Episode 4 - Fury of Firestorm

"Everyone secretly thinks they've figured out what their life is gonna be like, but what no one ever considers is that life has its own plans for you, whether you like them or not. And so you're left with a choice. You can either embrace the change and move forward, or fight it, and be left behind." Barry said.

Two years ago at a high school football stadium, a football game had just finished and a guy named Jax was standing in the middle of the field with a smile on his face as his friends walked up to him. "Dude! I knew you could do it." ONe said and Jax chuckled. "That was some touchdown, man. You won us the game!"

"Hey, no, man. We won us the game." Jax corrects him.

"Hey, that's not what the cheerleaders were saying." He replies.

"Oh, yeah? For real? A'ight." Jax replies as the Coach walks up to him.

"Jefferson, great game." Coach compliments him.

"Hey, thanks, coach." Jax smiled.

"I'm not the only one that noticed." Coach admits. "Lot of scouts in the stands tonight, and after that touchdown, they all pulled out their cell phones. You're gonna get your pick of colleges, son."

"You really think so?" Jax wondered.

"I know so. You get home and celebrate with your mom." Coach tells him as he turns and walks away.

Jax smiles as he spikes the football when suddenly, the particle accelerator explodes. "Everybody, run!" Jax yells as he takes off running. People were yelling as they ran and then one of Jax's friends, the one on crutches, trips and falls over. Jax goes and helps him up. "Hey, hey, come on, man, I got you! We gotta get inside the tunnel!" Once Jax gets his friend inside, as he was closing the door he gets blasted back by the ripple effect from the accelerator.

At the infirmary at STAR Labs, Atchaco and Barry were holding Stein as Caitlin and Cisco checked on him. "Hold him steady!" Cisco ordered.

"He's dropping out." Caitlin warns.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on." Cisco said.

"Cisco, we're losing him!" Caitlin yelled.

"Got it!" Cisco replied. He then quickly starts typing on the computer and then the fire on Stein's head went out, he was okay now. "Oh, Dios mio. Thank God."

"He's getting worse." Atchaco points out.

"Look, I did what I could to re-engineer Doctor Wells's original stabiliser to quell the reaction, but I don't know what he used as a power source. Best I could find was the one from his wheelchair." Cisco tells them.

"And how long will that last?" Caitlin asks as they walk out of the room and let Stein rest.

"Well, that's the problem, is we had already used up most of its energy trying to dampen the metas' powers during our little rogue air trip with Weather Wizard and company. I think we got a few days tops." Cisco answers.

"And he's stuck in bed?" Barry questions.

"Yeah, when he wakes up, I'm gonna transfer the stabiliser to this, give him a power cane, get him moving." Cisco points to the cane he had made.

"We gotta figure out a way to save him." Atchaco reminds him.

"I think I might know how to do that." Caitlin smiles.

Minutes later, Caitlin was showing them a diagram. "When the Particle Accelerator exploded, the dark matter that collided with Professor Stein fused with the Firestorm matrix and altered the normal molecular processes that occurs within his body." Caitlin explains. "Those highly reactive molecules needed something to bond with in order to stabilise."

"Like me and my cybernetic body." Atchaco notices.

"Exactly." Cisco agreed. "His is only organic though, unlike you. And that's where Ronnie came in."

"Yes, and now that Ronnie is no longer a part of Professor Stein--" Caitlin starts to say.

"Those molecules don't have anything to bond to." Barry realises.

"And the longer he goes without merging, the more unstable he becomes." Caitlin tells them.

"Ugh. All right, so, what do we do?" Cisco wondered.

"We find another... participant." Caitlin said.

"Okay, cool, so, how do we do that? Are we just gonna make a Tinder app for potential metahumans? 'Cause I'm pretty sure merging with Stein and randomly bursting into flames sounds like the biggest "swipe left" of all time." Cisco replies.

"I mean, even if we could find someone willing, Stein can't just merge with whoever he wants." Atchaco informs him. "Just like how my body had to be made especially to bond with me. So does his second half."

"No he can't, but I have done some research, and found two potential candidates that might be compatible with him. They both were affected by the dark matter, and they were both admitted to the hospital showing symptoms of gene rearrangement mutation. And they both share the same blood type as Professor Stein and Ronnie." Caitlin tells them.

"All right. I mean, this is more than organ donation. We'll need more than tissue typing to see if their bodies are compatible." Barry points out.

"If I can isolate the genetic locus of the two candidates and cross-reference it with the mutations in Professor Stein, I might be able to find a match and save his life." Caitlin informs them.

"What do you need to do that?" Atchaco asked. Later, Atchaco ran inside an auto shop and got a blood sample from Jax as Barry got a blood sample from a scientist at Mercury Labs. In seconds they returned to STAR Labs with the blood samples. "All right, blood samples from both potential candidates."

"Damn, that was fast even for you two." Cisco notices as the speedster hands them the samples.

"We may have skipped the asking for permission part." Atchaco admits.

"Let's see if we can't find a match." Caitlin said.

Later, Iris was looking at photos when Joe walked in and saw her. "You were two in that picture." Joe tells her and Iris smiles. "You'd just got some shots. You were so mad at the nurse. You kept saying, 'She pinched me.'" Iris chuckles. "So we took you to the park afterwards to cheer you up, gave you your first ice cream cone, which was a mistake, because all we heard the next month was, 'Mint-choplat chip, mint-choplat chip.'"

"Oh, that's where the obsession started." Iris laughs.

"Babe, you don't have to do this. If you don't want to meet your mother tomorrow, I get it." Joe told her.

"No, it's okay. I want to meet her. I need to meet her. It's gonna be fine." Iris reassures him.

"My brave baby girl." Joe smiles.

"Take after you." Iris replied.

"Love you." Joe said.

"Love you more." Iris tells him as he walks out the door.

Later at the precinct, Barry and Atchaco were walking downstairs when Patty called out to them. "Barry? Atchaco? Hey, I was just looking for you." Patty said.

"Yeah. What's up?" Barry questioned.

"I just wanted to show you two this." Patty tells them, showing them some items in an evidence bag. "These were just found in an alley off of Eastwood Avenue."

"What are these, teeth?" Atchaco asks.

"Shark teeth." Patty laughs. "And I have an eyewitness that says he saw a shark walking on land--a man-shark."

"Man-shark?" Barry wonders.

"Yeah." Patty agreed.

"Sounds like a bad sci-fi movie." Barry admits.

"Or awesome sci-fi movie." Atchaco smiled.

"Totally." Barry laughs.

"Um... Are you for real? You think there's actually, like, a shark--" Atchaco wonders.

"Yeah, I mean, I know it sounds really wacko... Mm-hmm. But, I mean, nothing seems impossible now that we have meta-humans, right, or alien cyborgs?" She points to Atchaco. "And I thought it would be fun, you know, for us to work together again on a case.

"I would love to but… Um, it's just, you know, meta-humans aren't really my thing." Barry told her.

"Same." Atchaco agreed. "I am a cyborg not a meta, so I tend to stay off the meta cases."

"It's okay. I can handle it." Patty reassured him.

"We're sorry." Atchaco apologised. "We'll run a test, see where the teeth came from."

"That would be amazing. Thank you." Patty smiled as Joe walked up to them.

"Detective Spivot." He greeted her.

"Detective." Patty returns.

"How's your man-shark case coming?" Joe asked.

"It's good. I was just gonna go and canvas the area, see what else I can dig up, and Barry and Atchaco here agreed to run some tests for me." Patty answered.

"Really?" Joe wonders.

"Mm-hmm." Atchaco hums.

"So, progress. Thanks again." Patty said as she walked away.

"Hey, how is Iris, by the way?" Atchaco questions as they walked over to Joe's desk.

"Eh, she's pretty nervous about seeing her mother after all these years." Joe admits as Barry and Atchaco's phones vibrate.

"Yeah. Hey, you know what, we gotta go. It's Cisco. It's about Professor Stein." Barry told him.

"Okay, go. I'll cover you both with Singh." Joe tells them.

"All right, thanks." Atchaco said as she and Barry left.

Later at STAR Labs, Stein was awake and using the cane Cisco had made for him. "Well, I must admit, I never imagined the Sphinx's riddle about a man requiring three legs would ever apply to me, but if this device keeps me mobile, then I will gratefully oblige." Stein admits.

"Hopefully, you won't need it for much longer." Caitlin tells him as she walks over to the computer and pulls up a file on the screen. "There was no agglutination in the blood samples, and cross-matching was negative for both, and it appears that the dark matter from the Particle Accelerator explosion mutated their genes in a very similar way it did to yours. I think they're both potential matches."

"So who do we go with?" Barry asked.

"Well, my first choice is Henry Hewitt. He graduated summa cum laude from Hudson University with a double major in Applied Physics and Bioengineering." Caitlin explained.

"A Hudson boy, I like him already." Stein smiled.

"Now, what about this other guy, Jefferson Jackson? High school quarterback, 4.0 student. He's got the physical attributes." Atchaco said, smiling as it reminded her of someone she knew.

"And it looks like more of his alleles match than Hewitt's. Doesn't that mean that he's more compatible?" Barry wonders.

"On paper, perhaps, but Hewitt is a scientist. Clearly, he's trying to make something of his life. I think he'd be open to something like this." Caitlin tells them.

"I think we should meet with both of them before we make a decision." Atchaco replied.

"That's an excellent idea." Stein said.

"I'll see if I can get Hewitt here." Caitlin told them.

"All right, in the meantime, we'll go meet with Jefferson Jackson." Barry replied.

"And I will try to find something else to help keep you stable." Cisco informed them. As Cisco walked down the hall someone walked out of the shadows, this person was Harrison Wells.

Later at an auto shop, Barry, Atchaco and Stein walked through the door. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Stein asked.

"Yeah. Jefferson's a mechanic." Atchaco answered as the bell rang.

"Could indicate a strong technical aptitude. That's a positive." Stein replies when he notices the allergy pills. "Oh, prone to allergies. That's definitely a negative, not to mention his taste in music."

"Would you prefer Celine Dion instead? I got the 'Titanic' soundtrack in the back there." Jax informed him, popping out from under a car.

"No, thank you." Stein said.

"Jefferson Jackson, right?" Barry wonders as he shakes his hand.

"People call me Jax." Jaz replies.

"Ooh, catchy." Stein admits.

"My name is Atchaco Cornwall, or Lady CyAmze Macanese as I am more commonly know." She introduces herself. "This is Barry Allen, and this is Martin Stein."

"We're with the Department of Safety. It's a small, newly formed agency." Barry informed him.

"Very new, we probably don't even have a website yet, do we?" Stein said.

"You need to see our licences? I mean, we're all up to code here." Jax tells him.

"No, no, nothing like that." Atchaco replies.

"We are compiling data on people who were affected by the Particle Accelerator explosion two years ago." Barry explains.

"Look, man, I lost enough time in my life 'cause of that stupid thing going wrong. Now, you don't got a car I can fix, I can't help you." Jax said.

"If you would consider coming back to S.T.A.R. Labs with us, I believe we can help you." Atchaco replied.

"Help me how?" Jax asks.

"Well, we know what the Particle Accelerator did--" Barry tried to say.

"Look, I already told you, I don't talk about that night." Jax reminds them.

"Why is that?" Stein questioned.

"Because that's when everything changed. I got hit hard. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Busted up leg, torn ACL. The look on my mum's face, I knew any dreams I had of playing pro ball were over." Jax admits.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Atchaco tells him.

"Yeah, well... look, I gotta get back to work. Yeah, um... Here, it's just... it's our number." Barry said as he wrote down the number and put it in front of Jax.

"Just think about it, okay?" Atchaco replied as Barry and Stein left. "I have another friend that went through the same thing as you, probably even worse, but we helped him become something greater than he was. Please, think this through." Jax nods and Atchaco leaves. Jax picks up the paper with the number and he looks like he seems interested in it.

Later at Jitters, Joe and Francine were waiting for Iris to arrive. "Thank you for putting this together, Joseph." Francine said.

"Iris's idea, not mine." Joe corrects her as Iris walks in and over to their table. "Hey, baby."

"Hi, Dad." Iris smiles.

Joe gives Iris a kiss on the head. "Iris... this is Francine." He introduces her.

"Hello." Iris greeted her.

"Hi. Hello, Iris." Francine returned.

"Can I get you a coffee or something?" Joe wondered.

"Um, no, thanks. Let's just sit." Iris answered and they all sat down together.

"I can't get over what a beautiful young woman you've become. And a journalist? I'm so proud of you." Francine admits.

"Why are you here? Why now, after two decades?" Iris asked.

"I want to make this right with you." Francine said.

"How about you start by apologising for walking out on us?" Iris replied.

"I am sorry, so very, very sorry. There's so much you don't know." Francine apologised.

"I'm sure that you've been through a great deal, and I can appreciate you feeling like this is suddenly the right time for you to want me in your life, but that doesn't mean that it's the right time for me." Iris reminds her.

"Iris…" Joe tried to say.

"No, Dad, it's okay." Iris told him. "I've thought about this a lot, and it wasn't fair for me to make you the bad guy." She then turns back to her mother. "So I want you to hear this from me. I don't hate you, Francine. I do wish you well, but we have lived separate lives for over 20 years. Let's keep it that way." She then gets up and walks out of Jitters.

Later at STAR Labs, Dr Hewitt was already there and things were being explained. "I've always thought my destiny was for greater things. And people, of course." Hewiit smiles.

"Well, when it's all said and done, flying will be the least impressive of your new abilities." Caitlin smiles.

"Man finally achieves the promise of the Atomic Age." Hewitt replies as Barry, Atchaco and Stein walk into the Cortex.

"Caitlin, what's going on?" Barry asked.

"Hi, I'm glad you're back. This is Dr. Henry Hewitt." Caitlin introduces the man. "This is Barry Allen, Lady CyAmze Macanese or Atchaco Cornwall and Professor Martin Stein."

Hewitt walks past Barry, glances slightly up and down Atchaco and walks to Stein, shaking his hand. "How do you do?" Stein questions.

"The illustrious Martin Stein. I've read all your papers back at Hudson, especially on transmutation. Fascinating. You're a legend." Hewitt admits.

"Oh, please. I think you're overestimating my contribution to the field. I--I appreciate your enthusiasm." Stein replies as Barry and Atchaco walk over to Caitlin and Cisco.

"Isn't he great?" Caitlin smiles.

"He's got an ego the size of Texas, but, yeah, he's all right." Cisco said.

"So, where's Jefferson Jackson?" Caitlin asked.

"We just need more time." Atchaco told her.

"We don't have more time." Cisco reminds them. I couldn't find another power source for the cane and that thing's running out."

"Okay, then let's do the merge. Hewitt's in." Caitlin tells him.

"What do you mean? You told him the details of the Firestorm Matrix?" Barry questioned.

"Absolutely, becoming Firestorm is a huge life change. He needs to know what he's getting himself into." Caitlin replies as they all look at Stein and Hewitt bonding with each other.

"If I remember correctly, vector, variance, hypotenuse--" Stein started to say.

"Proton, neutron, go H.U.!" Hewitt smiles.

"Aw, look at that, that's so cute. We'll have two Professor Steins if this works." Cisco said sarcastically.

"It's gonna work." Caitlin reassured him.

"Yeah." Cisco agreed.

"Okay." Atchaco said.

Minutes later, it was now time for Stein and Hewitt to merge together. Cisco holds up the splice. "When I put this splicer on your chest you're gonna feel a rush." Cisco explained. "That's a molecular primer being released into your body. Then you can make physical contact with Professor Stein, and…" He makes a whooshing sound. "Firestorm Matrix will take over."

"Easy enough." Hewitt said.

Cailtin then walks over to Stein. "Ready?" She wonders.

"No time like the present." Stein reminds her and Caitlin takes the cane away. "Thank you, my dear."

"Okay." Cisco smiles as puts the splicer on Hewitt who laughs softly.

Stein and Hewitt touch hands to merge, their hands glow for a second and then nothing. "Try again." Stein ordered. They do it again and once again nothing happens. "This is unexpected."

"Something's supposed to be happening, right? Why isn't it working?" Hewitt questions.

"I don't know." Caitlin admits.

"Uh, well, looks like you two aren't compatible after all. I'm just gonna…" Cisco notices as he takes the splicer of Hewitt.

"So all this was for nothing?" Hewitt wonders.

"Believe me, no one is more disappointed than I am." Stein said.

"Yeah, don't be so sure about that. Next time, try to get your act together before you get someone's hopes up." Hewitt replied, storming out of the lab. When Hewitt reached the elevator, his hand glowed for a second before he went inside the elevator.

Late at night inside Mercury lab, Dr McGee was talking to her assistant. "Move the show-and-tell to next Tuesday, remind me to call Richard tomorrow about the shareholders meeting, and where are we with the replacement for Doctor Snow?" Dr McGee said.

"Uh--" The Assistant went to say something else when suddenly, the alarms in the building started buzzing, singling that there was a break in.

McGee gets an alert on her phone about it. "Applied sciences." McGee said.

Minutes later, McGee and two security guards head over to applied sciences, where they spot someone stealing a gun "Stop! Don't move!" Yelled a guard.

McGee caught a good look at the thief and her face widened. "Harrison?" She gasps.

The next morning, Dr McGee was with Joe and Patty. "Detective West, Thank you for coming." McGee tells him.

"Doctor McGee, this is my new partner, Detective Spivot." Joe introduced Patty.

"It's nice to meet you." Patty said.

"I was saddened by Detective Thawne's passing. Please extend my condolences to your daughter." McGee told him as Patty looked around while they talked.

"Thank you. On the phone you mentioned this was a sensitive matter." Joe said.

"It is, and I called you directly because I've always appreciated your discretion in the past." McGee replied.

"Of course, can you tell me what was stolen?" Joe questioned.

"It's not so much what was stolen, but who stole it. The person who broke into my facility last night was Harrison Wells." McGee admits and Joe gasps.

"Harrison Wells is dead." Patty reminds them, standing behind where they were.

"I seem to recall the circumstances around his passing were a bit inconclusive. Is there any possibility he could be alive?" McGee wondered.

"Zero possibility." Joe answered.

"I knew the man for over 20 years." McGee admits. "I know who I saw. The only thing distinctively different was... he's walking again. Like I said, I trust your discretion. You have full access to the facility. Thank you again, Detective." McGee then walks away.

"First a shark-man, now a dead man walking. We need to call Barry and Atchaco, get them in here first." Patty said.

"Barry can't hear about any of this. And I don't want Atchaco to know either." Joe replied.

"What--why?" Patty asked.

"Because they have got a lot on their plate. They have got a friend who's sick who he needs his help, and Harrison Wells is the man who murdered Barry's mother. Once they hear that--" Joe started to say.

"Is Barry okay?" Patty questioned.

"He's fine, but... not a word to him or Atchaco, or anyone, okay?" Joe said.

"Okay. Yeah, it's just, I'm not really good at lying." Patty admits.

"Well, you better learn, quick." Joe replied.

"Yeah, definitely." Patty agreed.

Later, they arrive at the precinct where Joe sees Francine waiting for him. "Spivot, go on ahead." Joe said.

"Sure." Patty said, walking to the office.

Joe then walks over to Francine. "This is the last time you ever show up here. Do you understand?" Joe told her.

"I needed to talk to you again." Francine admits.

"How much clearer do we need to be? Iris and I do not want you in our lives. Leave, please. Go home, live your life." Joe replies.

"Joe, there's something else. I wanted to tell you when I first saw you, but--" Francine started to say.

"What is it?" Joe asked.

"Few months ago, I started getting weak. The doctors ran a bunch of tests, they couldn't figure it out. But finally, they did. Said I have something called MacGregor's. Supposedly it's pretty common among ex-addicts. Told me I had till the end of the year if I'm lucky." Francine explained.

"Is--is that why you came back?" Joe questioned.

"I just want my daughter to know me... this me." Francine admits. She looks at Joe before walking out of the precinct.

Back at STAR Labs, Jax had changed his mind and showed up. "We're really glad you decided to come." Barry said.

"I thought S.T.A.R. Labs had to shut down." Jax points out.

"It's under new management." Atchaco replies.

Jax then looks around. "Whoa, what kind of treadmill is that?" Jax wonders.

"Cosmic." Cisco smiled.

"Cool." Jax laughs softly. "So, let's get started. You got some kind of 'Billion Dollar Man' technology that gonna fix my knee?"

"Actually, Jax, this isn't about fixing your knee." Barry told him.

"What are you talking about?" Jax asked.

"When the Particle Accelerator exploded, the energy wave that collided with you is known as 'dark matter.'" Stein answers.

"And it didn't just hurt your knee." Caitlin said.

"It--it changed the molecular structure of your body." Stein explains.

"Whoa, hold on, Grey. So you're saying I'm like one of those metahumans I keep hearing about on the news?" Jax wonders.

"Yes, I am. Please, call me Professor." Stein said.

"We think you have potential capabilities." Atchaco told him.

"What kind of capabilities?" Jax questions.

"The same as Professor Stein: the ability for your body to process fission and fusion. " Caitlin said.

"And you can harness excess energy and turn it into these massive nuclear blasts. And you can fly. There's also that." Cisco smiles.

"So you're saying you can do all this?" Jox asks Stein.

"Only during times of convergence with a willing partner." Stein admits.

"Convergence? You and me?" Jax questions.

"Yes." Stein nodded.

"No, this is crazy." Jax laughs.

"No, Jax, this is your chance to right the wrong that was done to you." Barry tells him.

"Yeah, sorry, you got the wrong guy. I don't want nothing to do with this." Jax replied.

"Wait a second, we are giving you the chance to be a superhero, and you're gonna say no that quickly?" Caitlin wonders.

"Yeah, not my kind of thing." Jax said.

"If the man isn't willing to participate--" Stein started to say.

"Look, I saw your test scores, Jax." Caitlin admits. "Your grades were good enough to get into college, but you didn't go. Why? Is this the type of guy you are? One setback and you fold? Well, then maybe you're not the guy for us anyway."

"Well, maybe I'm not." Jax agrees as he storms out of the room.

"Jack--" Atchaco sighs and Caitlin shrugs.

"Maybe this just wasn't meant to be." Stein said as he walked away.

"Cait, come on, I mean, Jax could be our last chance at saving Professor Stein." Barry reminds her.

"He said no to being a superhero. Who does that? I mean, you and Atchaco didn't say no when you both had the chance. Cisco, would you?" Caitlin wondered.

"Chance to have superpowers? Sign me up." Cisco didn't really sound enthusiastic.

"Look, we're asking Jax to change his entire life, to sacrifice what he does have. I mean, that's not a decision that can be made lightly." Atchaco explains.

"Yeah. It took me and Atchaco a long time to figure out this whole hero thing." Barry said.

"Exactly, which is why we need someone who wants to do this." Caitlin replied, turning to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Atchaco asked.

"To get Hewitt back. We have to try again." Caitlin tells them as she walks out of the Cortex.

Late at night, Barry and Atchaco were standing in their lab with Patty and handed her the results of her Man-Shark. "Human DNA?" Patty said, surprised.

"Yup, definitely not a man-shark." Atchaco conformed.

"Not even a land shark, Ma'am." Barry said.

"Well, thanks for testing it for me." Patty replied.

"Yeah. What are you gonna do now?" Barry asked.

"I don't know, probably file it under 'never gonna happen.' I have another case anyway." Patty told him.

"Sorry, anything we can help you with?" Atchaco questioned.

"No, no, no, no, Detective said definitely n-not." Patty answered.

"Is everything all good?" Barry asked.

"Sure, why?" Patty squeaked.

"I don't know, you are talking very fast and your voice is getting high." Atchaco noticed.

"No! No. I'm the same old P. Spivot, you know? What--actually, I have to go, but thank you guys so much for testing this, and I'll see you two later." Patty replied.

"Okay." Barry said and Patty walked out of the room.

"She is deinity lying about something." Atchaco pointed out.

"How do you know?" Barry questioned.

"It's a girl thing." Atchaco answered. "Also, I started tracking her vitals as soon as I suspected something was off."

"Being a cyborg and a woman must come in handy then." Barry said.

"Oh it does." Atchaco smiled and Barry laughed softly. "Well I am going to go to Jitters for a coffee, do you want anything?"

"No, I am good." Barry replied.

"Okay." Atchaco gives Barry a quick kiss. "See you later."

Minutes later, Barry goes downstairs to talk to Joe who had an intense look on his face. "Yo, Joe." Barry greeted him.

"Hey." Joe returned.

"You good? Everything all right?" Barry asks.

"Yeah. No, I'm-- just had hell of a day." Joe admits.

"Yeah?" Barry wondered.

"Iris's mother." Joe sighed. "She told me she was dying. Yeah, and I know Francine. She's telling the truth about this."

"Okay. Does Iris know?" Barry questioned.

"Not yet. Did-- did you need something?" Joe wondered.

"Uh, no, no. I just, um... Patty said you that you don't want me and Athaco on some case that she's on with you." Barry replied.

"No. I was checking out a lead. I'll let you know." Joe said.

"All right, cool." Barry smiled.

"What is up with you and my partner, anyway?" Joe asked.

"Nothing. I'm with Atchaco, remember and she is the only one I want to be with." Barry tells him.

"Okay." Joe said. "Just do not screw this up. You two are perfect for each other and you have known Atchaco since you were ten. You have been in love with her since forever. Atchaco adores you, Barry, out of everyone in the multiverse, she picked you. She took a chance on being open to exploring something new to her with you. So, do not let this one slip through your fingers again."

"I won't." Barry reassured him.

Later at the Eikmeier Technologies, Hewitt was in the lab, looking at the news on his laptop. "And in happier news, remember Flash and Thunder Day, the downtown celebration to honour Central City's beloved superheroes? Well, just weeks--" The newscaster said. Hewitt then closes his laptop when someone walks in.

"Hewitt, you have those nucleosome results?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." Hewitt answered.

"I told you I needed them tonight." He reminded them.

"And I'm telling you you'll have them tomorrow." Hewitt growled when the electricity started sparking a little.

"You know, I know you think you're smarter than everyone here, Hewitt, but I'm sick of your not doing your job, your not showing up. If I have any more trouble from you, you're done here." He said.

"What." Hewitt snaps. "You're gonna take the test away and give it to another lab rat of yours? You're gonna report me to the board? Or maybe you're thinking of firing me? I'd like to see you try! Now get the hell out of my lab!" Electricity sparks as Hewitt gets angrier. He then lit up like he was on fire, which he was.

The next day at STAR Labs, everyone was watching the news. "What's being described as a 'spontaneous energy malfunction' erupted last night at Eikmeier Technologies. Wanted for questioning is scientist Henry Hewitt." The newscaster said.

"Hewitt's dormant abilities must have been triggered when we attempted the merger." Caitlin noticed.

"This could be catastrophic. If his powers are anything like mine, he requires a grounding mechanism to stabilize his volatility. Otherwise--" Stein started to say.

"Yeah, he's gonna pop his top, and he's got a long history of violence, according to his police record." Cisco told them.

"Police record?" Atchaco wondered.

"I didn't find a police record." Caitlin said.

"Yeah, of course not, it was sealed, but guess what, ya boy hacked in and-- hold on, wait for it." Cisco smiles as he pulls up the records on the computer. "One count battery, two counts aggravated assault, court-ordered anger management therapy."

"He seemed like such a nice guy. He even knew your Hudson nerd song." Caitlin replied when Stein started gasping but only for a little bit.

"Whoa, you okay?" Cisco wonders as he rushes to Stein.

"It appears Mr. Hewitt's stability isn't the only one in question. I think I need to lie down." Stein tells them.

"Yeah, I'll come with you." Cisco said as he helped him work.

"Thank you." Stein replied and Cisco then helped Stein walk out of the Cortex.

"Professor Stein is getting worse." Caitlin noticed. "And Hewitt's like this because of me. And now Jefferson Jackson will never come back because of what I said. I just didn't believe that he has what it takes."

"This isn't because you didn't believe in him." Barry chuckles. "Sometimes, great possibilities are right in front of us, and we don't see them, because we choose not to."

"Yeah." Atchaco agreed. "I think that we need to be open to exploring something new."

Meanwhile, Joe had just told Iris about her mum's illness. "She's dying?" Iris wondered.

"A few months left." Joe nods.

"I just don't think I can see her, Dad." Iris admits.

"And that's fine." Joe replies. "But you and me need to be crystal clear about this, Iris. If you want to have a relationship with Francine, it's okay with me. You don't have to protect me. I'm a grown man and I've dealt with these feelings a long time ago."

"So you--you just believe her?" Iris sighs.

"She's done some bad things in her life, but she wouldn't lie about this." Joe said.

"Dad, she shows up out of nowhere, and only says that she's dying after I told her to stay away." Iris reminds him.

"Look, she didn't come to Central City to see me. She came because of you. I just wanted you to know everything so you can make the best decision for yourself. I mean, she is still your mother. Either way, whatever you decide, just know, I got your back." Joe explains.

"I know." Iris told him.

Later at the auto shop, Caitlin goes to see Jax. "Let me guess, you don't got car troubles." Jax sighs.

"I came to apologise. I'm sorry for what I said." Caitlin apologised.

"It's fine. Apology accepted." Jax said.

"Look, we could really use your help to save Professor Stein." Caitlin replies.

"That desperate, huh?" Jax chuckles softly.

"Yes." Caitlin agreed and Jax sighs. "My husband, Ronnie, he used to be Professor Stein's other half. He actually helped build the Particle Accelerator, and when it exploded, he was affected by it too. Ironically, that's how he got the chance to show the world what he was truly capable of. And he died saving this city."

"Wait, he was the guy that flew into the black hole? That was him?" Jax asked.

"He was a hero. You can be one too." Caitlin nods.

"I never wanted to be a hero. What I wanted was to go to college, but we couldn't afford it. Football was my way in, until that got taken from me." Jax admits.

"I know." Caitlin said. "Look, I know the Particle Accelerator took something from you. But it also gave you something in return, something even more spectacular, the opportunity to be part of something bigger, to be part of a team that's working to protect people from losing what you lost. I believe you were meant to be a hero." Suddenly, electricity started sparking all around them.

"Whoa, hold on." Jax replied as he saw someone coming in.

"I've been looking for you, Dr. Snow." Hewitt smiles as he steps out of the shadows.

"Hey, look, man, we're--" Jax tried to say.

Hewitt sent Jax flying with a firebeam. He then started sucking out the power as he lit up in flames. "You did this to me! But it's not what you promised, is it? Is it?" Hewitt growled. Jax then picked up an auto part and threw it at Hewitt, which knocked him out.

"Come on!" Caitlin yelled. They ran over to Caitlin's car and got in and she started her car.

"Where to?" Jax asked.

"S.T.A.R. Labs." Caitlin answered. In seconds the car pulls out of the auto shop and they drive away quickly.

Minutes later, Caitlin and Jax walked in the Cortex of STAR Labs. "Caitlin." Barry said as he steps out.

"What's wrong?" Barry questioned.

"Come here." Barry replied. They walked into the infirmary where Cisco and Atchaco were with Stein who was laying on the bed.

"Oh, good, you're here. This thing, it ran out, like, 30 minutes ago." Cisco pointed to the cane.

"His temperature is 142 degrees and rising fast." Atchaco warned.

"He's going into rapid oxidation. We need to find a coolant." Caitlin said.

"I think it's too late for that." Cisco replied.

"I'll do it. I'll merge with him. You said this is a chance for me to be a part of something bigger than myself, to help people. That's what I want." Jax told them.

"You're sure? Once you merge, there's no going back on this." Barry reminds him.

"And you said I could fly, right?" Jax smiles.

"Damn right." Cisco chuckles.

"Okay. So what do I do?" Jax asked.

"Okay, well, here's the abridged version." Cisco said as he walked Jax into the Cortex.

Caitlin then walks over to Stein. "Professor Stein?" She said and he groaned. "Professor Stein?" Caitlin then shakes him.

"Clarissa, five more minutes." Stein mumbles.

"No, Professor, you have to get up. Jax is here." Atchaco informed him and she put his glasses on him.

"Yeah." Caitlin agreed.

"What?" Stein said.

"Jax is here." Barry repeated.

"What?" Stein wondered.

"Here, grab onto me." Barry said.

"Jax?" Stein replied.

"Yeah." Atchaco agreed as she and Barry helped Stein get out of bed.

Back in the Cortex, Cisco shows the splicer to Jax and then puts it on him. "This is it." Cisco said.

"Whew." Jax smiled as Barry, Atchaco and Caitlin walked in with Stein.

"You came back, Jefferson, thank you." Stein said.

"Well, like my coach always said, 'Out of yourself and into the team.' So, how's this work?" Jax wondered.

"Okay, all you're gonna do is touch him." Cisco replied.

"And then what happens?" Jax asked.

"You become Firestorm." Caitlin said.

"Okay." Jax replied.

Everyone steps back and then in seconds Stein and Jax merge. "Jax? Is Professor Stein--" Caitlin starts to say.

"How will I know?" Jax questions.

"Hello, Jefferson. Now you know." Stein said inside Jax's head.

"Oh, so I get Grey as my copilot." Jax realised.

"Did no one ever inform you of that fringe benefit?" Stein replied.

"So when do we get to take this for a test spin?" Jax asked when suddenly the alarm started buzzing.

"Uh, how about now? It looks like Hewitt's re-charging at Central City High School's football stadium." Cisco told him. Barry and Atchaco quickly change into their suits and zoom away.

"Wait, that was where I got hurt." Jax notices as he follows behind them.

Minutes later at the football stadium, everyone was yelling as they ran away. Barry and Macanese saved the few players who couldn't get away. "Cisco, cut the power to the field so he can't draw anymore energy." Barry said.

"I'm on it. Stand by." Cisco replied. He then types on his computer and shuts down the power to the field. "Boo-ya ka!" Hewitt had stopped sucking the power as Barry and Macanese appeared behind him.

"Hewitt! You need to stop! This is not who you are!" Macanese calls as Jax/Stein lands next to Barry.

"Stein? You chose him over me? That's who I'm supposed to be! I deserve the Firestorm Matrix!" Hewitt yelled angrily as he shot his energy beam at him.

"Move, now!" Stein ordered. Jax stumbles as he flies back and flies out of control. "Calm down, Jefferson, focus. Use your natural athleticism to gain control." Jax starts to control his ability to fly and lands safely. Barry and Macanese zoom next to him.

"Hey, you okay?" Barry asked.

"I was a quarterback. I know how to take a hit." Jax reminds them.

"Hey, guys, cutting the power didn't work. It's like the more we anger him, the stronger he gets." Macanese notices.

"That's it, it's like one of those, uh, controlled fusion devices. Um…" Caitlin starts to say.

"Tokamak?" Cisco suggested.

"Yes, exactly, and the more powerful they become, the more unstable they become. Barry, Macanese, make him angry, and he'll blow his fuse." Caitlin tells them.

"You up for a little game of 'catch me if you can?'" Barry questioned.

"Let's go for it." Jax smiled.

"Okay." Macanese grins.

Then Barry and Macanese super speed away as Jax/Stein fly away. Seconds later, Barry and Macanese zoom around Hewitt. "Hey, Hewitt, over here!" Barry calls.

"Paging Dr. Hewitt." Macanese chuckles.

"Boo!" Barry said.

Hewitt yells as he tries to hit Barry with one of his fire energy beams. "Man, you are not good at this." Macanese laughs. Hewitt then tries to shoot Macanese but misses.

"Do you need a hug, Doctor?" Barry mocks. Hewitt kept missing both of them as they ran around him.

"Come on, Hewitt, give me your best shot!" Jax shouts at him.

"Now." Stein ordered. Jax shoots a fireball at the same moment Hewitt shoots at him and Hewitt stops shooting.

"Is that all you got, Hewitt?" Barry wonders.

"Wow, you really suck at this." Macanese chuckles.

"Man, no wonder you didn't make the cut if that's how you fight." Jax tells him and they start laughing. Hewitt starts to get so mad, just like Caitlin said, that he blew his

"Not bad for your first go at this." Barry compliments him.

"Well, I had a great coach to help me through it. Isn't that right, Grey?" Jax smiles.

"Despite my initial reservations, we make a pretty fantastic team." Stein replies and Jax laughs.

"Welcome aboard, Firestorm." Barry said.

The next day, Iris walks into Jitters to meet up with her mum. "Hi. Thank you for coming. You have no idea what this means to me." Francine told her.

"My dad told me you were sick. You know, I wasn't sure that I could believe you, so I did some checking. Turns out you're telling the truth." Iris replied.

"I would never lie to you about something so big." Francine admits.

"Really? 'Cause I was actually thinking that I could give you another chance after hearing that news. But you're still lying, still keeping secrets. I'm an investigative reporter, Francine. I uncover things that people want to keep hidden, like having a son." Iris reminds her.

"Iris--" Francine tried to say.

"He was born eight months after you left Central City." Iris said.

"Let me explain." Francine replied.

"Who's the father, Francine? Is it my dad?" Iris wonders as her eyes get watery. "Do I have a brother? Wait, you know, I don't even want--I don't want to know. I mean, I wouldn't be able to tell if you were telling the truth or if it was another one of your lies, anyway. Oh. I want you to leave. You stay away from me, and you stay away from my father. If he finds out that he might have a son that grew up without even knowing him, it would crush him. Just…" Iris sighs. "Leave us alone."

"Iris, I was" Francine started to say but Iris storms out, not even looking back.

Later, everyone is at Stein's house. "And how is Mr. Hewitt?" Stein asked.

"Seems like that last burst of energy has burnt him out." Caitlin asks.

"Our Tokamak's gone dark." Cisco said.

"Yeah, we're just gonna keep him safe and sound in the pipeline till he decides to keep quiet about all this." Barry replied.

"So you're gonna meet up with Clarissa?" Joe questioned.

"We're meeting in Pittsburgh in three days." Stein replied.

"Why Pittsburgh?" Jax asked.

"A colleague of mine was monumental in helping train Ronald and me. She's graciously offered to help the two of us as well." Stein answered.

"How's she gonna help us?" Jax questioned.

"Well, there were many aspects of our abilities that we never quite achieved. Hopefully now, we can fully realise that potential." Stein explains and he turns to face Caitlin. "Oh, my dearest Dr. Snow." Stein gives her a hug. "Ronald may be lost to us, but he will never be forgotten."

Caitlin walks over to Jax. "Speaking of…" She takes out a compass. "this was Ronnie's. He always used it to find his way back home. I want you to have it."

Jax takes the compass. "Thank you. You know, this whole thing is strange, being 50% of someone." Jax admits.

"Yeah, but you're 100% a hero." Caitlin reminds him and Jax softly and Caitlin gives him a hug.

Meanwhile, Cisco was with Stein. "I went ahead and recalibrated the splicer so the merging should be even smoother now." Cisco explains.

"Thank you." Stein replied. "If I may offer a bit of parting advice. Cisco, I know you're scared, but this ability you have is a gift, not a curse. It's natural to be apprehensive about the unknown, but look at Jefferson. He took a leap, and it changed his life for the better. The very thing that makes you different is what makes you special. Tell your friends." Cisco smiles softly and gives Stein a hug and then they pull away. "And now I believe it's time to take this show on the road-- or to the sky, if I am to be literal." Joe, Barry and Atchaco laugh as Jax puts on the splicer. "Are you ready, Jefferson?" Then once again they merge and then fly away.

"All right." Atchaco smiles.

"See you later." Caitlin said.

"Yeah." Barry replied. Caitlin and Cisco then both leave.

"Well, I am going to go home and have a well deserved bath and then a boring but needed systems check. But later, Barry, Jitters." Atchaco said.

"I will see you there." Barry grins.

"Okay, see you later. Bye Joe." Atchaco replies.

"Bye Maz." Joe replies. Atchaco then gives Barry a quick kiss and then zooms away.

"That was one hell of a leap of faith that kid took, merging with Professor Stein." Joe sighs.

"Yeah, it was." Barry agrees.

"There's a lesson in there somewhere for you." Joe tells him.

Later, Barry was zooming around town. "Things aren't always what they seem." Barry said. "Our fears can play tricks on us, making us afraid to change course, afraid to move on, but usually, hidden behind our fears are second chances waiting to be seized…" Caitlin was inside STAR Labs, looking at pictures of Stein and Ronnie with a sad face. "Second chances at life…" Jax/Stein were flying around in the sky and Jax was loving it. "At glory… At family…" Iris was sitting on the staircase of her dad's house with tears in her eyes, crying over her mum.

"At love." Barry said, he was still in his suit when he arrived at Jitters and saw Macanese waiting for him. "And these opportunities don't come around every day, so when they do, we have to be brave, take a chance, and grab them while we can." Macanese sees him and smiles but that smile fades when she sees someone behind him. A big hand grabs Barry and it was attached to the Man-Shark that Patty was talking about.

"Zoom wants you dead." He growled.

Macanese uses her speed up. "Put him down." Macanese yelled. She then uses her super speed and tries to punch the metahuman, but it doesn't work and the Man-Shark back hands Macanese, sending her flying to the ground.

"Macanese!" Barry gasps.

Patty then walks up and sees Thunder on the floor and The Flash in a choke hold held by the Man-Shark. "Oh, my God, it's real." She said as she quickly took out her gun. "Hey! Put him down! Put your hands-- your fins in the air!" The Man-Shark laughs and he drops Barry. Macanese crawls over to Barry as Patty was shooting at the Man-Shark. When Patty ran out of bullets as the metahuman got close. He was about to attack when he got shot in the back by a guy in a hoodie, holding a big gun.

Macanese helps Barry up and then they see the guy in the hoodie take off and they run after him, thanks to their speed they caught up with him. "Who the hell are you?" Barry questioned. The man in the hoodie turns around and takes off his hoodie. Barry and Macanese's face widens when they see Dr Harrison Wells standing in front of them, alive.