> Black Bloom 2
>  by Bronycommander
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1 Welcome to City 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1: Welcome to City 17


Two Months passed after Apple Bloom returned.
Still, the trauma and near-death experience hunted her in her dreams.
“No please, don’t kill me!” she pleaded for her life as a Black Ops pointed his MP5 at her. She awoke with a scream.

“Apple Bloom!” In record time Applejack ran in. Apple Bloom was shivering and crying. “Apple Bloom, calm down, Ah am here for ya.” Her sister rocked her.

“It’s just, that Ah can’t get over it what happened 2 months ago.” Apple Bloom let out a sigh. 

“You can sleep with me, Sugarcube.” Applejack carried her sister to her bed.

Apple Bloom cried herself to sleep. That Black Mesa incident left his scares. Ah hope we find a way to free her from her traumatic experience. Applejack kissed her sister on the forehead. “Sweet dreams.”



Apple Bloom woke up. She found herself in an alleyway. “Where am Ah?” She was scared.
She wanted to call out for her sister, as she saw a large video monitor.

“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 have 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.” A man explained.

Apple Bloom looked around. She was not in Ponyville anymore. “Stay calm. Maybe Ah find someone that can help me.” Apple Bloom saw a train station in the distance with some humans in blue denim boiler suits. There were also humans that wore a white gas mask and a black-green uniform.

She was about to ask one of them, as a citizen was cautioned by one. “First warning: Move away.” 

“But this stuff, it’s all I have left…” The man in uniform pushed him.

“Move along. Move it.” 

“All right, I’m moving. Jeez.” After seeing this, Apple Bloom kept her distance. The humans in suits were too depressed to notice her. She walked along the train station, until she came to a fence where the men with gas masks ordered citizens to specific locations. One officer saw her, shook his head and thought, Must be the drugs they gave me, causing me to see citizen as fillys.

“You there. Move it.” An officer pointed to Apple Bloom, then to a fence where “Nova Prospekt” was written on. 

“Why? Did Ah do something wrong?” 

The officer lighted up his baton. “I said move it!”

“All right, just don’t hurt me,” Apple Bloom replied scared. As she was about to walk to a train, the gate closed and a camera took pictures of her. 

“Don’t move. Hold it.”

A Door with the inscription “security” opened to reveal another officer. “You, Citizen! Come with me.” He ordered with a voice different from the others.

Not wanting to go into trouble, she obeyed. “Get in!” Apple Bloom was even more scared and trembled, as she saw blood on a chair.

“Need any help with this one?” 

“No, I’m good. Back up!” He walked to a console.
“Yeah, I’m gonna need me some privacy for this!” The cameras deactivated.

“Now…” he took his mask off. “…about that Apple juice I owned ya.” It was Jacob. He looked older but was still looking good for his age.
“It’s me, Apple Bloom! Jacob from Black Mesa.” Apple Bloom was happy to see him.

“Hey, sorry for the scare. I had to put up on a show for the cameras.”

“Daddy!” Apple Bloom rammed into him for a hug. “Ah missed ya!” 

“Me too. How did you end up here?” He ruffled her mane.

“Ah don’t know. I was sleeping with my sister. When Ah woke up, Ah was in an alleyway.”

“Interesting. My shift is over anyway. You can come with me. Don’t worry, as long as you stay with me, you should stay fine.” He put his mask on. “Just a misunderstanding. I bring her home.” The other officer didn’t think too much of it and agreed with that.

Jacob took her hoof. They walked to an APC. Jacob helped Apple Bloom in.

While Jacob was driving home, Apple Bloom asked, “What happened while Ah was gone?” 

“It’s a long story. It’s better if I tell you this when we are home.”

Outside the house was a playground. Apple Bloom heard ghostly laughs and screams of children.

At home, Jacob called out, “Mia, I’m home! And I have a guest!” 

“Welcome back, my dear husband. Who is our guest?” Jacob stepped aside. Mia couldn’t trust her eyes.

“Apple Bloom, is it really you?” 

“Mommy!” Apple Bloom hugged her with tears of joy.

Mia was also wearing a suit and her hair was cut short. “She was lucky. She was about to board the Express to Nova Prospekt.” 

“What is Nova Prospect, mommy?”

“Trust me, you don’t wanna know. Are you hungry?” 

“Yes, mommy.” 

“You can watch TV until your meal is ready.”

Mia switched the TV on. The man Apple Bloom saw on the monitor earlier was on.

“Let me read a letter I recently received. ‘Dear Dr. Breen. Why has the Combine seen fit to suppress our reproductive cycle? Sincerely, a Concerned Citizen.’

Thank you for writing, Concerned. Of course your question touches on one of the most basic biological impulses, with all its associated hopes and fears for the future of the species. I also detect some unspoken questions. Do our benefactors really know what's best for us? What gives them the right to make this kind of decision for mankind? Will they ever deactivate the suppression field and let us breed again?

Allow me to address the anxieties underlying your concerns, rather than try to answer every possible question you might have left unvoiced. First, let us consider the fact that for the first time ever, as a species, immortality is in our reach. This simple fact has far-reaching implications. It requires radical rethinking and revision of our genetic imperatives. It also requires planning and forethought that run in direct opposition to our neural pre-sets.

I find it helpful at times like these to remind myself that our true enemy is Instinct. Instinct was our mother when we were an infant species. Instinct coddled us and kept us safe in those hardscrabble years when we hardened our sticks and cooked our first meals above a meager fire and started at the shadows that leapt upon the cavern's walls. But inseparable from Instinct is its dark twin, Superstition. Instinct is inextricably bound to unreasoning impulses, and today we clearly see its true nature. Instinct has just become aware of its irrelevance, and like a cornered beast, it will not go down without a bloody fight. Instinct would inflict a fatal injury on our species. Instinct creates its own oppressors, and bids us rise up against them. Instinct tells us that the unknown is a threat, rather than an opportunity. Instinct slyly and covertly compels us away from change and progress. Instinct, therefore, must be expunged. It must be fought tooth and nail, beginning with the basest of human urges: The urge to reproduce.

We should thank our benefactors for giving us respite from this overpowering force. They have thrown a switch and exorcised our demons in a single stroke. They have given us the strength we never could have summoned to overcome this compulsion. They have given us purpose. They have turned our eyes toward the stars.

Let me assure you that the suppressing field will be shut off on the day that we have mastered ourselves...the day we can prove we no longer need it. And that day of transformation, I have it on good authority, is close at hand.”

“Apple Bloom, your meal is ready!” Mia called out. Mia’s and Jacob’s home was nice and comfortable. It had a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, a guest room and a bed room.

Mia made for Apple Bloom a bowl of oatmeal and a box of Apple juice. Before Apple Bloom ate her meal she asked, “So, what happened? It was only 2 months since Ah returned home.” 

“Well, Apple Bloom, here 20 years passed since you returned home.”

While Apple Bloom ate, Jacob told her without going too dark into it, what happened between the years.

“An Empire called the Combine conquered the world within 7 hours?” 

“Yes, Apple Bloom. You know, the surviving humans are living in poor conditions. Those who are joining the Civil Protection also known as Metro Cops or CP for short are getting more privileges, such as additional food and better living conditions.

I joined only to feed my wife and to protect her. Since I’m a member of the Metro Cops, they don’t harm her. Also a good friend of mine, Barney Calhoun, is also with them. He was a security guard just like me. He escaped with 3 scientists, but none of them survived the war. He had also a wife, but she also didn’t make it. The man you saw on the TV is Wallace Breen, the former administrator of Black Mesa. The show you saw is called Breencast.”

“Do you know what happened to Konrad?” 

“As with all soldiers, he tried to defend Earth. Tower and Michael died in the war. If Konrad survived, he was probably recycled into an Overwatch Soldier. My wife is everything for me. I do everything to keep her alive.” He kissed her.

“See it positive. You both are alive. It’s just sad that you can’t have babies.” 

“You know, actually we have already a daughter.” Mia giggled. 

“Ah can stay with you?” 

“Yes, Apple Bloom. We have a guest bed. And as we told you back in Black Mesa, we wanted to be parents. So taking care of you is like our wish came true.”

“You never told me how you met each other.” 

Jacob laughed, “There isn’t much to tell. I worked as a security guard before. As the company I worked for went bankrupt, all guards were recruited for Black Mesa. My wife wanted to be an office worker. She got a job at Black Mesa. I met her one Day on my shift. It was love on first sight.”

Apple Bloom smiled but yawned. "Glad to hear it.” 

“Is our filly sleepy?” 

“Yes Mommy, Ah’m sleepy.” Mia tucked her into the guest bed. Apple Bloom said in a tired voice, “Thank you for taking care of me.”

As she drifted off to sleep, Jacob whispered, “She is like an Angel when she is asleep.” 

“Yes she is. I just hope that the Combine don’t find her.” They also went to bed. Unknown to them, the man who got Apple Bloom home watched them from the TV.

They both were awoken by a whimpering. Apple Bloom walked in scared. “Ah had a nightmare, can ah sleep with you?” 

“But of course, my dear. You are always welcome in our bedroom.” Mia hugged her tightly in her sleep. Apple Bloom smiled in her sleep.

She felt save with them. But this was only the beginning.

> Chapter 2 An old friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: An old friend

Jacob awoke up early for his shift. He had to smile as his wife and Apple Bloom were sleeping peaceful.

Mia woke up in the morning. Apple Bloom walked in with a tray. “Good morning, mommy. Ah made you breakfast.” 

Mia smiled. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Apple Bloom had made a glass of juice and a bowl of oatmeal. “It was very good, Apple Bloom,” Mia said as she had finished Breakfast.

Apple Bloom blushed. “Glad to hear it. Being in a family of farmers has its advantages.”

A tear left her eye. “You miss your family, don’t you?” 

“Yes, mommy. Why are you in City 17, mommy? What happened to Black Mesa?”

“Well, Apple Bloom, Black Mesa was destroyed by an atomic bomb. The USA was almost completely destroyed in the war. City 17 is in Eastern Europe. I can’t even remember its real name. If Breen hadn’t made a peace agreement, Humanity would have been wiped out. He lives in the citadel.”

“That giant building?” 

“Yes.” 

“Did Daddy ever tell you, how’s work is as an officer of Civil Protection?”

Mia chuckled, “It’s like his former job as security guard, which was also a reason why he joined them. He patrols the city in shifts. Many officers however beat unarmed Citizens with Stun Batons at the slightest provocation. Jacob is not like them. He only wants to protect me, since I am the only thing left, he has. He also tries to always be successful, as mission failure would result, that he would be separated from me.

These Citizens are generally hated by non-civil officers, because these Citizens choose to be a part of the Combine, beating and arresting Citizens at their own discretion. Jacob however, remains friendly and respectful, despite being one of them.”

“From mah view, he did the right thing. Do you want to play with me on the playground?” 

Mia grinned, “I would love it.”



Jacobs shift was quiet. Sometimes he would take place in raids, but he wouldn’t beat a citizen just because he wanted to do it. As he had his break, he talked with Barney.

“How’s it going, Calhoun?” 

“Good Jacob, how’s your wife? And Barney is just fine.” 

“She’s doing fine.” Making sure he wasn’t watched, he asked quietly, “Can you keep a secret?” “

Of course, what is it?”

“Do you remember how I told you about that filly once?” 

“Yes, why?” 

“Because that filly has somehow come to City 17.” 

“You are kidding.” 

“No I don’t. If you want after our shift is over, I can show you her.” 

“I would want to meet her.” Barney was confused, but was ready.

At Jacob's home, they saw how Mia played with Apple Bloom on the playground. They both had much fun.

“Daddy!” Apple Bloom was happy to see him. 

“Hello Apple Bloom, may I introduce my colleague, Barney Calhoun?” Barney waved friendly. He had seen many weird things at Black Mesa, but never saw a talking Pony before.

He knelled down. “Hello little one, I’m Barney Calhoun, nice to meet you.” 

“Ah’m Apple Bloom, Mr. Calhoun,” Apple Bloom replied politely and respectful.

“Please, Barney is just fine.” 

“Do you want to come in, Barney?” 

“How could I refuse?” He said as Apple Bloom gave him puppy eyes.

The rest of the day, Apple Bloom told him about her family and home. He was fascinated by it and promised that he would help her out, should she get into trouble.

After he left, Apple Bloom was drawing a picture of her “parents". She stopped as she heard Mia crying. Apple Bloom saw them on the couch.

“I can’t take it anymore.” Mia was hugged by Jacob. 

“Everything’s going to be okay.” 

“What are we going to do?” 

"We’ll think of something.” 

“When is it all going to end?” 

“Don’t worry.” 

“Please!” 

“It’s all right.”

“Mommy?” Apple Bloom hugged her to cheer her up. “Ah drew something for you.” Apple Bloom showed them her picture. On it was Jacob in his security uniform with the word “Daddy” above him, Mia with the word “Mommy” and Konrad in his marine uniform with the word “Uncle." 

“That is beautiful. If Konrad was here to see this, he would like it. Anyway, time for dinner.” Mia hung the picture up before she prepared dinner.

After Dinner, Apple Bloom was drawing another picture while Jacob and Mia cleaned the kitchen. Their hearts melted.

Apple Bloom was asleep on the floor, with another picture on the ground. On it were her family and her friends with the words “I miss you” above them. Mia also hung this picture up.

Jacob brought Apple Bloom into bed. He gave her a kiss in the forehead. “Sweet dreams, my dear daughter.”

“I enjoy every minute with her Jacob.” 

"So I do. Even if it’s just a day ago, I hope her family finds her soon.” 

“I am sure they will.”



This night, Apple Bloom had another nightmare. At first, she found herself in the guest bed. She heard Mia screaming. Apple Bloom ran in. She saw three men in uniform.

One man, which was the leader, was beating Mia with a stick. He wore a white uniform. The other two were wearing brown and red uniforms with blood red/orange goggles. “Stop hurting my mommy!” The white Soldier looked up. 

“No! Spare her! She didn’t do anything!” Mia pleaded.

The Soldier aimed his strange looking rifle at Apple Bloom. She screamed and tried to run. The Soldiers rifle made a charging up sound. A strange looking ball chased her. Despite her best attempts to flee, the ball reached her. Apple Bloom awoke in cold sweat, breathing heavily. Mia came in. “I heard you scream, are you all right?”

“Ah had a nightmare, mommy!” Mia responded by picking her up, rocking her and humming a lullaby. Apple Bloom fell asleep.

“Don’t worry Apple Bloom; no harm will come to you.”



In the morning, Mia woke up. Jacob had already left for work. He said something about guarding a dam.

Mia breakfasted. Apple Bloom walked in with a yawn. “Good morning, mommy!” 

“Morning sweetheart. Any nightmares?” 

“No, thanks to you!” 

She smiled. “I already made breakfast for you.”

Apple Bloom enjoyed it. After breakfast, she helped Mia to clean the house. As reward, Mia tickled her.

Apple Bloom was lying on the ground trying to catch her breath. An alert went off. Apple Bloom looked out of the window. “Seems like the citadel’s on full alert. I wonder why. I've never seen it lit up like that.” Mia saw how the citadel was changing her “state.”

Mia walked away, while Apple Bloom looked still out of the window, curious. A Breencast started. 

“We now have direct confirmation of a disruptor in our midst, one who has acquired an almost messianic reputation in the minds of certain citizens. His figure is synonymous with the darkest urges of instinct, ignorance and decay. Some of the worst excesses of the Black Mesa Incident have been laid directly at his feet. And yet unsophisticated minds continue to imbue him with romantic power, giving him such dangerous poetic labels as the One Free Man, the Opener of the Way.

Let me remind all citizens of the dangers of magical thinking. We have scarcely begun to climb from the dark pit of our species' evolution. Let us not slide backward into oblivion, just as we have finally begun to see the light. If you see this so-called Free Man, report him. Civic deeds do not go unrewarded. And contrariwise, complicity with his cause will not go unpunished.”

She heard a humming sound. A City scanner saw her. He clicked, taking a photographic image of Apple Bloom.

Ahh, mommy, Ah’m blind!” All she could see was white. Her vision returned. “That’s better.” An APC was stopping in front of the house. 

“Hide under the guest bed while I talk to the CP’s!” Mia looked worried at the CP’s that were about to enter the house.

One of them pounded at the Door. “Just a moment.” She opened the door. “Can I help you?” She asked innocent. 

“Citizen, move back right now.” Mia obeyed.

“Why are you here? I did nothing wrong.” A Metro cop searched the house. He found Apple Bloom cowering under the bed. She screamed in fear as the cop grabbed her.

“Mommy! Help me!” She struggled in the arms of the officer, crying. Mia was about to punch the leader of the Metro Cops, but he saw this and blocked it. Then he beat Mia with his Stun Baton.

Mia fell incapacitated to the ground, still aware. “Your Cooperation has been noted.”

“Mommy! No!” Apple Bloom screamed before the CP knocked her out with the Stick.

As they leaved, Mia cried. She tried to safe her, but the pain was too much. She could only watch. She wanted to be a mother, and failed.



Apple Bloom regained consciousness. She was now restrained in an APC. Suddenly, she heard a voice. “Doc! The teleporter! It’s malfunctioning again!” Then, she was teleported away.

She landed in water. She almost drowned as someone pulled her out of the water.

“You’re all right?” 

“Yes. You’re saved mah life!” She looked her savior in the eyes.

“Wait, Gordon?” 

“Apple Bloom?” Both were surprised to see each other.

> Chapter 3 Route Canal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Route Canal


“What are you doing here?” Gordon was confused. 

“It’s a long story. How about you? Jacob said he hadn’t seen you for years.” 

“It’s also a long story. Here, let me remove your cuffs.” Gordon used his crowbar after he brought Apple Bloom out of the water.

“Thanks.” Gordon helped her into a metal carrier crate. A citizen and a Vortigaunt were inside.

The citizen startled, “Good god! Guess those sirens are for you, huh? Good thing you found us. You're not the first to come through here by a---“ 

“This is the Freeman; the Combine's reckoning has come.” The voice of the Vortigaunt scared Apple Bloom cause of her experience with them in Black Mesa. The citizen noticed her.

“Don’t be scared, little one. He maybe looks scary, but he’s friendly.” As time was short, he didn’t care if she was real or not and turned to Gordon.

“Look, we’re just the lookout for the underground railroad. Main station is right around the corner. They’ll get you started on the right foot. Meanwhile, let my vortigaunt friend here give you a little jolt to get you going.” 

The vortigaunt charged Gordons suit to 60%. “Done.” 

“Be careful now.” The citizen looked outside. “We really can’t afford to get noticed. Civil Protection catches you down here, its bad news for the whole railroad.” 

“We serve the same mystery.” 

“Get outta here.” While Apple Bloom leaved with Gordon, a Female voice spoke,

“Attention, community. Unrest procedure code is now in effect. Inoculate, shield, pacify. Code: pressure, sword, sterilize."

“Any idea what’s that means?” 

“No idea, Apple Bloom.” They came to a wooden barrier. “Stay back, I don’t want that you get crushed.” Gordon destroyed the planks with his crowbar. The barrier fell down, but a small gap remained. Gordon crawled through followed by Apple Bloom.

“Attention protection team, status evasion in progress in this community. Respond, isolate, inquire."

Gordon stopped Apple Bloom with his left hand and pointed to something with his right hand. “A barnacle.” Apple Bloom had a flashback when she was almost eaten by one. A crow was caught by its tongue and eaten. Gordon used his USP Match to kill the barnacle. 

“Jacob and Mia saved me from getting eaten by one of those back in Black Mesa.” She trembled at the memory. 

“Still, Apple Bloom, I’m glad to hear that they and you made it out alive of Black Mesa.”

Gordon smiled and corrected his glasses. “We don’t… what are you… don’t shoot… what are you doing… please, don’t hurt me… please don’t shoot… Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” Several citizens begged panicked for mercy as an emplacement Gun manned by an officer executed them. Apple Bloom gasped in horror and shock.

“Who would do such a horrible thing?!” 

“CP’s with the permission to do it.”

“Hey, over here! Help!” a refugee called out to Gordon. He was killed by two CP’s. They fired at Gordon, but overlooked Apple Bloom. Still, a few bullets flew past her. She stayed in cover, letting Gordon do the work.

Peeking around the corner, he saw a Cop on the Gun and another next to him. Staying in cover, Gordon killed the gunner, then his buddy from the distance with the built-in zoom function. “Clear, you can come out now.”

Apple Bloom identified the dead bodies of the officers. “Jacob would never do such a horrible thing!” she cried out. 

“You’re mean, Jacob is a cop?” 

“Yeah, but only to feed and protect his wife. Ah just hope he wasn’t one of them.” 

“Apple Bloom, you saw that those officers shot on sight. As Jacob is a friend of mine, he would probably hesitate to shoot me. And I’m sure we will recognize him when we see him. I doubt that he will open fire when he sees you.”

“You have a point. Rumors say you’re a mute, is that correct?” she asked curious, fully recovered from her shock. 

Gordon chuckled, “To be honest no. I don’t talk much, only when I have to. ‘Cause of this, many people think that I am mute. I had a telephone conversation with Doctor Kleiner back in Black Mesa. If his pet Lamarr hadn’t interrupted the teleport, I hadn’t landed here. On the other hand, you would have drowned.” 

“Teleport?” Apple Bloom's ears picked up. “Some kind of teleport saved me from Civil Protection as they took me away from mommy, causing me to land into the water.”

“You’re very lucky. I am on my way to Black Mesa East, a resistance base. You’ll be safe there. And I promise I will protect you from all harm until we get there.”

“Okay, Ah just hope that mommy isn’t too worried about me.”

Gordon moved in first, killing a single CP. Apple Bloom noticed that his radio emitted a prolonged tone similar to that of a flat lining ECG, followed by the female voice declaring the unit down, along with his last known location and orders to nearby units to respond.

After this was done, Gordon took some ammo and Medkits. A radio message came through. “Station 12, come in. Station 12, do you read?”

“This is Station 8! We heard Station 12 go down and out. Surgical strike units are targeting railway stations. Repeat, Civil Protection is coming down on underground stations. We’re already getting refugees from 9 and outlying! Looks like we’re---“ 

Static then a, “Station 8, do you copy? Station 8, are you there? We have confirmed reports of manhacks! Repeat, they’re filling the underground with manhacks!”

“Looks like Civil Protection, is successful in taking the Stations down. Any Idea what a manhack is?” 

“No Idea Apple Bloom, but it doesn’t sound friendly. Let’s move.”

Climbing the ladder, more Metro Cops closed in with scanners. Gordon manned the Emplacement Gun while Apple Bloom stayed in cover covering her ears.

A squad of officers was on a wooden bridge. Gordon shot it, causing it to collapse and sending the officers to their death. Some others were stupid enough to use explosive barrels as cover. Gordon shot the barrels setting them on fire. The explosion killed the CP’s.

Guess the Hazard Course was a good Idea after all. Gordon thought after it was over. “Apple Bloom, it’s over.” She was still covering her ears. 

“It’s just, Ah’m not used to something horrible like this. My home is peaceful.” 

Gordon patted her. “I know this feeling. Before all this, I was a scientist with no combat experience at all. I had only cursory training at the Black Mesa Research Facility's Hazard Course. Aside from the butane-powered tennis ball cannon I constructed at age 6.” He smiled at the memory.

“I was trained in the use of the MP5 but had no combat experience at all back then. I only killed to defend myself; I don’t like this violence either. In Black Mesa, I had to fight creatures I never thought I would defeat. And still, I managed to do it.” 

“Guess we aren’t so different. Wait, do you hear that?” an APC was driving by. He fired rockets at Gordon. He quickly grabbed Apple Bloom to get her to the wall where the rockets couldn’t hit him or her. Setting a barrel on fire, to destroy a bridge for them to continue, they walked into the blocked canal.

"Protection team alert, evidence of anticivil activity in this community. Code: assemble, plan, contain."

Gordon killed two barnacles. “Attention, community. Unrest procedure code is now in effect. Inoculate, shield, pacify. Code: pressure, sword, sterilize."

Two APC’s were driving by on a bridge but didn’t notice the two.

“Over here!” a woman called out. She was hiding in a cement cylinder. Gordon knelled down to her. “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.” Apple Bloom had calmed down as she felt save in Gordon's arms. She knew he could trust him. The woman saw Apple Bloom but thought, “Must've been my imagination.”

"Individual, you are charged with socio-endangerment level one. Protection unit’s prosecution code: duty, sword, midnight."

In the sewer two CP’s were above them. “Anyone else picking up a 647-E reading?” 

“Check for miscount. Still getting that 647-E from local surveillance.” 

“Clear, no 647, 10-107.” Gordon managed to surprise them by killing one with a headshot. 

The other one fled while shouting, “We have a 10-108! Look out!”

The sewer next to them was filled with water. Apple Bloom had learned to swim but grabbed a wooden platform. The opening was blown up. Explosive barrels were thrown in. “Dive!” Gordon shouted. At the bottom of the water, they evaded the blast. It opened the gate. Gordon evaded bullets and grabbed Apple Bloom's hoof.

At the exit, Gordon told Apple Bloom to hide until he said it was clear. He fought several officers; some were next to explosive barrels.

"Individual, you are now charged with socio-endangerment level five, cease evasion immediately. Receive your verdict."

A squad was on a wooden bridge with explosive barrels under it. Gordon shot 2 bullets on one of them. The explosion destroyed the entire bridge, killing every officer.

After killing two more that jumped down into the canal, Apple Bloom came out of hiding. She was disgusted by the many dead bodies but also impressed that Gordon took care of them all.

After crawling through a small opening, Gordon saw 10 Barnacles. Apple Bloom slipped but Gordon grabbed her. She pointed to an explosive barrel.

“Are you thinking, what Ah am thinking?” Gordon just nodded. The explosive barrel took out all barnacles. Gordon carried Apple Bloom to the end of it. Again, he took care of all the CP’s. Then he helped Apple Bloom through the water.

“Ah have an idea!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. She used cinder blocks to build a teeter-totter. 

“Smart,” Gordon commented. Almost outside, they heard loud noise.

A Hunter-Chopper flew by but didn’t saw them.

However, he turned around as they moved on. The chopper fired at Gordon, ignoring the filly. As the pulse cannon, wasn’t very accurate, the chopper missed. They both ran to a blue door.

Gordon climbed a ladder down to get some supplies. Barnacles blocked their path. Lucky for them, two explosive barrels were near. Apple Bloom enjoyed it as she rolled one down. Gordon fired one shot at it to make it explode. Before the barnacles were dead, they all tried to fight for it.

Gordon lifted Apple Bloom up, as he tried not to slip into the next line of Barnacles. The Chopper waited for him but missed again.
Repeating the tactic, they got to a couple of stairs, were the chopper couldn’t follow them.

Letting Apple Bloom walk again, Gordon took the lead. Wood blocked the way, followed by explosive barrels. He detonated the barrels from a safe distance.

A barrier of wood blocked the way. Gordon took the pleasure to take it down with his trusty crowbar.

A citizen greeted them in the next room. “Get in there! Hurry!” he jumped down from a perch. “Civil Protection is on to us. We’re tearing up the railroad, covering our tracks. Looks like you're gonna be the last one through. Be glad you’re not the guy they’re looking for. Poor bastard doesn’t stand a chance. Sounds like they're calling every CP unit in City 17. They’re flooding areas up ahead with manhacks.” He looked through the door not noticing Apple Bloom at all.

“You’d better get going before they sweep through here.” On the other side was a high-pitched whirring sound. “Too late!” He grabbed a pipe.

4 manhacks crashed through the door. Gordon managed to hit one of them. The red lights went orange and with a high-pitched warning signal he attempted to crash into Gordon but he finished it off. The man destroyed the other two. The last one went flying right into Apple Bloom's right hind leg. Gordon destroyed it.

Tears leaved Apple Bloom's eyes as she cried in pain, holding her wound. The manhack had caused a deep cut. Gordon took a medkit and spoke to Apple Bloom in a calming tone, “Allow me to treat that injury.” As every other scientist in Black Mesa, he was trained in first aid. He injected the green liquid into Apple Bloom's wound. She squealed, but instantly was in a bliss of relief. The pain was gone. Her wound filled up with the green liquid that felt very pleasing. Then, Gordon placed a bandage around her leg. 

“Thanks doc. But now Ah would only slow you down.” Her ears lowered. 

“Not at all, Apple Bloom. I can still carry you.”

“That was a close call. Thanks for your help! Look, it isn't safe here, I'll give you some supplies to keep you going, then you really gotta go." He sat down. “Good luck you two.”

But after Gordon leaved with Apple Bloom they heard a scream. Gordon sprinted back. A manhack had killed the man, Gordon avenged his death.

Some manhacks tried to break through a door without success. Gordon smiled as they were no threat and destroyed them with a few shots from the pistol. A few more manhacks attacked him but hit an explosive barrel, resulting in destroying themselves.

Apple Bloom was glad to see light. Being careful of her wound, Gordon sat her down to secure the area.

After this was done, he picked her up again. After getting some supplies, they decided to rest a bit. As Gordon sat down Apple Bloom asked, “How old are you?”

“I don’t know.” 

“Ah mean, when we’re first meet in Black Mesa.” 

“Oh, I was 27 back then. Why are you asking?” 

“When Ah first saw Daddy again, he was older. You look like you haven’t aged a bit.”

“Well, after I destroyed the creature that kept the portal open, a man in a suit offered me a job. If I would refuse, he would put me into a fight where I had no chance of winning. He looked like a businessman.” Gordon checked his glasses. “I was put in stasis for who knows how long, and I suddenly am waking up on a train, almost to board the train to Nova Prospekt, whatever that is.”

“If Daddy wasn’t here when I came here, I had ended in Nova Prospekt as well. It was only 2 months since I returned home. Daddy told me that 20 years passed since Black Mesa. And that man you’re ‘working’ for, saved mah and Konrad’s live once and helped me to get home.”

“Interesting. When I was in stasis, I felt like I was sleeping.  How did you even show up in City 17?” 

“Ah was sleeping and woke up here.”

“Guess that Kleiner's teleporter caused somehow a Resonance Cascade, causing you to teleport to City 17 without noticing it. Barney said to me, that they were testing the teleporter with a cat and…it ended not well.” 

“This Kleiner is a friend of yours?” 

“Yes. He was the one who gave me the job at Black Mesa. His pet is a de-beaked headcrab named Lamarr. She has no teeth meaning she can’t control a horst. Or as Kleiner said to me: ’Never fear, Gordon, she’s de-beaked and completely harmless. The worst she might attempt is to couple with your head. Fruitlessly!”’

This reminded Apple Bloom when she was almost turned into a Zombie. “Ah also have a pet. A dog called Winona. Still, Ah can’t understand why your friend has a parasite as pet.” 

“Me either.” Then Gordon had an idea. "You wanna hear something funny?” 

“Yes.”

“I had a dream once where I was everyone’s problem solver. My answer: ‘See, this is why I’m such a good theoretical physicist. I solve problems that shouldn't even exist to begin with.’” At that point, Apple Bloom forgot the world around her. She fell on her back and laughed.

“This is a good joke! Ah need to remember this!” she said between laughs. 

“I know, Apple Bloom, that this is impossible.” Gordon smiled back.

“Daddy said once to me: ‘Sometimes, I dream about cheese.’" 

“Jacob has some strange dreams. Let’s go.”

He carried the filly to a large, u-shaped canal. Gordon sat Apple Bloom down, as a metro cop rappelled down. He was armed with an MP7. He saw only Gordon as threat. As the cop was near a barrel, Gordon detonated it killing the cop. Two other cops rappelled down from the other end.

They missed him as they fired from the hip. Gordon however fired from the shoulder as he took both down. He took their ammo and checked his new equipped weapon.

“MP7. 45 round magazine and a grenade launcher. Almost like the MP5 at Black Mesa.”

“Daddy told me, they use MP7’s in more critical circumstances.” Gordon picked her up.

“Well, it seems that CP’s are inexperienced in firefights against tougher, more competent opponents, since they fire from the hip. I wonder what kind of training they have. I am just a scientist and even I was trained to fire from the shoulder. As Jacob was trained like me, he will be probably the only metro cop in City 17 who will fire from the shoulder.”

Around the corner was large pool with a rusty turbine. “We have to swim again. I hope the bandage holds I gave you.”

He waited for the turbine to pass then made his way through an underwater passageway with Apple Bloom safe in his arms.
After swimming trough, protecting her from Cops and manhacks, Gordon had made it out of the canals. “What’s this?” Apple Bloom pointed to a green and yellow sludge.

“Radioactive waste. The smallest touch and you are dead; trust me, I had to avoid this before in the Lambda complex.” 

“This must be the next Station; why else would there be very thin wood boards to cross?” 

“A good theory.”

It was the next Station, confirmed by an armed citizen and supplies in the distance.

“Headcrabs!” He yelled and fired his MP7 at them. Apple Bloom began to tremble as she had deployed a fear of them but Gordon patted her to calm her down.

“Hey! You’re Freeman, aren’t you?” Gordon nodded at the citizen. “We got word you were coming. You got here at a bad time.”

The radio came to life. “Black Mesa East to Station 6. Do you read? Doctor Freeman is on his way down river. Lend him the airboat and give him all the help you can. Repeat, Gordon Freeman has returned! It is critical he reaches Black Mesa East."

Gordon took some ammo for his MP7 from a crate. “You’d better get going now. And watch her. Civil Protection is interested in her.” The man pointed at Apple Bloom while Gordon nodded.

At the end of the passageway a woman shouted “Incoming!” 

“They’re shelling us!”

A black artillery shell smashed into the ground, killing all rebels.

Headcrabs climbed out of the shell. “Keep them away from me!” Apple Bloom shouted in fear. 

Gordon sat her down. “Don’t worry, I got this.”

He killed one Headcrab with his pistol. The second tried to attack him but Gordon responded with a hit of his crowbar, killing the headcrab instantly.

A second shell smashed into the ground. Gordon killed all headcrabs with his pistol and crowbar. He returned to Apple Bloom. “I thought the manhacks were inhuman but this is crossing the line,” He commented.

Inside a small living enclosure, a headcrab attacked a man. He tried to get the headcrab off, smashing against a barrel. He lost consciousness and smashed through a table and laid dead on the floor as the headcrab humped his head.

“We must help him!” 

“Yes we have to.” Gordon putted a bullet into the headcrab, killing him and the man.

“No one deserves a fate like this. I am sorry, Apple Bloom. Trying to shoot the headcrab on a horst will kill both. When I saved you, I smashed the headcrab off with a strong whack of my crowbar.” 

“It’s okay Gordon, you did what you could.”

In the next section, they were ambushed by headcrabs that had buried themselves into the ground, but one hit from the crowbar was enough for them.

Another shell crashed into the ground. Gordon took care of them with the pistol. Two Zombies were on the ground. “Are they asleep?” 

“I think so.” With a growl the Zombies stood up but Gordon had a plan. He sat Apple Bloom down. “Watch this.”

As pistol ammo was low, he hit the Zombie with his crowbar and backed up to avoid their attack. After both Zombies were dead, they moved on. “Poor souls. They’re still alive calling out for help. Good that you saved me from this fate back in Black Mesa.”

Apple Bloom felt sorry for them. “I feel sorry for them every time I have to kill a Zombie.”

As they avoided an electrified wire, another Zombie ambushed them by smashing the wall. Gordon fell to the ground. Apple Bloom crawled backwards against the wall.

The Zombie however, was more focused on Gordon. Gordon used all his strength in a single punch of his crowbar. It removed the crab revealing that the host's head was bent abnormally upwards, his hair was matted with blood, and his face is pale, with his eyes shut and mouth open in a frozen scream.

Apple Bloom couldn’t hold it any longer. She threw up her breakfast. “Ah-Ah, just wanna go home.” 

“Apple Bloom, look at me,” She looked Gordon into his eyes. “I know how disgusting that is, but we have to move. Besides, when we have reached Black Mesa East, we can find a way to get you home.” He wished a tear out of her eye. 

“You’re right.”

Getting some pistol ammo and walking through an electrified container, two shells came down. Gordon used his sprint function to get past, ignoring the headcrabs.

Gordon did his best to not fall into the river of highly toxic, boiling acid. He would survive a fall in, but Apple Bloom would suffer a painful death.

They proceeded to the dock where the airboat was. A woman was filling it up.

The woman waved. “Hey, Dr. Freeman, I've been hoping you'd show up. Got this Airboat all gassed up and ready to go. It's gonna be tough dodging Civil Protection out there in the open, but drive hard and you'll make it. You'll find more help at Station 7, just up a few bends up the river. It's the old red barn. Climb on it, fire her up.”

“Gordon, how should Ah get in?” Gordon had no answer to Apple Bloom's question realizing that the boat had only one seat.

> Chapter 4 Water Hazard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: Water Hazard


The woman had an idea. “You could get on Gordon's lap thanks to your small size.” 

“This could work.” Apple Bloom let Gordon climb on first then she climbed on. It worked. She was comfortable in Gordon's lap.

The woman opened the gate. “You better get going now.”



Mia was on the couch. She was sad and depressed. Someone knocked gently on the door. “Come in.” 

Barney walked in. “Hello, Mia. I am sorry to hear that they took Apple Bloom.” Mia broke down. Barney hugged her and patted her back. 

“Thanks, I needed that.”

“That’s what friends are for. Listen, Apple Bloom appears to be safe and sound.” 

“Why?” “Doctor Kleiner's teleporter had a malfunction. According to the data he received, a small creature was teleported. It is most likely that it was Apple Bloom.”

This gave Mia hope. "Thank you for bringing this information.” 

“Nothing to thanks. I’ve gotta get back on my shift.” Then Barney leaved. Mia took a walk to feel better and to catch some fresh air.



Apple Bloom enjoyed the ride. The wind in her mane was wonderful.
She saw the barn in the distance “There’s Station 7! Reminds me of mah home.”

“You can wait here.” Gordon stopped the boat and turned the engine off. 

“If you don’t mind, Ah would come with you.” 

“You’re sure about your wound?” 

“Yes.” She was able to walk again. She heard moaning inside the barn and a disgusting smell. “Zombies.” 

“No problem.” Gordon killed them. They were the resistance members that manned the Station. A third dead rebel was next to the Radio.

Apple Bloom waited for Gordon as he got some supplies in the crane basket. “Station 7, come in! Station 7, do you read?” the radio buzzed then static.

As Gordon operated the crane, a Hunter-Chopper flew by. After he passed, they started the boat again.



Mia walked on a bridge as she heard something. She saw an Airboat. On it were Freeman and Apple Bloom. Mia wanted to call out for her but realized: the only way to get Apple Bloom back was to report Freeman to the next Civil Protection team. She knew it was wrong, but she had no other choice.



Apple Bloom dozed as Gordon raised a ramp to jump over a pile of rubble. Gordon let her sleep. She dreamed that she was in the Everfree Forest and a zombie pony got her.



However, she woke up by a noise. “What’s that noise?” She looked up.

A giant living creature was carrying a container. “Any idea what that is?” 

“Some kind of dropship I think.” Gordon was right as the ship landed. The container opened and Metro Cops jumped out.

They opened fire but missed. Along the way, Gordon evaded barnacles and rammed wooden structures where CP’s were standing on.
“Attention all ground protection teams, judgment waiver is now in effect. Capital prosecution is discretionary.”

The way was blocked by a closed floodgate. “You stay here, I handle this.” Apple Bloom obeyed. She heard how Gordon was fighting his way through. 

An officer shouted, “Wilson!” The gate opened and an alarm was sounded. A dropship brought in reinforcements but by the sounds, Apple Bloom knew that Gordon was successful.

“I hope I didn’t take too long.” Gordon joked as he came back. After the floodgate an APC fired rockets at the Airboat but Gordon dodged them as good as he could.

CP’s were rappelling down from bridges; some throw themselves in the path of the Airboat which was their death.

2 officers created a barrier of fire but overlooked a ramp. Gordon used it to jump over it.

Dodging another APC and officers, the Airboat was now in a tunnel save from them.

Gordon stopped to get some supplies as the rockets had drained his health to 30% and his suit to 0%. Apple Bloom was unharmed but was painting. “We made it.” She was out of breath. 

“I must admit you are  very brave for a filly of your age,” Gordon complimented her as his health was now at 90% and his suit at 30% after he found some supplies.

Exiting the tunnel, another floodgate was closed. A lone CP opened fire. Gordon shot him in the head with his pistol. “Wait here.” Apple Bloom watched how Gordon was battling his way through the warehouse.

A Hunter-Chopper arrived. He fired at Gordon but even that did not stop him as the Chopper flew back and forth to get a clear shot on Gordon. Suddenly the Chopper was attacked by a pulse turret on the control tower. The Chopper, now burning, flew off for repairs.
Gordon returned. The gate closed after they drove through. Another Chopper flew by.

He was dropping mines in front of the boat. Gordon evaded them. Failing that, the Chopper used his pulse cannon. He used this tactic until Gordon came to a warehouse with an elevator. The Chopper waited for Gordon to come out.

Gordon used the elevator after using a health and suit charger. He took some fall damage but told Apple Bloom that he was alright.
Now in the open again, Headcrab shells were used as conventional artillery to stop them. A shell destroyed a massive brick factory chimney. Apple Bloom screamed in fear that she would be crushed.

Gordon putted the boat to full speed. He made it. Another APC fired rockets at them before a tunnel. Gordon evaded all.

The Chopper wasn’t able to follow them. In safety Gordon stopped to raise a springboard with a counterweight. Apple Bloom took a deep breath. Her heart was racing from the adrenaline. She jumped into the air as a hand touched her back but calmed down as it was Gordon. “Ready?” 

“Ready.”

At another resistance base, Gordon was instructed about his next move. Apple Bloom watched curious, as the Vortigaunt, mounted a pulse cannon with his ‘magic’.

The Chopper intercepted them at the end of the tunnel. Gordon damaged it so heavy, that a warning sound could be heard while flying off.

More CP’s ambushed them but the pulse cannon took care of them all.

With the pulse cannon, Gordon was capable of destroying an APC and shooting down its rockets. He even managed to destroy the container of a dropship.

After fighting APC’s and CP’s, they reached the dam. An alarm sounded and a Hunter-Chopper took off. “Not again! Ah thought we lost him!” Apple Bloom complained.

Gordon evaded the pulse cannon and mines and fired when the Chopper could not shoot back. As a last resort, the Chopper released its entire payload of mines to kill them. The mines however were dropped in in large intervals, giving Gordon enough space to avoid them.

After a hard battle, the Chopper crashed in flames into the water. “We did it! Finally!” Apple Bloom cheered. 

“Indeed. And we’re almost at Black Mesa East.”

At a warehouse, Gordon defeated two officers. Inside were another 2. Gordon killed one. The other one went to cover behind a turned table. Apple Bloom noticed that he fired from the shoulder. “11-99! Officer needs assistance!” He shouted in his Radio.

Apple Bloom knew instantly from this action and voice who that officer was. “Gordon, wait!” Gordon did not listen and threw a grenade.

“Crap!” the officer shouted before it exploded.

He was thrown by the blast into an interface. It had a short circuit, electrifying him.

“Daddy! No!” Apple Bloom shouted and ran to him as his radio emitted the flat lining tone. She cried, “You killed him!” Gordon felt sorry and guilty.

“Apple Bloom?” the officer asked weakened. 

“Daddy? You’re alive!” she hugged him. “Yeah, the electric shock wasn’t fatal. It only destroyed my radio.” Gordon helped him up.

“Sorry about that.” 

“None taken. How did you get here, Apple Bloom?” 

“Long story short, your colleagues tried to take me away; Gordon saved me and took me with him.” 

“Okay, I come with you. Where are you heading?” He used a health charger.

“Black Mesa East Jacob. It’s not far from here.” 

“But the boat has only one seat.”

> Chapter 5 Black Mesa East
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: Black Mesa East


“No problem.” Jacob grabbed the site of the boat, standing on it like a surfer.
On the way, they talked about the years and how Gordon landed here. A beautiful sunset ruled the sky.

“A base disguised as a generator station. Brilliant.” Jacob commented. They entered the entrance. The large blast doors slowly slammed behind them. Lights flashed on. Two cameras popped out of the wall above a slit-shaped window in the wall and beeped at their presence.

We’ve got something,” a female voice buzzed on the intercom. “Ok. It-it’s human. Actually, I am seeing three contacts.” The voice seemed unsure. “Hello? Take it easy in there, you’re safe now.” The steel plate covering the window slid open, revealing a woman and the control man. “Look, you’ll have to forgive the scanning process- we can’t take any chances.

Dr. Freeman? Gordon Freeman? Is this you? You’ve made it this quickly? Well, Eli is going to be amazed, not to mention relieved.” A red laser slowly proceeded up and down. Apple Bloom became uneasy. Mossman noticed her. “You’re Apple Bloom and Jacob right? Barney told us about you.

Gordon, I’m Dr. Mossman. Dr. Judith Mossman. I’ve been hearing about you since long before the Black Mesa incident. Ah, Black Mesa I do so envy, you working with Eli and Dr. Kleiner when they were at the top of their field. There we go. You can come through now.” The scanners stopped, and the blast doors creaked, and slid open.

Mossman steeped out. “I’ll take you three down to Eli right away. He would never forgive me if I kept you waiting.” Mossman chuckled, leading Gordon Jacob and Apple Bloom down the corridor of the base. She stopped to enter a passcode on another blast door. “We can certainly use the extra help around here. We’ve covered a lot of ground in the last few months, but things would go much faster if we had more people with your training.” She chuckled.

“What about us?” Jacob asked. 

“We could use another spy in Civil Protection like Barney already is. Apple Bloom can stay here. We will contact Barney so he can inform your wife that you two are safe. Now where was I?” She thought.

“Oh yes. We're closing in on a reliable local teleport technology, something the Combine still hasn’t mastered. Eli thinks their models are string-based, similar to our Calabi-Yau model, but they failed to factor in dark energy equations. They can tunnel through from their universe, but once they're here they're dependent on local transportation. If they knew what we were doing with entanglement-” She walked into the elevator and chuckled. “Oh, listen to me, I sound like a post-doc. I’m just so excited we’ll finally have the chance to work together. Where was I?”

“Somewhere what only scientists can understand?” Jacob joked.

Mossman ignored his comment. “Doctor Kleiner compressed the Xen Relay far beyond anything he imagined at Black Mesa. We've figured out how to use Xen as an unexpressed axis, effectively a dimensional slingshot, so we can swing around the border world and come back local space without having to pass through. Oh, there’s Eli now!” The elevator dinged and came to a stop at the laboratory floor.

“All right, good, you keep right on it,” Eli said to a Vortigaunt. 

“Eli. Look who I found in the airlock.” 

“Gordon Freeman! Let me get a look at you man! My god you haven’t changed one iota! How do you do it? Now let’s see, the last time I saw you, I sent you up for help after the resonance cascade. Heh, I never thought it would take you this long for you to get back to me!” Eli chuckled. “Welcome to the lab anyway. It’s not Black Mesa, but it served us well enough.”

“It’s going to be a lot more like Black Mesa with Gordon here to help.” Mossman smiled.

“Right you are. M.I.T Graduates are far and few between these days. We’ll get you out of that Hazard Suit and back into your lab coat, where you belong.”

“Let me just finish up some work, I’ll see what I can dig up.” Mossman walked to the elevator and turned, “Doctor Freeman, It’s been a real honor. I’m looking forward to working together.”

“Gordon, I didn’t know that you would bring company. How are you, little one?” He smiled at Apple Bloom. 

“Ah’m Apple Bloom, nice to meet you sir.” She held out her hoof.

“Eli is just fine. Barney told us already about you. I promise we will find a way to bring you home to your family.” He looked at Jacob.
“Jacob, you’re still looking good for your age. How’s your wife?” 

“Good”.

“You took care of her?”

“Yes like a father. I am already like a father for her, right?” he smiled at her. 

“Yes, sir!” she saluted happy. 

“Why did you join Civil Protection?” 

“Was the closest job to a security guard I could find. And my wife was feed and safe from trouble. But I am not like the other officers.”

“Well, feel free to look around.” Apple Bloom took notice of a strange head-shaped object held in a container.

“We’re still not sure what that does. Alyx brings in the strangest things,” Eli explained. Jacob saw a picture of a family in the corner of the room; he walked up and examined it. “You remember my wife Azian, don’t you? That picture and Alyx were all I managed to carry out of Black Mesa,” he said sorrowfully. “But at least, your wife and Apple Bloom made it out of there alive.”

“If Gordon and a marine named Konrad had not helped us, nobody had survived.” 

Gordon read some newspapers on the wall. “Dr. Breen…” Eli said with hate. “He’s the Administrator of this whole vile business now. He ended the Seven Hours War by managing Earth’s surrender. The Combine rewarded him with power.”

At first, Gordon couldn’t believe what Apple Bloom told him, but this confirmed it.

The sliding doors on the far side of the room slid open. Alyx stepped in the room and instantly locked eyes with Gordon. “Ah, Gordon! The vortigaunts said you were here! I can’t believe you made it so quickly on foot.”

“I believe he broke your record honey.” Eli chuckled.

“Well, he earned it. Agh! What does a CP here?!” She pointed her custom made gun at Jacob.

“Whoa, Alyx! Let’s calm down, that’s Jacob a former Black Mesa security guard. He’s a CP but a friend.” Alyx calmed down as she spotted Apple Bloom.

“You’re much cuter than Barney described!” She scooped the filly in her arms for a tight hug.

Apple Bloom blushed. “Thank you for the compliment Alyx. Mah name is Apple Bloom.” 

Alyx sat her down and rubbed her mane. “I hope you enjoy your stay. And you too Jacob.” She holstered her gun. 

“We will.”

“Alyx,” Mossman said, walking out from her office, “I thought you were on watch.”

“The vortigaunts relieved me so I could come see Gordon. Anyway I should be in here working on the portal.” Alyx replied, annoyed.

“I have the repairs well in hand. Someone misjudged the capacity of the combine thyristor.”

Are you blaming me?”

“No, not at all! It was a calculation error, not a mechanical problem.”

“Then maybe you should let me do the calculations next time, as well as the installing.”

“Alyx, really. Sometimes I think you deliberately misunderstand me.”

Apple Bloom giggled. That reminded her when Applejack was complaining about Big Mac’s fancy mathematics.

“Ahem. Alyx, why don’t you take Gordon and his friends to check out the gravity gun.” Eli smiled warmly at Apple Bloom.

“Sure… Come on, Gordon, let’s go have some fun.”

“The zero point field energy manipulator is not a toy, Alyx!” Mossman scolded.

“Let’s get out of here.”
Alyx opened up a door with keypad and leaded down a hallway.

“So I see you’ve met Dr. Mossman, she is one of the main reasons I spend so much time outside. You should hear her drone on about how it should have been her in the Black Mesa test chamber that day. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t be talking behind her back. It just gets a bit claustrophobic down here.”

She pointed to a long, narrow hallway. The lights flickered and a rusty gate blocked the way.

“That’s the old passage to Ravenholm. We don’t go there anymore.” 

“What happened there?” Apple Bloom was curious. Jacob knew what happened there.

“We used to be able to go right up there to Ravenholm. It was an old mining town inhabited by some escapees from City 17. Believe me; Apple Bloom, that tunnel is sealed for a reason. Come on.” She had a hint of fear in her voice.

Apple Bloom had also little bit fear after Alyx said this.

She showed them through another airlock into an area outside. Tires, boxes, and rusted barrels littered the area. The dust was freshly settled on the ground, but lifted into the air as they walked. It was night.

“So here we are the scrapyard. This is the gravity gun my father was talking about. You can call it the ‘Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator’ if you really want to.”

She opened up a glass case and handed the device to Gordon. The grip was metallic but the front glowed orange. It was heavy for Alyx, but the suit made it easy for Gordon to carry it. “It’s designed for handling hazardous materials, but we mainly use it for heavy lifting. Give it a try. The primary trigger emits a charge; you can punt stuff and send it flying. I found it handy for clearing minefields. The secondary trigger lets you grab things; you can send them flying with the primary. Once you have picked something up, you can drop it gently by pressing your secondary trigger again. Pick up some stuff and toss it.”

Gordon tried it out. He, Jacob and Apple Bloom were fascinated.

“You can also pull stuff over from a distance. Try grabbing those barrels from that ledge up there.” Gordon grabbed the barrels to get up to the ledge. He found an old HEV-Charger.

“All right.” Alyx jumped up onto a platform. “See if you can stack some stuff to climb up here. “ Gordon stacked some boxes to get up. Jacob followed and helped Apple Bloom up. “All right.”

Alyx led them to a large, open area. The ceiling exposed to the blank, gray sky. There was a sign. “Beware of Dog.”

“Now let me call Dog. He loves to play fetch.” 

“Ah also have a dog, called Winona.” 

Alyx smiled. “Now my dog isn’t a normal dog. Dog, come!”

A large robot came out tumbling of a shack on the opposite side of the junkyard.

Alyx patted him. “Good doggie. This is Dog. My Dad built him to protect me when I was a kid. First model way about yay-high,” she said, holding out a hand just above waist height. “I’ve been adding to him ever since. Haven’t I, boy? Ok Dog let’s play catch with Gordon. You’ll need to use the gravity gun.”

Before Dog played with Gordon, he hugged Apple Bloom tightly. “Ah like you too, Dog.” Jacob chuckled. Dog looked suspiciously at Jacob. "He's a friend, Dog." Dog obeyed Alyx.

“Go ahead, Dog, throw!” Alyx watched with Jacob and Apple Bloom how Gordon and Dog played. Gordon caught every box Dog threw at him. “Dog, go get your ball.”

Dog removed a rock from a round crate. Alyx laughed as it started to move.

Under it was a disarmed roller mine. It rolled harmlessly into Apple Bloom, then into Gordon. He threw it a few times to Dog. “Okay Gordon, let’s try something else. Dog, throw something else.”

Dog checked the dumpster and grabbed it. “No, Dog! No! No, boy! Put that down!”

Dog drooped it to look alarmingly to the sky.

“What is it, Dog?” The ground shook by an explosion. “Oh my god! What was that?” Headcrab shells smashed into the ground and City scanners could be seen.

“Scanners! The Combine’s sweeping the area! We’ve gotta head back to the lab. Come on!”

They ran out and back into the airlock. Alyx ran to the terminal to call Eli.

“Dad, it’s Alyx, do you read?” 

“Alyx, honey…” 

“What’s going on in there?” 

“Where are you, Alyx?” 

“We’re in the scrapyard airlock stuck in a full autocycle.” 

“Is Gordon still with you?” 

“He’s right here.” 

“Good. I want you four to…” The power shut off for a moment, before red emergency lights kicked on.

“Dad?” The screen turned on again. 

“Take Gordon out of there! Head for the coast! Do not go through Rav---“ The monitor cut off.

“Dad? Dad! Damn it! Dog, open the airlock. Get us out of here. Hurry! Now!” Dog began pulling the doors apart. “Tear it apart if you have to! Just get it open! That's enough, Dog.” They kneeled down and crawled through the opening.

An Alarm sounded while they were running. The ceiling caved in between them and Alyx, blocking the way out. She peeked through the only crack in the rubble.

“You need to get out of here. I can’t leave my father. Dog, take them to the Ravenholm tunnel, then circle around and try to meet up with me. Hurry!”

Apple Bloom gulped as they entered the tunnel. “Daddy, Ah'm scared.” 

Jacob checked his weapons. “Don’t worry, we protect you. Gordon, I think this is the perfect opportunity to test the gun in combat. I still have plenty of ammo for my MP7 and my USP Match, but ammo should be rare in this Ghost Town.”

Gordon nodded before saying, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

> Chapter 6 We Don't Go To Ravenholm...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6: "We Don't Go To Ravenholm..."


As they entered Ravenholm, Gordon asked, “Do you know anything about this place?” 

Jacob sighed. “Yes. Ravenholm remained under the radar for some time. But eventually it was discovered by the Combine. They destroyed the town with a massive Headcrab Shell bombardment, causing the town to become completely overrun with Headcrabs and Zombies. I can’t remember when it happened, but it was years ago before you two arrived in City 17.”

Apple Bloom trembled in fear. “Those poor people.” She looked at the sign on the ground.
A Zombie awoke. Gordon, throw an explosive barrel at him. He entered a house filled with saw-blades and propane cylinders. The saws were very useful against Zombies.

Jacob and Apple Bloom followed him. She felt sorry for the victims, Zombies and citizens killed by the shells alike.

Gordon took the lead, flashlight on, saw in midair with the gravity gun. They came to an activated Propeller trap.
“For it was said, they had become like those peculiar demons, which dwell in matter but in whom no light may be found.”

A man could be heard. “It seems that there is a survivor somewhere.” Jacob suspected. Two Zombies were killed by the trap.

Crawling through, Apple Bloom could hear voices, screams, breathing, and crying of the deceased residents. What disturbed her even more, was that a child among the voices. She sobbed and breathed scared. She was startled by a Zombie moan in the distance. Jacob noticed this. “Shh, Apple Bloom, I am here for you.” He took her in his arm. 

“Ah… Ah just want to get out of this place.”

Gordon switched another trap on. “For the days of my life have vanished like smoke, and my bones are parched like ash, and let all my impurities be as fuel for that fire until nothing remains but the Light alone.” Headcrabs and Zombies died as they touched the trap.
After activating another trap, they came to a barren street with a large pile of ashes and large metal poles with bodies stabbed through from the top. Apple Bloom threw up and looked away.

Burning Zombies approached them but a man on a platform took care of them while laughing insane. “But who is this? Another life to save? I’ll keep my eye on you. More than that, I cannot promise.”

Two Zombies broke through a door. Jacob backed away while firing, killing one. Gordon killed the other with a saw.

Inside the house where the Zombies came out were supplies and a trapped Zombie. Gordon turned a while Propane tank on and used a red switch. The Zombie raised his arms as he burned.

Turning off a second Propane trap, a group of Zombies surprised them at an electric trap, with a burned corpse stuck to it. Gordon retreated with Jacob to the Propane trap to activate it again. “There must be a switch to deactivate the electric trap.”

Gordon walked into the building, where the piles of ashes were. Inside, he fought more Zombies. He heard a strange noise. A thick black headcrab attacked him.

“Warning! Blood-toxin levels detected!” Gordon felt much better, after Morphine was administrated. “You better keep that mask on. Those black Headcrabs are venomous.” 

“I won’t take it off.”

Gordon turned the trap off. The rooftops were free from Zombies and Headcrabs. Again, there was insane laugher. “Well done, brothers and sister! Make free use of my traps, but take care not to fall in them yourselves. Look out, brother! Behind you!”

The man shot a Headcrab that was about to attack Jacob. “In Ravenholm, you do well to be vigilant.”

Jacob inspected the Headcrab. It had thinner legs. “This is also the fast variant of the Headcrabs. Good that we had only normal Headcrabs to fight in Black Mesa.”

Moving into the street where a car trap was, Gordon waited until the Zombies were under the shadow of the car then activated it. The result was… crushing.

One trap was used as elevator to get on the rooftops again. “Better and better! I am Father Grigori! You have already met my *laughs* congregation.” He laughed in a crazy manner.

In a house, Apple Bloom was almost hit by a bullet. “Ah, it is you, sister! I apologize! But no harm done. My bullets are the least of your concerns.” He laughed while leaving. Jacob shot two Poison Headcrabs. For a Ghost Town, ammo for the MP7 was plentiful.
Father Grigori threw a Zombie out of the window. “Although they call me crazy I care not, for thou art my helper, my strength, and my saviour.”

On the street, Apple Bloom was startled by howling. Gordon saw some Zombies in the distance. One of them attacked him with a scream. Gordon fired his MP7 at the Zombie, killing him. The Zombie was stripped completely of his skin and most of his internal organs; bones and muscle tissue were clearly visible throughout the host's body. The Headcrab was shot off. The face was a bald, flayed skull with empty eye sockets, frozen in mid-scream.

“Frightening. This must be the Zombie version of a Fast Headcrab.” 

“Agreed.” Jacob comforted Apple Bloom.

On a roof, they met Father Grigori again. “Here, brother! Come closer.” Gordon obeyed. “You’re stirred up Hell! A man after my own heart!” He laughed. “Here, I have a more suitable gun for you. You’ll need it. Catch!” Father Grigori threw a shotgun to Gordon.

“Good. Now keep it close. My advice to you is…aim for the head! Hush! They come!” There is no rest in Ravenholm. Move on and I will meet you at the church!”

A Fast Zombie jumped on the roof. Gordon killed it in midair.
At an elevator, more Fast Zombies attacked. The shotgun took care of them with ease.

Outside was a bloated, reddish purple Zombie controlled by a Poison Headcrab. He had additional Poison Headcrabs on his back. He had a stooped posture and shuffling gait and emitted loud, strangulated breathing and muffled groans.

He threw a Headcrab at Apple Bloom but Jacob used his Stun Stick to kill it in midair. It was an instant kill, equal to Gordons crowbar.
They killed the Zombie with their combined firepower of shotgun and MP7.

The Poison Zombie emitted loud, whale-like howls as he took damage. It let out a laugh after dying, as if was relieved to finally die. “That was close. I don’t want that you get poisoned, Apple Bloom.” She just trembled in fear.

Gordon used a Propeller trap as normal Zombies, a Poison Zombie and a fast Zombie came. The trap broke. As the situation was bad, Gordon used an explosive barrel to kill the Poison Zombie before it could do any damage, while Jacob eliminated the Fast Zombies. With the gravity gun, the fallen blade was used against the normal Zombies.

However, a Poison Headcrab survived. He bite Apple Bloom's wound from behind. Jacob killed it. “I don’t feel so well. So…tired…” Apple Bloom felt dizzy. 

“No, stay with me! Jacob panicked.

Gordon found a medkit. The antidote defeated the neurotoxin in her bloodstream. 
“Much better.”

On a roof, Father Grigori helped them against a pack of Fast Zombies. “How came you here, brothers and sister? This is the wrong side of Town for you! Did I not tell you to seek the church? Mend your ways, before it is too late!”

They fought their way to the church through all kind of Headcrabs and Zombies.

“Ah, there you are! At last! I will send the cart for you, brothers and sister. It will be but a moment. Patience, brothers and sister! Guard yourselves well!”

The howling of Fast Zombies could be heard in the distance. Jacob sat Apple Bloom down. He covered the right gutter, Gordon the other. As the Zombies were only one at a time, it was easy.

The cart arrived. “Now, brothers and sister! Step into the cart! The hand-brake brother! Release it and come down!” Said and done.

“Greetings, brothers and sister! And so we meet at last. You are to be commended for avoiding my traps. The work of a man who once had too much time on his hands, and now finds time for nothing but the work of salvation. I suspect you have little wish to remain on Ravenholm, so I will show you to the mines. As for me… A shepherd must tend to his flock, especially when they have grown…unruly. Follow me. And tread lightly. For this is hallowed ground.” 

“We will Father Grigori”. Jacob had respect of the church.

Following the priest to the mines, a pack of Fast Zombies attacked. “I will end your torment!”

In the graveyard, Apple Bloom closed her eyes and covered her ears as multiple howls of Poison Zombies could be heard. “Aim for the head!” Grigori fired at incoming Standard Zombies. Gordon supported him with saws.

A Zombie was cut in half but survived. Jacob finished it off with a kick to the head. “I still remember your true face!”
By this comment, Jacob and Gordon knew that Grigori missed the human inhabitation of Ravenholm.

Jacob tripped. Apple Bloom crawled backwards from a Zombie. However, Grigori killed him before he could harm her. “You meant no harm.”
He opened a gate for them. “Hurry while I hold the gate!” They walked through the gate.

“Farewell, Brothers and Sister! I fear I deliver you to a darker place. May the Light of Lights illuminate your path. Look to your own salvation!” He laughed in a crazed manner while fighting Zombies.

The small group fought their way through the mines. Apple Bloom was glad to see light. “Finally, we’re out of this dark place!” 

“I need to rest a bit.” Jacob sat with Apple Bloom down. He took his mask off. “I never thought we would survive this.” He hugged Apple Bloom as Gordon killed a Fast Zombie. 

“Me too, Daddy! But Ah survived thanks to you!” Gordon smiled. The trip through Ravenholm took all his suit power but his health was at 100% thanks to the many Medkits in the Town.

“Looks like we’re at the docks of Ravenholm. Let’s move.” He reloaded his shotgun.

A blue Laser pointer was aimed at Zombies. He even shot a bird. Gordon threw a grenade in the window where the shooter was. “Shit!” The Sniper was thrown out of his nest.

He wore a similar uniform as Jacob. He wore however a blue and grey camo body armor over his mid-sections with padding on his arms, thighs, and groin. His mask had blue googles. “This is the Overwatch Soldier, the basic transhuman infantry units of the Combine Overwatch, composing the backbone of the Combine's military presence on Earth as far as I know. Never thought, that the Snipers would take the doctrine ‘shoot anything that moves’ quite literally,” Jacob explained.

Gordon scouted ahead to take out another Sniper. Up ahead, Soldiers were fighting stray Zombies that came out of Ravenholm. They defeated the Zombies but were weakened by them.

Gordon killed them. He picked up a rifle. His HUD showed that it was an “Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifle." His suit allowed him to use it with only one hand. “Oh nice.”

One Soldier was wearing a brown and red uniform and battle armor. His helmet was slightly darker than the average Overwatch Soldier, and had blood red/orange goggles. He also had an insignia on a red shoulder pad. It displayed a cracked human skull within a straightened up standard Combine “claw” symbol and City 17.

“The Shotgun Soldiers appear to be the squad leaders of the normal Soldiers,” Jacob suspected. 

Apple Bloom trembled in his arm. “Ah had a nightmare about those guys.”

“Shh, no tears, we will protect you.” Jacob patted her.

At a warehouse, they encountered a squad of Soldiers. They saw only Gordon as enemy which was logical, as they thought that Jacob was chasing him, overlooking that a CP wasn't supposed to be here.

Gordon noticed that the squad leader was charging at him, regardless that this was dangerous. The only Soldier left shouted, “Outbreak! Outbreak! Outbreak!” before he was killed by Gordon. 

“This means that he was the last member alive in the squad. I was also taught this in training,” Jacob explained as Gordon smiled at the automatic mechanism that reloaded his rifle. 

“I think I will call it AR2.”

The Shotgun was apart from the crowbar, his favorite weapon, but the MP5 back in Black Mesa was a good-all-around weapon with the grenade launcher.

Even 20 years later, he liked to use the MP7 and Shotgun but this new rifle was very powerful.

In the warehouse, shots could be heard. Gordon entered it. Soldiers were fighting rebels. Gordon killed all Soldiers as they were distracted by the rebels. As the AR2 could only hold three magazines; it was the best weapon against Soldiers, as ammunition was plentiful, as Overwatch Soldiers used this rifle.

Jacob took the MP7 ammo from the Soldiers that used the MP7.

“Who’s hurt?” 

“Winston’s been hit.” He moaned in pain. 

“Patch him up and get him to the back as soon as he’s stable.” The leader turned to Freeman.
“Gordon Freeman! It’s incredible you made it! We’ve been getting communications from Alyx. I’ll see if I can reach her again.” He was so excited that he didn’t noticed Jacob and Apple Bloom at first.

“Follow me.” He knocked on a door. “It’s Leon. It’s all clear. And I’ve got Gordon Freeman and his two friends!” The door opened. 

“Dr. Freeman? You’re kidding. I’ve been on the line with Alyx. Her father’s been captured.” A nurse reported. “Over here.”

“The Eli Vance is indispensable to the liberation,” A Vortigaunt said to Freeman.

Leon used a radio with a small TV. “Alyx, its Leon, and I’ve got Gordon Freeman and his friends with me.” 

“Gordon, you made it through Ravenholm? Thank God! I need your help! They’re taken my father! He’s been taken to Nova Prospekt. The vortigaunts tracked the ship that made off with him and Judith Mossman. While the trains are still running, I’m going to hitch a ride. Here’s where you come in, Gordon. I need you to make your way along the coast until you get to Nova Prospekt. It used to be a high security prison-it’s something much worse than that now. But I think it’s still easier to sneak in than to break out.”

“You want him to take the coast road? He won’t last five minutes on foot. It’s spawning season for the antlions.” 

“That’s why I called you, Leon. I was hoping you still had the scout car we left with you last summer. The one my Dad rigged with the tau cannon.” 

“Yeah! Good idea! Hold on a sec.” Leon changed the channel.
“Noriko, bring the buggy out, put it on the dock right now. Gordon Freeman will be driving it!” 

“Will do! I just finished mounting an ammo crate on the back.”

“Good timing. Okay, Alyx, we’re all set.” 

“Thanks, Leon. Gordon, I haven’t driven the coast road in over a year, but I have no reason to think it’s gotten any safer. Meet me in the depot where the trains unload. Take care of yourself and I’ll see you in Nova Prospekt. And Leon, take care of Apple Bloom and Jacob. Bye.”

“Bye, Alyx.”
He turned to Gordon. “Okay, Doc, before you hit the road, you might want to grab some medkits, restock on ammo, maybe check the map and see where you’re headed. There’s an ammo supply crate on the back of the car, if that’s any comfort.”

He opened a door for him. 

“Stay with the car, make use of the thumpers, and you’ll stand a fair chance against the antlions. I’ll radio ahead and let the next base know you’re coming.” Gordon looked at a map. “That map is out of date, but you can still see more or less the route to Nova Prospekt. Can't vouch for the road, though. We've lost touch with some of the outposts,” Leon explained.

Gordon left. “I’ll take you to the crew quarters. Follow me. It’s really incredible that you’re really made it.” Leon leaded them upstairs. 

“Ah am just glad that we’re out of Ravenholm.” Apple Bloom was still a little bit in shock.

The crew quarters were empty. Jacob sat Apple Bloom on a mattress. “We should rest. This was an exhausting day.” Jacob took his mask off for sleep.

“Right Daddy, Ah need some sleep.” She snuggled herself in Jacobs arms and chest, drifting off to sleep with a sigh. Jacob heart melted.

“Goodnight.” He whispered in her ear.



Apple Bloom dreamed that she was in a tram.

“Please keep your limbs inside the train at all times. Fasten your seatbelts, and do not feed the rabid monkey.” The intercom spoke. 

“What?” 

“Do not attempt to open the doors until the train has come to a complete halt at the station platform.” 

“Must've been mah imagination...” 

“Failure to comply may result in limb loss...” 

“Huh?” 

“...termination of your pass for the transit system...” 

“Ugh...” 

“...and a one-way ticket to the principal's office.” 

“Principal's office? What?” 

“In the event of an emergency, ignore it, and it will pass.” 

“What the HAY?” 

“Passengers are to remain seated and await further instructions should the emergency continue.” 

Apple Bloom cleared her throat “Ugh...” 

“If it is necessary to exit the train, each man for himself...” 

“What the h...?!” 

“...and the disabled personnel may wait behind and pray for a miracle.” 

“SON OF A DODO!” Apple Bloom could not believe what she just heard.

She looked out of the window. In the Distance she could see how Gordon was fighting Soldiers. “Okay suppressive fire in, suppressive fire out, do the hokey pokey, and that's what it's all about!” He complained stressed. She couldn’t help but giggle.
But the helicopter that Gordon shot down made a strange sound. It was like the sound of Artillery. Then a loud bang.

She woke up. “Combine Soldiers! Run for your life!” a Rebel shouted. The Combine attacked again, this time with a bigger force. Jacob was knocked out.

Leon ran in. “Follow me, quick! He shouted as a grenade was thrown in. 

Apple Bloom's eyes began to tear. “Mah eyes!” 

“Tear gas!” He grabbed her to bring her out of the room.

At a door that leaded to the upper section of the warehouse he said, “Head to the roof!” He held the door to prevent the Soldiers from entering. Apple Bloom ran for her life and hides herself in a small box room.

The Soldiers broke through, killing Leon. But he managed to hurt a Shotgun Soldier. He was hit in the head but still able to fight.
Still, the Soldier had a flashback of his life before he was a member of Overwatch. He was defending himself, until he had to surrender as he was surrounded. Then, he was brought into a room where he was transformed into a squad leader, because the Combine realized how versatile of a fighter he was.
Still he had a mission to do. Instead of a SPAS-12, he used an AR2, as he preferred Rifles, which was a leftover of his old personality. He gave his Soldiers a sign to move forward.

Apple Bloom was cowering in fear, tears leaving her eyes. “There’s no point in hiding! You have no chance of escape! You’re surrounded! Get out of there!” An Overwatch Soldier kicked the door open and aimed at her.

“Ah surrender, don’t shoot! Please!” She begged for her life.

“Freeze! Get on the ground, do it now!” He screamed. She obeyed. 

“Overwatch, mission was a success.” 

“Copy that, Squad leader 1821225. Get the prisoner for questioning to the Citadel. And bring the officer for medical attention to the hospital.”

“Copy that.”

Apple Bloom was restrained and brought into a Dropship, off to the Citadel.

Strange. Why have I the feeling that she is familiar to me? He thought as she was brought away.

> Chapter 7 Protector
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7: Protector


Apple Bloom was set into a cell. She was scared as the cell moved. During the ride, she saw humans that were altered. The limb extremities (hands and lower legs) were removed and replaced with bolted-on metallic augmentations, which resulted in a slow, zombie-like gait. The bodies were extremely atrophied and skeletal, with very little muscle or fat tissue remaining. Their facial features have been replaced by a metal plate; their "eyes" are mere pinholes. They were monitored by Soldiers.

Still, she was amazed at the site of the citadel. On the ground were three-legged giant spiders walking by. They were brown. During the entire ride, screams could be heard. It sounded like a human was altered.
On an upper level, organic ships were on the walls, being serviced by the altered humans. A train was driving by. 

Going up again, one of those humans was passing by in a pod. He screamed at her.
She lowered her ears to stop the screaming but to no avail. After going upwards again, she saw crabs with spiked protrusions and various mechanical systems on its front and rear and strange looking triangular creatures on a conveyor belt. These were probably the units of the Combine used in the war before they were replaced by the Soldiers. She thought.

Organic ships were leaving through a window. Out of the window was a perfect view of City 17.
The pod moved to an elevator. The pod moved to a room that looked like an office.
The door was guarded by two Soldiers in white with a single red ocular lens.

The Door opened. A man walked out. It was Wallace Breen. “Well, if it isn’t Apple Bloom, at last. Come in, we have a matter to discuss.” Apple Bloom whimpered in fear as the pod moved in.

Brenn sat down in his chair. “Please, don’t hurt me.” 

“Why should I? I just want to talk.”

“How do you know mah name?” Apple Bloom was scared. 

“Through Dr. Mossman. She told me everything she knows about you.”

“Ah want mah mommy!” Apple bloom cried as tears dripped from her face.
Breen looked at the crying filly in pity.

“Hey… stop crying.”
Apple Bloom didn’t listen.

“Stop crying, please. Just… stop.”

“Why? Y-you would let t-them k-kill me anyway…”
“I won’t let them kill you.”

“You d-don’t?”

“No. I am not a cruel man. Besides, our Benefactors are not without mercy. I have laid the foundation for humanity's survival, not for its destruction. You’re young, aren’t you?”

“Yes…”

“To be honest with you, even I miss children. Since your ‘mother’ and ‘father’ served our Benefactors well, they will be rewarded. You will too, if you’re answer me some questions and give me the information’s our Benefactors want, you will return home to your ‘parents’. Okay?”

“W-what do you want to know?”

“You’re shivering, are you cold?”

“Yeah, since it’s so cold in there…”

“Let me help.”

Breen pressed a button on his desk. Apple Bloom was released. Then he walked into another room and returned with a blanket, laying it over Apple Blooms body. She stopped shivering. Breen sat down to her.
“That’s better, thank you, Mr. Administrator.”

“Please, you can call me Breen. Now, do you know where Freeman is?”

“He is on his way to Nova Prospekt, to free Eli with Alyx with a buggy.”

“That’s useful information’s. Your cooperation will be rewarded.” Breen turned to a Soldier. “Get her home. I will inform the transhuman forces.” 

“Yes, sir.”

“A polite filly I must say, don’t you think?” Breen had noticed that his screen turned on. A Combine Advisor was on it.

“Yes she is. As you promised her, we will spare her and give her full citizenship. Just get Freeman.” The Advisor spoke to him telepathically. 

“I will not failure you.”



Mia was even more depressed. Sure, she got a full ration reward for reporting Freeman and cooperating with Civil Protection, but she feared for Jacob's and Apple Bloom's life as she heard about the raid.
The Door opened. Jacob walked in. “Jacob!” Mia hugged him crying.

“Yes my dear wife, I am home.” He patted her back. 

“Where’s Apple Bloom?” 

“I don’t know. I was knocked out when the attack started.” 

“I just hope she’s still alive. I won’t ever forgive myself if she’s executed by them.”

As the Combine could hear her concern, the crying of a child could be heard.

Apple Bloom ran into Mia’s arms, crying her heart out. “Mommy…Ah missed you…”

“I missed you too. Shh, I am here for you, no more tears.” She patted Apple Bloom. She cried herself to sleep.

“I can see that she was scared and feared for her life.” Jacob looked sad at her.

Mia laid her gently into the bed. “Yes but at least, they let her alive.”

The TV switched on.

“I have been asked to say a few words to the transhuman arm of Sector Seventeen Overwatch, concerning recent successes in containing members of the resistance Science Team.

Let me say up front that I regret having to temper my heartfelt congratulations with a strong measure of disappointment. But I wouldn't be doing my duty as your Administrator if I didn't pass along the message I have received from Our Benefactors.

The capture of Eli Vance is an event of major significance, make no mistake. And while it's true that conceivably we could have taken him at almost any time in the last several years, the manner of his capture may prove to have unexpected benefits. It cannot have gone unnoticed by all resistance members that Doctor Vance's capture coincided with the act of giving shelter to Gordon Freeman. This might cause other resistance members to think twice before harboring Doctor Freeman. It might cause them to question his allegiance; even prompt some to turn him out, or turn him over to our cause. However, we cannot count on such developments. Doctor Freeman's reputation is such that other desperate renegades are likely to grant him a great deal of license in the spirit of spreading general chaos and terror.

This brings me to the one note of disappointment I must echo from our Benefactors. Obviously I am not on the ground to closely command or second-guess the dedicated forces of the Overwatch, but this does not mean I can shirk responsibility for recent lapses and even outright failures on their part. I have been severely questioned about these shortcomings, and now must put the question to you: How could one man have slipped through your force's fingers time and time again? How is it possible? This is not some agent provocateur or highly trained assassin we are discussing. Gordon Freeman is a theoretical physicist who had hardly earned the distinction of his Ph.D. at the time of the Black Mesa Incident. I have good reason to believe that in the intervening years, he was in a state that precluded further development of covert skills. The man you have consistently failed to slow, let alone capture, is by all standards simply that--an ordinary man. How can you have failed to apprehend him?

Well...I will leave the upbraiding for another time, to the extent it proves necessary. Now is the moment to redeem yourselves. If the transhuman forces are to prove themselves an indispensable augmentation to the Combine Overwatch, they will have to earn the privilege. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that the alternative, if you can call it that, is total extinction - in union with all the other unworthy branches of the species. Let's not allow it to come to that. I have done my best to convince Our Benefactors that you are the finest the species has to offer. So far they have accepted my argument, but without concrete evidence to back it up, my words sound increasingly hollow even to me. The burden of proof is on you. As is the consequence of failure. I'll just leave it at that.”

“It seems that even the Overwatch Soldiers can’t stop Gordon.” Jacob was surprised.

“Yes. But now let’s rest okay?” They slept with Apple Bloom peaceful.



The next morning changed the fate of City 17.

Gordon had managed to destroy Nova Prospekt. It was a symbol of hate. It started an uprising. The citizens of City 17 took up arms to fight against the Combine. Overwatch moved in as Civil Protection was overwhelmed by fighting the Resistance in urban combat.
Mia and Apple Bloom were still in their house. Sure, Mia also wanted to get revenge, but she hadn’t any experience with firearms and didn’t want to kill her husband.

The TV turned on again.

“It has come to my attention that some have lately called me a collaborator, as if such a term were shameful. I ask you, what greater endeavor exists than that of collaboration? In our current unparalleled enterprise, refusal to collaborate is simply a refusal to grow--an insistence on suicide, if you will.

Did the lungfish refuse to breathe air? It did not. It crept forth boldly while its brethren remained in the blackest ocean abyss, with lidless eyes forever staring at the dark, ignorant and doomed despite their eternal vigilance. Would we model ourselves on the trilobite? Are all the accomplishments of humanity fated to be nothing more than a layer of broken plastic shards thinly strewn across a fossil bed, sandwiched between the Burgess shale and an eon's worth of mud?

In order to be true to our nature, and our destiny, we must aspire to greater things. We have outgrown our cradle. It is futile to cry for mother's milk, when our true sustenance awaits us among the stars. And only the universal union that small minds call 'The Combine' can carry us there.

Therefore I say, yes, I am a collaborator. We must all collaborate, willingly, eagerly, if we expect to reap the benefits of unification. And reap we shall.”

“Attention all ground protection teams, autonomous judgment is now in effect. Sentencing is now discretionary. Code: amputate, zero, confirm."

“This isn’t good.” 

“Why mommy?” 

“Autonomous judgment means that CP’s and Soldiers can execute citizens for the smallest crime.” 

“Uh-oh. Mommy, look!”

A small squad of Soldiers prepared to enter the house. “Oh no. Oh god, no! Quick, we must hide!”



Overwatch squad leader 1821225 had the honor that a member of the Elite was in his Squad.
1821225 entered first. All rooms were empty. In the living room, he saw a family picture. He examined it and smiled. He smiled even more at the drawing of a child.

While Overwatch Soldiers had their memories wiped out, they still had some human emotions. He heard a noise.

Careful examining the source of the noise, the Soldier came to a bed room. A woman with the filly in her arms, both trembling in fear, was in the room.

Both expected that the Soldier would kill them but instead, he putted his finger to his mouth. “Shh.” Both were surprised by his action.
But then, the Elite and the other Shotgun Soldier joined him.

“Need any help with this one?” 1821225 asked the Elite.

“Move back right now!”

“Non-patrol region.”

“You want a noncompliance verdict?” Move it.” The Elite shoved him out of the way.

“Now get out of here!" The Elite walked into the bedroom.

“Suspect, prepare to receive civil judgement!” The Elite activated his Stun Baton. 

“No!” The woman cowered in fear. 1821225 watched in pity.

The Elite beat her over and over again. “Help me!” Then he beat the filly. “No! Spare her!” The woman begged as the filly screamed in pain.
But the Elite drew his handgun and aimed at the filly. “Stop! We didn’t do anything!”

That’s it. 1821225 couldn’t watch this any longer. The filly closed her eyes. Two shots.

Apple Bloom opened her eyes. The two Soldiers were dead, killed by the Soldier that made the “Shh” sound. She cowered in fear as he came closer.

Instead of harming her, he gave her his hand. Apple Bloom looked confused at him before he booped her nose and formed a heart. Apple Bloom recognized him.

“Konrad?” 

“Yes, it’s me.” 

“Uncle!” Apple Bloom hugged him. “Ah missed ya!” 

“Me too. Now, let’s get you to safety.” Mia took the Shotgun from the Shotgun Soldier.

Before she grabbed the pictures, she asked, “What kind of Soldier was that guy?”

“An Overwatch Elite. They are the deadliest of the Combine Overwatch infantry. Elites are tougher, achieve better accuracy with their weapons, and inflict for some reason more overall damage than regular soldiers do. They typically carry Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifles, and are able to use the weapon's secondary fire Energy Ball. They use this advantage without hesitation and with deadly accuracy. If an Energy Ball touches you, you will be disintegrated. So you better be careful.” He collected the ball from the Elite. "Can't wait to use an Energy ball myself."

“I can lead us to Kleiner's Lab as Barney told me about it once, should we need shelter. I thought that Overwatch Soldiers have no previous memories of their human life and that they are incapable of resisting, disobeying orders, and going rogue.”

“That is correct. But humans with a strong will can resist. I suffered a head injury during combat, which caused some memories to come back. After I saw Apple Blooms picture, I regained my humanity and all my memories,” Konrad explained.

Shortly before they reached the Lab, a Headcrab pounced into Apple Blooms head. She yelped in fear. “Get it off me!” But then Apple Bloom realized despite her fear, that this Headcrab was harmless.

“Wait, its Lamarr, Kleiners pet.” Lamarr perched on the top of her head, as if it was a hat.

Barney told Mia also about Lamarr. She told Konrad about this. “You’re lucky that she’s de-beaked."

Mia opened the door of the lab. “Hello, Dr. Kleiner.” 

He startled. “Oh, hello Mia! You are here because you need shelter, right?” 

“Yes. And I have brought a friend of mine.”

Konrad walked in. Kleiner was about to grab his Shotgun as Mia said, “Don’t worry, he’s on our side.” 

“Yes I am. Konrad Ford, former US-marine, nice to meet you.”

“Dr. Isaac Kleiner. Now, where is that filly Barney mentioned once?”

Apple Bloom made a Zombie growl and walked to Kleiner in a Zombie-like gait with her fore hooves stretched out as she was about to hit him.

At first, Kleiner took the bait before he realized that the Headcrab was Lamarr.

“By Schrödinger’s cat! Lamarr! There you are!” Lamarr jumped off and into her crate.

“Ah’m Apple Bloom.” She greeted Kleiner. 

“Hello, Apple Bloom. I am Dr. Isaac Kleiner. You’re can stay here as long as you like.” Kleiner closed her in his heart.

“I must say it is fascinating to meet a species like you.” 

Apple Bloom blushed. “Ah know.” 

“The reason why, you were sent into City 17, was that our teleport had a malfunction before it was working.”

Konrad found a Spray can. He used it to spray the Lambda logo on his arm over the Combine symbol. “I will join the rebels in their fight. And Kleiner, if something happens to them, I swear I will ram your pet into your head until she’s able to control you!” He left.



A week passed.

Mia stayed with Apple Bloom but was trained as a Medic. Both didn’t heard of Jacob ever since. The Resistance managed to largely gain control of the suburban districts, while the Combine, with their superior firepower and control of the air, held the strategic areas around the city center.

War was always a terrible thing, especially for Children. The Seven Hours War had cost humanity millions of lives. The Resistance knew about Apple Bloom. Every rebel was not only fighting for freedom but also for her, since she was the last child on Earth. While the children grow up back then, they all were now fighting to prevent her from having a terrible fate.

Suddenly someone pounced at the door where the teleporter was located.
Kleiner opened it to aim his Shotgun at it. Lamarr looked curious at the door.

“Alyx? Gordon? My god… how did you get here? And when?” 

“What’s wrong?” Alyx was confused.

“My dear, we had given all hope of ever seeing you again.” 

“I was afraid we might not make it either. I think the teleport exploded just as we were porting out.”

“Indeed it did… and the repercussions were felt far and wide, but … That was over a week ago!”

“What do you mean? Gordon and I were just there a minute ago.”

“Fascinating. We seem to have developed a very slow teleport. This suggests an entirely new line of Investigations.” 

“A week…” Alyx couldn’t believe it.

Mia and Apple Bloom greeted Gordon. “Then what have we missed?” 

“A great deal, my dear. The blow you struck at Nova Prospekt was taken as a signal to begin the uprising.” 

“But what about my father?” 

“Well, that is most troubling. According to the vortigaunts, he is a prisoner at the Citadel.” 

“We got to get my father out.”

“Barney has been leading a push with that very aim in mind. A former Overwatch Soldier is helping him. And another of your friends arrived several days ago.”

Kleiner opened a gate. “Dog! You made it! Good boy!” Dog hugged Alyx then Apple Bloom. 

“Ah missed you too!” 

“So there, you see? It’s not all hopeless.”

“I wish I shared your optimism, Doctor…”

A screen turned on. “Doc, come in, are you there? Hey, Doc? Are you there?” It was Barney, behind him was Konrad.

Kleiner walked to the screen. “Yes, Barney, and we’re no longer alone. Alyx and Gordon have just arrived.” 

"Man, that’s good news. We almost gave you guys up for lost! We’re planning to set up a staging area for attacking the citadel.”

“Gordon, Mia and Dog can head your way. I want to get Apple Bloom and Dr. Kleiner somewhere safer, then I’ll meet up with you.”

“We’ll take all the help we can get.” Konrad shouted to Barney, “Oh crap! Incoming!” They ducked.

“Go on, get going! And keep her safe, Alyx.” 

“Don’t worry I’ll will. Okay, Gordon, Mia you heard him. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I’ve got Apple Bloom and Dr. Kleiner settled.” 

“Just a minute. I can’t leave without Lamarr. Now where did she get to?”

“Oh no…” Alyx complained. “Go on, I’ll take care of this. Take care of yourself out there.” 

“Be careful out there, mommy.” 

“Don’t worry sweetheart, I will.” Mia nuzzled her one last time. “Ready when you are Gordon.” She pumped her shotgun.

“Dr. Kleiner, there’s really no time.” 

“Now, now, she’s around here somewhere.”

“We’ll find you another pet headcrab! There are plenty to go around!” 

“There’s only one Hedy.”

Apple Bloom saw how Lamarr was going out. “Lamarr, stop!” She followed her out into the street. 

“Apple Bloom, wait!” Mia called out to no avail.

“Now we have to take her with us. Not that I would complain, but I am worried about her safety.” 

“Don’t worry Mia, I’ll kept her safe, the entire time she was with me.” Gordon assured her before they left into battle.

> Chapter 8 Anticitizen One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8: Anticitizen One


Apple Bloom tried to catch Lamarr. She jumped into a window where Apple Bloom couldn’t reach her. Soldiers spotted Dog and fired.
Apple Bloom went to cover as Dog charged at the Soldiers. He threw an old car at them.

Another squad took cover in a building. An APC was firing at Dog. Then the driver rammed Dog, but he jumped on the APC.
As Dog was on the APC, it crashed. He threw the APC at the Soldiers in the building, killing them.

Mia knelled down to Apple Bloom. “Ah’m sorry mommy, please don’t be mad.”

“I am not mad at you, you just wanted to help. Just follow us and we’ll keep you alive.”

“Yes Apple Bloom. Just stay with us.” Gordon said as Dog opened a barrier for them.
After proceeding, Dog jumped on a Dropship, departing into the unknown.
“Impressive,” Gordon commented.

They moved through a damaged apartment. It was the same Gordon entered when he arrived in City 17.
A rebel was attacking Shield Scanners. “Well, Gordon Freeman! And about time, too.”

The group moved to the Trainstation Plaza where three rebels were attempting to destroy a Breencast screen. They cheered as it exploded.
“Gordon Freeman, you’re here!” 

“With you here, Dr. Freeman, we can finally make some headway. We're comming with you. Apple Bloom, we will protect you with our life.” The third rebel said to her.
She just nodded. Gordon used the MP7 as rebels, CP's and Soldier used them, so ammo was not a problem. Against Zombies he used the shotgun and against soldiers at longer ranges the AR2,

A barrier opened and two Metro Cops stepped out. “CPs!” As they had only pistols, the rebels killed them with ease. Mia felt a little bit uncomfortable, as she was afraid, that she would accidently kill her husband.

“Don’t worry Mia; I’m sure that he is still alive.” Gordon tried to calm her down.

Moving through the barrier, the group came to a backyard.

“Watch out for the Hoppers. They're everywhere!” Apple Bloom saw how one Mine hoped towards a Headcrab.
Gordon used the gravity gun to make the Mines friendly.

“Don’t waste the hoppers, Dr. Freeman. We can use them against the Combine.”

For some reason, Apple Bloom found the sound the Mines made when they were bouncing around to place themselves funny.
“If you can get those hoppers up without setting them off, you can place them wherever you want.” Even Mia and Gordon found it funny when the Mines were bouncing around until they could arm themselves.

Gordon cleared the way. On a street, a Strider was using his Warp canon to destroy a car. “Headcrabs!” During the Upspring, the Combine used Headcrab shells against the Resistance.

While Mia had not fired a weapon before, it was quite…interesting for her. She fired her shotgun semi-automatic and took care of any injured member of the squad. Still, she checked Apple Bloom every once and then.

The child was scared as she was stuck in the middle of a warzone, but felt safe in the hands of the Resistance.

After clearing a mine field, the rebels came to another apartment. The walls were covered in blood. In a chair was a deceased man. A TV played the Breencast about collaboration. Gordon killed a Zombie that came out of the kitchen.
Apple Bloom stood next to a door as a Zombie broke through. She fell to the ground and crawled backwards, but Mia shot the Zombie in the head. “Thanks, mommy!”

“It was nothing. Any injury I need to take care of?” 
“No, mommy.”

A rebel explained the situation. “Doctor Freeman? We hoped for one more fighter to help storm that barricade, but we never guessed it would be you."

In another apartment, the squad was fighting Metro Cops. Mia was surprised by a CP that came from behind. She managed it hit him in the chest. He fell with a cry of pain to the ground as it was not fatal.

A rebel was pointing his MP7 at him. “Any last words?” 

The CP just looked at Mia. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you, my wife.”

"Jacob?!”
Mia took his mask off and took care of his wound. “I’m sorry! I didn’t want to kill or hurt you either!” 

“It’s alright, since we all look like the same, you couldn’t know it was me.” Gordon helped him up.

“Want to join us?” 

“You bet! I do whatever it takes to protect my wife and daughter.” 

Apple Bloom smiled. “Ah’m so glad to see you again, Daddy!” Jacob putted his mask back on and a rebel give him a Lambda logo armband to show other rebels that he was on their side.

The Resistance knew also about Jacob, so the members were fine with having a CP in their Squad. After all, Barney was also a CP.

“Do you have any Idea, why no other CP joined the Resistance?” a rebel asked Jacob. 

“Well, CP’s must swear to serve the Combine no matter what. The Combine also erased their memories without their knowledge to make sure that they won’t resist them. I kept my humanity because of my strong will to do it for my family,” Jacob explained. 

After a while, they came to a tunnel. Jacob shook his head as tried he to get something out of his head. “Is something wrong Daddy?”

“I can't get this tune out of my head.” He whistled before he was holding his chest for a second. “If you dare say 'that’s gotta hurt,' I'll kill you,” One rebel commented.

“When this is all over I'm...aw, who am I kidding?” another commented.

“I can't remember the last time I had, well, anything.” The woman said.

The last rebel however said something which earned a shocked look form Apple Bloom.
“I could eat a horse, hooves and all. Not you of course.” 

“If you dare, I will shove this Stun Stick up your rear!” Despite the mask and Vocoder, the seriousness in Jacob’s voice was clear.

“Hacks!” Mia shouted. Gordon preferred the MP7 most of the time, but the gravity gun was very useful against Manhacks and Scanners alike. He just grabbed them and threw them against the wall or enemies. But The Manhack could also be used as a makeshift chainsaw.
In a matter of seconds, he destroyed the entire group. But it was only the first wave, more groups arrived. They were all destroyed but Apple Bloom was hit. She let out a cry of pain. "Not again." Her right fore hoof was bleeding but Mia gave her a medkit. 

“See, sweetheart? All better now.” Mia smiled at Apple Bloom and wiped a tear out of her eye. She loved it to be her mother.

At the end of the tunnel, several CP’s were manning two Emplacement Guns.

They pinned us down!” Jacob screamed in cover. 

“Don’t worry, I got this.” Gordon threw a grenade at one gunner and took the other from a distance with the Crossbow out.

“Hey, over here!” a medic called out through a crack in the rubble. “Gordon Freeman? It is you, isn't it? Give me a minute; I'm gonna plant some charges and blow this open.” Gordon manned one Emplacement Gun, Jacob the other.

They fought Manhacks and Soldiers. “If you can hold them off, I'm almost done here.”

The second wave came. “Okay, last charge!” 

“More Hacks!” Mia shouted.

“Stand back. It's gonna blow!” The charge exploded creating a hole.
“Come on through, Freeman. And hurry.” Gordon tried to open a white door.
“That door's locked from the other side, Dr. Freeman. Maybe you can find a way around.” He crawled through a hole.
“Looks nasty in there. Good thing you've got that suit. We will watch your little friend while you are gone.” The medic smiled at Apple Bloom, which she returned.

The next section was filled with radioactive waste, and Standard Zombies. Even this was no challenge for Gordon Freeman.
“Hey, it's me. Open the door.”

“Welcome.” He opened the door. 

“I see you made it through okay. Figured you would.” The medic was not surprised.

Back on the street, they came to an outpost that was shelled. “Dr. Freeman? If you were looking for a place to hole up, it's not safe here anymore. They're shelling the hell out of us. Keep moving, Dr. Freeman. I'll send word you're coming, and see you up ahead.” The rebel leaved to fight.

Inside the outpost, a Resistance member opened the door for them. “Hey, it's me. Open the door.” 

“What's the password?” 

“Password!” 

“Come on in.”

Inside the house, Gordon used the shotgun. Apple Bloom was holding her ears to keep the sound of battle out. Mia carried her. “Run for your life!” a rebel was running down the stairs before he was killed by a Shotgun Soldier.

Jacob checked the stairs. “Help!” Another rebel was shot by a Shotgun Soldier. Jacob killed him before he could react. They went upstairs.

He ambushed a Soldier from behind and threw him off the roof by pushing him. He let out a human like scream as he fell to his death. A rebel let down a bridge for him. “Okay, come across!”

The apartment was filled with Fast Zombies. “Crap!” Jacob shouted as a Zombie charged at him with a scream. He used his Stun Stick to stun the Zombie. Gordon finished it off. “I hate those guys. But I hate Poison Headcrabs even more.”

“You’re not the only one.” Gordon shared this.

But that did not stop the group to get to another bridge. This building was also filled with Zombies but also with Soldiers.
Gordon and his squad finally reunited with Alyx, after fighting through the building.

“Gordon! I had a feeling I'd find you here. And you found your Buddy Jacob again.” 

“Yes he did. And I am glad that Apple Bloom is alive.” He smiled at her. 

“Hey, if your Resistance friends had not helped us out, we had never made it!” She commented.

“Anyway, I've got Dr. Kleiner in a safe spot. Now we can join up with Barney.
There's a command center downstairs. I'm hoping to find information about generator locations. Ready? Let's go!” Alyx saw how scared Apple Bloom was in this warzone. She whimpered in fear but Mia patted her.
They moved downstairs. “Okay, this is it. You take that door. I'll take this one.”

“Stay back, I will take care of the group.” The medic said to Mia. She agreed to get Apple Bloom out of harm’s way.

Jacob kicked the door open; Gordon stormed in, Alyx from the other side. The Soldiers had no chance.

Alyx looked at a screen. “Well, we're in luck. There's a generator in the square outside. We're trying to disable as many as we can to loosen the Combine's grip on this sector. It'll take me a few minutes to expose the core. Then I'll need you to hit it with a burst from the gravity gun. In the meantime, watch my back.”

Alyx was about to use her EMP Tool but Jacob said to her, “This will not be necessary. My Civil Protection status still gives me limited clearance.”
Jacob used the interface to unlock the door. “Let’s go!”

Outside, Gordon place Hooper Mines at the Force fields to be prepared for attacks.
Alyx worked at the generator. “This shouldn't take too long. As soon as the generator's down, I'll open that gate and we can get out of here.”

Mia sat Apple Bloom down behind the wall that surrounded the generator. “Don’t worry, it will be over soon.” 

“Ah hope so too.”

CP’s in combination with Soldiers and Elites attacked. A Elite fired his Energy Ball at Apple Bloom. She screamed in fear. Gordon used the gravity gun to throw the Ball back to the Elite. The Elite disintegrated.

Gordon checked his HUD. His suit power was at 5%. Not good. I need to use the charger! 

“Behind you!” A Shotgun Soldier was about to attack Gordon, but was killed by a shot from the roof. It was Konrad.

He jumped down to a balcony, then rappelled down. “Konrad! Man, I’m glad to see you!” 

“Do you think I let the party escape, Jacob?” He fired his AR2. He used his own Energy Ball at a lined up squad of Soldiers. He laughed,"This is so much fun, man!" As he spotted Apple Bloom, The words Tower said to him popped in. "Hey Konrad, well, looks like it is a baby sitting job after all! Take care of her!" Ugh, even 20 after Black Mesa and with the Memory Replacement, this won't go out of my head!

Apple Bloom noticed that Konrad reloaded manually by pulling a magazine out and pushing it into the gun, instead of using the automatic reload system like Gordon did. Guess it can be manually and automatically, depending how the user's like is. She suspected.

"Traitor!" A Elite Soldier dropped his AR2 and rushed over with his Stun Stick. 

Konrad however, blocked the attack by grabbing the stick with his left hand, then fired a few shots into the gut of the Elite, then into his head. "You have to do better than that!" Konrad wasn't impressed.

“Okay, the core’s exposed. Use the gravity gun, Gordon.” Gordon obeyed.
“All right, I’m opening the gate.” Gordon and Alyx moved through the gate while the rest stayed behind. 

"Okay. Barney should be on the far side of that… canal." Alyx saw that the bridge was destroyed. "Well, there used to be a bridge here.  Let me see if I can scout a new path." She had a idea. "Wait for me here." She clmbed the building up to the roof.

"Looks like we might be able to get through down there.  Let's head that way. Ah, no!" She let out a cry of pain as Soldiers ambushed her.

"Gordon, run! Get out of here! Ah!" One Soldier knocked her out. 

Suddently, Gordon heard Apple Bloom scream. Then a male rebel screamed, “No, no, noooo!”
He saw a Dropship flying towards the Citadel. It was the same that transported Alyx.

“Don’t worry Apple Bloom. I’ll get you out of there. I promise you that.” He talked to himself before heading to Barney.

> Chapter 9 Dark Energy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 9: Dark Energy


Apple Bloom regained consciousness after she was knocked out by a Elite Soldier. The filly could only remember that she and her family were knocked out and the ther rebels killed after being overrun. She was again in the Citadel.
She, Jacob, Mia and Konrad were in Breen’s office again.

“So Apple Bloom, we meet again.” Breen walked to her. 

“Don’t even dare!” 

“Jacob, I see you really care for her. Tell me, why would fight against your own colleagues?”

“Because they hurt and almost killed her, if I had not saved her!” Konrad was in rage but even with all the strengh it gave him, he couldn't break free.

“Well, Konrad, I can understand this. Since you all wanted to do the right thing, I will offer you immunity and a better life. You all could live as a family and be proud of serving our Benefactors.” 

“Let her go! She didn’t do anything, she’s still a child!” Mia begged for mercy.

“It’s up to you. I’ll give you a few minutes to think over my offer.” They were brought away. While not showing it, Breen’s heart broke at the sight of a scared and crying Apple Bloom.

After a while Gordon arrived. Breen was talking with Eli.

“Carbon stars with ancient satellites colonized by sentient fungi. Gas giants inhabited by vast meteorological intelligences. Worlds stretched thin across the membranes where dimensions intersect... Impossible to describe with our limited vocabulary!”

“What I've seen is also beyond words, Breen. Genocide... indescribable evil...” he spotted Gordon. “Good God.”

“Well, if it isn't Gordon Freeman, at last.” Breen pushed a button to get Freeman closer to him. “What's this? Oh, put it over there.” He spoke to an Elite that carried the gravity gun.

“You have my gratitude, Doctor. First you lead me straight to the doorstep of my oldest friend and then you deliver yourself. If I'd known you were going come straight up to my office, I wouldn't have bothered hunting you in the first place. Having both of you in my keeping ensures I can dictate the terms of any bargain I care to make with the Combine.” He laughed.

“Dr. Breen… Wallace…” 

“Yes, Judith, what is it?” 

“The bargain we should be making is for Eli's life, so he can continue his research!” 

Breen rolled his eyes. “Thanks to you, we have everything we need in that regard. You're more than qualified to finish his research yourself. What neither you nor I can do is convince that rabble in the streets to give up their senseless struggle. Yet Eli refuses to speak the words that would save them all.”

“Save them? For what?” 

“Eli...if you won't do the right thing for the good of all people, maybe you'll do it for them.” Alyx was brought in with the Johnsons, Konrad and Apple Bloom.

“Alyx! Honey…” 

“Dad! Huh… Gordon? No…” 

“God damn you, Breen! You let her go!” 

“That's all up to you, my old friend. Will you let your stubborn short-sightedness doom the entire species, or will you give your child the chance her mother never had?” 

Alyx spitted in his face. “How dare you even mention her!”

“Alyx my dear, you have your mother's eyes. But your father's stubborn nature.” 

“You haven’t seen a bit of it yet.”

“Really? Well, let's see how it serves you on the far side of a Combine portal.”

“Go ahead, Breen, if that’s the worst you can do, send us through your portal!”

“Oh, it's hardly the worst. But you might find that hard to believe once you get there.” 

“No, please!” Apple Bloom begged. 

“So do you accept my offer?” Breen turned to Jacob. 

“Okay...I’ll do it.” He was afraid of “permanent off-world relocation” and so were Mia and Konrad. But they all did it only for Apple Bloom.

“It isn’t necessary! At least, spare them!” 

“I agree, it's a total waste. I will show mercy to them.” He pointed to Apple Bloom and her “family." “Fortunately, the resistance has shown it is willing to accept a new leader. And this one has proven to be a fine pawn for those who control him.” Gordon showed no reaction or emotion.

“No!” 

“Don’t listen to him, Gordon.” 

“How about it, Dr. Freeman? Did you realize your contract was open to the highest bidder?” 

“Gordon would never make any kind of deal of deal with you.” He nodded lightly at Alyx's words.

Breen was annoyed by Eli and Alyx. “I understand if you don't wish to discuss this in front of your friends. I'll send them on their way, and then we can talk openly.”

“Don’t struggle, honey.” 

“Dad, I’m so sorry.” 

“Alyx, sweetheart.” Without warning, Mossman used Alyx's EMP Tool to stop the pods.

“Judith? What do you think you're doing?” 

“We’re doing what I could never do alone. We’re stopping you.” 

“Yes!”

“Guards! Get in here!” Mossman destroyed the door control preventing the guards from coming in. Breen was holding his hand as it was burned.

“They know you betrayed them. They'll turn on you! Judith — Dr. Mossman. Please!” 

“I’m sorry, Wallace. You’re all out of time. Don’t---!” Mossman threated Breen with the Tool.

“Hurry! Dad, hang on!” As Mossman was about to free Gordon, Breen grabbed the gravity gun. 

“You fool!” 

“Watch out, he’s gonna---“ 

“No!”
All were blended as Breen used the gravity gun; not knowing what it was exactly.
Yet they were free. Breen escaped to an elevator with the gravity gun and Apple Bloom who was dazed.

“Dad! Alyx checked her father. 

“Oh no, don’t worry about me honey.” 

“There’s no time, Alyx. He’s on his way to the portal. You’ll need this.” She gave Alyx her Tool.

“Dr. Mossman… Judith… Look after my father.” 

“Don’t you worry. Dad, I’m not saying goodbye.” 

“Never.” 

“He took Apple Bloom! Nobody takes a child away from her mother!” Mia was angry; it was her duty as mother to protect her child.

She grabbed her shotgun, Jacob his MP7, Stun Stick and pistol, Konrad his AR2. “Let’s do this!” He took the elevator with them.

“Gordon, we haven't known each other very long, but I know you didn't have to do this. I had to rescue my father, but you…well…Thanks for coming after me.”

“And for us,” Jacob said to him. Gordon just smiled.

“It's me you should be concerned about! I can still deliver Earth, but not without your help.” 

“Hey, listen. That’s him.”

“I’m gonna kick this guy’s ass so hard…” Konrad mumbled.

“The portal destination is untenable. Surely you can set the relay elsewhere. There's no way I can survive in that environment.
A host body? You must be joking, I can't possibly—“

“There he is!” Alyx spotted him.

“Oh all right, damn it, if that's what it takes! Just hurry, he's right behind me! Oh shit!” The group was stopped by a force field. Breen ran away. 

“Looks like he pleaded for help from the leaders of the Combine,” Konrad commented.

“Apple Bloom!” She was layng on the ground, still dazed. Mia checked her after the field was deactivated. 

“Mommy!” 

“Did he hurt you?” 

“No, I heard faintly that he pleaded them to spare me. Ah don’t know why.”

“Hey, look what he left behind! The gravity gun! He doesn’t have a clue, does he?” Alyx said as Gordon picked it up.

“I wonder where he’s going.” She used an interface to open the metal barrier.

“Oh my God. This is the Citadel's dark fusion reactor. It powers their tunneling entanglement device. We'll never have a chance like this again. We've got to stop Dr. Breen.”

She tried to shut it down. “I can't shut it down. Looks like he's turned over control to the other side. You'll have to go into the core and do what you can. Get in the elevator and I'll let you in.” 

“Let me help, Gordon. I can cover you.” Konrad offered, Gordon nodded. For some reason whenever Alyx was near, he couldn’t say a single word for some reason.

Before the elevator took them down Alyx said, “Do your worst Gordon…but…be careful.” 

“Good luck down there, Corporal. You’ll need it.” Jacob saluted.

"I'm with ya, buddy. Let's do it." The former marine was ready to fight.

“Dr. Freeman, Corporal Ford. You really shouldn't be out there. At the moment of synapse, as I teleport, this chamber will be bathed in deadly particles that have yet to be named by human science. Perhaps when I have the leisure to do the work myself, I'll name one after you. That way you won't be completely forgotten. When the singularity collapses, I will be far away from here. In another universe, as a matter of fact. You, on the other hand, will be destroyed in every way it is possible to be destroyed-and even in some which are essentially impossible.”

“You're dead! You hear me? Dead! We're gonna kick your ass!” Konrad was angry.

“What the? Oh no, Combine Soldiers. Where did they come from?”

Alyx warned them on the intercom. Gordon and Konrad fought their way to the top. Either Gordon threw the Soldiers away or grabbed them and threw them into other Soldiers. Whatever an Elite fired an Energy Ball, Gordon threw it back to the sender, while Konrad took any soldier out that was out of range of the Gravity Gun.

“Man, those guys have better aim then the CP’s but still worse aim. Even we marines and Black Operations had better aim. Even the rebels have better aim, although they mostly have no training in firearms.” 

“I agree with that. Corporal.”

“I don't know what you can possibly hope to achieve, apart from your own annihilation,” Breen taunted.

“Don’t listen to him Gordon.”

“I warned you this was futile.”

“He’s bluffing, Gordon. Don’t listen to him. Great! Oh no. Breen’s started his ascent. Hurry, before he escapes.”

“Warning: Three minutes to singularity.”

The two used a moving platform as elevator. “Keep going.”

“I could have told you that was pointless.”

“Go, you two.”

Almost of the top, Konrad used a grenade to kill a squad of Soldiers. "Fire in the hole, asshole!"

“Are you still with us? Not for much longer, I think. If only you had harnessed your boundless energy for a useful purpose!”

At the Top, the portal opened. “Oh my God, the portal’s opening.”

Gordon used Energy Balls to damage the portal. Gunships attacked but Gordon ignored them. Konrad was using the pillar as cover. "Those Gunships pinned me down!"

"I got this!"

“Go back, Freeman, you have no idea what you're doing!”

As the damage was critical, Breen tried to stop Gordon. “You don't know what you'll unleash! You could bring down this whole Citadel! Think, man, think - of the people below!”

Breen fell as the portal was destroyed. “No! You need me!” 

“Barney told me to say to you: F*** you!” The noise masked the first word but Konrad smirked as he knew what Gordon had said.
Konrad cheered as Alyx joined with the rest, “Yeah! We did it!” The reactor was about to blow.

“Come on, we've got to get out of here. Maybe we still have…”

Alyx tried to ran but it was too late. They all shielded their eyes for a moment before, Mia clenched Apple Bloom protectively, Konrad and Jacob were both diving to the ground with their hands behind their heads. The time stopped. Gordon couldn’t move or speak.

“Time, Dr. Freeman? Is it really that time again? It seems as if you only just arrived.” Gordons “employer” came out of nowhere. “You've done a great deal in a small timespan. You've done so well, in fact, that I've received some interesting offers for your services. Ordinarily, I wouldn't contemplate them. But these are extraordinary times.”

Gordon looked anxiously at Apple Bloom. “Don’t worry about your friends, Dr. Freeman. Since they wanted to be parents, I grant them this wish and will send them with Apple Bloom back where she belongs. You should know, when I helped her in Black Mesa, I acted in the face of objections that she was a mere child and of no practical use to anyone. I have learned to ignore such naysayers when quelling them was out of the question. I am capable of mercy despite others think the contrary of me.” He breathed before continuing.

Everything was going black around Freeman. “Rather than offer you the illusion of free choice, I will take the liberty of choosing for you...if and when your time comes around again.”

They traveled in emptiness.

“I do apologize for what must seem to you an arbitrary imposition, Dr. Freeman. I trust it will all make sense to you in the course of...well... I'm really not at liberty to say.”

Out of nowhere, Apple Bloom appeared. The Man knelled down to her. “You not supposed to be here. Get back where you belong and forget about all this.” Then he turned to Dr. Freeman again.

“In the meantime...This is where I get off.” He leaved through a doorway portal, though not before fixing his tie.

> Chapter 10 Undue Alarm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 10: Undue Alarm


Gordon was again in stasis as out of nowhere, purple Vortigaunts appeared. They rescued, Alyx and the others. Gordons “Employer” was amused at this but then realized what was happening and fixed angrily his tie. “We'll see about that.”

Two Vortigaunts teleported Gordon away. Then everything went black. 



“He has to be somewhere around here. “We've got to be close...just gotta be! Any luck over there, Dog?”

Dog found him in a pile of rubble. “Dog, I think I found something. Drop whatever you’re doing and help me over here…” Alyx gasped. “Oh my god! Gordon!” Alyx hugged him. “I was so worried…” she chuckled in embarrassment.

“Hey, the gravity gun! Give it to him, Dog.” Gordon took it. “There, Gordon. Dog’s happy to see you… I can tell. Okay, Dog, go get the monitor set up so we can check in with my Dad. He must be worried sick about us.” She looked up into the sky.

“The citadel’s really coming apart.” The top was gone and a red glow was around it.

“I’ll still don’t know how we got out of there. The last thing I remember is…Breen falling, A huge explosion…and then…I heard Vortigaunts. Next thing I knew, Dog was digging me, Jacob and Mia out of the rubble. We haven't found Apple Bloom and Konrad yet. It’s all so strange… We should…” 

"Alyx, come in!” 

“Huh…It’s my dad. We've been trying to reach him for hours. Wait till he hears that we found you.”

Jacob and Mia tried to reach Eli. “There’s too much interference! Can you help us out?” 

“Yes, Jacob. Dog, give us a hand with this.” Dog used his body as antenna by twisting his hand to get a better signal.

“Okay… Little to the right… There we go. Hold it there. We got it. Dad?” 

“Alyx, where are you? Please, God, tell me you’re out of the City!” 

"Well, not quite yet but-but listen, Dad, we found him!” 

“What?! You found Gordon? I don’t believe it. But listen, you have got out of the city. The citadel could blow any moment!”

Kleiner appeared on the screen. “There’s no question that it will, I am afraid. Our remote sensors indicate the process is accelerating toward a dark-energy flare.” 

“Izzy…” 

“Anyone left in the vicinity will be subjected to energetic events whose effects are beyond my powers of speculation.” 

“Isaac, please.” 

“The ravages to cellular material are unimaginable.” 

“Kleiner! Stop!” Eli pushed him away.

“Oh dear, Eli, I'm sorry, but...surely there's no need for undue alarm? Alyx is well out of harm's way by now.” 

“Well, actually, we’re still at the citadel.” 

“What? Oh dear! But there's really no time! The core is exceedingly close to collapse. Why, there's no way to get far enough without first...well...nothing short of a direct intervention in the core could possibly retard the reaction.” 

“Izzy…” 

“You mean…going in?” Alyx looked at Gordon.

“Into the core, yes. But it's far too dangerous to consider. The chamber will be bathed in radiation.” 

“Well, you do have the Hazard Suit. If we found a way into the Citadel, it’s possible we could---“ 

“Alyx, no!” 

“But Dad…” 

“Izzy, talk some sense into her!”

“I'm sorry; Eli, but I don't see any other way. It would help us evacuate more citizens....” 

“We can do this, Dad.” 

“Okay, Alyx, okay… Just promise me--- Promise me that you won’t take an unnecessary risk.” 

“I promise. I love you.” She held her hand on the screen. 

“I love you, too, baby. I’ll be praying for you.” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll see you soon.” The transmission ended. “Yeah… Don’t worry…” Alyx mumbled.

“Hmm... let's see if we can find a way into the Citadel from somewhere along the rim.” The way was blocked by a crashed Gunship. “Hmmm. Dog? A little help please?” Dog picked it up. “Thanks…” Alyx crawled through with the others.

“Okay, boy. Pack up and meet us on the far side of this ridge.” Alyx looked down.

“Whoa! What a drop… After you Gordon.” 

“We must get into the citadel anyway. While searching Gordon, we got a weak radio message from Konrad. He is trapped on the lower levels with Apple Bloom,” Jacob explained. 

“Then we get better moving. Careful.”

They walked careful along the cliff to the other end. “Why’s Dog taking so long? Dog… Dog… Huh… Look out!” a shatter part fell to the ground where Dog was.

“Oh my God! Dog! Dog! Dog, are you all right?” Dog came to them undamaged.

“Oh, thank God! You scared the hell out of me. Now stay with us… and help us find a way over.” Alyx looked at the citadel.

“I cannot believe we're trying to get back in that place.” 

“Us either. This isn’t going to be easy, but it’s the only way to get our daughter and friend out,” Mia said to Alyx.
Dog tested the distance by throwing a rock over the ravine. Then he ran off.

“Was it something I said?” Alyx was confused. Suddenly Dog threw an old van to their location. The group was missed barely by it. 

“Dog…really…that was a little close. What’s gotten into you, huh? How exactly is this supposed to help us?”

Dog opened the driver door for her. “What? Wait a minute…Oh no. You’re not serious? Are you?” Gog made some sounds. “Well, Gordon...unless you have a better suggestion... He is a robot. He's done the math.” Under her voice she asked, “You did do the math, right? Uh huh. I want you to get out of here as fast as you can. Go find Dad. We’ll catch up don’t worry.” Dog hugged her one last time. “All right, all right. I’ll miss you too. Now don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon.” She stepped into the van. “Get in.”

Dog picked it up. “Okay Dog, let’s do it. Before I change my---“Dog threw the van into the citadel.

“Good throw, Dog! Now go, boy! You’ll be fine just…” The ground started to rumble. "Uh oh. What now? The ground below the van collapsed. It fell through several floors.

“Whew. Hey, let’s get off before the next ride starts.” As they got out, the van fell into the abyss. 

Jacob was dizzy. “Remind me to do this never again.”

An orange glow swept through the structure in contrast to the blue it used to be when functional. Fires have spread across the structure.
“It’s just like in Black Mesa after the Resonance Cascade, don’t you think, Gordon?”

Gordon nodded. Just like in Black Mesa when he fought Zombies with Jacob.

A generator exploded. “My God. This place is really coming apart,” Alyx commented.

A Soldier was in the corridor, using CPR to revive someone. His helmet and AR2 were right next to him. “1…2…3.” No breathing. “1…2…3. Come on, breathe!”

“Apple Bloom!” The Soldier startled, drew his sidearm. 

“Mia! Man, I am glad to see you! I am trying to revive her. But I had no success so far.”

“Apple Bloom…” Mia cried. 

“Mo-mommy? Why’re you crying?” Apple Bloom breathed again. 

“Apple Bloom! I thought we had lost you!” With tears of joy they embraced for a hug.

“I'm glad to see my life saving efforts weren't in vain.” 

“Konrad!” Apple Bloom hugged him. For the first time, she saw him without helmet. He was bald, unrecognizable, and even without helmet, his voice sounded still less human and not like Jacob without mask. Apple Bloom swore she saw some metal where his larynx was supposed to be, but is was covered by the uniform so only a very small part of it could be seen. That must give him that robotic or cyborg voice.

“I hate to break this family moment, but we have a meltdown to stop.” 

“Right Alyx, lead the way, Gordon.” Jacob was also glad that Apple Bloom was alive. Konrad putted his helmet back on.

"How did you end here?" Alyx asked confused.

"I can't remember exactly. I heard Vortigaunts, then an explosion and a cry of pain. When I woke up, I found myself here with Apple Bloom who was not breathing," He explained

“Priority alert: Internal stabilization teams, deploy sterilizers. Deploy...” the Overwatch Voice was slowed down, looping, and generally confused and detached which was a sign that the Citadel's functions were failing.

The way was blocked by a force field. “Oh my God…Stalkers. Well, they shouldn’t bother us if we leave them alone.” Alyx walked to an interface. “I’ll just disable this field and…” but it couldn’t be disabled. “Damn. I can’t get this down. Somethings… it’s that Stalker.” She pointed to a Stalker that worked on an interface.

“He’s holding it from the other side. We don’t have time to look for another way around. How are we going to get through here?” 

“With this maybe?” Apple Bloom pointed to some Rollermines in a tube.

“Good idea. They could help us get out of here. Can you find where those Rollermines are going? I’ve got an idea how to use them here.” Gordon climbed down.

“Deploy, Diagnose. Deploy, Diagnose. Present singularity. Present singularity.”

Gordon returned with one. “Ah, you found one. Dad taught me how to reset the targeting system on those things. A little extra juice in the right spot and it’s on our side. Hold it out where I can work on it.” Alyx used her EMP-Tool on the mine.

The mine emitted an orange light instead of her signature blue. “There it is. It’s a lot more unstable, but it should last long enough to take out the Stalkers.” Gordon launched it.

The mine took first the working Stalker out, then the other one who attacked it with his laser.
“Okay…we can get through now.” The mine glowed red and exploded.

Alyx deactivated the field. “Let’s go.” 

“Alert. Alert. Alert.”

On a catwalk Solders were passing by. “Ah, soldiers! Looks like they're too busy trying to get out of here to worry about us.” They died from an explosion.

On a field bridge, a generator malfunctioned, killing all Soldiers on it.

“Holy crap… we’ve got to cross through that?” 

“We have only one chance. Run.” Mia picked Apple Bloom up. “I’ll be right behind you, Gordon.”

Gordon sprint through first. Then Alyx and the rest. “We made it!”

After a short walk, they came to a strange looking room.

“What went on in here?” 

“Looks like an emergency evacuation chamber to me, Alyx.” Konrad had never seen this part of the citadel before.

“What are those things?” Alyx saw some kind of pods being stored under them. She spotted an interface. “Maybe this console has some useful information.”

She used the interface. “Let me see if I can pin down a path to the core.” Just like Black Mesa when the airstrikes started, the citadel rumbled.
An image of Breen was on the screen. He said the same words before Gordon reached him. “Breen!? But how…” Alyx realized it was just a recording. “Oh… thank God… it’s just an old recording. Let me see if I can find a map.”

All screens switched. A grub-like creature was on them. “What in the hay is that!?” 

“I don’t know, Apple Bloom.” Jacob looked down as an alarm went off and a pod was prepared for launch.

Apple Bloom tapped it gently in curiosity. It launched psychic attacks. “Everyone out!”

Konrad deactivated a field. Just as he did this, the pod was launched. “Mah head feels like it’s about to explode.” Apple Bloom was holding her head. 

“Whatever this thing was, it’s gone now sweetheart. The attack obstructed my senses und gave me headaches.” 

“Same here, Mia. Let’s go,” Alyx said as Gordon took the lead.

He walked straight into a Confiscation Field. “Security alert: Unregistered weapons detected. Confiscation Field engaged."

“Gordon! What’s going on in there!” 

“Warning. Counter-resonant singularity device detected. Confiscation field failure.”

“Hey it’s doing something to the gravity gun. It looks like it did in Breen’s portal reactor. I’d say their security device backfired.” 

“That’s right, Alyx. You should have seen what it did when we fought Soldiers,” Konrad commented with a chuckle.

“It’ll sure come in handy if it stays that way.” The gravity gun emitted blue light rather than orange, quaked in Gordon's hands, and created small bolts of energy across its muzzle.

He threw an Energy Ball into the generator to activate a bridge. At the other side, Soldiers engaged him. “Soldiers! Incoming!” Konrad shouted.

Apple Bloom stayed in cover. Still she, Mia, Alyx and Jacob were impressed by the new gravity gun. Any Overwatch Soldier punted by it was instantly killed, and their body retained a charge that killed others if it stroked them. If grabbed by the gun's secondary fire, they were likewise killed. It also had the side effect of vaporizing any weapons the soldiers were carrying.

“That’s impressive for sure,” Jacob commented.

After crossing the bridges, a Dropship carrying a Strider was flying by only to crash into the ground.

The group made its way to an elevator. “Looks like this could be a transport elevator to the core,” Alyx commented as Gordon used an Energy Ball to activate it.

The lift down was difficult. Either Gordon had to throw debris out of the way that fell down to prevent the elevator from being destroyed, or had to restart it as it stopped on every floor.

At the bottom, where the core was, Alyx pointed up. “Look out! Run!”

Large debris fell down and destroyed the lift. Everyone made it in time. Konrad had to dive to prone to make it. “That was close.” Apple Bloom helped him up.

“This could be it. Careful.” Alyx pointed to a door where a stylized version of the international symbol for radioactivity was on it. It was the core if the citadel.

“Finally. Let’s stabilize this thing before it collapses and get out of here.” Jacob checked his MP7, Mia her Shotgun. There was no turning back now.

> Chapter 11 Direct Intervention
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 11: Direct Intervention


At the control interface, a squad of Elite Soldiers attacked the group. Konrad used an Energy Ball, to disintegrate the entire Squad. An alarm sounded and a red warning symbol appeared on the screen.
Konrad used the interface. “I don’t get it. Why are they hanging around here? It looks like they were deliberately trying to blow the reactor. But why?”

The window opened revealing the core. The core was a blue sphere encompassing a pitch-black volume of space that looked like a black hole, ebbing and receding in an agitated fashion, and occasionally gave off flashes of yellow light.

“Oh my god. It looks pretty far gone. I hope Doctor Kleiner was right.” Alyx used the interface. “Let’s see if we can find a way through the control room.” She opened a blast door with another interface.

“The elevator's down in the core entry. Let me see if I can call it back to this level.” Alyx used the interface.

“These readings are off the chart. Hope it's not too late to reengage the containment field.” She turned to Gordon. “Good thing you know what you’re doing.”

The elevator arrived. “Well…Here’s your elevator. Gordon I…I wish there was something else I could do to help.” 

“I can help him. My armor is made for situations like this. I am immune to radiation.” 

"Very well Konrad, just hurry back.” Alyx laid her hand on the glass. 

“Be careful, uncle.” Apple Bloom did the same with her hoof.

Down at the core, a Stalker deactivated a bridge. “You don’t have to kill the Stalkers. If we don’t attack them, they won’t attack us. We just have to be fast enough.” 

“If you say so, Konrad.”

Gordon activated the bridge. They sprint across. Gordon was a little bit scared as a Stalker walked right past him. But the Stalker passed him as if he weren't there at all.

“See? As long as we don’t attack them, they leave us alone.”

"How did you know that?"

"Let's just say, I used to monitor them before being deployed to the front," the soldier replied with a light frightened and unpleasant voice.

At the first room, Konrad took care of the Soldiers while Gordon activated the containment system. “According to this interface, we have to do this in two more rooms.” 

"Alright, let’s go, Corporal.”
The two men had to cross the unstable core without being atomized.

After taking out more Soldiers, Gordon activated the second machine.

“Let’s pray this works.” Konrad jumped on one of the rotating containment pincers to reach the last room. He made it but was about to lose his balance. Gordon grabbed his left hand to pull him up.

"What did your handbook say again? If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid." Gordon could sworn that the former soldier gave him an not amused look. That's what he thought as the helmet covered his face. 

"DON'T remind me of that."

Manhacks attacked. Gordon just threw them into the core, atomizing them.

Apple Bloom and Alyx were watching over them from inside the control room. Konrad gave Apple Bloom a thump up to show that everything was fine. "Like my colleagues said to me back in black Mesa: 'With my brains and your brawn we'll make an excellent team.' And we really make an excellent team. You're make a good uncle for Apple Bloom. And if the theory about the Multiverse is correct, you'll make a good father for Ruby too."

"How did you that?"

"Apple Bloom told me about it on our way to Black Mesa East."

At the last room, the machine malfunctioned. “I see the problem. The generators are out.” Konrad looked down. 

“No problem.” Gordon ractivated with Energy Balls the 3 generators, then the machine.

The core was now stable. It was now a non-ebbing blue ball, the black volume inside it having disappeared, with its four rotating containment pincers above retracted to contain it.

“Your suit and the gravity gun! They are normal again!” Konrad noticed how they reverted back into ordinarily state.

“I liked it that way. Anyway, let’s meet with the rest of the team again.” 

“I am right behind you.”

"And Konrad, sorry that I tried to stab you 20 years ago."

"It's belongs to the past, I don't look back anymore. Forgiven."

The former Overwatch Soldier sounded honest and returned with Gordon to the control room.

“You did it, uncle!” Apple Bloom cheered. 

“The containment system’s back in place. It won't last forever, but at least we've bought a little time.”

Alyx smiled at Gordon. “While you were in there, I did some poking around in the control data. They were trying to start a chain reaction, all right...But destroying the Citadel is just a side effect.” Alyx walked to the interface.

“Since we took out Breen's reactor, this is the only way they have to send a transmission packet back to wherever they came from. I can't tell what the packet contains, but it's important enough that they're willing to sacrifice the whole Citadel to send it off. We need to get it to my Dad and Dr. Kleiner at the outpost right away. I've been pulling down a copy. Whatever it is, I have a feeling its bad news for all of us.” She looked worried.

“There’s something else. It’s Judith.” She activated a message. “Take a look.”

“I'm fairly sure I've pinned down the location of the Project. It's hard to say how much of it might have survived intact, or whether there's anything remaining that could compromise our work... if it were discovered by the Combine. We'll need to take a close look at it, of course, but I should be able to give a better opinion within a few hours. If the site is where we think it is, then it should be no more than...” There was an explosion. “I'm going to cut this short. We may have been spotted.” Mossman fled as Combine troops attacked.

“Where is she?” 

“What is that? Run for it!” One of the rebels shouted as a three legged creature destroyed the camera.

“She’s in serious trouble. We need to get this and the transmission packet to my Dad. He'll know what to do with it. The packet’s done copying. I got it right here.” She held a small USB stick in her hand. Now let’s get out of here.”

A siren went off. “Uh oh… I think they felt that! I secured an exit elevator. It’s this way!” 

“Ah just want to get out of here.” 

"We all want Apple Bloom, we all,” Mia said as they followed Alyx.

“Something tells me they don't want us reading their mail.” Alyx spotted Soldiers that tried to stop them.

“This lift will take us to a train platform. If we can hitch a ride it should take us straight out of the city.” Alyx noticed the gravity gun. “Hey, the gravity gun’s back to normal. Well… it was nice while it lasted.” She drew her gun.

At the train platform Alyx hacked two Rollermines that took care of the Soldiers. “Coast is clear.”

Once they were in the train, it moved.

“Well that was a nice clean getaway.” 

“Yes Alyx, we made it!” 

“Yes, Apple Bloom we did it. I don't know what's in this copy we made, but they're not thrilled about us having it. You know, all things considered, we’re not doing too...” Alyx was interrupted by a groan.

“Oh no… It’s a stalker car. God damn the Combine. This is what happens to you if you resist. Or if you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're me... If I ever let my guard down... God, I hope you don’t remember who you were.” Alyx closed one of the pods where the Stalkers where in.

Gordon and Apple Bloom looked at each other. Now they knew from what Barney and Jacob had saved them.

Mia rubbed her back to comfort her. “Mommy’s here for you.” Even Konrad was disturbed by them, as every Soldier that wasn’t fitting for the Overwatch was either killed or turned into a Stalker as he was turned into an Overwatch Soldier. Apple Bloom could tell it as he was lightly trembling in fear.

“All right. Let’s see where this train is headed.” Alyx walked to the control panel.

“With any luck we should be well out of the city before it's too late. Thank god we’re not on foot.” She sighed. "Let’s hope the worst is over. It looks like you’ve saved our lives again Gordon.”

The train rumbled. “What’s that? Oh my god. Brace yourselves!”

Gordon along with Konrad and Jacob were thrown into the back of the train as it derailed.

The crash awaked the Stalkers. They all screamed and roared. Alyx, Mia and Apple Bloom were trapped as pods were on top of them. “Daddy, get it off me, please!” She cried scared.

Gordon helped Alyx, Jacob Mia and Konrad Apple Bloom. She trembled in his arms.

They crawled through a hole to the underground of City 17, not knowing that they would meet a new enemy.

> Chapter 12 Lowlife
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 12: Lowlife


“Hold up a sec…I uh…I gotta catch my breath” Alyx leaned against the wall. Apple Bloom trembled in Konrad’s arms. He passed her over to Mia. Apple Bloom stayed curled up in her arms.

“Shh, it’s over, calm down.” Apple Bloom took a deep breath. “Better, sweetheart?” 

“Better, mommy.” Mia smiled warmly at her.

“Okay…Well…This might not be as easy as I thought. We’re in the same boat as the other evacuees now. On foot to a train station. Let’s head for the surface.” Alyx deactivated a field.

“Careful – I hear turrets.” They fought Zombies in a dilapidated tunnel. The turrets made only clicking sounds. “Oh–they’re out of bullets.”

“That’s a relief.” Jacob killed a Zombie.

Gordon reprogrammed Hooper Mines to use it against the Zombies.

The next corridor was pitch-dark. “I can’t see a think. We’re blind as bats without the flashlights on.” 

“No were not.” Jacob activated his flashlight. Apple Bloom noticed that the googles of Konrad were glowing in the dark.

“I have built-in Night-Vision in my helmet,” He explained. Alyx saw a closed door at the other end. It was powered by a power box on the other side.

“We need to get through that door…” She tried to open it. “Damn…it’s got a powered lock…How are we gonna get this open? Let’s see if we can find a power box.”

She looked around. “Hey–an air duct. I’ve heard stories about you and air ducts. Doctor Kleiner says whenever he locked himself out of his office you and Barney used to compete to see who could get in fastest without using a key.”

Gordon laughed on the inside at this memory before he entered the air duct.

“Are you afraid of the dark, Apple Bloom?” 

“A little bit, Alyx,” she replied.

Gordon opened the door from the other side. “Nice job! Hey, and you found a gun!” Alyx said as Gordon had now a pistol and a shotgun.
The next room was also pitch-black. Alyx and Mia had to rely on Jacob's and Gordon’s Flashlights in order to proceed and attack enemies while Konrad had his Night-Vision. Apple Bloom tried to stay near Jacob and Konrad. His glowing googles made him easy to spot.

Alyx spotted dead Antlions. “Antlions, here? The Combine's defense field must have collapsed. Makes sense if it was powered by the Citadel.” 

“It WAS powered by it,” Konrad commented not surprised.

“So this is an Antlion, daddy?” 

“Yes, Apple Bloom.” Two Antlions attacked. Gordon used the gravity gun to flip them over making them easy targets.

The group found a troop train on the other side.

“Looks like we’ve found a troop train.” Alyx saw a Soldier that was a victim of a Headcrab.

“Hmmm. A Combine zombie. That's, that's like a...ah...a…Zombine! Right? Heh... Zombine, get it? Heh heh. Okay.” Apple Bloom got the joke.
“Contact…” 

“Did you say something, Konrad?” 

“No, Mia.”

It came from the Zombine that was at the control panel. It pulled out a grenade.

“Crap! Look out, it’s got a grenade!” The Zombine blow himself up, opening the way.

“Didn’t see that coming,” Apple Bloom commented.

In the next section, more Zombines attacked. Gordon grabbed their grenades with the gravity gun or used flares to burn them. However, Zombines were capable of short sprints.

One of them was after Apple Bloom. “Get away from her!” Jacob intercepted him, to unload his full magazine on him. The Headcrab was removed, revealing that the Zombine had no head aside from the lower jaw and a small lower portion of the skull. Also the groans were filtered through the soldier's vocoder.

“Biotics....overrun....infestation....move.....target....contact...Necrotics inbound.....Shiiiiiiiiiit!!....Parasites....Biotic overrun.....Biotics in perimeter...Sector is...not secure....MEDIC!...Extractors...Bouncer.....!”
Gordon and Alyx looked for another power box for a door. The others waited at the door.

“I believe that the Combine, are losing control of City 17.” Mia suspected.

“No doubt. From the large number of Zombines and recently deceased bodies, I think that the underground was used by resistance members even before the rebellion, and that the Combine, were attacking Resistance members hiding there. Never thought I had to go through here, as the underground was apparently no longer used and fell into serious disrepair after the Seven Hour War.”

“Any idea how the Zombine can speak, uncle?” 

“The only possibility I see, is that the vocoder is stuck on the last report the soldier was trying to make before being attacked.”

“Tell me, what is worse? Fighting through a Zombie infected ghost town or through a pitch-black car park infested with Zombies?” 

“I dunno, Jacob. But I am glad when I am out of here.”

Gordon had restored the power. The next area was a parking lot with collapsed ceiling and damaged cars. Antlions came up here through a hole. Gordon blocked it with a car to stop them. “Good idea, Gordon! I wouldn’t have thought you could have plugged the burrow that way.” Alyx killed the last Antlions.

They moved to another destroyed parking lot with Antlion burrows and Zombines.

One Zombine was fighting with Konrad. Konrad kicked the Zombine causing him to stumble.

As Apple Bloom worried about him, he said to her, “It’s okay, I have everything under control.” He groaned. “Get off my boots!!” A Zombine had survived as torso. Konrad kicked it, sending it flying against the wall.

Another Zombine grabbed Mia by her throat. She responded by shooting him into the stomach. She was free again.

Gordon used cars against the burrows. “That’s better… I can hear myself think,” Alyx said as all Zombies and Antlions were eliminated. Apple Bloom took a deep breath. She just wanted to get out of here alive. Alyx smiled at her.

“I swear, I will protect you from any harm and get you home safe and sound.” Apple Bloom returned the smile.
Walking down some stairs, the group came to a flooded room.

“Ugh… You’re lucky you’ve got that hazard suit. This water’s nasty. Got room for two in there?” Alyx joked. 

“Do you want me to carry you?” Mia asked Apple Bloom. She nodded in response.

After leaving the flooded room, they found an elevator.

“I don’t believe it, an actual elevator! I would have settled for stairs.” She called the Elevator. The lights turned off.

“You’ve got to be kidding…I've worked with electricity a time or two, and I'm pretty sure this sparking wire must be connected to a power supply.”

“Alright, let’s go for it.” Jacob was about to go, as his and Gordon's flashlights ran out of power. They waited for the flashlights to recharge.

”We've really got to talk to Dr. Kleiner about getting a new battery for that flashlight.”

Apple Bloom heard a strange groan. It sounded like a Zombie. She startled and screamed as something touched her neck. Alerted, Jacob turned his flashlight on.

It was Alyx playing a joke. She laughed. “Gotcha!” 

Konrad was not amused. “Do that again and I will bury you alive.”

Despite the joke, they found the power box and activated it. They walked back to the elevator. “Hey, I hear the elevator-it’s moving again.”

“That’s a…” Mia couldn’t finish as a howl of fast Zombies could be heard in the distance.

“And here comes trouble.” Alyx reloaded her gun at the elevator.

Standard Zombies along with Zombines and fast Zombies attacked.

Konrad managed to kill a Fast Zombie as he lunged at him and screamed, “I'll tag 'em, you bag 'em.”

“Where’s that elevator?” Alyx killed a Zombine. Apple Bloom cowered at the elevator door and covered her ears. Mia protected her as well as she could.

Jacob used a grenade of his MP7 to kill a group of Zombies. “What’s taking so long?”

Gordon used a flare to burn the Zombies. Still the Zombies slowly overwhelmed them.

“Any time now…It’s here!” They all got in. “Let’s get out of here!” Alyx pushed the button.

Mia patted Apple Bloom. “Shh, we’re here for you.” She rocked her.

Realized that they made it, she let out a sign of relief. 

“Whew! That… was close. I hope it’s still light out.” 

"I hope so too, Alyx.” Jacob checked his weapons.

“Thank God-it’s still day! Let’s get out of here.” Glad to see daylight, Alyx ran to a gate.
It was closed. In a defeated tone she said, “Oh god no… No, no, no… it’s locked. I can’t believe this.” Two rebels passed by. “Hey, up there! Hello! Can you let us out of here? Hello! They can’t hear us, I guess.”

Gordon found a hand wheel to unlock the gate. “Great! Okay-let’s get to the train yard before the Citadel blows.”

“Nothing better than that.” Apple Bloom wiped a few tears out of her eyes.

“Finally, fresh air…” Alyx then saw the destruction. “Oh my God… Striders really tore the hell out of this place…” She saw Dr. Kleiner on a Breencast screen. “I’ve never been happier to see Dr. Kleiner"

They listened to his message.

“Careful, Lamarr! These lamps are quite hot!

Ahem...Is this on? Yes? Very well, I... I am not much of a public speaker, but I'll... I'll do my best.

Ahem... Fellow citizens... Residents of City 17 and environs... by which I mean sentient residents, of course, human and otherwise, although I believe there is little need to explain recent developments to our Vortigaunt allies...

At any rate... First, as a matter of great urgency, if you find yourself still within the confines of City 17, you are well advised to leave the city at once by the fastest means available to you. We have restored service to much of the commuter transport system in order to carry citizens out of the city as quickly as possible. We have also established camps and triage areas in the surrounding environs.

I repeat, you must evacuate the city at once.

While there was certainly a great benefit in destroying the Citadel's teleport core, we have detected one rather unfortunate side effect.

It would appear an inevitability that very soon now, the Citadel will be consumed in a destructive event whose magnitude I cannot currently estimate with any certainty, except to say that it will almost certainly irradiate an area of many miles' radius.

Therefore, I repeat, evacuate City 17 at once if not sooner! I cannot state this without enough undue emphasis!

On a lighter note, if you are already in one of our designated safe zones, I feel obliged to point out that a more fortunate side-effect of the reactor's destruction is the complete removal of the Combine's reproductive suppression field.

Previously, certain protein chains important to the process of embryonic development were selectively prevented from forming. This is no longer the case. For those so inclined, now would be an excellent time for procreation. Which is to say, in layman's terms, you should give serious consideration to doing your part for the revival of the species. We must make the most of the time we have, as it is by no means certain how much time we have secured ourselves before the Combine attempt to restore their dominion, as they certainly shall.

Since this is in fact the first opportunity we have had to speak openly of the baleful influence of the Combine, there is much ground to cover—and in fact I hope to institute a series of useful bulletins in the days ahead. However, for now, we will have to content ourselves with some relatively meager exposition.

The destabilization of the City 17 reactor has had repercussions that were not entirely unexpected, although we hardly dared speak this hope ahead of time. The destructive pulse forced a damper on the entire network of linked Citadel reactors. Thus, for the time being, I believe that all Combine portals have failed completely, as well as all communication systems based on that technology.

In short, the Combine are completely cut off. Combine forces currently stationed on Earth are now isolated units. Stranded.

However, this is most likely a temporary state of affairs. As we once learned to our dismay, even the relatively tiny fracture at Black Mesa gave our enemies an opening which they were able to force ever wider, as they poured through in greater and greater numbers.

In addition to the completely xenotheric species, there are many modified post-human allies still remaining on Earth who will be doing their utmost to re-establish lines of communication and supply with the larger forces.

Even so, there is greater reason for hope now than at any time in the past decade.

We have made, in secret, several technological advances which we will do our best to deploy in advance of the Combine's return.

We continue to diligently assemble and train a new generation of scientists and technicians.

For what the Combine fear the most is not any tangible human weapon, but our will, our intellect, our ability to respond selectively and rationally to every terror they turn against us.

We place our firmest hope in the human spirit, even knowing how easily it may be shattered. We have all seen friends and family crushed by the Combine. Some of our neighbors have allowed themselves to be co-opted, and purged of their humanity, by the military machine.

And those who resisted have met a most terrible fate.

Still, I cannot overstate how important it is that we retain our humanity. Only this will allow us to hold together as we must for their inevitable return...and what is certain to be unimaginable retaliation.

And...oh yes, if you missed any part of this message, it will loop repeatedly until there is no point in looping it any longer.

I apologize for any inadvertent errors or omissions. As you can imagine, we have had scarcely time to record, let alone rehearse-

What's that, Eli? Oh, right.

This has been Dr. Isaac Kleiner, formerly of Black Mesa, now simply a citizen, like all of you, of Earth.

Let me just add to all those who can hear me now, as we struggle out of the shadow of our malefactors, welcome back to the light.

Now...where did I put that calculator...?”

“Enough TV, let’s move out!” 

“Alright Corporal, let’s get to the train.” Jacob had only one goal: Get Apple Bloom out of City 17 before it was too late. And he would be successful or die to guarantee her safety.

> Chapter 13 Urban Flight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 13: Urban Flight


Gordon cleared a path. A city scanner blended Apple Bloom. She was covering her eyes. “My eyes, Ah cannot see!” Alyx destroyed them.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” Mia patted her as her vision returned.

“They’re looking for something… Probably us.” 

“That’s another reason to get out of City 17. I pretty sure, it’s because of that data you have stolen in the Citadel. Soldiers!” 

“From the rooftops!” Alyx confirmed this to Konrad as Overwatch Soldiers were rappelling down.

The Soldiers were shooting at Gordon and Alyx, but ignored the rest for some reason.

Gordon took a MP7 from the Soldiers after they were killed. “And I was hoping we'd get a bit farther before they noticed us again.” Alyx was disappointed.

After avoiding to be crushed by a Smart Barrier, they came to a street where a rebel medic was fighting Antlions. Gordon used cars to block the burrows.

“Good job Gordon. Want to join us?” Jacob asked. 

“We'll follow when we can. ” The medic replied.

In a building, two Shotgun Soldiers placed trip mines. Surprised by Freeman, they accidently activated the trip mines, setting the entire room on fire.

“I’ll cover the street with Konrad while you figure this out Gordon.” Alyx guarded the door.
"Ah gave an idea! Apple Bloom built a teeter-totter with some objects. "We Apples are very imaginative when we have to improvise." She smiled proudly.

Gordon took out the fire after a few minutes.

The upper floor was filled with Standard Zombies and two Rollermines. Gordon grabbed the Rollermines, so Alyx could make them friendly.
Apple Bloom was next to a window as Konrad spotted a blue laser beam. “Sniper!” He threw Apple Bloom to the ground. The sniper missed.

“We can’t get through here while the sniper’s covering the street. Maybe you can use the Rollermines to get him. But be careful Gordon, as Overwatch Snipers will take leading shots.” Konrad warned him.

He wasn’t lying. Gordon barely managed it to get close enough to toss the mine in. The mines self-destructed after the Sniper was taken out.
“Nice toss, Gordon. This sniper almost took mah head off.” Gordon ruffled Apple Bloom's mane.

“I’ll climb up and take a look at what we’re walking into.” Konrad climbed up into the nest.
“They’re got the street fortified up ahead. I’ll cover you from here until you reach the far end. When the coast is clear, I’ll catch up. Let me shoot out the latch to get the ladder down from you. It’s been long time since I used a rifle like this.”

With a clean shot, the ladder was down. “Guess I still got it.”

With a scream, a fast Zombie lunged at Apple Bloom. “Get it off me!” She screamed as he tackled her to the ground. Konrad scored a headshot. Mia removed the body. 

“Don’t worry, we will protect you.” Alyx took care of two Zombines while Gordon and Jacob took care of two Standard Zombies.

“Just like old times, eh, Gordon?” Gordon gave Jacob a thump up.

Inside an apartment they had to cross, were more Zombies. Gordon removed the plates so Konrad had a clear shot on them.

Outside the Apartment, Konrad killed a gunner of an Emplacement Gun while Gordon covered another burrow.

At the end of the street, Konrad was chased by Antlions. “Come on uncle, you can make it!” He slided through the closing barricade, a Antlions was squashed by it.

Gordon killed them with Mia. “Phew-glad that’s over.” Konrad was about to use an interface as the ground rumbled.

Alyx looked up. “Oh God… Looks like the reactors back on track for a meltdown. That transmission’s going out after all.” The ground rumbled again, causing Apple Bloom to lose her balance. It was like a thunderstorm with green lightings.

“It would be better if we find another way around those buildings, but we really don’t have time.” 

“You’re right Konrad, let’s move.” Alyx reloaded her gun.

Jacob found some ammo for his MP7 and a grenade. They were in a Combine outpost as the radio chatter of Soldiers could be heard.
Konrad took some ammo for his AR2, Mia ammo for her shotgun.

“Whoof... I think we just broke about fifty Combine regulations. No eye contact with Combine soldiers.
Don't damage Combine property.
Don't kill the Combine representatives.
Have your papers out and available.
No loud noises after six o'clock... Or before six for that matter.” Alyx said before she heard a beeping sound.

“What’s that beeping sound?” 

“The locks! They are set to self-destruct!” Konrad took cover.

Apple Bloom had to cough from the dusk as the doors exploded. But the group killed the Soldiers that stormed the room. Gordon used a charger for his suit.

Apple Bloom had a splinter in her hoof; her mother took care of it.

Gordon even took an AR2 for himself.

Apple Bloom's ears stood up as she heard fighting. “Sounds like an APC.” 

“You’ll stay here, Gordon and I scout ahead.”

Jumping down into a small garage, Konrad couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Holy Mother of God! An Antlion Guard?! That’s the worst nightmare of an Overwatch Soldier!” Konrad had fought Antlions before. An APC and several Shotgun Soldiers were fighting it, to no avail. 

"Are you scared? What happened to the fearless young soldier I used to know?"

"I'm not scared, just surprised!" Konrad defended himself.

Then, the Guard tried to ram them. Quickly steeping aside, the Guard crashed into the wall. As it was stunned now, Gordon used his Shotgun, while Konrad took care of the normal Antlions.

Alyx, Jacob and Mia assisted them from the catwalk. After a hard fight, the Guard was defeated. “Heh, that'll look nice in my trophy room. If I had one.”
Konrad covered Gordon with an Emplacement Gun as he blocked the burrows. Combine defenses used to keep these antlions away."

"At least the antlions hate the Combine as much as they hate us, Konrad." Jacob reloaded as the last one was dead.
More Soldiers came out of a hole of a damaged building. However, a rebel took care of them from a rooftop with a RPG.

“Oh man… another powered lock…” Alyx spotted a vent. ”Your vent-crawling skills seem to be in high demand today, Gordon.” Gordon crawled thought the vent.

Apple Bloom… 

“Huh?” 

Apple Bloom… 

“Who’s that?” She looked around. 

We’re the Combine Advisors. 

“Get out of mah head!” She kicked in fear only to hear a sound of someone gasping for air.

“Right… into the… solar plexus.” Konrad was holding his gut. “You just knocked the wind out of me.” He had breathing difficulties. Never thought that a child like her has so much strength.

“Ah’m sorry, uncle! Ah just wanted to get this voice out of mah head!”

“Just give me a minute or two and I will be fine.” 

“Voices? What voices?” Alyx was confused.

Apple Bloom… the data that Alyx is carrying, is very important for us. You and your family are free to go however. Get out of City 17, before it is too late! the Advisor spoke in her head.

“Those creatures we saw in the citadel, spoke telepathically to me. They said that this data you are carrying is very important for the Combine. Ah, mommy, daddy and uncle are free to go however.”

The vent above them collapsed. “Gordon? Oh, back so soon?” Alyx joked as Gordon entered the vent again. She knelled down to Apple Bloom.

“So that explains why they are after us. This data must be VERY important for them.” 

“That also explains why the Soldiers ignored us when we came out of the underground.” Mia realized.

Gordon opened the door for them. “There you are. I thought you might have forgotten about us.” Alyx was glad to see him.
The next corridor was blocked by a force field. Another lock prepared for self-destruct.

“Uh-oh… here we go again,” Alyx complained. As the door exploded, a Soldier was throwing an explosive barrel down. Gordon threw it back.
Gordon pulled the plug that powered the force field. He found a crossbow.

Out on the street again, they fought more Soldiers.

“Hey, over here!” a rebel called out after all Soldiers were eliminated.

“What are you still doing here? Everyone should clear out of the city.” Alyx asked.

“The Combine's not making it easy. We're trying to get enough people together to force our way through to the Trainstation. People are meeting up in a safe house nearby.” 

“Can you take us there?” 

“You bet. Let’s go.”

The rebel led them to a door. “Hey, it’s me. Open the door.” 

“What’s the password?” 

“I'm not even gonna tell you to shut up.” 

“Come on in.”

The woman opened the door. Inside was a TV switched on, showing Kleiner's Breencast. “Uh, is Dr. Kleiner really telling everyone to… ‘Get busy’?” Alyx asked confused.

“See it positive, you can finally get children again!” Apple Bloom exclaimed happy. Mia chuckled.

“You’re right, Apple Bloom. But with you as our daughter, we are already happy enough.” Alyx and Gordon went upstairs.

She sat down on a couch with Jacob. Apple Bloom snuggled herself in with them. Jacob took his mask off.

“What idiot put Kleiner in charge?” 

“Sometimes I think everybody's a doctor but me.” 

“Everything we do seem to make things worse.” 

“This was such a nice neighborhood too.” 

“It used to be safer here.” 

“We're sitting ducks in here. Or maybe fish in a barrel. Anyway, it's not good.” 

“I hear it's a lot better out in the country.”

Apple Bloom yawned. “Ah don’t think this war’s ever gonna end.” She rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. 

Mia stroke her mane. “He will end sweetie, he will. Someday.”

"Between you and us, I don't trust those Vortigaunts." Konrad leaned against the wall.

"Hey, is that an AR2?" The rebel that had explained the situation asked him.

"Yep. Ever used an AR2 before?"

"Noo...but I used to kill antlions with my bare hands before I got this MP7."

"Hey, you wanna go up against the Antlions with a your fists, that's your deathwish. Once my whole squad, save for me, got wiped out by an Antlion Guard. Only my experience I had from Black Mesa was what helped me to survive it." He could tell that the rebel tried to impress him and that is was a lie.

Alyx was about to take the stairs as a Headcrab shell smashed in, blocking the stairs.
“I wouldn't recommend using the stairs right now.” 

“Then, let’s find another way up.” Konrad saw a door blocked by planks. Gordon removed them. Eventually, Jacob, Mia and Apple Bloom joined them to talk with Barney.

This section of the outpost was filled with Zombines and Standard Zombies.

Apple Bloom stepped on a damaged floor. It collapsed. “Apple Bloom!” Konrad jumped down to defend her from Zombies. “If you only harm on hair on her, I swear to God, I will shoot you right into the face!” 

“Since when do you become a gangster?” 

“Gangster? Didn’t notice that this sounded like a Gangster,” He replied to Apple Bloom.

He took Apple Bloom to the stairs again. “Taking the scenic route, eh?” Alyx joked before moving on.

Going through the same room again, they came to another Door. Barney opened it for them. He appeared very tired, was not shaved and his face was dirty.

“Gordon? Alyx! I don’t believe it! Jacob? You, your buddy and family? How did you get out of the Citadel?”

“We’re not exactly sure. All we know is the vortigaunts had something to do with it,” Mia explained. “But what about you, Barney?”

“I'm doing okay, just going crazy trying to—“ 

”They found us!” a rebel shot down a Scanner.

“Oh hell, Gordon! Were you followed again?” 

“We stole some information from the Citadel on our way out. I don't know what it is yet, but it's important enough that they've been hounding us the whole way here.” Alyx showed him the Stick.

“Well that puts the pressure on. We gotta get moving. You guys know about the evacuation trains, right?”

“Yeah.” 

“Yeah, well, we've been planning to make a push on the Trainstation. Now it looks like we're gonna have to cut a path through every chicken metrocop who's having second thoughts about defending City 17.”

“I hate to put Apple Bloom at risk, but if we took a separate route, we could draw the Combine away from you. That'd give you a chance to get the trains filled up before we get there.” 

“Really? If you say so.” Barney scratched his neck, nervous about Apple Bloom.

“Don’t worry, Barney. With us, she will be safe.” Konrad and Jacob gave her a warm smile.

“Now, come over here. Look over here.” Barney took them to a bridge. “Okay. Across this bridge, over the rooftops, is a safe path to the station. You head that way. I'll hit the streets and round up everyone who's been waiting. We'll meet you there.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go. Alyx walked ahead with everyone but Gordon as Barney gave him a crowbar. 

“Hey, Gordon, before you go. I was getting tired of carrying this around. Listen, I don't have many more of these so...try not to lose this one, okay? And watch Apple Bloom.”

“Don’t worry Barney, I will.” 

“Go on across, Gordon. She's waiting for you. You lucky dog you.” 

“Stop it Barney, we are just friends.” Gordon crossed the bridge.

“See you at the station!” Barney called out.

“Do you hear that?” Mia asked. 

“It’s a gunship. Get back!” They avoided being spotted by it.

“Oh, I hate these things!” Alyx killed some Poison Headcrabs. 

“Me too.” Apple Bloom shivered at the thought as she was bitten by one of them back in Ravenholm.

Crossing another bridge, the group entered the former hospital of City 17.

“Hey, a hospital! Keep an eye out for medical supplies.” 

“Good. I need to replenish my supplies.” Mia scanned the room.

In the storage room, Soldiers were fighting Zombies. The Gunship fired through the window. By staying close to the wall, Apple Bloom avoided being it by it.

At the attic, Konrad grabbed an RPG to destroy the Gunship. “You know that…” Alyx looked at him confused and worried. 

“I KNOW it's technically impossible to fire a RPG from an enclosed position. Don't read the manual next time and you won’t care so much!”
He steered the missile around the Gunship to avoid its fire. After three hits, it crashed right into the attic.

“My hero!” Apple Bloom hugged him. 

“Jesus, Konrad, you’re a real terror.” 

“Thanks, Alyx.” 

“That's one less gunship in the world!” Jacob cheered. 

“Now, THAT would be look nice in your trophy room!” Mia commented. 

“Oh well...I don't have a trophy room anyway.”

“Think it’s dead? Maybe you should whack it with the crowbar just in case, Gordon.” He and Jacob whacked it with crowbar and Stun Stick for Alyx. It was dead.

The door to the next room prepared to self-destruct. “Oh God… not again…” Alyx complained as she moved away from the door.
As it exploded, Konrad shot a missile right into the group of Soldiers, killing all of them.

Gordon “defused” another Hooper Mine. “So much for medical supplies. I found a shotgun!” Alyx took a shotgun from a rack.

Konrad deactivated the field. They fought Zombies and Soldiers alike. A Shotgun Soldier barely missed Apple Bloom.

“Heh, you're gonna wish you hadn't done that.” Konrad said cold-blooded before killing him. 

“Didn’t know you were so cold-blooded,” Mia commented.

“Cold-blooded? Nothing cold-blooded about me. I get quite worked-up.”

Another Shotgun Soldier was retreating from Zombies. He was killed by Mia. “Got one!”

“You're not going to kill me that easily.” Jacob killed another Shotgun Soldier that tried to shoot him.

A Squad of Elite Soldiers was fighting Zombies. Konrad used his last Energy Ball to kill them.

This corridor was a dead-end. The only way was through a doorway. Several Standard Zombies were trying to claw it open. They couldn’t do it.

A Poison Zombie destroyed it with tremendous and seemingly explosive force. "Grenade!"

Konrad threw a grenade between the Zombies, so they all were burning.

As the Poison Zombie burned, it couldn’t throw any Headcrabs. While on fire, all Zombies were easy targets.

Apple Bloom tripped. She fell down into the flooded basement. Gordon and Konrad jumped down to help her.

“Oh no! Apple Bloom! Are you okay?” Alyx called down. Apple Bloom spilled water out, while Gordon gave her a sign that everything was okay.

A howl of fast Zombies could be heard. “Damn! More Zombies!” Mia killed two Standard Zombies that fell also into the basement.

“There must be another way up there. I’ll take care of the Barnacles, you help Apple Bloom.” Gordon helped Apple Bloom in the water. Sure, she had learned to swim, but was so exhausted that she had difficulties to keep afloat.

Gordon helped Apple Bloom to an exit. He sighed. “Should have known it is a powered lock. You stay at the door. I and Konrad will find the switch.” 

“Okay Gordon, Ah wait here.”

Konrad had killed all barnacles he could find. Gordon had found the switch.

“Careful now. One wrong move and you’re dead.” Konrad carefully jumped across the room back to Apple Bloom with Gordon.
Moving up the stairs, Alyx, Jacob and Mia jumped down to them from a hole above.

“Sorry about leaving you alone down there. We got a bit swamped.” 

“It’s alright, Alyx.”

“I see you did all right without us.” Mia reloaded her shotgun.

Now, the way led to a destroyed room. Two doors led outside but Zombies were waiting. Gordon placed some Hooper Mines at the doors.
“Here they come!” A Poison Zombie destroyed the door. “They’re through the door!”

Gordon used a flare to burn the Poison Zombie and Zombines before he switched to his shotgun. As long as a Zombine was burning, he wasn’t able to sprint or use his grenade. A Tombine was too close for comfort for Konrad, so he used all his strength in a single punch of his left hand. The headcrab got ripped off, and he shook his left hand in disgust.

“Burn!” Jacob used his pistol to finish a Standard Zombie off. 

“Ha ha, got another one!” Mia cheered.

The Zombies only focused on the humans and ignored Apple Bloom. However a Standard Zombie was about to swing his claws at her, but she bucked him as hard as she could.

While it caused him to stumble, Mia killed him before he could harm Apple Bloom.

“No one harms my daughter and gets away with it!”

After dealing with all Zombies, the group came to an Operating room where someone seems to have been burnt by a loose electrical cable.
“What kind of hospital is this?” 

"I don’t know but for some reason it was shelled,” Konrad answered to Alyx.

“I hear turrets. Apple Bloom, Mia, you stay back, Gordon and I will handle this.” Konrad peeked around the corner.

The Sentry Guns were behind a force field in a metal cabinet holding them in place. There were also Hooper Mines.

Gordon ran from cover to cover and reprogrammed the Mines. Any Zombie that came out from the rooms that were connected to the corridor, were killed by the turrets.

The A.I. of the turrets wasn’t smart enough to see Konrad and Jacob as deflectors and rebels.

Konrad used a grenade once he was close enough to the field. It pulled the plug that powered the field and the turrets. “Coast is clear, you can come out now.” He called out.

At a door, they heard Kleiners speech. “Yes! The Trainstation!” Alyx and Apple Bloom were glad that they made it to the Trainstation at least.

“Finally! Let's get out of here.” Jacob was also glad. 

“I have not...come this far...to die now!” Konrad was ready for the final chapter of this journey.

> Chapter 14 Exit 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 14: Exit 17


At the exit, a camera took pictures of Gordon and Alyx. Also, an Advisor was on the screen where the Breencast was.
“Oh boy… they’re onto us.” 

“Correction: onto you and Gordon not us,” Jacob corrected Alyx. Alyx destroyed the camera.

“Better find Barney and get moving.”

Barney waited outside. “There you are! I wondered if you were gonna make it in time.” 

“Sorry to keep you waiting. The Combine’s on our tail. What’s the plan?”

“I'm sending folks out in groups. Like I said before, if you can keep them safe and provide cover, we might actually stand a chance of reaching the escape trains. Jacob, you, your wife and Apple Bloom are in the first group. I want to put you at minimal risk. With that, we can guarantee Apple Bloom's safety.”

“All right, let's go for it. Ready, Apple Bloom?” 

“Ready, daddy.”

“Sounds good. Send out the first group!” 

“Okay, Alyx here we go.”

The first group consisted apart from Apple Bloom, Jacob and Mia of two unarmed citizens, another medic and a soldier.
No enemies were present on the way to the station.

“Well, that wasn’t so hard. 	We should have brought everyone over at once.” Alyx manned an Emplacement Gun.

“Thank you, Gordon. We owe you something.” Apple Bloom hugged him. 

“You owe me nothing, I just do my job.” His heart melted. 

“Wait, Gordon! Let me help you out.”

“I can use any help I can get, Corporal.” 

“Go back and get another group. I'll stay here and guard the gate.” 

“All right Alyx. Let’s do it, Gordon.”

Manhacks attacked outside and Shield Scanners deployed Mines. Konrad took care of the Hacks while Gordon reprogrammed the Mines. He placed one Mine at a door in the train station.

“You, citizens! Follow Dr. Freeman!” Barney sent out the second group. It consisted of a solder and a medic.

Inside the station, Combine Soldiers destroyed a window to get in. Konrad used the RPG to kill them, while Gordon killed all remaining Soldiers with his AR2.

“That was a close one.” The Soldier said as he reached the train.

More Mines were deployed. Also, a Sniper was in a window of the hospital. Konrad got to cover behind a dumpster where an ammo crate for the RPG was. "Say hello to my little friend!" He took the Sniper with the RPG out; Gordon took care of the Mines.

“Fantastic ass-kicking, Doc!” The third group was sent out. It consisted of the same number of citizen as the first group.

An Elite Soldier used his Energy Ball to drop a Locomotive that was held by a crane. Konrad made a sign to show the group to take the walkway up to the windows, as the Locomotive was blocking the way.

Another Elite and normal Soldier were rappelling down from the roof on the second locomotive. Gordon and Konrad killed them quickly.
“We made it, thanks to you!” the medic thanked Gordon and Konrad.

An APC was driving by. Using the dumpster as cover, Konrad took it out with the RPG, while Gordon took out every Soldier he saw, with the Magnum he found in the train station.

“Now that's the Gordon Freeman I know!” Barney sent the fourth group out.

The door inside the station prepared for self-distract. However the Mine Gordon placed, took care of them.
Two Soldiers ambushed them from the window, but were no match for them.

This time, CP’s waited outside. Since they were not as good as the Soldiers, they were quickly defeated.
Konrad’s rifle was out of ammo, so he used his sidearm.

Gordon used a Manhack against the CP’s. Then he smashed it against the wall.

“To the trains, people! We'll make sure you get there safe and sound!” Barney leaved with the last group. Also the horn of the train sounded.
Only two normal Soldiers with MP7’s waited for them in the train station. Gordon killed them with the crossbow. “I thought we’d never make it.” The soldier said.

Alyx locked the door. Gordon had to smile. Mia was sitting on the ground with Apple Bloom in her arms. She rocks the filly and hummed a lullaby. Still, Apple Bloom was not asleep yet. Jacob was standing right next to them.

“That should keep them off our backs for a while.” 

“You guys coming?” Barney asked Alyx and Gordon.

“Go on, Barney! They're not after you. Gordon and I will draw their attention while you get the others away from here. We can grab another train once you're clear.”

“Okay then...don't take too long about it, yeah?”

“Here, let's open up this next track.” Alyx used her EMP-tool on a heavy door. Alyx walked through with Gordon, while Barney boarded the train with Konrad, Apple Bloom, Mia and Jacob.

“Bye, Barney! Good luck!” 

“See ya when I see ya!” 

“Good luck out there.” Mia said goodbye. 

Konrad was spinning his pistol before holstering it. “Okay, Freeman! Be adequate!” 

“What in tarnation does that mean, anyway uncle?” 

Konrad shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, I dunno, sounds like something the Vorts would say. Anyway, it was an honor to fight with you.” He saluted Gordon.

“Yes, Gordon, good luck.” Jacob said goodbye. 

“Thank you for everything!” Apple Bloom exclaimed before the train horn sounded one last time and the train moved out of City 17.

Except for Barney, they all got inside. Apple Bloom was fallen asleep. All citizens onboard smiled.

Jacob took his mask off, Konrad his helmet. They sat down next to Mia. “I need some sleep.” 

“Same here, Corporal. Some rest is good.”

Jacob, Konrad and Mia also fell asleep, exhausted and tired. The other citizens let them sleep. They had earned it.

Suddenly, they’re blended by a white light. As it was gone, Apple Bloom was vanished with her family. “Where did they go?!” A Citizen asked.

“I believe they are now where Apple Bloom lives.” Barney said. It was just a feeling, but something said him, that Apple Bloom was now safe and sound back home.



Jacob woke up with headache. “I slept well and now this?” He was holding his head. Then, he realized, that he wasn’t on the train anymore. It looked more like a guest room. His wife was still asleep on a bed, holding Apple Bloom tight with a smile.
Konrad was in another bed, also asleep.

Jacob got up and stepped quietly out of the room. Outside, Princess Celestia and Luna were waiting.

“Oh, you’re awake. Allow us to introduce ourselves: I am Princess Celestia and this is my younger sister Princess Luna.” Celestia greeted in a friendly tone.

“Pleasure to meet you, your Highnesses.” He bowed. 

“You don’t need to be so formal. Luna and Celestia, is just fine. We are very grateful for helping and saving one of our subjects. Her family and friends wants to meet you,” Luna replied.

Applejack, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo walked in.

“Howdy, Mr. Johnson. Ah’m Apple Bloom's sister Applejack. This is her brother Big Macintosh and her grandmother Granny Smith. And these are her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. We are all very grateful for taking care of her. We also decided to make you three a part of our family if you want.”

“I would like it. But before I answer your questions, I think it is better if we wait until Apple Bloom is awake.” 

“She’s still asleep?”

Sweetie Belle opened quietly the door. The hearts of all ponies’ melted as they saw that Apple Bloom was asleep peacefully in Mia's arms.
“Aww, isn’t that cute?” 

"Eeyup.”

Apple Bloom let out a yawn and blinked her eyes opened. At the same time, Mia and Konrad also woke up.

“Sis!” Apple Bloom ran into Applejack's arms. “Ah missed you!” She cried tears of joy.

“We too, sister, we too.” After that, Celestia said the same sentence to Mia and Konrad she said to Jacob. They both accepted.

“So Apple Bloom, what have you experienced with your family?” Scootaloo was curious. 

“Let’s just say, something Ah don’t want to talk about.” She trembled a bit.

Luna spoke in a calming tone, “Shh Apple Bloom, you’re safe and sound now. Let me try something.” She used her horn to see Apple Bloom's memories on earth.

“Oh my gosh… Don’t worry Apple Bloom, it’s over now.” Granny Smith calmed her down. 

“Thanks, Granny. Still, Ah think this should be celebrated, right, daddy? Daddy?”

Jacob was with Mia on the balcony.

“You smell that? It’s freedom, my dear wife.” 

“I can’t believe this day has finally come. Free at last.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” They kissed.

“Finally free. After 20 years, we are finally free.” Konrad looked into the beautiful sky.

“I think we should let them enjoy this moment.” Sweetie Belle smiled at the sight.



A few months later

Jacob, Mia and Konrad had a beautiful life. Mia worked at the desk in the hospital but helped out  when operations required her medical knowledge. 

Jacob worked as a police officer in Ponyville. Konrad was again a Soldier in the Royal Guard. After some spells and an operation, he was a normal human again and his hair grew back. Both men used their uniforms of the Civil Protection and Overwatch. 

They got used to it over the years. Still, Rarity made them some normal clothes and thanks to an experiment from Twilight, Jacob had his security guard uniform and pistol, Konrad his marine uniform again. While on Guard duty and enforcing the law, they both used their normal uniforms and weapons but for more special and dangers situations, they used their Combine uniforms and weapons but that was very rare in Equestria.

Celestia even found a spell that made them younger so they were in their twenties again.

Jacob had his break with Konrad and Mia at Sugarcube corner. The CMC walked in.

“Hi Mommy, daddy, uncle!” 

“Hello Apple Bloom. What are you three doing?” Mia asked with a smile.

“Enjoying some milkshakes and then, go to our clubhouse,” Apple Bloom responded happy.

Jacob took his mask on as his break was over. He stood at the entrance as a pony threw a can to the ground instead into the trashcan.
“You there. Pick up that can.” 

“And why?” 

"Because I saw how you threw it away.” Jacob blocked the entrance.

“All right, you got me.” The Pony picked the can up. 

“Now, put it in the trash can.” The pony obeyed. “All right. You can go.” He chuckled. Both men used their Combine uniforms on Guard duty out of habit sometimes.

Before Apple Bloom leaved, she called out, “See you later!” Jacob, Mia and Konrad watched after her until she was out of sight. They all could finally live free from the rule of the Combine. They wondered what happened to Gordon and Alyx, but they all were sure, that they had made it out of City 17.

For now, they enjoyed their new life. This was the beginning of a new era of peace for them.

“Lamarr? Lamarr! Blast that little...where did she get to?” And then Lamarr jumped into the readers screen.