Chapter Text
The world once again gets enveloped in blue lighting and blurs...
Then it stops.
Wells is dropped on the ground, broken arm cushioned by the scientist's body as he lands. He looks up, eyes adjusting and he zeros in on Detective Joe West.
"Wells?" West's eyes go wide, arm pushing Wally behind him as he draws his gun.
"Hello, old friend," Zoom greets the detective. The monster looks to all the weapons pointed at him, "Your bullets don't work on me."
Wells looks at the detective and growls out the only thing he can think of to say, "Run!"
In an instant blast of lighting every officer in the room, except for West and Captain Singh are dead. Wally grabs hold of his father's coat as the men all fall.
West's breathing goes ragged with fear, eyes glancing to the exit even though he knows it's impossible to make it there in time.
"I have left you alive for a reason," Zoom tells the detective, "I want you to deliver a message."
"What message is that?" West says in a soft voice.
"Central City is mine," the monster tells him, stepping over Wells to get closer to the detective, "Anyone who disobeys me will meet their end."
West nods to the monster, pulling his son with him as he makes a hurried escape. Captain Singh follows quickly on his heels.
Zoom turns his attention back to Wells who's pushing himself up with one arm.
"Now," the monster growls, "what should I do with you?"
The monster removes the scientist's, now broken, Meta watch. Then he cuffs his injured arm to one of the detective's desks.
Wells adjusts his sitting position so that his knee can support the injury. It's uncomfortable, but it helps ease the pain a little.
Wells' knows the arm isn't aligned correctly, can feel one part of the bone rubbing against the other. If it tries to heel like it is, it will have to be re-broken and set.
If the scientist lives long enough for it to heal that much.
"Such a pity," the monster laughs, holding the watch in one hand, "With all your presumed genius this breakable thing is all you could come up with?"
"With all your presumed speed, you couldn't manage to not break it?" Wells bites out, wincing at a jarring pain.
"I think you're getting too comfortable, Doctor," the monster crouches down to eye level, "I think it's time to get rid of one of your friends."
Wells' heart races as he clutches his arm tightly. He doesn't want to know, not really, but at the same time he has to know, "Who?"
Zoom grins, even behind that horrible mask, he manages to grin, "Cisco Ramon."
---
Zoom brings Rupture to the this world. Tells him, right in front of Wells, to go out and kill the man responsible for Reverb's death. Orders him to kill Ramon.
"Zoom killed your brother," Wells tells him, looks defiantly at the monster when he turns his head to him for interrupting.
"Doctor Wells is friends with the boy," the monster tells Rupture, "He helped kill your brother."
Rupture moves to attack the scientist but Zoom holds him back.
"Wells is mine," the monster tells him, "You go kill Ramon."
The Meta turns to the scientist for a second, then nods to the monster and leaves.
---
"And today, Central City Police Department was taken over by a speedster named Zoom," a newscaster says on the television, "There are unconfirmed reports, that the villain is working together with Dr. Harrison Wells who's video confession brought about the release of Dr. Henry Allen. Dr. Wells had apparently vanished after making the confession and was rumored to be dead..."
Wells sighs, grimacing as his arm throbs again. It will be impossible to leave STAR Labs now that word's out of 'that' Dr. Wells roaming the streets again.
"You're a celebrity," Garrick comments, sitting on the desk Wells is cuffed to, "They used a nice picture of you too. They don't normally do that. They usually use really weird pictures of felons when they make those news reports."
"That isn't me," Wells growls, rising to the bait, "I'm me and that's whatever or whoever lived on this earth."
"Oh, yeah," Garrick draws the words out like he's just realizing something, "That Dr. Wells is really the clone super evil guy Eobard or something like that, right?"
"Is there something you want?" the scientist snaps.
The monster chuckles, voice changing as he says, "It won't be long now until Rupture brings me the dead body of your friend Cisco."
"They will stop you," the statement is more for Wells than it is for the monster.
"How?" Garrick asks, back to his regular voice. He pushes off the desk to look down at the scientist, "With what?"
Wells doesn't answer him. Can't answer him.
Garrick smiles.
"You took Barry's speed and now your friends have no one to protect them."
---
When Rupture returns, he's empty handed.
"Where is Ramon's body?" Zoom asks the Meta, looming over him.
"He escaped," the Meta answers, trying not to cower under the monster's gaze, "I will kill him. I just need to find him again."
Wells sinks against the desk in relief as the monster growls in the Meta's face.
"The rest of the CCPD is hiding in Jitters like rats," Zoom says, "Go there and kill everyone."
"But what about-?"
"You already failed once!" the monster shouts, "Show me you will not fail a second time."
The Meta nods, hurrying to leave.
'Step one: Kill all the police,' Wells thinks in his head, remembering how the monster took over his world.
"It looks like your friends are more resourceful than I gave them credit for," Zoom says as he appears before Wells, "I might have to kill them all myself."
Wells won't cower under the monster. He grabs hold of the bar and manages to stand as much as the cuffs will allow. It's more of a hunched over position, but it'll have to do.
"And when they're all dead," Wells says harshly to the monster, "When you're standing over the dead bodies of hundreds more people, what will it accomplish?"
The monster leans closer to the scientist, "Your demise."
---
Zoom goes back to Wells' earth to collect more Metahumans.
'Step two: gather more Metas to take over.'
The scientist looks around the room for some way to communicate with the others. Maybe get a message to them...
'Aha!' He spots a few boxes hidden under a desk and manages to pull one closer by hooking the tip of his shoe into the hand hole spot.
There's a cell phone inside and he sends a text to the others with his good hand.
Someone's coming, their steps echoing in the abandoned precinct and Wells pockets the device. An man, maybe in his late forties or early fifties, walks into the room and grins at the scientist.
"Dr. Wells," the man says, "I've been looking for you."
Wells has never seen him before in his life.
"Do I know you?" Wells asks, swallowing around his dry throat.
"My name if Griffon Grey," the man says, "I'm one of your mistakes."
Of all the things to happen. Wells groans, once again cursing the existence of Eobard Thawne and his need to masquerade as the other Wells.
"I'm not," the scientist tries, "I'm from," his head isn't cooperating with his words, "I'm not who you think I am."
"I know exactly who you are," Grey frowns, "You're the man who caused that explosion and made me the way I am."
"Listen," Wells growls, not in the mood for another lecture for his mistaken identity, "You're not safe here. Zoom will be back any minute and he might kill you."
"I'm not afraid of your lightning pal," Grey smiles, "I'm here for you."
Maybe this will work out after all. If the man needed him for something, maybe he could get the scientist out of here. He was a Meta after all.
"He's not my pal," Wells clarifies angrily, "And if you're going to kidnap me, could you go a little faster?"
Grey huffs in annoyance but goes over to the scientist and breaks the handcuffs off the bar like they were made out of butter.
"Super strength," Wells breaths, "I'm not sure that's the worst thing you could have been given."
"It has a side affect," Grey frowns, taking Wells by the arm to help him to his feet, "I get older every time I use my powers."
The Meta starts pulling Wells to the door and the scientist asks, "How old are you, Griffon?"
Grey pauses, turning angry eyes to Wells, "I'm eighteen."
"Congratulations," Zoom's voice startles the two as they turn their heads to where the monster is standing, "You're old enough to die."
Wells puts himself in front of the boy-turned-man unconsciously. The monster tilts his head.
"That man is mine," the monster says, "Hand him over and I may spare you what time you have left."
"I need him to fix me," Grey shakes his head, fearless to the enemy he doesn't know, "You can have him back when he's done."
"I will have him now," In a blink Wells is out of Grey's arms and being help up by Zoom, "Now go, before I change my mind about killing you."
Grey rips a chunk of wood out of the wall and brandishes it like a bat, "I said, I need him to fix me."
"Griffon, don't," Wells doesn't know why he's trying to save the idiot, but he figures he should at least try, "I can't fix you if you're dead."
"He can't fix you at all," the monster mocks, "There's no helping you."
Grey shouts, rushing at the monster with his improvised weapon. Zoom kicks the Meta, throwing him across the room like a toy, all the while still holding onto Wells.
The boy/man groans, trying to get back up on his feet.
A news bulletin of Rupture being apprehended by the police draws the monster's attention away from the Meta. Zoom growls, throwing Wells to the ground.
The scientist lands directly onto his broken arm and he clenches his jaw tightly in an attempt not to cry out in pain. It only partly works.
"How did they know?" the monster asks, looking around until his eyes catch the open evidence box. In a short blast of air, Zoom has the phone and crushes it in his hand.
The monster turns his black orbs to Wells, "You warned them."
"Of course I did," Wells grounds out through his teeth, "And they showed me they can take out your Meta minions even without powers."
"They may have caught one disappointment," Zoom says, "But they still can't stop me."
The monster brings Wells back to his spot in a blast of lightning, re-cuffing the scientist to the desk, "Watch."
Then Zoom is gone from the room and appears on the television.
"No, no, no," Wells whispers, not knowing why. There's nothing his words can do to help.
Zoom looks to the room with a tilt of his head. He tells the camera man to record what he's about to do.
Then the monster kills the officers and the camera crew just like he did in the precinct. Zoom picks up the camera and points it to himself.
"Central City," the monster announces, "The Flash you've seen running in your streets is a fake. Nothing more than a hologram."
Wells' heart tries to beat out of his chest. It's just like back at his earth. Every bad thing that happened there is happening again.
And there's nothing he can do to stop it.
"You have no more hope," the monster continues, "There is no one to protect this city."
Zoom turns the camera to the three remaining people alive in the room, Rupture, Det. West, and Capt. Singh, "And you will watch them die."
The monster focuses the camera on Rupture as he shoves his fist into the Meta's chest. The man falls, blood spurting out of his mouth.
"Stop!" Barry shouts, showing up on the TV, "Please, just stop."
The camera drops to the ground, where it cracks and shows the top of one of the victim's shoes and part of a wall.
"What was the point in killing all those people?" Barry asks the monster, tries to understand what can't be understood.
"Chaos before order," Zoom tells him, "My order."
"You don't have to do this," Barry tries to plead with who he thinks is still Garrick deep down inside. Wells pities the young man, he doesn't know his 'friend' is gone forever. Was never really there to begin with.
"Yes, I do," the monster sounds pleased with himself, "Know this though, you're only alive to prove a point to Wells."
"He's still alive?" Barry's tone is touching. The way it sounds relieved and hopeful aches something in Wells' chest.
"Not for long," Zoom laughs and the camera fuzzes to black.
"This is all your fault," Grey's angry voice catches Wells attention, "Because you caused the particle accelerator explosion."
'Why was he still HERE?' Wells stares at the man as he limps closer.
"Because you only thought of yourself," the Meta growls, "This city is going to be destroyed by another one of your monsters!"
"He's not my monster!" Wells shouts, but he pauses, remembering the day of the explosion. Of all the lives altered by it. The recounting of Zolomon's story.
He really was the Frankenstein to this monster.
"If you're not gonna fix me," Grey continues on, halfway to the scientist, ignorant of the other man's revelation, "Then you might as well be dead."
"Seems like everyone wants a piece of you, doctor," a chilling voice taunts, freezing the Meta in his tracks and turning both men's heads to the doorway.
Killer Frost is standing there, hands billowing frigid smoke as she sizes Grey up with her eyes.
"Who are you?" Grey asks, frown deepening as he turns to face the woman.
"I was going to be the cavalry," Frost answers with a small smile, "But it turns out I'm going to have to play hero instead."
"I won't hesitate to kill you just because you're a girl," Grey warns the woman, "This man deserves to die."
"But isn't the better question," Frost says as she moves closer, "Do we deserve to kill?"
"What?" Grey looks confused for one second before Frost back fists him and knocks him out cold.
"How are you here?" Wells asks her, mind trying to figure out a way she could have.
"Zoom brought me here to take out my double," the Meta shrugs, "I have a feeling she's a friend of yours as well?"
Of course. If the monster used the Ramon brother double from his world to take out Cisco, why not the one for Snow?
But time's running out.
"Zoom will be returning any second," Wells tells the Meta woman, ignoring the pang of worry for Snow, "You've got to get him out of here before he does."
"Sacrificing yourself, Doc?" Frost raises an eyebrow, tucking her arms under the other Meta's.
"If you can," Wells tells her as she drags the man out of the room, "Get to STAR Labs and tell your doppelgänger and Cisco there's a way to get back The Flash's speed in my notes."
Hopefully the team will see his work on the particle accelerator, the similarities and differences he was making in his spare time when he had to get his mind off Zoom for just a second, and realize the only way to get Allen's speed back is to re-create the events.
"The Flash is powerless?" the Meta looks up surprised and alarmed, pausing in her way to escape.
"Frost," Wells growls against any fear of the criminal taking advantage of the information, the monster would have told her anyway, "If there's any hope of stopping Zoom, we need The Flash."
"Isn't it a little risky telling Zoom's assassin exactly where to find her target?" Frost is still there, still wasting time asking questions, "What makes you think I won't kill her?"
"For the same reason you're dragging a stranger to safety," Wells shifts, feels the need to make a physical change as he tries to get the woman listen, "Zoom ruined our world, hurt people we care about, we have to stop him from doing it again."
"I'll tell your little pals," the Meta rolls her eyes, once again dragging the unconscious man away, "Just try to live long enough to know that."
---
The monster arrives with two Metahumans loyal to Zoom. Wells is glad for once the monster's plans needed him to travel through worlds.
Frost had already escaped.
After dismissing the Metas, Zoom walks over to Wells.
"Did you enjoy the show?" the monster asks.
"It was a re-run," the scientist frowns, "I already saw you kill the officers from before."
Zoom releases the handcuffs and pulls Wells up to his feet by his shirt to glare into the scientist's eyes with his orbs.
"You like to pretend that you and I are different," the monster muses, face too close to the scientist, "But you have darkness inside of you, Wells."
The scientist goes numb, he can't even feel his broken arm.
"You call me a monster because I've killed people," Zoom says darkly, "But you too have killed people, Wells."
Wells' heart thumps loudly in his chest, his breath quickening.
"I can tell," the monster tilts its head, "I see it in your eyes."
"What I did," Wells whispers, voice suddenly weak, "I did to save my daughter."
"A life taken," the monster mocks, "Cannot be given back."
'Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how',' Wells thinks to himself, but he doesn't say it to the monster. There's no doubt the scientist's mind that Zoom will immediately go after Jesse if he lets the words out.
So he lets his world crumble a little as he sags against the monster's hold.
He lets Zoom think that he's getting to him and the monster laughs in his face.
---