//------------------------------//
//  Section Six: Route Kanal Pt. 3 
// Story: Half Life 2: Episode X 
// by Kapwnage 
//------------------------------//

	
Gordon scavenged around for more ammunition. He slowly ascended back down into the canal sewer and searched around, looting bodies. The radio buzzed again, and lit up. 

"Station 12- come in! Station-" It cut off suddenly, followed by more static."Station 8? We heard 12 go down and out! Er, surgical strike units are targeting railway stations! Repeat, Civil protection is coming down on underground stations! We're already getting refugees from nine-and-outline! Looks like we're-" Zzzt! The radio, again, cut off. A different voice came back on. "Station 8 do you copy? Station 8 are you there? We have confirmed the reports of manhacks! I repeat, they are filling the underground with manhacks!"

"My guess is that we're standing in station 12, which is already- gone." Gordon said, climbing back up. He grabbed a handful of combine battery packs and charged his suit. "Let's go."

"What's that noise?" Twilight asked, a loud hum came from the bridge above, confirming it was a combine APC. "What- is- that?"

"Run!" Gordon yelled. Large rockets shot out of the vehicle and the heat seeking went straight for him.

They both jumped down and ran through the dirty canal, dodging rocket explosions. A group of officers above shoved explosive barrels off, and they landed with a thud, following with an explosion. The canal's ran into another sewer, in which was blocked by a barrage of vans and fallen concrete. Gordon dived through the only hole above the blockade and motioned Twilight to follow. She did the same thing, but lost her grip and landed with a "Slurp!" The whole bottom half of her body was covered in slushy, warm muck. "Eww, disgusting!"

"No time! Run!" 

Gordon and Twilight quickly ran through the maze of cement cylinders and piles of muck, shooting down barnacles as they threatened to choke them both. For protection, Gordon handed Twilight his pistol, as he was carrying two. She used her magic to carry it, but picked up a dirty rope to create a makeshift holster. Hot daylight dried the muck on Twilight's fur when they walked out of the canal's tunnel. On a bridge ahead, the same APC rushed past, looking for the runaways. The echoing call of the city's overwatch called for them both. "Alert, community, ground protection units, local unrest structure detected. Assemble, administer, pacify." and again, "Attention occupants, your block is now charged with permissive inactive coercion. Five ration units deducted. Potentially dangerous animal arrest warrant. Code: lock, cauterize, stabilize."

"Keep moving." Gordon said, motioning her to follow.

"Can we stop a minute? I need to catch my breath." She huffed, sitting on a hunk of warm concrete. The sun gleamed down on her face, burning her eyes. Gordon was looking around the small area they were inclosed in, and seen a way out. "More sewers?" Twilight moaned.

"Over here!" A woman called out. Gordon looked around, and saw a small, armed lady in a cement cylinder. She waved her arm for him to come over. He knelled down to her height. "Keep going friend, that station was raided, but there's others, up ahead. I'm gonna stay here in case any others come through. Gotta keep the railway alive."

Gordon nodded and motion Twilight to follow. She walked past and into the busted sewer opening. The lady looked down at her bloody hands, then scooted back out of the sunlight and onto her knees. Twilight walked past and she looked up, curious. What she saw was something so unrealistic, something so strange, she could just sit there and stare forever. She's never seen a color like that before!


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Twilight plunged into the water after Gordon, and they floated quietly. They had jumped into a canal-room full of deep water. Twilight grabbed a wooden platform and held on by wrapping her body around it. The awkwardly warm water slowly seeped into Gordon's mouth as he went underwater to look for a way out. It tasted sour and bitter and burned his eyes. He came back up and gasped for air. Twilight looked around and tried to use her magic to break the gate, blocking the sewer access.  Above them, officers stood on the sewer plates, talking.

"No visual on targets." One said.

"Dangerous animal not spotted." The other responded.

"Oh I'll give them a dangerous animal." Twilight growled. She had grown bitter about these enemies and cared not if they died. She aimed her pistol with her magic and squeezed the trigger. A barrage of bullets filled the officers legs and feet, one missed and hit his chin. The wounded one ran away but the damaged one fell down with a thud. Blood dripped down into the water, making Twilight gag. Suddenly, the opening above exploded open, and in came more explosive barrels.

"They sure do like these things!" Gordon yelled. "Dive down!"

As he said, Twilight and Gordon dived down into the bottom of the room. The barrels exploded and busted open a gate the run through. Gordon grabbed Twilight's hoof and yanked her up out of the water. She shook off a bit and put her pistol away. "Right, keep going!"

They ran down the sewer and into another dried out canal, except this one had much more cover, though the enemies were above. Officers jumped down off the walls and onto cars for save landing. They fired at Gordon's position, while Twilight took the advantage to shoot who was open. Blood spat all over the walls and mixed into the green mud. Gordon also whipped out his pistol and rapidly clicked the trigger. More CP fell onto the ground, lifeless. They're radio buzzed and called. As if it could get any worse, a whole squad of officers stood on the wooden bridge ahead and fired. Gordon noticed the explosive barrels below, and shot two bullets into one. It exploded, and busted the others. The whole bridge crashed down, crushing the enemies. Twilight could hear bones snapping and necks breaking. She looked away in disgust.

"Reinforcements, code three!" A cop called out on his radio. He was the last one. Twilight saw him cowering below a fallen car, and pointed in his direction. Gordon pulled out his crowbar, jumped over the car and repeatedly bashed in his head. Zzzzzt...


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"Alright, Go!' Gordon said, pointing at the large sewer opening. The makeshift wooden teeter totter lifted Twilight up and she jumped up. Gordon picked up the cinder blocks and placed them on the opposite end so it would lift up. He bolted across the wood plate and jumped up, landing next to Twilight. They walked out and into even more canals, but a large "Crack!" above startled them both. Gordon looked up and saw a combine hunter chopper.

"Oh no-"






Hl2:X COMIC