Not Alone

[run_barry]

Barry's time in Milliways gives him a lot to think about.

Maybe he's not ready to quit this hero thing yet, even if he's still not certain he's up to the task.

First thing is first, though, he owes his best friend an apology.

Barry steps into CC Jitters and immediately sees Iris and Eddie, standing side by side watching the news on the television hanging from the wall over the coffee bar. The story is about Eddie, and how he saved Simon Stagg earlier from gunmen.

On the one hand Barry is glad to hear that Stagg got away from Danton Black safely, on the other, watching Iris fawn over her hero boyfriend and kiss Eddie on his way out isn't the greatest.

With Eddie gone Iris approaches Barry.

"So did you come here for caffeine, or are you finally going to tell me what's going on with you?" she asks, always the direct confrontationalist.

While Iris cleans up for closing time Barry helps out by eating all of the baked goods remaining in the case; calling it stress eating when Iris kids him about it.

"I came to say I'm sorry, and you're right, I have been distant," he starts when she finally sits down. She listens as he apologizes and though he still doesn't give her any details about what he's been up to, she accepts. The ire from earlier in the day is gone, replaced by excitement when he offers to help her with a new article topic and she reveals she already has one.

"I know this is gonna sound crazy, it's been all over the internet this week," Iris says, showing Barry her laptop screen and clicking through articles; all of them about 'The Streak'.

Barry stares in shock while Iris enthuses over the stories of his own exploits.

"Something out there is saving people."

He scrambles for something to say, his promise to Joe hanging over him.

"I thought you were taking journalism, not science fiction writing," Barry says lamely.

Iris scoffs in disbelief of his reaction. "Ever since I have known you you've believed in the impossible. What if you were right? What if you were right about the night that your mom died?"

He doesn't know what to say, and before he can answer her his phone rings to interrupt; it's S.T.A.R. Labs.

*****

Caitlin's voice telling him to get to S.T.A.R. Labs had been urgent, and when Barry races in he's stunned to find Danton Black standing in the Cortex. Ready to confront the man, he's held back by Caitlin.

"Barry, it's okay."

"It is not okay! Black is here and he's-- just-- standing there." Confused, Barry turns to Caitlin, "That's not him, is it?"

Calmly sitting in his chair, Dr. Wells answers, "It's one of his replicates."

The metahuman clone stands stock still, staring into nothing and Barry shakes his head. "How did you get it?"

"I grew him." Caitlin's voice is both proud and smug and her and the others go on to explain how they triggered recovered cells from Black to grow a duplicate. It's a carbon copy of the man, with one big important difference.

"The clones are an empty shell without Black," Caitlin explains. "Shut down the real Black and you might shut them all down."

Barry finds out that the team has come up with a plan to help him defeat Black, and even new tricks like high-calorie protein bars to help keep him running.

While they discuss the theorized limits of Black and the possibility of exploiting them to stop him, the clone comes alive, startling them all. Its sudden movements are stopped by two gun shots from the doorway, delivered by Joe who's arrived to inform them that Black is going after Simon Stagg again.

Barry hesitates, not looking for another argument with Joe, and uncertain about another fight with Black. "You should call it in," he tells Joe.

Joe focuses on Barry.

"Police can't fight this. What Black's become, like Mardon-- " Joe shakes his head. "Beyond me, maybe way beyond them, too. The only person it's not beyond, is you. You gotta do this. I get it. So for once in your life, do what I tell you to do. Go stop him."

Encouraged and emboldened Barry nods. It's time to suit up again.

*****

Barry arrives at Stagg Industries just in time to save Simon Stagg from being shot down by Black. Barry zips the man to safety, then returns to face Black.

Stagg's building is swank, and its open steel and glass atrium is crawling with Black's clones.

It's a search and guessing game as Barry races around taking out replicates trying to find the real deal while Black, in his creepy 'sharing one voice with his clones' way tells Barry why he's out to murder Simon Stagg.

"You think this is about my job?" Black scoffs at the speedster. "This is about Elizabeth."

Black had been trying to find a way to save his dying wife. Simon Stagg stole Black's research and Black lost his wife.

"Now, I'm alone," Black intones mournfully.

Only he's not alone. Done talking, and done trying to take out his opponent a pair of clones at a time, Black summons a flood of replicates, sending a tidal wave of them at Barry.

Barry struggles under the wave, stampeded, with blows and kicks raining down on him from every direction. A desperate push and burst of speed gets him free, but the clones keep coming.

"Barry, you need to isolate the prime," Wells reminds Barry over the comm link.

Out of breath and gasping, Barry feels panic grip him. "I can't. It's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible, Barry, you taught me that." Joe's voice replaces Wells' and it's firm, steadying. "You can do this."

His words erase Barry's doubt, and Barry draws himself up, staring down the approaching clone army.

Fists clenched and teeth grit Barry charges into the horde. Arms reach for him and limbs lash out as he maneuvers around and through the crush of clones, searching until he finally finds Black. Perspiration from the effort of controlling all the replicates gives him away and Barry charges the man, carrying him away from the throng and ramming him into a post, knocking the man, and by extension the clones, out cold.

That should be the end of it, and Barry announces to the team as much, but Black isn't through and he rushes Barry. On instinct Barry dodges and Black goes tumbling out a window. Barry manages to snag the man's hand, struggling to hang on.

A moment later and Black is dead; choosing to fall rather than let the speedster save him.

*****

After finishing up at S.T.A.R. Labs Barry returns to CCPD. Black (dubbed 'Multiplex' by Cisco) is gone and his case wrapped, and Barry has some paperwork to finish up and probably more to catch up on.

It's quiet in his lab and he doesn't realize he's not alone until Joe speaks up, standing with a smile on and three pizza boxes in his hands.

"Hungry?" Joe asks, stepping forward and setting the boxes down in front of Barry on the desk he's working at.

Joe brought Barry's favorite and Barry grins. While Barry digs in Joe wanders over to the nearby pull-down map of Central City.

"You were wrong," Joe says, glancing over at Barry.

Barry looks up from the pizza boxes, shaking his head. "I have been wrong a lot this week, you're gonna have to be more specific."

"You said one of the things driving you to run around out there was that you couldn't help your dad," Joe replies, and Barry watches him pull up the map to reveal the hidden murderboard of Barry's mother's death beneath.

"You can help him. We can," Joe continues, full confidence in his voice. "We're gonna figure out who, or what, killed your mother that night, and then we're gonna get your father out of prison. Together."

Barry's eyes are rapt on Joe as he listens to the words he never even realized he was desperate to hear. Barry's been in this all alone for so long, the only one who has ever believed and strove to prove his dad's innocence. To have Joe's help, it would mean everything.

In that moment Barry realizes how much the man in front of him truly means to him. Everything Barry said before comes back to him, and Barry realizes he owes Joe so much, especially an apology.

"Joe, what I said about you not being my father… "

Joe holds up his hands, stepping back like it's not his place. "Barry I know, I know I'm not your father."

Barry shakes his head and works his throat. "You're right, you're not."

Joe looks at him and Barry takes in a deep breath, giving the man a smile. "You're just the man who kept me fed, and in clothes. Who sat beside my bed at night until I fell asleep because I was afraid of the dark. Helped me with my homework. You taught me how to drive, and shave. And you dropped me off at college. Sounds a lot like a dad to me."

It's not hard to see the effect his words have on Joe and Barry's content enough to leave it there.

And share his pizza, of course.

[dialogue taken from episode 1.2]