"Grodd is the name on the cage downstairs," Parker explained. "But I don't know what was ever in that cage.."
Cisco clapped his hands together, gaining everyone's attention and looking rather annoyed. "However, Caitlin and I do. Why don't we show you?"
The team retreated to the Cortex where Cisco projected a video filmed from inside the cage, showing Caitlin stroking the top of a gorilla's head.
"Oh," Barry said in mock happiness. "Grodd is a gorilla."
"About five years ago, Eiling and Wells were working on a project that would expand soldiers cognitive ability during battle," Cisco started to explain.
"What we didn't realize," Caitlin continued, "was that Eiling was trying to create soldiers with psychic abilities."
"What do you mean psychic?" Joe asked, his eyebrow raised.
"Eiling was aiming for these super-soldiers, with telepathic and telekentic abilities," Cisco said.
"But when Wells found out about the terrible experiments Eiling was doing, he shut down the entire project," Caitlin assured.
"So our psycho-killer has a soft spot for animals," Joe said. He gave a nod. "That's sweet."
"And what happened to Grodd?" Parker cut in.
Cisco and Caitlin glanced at each other. By the look on his face, Cisco knew nothing of it. Caitlin obviously did, judging by the way she bit her lip.
"We don't know.." Caitlin said. "After the Accelerator exploded, I went down to check on him, and his cage was empty."
That left two options, one of which, Parker decided to voice.
"So, a gorilla was effected by the explosion as well. Okay, did somebody say King Kong? Or maybe Planet of the Apes, if that's your style."
Cisco's eyes widened, his hand slapping Parker's hand in excitement.
Her silly reference had actually generated some thinking about the entire situation, some of which made sense.
"When the dark matter hit Grodd, all the serums that Eiling injected him with could have been activated! Maybe the Accelerator explosion created a meta-gorilla," A dorky smile on his face, wonder in his eyes, Cisco continued, "And I think we all know what happens when an intelligent ape who's pissed off at human's escapes captivity."
"Cisco's right," Caitlin said. Quickly, she added, "About the first part. This is the first brain scan I did on Grodd, and this is the brain scan I did on Eiling."
"They're the same," Joe observed. "They are connected?"
"I think that somehow Grodd is transmitting neural signals to Eiling's primary motor cortex," Caitlin said. "Mind control, telepathy.. Who knows what he's capable of now?"
Joe sighed. "What do we think Grodd wants?"
"Revenge on Eiling," Barry said instantly.
"But he got that when he captured him," Parker disagreed.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that this gorilla shows up when we're looking for Wells," Joe said, throwing his idea into the fold. "The guy rescued him. He must feel some sort of need to repay him."
"Grodd and Wells did always have a special bond," Caitlin said.
"It wouldn't be a surprise to find out that Grodd was a distraction. I think that if we find Grodd, we find Wells. If we find Wells-"
"-then we find Eddie," Iris predicted, making an entrance. "And I'm going to help."
Caitlin, however, was the only one who wanted Iris' help.
"Know anything about Gorillas?" Caitlin asked.
"I might, actually," Iris said.
She pulled out the computer chair-- Parker's chair-- and started to bring up articles. She projected them onto the televisions.
"There have been sme reports about some animals down in the sewers."
"Well, shit, I could have told you that," Parker grumbled.
Barry, walking closer to the desk, patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Alligators, C.H.U.D.D., R.O.U.S." Cisco said with a thought. When he received a single laugh, he sighed in defeat. "Okay. I guess Parker and I are the only ones who watch movies."
"A few months ago, two sewer workers went missing. The search party reported hearing strange animal like noises down in the sewers," Iris read, paraphrasing the first article.
"Where exactly did they go missing?"
Cisco asked.
"Fifth avenue and tenth street."
Cisco found a map of Central City's sewers. He zoomed to the exact location.
"There's an accees route to the sewers about two blocks east of the intersection."
"I'll start there," Barry said, taking a step towards his suit.
"Not alone, you aren't," Parker disagreed.
Barry snapped, "It's not like I'm letting you join me down there."
"I am," Joe said.
"Wading through miles of rats, roaches and human extrament- count me out," Cisco said with a laugh.
By the humorus looks on Joe and Barry's faces, it was obvious Cisco was indeed going.
He sighed. "Fine. Count me in. But I need Parker there."
"Why?" Parker asked slowly.
"To help with the equipment," Cisco said cheerfully.
Parker punched his shoulder, muttering, "You're a dick."
"But I'm your best friend for life!"
===
Cisco looked like a full on geek by the time the four of them had suited up in the S.T.A.R. Labs van. He wore giant rain boots, a galaga shirt, and a yellow hard helmet with a a Go-Pro on top.
"The helmet looks a little lame, Handy Manny," Parker said, knocking on the helmet.
"You know what isn't lame? Safety," Cisco retorted. "Watch you fall and hit your head. I'll be the one laughing."
"Parker, you first," Joe said.
Parker glanced over, finding him pointing at the popped open sewer entrance.
"Very funny," Parker laughed.
"Park, come on, we don't have all day," Barry said.
Parker gathered that they weren't kidding. She frowned, stepping down the ladder. The smell of feces hit her as soon as her head went underground.
"Good Lord.. Be sure to treasure the clean air!" Parker called up.
Once her rain boots hit the floor, she held her arms out. Cisco dropped flares one by one into her arms, leaving her with her arms full.
Cisco's mission was to take flares and drop them as they walked, like bread crumbs, in order to find their way back.
The men climbed down after Parker. Joe pried his gun from his holster when everyone was safely down. He took the lead, gun in front of him.
Cisco was taking flares from Parker and clicking their buttons on, hooking them to the wall as they walked. He was in step with Joe.
Having to examine the walls, it was Cisco who noticed the writing and pointed it out to the rest of the team.
In white, perhaps a chalk, it was the start of Grodd learning how to write. It started with lowercase g's, changed to r's and eventually, evolved into Grodd.
From there, stick figures were drawn, the names Eiling and Wells written along the top of their heads.
"Looks like we're in the right place," Joe said.
"He's evolving. Getting smarter," Barry announced.
Cisco had an impressed smile on his lips. If the situation was different, it would have been thrilling to have a meta-gorilla.
His smile dropped straight into a frown when he heard a distant thump at the end of the hallway.
"Oh, fuck no," Parker snapped as she saw the water beneath them begin to shake. "Why did I ever watch Jurassic Park?"
"If I hadn't seen that, I wouldn't be nearly as frightened right now," Cisco whispered.
Joe had stepped backwards, closer to Barry for protection. Parker got the memo and grabbed Cisco's hand, pulling him to her side.
"If he's getting smarter, do you think he's getting bigger too?" Cisco wondered.
Another thump occurred, on the side Cisco and Parker were facing. A shadow, Grodd's shadow, slowly appeared on the wall.
Frightened, Cisco bumped into Parker, dropping the helmet.
Barry gasped, falling to his knees, hands grasping his head. An abnormally large hand dropped from the ceiling, whipping Barry's body away from the group. Barry's head hit the wall, knocking him out.
As he fired at the gorilla, Joe shouted, "We have to get out of here!"
"Barry's out cold!" Cisco yelled back.
"We-" Joe was cut off, his words replaced with a scream.
Grodd had taken Joe.
Parker started to step through the water as fast as she could. Cisco reached for her, his aim to just drag her through the water, which would be a lot faster than she was going.
Parker grabbed Cisco's hand. Moments after their fingers were tightly locked, a hand wrapped around Parker's leg.
The sudden shift had Parker upside down, stuck in the middle between a tug-of-war with a gorilla and Cisco on opposite sides.
Parker was screeching with pain, and not for the sole purpose of a person and a gorilla tugging on her.
Knowing the inevitable-- that Grodd was going to take her-- she had shot a tracking dart from Barry's gun into her foot. It hurt more than she expected.
"Let go, idiot!" Parker shouted.
"No!" Cisco protested.
Cisco's feet let off the floor, and he was forced to release her hand, allowing Grodd to take her.