A/N: If you're uncomfortable with graphic strangulation scenes, skip the beginning.

Jordan crept into the room with the stealth of a large jungle cat. She had left her harder artillery outside the door, armed only now with her trusted knife strapped tight against her calf. The carpet beneath her flat boots was lavish and expensive, but did an excellent job of muffling her careful footsteps. The room was similarly furnished, with a beautiful four-poster bed and a dark red couch against the far wall.

Only a few yards from her final destination, she leaped from the floor onto the bed, landing right over its occupant.

Doctor Wallace Breen awoke with a start in response to the vigilante's intrusion on his sleep. He managed to get out a "What the h-" before Jordan's strong hands closed around his throat. Breen's grey eyes went wide and his hands scrabbled at his throat, clawing against Jordan's iron grip. He thrashed up against her, but his older body didn't have much sway over her own battle-hardened frame. Jordan could feel the wild pulse of his carotid artery, elevated from panic and surprise.

She pressed down with her full weight against her hands and his face turned a deeper shade of red. The man couldn't make much noise aside from a high whistling as he tried in vain to draw breath. A derisive laugh passed from her throat as she tightened her grip more. Breen's struggles became weaker until they were just slight spasms of his hands and feet.

"Shhhh..." Jordan whispered as she squeezed his throat ever harder. Her tone was almost that of a mother shushing a child, but the sadistic smile proved otherwise. She could see that death glaze in Breen's eyes now, the one that meant he wasn't much longer, and she couldn't help but smile wider as she kept her grip. Breen's pulse thumped slower and slower until his entire body tensed up and then, finally, relaxed into a ragdoll state. After holding on for a few seconds more, Jordan released her hold on the man's neck, proud of the marks her long hands had left there. She turned and climbed down off the opulent bed, headed for the exquisitely crafted cigar case she saw on his bedside table.

Before she could reach her prize, the room dissolved around her.

"Jordan!" Someone was calling her name. Blinking away the last remnants of her dream, she found herself staring up into the frightened face of Stephanie Schwartz.

"Did I miss my watch?" Jordan asked blearily, sitting up and looking about the room. Everyone else was either shaking away sleep or frantically but silently packing their bags. From the dingy window, Jordan could see it was still dark outside. Odd, since they usually moved at the first light. "Wait, Schwartz, wha's going on?"

"Jordan, there's a CP squad infiltrating the building across the street," Stephanie answered nervously. That was all the explanation Jordan needed; she was on her feet and methodically rolling up her bedroll to stow with the rest of her gear.

"Why the hell would they swarm like this? There's got to be a reason." Jordan said, standing up and examining the group. They were all now packed and ready for direction from their leader. As Jordan's eyes fell on Alyx, she spoke up with a note of apology in her voice.

"Yesterday, Violet murdered two CP's," she spat out. Jordan opened her mouth to interject, but Alyx continued on instead, sensing Jordan would chastise her given the slightest chance. "However, it was completely necessary! If she hadn't killed them, we would have been caught for sure, I know it," Alyx paused, her voice growing softer now, "But it was quite strange. Violet was aware of the CP's when we were on the level above them. It's almost like she has a radar for them."

Through all this, the woman in question was standing completely still next to Alyx. Her yellow eyes were guarded and she had a demure set to her mouth. Yet Jordan could sense that it was taking all of Violet's self-restraint (or whatever the equivalent of it could be in her strange mind) to not hunt down the CP's and rip them apart. The thought ignited Jordan's ever-present hatred of the Combine and gave her new energy. She turned to the rest of the group.

"Okay," she began, taking a breath and shouldering her pack, "let's get out of here."

She led the group out the door and down the hallway. Stephanie Schwartz and John Cole stayed close to her sides and the rest fell into line behind them, Alyx and Violet bringing up the rear of the group. They trekked up to the rooftop and into the velvety dark that rested comfortably over City 17. The stars shone almost abnormally brightly on this night. As the fighters dispersed over the rough texture of the roof, Jane Prince was entranced by the sky.

"Hey Sam," she called out to her fellow medic. He turned back at the sound of his name and stood beside Jane, similarly looking towards the sky. "Do you ever think that we, I mean, that there's another world like ours out there? Like with humans like us?"

Sam Fowler shook his head and placed a comforting hand on Jane's back. "I don't know, Jane, but I'm sure they're sleeping wherever they are. Lucky dogs." His attempt at humor made both medics laugh in spite of their situation.

Alyx watched this exchange with curiosity and intrigue. This group had obviously been through a lot that Alyx could only guess at. They had been out here on the streets, fighting for what little they had to keep. They trusted each other with their very lives.

"Come on, guys, we've got to get the hell outta here!" Jordan called, motioning to a fire escape down which the others had already scurried. Violet was wavering at Jordan's side, sensing her leadership but still keeping watchful eyes upon Alyx. She made her way to the fire escape, followed by the medics. Violet closely scrambled down the fire escape after Alyx.

As they all touched down on the side of the street, Alyx was startled by the pure silence of the night around the group. Alyx noticed that the others had pulled out various weapons and were stock-still. Alyx crept over to Stephanie Schwartz, who was holding a second gun. Alyx took it gratefully and stood with the others.

A/N: This took far too long. I have a bunch more projects on my plate right now, but I'm working hard (hardly working) I hope you all will put up with me and my spotty updates and cliffhanger endings. I promise it will be worth it.