Warning: I do not own Half Life or Portal except for the copies I own. It is owned by the Valve Corporation.
Half Life: A Grim Hope
Chapter 4: Helicopter?
Alyx and Chell were waiting at a tree line just before the great wall of city 17. There was a large crack in the incredible defenses surrounding the town. There were sweeping spotlights checking the 30 foot stretch from the wall to the tree line. Alyx whispered to Chell under her breath "Okay ass soon as they separate, we make a run for it… you okay to run?" she said with some concern for her new friend. Chell simply nodded , she was in a bit too much pain to actually speak it. Alyx nodded still worried for her. "Okay three… two… one" the spotlights parted in front of them "Go!" the started running in flat out sprint for the wall. Alyx had learned that it was best to keep your mind straight on the goal when sprinting. As she dashed into the crack in the defense she looked back. Her eyes widened. She saw Chell lying on the ground holding her side in pain. Alyx looked to the left and right they had about 7 seconds before the spotlights busted them. Alyx sprinted out to her "Come on we gotta go~" she pulled her up and they struggled for the breach. They made it just before the light swept the disappearing imprint of their foot prints. The light lingered as Alyx and Chell held their breath. After a few moments the light swept back out to it's normal routine.
Alyx and Chell breathed out in relief. Chell cringed at her side was in pain. "S-sorry… I just couldn't…" she said before being forced to take a breath.
Alyx shook her head and patted her back. "Don't worry about it, were safe, we need to keep moving"
Chell nodded but looked over "…why couldn't we use the portal gun?" she asked curiously of her new friend.
Alyx thought for a moment but shook her head and shrugged "Uh… we couldn't risk the bright light it produces?" she suggested but it was more of a rationalization then an actual reasons. Using the portal gun would have been a much better idea. "Well that was the hard part… now all we have to do is navigate the streets and get to the underground railroad"
"What if were caught?" Chell asked rather worrisome.
Alyx looked back at her and smiled "Oh don't worry about that, this whole side of the city is an abandoned residential sector" she said, they were nearing the end of the crack in the wall, it let to a small hole in the side of a house. Alyx moved the wooden flatbed and surveyed the room. With no one in it she came out and then helped Chell. "This is where the railroad was before but then they closed off the whole sector. She took a seat at a table. The windows were completely covered by wood and some by curtains.
Chell joined her at the table glad to have the time to rest she looked over at Alyx and had to sound her concerns "Say Alyx… how mismatched are we here?" Alyx looked up at the jump suited girl. Alyx raised a brow
"What do you mean?" she asked genuinely wondering what was on her mind.
"You said you're a rebel… and I understand now you are the good guys but… what are we talking about here?" she took a deep breath "Are you in a knife fight… or are you just an annoying fly?" she asked wondering just how bad off the human race was.
Alyx looked at her and sighed "Come over here" she stood up and led her to a window. Chell fallowed close behind psyching herself for whatever she might see. Alyx finally pulled the curtain aside, Chell's eyes took in the scene in front of her. She noted the city's immenseness and what struck her first were the randomly flying boxes that were around, then the helicopters in the distance. Then. Then she saw it. Her eyes widened. Her head tilted back seeing the entire citadel in all its dim, grey, horrifying glory. She positioned her head, trying to see more before being stopped by the clouds that were spread on for as far as the eye could see.
Chell was choked up at first before speaking "p-please tell me that's our base…" she said with one moment of fleeting hope. Alyx just tilted her head and then shook it
"Fraid not" Alyx said closing the drapes again. Chell stepped back, luckily finding a chair to fall back into.
"Well… this sucks" she said letting her head fall back in defeat at the absolute overpowering presence of the combine. She took in a deep breath.
Alyx nodded a few feet away she never thought of it that way. She had always lived in the combines world, so every little victory the rebellion had was a step to freedom. She knew that wasn't how it was for Chell. She seemed to remember the world how it was. For her this was a huge step back. "Come on we gotta keep moving" she said tapping her shoulder. Chell delayed for a moment debating on just giving up then and there. After a couple of moments she nodded standing up and cringing in pain again. "Come on we really need to get you to Black Mesa East" Chell nodded and they made their way into the abandoned neighborhood.
Eli and John were sitting in the dark laboratory deep in the heart of Black Mesa East; dimly lit only by the warm numbing glow of the TV's and computer monitors. Eli had just got done telling about the first time he showed Alyx to everyone at Black Mesa. Happened to be a couple days before the Black Mesa incident. It was probably the only thing that spared his family the horrors of the six hours war. John was pretty successfully drunk but he was no lightweight, they were into their third bottle of scotch and he was a bit faster at drinking then his commander.
John finally felt like speakin "Is remembers the fis mission I Alyx was on with me" he laughed "we totly ambushed thes combine with a boulders" he said shaking his head "I have had waaaaay too much" he said but soon an alarm started going off inside the base. The only way the two men knew about it was the incredible red light that flashed in the lab.
Eli rubbed his old eyes that were red from crying. He stood up, "looks like our little guest is coming into City 17 airspace"
Alyx and Chell were jumping across the rooftops of City 17 going into windows whenever a copter or photo box got too close for comfort. They were currently hiding out in an abandoned attic, Chell was looking out the cracks of the boarded up window. Alyx was relaxing on an old bed. So old it actually had springs poking out of the fabric. Chell spoke with a solemn voice "The world sure has changed… hasn't it?" she said with a sigh getting another look at the massive combine citadel.
Alyx looked over at her and sighed "Yea… but at least you lived in the time before the combine… I was barely a child when the Renaissance Cascade occurred" she said gripping her knees to her chest.
Chell looked over at Alyx "Renaissance what?" Chell asked still feeling like he was completely out of the loop.
Alyx shook her head "Nothing I'll explain everything if we can get back to Black Mesa East" she said moving to a dusty old wardrobe. Opening it she pulled out and old zippered grey sweatshirt, she also managed a pair of old jeans, there were holes at the knees but nothing else looked like it had a chance in hell of fitting Chell. "Here, take these, put them over your… jumpsuit" she said throwing the cloths at Chell, who was looking out the window once again looking confused. As the cloths hit her in the face "What's up?"
Chell looked over at Alyx taking the cloths "Was that tower always yellow?" she asked starting to slip her new sweatshirt on.
When Chell asked the question Alyx looked worried "What?" she rushed over to the window pushing aside Chell who was awkwardly trying to put on her pants over her jumpsuit. "Oh no…. Oh nononono" Chell was still awkwardly pulling her new torn pants.
"Geez what's wrong? What does a yellow whatever that is mean?" she said buttoning the loose jeans on her body
"It means there's an aerial attack coming into City 17" she said starting to reveal the opening for them to escape the attic and back onto the roofs. Chell looked over at her with a much more hopeful spin on the situation.
"Oh so the rebels do have air support, that's some good news…" she said finishing securing the pants to her body with an old rope. Alyx shook her head at Chell's statement
"Not exactly" Alyx said poking her head out of the little opening surveying the situation. Nearly all the copters were heading to the west side of town, conveniently away from them. "There's this guy. He is batshit insane" she said flatly and seriously. He used to be a part of the resistance but now he seems to just travel to all the European cities and causes absolute havoc" she said ducking her head back into the attic.
Chell looked back with a raised brow "Well that's good right? Causes a lot of problems for the combine" she said standing up by this time Chell looked relatively normal, her jumpsuit now just looked like a bright t-shirt.
Alyx shook her head "No you see he attacks everyone and anyone, combine copters, soldiers, civilians, children, it doesn't matter" she said shaking her head recalling the horror… She breathed in deep, "We need to move, on the double" She said jumping up and heaving herself onto the roof of the old house, reaching down for Chell. Who painfully reached up and got out. They both started running across the roofs of City 17. Off in the distance a war was raging in the sky…
On the grass fields outside of City 17 there was the shadow of a circle, belonging to the constantly spinning blades of a massive propeller. Just below the spinning blades there was no normal helicopter body. No there was no metallic body, there was simply a man underneath those blades. The pole connected to the blades seemed to go into a simple pack of some sort. He had two large rectangular things attached to his feet, they seemed to be made of the same material as the Combine bunkers. In his hands there was something that resembled a large steel tube in the front and a large oversized revolver chamber in the back. On his back was a classic MG-42, next to it was a Medieval Scottish Claymore He was wearing a pair of goggles, a normal cotton shirt with a plad sash across it, and a pair of old jeans rounding out the outfit.
Approaching the man was 5 copters in an arrow formation heading toward him. He readied his gun-esc object. He aimed it at the lead copter and fired. Out came a small spherical object, slowly beeping. It hit the wing of the lead copter and stuck there. After a few seconds it exploded causing the entire wing to blow off and nail the second copter on the left. The lead choppers gas tank exploded in a beautiful fiery explosion. The two choppers dropped out of the sky like wingless birds.
The final 3 dispersed so they wouldn't be such easy targets. The man cocked the grenade revolver and took aim at the final chopper on the left. This one hits right on target. It crashes through the window and immediately the chopper starts to look uneasy as the driver is panicking inside. As the grenade explodes it blows out the windows in a combustion of fire and blood.
The man starts flying sideways as did the last two choppers. Their machine guns began to wind up. The man lifted his legs out in front of him using the rectangles on his feet as overlapping shields. He pulled back to keep his legs in the air easier. The bolts started nailing the two shields but the man got away unscathed. He lowered his legs and fired a shot nearly missing both helicopters. To the mans delight it hit the rotor of the copter. After a few seconds it blew off separating the rotating blades from the body. The body dropped but the blades crashed and sliced through the second chopper dropping it out of the sky struggling to stay afloat with its new addition. The man smiled and started flying straight for the massive wall of city 17. He holstered his explosive revolver and took out a classic MG-42. Heading straight for the fearful citizens that waited below. The combine attempted to knock him out of the sky but didn't have a chance in hell. They did not know how to deal with him. All their enemies were on the ground. All but him.
The explosive battle that was miles away was easily audible to Chell and Alyx. They were still far from any station along the underground railroad. Alyx wasn't about to give up, not after all the crap they had been through. She was sure she could make it alone but Chell's injury was slowing her down, more and more.
Alyx looked eastward and saw what had become the terror of Europe, the spinning blades of a copter with a body attached. She could just barley hear the whirling of the gun, confirmed by the showering of bullets that came next. She had to look away, she couldn't stand it. Those poor people.
Chell wasn't focused on the threat that was far off, she was more concerned with more basic essentials with survival. Even with all the crazy crap that had hit her that day, the only thought going through her head was 1234,1234,1234, 1234 jump 234 She was just trying her best to just keep moving which was getting harder and harder to do. All this running can't be good for the wound as if to confirm this she started coughing into her hand, which revealed a splotch of red blood. …Crap… She shook her head and continued moving. Not noticing the beating of the blades growing closer and closer.
The rampage the man was on was horrific, if inefficient. Most had learned to stay in their houses when the combine tower turned yellow. While some braved the outside they were likely swiftly brought down. After a while he retired the old machine gun for a few of the bombs he had brought with him. He took out a long tube, inspired by the rebels that still fought in Ireland. He dropped the package down in the middle of a street, when he was out of range he pressed a small button, the package exploded as hundreds on nails sprang into the nearby houses shattering windows. He was curious if he should leave to get more gas or explosives when he saw something. It appeared to be two little ants scrambling atop the roofs. He smiled and started straight towards them.
Alyx forced herself to look back to where the flying monster was. To her horror he was heading straight for them. She turned to Chell, despite the obvious pain she was in, she was only dragging behind slightly. Alyx went back and grabbed her arm, "Come on we have to hide, Now!" she struggled with Chell heading to an old boarded up attic. Alyx braced her shoulder to bust through. The planks were old and rotted and went through easily. They crashed through both landing hard on the hardwood floor Chell groaned in pain but Alyx was up and looking around she started piling whatever she could in front of the window the whirling of the blades was close and deafening crapcrapcrapcrap the sounds of the blades stopped, replaced by foots steps CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP. She was piling a box when what could only be described as a battle cry came out and the crash as a 6 foot sword came busting through half the boxes she had just stacked, Alyx jumped back and tripped over herself and fell onto the ground. The blade continued to crash through the defensive line of wood. Alyx struggled and took out her new pistol and took aim. He bashed through and Alyx unloaded on the man there was a good amount of dust, clouds dispersing with each bullet. She ran out and looked to searched her belt for a new magazine only to find nothing. Bad moment to run out of ammo. The man walked in holding one of the rectangular shields he wore on his feet. No wounds what so ever. He smiled "Oi lass, bad luck eh" he smiled dropping the shield brandishing the sword walking towards a cowering Alyx.
Chell looked up drearily at the man. Adrenaline, anger, and annoyance surged through her. She stood up looking at the mans strange attire, and his blue tipped hair, he looked older, by at least ten years; but there was no mistaking it "Skye, you stupid crazy bastard!" the man seemed to stop, even startled. He took a step back removing his goggles.
"Ch-Chell?" he said almost unbelievingly, "N-No…. y-y-y-you can't be here, you CANT EXIST HERE!" he started to then mumble to himself nonsensically Chell had no trouble with the reunion.
Chell stood up and walked over, Alyx seemed confused but in control enough to try to stop Chell, if a bit late. Chell stood in front of the imposing man with a sword in hand, her portal gun still holstered to her back. Skye stood there looking at Chell as if she was some kind of apparition. Chell pulled her fist back and slammed it into Skye's Jaw. Chell immediately gripped her side breathing heavily. The man fell back and into a wall, then sliding down it "Oi, Christ Chell what the hell" he looked around him and closed his eyes "God my head!" he said placing his head in his hand. Chell sat down and Alyx looked between the two.
Alyx seemed to need some clarification "Y-… you two know each other?" she asked towards Chell. Chell made no move looking down at her lap. She didn't seem to move. Macalister looked at her as well, worried "Hey... whats wrong?" Chell stayed still both of them rushed over to her. Alyx was nervous around Skye and rightfully so. "What's wrong with her?" he asked rather worried about her "Di-… did I do this" he asked extremely worried
Alyx felt the urge to tell him yes, but that would be lying… besides he was obviously nuttier then a Squirrels food stash. "…No this was a combine bullet in her" he seemed instantly relieved. In the distance she could hear the next wave of copters heading their way. She felt disgusted by what she was about to ask but she knew it was the only way to get her new friend to the safety of Black Mesa East. She was next to the boogie man of the new world. She grabbed the man by the collar "Lisen do still remember how to operate that thing on your back?" she said praying that he didn't hack her to bits. He looked at her confused by a moment.
"What do you…" he looked behind him and saw the pack "Hey cool my Hele-pack I didn't know I built this yet… um yea I should be able to" he said with a nod to Alyx
What's with this guy "Okay I need you to get your shields and get us out of the city, Now!" she said in an almost pleading voice.
Skye looked at her and nodded, he slid the claymore into its sheath, and he scooped Chell into his arms and started towards the window. Alyx fallowed him picking up his shield on the way We need to hurry… for her sake.
20 Minutes Later
This was a bad situation. Worse then the time she was cornered in a house with a hunter. Worse then when the combine had captured her squad and she had to rescue them. She was balancing, 5000 feet in the air with a mad man who she had nightmares of when she was 14. She couldn't believe the hell she was plunged into. Hey maybe she did die when they fell out of that helicopter. It's like her father told her about that book 'Hell is other people'. In any case she was right now the only weapon on their little ship against 3 pursuing helicopters. She looked down at the scenery below; it was the watery road heading to Black Mesa East. They were close now.
Alyx was trying to understand how to work this freaking grenade launcher worked while under fire from the copters. 'Skye' was rather panicked "Come on I couldn't have invented something that hard to operate" she would role her eyes if she didn't believe that it would have been a waste of what could be her short life span. She finally located something that could be pulled back. She had to use both hands to pull it back, the revolver chamber switched and she took aim at the general direction of the copters and pulled the trigger. Out flew some kind of grenade. It nearly fell short but attached to the gun on the front copter. The grenade blew off the gun with ease but failed to take down the copter. Just as well though, it fell back for repairs. This small victory was short lived as the other two choppers had once again reloaded their guns and let loose. Most of the bullets flew harmlessly around them. Even the few that came close none hit Alyx. She once again started to crank the grenade launcher and looked up to Skye "Terrible shots aren't they?" she said with a smile. She looked up at him and to her horror saw his back had two large splotches of red.
He bit his lip through obvious pain. Whatever the hell they made these Aperture Science employees out of it was impressive as hell. He spoke over the rushing air as best he could "Y-yea… but humor me and try to knock them down please" Alyx took the sarcasm and nodded. She took aim and fired. This one hit its mark. The right copter exploded and fell from the sky and into the woods below. Alyx loaded the very last grenade into its slot. Then Skye started to falter making it harder and harder to take aim. Just as she moved to pull the trigger a new wave of bullets came from the last copter. They were to high to hit any of them. They weren't its target any more. They hit Skye's rotor above them, and soon their flight was coming to an abrupt end. Alyx made one last shot at the copter as they dropped below the dam just outside of Black Mesa East. She had the few satisfying moment of watching that copter start to drop out of the sky. Just before the water rushed over her body. She felt the hard bed of sand that was just below the surface. She lived so she was lucky enough. She wasn't concerned with herself anyways. She immediately swam to the surface and took in air. She looked around not seeing either of her new friends. She did a double take and saw something break the surface if only for a moment.
A large busted helicopter blade was poking out. She felt like everything on her body was busted but she didn't car. Alyx pushed through the pain, she swam to the wreck and swam down under the water. Both Chell and Skye was passed out under the water Great. She decided to release the dead weight and went to Skye's pack. She slipped his arms out of the pack and let it float in the water away. She then hoisted him to the surface. She then went back for Chell She saw her floating aimlessly completely at the will of the current. She pulled her up with her to Skye and grabbed both of them by the collars and made her way to the concrete slab of the building that was disguised as a power plant. Made to fool anyone into avoiding Black Mesa East, so wouldn't be discovered. It was done so well that the combine didn't even think to look. She struggled to bring both the bodies out of the water. She wasn't sure how it happened but she got them out. She took a few moments to herself just taking in air before struggling over to the nearest body.
It ended up being Skye, she raised both hands interlocking her fingers. She brought them down on his chest with a strong punch. He reacted immediately and coughed up some water… and blood. But he wasn't choking anymore. She sighed relieved and made her way over to Chell. She was much worse off.
Chell was in real bad shape, Alyx tried to knock the water out of her like Skye but it wasn't enough. "Damnit… come on…" Alyx didn't think to look for a pulse and started CPR. When she started to pump her heart with her hands she looked down at her "Damnit you can't die on me here, that would mean we went through all this crap for nothing" She once again started to try and suck the water out.
After about 5 minutes it seemed pointless. Alyx felt water come to her eyes, and not from the dip she just took "Come on… please… please…" just as she was about to give up water came spewing from her mouth and into her own. She spit it out and looked down feeling the weight of the world lift off her shoulders "Oh thank god your alright" she said taking a breath for herself
Chell was weak but she could stay conscious for the moment "Yea… is Skye alright" she said in a almost whisper. Alyx wasn't actually sure. She hadn't checked on Skye since he had spit up the liquid. She looked over and Chell fallowed suit.
Skye was lying a few feet away looking over at them with a silly in pain numbed grin on his face "Oh… please… don't let me get in the way of your make-out session" Alyx face went into a deep red as would Chell's if she had any idea what where or why that was funny.
Alyx pressed a palm to her face trying to hide the blush. She hadn't so much as kissed anyone before and he was… "Is he always like this?" she asked with evident embarrassment.
Chell simply chuckled "Only when he's conscious" she said before wincing in pain, and moving her hand to her still bandaged wound. Alyx took note of their condition and started pulled them both to the small out cove.
As she dragged them into the small stone and steel room the steel door slid shut letting them sit in darkness. Alyx dragged them both to the stone wall to rest. She had relieved Chell of the drenched and probably inoperable portal gun. She sat, completely exhausted against the adjacent steel door, portal gun in her lap and her new pistol holstered to her belt. After a few minutes a voice came over the intercom "H… Hey! Is someone in there?" Alyx rolled her eyes whoever was supposed to be manning the door was sleeping apparently.
"Yea! We have two injured in here" she said trying to keep her voice up.
"And who the hell are you?" the man said now apparently on his game.
"It's Alyx Vance now open this damn door and get some medics down here!" she said getting pissed.
There was a few moments of silence before the man spoke again "Y… You'll have to do better then that, Alyx was confirmed KIA hours ago"
Alyx didn't know what he was talking about but she didn't care "Now listen asshole you will get me a god damn medical unit here NOW! Or I swear to God I will break through that glass and transfer your blood to them" Alyx regretted the threat after she said it since the guy could just kill them. She knew he had the authority
There was a long silence before the man spoke again "Ya ok, I'm gonna get a extraction team and be back an a couple of minutes ok?" he said obviously leaving not wanting a answer Alyx looked over at Chell and Skye. Skye had once again passed out but Chell was awake.
Chell spoke soft keeping her eyes closed "Thanks…. For everything… Saving me from the combine… getting me through that city… you know. I still don't know your name" she chuckled, regretting it as she winced in pain.
Alyx looked over at her remembering the last 5 hours and she was right. She hadn't even introduced herself. She did just yell it at the guard but she wasn't about to correct someone who could be dying. She shook her head with a smile "Well… let's fix that… My name is Alyx Vance" she said with a small smile.
Chell nodded still a bit out of it, but she listened to her and even smiled it was a nice name. She had been dropped into a world she wasn't positive was really real. She expected at any moment she would wake up in the inner bowls of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center to the taunts of that crazy AI. Hell she even hoped that she would wake up in her little workshop with nut bolt imprints across her face. Still even if this was all some horrible dream… she would miss her new friend… this Alyx. It took all her focus to answer her "Chell Legends"
Chapter 4 End
Holy crap, that has to be the most I wrote in such a short amount of time. Well we are almost done with this volume. Expect a short wrap up chapter for this volume. Please Review.