Chapter Summaries

Barry found Joe’s alarm in the waterfront warehouse and learned from Snart that Joe had been kidnapped. Snart threatened to detonate a bomb aboard the casino ship unless Barry let the ship keep at least one thousand people aboard, and Lin Li warned Barry not to act like a hero.

• Barry rushed to the waterfront warehouse, found Joe’s alarm, and realized Joe had been captured.
• Snart called Barry and revealed that Mark was torturing Joe and planned to take revenge on Barry.
• Snart ordered Barry to come to the Las casino ship the next night and threatened to detonate its bomb if fewer than one thousand people remained aboard.
• Barry returned to STAR Labs and told the team what Snart had said, while Iris cried and embraced him.
• Lin Li reasoned that Snart’s plan targeted Barry, then told him, “Don’t be a hero. Be a good boy.”

Lin Li discovered another explosive-energy signal and secretly investigated it, then prepared for Snart’s next move. The following evening, Snart broadcast his demand for The Flash to come to the casino ship at seven while threatening Cisco elsewhere.

• Lin Li told everyone to prepare for the next night, while Barry comforted Iris and Ronnie reassured Caitlin at STAR Labs.
• Lin Li detected a second explosive-energy signal on Cisco’s surveillance map, flew out invisibly, and returned hours later to work with Shanshan 2.0.
• The next afternoon, Snart, Heat Wave, The Magician, and Magician II appeared on a live broadcast from the casino ship, where they held hundreds of wealthy captives.
• Snart told The Flash to come to the ship at seven o’clock and said Cisco would be sent to the place where Brad Mardon died.

Snart forced Barry into a live televised confrontation while Lin Li warned him that saving Joe could cost a thousand lives. Lin Li and Firestorm left to handle separate threats, and Barry raced to confront Snart as the final minute began.

• Snart revealed on live television that he was targeting The Flash, prompting police to surround the casino ship and wait for Barry.
• Lin Li told Barry that Joe was being used to force a choice and warned him about an atomic fission bomb planted on Third Street.
• Iris reassured Barry that she and Joe would not blame him, while Barry struggled with the possibility of choosing between Joe and a thousand lives.
• Lin Li flew toward the bomb's location, and Ronnie merged with Martin to become Firestorm and carry Lin Li's atomic conversion device.
• Barry embraced Iris, promised to protect Joe, and raced to the casino ship, where he pinned Snart against the railing on live television.

Snart forced Barry to face a televised test of whether he was a hero, while The Magician presented him with two captives and demanded that he choose which one would live. Barry rejected the choice as the countdown reached its final moments.

• Barry confronted Snart, but backed away when Snart reminded him of Lin Li and revealed that Weather Wizard Mark had arrived as promised.
• Snart addressed Central City on camera and announced that Barry would be tested in front of the public.
• The Magician took over the broadcast and presented Barry with a wealthy man and a waiter, demanding that he choose one to save.
• As The Magician counted down, Barry declared that life had no rank or value and that nobody had the right to take another person's life.

The Magician detonated the capsules inside two hostages, leaving Barry devastated and enraging Snart, who had intended to avoid real deaths. The Magician shifted blame onto Snart before beginning a new racial choice for Barry.

• The Magician detonated the bombs inside a tycoon and a waiter, killing them and triggering panic among the hostages.
• Barry froze in shock as viewers in Central City argued over whether he should have saved the victims.
• Snart grew angry because the deaths violated his plan and his rule against killing unless necessary.
• The Magician claimed credit before the cameras, shifting blame for the deaths onto Snart, who left the deck with Heat Wave.
• The Magician and Magician II began a racial choice by presenting Barry with a white and a black tycoon and demanding that he choose one to live.

Snart withdrew from the casino ship plan after The Magician killed people, while Lin Li tracked down and killed Mark Mardon to learn Joe's location. Lin Li then told Barry how to save two people threatened by bombs as The Magician’s countdown continued.

• Snart told Heat Wave that The Magician had gone too far and that they needed to retreat, warning that Lightning Rider was dangerous.
• Lin Li defeated Mark Mardon in the forest and interrogated him about Joe’s whereabouts.
• Lin Li identified 33 South Deliba from Mark’s involuntary reactions, then killed him despite his pleas.
• Lin Li told Barry that he had found Joe and was going to rescue him, while Barry explained that The Magician was forcing him to choose between a wealthy man and a waiter.
• Lin Li urged Barry to use Vibrational Phasing to pull the bomb capsules from both victims or let them die.

Barry faced The Magician’s choice between his father and the casino ship’s hostages, then learned Lin Li had already saved Joe and chose to save the thousand people. He attacked The Magician and used Vibrational Phasing to remove the bomb capsules, while The Magician and his son were left tied together.

• The Magician forced Barry to watch two billionaires die after Barry could not bring himself to use Vibrational Phasing on them.
• The Magician threatened Joe and the roughly thousand people aboard the casino ship, while the hostages demanded that Barry sacrifice his father.
• Lin Li told Barry that Joe was safe, and Barry chose the thousand people, but The Magician claimed the deadline had passed.
• Barry attacked The Magician and knocked the detonator into the sea, while Magician II threatened to keep killing hostages with the bombs.
• Barry raced through the crowd, phasing through people to pull out the bomb capsules, as The Magician and his son were tied together.

After the gambling ship disaster, Central City argued over whether Barry deserved to be a hero, while Barry ran to Star City and found Reverse-Flash. Reverse-Flash killed Cisco and threatened Barry’s loved ones before Barry’s high-speed pursuit unexpectedly carried him and Lightning Rider to a city of towering buildings.

• Citizens supporting and opposing The Flash confronted each other outside City Hall until riot police restored order.
• At STAR Labs, Lin Li said Barry was likely running through Star City to escape his pain and search for Reverse-Flash.
• Barry found Reverse-Flash holding Cisco and demanded that he return to clear his father’s name.
• Reverse-Flash accused Lin Li of deceiving him, then killed Cisco and vowed to murder Barry’s loved ones unless Barry saved his mother.
• Barry chased Reverse-Flash at extreme speed, but he vanished, and Barry suddenly appeared in a city of towering buildings beside a bewildered Lightning Rider.

While eating ice cream at STAR Labs, Lin Li was suddenly dragged through time with Barry’s Speed Force to three days earlier, where Barry had been chasing Reverse-Flash in Star City. Lin Li realized the Speed Force tied him to Barry’s time travel, and the chapter ended with Barry learning Snart had freed The Magician.

• Lin Li’s Speed Force surged, his armor appeared on its own, and he was pulled from STAR Labs to a pedestrian street in Central City.
• Lin Li and Barry realized they had arrived three days earlier, while Barry was chasing Reverse-Flash outside Star City.
• Caitlin told Barry an F5 tornado was forming, and Lin Li recognized the situation as the diversion Snart had used three days earlier.
• Lin Li concluded that Barry’s Speed Force had forcibly carried him through time and returned to STAR Labs as Barry went to stop the tornado.
• Barry stopped the tornado and returned to STAR Labs, where Joe’s message confirmed that Snart had broken The Magician out of prison.

After traveling back three days with Barry, Lin Li learned that Cisco had died in the original timeline and decided to change events by confronting Snart's gang and Reverse-Flash. The chapter ended with Lin Li and Barry racing toward the gang's waterfront hideout to stop them.

• Lin Li confirmed that he and Barry had traveled back three days, and Barry resolved to save the people on the gambling boat despite Lin Li's warning that changing time could cause disaster.
• Barry recounted the gambling boat events and Cisco's death in Star City, prompting Lin Li to decide Cisco would not die this time.
• Lin Li planned an assault on Snart's hideout, telling Barry to remove the bombs first and Joe to bring the police afterward.
• Lin Li flew invisibly to the waterfront hideout, then called Barry to join him.
• Barry raced out of STAR Labs toward the hideout, saying his speed had improved.

Barry and Lin Li stopped Snart’s crew from carrying out their plan, but the criminals escaped after triggering an explosion. Lin Li captured them at an abandoned junkyard and prepared to move on to Star City to deal with Reverse-Flash.

• Barry phased through the basement door and confiscated the criminals’ bombs before Snart’s crew could use them.
• Snart ordered his crew to escape through Door Three while Weather Wizard Mark created a pure oxygen zone and Mick fired into it.
• Barry fled through the iron door as the oxygen-rich area exploded, while Snart’s crew escaped through the passageway.
• Snart, Heat Wave, The Magician, Magician II, and the others emerged into an abandoned junkyard, where Lin Li dropped an electric net over them and knocked them unconscious.
• Weather Wizard Mark resisted the net briefly, but Lin Li immobilized and subdued him with lightning.
• Lin Li said Joe could arrive early, called for Professor Martin, and prepared to head to Star City to deal with Reverse-Flash.

Lin Li and his allies traveled to Star City to capture Reverse-Flash before he discovered that Barry would not save his mother unless he suffered a devastating loss. Their plan was interrupted when Lin Li sensed Grodd near Reverse-Flash’s cabin.

• Lin Li explained that Barry could save Reverse-Flash by changing the timeline, but Barry would not give up his present life and loved ones to save his mother.
• Lin Li decided to capture Reverse-Flash before he realized Barry’s attachment to the present, since Reverse-Flash might otherwise target Barry’s loved ones.
• Lin Li flew toward a hunter’s cabin near Star City while Barry, Ronnie, and Martin traveled there by train and then drove in a Jeep.
• Lin Li detected Reverse-Flash, Cisco, and Eddie near the cabin and told Barry, Ronnie, and Martin how to rescue the captives during his brief restraint of Reverse-Flash.
• Lin Li sensed Grodd seven kilometers from the cabin and halted the approach to make a new plan.

Lin Li and the others approached Reverse-Flash’s cabin despite Grodd’s mind-control threat, then launched their rescue plan. Lin Li immobilized Reverse-Flash, who recognized the trap just as Barry arrived.

• Lin Li explained that Grodd had gained intelligence and mind control, and warned that it could turn the team against one another.
• Lin Li persuaded Barry to proceed, assigning Barry to rescue the hostages and Firestorm to keep Grodd at a distance while Lin Li restrained Reverse-Flash.
• Lin Li carefully concealed himself and sensed Reverse-Flash inside the cabin, then gave the signal to attack.
• Reverse-Flash mocked Eddie and knocked Cisco unconscious before Lin Li’s electromagnetic field froze him in place.
• Reverse-Flash entered Speed Mode to break free, but Barry raced into the cabin.

Barry rescued Cisco and Eddie from Reverse-Flash after Lin Li helped bring Reverse-Flash down, but Reverse-Flash stopped short of chasing Barry when he saw Lightning Rider waiting outside. Lin Li confronted Reverse-Flash over his promise to leave Eddie alone, while Reverse-Flash wrongly credited Lin Li with discovering his hiding place.

• Barry grabbed Cisco and Eddie, but Reverse-Flash broke free of Lin Li's control before Barry could escape.
• Reverse-Flash moved to block Barry, but Lin Li pulled his feet out from under him and sent him crashing into the cabin floor.
• Barry stepped on Reverse-Flash and fled the hunter's cabin with Cisco and Eddie as Reverse-Flash started after him.
• Reverse-Flash stopped when he saw Lightning Rider waiting outside, then accused Lin Li of setting a trap.
• Lin Li explained that his promise not to harm Eddie after Reverse-Flash returned to the future did not prevent him from rescuing Cisco and Eddie.

Reverse-Flash raced toward Grodd to capture Firestorm as a hostage, but Lin Li used Magnetic Attraction Speed to follow him by linking to the Speed Force’s magnetic wavelength. Lin Li’s uncontrolled momentum sent him crashing into Reverse-Flash, leaving him badly bruised as Firestorm continued falling.

• Reverse-Flash abandoned his plan to chase Barry directly when Grodd’s roar revealed that Firestorm was under psychic attack.
• Reverse-Flash ran toward Grodd, intending to capture Firestorm and use him as leverage to secure his survival.
• Lin Li entered Overclocked Super-Speed Thinking and connected his electromagnetic power to Reverse-Flash’s Speed Force trail.
• Lin Li used Magnetic Attraction Speed to fly after Reverse-Flash, closing in as Firestorm lost control and began to fall.
• Lin Li could not brake and slammed into Reverse-Flash, who twisted away at the last moment but suffered a severe back injury.

Lin Li countered Reverse-Flash’s speed and injured him, while Grodd attacked Lin Li with psychic powers to protect his father. Reverse-Flash knocked Firestorm unconscious and discovered how Lin Li had kept pace with him.

• Lin Li was dragged along by Reverse-Flash’s sudden stop, then recovered after using Magnetic Attraction Speed to follow him.
• Grodd’s psychic attack disrupted Ronnie and Martin inside Firestorm, causing Firestorm to fall from the sky.
• Grodd rushed to Reverse-Flash’s side, and Reverse-Flash ordered him to kill Lin Li while planning to seize Firestorm.
• Grodd sent frightening memories and psychic pain into Lin Li’s mind, but Lin Li neutralized the control with electromagnetic waves.
• Grodd charged Lin Li as Reverse-Flash raced to Firestorm and knocked him unconscious.
• Reverse-Flash realized why Lin Li had been able to keep pace with him.

Lin Li used electromagnetic forces to catch and incapacitate Reverse-Flash, but the high-speed chase left Lin Li badly injured. Barry arrived as Lin Li recovered, and Lin Li worried that Reverse-Flash would survive because Barry would not kill him.

• Lin Li used silver electrical arcs to catch up to Reverse-Flash, while his strike sent Grodd crashing to the ground.
• Reverse-Flash fled with Lin Li gliding close behind, until Lin Li’s electricity overwhelmed him and knocked him unconscious.
• Lin Li crashed into a mountainside and suffered severe injuries, then recovered enough to crawl to Reverse-Flash and disable his motor nerves.
• Lin Li collapsed beside Reverse-Flash, who remained alive, and Shanshan 2.0 began repairing Lin Li’s body.
• Barry arrived a few minutes later, and Lin Li asked for ice cream while worrying that Barry would not kill Reverse-Flash.

Barry confronted Reverse-Flash about killing his mother and learned that Wells had spent fourteen years trying to return to his own time. Wells offered to help Barry save his mother in exchange for help getting home, but Barry refused and left, though Wells’s knowledge of time travel remained important.

• Barry held back from killing Reverse-Flash after Barry asked to speak with him alone.
• Barry watched the conversation from his room as Wells explained that he had killed Barry’s mother to prevent him from becoming The Flash.
• Wells admitted that losing his connection to the Speed Force had stranded him in the past and that he had created The Flash to find a way home.
• Wells offered Barry the chance to save his mother and keep his father out of prison if Barry helped him return to his era.
• Barry refused to trust Wells, saying he had traveled through time before, and left the prison corridor.
• Lin Li realized that Wells alone knew the precise Speed Force information needed for time travel.

Barry told the team he planned to return to the past and save his mother, prompting a discussion of how changing the timeline could erase their lives and relationships. As Barry weighed the consequences, Lin Li realized the Speed Force in his head might be controlling him and keeping him connected to Barry, leaving him frightened about why he had been brought to this world.

• Barry announced that he intended to go back and save his mother, then asked Lin Li for help.
• Lin Li questioned whether Barry understood that saving his mother could cost him the life and connections he had now, and Martin explained how changing the past could alter the future.
• Barry revealed that he had already traveled three days back in time, and Cisco recognized details from the nightmare in which Reverse-Flash killed him.
• The team discussed how saving Barry's mother could mean Barry never met Joe, Iris, or the others, and might prevent Lin Li from coming to their world.
• Lin Li reasoned that the Speed Force might pull him wherever Barry went, then feared it was controlling him and wondered what it wanted from him.

Barry wavered over traveling back to save his mother, while Joe supported his choice and the team struggled with the prospect of losing their shared lives. After everyone else left STAR Labs, Lin Li helped Cisco confront his memories of being killed and his newly awakened Vibe abilities.

• Joe told Barry he had to change the past and left the control room, and Barry followed, visibly hesitant about saving his mother.
• The team dispersed, with Eddie and Iris leaving together, Martin heading home with a pass to STAR Labs, and Caitlin and Ronnie returning home.
• Lin Li stayed behind with Cisco and pondered what the Speed Force wanted from him.
• Cisco told Lin Li that memories of Reverse-Flash killing him kept him from sleeping, and Lin Li explained that his power had awakened as Vibe.
• Lin Li urged Cisco to separate his abilities from Wells's evil and face his past from the perspective of the present, and Cisco asked Lin Li for psychological treatment.