A/N: Okay, I admit it. The last chapter of The Red Sphere was the worst ending I have ever written. In fact, it's the only ending I have ever written. There was going to be more to it, but I decided against it and didn't think of anything good to replace it. So, this first chapter will probably end up being mostly a filler to explain some things from the end of The Red Sphere.

Also, I know that I said I would write this after ASHEaDE was finished, but I think my writer's block that I unsuccessfully tried to solve with something ridiculous is actually being caused by simply not feeling like writing what I should be writing.

Anyway, bring on the boring intro!

Chell's POV:

Chell stared absentmindedly at the cube she had set down beside her bed. She had found out that GLaDOS could monitor her through the Companion Cube, and had done so for a while, until Chell buried it in the deepest darkest corner of her closet. Of course, her closet wasn't that big, so there weren't actually any deep or dark corners, so the cube had just been hidden beneath an old blanket.

Two months ago, GLaDOS had told Chell's two teenage kids that if there was ever a time they could visit the Enrichment Centre, she would tell them through the cube. But Chell knew better than that. While GLaDOS had been sweet-talking the kids, she had been complaining to Chell about them.

"They have no discipline, do they?" the AI once said after the incident with the Red Sphere, "Yes, I'm glad that they have more of an appreciation for science than you ever had, but at this rate they'll grow up to be dangerous lunatics just like you. And I thought the world could only handle one."

Glade and Alex would never be allowed back in the Enrichment Centre. Whatever she told them, GLaDOS was infuriated by what they did, and frankly Chell was surprised she had let them off so lightly. She would only let them come back if she could test them… And of course Chell would never let that happen.

Anyway, at least some good has happened since that incident. For some reason, they weren't questioned too much about their weeklong disappearance or their fresh scars. More importantly, Glade had been accepted into a school for scientifically gifted teens that Alex was too young for. There was, however, one little thing that was wrong about it…

Wheatley's POV:

Wheatley sped along a crude management rail through the halls of Black Mesa Academy of Sciences. At first he had been glad that he was rescued from space after floating there for years, until he found out who's space ship had picked him up. They were infuriated when they found out their rival, Aperture, was up and running after all these years, and had tried to torture information out of him. They soon realized Wheatley didn't know anything that was actually important about Aperture, and couldn't get anything at all out of Space, so true to their nature they claimed they had built the two of them. Wheatley felt even more ashamed about this than he did about almost blowing up the facility, but he had no choice. It was pretend along with them, or die.

He got stuck on his management rail for the fourteenth time that day, and after a minute of struggling was finally able to continue on to… Frankly he didn't really have a particular destination in mind. Flipping Black Mesa… They couldn't even make a proper management rail.

Most of the students had left the school, which was a relief since he hated the whole lot of them. Yes, none of them were that bad, other than the fact that they associate with Black Mesa, but still. It was embarrassing for an Aperture personality construct to be showed off to a bunch of kids as a Black Mesa product.

However, Wheatley did spot a student wandering around, looking lost. He chuckled to himself, thinking that she must be one of the first years. They were always getting lost in this huge school (it was huge, but of course it wasn't nearly as big as Aperture!). Some even found their way into the Black Mesa facility, where they would get into serious trouble since that's where they carry out the experiments that they don't want the rest of the world to know about.

Wheatley slid along his rusty rail, planning on taunting the first year on getting lost. However, as he got closer, there seemed to be something familiar about her. He picked up speed, and eventually began calling out.

"Hey! HEY! It's me! I'm back from spa- Oh, 'ello," as he got closer he halted when he realized it wasn't her. Wheatley mentally kicked himself; of course it wasn't her. This school was for 16 to 18 year olds, and the mute test subject was surely too old for it. "I-I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else," he stammered.

The girl, who seemed to be about 16, flicked her black hair out of her blue-grey eyes. "That's alright, I guess," she replied, examining Wheatley closely.

She certainly looks like her though, Wheatley thought, examining her just as closely. "Are you lost? You look kind of lost. You know, most of the kids have left by now…" he said.

She laughed embarrassedly. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"I can take you to the front door," he offered. He didn't know why he was being so nice to a Black Mesa student. Perhaps it was because she seemed so much like that test subject. "You know," he began as they started off together, "You look a lot like someone I know. I guess you already figured that out, but…"

"Yeah, I kind of figured," she replied, "Although, the only person anyone has ever said that I looked like was my mom."

Wheatley twitched a little at that comment. "Umm… Well, people do tend to… to look like people they've descended from…" he mumbled, "So, uh, how do you like the school?" Please hate it, please hate it, please hate it!

"I, uh, guess it's okay. Just a little boring with all the lectures on safety," she replied.

"Ha, yeah, where I come from safety's not that important at all," he said casually.

"Huh? I thought you were built by Black Mesa."

Wheatley froze. "I, um, I, err, come from a different Black Mesa facility…"

They had told him that if he ever said he was from Aperture, they would kill him. The even rubbed off the Aperture logo on his side.

Glade's POV:

Glade narrowed her eyes at the bot shifting nervously above her on the management rail. He looked rather worn-down, like he'd been around for several years longer than Black Mesa had claimed him to be. Not only that, but Black Mesa never announced that they were studying artificial intelligence until all of the sudden they announce that they've created an AI and it's all they can think about.

Further, when he slid up to her she could have sworn he was about to say that he was back from space, and said that where he came from safety wasn't important. And it wasn't like his design didn't scream Aperture all over the place. Glade, even though she was the pyro of the family, still knew a thing or two about robots from her bot-obsessed brother.

"You weren't made by BM, were you?" she whispered.

"WHAT? What-uh, what would make you say that?" the core asked nervously, even though the look in his optic seemed a little hopeful.

"Were you actually built by Aperture?" she asked, making sure to keep her voice down.

"I, well, I, uh, y-yes, but don't tell anyone! They'll kill me if they knew anyone else knew," he whispered seriously. She nodded. "Okay. So, uh, how'd you figure it out?"

"Well…" she began, "Since I'm keeping a promise for you, can you keep a promise for me?"

"Of course," Wheatley replied.

"My mom… Was a test subject from Aperture," Glade whispered.

"OH MY GOD THAT'S HER!" he suddenly yelled, making Glade jump back.

"Wha-? Did you know my mom from back then?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he answered quietly, a sudden look of guilt coming to his optic, "Yeah, I knew her. Don't tell her, though… Oh look, here's the door."

They had indeed finally come to the school's front door.

"Err… Thanks for helping me out," Glade muttered.

"Yup," Wheatley replied, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Gladys, or Glade for short," she replied.

"Gladys, wow, that sounds like…"

"GLaDOS?"

"Yeah… Oh, my name's Wheatley by the way. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure," and with that Glade left, wondering how she would hide her excitement from her sharp-sighted mother.

Wheatley's POV:

Wheatley turned around and slid back the way he came, glad that something good had finally happened to him since being shot into space. He had a new friend who knew that test subject that he knew from long ago… maybe he'd even get a chance to apologize…

"Hello, Wheatley," came a cold voice. Wheatley stopped as he realized he was face-to-face with the manager of this Black Mesa facility, Dr. Ater.

"Oh… 'Ello, boss," he stammered in reply.

"I see that you've met one of our students," Dr. Ater continued calmly.

"Yes, a, um, lovely girl she is…"

"And you've uncovered some information." Wheatley didn't like the tone of his voice.

"Oh? What-what sort of information?" the core dared to ask.

"A new source of information on our old rivals."

If Wheatley could faint from utter despair, he would have.

A/N: Wow, this turned out a bit better than I thought.