"What the hell is that?"

"Don't think just shoot the fucking thing!"

"What's the point...it does nothing! I'm out of here!"

"Jones get back here! JONES!"

"They're dead! Come on, we have to go, NOW! I got you buddy, I got you..."

"LOOK OUT!"


The voices faded as quickly as they had arrived, leaving a strong impact within 26's mind in their wake. He sat up, noticing the downpour continuing outside. The evening sky had also progressed into darkness during his slumber, and judging from the lack of gunfire, the Overwatch forces from earlier had either overlooked the small ruins or hadn't bothered searching.

26 picked himself up from the ruined sofa, quietly stumbling to the bathroom near the entrance. The electricity had long been off, so he relied apon a small augmentation in his eyes to penetrate the dark. He entered the small room and looked apon his own reflection in the opposite mirror, which was somehow still intact.

Staring back was a ghostly image of himself, amplified by a subtle blue glow caused by his nightvision. The longer he stared the more questions filled his head, tormenting him with a lack of answers. He was more than just this, he could feel that there was more to him than he knew, but kept out of his reach.

He had stood there for nearly an hour before returning to the living room, though he didn't feel tired enough nor was he inclined to go back to sleep. Instead, he worked his way to the bedroom where he and one of the most wanted Resistance members had met, and nearly fought one another only hours before. 26 didn't enter but looked in the room. The young woman, who had called herself Alyx sat against the end of the bed, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees.

The mission he had started earlier flashed in his mind, only this time he was able to think about the details and react in his own ways to them, rather than blindly accepting them. In a few moments he had gone from one of many mindless Combine soldiers to someone able to think for themselves.

For the rest of the night he thought hard about every mission he had participated in and every kill he had made. sitting on the sofa in silence up until the early hours of the morning. He barely registered the sound of Alyx approaching him from behind.

"You're still awake," she commented, a little surprised.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep."

She stared at him for a moment before sitting down next to him, making sure to keep some distance. "Are you ok?" she asked. 26 turned, giving her a tired glance.

"Not really." he admitted. He kept looking at his own hands, which had been splattered with yellow and red blood from the scuffle before.

"It will never come off."

Alyx raised a brow, "Washing them would work."

"That's not what I meant...I have more than that on my hands," he replied softly, then added hesitantly "I don't know what to do now."

She walked over to the window, peering out for any signs of the Combine. "What do you want to do?" she asked, looking back at him.

26 shook his head but gave a faint smile, "That's also something I don't know, but I do know I never want to go back to them." he said bitterly.

Why not invite him to join us? Alyx's mind pondered.

No, it was a crazy idea. He might have saved her life the previous night, but he was still one of the Combine. And yet, he wasn't. The very idea of a Combine soldier saving a Resistance member's life was absurd, yet she herself had witnessed it and discovered the fact this one was thinking for himself, expressing a desire to forever leave the Combine. The more she thought about it, the less plausible it seemed that he was a spy. The Combine, for all it's ruthlessness didn't tend to use espionage. It was only the actual human collaborators who tended to carry out such activities.

Before she could ask him his head twitched up. He quickly drew his pistol and ducked down beside the window, signalling her to do the same.

"Cover! Incoming hostiles!" he hissed. Alyx strained to hear anything but was met only with the sounds of the waking forest.

"I don't hear anything," she whispered, crouching opposite him.

"Their...our equipment makes a distinct sound when we move. There's at least two out there, most likely hunting down any survivors."

"Were there any?" she asked hopefully after a moment. 26 closed his eyes briefly, gently shaking his head.

"I think I was the only one. Your friends, and my fr-squad mates did not make it."

He turned his focus back outside yet could see Alyx covering her face with her palms from the corner of his eye, clearly devastated. He felt a pang of what might have been guilt, and wondered if he should say something, but couldn't bring himself to try. He didn't know what to say, or whether he had any right to say it at all. Instead he chose silence, listening for anymore of his former allies. Soon, the sound of the distant soldiers died away, though he still remained on edge.

"We should go," he told her. "I think they're gone, but it's not safe here."

26 looked towards her and sighed quietly. He retrieved a small, metallic package from his backpack, marked with CMB SUPPACKAGE. It looked almost like a pre-war drinks carton, minus the straw. He held it out to Alyx, who looked at it questioningly.

"It's supplement." he offered, "Food. It won't harm you, Civil Protection squads use them too."

Alyx gingerly accepted it, wiping her reddened eyes. "What's it taste like?"

26 gave a shrug, "Like shit." he told her bluntly, to which she reluctantly chuckled. He took out another one for himself, eating only half. He replaced it in his backpack then inspected his sidearm before offering it to Alyx.

"Take it."

Alyx pulled out her own weapon, "I've got one already."

"But it's empty." he commented. Alyx regarded him suspiciously.

"How do you-"

"When you aimed at me last night," said 26. "I could tell it wasn't loaded. Your eyes gave it away."

Slowly Alyx stretched her hand out and gave his hand a slight push. "I can't." she declined.

"You can't go unarmed." he said. "What ammunition does your steri-...pistol take?" She revealed to him that it took the same ammo as his own weapon, to which he held out several magazines in return insistently.

"Take them."

Alyx saw he wasn't going to give up, so accepted the ammunition offered and loaded her gun. It wouldn't fire as many rounds as usual, but at least she was able to protect herself. 26 directed his gaze outside again, vigilantly scanning for further threats.

"You should probably go now," he said as he concentrated on the trees.

"What about you?"

"Haven't you already asked me this question?" reminded 26. He truelly had no idea of what he wanted to do, though trying to answer the many questions inside his mind were a start. Who am I really? being the top one.

Alyx had been thinking about him throughout the early morning in silent debate with herself. Now, she finally came to a decision, one she hoped she wouldn't regret later on.

"Want to come with me?" Please be the right choice she prayed mentally.

26 looked mildly startled, "You want me...to join you? But I'm a...I'm a..."

"Yes, and you saved my life." she finished simply. "No Combine has ever done that, let alone speak to me."

"In that case then," he continued, getting to his feet. "Let me go first." He didn't vocally express to her it was his way of gaining further trust from her. He was fully aware that she probably distrusted him for the most part, his saving of her life and her own curiousity in regards to his individuality being the only factors keeping her from shooting him. By choosing to lead the way he was effectively telling her "I'm here, so if I make a move you can shoot me."

Alyx holstered her gun, "I don't know where I am actually. I'm not familiar with this area." she admitted. 26 took a few steps towards the front door, pistol at the ready. A strange desire to laugh erupted within him but was firmly held in check thanks to his training.

"That makes two of us then."


The pair had been wondering the expansive woods for what seemed like hours. The sounds of the forest's many inhabitants gave off a soothing chorus, only interrupted by the occasional sounds of distant Dropships passing from time to time. After having yet another debate apon passing the same certain tree for the fifth time, the duo had finally agreed to locate the site of the ill-fated rebel camp in attempts to find a map. Having a better memory thanks to the neurological upgrades the Combine had forced apon him, 26 began tracing his own steps back, constantly on alert for any Combine activity.

"You do realise the camp may still be occupied." he warned her as they drew near. Alyx disregarded his comment with a handwave.

"The local resistance leader Pieter had a map of this area," explained Alyx, "which I wasn't able to get on my way out."

Before 26 could ask her anything else he dropped behind a fallen log and Alyx did the same. "What do you see?" she asked.

26 peered over the log and observed the site of the former Resistance base. The fires that had engulfed the fallen dropship had long been extinguished, but the smell of death lingered in the air covering the area. The bodies of both Overwatch personnel and members of the Resistance remained scattered across the demolished house's grounds.

Inside, 26 felt a cold sweat break out all over. He felt sick at the sight of the bloody skirmish, the soldier he'd unmasked before was strong in his mind. He cleared his throat and looked at Alyx, who's face had contorted into one of subdued rage and sorrow.

"No..." she uttered in shock. "No no no...they can't..." she choked out before silently sobbing to herself. 26 stopped seeking out any signs of the enemy and began searching for the man called Pieter, who Alyx had described to him not long before. Reluctantly he made himself look at all the bodies and deep down he found it easier to look at the dead Combine than to gaze apon the frozen looks of pain and terror apon the faces of the rebels. Finally after 10 minutes of searching Alyx's small voice called him over to the corpse of an older man which, judging from the second body underneath him, had died trying to protect a comrade.

Carefully 26 pulled him off of the dead rebel and gently laid him on the ground. His gray eyes stared endlessly at the pair, almost accusingly in a strange sort of way. Respectfully, 26 knelt down beside him and ran his fingers over his eyes, closing them.

"I'm sorry."

"Who to?" Alyx asked.

"You, to him, to all those who are here-and always will be."

His eyes fell apon a piece of paper jutting out of Pieter's jacket and after another apology retrieved it. It was an old map, dated back to the 1980s written in Russian. As part of the Combine technology embedded within his head, the words were easily translated. He pointed to each spot on the map to Alyx, reading them out as he did so.

"This X here is hand drawn, so I'm guessing it's where we are currently. There's deep forest all around and only a few roads. There's also a small village to the south, a radio tower to the northwest and a series of hills to the north called the Bare Rocks."

Alyx jabbed her finger at the last one, "Bare Rocks? Is there anything else there?"

"Nothing marked on the map," he replied, "Is that where you're supposed to be heading?"

"I've been staying at an old Soviet silo base by the same name for the past month, I've not travelled this far from it before." she explained. 26 examined the map closely, looking for any signs that could indicate a military facility to the right person. After several minutes he tapped a finger at a small opening on the west of the hills.

"There, that's got to be it. It's not far from a marked military depot and is close to the radio tower. Anything on there that you might have seen before?"

"Yes!" she cried, "I've been to that depot once before, I recognise the road leading to it as well." She looked towards Pieter again and fought to keep her tears back. She'd known him for a long time ever since her father Eli Vance, a notable leader of the Resistance first moved to the outskirts of City 17. Pieter had been a close friend to her, protecting her on missions, standing up for her whenever she was unfairly challenged and even taught her some of the mechanical skills she possessed in their spare time. Seeing him lie motionless before her stabbed her with jolts of guilt, threatening to overwelm her. She felt a hand lightly press on her shoulder.

"We need to go now," 26 told her a little awkwardly. His comment wasn't intended to upset her, but apon hearing it her tears began again and she clutched at Pieter's fallen form. 26 gently pulled her away from him after a couple of minutes, and helped her up. "Come on," he told her softly, "We need to go."

"I'm sorry," she sniffed. "You're right, let's go."

With one last glance, she silently bid her old friend goodbye and followed 26 through the thick foliage. For the next several hours they followed the map as closely as possible, backtracking several steps every so often whenever they'd lose their way. Within 3 hours they reached their ultimate destination, a small unmarked path leading into a cave in the hillside. As they entered, the cave gradually grew wider and seemingly longer and longer. 26 noticed up ahead a wall of steel and wooden boards, clearly made by the Resistance, the path leading up to it lit up by powerful spotlights. In the middle of it was a large single panel of metal attached to ropes designed to be lifted by pullies on both sides. Apon it were two sentries in salvaged Civil Protection armour worn over their blue boiler suits, both armed with old Russian rifles. Thanks to the darkness that still sheltered them they hadn't yet noticed him nor Alyx, who had grabbed his hand.

"You better let me go first, or they'll shoot you on sight." she warned. 26 nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. She gave a sharp distinctive whistle, clearly startling the guards. The one on the left nearly dropped his weapon in surprise and called out.

"Alyx is that you? Goddamn it you daft woman, don't you sneak up on us like that!" he yelled indignantly. He was younger than her by a few years and was known for his rough goatee and immature attitude. The other man, an older, more rotund man with a thick mustache and red hat said nothing, simply choosing to observe the exchange.

"Yes Stanley, not many people would know that particular tune now would they?" she answered matter of factly. "I need to speak with Bailey, I have vital data for him to decrypt." She was of course talented with decryption herself, but only when using her special multitool device she always carried with her. The data packet she possessed couldn't be opened without special equipment, and Bailey was the best technician within the base.

Stanley spat apon the ground. "Well shit, I guess we'll have to let you in, we can't keep the princess outside forever can we Harris?"

Harris sniggered, "Her father wouldn't be pleased about that would he? He'd hobble over here and surely give us two a lesson we'd never forget!"

Alyx rolled her eyes as they burst out laughing. She'd known these two since they'd escaped from City 17 years ago and had annoyed her on many occassions since. In fact, they had travelled with her from her father's laboratory dubbed Black Mesa East to the Bare Rocks missile base, something that she had tried arguing with her father against in a futile attempt to ditch the pair. Though talented with electronics and mechanics respectively, Stanley and Harris' assignment as permanent sentries outside the base showed the majority of the inhabitants shared her pain.

"I have a friend with me also, don't shoot him." she instructed, "Stay with me 26 and don't make any sudden movements" she whispered. 26 did as instructed and followed her until he was lit up by the floodlights. Apon sight of him the sentries lifted their weapons up in horror.

"What the fuck!" snarled Stanley. He refused to lower his aim, as did Harris. "Are you out of your mind?"

"He saved my life out there, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here right now. Lower your weapons, don't shoot. He'll be my responsibility." she added.

Thankfully after a moment the pair lowered their weapons, albeit very slowly and didn't fully point them away. "The Major's not going to let him stay here."

"Yeah, she'll grease him herself and to be honest I wouldn't fuckin' blame her either. Who knows how dangerous he is."

Alyx reaffirmed her authority, "Don't you worry about the Major, you just let us in got it?"

"It's your ass, but you better keep him under control," called Harris. Stanley simply opted for muttering under his breath as they pulled the ropes, opening the makeshift gate. Revealed behind it was a pair of large steel doors marked with Russian, which 26 read as "Bare Rocks ICBM Launch Facility". The codes to open them were changed daily, so Stanley and Harris accompained them as two other sentries relaxing nearby took their place, regarding 26 with mixed looks of hatred and shock as they passed.

Apon entering the facility itself they got onto a small electric cart which was commanded by Stanley. Travelling down the lengthy passageway 26 could feel the stares of the rebels they passed by. On each side were other corridors, branching far off into other areas of the complex.

"You sure know how to pick 'em don't you Alyx." jeered Harris as they rounded a corner, "No wonder you didn't get back until now, you were too busy coll-a-bo-rating!" he yelled as he drove them through the base. An obnoxious hyena laugh shrieked from Stanley and echoed around them. 26 shut them out of his mind entirely, focusing on his mud stained boots.

Alyx tentatively placed a palm on 26's arm, a silent "it'll be ok." 26 wasn't so confident. He could sense the anger, the confusion and the hate everyone gave him and even though he didn't show it pained him to no end.

"Thanks," said 26. It wasn't Alyx though who replied but Harris.

"So you saved her life out there eh? Being a mindless slave too boring for you?"

"Nah, didn't you know? There are no chicks in the Combine." noted Stanley.

"Yeah there are," argued Harris. "They are used as assassins, Jonas told me."

"Jonas thinks Gordon Freeman is alive and living in Hawaii." said Stanley.

"That my friend is a great plan."

The cart's tires squeeked to a halt when they reached their destination, an old freight elevator, big enough to carry large numbers of people and equipment. A spinning red light above it indicated it was currently in motion, judging from the lack of the platform it was ascending towards them. Harris and Stanley both leapt out and took a peek down the shaft and groaned.

"Ah sh-great."

"What?" asked Alyx, seeing the "we're going to get into so much shit" expression on Stanley's face.

"The Major and her band of thugs are on the elevator." complained Harris. "Why d'you insist on pissing her off?"

"It's how she gets her kicks I imagine," offered Stanley in an unusually hostile tone. The elevator continued to rise until it thundered to a stop. Standing apon it were several men in Russian army gear, better armed than the standard Resistance members they'd seen on the way in. In the centre of the platform stood a single woman donning a woodland camouflage combat uniform, the infamous Major Morozov. Her piercing eyes were ones of a frozen blue, her skin was almost moonlight pale and her face was slightly sunken. The Major's jawline was sharp, ending with an almost V shaped chin. Atop her head she sported an auburn military crew hair cut, resulting in her more masculine appearance but still remained somewhat attractive.

She was only a few years older than Alyx, but unlike Alyx's kind spirited and warm personality, her's was cold and ruthless. She had inherited command of the base from her father, who had died several years ago. Whilst her father had been firm yet fair the Major was always tough on all her soldiers and even more so on the civilians within the base, earning a notorious reputation for being a hardass. Her cold, blue eyes bore into Alyx's, then burned apon sight of 26. In a flash her men all aimed at the former Combine, herself pulling out her own black 357 pistol from a shoulder holster.

"Would someone explain to me, why I have a Combine soldier in my base?" she demanded in a strong Russian accent.

Harris and Stanley backed to the side, "Alyx brought him here Major."

"Yet you two let him in, unrestrained as well and against protocol!" she snapped angrily. "Get yourselves to your barracks, I shall have words with you later."

Without any hesitation the two men hurried off, while the Major took steps towards Alyx and 26.

"Miss Vance, you've finally decided to return." she sneered. She made no attempt to hide her own hatred of Eli Vance's daughter, a feeling that was somewhat mutual.

"I've been on the mission you assigned me. I got the data from the outpost."

"I sent you out there with a squad of my men, to assist you in your mission and you end up bringing back a Combine soldier instead. What the hell is wrong with you? Have you not considered the security risks?" the Major turned to look at 26, who merely stood staring back. "Why did you bring it with you?"

"He saved my life out there and helped me get back." Alyx drew closer in defiance. "I don't know about you, but I've never heard of a Combine soldier saving someone's life. He could have killed me out there, but he didn't. He helped me and wishes to join us."

"And what if he's just a spy, planted to gain your trust to take us all down?" spat the Major, still aiming. "Did you consider that? Did you consider the fact he could have tracking devices in him, leading the Combine here? Or that he could be an assassin?"

"I'm not with the Combine anymore, Major. My helmet was destroyed, I would be listed as dead." said 26 calmly. The Major nearly dropped her gun.

"You...can talk?" 26 nodded in response.

"Yes, and he can think as well. Look, Major I know you don't like the idea of a Combine being here, but this is the first time one of them have shown signs of humanity. He could be a vital asset to our cause, not to mention we could try and study ways of reversing the mind-wiping process. I'll keep him with me, he won't get in your way."

The Major's brow creased as she thought about the situation. She was furious at having a Combine soldier in her base, but she wasn't stupid. She kept it hidden but was actually stunned at seeing a maskless Combine, even more so at hearing he had saved Alyx's life and expressed a desire to join the Resistance. Already an idea was forming in her head, one she could potentially use to solidify her power over the well-known daughter of Eli Vance, who had always held more support with the Resistance than she did, often causing problems within the complex. She signalled her men to lower their guns as she did so with her own.

"I don't know whether you brought him here to help you in your travels or as a scientific curiousity." said the Major and replaced her revolver. "But the moment he tries anything, anything at all, and I'll blow a hole through your head before his. Are we clear?"

Alyx settled for silence, returning the hateful stare. The Major brushed past them both, followed by her men. She left, but not before adding "I want you to report to the level 4 cafeteria at 2000 hours sharp. Both of you."

26 followed Alyx onto the freight elevator and sighed. "That could have been worse."

"Don't worry about Morozov." Alyx reassured, "Let's get you settled first."


Hours after 26 and Alyx arrived they were seated within the large canteen, where many other Resistance members had been gathered along with Morozov and her soldiers, who sat at their own table in front of everyone else. With help from Alyx, 26 had managed to find some old pre-war clothing for himself in attempt to, as Alyx put it re-humanize him. His combat vest had been replaced with a Russian bullet resistant vest, worn over a black leather jacket they'd managed to find. Around his neck he wore a dark blue scarf, conveniently covering up the metal implant in his neck and covering his head was a black woolly hat. His legs were covered by a pair of worn jeans and apon his feet were a pair of sturdy steel toe capped boots. The only part of his old uniform that he kept were his gloves, having washed them and cut off the fingers. Even with his new attire he could feel the looks of the people around him, regarding him with curiousity. It made him nervous and were it not for Alyx sitting next to him he'd have probably tried to get up and run.

"Don't worry," she whispered to him, "It'll be ok."

As the last of the Resistance members filed into the spacious room the Major raised her hands calling for silence, the continuous murmurs dying down.

"You are all aware," she began, pacing back and forth. "That for the past five months, we have been hosts of the renowned Alyx Vance. Three weeks ago she embarked on a critical assignment, accompained by a team of 15 members of this very complex. A mission that was supposed to take only a maximum of three days, but stretched out much longer thanks to the efforts of the Combine."

The crowd remained silent and she continued, "Unfortunately for the team, the Combine learned of their location and sent several of their own teams in efforts to not only wipe it out and retrieve the data stolen, but to kill" she pointed to Alyx, "Miss Vance. Only three survivors made it back here."

Alyx's ears perked up. "Three?"

Morozov stood still, "Yes Miss Vance, three. James Calloway managed to arrive an hour after you did and is currently in the medical bay. But I did not gather you all here to talk about that. As you can see, Miss Vance herself made it back here as well, but not without the assistance of a third survivor, one who was not a part of our own team, but one of the enemy's."

The room erupted with noise as everyone began their own discussions. The Major held up her own arms again, her presence enough to silence the crowd.

"I know what you are all thinking, but what I speak appears to be true. Friend of Miss Vance, stand up and present yourself."

26 felt Alyx grab his hand, effectively telling him not to do it. Blocking out his fears he stood up onto the table, elevating himself above everyone else where they could clearly see him, and after a brief moment removed his hat and scarf.

"Is that a Combine?"

"The hell is that doing here!"

"Shoot it already!"

"Nobody make a move!" yelled the Major as her men got up in alert. "Like I said, I know what you are thinking. But Miss Vance explained to me that this unmasked soldier saved her out there and with his help brought her back to base."

"He did!" Alyx yelled over the noise of the crowd, gaining their attention, "I found him without a mask and he could have killed me, but he didn't. Then after a zombie attacked me, he tackled it away from me and killed it. Without his help reading Pieter's map I would never have got back here either."

"It could be a spy!" a voice jeered.

"So could anyone else here!"

One of the citizens, a balding man in his fifties stood up. "You cannot be serious about letting that traitor to humanity stay here Major!"

"We should give him the chance!" argued Alyx. "I'll be responsible for him."

The older man ignored her and pointed an aggressive finger towards the major, "Your father would never have allowed such a breach of security!"

"My father is dead." retorted Morozov calmly, "I call the shots around here." her eyes swivelled to Alyx and 26. "You offer complete responsibility for his actions? You'd be willing to do such?"

Alyx stood on the table, taking position next to 26. "Yes, I do."

"So be it. He'll stay in your quarters for now, maybe once he can prove his loyalty to our cause he'll share our priviledges. Otherwise," Morozov made a dramatic pause, "He can make himself useful in the firing range." she finished darkly. "Now, back to your stations."

Many of the Resistance members were opposed, but with the Major backing (albeit reluctantly) Alyx's request they settled for quiet mumbling as they filtered out the room. Alyx and 26 were amongst the last and were about to retreat to see her friend Bailey when a gloved hand grabbed his arm.

"I'll be watching you closely, as will my men. You understand this, if I find you're responsible for anything at all I won't hesitate to kill you myself."

"I understand." answered 26 neutrally. He didn't like being threatened, but he couldn't afford to give her any reasons to harm him, more importantly though he had to keep Alyx safe. The Major simply sniffed and moved on, giving Alyx a little sneer as she passed.

"She's a bitch, watch yourself," warned Alyx when the Major was out of earshot, then suddenly put on a cheerful smile, "Come on, let's go see Bailey."

Alyx walked off ahead and 26 followed, apprehensive about meeting this Bailey, and whether he'd be causing more trouble than it was worth.


Author's Note: Yes, I've finally written another chapter. I find it hard to write at times, so I leave it and either don't get ideas on continuing it for ages or other commitments keep me busy. I intended to introduce Morozov as a direct opposite to Alyx, so I intend to write from her own perspective from time to time. I also added her, Stanley and Harris as a contrast to the rebels found in Half Life 2, who are far too cheery and friendly a lot of the time in my opinion. Please review and let me know what you think :-)