to control her, and took a choice away from her to be a hero like Barry that she didn't know she had. Barry comes in and Nora tells him what Iris said. Her father says that Iris cares about family more than anyone he's ever met and supports her decisions past, present, and future. As she leaves, Nora tells them that she needs to rethink what "family" means, and what hurt the most was not hearing from her mother that she had powers. Iris breaks into tears and Barry hugs her.
Nora goes to the West house and asks Cecile if she can stay there. Joe immediately agrees and says that they can talk about the reason later.
Orrin goes home and staggers, groaning in pain. He grabs a metal support post and it crumples in his grasp. Orin confirms that he's now super-strong and then clutches at the wound in his chest as it glows.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 31, 2018