The End Of The Freeman

What Heroes Do

"Keep pushing! We're almost through the bastards!"

Gordon fired a few rounds from the pulse rifle he picked up from a dead Overwatch soldier, hitting another Combine and killing him instantly, dead before he even hit the ground. Alyx was close behind him, firing her gun as they ran. They were in a Combine base that had been increasing in activity near White Forest in the last few weeks. So of course, the Resistance members were eager to send out everyone's favorite duo, the Freeman-Vance dream team. If anyone could handle clearing out the base, it was Gordon and Alyx.

Their mission was simple. Get inside the base, kill the soldiers, and get out after setting charges to blow the place to smithereens to make sure no other Combine forces would try and set back up. They charged in through a back entrance, killing any and all soldiers they saw who were also eager to kill them. Along the way, they planted bombs in every room and hallway, making sure each and every square inch of this place would be reduced to rubble when the charges went off. Gordon found the central control room and started setting up the timid charges around the room. The central control room was perfect as it was smack dab in the middle of the whole complex.

Alyx watched Gordon as he worked. Although she didn't show it, she was nervous and couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. It had been way too easy to get in here. It's like the Combine wanted them to get here and set up the bombs. She shook her head, telling herself that she was just being paranoid and tried to make small talk in order to steel her nerves.

"So what are you going to do once we get outta here?"

Gordon didn't take his eyes off the control panel, tweaking with the wiring as he replied, "I don't know, probably just take a nap. Sure could use one. You?"

"I was thinking since neither of us is busy after this, that we could do something together," Alyx looked away as she continued as though the floor was suddenly very interesting to her, "Maybe see if Barany's got any of those old VHS movie tapes that we could watch or eat dinner together in our room."

That got the scientist's attention as he turned to look at his friend, a small grin on his lips, "Why, Miss Vance! Are you asking me out on a date?"

Now it was clear as day to everyone, to Alyx herself and probably even Gordon, that she liked Gordon. From the moment they met, she felt a weird sense of companionship towards the quiet Doctor Freeman. And during their short time knowing each other, they had grown close due to fighting for their lives together. Gordon had saved her life dozens of time and she gladly returned the favor when she could. When she was dying after that Hunter attacked her, who helped save her life? Why Gordon of course. Who helped rescue her dad from Nova Prospekt? Gordon did. She was happy to call him a friend but yearned to call him something more, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

Alyx turned pink at hearing the slight teasing in the man's voice and she tried to ignore it, "Well, I mean. . .I wasn't," she sighed and looked back up at him "Yeah, I was."

Gordon smiled, "Cute. Okay, I'm in."

Alyx felt her heart jump and do fucking backflips as she mentally cheered. She resisted the urge to kiss Gordon right there and instead just gave him a sheepish smile, "Awesome! Let's blow this place up and get the hell outta here then."

Gordon nodded and turned his attention back to the control panel. He had wired the charges to start a count down when he pressed a button on the Combine's main computer, which would cause a facility-wide explosion as the bombs went off around it.

Just as Gordon was about to press the button to start the countdown, shots rang out behind them and he let out a grunt of pain as several bullets hit him in the side. Alyx whipped around and saw several Combine marching down the hallway towards them, weapons raised and firing at the duo. Gordon held his injured side with one arm and fired back at the soldiers with the other while Alyx quickly slammed the door and bolting it. That wouldn't lock out the Combine out, but it would at least slow them down for a while. She finally noticed Gordon had been hit and rushed over to him, worry written on her face.