A Red-Letter Day

[a_mere_child]

"Alyx! Alyx, where are you?"

"I'm up here, Doc," says Alyx from her perch above the teleporter platform. "Right where you left me five minutes ago."

"Oh." Dr. Kleiner looks sheepish, but only for a moment. "Well, come down at once, child. I have some exciting news!"

Alyx quirks an eyebrow. "More exciting than having the teleporter actually

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[acts_of_gord]

It takes Gordon a moment, half-stunned as he is, to realize what's just happened. His head's still throbbing as much from the crashing camera-bot as before, and the police batons didn't do him any favors. Still, when the woman- whoever she is- speaks, he manages what he thinks is a reasonably grateful expression and tries to sit up.

The world swims briefly. He braces both hands against the floor and closes his eyes, counts to three, opens them again... there. All right. He can see straight again.

He doesn't quite trust himself to speak yet, but he does produce an acceptable nod before looking up to his rescuer.

[a_mere_child]

"Attention: unidentified person of interest..."

Alyx looks up in alarm at the modulated female voice from the street. "We'd better hurry," she says, pulling Gordon to his feet. "The Combine can be slow to wake, but once they're up, you don't wanna get in their way."

There's an elevator off to one side; she strides over and presses the call button. "Dr. Kleiner said you'd be coming this way," she says, conversationally. "I don't think it occurred to him that you might not have a map."

She's still trying to process the fact that she just rescued Gordon freaking Freeman.

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon's still trying to process a lot of things himself. What the hell is going on is the first among these; how he ended up in what looks like a bad episode of Sliders is next; as for the third-

"I, uh, I don't... should I know you?"

He stops himself from rubbing at his head with one hand. The gesture would probably come off as painfully theatrical, when in fact it's just painful.

[a_mere_child]

She ushers him into the elevator, which creaks shut and begins a slow, rattling descent.

"I'm Alyx Vance. My father worked with you back in Black Mesa?" She chuckles softly. "I'm sure you don't remember me, though."

It has, after all, been a long damn time since their sole meeting.