"Two materials, when placed close together,
can be attracted or repelled by quantum fluctuations."
Hendrik Casimir
The trio of representatives were flabbergasted. Mouths agape and wondering as the suit finished it's check up. Especially that treasurer from Seminar. Meanwhile. Rin was filled with a certain pride for The President… and sorrow.
It fit him perfectly, like a glove. This "HEV Suit" definitely belongs to him. Rin just wondered if The President's disappearance was planned all along. Like she wanted to disappear, abandoning the GSC, Kivotos,
'And me.'
For something else… or maybe she was forced to disappear?
"H-H-H-HOW DID THE PRESIDENT HAD THAT ALL ALONG?!" Yuuka immediately sprinted to Gordon, her eyes lighting up far beyond anyone could've expected.
"That much utility in that- s-suit! Health monitoring, ammunition management, a-and even a personalized medical system?! H-How?! I don't even think t-that the engineering club could even dream of it. I would kill for tech like that…"
Chinatsu and Hasumi meanwhile didn't comment much. Merely watching the interaction from the sides. Going along for the ride while letting Yuuka to drool all over.
"It's… complicated. I… don't really remember the precise mechanism and inner workings of it. But it works, and it saved my life for many times in the past." Gordon quickly answers.
"Though… maybe I could tinker with it later on… if the missing president have the schematics."
Though he could barely remember proper maintenance. He had done so much moving without rest, and shamefully, maintenance of his HEV suit is something he had overlooked. Even if he had been using it for what felt like forever—Doctor Kleiner knows about the suit better than him.
Gordon let out a shaky breath. Feeling the sudden toll from speaking all that much.
It still… feel strange to speak up after all this time. Every time he opened his lips, he felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest. Thumping and thumping and rethinking his words three times over.
"I think she has it around here." Rin felt the sudden wave of melancholy before shaking it away with professionalism. "But that could be seen later, Miss Hayase, Freeman-sensei. We have other pressing matters to attend."
Rin adjusted her glasses. "And that's not just that… HEV suit, the president had left for you, sensei." Twisting on a key, a panel buzzed open.
No. Way.
"I don't know what this is either but… Oomph!" Rin held the strange device. Shaped like a burning, glowing claw. "Take it. It's… heavy."
Without hesitation.
"What is that?!" Yuuka curiously asked, hounding the liberator from behind.
A tool for everyday work of Black Mesa. A tool for carrying heavy objects and hazardous materials without the use of heavy duty equipment.
"Something we like to call…
TheZero Point Energy Field Manipulator."
Yuuka felt like her world had been turned upside down even as they left the hidden room the missing president had. The Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator — or what sensei calls the gravity gun, it sounds unreal. Absurd even! A weapon- an everyday tool with the ability to manipulate gravity just being used nonchalantly like that?!
Do he have any idea at HOW this could revolutionize science and technology?!
And when she saw at how quick it was… it made her heart flutter at the potential it held. Watching as he raised a car door as a makeshift shield before it was thrown at high speeds towards the delinquents up ahead.
"OW!"
Meanwhile, oblivious of Yuuka's stare, Gordon's heart was beating in mach 5 for other reasons. He was quick enough to pull that girl, Miss Hayase, back from… girls with REAL. LIVE. FIREARMS. THERE GOES HIS THEORY OF IT BEING SOME KIND OF AN AIRSOFT!
If only his reflexes were off by a few milliseconds, that girl will be dead!
The sounds of gunshots rang in his ears. He was lost. He felt like every step he took violence and cruelty was just around the corner.
He had almost let- he had almost saw-
"Freeman-sensei? F-Freeman-sensei!" A sudden grip on his shoulder snapped him back from the panic.
It was Chinatsu who did.
BEEP BEEP.
"WARNING: USER HEART RATE ABNORMALLY INCREASING.
ADMINISTERING BETA ADRENERGIC BLOCKING AGENTS."
The voice of the suit spoke up, and when he felt the chemicals flowing, he… was calming down.
"Y-You're hyperventilating." Her voice was so calm… so heavenly—It was just like a lullaby. A few more seconds… and he finally calmed himself down.
"I'm… alright. Thank you.
"I was just about to offer you some beta blockers but… it seems your, um, HEV suit has it covered."
Gordon nods again before taking a few more deep breaths.
"Miss Hayase, do you know how r-reckless you are?" Gordon raised his voice though not enough for a shout.
"W-What?" Yuuka snaps at attention.
"W- Miss, are you joking?!" Gordon snapped. "I don't know exactly how Kivotos operates, but you're running head into the fire! Do you have a deathwish?!"
For a third time in his life, he was shaking in rage. Not because of HECU, or Breen's terrible excuse to save humanity… but because of this girl who ran straight ahead into what could be said as a firing squad.
Though no matter how angry he felt, he can't raise his voice higher than that.
"W-What?! B-But…!"
"Freeman-sensei." Hasumi raised her hand. "We're going to be fine."
"What on Earth are you-"
"Our halos protect us. Though we can technically still feel… pain from being shot, we're more resilient to it," Hasumi interrupts. "I… don't know if the same could be said about you. I'm sure you're confused, sensei."
"Wait… so you're saying… you can tank all of that?" His voice fell on a whisper before he chuckled to himself. "…Dammit." Laughing at the absurdity of where he was.
"Yes. But there's a limit." Hasumi continued.
"Isn't that's convenient? You girls already looked like angels… I should've expected something like it." Gordon rambled as the girls looked away. Blushing.
But it all faded as soon as it came upon the dark, and exhausted look this man had.
"Nothing made sense anymore. Not after Black Mesa. Not after…"
There was silence.
"Okay."
Then he nods. Gripping the gravity gun, he pressed the muzzle of it into the car they used as a cover… and pushed the alternate trigger.
KABLAM!
A torrent of orange energy shot through the gravity gun, tossing the car and sending it spinning enough to give the element of surprise.
"What the…!?" One of the masked troublemakers shouts, before she was met with a face full of concrete straight into her face.
"Let's go."
-=-=-=-=-=-=(λ)=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hasumi reloaded her rifle before blasting a full charged shot at the helmeted thug. At first she was skeptical about the strange adult, that is until she saw what he hid behind those eyes.
So much pain and experience radiating out like a viscous cloud. She doesn't know what exactly he experienced, but whatever it is, it made him so… brutal and resourceful.
Using the gravity gun, like a true tool that he had spoken of.
Dashing from side-to-side while sprinting like a madman and tossing whatever debris and objects scattering the roads like a miniature cannon directly to the gangers. Even with their halo and much resilience as they had… it gotta hurt to have an iron barrel thrown at you, and even having the creativity to steal the thugs' own arsenal right from their arms for him to use when he is near, before tossing them when the bullets ran out.
Even once catching a grenade before tossing it back with a force of a rocket. But... he still love to lob those heavy duty things right into the thugs faces. Chinatsu, being the medic she was, winced at how hard and fast the objects that were thrown. She could only hope that they at least won't have a concussion.
"…That look that'll leave a mark…" Chinatsu whispers before running behind the rest of the crew.
"Sensei…! What did I tell you?! Don't steal- hey!" Yuuka shouts as once more a group of thugs catch wind of their presence.
BEEP BEEP.
"Ammunition depleted."
Gordon tossed away the empty rifle before moving on to the next target and the next after. At first, Gordon was afraid. Guilty. Horrified at what he had to do. To fire at these kids, and hitting them like they're nothing more but obstacles. A part of him screamed and shouted to rack up that brain to find a new solution,
But they're in a rush. Or at least that is what Miss Nanagami had spoken in her voice.
And eventually, like before, the Freeman that was once a scientist from Black Mesa was gone. What remains is a brutal and efficient weapon of sheer focus and willpower.
He had grown silent. Mute even as they watch him do his work. Their words died in his ears with each thug he shot, struck, and knocked out, along with him giving his orders here and there by the wave of his hand or by the point of his fingers.
The fact that he's still striking and hitting students, even if they're thugs left the confines of his state of the mind. Reaching into the moment of pure unadulterated focus at the objective right at the moment. He didn't even react when Yuuka used her shield. Expecting him to at least have a reaction out of it… but it did not. It really did disappointed the treasurer.
In this chaos, Chinatsu and Hasumi might can't say their words out because of the nature of their assault. Moving without a break.
Moving and moving until they reach their destination.
But their looks of understanding at each other don't need words.
They're worried. Extremely worried about Gordon's mental wellbeing.
Yuuka roars forward with Gordon behind her, planning to charge again until he was stopped by a voice calling out to him.
"Y-You…! That hurt!" One of them spoke up, teary-eyed and head throbbing from being struck by a dumbbell they had looted as she reached for her pink colored gun.
To only for it to be snatched away by him.
"7.62mm, General-purpose
machine gun acquired."
"Eek!" She tried to crawl away, only to face the gun barrel of her own rifle. "No, no, please!"
Click-
"Sensei!" Chinatsu shouts. "She's defeated, sensei. T-That's enough."
Finally… The One Free Man snapped out of his trance. This…
No… this is…
Just like the HECU, Black Ops, and… the Combine. He's doing the same. Dropping the firearm, Gordon immediately took a few steps back.
He's not much different from them. He felt like he was going to vomit-
"Uu… uwa…"
"…I'm sorry. Shit… I'm so sorry." Gordon knelt down and offered his hand. Startling the thug. Her twin pink tails dancing from side to side as she rubbed her tear-filled eyes. The girl raised her eyes to met his, watching the sincerity painted deep in emerald eyes.
She was going to reach out for his hand-
"Phew. Sensei, I just cleared- wait." Yuuka heaved before she stopped.
"!"
The downed thug stopped to breathe.
"K-KOYUKI?!"
-=-=-=-=-=-=(λ)=-=-=-=-=-=-
Koyuki thought she had the best day ever from the most boring day, like always. One moment she was playing with some origami and the next the power failure came and the door opened by itself.
And she wasn't one to squander any opportunities…
"Nihahaha!"
So she left Millennium into the… awful chaotic state the DU is currently in.
She dodged, weaved, hacked, and sneaked her way around. Then she somehow ended up disguising as one of the gangsters. O-Of course, she never intended for trouble but… when she heard of a mysterious abandoned building built by the GSC President… SHE MUST SEE IT FOR HERSELF!
She had just never expected to almost… wet herself, into indeed wetting herself from fear.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yuuka-s-senpai." The mischievous gremlin greets. "F-F-Fancy meeting you here…?"
Yuuka gave her a smile. A smile that could even make the devil cry.
"E-Eekk!" She tried to scurry away, but considering her throbbing headache and temporary shock from the adult, there was no chance of her leaving the sight of an enraged seminar member.
"You know her Miss Hayase?" Gordon asks.
"It's… one of the Seminar members. Notorious of being a troublemaker that had a hobby to hack into our systems for petty reasons."
"W-What?! Petty?! You..!"
Yuuka sent her a death glare that shuts her mouth tightly.
"Troublemaker or not, she's still your um… colleague, right?" Chinatsu asks.
"Yeah… I suppose."
"Then a quick checkup is in order." Chinatsu closes in.
"W-Wah?! I don't need a…!" She protested.
"…Miss, you just got hit by barbel directly into your head, with the speed of a speeding car." Gordon spoke up. "I'm… sorry."
Koyuki rubbed her head. "Nihaha… I'm just surprised and you seem s-scary, but no hard feelings!" The gremlin's energy came back. "The demon Yuuka had hit me harder with her 100kg- "
"HMM?"
"Aaaa- NOTHING! NOTHING!"
"Hmph. Go ahead, Miss Hinomiya." Yuuka folded her arms.
"It'll be just a moment."
"Wait! But I never- YEOUCH!"
"It's only some mild bruising, thankfully." Chinatsu huffs. "Hold still."
"OW! OWOWOW!" Koyuki trashed around before Yuuka's death grip came into her arms. "You heard what she said."
"E-EEEK!"
-=-=-=-=-=-=(λ)=-=-=-=-=-=-
Gordon can't comment much on their new party member, or forced party member, thanks to being dragged by the arm by Yuuka herself.
"While you're here…! You will either wait to be dragged back to the detention room or help us!"
"Wa? But…"
"Fine! I'll negotiate a cut detention time by half for good behavior."
Of course, her expression would light up. From sobbing and resisting into an energetic rush. "!"
"Miss Hayase, are you sure it's okay to bring her with us?" Hasumi asks.
"It's better this way so I could keep an eye on her."
"Hm… well, I trust your judgement."
Yuuka gave Hasumi a grin before glancing back at the One Free Man who is being checked up by Chinatsu as well. Apparently, her personal concoction of stimulants and healing agents almost closely mirrors the suit's medical… um, liquid and Chinatsu is busy pouring some of it down into a small opening on the chest area.
"Say, sensei. There's something I really meant to ask," Yuuka spoke up.
Gordon raised his eyebrow before nodding.
"Can your… um, 'gravity gun' be used to lift people up?"
"Yes and no. It can't manipulate organic matter except for wood. But… it does not bend for this- limitation if it was supercharged." Gordon answers.
"Supercharged?"
He shook his head. "It's something… I came up, barely understand, and doubt we'll see in the future. Unless you have a field of focused dark energy somewhere."
"With. WHAT."
-=-=-=-=-=-=(λ)=-=-=-=-=-=-
Gordon is utterly thankful for Yuuka's sudden nerd out for Black Mesa's technology. Being genuinely interested in his words and tidbits of his past as a researcher, even if she had minimal knowledge in the convoluted world that is theoretical physics.
"A hand held particle cannon?!"
He genuinely laughed at her extreme interest in technological exploits his past employers had done. He is baffled. Baffled at no matter simple or complex, she shown genuine interest with many of his personal and peers research in any kinds of topic. She shouldn't be surprised or impressed considering she developed something that is astronomical like the "Q.E.D Shield" hidden as a simple button on her calculator.
A Calculator! Hah! Doctor Magnusson would find this hilarious yet so endearing! He wonders how advanced technology is in this place, even if whatever Black Mesa had made back then are said to be "state-of-the art." How had he missed this- oh. Right.
Gordon's thoughts went back in the present instead of thinking about the old days before… before shit hits the fan. Even with urgency, it slowly trickled at how much he missed talking about his field and sometimes other topics with other scientists or just… anyone.
To live as Doctor Gordon Freeman.
It terrified him at what he had become. Not as a monster… yet, but how he had grown desensitized at the lives he had taken and the blood that had stained his hand.
Even if the students could negate and absorb the bullets, he had… he had no reason to almost "finish off" that girl, Kurosaki Koyuki.
…But that is something he had to accept. How the lines that separate him, as Doctor Gordon Freeman, from Black Mesa and the "Gordon Freeman." The Anticitizen One and The One Free Man.
"Sensei! Are you listening?" Yuuka snaps her fingers.
"Ah- oh. Sorry."
"Hm… fine. I'll give you a pass. So, as I was saying, after all of this, you should… um- I mean, I want you to… really visit Millennium. I would really bet everyone is going to be mind blown at what you have."
"You… wanted me to teach?"
"Obviously! You're a teacher, right? You know what? I should organize a seminar after this."
It really passed through his mind. He knows the title "Sensei" is given by people that had mastered in their field and him being in theoretical physics…
It doesn't really sound too absurd. And could be a pleasant change of pace for his mental wellbeing. This is a golden opportunity.
Unless he is getting played by that government goon.
"You know, sensei, Trinity could benefit too from any of your lessons if the time should come." Hasumi added.
"W-Well… I don't know about Gehenna, but maybe the Head Prefect would love to hear about your ideas." Chinatsu followed.
"G-Gladly!" Gordon finally lit up. But before that, oh, he had to polish some of his knowledge!
"Uwa… so you really are a teacher." Koyuki sighs and leaned back on the wall she sat next to.
"Sensei, please give Koyuki the first seat to your lessons in time." Yuuka gave gremlin a deadpanned expression.
"U-UWAH?! BUT I DON'T EVEN LIKE-"
"Or you can stay in the detention chamber longer." Yuuka followed with a shit eating grin. Knowing full well, she had all the power against the gremlin.
BEEP BEEP
"Incoming Call From:
Nanagami Rin."
On his left arm, a button lit up in green and red. Probably accept and decline.
Shit, he didn't notice it before. What changes does the president made for the Mark 6?
"I'm here."
"Freeman-sensei. There's been a- development in the building you're heading into, and I'm in the process of sending in any help I can."
"Miss Nanagami?"
"…Sensei, one of the seven prisoners in Kivotos had arrived in SCHALE.
Do not engage with the Fox of Calamity."
Author's note:
Hey, welcome to chapter 3!
What, you thought you're getting the crowbar as a starting weapon?! Hah! We're heading straight into the action, crowbar or not.
Also, The Millennium gremlin is here, just because she's silly.
Next up, I'm in the process of making the cover art for this, but I wanted to release this chapter soon enough. Look forward to it in the future!
Tell me what you think in the comments, and like always, if there is grammatical errors and hiccups be sure to hit me up.
See you on the next chapter~