HL2 - The Combines I

by Digzahole

Barney has just picked Gordon Freeman up, and Dr. Kleiner wants to speak to Gordon about "Combine Elites." Following an encounter on the way back, Gordon and Barney prepare for the worst ambush on the Lab.

Gordon was walking down a small, crammed sewage corridor with his crowbar. He was covered in combine and zombie blood and wearing his suit. There was a small light in the distance, leading to The Overwatch. He staggered on, breathlessly, with small cuts and grazes on him and his crowbar covered in brains and blood. When he found the light, there was a wall in front of him which was rusted with age and weak. He smashed it open and climbed through it, then quickly taking cover from a city scanner. But it found him, and flashed into Gordon's face. He was stunned and put his hands over his eyes in pain. The city scanner then prepared to attack, but Gordon recovered from the shock and smashed it down to the ground with his crowbar.

Going forward, he heard moaning. Looking up, an Antlion guard was preparing to charge. Gordon braced, as he could not take it down with a crowbar, and it charged, launching Gordon with a large force into a wall, as he fell down with a huge scar on his back. He scrambled o his feet – his suit was torn. He was bracing for another charge when the Antlion guard backed away; something had shot it. Barney appeared with an SMG in his hands.

"Gordon, we two Scout Cars waiting here which can take us to our Research Facilities, said he has something he wants to tell you." said Barney, and lead Gordon to two Scout Cars. Barney sat in one and Gordon in the other and Barney lead him through a short cut. "Barney! I heard there was some combines waiting for us." yelled Gordon over the roar of the engines. "Yeah, get on your gun!" said Barney, gripping his trigger. Instantly, Gordon's tire was punctured by a Combine Elite bullet, and snipers shot and his car. Luckily, the scout car had flipped on its side and the bullets pinged off of the metal, dinting it. "Barney they're pinning me down! Cover me!" yelled Gordon, as he took the machine gun off of the car and ran towards the building full of Combines.

Barney aimed at the Overwatch snipers and picked then off with his pulse rifle. They fell from the building – he then threw a grenade into a window killing off the Combine Soldiers and the Elites. Then he shot the lock on the building door, took the machine gun and followed Gordon. Gordon kicked the door down, and turned to Barney.

"Help me clear the floors so I can get to the Helicopter! We'll get there that way!" whispered Barney, as they turned their flashlights on. Suddenly, a Fast Zombie ran down, moaned and grabbed Gordon. Gordon took his knife, and stabbed the Zombie in the lung. It fell back, holding its punctured lung. Looking up, Gordon kicked its head off, and shot the headcrab. Barney and Gordon pressed for the Elevator, and waited, standing back. Two hunters came out, and then Barney shot one and whacked the head off the other one with his Pulse Rifle. They got in and pressed the first floor. The music became static, and the Gman spoke:

"Rise against us, you do. Only to meet the brutal force of the Combines-" Barney shot the Radio and the Gman stopped talking. "God, I had to sit and listen to that coming to get you. He constantly moans and moans about taking over the "Combine System" and a new set of Combies – Reacon Elites. That's what wants to say to you." then the elevator pinged, and the doors didn't open – a poison zombie ripped the doors in two, and screamed at Gordon and Barney. Barney shoved it away and slammed the elevator doors quickly, slicing the Zombies head off and blood dripping down to the floor. It then opened, and a combine raised its gun, so did the pilot and Elite. Barney threw a grenade, and they were dead in an Instant. Shoving a bloody leg away, Barney and Gordon climbed in.

"Shoot at them!" said Barney, as the elevator doors were ripped open and a bunch of – what were they? They wore a suit like Gordon, but had a helmet on like a combine, gloves, a jetpack and holding a knife in its belt, also held a combine SMG. They few up, and shot at the Helicopter, pinging bullets off the propellers. Gordon opened fire, and shot them down. "What the hell were they? Jesus Christ, I haven't seen anything like them Barney." asked Gordon. "Reacon Elites!" said Barney, sighing. They're tough as any god damn armour we have – expect an ambush on the Lab soon. Anyway, we should get to Kleiner."