GLaDOS's POV:
GLaDOS watched as the girl dropped down into the test chamber. It was the same as the first test chamber Chell was forced into after GLaDOS's reactivation, but was in much better shape. She could tell the kid was still shaken from their encounter, even though she was trying to hide it. Her mother was much better at concealing emotions, but that wasn't important.
"Here we are. The same testing track your mother went through 17 years ago," GLaDOS announced over the intercom. The girl's eyes flew towards the camera she was watching her through. "You've already dealt with thermal discouragement beams, so this should be simple. Why don't you take this time to tell me about yourself?"
The girl shot a defiant glare at the camera. "I'd rather you tell me about what happened while my mom was here," she said coldly.
"We'll get to that. But for now, tell me what that lunatic ended up- I mean, tell me your name," GLaDOS ordered, keeping her tone even.
The girl finished the test without a word and stepped toward the elevator before answering. "Glade," she replied.
"That's an odd name," GLaDOS commented snidely.
"It's short for Gladys."
"How ironic."
"How's that ironic?" Glade asked, stepping into the elevator. The only response was a dark chuckle. "Your name is GLaDOS, isn't it? I saw it on a label."
"That's what makes this so ironic," GLaDOS answered.
Glade stepped out of the elevator and into the next test chamber.
"I'm curious to know how you escaped from the last testing track," GLaDOS brought up casually.
"My brother and I know a thing or two about robotics," Glade replied, with a hint of smugness, "We just rewired a panel."
"Panel rewiring," GLaDOS repeated, "The only reason the scientists who used to run this place allowed the panels to be manually operated was in case of an emergency… To bad it never helped them."
Just then Glade gave a small shriek and jumped back after burning her leg on a laser she was trying to redirect with a cube.
"Your mother never made that mistake," GLaDOS sneered.
Glade shot a glare at a camera as she placed the redirection cube in the right position. "What do you mean it never helped them? What happened to the scientists?" she asked curiously.
"Just a neurotoxin leak that occurred shortly after I was activated."
Glade looked suspicious, but continued with the test.
"Anyway, you said that you were familiar in the field of robotics," GLaDOS pressed.
"We've always been interested in science," Glade replied, completing the test, "But Alex, my brother, is the one who's interested in robotics. I'm more into things like bombs, rockets, flamethrowers…"
"Hmph. It sounds like both of you would have fit in well here, if it weren't for the fact that your offspring of the most dangerous test subject I've ever dealt with," GLaDOS mocked.
As they continued testing, GLaDOS found it laughably easy to manipulate the teen. She only told her hints of what happened between her and the kid's mother, only stating her own side of course, and was even able to sweet talk the kid into trusting her a little.
"She… She never lied to us about it!" Glade protested, "She just never told us about it!"
"Exactly. She let you believe what you wanted to believe, which is, in a way, lying," GLaDOS pressed. As much as the girl protested, she could see the doubt in her eyes. "But I've never lied to you," she went on, her voice dropping into a softer tone, "You can trust me."
GLaDOS needed to get the girl on her side. She had a feeling that the lunatic would show up sooner or later to get them back, and would probably cause a lot of damage. Having Glade on her side could prove to be an advantage.
The boy, Alex, however, proved to be less entertaining. He was reckless, bound to get himself killed sometime soon. He also seemed to pay more attention to the testing elements themselves rather than what they had to do with the test, and thus took a lot longer to solve tests. She told him a bit of what happened to his mother, but he distrusted her to the point of not appearing to listen at all. Not to mention that he kept asking about his sister and when they would be allowed to leave.
Chell's POV:
Once she knew where her kids had probably ended up, Chell rushed straight back home.
She decided to drive her car there, since that would make it faster and easier to get there and back. Who knew what sort of shape Glade and Alex would be in when she finally got them out of there… if they would even be alive at all…
NO! She thought stubbornly, I won't let that happen!
Would GLaDOS kill them? She would certainly test them, but what if she found out who they were?
Finally, Chell pulled up by an old electrical shack. Cautiously, she stepped inside. It jerked and began to descend once the door closed. It should take her straight to GLaDOS.
However, it stopped at the entrance to a dark hallway. She stepped out of the elevator as the glowing red lens of a camera turned to face her, and the lights flickered on.
"Despite what I told you, I had a feeling you would come back," came that oh so familiar female voice, "Especially now that I have something you lost. Two somethings, in fact."
Chell gave the camera harsh glare, trying to get her message of 'you better not have hurt them or I will kill you again' across.
It seemed to work, since GLaDOS replied, "Don't give me that look. Their fine, I'm just putting them through a few tests. They're just as good as you were. In fact, she might be a bit better."
She must have been talking about Glade. Glade was smart, the top of her science class in fact, but it didn't matter how good you were at testing, you could still get hurt or worse.
She had to get them out of here soon. Chell raced down the hallway, not exactly knowing where she was going, other than that she had to find the test chambers.
"I won't kill them, you know," GLaDOS called out, "They'll only die if they make a stupid mistake in a test chamber. Weren't we on good terms the last time you were here?"
Glade's POV:
Glade felt so confused. She wasn't sure if she should consider her mom a liar for not telling her what happened to her, like what GLaDOS said, but she had trusted her mom her whole life. Nor was she sure whether or not to trust the AI. Her mom was in horrible condition when she first came to town, and as far as Glade knew, it was GLaDOS who did that to her. Although, GLaDOS did say that she saved mom's life.
"Glade," GLaDOS's voice broke through her thoughts, "You told me you had abilities in pyrotechnics. Just how good are you?"
Glade shrugged. "Before we came here, I took a toy rocket and made its engine about three times more powerful. The only problem was that when it launched, it went to the side instead of straight up. It crashed through the window of the building up there."
After a pause, GLaDOS spoke up again. "Why don't we do a different test, then?"
A panel on the wall slid out of place, revealing a hallway on the other side. Glade cautiously stepped through, and the wall closed behind her.
She followed the hallway until she entered a room. It was small, and had a turret sitting in the middle of it, facing away from her. On the other side was another door.
"What am I supposed to do?" Glade asked as the door to the room closed.
"Just show me what you can do," GLaDOS answered.
Glade thought for a minute, eyeing the turret. A pyromaniac grin spread across her face as she got an idea. She picked up the turret, and despite its protests, set to work.
20 minutes later, the turret appeared to be the same, but with no legs and its optic shut off. However, it's the inside that counts.
GLaDOS watched the entire operation and knew exactly what it was.
"A bomb. Interesting choice," she commented, "What will set it off?"
Glade grinned again. "Impact," she answered, throwing it at the other door. It exploded, creating a large hole in the wall and throwing her against the other wall.
"Wow," Glade snickered, getting back on her feet, "That gunpowder had more kick than I thought!"
"It's different from most. Anyway, now I don't have to bother opening the door to your next test," GLaDOS replied calmly.
Glade, cheered up by the explosion, exited through the hole and down another hallway.
Chell's POV:
Chell ran blindly through the facility for about half an hour before she finally came across an observation window over looking a test chamber. Inside it, she could see Alex fling himself across the room and into the wall due to a misplaced portal.
She grabbed an old chair that was by the window and threw it into the glass, shattering it, and jumped into the chamber.
"Well, look who's here," GLaDOS commented in a mocking tone.
"MOM!" Alex yelled, running over and hugging her.
After a moment Chell pushed him away and knelt down so that she was eye level to him. 'Where's Glade?' she mouthed.
"I don't know! She's testing somewhere else!" he answered. He was scared, but was stubbornly trying to hide it. "We have to go find her!"
'I'll find her. You need to get out of here,' she mouthed. She took his portal gun and scanned the room for a way out.
However, a panel on the wall slid away, revealing a catwalk.
"Go ahead and take him," GLaDOS said boredly, "His recklessness would get him killed. I honestly don't want that to happen."
Chell wasn't sure whether or not to believe her, but led Alex past the panel onto the catwalk.
"However, I am more interested in the girl," GLaDOS went on, closing the panel behind them. Chell's blood ran cold at that comment. "Yes, young Gladys will stay with me for a little while longer," GLaDOS said, sensing her reaction. "I'm flattered by your choice of name, by the way."
Chell, beginning to feel enraged at what the AI was doing to her children, grabbed Alex's arm and led him down the catwalk at a fast pace. Before long they found themselves in the hallway that led to the elevator she came down in.
She took her car keys out of the pocket in her jeans and handed them to Alex.
'Go rest in the car,' she mouthed, pushing him into the elevator, 'if I'm not back by sunset, go home.'
Alex was about to argue, but shut his mouth from the look his mother gave him. Once he was out of sight, Chell turned and ran back into the facility.