A/N: I thought it would be a nice change of pace to write a Flash one-shot from Cisco's point of view. I'll warn you, there is a MAJOR spoiler alert if you haven't seen episode 15, "Out Of Time".
Traitor.
That was the one word that flooded through my mind at that moment, which I feared would be my last. I had worked for Wells for years. Caitlin and I had trusted him; we stuck by his side even after the explosion of the particle accelerator. For the past five months, Barry and his adopted family had put their trust into Dr. Wells as well, while Barry listened to and believed everything the scientist told him. Even that dick, Hartley, looked up to him as a father.
There was nothing I could do as he stood in front of me. Wells, or now 'Eobard Thawne', explained everything to me. And in the bottom of my shattered heart, I knew there was no point in running, because not even Barry can outrun the Reverse Flash.
He was the one who had murdered Nora Allen fifteen years ago, and I was dumb enough to have not seen any of this sooner. The wheelchair, his kindness, his wisdom, and his compassion and will for helping others... none of it had been real. It was all just a mask of the real, almost horrifying, deceitful monster standing before me.
I wished I had even half the bravery of the Arrow or even Barry. I would have fought him, even if I had known I would lose. I would have at least been able to glare at him in the eyes, and tell him what he had just done to my trust. Our trust. I was vaguely reminded of a quote I heard from a TV show I watched long ago: "Trust is easy to destroy, but takes time to build". Years and years Dr. Wells had build my trust, like a Jenga tower, but over the past few weeks, blocks were carefully removed one by one and the tower tethered. Now it felt like the wrong brick was pulled out, and the tower collapsed.
How could it have come to this? Joe's suspicions were right, and I should have taken him more seriously. But it's too late for that now. I lowered my head and my lips quivered, and a single tear rolled down my cheek. I knew right then my fate was sealed.
"Do you know how hard it has been, to keep all of this from you? Specially from you."
I have an idea of how hard it has been to keep this from us, but several others had caught on to the clues. And I had been so close to figuring it out myself. I couldn't believe it, but the bad guy we were looking for, the man who not only killed an innocent woman but also started all of this... that very man we worked so hard to put to justice... was right in front of us the whole time. If I had been given another few minutes, I would have figured it out myself and warned the others in time.
"Because the truth is, I've grown quite fond of you."
I almost believed him. He saw my potential the first day we met. While my hair and choice of style brought complaints to several employees, Dr. Wells had looked right past that. We worked with each other for years. We made it past countless obstacles to improve Central City, and, when that failed, to keep Barry alive, then to help him save the city.
Everyday I get out of bed to go to work, I'm excited to see my friends, Caitlin, Barry, and Harrison. I'm excited to see Barry put his badass powers to use, and the crazy meta-humans we either help or put to justice. I'm excited to invent awesome gadgets to help us on our missions, and to hear what Dr. Wells would comment or advice to us.
It was pointless to say anything. I forced myself to lift my head to look at him in the eyes. I felt weak. Vulnerable. Pleading for mercy. I could feel my heart rate increase, as if it knew it only had a moment longer to pulse.
"And in many ways, you have shown me what it's like to have a son."
A son. He saw me as a son. And, in many ways, Dr. Wells was like a second father to me. He took me into S.T.A.R. labs and he trained me. Tutored me. When I had a problem, Wells was the first person I thought about going to. The arm vibrating at a previously impossible speed at his side pierced through me in a blink of an eye like a sword. Pain swept through me as I opened my mouth in a silent gasp.
"Forgive me, but to me, you have been dead for centuries."
I don't forgive you, I wanted to say, but words couldn't form. My eyes watered again, but I knew I wouldn't live long enough to let another tear shed. I could see my vision blackening around me. I looked right at him again with one last pleading look. My eyes rolled back and my legs gave away. He pulled his arm out as everything went dark, save for a flash of red followed by a flash of white.
In that last few seconds, I thought back to Joe, Barry, Iris, Caitlin, Ronnie, Dr. Stine- everyone still alive, on our side, and still had at least a little trust for Dr. Wells. I was unable to warn them, and that thought hurt me more than what Eobard Thawne was doing to me now. And now Barry's life was in danger by the very same man he thought would help him. Above all the emotion going through me, I felt hurt and betrayed.
And Dr. Wells was nothing more but a user.
A traitor.