Doug Rattmann followed the pair of test subjects behind the scenes of the enrichment center as best he could. He had been given a huge scare when Chell had disappeared into Glados' chamber, as it was one of the only places he couldn't access.
When Doug heard the explosions and saw the damage done to the central chamber from the outside, he had been sure that Chell was dead. He made to run out to find her, only to spy a young man escaping from the stasis chambers.
He watched as the boy ran towards the central chamber and came out only a minute later craddling an unconscious Chell in his arms.
She was safe, then.
He listened to their, or more accurately, Wheatley's conversation with her from his hideout. After so many years of isolation, Doug couldn't quite get himself to face other people. Not yet. He listened to their escape solution and followed them to the central chamber again.
That was when she woke up. Glados was still alive after all.
Doug was a coward, plain and simple, so he hid again, following the test subjects' arduous journey through challenging test chambers. Glados goaded Chell constantly, mostly ignoring the Englishman who accompanied her.
He knew exactly what Glados was going to do to them when she was finished, and he also knew that she was just about done with the testing. She had basically said so herself.
"I've got a surprise for you after this last test. Not a fake, tragic surprise like last time. A real surprise, with tragic consequences. And more confetti this time. The good stuff. Our last bag. Part of me's going to miss it, I guess, but at the end of the day it was just taking up space," he listened to Glados talk to her prized test subjects.
You've got to help them, you know that, right?
He glanced at his cube and kept silent, contemplating. It was true after all.
While Glados was busy insulting Chell, Doug lifted the panel he used to peek out, the crack widening and letting in harsh light.
Well, time for nothing.
Wheatley's large ears picked up on a strange sound behind him. Like a clanking noise...
His eyes drifted back toward the wall behind them, noting a large crack appearing.
Chell and Wheatley had both picked up on Glados' dark tone, hinting at the end of their testing experience, and neither wanted to find out what kind of surprise she had awaiting them this time.
Wheatley watched in shock as the panel fell straight out and landed on the floor with a thud!
Without thinking twice, he grabbed Chell's hand and forcefully yanked her toward the new exit.
"This is our chance! Run! RUN!" he encouraged her as she took in the sight of their escape route. It was a little too convenient, wasn't it?
She yanked back out of his grip and shook her head.
He grabbed her again, "We don't have time for this, Chell. Do you trust me?"
She stared at him with wide eyes and he stared into hers pleadingly.
She finally nodded and they ran with everything they had toward their freedom.
"Don't you dare go in there!" Glados yelled indignantly. She sounded genuinely upset, so it had to be the right course of action.
The two ducked into the opening and found a small exit into the areas outside the testing chambers. They ran down the catwalk, their boots pounding on the metal loudly. Wheatley threw his portal gun over the edge into the abyss below, letting go of the extra weight. Chell hugged hers protectively, unwilling to let the device go.
"You know, the irony was you were almost at the last test. Why don't you go ahead and do it?" Glados' voice was echoed throughout the huge area, reverberating off the walls and catwalks. A testing chamber opened up to their left and they veered onto another catwalk leading in the opposite direction.
Wheatley scoffed, "Ha! Did she really think we were gonna fall for that?"
They pounded down the catwalks, breathing heavily, but still going on. They had to get out.
"C'mon, c'mon, luv. Keep going! You can do it!" Wheatley chanted encouragingly. It was sweet of him, but she knew she was more physically fit than him anyway.
A giant wall came hurtling toward them from the side and they jumped down to another catwalk below, the wall striking the metal above them. It rained down and Wheatley yelped in surprise as the catwalk they were on started to bend and fall backward, taking him with it.
Chell yanked on his outstretched arm and pulled him up to safety, then together they jumped to a less dangerous-looking catwalk.
"Oh... oh goodness me. I almost died. Again. This is just too much for little 'ol Wheatley in one day," he panted, placing his hands on his knees to recover.
His eyes lit up in fear as his head shot up, listening intently. "Gunfire... I heard gunfire. She just released some turrets back here." His voice shook. "They must've seen us... gotta be careful."
Chell was glad she had hung onto her portal gun, noting that Wheatley looked regretful at having tossed his.
The two started again back down the catwalk as they listened to Glados calling out for them in the distance.
Suddenly, Chell felt excruciating pain as a bullet ripped through her upper right arm. She gripped it, the surprise shocking her into freezing in place.
Wheatley reacted immediately, grabbing her and pulling her out of the way of the turret's view behind them. He dragged her up the catwalk and into an old employee hallway, then he found a small closet and pulled her in, slamming the door shut. All they could hear was the sound of their uneven, heavy breathing and gunfire coming from outside the hallway.
Chell felt all the fear and pain of the day weigh heavily on her and she slumped against Wheatley in exhaustion. It was pitch black in the closet, making her shiver in fear as her claustrophobia rose up. It must have been a side effect of being stuck in a stasis pod and from the dark crawlspaces in the earlier tests.
Wheatley noted her change in demeanor and immediately tried to figure out a way to cheer her up. She had been so stoic and strong during their testing experience... in fact, she was the only reason he was still alive. He could have never done any of those tests alone, and he knew it.
"Here luv, let me see that arm of yours," he whispered gently. His eyes glowed brighter than normal and his skin started to give off a bio-luminescent blue glow. Chell sat up straighter in surprise and he could see pale light dancing on her facial features.
"Also a side effect of my deviation," he explained with a smile, "I can glow if I want to. It's kinda neat for situations when you get stuck in a very dark small space with somebody, hiding from a homicidal maniac."
She seemed to relax a bit, so he kept talking to her and bandaged her arm up with part of his shirt. After awhile she had stopped shivering and they sat in silence in order to rest.
After much thought Wheatley spoke up again, "Okay, so you and I both know that in order to get out of here, we're going to have to confront Her again."
Chell looked down at the floor, not liking the idea, but was forced to agree.
"So... I have an idea. You with me, partner?" he stretched out his hand again like earlier in the infirmary. She smiled warmly and gripped his hand with her good arm in agreement.
"Okay, so this is what we're going to do..."
Yay! Onto some more exciting stuff. About time, right? :) Also, sorry about the short chapters. Maybe I'll try condensing a few into one, haha.
