Half-life: Invasion

Hour 0: ???

 Icarus had awoken behind his desk at Black Mesa.

A strange man in a suit and tie approached him, his face looked pale and stretched out. He had bags under his eyes and he carried a suitcase with Black Mesa's logo on it.

"Icarus Dagfinn... I've been... Looking everywhere for you, you... Do know... You aren't s-supposed to be here, right? You... Escaped Black Mesa before I could find you, therefore I could not... Evaluate you until now..." He said in a slow voice, his pale, almost undead-looking face never breaking eye contact.

Icarus was speechless.

"I've... seen your performance and I must say... You've caused quite a bit of... A mess... You seem a man who can get any job done, however taking... Collateral along the way... I'd like to... Offer you a job, mister Dagfinn." The man held his hand out.

"All y-you have to do is... Shake my hand and... Walk into the portal next to me... That's the first option."

"W-well what's the second then?" Icarus stuttered.

"The alternative option is... I can let that... Dark energy beam... Incinerate you. It will be a painful, but quick death for such... A useful man."

Icarus reluctantly shook his hand, staring the man in the eyes before he walked into the portal.

In his eyes he saw men stripped of their physique and limbs, replaced with metal analogues, valves in their stomachs, and plates over their faces. A tower piercing the heavens, red skies swimming around it menacingly, one man in an orange suit of armor. Occasionally, the flash of a creature that was unnatural even for Xen. It had a white face with no features, aside from a light blue breath mask on. It was worm-like and had no eyes. Yet it stared into his soul.

Looking at it seemed to pull at his mind. After he entered the portal, his entire life played on loop until he was once again needed.

He heard in his head the president of the United States giving a grim speech.

"Today is the day we surrender to our Combine overlords. The day that all nations step down and melt into the Universal Union. Fear not, however, for they say to have good intentions. Fear not, for they might dominate us, but they will rule for our well-being. From this day on, they shall no longer be known as 'the Combine', but rather 'Our Benefactors.' I now step down from office. God bless Our Benefactors."

Subject: Dagfinn, Icarus

Status: Hired

Awaiting Assignment...