- Despero warns The Flash that great tragedies will lead to Armageddon; Barry doubles down on proving his innocence, but a devastating revelation pushes him to seek counsel from Black Lightning.
- Xotar, a new metahuman, arrives in Central City. Her ability to telepathically induce insanity leads Barry to believe that she is the reason for his madness that Despero warns will lead to Armageddon. Meanwhile, tragedies strike at Barry and STAR Labs, followed by a final shocking revelation, contribute to Barry's deteriorating mental stability.—Gislef
- In the speed lab, Despero attacks Barry and slams him to the floor. Despero tells Barry that he now knows the strength necessary to kill him, and Barry asks again what would make him turn his back on everything he's sworn to attack. The alien tells him that soon a new despair will befall Barry, and subsequently Barry's mind will crack and so will the world. Despero says that eventually Barry will snap, and the next day is the day that Barry's tragedy begins. The alien will stay nearby and when he senses Barry's mind going mad, he'll find and kill him. Despero wishes Barry luck and reminds the hero again that he'll be watching.
Later, Team Flash contacts Alex Danvers, who tells them that their data uplink to the Tower is complete and they have access to their alien database. Alex is called away and signs off, and as the team discusses Barry going mad in the past, Barry comes in and admits that he turned on the people he loved. He insists it won't happen again, Allegra figures that Despero's story doesn't add up, and there's no reason an alien would care so much about Earth,
Caitlin reports on the Bioscan she ran on Despero, and he's on a par with Kryptonians. Barry says that they'll prove Despero wrong about him going mad, and all they have to do is make it through the next 24 hours. He tells everyone to get some rest, and protecting Central City is still their top priority.
Later, Chester and Frost discuss the situation, and Frost asks Chester to build a weapon to use against Despero. He points out that he never has before, and Frost tells Chester that he should think of it as saving Barry's life.
The next day at the apartment, Iris finds Barry looking out the window. They admit that they couldn't sleep, and Iris says that she's going to stay out of the way and help Cecile with Jenna. Iris assures Barry that their destiny is to be together, and nothing will happen to her.
Barry's CCPD alert goes off, and he goes to the bank. Krober informs him that the guard went insane, firing his gun into the air, and the bank's vault was cleaned out. Kramer tells Barry that he's been suspended, and he's under investigation for federal crimes. Barry sees Despero's mental projection of himself in the crowd of onlookers, watching him.
Barry asks what Kramer what he's supposed to have done, and she says that the DA was reviewing the case against Sunshine. The DA found new evidence that points to Joseph Carver having a second inside man: Barry. Barry asks Kramer to let him investigate the robbery and the guard's insanity. Kramer considers the matter but tells Barry to stand down and he hands in his badge.
Barry goes to Cecile's office and asks her to find out what evidence the DA has against him. She threatens to sue the CCPP with an unlawful termination lawsuit. When Barry notices that Cecile is acting extra angry, she says that it's been hard and then says that she can find another presence in the room.
Despero's mental image appears in the room but only to Barry. The alien explains that he's there to assess Barry's mental stability. Barry insists that there's nothing wrong with his mind, and Despero says that Barry's mind hasn't broken... yet. Once the image disappears, Barry figures that there's another explanation for what's happening and figures the guard's insanity is related to his mind breaking.
Barry goes to the hospital room and confirms that the guard has had a complete mental breakdown. The guard stares up at the ceiling and mutters the word "Xotar" over and over. Then he sits up for a moment, and the cuffs on the bed restrain him. Caitlin calls and tells Barry that the city is shutting down STAR Labs, and the officer in charge, Hackshaw, says that he wants the radiation leak found.
Hackshaw tells Allegra and Caitlin that Central City's public safety law allows him to shut down STAR Labs. Barry arrives and Chester determines that the radiation scanners haven't update din over a week. He discovers that the earl detection scanner is corroded, and they're registering over a thousand rads from the power core. Hackshaw says that they're lucky they're not in the ICU, and orders a concrete-and-steel containment wall around the entire facility., then they'll demolish STAR Labs and move the debris to a waste site.
Once Hackshaw leaves, Barry tells the others to seal the critical levels and get out as fast as they can. Barry then goes to the Time Vault and has the Gideon AI use the hologram emitters to conceal the entrances to the team's base.
Chester looks at his plans for a Radiation Gun and then leaves.
In the speed lab, Gideon warns Barry that the information on the internal servers will compromise Barry's identity if compromised. Gideon says that it has to wipe itself as well, and the servers short out.
Barry meets with Allegra and Chester, and Allegra tells Barry that Frost has moved most of the team's equipment to Caitlin's apartment. At the apartment, Barry tells the others that the setbacks aren't proof that Despero's future isn't coming true. He says that they have to have faith in each other, and tells the other. He figures that Iris can help them.
Later, Barry meets Iris at CC Media. He worries that Despero is right, and Iris insists that nothing could never really hurt his friends. Barry isn't convinced, just as Iris gets a text from Taylor. Taylor has found out that Xotar is a psychic meta in National City that drives people insane..
Flash, searching the city at superspeed, arrives at a gem exchange truck, where Xotar has taken control of the guards. When Flash speeds at her Xotar uses her power on him. Barry finds himself at his apartment, and the place is torn up. The team tells Barry that he zoomed in and almost destroyed the place, and Barry says that he didn't remember any of it.
Barry insists that he's not going insane, but the team says that they saw him go berserk. Despite that, Barry asks Caitlin to prove he's himself. She bio-scans him and confirms that his brain waves are in normal parameters. The others stand down, and Barry tells them that Xotar is responsible. Barry offers to search the city at superspeed, and as the others prepare to go to their homes to set up, he says that they've got it and they can end the day with a win.
After running through the city, Flash stops beneath an underpass, gasping for breath. Despero tells him that Xotar isn't responsible, and Flash asks Despero what he has to gain. Despero says that he wants a home, and his home planet was overrun by evil. He led rebels but when he had a choice, he spared the oppressor's life. The oppressor rose again and rained down horrors a thousand time worse, and then banished Despero to Earth, where he saw it destroyed in 2031.
Flash insists that he can handle whatever is coming. Despero tells Flash that soon they'll see if Flash will endure the tragedy or be consumed by it, and then his mental projection disappears.
Allegra and Chester set up equipment in Chester's garage, and Allegra notices a weapon-like device and asks what it is. Chester dismisses it as a project for Frost, but Allegra isn't convinced by Chester's story. She says that she can tell that he's bluffing, and Chester admits that Frost asked him to build a weapon to hurt Despero. Allegra asks him how Chester feels about making a weapon, and he says that he was 10 when he made a disintegrator gun. It malfunctioned and burned down his best friend's family. After that, Chester vowed to never make weapon. Now he feels that he's going to hurt himself as well as Despero. Allegra tells her friend that he has to stay true to himself.
A temporary comm system Chester built goes off, registering Xotar's location. Chester then contacts Flash and tells him what he's found.
In the center of the city, Xotar stand in an intersection. When a convoy transporting rare art stops to avoid hitting her, Xotar tells the head guard that he sounds insane. The guards all go insane, while Xotar takes out the artwork. Flash arrives and speeds the guards away, then confronts Xotar. She telepathically freezes him, and then lifts him into the air. Xotar telekinetically crushes Flash while holding him in midair.
Chester picks up the encounter being reported by the police on his comm system. Flash tells them over the comms that they shouldn't come to help, and he can stop Xotar if he can generate enough lightning. Chester points out that Flash needs friction to build up that much lightning. The comms go dead, and Flash generates lightning by microscopically vibrating his cells. Chester realizes that Flash is building up lighting inside of him, since he can't move to cast it.
Flash glows with electricity, which disrupts Xotar's telekinetic hold and knocks her unconscious. Flash speeds over and captures her.
Later, the team all meets at Chester's garage. Caitlin checks in with the hospital and confirms the guard recovered when Xotar was knocked unconscious. She figures they don't have to worry about the rest of the day. Barry says that they should meet with Joe and Cecile, and the others wonder why he's acting like Joe is still alive. When Barry asks what they're talking about, Caitlin tells him that Joe died six months ago. Barry doesn't believe it, and Chester says that they'll figure out what's going on with Barry.
Shocked, Barry speeds to the West home, searches the place, and then asks Iris who is there what happened to Joe. Barry sees Joe's plaque on the fireplace, and Iris tells her husband that he gave the eulogy at Joe's funeral. Despite that, Barry insists that Joe isn't dead and they have to find out what happened to him. Cecile is there as well, and angrily tells Barry to accept that Joe is gone.
Cecile wonders why Barry is acting like the last six months didn't happen. He says that Joe isn't dead, and Cecile says that Joe is dead and she's trying to move on, but Barry won't let her. Iris checks her phone and tells Barry that he's all over the news, and asks what he's done. She turns on the TV, and a newscast is saying that Flash attacked the city with lightning. There were no deaths, but millions of dollars of damage.
Barry says that he doesn't remember doing it, and Cecile points out that Barry didn't remember the earlier incidents. Despero appears and tells Barry that it's been him all along. He says that it ends now, and blasts Barry unconscious with the Flame of Py'tar, emerging from his third eye.
Cecile tells Despero to get out of her home, and Despero telepathically puts her to sleep. Barry recovers and tells Despero to strike at him, not his friends. Despero gladly unleashes a blast of mental energy, and Chester and Allegra teleport in and Chester blasts Despero down with a weapon he's designed. Chester tells Barry to run, and he speeds out.
Despero recovers and asks why they're not helping him, grows into his gigantic form, and tells them that if they interfere again, he'll crush them. The alien says that he'll find Flash and kill him before he brings Armageddon, and teleports away.
Later, Team Flash call Alex and ask if she can tell them more about Despero. Alex says that they've heard rumors of the Flames of Py'Tar, the sentient heart of Despero's homeworld of Kalanor. The Super Friends have opened a file on Despero, the first Kalanorian that anyone has ever seen. Once Alex signs off, Chester says that he'll create something to track down Barry. Iris wonders what Barry will be like when they do.
Barry speeds to the Hall of Justice. Black Lightning arrives and Barry tells him that he needs his help against injustice.
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