Plot
"The Sanctuary" is a secret rehabilitation center for superheroes and reformed supervillains dealing with mental health issues. A horrible massacre kills nearly all its patients, including Arsenal, Blue Jay, Commander Steel, Hot Spot, Lagoon Boy, Gunfire, Red Devil, Gnarrk, Protector, the Tattooed Man, Wally West, and Poison Ivy. Booster Gold and Harley Quinn become prime suspects as they are the only survivors of the event. As neither of them remember how it happened, they both believe the other did it and attempt to kill each other.[8]
Batman deduces one of the Sanctuary patients was responsible for the killings, and seeks to catch the mysterious figure dubbed "the Puddler". He cannot access the Sanctuary's A.I. program. When they try to track down Harley Quinn, she tricks Wonder Woman and threatens to break Batman's neck unless they allow her to escape.[9]
While Booster consults Ted Kord about Wally's corpse, Harley consults Batgirl about chasing Booster. Lois Lane shares with her husband that she has been mysteriously receiving confessions of the murdered superheroes. She later reveals the Sanctuary's existence and its purpose. The revelation generates fear of superheroes among the masses. Superman admits the Sanctuary's existence in public, requesting that they not mistrust them, despite their issues. In response, most of the heroes and their loved ones berate and accuse them for allowing that massacre to happen.[10]
Green Arrow and Donna Troy attend a funeral for Roy Harper,[11] while Batman informs Jason Todd about Roy's death.[12] The Flash and Iris West are devastated after Booster Gold tells them about Wally's death, but Wally's cousin Ace West is convinced he is still alive somewhere due to his ability to time travel.[13]
While Batman investigates the murders, the Flash reluctantly helps him. Their investigation leads them to a facility where Bane makes experiments on a brainwashed Gotham Girl to revive her brother Henry Clover, Jr. (formerly known as Gotham). However, Gotham Girl loses control of her newly acquired powers to the point of nearly dying.[14]
After Booster and Harley settle their differences, he reveals Wally's corpse is from five days in the future, which leads them to believe the real Wally is still alive. That theory was proven true, as the present-day Wally revives Ivy from her rose and apologizes to her for causing harm in the first place.[15]
The truth is Wally caused the massacre by accident. Still grappling with the trauma related to having his family erased in the New 52, he convinced himself that he was alone in his grief and that the Sanctuary was created by the Justice League solely for him out of pity. Desperate to find out the truth about which other heroes were being treated by the Sanctuary, he somehow broke into its A.I. program to retrieve Sanctuary patient data entailing all of their collective trauma. This discovery overwhelmed Wally and caused him to lose control of the Speed Force, creating an energy blast that caused the deaths at the Sanctuary. In a desperate attempt to buy himself five days to fix his mistake, he altered the scene to make it look like either Booster or Harley committed the crime, making up the Puddler persona. Wally then records a tape confessing his crimes, as well as his secret identity, and sends it to Lois.
Booster, Harley, the Blue Beetle, and Batgirl arrive back at the Sanctuary, prepared to save Wally. Using their combined detective skills, they understand that he is the culprit, but also a victim. Harley is reunited with Poison Ivy, who tells her that she was regrown by the Green. Meanwhile, Wally is prepared to kill himself so that he can maintain a continuous loop in which he stages the murder scene so that he can expose the Sanctuary to Lois, and then kill himself again to restart the loop. Wally is afraid he will create another Flashpoint if he attempts to rescue those he killed. Booster suggests that he can close the time loop if they clone Wally's body in the far future and use that body for the crime scene rather than his real body. Wally agrees to the plan so that he can hold himself responsible for the manslaughter, find a way to make up for it, and eventually move on. In the end, Wally contemplates his fate while in the Justice League prison, determining that hope is not denying his pain, but carrying that pain with him as he keeps on running.[16]
