About Wheatley having green eyes, I realize this is confusing and makes no sense at all. I honestly don't know why I keep picturing him with green eyes. But, you're more than free to picture him with blue eyes in the story. I even do it sometimes. :P I decided last chapter that I wouldn't push the green eyes thing at all in the story, because I can imagine everyone being like "NUH UH" anyway.

I also changed some things last chapter, nothing worth rereading, just random typo fixes. I was too tired last night. :P Plus a plot hole I didn't actually think about was pointed out to me. (Usually I'm pretty good about pouring concrete into plot holes before I fall in, so to speak. :P) I'll make up for it this time! ...Hopefully! (See, the one time I don't poke fun at my writing, I start slipping. I'm doomed to forever insult myself, it seems :P)

EDIT: I just realized I got 24 reviews last chapter alone. You all make me so happy!... and fuel my ego... probably not a good thing...


Chapter: :04

Chell went into her closet and found her long fall boots. She decided to wear her Aperture tank top, for old times sake. She grabbed her portal device off of the closet shelf. She looked at the projection image on her wall one last time. Wheatley was still absently shooting his portal gun in the same spot out of boredom.

"Does it bother you that your mechanical body is still floating lifeless, somewhere is space?" GLaDOS taunted.

"Not really, y'know, not when I'm having so much fun here! Why would I care about my own body? I have this one, which I can barely use, by the way." Wheatley said with mock happiness. "Now how do I solve this puzzle?"

"You truly are hopeless, aren't you?" Chell sighed as she grabbed her phone. She quickly dialed the number of her boss, and good friend. He picked up on the last ring.

"It's three in the morning Chelly, wha'd'ya want?" The man said groggily.

"Hey John, I'm really sorry, I might not be coming into work for a bit, I have some things I need to take care of."

"What kind of 'things'?" John asked. Chell sighed, it wasn't anything she could explain.

GlaDOS spoke "Would you STOP being a moron? That woman you murdered was never this stupid." Chell glanced at the projection oddly.

Just then, Wheatley exclaimed in the background. "I am NOT a moron!" Chell swiveled around to see Wheatley yelling at GLaDOS.

"Who... Chell, are you getting 'involved' with guys again? Are you two fighting? Do I need to punch him?" John asked.

"What? No! It's not... it's the T.V."

"Mmmhmm... okay..." John said sarcastically.

"And quit reminding me about Chell. I know, okay?" Wheatley couldn't seem to stop the word vomit, no matter how bad it was for his current health and well being. He was experiencing real human emotions, and while he moderately experienced them before, he just wasn't prepared for such intense feelings.

"Does GLaDOS have him thinking that... oh wow."

"Did I... just hear your name?" John asked.

"Errm... no. Look, I gotta go, good night!" Chell hung up. She didn't want him hearing about Aperture. No one knows about the place. She feigned amnesia when she was found, so she wouldn't appear crazy after she escaped. Not to say she didn't appear crazy right now, with that random call, John would be left extremely confused, and probably worried.

"You don't know anything." GLaDOS pointed out.

"I know that this is my fault. I know that I wouldn't be here if I hadn't lost my flippin mind. I know you're going to keep me here until I die. What the bloody hell more do you want from me, you crazed maniac of a woman?" Wheatley got up, and was preparing to find some difficult way to solve the current test.

"I want you to shut up and solve the test."

"Well that's just what I'm doing now, innit?" He made another infinite loop like last time and was about to jump in.

"Wait! You moron. You don't have long fall boots on. I was going to give them to you in the next test. But if you insist on being idiotic, then here." GLaDOS opened a panel and dropped the long fall boots above his head (which, by some miracle, Wheatley barely managed to dodge).

"Ha! What now lady? I'm on to your games." GLaDOS then opened another panel and dropped a radio on his head. "Agh! Uncalled for, that was! Really. You'll give me a concussion, if you keep that up." The radio was playing song called "Exile, Vilify".

Chell smirked as she watched. She should be going now, but she was too interested in what was happening right now. It was rarely that GLaDOS got this irritated. In fact, now that she thought on it, it was only a matter of time before...

"I give up, what's the answer?" Wheatley asked, after he'd sat down to put his long fall boots on.

"You're kidding me. There is NO WAY you don't know the answer to this. You're toying with me, aren't you? That's okay. Because guess who got their deadly neurotoxin up and running again?" GLaDOS said gleefully. A timer appeared from the ceiling. "You have ten minutes. Go."

Wheatley looked startled. He looked around at the green gas that was filling the room quickly. His eyes watered as it stung his eyes.

"Damn!" Chell grabbed her things and was about to walk out the door when she realized, even if she went as fast as her motorcycle could physically take her, she wouldn't get there for another thirty five minutes anyway. "If I'd left earlier..." It was up to him, at this point. Chell had her suspicions that he knew what he was doing, at least. She sat and watched, it was all she could do.

)-x-O-x-(

Wheatley stared at at the neurotoxin and suddenly blacked out. He was in a lab, tubes were everywhere, connecting and twisting around each other like a labyrinth. He felt as if he were in a dream. He held a vial closer to his eye, so he could see clearly. Green gas swirled in the vial.

"You really should invest in a pair of glasses, Dr. Pemberton." A woman was standing on the other side of the worktable that Wheatley was standing behind.

"Maybe, but I'll see about that later." Wheatley grinned "Almost done. This stuff, it's deadly as it gets! Nope, no sir, definitely doesn't get any deadlier." He sounded excited, but there was something off about his tone, there was the slightest waver in his voice. Wheatley's face took on a more serious expression. "Can I ask you something, Caroline?"

"Sure." Caroline was scribbling away at her clipboard.

"Why do we need the neurotoxin in the first place?"

Caroline stopped scribbling. "To be honest, I don't know. It worries me..." Caroline stiffened as she realized what she was saying. "I suppose it doesn't matter, since it's for science, and all. Continue working." Caroline hurriedly pivoted and went for the door, an air of unease about her.

Wheatley noticed this and spoke again. Caroline stopped before the door."Caroline? Cave is a good man, he'll come around."

"If only you or I could actually believe that." Caroline said as she closed the door behind her.

Wheatley took a look at the small vial, and tossed it behind him. Hearing the shattering sound behind him, he knew the vial broke, releasing the small amount of neurotoxin in the air.

"I wish I could believe that too." He went over to the wall and pressed the intercom button. "I have some bad news guys. The neurotoxin failed, it's too unstable, and unreliable, not to mention bloody dangerous." Well at least the last one was the truth. When all he heard was silence, he continued in an exasperated tone "...It's bad for science." Gasps were heard through the intercom, and displeased murmurs. The good of science was all these people cared about.

Wheatley woke up with a start. "Terrible time to doze off, wasn't it? Let's see here, I have... four minutes left. Bloody brilliant." Wheatley got up, shakily and started formulating a plan. He wasn't worried in the least, to be honest.

"Oh, good, you're not dead. I'm ecstatic." GLaDOS said with obvious disappointment in her voice. In truth, she'd preferred him alive for a bit longer. She wanted Chell to come back, since she was one of the few to actually solve her puzzles in a relatively (exceptionally, even) quick fashion. She didn't miss her, she missed the challenge. Ever since the potato incident, she was cursed with this human-like need for excitement. She was perfectly content with nothing ever happening before, then Chell messed with that the moment she'd been awoken. GLaDOS had thought sending Chell away would get rid of her flawed emotions. She was wrong,

"Well, I didn't know you cared." Wheatley said as he jumped into the portal loop he'd made. The combination of the neurotoxin thickening in the air, and the speed he was accelerating to made his still hard to manage body want to hurl. While in the air he moved the green portal near the ledge with a box. He grabbed the cube with his portal gun, and fell back down. He quickly shut his tractor beam off and moved the green portal near the edge with the button. He grabbed onto the cube again with his tractor beam, and when he was tossed up to the button, he placed the cube on the button. He moved the portal and landed on his feet a moment later. The door had been opened. The long fall boot's effect of keeping the wearer on their feet after a fall was wearing off, and he collapsed to the floor, coughing. The velocity he was going at was too much for his body to get used to.

"So, was nearly getting yourself killed worth irritating me slightly? You knew the obvious solution to the puzzle, didn't you? But even with neurotoxin filling the room, you still decided to do things the hard way. I would continue on to the next test chamber if I were you, the neurotoxin hasn't stopped just because you opened the door."

Wheatley stood, and his legs wobbled, but silently, he made it through the door and down the steps, into the elevator. He then sat for what he figured would be a quick rest, but turned into a fairly long nap.

GLaDOS allowed this, just as a mother would allow their toddler to nap, so she could get a moment's rest. "One thing I don't have to deal with." GLaDOS said as she went to check on ATLAS and P-Body.

Chell, after realizing that Wheatley wasn't going to die by the neurotoxin, was on her way out. She wasn't sure if she could even trust what she'd seen on the projection, and she knew for sure that GLaDOS sent it to her as a trap, but she needed answers. She couldn't just leave him there, even if there was the possibility that it wasn't even him at all. And maybe, if she went back, she could put her nightmares to an end, as well.


Wow was that chapter difficult for some reason. :P I know they call those blue beams tractor devices in the game, but I don't know what to call the little beam that holds objects... Tractor beam is the only thing that comes to mind. Sorry if I confused anyone.

Most of these random ways Wheatley is solving these tests came from my little brother and me. We can never solve a puzzle the right way, it seems (In Co-Op, especially). Tobuscus, a Let's Player actually reminds me of how Wheatley would solve these tests, so that's good inspiration too.

One more thing, there's a story I really enjoy here, The Sky Ain't the Limit, Mate! That you should totally check out! (oh my God, valley girl moment) Not to say there aren't a lot of amazing stories here, but since this one is likely to get overlooked, since it's not one of those popular story ideas that people go out looking for, I figured a shout out was necessary. It needs so much more recognition, even though it only has one chapter (which I hope changes soon!)

Oh jeez, I'm rambling. I'm just going to cut this short now. Now go read that other story!