Chell approached the parking lot for the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. She was slightly taken aback, as it looked just as nicely maintained as when she first escaped from it and had killed GLaDOS. She spotted a pair of double doors that seemed to be the entrance- and one of them had a handprint in what seemed to be paint on it. Is that... his? If her mystery guide still was in there... she needed to at least try and save him- or repay the favor by saving the new test subject.
She pushed the doors open and walked inside, staying on her toes and waiting to be noticed. She sprung into action when she saw a door labeled 'Employees Only'. The catwalks.
She burst through the door to find herself in a pure white room. She ran back to the entrance.
"I thought I told you to get lost." GLaDOS stated in a murderous tone. The walls began to close in on her. "But if you're so insistent on coming back, I guess I can't risk you trying to kill me again. Goodbye." Chell took in a deep breath as a green gas began to seep into the cracks of the room. She pounded on the walls, trying to escape- when she felt the air being sucked out of the little box, then replaced with breathable air.
"Wait a moment- you wouldn't come back just to get killed. You're not that dumb." The walls pulled back to a reasonable distance. "Oh, don't tell me you're really here to save the little idiot that tried to kill you? Are you really that lonely?"
Chell's eyes widened. The new test subject was him? GLaDOS's voice became amused. "Oh, you didn't know? Well I guess that's a bit of a relief. I was afraid this was going to turn into some terrible love story where both of the protagonists are so consumed with the others' well being that they end up killing themselves in the process. No, wait- that would have been fun to watch." GLaDOS made a noise that sounded like sighing. "Well, he seems to have no use, then. He's actually terrible at testing. Maybe I should just see how long it takes him to incinerate?" Chell flinched.
"Oh? So you do care?" Her voice sounded as if she were smiling. "Maybe I'd be a little less inclined to kill him if I had a good test subject..." The back wall opened to show a door, just like the ones that led to tests. Behind her, the exit revealed itself again.
She clenched her fists angrily. If she had known it was that stupid little robot that was trapped down here, she wouldn't have come... Would she? She rolled her shoulders and pursed her lips in thought. She could leave now and let him die, or test until he escapes... Chell entered the door to testing. I'm not doing this for that traitorous piece of scrap metal, she thought, clenching her jaw frustratedly. I just can't let her win.
. . .
"SPAAAAACE!" The space core cried. "Gotta go back. Didn't see everything- SPAAAAAAA-"
"You have lungs now, you can't just keep talking or you'll kill yourself!"
"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa..." The Space core began to wobble.
Wheatley grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Breathe!"
The Space core inhaled loudly. "Space."
Wheatley facepalmed. "And they call me a moron." He picked the portal gun back up and aimed it at the wall. "Okay, back to the test..." He looked around the test chamber. "Mmm... Hmm... Yeah, okay- do you have any ideas? Because I'm pretty much stumped."
"Nnngh..." The Space core's eyes darted frantically around the room. "Space captain- launch into space."
Wheatley nodded. "Yeah, of course. Ask for advice from a guy who only talks about space." He then noticed an aerial faith plate aimed at a portalable wall. He then noticed another wall aimed right at the door. "Wait a moment- a HA! Space, you're a genius!" He placed portals on both walls and jumped on the faith plate, flinging himself at the door. He turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey, Space!" He shouted. "Do you think you could grab that cube and jump on that aerial faith plate after me?"
The space core looked up at him.
"The cube! Right next to you!"
He looked to the right.
"No! I mean next to you! Just- to the left!"
Space pointed at the weighted cube.
"Yes! Grab that, and head to the aerial faith plate!"
The space core headed hopped onto the faith plate.
"No no no no no! The cube-" He jumped away as Space hurtled towards him. He sighed. "Fine. I'll grab the cube. You, stay." Wheatley hopped off the ledge, grabbed the cube, and hopped onto the plate. The space core jumped up and down on the button, watching the door open and close. Wheatley grabbed him by the elbow and gently yanked him off the button, replacing him with the cube.
The door slid open and both of them walked through, and into the elevator. "You both finished the test. That was... Unexpected." The elevator jerked to a start and they began rising up the shaft. "I guess I need to put more hazards in these tests."
Wheatley cringed, and the Space core bumped into him while fidgeting.
. . .
"Remember when I tricked you and threatened you with surprises?" GLaDOS chimed in as Chell finished up another test. "Well, what if I gave you an actual not deadly surprise?" She paused for a moment, then continued, "Well, not deadly if you don't have any heart conditions. To those of the faint of heart, any surprise can be deadly."
Chell set the redirection cube down and the door opened, completing the test. As she left the chamber, she noticed the stairs went up into a new room instead of down to the elevator. "I've been feeling very spontaneous lately. I think I'm not even going to make you wait another test chamber for your surprise ."
Chell stiffened. In front of her, was a human. He was a man, probably in his late thirties, with dark brown hair, and a strong jaw with a thick covering of stubble. His eyes nearly glowed dark green and his teeth were bleach white. She took a step back as he approached her, smiling widely. "I was wondering where I was, but now I know that I'm in heaven- because I just found my angel again."
Chell's jaw dropped as she recognized this man's voice, and ridiculous behavior. "Oh, sorry, you don't recognize me, do you?" He threw his head back unnecessarily as he laughed. "It's me! Rick! The Adventure core?" He drew a hand through his hair. "As you can see, I am operating in a new system now."
Chell grimaced. As a core, he had flirted with her and tried to take care of everything himself. Now, he could actually move around on his own.
"Science is twice as interesting with twice the test subjects. You will both have dual portal devices, and your cooperation will be tested." The door to the elevator slid open. "Oh, and just so you know, the success rate for this test is 2/2000. The two that succeeded were robots, and died multiple times." Chell entered the elevator and pressed herself onto the wall, avoiding Rick as he entered. "I don't think I need to remind you that humans can't just be reassembled." The elevator began to rise.