Plot

The Flash is forced to make an impossible choice; with the power out in the city, Team Flash calls upon the Rogue Squad to help; Iris is visited by an old friend; Joe and Cecile work on finding a balance.

Flash is captured by Red Death and the new Rogues, while the face behind the Red Death comes to Iris looking for help. Meanwhile, Team Flash calls on the new Rogues to help them rescue Flash from his captors, and Joe and Candice have a talk about their future together.—Gislef

At the Rogues' warehouse, Mark works to weld together the new Cosmic Treadmill. Red Death asks how long it will take Mar to finish it, and he says another hour. He asks how Red Devil plans to power it up, and she tells him to leave the power to him. She says that he and the others are all criminals, and she puts on her helmet and speeds off to recruit another Rogue.

Mark and Iris sit in their apartment, and admits to each other that they've had no luck finding out who the Rogues' new backer is, or what they need the Treadmill for. They do know the new backer is the Avatar of the Negative Speed Force, Barry figures the news speedster might be corrupted by the Negative Speed Force but not want to kill him, but figures he'll upset the balance between the Forces all over again. Barry vows not to let the new Avatar go down the path of corruption that Thawne did. Barry goes to the lab to help Chester coordinate the satellites, while Iris stays there to work on the last known GPS coordinates of Ryan's last known location, and figures Ryan's disappearance is related to the WayneTech nanos that the Rogues are using.

At the house, Jesse is reading a story to his daughter Jenna when Cecile comes in and apologizes for her training running late. She finds a flyer for a house on the dining table, and asks Joe what it is. Joe sends Jenna upstairs and says that the he's been thinking about leaving the city. Cecile objects to his talking to a realtor, and Joe tells her that he thought it would be perfect for them. She reminds him that she has a law practice in Central City and the house is two hours away, but Joe continue and says that they should take a look at it. Cecile refuses to move until they think about it, and Joe agrees and goes to tuck Jenna in.

At STAR, Chester tells one of his follower friends who asked that he and Allegra aren't talking. Barry comes in and Chester shuts down his screen, and his friend says that Gideon has picked up a temporal signature masking Red Death's. The two of them go to work coordinating the satellites.

Red Death runs into a plaza in the middle of town. The civilians, and Flash speeds up and says that he's there to talk. He says that he can help if Red Death tells him what he wants and who he is. Red Death says that he's death, and Roy G. Bivolo walks up and uses his emotion control powers on Flash. Flash collapses in fear and Red Death says that shall be darkness. He extends his arms, releasing an EMP wave, and power goes out throughout the city.

Flash wakes up in the warehouse, chained to a platform and the Rogues looking on. A meta-cuff is strapped to Flash's wrist, and when Boomerang threatens to remove Flash's masks, Mark tells him that the mask is booby trapped. Flash realizes that Mark is Building a Treadmill, and warns that Red Death could endanger thousands of lives with it. Red Death speeds in and sarcastically says that would be a pity, and tells Mark to get back to work. And the others should guard the entrances against Flash's teammates. Red Death then tells Flash to talk since he wanted them to talk.

At STAR, Allegra and Khione arrive but can't reach the others on the comms. They figure the Rogues captured Flash, and Khione suggests that they need to call in the new Rogues. Chester says he can do it on his CB, and it's the only chance they have.

Red Death continues to gloat over the powerless Flash, who says that he knows the hate isn't Avatar's but the Negative Speed Force. The villain isn't impressed and Red Death says that Flash always sees the worst in his so-called allies and he knows who Barry is. He accuses Flash of stabbing his friends in the back, and Flash asks what he did to him. Red Death says that Flash is only one part of his plan, and there's someone else who will ensure his success. Barry realizes that the villain is talking about Iris.

In the apartment, Iris is lighting a lantern when there's a knock at door. When Iris opens the door, she finds Ryan there. Ryan is bleeding from a wound on one arm, and Iris sits her down on her couch and treats her wound, and Ryan explains that she was driving into Central City when the EMP wave killed her car. Iris explains about Red Death, and Ryan says that Red Death beat her unconscious and left her for dead. She claims that Red Death took tech from her utility belt.

Ryan slips up, saying that she got from Gotham to Central City in a day, and then asks where Barry is. She says that she wants to help Team Flash take down Red Death, and Iris is surprised Ryan wants to join the fight so quickly after being taken down. Ryan says that she ignores her limits.

Pied Piper, Goldface, and Hotness arrive at STAR, and Piper brought a frequency tracker that they can use to find Flash. It doesn't pick up any signal, and they figure a meta-cuff has been put on Flash to negate his speed, and make him untrackable.

Flash tells Red Death to leave Iris alone, and Red Death tells him that she does and whatever happens to her is on Flash. Flash warns that the Negative Speed Force wants to upset the balance, and Red Death removes his helmet to reveal that there's nothing inside his helmet. Red Death says that he's something more powerful and puts his helmet back on, and says that he built the armor and his own speed. He doesn't require the aid of any Negative Force, and Flash figures that Red Death relies on artificial speed force, but only organic speed force can power the treadmill... and that's why Red Death captured Flash. Red Death promises that once Flash starts running, he won't stop until he dies.

Ryan is secretly listening in via an earpiece, and Iris notices that her guest is distracted. When Ryan asks Iris what Red Death has planned next, Iris claims that she has no idea but the blackout is part of his plans. Iris says that Barry is working with his own criminals, and Ryan says that there are no reformed villains. Drawing a hidden gun on Ryan, Iris says that she slipped up several times and walked around the apartment like she knows it, even though Ryan has never been there. Ryan tells Iris that she's her best friend in another timeline, but there Flash is the world's greatest villain.

Iris figures that Ryan is Red Death, and Ryan says that she came there hoping that they could form a connection before she told her the truth. Iris demands the truth, and Ryan says that in her timeline, there was no Batman. The Waynes adopted her and then were gunned down by a criminal, and Ryan swore to protect Gotham at all costs. She locked up criminals for ten years but then they escaped Arkham. Ryan finally engineered tech from her enemies, then mined data from her Flash's speed to giver herself artificial speed and put away criminals at superspeed. Her Flash freed his Rogues and led them against Ryan, She tried to hide in the Speed Force, but it rejected her artificial speed. She ended up in the current timeline, but she needs the treadmill to go back. Ryan figures Iris can talk down her Flash and end the Rogue War.

Cecile and Joe talk in their house, and Cecile figures there is something he's not telling her. Joe says that his children had to deal with burdens he wishes. Now he wants to raise Jenna in a safe environment, and wants to give Jenna a normal childhood like he couldn't give Iris and Wally.

Mark offers Flash some water, and Flash asks what Mark will do when Red Death bust a hole in the timeline, or decides it's easier to kill Mark then help him bring Frost back. Mark figures no one would kill, and Flash tells him that he's part of Team Flash. When Mark says that he's just another double-crossing villain, Flash tells him that Frost initially tried to kill him, and people make mistakes. He made a mistake thing Red Death was a new Avatar, and now the whole world might have to pay for his mistake. Only Mark can help him, and it's never too late for second chances.

Ryan tells Iris that she can calm down the alternate Flash and make a truce. Her Iris and her had a falling-out when Flash turned against her, but Iris doesn't think her counterpart would refuse to help if things were bad. Ryan says that her Iris can't help her, because she accidentally killed her Iris when Flash and his Rogue came for her. Iris points out the hole in Ryan's story, and figures Ryan is the one obsessed with technology. Ryan says that she's trying to take Iris to her timeline to protect her city, but Iris figures Ryan wants to kill her Flash. Ryan attacks Ryan, disarms her, and kicks her to the floor.

Ryan says that she wanted to do it the easy way, but summons her Red Death armor around her. She takes Iris to the warehouse and removes her helmet, and says that she just wants to get home. If Flash doesn't run, she'll torture Iris. Flash agrees, and Ryan has Mark deactivate the meta-cuff. Flash steps onto the treadmill and Mark engages the vibration engine.

Flash runs and red lightning strikes down from the skies. At the West house, Jenna comes downstairs and a lightning bolt hits a nearby window. Cecile telekinetically stops the glass, then is overwhelmed by a wave of fear from their neighbors. Cecile goes to help them, while Joe holds Jenna.

Team Flash picks up Barry's frequency, and Allegra says that she can teleport them there.

Iris and the others watch Flash run, and Iris tells Mark that he doesn't have to do it and still has a choice. Ryan says that he doesn't, and she's giving him Frost when Team Flash. Remembering Flash's words, Mark says that it's never too late and overloads the engine. The treadmill explodes, knocking Ryan back and unconscious. Iris goes to Barry, and Mark says that used the overload to burn out Ryan's artificial speed. Flash has drained his speed and can't run. The Rogues come in and Mark tells Flash and Iris to run while he fights his former teammates.

Allegra teleports herself and the new Rogues in using her powers, and Ryan's speed recharges. The new Rogues see it and tells Barry that they have to go, as the Rogues take down Mark. Allegra teleports Flash and the others back to STAR< as the Rogues all stab Mark.

An angry Barry says that they don't leave people behind, and Khione comes in. Barry tells her what happened to Mark, and when Khione says that they have to go back for her, Goldface tells her that there's no hope for Mark and they wouldn't risk their lives to save the guy who betrayed them. He figures that Mark saw who was winning and switched sides again. Khione says that Marks life matters Just as much as the rest of them, and Barry figures that she's right and they have to figure out Red Death's next move.

Hotness suggests that Red Death might give up and go home now that her treadmill was destroyed, and Iris explains that Ryan can't. Piper figures that Red Death's next plan will be even worse.

Allegra goes to Chester and says that tonight's fight reminded them of what little time they all have left. Now she's ready to talk about them, and Chester tells her that the timing isn't right. Allegra agrees, and Chester says that once they defeat Red Death, they'll sit down and figure out the situation between them. With that, he goes back to work.

At the West house, Cecile comes back and Joe points out that she seems down. Cecile says that maybe Joe is right and the city might not be the place to raise Jenna. Jenna draws a picture of Cecile saving the day and shows it to her parents, and Joe sends his daughter to bed. He then tells Cecile that he wants Jenna to grow up to be anything she wants. They can't do that if Cecile quits being a superhero. The couple agree to stay in Central City and embrace.

At the warehouse, Ryan and the Rogues look at the debris of the treadmill. Ryan is furious that Flash has crushed her dreams again. She tells the Rogues that she'll take his world, bringing the war to him.