Chapter 23, everybody! In which the writer appreciates the fact that flashlights are called torches in England….Ah, the Don't Starve-accurate puns….

Don't Starve © 2013 Klei Entertainment

Portal © 2007 Valve

They ran through the warren of maintenance scaffolding, ignoring Maxwell's initial attempt to convince them that they were practically out the door.

Now, he had switched tactics, and was trying to squish them by moving test chambers.

Wilson struggled to stay ahead, leading them out—

"There! In there!" he yelled, pointing—a lance of pain jolted up his side.

Willow grabbed his arm, dragged him forward—there went some more pain—and then they were sequestered in one of the maintenance areas, away from his reach—

And then all the lights cut out.

"Well, that's mature—augh!"

"Sorry!" Willow said, releasing him from her sudden hug. "Are you all right?"

He had had most of his ribs broken by Maxwell, which had just been aggravated by her hug. No, he was not all right.

But at least she cared….

"Hold on," he gasped, ignoring her question. "I have something here…."

He lit up a torch. "Ah, here we go."

"Where'd you find that?" Willow asked.

"It was laying about. Fortunately, the batteries were still good. Now let's see," he noised, shining the light around. "I think we go…this way. Not this way," he said quickly, when he made the turn and saw it was a dead end. He took the other fork and focused on going forward and not jolting his ribs.

Willow, meanwhile, was unleashing a torrent of chatter—probably pent up from giving Maxwell the silent treatment. "How'd you get away? Where are we? What's the plan? Is there a plan?"

"The plan is to not get caught again," Wilson explained. "We need to escape, but right now the only way to do that would be to call an elevator from his chamber—I've tried a few of the computers, but they're all locked."

"Oh."

Wilson wondered if she had a mental impression of a computer screen with a massive keyhole in it. "So—before we go back, we have to declaw him, so to speak. And to do that, we need to take out his two big weapons."

He waited for her to get it.

It didn't take long.

"The turrets and the neurotoxin," she guessed.

"Exactly. I know you're not fond of me saying it, but I know exactly where they both are."

He glanced around a bit before continuing.

"Now all I have to do is remember how to get there."