Episode 3 - Family of Rogues

It was late at night and Atchaco was sitting in her apartment. She had just finished pouring herself a glass of coke when her phone rang. Atchaco looks and sees that it is Iris and answers it. "Hey, Iris. What's up?" Atchaco wondered.

"Atchaco, I need your help, now!" Iris replied. She was running around inside a building as people were shooting at her and Atchaco heard the gunshots.

"Were those gunshots?" Atchaco said worryingly.

"Yeah. I'm at Baldwin Tower! I can't find a way out." Iris answered as she continued to be shot at.

"Window-- is there window?" Atchaco asked.

Iris had hid behind one of the pillars as the men who were shooting at her got closer. "Over here!" One yelled.

"Um, yeah, up ahead." Iris said. She then runs over to the window where the men were shooting at her, shattering the glass with the bullets. "Okay, I'm by the window. Why?"

"Okay, great, you're gonna need to jump." Atchaco informed her.

"What? Are you crazy? Atchaco, no way." Iris told her.

"Iris! Do you trust me?" Atchaco asked.

"Yes. Of course I trust you." Iris replied.

"Okay, then jump." Atchaco repeated and in seconds she super speeds out of her apartment in her suit.

"I can do this. I can do this." Iris whispered to herself. Iris then runs up to the window and jumps as the men still shoot at her. Macanese arrives and zooms up the building and grabs Iris, running back down and placing Iris back on her feet.

"All right. You good?" Macanese questioned.

"Yeah." Iris replied.

"All right. Wait, uh... how many guys are up there?" Macanese asked.

"Uh, two. They both have guns." Iris informed her.

"Okay." Macanese smiled. She then runs up the building. There was shouting and gunshots when Macanese came back down as she dropped the bad guy's guns on the floor. "Okay, now they're taking little naps till the CCPD wakes them. So what exactly were you thinking?"

"I got a hot lead on a real estate scam. I mean, these guys have been illegally evicting people, breaking up families." Iris explained.

"Okay, look, no story is worth your life." Macanese reminds her.

"Thank you for coming!" Iris said, hugging the cyborg.

"Yeah." Macanese replied.

"I can't wait to write about this." Iris admitted.

"Okay. See you tomorrow." Macanese said.

"See ya." Iris replies as she turns and leaves and Macanese zooms away in the other direction.

The next day, everyone had found the breach in the basement of STAR Labs. "Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Barry wonders.

"Still can't believe what I'm looking at." Jay admits.

They were looking at the huge breach in front of them that kind of looked like moving water. "52 breaches in Central City, and the biggest one just happens to be in our basement." Atchaco points out.

"We need a name for it." Cisco said.

"It's not a pet, Cisco." Caitlin reminds him.

"No, it's a wormhole." Stein tells them as he walks in.

"Professor Stein, what are you doing? Your blood pressure is 147 over 82! You could pass out again." Caitlin warns.

"Oh, it's merely a few points above the 140 average for someone my age. Besides, I have some ideas I would like to contribute to this discussion, Dr. Snow." Stein said.

"And I want to hear them. This isn't just a wormhole. It's my way home." Jay replies.

"Back to Earth Two." Caitlin said.

"Jay, you really think that we can use this as some kind of bridge from your world to ours?" Atchaco asked.

"You're the multiversal goddess, you should know." Cisco said.

"Yet I have never heard of anything like this happening in any sector of the multiverse." Atchaco admits.

"Zoom uses the breaches. Why can't we?" Jay wondered.

"We don't know how. Everything I put through just bounces back." Cisco tells them.

"If Zoom's using these breaches to transport people from Earth Two, maybe it takes a speedster." Barry realises.

"He's not gonna…" Cisco starts to say.

"Yeah, he is." Jay replies.

"Heys really doing this." Atchaco sighs.

A few seconds later Barry runs towards the breach and just bounces off it. "Maybe I'm not fast enough." Barry said as Atchaco helps him up with a smile on her face.

"I don't believe your speed is the entirety of the issue, Barry. It might be the breach's stability or lack thereof." Stein replied.

"He's right." Jay agreed. "We need to think of the breach as a door, and on Earth Two, there's another door. In between, we have a hallway, but the hallway's constantly shifting, twisting, collapsing upon itself."

"And the doors keep moving with it." Atchaco notices.

"So we stabilise the door, we stabilise the hallway." Cisco said.

"And then I can jump through it." Barry smiles.

"Exactly, it would serve as a kind of cannon. A speed cannon." Jay told them.

"Mm. We should hang out more." Cisco admits.

"All right." Stein said. "No more tests today. All of you are leaving now, as am I. Cherish the gift of youth as I will go cherish my much needed nap. Clarissa's already on her way to pick me up." Everyone leaves as Jay stays and looks at the breach.

Later, Joe meets up with Iris's mum at a Jazz bar. "Joseph. You're wearing your wedding ring." She notices.

"Divorced men take them off. Widowers don't. I need you to leave town." Joe informed her as he gave her an envelope full of money.

"And you thought you could pay me to walk away from my own daughter?" She wondered.

"Last time, you walked away for free." Joe reminded her.

"No amount of money is gonna keep me away from Iris." She said.

"It has been 20 years, Francine. Why did you show up now?" Joe questioned.

"Now I'm different. Now I'm ready." Francine told him.

"No. Now you're too late. Iris is fine without you." Joe tells her.

"You've done--" Francine replied as she reached out to him and he pulled away. "You've done a wonderful job, Joe. Better then I ever could, but right now, she needs her mother. Losing the love of your life isn't something you can just get over in a few months. I would know."

"Would you? You have 48 hours to leave Central City." Joe informes her as he gives her the money and walks away.

"I'm not going anywhere." Francine replied.

Later at Jitters, Barry was picking up coffee orders for himself and everyone else when he ran into Patty. "Oh!" Patty gasped.

"Hey." He then sees Patty. "Hey!" He greets her.

"Hey! The Flash and Thunder!" Patty returned.

"What?" Barry said.

"The drinks that they're serving today. They're called 'The Flash and Thunder.'" Patty informed him and she pointed to three of the coffees. "These ones are brewed coffee with an extra shot of espresso." She then points to the other two. "And these ones are the same but with a double shot, they are supposed to keep you running all day. But you should maybe just, you know, have one of those."

"Uh, yeah, no, my--my friends and my girlfriend, uh, ordered these. I didn't even realise-- Um, are you sticking around to celebrate?" Barry wondered.

"You know, actually, I can't. I have to head into work." Patty told him.

"Okay." Barry said.

"But it was great to see you." Patty replied.

"Yeah, good to see you. Okay, bye. Bye, Patty." Barry told her and she waves as she leaves. Barry walks over to the table. "All right, three Flashes and two Thunder."

"Mm-hmm." Cisco grinned.

"Be careful--apparently, they are both super-caffeinated. First Atchaco and I have a day named after me. Now we have a drink." Barry points out.

"Well, all the things you do, rebuilding this place, protecting people-- everyone's appreciative, right?" Atchaco reminds him.

"Mmhmm, I'll drink to that." Cisco said.

"Yeah." Iris agreed. They all then clicked their cups together, except for Caitlin who was looking at her phone.

"Hey, you guys think Professor Stein is okay, right? I mean, Clarissa would call if there was anything wrong." Caitlin wondered.

"Yeah." Atchaco nods.

All right. I'm just gonna call and check in. I'll be back." Cailin said and she walked away.

"Uh-- I don't see that call going well." Barry told them and Atchaco and Iris laughed.

Cisco then makes an impression of Stein saying, "Young lady, these repeated intrusions are interrupting what should be a speedy recov–" Cisco then bumps into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologise." They reply as she turns around and it turns out to be Lisa. "You can bump into me any day, Cisco."

"Lisa Snart." Cisco replies. "You here to double-cross us again, or are you and your big bro holding up coffee shops now?"

"I need your help." Lisa admits.

"In your dreams, Sister Cold. You know I could call The Flash and Thunder. They'd be here in like two seconds--probably one." Cisco tells her.

"Call them." Lisa replies.

"Oh, okay. I'm gonna call him. Mm-hmm. You really want me to call The Flash and Thunder?" Cisco wonders.

"I need their help too. My brother's been kidnapped." Lisa tells him.

Late at night, Lisa was brought into STAR Labs and Barry and Atchaco stood there in their suits. "All right, so you really want us to just believe that Captain Cold was kidnapped?" Macanese questions.

"I saw it happen." Lisa replies.

"Mm-hmm." Cisco hums.

"Last night, Lenny, me, and Mick were knocking over the cashier's cage at Central City Racetrack." Lisa recalled.

"Does it physically pain your family not to rob people?" Caitlin wonders.

"I never finished the job." Lisa admits. "After Mick torched through the side entrance, I looked back for Lenny and saw him getting thrown into the back of a van."

"And why didn't you and Mick follow?" Barry asked.

"I would have." Lisa answered. "Someone hit me from behind and knocked me out. When I came to, Lenny was gone, and Mick already made off with the cash."

"How do we know this isn't some kind of a trap?" Caitlin questioned.

"If Lenny wanted Flash or Thunder dead, he would have let Mardon, Simmons, and Bivolo take that honour, remember?" Lisa reminds them.

"Yeah, we remember." Macanese replies.

"Good." Lisa said. "Then you'll also recall that you owe Lenny a favour for saving your life. Time to make good on that debt, Flash."

"I do not like her." Caitlin admits.

"Yeah, but she makes a point." Cisco tells her. Caitlin glares at him. "What? We should at least hear her out. Right?"

"Even if we wanted to help, how are we supposed to find him?" Barry asked.

"Not a problem." Cisco smiles. "See, when I rebuilt the cold gun, I didn't have time to place a tracker on it, so I devised a method of locating it by borrowing some military technology." Cisco walks over to the computer and starts tracking the cold gun. "See, the gun works the same as thermal imaging, only instead of infrared heat signatures, it's looking for ultraviolet cold signatures." The computer then beeps as he tracked the gun. "Whoa, look at that. The gun's UV thermal reading was last picked up at 5th and Hoyt eight minutes ago."

"All right. Let's see if you're a liar." Macanese replies.

Macanese and Barry then zoom out of STAR Labs and head over to 5th and Hoyt and they find Snart there. "Snart." Barry whispers.

"Barry. Atchaco." Snart replies mockingly.

"Are you okay?" Macanese asked.

"Peachy." Snart answered.

"Okay. Uh, we're supposed to be here to rescue you." Barry admits.

"That's not necessary. You can both speed along now." Snart replies.

"Look, Snart, if these guys are making you do this--" Macanese starts to say.

"No one makes me do anything." Snart tells them as he starts taking the blueprints.

"Then why does your sister think you've been kidnapped?" Barry questioned when there was a thud. Barry and Macanese turn around and then Snart shoots his cold gun at Barry. Snart turns and looks at Macanese and does the same thing to her before she can help Barry.

"What's taking so long?" A man wondered as he walked into the room.

"I got held up." Snart said.

"Always the excuse with you." He replies and then he sees Barry and Macanese. "Look at that. I didn't think you had it in you, son."

"Thanks, Dad." Snart smiled and the two speedsters.

"Come on. We're behind schedule." Snart's Dad reminded his son.

"You know what they say. 'Live fast, die young.'" Snart said and then he and his father leave Barry and Macanese covered in ice.

"Talk to me. What's going on?" Cisco said into their earpieces.

"Cisco! Snart hit us with his cold gun." Macanese said panicking. "Barry is freezing and my hydraulics aren't going to last long at this temperature."

"Their vitals are bottoming out!" Caitlin warns.

"I'm bringing the heat right now." Cisco said. He then presses a button and the lighting bolt on Barry and Macanese's suit start to heat up and the ice starts melting right away.

"What?" Barry sighs. "The suit. What's happening?"

Therma-threading, baby. It's a little something I added for situations exactly like this one." Cisco informed them and in a few seconds all the ice was gone. "Please, please tell me it's working."

"Yeah, it works, but Snart's gone, and Lisa has a lot of explaining to do." Macanese legs shook as her hydraulics took her weight again.

Back at STAR Labs, they had told Lisa everything. "So your brother was not kidnapped. He was pulling a job with your father." Barry informed her.

"What? No, Lenny would never do that." Lisa told them.

"Oh, just like he would never try and kill The Flash and Thunder with his cold gun." Caitlin replied.

"Are you sure it was my dad?" Lisa asks as Cisco pulls up Lewis Snart's picture on the screen.

"That's him." Macanese nodded.

"Lewis Snart. Convicted of larceny, armed robbery, aggravated assault, assault with a deadly weapon." Caitlin listed.

"You have to believe me. Lenny would never work with him. He's a bad guy." Lisa said.

"You and your entire family are criminals." Caitlin reminded her. "Why should we trust anything you say?"

Lisa lowers down the right side of her jacket and the collar of her shirt, showing them all a scar. "I didn't get this scar being a criminal. I got it being a daughter." Lisa informs them and she then turns around and walks out of the Cortex. Barry was about to go after her when Cisco stopped him.

"Let me go. I got this." Cisco says and leaves. After a bit of searching he finds her in his work room. "I see you found my hiding spot. This is usually where I come to, you know, get away." Cisco admits.

'First time my father came after me, I was seven." Lisa recalls. "Second time, I was eight. That's when I learned that a bottle hurts worse than a fist. He used to say he was trying to teach us lessons. I must have been a slow learner, because the lessons never stopped."

"I'm sorry, Lisa." Cisco apologised.

"Lenny practically raised me. If it weren't for him, I would have turned out a lot worse." Lisa tells him. Cisco tilts his head and smiles softly. "I know, how could I be any worse?" Lisa smiles softly.

"I didn't say that." Cisco chuckles

"You didn't have to." Lisa replies. "But believe me, there is worse. And, look, he may be a jerk brother, but he's the only jerk brother I've got. He protected me. Now it's my turn. If he's with my dad, he is in serious trouble. Please. You've gotta find out what's going on."

Later at Central City Picture News, Iris was at her desk, working when Joe walked up to her. "Hey, baby." He greeted her.

"Dad!" Iris returned. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to check in on my favourite crime-fighting reporter." Joe said.

"Dad!" Iris laughs softly as she gives him a quick hug.

"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about." Joe admits as the girl who hit on Barry at the bar walks up to Iris.

"Hey, Iris. Editorial needs your photos and story ASAP. Congratulations, Detective. Your daughter's expos just made the front page." Linda told him.

"What?" Iris gasped, surprised.

"I am so happy for you. A little bit jealous, but I'll get over it." Linda said.

"Thanks, Linda. I got lucky." Iris replied.

"No, she's being modest. Your daughter's a serious badass." Linda complements.

"You don't have to tell me." Joe replied. Linda smiles and walks away.

"Well, better let you get back to work." Joe said.

"Wait, there was something that you wanted to talk to me about, right?" Iris wondered.

"Later, it can wait. Go be fabulous." Joe smiled.

"Okay." Iris laughs. Joe looks at Iris before he leaves.

Later at a bar, Barry and Atchaco find Snart who was eating in a booth. "Back from the dead so soon, Barry?" He turns to Atchaco. "Atchaco, as lovely as ever of course. Pass me the salt." Snart said. Atchaco slides over to Snart. "Don't spill. It's bad luck." Snart puts the salt on its side.

"Why are you working with Lewis? Lisa told us you hate him." Barry told him.

"Things are... complicated with family, as you know with your own parents, hmm?" Snart smiles.

"Tell us what's going on. Let us help you." Atchaco said.

"Don't waste your time trying to save people who don't want to be saved." Snart tells them.

"Yeah, well, maybe it's not just about you, all right? I'm betting whatever you two are up to, innocent people are gonna get hurt." Barry replied.

"Don't worry, I remember our deal. You both leave me alone, I make sure no one dies." Snart reassures him.

"All right. You're a criminal, Snart, but you live by a code." Atchaco reminds him.

"And it sounds to us like Lewis doesn't, like he won't care if people die. That's why we can't leave this alone." Barry informs him.

"Then everyone will know who The Flash and Thunder are under those masks." Snart said he turns to Atchaco. "And you know that I am not kidding.

"We don't care. We will take you down anyway. Both of you." Atchaco admits.

"We'll see about that. Thanks for dinner." Snart said as he got up and left. Then the waitress walks up and hands Barry the check as his phone vibrates.

Later, Barry and Atchaco were over at the house with Joe, looking at pictures of Iris's mum. "Iris' mom is alive." Barry realises.

"I lied to Iris, you Barry." Joe turns to Atchaco. "Hell, I got Triton to hide her existence from you."

"Why?" Atchaco asked.

"I felt like I didn't have a choice. Francine did so many things wrong. Just about everything. I don't know. Now I feel like my one wrong might be worse." Joe admitted.

"Look, Joe. We've known you for, you know, most of our lives, and we know that you always have a good reason for the decisions you make. And obviously, you were worried that Iris would go down the wrong path if Francine raised her." Barry replied.

"Look at Snart. He's a criminal because he had Lewis for a father. That could have been me." Barry said.

"And it was me." Atchaco admits. "You know who I have killed as Lady Macanese."

"Oh, come on. Never." Joe reassured them. "And Atchaco, you were doing that to save the multiverse."

"Yeah, because I had you. And so did Iris. You just gotta trust in that and tell her the truth." Barry replied.

"Yeah, how do I do that without hurting her?" Joe asked.

"She's not a little girl anymore." Atchaco reminded him. "You should have seen her in action the other day, putting her neck on the line for a story. She can handle anything that comes her way."

"I just lied to her for so long, I'm scared she's not gonna understand or forgive me. I could lose her." Joe replies.

"No, she's gonna forgive you. You just gotta give her a chance." Barry tells him.

Later at an abandoned warehouse, Snart and Lewis were with their buddy. "We make our move at 9:00." Lewis informed them. "That's when the cleaning crews go in and the daytime shift leaves. Now we'll go up in the service elevator to the 27th floor. They got a two-man team of armed guards working the 27th through 29th floor, but if we time it perfectly with their shift change, we should be able to get in and out."

"And if the timing doesn't work out?" Snart questions.

"Then those guards don't make it home." Lewis replied.

"But if we start on the top floor, there's a service elevator that will--" Snart tries to say.

"Son." Lewis cuts him off. "You and I both know that there's casualties in this line of work." He faces the other guy in the room. "Rutenberg, you're the tech guy. Did you find a solution for the vault hallway?"

"Not yet. That Draycon Systems keypad's gonna be a problem." Rutenberg told him.

"Fine." Lewis chuckles. "How about you? You gonna disappoint me too, or is that freeze gun of yours gonna look after the power source for the laser grid?"

"It's a cold gun, and yes, but I have a better way to get past the lasers." Snart admits.

"That gun is the only reason you're here, so shut up before I make you–" Rutenberg starts to say but gets cut off when Lewis presses a button on a remote. "Ow! Ow, my-- my head. Oh! My head! Aah!" He screams. "Feels like it's gonna–" Snart watches in horror as he sees Rutenberg gets his head blown off.

"Nobody talks to my son that way. Nobody." Lewis warns.

The next day, police were surrounding a crime scene. There was a truck with a body inside it that was missing a head. Joe, Atchaco and Barry walk over to the truck as Patty walks up to them. "Don't worry, sir. I waited for you this time. Okay, I may have done a quick preliminary assessment of my own. Something is definitely weird." Patty said. They then walk over to the truck and Patty pulls the tarp off of the body.

"Oh." Joe gasps.

"Decapitation." Barry realises.

"Yeah." Patty agrees.

"Yikes." Atchaco said.

"We're still recovering parts of the head, so the ID is taking a little longer than normal. Aah! Ugh. Sorry, I thought I stepped on an ear. I didn't. If I did, I'd be hearing things." Patty jokes.

"Oh, hell no." Joe replies, walking away. Barry chuckles and Atchaco rolls her eyes.

"Doesn't look like the head was sliced off with any weapon I'm familiar with, and I'm familiar with most weapons." Patty reminded them.

"Yeah, you're right. Perforation around the neck-- it's too jagged." Atchaco notices.

"It's almost like the head was blown off." Barry realises.

"Like a meta-human who can explode heads, right?" Patty asked.

"Not necessarily." Atchaco runs her fake hand just above the head and something beeps. "Traces of thermite."

"Bomb residue?" Patty questioned.

"Uh-huh." Barry replied.

"But then why wasn't the rest of the body blown apart?" Patty asked.

"I don't know." Atchaco admits as Joe walks up with a file.

"The victim is David Rutenberg, security systems expert, and guess who's on his list of known associates." Joe informs them.

"Who?" Barry questions.

"Lewis Snart." Joe answers.

"Lewis Snart. Isn't he related to Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold?" Patty wondered.

"Please don't call him that." Joe said.

"Okay." Patty nods.

"Uh, one second." Barry said.

"Sure." Patty replied.

"Come here." Atchaco said to Joe and they walked over to the side with Barry.

"I think this guy is part of Snart's crew." Barry tells him.

"So Snart put a bomb in him to keep him in line?" Joe asks.

"No, Snart wouldn't do that, but his father would." Atchaco points out.

"So Lewis is killing people, and Snart's still working with him? What happened with the deal you had?" Joe wondered.

"Maybe he doesn't have a choice." Barry replied.

"So you think Lewis put a bomb in his own son to force him to pull off a heist?" Joe questions.

"Snart still wouldn't do it. He'd dig the bomb out of his own head if he had to." Atchaco tells him.

"So it must be something else that Snart cares about." Joe realises.

"The only thing Snart cares about is his sister." Barry replies.

Back at STAR Labs, Jay was in the basement building the speed canon when Caitlin walked in. "Hey." She greeted him.

"Hey." Jay returns.

"Thought you might be hungry." Caitlin said as she held up a bag of Big Belly Burger.

"Ah, good to know whatever Earth you go to, there's always a Big Belly Burger. Thank you very much." Jay replied, taking the bag.

"Looks like you're making progress." Caitlin smiles.

"Slowly. Should be able to do this a lot faster." Jay reminds her.

"You miss it, your speed?" Caitlin wonders.

"Yeah. Surprising how much." Jay admits.

"So what will you do when you go back to your Earth?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't know. Guess I'll just have to get used to being–" Jay starts to say.

"Normal?" Caitlin suggests.

"Yeah." Jay chuckles. "Two years ago, I was just a scientist slowly trying to save the world by purifying heavy water without residual radiation."

"Important work." Caitlin replied.

"Yeah." Jay agrees. "It was, but after the Particle Accelerator exploded, I didn't need to wait years for my research to save a life, I could save one before breakfast. I could save 50 before going to sleep. There's nothing like that rush. You guys have been fighting so many battles, one after another, I'm not sure Barry and Athcaco have had time to take it in, to appreciate how great it can feel."

"Being a superhero isn't always about how fast you can run." Caitlin reminds him. "It's about helping however you can, wherever you're needed most. I think that Jay Garrick, physicist, has just as much to contribute as Jay Garrick, superhero. Maybe more."

"You know what would help me build the speed cannon faster?" Jay questioned.

"Hmm?" Caitlin hums.

"An extra set of hands. Specifically ones with a surgeon's precision." Jay tells her.

"Me?" Caitlin wondered and Jay nodded. "Sure, if you think I can really help."

"Hey, Caitlin? We need you up here, like, right now." Cisco calls through the intercom.

"Sorry." Caitlin apologised.

Minutes later up in the Cortex, Cisco shines a light on Lisa which scans her and the results pop up on the computer screen. "Oh, boy." Cisco gasps.

"What is it?" Lisa asks as Cisco moves the scanner off her.

"Lisa, there are traces of thermite on your skin." Caitlin informs her.

"Thermite? Like an explosive?" Lisa questions.

"Not like an explosive." Caitlin said.

"It's a bomb." Cisco told her. "When you were knocked out, your dad must have injected you with it." Lisa looks at him with shock at the fact there was a bomb inside her, which was not good.

Later, Joe was at his house, looking at the photo album in the dining room when Iris walked into the house. "Hey, Dad, what's up? Your message was pretty cryptic, even for you." Iris points out as she walks over to him.

"Hey, baby, I need you to sit down." Joe said.

"Dad, what's going on?" Iris asked as she sat across from him.

"Okay." Joe sighed. "When I was still a beat cop, me and my partner were on patrol, and dispatch came on the radio. A little girl had called in. She said her mom had taken some pills and she wouldn't wake up. And the little girl gave the address. The address was mine. By the time I got here, your mother was unresponsive. Passed out on the couch. And in the kitchen, the stove was on. There you were, standing in front of an open flame. If I hadn't gotten here when I did–"

"Wait, my mom–" Iris starts to say.

"Your mom was a drug addict." Joe cuts her off. "This wasn't the first time something like that had happened. I got Francine into another rehab, and a couple days later, she was gone. I looked everywhere for her, but wife of a cop, she knew how to disappear. I couldn't stand... the thought of you growing up thinking you were abandoned. Going to sleep at night thinking your mother left because you weren't enough to make her stay, that you weren't loved, because I loved you." Joe's voice breaks as he had tears in his eyes. "I loved you with everything I got. Then we took Barry in, and I saw the trauma he was going through and I-- I was sure. I was sure... that I did the right thing. Not giving you that burden."

"What do you mean 'mom left'? I-- I don't-- I don't understand. I don't understand. What are you telling me?" Iris wonders as her eyes get watery.

"Your mother's alive. She's here in Central City. She wants to see you." Joe admits.

"All these years, I thought-- Daddy, you told me that my–" Iris started to say.

"I know. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't figure out the right way. The mother you thought you remember-- the perfect mother and the stories I made up for you-- that is the mother you deserve, and I knew Francine couldn't be like that. She would only break your heart. I'm so sorry." Joe apologises as he starts sobbing.

"Dad... It's okay. I understand. You were just trying to keep me safe." Iris reassures him, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

Back at STAR Labs, Macanese was holding her metal hand up to Lisa's neck as Caitlin and Barry stood behind her. "The micro-bomb casing must be made of some kind of a ferromagnetic material." Macanese tell them.

"Once you hold it steady with the magnetic pull from your arm, I can surgically exercise it." Caitlin said.

"Macanese step away now!" Cisco orders as he storms in. Macanese backs away from Lisa and lifts her hands up. "This is a really concentrated bomb. It's gonna combust if it's exposed to magnetic friction and an oxidant." Barry and Caitlin then also back away from Lisa.

"What's he talking about?" Lisa asked.

"Air. Uh, the bomb will explode if it comes in contact with air." Barry simplifies.

"Don't worry, Lisa. We're gonna find another way to get it out. Scientific minds. Can we confer, please." Cisco said.

"What if Flash or Thunder speed extracts it?" Caitlin questioned as they walked into another room.

"Nope, it's too risky. I'm gonna find a way to get it out. I just need a little time." Cisco admits.

"Well, we need to keep track of Lewis until you figure out how to disarm the bomb." Barry said.

"I wish we knew what he was gonna steal next and when." Caitlin replied.

"Maybe I can get them to tell me. Their tech guy is dead, so I'm betting they're gonna need a new one. I'm saying I'm gonna infiltrate Lewis' crew." Barry informs them.

"Oh no, I really do not like that plan." Atchaco tells him.

"You're gonna pretend to be a criminal?" Caitlin wonders.

"How hard can it be?" Barry questions.

Later, Barry finds Snart at a warehouse and he was cleaning his gun. "These visits are getting old." Snart admits.

"Third time's a charm." Barry smiles.

"I see you left Atchaco out of this and anyway I told you, I don't need saving." Snart reminds him.

"But your sister does." Barry informs him. "I know your dad put a bomb in Lisa. Lewis told you he'd kill her if you didn't help him, right? Look don't worry. My team's working on a way to remove the bomb."

"I hope you got that gun of yours ready to blast 'cause--" Lewis stopped talking when he saw Barry. "Who the hell's this?"

"Um, Lenny said you needed new tech. What's up, I'm Sam, so…" Barry said.

"Heh! You tellin' me you think this kid can crack a Draycon keypad?" Lewis wondered.

"Uh, I did help Snart steal the Kahndaq Dynasty Diamond from Central City Museum last year. That was locked up behind an AmerTek Industries Phase Three Suppression Door with a Draycon XL-1218 keypad. So…" Barry chuckles.

"Couldn't have done it without him." Snart said.

"Draycon's my jam." Barry smiled.

"Ah. Okay, Sam. Let's go." Lewis said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Right now?" Barry questions.

"You got a problem with that?" Lewis asked.

"No, all good. Can't wait." Barry lies and Lewis and Snart walks out. "Oh, this should be fun."

Later, they all walked into a building dressed as janitors. "Keep quiet and follow my lead." Lewis ordered. "Just like old times." They all walked to the front desk where two security guards were watching TV. "You watching the Diamonds' game?"

"Yeah, the Salamanders are killing 'em. IDs." He said and they all give the security guard their ID's, which were fake. "What floor are you going to?"

"27th." Lewis replies. The security guard was scanning the ID's but they wouldn't go through. Lewis was about to pull out a gun when Barry intervened.

"Hey, what's the hold up, guys? I mean, you wanna call management and explain why the toilets are still overflowing? We're all on the clock, right?" Barry wondered.

"Yeah, you guys are good to go." He said.

"Thanks." Barry replied.

"You enjoy the game, guys." Lewis told them.

"Diamonds don't stand a chance." He said.

"Not tonight they don't." Lewis smiled. Minutes later, they all go up the elevator to the 27th floor. "Hold on. Did you hear that?"

"I got it." Barry said, using his camera on his phone to take a look. "It's two armed guards."

"Guess your timing didn't work out after all." Snart pointed out.

"Yeah, that's why I got a Plan B." Lewis informed them.

"'Cause you always needed one." Snart mocks.

"Yeah, but... your sister turned out to be a disappointment also." Lewis said, taking out a gun.

Barry sees the gun and he quickly uses his speed to get rid of the guards safely. He then comes right back without Lewis and Snart noticing. "All right, what do you guys say we get on with the job? Guards are gone. Must have taken a break." Barry lies.

"Yeah, must have." Snart said, grabbing his cold gun.

Seconds later, they walked down the hallway towards the door they were going to break into. "Okay, Sam. Show us what you got." Lewis said.

"Yeah, all right. Gonna just-- You guys just keep a lookout and I'll…" Barry started to say as Lewis and Snart turned around. Barry then uses his speed to crack the code on the door and in seconds the door opens. "Boom! Told you Draycon was my jam."

"Nice job, Sam." Lewis compliments.

"Yeah." Barry agreed.

"It's good to go out on a high note." Lewis said as he takes out his gun and shoots Barry, who falls to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Barry." Snart apologised, looking at him sadly. They go through the door and it closes.

Minutes later, Barry was laying on the ground but okay, he had never gotten shot. Barry had got the bullet and just acted like he was shot. He then hears a gust of wind and looks up to see Atchaco standing in front of him in her Thunder suit. "I told you I hated this plan." Macanese reminds him. "Why didn't you let me do it?"

"I know." Barry sighed. "Also, you know why." Macanese nods.

Back at STAR Labs, Cisco walks up to Lisa with a pressured gun. "What are you gonna do to me with that thing?" Lisa asked.

"Operating pressure on this is over 1,000 PSI. This will easily suck the micro-bomb out of her neck and into the barrel of this with one high-powered shot. There is one slight risk." Cisco admits.

"Besides shooting a high-powered weapon directly against my neck?" Lisa wondered.

"The gun does use compressed air." Cisco tells her.

"I trust you, Cisco." Lisa said, touching his arm.

Meanwhile, Snart and Lewis had stopped in front of a hallway where they heard a low humming, singling that there were lasers all over the hallway. "Okay, son. Make me proud." Lewis smiled.

"Like I care." Snart replied. Snart then shoots his cold gun at the lasers and they freeze.

"Ha, now what?" Lewis wonders. Snart looks at him and rolls his eyes. He then walks through the frozen laser and it shatters as he passes.

"I told you, I had a better way past the lasers." Snart reminds him.

"Step aside. Time for another lesson." Lewis said as he gets his supplies and starts to crack the safe.

"You've got 125 seconds before the system defrosts." Snart warns.

"Then what?" Lewis asked.

"Sirens." Snart tells him. Lewis gasps when he gets the safe door open and sees all the diamonds.

Back at STAR Labs, Cisco was getting ready to get the bomb out of Lisa. "How do you feel?" Cisco asks her.

"Like we should have put down some plastic." Lisa answers.

"It's not funny." Cisco laughs softly.

"Yeah... but I like it when you smile." Lisa admits.

"Okay, ready?" Cisco wondered.

"Shoot me, Cisco." Lisa sighs. Cisco was about to put the gun to Lisa's neck when the communicator beeps.

Caitlin gasps and then runs over to the computers. "It's--b--Flash and Thunder!" Caitlin informs him.

"Cisco, how's it going with Lisa?" Barry asked.

"Uh, kind of in the middle of it right now, buddy!" Cisco replies.

Barry hands Macanese the phone as he quickly changes into his suit. "All right, we need that bomb out. The heist is going down right now." Macanese reminds him.

Meanwhile, Lewis was dumping the diamonds into a bag when suddenly alarms started blaring. "Time's up." Snart said.

"Let's get out of here." Lewis ordered.

Just as they were about to leave, The Flash and Thunder appeared in front of them. "Only place you're going is back to Iron Heights, Lewis." Barry tells him.

"Ah, you two wanna bet?" Lewis smiled.

"Do we wanna bet?" Macanese wondered.

"Do not bet! Give me a minute." Cisco said.

"Tell me this, what kind of man puts a bomb in his own daughter?" Barry questioned.

"A very rich man." Lewis answered. "Shoot them, son. Kill them or you'll never see your sister alive." Lewis holds up the remote to the bomb.

Meanwhile, Cisco had the gun to Lisa's neck. "Do it, Cisco." Lisa said. In seconds there was a high-pitches sunction and the bomb was out of Lisa's neck.

"I got the bomb out!" Cisco replies.

Macanese hears him and nods to no one before turning to Snart. "Lisa's safe." Macanese tells the man.

Lewis turns to face Snart and he shoots his own father with his cold gun. "You're working with The Flash and Thunder? I thought you hated them?" Lewis wondered as he gasped for air.

"Not as much as I... hate you." Snart said and in seconds Lewis drops to the floor dead.

"Lisa was safe. Why did you do that?" Barry questions.

"He broke my sister's heart. Only fair I break his." Snart replied.

The next day, Barry and Atchaco were visiting a friend in Iron Heights. "Last time I was in Iron Heights, I was visiting my Dad." Barry admits.

"Yeah, me too." Snart replies.

"And yet you killed him." Atchaco reminded him.

"He deserved it." Snart told them and the two speedsters laughed softly. "Is that funny to you two?"

"No. What's funny is I finally figured out your secret." Barry admits.

"And what secret would that be?" Snart wondered.

"You'd do anything to protect your sister." Atchaco replies.

"Well, I know both your secrets too. Better hope I don't talk in my sleep." Snart tells them.

"You won't. Today just proved what I've always known. There's good in you, Snart." Barry reminded him.

"And you don't have to admit it to me, but there's a part of you that knows you don't have to let your past define you. A part of you that really wants to be more than just a criminal." Atchaco told him.

"So I should be a hero like you two? What exactly does that pay again?" Snart wondered.

"It's just a matter of time. Something you'll have a lot of in here." Barry tells him.

"Not as much as you think. Be seeing you." Snart warned.

He then stands up and gets taken away by the guards. Barry and Atchaco walk over to Joe who was standing in the corner. "You really think that leopard's gonna change its spots?" Joe asked.

"We do." Barry replied.

"Maybe we should transfer him to the metahuman wing anyway." Atchaco said.

"I already got Patty on the paperwork." Joe replies and they both nod. "Hey, I wanted to thank you for the advice you gave. I told Iris. She's gonna sit down with Francine. It was hard, but it was for the best."

"We're glad." Atchaco told him.

"Any time." Barry reminds him.

"You're a good son and daughter." Joe admits.

"We know." Atchaco smiles and they all started laughing as they walked out of Iron Heights.

Later, Cisco runs into Lisa a few blocks away from Jitters as she sits on her motorcycle. "So, taking off?" Cisco asks.

"Thought I'd say good-bye and thank you." Lisa answered.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't leave a bomb in anyone. Not even you." Cisco tells her.

"It's more than that." Lisa admits. "You were there for me when I was feeling weak. I hate feeling weak. It's hard for me to trust people. I trusted you. You know, you might actually be my first real friend."

"Is any of that true?" Cisco wonders.

Lisa smiles and grabs her helmet. She then walks over to Cisco and kisses him, Cisco kissing back. She then pulls away and gets onto her bike. "Till next time, Cisco." She replies.

"Later, Golden Glider." Cisco smiles. Lisa puts on her helmet and smiles at Cisco before she rides off.

Later at STAR Labs, everyone was in the basement looking at the completed speed cannon. "Tada! The speed cannon." Caitlin said.

"Wow! Look at that. Dudes, you actually built the thing." Cisco smiles.

"Mr. Garrick, I am quite impressed by what you've accomplished during my recent wellness hiatus." Stein admits.

"Have you tested it out yet?" Cisco asked.

"Not yet. You wanna do the honours?" Jay wonders and Cisco claps as he runs over and picks up an object to throw into the breach.

"No, no, no, no. Now that I, uh-- now that I am back to optimum health, please allow me." Stein smiled. Cisco tries to protest from Stein throwing something but Stein throws the object into the breach and it does not bounce back. "Excelsior!"

"How did you stabilise it?" Barry questioned.

"CFL Quark Matter." Jay answered.

"Ah, negative energy density with positive surface pressure. That's genius." Cisco admits.

"You created CFL Quark Matter?" Atchaco asked.

"It's something we perfected on my Earth. I'll show you sometime." Jay said.

"You mean, sometime in the next few minutes?" Stein wondered.

"Oh, yeah I guess this is it, huh? Time for me to go back home." Jay replied.

"Right now? I mean we still need your help with the Breachers." Caitlin informs him.

"My first priority is Zoom. I need to find out what he's up to. How he stole my speed." Jay tells them.

"But you can do that here and, you know, if you go back, then we can't get in touch with you when we need your help or... with Zoom or whatever else." Caitlin said. Atchaco and Barry both smile because they could tell that Caitlin liked Jay.

"It would be nice to be able to pick your brain every once in a while, get some more speedster tips." Barry told him.

"Okay...:" Jay chuckles. "Well, once we take care of Zoom, I'm going home."

"That's fair." Caitlin said.

"Good, 'cause I could use a shower, a shave, and some sunlight." Jay admits and they all chuckle. "I'll, uh, see you later." He then leaves the basement.

"So, Professor Stein, how are you feeling?" Caitlin asks.

"Well, uh, it appears that a little rest heals all maladies. I-I-I couldn't feel–" Stein stutters. Suddenly Stein snorts and then inhales as his eyes turn pure white.

"Professor?" Caitlin said. Cisco and Caitlin walk towards Stein but Barry and Atchao pull them back.

"No, no, no, no get back. Come here." Atchaco replied. Stein then gasps as his eyes turn black and his head and hands get engulfed with flames that then turn blue. The flames disappear in seconds and Professor Stein collapses onto the floor and everyone rushes over to him.

"Professor Stein! Professor Stein! Can you hear me, Professor Stein?" Caitlin said, panicking.

"What happened to him? He went up like Firestorm, but the flame, why was it blue?" Barry questioned.

"I don't know. This isn't good. We need to stabilise him fast." Caitlin tells them.

Late at night in the basement, there was an electricity surge and then the breach opened up and someone came out of it. The man lifts his head as the bright blue surrounds him. Harrison Wells was back.