Avery gave up and grabbed Wheatley's hand. "You really are a moron." She joked.

"Hey! I am not a moron!" Wheatley cried out, defensively.

"I know. I was there. You didn't pick up on my sarcasm."

"Oh."

"Yeah, moron."

"I thought we just went through that! I'm not a moron!"

Avery put her hand to her face. "Ugh."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what? Just run. Don't talk, just run."

The two ran out of Avery's room, following the rail that led to the surface. Avery had packed Wheatley's old body in an old backpack she brought when she first started her internship at Aperture. When the pair were nearly halfway, GLaDOS asked;

"And where exactly do you think you're going? And who's this new tester?" The two stopped running.

Wheatley started to respond. "Whea-"

"Outside." Avery cut him off. "And he's something I built."

"Did I hear that little moron? I told you, he's not coming back." GLaDOS continued.

"You mean this?" Avery pulled out Wheatley's old body.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Wheatley asked fearfully.

Avery tossed the old body off the rail. A minute later, they heard it shatter.

"You just killed him?" GLaDOS was shocked.

"I was just doing it first. I hope I didn't shatter your plans." Avery snidely remarked.

GLaDOS was silent. Avery and Wheatley continued running.

"Why did you do that?!" Wheatley whispered.

"I had to fool her. Please, don't speak, I can't throw you over the edge. Mainly because; 1: You're too heavy. And 2: I couldn't live with myself if I knew I had killed you." Avery replied, whispering also.

Wheatley stopped for a moment, looking at Avery in confusion and admiration. She would do that for me? Even after all I've done? Wheatley thought.

"Please, don't make me feel bad that I never saved you. I've managed to forget for nearly four years, and I'd prefer not to relive the pain." Avery continued. "Because it's hard enough trying to save you now. I don't need one hundred pounds of guilt weighing me down."

Wheatley tried to speak, but words failed him. He couldn't believe she still cared for him, even after how monstrous he acted, she still cared.

She turned to look at him, and noticed he'd stopped. "Come on, Wheatley. I still have to cheat death and save you." She held out her hand.

Wheatley just looked at her. Avery tilted her head. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"You still care?" He managed.

"What are you talking about?" She replied.

"After all I did? You still care?"

"I never stopped caring. I worked on saving you for four years, and I never stopped until I had you back."

"But, I was such a monster. How could you even like me?"

"Corruption can take away anyone's heart, but if you take away the source, the corrupt one returns to normal."

"How did you know?"

"I watched Caroline change."

"Who?"

"The same thing that wants to kill us."

"GLaDOS?"

"All of the cores were human, once."