Disclaimer: I do not own Daredevil, Arrow or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Chapter 5- A brief history of Earth-X
Oliver, Barry, Laurel, Felicity, Thea, John, Roy, Sara and Kara stood in front of the cell Prometheus was in. Being cuffed, he couldn't move his hands much.
So he pushed back his head, throwing down his hood in the process. And then with some effort, he managed to bring his hands up to his face and used their backs to push off his mask.
Everyone except Kara, who didn't know anything about him, gasped in shock and horror on seeing the face underneath.
"Oh, my God!" Felicity gasped.
Thea and Laurel were both numb.
"Oh, my God what? Who is that?" Kara asked.
"T-Tommy", Laurel stammered, having known him on her Earth.
"That's Tommy Merlyn", Sara said as Tommy smirked at them.
"My…..my other brother", Thea managed to speak.
"And my best friend", Oliver finished quietly.
Walking closer to the cell, Oliver said in a shaky voice, "We're gonna need a moment alone."
Barry, Caitlin, Kara, Sara, Roy, John, Felicity, Stein, Jax, Mick and Harry stood in the main lab.
"So we're dealing with visitors from another Earth", Barry said to everyone in the lab.
"There are more than one?" Jax asked surprised.
"There are infinite", Kara said, "Which makes finding out where these guys are from a lot harder."
"I'm really hard-pressed to think of an Earth where a scientific division of the Nazis named after a Greek monster is resident", Stein said.
"I think I know one", Harry said as he came forth, drawing their attention.
He then typed on the computer and a very disturbing video appeared on the screen.
There was gunfire, Nazis marching, Hitler was there, saluting his soldiers. But then it got worse. A man with a red, skinless face appeared on the screen. And then there were Hydra soldiers firing guns which spilled forth blue beams that made anyone disintegrate.
A man with short hair and a moustache was there too along with a man in a black suit and mask with a shield.
The Statue of Liberty was taken down. The Hydra symbol was shown on various banners.
"There's one very hellish Earth", Harry explained to the horrified viewers, "And it's called Earth-X. It doesn't have a designation because it's a place so awful, so horrific, no sane person would ever travel there. It's basically our earth-same history, same timeline- with some crucial and critical differences."
"So let me hypothesize", Stein said, "The Nazis developed the atomic bomb before the United States did, and they were more than happy to use it."
"Actually, no", Harry said to everyone's shock, "The Red Skull, Hydra's leader was far more ambitious than the Nazis or Hitler ever were. He used some powerful means to create those weapons you saw. He wanted to be a God. And he needed help. This man-", Harry pointed at the man with the short hair and moustache, "His name is Howard Stark. He was brilliant but his ideas were so crazy that the Allies actually dismissed him. In his rage and disappointment, he ended up joining Hydra along with a German scientist called Abraham Erskine who had met the same fate as him when showing his idea to the Allies."
As everyone listened, Harry continued, "Erskine made a super-soldier serum. The first recipient was Red Skull. The other, well his name is not known to me right now. But that man was injected with a perfect version of it and he became- Captain Hydra. He led the Hydra forces. With their extraordinary weapons and his extraordinary abilities, Hydra won the war and even deposed the Nazis and Hitler. But Howard wanted power for himself. So one night, using an advanced gauntlet he had made, he blasted the Red Skull into kingdom come. And then he became the Emperor of Hydra."
"And after that", he said, "They obliterated almost every place in the world- New York, London, Paris. Very few countries are left in the war against them. Howard Stark continued to rule his Empire with his wife, Maria, and the help of his board up until his death in 1991. That's all I have been able to discover about this Earth so far."
Everyone was horrified by what Harry had just narrated. Hydra winning the war was infinitely worse than even the Nazis winning it.
"This is just- twisted", John said.
"Very", Roy added.
"And I thought anachronisms were the worst", Sara said.
"Now they're not happy ruling just one earth. God. This is making me physically ill", a horrified Felicity muttered as she turned and walked away.
"Yeah, the line starts behind me", Jax said.
"W-we have to find them", Kara pointed out the best course of action, "I mean, do you think they're using the breach to hop between worlds?"
"That or they're operating from a staging area somewhere in Central City or close by", Alex said.
"Well, good thing we have a metric ton of smart people in this building", Barry said as he looked from Harry to Stein to Caitlin to Felicity to Rory, "And Rory. Let's get to work on finding our new friends from Earth-X."
"Earth-X?" Oliver asked after Tommy had explained it to him.
"That's right", Tommy said before guessing, "And I'm dead on this Earth?"
"That's right", Oliver said quietly.
"You're dead on my Earth too", Laurel said.
"I'd almost prefer that", Tommy said before explaining, "I was born during the rule of Hydra. Almost the whole world is the Empire. We don't have elementary schools and summer camps. We have youth groups, military training, scientific experiments. We all grow up without choice."
"You have a choice now", Oliver assured him, "You can tell us where to find the others from Earth-X."
"On my Earth, you are my best friend", Tommy said, "I would die for you."
"I would've died for you", Oliver said.
"Would have?" Tommy asked.
"You beat me to it", Oliver said emotionally, "We lost you. It was like- it was like losing a limb. And, you weren't just my best friend. Tommy, you were my brother."
Thea could no longer control her emotions.
"You were my brother too", she said with tears in her eyes, "I loved you."
"And you sacrificed yourself for a woman that we both loved", Oliver said in a shaky voice as Tommy observed, "And I was there, and I had you right here."
"You sacrificed yourself on my Earth too", Laurel said, "To save me from a collapsing building."
"You were a good man here and on her Earth", Oliver said, "And I believe that you still can be."
"No", Tommy said in fear, "You don't understand. If I-if I talk, if I break, the Emperor will kill my father. He'll kill my mother, everyone that I love."
"We will not let that happen", Oliver assured.
"We will stop him", Laurel assured too.
Tommy leaned into the glass and asked, "Do you think you can do that?"
No one heard the undertone in his voice.
"I promise you that I can do that", Oliver promised.
Tommy lowered his head, appearing to be in a state of emotional turmoil. Then when he spoke, his demeanor seemed to have changed completely.
"Then you lot really are special kind of idiots", Tommy said with a smirk and an insane look in his eyes, "Your naiveté would be charming if your weakness wasn't so pathetic."
Oliver sighed regretfully. Laurel scoffed.
"You will see who is pathetic out of us", she said.
"Is this how it is on your planet- everybody swayed by sentiment?" Tommy asked with contempt in his voice, his tone reminding Oliver and Thea of Malcolm, "Is everyone here really so weak? The Empire will change that. The weak will be eliminated. Your entire world will be enslaved, but you, you-You won't be around to witness it. He is going to feel all your skulls crack under the weight of his iron boots."
With a maniacal look, he said, "Everyone you care about, everyone you love, they're going to die badly. In ways that would give even monsters nightmares. You will all feel the wrath of the IRON EMPEROR!"
He suddenly slammed his face onto the glass, breaking a tooth as the three moved back involuntarily due to his sudden movement.
With a chuckle, he said, "I really wish that I could live to see it."
He then chewed the tooth, revealing to the horrified trio what it really was.
"No", Oliver said in desperation as he opened the cell door, "T-Tommy, don't!"
"TOMMY! NO!" Thea yelled in desperation.
As foam formed in his mouth, Tommy whispered hoarsely, "Hail Hydra!"
And then he was no more.
Thea had horrified tears in her eyes. The man who looked so much like her beloved brother had just committed suicide in front of her after threatening them in ways worse than Malcolm.
Oliver looked at Laurel and nodded. She gently put her arm around Thea's neck and led her away.
Dark Arrow held a device in his hand. It beeped and then suddenly died down.
"He's gone", he said to the others.
"Who?" the speedster asked, "Merlyn?"
"The biosensor in his suit indicates his heart stopped", Dark Arrow said.
"Well, rest in pieces", Emperor Stark said with a smirk.
"He always seemed kind of soft to me", the speedster said.
Overgirl tried to say, "Oliver-"
"He died for you", Dark Arrow said to her, "And we will make his death worthwhile."
"We have to", Captain Hydra said.
"Or all of this will be in vain", Darkdevil said.
"That doesn't change the fact that now we're down a man", the speedster said as he walked closer to Dark Arrow.
"Keep your focus where it belongs and get to work on locating that Prism", Dark Arrow said to him, struggling to remain calm.
"Watch your tone", the speedster said calmly as he stood next to Dark Arrow, "Or I'll watch it for you."
Dark Arrow suddenly grabbed the speedster by the collar and pinning him to the wall, put an arrow to his throat.
"Oliver!" Overgirl tried to stop him.
"Why shouldn't he be allowed to blow some steam?" Darkdevil said with a smirk.
"Did you just tell me to watch my tone?" Dark Arrow asked angrily.
"You're angry", the speedster said as he smiled, "And I like it."
"Don't you mock me", Dark Arrow growled.
"This is getting interesting", Captain Hydra said in amusement.
"Boys", Black Widow muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"Don't threaten me, or have you forgotten?" the speedster said as he started vibrating his hand and moved it closer to Dark Arrow's heart, "I can end your life before you birth your next thought."
Suddenly, Overgirl grabbed his wrist tightly.
"Try it once I break every bone in your body", Overgirl threatened.
"Ok, we're all a little emotional", Emperor Stark said as he walked closer to them, "Here's what I suggest."
He pointed at the speedster and said, "You will stop vibrating your hand", he pointed at Overgirl, "You stop breaking Speedy's wrist", he pointed at Dark Arrow, "And you will be 10% less brooding. And I don't like such petty fights. Am I understood?"
"Yes!" the three said in unison.
"Good", he said with a smirk.
Dark Arrow let the speedster go and dropped the arrow, which clanged as it hit the ground. Overgirl let go of the speedster's wrist go.
"We accomplish nothing by arguing amongst ourselves", Captain Hydra said.
"It's the accomplishing nothing that has me concerned", the speedster said as he did gestures with his hands, "We came here to conquer this Earth, or have you forgotten?"
"Watch your tone!" the Captain said firmly as he pointed a finger at the speedster, "Locate the Prism and stop complaining like an 8 year old weak child."
His tone and gaze left no room for argument.
"Once we have identified the location of the target, we will devise a plan of attack", Captain Hydra said as he gestured to himself, Darkdevil, Dark Arrow and Black Widow.
The speedster walked away as Black Widow said to Captain Hydra, "You really know how to put people in their places."
"That's one of the reasons you married me, isn't it?" Captain Hydra asked.
"It is", she said and they shared a quick and passionate kiss.
Darkdevil walked off into a corner saying, "I am going to do a quick recon of the area."
"I'm sorry about Merlyn", Overgirl said to Dark Arrow.
With a sigh, Dark Arrow said, "He should've died in the Church before he allowed himself to be captured. But he is dead anyway. Kara, we need that Prism. We are running out of time."
"You have to trust in the plan, Oliver", Overgirl said as she walked closer, "You should. It's the Emperor's plan."
"And do you trust me?" Dark Arrow asked.
She put her hand on his face and said, "Yes, with all of my heart."
The two then shared a passionate kiss.
Looking at their display of affection and the one shown earlier by Captain Hydra and Black Widow, Emperor Stark was reminded of an incident from few years ago.
Earth-X, Years ago
Tony paced around the room quietly, his Iron gauntlet on his left hand. He looked in the front to see Pepper Potts. She was tied up. She looked at him with pleading eyes but all he gave her was a cold gaze.
"Tony! Please, no!" she said with tears in her eyes, "You know I love you. You know this is all wrong."
Tony raised his gauntlet, not giving any reply.
"TONY PLEASE!" she cried out.
Tony fired a repulsor blast and then she said no more.
So now some of Earth-X's history has been explained. But this is not the entire thing. We will learn that later.
There are some things I can't change, like Tommy's death.
Some of the things here are based on scenes from the fan-made teaser for 'Avengers: Flashpoint' made by Youtuber Alex Luthor. Thank you to him.
The writers really hate their continuity, as pointed out by Stand with Ward and Queen in his 'United we stand.' Except Kara, all of them should know who Tommy is as the Undertaking was highly publicized and Malcolm unintentionally killing his son would have made headlines.
And in Season 2, we had infinite Earths and suddenly there are only 53? What the hell do the writers smoke? I want some of it because before posting this chapter, I watched 'The Shining' while locked up in my room with no lights and I am somehow still alive.
I hope you're enjoying it so far. Like I said, the stuff with the speedster will be pretty twisted.
Please review. I always appreciate your feedback.