For daemonmuses
South 2nd Street Dormitory
City 17
July 26, 2021
This is where Dr. Kleiner said that Gordon Freeman was likely to be, and, for once, he seems to be right. The building is crawling with Civil Protection. And that creates a problem. Alyx herself could sneak by them with relative ease--she's been doing that since before she hit puberty--but getting Kei in is another thing altogether. Ever since her daemon settled, sneaking anywhere has been a dicey proposition at best.
But maybe, just maybe... there! The back fire escape is momentarily unguarded. Quickly and quietly, Alyx scales the ladder and slips in the window. Kei follows close behind, his ears pricked for any sound of movement toward their position.
"Someone's being beaten," he murmurs. "One floor up."
"I hear it," Alyx murmurs, making a beeline for the stairs. As soon as she reaches the top of the stairs, she can see it--three CPs converged in a hallway around an unseen target. Their daemons--two jackals and a crow--are hanging back, still respectful of the taboos against touching another human.
Alyx and Kei look at each other. Alyx holds up three fingers... two... one... pounce.
In unison, the woman and her daemon strike.
If she were anyone else, if her daemon were anything else, she might be outmatched. As it is, the three Civil Protection agents are swiftly dispatched. And their victim is... is...
...is limp and still on the ground, and his daemon is nowhere to be seen.
"Oh God." Alyx stares down at him, and in a sudden shock, she recognizes his face. She couldn't not recognize it, she's seen it thousands of times in old photographs.
So it's true. Gordon Freeman has returned. And he's already dead.