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[acts_of_gord]

Alyx posted her recruiting memo on the chat... thing... that Shephard brought them the equipment for. That's fine. Gordon is good with that. He's not sure how many people here use that service, though, which is why he's sitting down at one of the tables with a big piece of oak tag and a black magic marker and trying to decide exactly what needs to

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[acts_of_gord]

"That might work," Gordon admits. "Last time I mostly just talked to people. Didn't have to draw up much of anything."

Words are not, and have not ever been, his friends.

[acts_of_gord]

"Not that much," Gordon says. "Mostly, we need more people this time. We've got you, and Annabelle Newfield, and... probably some other people. But last time was just causing hell in City 17. This is something of a last stand for the Combine terraforming forces."

[acts_of_gord]

"That would be good," Gordon says. "She's fought with us before- she knows what to expect. It won't be like what happened with Charlie."

[acts_of_gord]

"He signed up to fight," says Gordon sourly, "and then said he wouldn't carry a weapon. Which would've been fine if he had some kind of powers, but he was an ordinary human with martial arts skills instead. Basic Combine soldiers are augmented humans made faster and tougher than any ordinary human short of Batman could hope to fight hand-to-hand. I seem to remember him having a problem with the idea of killing Combine soldiers, too."

"And when we finally came back here he basically said 'guess I'm not suited for war after all' and just walked off."

[acts_of_gord]

"Thank you."

It's not like Gordon didn't try to warn him. Or try to shuffle him into a support role where he wouldn't have to fight but could still contribute. No, the man wanted to be along for the fighting to see what war was really like, because he just had to prove something.

Gordon has not gone out of his way to talk to him since, and when he's had to speak to him, has given him only as much information as absolutely required.

"Anyway. That's the thing. I have to make sure that I don't wind up attracting people who want to sign on but have trouble with the idea that this is an actual war zone where people are going to die, and where we're going to have to kill our enemies, and where people who're anywhere other than some kind of base coordinating position will have to either have powers or use guns."

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon looks at the posterboard.

"Maybe 'People Needed To Kill Alien Invaders. Disabling Not An Option'," he says. "Or 'Geneva Conventions Not In Effect'... although that sounds worse."

[acts_of_gord]

"True. Sounds more like an invitation to torture than admitting we won't be taking prisoners, though," says Gordon. "I'll stick with just using the word 'killing'. It's honest enough."

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon's mouth twitches. "I used to be a physicist," he says. "I gave up on pretending my job was anything but violence a long time ago."