The Bitter Core - Part II

New Beginnings

Gears linked together and turned in unison as circuits started to buzz, feeling spread into every mechanism. Static crackled and life seeped through the metal body like thick magma.

With a loud clunk everything linked together, like completing a puzzle. Everything was perfect; complete.

Wheatley's brand new optic lit up behind the shining, pristine shutters.

Every part of him quivered with senses; he could hear the faint chirping of birds, feel every movement of the wind-

Birds?

The wind?

Wheatley's shutters flew open, his optic shrinking in fear as he saw her-

A grimy, tear-streaked face filled his field of vision, two grey eyes blinked back at him in shock.

Chell.

Just as he was about to brace himself, expecting the worst, she gasped, her face lit up with relief. Her eyes closed and the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile as her arms tightened around him and she pulled him into a hug.

Speechless, Wheatley nestled into her comforting warmth, that same warmth he had felt years ago...

Questions buzzed through Wheatley, thoughts and emotions washing over him, but before he could begin to try to speak, he was thrust away from her into the cold, blinding light-

Wheatley squinted as he watched her expression change; her dark eyebrows fell into an angry frown, her nose crinkled in disgust. Her heavy jaw clenched and her grip tightened on Wheatley as she glared at him.

"I... I- um!" Wheatley stuttered in shock at her sudden change of emotion. Chell's stormy eyes pierced Wheatley's pathetic blue one and his optic darted away in guilt, trembling in fright.

His fear of her seemed to anger her more, and she flung the little sphere away from her in a frenzy of rage.

"Ow!" Wheatley cried as he rolled around pathetically amongst the long stalks of wheat.

"Hey! What are you doing?" A familiar, surprisingly harsh voice called.

Two long fall boots stamped on the ground in front of Wheatley.

"I-NO! PLEASE PLEASE DON'T KI-AAAAAAAAH!"

The hard, white boot collided painfully with him, sending him flying through the air-

"Stop it! Why are you doing it?" The hoarse voice cried again.

Wheatley landed on the soft ground. Luckily no damage was done.

He looked up to see Chell stood over him, fists clenched, breath growling angrily.

Wheatley tried to speak, to beg for mercy, but it didn't come out. Instead, two much more meaningful words came out.

"I'm sorry."

Under her dark scowl, her grey eyes softened and her fists relaxed. It was the apology she had waited for all these years.

Cara-Mia stood behind her shoulder, staring at her in shock. "What was that for?" She asked angrily. "We spent ages going through those test chambers to get him. And now you kick him round like a football. That's not fair."

"I... Um... I..." Wheatley began pathetically, unsure how to explain himself. "Um... I deserve it. I- I think."

Chell nodded in strong agreement.

"What's happened, why do you deserve it?" Cara-Mia demanded.

"Hm... I- well, it's a long story," Wheatley explained shamefully. Cara-Mia continued to stare at him stubbornly, just like Chell. It was strange how alike they were, now he came to think of it. "Are you two related or something?" He asked distractedly. "Because, your kind of similar. You know, the way you look and-"

"Oh come on, just tell us," Cara-Mia encouraged. "It can't be that bad."

"Okay... Well," Wheatley began. "It started when you were in suspension, didn't it?" He asked Chell. "I came in, woke you up. Couldn't talk, the poor thing! Brain-damaged like a fox-"

Wheatley cut off as Chell glared at him. "I, um, sorry, just a... saying," Wheatley mumbled an apology.

"Anyway. Uh, where was I? Oh yeah. So we- um... you- had to go through some testing tracks to find the portal gun so we could escape. Uh, well, that's when I realised there might be a veery small plot hole in my plan. And that was that we'd have to go through Her chamber. But She was off, so we were okay. For the moment. Until we- okay, I- accidentally hit the power up button. Then, of course, She came online, nearly killed me, and put her back in the testing track. Absolute, proper m- m- maniac. Didn't give a thought to tiny Wheatley on the floor, did She? No, all She cared about was bloody testing. It's lucky that bird picked me up and carried me into the nanobot repair shaft, otherwise, lets be honest- I wouldn't be here. So I got back on my management rail and watched over her while I tried to plan a way out. Proper good plan I had in store. And it worked as well-"

Chell raised an eyebrow.

"Um, well, kind of," Wheatley added uncomfortably. "We shut down Her turret lines, we destroyed the neurotoxin generator, and I WAS going to shut Her down. But we went through the neurotoxin pipes and... Uh, well, ended up in Her chamber a bit earlier than I hoped, to be honest. Didn't think through my plan. Old Achilles Heel kicking in there. But, instead, we did do a core transfer. I- um, well. I, uh, guess that's where it went wrong," Wheatley's voice was hushed now. He couldn't look at either women as he sat in the wheat helplessly.

"Go on," Cara-Mia encouraged gravely.

Wheatley continued, avoiding both their gazes. "Well, uh, yeah. I, I kind of went a bit... mad. If I'm honest. Not part of the plan. Probably just a- a... um... a... malfunction... with the system. Yes! Probably that."

"And... What happened then?" Cara-Mia asked, not sure if she wanted to know.

"I... put Her into a potato battery," Wheatley confessed, laughing nervously. "That's actually quite genius. But..." He felt Chell frowning at him angrily. "... Probably not the most important thing I did. I- I- um, well, I-" Wheatley stammered, wishing the ground would swallow him up. "I... Uh... I betrayed my best friend and - and- punched her into a pit."

Silence.