Chapter XVII: Condemned

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He awoke instantly, the dull thunk of activating lights barely audible within his sealed tank. The clear glass covering offered no protection from the soft blue glow now illuminating the chamber and the tank's occupant would've squinted were it not for the full cover helmet he was wearing- the visual filters for the red lenses having darkened to compensate. He ignored the brief audio warning regarding an interrupted regeneration cycle, his focus drawn, instead, to the transmitted message scrolling across his helmet's Heads Up Display.

Priority Targets detected within module 01, zone 04, section 095

Identification confirmed: Anticitizen One and Vance Subprime

Primary Tasking: Termination of Anticitizen One

Secondary Tasking: Evacuate City Seventeen

Further instructions to be uploaded at rally point Black One

Addendum: Resource allocation granted

A soft hiss sounded as the tank's glass covering lifted, allowing the armoured occupant to step out. A white helmet swerved to the side, red lenses focusing on the other tanks in the chamber. He briefly remembered that there had once been others like himself, now they were all gone. He was A-062, the last of the Combine Operatives.

Irrelevant.

Judging the assorted memories playing through his fragmented mind to be superfluous, the thought was pushed forward by his cybernetics, carrying with it a compulsion to expediently carry out his task. It was an internal order he obeyed instantly, taking only a moment to peruse his gear.

A USP Match was still holstered around his right thigh, his sniper rifle was magnetically clamped to the back of his armour, a shock blade was holstered horizontally across his lower back, and a backup combat knife was strapped near his boot. Internal diagnostics confirmed that his armour was in perfect condition and functioning at optimal capacity.

Responding to his thoughts on the locations of active Citadel units, a small list appeared on his HUD, highlighting the squads stationed near his targets. Sixty-Two immediately set about to monitoring friendly COM chatter while he left the regeneration chamber behind and moved to the last known location of Anticitizen One.

Tracking their progress was easy. With all the Combine squads engaging the targets on sight, it left a trail of locations for him to trace and it didn't take long for the Operative to realize that the targets were headed to the reactor.

"Hollow Team, reinforce protection squads in sector blue. Priorities are inbound, prepare for heavy resistance."

The squad leader's acknowledgement was near instantaneous. "Transmission confirmed, Hollow dispersing to sector blue."

He watched, through live uplink in reactor control, as the few elites tasked with protection fell before Anticitizen One's relentless onslaught. By the time his target moved into the reactor chamber, he was already there, watching in the shadows as the Overwatch squads fell before the man time and time again. A-062 made no move to assist, only observe. He took note of the target's tactics, the blinding charges that should have killed him, and would have- were it not for the target's armour. Whether the rounds were mere glancing blows or dead-on shots made little difference; all were absorbed by the high impact plating.

The man's strange weapon was the only thing preventing him from being overrun. A single discharge from it could send three or more soldiers flying back with bone crushing force. Generator rooms were cleared with alarming speed, most of the defending squads were wiped out in the time it took to fire off five consecutive bursts.

The Operative was less surprised at Overwatch's loss as he was at how quickly they had all fallen. He sent instructions ahead for all remaining forces to set-up an ambush at the last site, dispatching man-hacks toward his target to buy them time. He was so caught up in directing preparations from his position on a walkway at the last generator that he almost missed the target's entrance. A-062 swiftly darted back into the shadows, sending the signal for the ambush moments later.

Anticitizen One took more than a few hits, but they weren't enough to even slow him down. The Operative patched in the live camera feed from the ambush team, watching through their own eyes as their target took cover, waiting for the fire teams to move closer. When he finally went on the offensive, the soldiers were too close to avoid the energy blasts that sent them soaring to their deaths.

If it weren't for his cybernetics, A-062 reflected that he would've stared dumbstruck at the carnage Antictizen One left in his wake. He'd had difficulty believing that the reports and Overwatch transmission on his target's actions over the last two day period hadn't been exaggerated.

I shouldn't be surprised, the thought brought a clamoring of rage burning in its wake. Its hardly the first time he's slain my brethren.

The feeling only strengthened at the thought of lining up his own comrades for the slaughter. But then it was extinguished just as quickly as it had started to burn, forcibly squelched by his cybernetics.

Collecting data.

The thought struck him blankly, as if in response to his internal struggle. Even what was left of his original mind agreed with the need to study a target before engaging- though that same part of him would've balked at the employed methodology. He latched onto the emotionless side, putting his anger aside. It was the only emotion he could still feel, but it wasn't one he was willing to give into.

Not yet.

The Operative lost track of his target when the alarm klaxons started blaring, the search and destroy squads sent after his mark more of a hindrance than a help. His superiors had issued the orders, though, and even his allocator status didn't allow him to overrule it. The two Resistance members escaped down an elevator, but new orders given out minutes later, put an end to his pursuit.

Update: Anticitizen One has escaped, proceed to pod two-one-six for transport to City Seventeen

Objective Update: Primary: Terminate Anticitzen One

Secondary: Capture Vance Subprime

Tertiary: Evacuate City Seventeen

Taking the new orders in stride, A-062 moved to a loading bay and boarded the designated transport, a space he shared with an Overwatch squad. The pod was quickly scooped up by a dropship, and carried off to City Seventeen.

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"Down!"

Alyx obeyed instantly, crouching as low as she was able. A blast of buckshot and a sharp shriek drew her attention to the antlion that would have skewered her mid-flight had she not moved as quickly as she had. Two more blasts of buckshot and two more of the oversized insects met the same end as the first. Thirty seconds passed in absolute silence, Gordon's attention focused on something she couldn't see in the darkened underground tunnel.

His grip on his SPAS-12 relaxed soon after, the narrow beam of light emitted from his HEV suit briefly blinding her once he turned toward her. Alyx instinctively brought her hands up to shield her face, though Gordon was quick to direct the built-in flashlight to a spot on the ground beside her.

"Alright?"

Shakily nodding as she rose to her feet, Alyx determinedly pushed away the thought of such a close call. "What were you staring at anyway?"

In answer, Gordon directed his flashlight back at a section of the tunnel behind them and Alyx moved around the concrete support pillar blocking her view. A large gaping hole occupied an area of otherwise of sturdy concrete, erected mounds of Earth making it clear how the antlions had been able to surprise them.

"Burrows," Alyx whispered to herself. She had assumed their attackers had simply been a scattered group of antlions, but Gordon's finding made it obvious the two of them would have to contend with more than the odd cluster of zombies in the underground tunnels. "I guess the Combine defence field must have shutdown. Makes sense, if it was powered by the Citadel."

Gordon nodded in agreement, pausing long enough to reload his shotgun and then setting off down the tunnel, taking point again. He constantly swept his flashlight from side to side, paying particular attention to various abandoned vehicles scattered throughout the area. The two of them stayed in the centre for the most part, keeping a slow pace as they tried to minimize the sound of their echoing footsteps. But the state of the tunnel's disrepair forced the two to deviate on numerous occasions, leaving them to encounter more than a few zombies.

Blunt trauma was the preferred cause of death for the abominations, improvised projectiles were hurled from the Gravity Gun at such speeds that most of the headcrabs were simply blasted off their hosts. Alyx sent out a few bursts into the stragglers, only firing off three round bursts at a time, keenly aware that ammo conservation was particularly important now. Brief as they were, however, the gunshots seemed to attract all the other zombies in the immediate area and it wasn't long before the sounds of shuffling feet and haunting moans seemed to emit from all around them. Gordon constantly swept his flashlight back and forth, trying to keep every section illuminated while they continued a slow advance. It wasn't possible to keep a constant three hundred sixty degree watch though, and there more than a few close calls.

"Watch out!"

The warning came too late for Gordon to react, a zombie's swinging arms hitting his left side with enough force to send him colliding head first into a support column. He was left dazed by the impact, only barely aware of collapsing to the ground.

The sudden absence of light in the tunnel was a shock, but one Alyx forced herself to ignore. She fired at the last location of Gordon's attacker and was rewarded with surprised shrieks, the muzzle flashes illuminating the area enough for her to see the discharging bursts impacting into the headcrab. The projectiles tore through the small alien, sending out splatters of yellow flesh and gore. The steady shuffle of feet, moans, and growls signalled the approach of the rest of the group, but the reverberation made it impossible to pin down the source and she suddenly felt as blind as she was in the pitch black passage.

Gordon could barely focus, his head was swimming, his perception so skewed it brought on an extreme case of vertigo.

"I need some light Gordon."

Alyx. Suddenly realizing why everything was so dark, he fumbled for his flashlight control. The narrow beam of light snapped back on, offering only a small radius of illumination. Recognizing it was not enough to help, Gordon forced himself up into a sitting position, all the while trying to regain his sense of direction. In his wild struggle he caught sight of a form that bore no resemblance to Alyx.

"On your right!"

She instantly spun in the given direction, firing off a single shot to illuminate the area. Two quick bursts followed, only a brief shriek emitting from the struck target before it collapsed. A sharp growl sounded from behind her and Alyx instinctively ducked, the sweeping claws of a zombie creating a whoosh of air as they passed where her head had been only moments before. She immediately snapped her pistol behind her, blind firing a quick burst before spinning around to face the aggressor. Only a single round hit its mark, but it was enough to send the creature staggering back, giving Alyx the time she needed to finish it off with a burst to the headcrab parasite.

A sharp groan sounded from behind her and she immediately spun around to find Gordon struggling to rise. She took a step forward to try and help, but he had already anticipated it and only waved her away. Alyx couldn't be sure in the low light but she could've sworn she saw a gash on his forehead.

"Gordon-"

It was all she could get out before a sharp shriek resounded through the tunnel, a deafening boom and a splatter of yellow gore quickly followed with Gordon calmly stepping over a now dead headcrab, absently pumping his shotgun and pressing on. Trying not to think of how close Gordon had been to becoming a zombie, Alyx nevertheless felt her eyes linger on the dead Xen creature. She moved to follow her companion a moment later, forcibly ignoring the odd tightness in her chest.

With the zombies in the immediate area eliminated, the Resistance duo risked moving at a faster pace. Their efforts were rewarded with the sight of a dull blue glow emanating from another wreck of a Combine train. Unlike the Stalker car, which had crashed close to the tracks, this one had managed to gain enough speed during its derailment to bisect the tunnel at a parallel angle. Piles of cement rubble surrounded the train on both sides, exposing the tunnel's steel framework underneath, the metal now twisted and bent from the force of the impact.

A single hatchway was left exposed, the piles of zombie corpses littered around it made it clear that Alyx and Gordon weren't the first to find it. What was left of the Combine favoured blue lighting illuminated the interior, showing rows of familiar black canisters stacked along the far end. Several of them had been thrown clear from the storage racks in the crash, and now lay broken in the centre. A cluster of dead headcrabs weren't too far away, all of them piled near a fallen combine soldier. Gordon raised an eyebrow at the sight of the dead trans-human, unable to tear his eyes away from the headcrab firmly attached to the soldier's face.

"What the hell is that?" Alyx questioned once she followed her companion's gaze.

She bent down to examine the soldier, surprised to see it already bore the changes of zombie conversion. Every centimetre of the white bodysuit underneath the heavy plating was caked with blood The armour around its arms was torn, the gauntlets shredded to accommodate razor sharp clawed hands.

"A Combine zombie," Alyx said in wonder as she moved back to her feet. "That's...That's like a..." She trailed off for a moment, turning to face Gordon with a wide grin as if she were about to impart a great wisdom. "A zombine, right?" She gave a small laugh at her own quip, only for her smile to lessen once she realized her companion was only staring at her blankly. "Zombine, get it? Heh, heh..." Alyx trailed off again when Gordon only blinked in response.

"O-kay." She spoke while she ducked her head in embarrassment, absently tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her hairband.

A muffled groan sounded close by, the sound so similar to a zombie that Gordon's gaze snapped to the only likely culprit. The blast of buckshot was like a thunderous crash inside the train wreck, the projectiles ripping the targeted headcrab into pieces. It didn't put a stop to the zombie cries, however, sending Gordon's eyes searching.

"Its got a grenade!"

Gordon immediately turned to see Alyx quickly backing away from the glass panel separating the storage compartment from the rest of train. Barely perceptible through the blood smeared surface was the outline of another zombine and the blinking red dot of a live grenade. The intervals between the blinking light were dangerously low and Gordon knew there was no way either of them would make it out of the train in time. He reached out to grab Alyx's arm, pulled her so that her back was against his chest, then spun around and crouched so that his back was facing the panel.

The explosion shook the train barely a second later, blanketing the interior in shrapnel. Gordon took the full brunt of it against his HEV suit, only a slight grimace escaping him as a few pieces of glass singed the back of his neck.

Another explosion sounded and Gordon instinctively tensed, bracing himself for incoming shrapnel. More explosions followed, a series of detonations echoing with thunderous force, as though entire crates of grenades had exploded.

"Contact in section alpha two-five. All units, close in! Neutralize tango!"

Combine soldiers?

Gordon stepped away from Alyx and darted out of the storage compartment to the other side of the train. The zombine's grenade had blown a second hatch open, exposing a way to continue back into the tunnel. Gordon hastily peered through, expecting to see a squad of trans-humans bearing down on them. But there was nothing but darkness.

The unmistakable sound of gunfire reached his ears, the distinct echo, again, giving the impression that Combine soldiers were not only nearby, but firing at him. There were no muzzle flashes though, not even any indication of projectile impacts.

"Zero to Two-One lock down the site! Lock it down!"

That doesn't sound like Combine radio chatter. Its more like...

"That's a negative zero, negative! We are in the zone, in pursuit of tango. Say again, One-Four is in the zone!"

HECU.

The thought sent a glimmer of fear squirming through Gordon when he realized he was losing his grip on reality.

Go. Away. He thought to himself desperately, unconsciously closing his eyes in a futile attempt to shut everything out.

It didn't help, if anything the sounds were getting louder. Fear gave way to frustration, bringing an inferno of rage Gordon hastily used to try to squelch the memory, frantically trying to ground himself in the present. With his fury blazing as much as it was, he didn't have to wait long for the echoes to diminish in intensity- gradually fading until everything was silent once again.

"Gordon?"

His gaze flicked to Alyx, his expression showing none of the apprehension he could feel mounting inside. Had he done something he wasn't aware of? How long had he been standing by the hatch staring out into the tunnel?

"Thanks for the…the save back there."

He waited, expecting her to say more, but she didn't. Mentally sighing in relief, he inclined his head, his version of a 'your welcome.' His eyes shifted back to the tunnel at that, this time with his flashlight on to illuminate the area. Had Gordon looked back at Alyx he would've seen the deep frown on her face as she followed him out of the train.

A groan sounded only moments after the two had taken more than a few steps, additional moans and garbled radio noises signalling the approach of Alyx's coined zombines. Gordon blasted through the abominations, firing shotgun shells and improvised projectiles into the horde. The body armour the former trans-humans wore was still intact, making them resistant to death by any means other than a direct headshot to their parasitic puppeteers.

With Alyx staying close, the two managed to achieve a fast, steady pace. They soon banked away from the tunnel, moving into an adjoining passage that took them to a three level car park. At a cursory glance, the top level appeared to have completely collapsed, with only the barest skeletal remain of its concrete framework still intact. The second level fared little better, the collapsing sections from the floor above having left large, gaping holes throughout the centre- where the structural stress had simply become too great.

The ground floor was what captured Gordon's attention. A pitched engagement between antlions and zombies had broken out, a clash sparked by the antlions burrowing into territory controlled by the undead. Zombies stumbled forward to meet the invaders, sharpened claws ripping through exoskeletons and flesh in a single swipe, leaving scores of dead in their wake. The Antlions countered with small bursts of flight, soaring over the heads of their enemies and attacking from above. Needle sharp teeth sank into headcrabs, eliminating the parasites in a single, powerful bite and leaving the host bodies to crumple to the ground.

Despite the zombie's ferocious attacks, the tide turned in favour of the blind insects as they poured out of their burrows in greater and greater numbers. Gordon was aware that their window of opportunity was coming closer to closing with every zombie that fell. He motioned for Alyx to move and they both took off sprinting.

The two skirted around the skirmish and headed for the partially collapsed section of concrete that acted as a ramp between the first and second level. Their caution proved pointless. Antlion numbers increased to the point where the zombies last remaining defenders were easily overwhelmed, and the victors turned their attention to the two unwelcome guests. Gordon and Alyx barely managed to scramble up the ramp before they started getting swarmed.

Strikes came from above and on the ground. It was an instinctual, collective attack strategy the creatures had developed over hundreds of years. It had been enough to deal with the zombies, but Gordon and Alyx weren't limited to just melee combat. Answering gunfire cut the charge short, sending those on the ground barrelling back into their kin while those in the air simply plummeted into the ranks below. The formation's disruption, combined with the sudden overpowering release of pheremones from dying antlions created a sense of panic that threatened to tear the formation apart.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Alyx and Gordon retreated to a new location. They moved along what was left of the second level, running along a combination of still intact flooring and metal support beams. The two managed to cover a short distance of three metres before the antlions were back in pursuit. The frenzying insects lost all semblance of their hive mentality, attacking in a free-for-all manner that made them far easier to deal with.

For every one that was eliminated, another two emerged from the burrows below to take its place. There was no way for the Resistance duo to leave the car park before they were swarmed, so Gordon abandoned his retreat. There were too many for him to risk turning back so he took the only option left, he jumped. He landed with a thud, the HEV suit easily absorbing the impact from the ten metre fall.

Antlions swarmed toward Gordon, the majority abandoning thier pursuit of Alyx. He ignored them in his mad dash, pausing only to fire at those that attempted aerial assaults. He moved to where the zombies had fallen, immediately searching the TAC-vests of the zombines. He looted two grenades from their respective pouches and immediately primed and tossed them into two of the three burrows.

The tunnels collapsed from the explosive ordnance, giving Gordon enough respite to deal with his pursuers. When the last insect to his front fell, Gordon secured another grenade from the fallen zombine's TAC-vest, pulled the pin, and almost casually tossed it down into the last burrow. The explosion shook the tunnel, which lasted for barely a microsecond more before caving in. The faint cries of Antlions sounded as the chasm collapsed, taking with it those unlucky enough to be inside.

Gordon remained alert, listening for the rumble of burrowing antlions for several more seconds, then relaxing when nothing happened. He regrouped with Alyx on the third floor, briefly raising an eyebrow at the sharp glare he was greeted with before shrugging it off and pressing on.

After leaving the car park, and fighting their way through a zombie controlled passage, the two moved into, what could best be described as a maintenance area. Inactive generators were lined along the left wall, nearby displays designed to show electrical output had long since stood frozen at zero.

Even in the dark, Gordon could've sworn he saw Alyx's eyes light up at the sight of the old service lift. "I don't believe it, an actual elevator! I would've settled for stairs."

She stepped forward to key for the ascent button on the elevator's keypad, only for Gordon to lunge forward and pull her hand away. She opened her mouth to protest but Gordon hastily put a finger to his lips, pointed to the elevator, and then gestured to the area at large.

She looked confused for only a moment before she caught on and nodded. "Got any ideas then?"

In answer, Gordon scooped up one of the discarded flares littering the area and promptly set it ablaze. The red glow was a welcome reprieve from the dark passage, illuminating at least a dozen metres worth of space around it. Placing it roughly fifteen metres away from them, Gordon repeated the process until there were six more of the incendiaries completely encircling both he and Alyx.

"Ready?"

Alyx almost started at the question, having been about to ask the same thing. She quickly steeled her nerves, pulled out her pistol, and flipped off the safety. "Ready to get the hell out of here."

Gordon called for the elevator and the effect was immediate. The lift's long dormant power snapped back on, the power source sounding like the warm up of an old turbine engine. The howls of headcrab hosts sounded immediately after, the terrifying noise made all the worse by the confined space in the tunnel.

The first zombies shuffled into view mere moments later, their thin numbers initially requiring only a volley of buckshot and dual bursts of 9mm rounds. The ranks of undead quickly swelled, seemingly spurred on by the ear-shattering booms of gun-fire.

"More behind us!" Alyx shouted as more abominations closed in on them.

Gordon sent out a few volleys of fire to assist her, but quickly realized that it wouldn't do to maintain a 360 degree firing arc. "Back to back!"

One hundred eighty degrees, Gordon thought as he stood with his companion, much more manageable.

Zombines sprinted ahead of their slowly shuffling comrades, taking on a self appointed shock troop role. Although few in number, their suicidal charges were meant to draw fire away from the others. Dispatching them became a priority, leading to a gradually increasing number of zombies. It wasn't long before it seemed like every headcrab controlled biped in the tunnels had descended upon the two survivors.

The veteran had to force himself not to check on Alyx. Theirs was a formation built on trust; it was effective so long as both parties kept strictly to their own defences. The moment one left their area unattended, for any reason, and they would be overrun. It seemed like forever since Gordon felt he could trust anybody but, as the battle raged on, he found himself wanting to glance back less and less.

He pumped the shotgun, barely registering the ejection of the spent shell as he immediately fired off another. He had long since given up on aiming; with the flood of zombies pouring forward, there was no way any of the discharging buckshot could miss. Struck zombies were either killed or wounded. Each resulted in a drastically slower pace, the undead stumbling over the fallen, unwillingly forging a barrier between themselves and their targets.

"I need some help here Gordon!" Alyx yelled to be heard over the constant crack of pistol fire and the frenzied shrieks of zombie aggressors.

The MIT graduate paused long enough to send another zombie flying back, "Switch!"

Both combatants whirled around 180 degrees in near simultaneous movement, weapons discharging the moment they had targets in their sights. Alyx worked on keeping the slower zombies at bay while Gordon focused his fire on the zombines that had been plaguing his companion. The former trans-humans were a lot closer than he had thought; he barely managed to squeeze of another shell of double-o buckshot. The struck zombine was blown back, but a second sprinted toward Gordon as fast as it was able, ramming into its target with concussive force.

Barrelling back from the blow, Gordon slammed onto the ground, coming dangerously close to a pair of swiping claws. Blind firing with the SPAS-12 rewarded him with a sharp shriek before he turned his attention to his original attacker. Another discharging shell was fired but, with Gordon's awkward prone position, his aim was less than perfect. The zombine merely stumbled from the impact, only trace amounts of buckshot managing to bypass its heavy armour.

It responded to the attack with a growl, whipping out a live grenade and getting ready for its final rush. Gordon automatically moved to grab the Gravity Gun, only to stop once he realized there wasn't enough time to bring it to bear. With only one option left, Gordon levelled his shotgun at the twice over abomination and fired both barrels. The explosive kickback and noise combined were enough to make him wince, but it was worth watching the zombine fly backward, the grenade soaring out of its grip and landing in the middle of the assembled horde.

The detonation occurred a mere two seconds later, ripping scores of zombies apart and shredding even more with shrapnel, creating a break in the previously tight knit circle. Gordon stormed into the middle of it, barking for Alyx to fall back while hails of shotgun blasts forced the gap to widen.

A metallic clang, barely audible over the vicious skirmish, signalled the arrival of the service lift. Alyx was the first to notice and she immediately started shouting for Gordon to move. He demonstrated his acknowledgement by turning around to follow her, blasting the zombies that came too close or striking headcrabs with the butt of his weapon.

A growl sounded behind and Gordon spun to meet the new attacker. The zombie's claws swiped the shotgun out of his hands before he could even bring it to bear. With nothing left other than the Gravity Gun and the half- empty magazine in his USP, there was no hope of stalling the horde any longer. He abandoned his attack and sprinted after Alyx, the undead in hot pursuit.

"Come on Gordon!" Alyx urged from ahead, already next to the elevator, firing indiscriminately into the approaching zombies.

"AHRGNNN!"

The terrifying shriek sounded from within the horde and Gordon risked glancing back. A fast zombie darted through the ranks of undead, running on all four limbs. The remainder parted for it to pass. Gordon willed himself to move faster, coaxing as much power as he could from both his suit and his weary muscles. Alyx moved inside the lift moment he was close, her finger hovering next to the ascension button.

A sharp shriek sounded from behind, just moments before Gordon felt a white hot pain lancing through his back. For a couple of seconds, he felt like he was free floating, only to slam against a metallic surface a split second after.

"Gordon!"

A sharp thud and a trio of rounds rang out. A fast zombie's loud wail quickly shifted to a growl, only for another burst of gunfire to sound off. Everything was suddenly quieter, only the distant hum of working machinery and the distant cries of the undead reached his ears. For a brief moment, it seemed too surreal. Another lance of pain in his back, however, and he knew it wasn't. He pushed himself back to his feet, using the edge of the elevator to support him. Gordon grimaced as the fast zombie that had tackled him slid from his back, taking its previously embedded claws with it.

Knowing they were safe for the moment left Gordon feeling drained. He leaned against the still moving lift, suddenly feeling tired. He wasn't surprised, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd gotten any sleep. Not that he wanted to. With all the Black Mesa experiences he was starting to relive while he was awake, he didn't even want to think about what awaited him in his sleep, when he was completely defenceless.

There wasn't much that he could do about it though, the body's adrenaline could only fuel a person for so long. He thought about the HEV medical systems, and his train of thought stopped dead. Maybe he could keep himself awake. There was no way to ward off sleep indefinitely, but he could at least postpone it- maybe even long enough to get out of the city.

It feels like its been a year since my last update. Apologies for that, but I've just been busy with other things.

I've been working on and off on this for so long. Imagine my disappointment to discover that this chapter wasn't actually 20,000 words long, but only a little over 5k. Ah, well.

JackOffAllTrades-MasterOfSome, mellombror, KRSONMar, Dj Sarabi, ghillie in the mist, Dysart, MorsTactica, and Kylee- gratitude for the reviews.