A black-clad woman slips into a U.S. government facility, makes her way to a planning room, and moves in on the officer in charge. Meanwhile, Dr. Jason Rossick monitors her mental and physical readings as the woman aims a gun at the unsuspecting officer... and hesitates. Rossick's superior, Colonel Christine Powers, asks what the problem is and the scientist tells her that he can't tell yet. Powers contacts the killer, Alpha, directly by audio and tells her to pull the trigger. Alpha finally removes her hood and says that she can't, and then collapses.
Rossick shuts down the training exercise and dismisses the fake officer. He then tells Powers that Alpha was confused by the moral decision she was forced to make. Powers tells him that she doesn't want Alpha to make decisions but follow orders. She reminds Rossick that Alpha is the ultimate covert assassin, worth $30 million, and he assures the colonel that it will take a little fine-tuning. Rossick dismisses his staff for the night after they place Alpha in the lab. Once everyone is gone, Alpha wakes up and goes outside. She steals Rossick's car and drives off, and Rossick calls in a level-four emergency.
As Barry and Julio arrive at the lab, Julio tells his friend about the charity party that Sabrina is throwing at a new club, Apocalypse. He's already set up Barry to go with Tina at 8 that night and suggests that he dress a little more hip.
That night, Barry stops by the lab to pick up Tina, wearing a black longcoat. She tells him that she can't come because her experiment has gone wrong and she'll be working all night to file a report. Barry is less than thrilled that he'll have to go alone. Tina notices that her research papers are out and Alpha comes in and tells Tina that she's leaving for the night. The scientist tells Barry that Alpha Webster is their new lab assistant, and Alpha says that she was trying to organize Tina's files. Once Alpha leaves, Barry suggests to Tina that he take Alpha as his date. Tina advises against it, explaining that Alpha is bright but not very social.
Barry arrives at the club as Julio collects donations. When he spots Barry, he sends him over to the bartender so the man can point out the hot women.
Two of Powers' men are driving through the streets and spot Alpha. She spots them and ducks into the nightclub, bumping into Barry. He offers her a seat and she accepts, casually reciting the odds that they would run into each other twice. Alpha explains that where she lived, she'd stay up and read books after everyone else left, and has memorized all of them. She read a book about Lincoln freeing the slaves and decided then and there that she didn't want anyone locking her up and making choices for her. As Barry wonders why she's acting so oddly, he notices Fosnight collecting donations and realizes he's running a con. He goes over and relives Fosnight of the money, and Fosnight offers him a favor if he lets him go. As Alpha comes over, Barry reluctantly lets Fosnight go.
Alpha is intrigued by the dancing and hauls Barry out onto the floor. She quickly gets into it and admits to Barry that she's never danced before. Meanwhile, Costigan and the other agent enter the club and start searching for Alpha. They spot her and move in and Alpha slips away while Barry superspeeds out of control trying to dance. When he recovers, Barry spots Alpha slipping out the rear door and goes after her. By the time he catches up to her, Costigan has called in reinforcements and they prepare to take her in. Barry tries to stop them but they don't care that he's a cop. When Alpha refuses to go, Barry changes into the Flash at superspeed and takes out one man. Alpha casually throws the other three around with superhuman strength while the first man recovers and stuns the Flash. Alpha runs away and one man shoots her in the shoulder before Costigan tells him to stop. The Flash recovers and duct-tapes them up at superspeed, and then demands to know who they are. Costigan refuses to talk and the Flash checks his ID for the National Scientific Intelligence Agency. The agent insists that it's government business but the Flash leaves him.
Barry returns to Star Labs and Tina checks Alpha's address from her job application. When they enter the lab, they discover that someone has bypassed the security system. There are drops of blue liquid on the floor and a blue handprint on the lab table. Alpha comes out of hiding and Barry realizes that a chunk of her "skin" has been shot away... revealing android mechanisms.
Alpha repairs herself and explains that she was built as part of a secret project by the NSIA and ALPHA stands for Artificial Lifelike Prototype Humanoid Android. She was the first one and created to make decisions for herself. Alpha ran away rather than kill, and the government agents want her back. She came to Star Labs because Tina worked with Rossick three years ago on a robotics project for the government that involved artificial limbs for the handicapped. Tina left the project and Rossick went to work for the NSIA using some of Tina's designs. Tina takes some x-rays of Alpha, who explains that there are circuits inside her that she needs to alter and needs Tina's research.
Before she can explain further, Powers and her men arrive at the main entrance with a Federal warrant and demand entrance. She gives Tina ten seconds to open the door and Alpha explains that Powers is in charge. Tina knows about Powers and left because of her ruthless attitude. Alpha warns them that Powers plans to erase her memory circuits and Barry assures her that they won't let it happen. Tina has them hide in the storage room and then lets the agents in. As Barry comes back from the storage room, Powers says that they've traced Alpha through her application and saw Barry earlier at the club. Costigan and his men confirm Alpha isn't there and Powers tells Tina to stay out of her way. Once the agents leave, Barry confirms that Alpha climbed out a window and takes to the streets to find her.
Fosnight is walking down the street when a street gang stops him and demands money. Alpha shows up and, remembering Fosnight from earlier, tells the gang to let him go. She easily tosses two of them aside and the rest run. Fosnight hears police sirens and offers to take Alpha to his apartment. As he tends to her injuries, Alpha finds a deck of his cards and Fosnight is glad to show her how to play three-card monte. She's easily able to pick out the queen and explains that her optical sensors have x-ray vision. Alpha quickly proves she's telling the truth and Fosnight tells her to stay put while he runs an errand.
Barry returns to Star Labs after failing to find Alpha. Tina shows him the x-rays he took of Alpha, which indicate she has a ball of plastic explosive in her memory circuits. They figure that Alpha knew about it and was trying to remove it. Tina warns Barry that if Powers realizes she has no other choice, she'll trigger the bomb and destroy Alpha rather than lose the android... and anyone around her. Fosnight calls and asks for Barry. He wants to pay off his debt by linking Barry up with Alpha. They're unaware that Powers has tapped the Star Lab phone line and listens in as Fosnight gives Barry her address. As they drive to Fosnight's apartment, Powers calls in and learns that Rossick has left the lab with "Omega" and will be in Central City in an hour.
Barry arrives at the apartment and tells Alpha that they know about the bomb and want to help. When Fosnight wonders why they're talking about bombs, Barry explains that Alpha is an android and thanks Fosnight for his help. Alpha goes with him and talks about humans seem to spend their lives fighting. Outside, Powers shoots Barry with a tranq dart and tells Alpha they just want to reconfigure her circuits. Alpha insists that she's alive but Powers takes out the remote and threatens to destroy her. Fosnight, watching the entire exchange, grabs the remote and destroys it, while Alpha knocks out the agents and runs. Fosnight gets away as well and they take Barry inside for questioning.
As Costigan informs Powers that Barry's paralysis will wear off, an agent reports that Omega is there. Powers explains to Barry that Omega, a hulking male android, is the next generation and stronger and faster than Alpha, and programmed without any morals. Rossick protests, warning Powers that Omega isn't ready to be field-tested, but she warns him that he either needs to fall in line or be reassigned. The scientist storms off and Powers tells Omega to find Alpha and bring her back. As they prepare to give Barry an injection of truth serum, Barry screams in pain. When they cut him loose to give him CPR, Barry locks them in the closet and superspeeds back to Star Labs. Tina gives him an antidote for the remainder of the paralytic drug and figures that Alpha is omitting a signal that Omega can track
Fosnight returns home and finds Alpha removing her eyeball using his tools. He realizes that Barry was telling the truth and tells her that she has to get out of town before the NSIA catch up to her. Fosnight realizes that she needs cash quick and starts to show her how to play poker. He then takes her to the Infantino Hotel where Joey C. is running a poker game. He doesn't want to let a woman in but Fosnight appeals to his pride and he lets Alpha sit in. She buys in with Fosnight's $100 emergency money and Joey tells Fosnight to back off.
Tina picks up the radioactive trace from Alpha's power source at the hotel. However, she also detects a second signal closing in and they realize that Omega is about to engage.
Alpha wins eight hands in a row thanks to her x-ray vision, and when Joey C. wonders how she's winning, she immediately tells him she has x-ray vision. She demonstrates and Joey C. has his man grab Fosnight. Before they can do anything, Omega smashes in and disposes of Joey C.'s bodyguard. Alpha tries to fight but Omega easily overwhelms her and knocks Fosnight aside. The Flash arrives and easily avoids the android. However, he hurts his hand trying to punch it and Omega smashes him aside. Recovering, the Flash lets Omega smash a hole in the wall and then uses the exposed wiring to destroy it.
Garfield, Bellows, and Murphy arrive with a squad of men and the Flash makes a quick escape. As Bellows and Murphy lead Alpha away, Garfield studies what's left of Omega and wonders what was going on.
The next day, Garfield interviews Alpha, who explains that she's an android. He figures that she's nuts and puts in a call for a psych ambulance. Barry comes in and confirms that Alpha is telling the truth. Powers arrives with a Federal warrant forcing Garfield to turn Alpha over. There's nothing the lieutenant can do, and Powers warns Alpha that they have another remote transmitter. As the colonel leaves, Garfield warns her to watch her step but Powers is unimpressed.
Back at Star Labs, Barry tells Tina what happened and the scientist insists that they need to break her out of the NSIA facility. When Barry says that even he can't get in, Tina starts working at her computer.
As Rossick prepares to isolate and disconnect Alpha's decision-making circuits, Barry and Tina pull up outside in a Star Lab van. She taps into the security computers and trips all of the perimeter alarms. The guards report to Powers that they have an intruder but no visual confirmation and she tells them to check the system. They continue calling her until she tells them to shut down the system and check for faulty circuits. Tina tells Barry that he has three minutes and he superspeeds in as the Flash.
As Rossick starts the memory-erase program, the Flash disconnects Alpha from the computer and gets her out. Powers tells her people to reactivate the security systems but they're too late. Back at the van, the Flash has Tina access the NSIA's security files. Rossick realizes what she's doing but is unable to stop her. Powers arms the remote and Rossick warns her that setting it off will kill everyone within 50 yards of the android. The colonel says that she knows and starts the countdown.
At the van, Alpha realizes that she's received the arming signal and warns Barry and Tina that they have 30 seconds until the second signal is transmitted. The Flash realizes that they'll have to outrun the second signal and picks up Alpha. He runs out of Central City and gets clear just in time.
The next day, Alpha prepares to leave Central City. Tina has set Alpha up as a lab assistant at Star Labs East and her friend there will help protect Alpha's identity. Barry figures that Rossick and Powers will be too busy trying to explain how they lost eight years of data to come after their creation. Fosnight arrives to take Alpha to the airport. Alpha thanks them for their help and gives Barry a very enthusiastic kiss. She then tells Fosnight that he's made a mistake with her ticket, and Barry discovers that Fosnight has booked two seats on a flight to Las Vegas.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 3, 2018