Mikey tried his best to distract himself from the impending doom of when they reached GLaDOS' chamber. He took out the camcorder and started filming Kurt as he walked on three spindly but sturdy legs. He was becoming more fascinated with the physical construction of these bots. Kurt scuttled along like a three-legged insect, and Nora had such an intricate gyroscopic design that allowed so much expression through movement. He felt a little guilty that he was sort of looking forward to seeing what GLaDOS looked like. Wheatley had described her as being enormous so she must really be a sight to see.

Can't get distracted, though, he told himself. The number one priority is getting both Amelia and Toby out of here alive. And Stevie since he's nice to me.

At one point, they could faintly hear voices ahead of them as they echoed in a large chamber. Mikey recognized Toby's voice talking to a more feminine, robotic voice.

"So what exactly do you want with me?" Toby was asking. "Why did you tell your robot buddies to come for me exclusively?"

"You're the perfect test subject for me," GLaDOS said. "You behave like a human but you can be repaired if you die—I mean, if you break."

"Hey, you said if I die," Toby said. "You can't just cover that up. And anyway, I sure won't 'behave like a human' if my personality gets destroyed if I die."

"That's why I will download your personality and keep a copy filed away in the system," GLaDOS said. "Then I wouldn't need to worry about you being damaged."

Mikey's stomach churned at these words as the catwalk ended at a wall that was made up of the backside of moveable panels. Nora just stopped and listened in on the conversation for a moment. Panic slowly started to rise in Mikey as he realized that Nora still didn't have any clue how they were going to get Toby out.

"Well, I'm not going to test for you," Toby insisted. "I only came here with your robots to see what you wanted. Now that I know you only want something stupid, I'm leaving again."

"Oh, no you're not." Panels could be heard shifting around in the chamber, spiking Mikey's panic as his breath started to catch in his throat.

"Hey! Let me out of here!" Toby's voice sounded kind of muffled as if he were being contained in something. "Come on! I'm not going to test for you so just let me go!"

The panels in front of the group suddenly shifted to enclose them into the chamber from behind. Nora's management rail was disconnected from the rest behind her so that she had very little room to travel. Near the middle of the room was a box made up of floor tiles that seemed to trap Toby. Three large metal claws quickly descended to snatch away their portal guns. One smaller claw came down and took Mikey's camcorder away. He couldn't care less about the camcorder now, though. He stared at the enormous construct that hung down from the ceiling. She must have weighed at least a few tons! Yet she moved around smoothly to look at the group of humans and Nora.

"Ah, there you are," she said as her yellow optic settled its gaze on the small personality core. "Isn't it funny how you find something you've been looking for once you don't need it anymore?"

Mikey looked to her desperately, but Nora just shook with fright. Mikey filled with dread as he realized that they might not make it out of here alive. He wanted to confess his love for Amelia or give her a hug or at least take her damn hand. But he just stood in one spot as his breathing gradually became more rapid.

GLaDOS suddenly turned to Nate. "Weren't you one of my last test subjects? The trio that I caught the first time you all stupidly came in here?"

Now Mikey looked over at Nate, but the doctor said nothing as he stared up at the machine with piercing blue eyes. Mikey couldn't help feeling impressed with the way that Nate didn't show any fear.

"Have you all suddenly gone mute?" GLaDOS said mockingly. "It seems to be spreading through the air. Well, it doesn't matter if you respond or not. I really only want you all gone so that you will stop bothering me."

"We're not fucking leaving unless Toby comes with us," Arin said defiantly. It seemed that the painkiller had skewed his judgment and he didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. This defiance made Mikey panic a bit more, but he also felt a deep appreciation that Arin was actually concerned for Toby.

"What crude language," GLaDOS said.

"I don't give a shit right now," Arin said, glaring at the large construct. "I got shot in the fucking arm and it hurts like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"Well then, I'll make your deaths as quickly and easily as possible for you."

Arin's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"I can't just let you all leave now," GLaDOS explained. "You might come back in here for another rescue trip and interfere with my experiments. And anyway, I've decided that I want revenge for you coming in here before and taking Rattmann away. I wasn't finished with him. Not after how he helped my best test subject break out of my tests, or what he and his scientist buddies did to Caroline."

"Let me out of here!" Toby called from the large box. Mikey turned his attention to it, desperately wishing he could get his friend out of there somehow. "This is ridiculous! You do know that I would cause just as much trouble as any other rebellious human, right?"

"Not with a few minor tweaks," GLaDOS said. Rage mixed with Mikey's fear at these words. The idea of this sadistic AI messing around with Toby's code—the code that Mikey himself worked on for several years straight—disgusted him. "I can reprogram you to crave testing just as much as Nora's idiotic little boyfriend did when he was in the mainframe."

"How dare you—" Nora started but she was interrupted.

"If you don't fucking let us go right now, I swear I'll rip that stupid smug head right off your enormous body!" Arin yelled.

"Silence!" GLaDOS shouted. "All of you! No one is leaving here alive. I will extinguish each of your insipid lives one by one for my latest experiment. I have been meaning to try my hand at reanimating the dead for testing. And as for you, Nora, I'm sure I could find some—"

A panel above her suddenly fell from the ceiling and a figure dropped down onto her head. Mikey's fear sort of just froze in him as he was shocked to see a young man banging at GLaDOS' head with a large wrench. He tried to smash her optic, but GLaDOS grabbed him with a mechanical claw and held him out away from herself. The young man's brown hair was wild and waved down just past his shoulders. He wore an orange jumpsuit that looked baggy on his scrawny frame. There was a little bit of peach fuzz on his chin, and he glared at the large construct with piercing blue eyes.

"Charlie?" Nora squeaked out.

The young man turned his attention to Nora, then Kurt. A smile spread across his face. "Meine Freunden!" he said excitedly. "You are okay!"

"Well, stick me in a turret!" Kurt exclaimed. "Charlie, you're alive! How is that even possible?!" Mikey was so confused by all of this. Who was this guy? Both Nora and Kurt spoke to him in such a familiar way. What was this guy doing here anyway?

"Enough of this!" GLaDOS shouted. She carelessly tossed Charlie towards the group. Charlie cried out in pain as he landed on his shoulder and rolled for a short distance. "Enough of this pathetic, little reunion. You humans and your constant emotions irritate me to no end. I've had it with all humans."

The floor tiles around them shifted to allow four glass walls to rise up and form a cramped box. Mikey's fear resumed as he started to hyperventilate.

"I've decided that your deaths won't be quick and painless. You'll begin to feel the oxygen in the room become thin. I suggest that when this makes you panic, you should all take several short breaths to speed up the process."

Everyone started to panic and unconsciously breathe more rapidly as the air noticeably became thinner. Mikey seemed to be affected a lot quicker than everyone else as a full-on panic attack set in. He couldn't even have a proper panic attack, though, because soon he could barely take in any oxygen at all. As he fell to his knees, he looked over at Amelia whose face was bright red. He felt like vomiting from the extreme emotions of helplessness and grief that washed over him. Amelia was going to die here. She'd never get a happy ending with anyone now.