“It’s easy to believe in heroes. It’s hard when our heroes stop believing in us.” 
The episode opens with Barry in full Flash attire chasing a member of the Royal Flush Gang. He returns to STAR Labs to take arguably the coolest selfie in existence with the team. After a brief moment with Dr. Wells, Barry returns home to see Iris and Joe.
Iris receives news that she’s been hired as a journalist thanks to her Flash blog and leaves Barry and Joe to celebrate the success Barry has earlier. 
Dr. Wells is shown standing in his home when he receives a call saying “I know what you did.” He hangs up, cocks his gun and hears “it’s time to pay the piper.” His glass ceiling shatters and he runs to the other side of the room with a red streak of lightning behind him (hint). He calls Barry who calls Central City PD. 
A flashback shows Dr. Wells playing chess with Hartley Rathaway. Wells introduces Rathaway to Cisco who just joined STAR Labs. Rathaway shows a little jealousy toward Cisco, but Wells tells him not to worry. 
Back in the present, Barry puts the glass ceiling back together to examine it and finds no point of impact. He sees Wells denying any help because he knows who did this referencing Rathaway. When Barry asks who he is, Wells calls him the “prodigal son.” 
Wells reveals that Rathaway helped him build the particle accelerator but had trouble getting along with his coworkers. After a disagreement, Wells says Rathaway left STAR Labs but there is something left unsaid. 
Another flashback shows Rathaway giving Cisco a hard time based on his unprofessional appearance until Caitlin Snow shows up to cool him off. Rathaway says Cisco will quit in a week. 
Iris attends her first meeting at her new job and looks very lost. 
Barry shows Joe how sound frequencies can break glass. Joe says Wells is hiding something but Barry defends him. Eddie comes in saying Rathaway is attacking his family business. 
Rathaway is shoved by the Flash but hears the frequency of the STAR Labs team on the other end. Barry ends up grabbing Rathaway but he says he wasn’t fast enough to see the truth about Wells. 
Rathaway is brought back to STAR Labs almost intentionally saying he wants to call himself the Pied Piper. Cisco says he gives the names but that one is good. 
Rathaway says he used algorithms to determine the Flash worked with STAR Labs. He knows Barry is watching and says one day Wells will turn on him and he’ll wish he was dead. 
Wells admits that Rathaway warned him about the risk of running the accelerator and he proceeded anyway. He apologizes to the team but Caitlin and Cisco aren’t having it. Barry says Wells has to now earn back their trust. 
Iris is trying to make friends at work but they all see her as just a blogger. 
She meets up with Barry at the coffee shop to vent her frustrations. Barry of course cheers her up. 
Back at STAR Labs, Cisco realizes Rathaway wanted to be captured. Wells tries to runaway with his speed powers but seems to tire out. 
Rathaway breaks out of his containment cell and makes his way to Wells. Rathaway grabs his equipment and starts looking for a certain file.
Barry gets a call from Dr. Wells for help but he’s too late. 
Cisco wakes up with a concussion only looking for Rathaway. Wells comes in to admit this is all his fault and says he’s on his way to earn back the trust of the team. 
Another flashback shows Rathaway trying to convince Wells to not use the accelerator. Wells fires him and promises that if Rathaway tries to admit the truth to anyone, he’ll ruin his life. 
In the present, Wells is holding a press conference to tell the truth about the particle accelerator. Rathaway is shown uploading the file he found back at STAR Labs and watching the presser. 
Iris is at the presser and asks if there are plans for another accelerator. Wells says no. 
Cisco is back at STAR looking determined to catch Rathaway. Wells says he has nothing to prove to anyone. 
Rathaway returns to the STAR Labs intercom calling Wells’ presser a farce. He ask Wells for one last game of chess. He is shown on a bridge stranding drivers with his power over sound calling them his pawns and the Flash, Wells’ scarlet knight. 
Cisco can’t trace the signal until Wells tells him to look for vibration patterns. Rathaway throws a car off the side of the bridge, but Barry saves the passenger. 
Wells tells Barry he needs to find Rathaway’s endgame. Cisco discovers that Rathaway took Barry’s electroscans to find his frequency and kill him. Barry falls into the trap but Wells saves him by using the stranded cars’ satelliete radios to cancel the deathly frequency and destroy Rathaway’s equipement knocking him out cold. 
Barry returns to STAR Labs speaking very loudly after his encounter. He and Wells share a moment where Wells said he hopes to one day restore Barry’s faith in him. Barry said that day was today. 
Barry goes back to the police station to talk to Joe and thanks him for raising him. He said Joe is an irreplaceable part of his life. 
Eddie comes in to tell Joe he found nothing inside of his house. Eddie questions Joe’s decision to investigate Wells, but Joe seems determined. 
Cisco and Rathaway talk between the confinement cell. Rathaway says he’ll let him out soon because he knows where Ronnie Raymond is and what happened to him. 
Wells is shown trying to restore his speed force with the Reverse Flash suit in the background saying the endgame is almost here to close the episode.