Note (1/23/19)

Here's the last of my backed up chapters. From here on. I wasn't sure what to do with the next part of the story. While the next chapter may not be for a while, but I am open to suggestions.

Chapter 4: The Escape

The plan unfolded the same way it did in the game as Wheatley spoke in that ridiculous fake accent and opened the panels and activated a hard-light bridge- that I still had no idea how he managed to get a hold of. The loud clanking of my boots on the catwalk echoed throughout the area blending in with the rest of the facility sounds. Wheatley cheering me on and telling me to hurry. I was just glad that Chell's body was fit and this run was not too difficult for her.

GLaDOS tried the trap room which I immediately ignored and ran in the opposite direction. I hopped off the bridge before it dissipated down onto the catwalk below. I had memorized the layout of this area of the facility pretty well, and quickly disposed of the turrets by tossing them or knocking them down and ducking behind cover. Wheatley was making a big commotion and I smiled a little at the little bot's fretting. I knew that he was really only worried about his own chance at escape, but still, I like to think that I've treated him better than most other humans in the facility and that he might care for me a little. Maybe. I quickly portal out of the room back out onto the catwalk and we continue on our way. I ready the portal gun for GLaDOS's next move.

"Turret!" Wheatley calls out. I use the same tactic as I did with the turrets of Chamber 13 firing where I think that the turret is standing and after two shots, I heard the turret yelp and fire. I sprint passed it running up the steps. I feel the lurch of the catwalk as GLaDOS starts moving the Chamber towards us. I don't bother looking back and just keep running *forward* *left*. I don't stop running until I am in the lift. Breathing heavily, I lean against the bars and watch as the chambers smash into each other.

"I'll meet you on the other side!" Wheatley calls out over the loud screeching of metal. As soon as I stepped out of the lift, I leaned against the wall. After about five minutes, I get up and make my way over to where he is. Just as we start moving, the lights cut off. I wait patiently keeping my eyes closed as Wheatley turns on his flashlight. A bit of rambling about how he was told that he would die if he used the light later and we were off. It was even darker than in the game. I moved very carefully and waited for Wheatley to stop moving so much (because his movement caused the light to jump all over the place) before stepping. The "ghost story" was as ridiculous as ever and waited for him to light the big drop. deciding to be safe, I went and took a running head-start before jumping. The catwalk shook and I instinctively shot my free hand out to grab the railing. I quickly climbed up the steps and we continued on our way. Dodging the large cut-out pieces of turret, I hopped down onto another catwalk.

The dark sections where Wheatley lit up the walls were nerve-wracking, to say the least. Picking my way across the turret redemption lines was much more difficult in real life because I had to be careful not to trip over the broken turret pieces. I managed to grab Oracle turret and I listened to it's "prophesies" curious to see if it would say anything different. To my disappointment, it didn't. I left the turret on the catwalk and continued on my way. The turret testing range was absolutely terrifying. I dropped thru the portal and zipped behind the target board. I listened and waited for a defective turret and hurriedly fired a portal across the way before dipping back behind the target. I repeated the process this time firing at the target board and sprinting thru. I quickly fired another portal randomly away from me so that I wouldn't risk getting shot. Stopping for a moment to catch my breath, I thought about how friggin' lucky I was to have made it this far.

I snagged a defective turret on my way over to where the control center was. Wheatley greeted me, relieved that I was still in one piece, judging from his tone. He glanced at my turret friend and tilted his optic before leading me into the control center. He sounded proud of the fact that that he had led us here. When he asked me to turn around, I faced the wall and heard the glass shatter. My shoulders shook with laughter that I had to quickly suppress before turning around. I set my defective turret down and fired two portals. I grabbed the template turret and quickly flung it through the portal where it explode a few seconds later. Curious, I stood in the scanner. Nothing happened. Ah, well. That's real life. I stepped back thru the portal and grabbed the defective turret and set it down on the scanner pad.

"New template accepted," said the Announcer. Wheatley looked shocked that that had worked. I had a pleased smirk on my face and I winked at him. This seemed to snap him out of whatever thoughts he was having as he shook himself and went to go get the door unlocked. I only had to wait for a few seconds before the door unlocked. I walked thru and made a soft "ahem" that apparently his sensors picked up and he turned around to see me.

"Oh, um. Well, that was easier than I thought. A-anyways, c'mon, this way," he said recovering himself and leading the way. He turned on his flashlight again so I could see. We both looked at the projects from the Bring Your Daughter to Work Day. When we got to the potato one, I pointed at the signature.

"Huh? What's that? Oh! This one's yours, isn't it! Very nice, very, er, green, and big, can't forget that," Wheatley started rambling. I smiled and nodded my head towards the exit. We moved on, making our way towards the Neurotoxin Generator. It was huge. I could see the small panels that were being transported. We passed by the turrets being tossed into the grinder. I winced sympathetically as I watched them explode and get ground up. "Simulated" pain. I turned my attention to the laser and fired my orange portal at it watching as it stuck. Now I would only have to fire blue ones at the moving panels later. Wheatley didn't seem to notice my actions, for which I was grateful. I wouldn't know how to answer his questions. I hit the red button much to my amusement and Wheatley's panicked cries. The door opened and headed up the steps. I looked back at him and saw that he had gotten straight to work with the old computers (trying to convince dead computers to let him into the controls). I took aim as the panels on the left moved upwards. Firing, the portals linked and the laser began cutting thru the large tubes. Once the ones on the left were cut, I aimed for the ones on the right and fired at the farthest panel setting the laser to cut thru the tubes. I held onto the railing with one hand and watched as the giant structure collapsed in on itself. Wheatley was calling for me, so I hurried back towards the office building. We hopped into the vent.

The vent ride was absolutely terrifying.

"At least somebody is having a good time," I thought as I watched thru squinted eyes as Wheatley whirled around yammering on about how much fun he was having.

A cube from somewhere else came hurtling through and Wheatley and I went our separate ways. I wondered if GLaDOS could see everything that was going on in the transport vents (like Nigel from Aperture Tag). That would explain how She managed to separate us. That or it was just bad luck.

Fin

Next Chapter: Split Decisions

A/N: I had a Chapter 5 somewhere, but I didn't like how it was looking and I am trying very hard to not make my SI-Chell too Mary Sue-ish. I wanted to make her a Core even if temporarily (or permanently) like a "Bad End" sort of thing with a second path that goes on with Chell and Wheatley ending up in Old Aperture and a third branch with the original Portal timeline but with my interactions with PotaDOS and going up against Wheatley... I'm getting ahead of myself. I lost my old Chapter 5 a second time when it disappeared one day... -.-