"It's time to wake up, Mr. Ironsss."
---
Light. Lots of fucking light. Jesus, where am I?
Stop. Think. Concentrate. What's your last memory?
The Combine…and the explosion.
No, that can't be it. Think.
There was a man. A man in blue. Time stopped.
Keep going.
He- He talked to me. Offered me…employment?
What'd you say?
…I said yes.
Why?
Because he offered me something for my employment.
And that is?
Life. He'd get rid of my cancer and save me from the explosion.
For your employment?
Yes.
What do you have to do?
I don't know. He didn't say.
Then open your eyes.
---
Dr. Lee Irons opened his eyes to the scene of a dirty room and bright, morning sunshine piercing through the broken windows. He squinted his grey eyes at the offending sunshine and slowly stood up off the dusty floor. The first thing he noticed was the absence of his suit; instead, he wore a pair of work boots, blue jeans, a black shirt, and a grey, heavy-cotton trench coat. He checked the pockets of the strange clothes, and found a pack of cigarettes. The soft-pack was red and white and the word 'Nails' was labeled on the front. Yum. He also found a pack of matches, and used one to light a cigarette. He inhaled the smoke deeply and slowly, savoring the strong tobacco. He checked the room for any tools or weapons with the smoke dangling from the corner of this mouth, but found nothing of use. He took another deep drag, then left the room.
He walked through the halls of a graffiti covered apartment building, long since abandoned by its residents. He blew cigarette smoke through his nostrils as he walked, his eyes darting around, taking in every single detail. He finally reached the door leading to the streets. He tried the knob, but found it locked tight. Lee grunted, then kicked the old wooden door near the bolt. The door shuttered but didn't break. He kicked it repeatedly until the wood finally shattered into splinters. Lee smiled, tossed his burned out cigarette, then let another and walked outside.
---
Where am I?
Look at the buildings, the people.
Multistoried, slightly damaged. Residents are all wearing unisex jumpsuits.
Combine patrols?
Many.
What does that conclude?
One of the Cities.
Is there anything else noticeable? Any other clues to where you are?
Old, rusted out signs in Russian. I can smell salt water. Its faint, but its there.
What does that mean?
Eastern Europe. Close to the Baltic Sea, maybe. But there are many Cities in this region, so that still doesn't-
Dr. Irons' thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice echoing through the dirty streets. It had a calm demeanor, and sounded utterly trustworthy, but Irons recognized it. It was dear old Dr. Breens, the greatest turncoat the world had ever known.
Where are you?
City 17.