Aftermath

Cure Me, Cure Me Not

"We could always just wait and see what happens. Who knows - maybe he'll pull-a-Thawne and inexplicably stay alive?"

"So that's your plan? Wait around and see whether or not he disappears from existence?"

"You got a better one?"

"Yes - anything but that."

The current scene was a very familiar one for Team Flash. Everyone was gathered around the desk in the Cortex, brainstorming about how to help Savitar. It had been a long, sleepless night for many of them, as H.R.'s death still stung profoundly in their hearts. But, of course, they could never have just one problem. So, the team decided to push aside their grief for now and focus on the most imminent issue - keeping Barry's reckless time remnant from disappearing.

"Alright, you know what, it's hard being the genius tech wiz with brilliant ideas 24/7. And, may I remind you, Iris, that I was awake on and off all night babysitting Frankenstein's monster. This brain-" Cisco pointed to his forehead, "-won't be working at full capacity until I get some Jitters in my system."

Iris was going to retort but thought better of it. Coffee did sound good right now. Turning to address her fiancé, she said, "Babe, I think that's your queue."

"Alright, fine. But I expect there to be work happening while I'm gone."

Cisco waved him off with a hand. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, man. You do your job; we'll do ours."

With an eyeroll and a gust of wind, Barry was gone.

"If I may," Harry piped up, "Perhaps it would be best to review what we do know and search for a solution in that."

Iris nodded. "That's a good idea, Harry."

"It's what I'm here for."

"Alright, let's give it a try." Cisco grabbed the white marker off the table and made his way to the clear board. He started the way every timeline visualization does - with a line. Cisco then added some dots at various points across the line. "So, here's the deal. This whole chicken-or-the-egg fiasco started when Iris died." He drew an arch from one dot to another. "That Barry becomes distraught and isolated. In the future, when fighting Savitar, he creates time remnants. Savitar lets one of them live. After he's trapped in the Speedforce, the remnant goes crazy, travels through time, creates this myth for himself, and plots to kill Iris. Then the cycle repeats."

Cisco looks back at the group. "Everybody with me so far?" Once he receives affirmation from everyone, he continues, "Good, 'cuz this is where things get complicated. Because we were able to prevent Iris' death yesterday - go team! - the cycle broke. So, now, the events that created Savitar never actually happened. Since the time remnant didn't immediately go off his rocker, the change in timeline hasn't quite caught up to him yet. But time is rewriting itself, and soon, it'll drag Savitar under."

Joe looked like a deer caught in the headlights, before shaking the expression off his face. "That makes no more sense to me than it did the first time. What about the scientists in the room? Anyone have a breakthrough?"

A hand at the back of the room rose up, along with a voice. "I do have one note."

Savitar's arrival caught them all off guard. He had entered so quietly. It was a wonder that someone so hateful and destructive could sneak into a crowded room without notice. Everyone's reaction was different. Joe was suspicious and still quite angry. He hadn't fought Barry about helping Savitar; that's what they did here, after all - helped people. However, that didn't mean all was forgiven. Under 12 hours ago, this man tried to take his daughter away from him. He'd succeeded in killing H.R. Threating his family was the quickest way to make an enemy of Joe West. He wasn't sure what Savitar's future held, but he doubted that he'd ever feel comfortable with him being around.