Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Point Insertion
Gregory's Point Of View
Gregory thought he had hit his head. He remembered he was running to get Freddy for something, but then he hit something and blacked out. He finds himself in a dark room. However, a man in a blue suit with a briefcase appears before him.
"Hello Gregory. I know you're wondering...who I am. I cannot..reveal my name...as it would..compromise everything. For now I guess...you may call me...G-Man." The man said.
"Hi..and uh...how did I get here? Where am I?" Gregory asked. He then looked down and noticed he was wearing different clothes that he was. He was now wearing a long sleeves shirt with jeans. His tennis shoes remained the same.
"You are in what is called..stasis." G-Man said.
"Stasis? What's that?" Gregory asked.
"It's like...when you sleep." G-Man said. "I'm bringing you out of stasis and I'm going to...wake up..someone."
"Who are you waking up?" Gregory asked.
G-Man smirked. "A friend mine."
Gordon Freeman's point of view
Gordon has been asleep, stuck in stasis for about 20 years following his hiring by G-Man after the Black Mesa incident. However, he feels like he's only been asleep for a few hours. He feels someone touching him, waking him from his sleep.
"Rise and shine, Mister Freeman. Rise and... shine." G-Man says.
Gordon wakes up, seeing G-Man's face flash before him.
"Not that I... wish to imply you have been sleeping on the job. No one is more deserving of a rest... and all the effort in the world would have gone to waste until... well, let's just say your hour has... come again." G-Man says.
As G-Man talks, images flash of the anti-mass spectrometer (from Black Mesa), and then a bottomless steel corridor showing strange looking pods being shuffled around.
"The right people in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So, wake up, Mister Freeman. Wake up and... smell the ashes..." G-Man says.
Gordon then looks down and sees he's wearing a standard issue civilian outfit, a jean jacket, a t-shirt, jeans, and brown boot type shoes. The background then fades into a train car.
A train horn sounds, startling Gordon a bit. A passenger then turns and says "Oh, hey there. I didn't see you and your friend there get on."
"Friend?" Gordon says before turning and noticing Gregory beside him.
"Hi." Gregory says.
"Hey there." Gordon says.
A beep sound then plays over the intercom in the coach and a female voice then speaks.
"Attention passengers, this is the train driver speaking. We'll be arriving at City 17 central station in a few moments. Please gather all your belongings with you and have them ready for inspection by Civil Protection. A reminder that failure to comply with orders from Civil Protection and/or any Combine officers may result in penalties and/or jail time. Thank you."
The train passes through a tunnel and begins slowing down. The coaches shake a bit as the train crosses over the endless maze of switches. The air brakes begin to hiss as the driver (or engineer, whichever term you prefer) puts the brakes on.
Gordon and Gregory then look at each other.
"Name's Gregory, whats yours?" Gregory asks in his curious nature.
"Gordon...Gordon Freeman." Gordon said.
The train then came to a stop. However, a bit too hard, as the engine hit the buffer stop.
"Well, end of the line." Said one of the passengers as she grabbed her suitcase and wheeled it out. Gordon and Gregory disembarked and looked around the magnificent station.
However, they felt like they were being watched from all over. Strange floating drones hovered around taking pictures and recording film.
On a giant screen on the wall played a message, read by a bald male with a white beard wearing a turtle neck sweater and a beige coat.
"Welcome! Welcome to City 17! You have chosen, or been chosen, to relocate to one of our finest remaining urban centers. I thought so much of City 17 that I elected to establish my administration here, in the Citadel so thoughtfully provided by our benefactors. I've been proud to call City 17 my home. And so, whether you are here to stay, or passing through on your way to parts unknown - welcome to City 17. It's safer here."
Gordon stared the screen for a moment before saying "Doctor Breen? Hmm, must be the mayor or something."
"Who's that Breen guy?" Gregory asked Gordon.
"I...used to work at a place called the Black Mesa Research Facility, out in New Mexico. Dr. Breen was in charge of the whole facility." Gordon said. "I never imagined he'd get into politics."
Gordon and Gregory then proceeded to figure their way out around the train station. Gregory was about to go wander off, but then felt a strange feeling overcome him, seeing all the security cameras and floating drones.
"Mr. Gordon, um, can I..stick close to you. I don't see my dad anywhere." Gregory said.
"Yeah buddy, I think you'd better stick close. Just stick with me until you find your dad or someone you know, if they're even around here." Gordon said.
Gregory then remembered his Fazwatch and was about to press it to call Freddy, but then noticed it was gone.
The two then ventured through the station, passing by heavily armed police officers wearing visors that looked like gas masks.
Some of them patrolled on foot, others stared at their cell phones, and one was some what mean towards a passenger.
"Sir, move away from the baggage cart please." The officer said.
"I'm just putting my suitcase on here, that's all." Said the man.
The officer then pulled out what looked like a night stuck but with a taser on the tip and hit the man with it, tasing him in the process.
The man got back up. "Alright alright, I'll move." He said, dropping his suitcase and backing away.
"Overwatch, Victor-210 here, reporting a possible non-compliant person. White male, five foot eleven inches tall, bald spot, short hair, average build, brown eyes, seen wearing standard issue jean jacket, t-shirt, jeans, and brown boots." The officer said.
"Just keep close to me buddy." Gordon said as he led Gregory through the station.
"Hey! You two!" Shouted a woman nearby. "Were you with that group that just arrived?"
"Yes ma'am." Gregory said.
"Oh. Okay then." She said. "Overwatch stopped the train I was on in the woods and took my husband in for questioning. They're being nice though, letting me wait here for him."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Gordon said. "I hope everything goes well for him."
They then continued through the station and were directed by an officer who was too busy being distracted by his phone and sent Gregory and Gordon the wrong way. Instead of heading for the exit, they were being sent to the other side of the station. An overhead sign said "NOVA PROSPEKT." However, right before the could make it through the checkpoint, an alarm went off and the gates closed, trapping them.
"What the heck?" Gregory asked.
"Don't move!" Said one of the officers, pulling their USP service pistol out.
Gordon got in front of Gregory and placed his hand in front of him.
Another officer then came out a side door.
"(Looking at other officers). Guns down you guys. (Looks at Gregory and Gordon) You two, come with me." He said.
"Y'all heard him, go." Said one of the officers, and Gordon and Gregory followed the officer down the small hallway. The passed by a room and overheard a conversation.
"Hey, this must be a mistake man, I had a standard relocation coupon just like everyone else." A man said.
"Yeah right. I know who you are and I've got your rap sheet. You've been nailed several times for counterfeiting, fraud, and other stuff like this. You honestly expect me to believe your little boo hoo woe is me story? I've got half a mind to take my stun stick and fry you like a turkey." An officer inside said. He then noticed Gordon and Gregory and rudely said "Mind your own business" before closing the flap on the door.
The officer led the duo into a side room, where another officer was waiting.
"Need any help with these two?" The other office asked.
"No, I'm good. I'm keeping them together to make it easier." The first officer said.
The other officer walked out and closed the door.
The first officer walked to the giant computer and pressed a button.
"Yeah, I'm gonna need some privacy for this." The officer said.
When he pressed the bottom, the security cameras that were in the room deactivated and then returned to their little hiding covers.
The officer then removed his mask, and when he revealed his face, Gordon was shocked.
"About that beer I owe ya Gordon." Said the officer, now unmasked.
"B-Barney?" Gordon asked.
"Yep, it's me Gordon. Barney from Black Mesa." Barney said before turning to Gregory. "Is this your kid?" He asked.
"Um...it's uh.." Gordon said trying to explain.
"Nah, forget it, I saw the whole thing and I heard some of the audio. The cameras here are pretty good at picking up stuff. By the way, what's your name kiddo?" Barney asked.
"Gregory." Gregory said.
"Nice to meet ya. I'm Barney. Gordon and I go way back. Anyways, sorry for the little scare you guys, I had to put on a show for the cameras. I'm working undercover in Civil Protection for the resistance. Right now I'm way behind on my intimidation quota." Barney said.
"Intimidation quota?" Gordon asked.
"Yeah, uh, the combine want us to keep order by intimidation. However they've got rules we follow. We only get violent if instructed to or if things go South." Barney said. "Well look, I'm not gonna let you two wander around the city. I'm gonna get Dr. Kleiner on the horn and see if he can help you guys out."
Barney then opened Discord up on the giant computer and started a voice call with Dr. Kleiner.
"Wait, is that Discord?" Gregory asked.
"Uhh, yeah kid. I know you're wondering why we're using that instead of something else. Well, we've got it setup to where the combine can't track our conversations, as long as we're using special encryption." Barney said.
Finally, Dr. Kleiner answered, albeit, a bit grumpy.
"Yes Barney what is it? I'm in the middle of a critical test!" He snapped.
"Sorry to bug ya doc, but look who just turned up!" Barney said before backing away from the screen, revealing Gordon and Gregory.
"Great Scott! Gordon Freeman! I expected more warning!" Dr. Kleiner said.
"Yeah, you and me both." Barney said.
"Wait, the child, I don't recognize him. What's your name young man?" Dr. Kleiner asked.
"My name's Gregory, sir." Gregory said.
"A pleasure to meet you young man." Dr. Kleiner said.
"Funny thing, I caught them on the cameras right as they were about to board the express train to Nova Prospekt." Barney said.
"Oh dear! Thank God you caught them in time. Nova Prospekt isn't the ideal vacation spot, let alone a good destination, period, especially for a young child. Alyx is around the city, somewhere. Contact her and let her know about Gordon and Gregory and I'll have her escort them to my lab." Dr. Kleiner said.
However, a knock came at the door.
"Officer Brunswick, everything okay in there?" Said a male voice.
Barney scrambled and muted Dr. Kleiner. "Oh crud, that's what I was afraid of. Guys hurry into the supply room right here and take the ladder out." He said.
Kleiner kept talking, not realizing he was muted. Barney then quickly ended the call and closed Discord out.
Gregory and Gordon hurried into the supply closet and hid.
Barney then opened the main door.
"Uh, yeah Sergeant, everything's fine!" He said from under his mask, the voice box in it giving his voice a strange aggressive sound.
"Good. Well listen, we've got a couple of possible non-citizens roaming around. They just got off the express from City 55. We've got visual scans of them and I'm sending them to you now." The officer said.
"Okay Sarge, thanks. I'll be on the lookout." Barney said.
The officer walked away and Barney closed the door, only to then seen Gordon and Gregory come out from the closet.
"What are you guys still doing here? You two need to get out of here so you don't blow my cover!" Barney said.
"Okay. But, officer Brunswick, are you like...under an alias or something?" Gordon asked.
"I'll explain later, just get outta here you guys. I can't have my cover blown." Barney said.
Gregory and Gordon then climbed the latter to the above floor and looked out the window. It was a short ways down to the ground from there.
"Wait here. I'll go down first and then I'll catch you." Gordon said. He then crawled into the window and made the drop. He broke his fall on a crate.
"Alright!" Gordon said as he positioned himself to catch Gregory. Gregory crawled into the window and then jumped out.
"Cannonball!" Gregory said as he jumped.
Gordon caught him. "10 out of 10." He said.
After setting him back down on the ground, they proceeded through a maintenance door back into the station. They entered a side corridor and walked towards what used to be a gate. However right as they got close to the gate, a combine officer walked out and stopped them. He then reached into a trash can beside him and pulled out a soda can and a Happy meal box and threw them on the ground.
He then smirked and said "Pick up the trash."
"Why can't you just get a janitor to clean it up?" Gregory asked.
The officer then grunted and drew his stun stick out. "You're just looking to get beat down aren't you? I said pick up the trash."
"Ok ok!" Gregory said.
"Let's just not argue with him." Gordon said.
They both picked up the trash and threw it in the can. The officer then holstered his stun stick and chuckled. "Alright, you two can go. Hehe."
Gordon and Gregory then proceeded past the officer and through the ticket plaza.
The officer then clicked his radio. "Overwatch, Victor-1050 reporting citizens summoned to voluntary conscription for General Public Service Detail T94-322."
Gregory then looked back at the officer and stuck his tongue out.
"Jerk." The officer said to himself.
Right as they walked out the door, The officer's radio buzzed.
"Victor-1050, B.O.L.O. for possible unregistered citizens. Sending visual download to helmet console."
The officer clicked his radio. "Roger that Overwatch, awaiting visual download."
The officer then saw a picture of both Gregory and Gordon pop up.
"What in the world, those two, they were just here." He said before going after them. However they were already out of his range.
The duo wandered through the city a bit. Despite normal activities going on and such, The combine's presence was overwhelming. The giant steel structure known as the citadel overshadowed the whole city it seemed. Giant robot creatures known as striders patrolled the streets, their stomps heavy and somewhat noisy. An alleyway was blocked off by officers who were holding two citizens, one against an APC (armored police car) and the other on the ground. The one against the APC tried to move but the combine officer holding him slammed him in to the APC's side.
"Go ahead, try me!" The officer yelled.
Gregory stared, but Gordon led him along before the officers could notice.
As they continued down the street, they heard the sound of glass shattering and a security alarm going off.
"GET YOUR FREE TV'S Y'ALL!!!!" Yelled a man as he ran from a store with a flat screen tv in his arms.
Another man followed behind him. "FREE STUFF FOR EVERYONE!!!!" He yelled as he ran off with bags of candy and beer.
Combine officers chased after them. One of them clicked their radio. "OVERWATCH THIS IS VICTOR-1090, WE HAVE A 211 IN PROGRESS AT STATION PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER! SUSPECTS ARE EVADING ON FOOT WITH STOLEN ITEMS! ENGAGING PURSUIT!!!"
A third person ran out of the shop, however they werent stealing anything. They were instead trying to escape the chaos. A Combine officer spotted them and drew her gun.
"POLICE!!! HANDS UP!!!!" She yelled.
"Wait, WAIT! I WASN'T TRYING TO STEAL ANYTHING! I WAS JUST GOING BACK TO MY APARTMENT!!!" The person said.
"ON THE GROUND, NOW!!!" The officer yelled.
The woman dropped to the ground.
"SOMEONE SHUT THAT STUPID ALARM BELL OFF!!!" The officer yelled.
Another officer ran into a backroom of the shop and shut the alarm off.
"Come bud, we need to go." Gordon said.
"Ok, let's get outta here." Gregory said.
They soon took a side street, only to find it was blocked off. They then found a ladder that led to a catwalk that crossed over the barricade. Gordon went up first, then dropped down to the other side. Gregory then climbed up and dropped down to Gordon's arms. They then proceeded again, this time, passing between apartments. Ahead of them were more Combine officers, this time guarding an apartment complex door. Two residents were sitting outside an apartment down a bit in lawn chairs drinking sodas. As Gordon and Gregory passed, one of them said "This is how it always starts. First a building, then the whole block."
They then wound up cutting through an open apartment and climbed several sets of stairs before going through a floor of apartments. As they walked through, they could hear some tv's blaring. Some with regular programming, others with Combine propaganda and Dr. Breen's "Breencasts."
"Let me read a letter I recently received. "Dear Dr. Breen. Why has the Combine seen fit to close down some of our small businesses while they have guaranteed the right to private business ownership?"
Gregory had stopped to look at one of the tv's through an open door, but Gordon motioned for him to keep going.
As they reached the next floor, they came across a group of combine officers beating on an apartment door.
BANG BANG BANG
"METRO POLICE, OPEN UP!!!" One of the combine officers yelled.
The officer then kicked the door in and his squad members entered behined him, with one guarding the door.
"DON'T MOVE! 603, UNLAWFUL ENTRY!" Yelled another one of the officers.
The duo went past the door. However, right as they got to the stair case, they heard the intercom crackle.
"Attention residents, miscount detected in your block. Cooperation with Civil Protection mandatory. Cooperation will result in reward."
"Uh oh, I think they mean us." Gregory said.
A Combine officer then walked up the staircase, slightly tired. He huffed through his visor. He then stumbled and fell onto the stairs.
"Police...*huff*...Identitify yourselfs." The officer said.
"Run!" Gregory said and the duo took off up the stairs.
The officer was too tired to chase them and clicked his radio.
"Victor...*huff*....1021 to Overwatch...*huff*....made contact with non-citizens in residental block 27. Suspects are fleeing up stairs towards roof." He said.
"1021 are you okay?" Asked another officer over the radio.
"I'm fine...*huff*...just...tired." The officer said.
Gordon and Gregory made a mad dash up the stairs and through another hallway. More officers appeared and chased after them.
They went up another flight of stairs and then saw a man waving at them from his door.
"You two, in here, quick!" He said. The duo went through and he slammed the door shut and locked it. "Keep going! Head for the roof!" He said as he tried to barricade the door.
The duo ran for the roof right as officers started trying to kick the door in.
"METRO POLICE, OPEN THE DOOR!!!!"
Gordon and Gregory ran through the cieling and onto the roof. The following a small path laid out with wooden planks. Right as they made it up the first set of planks, the officers crashed the door and stormed to the roof and spotted them.
"POLICE!!!! HOLD IT!!!" One of the officers yelled.
Gregory and Gordon then ran down another set of planks and then balanced themselves across the ledge of the building. However, down at street level, officers spotted them and one even opened fire, only for his commanding officer to reprimand him for firing at Gregory, him being a child. They then hoped through an open window that led to another closet in a neighboring apartment complex.
Once inside, they went down a flight of old wooden steps, only for them to break. After opening the door at the bottom of the steps and stepping into a corridor with doors at each end, officers crashed both doors open.
"We're surrounded Gordon!" Gregory said.
Gordon pushed Gregory back into the small entrance to the staircase, ready to guard him.
"You wanna get to the kid, you've gotta go through me first." Gordon said.
"Overwatch, Victor-981 here, requesting directive regarding non-citizens. We've got them in residential block 28." Said one of the officers.
"Victor-981, detain adult male. Hand juvenile over to CPS." The female disptacher voice said.
"10-4 Overwatch." The officer said before reaching for handcuffs.
However, a female voice then yelled "Over here you crooks!"
"OH CRUD!!" Yelled an officer.
A young female in her 20's, wearing a brown jacket with a gray hooded t-shirt underneath with the Black Mesa logo on it and blue jeans and brown boots and black sleeveless gloves then zoomed in and singlehandedly took on both squads.
"OVERWATCH, 10-78, WE NEED HELP AT RESIDENTIAL BLOCK 28, WE'RE BEING AMBUSHED!!!" Yelled an officer, only for the woman to knock him out with a high kick to the face.
She then beat up the entire squad and threw one of them out a nearby window, sending him crashing into a garbage dumpster. The trash inside broke his fall.
The woman then brushed herself off and looked at Gordon.
"Dr. Freeman I presume?" She asked.
Gordon shook his head, shocked at what he just witnessed.
She then noticed Gregory peaking out from behind.
"And you must be Gregory. Hehe, cuter than I imagined you'd look." She said with a friendly grin, making Gregory smile.
Right then, the intercom inside the building crackled.
"Attention residents in residential blocks 27 and 28, possible unrest detected. Assume inspection positions. Cooperation with Civil Protection mandatory. Cooperation will be rewarded."
"C'mon you two, we've gotta hurry. The Combine might be a bit slow to wake, but once they're fully out of bed and up, you don't wanna mess with them." The lady said as she led them to an elevator near by. The duo followed her in and got in. She pressed a botton and the elevator began to descened.
"Where are my manners, I never did introduce myself. My name's Alyx, Alyx Vance. Dr. Keliner told me that Barney had spotted you two and asked me to go look for you guys. He didn't tell me you didn't have a map." Alyx said.
This made Gregory remember the STAFF bots at the Pizzaplex that would roll up to you and get in your face and say "FREE MAP!"
"My dad, Eli Vance, used to work with you back at Black Mesa, Dr. Freeman. You probably don't remember me though, I was a baby back then." Alyx then said.
Gordon was still silent.
"Man of a few words, aren't you?" Alyx asked.
"Well, I'm...I'm kinda speechless, because in the span of like less than five minutes, we went from being chased down to watching you beat up a bunch of those guys and save us." Gordon said.
The elevator then stopped and the door opened. "This way you guys." Alyx said.
They followed her to what looked like a power meter, but was secretly a console box. Above it was a yellow poster with Dr. Breen's face on it.
"Remember him, Dr. Breen, your old administrator at Black Mesa?" Alyx asked.
"Oh yes, defintely. But what's all this jazz about him, his face being on posters and the giant screens in the train station and all that?" Gordon asked.
"Not sure if you hit your head on a rock or something or have been in a coma, but he basically runs the whole planet now. He's the "Administrator of Earth" now." Alyx said before turning to the power meter and then hitting a hidden button on it, causing a chunk of wall to slide out, revealing a secret pathway.
"Oh, by the way, nice to finally meet you two." She then said before leading them down the small corridor.
To be continued