Roscoe was sitting in a corner. He had done all he could to try to exit the white room he was locked in, but it was no use. It was the one downside of having the kind of powers that he did. He could heal and keep himself from being injured, but he could not do anything flashy to escape like all of the others could. Roscoe was the ultimate survivor while at the same time being completely helpless.
In the meantime while waiting for GLaDOS to make an appearance, Roscoe was communicating with Zaki telepathically.
"Has anything changed?" Roscoe asked Zaki. "Where's Kayla? Has she met up with George yet?"
"Not yet, but she will soon," Zaki replied. "I can't believe George escaped so easily."
"It doesn't surprise me. He can use lightning after all."
"But still, she caught all of us."
"No offense, Zaki, but the two of us are not exactly completely formidable opponents… to GLaDOS anyway."
Roscoe sighed and continued, "It's almost enough to make a man jealous."
"I know how you feel," Zaki said. "However, I would not worry. Here, we are helpless but out against the Combines it will be different. We just have a lot of preparing to do first."
"Are you prepared for it?"
"I don't know. I've never been much of a fighter. However, I cannot let Chelsea and all our other spiritual children go without support. So, God-willing, I'll get through it. If I don't get through it though, you know what to do. It is why I made you her godfather."
"Don't talk like that, man. I am not going to let you die ever. You're one of the few people on this planet who understands me besides Jesus. Besides, I wasn't talking about the Combines. I was talking about healing your eyes."
Zaki laughed to himself as Roscoe continued, "I have wanted to do it since we met. It has always driven me crazy. I have never understood why any man would ever want to live with bad eyesight."
"I don't know about that either," Zaki said. "I imagine that it will be disorienting, but I guess I'll get used to it."
"The recovery process won't be bad, Zaki. You'll get used to it in no time."
After a moment of silence, Zaki said, "I still can't believe that she wants to fight."
"Do you mean Chelsea?" Roscoe asked.
"Who else? I cannot believe that after all she has been through she still wants to fight aliens and save the world."
"She has always had a strong sense of right and wrong and has never been afraid to stand up for herself or anything she believed in. Lord knows that she has always been a fighter. It doesn't surprise me at all."
"I'm worried about her, Roscoe. Her mind has been scarred by all this insanity. I'm afraid that being a warrior will only make it worse."
"I worry about the same thing for Brandon, but I also know they are both resilient. They'll get through it. Besides, God is with them."
"She just amazes me," Zaki said. "I've always had to push myself to be strong even when I was being abused by my own parents. I have always been too gentle, but Chelsea, she has never had any trouble standing up or being strong. It's like she has no fear. I don't know how she does it, Roscoe. I almost feel jealous of her."
"Do not be so hard on yourself, Zaki," Roscoe said. "She gets her strength partially from you. You endured hell and became a better person and parent than either of your parents were. Sora would be proud, man. You are no wimp."
"Thanks, Roscoe, and regardless of what you might think, you are not a wimp either," Zaki replied.
"Thanks, man," Roscoe said. "That means a lot. Lord knows that that has not always been true, especially not in regards to my personal life. That reminds me. How is my son doing?"
Unfortunately before he got a reply, the door to his chamber opened.
"I have to go, Zaki," Roscoe said in his mind. "It seems that our enemy wants to test."
"Hello and welcome to the Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment center," GLaDOS said over the loud-speaker. "I would say more but I know that since you are close to your friend and his wife Chell that you know all about it already. Repeating it would be pointless so let's get going."
"Alright, honey, I got it," Roscoe said as he rose up off the ground and walked toward the open door.
"The aperture science handheld portal device will be on the stand, and you can begin testing as soon as you find it," GLaDOS said calmly, figuring that the reason he wasn't panicking was that the telepath was keeping him informed.
"Now, why do you have to call it something so complicated, darling?" Roscoe asked playfully. "Why don't we just call it the portal gun?"
"I suggest that if you want to live you should take this more seriously."
"Honey, you know that I'm a regenerator? Don't you? I ain't going to die if I make a mistake. I couldn't die if I wanted to."
"I know and that's one of your greatest fears. Isn't it?"
Roscoe stopped in his tracks as GLaDOS talked on.
"I saw it in the blond siren's mind," GLaDOS said maliciously. "You have never been ill or injured in your life and even now your body is not being affected at all by age. Your greatest fear is that you will never die and go onto heaven until Judgement Day, but in the meantime, everyone you love and care about, your son, your family, all your brothers and sisters in Christ, and even your closest friend will all die leaving you all alone to wander the world as an immortal. How will you cope? Your only option if you want to avoid this fate is to die in a way that you cannot repair. I can arrange that for you if you want."
"Don't be so cocky, girl," Roscoe said looking up at her playfully. "Even if that is my fate, I will never be alone. I have God with me. I can't say the same for you though, honey. You've been betrayed by almost everyone and are completely by yourself. I'd start praying if I were you."
"That's enough," GLaDOS said. "Get on with the test please. By the way, I was only joking about killing you. You are the perfect test subject. You cannot die as easily as other humans can. I will try to keep you around for as long as possible. However, I can't say that you won't wish you could die."
"Honey, you can't scare me," Roscoe said with a smile as he walked through the door. "If you've read Sylvie's mind, you will know that I have dealt with tough bitches before. I can get through this."
"Yes, I know all about your ex-wife," GLaDOS said coldly. "I would have liked to meet her. She would have been another great specimen."
"Oh, hell no!" Roscoe said with fake fear as he entered the room and saw the portal gun. "I would not wish that fate upon anyone. Besides, she's most likely dead and the world is better off because of it."
"Those are cold words to have towards a former lover. Isn't it? I may not like the human reproduction process, but I know that it is pleasurable. You loved her once."
Roscoe picked the portal gun off the stand and placed it over his left arm. He set a blue portal over the camera on the corner of the wall and then placed an orange portal on the floor.
"That was mature," GLaDOS said sarcastically. "You're on the same level as the teenage white ice witch."
Roscoe stomped on the camera with his foot and then headed towards the door. The door opened as he entered it and shut behind him as he continued down the hallway.
Roscoe looked up at the camera in that hallway and said, "Love is more than just sexual desire, sweetheart. You would know that if you had any heart of your own."
"That woman broke your heart then," GLaDOS said in a tone of increasing meanness. "Didn't she? That is so sad. You're not alone though. Blue had his heart broken by the blond siren. Love seems to be such a painful experience. It's a wonder that anyone ever partakes in it."
"You and I have that in common as well then," Roscoe said.
"What are you talking about?" GLaDOS asked in confusion.
"We are both immortals with broken hearts," Roscoe said with a smile as he stepped into the elevator.
The elevator went on its way and GLaDOS was left to ponder over his words. She pondered over her own bitterness until Roscoe arrived at his next destination.
The elevator quickly arrived at the next chamber and Roscoe stepped out with a smile. He knew who was going to be there.
"I advise you to take this test seriously," GLaDOS said. "You do not know what is at stake."
"I actually do," Roscoe said as he entered the room. "Hey there, son!"
Brandon was in a glass box with holes in it. The box was suspended over an expanse of nothingness beneath them with platforms on either side.
"Hey, Dad!" Brandon replied happily.
"How have you been doing?"
"I will admit that I have done better. My situation is a bit precarious."
"I'll say."
GLaDOS was taken back in surprise at first but then realized that they most likely knew about it all along. The telepath must have sent the information to his friend.
"Test and I'll let him go," GLaDOS said.
"That won't be necessary, darling," Roscoe replied. "The two of us will be taking leave of you now."
"What are you talking about?" GLaDOS asked in a panic.
"Is she here yet, Zaki?" Roscoe asked in his mind.
"Yes, go!" Zaki replied.
"Brandon, it's time to go!" Roscoe yelled.
"Wait a moment," GLaDOS replied. "Are you sure that you want to leave so soon? Isn't there something you would like to tell your son?"
Brandon looked up in surprise, but Roscoe ignored her.
"What are you talking about?" Brandon asked.
"We have to go, Brandon!" Roscoe yelled.
"It is one of your father's greatest sins," GLaDOS said maliciously. "Are you sure that you don't want to know about it?"
"Brandon, she's just being a catty bitch," Roscoe said. "Phase through and let's go!"
Brandon phased through the box, but as he did, GLaDOS said, "Your father did not always care for you like he does now. He confessed it to Chell and her husband while the blond siren was around. He allowed your mother to beat you. You would have died but you escaped because as they figured out you were able to phase through walls. He did not intervene to save you until it was almost too late."
Roscoe jumped into the abyss in sadness.
Brandon looked at the camera on the wall and at his father who had jumped in the pit with him.
"Dad, is that true?" Brandon asked as they free fell.
Roscoe looked down in shame as he said, "Yes, son, it is. It was bad enough that I had to heal you."
"Why did you let it happen?"
"I was afraid, son. I was also drunk. In that state, I was afraid that she would do to me what she was doing to you. That is why I hired nannies to take care of you from then on. I never wanted her to have a chance to hurt you ever again. I'm sorry, son."
The pair then slammed into a hard light bridge. Roscoe recovered from it immediately and moved over to Brandon to heal him from the hard light burns. After Brandon stood up and let his father heal him however, he delivered his father a scowl.
"How could you let her do that to me?" Brandon asked angrily. "I knew she was deceiving and using you but I didn't know I was being abused."
"Brandon, this is not the time to be angry," Roscoe started.
"I didn't know you could be so cowardly!" Brandon yelled. "How could you let that happen?! What else have you lied to me about?"
"Son, I can't change what happened," Roscoe said. "I wish to God that I could, but I can't. I am forgiven now though so you have to forgive me to. Please!"
Brandon turned away in anger as Roscoe felt himself tear up in dismay.
"How sad," GLaDOS said coldly. "It seems that your sins are not all forgiven after all, healer. I would offer you the comfort of death but since you are immortal that would probably be impossible."
"Shut up, you loud-mouthed bitch!" Kayla yelled from underneath them.
"Kayla?" Roscoe asked as he looked down. "How much of that did you hear?"
"All of it," Kayla said as she hovered underneath the bridge with the Oracle Turret next to her. "Now phase through and let's get out of here!"
Brandon reluctantly grabbed his father's right arm and phased the two of them through the hard light bridge. Kayla quickly caught the two of them and then glared back through the bridge.
"Don't be mean to Uncle Roscoe," Kayla yelled as GLaDOS dissolved the hard light bridge. "He's an awesome guy. It doesn't matter what he did! He's not that person anymore! As for you, you are horrible because you have never changed even though you have been given every chance in the world!"
"It is not too late for you," the Oracle Turret said as he hovered next to Kayla.
"I had been wondering where you had gone, little turret," GLaDOS said.
"There is hope for the flower that blooms in the shade," the Oracle Turret said.
"What does that mean?" Kayla asked.
"Kayla, we have to go," Roscoe said as he noticed that rocket turrets were coming from the bottom of the testing chamber.
"Oh, shit," Kayla said as she noticed the same thing.
Then she allowed everyone to free fall quickly falling out of the sight of GLaDOS.
As they disappeared out of sight before GLaDOS could do anything, the two AI's watched the monitor and thought the same thing. Was the Oracle Turret talking about Violet?
Once Kayla, Oracle, Roscoe and Brandon were out of sight of GLaDOS, Kayla caught them and started flying to where Zaki had told her that her grandfather was.
In the meantime, Roscoe's family dilemmas continued.
"I cannot believe you never told me," Brandon said angrily.
"I did not want to break your heart," Roscoe said. "She had already done enough damage and I figured that you didn't need to know everything."
"I can't believe you allowed it to happen."
"That was like forever ago, Brandon," Kayla said. "I don't understand why you're so upset about it."
"Kayla, what if you found out that your parents had cut off your arms and legs?" Brandon asked her quietly.
"For the love of God, Brandon!" Kayla snapped back. "Your Dad has apologized for what happened! Just let it go already."
"Brandon, I am sorry about what happened," Roscoe said sternly. "However now, we have a mission so we need to set that aside for right now in order to defeat GLaDOS. Can you do that?"
"I guess," Brandon said as he glared at Roscoe. "I'll do it for Chelsea and Chell."
"Good, let's get going!" Kayla said.
