All my life I've been wanting to do more. Be more. And now I am. And the first chance I get to help someone, I screw up. I was chasing the bad guy and... and someone died.
You can be better. Because you can inspire people in a way that I never could. Watching over your city like a guardian angel, making a difference, saving people in a flash. Take your own advice. Wear a mask.
You said the city was safe. That there was no residual danger. But that's not true. So what really happened that night?
WWells
Well, the accelerator went active. We all felt like heroes and then... it all went wrong. A dimensional barrier ruptured unleashing unknown energies into our world. Anti-matter dark energy. X-elements.
You can do this, Barry. You were right. I am responsible for all of this. So many people have been hurt because of me, and when I looked at you, all I saw was a potential victim of my hubris. And yes, I created this madness, but you, Barry, you can stop it. You can do this. Now, run, Barry, run!
Look, I know you are. Believe me, I'm dealing with it, too. I've always had a very simple set of beliefs. Gravity makes things fall. Water makes things wet. And up until a few weeks ago, I believed the fastest man could run a mile in four minutes. Not four seconds.
Yeah, I might be in the suit doing all the running... but when I'm out there helping people, making a difference... you're all out there with me. Finally realized something, we were all struck by that lightning.
You're right, you're not. You're just the man who kept me fed and in clothes, who sat by my bed every 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 to college. Sounds a lot like a dad to me.
[voice over] Every kid dreams about being a superhero. Having powers, saving people. But no kid thinks about what it's like to be a hero and not saving people. Truth is, not much else changes. You still hurt, you still love, you still wish and hope and fear things, and you still need people to help you with all of it. In some ways, that's the best part.
Extraordinary. The power he possesses, it's like... it's like the gods of olds! Like Mercury on Earth! Could you imagine if you could control his power, if you could... if you could harness it, you could change what it means to be human. The man in the red mask is the key, and I'm gonna get him.
Forgive me, Simon. I worry that you will think this is personal, and it's not. It's just that the man in the red mask, the fastest man alive... he must be kept...
[draws his knife out of Simon's stomach, who falls over dead]
It doesn't matter if you're the slowest kid in gym class or the fastest man alive, every one of us is running. Being alive means running; running from something; running to something or someone. And no matter how fast you are, there are some things you can't outrun; some things always manage to catch up to you.
You think I don't understand what you're feeling? I have been a cop for almost as long as you've been alive. So you should know, putting on that suit does not make everybody safe. For every person you save there's going to be someone you can't. And the hardest thing you're going to have to face is not some monster out there with powers. It's gonna be that feeling of uselessness when you can't do anything. Or the guilt that weighs on you when you make a mistake. Some things Barry, you can't fight. Some things, you just have to live with.
My mother died 14 years ago. I used to think that the further away I got from it the less it would hurt, but some days the pain is worse than the day that it happened. Some things you can't fight.
Turns out no one can outrun pain. Life is tragedy, but it's also precious and sweet and extraordinary. And the only way I know to honor my mom's life is to keep running.
