The air assaulted his face as he pulled the helmet from off his head. The experience felt completely alien to him and he shielded his eyes from the piercing rays of the sun. The air painfully stabbed his lungs, forcing him onto his knees.

"Ah shit!" he hacked and violently coughed. He hastily replaced the helmet and took several deep breaths before removing it once again. Multiple times he repeated the process until after 10 minutes he finally allowed his head to remain free of the shroud he'd worn for so long. 26 looked around him, witnessing the aftermath of the carnage.

What used to be an old wooden house had largely become a giant woodpile, a single dropship on top of it the cause of it's demolition. Scattered across the surrounding area lay the bodies of rebels and fellow soldiers alike, the debris and death covering the ground like a morbid blanket.

It was strange. He didn't feel they were his comrades at all, rather they were masked abominations, alien and hostile. His curiousity began to heighten with all kinds of thoughts running through his mind at the sight of them. Ignoring the logical thought of retreating to a safer location he reached down to a fallen soldier and pulled off the mask. A pair of wide, blank eyes met his own.

With a sudden cry he leapt backwards at the sight of his comrade's naked head. His breathing became rapid once again, his hands began to shake uncontrollably. Slowly, when he realised there was truely no way the soldier was still alive he calmed himself down and took a closer inspection of the body.

The soldier's face had become a deathly pale with sunken in eyes and almost invisible lips. Where there should have been hair was merely several prominent scars. The irises in his eyes did not possess the healthy colours that the rebels had, instead they were a very light grey with cloudy pupils. Peering at the neck 26 could see an odd device lodged within the throat where the larynx should have been. Unconsciously 26 felt his own neck, his thoughts still partially scrambled.

"Oh dear God...what has happened to me..."

"Overwatch, requesting Airwatch support," called the familiar mechanised voice. "Possible hostiles inbound."

Without so much as a backwards glance 26 rushed around the ruins of the house and into the heavy forest behind it. Dodging and weaving through he didn't stop for any breath, his augmentations allowed him to run faster and far longer than the average human being. He didn't want to be found by the Overwatch unmasked. In fact, he didn't want to be found at all.

Gradually he slowed his pace and took cover by a dead tree stump. He reached into his backpack and retrieved a small, black USP Match. Unlike the weaker varients wielded by Civil Protection officers, Overwatch pistols possessed a greater power accompanied by a stronger sound as they fired.

His combat instincts took over as he slid a magazine into place and carefully observing around he saw no one in sight, nor could his enhanced hearing pick up anything but the sounds of the forest. His hands tight on the pistol grip he scanned the area up ahead as something caught his eye.

Checking once more that the area was clear, 26 moved with precision from cover to cover towards a decrepit cottage which lay in the process of being absorbed by Mother Nature, effectively hiding the majority of it. Peeking through a dusty old window he could see it had laid empty for years, it's owners long gone. He then noticed his own faint reflection. Wiping with his hand he managed to see himself more clearly.

Looking back at him was the familiar sight of pale skin yet with small differences. Unlike the soldier he'd unmasked before his own face was much less gaunt, his own eyes still retained a small measure of colour, a very pale green. Covering his scalp was a thin layer of grey hair with occassional spots of brown, kept shaven at a very short length. He stared intensely at himself for what seemed like hours, before a loud crash brought his attention up.

He exhaled at the sight of the dark clouds. The thunder soon followed what he knew had been lightning, he soon found a door which with a bit of grunting and pushing managed to open, groaning in protest as it did. He pushed it to rather than completely closed it. His body ached with fatigue, he hadn't had any energy supplement for nearly 5 hours.

Ahead of him a doorway lay broken, the room behind it filled with earth and stone from a cave in. To his right were two doors along a tiny corridor, the window at the end providing barely any amount of light. The first door he tried refused to budge, as if locked from within. Not interested in using any more strength he tried the second door which was already open.

Stepping into a small bedroom he found the window in the room was completely covered by plantation, yet thankfully had not managed to breach the glass. An old metal frame stood underneath it, holding a very worn and used mattress. 26 looked at the small column at the end of the bed and sighed to himself before resting himself against it. He heard the gentle patter of the rain as he drifted off to sleep, too tired to give a thought to anything.


"Damn it," cursed Alyx aloud to herself. The few rebels that had accompanied her had become separated during the assault, the fact she didn't know the area particularly well was starting to swell panic within her.

"Ok ok, let's just think about this, you've been through worse before," she told herself. "Just need to remember...where I arrived from..."

Mentally she swore again. Surrounded by the same trees and undergrowth she couldn't gain any information on where she was headed.

'Great, it can only get better though right?'

A crack of lightning overhead contradicted her, followed by a heavy downpour of rain. Alyx muttered under her breath and jogged forward through the underbrush. Thunder and lightning continued to erupt above alongside the falling rain which poured relentlessly.

She then noticed an odd shape in a mound of earth up ahead in the distance. Apon closer inspection she discovered it was a cottage of sorts. Noticing no sign of habitation by either refugees or the Combine she peered through one of the windows.

'No one home,'she thought, then stopped suddenly. Despite being dusty, it looked like it had been recently wiped. Slowly she retrieved the small prototype pistol from inside her jacket and approached the door.

Her grip intensified as she saw it opened sightly, and judging from the marks made on the floor it was recent. She quietly pushed it open, sliding inside before closing it as much as possible. To her immediate left was another open door to an old bathroom, and to her right was a kitchen. The room she was in was probably once a living room by her guess, a worn sofa lay in front of a cracked television in the corner to her left, faintly baring a brand name she couldn't understand. Another door lay behind the sofa was blocked by a small cave in, no doubt to the overgrowing vegetation.

Finally, just ahead of her leading to the right was a little corridor with only two doors, one closed and the other ajar. Alyx swallowed and approached with caution, her finger never straying too far away from the trigger. Carefully she pushed the door further open and she braced herself as she stepped in. She slapped a hand across her mouth to stop herself from gasping at her latest discovery.

Sitting against a brick column was an Overwatch soldier, but unlike any other she'd ever set eyes apon. The distinct hellish mask that all soldiers wore was missing, displayed instead was a very pale man who eerily looked in his mid twenties. Curiously he also looked as though he was much older, his face worn and aged with fatigue.

'Wait, is that even possible?'she wondered to herself.

Looking at him again, she noticed an odd metallic object lodged in his throat. An overwelming urge to take a closer look at him overtook her senses to stay back. She placed her pistol back into her coat and holding her breath she crouched down in front of him, hearing his own soft breathing as she did. Her hand had only begun to stretch out to the strange object when the soldier's eyes suddenly snapped open


The dropship pod was quiet save for the muffled sound of the Synth's engines. Across from 26 sat two Overwatch soldiers. Having had a better service record the Overwatch had promoted him to field leader. Adjusting his own weapon's sights, an MP7, 26 began the briefing.

"Mission is recon primarily until further instruction," he paused before continuing. "Dropzone is a small landing dock leading into the complex." The squad had been rushed to a dropship from a patrol, he had only just received the orders himself.

One of the other soldiers, an AR2 gunner shifted. "What's the target destination?"

"A mountain base built into an old water processing facility located near a former Resistance town." he replied. Although during missions soldiers used the Combine's medical terminology, they tended not to use them so much when conversing before or after a mission, unlike their Elite bretheren.

"Overwatch have lost contact with the installation there, they believe cells of the town's Resistance have managed to take out the troops stationed and some of the complex. A recon team was sent a month ago but hasn't reported back. We'll be one of several recon teams inserted to assess the situation before reinforcements are sent."

There was brief moment of silence before the third soldier, also wielding an MP7 spoke up. "Hasn't the area been shelled?" he asked, referring to the headcrab artillery shells used against the Resistance.

26 shook his head "The town nearby has been shelled again but the majority of the area is within the mountain. Any shells that passed through may not have been effective. Given that the area has been shelled in the past though, we're to assume a significantly larger than usual number of necrotics and parasitics."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer the soldier just nodded once before loading his weapon. The piercing noise of the pod's alarm rang out and the three of them got to their feet.

"Prep for landing in t-minus 30 seconds..."


26 suddenly woke from his slumber, met by the immediate sight of a Resistance member reaching for his neck. Reacting on instinct he wrapped his left hand around her wrist whilst aiming his sidearm with the other.

"Who are you!" he yelled, through gritted teeth, "What are you doing!"

The young woman froze in fear, unable to speak. 26 observed the clothing she was wearing and frowned further. It wasn't the typical citizen attire of a blue jumpsuit or the rebel gear worn by the Resistance. A torn leather jacket hastily repaired with duct tape worn over a white hooded jumper, bearing a strange logo captioned with the words 'Black Mesa'.

'Pre-War clothing,' he thought, then stopped as realisation clicked into place. "You're the Vance Sub-Prime," he uttered.

"That's Miss Vance to you!" she sneered regaining her confidence. "Let go of me!"

Without thinking he released her instantly, lowering his gun slightly but kept his guard up. Aware of this the woman took several steps back, but didn't attempt to retrieve her own sidearm.

"You...let me go?" she said, more in confusion than actually asking. 26 slumped back against the column, looking tired.

"Look, I just... just want to be left alone." he said sighing. "I'm not going to do anything to you."

Puzzled, she decided to try and press forward "Why?"

He turned his head sideways, showing her the burn marks on the back of his head. "After this happened...I don't know, I just began thinking."

Alyx was throughly confused. Over the years she'd heard all about the soldiers of the Overwatch, people who gave up their own memories and will to become advanced killing machines with no compassion, no remorse, incapable of possessing any individuality at all. Yet right now she stood across from one, who not only didn't wear a mask but had seemingly spared her and even spoke with a voice that sounded more human than mechanical.

'It could be a trick,' the voice in her head told her. 'He's waiting for the chance to take you out.'

She hastily took a few paces back out the room and quickly pulled her sidearm out. "You think I'm that stupid? I'm not falling for it, you're just waiting for your chance to attack!" she accused defiantly.

26 just closed his eyes, "No." he said quietly, a little aware of a strange scratching noise nearby.

"Well I don't believe you, you try and follow me I'll shoot you," she finished, turning just as a decomposed arm shot through the first locked door, followed by a body.

26 leapt up and ran to the corridor only to witness the young woman being pushed against the wall by the ragged zombie, holding her hand across her face whilst desperately attempting to push the zombie backwards.

"Get down!" he shouted. As she dropped to the floor he squeezed the trigger in rapid succession, each shot impacting the bulbous shape of the parasite atop the zombie's head and gaining it's attention. After the sixth shot the gun jammed.

"Hang on!"

Without any hesitation 26 leapt for the emaciated creature, knocking it down in a rough tackle. Grabbing one of the headcrab's legs he savagely ripped it off of the zombie's head and fiercely jabbed at it relentlessly with his fists. After several minutes the creature finally became just as still and silent as it's host. The only sounds left were the heavy downpour outside and his own heavy breathing.

After checking the previously locked room (which was partially caved in due to a single headcrab shell) and confident there was no more threat to them 26 walked over to Alyx, holding out a gloved hand.

"Are you alright?"

In a small shaky voice she answered "Why did you do that?"

26 sat down beside her, "Because it was the right thing to do I guess. I couldn't let that thing just tear you apart."

"That thing was once a person!" she said angrily, "Until your Combine decided he deserved to be zombified!"

26 didn't respond at first, ignoring the urge to mention it had tried to kill her. After a minute he said quietly, "I was once a person too."

Her expression softed at his words, and for a moment she felt a little sympathy for him. He hadn't yet shown any hostility towards her, and of course he had just saved her life.

"I'll move them back into that room and seal it," he said standing up. "I think it's nearly dark anyway, not that the weather would help at all. You can have the mattress, I'll keep watch."

He cleared the jam in his handgun and holstered it using the straps on his vest. As he bent to pick up the headcrab Alyx got to her feet and gave him a long look.

"What's your name?" she asked finally.

He turned and replied, "I don't know," then added "Twenty six. Yours?"

"Alyx."

26 gave a quick nod. "Nice to meet you," he said a little awkwardly. Both of them, unsure of how to proceed stood in silence.

"Thank you," spoke Alyx.

"For what?"

Alyx just gave a small smile, "Showing some humanity."

26 gave her a faint smile of his own before picking up the zombie's body, while Alyx returned to the other room and after considering how grimy the mattress looked decided to just ignore it and collapsed onto it, falling asleep within seconds.

After clearing the bodies and blocking up the zombie's room, 26 sat down on the old sofa, thinking about his new friend.


Finally a new chapter, I nearly gave up on this story but I'm satisfied with this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it and please, do comment! The flashback is a reference to a favourite Half Life 2 mod of mine, cookies for those who know which one!