Chapter 31: Tar Pit

Central City 1 Year Ago...

Joseph Monteleone, better known as Joey, was beginning to regret his life choices, especially since said life choices currently had him dangling over a pit of boiling tar. The ones currently doing the dangling were his two "friends", Daniel Burge and Clay Stanley. The latter was pacing around like some Bond villain, attempting to sound intimidating and doing a surprisingly good job of it.

"You know, most people think of tar as a roofing product," Clay remarked, "but it's also used for medicine in candy and liquor. It's pretty interesting, but I bet that's not what you're thinking right now. I bet what you're thinking is, 'wow, I'd better tell Clay where I put that money before I get dropped in a vat of molten tar'."

Joey was hyperventilating, the heat of the tar making him sweat.

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed. "I'll tell you! Just don't drop me, please!"

"That's more like it," Clay replied. "So, where's the money?"

"Central City Bank! Account number 5463728!"

"Now, was that so hard?"

Clay then nodded to Daniel, who gave Joey a shove off the ledge. Joey screamed before dropping into the tar, the thick, bubbling sludge swallowing him with a wet plopping noise. Just then, a loud explosion rang out from outside as a massive wave of energy shot throughout the city.

"Let's go," Clay decided. "Let's go now!"

Clay and Daniel bolted out of the building as the energy wave tore through the inside, affecting the vat of tar that Joey fell into. The contents sparked with energy before settling down…

Today

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Wells was meeting with Carol Ferris to discuss a potential business deal with the Labs and Ferris Air.

"I must say, I was surprised to get your call Miss Ferris," Dr. Wells admitted. "S.T.A.R. Labs doesn't have the most sterling reputation these days."

"Well, I know from firsthand experience that one shouldn't be judged on mistakes alone. Besides, S.T.A.R. Labs has done too much good to be simply brushed aside, and I believe that I may be able to bolster its reputation with the proposition."

"To create the next generation of streamline aircrafts. It's a bold undertaking it I do say so myself."

"The future waits for no one, Dr. Wells. With the number of world-shattering threats rising up as of late, our men in uniform need to be ready. These aircraft, should they do as designed, will be the first step towards strengthening global security."

"I couldn't agree more," Dr. Wells concurred, wheeling over to his desk and pouring two glasses of bourbon. "Saved this for when the accelerator turned on. Never opened it for… obvious reasons. Shall we?"

"Why not?" Carol replied.

He handed her one of the glasses as he took the other.

"To the future."

"To the future," Carol agreed as they both drank.

In the Cortex, Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry were discussing various meta-humans that had been popping up.

"I'm telling you, the cells are enough," Cisco declared. "They dampen meta-human powers and keep these criminals from hurting anyone."

"But what about getting them there?" Caitlin countered. "Transport is hardly instantaneous. And, what if we come across a meta who can't be touched?"

"She does have a good point," Barry agreed. "We need some way to contain meta's while transporting them to Iron Heights."

"I could retrofit vans to hold metas," Cisco offered.

"Once again, I pose my untouchable meta query," Caitlin spoke up. "Plus, transferring from the van to the cell."

"Maybe Flash could knock them in somehow?" Cisco suggested.

"Ok… I'm not gonna even respond to that one," Barry replied.

"We need some way to localize the dampening field," Caitlin suggested. "Something easily transportable."

"Handcuffs?" Cisco proposed.

"How about a collar?" Dr. Wells suddenly spoke up.

The three turned to see Dr. Wells rolling into the Cortex.

"Handcuffs may be too small for some metas, plus, they'll have to be removed at some point, but a collar. Those can be made for long term wear, and mass production will be cheaper than specialized cells."

"That is… brilliant," Cisco realized.

"Unfortunately, that will have to wait," Dr. Wells informed the group. "Ferris Air has just hired S.T.A.R. Labs to begin work on a prototype streamline aircraft. Their ace pilot is even coming to oversee the construction."

"Aw, this is gonna be cool," Cisco let out.

"Yeah, who's the pilot?" Barry asked.

"That would be me," Hal Jordan announced, walking into the lab. "Hal Jordan, ace pilot, former Air Force, and an expert in most flying machines. Pleasure meeting you all."

Barry was slightly taken aback by seeing Hal in S.T.A.R. Labs, but tried to play it cool and keep himself, and his secret identity in check. Caitlyn moved to introduce herself first, offering her hand.

"Hey, I'm Dr. Caitlin Snow." She and Hal shook hands, then she gestured to the other two. "This is Cisco Ramone and-"

"Barry Allen," Barry introduced. "I work here… well, I work for the CCPD but I… sometimes help out here with the meta-human cases… as a forensic scientist I-"

"Hey, Flash," Hal interjected. "Nice to see you again."

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged looks before the latter let out an exaggerated snort.

"What, him? The Flash? That's- it's-!"

"Hey, I may not be a detective like Batman, but I'm not an idiot. Besides," Hal held up his ring hand, "your secret is safe with me."

Cisco let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh Thank God, he's one of them. I was legit scared for a moment."

"Yeah..." Hal nodded. "You guys need to get your story straight."

"We'll work on that," Barry told him. "How about you and I go catch up and leave these two to work?"

"Yes, go catch up," Caitlin insisted. "Have fun and all that."

The two heroes then walked out of the building as Wells watched them, a small smile on his face.

Across town at the Hudson's Roofing Tar Refinery, construction workers were hard at work, tearing down an old tar factory in order to create a new building. As they tore down the old foundations, a fissure opened up in the concrete to reveal a tar pit underneath.

"Hey, I think we hit tar!" one of the workers called out.

"Well, this was an old tar factory," another worker replied. "Maybe one of the old canisters leaked underground."

"Think we can use any of it?" the first worker asked. "I mean, it'd be a shame if it all went to waste."

Just then, what could only be described as a hand made out of tar shot out and grabbed the face of one of the workers. He screamed in pain as the other worker immediately turned and ran, shrieking the entire time.

Meanwhile, Barry and Hal stopped into Jitters to get some coffee and chat for a bit.

"So, this is the you under the red friction-proof spandex," Hal quipped. "Not what I was expecting, but surprisingly works."

"Well what were you expecting? No offense, but we can't all be big shot pilots dating their bosses."

"True. Still, what kind of name is Barry?"

"It's short for Bartholomew. What kind of name is Hal?"

"Harold."

Barry snorted a little in response.

"I'm sorry, but the thought of a macho guy like you being called Harold is kind of hilarious."

"You're one to talk, 'Bartholomew'. Let me guess, school bully called you Bart?"

"Yeah. So many Simpsons jokes. I hated it."

"I can imagine. I just thought my name made me sound like an old man, so I shortened it to Hal. Kinda just stuck after that."

"Well, it's surprisingly fitting for you."

"Same with you and Barry. So, what do you do when you're not running around?"

"Like I said, forensic scientist for the CCPD. Gotta pay the bills somehow."

"Sounds fun, in an outside observer kind of way."

Just then, Barry's phone started going off, prompting him to check it and see it was Joe West calling.

"Speaking of work," Barry remarked before answering. "Hey Joe, what's up?"

"Got a case. Come to the old tar factory on the west side, and try not to be late."

"On my way." Barry hung up and turned to Hal. "Sorry to cut this short."

"Hey, I get it." Hal held up a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Duty calls and all that. I'll probably see how the others are doing at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Thanks. We should hang out more often."

Barry then sped off, leaving Hal alone in Jitters.

At the tar factory, Barry walked under the police tape and up to Joe, who was standing near a body covered with a tarp.

"That was fast," Joe noted. "Since when do you actually show up on time when I call?"

"I… was in the neighborhood when you called," Barry told him. "So, what do we got?"

"Victim's a construction worker breaking ground on the factory," Joe explained as Barry looked over the body. "It looked like he was dipped into a volcano."

"Yeah… Actually, the depth and uniformity of the burns is consistent with something you see if it was burned with lava or something similar. Whatever burned this guy was a lot cooler than lava, and has… some kind of added chemical characteristic."

"What, like tar?" Joe suggested. "This is a tar factory, though it's been shut down since the accelerator went up."

"Hey, I just got done talking with the other construction worker on duty," a new voice announced.

Barry turned to see a young man in a suit with blonde hair walking up to them.

"Get this, he said that as they unearthed the tar from under the ground, a giant hand sprang up and grabbed the vic. Honestly, I think the fumes got to him, he saw his buddy fall into the unearthed pit, and just saw the vic trying to reach for help."

"Considering what happened to the Mardon Brothers, I wouldn't dismiss anything just yet," Joe reminded.

"Right," the man admitted.

"I'm sorry," Barry spoke up, straightening up with a look of confusion on his face. "Who are you?"

"Oh yeah," Joe remembered. "Barry, this is Eddie Thawne. Transfer from Keystone and my new partner."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Allen," Eddie declared, offering a hand.

"Barry's fine, Eddie," Barry assured him, taking the offered hand.

"So, Joe tells me you've had an eye for the unexplainable. Any explanation for this?"

"I'll need to run some tests before I can be sure. I'll let you know when I have something."

"Right," Joe replied. "In the meantime, Eddie, you and I will see if anyone else saw a… walking tar monster."

"Man, what happened to this town?" Eddie muttered as he and Joe walked off.

"Sometimes, I wonder that myself," Barry muttered.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Hal was watching Cisco work on the schematics for the experimental engine, nodding occasionally in surprise and consent.

"Looking good, man," He commended, patting Cisco on the shoulder. "Can't wait to fly it."

"Can't wait to see it in action," Cisco replied. "Still, you can fly without a plane. Why do you want to fly a plane?"

"Eh, it's both a job, and a hobby. Besides, being a Green Lantern doesn't pay that well."

"That makes sense." Cisco paused, thinking about it for a moment. "Actually, no it doesn't. You're a cop, right? Shouldn't you be paid?"

"You would think so, wouldn't you?"

About that time, Barry came speeding in, throwing several papers around as he did.

"We have a new Meta," he announced.

"Really?" Cisco let out. "What kind?"

"The kind that can apparently manipulate tar, if our eye witness is to be believed. He's already killed a man, and I don't think he's done yet." Barry pulled out the sample he got from the crime scene and handed it to Cisco. "See if you can analyze this. Try and find out what we're up against."

"I'm on it," Cisco replied.

"A Tar meta, huh?" Hal remarked. "Sounds like things are getting interesting around here."

"Certainly looks that way," Barry replied.

"Need a hand?"

"I won't turn down an extra set of eyes. Just try and keep up."

Barry then sped out, snagging his suit as he did. Hal grinned, clenching his fist and summoning his Lantern uniform.

"Oh it is so on, Speedy!"

Meanwhile, at the main office of the now debunked tar factory, Daniel Burg was just getting off the phone with the police.

"Thanks for letting me know," he told the officer on the line. "Don't worry, the entire area has been cordoned off and my men won't be going anywhere near it. I know all too well what tar can do to a person."

He hung up the phone and proceeded with his work, unaware of something lurking from behind. As he turned to start gathering paperwork, he was greeted by the sight of a large mass of tar with arms, legs, and face looming over him.

"What the hell?!"

The monster tried bringing a fist down on him, but Daniel quickly moved out of the way before it hit. He tried making his way for the door, but the monster somehow threw a glob of tar in his path, causing him to stop and turn back towards it.

"What are you?!"

"Don't you recognize me?" the monster questioned, its voice like someone gargling water.

When Daniel just shook his head in terror, the monster began to morph and shrink, gaining human features and clothing. Soon, the face of Joey Monteleone was completely unmistakable, though his eyes were pitch black and tar stains ran down his body.

"How about now?" he asked, his voice just like it was before his dip.

"Joey?" Daniel let out. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Gotta be honest, not sure… but it gave me a second chance. One I'm gonna take."

He stepped towards Daniel, his foot splattering on impact as he began returning to his monstrous appearance. Daniel scrambled back, fear written all over his face.

"J-j-Joey! Listen man! I-I didn't want to-!"

"But you did it! And now it's payback time!"

Joey thrusted out a hand, which extended into a burning hot tar appendage. He grabbed Daniel, who screamed in agony.

In the city, Flash was zipping through the streets with GL flying alongside him.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" GL questioned.

"Usually, you'll know it when you see it," Flash replied. "The impossible tends to stick out around here."

"Duly noted."

As he said this, the two heroes swung by the tar factory, just in time to hear Daniel's pained cries of anguish. Flash skidded to a stop.

"Ten bucks says that's our mystery tar monster," GL assumed.

"I'd say so," Flash agreed before speeding off.

GL followed close behind, the two of them entering through the partially opened doors of the factory. They both gasped when they saw a large lump of tar stuck to the wall, holding the smoldering body of Daniel Burg off the ground. For a brief moment, the two just stood there in horror, watching it burn.

"Yikes," GL let out in shock.

"Just like the first victim," Flash recognized. "Burns are still fresh too, meaning he couldn't have gotten far."

GL gave the area a scan, stopping short about halfway through.

"I'd say that's a safe bet."

Flash looked where GL was looking and saw the tar monster lumbering towards them, a furious look gracing its face. GL thought fast and blasted at it, but only succeeded in splattering tar across the floor. The monster's body quickly closed the wound. Flash saw this and quickly got an idea.

"My turn."

Flash then ran at the monster, circling around it, trying to create a funnel. The monster tried bringing his fists down on Flash, but he quickly sped out of the way just in time. It then threw several flaming tar blobs at Flash, prompting him to speed around each blast in succession. GL quickly flew up and formed a lacrosse paddle to catch one of the blobs in before tossing it back at the monster. It merely absorbed the tar once more, unfazed by the attack.

"Well, that didn't work," GL realized.

"Any more ideas?" Flash asked.

GL looked up, a smirk gracing his face.

"One."

He shot at the ceiling, setting off the buildings sprinkler systems. It began raining down on the tar monster, who roared as the water began to coat him. The monster shrunk down into a puddle form and slinked away, dropping through one of the vents on the floor nearby.

"Looks like he's gone," GL lamented.

"Not all of him," Flash informed, pointing to the vent.

A small sliver of the monster's body was stuck on the grate, allowing GL to use his ring to pick it up.

"Think your pals back at S.T.A.R. Labs can figure out if that walking tar pit is the same Meta who killed your first guy?"

"I know they can."

At the Central City Police Department, Joe entered Barry's lab to see if he had an update on the case.

"Barry, where we at on the tar vic?" He asked, only to see there was no one there. "Barry?"

He glanced around the lab, seeing no sign that Barry was ever there. No tests were being run, no paperwork was out, and his stuff wasn't anywhere to be seen. As Joe looked through the drawers, he was surprised to find a sweatshirt from S.T.A.R. Labs stuffed into one. Joe took out the sweatshirt and sighd at it, looking towards Barry's bulletin board with a map of the city on it. Joe then rolled up the map, revealing a board full of clippings related to reportedly impossible feets as well as his mother's murder. All of this put together gave Joe a pretty good idea about where Barry might be right about now.

Meanwhile at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin was running tests on the new sample Flash and GL had brought back, running it against the first sample brought in.

"So, what's the verdict?" Flash asked, pulling down his cowl so he could see better.

"The tar samples are almost an exact match," Caitlin answered. "More than that, there was human DNA mixed into the tar."

"Human DNA?" Hal let out. "So that thing was human?"

"Yeah, before he became Tarpit," Cisco confirmed.

"So, we're just calling him that?" Barry asked. "Tarpit?"

"Pretty much," Cisco responded.

Hal looked over at Barry, the two heroes just shrugging.

"So, who was Tarpit before he was… well, Tarpit?" Hal asked.

"Joseph Monteleone," Caitlin answered, bringing up Joey's CCPD file. "Not exactly the most upstanding citizen."

"Yeah, looks like he was involved in tons of illegal stuff," Barry read off. "Including theft, armed robbery, and a few scams. Served time in juvie as a teen, and was reported missing a year ago."

"Right around the time of the accelerator explosion," Cisco declared.

"So, what about the body we found at the warehouse?" Hal asked. "How's he fit into this?"

"Don't know, but I'll head back and see if I can ID him," Barry replied. "First, I'd better check in with Joe and let him know what we've learned.

"Oh, I've learned plenty."

Everyone froze, Barry slowly turning towards the door. Standing in the doorway was none other than Joe West, looking in on the two scientists and the two heroes.

"Joe…" Barry let out. "How… how did you-?"

"I went to your lab to see if you'd made any progress. I found the STAR Labs sweatshirt and thought you'd be here. I just..." He rubbed his face. "I never expected this..."

"I know… this must be a lot," Barry admitted.

"I just learned my son is the Flash. A lot doesn't even begin to cover this."

Hal looked over at Cisco and Caitlin.

"We should… give them some space."

'Right," Hal agreed.

The three of them exited the room, leaving Barry and Joe to talk.

"Look, I was gonna tell you," Barry reassured.

"Oh really? When? When you're coming into work beaten and bruised because the villain of the week tossed you across the park?"

"Hey, I've gone up against plenty of villains before today, and have come out just fine."

"That's not the point, Barry!" Joe caught himself, taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just… Just promise me you'll keep Iris out of this."

Barry paused for a moment, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"About that…"

"She knows, doesn't she?"

Barry just sheepishly nodded as Joe leaned back, cursing silently.

"You told Iris, but not me. What were you thinking, Barr?"

"I was thinking that I needed to talk about this to someone, and after the 'talk' you and I had that day, it didn't seem like it could be you."

Joe sighed heavily, seeing Barry's point.

"Look, I know you're worried about me. I know that… this… is alot to take in, but I am doing good out there. Not just for the city, but the world. Hell, I SAVED the world! Several times! And I'm not gonna stop!"

"You already have a job in law enforcement."

"As a forensic scientist. As the Flash, I could two ten times more good!"

"You think just because you can run real fast, you're invincible? You're not! You may think you're some kind of hero, but you're still just a kid. My kid."

"I'm not your kid, Joe! And you're not my father."

There was a moment of silence as those last words sunk in. Barry instantly felt a pang of regret, especially when he saw the heartbroken look on Joe's face.

"Joe, I-"

"We've… still got a case to solve. I suggest we get back to it."

He turned and walked out of the lab, just barely able to keep his emotions in check. As he left, the others returned. Hal looked over at Barry, wincing.

"That… did not sound like it ended well."

"It didn't…"

"... what time do you clock out?"

"Seven. Why?"

"I'll meet you then. It sounds like you could use a drink."

At the offices of Central City Picture News, Iris was walking down the steps of the building with Carol Ferris, the two women talking happily.

"Thanks again for agreeing to the interview," Iris told her. "This story will be a great public interest piece to help restore S.T.A.R. Lab's good name."

"Think nothing of it," Carol brushed off before noticing someone at the bottom of the steps. "Who's that?"

Iris looked up, surprised to see Joe waiting for her by his cruiser, his arms crossed and his posture screaming that he was upset.

"That… is my dad."

"I see. I'll give you two a minute."

Iris nodded as she walked over to Joe.

"Hey dad, kind of a bad time."

"I know about Barry," Joe said bluntly.

Iris's heart skipped a beat.

"How did you find out?"

"I'm a detective. Just needed to put the pieces together. How long have you known?"

"I… was the first one he told. It was after the first sighting of the Mardon Brothers' new powers."

"So you've known since the beginning? This entire time, you and Barry were keeping this from me?"

"It wasn't like that. We just… we didn't know how to tell you, or if you'd even be willing to listen."

Joe stood silent for a moment, unsure how to respond. Iris took this as a sign to continue.

"You've always been overprotective, especially with Barry. We knew that if he told you about his heroics, you'd try to stop him."

"He's my-..." He turned away. "I raised him, cared for him, treated him like my own flesh and blood..."

Iris cocked her head slightly.

"This… isn't about the Flash, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"That face, you're making the same face you made after Barry tried to run away when we were 12. You found him trying to get into Iron Heights to see his dad."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Listen, you know as well as I do that Barry loves you. You're both upset and emotional. You just need time to cool off, then both of you can sit down and work this out like adults."

"Maybe… "

Iris took her dad's head in her hands.

"No maybe, yes. So come on, I'm taking you home."

"I'll be alright. Besides, I think I interrupted something." he gestures over to Carol still standing here.

"Right," Iris let out, having forgotten about her interview in the drama. "We'll talk later."

Joe nodded as he got back in the car and drove off, allowing Iris to walk back over to Carol.

"Sorry about that."

"It's alright, it sounded like you had a lot to talk about. So, shall we?"

"Right, let's do this."

The two got into Iris' car, then headed off themselves.

That night, Hal and Barry went to a local bar and got a few drinks.

"So, what happened?" Hall questioned.

"Well, Joe, my… foster dad, doesn't think I'm cut out for being a hero," Barry explained.

"Ouch..."

"Yeah. He thinks I should just stick with my forensic scientist position and leave the hero stuff to someone else. But… I can't. I just can't."

"I know how you feel. I know he seems a little harsh, but it does sound like he cares."

"If he really cared, he'd support me in all this instead of shooting me down, like he always does."

"What does that mean?"

"I've been searching for proof of the impossible my whole life, and he's never believed me. I thought after Metahumans became common, he'd open up. But he's still as closed off and hard headed as ever."

Hal chuckles lightly, shaking his head.

"That's called being a dad. My old man was the same way when I told him I wanted to be a test pilot."

"Yet, here you are."

"I know. Wonder what he'd think if he saw me now."

That threw Barry for a loop.

"What do you mean?"

"My dad died in a plane crash when I was still a kid."

"Hal… I'm sorry."

"Honestly, I'd give anything to be in your shoes, Barry. You have two amazing dads, Henry Allen and Joe West. Both of them want what's best for you, even if they don't show it in the best ways."

Barry took a breath, taking in everything Hal had said. He began to ponder if he was right.

Across town at a strip garage, Clay Parker was overlooking the deconstruction of countless cars that he and his men had obtained, going over all the parts and what they were worth

"So, how we looking?" He asked one of his men.

"Couple hundred thousand by the looks of it. Should be enough bank for the boys to keep the lights on for a few more days.

"Not bad, but we can do better. Contact Bronwen and tell him I need a new set by tomorrow night."

As the guy reached for the phone, the smell of fresh tar hit his nose.

"What the hell…"

He then turned towards the door to see it being melted down. From the burning wreckage, the massive abomination that was Tarpit manifested itself.

"What the-"

Suddenly, Tarpit threw a tar glob at some of the cars, causing them to explode. The men there began running in a panic as Tarpit lobbed another glob of tar.

"Clay Parker!" Tarpit yelled.

"Shit!" Parker let out, trying to get away.

Back at the bar, Hal and Barry just finished a round when Barry's phone went off. He answered it, hearing a frantic Cisco on the other end of the line.

"Dude, Tarpit's back. Explosions reported at a warehouse on Berlanti and Kreisburg."

"We're on our way," Barry replied, hanging up and turning to Hal. "Duty calls."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Hal raised his ring hand as his GL suit came on. He flew right out the door as Barry sped after him, donning his own suit along the way.

Meanwhile, Joe West and Eddie Thawne were driving through the city when they heard the report about Tarpit on the police radio. Joe listened to the report, his face going grim. He immediately turned the car around, heading for the scene.

"If what they're saying about this guy is true, do you think we even stand a chance?" Eddie asked.

"Doesn't matter," Joe replied. "We've got a job to do."

Joe then stepped on the gas, accelerating towards the warehouse.

Back at the warehouse, Tarpit continued throwing globs of tar everywhere, destroying everything. Finally, he caught sight of Clay Parker trying to make an exit. He threw a flaming glob at him, that was seconds away from hitting before Flash sped in and moved him out of the way. Clay gasped for air as he looked Flash up and down.

"About time you got here! What the hell kept you?!"

"Just stay here. We got this."

Flash then turned towards Tarpit, who roared at him in response.

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Flash smirked, jumping slightly as he prepared to run.

"Only if you can catch me."

Flash then sped towards Tarpit, quickly moving out of the way as the massive monster tried bringing his fists down on him. Tarpit then tried throwing a tar glob at him, but Flash easily avoided it. This continued with Tarpit trying desperately to tag the scarlet speedster, but missing every time. As he did this, GL entered, surveying the meta monster and trying to think of a plan. Finally thinking of something, he formed a massive energy bubble around Tarpit, encasing him inside. GL then carried him out of the building,

"Alright pal, just hang tight, and I'll get you a nice cool drink."

As Tarpit was carried away, he continued bashing and smashing against the energy bubble, even causing it to crack under the strain. Hal grunted, gripping his wrist as he tried to keep the construct up. Unfortunately, it shattered after a few more seconds, Tarpit dropping back down to the ground, heading right for Joe and Eddie's approaching patrol car. As Flash came out of the warehouse, he saw this and bolted towards the car, pulling the two out of it before Tarpit crushed it under his weight. The speedster faced the two officers, vibrating his face and fluctuating his voice with his speed.

"You two okay?" He asked,

"Yeah," Joe let out.

The echoing roars of Tarpit regained Flash's attention, causing him to turn and see Tarpit lifting the car over his head. He chucked it at Flash, forcing him to speed out of the way. As Flash started turning around to charge at Tarpit again, the monster lobbed another glob of tar his way, this one hitting a nearby parked car. The contact caused the car to explode and sent Flash hurtling through the air. Thankfully, GL was quick on the draw, catching him in a constructed baseball glove. As GL lowered him down, he saw that Flash had several scorch marks across his costume, as well as several pieces of metal shrapnel embedded in him. He was groaning from pain and appeared to be barely conscious.

"He's hurt pretty bad. Gotta get him out of here."

He looked around to see what happened to Tarpit, but the meta had disappeared in the wake of the explosion. Joe and Eddie appeared unharmed, the former looking up at the heroes with a worried expression. GL then just flew off, carrying the downed Flash with him.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin carefully removed the shrapnel from Barry, making sure there was nothing left on him to complicate the healing process. Cisco spent his time looking at the now ruined flash suit, his expression utterly devastating.

"He's gonna be ok, right?" Hal asked. "I mean, he said he heals fast."

"He'll be fine in an hour or so," Caitlin confirmed. "He just needs to rest and regain his stamina."

As she finished up what she was doing, both Joe and Iris came rushing in, worried expressions on both their faces.

"Tell me he's gonna be ok," He demanded.

"He's gonna be okay, Detective West," Hal assured him. "Your son's one hell of a fighter."

"Barry..." Iris let out, taking Barry's hand in hers.

Hal just placed a hand on her shoulder as Barry finally began to stir. He slowly cracked his eyes open to see everyone standing over him.

"...hey."

"Barr, you okay?" Joe asked.

"Yeah… Joe… about what I said… I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about that now. Just rest up."

"I can't..." Barry began pushing himself up. "Tarpit… he's still out there..."

"Dude, you can barely move right now," Cisco told him. "Much less fight that thing."

"We can't let him hurt anyone else..." Barry insisted. "We have to find him and we have to stop him."

"And we will," Dr. Wells reassured, rolling inside. "But we can't do that until you're back in peak physical condition, which thankfully for you, will only take a few hours. Rest up, and we'll come up with a plan."

"Listen to 'em, Barry," Hal insisted. "Tarpit can wait."

Unable to argue, Barry just laid back on the bed, groaning in pain. As he did, Joe looked over at Hal, quickly discerning him to be GL.

"Thank you, Mr. Jordan."

"Don't mention it. We heroes look out for our own."

"In the meantime, perhaps we should work on a plan for capturing Tarpit," Cisco suggested. "Apparently, he can even melt through whatever your ring creates, so… yeah."

"Right," GL agreed. "How are we gonna fight something like that?

"With this!" Dr. Miller called out.

Everyone turned to see Dr. Kari Miller rolling into the room, a briefcase resting on her lap.

"So, can anyone just walk in here?" Iris asked.

"We seriously need to update our security system," Cisco admitted.

"Actually, I was invited here, thank you very much," Dr. Miller said indignantly. "I have the prototype ready."

"Prototype?" Caitlin asked.

"For the inhibitor collars we were talking about earlier," Dr. Wells clarified. "In light of our 'Tarpit' situation, I asked Dr. Miller for her aid in their creation."

"I'd been working on a way to suppress Meta abilities long before the League was formed.I wasn't able to master the mechanics until Dr. Wells sent me his schematics. I pooled our resources, and made this." She opened the briefcase, turning it so everyone could see the contents.

It was a metal collar with red lights on the side.

"Meta-human inhibitor collar. It can be calibrated for any specific meta-gene, rendering it inert. It's also made of a man-made material that's both lightweight and durable.

"Pretty sweet," Cisco commended. "Ever considered coming to work for us?"

"Thanks, but I belong with the DEO. However, if you ever need my services again-" she reached into the pocket of her lap coat, removing a business card, "-don't hesitate to call."

"We'll be sure to do that," Dr. Wells replied.

"Now all we need to do is find Tarpit," Hal spoke up.

"I think I may have an idea for that," Joe offered. "We arrested Clay Walker tonight. Maybe we can use him as bait to lure Tarpit into the open."

"And when he shows himself, we'll be ready for him," GL declared.

Sometime later, Barry finally managed to wake up for real, much to the groups relief.

"The Flash lives," Cisco remarked.

"Take it easy man," Barry insisted. "It wasn't that bad."

"Tell that to Joe and Iris," Hal spoke up. "I had to literally shove them out the door so they could get some sleep."

"To which they both decided to commandeer some spare cots and sleep in one of the empty offices down the hall," Cisco added.

"Better let them know I'm alright then," Barry decided.

Barry then took notice of the collar in Cisco's hand, cocking his head at it.

"What's that?"

"A metahuman inhibitor collar. It'll disable Tarpit's powers and let us take him down."

"You sure?"

Cisco smirked, then tossed the collar at Barry.

"Give it a try. Let's see."

Barry shrugged as he placed the collar on. He tried vibrating his hand, but nothing happened.

"Nothing?" Cisco asked.

"I can't feel my speed, like at all."

"Sweet, it worked." He then held up a small remote similar to a key fob for a car. "I've been playing with this while you were out. It locks the collar, and it apparently comes with a 'warning system'."

"Warning system?"

"Yeah." Cisco help up a small sheet of paper that was sitting on the table in front of him. "Apparently it's meant to incapacitate and keep the more 'uncivilized metas' in line."

"Let's not test that, ok?"

"You got it." Cisco then pressed a button on the remote that unlocked the collar.

Barry tossed it back to Cisco before speeding off towards Joe and Iris. He found the two of them in the lab break room, drinking coffee with Dr. Stone.

"Hey guys," he spoke, getting their attention.

"Barry!" Iris let out, shooting up and hugging him. "Are you alright?"

"Much better," he assured her, kissing her.

"Glad to see you're doing better," Joe told him.

Barry turned to Joe, the two just looking at one another. Dr. Stone let out a cough.

"Miss West, perhaps I can show you the jet that S.T.A.R. Labs is working on," he offered. "It would be a good edition to your article."

"Uh, yeah," She agreed. "Good idea."

The two went off, leaving Barry and Joe alone to talk.

"Joe, I can't apologize enough for what I said before," Barry spoke. "It was out of line and completely unfair to you."

"I owe you an apology as well," Joe admitted. "Both Eddie and I would be dead if you hadn't gotten there when you did."

"You would've done the same if it were me."

"You're right, and that's the point. There's always been a part of me that still sees that little kid I raised, and after you got struck by lightning, well I it just made me a little more protective. So to not only learn you can do these amazing things, but also putting yourself on the line like this…"

"You were afraid you'd lose me. Joe, I'm not gonna pretend this job doesn't have risk. There are always gonna be bigger threats out there, but as long as they're threatening innocent people, much less the people I care about, I'm always gonna be running to stop them."

"I know." Joe took hold of Barry's shoulders, smiling with tears in his eyes. "And I am beyond proud of you, Barry."

Barry couldn't help but smile in response.

At CCPD, Eddie walked into the holding area, looking around those inside.

"Clay Parker?" he let out.

Parker looked up from where he sat, glaring at Eddie.

"What?"

"Come on. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"You're being transferred to Iron Heights. Now let's go."

Eddie took Parker and started moving him outside. As they approached the car, the road around the squad car began to heat up and rise. Eddie stopped short and Clay turned pale in his grip as the familiar form of Tarpit emerged.

"I'll take it from here, officer," Tarpit announced.

As Tarpit reached out for Parker, a green energy bubble encased him and Eddie, shielding them from his touch. Tarpit turned to see GL floating above him.

"Sorry pal," GL remarked. "But we need to bring you in for a long list of fire code violations."

"You again..."

"Me again. And I brought my friend."

At that moment, Flash sped up, much to Tarpit's surprise.

"Thought you were dead."

"Thought wrong," Flash informed. "Sorry to disappoint."

"No problem." Tarpit gathered a large ball of tar in his hand. "I'll just be more thorough this time."

Tarpit tried nailing him with a tar glob, but Flash easily ran past it. Tarpit continued throwing globs at Flash, but he dodged every one. GL quickly formed a massive bat and knocked one of the globs back at Tarpit, knocking him back. Flash then spun his arms in circles, trying to cool down the tar so it would harden. Tarpit tried moving towards them, but his movements were slowed due to Flash's efforts.

"Joe, now!"

Joe came rushing in, giving the collar a hard toss. With an electronic snap, the collar locked around Tarpit's neck, stretching to accommodate his size. Luckily, it didn't have to stretch too much before the collar took effect, forcing Tarpit to become Joey once more. He panted as he clawed at the device, struggling to summon his powers. Joe pulled out the remote, glaring at Joey with utter hatred.

"This is for hurting my son..."

He jammed his finger on the subdue button, unleashing a torrent of electricity that shocked Joey into unconsciousness. Flash sped over, watching Joey fall before whistling.

"I am so glad we didn't test that feature on me."

"Yeah," GL agreed. "You've got enough spark as it is."

The two heroes laughed as Joe grabbed Joey, dragging the meta away.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Hal and Barry walked into the cortex to find Iris and Carol chatting and laughing with one another. Barry sped off in a blink of an eye, returning in civilian clothes as Hal dissipated his uniform.

"Uh, hey," Barry greeted as they walked in.

"Hal!" Carol greeted in return, going over and pecking Hal on the cheek. "How was your mission? You catch..."

"Tarpit," Iris supplied.

"Right," Carol snapped her fingers. "Tarpit."

"So wait, she knows about…?" Barry asked before turning to Iris. "you didn't tell her, did you?"

"Mr. Allen, do I look stupid to you?" Carol questioned, crossing her arms. "I saw the red spandex when I came here the first time, and considering you're the only one tall enough and pale enough to be Flash, it wasn't hard to figure out."

"I… would never call you stupid," Barry insisted.

"And I thought my close calls were bad," Hal remarked.

"Honestly, I'm just glad to know I'm not the only superhero girlfriend," Iris spoke up. "Carol and I are already planning to get drinks later this week."

"Our girlfriends are ganging up on us," Barry said with a hint of amused nervousness.

"I don't know, a little ladies night sounds pretty fun," Hal commented, earning a few looks from Carol and Iris. "for them, I mean."

"Girl, what do you see in him?" Iris asked.

"Honestly, I fell for the eyes and the rest is a work in progress."

"If you say so," Hal jeered.

Barry just rolled his eyes in response.

"Well, it was nice working with you, Hal. Feel free to come by again."

"Just get security clearance first!" Cisco called out from the other room. "And phone ahead!"

"What he said," Barry replied.

"I'll see what I can do," Hal replied.

Later on, Dr. Wells wheeled himself into his secret room, closing the door behind him. He had one of Dr. Miller's meta collars with him, pulling it from his lap before rising to his feet. He turned it over in his hand, giving a quiet chuckle.

"Gideon," he let out.

All of a sudden, a large transparent head appeared on a computer console.

"Yes Dr. Wells?" it asked in a feminine voice.

"I need a scan of this collar. Could it be used to siphon meta powers instead of just inhibiting them?"

"Not in a capacity that would go unnoticed. The collar is too bulky to avoid detection."

"Shame. Still, a means to incapacitate the Flash should the need arise is certainly worthwhile. This may be to my benefit after all."