05x05 - All Doll'd Up

[bunniefuu]

My name is Barry Allen and I am the fastest man alive.

To the outside world I'm an ordinary forensic scientist.

But secretly, with the help of my friends at S. T. A R. Labs I fight crime and find other meta-humans like me.

But when my daughter came back from the future to help, she changed the present, and now our world is more dangerous than ever, and I'm the only one fast enough to save it.

I am The Flash.

Previously on "The Flash" Ah!

What is that?

It's a game my dad and I used to play.

It's a letter from my dad.

He's still alive.

You put a power dampening chip inside me to take away my speed.

Is that why you've been so cold to me?

Why you don't want to spend any time with me?

Mom thinks that she had good reason to suppress my powers in the future.

I support her decisions.

Let's just call it, Barry.

She's not coming.

Again.

She's probably just helping with Jenna so Joe and Cecile can sleep in.

Every day for the past two weeks?

They look really tired.

They do.

Tripped alarm at Central City Art Gallery.

- Someone stole a Monet.

- At 10:00 a. m. ?

That's bold.

CCPD's en route, suspect heading west on Ruger.

The thief just turned on to Ramirez off of Fifth.

Almost there.

He's not carrying anything.

Because he handed it off to someone else.

- Nora?

- Nora?

- Uh, where's he headed?

- I got him.

I can stop someone on a motor cycle.

No, Nora, let Barry help, okay I know you did not just cut me off, miss thing.

Gotcha.

You okay?

This is why we train, Nora.

Every single day.

Not when you feel like it, not because you're mad, and why you always have someone in your ear when you're in the field to help you.

- I know that.

- Then why did you turn me off?

Because I can't listen to you anymore.

It's always the same condescending, I-know-better-than-you crap.

I just want to be me and you sit behind your desk and you say "no" every time and I've been hearing it my whole life and I'm sick of it.

- Your whole life?

- Yes, Mom.

Since I can remember, and you never change.

Iris.

You know, Nora, I wish you would try to understand who your mom is today, and stop seeing her as who she becomes in the future.

- That's for you.

- The hell is this?

Well, that's the hours to apply against my debt.

Fruitful hours spent getting closer to uncovering the identity of your serial meta-k*ller, Cicada.

And how's that?

Well, I apply a complex formula complex for you, involving the terminal velocity and the weight of the S. T. A. R. Labs' satellite and the velocity of Barry and Nora traveling when they Destroy the satellite, right, allowing me to conclude that The debris from the satellite, the satellite shrapnel, and the man who would become our Cicada would be found within this perimeter.

And that took you how long?

Oof, Dr. Snow.

Eighteen hours 'cause I'm only semi-excellent at algebra.

You know this is calculus, right?

Guys, look, calculon, algebra, either way it doesn't tell us where the shrapnel fell.

Mais non.

You have to scan the entire city to find the exact location.

Okay, so you need Sally the satellite to find Sally the satellite and we need Thomas Snow to point us to Thomas Snow.

- You lost him.

- At Thomas Snow.

We've hit a dead end with regards to my father.

I looked through all of his notes and papers.

There's no more hidden messages we could use.

A satellite to run DNA recognition patterns but I thought losing him when I was ten was hard, but, the idea that he's out there and I might not be able to get to him Maybe I can help you.

I thought your powers weren't working.

No, not fully, but this I can do.

You okay?

I saw him.

I saw your dad in in an office sketching something in a notebook.

I couldn't quite make out what it was.

Did you see anything else?

Um, equations on a chalkboard.

We didn't have a chalkboard in our home office.

No, but tell us everything that you saw.

What's on the walls, what's on the desk, what he was wearing.

Leave nothing out.

He had an ID.

It was, like, a yellow logo, like a yellow state building.

Yellow logo, so, not a state building.

A university building.

Hudson University.

- Professor Stein.

- And did you know him?

I knew he admired him, but I didn't realize that they were friends.

Add that to the growing list of secrets.

Let's go drive.

Thank you.

It's what I do.

Natalie, come here.

I have a pre-wedding surprise for you.

Flawless asscher cut diamonds set in platinum.

Over 383 karats.

My great grandfather gave this to his wife on their wedding day.

Tomorrow, it's yours.

Tomorrow?

That's t*rture.

Stop!

Mazel Tov.

Can you describe the man that you saw?

I'd barely call him a man, the way he moved.

And when he looked back at me, it was terrifying.

- Could you see his face?

- No.

He was wearing some sort of clown mask.

And you're sure the necklace is the only thing that was stolen.

Yes, and it's irreplaceable.

Thank you.

I really appreciate it.

Hey.

A nice surprise.

Yeah, well, a million dollar jewelry theft is still news even in Central City, so.

So, you're off the metas, huh?

Yeah, no, not today.

You know, I think I'm just gonna follow up on this while it's still fresh.

- I'll see you tonight, okay?

- Okay, wait.

Hang on.

I mean, we're working on the same case.

Why don't we pool resources, maybe solve this one together.

Yeah, I don't know, Barry, it's just Come on, grab some Big Belly on the way to S. T. A. R. Labs.

It'll be like a date.

- All right.

- All right.

Come on.

This is the life.

Seriously, I could stay here forever.

No worries, no schrap from mom Wait, wait, wait, what was that?

- Schrap.

- Schrap?

Schrap.

You know, like all the nagging that mom does.

I mean, she acts like she supports me, but what she really wants is a boring, quiet daughter who just wants to stay inside all day instead of go out and do anything that might be the least bit dangerous.

Nora, this is the West house.

In it, every West is given respect, most especially your mother.

I am sure she raised you as best she could.

She raised me to be afraid of the world.

But I'm a hero, you know, like dad.

And we have to keep moving until everyone that needs us is safe.

Okay.

I'm sorry, what is this for?

When Papa Joe comes back, this table is going to finally be built.

You wanted to keep moving.

- Oh, do I have to?

- Yes.

All right, I'll make you a deal.

For every chore you do I'll tell you one thing Papa Joe told me about your father that didn't make it into the precious Flash museum.

Oh, Mama Cecile, the museum has a complete record of all of Dad's accomplishments.

Including the time Barry ended up in an alternate past filled with golden giants called "Grodans"?

Wait, what?

Grodans.

Done.

So then what happened?

Not done.

Wait for it.

Huh.

Yeah.

So, why exactly does Caitlin have a key to Professor Stein's old office?

Clarissa gave me a key.

She didn't realize that Martin and my father knew each other either.

I wonder what he was doing in here.

Well, perhaps Mr.

Ramon could vibe the chalkboard and we could see for ourselves.

What do you think?

What did you see?

Hydrogen chains bonded over and over.

Two oxygen at absolute zero.

It's like it's making heavy water.

Not heavy water.

Ice.

Another one of my father's hidden messages?

Ah.

"Khione"?

What kind of a message is "Khione"?

A clear one.

At least to me.

Look, monsieur Ramon, you said that earlier that you could see that Dr.

Snow, her father sketching something, right?

That sketch that you could almost make out Did it look a little something like this?

Good lord, are you a speedster?

Speed sketcher.

It's a modest talent.

My father was drawing me?

Not you.

Khione.

Khione, the Greek goddess.

Child of the North Wind, whose realm was ice and snow.

Khione.

k*ller Frost.

That means that whatever Thomas was doing, he knew that there were two of you.

Also, it stands to reason that Thomas was there at the point of creation of k*ller Frost.

So, he knew the truth about k*ller Frost?

- He knew who I really am?

- Right.

- Did I scare him away?

- No, this wasn't your fault.

Look, I don't know why he left, but it wasn't because of you, and we're gonna prove that.

You okay?

Yeah, just lost my footing there for a second.

- What - What did you see?

You guys ever hear of Viera Chemicals?

Oh, it's an old chem lab out in the Barrens, but it's been shut down for years.

Well, what are we waiting for?

You know, it's been great seeing you out there again, doing what you love.

Yeah, I guess some girls grow up wanting to be Supergirl.

I always wanted to be Soledad O'Brien or Christiana Amanpour.

So yeah, it's really great to reconnect.

That's weird.

It says the hair I found is human but it can't pull any DNA.

- Maybe run it again?

- Yeah.

Come on, Novick.

You wanna improve Gotham City's skyline, you do it with a building nobody can take their eyes off of.

That's one of mine.

You go with me, I'll design you a building that makes the Burj Khalifa look like a strip mall.

Architecture means everything to me.

I mean, you tell me.

How many other architects have won the Pritzker Prize three times?

Good choice.

Where did you get this?

By some really weird markings at the bottom of a large gift box that I'm pretty sure was opened from the inside.

Okay, you know you're opening all of our mail from now on, right?

Somebody called in a b*mb thr*at at Seaver Architects.

- What happened?

- That thing, it did this.

Flash.

That thing destroyed my life's work.

So, he squeezed his way through an air conditioning vent?

Yeah, he could stretch kinda like Ralph, except he was wearing a - Clown mask.

- Yup.

Just like the guy that stole the Winehouse necklace.

Mm-hmm.

We got a stretching clown meta.

Yeah, that's not creepy at all.

Yeah.

Did you find any more of those weird lines?

No, and if there's more, they're buried underneath tons of rubble, just like our meta, unless he was able to stretch out of that one too.

Which I'm sure he was.

- The lines.

- What?

Well, I mean, our meta can stretch and contort, right?

What if his fingerprints can too?

Got him.

Peter Merkel.

And he was arrested for B&E two years ago.

Wait, Peter Merkel, the son of Billionaire Theresa Merkel?

Yup.

How does someone go from being a member of high society to stealing heirlooms and blowing up buildings?

Maybe we should attend this gala she's hosting and ask her ourselves.

Uh, I don't know, what if Merkel's there?

So what?

We'll come prepared.

Some meta handcuffs for me, a taser for you, and we get to dress up.

- Barry.

- What?

This is a meta investigation; this is not date night.

I'm just saying, I look really good in a tux.

When did this happen?

The night your father disappeared.

Oh.

Well, well, well.

Liquid nitrogen.

That's a potent accelerant, is it not?

Oh, this place it would have gone up.

Whoa.

So, all my father's work is completely gone?

Well, not necessarily.

I mean, think about it.

Police listed this fire as accidental, but they didn't know about the connection to Caitlin's father, so Ralph, my father told me to come find him.

Yeah, no, I know that, but a guy who disappears on the night of a warehouse fire and who's hard to find?

Well, if you think this was arson, let me tell you, if her father did this, well, he would need a lot of help covering his tracks, right?

Yeah.

Maybe he got it.

Listen, my mom may not be the best person, but there's no way she'd be party to something like this.

There's one way to find out.

What, you want to question the mother again?

You already did that, and what did you get?

Nothing.

Well it's a clue.

Surely, we should follow it.

You already know that this is still Tannhauser facility, okay?

So you're wrong.

Oh, I'm wrong?

I'm wrong?

I'm the one who figured out Cicada's mask.

You couldn't figure that out.

You said you wouldn't doubt me, that was your mistake.

Enough, yeah, enough!

Just give me this.

Cisco?

Cisco?

- You look amazing, by the way.

- Thank you.

There's Theresa Merkel.

Come on.

Wait.

What are we going to say?

We can't just ask her if her son was recently hit by dark matter into shrapnel.

- You'll think of something.

- Me?

So sorry.

Hi, Mrs. Merkel.

I'm Iris West Allen.

Oh, I know who you are.

Don't you usually write about lunatics and the heroes who catch them?

Well, you know, supporting the arts is a citywide concern.

- Hmm.

- I'm Barry Allen.

Ah.

And you're obviously not here to make a sizeable donation which means you, my dear, are here on assignment.

All right, ask whatever you like.

You have two minutes.

Well, it's about your son, Peter.

When was the last time that you saw him?

That would be two years ago when he broke into his own house.

I was out of town, and my staff had him arrested.

Do you know where Peter is now?

No, and I don't care.

See, I gave him the world.

The finest private schools, his own wing to play in.

But he just never appreciated it.

Enjoy the party.

I feel kinda bad for him now.

She's so cold.

Can you imagine what that was like?

Hey, you know what?

It's not a date without a dance.

Barry, wait.

I mean, this is work, right?

We just hit a dead end, so, why don't we just go home?

Hey, hey.

Just one dance, all right?

Okay.

You know, we never really had our first dance.

Yeah, this is really nice.

Excuse me for a second.

Hey.

You okay?

She gave her only son everything that she had and it wasn't enough.

Just like I'm not enough for Nora.

You are nothing like that woman in there.

You're sure, Barry?

I mean, I love our daughter with all my heart, but she hates me.

Because I turn my back on her just like Theresa Merkel did to her son.

I lie to her about everything that she is.

And I prevent her from living the life that she deserves.

I'd hate me too.

Iris.

You are never going to be the person that Nora knows from the future.

That's the thing.

It's not even up to us.

I've already become her and I didn't even have a choice.

While you were unconscious, I scanned your wounds.

There are still trace amounts of aluminum-beryllium alloy fused within your hands.

It's remnants from Cicada's dagger.

See, this is this is what I need.

I just need rest.

No, Cisco, rest is not going to fix this, okay?

Every time you vibe or breach, the dark matter is going to affect your central nervous system, causing you more and more pain.

Wait which you must have been experiencing all day today.

Why didn't you say anything?

Because you're my friend and you needed my help.

Okay, but I would never ask you to hurt yourself.

Every time you vibe you are going to have more and more seizures.

Then what am I supposed to do?

I remember when these powers were a curse.

Seeing Thawne k*ll me over and over.

Knowing that darkness.

I didn't want that.

I didn't want to be a hero.

These powers were a part of me.

I had to learn that.

And when I did, they showed me everything.

I could vibe every clue.

I could breach us wherever we needed to go.

I could bring my value to the team.

If I can't take the pain, that means Cicada wins.

No.

Hey.

Listen, I get it, okay?

When DeVoe took away k*ller Frost, I was destroyed.

But you know what?

I'm still here.

And so are you.

Because you are Cisco Ramon.

Genius engineer, prodigy hacker, and the mechanic who built a cold g*n that could stop a speedster.

And you're my friend.

You're my friend who went out there and hurt himself today.

Just to help me try and find my dad.

And that wasn't vibe.

That was Cisco, and that's the guy I need.

That cold g*n was pretty amazing.

It was stolen almost immediately Oh, immediately.

But yeah, it was pretty great.

You know, this case will keep until morning.

Yeah, I know, it's just Merkel's still out there.

And the gala was a dead end and all we know is that he committed two completely unrelated crimes.

I don't know what to do about Nora, Barry.

Yeah.

Well, look.

I mean, you know I'm on your side with this.

If you dampen her powers in the future, it's because you care about her.

You're doing it to keep her safe.

Yeah.

Just because I can protect her doesn't mean that I'm a good mom.

This isn't like what happened with Francine.

Isn't it?

She left me and my dad kept it a secret all to protect me.

And when she came back, I pushed her away.

I barely had a chance to know her before she I lost my chance to connect with my mom and Now when I get older, Nora is going to push me away too.

That's not gonna happen.

Well, it sure seems to be going in that direction.

Then choose a different route.

Make a different choice when you raise Nora.

If you don't want to be that person, don't be that person.

It's not that simple, Barry.

You're not your mom.

You're not Iris from the future, and you don't have to be, ever.

I think you should stop worrying about who you might become and reconnect with who you are, now.

Yeah.

Now, let's go home, all right?

Actually, can I just meet you there?

I think I have a lead.

Okay.

Shut up.

Dad did not keep singing.

No way was your father gonna let the middle school production of "Guys and Dolls" turn out to be a disaster.

Okay, um, one more.

So, when your dad was about ten, there was a kid in his class that lost his folks.

Kid stopped smiling, barely spoke.

And for some reason, all of the other kids in school were being so mean to him.

So, your father had lunch with this boy every single day for a whole year.

And when springtime came and the yearbook came out your father gave the kid an entire page and the photos of his science fair project made him "most likely to succeed. " And then the boy finally smiled.

Wait, but dad wasn't in yearbook.

That story wasn't about dad, was it?

It was about mom helping dad.

Wait, were all those stories you told me about mom?

Nora, you're projecting all of these feelings that you have about Iris 30 years from now.

You're not getting to know who she is today.

These stories that I told you, they're what made me fall in love with the Wests.

Made me realize how special this family is.

So If you liked them, plenty more in here.

Hey.

Hey babe, I just spoke with Mrs.

Merkel.

I think I know what Peter wants.

The Jewelry, the building, they all meant something personal to the victim.

He wants to deliver the most painfully emotional blow possible.

Just like his family did to him.

You you okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, sorry, that MO fits perfectly.

Who do you think's his next victim?

Ugh!

Barry?

Come and get him.

Guys, Merkel kidnapped Barry.

- What?

- How's that even possible?

He's got Barry's meta-cuffs.

- Well, that would do it.

- Who are you calling?

Damn it, Nora pick up.

I'll ping Barry's cell, see if I can get a location.

He's in Eaglesham apartments on Simone Ave.

I don't think he's in the apartments so much as on them.

Right.

Okay, guys.

We don't have a speedster, Cisco can't breach, and k*ller Frost is out of commission.

We need to come up with a plan to rescue Barry now.

The extrapolator.

We can reach in and grab him.

Great, where is it?

Right.

Uh, about that I broke it.

How did you break this?

Batting practice?

It's not user friendly.

- You're not user friendly!

- Cisco.

It's going to take me at least an hour to fix it.

- Cisco, we don't have an hour.

- Well, I No, but we do have me.

Let's go save The Flash.

That was inspiring.

- You got a cuff key?

- Thanks.

I'll drive.

Actually, I wanna try something.

Saw it in a comic book.

Whoo-hoo!

Whoo!

Ah, you're choking me.

You're choking me.

Hey, I used to live there.

- Ralph.

- Oh, I got it.

Police man.

Fancy cuffs.

Peter, you don't want to do this.

Look, I know how you got your abilities.

The night of the enlightenment, right?

You were hit by a piece of the satellite, weren't you?

Crushed!

Snapped.

Broken.

Okay, well, I know people who can help you.

People who could stop your suffering.

Suffering can't be stopped.

Especially hers.

If you touch Iris Don't want to hear your pain.

Only your wife's.

Let him go.

The wife.

You fire, he dies.

Okay.

Okay.

Just don't hurt him.

Hey Caitlin, what's up?

You heard the lady, Raggedy Dandy.

Let him go.

Okay.

Barry!

Mom.

Holy schrap.

You just threw yourself off a building to save dad?

- Yeah.

- That was beyond schway.

- You're crazy.

- I am.

- Thank you.

I love you.

- I love you.

Oh, my God.

Ralph is still up there.

I hope I don't land on my keys!

Ah.

Uh.

You guys still have those meta-cuffs?

Iris West Allen, I know badassery when I see it and that was raw, unrefined, cage-free, non-GMO, badassery right there.

- You dove off a building.

- For me.

Yeah, I guess I kinda did.

What was going through you mind?

"Uh, please, God, don't let me drop this key. " I mean, weren't you afraid?

You're not a speedster.

No, I'm not.

But my husband and my partner and my best friend is.

Well, not to interrupt this wonderful moment that I just interrupted, but, you know, I helped defeat - that boneless bozo too.

- Mm-hmm.

It wasn't so easy.

And that God, that mask.

It's like one of those porcelain dolls that's gonna k*ll you while you sleep.

I thought it was more like a ragdoll.

Yeah, that's right.

Still got it.

Hold your applause.

Guess it's off to Iron Heights for slippery old ragdoll.

Oh, wait, you're you're leaving?

Yeah, um, there's something I need to do, but I'll be right back.

I promise.

She looks happy.

Yeah, she really does.

I do that too.

Oh.

I was writing about what you did tonight.

It was awesome.

Thanks.

I guess it kinda runs in the family.

- Where did you get that?

- Oh.

Dad's always adding to it.

It's so silly.

No, it's not.

It's your life.

I mean, editor of the school paper by age 11.

Exposing a corrupt school teacher at the age of 15.

I mean, you never talk about this stuff.

In the the future, I mean.

It's, um, one of your off-limits topics.

I'm not allowed to ask about it.

Look.

Nora.

I am not that person in the future.

And nothing is off limits to me, okay?

I'm not gonna sit behind a desk and say "no.

" I want you to live your life.

And I want you to be a part of mine.

No secrets, no lies, just Us being who we are today.

- Really?

- Yeah, really.

Did you really stake out the school bathroom in third grade to prove that the school janitor wasn't cleaning it?

I'm gonna k*ll Cecile.

But, um, yes.

I was a real-life Nancy Drew back then.

Wow.

That's cool, mum.

Um, is it?

Shirley and I were talking and while we realize our styles are very different, what we both like Is a good mystery.

So we put our heads together.

And after some intellectual hair pulling, we realized that if your mom wasn't lying And Tannhauser was still somehow involved There's only one sure place somebody could hide without anyone knowing about it.

A Tannhauser black ops site.

There you go.

I mean, they've got dozens of them.

They were safe houses to test dangerous pathogens for the CDC but Mom hasn't taken a government job in years.

They'd all be shut down.

Yeah, that's why it's the best place to hide.

Okay, so how do we find them?

Without Sally?

Uh, have you tried Google?

Yes.

We just use their satellite.

I don't think we can use someone else's satellite.

Or maybe we can.

When DeVoe took over Sally, he also launched four of his own satellites to bring about the enlightenment, but now that he's gone maybe we can work around the Multiplexed burst-model channels and the inter-SV handoff.

We've got eyes and ears.

We've got eyes and ears!

- I knew you could do it.

- Ah!

- Oh, sorry.

- That was dumb.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to HAL, Robbie, Data, and Colossus.

I don't really like those names.

But nonetheless, those can help us in tracking the shards from the satellite?

These babies can help with anything and everything.

Well, once we figure out which one hit Cicada, we can figure out how he got his abilities, maybe find some kind of a weakness.

So, what we are waiting for?

Caitlin?

Do you know what this means?

We can locate your father.

Wait, wait.

I, uh Isn't this what you wanted?

It is, I just Okay.

When you're ready.

Thanks.