Episode 4 The Flash Fanfic

Chapter 9

"What are they doing?" Felicity asked Robert and Cisco, as the three of them were tied up in front of a big machine facing a large team of aliens.
"I don't actually know." Robert told them. "It seems this machine is some type of control panel..." As Robert began to explain his theory to Felicity, Cisco had a realization.

This man was not Robert. He might look like him and hold the same memories as the man. But this man was not Robert. The real Robert would consider his daughter's safety and wellbeing as the highest of importance. Though this man had only merely mentioned Astrid's name a couple of times. Cisco looked over at the machine. It was not only a control panel, but a control panel to some extravagant intercom system. These aliens were trying to communicate with someone not from this planet.

In the corner of his eye he saw something shimmer. Like light reflecting off metal in the darkness up ahead. This room was so dimly lit that he couldn't make it out for sure.

Cisco saw it again and instantly he knew who it was... Though he would not say a word. "Hey Trandoshan!" Cisco called out to one of the aliens, referring to a race from one of his favorite science fiction movies.

A few of the beings looked over at him, puzzled. "Yeah! I'm talking to you! Would you mind getting me something to drink? I'm thirsty and I wouldn't mind something to eat too!" Cisco said, attracting as much attention on himself as he could. Overhead he saw what looked like an arrow glide through the air and strike someone in the back of the head. It went unnoticed.

The reptile creatures began to approach him. One extended out a clawed finger to his neck. "Cisco! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Robert snapped at him.

"That may be so. But at least I will go down knowing that it wasn't in vain." Cisco told him. "You're not Robert... Dr Sutherland was like a father to me. You're not him."

"Cisco, what are you talking about?" Felicity asked him.
"He is one of them." Cisco said. Most of the attention of the aliens were now on them. In the distance he saw a red blur fly past, taking down unsuspected foes. An arrow hit another, bringing that one down too. "If he was the real deal he would have fought every last one of these guys to come back when he found out that Astrid was in a coma. But no. This guy was captured on camera and was not being held by his own free will."

Cisco's plan was simple. Cause a distraction so the others could take out as many as they could undetected, while revealing the treacherous Dr Sutherland for who he really was.

Robert's mannerism changed. "Tsk Tsk Tsk. Cisco Ramone, You always were the clever one. Robert is still in this body. So if I die, as does he. He has just been clawing to get out. Unfortunately for the two of you, neither one of you are needed anymore. You already helped me repair the computer earlier and while the two of you sent your little message to your friends... my host's daughter... the transmission was sent to the rest of the Daemonite army."

Claws sprung forth from Robert's fingers, which he used to free himself from the binds and face Cisco and Felicity. Neither of which knew what to say. "Are you saying you used us to call an army?" Felicity said from beneath tears of fear.

"That is exactly what I am saying, Miss Smoak. An army that will enslave all human kind. We failed many years ago, but this time we will prevail. That control panel behind you is transmitting our coordinates throughout galaxies. We have finally pieced it all together." Dr Sutherland told them.

"Years ago?" Cisco repeated confused, "So you didn't come in the meteor shower?"
The imposter laughed. "No... We have been here for a much longer time. Before any of you were even born. That meteor shower brought new threats, which we will stand against. Never before have we..." Robert's voice broke off as an arrow pierced through his leg, making him shriek in pain.

Oliver, Barry and John's presence had been made known, but they had killed many in the process, leaving a handful left. "Seize them!" Robert had called out to his remaining reptilian men.

There was a flurry of combat between the men and the aliens which gave Astrid and Caitlin enough time to creep in and free Cisco and Felicity. Astrid's eyes were fixed on the being who had disguised himself as her father. He was currently in hand to hand combat with Oliver.

"Astrid, it isn't him!" Cisco tried to tell her. But she couldn't hear him.
"Felicity, can you disrupt the signal. Stop the transmission!" Astrid asked without turning her gaze from the imposter. "I'll try!" Felicity stammered, setting to work immediately on the control panel.

"Astrid. You need to step back. You're going to get hurt." Caitlin tried to call out to her friend. But she only ignored her. Cisco held Caitlin back. Astrid had the look in her eye that could only mean that stopping her would be a mistake.

Nearby, Barry had been impaled in the leg by the talons of one of the Daemonites that he was facing. He couldn't move. Fortunately, John Diggle had shot the culprit who was responsible. Barry's leg healed instantly.

"Dad!" Astrid called out. Robert and Oliver stopped in mid combat. The wound in Robert's leg had completely healed. Astrid pulled out a small pistol, that John Diggle had given to her to defend herself, in case she needed to. "Dad!" Astrid said again, confidently through tears as she aimed it at him.

"Astrid, is it?" The man asked her mockingly.
"Astrid. Get back! Get Felicity and Cisco to safety now!" Oliver demanded of her.
"No, Oliver! Barry, Don't even think about moving me! I need to do this. I need to try and reach out to my father... not this imposter! I know he is in there and he WILL talk to me!"

Barry, who had prepared himself to remove his friend from the situation, obeyed her wishes. He continued to fight off the remainder of the Daemonites with Diggle's help.

"Bring out my father! Now!" Astrid demanded of the alien. She probed his mind, her father's mind and she could see him. She could see her father. He was trapped in his own mind, struggling for life. This being was keeping him alive.

"The child can read minds!" The imposter said. "You don't need me to bring him out, you can see him for yourself. Struggling, fighting and clawing to stay alive."
"You're killing him!" Astrid yelled at the being. 'Dad,' she thought to her father. 'Can you hear me?'

'Astrid? Oh Astrid! I'm sorry.' Her father told her in a whimper, 'I hoped that I would see you again. I even had someone send out a photo of me when I was able to gain control of my body again. But now I am too weak to do so. I'm dying, Astrid and this thing will have taken over my body for good. You need to kill me.'

'Dad, I can't kill you. I love you... we can take you back to Sutherland Labs and we can help you.' Astrid said in her mind only.
'No. I am not strong enough to last that long. I have been doing everything I can to stop him from hurting Barry, Cisco and now you. He wanted to kill them and now he... Well, I'm not going to let him. Hearing that you were in a coma was the worst thing I have ever had to deal with, but I knew that you would survive it. That's what you do. You need to take over Sutherland Labs. Make it your own, it is my legacy to you. Change the name. Do whatever! You're amazing and I love you... Astrid... You need to shoot me... You need to do it now...Please...'

'No dad! I can't!' She thought back to him. She saw it the minute that it happened. She saw in his eyes that the very last trace of her father had died before her own eyes. The man who was no longer her father, raced towards her and just as he stuck a large talon into her stomach, she fired the gun, aiming right between his eyes.

Robert Sutherland's lifeless body fell to the floor as Astrid coughed, due to the shock that she was feeling. She held her hand to her bleeding stomach. "You guys... I think we need to go."

"I cancelled the transmission." Felicity said softly. "We should be able to go now."