The Freedom of Choice
"I don't miss Doctor Breen, but I miss his show. Remember when he had the jugglers on?"
"Sometimes... I dream of cheese."
Gordon wondered why the rebel soldiers always talked about the stupidest topics before a battle. There was no talk about battle strategy or making sure they have sufficient supplies, they were talking about... cheese. At least he had Alyx, who was the only real fighter among the group. Gordon himself was just a doctor with a fancy hazard suit. Those rebels had been working in desk jobs before the seven-hour war and the Combine taking control.
But now there was hope. Gordon and Alyx had destroyed the citadel and escaped without injury. The vortigaunts, mysterious alien priests, had saved Gordon from being taken away by the G-Man, who was Gordon's "employer." The vortigaunts had hired Gordon through the G-Man, and once the citadel was destroyed, the G-Man came to collect Gordon for his next job. However, the vortigaunts interfered with their alien voodoo, and rescued Gordon from the G-Man, and teleported Alyx from the exploding citadel to safety.
Gordon was then released into City 17 to finish the job. He had to get out of the city with the rebels before the citadel exploded and destroyed everything. With Alyx and his best friend Barney in tow, they escaped the city and made it to the safety of the forest outskirts of City 17, where they were bombarded with a new threat, the mini-hunters.
"Sorry, Doctor Freeman!" said a soldier who had gotten in the way of Gordon.
Those soldiers were always too polite. Did they take manner class or something? Why was Gordon thinking about this? They were expecting to be attacked by the mini-hunters, shouldn't he be preparing? Why was he thinking about what he was thinking about?
Suddenly, there was an explosion. A charred body of a rebel soldier flew over the barricade in the small building the rebels had secured. The shrill cry of the rebel hunters roared across the dense forest. Freeman was the first to look over the barrier, and saw Alyx doing the same in the barrier next to him. The both looked around but did not see anything that could have thrown the body over the barrier like that. They shrugged at each other, and another rebel popped his head up.
BAM! Like that, the rebel took a bullet in the eye. A mini-hunter had dropped down from the ceiling. They were good at stealth in closed places, their fleshy legs, flexible legs were a huge advantage in tight quarters, they seemed to have a flowing motion as they walked.
Gordon and Alyx got down. Gordon threw a grenade over his soldier, but heard no death cry from the mini-hunter. He cursed and signaled for the three rebels under his command to go around the barrier and try taking it out. He quickly followed. When they got out, the realized that the Hunter had disappeared again. Alyx soon came out from behind her barrier, and the two squads joined up.
"Did any of you see it?" she asked.
"..."
"Why don't you ever answer me, Gor-"
the cry of a strider. Things had just become dangerous. The fear-filled looks of the rebels were evident, they didn't have very good game faces. Alyx got out her shotgun, and Gordon puller out his pulse rifle. Suddenly, the Mini-hunter dropped down from the other side of the door, entered, and started picking off rebels. Alyx managed to injure it's legs, and they ran for it.
As they ran through the forest, both of them heard the death cries of several striders and mini-hunters. They also noticed that every time they look away, another rebel was missing. Soon, it was down to just Gordon and Alyx. Obviously something more powerful was picking off everything that moved.
"Do you think it's the zombies? Maybe some zombines?" asked Alyx.
"No, they aren't smart enough to be doing this, and the Striders usually have no trouble with them. There's something more powerful at work here." replied Gordon.
"Wow, that's the most you've ever said!"
Suddenly, Gordon stopped. He looked horrified. He pointed up to a tree where the G-Man was standing with his usual, calm look. He jumped down from the tree, but instead of falling, floated slowly down to the ground.
"Good evening, misssster Freeman. Did you real think that you could escape?" He straightened his tie and walked over to the pair. "And good evening to you, misss Vance. I believe we have met before, but" he grasped for air. He seemed to have trouble with the english language. "Never face to face."
"Gordon, who is–"
"What the hell do you want?" asked Gordon. When it came to the G-Man, nothing mattered but escape.
"I've received a rather... interesting offer for your services. It's that time again, Mister Freeman. But this time, you will be offered the freedom of choice. Same with you, Miss Vance. Say no, and I will be gone."
"Fine, I'm listening. But if I say no, then there's no stalking me wherever I go like usual."
"Of course not, you have escaped my... employment... I commend you for that. This is my offer: A mysterious man requests your presence in a... tournament of champions. A woman has requested Miss Vance in a tournament of heroines. If you win, they will grant you whatever you want, and with the two of you there, you will have double the chance."
"They can free us of the combine!" Alyx whispered to Gordon. "We have nothing to lose, let's just go!"
"You don't know how this man works," replied Gordon, "It could be a trap. He could be leading me to my doom fro escaping him."
"But why would he want me?"
Gordon paused. This was a good point, the G-Man didn't have anything to do with Alyx. Plus, she was right, they really didn't have anything to lose, and this could very well be the solution to the problem with the combine, and maybe even the headcrabs and antlions. He could wish all the alien forces off of earth forever.
"Fine, I'll go." said Gordon, but without letting his guard down.
"Me too." Alyx said firmly.
"Right this way, then." the G-Man quivered in his eerie voice. He opened up a door in thin air, and stepped through it. Alyx and Gordon followed. The door disappeared behind them.
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By ZenOfThunder