Connection Reestablished
Up ahead, a squad of troops saw Gordon running down a hallway. They shot at him, in vain.
Anderson: Who the hell is that guy?
Miller: I don't know. Did you see the armor he was wearing? Bet it's just full of secrets.
Radio(Anderson):Listen. We have an ID on the man in the strange suit. His name is Gordon Freeman. He already interrogated Briggs and embarrassed us. Kill him on sight. Catch him dead or alive. Expect a challenge, as the armor he's wearing is more advanced than ours. Patterson out.
Meanwhile....
Adrian Shepard was listening on the radio.
Shepard:Gordon Freeman.....Gordon W. Freeman. My revenge will finally take form. Payback.....
Flashback- 5 Years ago.....
West High University, Lunchroom.
Adrian and Gordon were trying to win over Gina Cross, one of the most potential scientists.
Adrian put his arm around her in a cocky manner.
Adrian: Hey, toots, how about we go see a movie this weekend? Your choice.
Gina:Get away from me, you creep!
Shepard:I don't take no for an answer, lady.
Gordon:Step off, Adrian. If she hates you, it's her choice.
Adrian:Are you trying to make me mad?
Gordon:I don't want trouble, so I suggest you go away, and we forget this debacle ever happened.
Adrian:Shut up! You're cruising for a bruising!
Gordon:She HATES you, get that through your head!
Adrian:She will be mine, and you will be too!
Adrian charged at him. Gordon instinctively ducked and tripped Adrian, causing him to fall to the ground. Gordon then pulled Adrian's arms around his back, and made handcuffs out of some plastic bottle rings.
Adrian struggled to his feet and burst through the improvised hand cuffs. Adrian pulled out a 4-inch combat knife. He swung at him.
Gordon: If you insist on playing like this.....
Gordon kicked the knife out of his hand, then twisted both of his hands until they broke.
Adrian fell to the ground, in extreme pain.
Adrian:Arrgh. This isn't over, Freeman. I WILL have my vengeance.
Then campus security hauled both of them away.
End flashback...
Adrian: I will have my vengeance.
Cut to warehouse. There was a sliding door that read, "Surface Access".
Gordon:A little fresh air would do me good.
He went and pulled the lever, and the surface access door opened. A soldier's big boot hit Gordon right in the jaw, sending him staggering into the wall.
The soldier came out. He was wearing a protective mask, with green lenses.
Soldier:Gordon Freeman.
Gordon:I know that voice..... Adrian Shepard.
Shepard:Correct. Not only am I going to get revenge, but I'm going my earn my pension at the same time.
Gordon:I don't see why anyone would want you people to shoot everyone. We are facing a common enemy.
Shepard:Yes. You.
He pulled a switch, and the lights went out.
Shepard:Get him!
Several soldiers hit him in the temples, causing him to fall to the floor.
The lights came back on.
Gordon:I....I knew you couldn't win without cheating.
Patterson:So, what are we going to do with this Freeman guy?
Shepard:We're going to question him.
(Turns to Gordon and places him against the wall.)
Full name, please.
Gordon:Gordon Washington Freeman, PHD, Theoretical Physics.
Shepard: We have never seen such strange power armor. Rather strong, by the looks of it. Tell us about this suit.
Suit(Freeman):I am the HEV mark IV protective system, for use in hazardous environment conditions. I have the latest in high-impact reactive armor, automatic medical assistance, power lift technology, and interactive interfaces.
Gordon:Shut up.
Suit(Freeman):My apologies.
Shepard kicked Gordon in the chest, driving his foot into the mid-section.
Shepard: Where were you when the accident happened?
Gordon: In the test chamber.
Patterson:Well, well, well. Looks like he's responsible for this incident. Tell me, why did you do it?
Gordon: It was an accident.
Shepard: You're lying!
Shepard kicks Gordon in the chest, causing him to cough up blood.
Suit(Freeman): Internal bleeding detected.
Patterson:This is pointless. Let's kill him now!
Shepard:If they find the body......?
Patterson:Body? What body?
Shepard and Patterson laugh maniacally.
When they start to drag Gordon away, Barney shoots and kills Patterson with a revolver, causing Shepard to drop Gordon and run away.
Shepard:Damn. We'll finish this later, Freeman.
Barney propped Gordon against a wall.
Barney:Gordon. Gordon! Are you all right?
Gordon barely opened his eyes.
Gordon:(Weakly) I've had better.
Barney:Hold on, Gordon. I brought someone who might be able to help. Hey, come over here. It's Gordon.
4 Scientists, 2 wearing HEV suits, ran over to Gordon.
Barney:Gordon, I think you know these people.
Gordon:(Stronger, still rather weakly) Of course. How could I forget? Dr. Keller, Dr. Rosenberg, Dr. Cross, the inventor of the anti-mass spectrometer, and the famous inventor of the HEV suit I wear now, Dr. Green. Ow. I think I'm lucky to not be dead.
Dr. Green: Or thankful.
Suit(Dr. Green): Colette, I have finished the scans. Besides some old burn marks, there are multiple ruptured blood vessels, and a fractured left fibula.
Dr. Green: Hmm. Options?
Suit(Dr. Green): I recommend some surgery. First, apply a medium-strength sedative.
Dr. Green: Alright, Dr. Freeman. It looks like surgery is in order. Just relax, this should be over soon.
Dr. Green hands Gordon a yellow-ish fluid in a vial. Gordon fumbles with the vial, and finally drinks it. A somewhat relaxing feeling overtakes him, and he falls into a deep sleep.
Dr. Green: Alright, Mark V. What now?
Suit(Dr. Green): Remove the suit, and use the tools I will provide.
They all blushed.
Barney:Don't worry, I won't look. Come on, guys. Let's see if we can find any leftover medical supplies.
Barney, Cross, Keller, and Rosenberg leave. Green drags Gordon into a nearby infirmary.
Dr. Green: Ugh. I think he needs to lose some weight.
Suit(Green): Most likely, the weight is from the suit. The outdated Mark IVs are quite burdened with unnecessary weight.
Dr. Green removed the suit, her cheeks turning red, much like ripe cherries.
Dr. Green:Um, okay..next.
Suit(Green): Next, you must make a 5- inch incision across the left shoulder. By the way, you shouldn't be embarrassed.
Dr. Green:What do you mean?
Suit(Green): I mean the fact that you're blushing. I could tell from the fact that blood pressure and adrenaline rate have changed sharply.
Dr. Green: Mark, somehow, I get the feeling you know me, better than I know me.
Suit(Green): It is possible.
Suit, Dr. Green: Next, insert this specially prepared surgical plate above the fibula.
Dr. Green slowly pushed the plate in front of Gordon's tibia.
Her cheeks were finally starting to regain their normal color.
Next, inject this canister full of nanotechnology into him. The nanomites will quickly mend the wounds.
Dr. Green quickly injected it into his forearm.
Suit(Green): Seal up the wounds, and put the suit back on. I am glad to help.
Dr. Green: Thanks.
Green sealed up the wounds, and put the suit back on for him.
Barney came bursting through the infirmary door.
Barney: So, is he going to be alright?
Dr. Green:Well, I just finished. He should wake up any minute.
Barney:Good. We also managed to grab some medical supplies. We got some deactivated trip mines, 4 health kits, 7 battery packs, and a spare revolver. With ammo.
Dr. Green: Wonderful.
Gordon let out a weak moaning noise.
Barney walked up to him.
Barney:Gordon, you feeling any better?
Gordon:In a sense.
Barney: Dr. Green had to operate on you, ya lucky dog!
Gordon:Could you come closer? I have to ask you something.
Barney hovered over him. Gordon slapped him across the face.
Gordon:Do you ever stop being an ass?
Barney:Yep, you'll be just fine.
Dr. Cross: I just spotted something really nasty coming this way.
Dr. Green: What kind of "nasty", Gina?
Dr. Cross: It....it looks like a grunt of some sort.
Dr. Green: Hold on. Let me get Gordon to his feet, then I'll join you.
Dr. Cross and Barney ran outside.
Dr. Green:Do you think you can walk?
Gordon: I'm not sure. Let me try.
Dr. Green carefully helped lift Gordon to his feet.
Gordon quickly steadied himself, and grabbed the supplies.
Dr. Green also handed him a stimulant, to help keep him on his feet.
Outside, the alien grunt was approaching. It happened to hear Gordon's footsteps, and fired several shots from a strange weapon built into the right arm.
The shots flew around the crates.. One of them hit Dr. Green in the neck. It was a hornet of some kind. She quietly pulled it out, trying to avoid shouting out in pain.
Unfortunately, the suit couldn't.
Sui(Green): Automatic Medical Assistance engaged.
The alien grunt went and grabbed Dr. Green by the arm. It snarled at her in a satisfied tone.
Gordon and Barney quickly blasted the Alien Grunt in the back, hurting it, but mostly just angering it.
Dr. Green:Put me down this instant, you eccentric E.T!
The alien grunt turned around, and threw Dr. Green into Barney, knocking both of them down.
Gordon quickly leaped and put his crowbar up to the grunt's neck.
Gordon:Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it!
The grunt grabbed Gordon, and threw him against a crate. It made a noise equivalent to laughing.
It picked up Dr. Green, and opened his left hand. A rather sharp set of claws came out, and it clawed her to the wall.
She backed up as close as she could to the wall.
Dr. Green:Oh, god. No. No!
It extended it's claws and raised to strike, when....
[gunshot]
A revolver round penetrates the grunt's back armor, coming straight out the abdomen, splattering yellowish blood on the wall, and Dr. Green's suit. The creature falls over on Green. After a few seconds, she shoves the dead grunt off her.
Gordon had shot the creature from 5 yards away with the revolver.
He helped pull Dr. Green and Barney to their feet.
Gordon: Are you okay?
They both blushed again.
Dr. Green:Um..yeah, I'm okay. Shaken, but not stirred. So, do you like being punctual, or do you enjoy making a lady wait?
Gordon: This is why I get the big bucks. If this doesn't prove why I got a good score on my Hazard certification, nothing is.
Barney:Something tells me I'm going to owe more than just a beer.
Gordon:Come on. We need to get going.
They went down the hallway, and happened to come across scientist, cowering behind a desk, with a loaded pistol. However, when they tried to get close to him, he panicked, and started to shoot at them, with very poor aim.
They were forced to take cover.
Gordon: Hey, stop shooting! We're on your side! If we wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't be living right now!
The scientist's pistol finally ran out of ammo.
Scientist:What? You're friendlies? Oh, thank god. I thought you were all military drones, of some sort.
Dr. Cross: Thank you for being a bad shot!
Scientist: Who are you guys?
Gordon: I am Gordon Freeman, Anomalous Materials sector. This is Barney Calhoun. Meet Dr. Cross, Dr. Green, Dr. Keller, and Dr. Rosenberg. Who are you?
Scientist: I'm Dr. Randall. Lambda Sector. I believe that some of my colleagues may have the technology required to end this incident.
Dr. Cross: Interesting. Mark IV, what is the quickest way to the Lambda complex?
Suit(Cross): Nearby is an emergency exit. From there, you can make your way across the base exterior, until you reach the Lambda complex.
Gordon:Alright. Show us the way.
Meanwhile, back at the warehouse.....
Briggs was delivering a communication on a borrowed suit radio.
Briggs: Sargent..... I think we should pull out, while we still have men.
Sargent:Suck it up, and drive on. We will catch this "Freeman", if it's the last thing we do!
Sorry about it being shorter. I don't like waiting.
Will the Doctors make it to Lambda?
Will Shepard ever get revenge?
Will I ever stop asking dumb questions?
Find out next time!
