Dead Man Running

Previously on "The Flash"...

My cure will work.

Or turn them into meta-humans.

[YELLS]

Beginning biopsy examination on Patient -A, Mitch Romero.

I want to become a defense attorney for meta-humans.

Babe, do you know how many people you could help in this city?

Hi, I'm here about the internship.

Welcome to "The Citizen".

In order for billions to survive, the Flash must die.

I'm gonna go see this Crisis for myself.

[GRUNTING]

The only timeline where you all survived was if I died.

So what do we tell them?

Whatever we're gonna do,

we can't tell the team I'm gonna die.

Add all these to the inventory, boys.

Tomorrow's bake sale is gonna be a real treat.

Who died and made you boss?

Mitch Romero.

Still no word from him?

That makes Romero missing, not dead.

In our line of work, what's the difference?

This is my crew now.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪♪

[ELECTRICITY SPARKING]

Fan out. Whoever's here, put him down.

[METAL CLATTERS]

♪♪

[SCREAMING]

[GUNFIRE]

[SCREAMS]

[YELLS]

♪♪

Romero?

[GROWLS]

The Monitor?

Where did you see him?

We went in the Time Vault, right after putting Chester in the MAC.

The Crisis that he spoke about last year, it's the same one in the plinth's newspaper.

And it's not coming in.

It's coming December th...

- Are you sure about this? - The jackass lied to you.

Yeah, well, we thought so, too, but...

Barry went to Earth-, and Jay Garrick helped him see that it was true.

How did he do that?

Jay projected my mind forward into the future.

Okay. And what did you see?

I saw a giant wave of anti-matter sweeping over our Earth.

Vaporized all of Central City and everybody in it.

Including you three.

Great. I'll go mark my calendar.

We still have seven weeks to make sure none of this happens.

Guys, Barry's right. We've changed the future before.

We can change it again.

So what else did our Asgardian cosplayer say?

[PHONE BUZZES]

That was pretty much it.

It's Joe.

Needs me at CCPD, but that can wait.

We... we need to get on this.

Yeah, we should spend every minute we have on this.

No, guys, look, what we should do is take a well-deserved time-out and come back tomorrow with clear heads.

Okay. If you think so.

What now?

[ICE CRACKLING]

I have to prepare them for what's coming.

They have to be ready to go on without me.

I guess I know who I need to start with.

[DOOR OPENS]

Mom?

Ralphy!

Ralph, oh, come here, baby.

- Those stupid things. - What happened?

Last night, : p.m., the Avenue M pawn shop was robbed at gunpoint.

The shop owner ID'd your mom as the perp, so we had to hold her.

Charges pending.

Mrs. Dibny, this is Cecile Horton.

Ralph, good luck.

Look, Cecile, yes, my mom has an eventful past, but...

Okay, robbery, larceny, bribery...

allegations.

Not a single charge, Miss Perfect Hemline.

Thank you. Um...

Ooh, it says here that the owner of the pawn shop personally identified you as the robber.

Okay, I was in the shop, but not at :.

I left around :.

Okay, so the robbery was, like, five hours later, so, Mom, where were you around o'clock?

- Yeah. - Is it really that important?

Wait, yesterday was the second Monday of the month, so, Mom...

Yeah.

I was at the Cleaner's Royale on Oak.

Okay, dry cleaners.

It's a little bit of a gambling front.

Wow, Mom, the last time that I was there was when... when you and Marv Perez were an item.

- May he rest in peace. - Oh.

Well, Ralphy, I really don't think anyone there is gonna help with my alibi.

There's only one way to find out.

Road trip.

Joe thinks there's a meta-killer that might be involved, so if anybody asks, you're my meta-human consultant.

- Hey. - Hey.

The security guard from a nearby building heard the gunshots.

Said it sounded like a war zone.

We haven't found enough body parts to determine which crew did all this.

He's covered in claw marks.

An animal did this. Good to go?

No, we're not. This... this isn't animal blood.

There's two more bodies, or what's left of them, and a lot more of whatever that is.

I see one arm, two arms.

Hm. They're from the same person.

I'll analyze this.

Hopefully, it'll lead us to our killer.

Thank you.

Can you analyze what's going on with her?

Yeah, I'm trying.

Frost! Frost, what are you doing?

There's no ammo in these.

I know these guns.

They're charged with dark matter.

They're all empty.

Who would kill for dark matter?

A coward.

♪♪

[SIGHS]

[ICE CRACKLING]

Gotcha.

What did you do?

Frost, what are you doing?

You're supposed to be following my lead, not...

Getting a damn murderer to confess?

There's no evidence he's involved.

Ease up.

Let him go.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[GASPS]

Cait?

You're Killer Frost?

Actually, she's me, Sad Coffee Guy.

I am so sorry. My name is Barry Allen.

I'm a forensic scientist with CCPD.

We're investigating a series of meta-related murders, and Caitlin and Frost are my meta-human consultants.

Dr. Ramsey Rosso.

What happened to your lab?

Um, somebody broke in while I was working late.

This same substance was at our crime scene.

I think the meta that attacked you is the person we're looking for.

The guy we're looking for stole dark matter from a stash house.

[STAMMERS] I did have a small amount of dark matter here.

- Where'd you get it from? - From an old colleague. Ted Kord.

He was actually willing to help me with my research.

Well, someone's out there hunting for dark matter, and he's willing to kill to get it, so whatever it is you're working on...

Look, Mr. Allen, my HLH research is very important.

I lost my mother to this disease.

Now, you mentioned you found a similar substance, both here and at your crime scene.

And, honestly, it's unlike anything I've seen before.

Well, I am a blood specialist.

Perhaps I could be of some assistance.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

You are not actually gonna trust this guy, are you?

- 'Cause I don't. - I'm sorry.

Frost...

People are dying out there, all right?

If Dr. Rosso can help us in any way, then, yeah, I'm open to it, and you should be, too.

Would you help us, Dr. Rosso?

Please, call me Ramsey.

Morning, boss.

I have got the mother of all scoops, and thanks to your new intern, it's gonna be a CCC Media exclusive.

Actually, you know, I was hoping that you would help me with the new filing system.

Alphabetical is great.

So there was a break-in at McCulloch Tech last night.

Nothing was stolen,

but you'll never guess who the perp is.

Get this. Harrison Wells is alive.

Where'd you get this?

One of the McCulloch security guards and I go way back.

Nice work.

Um, I'll tell you what.

I will look into this, and in the meantime,

I could use some quotes on that mayor story.

The city council's wondering how long this new one's gonna last.

Uh... I'd rather do this.

Allegra, look, I understand, okay?

I was an ambitious cub reporter once, too.

You know, this is great work, but I will take it from here, okay?

Fine.

♪♪

[SIGHS]

Ralphy boy!

Long time no see.

- Looking trim. - Thanks, Tony.

- Deb. - Howdy, Tone-Loc.

I need a favor, Tony.

Yeah, hi, the Avenue M pawn shop was robbed last night, and the police think that Debbie was responsible.

We just need the footage from your security camera so we can prove that Mom was here last night.

Last night? Yeah, Deb was here.

Great.

But I don't work with the cops.

House policy.

Besides, you know I don't have cameras in here, Deb.

- Potted plant. - Ugly lamp on the bar.

Smoke detectors one, two, three.

I like you, Ralphy. Guess what?

- You can have the footage. - Oh, great.

- For, bucks. - I'm sorry, what?

Come back and see me when you got the green.

Good to see you, Ralphy boy.

[SIGHS] That was a bust.

Oh, well.

Wait, wait, wait, hang on, hang on, hang on, Mom.

We might not got the green. We can earn it.

- Right. - Uh, excuse me, down here.

How exactly are we going to earn it?

- Watch me, sweetie. - [GASPS]

So can I talk to Cait?

Can she hear me right now?

One, it's Frost. I'm rebranding.

And two, sure. She can if she wants to.

Caitlin, I want to explain myself.

About purchasing dark matter from Kord Industries.

I hope you understand if there's any chance of saving more lives...

You're gonna take it. Right.

I didn't want to go behind your back,

- but you refused to help me. - Not listening anymore.

And you never told me that you were a meta.

I thought we were closer than that, Cait.

Huh. Guess you two aren't as good of friends as you thought.

Hey, guys, CCPD got back a DNA match on our meta.

Mitch Romero.

- Do you recognize the name? - No.

Mitch Romero is the head of Central City's biggest gun-running operation.

What? I have friends in low places.

Romero must've been looking for dark matter last night when he went to the only place he knew he'd find it.

His own stash.

Why rob yourself and then kill all your employees?

[PHONE BUZZING]

Someone just broke into Mercury Labs.

A facility like that would have undisclosed amounts of dark matter.

♪♪

[GROWLS]

[ROARING]

[GRUNTING]

[TIRES SCREECHING, CAR HORNS HONKING]

What did you do?

What did you do? Frost!

You just killed him!

We're supposed to cuff metas, not throw them out windows.

Calm down.

Romero is fine. He just got up and walked away.

You had no idea that would happen when you shot him out the window.

You let your anger get the better of you.

I thought you had a handle on that.

Frost! That cannot happen again.

What, now you're telling me how to feel?

Look, I have seven weeks to teach you

how to handle this kind of situation.

You have to start listening.

You have to stop being such a crappy teacher.

- ♪ Money, that's what I want ♪ - Make sure she loses.

Tony's security footage is on a USB drive in his office.

Buy me as much time as you can.

Okay, it's fine. We got it. Go.

Okay.

[MYSTERIOUS HUMMING]

[WHISPERING] He's nervous.

Go. Do it.

Pair of tens.

Can't bluff a bluffer.

♪ Money, that's what I want ♪

♪ Hate to tell you, baby ♪

♪♪

Boom.

[EXHALES]

You're kidding me.

Debbie's hot tonight.

♪♪

[MYSTERIOUS HUMMING]

Uh, Debbie. Oh, Deb.

♪ Money, that's what I want ♪

All in.

♪♪

Read 'em and weep.

Ooh, tough break, Deb.

I'm sorry, Mom. We tried.

Let's get you home. Good to see you, Tony.

Keep up the not-so-legal work.

♪♪

- ♪ Money, that's what I want ♪ - [KNOCKING ON DOOR]

- Hey. - Where's Killer Caitlin?

Out assaulting another suspect without cause?

She's taking a breather.

Did you find anything helpful from the sample?

- More than I ever imagined. - Yeah?

Take a look at the pattern of these gene transcriptions.

Romero's dark matter-infused cells are destroying his normal cells.

He's more monster now than man.

The more dark matter he absorbs, the stronger he gets.

According to this, Romero's been dead for over hours.

That's why he can't die.

He already has.

Um, thank you for your help, Dr. Rosso.

- Barry. - Yeah?

If I could observe Romero's genes interacting with dark matter, I might be able to find a way to counteract his condition.

I don't think that's a good idea.

Working with dark matter can be really dangerous.

Mr. Allen, I'm the top hematologic oncologist

in the western hemisphere.

There's a creature out there with a metastasized blood chemistry with the strength of ten men, and he's getting stronger by the minute.

Please, let me help.

The satellite's facial recognition spotted our news Wells less than an hour ago.

According to Miranda, it's somewhere in this area.

[LOUD WHIRRING]

[METAL CLANGS]

[EXCITING MUSIC]

♪♪

Harrison Wells, welcome to Earth-.

My name is Cisco Ramon.

[GASPS]

Why are you following me?

Oh, great. Another angry one.

To get your hands on this priceless beauty?

Is that why? Go ahead.

It gives nightmare hallucinations to all of its victims.

Would you like that?

- Would you like that? - No!

[DEVICE BEEPING]

[BEEPING CONTINUES]

So...

- It's you. - What?

- What's your name? - Iris West-Allen.

Well, Iris...

[SHOUTS]

And don't you forget it.

I had that.

And there you are.

Wait. Oh, no, no, no.

Debbie, um... that has you leaving at :.

We need to know where you were at o'clock, the exact time of the robbery.

- Went out for air. - Oh, well. We tried.

Hang on, there's another camera angle outside.

- Ralphy, don't... - [COMPUTER CHIMES]

Did you find her?

I did.

With Marv Perez.

Marv's alive?

Yeah.

You said he died in a car accident months ago.

You were with...

Marv when the pawn shop was robbed.

Ralphy, let me explain.

If Marv is alive, what about your other boyfriends?

How many of them are alive?

[SIGHS]

Okay. All of them.

Ralph, hey, you know what? It's okay.

This is... this is a good thing because Marv is Debbie's alibi, so your mom isn't gonna go to jail.

Yeah, let's focus on that.

Marv, Doug, Craig, Nick? These guys, they...

They were like family to me.

How could you lie about that?

I don't know why you're so upset, sweetie.

You always moved on so quickly.

I was being strong for you.

That doesn't mean it didn't hurt like hell every damn time.

- What really happened? - What always happens.

You know, we were happy, but I knew it wouldn't last, so I ended it.

What else did you lie about?

- Did Dad really leave us? - Yes.

That one is true.

Ralphy, I didn't mean to hurt you.

My name is Ralph.

You need to leave.

Get out.

Now.

♪♪

I can't believe you and Cait get to work here.

How will all this help?

Dark matter is a miraculous thing.

With gene splicing, I can use your dark matter samples to negatively charge Romero's blood.

That should weaken him enough for you to make an arrest.

But, um...

I, uh...

I will need a second centrifuge.

Oh. Uh, there's another one downstairs.

I'll get it.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪♪

I had a feeling about you.

I hoped I was wrong.

But I know a desperate man when I see one.

Put them back.

- No. - I can make you.

Go on, then.

Like you said, I'm a desperate man.

I have nothing to lose.

I thought you wanted to save lives.

HLH isn't just my mother's disease.

First it killed her, and now it's killing me.

I still can't let you take those.

Look at what it did to Mitch Romero.

I am marking a calendar every day until I die, waiting to fall off a cliff, powerless to grab onto anything or anyone.

I watched my mother dive off that same cliff... with a smile on her face.

She didn't even fight.

I know what it's like to lose your mother.

I know you're angry.

This isn't anger.

This is the pain beneath my anger.

It takes courage to fight death.

Maybe it takes more to accept it.

My mum had that same look on her face when she was first diagnosed.

You're a dead man, too. Aren't you, Barry?

So why don't you fight for yourself?

I'm marking my calendar with the days I have left to live.

And I'm gonna spend them saving as many people as I can.

You're not a coward.

You're just naive.

Mitch Romero's still out there.

You said you wanted to save lives.

Prove it. Help me stop him.

Or get out of my lab.

♪♪

Let's get to work.

You know, I don't understand you, Barry.

You march towards death without fear, just like Mum.

Where is it you get your strength?

Probably the same place she did.

People I love.

I see.

Well, it must've been incredibly hard to tell them.

♪♪

You're a dead man, too.

Aren't you, Barry?

Well, it must've been incredibly hard to tell them.

This isn't anger.

This is the pain beneath my anger.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪♪

According to his techno fanny pack, this belongs to Dr. Harrison Nash Wells.

[BOTH SHOUTING]

[GROANS]

Easy.

- We're not gonna hurt you. - No.

Let's just try this again.

All right, I'm Iris West-Allen.

- This is Cisco Ramon. - Iris. Cisco.

And we are friends of the Council of Wells.

Oh.

Those idiots. Okay, now.

Okay, listen, I tased you once before, and I'm happy to do it again, so just...

I let you do that. Now hold still.

Ah, ah, ah.

What are you doing on our Earth?

What am I doing? I'm searching for an artifact that just happens to contain the same particles...

[DEVICE BEEPING]

I'm currently reading off you.

What?

Although...

What... what part... particles of what?

Eternium.

Eternium?

Eternium is a Multiversal element, all right?

Although the readings were stronger in the alley.

Listen, Indiana, I don't know how they do things on your Earth, but this ain't "Temple of Doom".

And what is Eternium supposed to be, anyway?

Some kind of stolen mystical element from the tiki gods that you suddenly have to return?

Look, there's no such thing as mystical mumbo jumbo or gods.

What there are are meta-humans, aliens, and false gods worshiped by simple-minded people that find comfort in myths.

I dispel those myths.

You people are no help.

Newsflash, Nash.

- We've actually done this dance before. - Is that right?

- That's right. - Yeah.

It usually starts off rocky, especially between you and me, but eventually, we bond, and you learn to embrace that sensitive side.

So why don't you just drop the act, and show me that warm, compassionate, smart guy that I know you to be.

Let me ask you a question.

Do I look like I want to hold hands?

Interesting.

If you want your toys back, you might just have to.

[CHUCKLES]

[RAPID BEEPING]

[EXPLOSION]

[COUGHING]

Well, I have to admit. That was pretty cool.

Yeah.

[KNOCKING AT WINDOW]

Does she know about the Multiverse?

She kind of does now.

I'll handle it.

I got the quotes for the mayor story, and I finished your filing.

- Everything's alphabetical. - Great.

Also, I quit.

Allegra, wait.

You know why I was even out here?

Enjoying the sun.

You don't get much of that in Iron Heights.

I spent five years locked up there, and it taught me how to tell the difference between a snitch and a liar.

You're not a snitch.

Allegra, it's not what you think, okay?

Forget it.

I've wasted enough time behind bars.

I'm not wasting any more working for a liar.

So be honest with me, or I'm out of here.

Okay. You're right.

I was lying to you, but I can't tell you the truth about Harrison Wells, not yet.

I do believe in you, Allegra.

I think you have great instincts, and I think you're gonna make a great reporter.

That's why I took a chance on you.

Now I'm asking you to take a chance on me, okay?

Trust me.

When the time is right, I will tell you everything.

I promise.

We're journalists.

It's our job to tell people the truth, not control it, even if it's tough to say, or hard as hell to hear.

Just saying, boss.

See you in the morning.

[INTENSE MUSIC]

♪♪

Come to lecture me some more?

Look, I know you think that you fight better when you're angry, so why don't you try and hit a real target?

♪ I'm burning all these secrets ♪

♪ I'm burning all these secrets ♪

♪♪

Stop trying to hit me, and hit me.

Or why don't you just admit the truth about what's hurting you?

♪♪

I don't want to die when I've just started living.

Okay?

I finally have the chance to live a life, and now this stupid Crisis is gonna take it all away?

I know it's not fair.

Do you know that Baskin-Robbins has different flavors?

I might die before I get to figure out which one is my favorite.

Or what my favorite song is, or have my first birthday party.

years of existing, and I have never had one.

That really sucks.

Frost.

There's always gonna be a crisis, or some meta-human that's threatening to take away the life that you love.

Truth is, we're all living on borrowed time.

So, what, everybody feels this crappy all the time?

That actually does kind of make me feel better.

It's why you can't let the threat of losing tomorrow keep you from making the most of today.

I want to spend the rest of today making sure that Mitch Romero doesn't hurt anyone else.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪♪

What are you?

[METAL CREAKING]

[GRUNTING]

[SNARLING]

[SNARLING]

Stop!

Let me go.

[COUGHING]

[GASPING]

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

♪♪

Romero!

[SNARLS]

Ramsey, don't move.

You want this?

Yeah?

Yeah, come and get it. Come on.

Come on. Come and get it.

Come on!

[SNARLS]

Frost, Romero's heading to the pipeline.

Hey, there. Come on.

Yeah.

[SNARLS]

Come on.

Oh, I miss all the fun.

Next time we have to lock up an undead meta, he's all yours.

Uh, Barry.

[POUNDING ON GLASS]

Guess those meta-cuffs would've been a waste of time.

[MOANING]

Dark matter fuels his rage.

All right, get back.

I'm gonna throw a lightning bolt at him.

No, no, no, I have a better idea.

Get me all the dark matter in Star Labs. Now.

That's gonna make him stronger.

No, it's gonna make him angry, and I'm pretty sure if we give it to him, he'll overdose.

Trust me.

- [GROWLS] - Rage on this, Romero.

[GROANING]

[GASPS]

You were right.

Anger really does cloud judgment.

No breaks, just bruising.

You got lucky.

I must be off.

Ramsey, hey, um...

I know we didn't see eye to eye today, but thanks for your help.

If you ever want to talk...

Thanks, but I'm fine.

See you in the next life, Barry.

Thanks for coming, Mom.

You kidding?

I'm just so grateful you would see me.

Can I go first?

When your father left, you came into my room every morning for a week with your hands on your hips, and you said, "Where's Dad?"

And I did not know how to tell you he wasn't coming back.

I was so worried that you would think it was my fault, or worse, yours.

And then when I did tell you the truth, you were so mad.

And so hurt.

You could not believe that he left without even saying good-bye.

So a couple years later when my boyfriend Doug and I broke up, and he left... there was no way I was gonna put you through that pain again.

You two had become so close, and...

You lied to protect me.

But, Mom... why did you break up with all the others?

They always wanted more than I could give.

You get scared.

I know because I'm the same way...

Which is why I made you something.

An addendum for "The Book of Ralph".

" steps to being open to the love of your life."

I'm open to love. I'm just picky.

Mom, give me a break.

Neither one of us have been open to love since Dad left.

And, Mom, by keeping that pain away... we're also closing ourselves off from the joy that love can bring.

I don't think I'm cut out for joy.

[LAUGHS]

But I want that joy for you, Ralph.

Love, happiness, the whole kit and caboodle.

I want you to go find that.

And don't worry about me.

Okay, Ralph?

Come on, Mom.

I'll always be your Ralphy.

♪♪

I now have a new theory.

I believe I have found an effective cure for HLH.

One that would eliminate my need for dark matter entirely.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪♪

Analysis of Subject -A, Mitch Romero's blood, reveals that dark matter infused with healthy blood cells to create an even stronger biological substance.

This substance appears to heal any and all weaknesses in the human body... including cells affected by HLH.

I will now commence human trials.

[GROANING]

I need more.

[UPBEAT HIP-HOP MUSIC]

♪ Where my girls at? ♪

♪ Where my girls at? ♪

♪ Where my girls at? ♪

♪ Where my... where my girls at? ♪

♪ Where my girls at? ♪

What in tarnation?

Hey, sweetie, we having a little get-together?

So Frost has never had a birthday party, so I offered to throw her one.

- She picked the guest list. - [GLASS BREAKS]

It's my party, and I'll rage if I want to!

[ALL CHEERING]

♪♪

♪ I'm everything you want, I know I got it ♪

♪ I'm everything you want, I know I got it

♪♪

♪ I know I got it ♪

♪ I know I got it ♪

Hey.

You're missing out on all the fun.

Thanks for the party.

[LAUGHS]

I'm thinking next year, we go whitewater rafting.

You should definitely do that.

You're not gonna be at my birthday party next year, are you?

Whenever you talk about life after Crisis, you never talk about yourself.

You're gonna do more than just vanish in Crisis, aren't you?

I don't know how to tell them.

Try with me by your side.

Barry, keeping this secret all day hasn't felt right.

Let's tell them together.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪♪

Barry and I didn't share everything that we learned about Crisis, and... you guys deserve to know the truth.

The Monitor didn't just warn us that Crisis was coming early.

There was something else that he said had to happen.

When I projected my mind forward,

I saw billions of possible futures.

The only timeline where everyone survives... was the one where I died.

I have to die in Crisis.

None of you can try and save me.

[DEVICE BEEPING]

[RAPID BEEPING]

[GRUNTS]

It's here.