AN:Something I forgot to mention last time was that these first few chapters will be a sort of prologue. They introduce the new characters and explain how they got drug into this mess. At this point I plan on starting the actual action in chapter 5. Also some context: this is between the Black Mesa incident and the Seven Hours War.
Chapter 2: Alyx's musings.
"Hey Alyx." Alyx heard a voice she recognized.
"Hey Dr. Kleiner." She replied, not taking her sights off of Dog. She was waiting for him to throw another bottle.
"One of your friends brought you some more bottles to use." Dr. Kleiner said as Alyx shot a bottle out of the air.
"Can you just set them by this oil drum please? I'll take them down to Dog when we're done." Alyx said as she reloaded her .22 and scoped in for another shot.
"Ok." Dr. Kleiner said as he set the bottles down.
Alyx shot another bottle. She wondered why Dr. Kleiner hadn't left but she didn't say anything.
Dog threw another bottle and Alyx shot it.
"You're pretty good at handling that little gun." Dr. Kleiner said.
"Thank you." Alyx said taking aim for another shot.
"I remember when my boy used to sit out here and do this with you." Dr. Kleiner began.
Alyx winced and missed her shot. She saw that dog had noticed something was wrong and was coming up to her. She couldn't believe how deep that sentence had cut. She heard it again, "I remember when my boy used to sit out here and do this with you..." The sentence stabbed her like a dagger in the chest. Memories of her early childhood began to run through her mind.
She pulled the rifle down and sat it in her lap. She fought the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
Dr. Kleiner sat down beside her trying to be comforting.
"Your son was like a brother to me..." Alyx said, her voice a little shaky.
"I know." Dr. Kleiner continued, "He taught you a lot."
"Yes. Yes he did..." Alyx said with a sob.
"And then on that fateful day..." Dr. Kleiner began.
"Please! Stop!" Alyx said. She was trying not to cry but at this point there was no stopping it. She hugged the father of the boy who'd taught her everything. She remembered the first time he's taught her to use a B-B gun. She thought of all the times he'd helped her with stuff she needed help with but wouldn't ask for help with. She remembered running in the woods with him playing manhunt.
She took a deep breath through her sobs. It was useless because just then she remembered the day he left for boot camp. It was her 6th birthday. She spent the whole day playing tag with him and her friends. He would throw them all into piles of leaves and they would try to tackle him. "Man," she thought to herself, "if I were to ever see him again... I don't even know what I'd do... I'd probably make an idiot out of myself, not that he'd care... Heck he'd probably do it too. Man I wish I could see him one more time..."
Alyx finally managed to pull herself together enough to talk again.
"Now you were saying?" She said.
"About?" Dr. Kleiner asked.
"The day he died." Alyx said pushing a lump back down her throat.
"I quite vividly remember the resonance cascade. And then finding Gordon still alive, I was surprised he had made it." Alyx had never met Gordon but listened closely as Dr. Kleiner continued with his story. "When I'd heard they called in the Marines to... well... umm... 'save...' us I was overjoyed that I'd get to see my boy in action." He paused for a moment before continuing, "That all ended when I found out that the marines were killing scientists and hunting down Gordon, I got out of there as soon as I could. I hadn't any more than made it to a bunker, several miles away when I saw a mushroom cloud appear in the distance. It was then I knew I was never seeing Chase again."
Alyx sat there thinking about how much she missed him. She wondered what military training had done to him. "I wish we could see him again..." She said.
"Me too Alyx. Me too..."