Paradox

Previously on "The Flash"...

We just beat Zoom.

Why does it feel like I just lost?

I feel more broken than I've ever felt.

Wherever you need to go, whatever you need to do, do it.

I'll be here.

[whooshing]

[grunts]

You're safe.

So what should we call this brave new world?

I was thinking Flashpoint.

My name is Edward Clariss.

Rivals should know each other's names.

[gunshot]

It's like I'll be thinking of a moment from my past and it vanishes.

This isn't your home, Barry.

It's a mirage.

Things are back to how they should be.

Well, for me, anyway. For you?

I guess you'll just have to wait and find out.

Where's Iris?

You know Iris isn't here. They don't talk, Barry.

Oh, God. What did I do?

I made a big mistake. I just couldn't take it anymore, you know?

What happened with Zoom, my dad dying, my mother's death, me becoming The Flash.

All of it. I wanted a new life.

I wanted to start over. And that's what I did.

But somehow I... I made things worse.

[dramatic music]

[whooshing]

No.

So I reset everything.

I put everything back to the way that it was before.

Except some things weren't the same anymore.

Not even a little bit.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Slow down.

Take a breath.

[inhales, exhales deeply]

You were talking way too fast.

Yeah.

What happened?

I really screwed up, Felicity.

And this time I don't know if I can fix it.

Okay, let me get this straight.

You ran back in time?

Yeah.

Stopped Reverse-Flash from killing your mom and then lived in an alternate reality where both your parents were alive?

Yeah.

And then you restored the timeline, came back to the moment you left, and noticed that things were different?

Exactly.

Does that just happen when you travel through time?

Do things just change like that?

No, I mean, not like this.

Not on... I don't know. I don't know Felicity.

I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Okay, why don't you just run me through... walk me through what happened?

And we'll, uh, we'll try and figure it out.

So what changed?

[motorcycle engine roars, tires screech]

I knew once I got back last night some things had changed, but before I could figure out exactly how much, I had to deal with someone this morning.

[whooshing, metal clanking]

You are not gonna get too far on that thing anymore, are you?

I will be taking these back to the jewelry store you stole them from.

[siren wailing]

But, uh, you can keep these if you'd like.

[bullets clinking]

Good luck with that. [clicks tongue]

[whooshing]

After he was taken care of, I went to S.T.A.R. Labs, and that's when I found out a lot more had changed than I realized.

What kind of idiot still thinks I can't outrun bullets?

That guy should be the criminal poster boy for what not to do against The Flash.

So what are we gonna call him?

You mean like a nickname?

Yeah.

Cisco does it for all of them, he's like the master of it.

Can't just call him Suspect on a Motorcycle, Right? What do you think?

I don't know.

I'll take this one.

Uh, The Crook. Lame?

A Five-Finger...

How about Thief?

He robs stuff. Let's just call him Thief.

Gotta get to the gym. Excuse me.

The gym? Is he... is he, like, working out now or...

You know, Barry, sometimes your jokes just aren't very funny.

I should... I should get back to the paper.

It's okay. I was just leaving.

Hey, guys... Hey, Joe. Look, hey, I'm sorry.

Look, I just, I know you guys aren't speaking to each other right now, but I was just thinking maybe we could talk about why that is for a minute.

I... No.

Dude.

No, we can't.

Okay, I'm sorry. I just... look.

I'm sorry, I just thought, I don't know, maybe it would be good for you guys just to... hear it said out loud. This is because of what he did, Barry, not me.

Iris.

What?

What could you possibly have to say?

[somber music]

I'll just see you at the station, all right?

Nice job with, uh, Thief.

Uh, give me a lift to CCU?

Sure.

So you're still taking engineering classes.

Yeah.

Yeah, cool.

All right, well, good... good luck with that.

What is wrong with you?

Nothing.

Are you trying to make me as mad at you as I am at him?

No, no, look, I'm... I'm sorry, I...

I guess I don't fully understand why you're so upset at him.

[sighs]

Then maybe you shouldn't bring it up again.

Yeah.

How about we talk about us instead?

Us? You... you mean you and me, like, trying this?

I just thought with everything that's happened lately and everything that you've been through, I wanted to make sure that you still felt the same.

Well, Iris, I did what you said.

I went where I needed to go, I did what I needed to do, and I'm ready.

I never told you to do that.

Yeah, no, you did... on the porch, right after we beat Zoom, right before you...

Wow, you kissed Iris.

Well, not anymore.

I've kissed Iris West twice, and I have managed to erase both times from existence.

Man, I hate it when that happens.

That's just the least of my problems today.

Joe, hey... hey, man, um, can we talk for a second?

Yeah, I just gotta drop this off for Singh.

Oh, Captain Singh's back? That's just terrific.

Yeah, why, did he go somewhere?

Uh, no... maybe. I don't know, I...

Is that cowl cutting off all the oxygen in your brain?

What? No, I'm fine. Why? Why?

Because you've been acting real odd lately.

Asking why Iris wasn't at the house last night.

And that stunt you pulled at S.T.A.R. Labs this morning.

You know damn well why she's not talking to me.

Of course. Uh, because sh...

Because I should have told her her mother was alive but I didn't.

Yeah, but she forgave you for that.

Ah... one would think that she would have.

I don't know if she ever will or not, but you sticking your nose into it isn't helping, Bar.

Good intentions and all.

I was... okay.

We found another husk this morning.

Husk?

Singh wants this processed ASAP.

Yes, the skin husks we've been finding around the city are the ones we think are attached to the meta-humans.

This is now the fourth one.

Well, let's figure out what's happening before there's a fifth.

Yes, sir.

[stammers]

Deep breaths.

Um, hello?

Yes. Hello, Mr. Allen.

I can still see you're there and no, I don't want your help, thank you.

What are you doing here, Julian Albert, meta-human CSI Specialist?

I did tell you the meta-human conference was only for two days.

Okay, but this is...

Still our lab... unfortunately.

Yes, County forgot to mention that significant detail before assigning me, but here we are.

Looks like you and I get to be roomies for a little longer than we'd hoped.

Roomies.

There's a whole new guy at work that you didn't even know about?

Yeah.

And he's worked there for almost a year.

And he doesn't like me very much, apparently.

Well, that's impossible. Everybody likes Barry Allen.

You're like pudding. Everybody likes pudding.

Not everyone.

37.

I hated that we never spoke.

I think the thing that haunts me the most is the fact that I never told him I loved him.

Or that I idolized him.

I have memories of Dante all the time.

But they don't feel like gifts.

They feel like reminders... of what I did wrong, and how I'll never make another memory with Dante again.

Excuse me.

What are you doing here?

Oh, wait a second. Now you wanna be there for me?

I'm just trying to understand.

My brother's dead.

There's nothing to understand.

Exit's that way.

So you altered the timeline,

Joe and Iris don't talk anymore, there's a guy at work... a new guy... who doesn't like you, you never kissed Iris, and Cisco's brother is dead.

Admittedly, that is an issue.

And what if there's more?

Well, has anything here changed?

[sighs] No, I don't know. I mean, everything seems the same, I think.

Good.

Can I use... hold on.

Uh...

I'll be real careful.

I got it, don't worry. I got it.

[keyboard clacking rapidly]

Yeah, I don't know... I mean, everything looks okay.

Wait.

Who's that young boy with Dig?

No way. He didn't have kid before?

No, he had a kid. He has... he has a kid.

Yeah, it was baby Sara.

Baby John.

No. Are you...

Oh, my God. It really can affect us.

Okay, you know what? I don't wanna know anymore.

Okay, I know this is a lot of pressure, but everything's gonna be all right.

I screwed up everyone's life.

Yeah, well, maybe you should tell them.

I'm not gonna tell them.

I mean, how is that gonna help? That's just gonna make everything worse. I mean... I don't know how to fix this.

Okay, well, you're gonna figure it out. If there's one thing I've learned from you, is that with you, anything is possible.

Why? 'Cause I'm The Flash?

No. Because you are Barry Allen.

And sweet, loving, kind Barry Allen that everybody likes, the Barry Allen who's just like pudding, can fix this.

So go and fix this.

Yeah.

Okay, you're right. Yeah.

Now!

Right now?

Yes!

Okay, all right.

[dramatic music]

[deep whooshing]

Stop!

Find me.

Who? Who?

[scraping on glass]

[monastic chanting]

I am Alchemy.

I have visions... of another life.

Please, make them stop.

Is that what you really want?

To make the visions stop?

Or do you want them to come true?

To be fast again?

To have speed?

Yes.

Do you want that other life?

That's what I want.

Once again, you will have power.

And no man will be your rival.

[chuckles]

Julian, I thought you could use some help on this one.

You know, the two heads thing and all.

I don't need any help, Detective.

Especially from him.

What is that?

Another epidermal husk, Allen.

A fully intact human pelt, comprised of nothing but the stratum corneum.

You see what I mean?

Do we have any theories as to what's causing them?

Well, I'll take a wild guess at it and say it's the same thing that created the last four husks.

Spalling could be caused from toxic epidermal necrolysis, or maybe some kind of moist desquamation from intense radiation exposure.

We've had a lot of...

Radioactive metas.

Yes, thank you, Allen. I've read all the case studies.

I'll tell you what, when I figure it out, I'll enlighten you then, shall I?

Thanks.

How have I worked with this guy for the past year?

Yeah, you say that all the time.

I'm sure I do.

Julian?

Are you certain that Barry can't take a sample or something to speed things along?

[sighs] I'm sure, Detective.

Quite sure.

[whooshes]

You might wanna get that to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Yeah.

You know, there's really not that much here.

Yeah, no, I know. It's basically touch DNA.

I had to steal the sample because our meta-human expert wouldn't let me take one.

Oh, you mean Julian Albert?

[sighs] Yeah, you know him?

Yeah, we've known him for a while.

He's the best.

Um, you need me?

No, I think I got this.

But thank you.

Okay.

Cisco told me you showed up to his bereavement group last night.

Yeah, I did.

He also tell you it didn't go so well?

It's only been a few months since Dante was killed by that drunk driver.

I'm sure he just needs a little bit more time.

Wait, why is he so mad at me?

Oh, no. I'm staying out of that.

Cait, he'll... he'll barely look at me unless other people are in the room.

Maybe it's just easier when the rest of us are around.

[sighs]

Do you think maybe you could convince him to come with you to my house for dinner tonight?

Why?

So I can try to fix things between us, maybe between Joe and Iris, too.

Just all of us together again in one room and try to work this out once and for all.

Think you can do that?

Okay.

But how are you gonna get Joe and Iris there?

Joe? Hey, Joe.

Um, so I talked to Iris and she just has a few things that she wants to say to you.

Bar, I thought I told you to stay out of this.

Oh, no, no, no. This was all her, I swear.

So she just, out of the blue, decided now she wants to talk to me?

[claps hands softly]

[whooshing]

Hey, um, so Joe said that he'd give you what you need about the husks for a story.

Hi.

Hi.

Uh, what? He just decided, out of the blue, to tell me?

No one at the precinct will say anything.

Even Julian. Oh, I hate that guy.

Yeah, you always say that.

Um, when does he want to do it?

Uh, tonight, at the house.

He said he's making your favorite.

Okay, he's out of his mind.

He knows I will not go back there, even if he does make one of Grandma Esther's recipes, so...

[whooshing, papers falling]

When?

Uh, tonight. Tonight, yeah.

Um, at the house.

At the house?

Yeah.

She vowed she'd never set foot in the house again.

Unless you made dinner.

[chuckles] Dinner?

Yeah, like old times.

So, one of her favorites, like Grandma Esther's recipes, maybe.

Okay. I suppose I can make something.

Which dish?

[whooshing]

He said he'd make the chicken.

I hate the chicken. I like the noodles.

Oh, noodles, okay.

Why are you out of breath?

I'm not out of breath. Uh, Joe also thought maybe just to take some pressure off that he'd invite Caitlin and Cisco.

Okay, um, what time?

Uh, 7:00.

All right.

[whooshing]

Um, 7:00 will work, by the way.

Okay, but which dish?

I mean, I was thinking maybe to take some pressure off, you could invite Caitlin and Cisco.

That's a good idea, 'cause if we're gonna do this, I gotta get started.

Yeah, I got it. No problem, yeah.

Bar?

Yeah?

Which dish?

Noodle dish.

Yeah, noodle dish.

[whimsical music]

This hits the spot, huh?

You can thank Grandma Esther.

No, I mean, it's good. I just meant, um... all of us, actually, just here, together.

I was actually thinking, um, that maybe it'd be fun if we all went away together for a few days.

Just like a little Team Flash vacay.

And do what?

Bond. [gulps]

Reconnect.

You mean like a retreat?

Nah.

With trust exercises?

Epic fail, party of six.

I just... I just feel like we're not the team that we were or can be.

[sighs]

No one?

I'd be down for it.

Okay.

So other than Wally, I'm the only one that thinks that's a good idea?

I don't think The Flash really takes vacations.

Especially with all these husks showing up all over town.

Speaking of husks, I'm glad you're finally ready to open up about them.

Iris, I already told you, I can't tell you anything about this case.

Oh, really?

Because that's not what I was told.

Strange. I was under the impression you had some things to say to me, too.

Isn't that right, Bar?

Told you. Epic fail.

Okay, look, yeah. I arranged this.

I put all this together. I'm sorry, guys.

Look, I just... we're not acting like a team, and I just wanted things back to how they were.

Just fixed.

If you wanted things fixed, maybe you should have gone back in time and stopped my brother from dying.

[somber music]

You want me to change the timeline to save Dante?

Why would you do that? It's not like he's your brother.

[cell phones beep, vibrate]

Meta-human app. We gotta go.

[dramatic music]

[sighs]

[whooshing]

[whooshing]

Remember me, Flash?

Clariss?

Clariss?

[dramatic music]

Oh, you do remember, Flash?

Good, yeah.

Because I remember everything, too.

How are you here?

It doesn't matter.

You see, what does matter is that I know your little secret.

You changed the timeline.

Because if I recall correctly, the only Speedsters in my other life were me and that smartass Kid Flash, until you showed up and stole everything from me!

I didn't steal anything from you, Clariss.

I... I was just trying to put things back to the way they're supposed to be.

This is how my life is supposed to be!

For years, I felt like something was missing.

And now I know why.

Well, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to do this to you.

Yeah, well, you did.

And here I am.

Your Rival, back again.

Believe me, Flash, this time, you're not gonna steal my life so easily.

[whooshing]

[thud]

[grunting]

[whooshing]

[whooshing]

We finally get rid of Zoom, and there's another evil Speedster?

Who is this guy, now?

I can help you with that.

I finally got the results back from the test I ran on the husk that Barry gave me this morning.

And it's weird, because there's no traces of dark matter, but there are traces of the Speed Force.

And that's the husk from this Speedster?

Appears so. His name is...

Edward Clariss.

And somehow Barry is exactly right.

Can I talk to you for a second?

Yeah.

[sighs]

[pensive music]

S.T.A.R. Labs isn't the only one with access to the city's security cams.

It's pretty obvious that this guy knows you.

You want to tell me what that's about?

This is why you've been acting so weird lately... trying to get me and my dad talking again, tricking all of us into dinner tonight... because you're keeping something from us.

You need to tell me what is going on, Barry.

Right now.

And if you lie to me... this thing between us, it cannot happen.

You're right, and, uh, I'm sorry, I...

I did this. All of this.

It's my fault and I've been trying to fix it.

But I think that there's only one way to do that now.

I'm sorry, Iris.

[whooshing]

[thrilling music]

[grunts, panting]

Flash?

Flash.

Here, put these on.

We need to talk.

♪ Call you up in the middle of the night ♪ ♪ Like a firefly without a light ♪

Where are we?

Motorcar Diner in Central City.

Yeah, I meant what year?

1998.

♪ Runaway train never going back ♪

Care to get something to eat?

'Cause I'm starved. The corn beef hash here is the best I've ever had.

This is why you pulled me out of the Speed Force?

Buy me a meal?

Because you were about to reset the timeline again after screwing it all up.

Oh, yeah, I know about that.

How did you...

After your not-so-subtle reaction when you first met me...

Harry told me all that happened with Zoom and your mom and your dad, so I decided I'd keep my eye on you for a bit.

He tell you anything else?

He did.

I'm your father's doppelganger.

Sorry about that.

It's just... really weird.

And really sad, too... I'm sure.

Having a loss like that in your life, I see why you'd wanna erase it.

Who wouldn't try to save their parents?

I understand that, Barry, completely.

But the thing is, there are consequences to time travel.

I have heard all of this before.

Not from me you haven't.

I'm not some Doctor with a theory, Barry.

I'm a Speedster, like you, who's travelled in time, and made these same mistakes you are making right now.

Here, let me show you something.

Okay, you know what?

Humor me, kid.

This coffee cup right here.

All right, yeah.

Think of it as the space-time continuum.

Whenever you go back in time it breaks.

[vibrates rapidly and shatters]

For real? I mean...

Now... you can reset the timeline, you can try to fix it, but no matter how hard you try... it's never gonna be exactly how it was.

Look, I've learned all this stuff that I didn't know before, okay?

I'm not gonna make the same...

Mistakes.

Yeah, what you just said right there?

That is the paradox of time travel, and also the paradox of life.

I mean, if I only knew then what I know now.

Why have these powers if I can't go back and fix what I broke?

We're not gods, we're men, who, for whatever reason, have been given extraordinary abilities.

The question you need to ask yourself is, what kind of hero are you gonna be?

Are you just gonna take a do-over every time you make a mistake?

Or will you live with them and move forward?

Where's Barry?

[whooshing]

I need to tell you all something.

The truth.

The truth about what?

[sighs] Okay, um... after Zoom killed my dad, after we defeated him, um...

I wasn't in a great space, and I felt like the only way I could fix that was to run back in time and save my mom.

You stopped the Reverse-Flash from killing your mom?

Yeah.

Wait, so, is she alive?

She was. For a few months.

I lived with her and my dad.

I had a completely different life.

I wasn't even The Flash for most of it.

I don't understand.

You created a whole other existence.

How is that possible?

[sighs]

Okay, um...

I'll do the... this is the timeline.

This is the point that we exist on it right now.

This past point is where my mom was murdered.

So when I saved her, I created a new reality.

A new timeline.

I was living in...

A mirror universe.

It's called a Flashpoint, apparently.

But you decided to leave it. Why?

That life started to spin out of control.

This guy, Clariss, he was a Speedster there, too.

He was known as the Rival.

He caused a lot of problems.

So, um...

I decided to run back in time again and let things happen as they were supposed to, in hopes of... resetting the timeline, but...

But what?

But, um, when I came back, things weren't the same.

You mean people. Like us.

Yeah, yeah.

Um, I created another timeline.

Uh, it's the one we're living in now.

It's not as different as the last one.

Not in large ways, but in some ways, in smaller ways, and, uh, meaningful ways for all of you or anybody that's close to me.

And I can't ever really put it back together.

Barry, that's a lot to take in.

Yeah, it is.

We got along in that other life, my dad and I, didn't we?

That's why you've been working so hard to get us talking again.

Okay, here's the thing. Um, I will tell you what's different, all of you, if you wanna know.

But you have to live with those differences because I can't change it again.

But at least you'll know.

And you all deserve that choice.

So you decided it was okay to change things when someone in your family dies, but when it's someone in my family...

I'm gonna go talk to him.

Hey.

What are you working on?

These are the gauntlets for my suit.

And you probably know nothing about that.

Do you?

I'm really trying here, Cisco.

Barry, I'm the one who's been trying.

I've been trying this whole time to get you to do this one thing for me, but you kept saying, "No, Cisco.

I can't, Cisco. I would never do that, Cisco."

And now you're telling me you went and did it for yourself.

Were you listening?

It... it went bad. It went really bad.

I don't care!

At least I'd have my brother back.

Yeah, you would have him back, but because of it, somebody might have something happen to them that's just as awful as what happened to Dante, and trust me, you don't want that on your conscience.

It's a heavy burden to bear.

And I don't know how many times I've said this, but...

I'm really sorry about Dante, man.

Sorry doesn't change anything.

No, it doesn't, but I can't go back.

I can't change it.

All I can do is move forward.

I really hope you can, too.

Hey, um, I need your help.

It's the four words I seem to hear you most often say, Barry.

That and, "I hate that guy."

Which, the feeling's mutual, so...

Mm-hmm. Okay, um, this is gonna be hard for you, but I just, for a second, need you to imagine that we're actually friends.

Can't do it.

Friendly.

Equally as challenging, Barry.

Hmm.

But I'll give it a whirl.

What are you after? I need to read your report on one of the husks.

Which one?

The one from this morning. Edward Clariss.

Edward Clariss?

Yeah.

Why?

May help me figure out a case I'm working on.

Well, the nutshell is, uh, the hyaluronic acids were found to be above normal.

Uh, androgen degradation atypically low.

Mm-hmm.

Cellular regeneration seemed to occur at a staggering rate.

Mm-hmm.

It's quite a bit different from the previous husks that we found.

That's about it. Could I... could I maybe just take a peek at it?

I'm sorry, it's just something I need to see to know what I'm looking for.

[scoffs]

Sure.

Great, thank you.

Wait, why does this say the body's place of discovery was Williamson when it was found on the waterfront in Leawood?

The body ended up in Leawood.

There was a strong current this morning, so chances are that it originated from Williamson.

Somewhere near the old Prescott sawmill.

You done?

Yeah, uh, yes.

Thank you.

[whooshing]

You found me again, Flash.

I wondered how long it'd take you this time to figure it out.

Wasn't too hard.

I see you didn't bring your little sidekick with you, though.

Nope.

Just me.

That's too bad.

I brought one.

[beam blasting]

[grunts]

[dramatic music]

Oh, and Flash? A little, uh, quaking in your boots wouldn't be inappropriate.

So?

He changed our lives, Iris.

And he kept that secret from us.

You really just want us to just be okay with that?

All I'm saying, Wally, is that he made a mistake.

Yeah, he did.

Cisco, we all make mistakes to protect the people that we love.

I mean, you told Captain Cold that Barry was The Flash in order to protect your brother.

Okay. Not my finest moment.

That's my point. It was one decision made in one moment.

One very heart-wrenching moment.

Look, guys, we're like a family here, okay?

And sometimes families get mad at each other for screwing up.

I know that all too well.

But they also forgive.

Because after a while, it just seems silly when you stop and think about it.

[sentimental music]

[chuckles]

Guys, Iris is right.

We all have secrets.

We've all screwed up, but this is Barry we're talking about.

[computer beeping]

Who apparently is in trouble.

[dramatic music]

[beam blasting]

[grunting]

And who are you?

I am Alchemy.

Okay, well, what do you want?

To help people achieve their true potential... such as he has.

And why are you doing this?

Because I'm preparing this world.

[whooshing]

[grunting]

Remember what happened here last time, Flash?

It's where I died.

[grunting]

And I'm not gonna waste this second chance I've been given.

This time, I'm gonna show you who's the fastest man alive.

[grunts]

[metal clangs]

[computer beeping rapidly]

Barry? Barry!

His coms aren't working.

He's at the Prescott Mill.

That's right around the corner.

We gotta do something.

[whooshing]

[grunting]

Having fun yet, Flash?

'Cause I'm having a blast.

[grunting]

Ah!

[grunting]

Ah!

[whooshing]

Time to look for a new rival.

[laser beam blasts]

Stay away from my friend.

[whooshing]

[both grunting]

[glasses beep]

Thank you.

Sorry it took so long.

You were just in time.

Nothing. No mention of Alchemy anywhere.

No mask-wearing monk metas.

Not even close.

I didn't find any known aliases in any of the records at CCPD.

And Clariss won't say anything either.

All right, well, keep at him. Alchemy is the one that gave Clariss back his speed.

He's kinda like a doctor, that way, don't you think?

Come on, don't pretend like "Doctor Alchemy" doesn't have a nice ring to it.

Okay, well, that explains why he didn't have any traces of dark matter in his cells.

He didn't get his powers from the particle accelerator, he got them from Alchemy.

What was that?

Doctor Alchemy.

[laughs] How could he do that?

I don't know, but we need to figure it out.

There's gonna be more.

Alchemy... Doctor Alchemy said that he is preparing this world.

Preparing the world?

Mm-hmm.

For what? Like, the second coming or something?

I think that everyone that had powers in Flashpoint is gonna get them back.

Well, we already found four other husks, which means there's at least that many running around Central City right now.

We need to find him before he changes more people's lives.

Speaking of changing lives, we all talked about it, Barry, and we don't want to know what our lives were like in Flashpoint.

You sure?

To quote the wise words of Harry, "What's the point, Allen?"

I gotta get to the precinct.

Uh, stop by Jitters on the way?

Yeah, it's on me.

Oh, good. Then I'm coming, too.

[sentimental music]

Yo, um, I've just been thinking that it was pretty cool having someone out there with me last night.

And, I don't know, maybe we could make that a thing every once in a while.

I... I got some things to work on before I start doing that.

Yeah.

Maybe someday.

It'd be pretty bitchin'.

Glad to see everything's starting to get back to the way it was.

Yeah. I mean... mostly.

You have nothing to worry about, Cait.

I think out of everyone, actually, you're the only one that wasn't really affected when I messed with the timeline.

I mean, unless you're secretly moonlighting as an ophthalmologist.

A what?

Kidding, nothing.

Just a Flashpoint joke. I'll see you later.

[suspenseful music]

[ice crackling]

What's that?

That's the finished Edward Clariss report.

Or should I say The Rival?

At least, that's what The Flash called him last night when he took him into Iron Heights.

Huh.

I thought you might want to see it.

You know, to do with your other case.

Actually it turns out there was no connection.

Hm.

You know, I have to ask you.

Hm?

How did you know his name?

What?

Yesterday, you came in and you asked for Edward Clariss' report, but I didn't tell you who that husk belonged to, so that means you stole a sample when you showed up to my crime scene.

How did you do that?

I...

[laughs] Oh, wow.

You've really got this good guy routine thing down, haven't you?

And everyone just buys it.

There is something not right about you, Allen.

They don't see it... but I do.

Is that right?

Yes.

[chuckles] You know why I don't actually like you, don't you?

[exhales]

I don't trust you.

And I don't like things that I don't trust.

See you tomorrow, roomie.

Hey.

Hey.

Hi.

I was hoping you'd be here.

Yeah. Dad and I just polished off Grandma Esther's noodle dish.

Oh, did you leave me some?

Too slow, Flash.

Ooh.

[both laugh]

So you guys are...?

We're good.

Are you sure you don't wanna know about the other timeline?

No, I guess, in my mind, wherever you go, you'll always be Barry, and I'll always be Iris.

And we always find each other.

[sentimental music]

[ominous music]

You failed.

You failed, Clariss.

I'm sorry. Please... let me try again.

Alchemy!

[faint electrical crackling]

No, no, no, no, no.

[rumbling, booming]

No! [screams]