Hi all! Sorry for not updating last week, but school started back in and my schedule went all DERP! last-second, so I've had a lot to deal with and not a lot of time to deal with it in...however, we hear a little bit from all our characters in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

As usual, I own none of this.

Read on!

Chell took another corner, her breath coming hard, as the exhausted former-AI tagged along behind her as best she could.

GLaDOS was gasping for breath, and the only thing keeping her from collapsing was the firm grim of Chell's hand on her wrist, dragging her forward.

Chell's strength had run out, and she could no longer carry the robot-turned-human.

The former AI was trying her best to keep up, but with a body that hadn't moved in over a hundred years and a consciousness that had never exerted this much energy on such a simple task, she wasn't keeping up well at all.

Unable to take much more running, and fearing that GLaDOS might collapse, Chell sat down heavily on a weighted storage cube, allowing her partner to collapse beside her, white hair falling messily around her small frame.

"This…(gasp, gasp)…is so…exhausting…! (gasp, gasp) How do you…humans…manage to…(gasp, gasp)…do this all the time?" GLaDOS wheezed.

Chell rolled her eyes, feeling her breath evening out and her heartbeat slowing back to normal.

She would be ready to run again soon.

If testing had done her one favor, it had gotten her in excellent shape.

Her exhaustion was only temporary.

Getting to her feet, she shot the former robot a glance.

GLaDOS was still breathing hard, her head leaned back against the wall and her eyes closed.

She wouldn't be able to run…

Chell grabbed the AI's wrist, pulling the smaller girl to her feet. She was too tired to protest.

Setting off at a brisk walk, and tugging GLaDOS along behind her, Chell followed the path that the AI had told her earlier.

Down the hall, take a right, through the test chamber, down another hall, then after the next right-hand turn, it should be a straight-shot to the main lobby.

Reciting the directions in her head, Chell was taken off guard when she rounded the corner that led to the test chamber and ran into something.

Or rather, someone.

Her body instantly snapping into 'dodge-turret-fire' mode, Chell leaped back, leveling her portal gun at what (or rather, who) she had run into, her eyes scanning the surroundings quickly.

Short hallway, no portable surfaces. Door 5 feet in front of her, blocked by person, taller than her. Shadowy where she stood, bright in the room ahead. Bend in hall was about 3 feet behind her. GLaDOS still clung to her arm, her breathing lighter but still coming in gasps, standing between Chell and safety.

She would trip over her if she tried to run. No way she could take on the person in front of them. Portal gun was useless.

After a second of nothing happening, her eyes focused in on more details.

A few white-coat-wearing men poked about the test chamber before them, but more concerning to Chell was the young man that stood right in front of her, returning her shocked stare. The black label on his lab coat looked familiar, and it only took Chell a second to realize that she'd seen the logo on some old documents that had been lying about the back rooms and offices of the building.

Black Mesa.

Chell moved so that she was standing somewhat between GLaDOS and the strange man defensively.

The two girls stood perfectly still, staring back at the Black Mesa employee.

"You find anything over there, Todd?" one of the other scientists called from the background, making all three jump slightly.

Chell saw GLaDOS' eyes widened in fear and subconsciously tensed her muscles, readying her portal gun's turret function.

There went that escape plan…guess it was time to fight…

However, the scientist made no move to attack. He hesitated for a second, looking from the two terrified girls in front of him to the irritated man behind him.

With one last look at GLaDOS and Chell, his expression hardened, and Chell felt GLaDOS' grip on her hand tighten.

Her finger moved over the trigger, applying slight pressure.

But then the man surprised them.

"N-no…nothing here, sir…" he called over his shoulder.

"Then move along, rookie! Don't just stand there like an idiot, there's WORK to be done!"

"Y-yes, sir…" he said meekly, shooting the two a final glance before running after the man, who was muttering foul-temperedly about interns.

Chell didn't stop to wonder about his actions, or even be relieved that they hadn't been killed, but grabbed GLaDOS' wrist and made a run for it as soon as she saw an opening.

A few more turns and Chell could make out her surroundings to be one of the upper floors of Aperture.

They were going to make it!

CRASH!

"No, no, this is definitely not Her. What you have here, my friends, is a turret. Like Her a bit, I suppose, in the 'deadly' sense, but nothing like her when it comes to mental capacity. She's a bloody GENIOUS, I tell you. Fooled you proper, She did. Also, I…ah…I wouldn't restart that turret if I were you, it has a nasty tendency to-"

"Hello~."

"Aaaaand you did it anyway. You turned it on. Well, I tried to warn you-"

"I see you~…"

BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAM

Wheatley cringed as the scientists fell on the floor dead, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.

"You see? I bloody tried to warn you, but you didn't think to listen to little old Wheatley. No, just ignore the robot warning you that you're about to die by Turret fire…"

Short chapter, I know...again, shool is taking over my life...so sorry...

I may have to cut updated back to once every two weeks or so, and they'll probably be randon, though I'll try to stick to weekend updates.

Please review, and feel free to put this on alert so you don't have to check in every day for updates. ^^"

Hope you enjoyed it! Untill next time~

X3