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Chapter Text

With the Resistance's goal of destroying the Borealis within reach at long last, they needed every edge over the Combine they could muster. 

Gordon had tried his best to explain what the Vortigaunts and the G-Man had told him to his companions, who were understandably flabbergasted by the revelation. The idea that the G-Man had a change of heart similarly to his counterpart in the other universe was surprising enough. At Alyx’s urging, he also brought up the incident with the Advisors, where it appeared that he had manifested some sort of ability not unlike that of the Vortigaunts. This information was met with a mix of trepidation and cautious enthusiasm. Overall, everyone seemed heartened by any advantage they had, even more dubious ones. 

After a day or so of deliberation, and one last appeal from Kleiner to preserve the Borealis for Resistance use that was ultimately shot down, Gordon, Alyx, and Barney were instructed to locate and destroy the vessel using the intel collected by Mossman. Everyone was kind enough to see them off at the hangar. Gordon stepped towards the helicopter– and was interrupted by Barney, who stuck out an arm to block him before sitting in the pilot’s seat himself. Alyx erupted into laughter. 

Gordon was admittedly curious to see how the Arctic Circle had fared during the Combine takeover. The ecoterrorism committed by the Combine had thrown much of the planet's climate into disarray, with the sea level significantly lowered and the native fauna all but eradicated. To his surprise, the closer they came to the point where the Borealis was supposedly hidden, the more earth's natural state had been preserved. Great walls of sea ice obscured the landscape, glaciers and ice shelves rendering their flight path more treacherous, and yet Gordon couldn't help but feel a swell of hope. The survival of such vulnerable places showed promise for the future of the planet. 

If Gordon were to speak his honest feelings, he would have said it was unlikely for them to ever find the Borealis. Even with all the evidence, chance favored the Combine getting to it first, or it not even being on Earth anymore. And yet, as a symbol of hope, how could he look his friends and allies in the face and say as much? The air grew colder as Barney carefully steered the helicopter through cracks in the ice floes. 

At the sight of a titanic hull breaching the ice, Gordon swallowed his pessimism back into his throat. 

The ship was gargantuan, large enough for Barney to comfortably land the helicopter on the deck with room to spare. The question now was, how to destroy such a behemoth of a ship? 

Alyx surmised that the ship was powered by a nuclear generator, one ancient and likely ready to self-destruct at the slightest provocation. Her suggestion was to plant a remote-activated explosive at the reactor, then detonate it from a distance to destroy the entire ship. Gordon didn't like the idea, it was quite a gamble, but he couldn't think of any other way to get rid of the Borealis. Even sinking it could allow the Combine to dredge it back up. 

With no other recourse, Gordon agreed, and the trio navigated their way through the labyrinth of the ship, stalking down corridors of screeching metal and long-darkened hallways where once, there had been life. The reactor was situated in the hull, deep in the bowels of the ship, and glowed threateningly as Alyx planted C4 along its base. 

As they climbed back towards the deck, a cacophonous shriek nearly bowled them over. Suddenly, Gordon was incapacitated by a blinding headache– literally, his vision going white as he sank to his knees. Barney and Alyx staggered to his side, and he could feel their hands grabbing onto him, grounding both him and themselves. 

The Advisors had found them, likely having tailed their movement from White Forest all the way to the ship. Gordon hissed as he tried to shake his head free of their influence, his skull throbbing so hard it felt like it might split in two. 

Despair fell on the trio as hard as the attack did. They had led the Combine to the Borealis, and despite their best efforts, the Combine would be able to use the tech onboard to destroy the Resistance for good. Gordon blinked hard, trying to clear static from his vision. He and Alyx met gazes, then he and Barney. Both of his companions wore expressions of grim resignation. Barney exhaled. 

“Alyx. Pull the trigger.” 

Gordon almost laughed. It was ironic that their last stand would be here, stranded on the sea ice with no one around. Together. Still, their last act could be the one to ensure the survival of mankind. Gordon looked at Alyx and nodded. After a pause, she nodded back. 

As the Advisors drew closer, Alyx squeezed the remote, the click of the trigger echoing off the surrounding surfaces, then threw it away from herself. Gordon wrapped an arm around her, the other around Barney, pulling them close. He pressed his face to both of theirs, skin warm against the Arctic chill. 

For a moment, the headache abated, and a bright light erupted from an indeterminate point. Then everything went dark. 

When Gordon woke up, he was laying on soft grass. He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at a bright blue sky, sunlight filtered through a tree with reddening leaves. He'd never been religious, but if this was the afterlife, he didn't think he could complain. 

A groaning complaint to his side startled him out of his thoughts. To his left and right lay Alyx and Barney respectively, and he immediately reached for them both, taking their hands. Alyx spoke first. 

“Are we alive…?” 

“I have no idea…” Barney sat up, guiding Gordon and then Alyx to do the same. “I don't feel dead. I feel dizzy. Seriously dizzy. The last time I felt this bad was when I got trapped in a portal loop back during the Resonance Cascade…” 

Gordon looked around. They were surrounded by more beautiful trees, soft grass, and tall, elegant buildings. It reminded him of many of the campuses he'd visited during his time as a student. Furthermore, there were definitely people around. Some looked at him and his friends with confusion, but otherwise minded their own business. Everyone looked so… comfortable. Safe. 

Alyx rose to her feet, eyes wide with wonder. “What is this place? I've never seen anything like it.”

“Looks like a university,” Barney answered. “What's more, it looks like a university from before the Seven Hours War. It's so…” He paused, at a loss for words. 

“Maybe we can get help…” Alyx wrapped her arms around herself. “At least try to figure out where we are to get our bearings. Ask someone…” Her voice caught in her throat as her gaze turned to a bench under one of the sprawling trees, and to someone dozing off on said bench. “Wait, look!! Look who it is!!”

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All things considered, Gordon couldn't find anything to complain about in his life, which was a first. Things were going well for him, for his family, for his friends. He and Benrey had been house-hunting, looking for a slightly bigger place so Benrey could have his own space. Joshua was about to start preschool, and he couldn't stop talking about it. Dr. Coomer and Bubby had just come home from a research trip to Alaska, and Gordon could hardly believe some of the photos they'd taken. Tommy was preparing for a seminar being held at Gordon's university. He was going to be giving lectures on nuclear physics and the anomalous sciences. Everyone was thriving.

Well, mostly everyone. Even now, he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with panic gripping his gut, or nearly lose his breath from fear in the middle of a lecture, and he knew it was because his counterpart was in danger. The feeling would resolve after some time, but it never made it easier. He almost felt guilty, living a safe and comfortable life while his friends a universe away struggled to survive. Benrey called it ridiculous, arguing that the others wouldn't want them to suffer the way they did. Gordon hesitantly agreed, but it still made him sad. 

Still, life wasn't so bad. The summer had been long, but autumn had finally arrived, and to Gordon's delight, the fall foliage was even more vibrant than originally predicted. With one class finished, and at least forty minutes before he needed to go to his desk for office hour, Gordon sat under a tree with bright yellow leaves and enjoyed the cool air. Pulling his cardigan closer around himself, he closed his eyes, breathing slowly. Surely, it wouldn't hurt if he dozed off for a few minutes. He could have sworn he heard a familiar voice in the back of his mind. It soothed him as he began drifting…

“0G!!”

The sound of a different familiar voice calling him a name he hadn't heard in ages jarred him awake, and he snapped his head in the direction of the voice so quickly he hurt his neck. With a mix of joy and terror, he realized the person who had called his name was Alyx, who was now running over with Barney and the other Gordon close behind. He rose at once, opening his arms to her and staggering as she leapt at him. “Alyx?! Barney, and G2… what are you guys doing here?!” Despite his misgivings, he couldn't disguise his excitement at seeing his friends again. 

“We don't know!” Alyx laughed, clinging to 0G for a moment before taking a step back. “But this is a hell of a lot better than we thought was about to happen.” 

0G went to Barney next, hugging him tight and grinning as he got squeezed back. “What do you mean? What was going to happen?” 

“Nothing good.” Barney gave a sardonic grin. “We were cornered… and about to let ourselves die in exchange for the safety of everyone else.” He gently palmed at the end of 0G's ponytail. “Hair's even longer, now.” 

“Wait, what?” 0G grabbed Barney's shoulders and looked at him in horror. “You're not serious…” He looked at G2 for confirmation. 

Sadly, he is serious. Before anything could happen, though, we somehow ended up here. Now, 0G disentangled himself from Barney and hurried to G2, hugging him hard and ignoring the way the HEV suit dug against him. 

G2 pressed his brow to 0G's, and as they shared a moment of silent communication, 0G's shoulders slacked, both with shock and relief. On top of it all, it was comforting to have his bond with G2 reestablished, and to share that wordless connection again. After a moment, he reluctantly pulled back to look at the group. “Do you think that the Borealis was destroyed?” 

Alyx frowned. “I hope so… and if we're lucky, then the Advisors were also taken out in the blast.” 

0G folded his arms in thought. His eyes scanned the horizon, and the clock tower annexed to the library. “My office hour!” He panicked slightly as the other three gave him a strange look. “Ah, what do I do, uhm… I can't just not be there…” He smiled apologetically. “Would you guys be okay with sitting in my office with me for a bit? It's not like any of my students ever use the office hour anyway…” 

Thus, 0G found himself behind his desk while Alyx, G2, and Barney looked around, taking everything in. Alyx especially seemed to be having fun. 0G felt his heart ache a little. She had been so young when the Resonance Cascade happened, she likely had no memory of a world before the Combine. Right now, she was going through 0G's effects, and she gasped in delight as she picked up a photo from his desk. “Oh my god, is this your son? Joshua, right?” 

0G nodded. “The very same.” 

Now, Barney and G2 looked over with interest. Barney laughed in surprise. “Wow, he really looks so much like you!”

“You think so? Fortunately, he hasn't got my bad eyesight– yet. Fingers crossed.” 0G couldn't help but feel proud as the others continued to coo over the photo. “He's at his mom's for the week, but maybe you guys will get to meet him some day.” 

I hope so . G2 smiled, but there was a nervous edge to it. 0G understood at once. He was worried about his own universe. 0G gave him a reassuring look.

“Hey, it'll be okay. We were able to get to your world and back, it shouldn't be hard for Mr. Coolatta, Tommy, and Benrey to get you guys home.” 

“Good point,” Alyx hummed, then her expression lit up again. “Oh yeah!” She rushed over to 0G, who looked at her in bewilderment as she grabbed his hand. After realizing she was admiring the ring around his finger, he felt his face warm. He would never hear the end of it from her. 

As 0G predicted, no one came for counsel. His students preferred emails when they needed help, which he understood. As he and the others headed towards the bus stop, 0G pulled out his phone, texting Tommy to let him know the situation. 

Apparently, Tommy acted quick, because when 0G opened the door to his apartment, he and Mr. Coolatta were already there. At the sight of G2, Tommy's expression brightened. “Mr. G2! And Alyx, and Barney! Mr. Freeman told us, told us everything. We can get you home!”

“Thanks for coming, both of you…” 0G looked around in confusion, then nearly jumped out of his skin as a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. “Gah! … Thank you, Benrey. Missed you too.” 

Benrey rested his head on 0G's shoulder and looked at G2's team. “You're not supposed to be here~... Guess we gotta send you back.” He snickered. “Seems almost like a waste, though.” 

It is a shame that we can't stick around… G2 grinned at Benrey apologetically. Maybe some other time. 

Mr. Coolatta instructed them to stand in between himself, Tommy, and Benrey. 0G watched on with a bittersweet expression as he watched his friends prepare to go home. Benrey was right. It did feel like a shame to see them go so soon. 

Just as the glow of the portal reached its apex, and as Benrey's singing surged to its peak, the spectacle fizzled out. Silence filled the room, everyone looking at each other with varying amounts of confusion and concern. Mr. Coolatta stared at the space where the portal had been forming, and frowned. “... Something, is blocking us, from reaching your world.” 

G2's expression faltered, and he immediately looked to 0G, who understood his fears at once. If they couldn't get back, it was because someone or something didn't want them to. If they couldn't find a way to overpower that something, they would be stuck indefinitely in the wrong world.

In that time, their own world could fall to ruin.

Chapter Text

In the silence of Gordon's living room, he could have heard a pin drop. He was reminded of a time very early on in his adventures, when a failure had knocked the breath from everyone. Now, again, everyone was too afraid to speak, too afraid to address what could spell disaster for the future. 

Gathering his courage, he forced himself to find his voice first. “When has anything ever worked out the first time we planned it? We can find a way around this.” He met everyone's eyes meaningfully. “We have to.” 

Alyx was the next person to regain herself. “0G is right. We've overcome so many failures before… Hell, we just survived what we thought was certain death. We can't let this destroy our hope. We can think of something else.”

“Sure,” Barney rubbed the back of his own neck, looking more exhausted than usual, “but it would help if we knew what was holding us back.” 

Clearing his throat, Tommy lifted his hand hesitantly. “If I could…?” Once he was sure he had the floor, he spoke again, more confidently. “When we were in G2's universe, the Combine used the enslaved Vortigaunts to keep Dad out of the Citadel. Isn't it most likely that they're trying to keep you guys out now, so you can't ruin their plans?” 

Good point . G2 tilted his head to the side. But now, we can't go and free the Vortigaunts from their control. We aren't there.  

Listening to his counterpart speak, 0G frowned deeply. They were cut off from the other universe, which made fixing the problem themselves virtually impossible. None of them were outside of the Combines's radar this time. But was there something the Combine didn't know about? At once, he clapped his hands together, surprising everyone. “That's it!”

“What's, what's it?” Tommy looked at 0G with wide eyes. “You startled me.” 

“Sorry,” 0G began, “but thanks to you, Tommy, we might have a loophole.”

“Me?”

“Yeah!” 0G couldn't help but smile. “The Combine didn't know about your existence last time, so you were able to get into the Citadel even though Mr. Coolatta wasn't. They know all of our faces now, but…” he held up a finger on his prosthetic. “They don't know about the Interdimensional Teleporter.”

“Mr. Freeman, the Interdimensional Teleporter is way too small to send a person.” Tommy smiled with concern. 0G tried to brush off that it felt a bit condescending. 

“That's just it– that's good!” 0G became more emphatic. “We can send messages to the Resistance force in the other world because the Teleporter is so small scale, it will probably fly under the Combine radar!”

And when we do that , G2 picked up where 0G left off, we can let the others know what the Advisors have planned, and what we have to do to stop them.  

At once, the tension in the air began to be replaced by an anxious sort of optimism. This time, Benrey spoke up. “Not for nothing, but all of the other world’s heavy hitters are here.” He gestured to G2, Barney, and Alyx. “The other Resistance members are decent, but do you think any of them are able to infiltrate the Combine defenses? Dr. Kleiner is cool, but he'd get snatched in an instant.” 

There is someone. Somebody else who made it through Black Mesa and improbable odds. G2 looked at Alyx and Barney. We need Adrian's help. 

“That's a long shot, Gordon…” Barney frowned. “You think Shepard can be trusted to do that?”

He's helped us before. I have faith in him.  

Before the conversation could continue, Mr. Coolatta cleared his throat. “If that is, our move, then we must return home. The Teleporter, has been shut down… To prevent accidental detection. It will take, until tomorrow, to power it up. Tommy and I will, handle that. We shall… see you soon.” 

Tommy nodded, smiling brightly and forming a portal in front of himself. “Yeah, see you guys later!” He hesitated. “And it's really good to see you again.” 

G2 nodded. You too, Tommy. Mr. Coolatta. 

The father-and-son duo vanished into the portal with a flash, leaving everyone else standing around. 0G lifted his head. “Oh…! I guess you guys need somewhere to sleep. Um…” He looked around. “Our place isn't the biggest, but I can make up the couch, and some pallets on the ground with extra bedding…” He paused. “Unless you guys want the bed? Benrey and I could take the living room.”

Benrey snorted. “Your bed can not fit three people on it. Barely fits two.” 

0G waved his hand and flustered, earning a delighted laugh from Alyx. “Then- then I'll just set up pallets.” 

It took all of the extra bedding he had available, but eventually, 0G was able to make some relatively comfortable places for everyone to sleep. Alyx was still poking around, taking in everything she'd never had the privilege to experience. 0G glanced over at her, feeling his heart ache again. “Hey, you guys must be hungry. How about we eat something?”

Barney nodded from the sidelines. “That sounds nice, actually.” 

Although he had been the one to offer, 0G hesitated. Did he have enough to make a meal for five people? When was the last time he went grocery shopping? He'd planned to go today, but then the others showed up… he scoured the fridge and the cabinets for something substantial. The whole time, Benrey watched on, snickering. 

“Babe, we can just order out or something. Don't get so worked up. S'no biggie.” 

0G held up a box of dino-shaped chicken nuggets for a moment before relenting, nodding slowly. “I'll just go get groceries tomorrow…” 

“You gotta pick up the boychild. I'll go to the store,” Benrey pointed a thumb to himself. Alyx looked up from what she was doing (snooping through Gordon's coffee table books) to gasp in excitement. 

“Joshua's coming? Oh my God, we get to meet him!” She put a hand on her own chest. “Sorry. I'm just… kind of overwhelmed. Everything about your world is so different.” 

In response, 0G smiled apologetically. “Well, maybe you'll get to have a few firsts before you go back home. Ever had pizza?”

“We've made approximations of it.” Alyx mused. “Never got to try a proper one, though.” 

“Then that's what we can do tonight…” 0G looked over at Benrey, who was already ordering. “You can get whatever crazy toppings you want, but let's get at least one normal one for the others, okay?” 

“Niiiiice.” Benrey grinned, showing off his shark-like teeth. 0G tried to smile through his concern. 

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Waiting for the pizza had been an adventure in its own right. 0G had suggested they play a game while they waited, letting Alyx pick. Since she had little else other than case covers to go off of, she chose at random, and they ended up playing Smash Brothers and getting far more competitive about it than they should have. G2 thought he would have to physically separate Benrey and Barney after a particularly close match, with how excited they got over it. Alyx was laughing her head off the whole time, so at least she was having fun. 

The doorbell rang while Barney and Benrey had a rematch, and G2 watched 0G go to the door. It was strange, seeing a convenience he'd taken for granted for so long, now out of reach. Even something as simple as a delivery service seemed so far away. 

The delivery person held up a screen as they handed over the pizza. “Sign here, please.”

0G grinned awkwardly. “Do you have a stylus on hand?”

“No, sorry.” 

“Ok, just a second.” G2 watched as 0G painstakingly signed his name on the touchscreen with his left hand, frowning in sympathy. He couldn't imagine how frustrating it must be to lose one's dominant hand. 

As G2 walked back over with the pizzas, Alyx sat upright. “That's right! I meant to ask last time, but how did you get that prosthetic to work outside of the HEV Suit?” She reached over to grab a slice from the box before 0G could even put it down. “It was wired to integrate with the suit… I didn't think it would be functional otherwise.”

“That… took some work. Dr. Coomer’s specialty isn't cybernetics, but he's had a lot of cybernetic enhancements.” 0G set the boxes on the coffee table and moved towards the kitchen. “He had some connections, and reached out to them… one of them had done work in wiring robotics to human nervous systems.” He came back with plates and napkins, passing them out. “After some planning, they figured out how to make this arm respond to my body's signals.”

“It's tied to your nervous system? That must have hurt.” Alyx took a bite, her whole face lighting up. “Mmh! Wow, that's good. But! Does that mean you'd feel it if I smacked your right hand?”

“No, sorry.” 0G laughed. “It's not that sophisticated. It can really only move around and use the gravity function.” 

Benrey and Barney made a brief truce to fill their own plates. Barney hummed thoughtfully. “Must have been hard to relearn how to write with it, if you can't feel it.” 

“It was very hard,” 0G admitted, looking a bit remorseful for a moment. “Even now, my students sometimes complain that my handwriting is hard to read. To be fair, it wasn't that good even before the incident.” 

G2 remained quiet, eating slowly and focusing for a time on the past, present, and future. He wondered if, had he been present, he could have found a way to prevent 0G from losing his arm. It was unlikely. Back then, he wasn't yet having the visions he seemed to have constantly now. Even as he considered it, he could envision the scene with disturbing clarity. A horrible scream, red splattering against the greys and whites that were the Combines’ preferred architectural design. 

Then, strangely, the vision changed. G2 saw himself, in Black Mesa, waiting for two soldiers he knew were coming up from behind him. Had the two incidents happened at the same time? If 0G had been where he was supposed to be, would he have avoided injury? The vision shifted again, and with a muted horror, G2 saw that his counterpart would have lost his arm no matter what. The realization weighed heavy in his gut. 

Deep in thought, G2 stayed mostly quiet the rest of the evening, which wasn't too unusual, so luckily, most of his cohort didn't notice anything was off. At one point, he caught 0G looking at him with deep concern painted onto his face, but on being noticed, he flustered, looking away and pretending he hadn't been staring. Finally, G2 let his expression ease. What did or didn't happen in the past didn't matter as much as the future. 

Still, his thoughts continued to trouble him as he tried to settle in to sleep for the night. He looked up at Alyx on the couch, and at Barney on the pallet beside him, then closed his eyes, trying to entice a sleep that wouldn't come. After a couple of hours, he gave up and lay with his eyes open. 

Hearing the sound of cautious footsteps shuffling towards the room, he turned to look, finding 0G trying to carefully make his way through without waking anyone. Noticing that 2G was awake, his eyes widened. When they made eye contact, G2 could hear 0G's voice in his head. [You're still awake?]

[ Can't sleep. ] On hearing the answer, 0G motioned for G2 to follow him. Carefully rising, G2 stepped quietly after 0G, until they stood in what he assumed was Joshua's room, based on the decor and the small bed. 0G closed the door behind them.

“What's going on?” 0G spoke softly, mindful of the others sleeping just outside. 

Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. G2 paused to run a hand through his own hair. I don't like being trapped away from my home. If the Combine somehow take control again and I'm not there to help, I don't think I could ever get past that. His expression turned bitter for a moment. I can barely stand that it happened before.

“You…” 0G began hesitantly. “You blame yourself for what happened to your universe?” 

How could I not? People needed me and I was stuck asleep in a suitcase.  

“That wasn't your fault. The G-Man was the one who put you there…” 0G frowned.

That reminds me. G2 considered his word choice before continuing. The G-Man in our world has… shown a tentative change of heart. He claims its in his best interest to help us stop the Combine. I don't trust him very far, but he did use his powers to protect Alyx and Eli…  

“Sounds suspicious.” 0G shook his head. “With Mr. Coolatta, it was easier to trust his word because we all share our love for Tommy, but in this case, your G-Man hasn't got anything like that influencing him. At least, I assume so.” He smirked. “Unless he's got a secret kid somewhere in the resistance.”

Oh please. Still, G2 smiled on reflex. He'd really missed how easy 0G was to talk to. Anyway, enough about me. Tell me how you've been. 

“That's funny, coming from the same person.” 0G smiled awkwardly. “I can't lie, things have been good. Like… scary good. Sometimes I get scared that it's gonna come crashing down. Other times, I feel kinda guilty that things are going so well here while you and the others struggle.” 

Why would you feel guilty? It wouldn't help us any if you guys were suffering. 

“I mean, I get that, logically…” 0G had a seat on the floor, and G2 joined him, carefully folding his armored legs. 0G snorted. “You'd probably have an easier time sleeping if you took off the damn HEV Suit.” He gestured vaguely. “When we go to Tommy's tomorrow, you can store it with mine till you need it again.” 

You may have a point. G2's hand hesitated at the chestplate of the suit. What if they were ambushed, and he was unsuited at the worst moment? After a moment of gentle urging from 0G, he keyed in the release code, removing and carefully setting the pieces aside. Now just in the bodysuit he wore underneath, he felt all too vulnerable. It must have shown on his face, because 0G started laughing, hugging G2's shoulders.

“We're okay! You don't have to look so nervous. Nothing's gonna get us. Not yet anyway.” G2's gaze snapped up in alarm, and 0G laughed again, patting G2 on the back. “Relax… we're safe right now.” 

G2 drew a long breath. As he exhaled, he let his head rest on 0G's shoulder. After a second, 0G put his cheek against G2's scalp. Too comfortable where he was to move just to talk, he addressed 0G directly again. [ Have you… noticed anything different about yourself? Nightmares, visions, weird powers? ]

“Changes, huh…” 0G opted to speak aloud, which G2 didn't mind. Through their connection, their voices sort of blended together, which was a shame. 0G had a nice voice. “Not that I can tell? No more nightmares than usual… I can still feel you when you have a spike in emotion. And if I had any special powers, I would have already told everyone.” He laughed. “So, nope. I'm still just plain old Gordon.” 

[ You were never just anyone. ] G2 closed his eyes briefly and yawned. He could feel the exhaustion getting to him. 0G looked at him and laughed.

“You really should try to sleep. If all else fails, I could sing to you like I do for Josh.” He smirked, indicating he was joking, but 0G sat up, looking at him and deciding to call him on his bluff.

If you wouldn't mind. He laid back on the floor, finding it more comfortable than it should have been, given how tired he was. I'm all ears.

“I was kidding–!” 0G flustered immediately. “That's way embarrassing.”

So you're not a man of your word? G2 had to fight very hard not to smile. 

“You sound like the Science Team…!” 0G huffed. “Fine. I'll hum to you at least. Don't– don't look at me, though. It's awkward.” So saying, 0G closed his own eyes, clearly hoping G2 would do the same. 

G2 felt no need to do the same, finally letting himself grin in amusement as 0G started humming a lullaby. 

Like his speaking voice, 0G’s humming was nice, and comforting in its familiarity. Just as G2 felt himself slipping, his eyes snapped open, and he stared hard at his counterpart, watching for what he thought he'd just seen. After a moment, he closed his eyes again, thinking long and hard about what he'd witnessed, and its implications. 

He could have sworn that, just briefly, he'd seen a stream of small, softly-colored orbs stream from between 0G's lips before dissipating.

Chapter Text

When Gordon woke up the next morning, he was still on the floor in Joshua's room, and he looked up at the window, watching sunlight stream through stickers like stained glass. The main theme of the stickers seemed to be dinosaurs, but there were countless other random ones as well. He smiled in spite of himself. It would be exciting to meet Joshua in person.

While he was lost in thought, the door opened, and 0G hurried in with an armful of fresh laundry. “I brought you a change of clothes, I thought you'd prefer not to wear that bodysuit.” He passed the clothes over to G2. “Hopefully they fit. Even though we're the same person, I think you're built a little different from me.” 

Thanks. G2 grinned. He was finding it was easier to smile lately, even through his fear. He waited until 0G left the room, then got changed. The clothes fit well- save that the legs of the pants were just a bit shorter than usual. That earned another smile. Still, it felt nice to be out of the HEV Suit for a change. 

When he stepped out of Joshua's room, he saw that Alyx and Barney were already awake as well, sitting at the small dining table with Benrey, who was graciously answering a deluge of questions from Alyx. 

“So what do you guys do every day? Is it really always this peaceful?” 

Benrey tilted his head, grinning. “It's pretty chill. Not as peaceful as Xen, but, you know. Not bad. Feetman goes to work all the time, so I have a lot of time to explore.” He used a claw-like nail to pick something out of his teeth. “If we have time, I can show you some cool stuff I've found around here.” 

“Yeah, I'd like th–... did you just say Feetman?”

“ Benrey !” 0G barked through the door to their room. Alyx cackled. When 0G came out, he was apparently dressed for work. G2 couldn't help but be endeared. It was refreshing, seeing the people he cared so much about in a time of peace. 

From his seat, Barney glanced over at G2, smiling warmly. “Morning, darlin’. Benrey says he's gonna take us to Tommy's place. You ready?” 

Whenever you are. G2 stepped over, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Barney's scalp where he sat. Benrey's brow cocked.

“Hey, Feetman, how come you don't gimme kisses like that when we have company?” 

“You know I'm not good with PDA. And stop calling me that!” 0G adjusted his tie. 

“PDA? I don't think our multiverse buddies are ‘general public’, but okay.”

Despite his cheeks reddening, 0G smiled as he turned to address the group. “Sadly, I can't go with you to the Coolattas’. Between my trip to your universe and the time I took recovering, I've missed enough work for at least a decade. I'll catch up with you later, after I get Josh.” 

We'll miss you till then. That earned G2 a scoffing laugh, and further flustering. 0G was easy to flatter. Get home safe.

Once 0G left, Benrey wasted no time gathering everyone close. “I'm sure Dr. Coomer and Bubby will be there too. Maybe even Darnold. Tommy let everyone know what's happening, and they're nosey.” He began singing, and the room filled with reddish-orangish orbs. 

Barney tapped a fist to his palm. “I think I remember this one. Salmon roe means it's time to go, right?”

G2 hummed. I think this time, it's more like, let's visit a bro.

Not wanting to interrupt his own singing, Benrey pointed at G2 before giving him a thumbs up. The air around them began to shift in a familiar way. Barney gripped tight to G2's arm, and the room around them melted away. Through the instant of darkness, G2 thought he could see Xen, just briefly. 

Their destination materialized around them quickly, and G2 heard Barney groan at his side. He never did well with teleporting. Alyx, on the other hand, seemed invigorated. She glanced around, taking in the differences between Tommy's home and 0G’s, which were many. It was bigger, which G2 supposed made sense. Tommy was older, had no kids of his own, and probably had more disposable income. Add to it the flair that the G-Man had introduced, and the decor was in some places vibrant and energizing, in others austere and imposing. 

As he glanced around, he locked eyes with Dr. Coomer and Bubby in turn, who had shown up, just as Benrey predicted. G2 hurried over to embrace Dr. Coomer at once.

“Hello, G2! How good to see you again.” Dr. Coomer beamed as he squeezed G2 tight. 

Bubby cocked a brow. “I figured that we'd end up seeing you again at some point.” G2 opted to rest a hand on Bubby’s shoulder. As he moved to speak with Tommy, he noted with amusement that Bubby did indulge Alyx’s request for a hug. He smiled to himself. He always knew Bubby was softer than he let on. 

Tommy smiled warmly in greeting. “Hi, Mister G2! No HEV Suit today?”

Your Gordon insisted. We brought it to house it here with his, if that's alright.

“Good idea! It's probably been a while since yours was hooked to a proper charge station, huh?” Tommy gestured. “We can handle that later. For now, let's go downstairs. Darnold’s finishing up the final checks for the Interdimensional Teleporter.”

As promised, Darnold was awaiting them, arms folded. “This is actually a bit fortuitous,” he began. “When I was sending potions through here last time, I had to just trust my gut. I'm sure though, that you all have the exact coordinates of the place you intend to send your message to?” 

“Exact within a few meters, yeah.” Alyx nodded, stepping towards the teleporter and admiring its mechanisms. “If this is the map for the teleporter, then White Forest Base is right… around… here.” 

“White Forest?” Darnold raised his brows. “That old Soviet base that Black Mesa bought back in about… ‘98?” 

“The very same,” Barney nodded. He seemed to be feeling a little better. “We've been using it as a base of operations for a while.”

Darnold must have caught something in G2's expression, and he called attention to it. “Dr. Freeman, you're being rather quiet. That is… you seem troubled.”

My concern is that White Forest is compromised. The Advisors already found it once… Unless they're biding their time, I would expect they've chased everyone out. As Gordon made his concerns known, Alyx frowned.

“That's a good point… but, what choice do we have?” She folded her arms. “Besides, the resistance has been long tired of running every time the Combine show up. And White Forest is highly defensible. I doubt they've abandoned it yet.”

“Magnusson himself told me he'd rather die than give up the progress they've made at that lab,” Barney added. “If everyone else is as stubborn as that, it's a good chance they're still there.”

With the reassurance of his friends, Gordon felt a little more confident. Then, let's plan the message we send to them.  

Everyone gathered around a lab table to brainstorm– absolutely everyone. Even Mr. Coolatta hovered at one end of the desk, chiming his thoughts in his strange cadence. By the end of their discussion, they managed to pen down a short but informative message.

This message comes from Alyx, Gordon, and Barney. 

We have been taken to 0G's universe, and we don't know why. The Advisors found us at the Borealis, and we sought to destroy the ship and the Advisors with it. We do not know if we succeeded.

We can only assume that the Combine are part of why we are here, and we can't come back. Something is stopping us. Likely, the Combine are using enslaved vortigaunts, or the Advisors are blocking us themselves. 

The Resistance must find a way to destroy that blockade. The Combine are likely to make a move while we are unable to help. You must act quickly.

Barney frowned. “You wanted to get Shephard's help, didn't you, Gordon?” 

G2 nodded before adding a corollary. We can't force him. It wouldn't be right to ask for that much. If he is willing to go, he will. 

“What– I don't understand. You put so much faith in this guy– whose first move was to attack you on sight– and now you say we can't ask him to help us?” Barney frowned, looking skeptical. “I think you might see him as better than he is.” 

“Barney…” Alyx exhaled through her teeth. “But… I get it. What if he doesn't help?”

Then he doesn't help. That would be a shame. G2 avoided making eye contact with his team. But I'm not going to put that pressure on someone else. I know what that burden feels like, and I'm not doing that to anyone. 

At once, Barney's expression faltered, and while he couldn't find the words to say, he looked a bit apologetic. “... Alright. I trust your judgement.” 

“You should,” muttered Bubby. “G2 might be young, and naive, but he's… got good instincts.”

G2 looked up at Bubby with his brows upturned. He made a note to never mention the compliment again, as he was sure Bubby wanted to move on from it, but he couldn't help but appreciate the vote of confidence. 

Once the note was finalized, Alyx helped Darnold pinpoint the dropoff location, where it was sent alongside a handful of potions, including one of the precious, shimmering ones that had once saved G2's life. “And now, we wait.” 

“You guys want, want something to eat?” Tommy gestured towards the stairs. “We might as well catch up while you're here.” 

So saying, everyone headed back upstairs, both parties filling one another in on what had been happening since the last time they met. G2 helped Tommy and Bubby prepare a light meal, and as the smell of food wafted through the air, G2 was caught off guard by the sound of heavy footsteps. He turned just in time to get the full brunt of Sunkist’s huge paws to his chest as she jumped up to greet him. 

Alyx gasped, practically jumping from her seat to pet Sunkist immediately. “Wow, a real dog! Well, you know, flesh and blood. Dog is real too, just– different.” She laughed as Sunkist licked her face. “She's a lot more… slobbery than Dog.” She looked at Tommy. “0G told me you made your dog yourself, too. Is that true?”

“Yeah!” Tommy beamed. “Sunkist is immortal, she's the perfect dog.” 

“She sure is cute.” Alyx reluctantly rose and moved back to her seat, delighted when Sunkist plodded after her and rested her head on her lap. “How did you manage to make her immortal, exactly?”

As Tommy began explaining his methodology to an increasingly rapt Alyx, G2 found himself spacing out. It wasn't that what Tommy was saying was uninteresting– far from it– but G2 was finding himself distracted yet again by visions and memories that were not his own. A hand on his shoulder startled him out of it, and he looked to see Mr. Coolatta regarding him with a calm, pitying gaze. He thought back to what 0G had said, about being able to trust this universe's G-Man so easily. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like his own universe's G-Man would be worth trusting too, in the end. 

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

0G had quite a busy day ahead of him. With three classes, an office hour, and a meeting with the other Sciences faculty in the mid-afternoon, he barely had time to catch his breath. As he rushed to his last class of the day, two of his students called him over.

“Dr. Freeman…” One of the students, an applied sciences major in their junior year, grinned as he approached. “You never told us you had a brother?”

“Huh?” 0G blinked a few times.

The other student, a young freshman, pointed towards the quad as she spoke. “The guy you were talking to yesterday. He looks just like you– are you twins?” 

With a start, 0G realized they were talking about his counterpart. Obviously, he couldn't tell them that– he felt the consequences of the larger scientific community learning about the Switch was too great– so he nodded, smiling suddenly and pretending to understand. “Oh, yeah! That's my twin brother.”

“What's his name?” The junior asked a little too quickly. 

“Uh, well…” 0G panicked. What if they came back on campus one day? “Funny enough, his name is also Gordon.” 

Both students stared at him skeptically. The freshman spoke. “You're both named Gordon.”

“It's a family tradition.” 0G withered as he spoke. He was terrible at lying, and making up stories, but he had to try. “Goes back centuries. Twins are common in our family, and one twin usually died young, so they got named the same name to try to trick the fates into believing there was only one kid.” 

“Didn't that make growing up… confusing?” The junior smiled incredulously. 

“It would have, but our parents divorced and took one of us each, so we didn't go to the same school or anything.” 0G felt himself start to sweat. “We didn't really meet properly until we were adults.”

“Uh-... Wow.” The freshman laughed. “That's a wild story. Either way, he and his friends seemed cool. I hope you bring them to see us sometime!”

“Maybe,” 0G finally felt like he could breathe again. “If you do well on your exams.”

The last class of the week dragged on like it always did, but 0G always felt light-hearted once he got to leave, taking the bus towards where he and his ex would meet up to drop off Joshua. When he showed up, they were already there, and Josh immediately sprinted over. 0G grinned wide, laughing as he scooped the boy up and spun him around. “Heeey, buddy! Ready to hang out for the weekend?”

Josh's eyes were sparkling as he smiled up at his dad. “Yeah!” 

On the bus again, 0G explained to Joshua, in appropriate terms, what was going on. “You remember Dad’s counterpart, the one I told you about? He's on an adventure now too, and he's here with his friends. All of us are trying to help them. We're gonna go over to Tommy's, are you excited?”

“We get to see Other Dad?!” Joshua practically shouted, gaining the attention of half the bus. 0G felt his face redden. He was sure everyone had their own opinions about what Joshua had just said. 

“Yeah– when did you start calling him that?” 

“Cuz you're Dad, so if he's Dad but from another world, then he's Other Dad.” Joshua gave a curt, scholarly nod. In spite of himself, 0G smiled. 

“I see your logic. But heads up– everyone else calls him G2.” 0G took Joshua's hand to help him climb off the bus at their stop. “I don't know if he'd feel comfortable if you called him Dad. I didn't ask.” 

When they reached Tommy's house, Gordon let Josh ring the doorbell. It only took a moment for Tommy to answer, and Joshua immediately crowed in excitement, clinging to Tommy's leg. 0G watched as Joshua hurried in, going to everyone familiar first– and noting with charmed amusement that Bubby picked him up to hug him. As Joshua got to Benrey, though, he seemed to notice the strangers in the room, and clung uncertainly to the leg of Benrey's pants, appraising the situation before acting. 

Alyx covered her mouth, probably trying to hold back any loud cooing that would potentially startle a kid. Barney tilted his head, smiling but seeming at a loss for what to do with himself. Carefully, G2 knelt on the carpet, at a bit of a distance from Joshua, and tried to meet him at approximately eye level. He lifted his hands to speak. Hi there. You must be Joshua. Your Dad has told us so much about you.  

Slowly, Joshua disentangled himself from Benrey, stepping towards G2 and lifting his own hands, first touching G2's face, then his hair. Finally, he grinned. “Short!” He laughed, then threw his arms around G2's neck, clambering up him and clinging on like a koala in a tree.

With a bemused smile, G2 carefully rose, supporting Josh in his arms. He shot 0G a glance and a thought. [ He's precious. ]

“Ohh, he's so cute…” Alyx whispered, likely not realizing she had voiced G2's thoughts. “Hey, Joshua…”

“Are you Alyx?” Joshua tilted his head. Alyx looked surprised for a moment, resting a hand on her own chest. 

“Yeah, I am, how'd you know?” She smiled wide. “I guess your dad told you about us.”

“I told him all about our adventures,” 0G nodded. “Within… reason, of course. Left out some of the… grittier details.” 

Alyx nodded and stepped over to G2, smiling at Joshua and giving him her undivided attention. “Smart.”

Dr. Coomer hummed. “Now Gordon, I know it's unpleasant, but you do need to talk to your son about difficult topics.” 

“Maybe when he's older?” 0G looked baffled. “But even then, he doesn't need to know all the details. I'm not– I'm not putting that on my own kid.” 

Now, it was Bubby’s turn to complain. “Well, how can he go to you about his difficult problems if you don't establish that it's okay to talk about?”

“I'm not talking about that, just–” 0G interrupted himself, sighing harshly. He was getting better at recognizing when the Science Team were intentionally misinterpreting him, and when to disengage. “Anyway. He knows the gist.”

Barney finally joined Alyx near G2 to meet Joshua, but he still seemed quite awkward and uncertain. 0G supposed he didn't have much experience with kids. Though, when he thought about it, Alyx wouldn't have, either. Then again, Alyx was admittedly more personable overall. He felt a bit sorry for Barney, whatever was going on. 

Joshua, for his part, seemed perfectly content to stay clung to G2 for the rest of the afternoon, and fortunately, G2 didn't seem to mind it, carrying Josh in one arm as he went about business as usual. Barney and Alyx took turns explaining the letter they'd sent to White Forest in the other universe. 

“I guess all we can do now is wait and hope…?” 0G refused to admit that his own optimism was waning. He was sure that the others already felt the same way. Barney shook his head lightly.

“Apparently.”

Mr. Coolatta stepped in, adjusting his tie. “I will be… making brief forays, in that direction… now and again, to test… once I can no longer sense, the barrier… we can act.” 

“Sounds like our best bet,” 0G grinned at Mr. Coolatta appreciatively. “Thanks again for all your help.”

As evening wore on, there was some discussion about how to proceed. Eventually, Tommy suggested everyone stay at his home for the time being, to keep abreast of the situation. 0G wasn't going to complain. It was almost embarrassing trying to host so many people in such a small apartment. Besides, Joshua had been hounding him for another “family” get-together for a while, so it worked out in everyone's favor. 

He looked at G2, who was now holding an increasingly sleepy Josh in both arms, and they exchanged small, but hopeful, smiles. After all they had survived to this point, surely, they could conquer this too. 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------

White Forest was silent as the grave, and just as heavy with grief. There had been no sign of Freeman, Alyx, or Calhoun, no correspondence. After two days, Mossman's team closer to the Arctic Circle reported out-of-control radiation readings originating from the place where they believed the Borealis to be waiting. Combine activity was steadily growing. To everyone at the base, it seemed obvious what had happened– the trio had sacrificed themselves to give the Resistance a fighting chance. 

Naturally, everyone was devastated– Dr. Kleiner and Dr. Vance most of all. Vance had been nearly inconsolable the day Alyx was nearly mortally wounded, and now he moved as if he was in a trance, a deep, haunting despair glazing his eyes. Dr. Kleiner was more outwardly despondent, having lost Gordon before, and now to feel that loss all the more permanently. He sat outside of the base proper, murmuring into his hands that this time, too, was his fault, that he should have just let Gordon be for once .

Adrian was unsure what to do with himself in these times. He knew it wasn’t really his business, he felt like an intruder on this most intimate and sacred ritual of mourning, but he had forced himself to become a part of this, hadn’t he? It was his idea to take Freeman up on his offer, to fight alongside the Resistance, and now it was his duty to be part and parcel to all of the pain that came with it. Feeling that any words of encouragement would seem disingenuous from an outsider, Adrian set to helping in subtle ways. He made sure people were fed and clothed, made sure their sleeping and medical quarters were sanitized. He fought off the Combine that would occasionally come to pick off the remnants of the shattered Resistance. It was all he could do.

All the while, he couldn’t stop feeling deeply disturbed. What a painful sort of irony it was, to finally come to terms with the fact that the one person you blamed for all of your pain was just another person, just like you, who was just fighting to survive, just like you. And then, to form a tenuous bond with that person, only for him to die. It made Adrian feel sickeningly mortal. Beyond that, Alyx, like himself, had barely reached adulthood. Calhoun, he didn’t know much about, but he knew that he was a decent person. Now they were all gone, and Adrian worked tirelessly and anxiously, trying to busy himself so he didn’t have to think about it. 

Perhaps it was his action that made him the first one to find the bottles of mysterious liquid, one with a note tied around its neck. As he read the note, his eyes grew wide. He still didn’t quite understand what the “alternate universe” was, nor did he want to consider the implications of such, but if they were still alive… He rushed to the labs at once, where Kleiner and Vance were sitting in contemplative silence. He pushed the note into Vance’s hand without bothering to explain. “Here.” 

Vance took the note curiously, but as he read, his expression shifted. The weight of grief seemed to instantly lift from his heavy eyelids, and suddenly, he looked so alive. “My God, they’re okay… Izzy, they’re okay!” He handed Kleiner the note at once. Dr. Kleiner read quickly, and sniffled, briefly dusting something from beneath the frames of his glasses. 

“I can hardly believe it– but this is certainly Gordon’s handwriting. I… I cannot overstate my relief…” 

“Come on, Izzy, we can weep for joy later. We have work to do.” Dr. Vance was on his feet at once, and Dr. Kleiner quickly followed behind. Adrian trailed behind them. 

The news that the trio had survived traveled through White Forest like waves, and like a miracle, the air grew breathable, charged with new vigor as hope began to surge its way back into the Resistance. Now, the scientists at White Forest convened for a meeting, Adrian still listening in from a distance. 

Magnusson was the first to devise a workable plan. “We have to find where the Combine are setting up their current base of operations. With the Citadel in City 17 destroyed, and Nova Prospekt down, I can think of only a few places they would still be hiding.” 

Uriah, who Adrian was still trying to get used to, spoke next. “Yessss… Our brethren may be captive, there… Though, if they are, we do not hear them. Either the Advisssors are blocking the Freeman themselvesss, or the Combine have learned a way to… sever the Vortal Threads… Neither concept isss promisssing.”

Now, Dr. Vance spoke. “We can build a map of the most likely spots the barrier is being generated, then send out groups to try and squash them.” He folded his arms. “Though with Gordon, Alyx, and Barney gone, the others may find rallying a little difficult.”

“You unfortunately have a point…” Dr. Kleiner frowned. “We have made more progress with those three as a team than we ever have in twenty years… And their combined experience made them invaluable.” 

Finally, Adrian broke his silence. “I’ll go.” 

Magnusson turned to face him. “Ah. Shephard, wasn’t it? Your help so far has been greatly appreciated. Still… Are you sure you’re willing to risk that? A Combine base is no walk in the park.” 

“I appreciate the concern,” Adrian began, “but I was at Black Mesa during the Resonance Cascade. I went through that fallout, too. I know my way around alien takeovers.” 

Dr. Kleiner offered Adrian a smile. “Well, that certainly does make you more qualified than most. If you’re genuinely willing to lead the charge, then we will do our best to support you every step of the way.” He laughed once. “It’s a pity we don’t have a spare Hazard Suit for you.”

“I’ve got my vest, I’ll be fine.” Adrian looked away. He didn’t think too favorably of the idea of becoming Freeman 2.0. “Just point me in the right direction.” 

Still, as he watched the others prepare for their next move, Adrian couldn’t help but be amazed by Freeman’s staying power. Even when he wasn’t around, he had an incredible sway over others. 

He just hoped he could match up.

Chapter Text

Despite it not being that late, it was already dark outside, and 0G watched Joshua yawn, then curl up tighter against G2. He laughed, stepping over to carefully take his son. “I should put him to bed before he starts getting fussy. Thanks for playing with him.”

It was my pleasure , G2 hummed reassuringly. He's a good kid. 

Tommy pointed 0G to a room that would be suitable for Joshua to sleep. Tucking his son into bed, he hummed the same lullaby he always did, closing his eyes to encourage Josh to do the same. Once Joshua's breathing turned slow and steady, 0G opened his eyes and smiled. He leaned in and kissed Joshua's brow, glad that he didn't have to leave his side this time. 

As he stepped to the door, he nearly shrieked and undid all his work to put Joshua to bed, instead swallowing it down with a strangled gasp. Barney, standing in the doorway, held up his hands and spoke quietly. “Shit, Doc, sorry to scare you.” 

“Fuck…” 0G put a hand on his chest. “What's up?”

“Can we… talk about something? I figured you'd be the one who would understand what I'm feeling…” Barney averted his gaze, looking somehow resigned. 0G tilted his head.

“Yeah, of course…” He stepped into the hallway and motioned Barney to follow, amused that this was the second time in as many days he was leading someone off to have a heart to heart. Once they were a decent bit removed from everyone else, he faced Barney fully. “What's wrong?” 

Apparently unsure how to start, Barney stared at his hands for a moment. 0G looked too, eyes scanning over a myriad of scars and healed-up injuries. “I'm getting old, Gordon.”

0G blinked, then laughed, once. “What do you mean? You can't be that much over forty.”

“That's just it– I'm in my forties.” Barney's frown deepened. “And Gordon– my Gordon, sorry– he's the same age he was when we left Black Mesa. Plus the time we've spent since he got out of stasis.”

“Yeah…?” 0G tilted his head. “I'm… I'm not following.”

“Unless the worst comes to pass, and it almost did last time, I'm gonna…” Barney pursed his lips tightly. “I'm gonna go way before he does.” 

At once, 0G's expression sobered, and saddened. It was an unfortunate truth– one he grappled with similarly with some of his friends. “Oh, Barney, I'm sorry…”

“Honestly, seeing him with Joshua made me realize just how wide the gap is…” Barney sighed. “He's young enough to be able to keep up with a kid that young, I hardly know how to handle kids at all… and I feel guilty. I'm tying him down to someone he's going to end up losing while he still has time left.” Barney's brow furrowed. “Maybe, it would be better if I let him–” 

“Don't even finish that sentence– are you insane?” Barney looked up at 0G with wide, shocked eyes, and 0G faltered briefly, a bit surprised with himself. “I'm sorry, that was too far. But! G2 is a grown man, and he loves you. If I knew him– and I should, we're the same person– he'd be livid with you if you unilaterally decided to end things out of a misguided desire to protect him from getting hurt.” 

“I know you're right… I know I'm being irrational, but I can't shake this guilt.” He looked at 0G pleadingly. “You get what I'm saying, don't you?”

“Of course I do.” 0G rested a hand on Barney's shoulder. “It's a little different, but… Benrey is immortal. He can't even be killed. No matter how you shake it, I'm gonna be the first to die. He knows that too… but he chose me anyway. We chose each other.” He scanned Barney's expression, relieved to see understanding dawn. “Dr. Coomer, Bubby… even Tommy and Darnold are older than me. I still love them. If they decided shielding me was more important than being my friends, I'd be devastated. Whatever ends up happening, it's going to hurt, but that won't mean the bonds we made weren't worth it.”

Barney stared at 0G in silence for a time, looking almost awed. “... You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?”

“Yeah,” 0G admitted a little bashfully. “But I've found some semblance of peace with it, and I hope I was able to help you do the same.”

Finally, Barney's expression eased, and he smiled, tired and sad, but genuine. “Thanks, Doc.”

Troubles soothed for the time being, 0G and Barney moved to join everyone else back in Tommy's living room. Barney scanned the room, then tilted his head. G2 was nowhere to be found. Nor were Alyx or Benrey, for that matter. 

Noticing Barney and 0G’s confusion, Mr. Coolatta stepped over. “Not to fret. They slipped out… to go stargazing, or something, to that effect.” He gestured to the door. “I saw them, leave.” 

0G scoffed fondly. Typical Benrey behavior. “Wanna go after them, or are you fine waiting till they come back?”

“I can wait,” Barney laughed. “Knowing my Gordon, he won't want to be out in the dark that long.” 

There was a moment of comfortable silence, then 0G lifted his head, facing Mr. Coolatta directly. “I know it hasn't been long, but have you made any contact with the other universe yet?” 

“Un-fortunately, no… but not, for lack of trying.” The G-Man adjusted his tie. Upon closer inspection, and to 0G's utter delight, it seemed to be patterned with tiny lawn flamingos. His universe's G-Man really was showing how much he was Tommy's father, lately. “I'm reaching out, even in this moment… but I have yet to… breach the barrier.” 

Hearing the further slowing of Mr. Coolatta's cadence, 0G put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, don't overdo it, okay? We'll reach them when we reach them. Don't overextend yourself…” 

After a momentary glance, and muted surprise on the G-Man's face, he smiled slightly. 0G tilted his head, but the G-Man chose to not elaborate on what had endeared him so. Still, he smiled back. They had a long way to go, but he was in surprisingly high spirits about it. 

—------------------------------------------------------------

G2 and Alyx stood shoulder to shoulder in the living room as everyone else caught up and discussed this or that. More accurately, Alyx's shoulder was about halfway up G2's upper arm. He'd always been on the taller side. His attention turned to Dr. Coomer, who had leaned over to show them photos from a research trip he and Bubby had taken. 

“This was taken near the Arctic Circle, we were in Alaska researching the effect of the geomagnetic poles on wavelength with regards to displacement technology…” as Dr. Coomer spoke, G2 tried to smile through the tremor that rolled down his spine. From the way Alyx’s arm suddenly tensed, he could tell she got a similar shiver. Too-fresh memories of staring at an explosives trigger and waiting for the inevitable flashed through his mind, from both his own and Alyx's perspective. 

That's amazing, Dr. Coomer. He eventually managed to sign. Did you come up with any conclusive evidence? 

“You know how science goes, G2.” Bubby, who had apparently been eavesdropping, decided to chime in. “Such a short trip means we couldn't say 100 percent if what we found was ‘conclusive’, per se, but there was a marked spike in size and frequency of wavelength emission the closer we came to the Pole.” 

G2 chanced a quick glance at Alyx, and her brows raised in surprise. She tilted her head slightly, giving him a strange look, then looked back to the older scientists. “Do you two know anything about Aperture Laboratories?” 

“Not as much as I'd like,” Bubby admitted. “Other than that they were Black Mesa’s closest rivals in displacement tech, and that they went defunct long before the Resonance Cascade.”

Before they fell apart, were there any rumors? Any belief that they had developed some sort of technology that far surpassed its contemporaries?  

Dr. Coomer smiled. “That's… specific! But now that you say it… I seem to recall they had developed a prototype that was causing a stir… Some kind of machine that could create portals that would lead to one another.” 

G2 hummed. It didn't sound like the Borealis had been built in this universe. At least, if it had , Aperture had done a much better job keeping it secret. Before he could ask any more questions, Alyx tapped his shoulder, gesturing with her neck that they step aside for a moment. 

Once away from the group, Alyx affixed G2 with an intense look. “Did you… get in my head?”

What do you mean?  

“I mean, I swear I heard a voice in my head telling me to bring up Aperture when you looked at me.” She folded her arms in thought. “I heard that voice before, when I was injured… I don't know if you even realize you're doing it, but you're talking to me. Like you do with 0G.”

I didn't mean to. I'm sorry if I'm coming off as intrusive. G2 sighed softly. I can barely wrap my head around it, to be honest. At least with 0G, I know how to control it now, but I never would have imagined it would go this far. 

“Hey– don't apologize.” Alyx finally smiled, looking more relaxed. “I'm just glad I'm not going crazy. Besides… that power of yours might just save us some day.”

G2 couldn't help but scoff. There was that theme again. He would have dwelt upon it longer, but a cold hand on his back made him nearly jump out of his skin. Alyx gasped sharply beside him, so whatever touched him must have gotten her too.

They both whipped around to come face to face with Benrey, who grinned before holding a finger to his lips. “Let's blow this place,” he murmured. “I wanna show you something cool, Alyx. You can come too, G2.”

It's already dark, though…  

“It's fine,” Benrey insisted. “I can get us a light. Besides, it looks cooler at night.”

“You know? Why not?” Alyx grinned. “Lead the way.” 

“Niiiice.” Benrey's smile spread wolfishly as he grabbed them each by one arm, practically dragging them to the door and away from the house. As they walked further, it quickly grew darker, and it wasn't long before Benrey started singing, conjuring strings of gently glowing orbs that floated along beside them, softly lighting the way like fireflies. Watching them, G2 was struck with an aching nostalgia. He wondered if the delicate creatures were now extinct in his world. As it stood, most of Earth's wildlife seemed to be. 

Distracted by his thoughts, G2 didn't notice when they had stopped, bumping into Benrey's back on accident. Quickly, he signed an apology. Benrey just smirked. “Are all Gordons this spacy? Or is it just the two I know?” 

In response, G2 laughed awkwardly. He had no doubt that there were other parallel universes, a countless amount, but thinking about it made him nauseous. He had enough on his plate with two realities. Shaking his head, he looked to see where Benrey had taken them. It might have been a riverbed once, now a bit more like a dried-up creek, filled with cat grass and yellowing reeds that rustled pleasantly in the cool night air. 

“Sometimes cool stuff shows up here,” Benrey explained as he climbed down into the creekbed. “Neat rocks, or plants. Sometimes stuff people throw away.” He looked up at G2 and Alyx with a grin. “I found a whole coyote skull down here once.” 

You didn't take it, did you– G2 stopped himself. He knew better. Instead, he watched as Alyx joined Benrey in the ditch, hunting for treasures. Pulling the borrowed sweater closer to himself, he sat among the reeds, once again losing himself in thought. 

He hadn't yet told anyone about seeing 0G use the Sweet Voice. Based on their earlier conversation, it seemed like even 0G wasn't aware he could do it. Given 0G had been trying to help him sleep, G2 assumed that his ability to use it was tied somehow to his desires, or need to act. G2 looked at his own hands. He could probably say the same about his own power, that mostly seemed to manifest when his emotions or desperation were at a peak. Then again, he hadn't been in any particular stress when he “spoke” to Alyx. There was still too much he didn't understand, and he wasn't fond of that level of uncertainty. He resolved to try to explore his abilities more thoroughly, while they were allowed some time in this world. 

He was stirred from his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. Alyx grinned, her breath visible through the light granted by the Sweet Voice. “Come on, come hunt for treasure with us. Benrey went through the trouble of bringing us here, after all.”

Slowly, G2 rose. We should get you a warmer coat when we get back. Still, he accepted Alyx's hand, trying to warm it with his own as he followed her to the creek bed, then half-heartedly looking around for anything interesting. He watched as Alyx picked up a deflated aluminum balloon with HAPPY BIRTHDAY plastered across the front. Laughing, he shook his head.

After a few minutes of picking through the dirt, G2 found something vaguely special– a small rock that, if he squinted, looked sort of like a headcrab sleeping with its limbs curled beneath it. Charmed, he turned it a few times before closing his fingers around it. He couldn't help but think Dr. Kleiner would treasure it.

As his mind conjured the image of his mentor, vignettes from the other world flashed behind his eyelids. White Forest, still and quiet. Deep furrows of sorrow carved into everyone's faces. A letter passed between hands, the light returning to Dr. Vance’s, then Dr. Kleiner's, eyes. A breath, hope reborn in an instant. A flash of light sparked in G2’s hand, and his fingertips collapsed onto a suddenly-empty palm. 

When G2 looked up, Benrey and Alyx had stopped what they were doing, and were staring at him with varied degrees of confusion and shock. G2 was, as often, at a loss for words. 

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

Adrian sat with his jaw resting on his fist as he waited for the eggheads at White Forest to actually decide where to send him. Well, maybe that was unfair– Kleiner and Vance were decisive enough, it was just the process they employed to get the others on-board that took too long. Had he been leading the charge, Adrian would have just grabbed Magnusson by the shoulders and shaked him until he agreed. Instead, he sat in place, nearly drifting off. 

Magnusson’s voice cut through the still air. “Even if there are Combine still at the checkpoint south of the canals, what use could that place be to them? The teleporter there is thoroughly wrecked– Team Freeman saw to that.” Despite himself, Adrian couldn't help but snort.

“And yet,” Kleiner countered, “We get reports of increased Combine activity from that area almost daily. I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to rebuild the area around City 17.”

“With what ?” Magnusson frowned. “The Combine's resources aren't infinite.”

“But we know how hard they cling to any ground they've won,” Vance argued. “The airboat is still operational, it wouldn't take much to send our friend Shephard that way to scope things out.”

“Indeed!” Kleiner stalked towards his work station as he spoke. “And we have proof that they are moving around in the ruins of City 17 as well. Just look at these– ah? What is this?” He picked up what seemed like a small paperweight, twisting it and peering at it curiously. “Why… it seems to be a stone… but my goodness, if it doesn't look like Lamarr! How darling– I wonder who put this here…” pocketing it with a small smile, he continued. “We've detected increased movement near the railways towards City 17. I wouldn't be surprised if the Combine are trying to use what remnants they have to rebuild.” 

“What is the purpose of holding on to that place? It's been all but leveled!” Magnusson frowned. 

Fed up of the back-and-forth, Adrian rose. “That's for me to find out. Just give me what I need and I can figure out what they're doing.” He crossed his arms. “If I really think about it, I would guess the Combine are a lot like the military used to be. Loathe to admit defeat… Proud to a fault. The embarrassment of getting defeated is too much for them to bear, so they're trying to fix things so they can pretend it didn't happen.” 

Beset now on three sides, Magnusson scowled, but acquiesced. Kleiner and Vance gave Adrian several devices that could be used to track and monitor the Combine once planted. Beyond that, he was given several “potions.” Staring at one, he shook the bottle, admiring the shimmer of the liquid inside but otherwise feeling skeptical. Still, the others seemed assured of their efficacy, so who was he to argue?

As he put distance between himself and White Forest, the air seemed to fall colder than he expected. He watched with trepidation as the very wind seemed to stop, the trees and grasses eerily silent. 

“Corporal… Shephard. It has been… a while.” 

At once, Adrian turned to face the voice's owner, fingertips on the handle of his firearm as he did so. “You…” 

Calm as could be, the looming figure adjusted his tie. “Yes, it has been… quite a while, since we last… confabbed.” 

“This is all your fault.” Adrian sneered. “I remember. I was going to get on a helicopter with the others, leave Black Mesa. You shut the hangar door on me. And when you let me out… you just told me to look for Freeman and left without a word. What gives?!”

“If you had, boarded that helicopter…” the figure paused for emphasis. “You would be dead. Like the rest of them. Here you are… alive, and as I implied, Dr. Freeman had, the answers you sought.” He smiled, a warm look in sharp contrast to the cruelty of his words. “But I do, go on. I never, formally, intro-duced myself. I am known to all, as the G-Man. Make no mistake, I am here, to help.”

In response, Adrian sneered doubtfully. “Sure. Like you ‘helped’ last time. I nearly killed Freeman on sight cuz you didn't explain anything!”

“And now, here you are, on a journey, to… bring him back.” The G-Man's eyes flashed. “That is where, I come in. After all, it was me, who… sent him and his entourage, away.”

“What?! Why?!” Adrian balked. 

“If I had not, their fate… would have been… sealed.” The G-Man paused, as if recalling something. “I very nearly… missed my window. If I hadn't felt him, trying to, help his friends escape…” He shook his head. “I simply… ushered them along. At the time… I did not realize, they would not… be able to return.” 

“In other words, you're to blame for this mess.”

“How cold.” The G-Man shook his head. “The Combine… are the ones, blocking their return. I will be, helping you, to undo what the Combine, have done.” 

Scowling, Adrian weighed his options. Certainly, the G-Man would be a useful ally given his unique powers, but past experience left him feeling unable to trust it at face level. “What's the catch?”

“No catch,” the G-Man hummed, “just… a mutually beneficial result.” His expression lit up. “Good business, you know.” 

Clicking his tongue, Adrian stayed silent for a while longer. He felt he didn't have any other choice, but he could at least make the G-Man sweat a little. “... Fine. But don't pull any funny business.” 

Suddenly, the G-Man looked elated. Adrian reeled back. It was almost off-putting enough to make him retract the deal. “Wouldn't, dream of it.” 

His words echoed through the suddenly-moving woods as he vanished, leaving Adrian even more uncertain than before. Knowing he would need all the help he could get, he tried to shake it off. Maybe this would work out, anyway. 

Chapter Text

As 0G looked around at his friend's faces, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. They all lived so close to one another, why didn't he arrange more meet-ups like this? It was so wonderful to see everyone again, and especially getting to see his friends from the other universe. He wouldn't let himself take it for granted again. 

His introspection ended as a pair of icy hands snaked their way under his sweater. He jumped, hissing, much to the amusement of the person behind him. “Benrey! Why are your hands so cold?!”

“I was outside.” Benrey explained plainly. “With G2 and Alyx.” He kept his freezing digits in place, much to Gordon's chagrin. “Which by the way, we gotta talk about. G2's got powers.”

Barney nodded. “Yeah, he told us about them before we got here… having visions… he even mentioned some kind of electrical blast like the vorts can do.”

Inhaling, Alyx folded her arms. “It might be getting deeper than that…” 

Everyone looked to G2 expectantly. Reluctantly, he raised his hands to explain. 

I was holding a rock. It's really inconsequential… He frowned deeply, worry lines etched into too young a face for them. I guess I was getting homesick. I was thinking about Dr. Kleiner, and everyone in the lab at White Forest… then there was a light, and the rock vanished. Briefly, he avoided everyone's gaze. I can't make sense of it.

“Well…” Mr. Coolatta stepped forward, tilting his head curiously. “It isn't so hard, to believe. Remember, you were one, of two, entrance points… that tied our worlds, together.” He pressed his fingertips together in demonstration. “That door, can never close. It isn't so odd, that you may soon… be able to, harness its power.” 

“Hey, maybe it'll come in handy.” 0G smiled warmly. “If somehow, we aren't able to use the Interdimensional Teleporter in the future, you might be able to send messages to everyone in the other world.” 

G2 glanced at 0G and tried to smile back. 0G felt a twinge of pity. He'd only wanted to reassure his counterpart, but he may have made him feel pressured instead. Fortunately, Barney stepped in at that moment, simply looping his arm around G2's waist. At once, G2's expression eased somewhat. 

The initial shock of what G2 had done faded, and everyone was more or less able to get back to their own conversations. 0G took the opportunity to eavesdrop. Not that he would admit that was what he was doing. From his seat on the couch, Dr. Coomer mused quietly. “You know… I really do wonder what Aperture were doing just before they went under… it's strange that they just disappeared off the face of the earth.” 

Bubby, who was seated beside him as usual, hummed thoughtfully. “It's a fair question– they really gave us a run for our money up till the very end.” 

0G took a moment to sit next to the older pair, resting his elbows against his legs. “You know… I bet we could find something at the University’s library. They have one of the largest collections on Anomalous Physics in the country…”

“Like Aperture would just let their work out in public.” Bubby sneered.

“No,” Dr. Coomer held up a finger. “But, other researchers may have written about them. It could be worth looking into.” 

0G paused, pensive. Why did he suddenly want to know so much about what Aperture had been up to? He glanced over at G2. No, it wasn't his own interest, was it? His counterpart wanted to know, for whatever reason. If it could help them get home, then maybe it would be worth it. [Hey, c'mere. We might have an idea.] 

G2 looked over, then briefly turned to give Barney a nod. In a second, he was by 0G's side. What's up?

“You wanna know what Aperture was doing, don't you? … don't look so surprised, we're the same person, of course I know.” 0G grinned. “There might be some information at the library on campus.”

Apparently, 0G wasn't the only one with a penchant for eavesdropping, because Benrey was suddenly clinging to his arm and groaning in protest. “You said you'd try not to go in on weekends anymoooore…” 

“And I do try…!” 0G flustered. “I'm doing a lot better… but this is important.” He snapped his fingers, which sounded strange and mechanical with his right hand. “Why don't we all go? We can make a day of it, have lunch on the quad or something. I wanted to show Tommy around before his lecture, and I think everyone from the other universe would appreciate seeing it.” 

“Fine…” Benrey acquiesced. “But I'm gonna follow you the whole time.” 

“When don't you?” G2 snickered as 0G waved his hand. “Anyway, it'll be better than just sitting by idly and hoping.”

Everyone else seemed to more or less agree with the idea. Night deepened, and Tommy was gracious enough to set up places for everyone to bed down. 0G tried for half an hour to sleep, then gave up, rolling onto his side to look at Benrey sleeping next to him. 

Or so he thought, because Benrey's eyes snapped open, and he grinned. “Wassamatter? Babyman can't sleep? Missing your own shitty bed?” 

“It's not like that.” 0G cleared his throat, suddenly embarrassed by his own worries. “It's just… once again, I feel kind of… behind.” He avoided Benrey's piercing gaze as he spoke. “Now, even my counterpart has these amazing abilities– and I'm happy for him! Don't get me wrong– but I'm…” 

“You're…?” Benrey clearly wasn't going to let 0G go without finishing his thought. 

“I'm just me. Plain old Gordon Freeman.” 

“Who cares?” 0G met Benrey's gaze, a little bewildered. Benrey shook his head. “I mean, who cares if you don't have superpowers. Whether you do or don't, you're Gordon. That's all that matters to me.” Benrey smiled, a little kinder this time. “I think everyone else feels the same.”

0G went quiet for a moment. No, it didn't make him feel more capable, but what Benrey said made him feel valued. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Benrey's jaw. “I dunno what I did to deserve you.”

“Me either,” Benrey smirked, then snickered when 0G looked at him in surprise. “Kidding. The truth is you didn't have to do anything but be you.” 

Sure, it was sappy, but it was earnest, and the warmth of it helped 0G finally fall into a comfortable slumber. 

The next day, everyone began setting up pretty early to prepare for their day out, as it were. Mr. Coolatta in particular seemed struck by inspiration, and was moving purposefully about the house getting supplies for an impromptu picnic. 

Awake and fully rested, Joshua had come out of his shell completely, and was excitedly going from person to person, talking their ears off about his latest interests. Right now, it was geology, so Alyx was holding his hand and nodding as he opined about shield volcanoes. 0G grinned apologetically as he stepped over, lifting Joshua into his arms. “Hey, good morning, bud. Ready for a picnic?”

“Yeah!” Joshua wiggled a little, but not enough to escape. “Does your school have a rock museum?” 

“There might be a small display in the Earth Sciences Department…” 0G grinned. “I'll ask when we get there.”

As fate would have it, there was a rock display, so after some planning, the group split into three teams: G2 and 0G would go to the library, Alyx and Barney would take Joshua to the Geology Department with Dr. Coomer to help them navigate, and the rest of the team would set up a picnic on the school lawn. 

At the library doors, 0G was already getting excited himself, hopeful that they would find what they needed. “I wish you could stay here just for the research opportunities…” he sighed wistfully. “The collection here really is impressive. You'd be hard-pressed to run out of sources.”

At the elevator, 0G turned back to see G2 suddenly recoil. At once, G2 averted his gaze, folding his arms in front of himself and pursing his lips. When they met each other's eyes again, G2 looked apologetic. They didn't even have to use telepathy for 0G to understand the issue.

“Oh, shit, I'm sorry. I should have guessed. Some really fucked up stuff happened with the elevators back during the Resonance Cascade, huh?” 0G rested his left hand on G2's shoulder. “I get it. I still can't look at a teleporter without getting nauseous. We can just take the stairs.” G2 looked at 0G and smiled warmly. 

—------------------------------------------------------------

As promised, they did take the stairs, but as the section they wanted was on the 8th floor, they were both a bit winded by the time they got there. G2 looked back at his counterpart and snorted, then laughed fully at how red his face had gotten. The laughter only spurred the flush to deepen. 

“I'm out of practice!” He stammered, not looking all that mad, all things considered. He quickly untied and retied his ponytail to fix it. “Let's find a computer. The search system is pretty robust.” 

At one of the research stations, they searched the archives thoroughly for any mention of Aperture. After combing through a few too many entries about photography, G2 suggested they append “borealis” to the search. This garnered no results at all, so they generalized “borealis” to “ship.” from the results, they narrowed their hunt down to three books. 0G smiled and stood up.

“I'll find the books and check them out, we can look at them when we're back with the others. Why don't you go ahead of me?”

Are you sure? I'd hate to just abandon you like that. 

“I offered,” 0G grinned a little wider. “You're not gonna be able to stay in this universe forever. Go enjoy it.”

Feeling a bit better with 0G's reassurances, G2 left the library first, making his way back towards the quad and enjoying the scenery all the while. Everything was so beautiful, and green, and alive. He inhaled, and froze in place as the scent of freshly cut grass thrust him back in time, to a place much kinder and safer than his home was now. 

So distracted by his nostalgia, he nearly bumped into someone on the path. He lifted his fist to his chest to apologize, looking up– and up– to see a somewhat familiar face. Sharp eyes peered down at him, and as the figure's mouth twisted in recognition, the scar on his cheek shifted in place. If G2 remembered correctly, this was Forzen, Benrey's old friend. But what was he doing here?

Forzen seemed equally perplexed by G2’s presence. “Hang on, you're not the right Freeman. Why are you here?” 

It wasn't my choice. Like last time, we aren't sure what the exact cause is. G2 paused, feeling a bit awkward. Without one of the members of this universe to act as a barrier, he wasn't quite sure what to say.

As if answering his prayers, though, 0G came hurrying down the path with an armful of books. “Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. I- oh! Hey, Forzen.”

“Freeman.” Forzen nodded curtly. 

“What are you doing on campus?” 0G seemed to have none of the social discomfort G2 had been experiencing. 

“I'm taking classes,” Forzen admitted, looking away for a moment. G2 was surprised to see the big guy acting bashful. “I liked my gig with the local ghostbusters, but I figured I should get into something I'm actually passionate about. You know… before I'm too old for it.”

“Some of my students are in their fifties, Forzen. You're never too old to learn.” G2 smirked, but not unkindly. “What's your major?”

“Veterinary sciences.”

“From a vet to a vet, huh?” 0G grinned, but when he realized neither Forzen nor G2 were going to acknowledge his joke, he cleared his throat, cheeks reddening. Now, G2 did laugh, and Forzen let himself smirk. 0G shook his head. “Anyway, we're about to meet up with everyone for a picnic on the quad. Why don't you join us?”

Forzen sniffed, and surely was trying to remain stoic, but G2 picked up on a slight trepidation. “I don't wanna crash your party…”

“I invited you! Besides, Benrey would be really glad to see you.”

After a moment, Forzen acquiesced, looking more than a little pleased by the prospect of Benrey enjoying his presence. G2 hoped that his counterpart realized just how good he was at bringing people together. 

Benrey was thrilled to see Forzen, and immediately rushed over, filling the space between them with excited chatter about every topic he could think of. 0G moved to Bubby's side with the books, and G2 joined them. 

Together, the trio skimmed each book for any mention of Aperture or what they had been working on before they went defunct. There was precious little, but between the three of them, they were able to piece together evidence that Aperture had been working on a massive-scale teleportation project just before they shut down. Like the Borealis, all evidence pointed to a sophisticated vessel that was planned to make a maiden voyage to the Arctic Circle, with the intent to take advantage of the electromagnetic currents so close to the pole. 

As their research progressed, 0G looked more and more disturbed. “So, if it's true that the Borealis– or something like it– exists here, then the Combine could at any time set their sights on this universe to try to get it.”

Bubby harrumphed. “More than likely, they're already interested in our universe. They're colonizers, they don't really get choosy with what land they try to conquer.”

We should hunt for it. G2 frowned. One, the Combine are surely looking for new options since we destroyed the Borealis in our universe. Two… the warp technology aboard might be powerful enough to override the block the Advisors have keeping us from going home.

“That would require us to go to the Arctic Circle, right?” 0G's expression turned uncertain. 

Even if G2 wasn't able to feel his counterpart's thoughts, Bubby was quickly able to translate his hesitation. “What's the use of not missing work if we run the risk of not having a work to return to if we don't act? As for Joshua, would you rather spend a little time with him now, or spend whatever life you have left with him in the ruins of our home planet?”

0G remained quiet for a few moments, worry lines creasing his face and making him look much older than he was. “Can it at least wait until I take Joshua back to his mom tomorrow? I don't want to disappoint him again.” 

G2 spoke for himself and Bubby before he could add anything in a more barbed tone. That's fine, I'm sure. We can head out in the morning after you drop him off.

Bubby rose, dusting himself off. “I'll let everyone else know the plan… and get myself a sandwich.” 

Blinking suddenly, G2 glanced around, realizing he'd forgotten all about the picnic. Alyx, Barney, Dr. Coomer, and Joshua had returned from the Geology department, and everyone was sitting around, talking and snacking. To his left, 0G rose to his feet, then smiled. “Let's enjoy this last bit of time we have before we have to suit up again, yeah?”

G2 watched his counterpoint join his son, scooping the boy up onto his lap and asking questions about all the cool rocks he had seen. He felt a twinge of remorse. Hopefully, this time they could resolve things quickly enough that 0G didn't feel like he was ripped away from his family again. 

—------------------------------------------------------

Adrian had been instructed to meet up with a group of resistance fighters further south, as they currently had possession of the patrol car, the only thing that could be salvaged from Lighthouse Point. Behind the wheel, Adrian felt a little better about his chances. At the very least, he was moving much faster. He drove past myriad abandoned stations, both resistance and Combine, each new impromptu graveyard filling him with further and further discomfort. Absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't notice when the makeshift passenger's seat was filled. 

“Corporal… Shephard. Have you, a moment?”

Adrian nearly drove the cart off the side of an overhang. 

“Jesus Christ–” His eyes snapped over to meet the G-Man's gaze, briefly. “What is your damage ?! Do you want to make me crash?” 

“Certainly, not.” The G-Man lifted his hands placatingly. “I simply sought to… provide guidance.”

“If you wanna backseat drive, then get in the back.” Adrian gripped the steering console and glared at the road ahead. 

“Oh, that's not it. I was going to suggest… a path that will allow you, to avoid Ravenholm. After all…” the G-Man checked his nails. “Dealing with the, remaining population, could hinder your progress.” 

Silent for a moment, Adrian exhaled through his nose. Despite their earlier conversation, could he really trust the G-Man? He growled. “Fine.” 

The G-Man smiled in response, eyes widening and exposing his unsettlingly-light irises. “Excellent. Then, follow that, treeline. The Combine, made a tunnel byway, for supply runs. Long-abandoned, so it will, suit our needs well.”

Eager to find any way to make the mission go smoothly, Adrian followed the G-Man's directions, controlling the patrol car with a deft hand as it sped down the Highway. The G-Man chuckled.

“You are certainly, adept with vehicles. Moreso, than either, of the Freemans.” 

“More experience, I guess.” Adrian wasn't sure why he was filling the space with conversation. “I got some training with military vehicles… and I was pretty into go karts when I was a kid.” 

Before the G-Man could respond, Adrian pulled the car over. Near the supply tunnel, there was a makeshift barrier– the Combine had apparently returned to the point. The G-Man let out a long, hissing breath. Clearly, he hadn't anticipated this. 

Fortunately, Adrian had come prepared for a much harder fight than what lay before them. It didn't take him long to clear the tunnel of the Combine entirely. 

The G-Man did not seem heartened by this, and as they continued through the tunnel, he muttered under hus breath. “What are they… doing, back here… and how did, I miss it…”

“So far, the cause of all of our problems has been the Administrators, so it's reasonable to think that that's the case now too, right?” Adrian sniffed. “If they're powerful enough to keep you from bringing Freeman and his buddies home, they're probably able to hide their work from you.” 

Suddenly, the G-Man’s eyes widened, flaring as if he were furious. “Im- possible! ” For a moment, Adrian was convinced that the G-Man was going to strike him. “Have you any, idea, just how few things, can hide from me … In this world?” 

Adrian held up a hand. One finger lifted. “Vortigaunts.” Another finger. “Whatever the Vortigaunts wanna hide from you.” A third finger. “The Advisors.” Then again. “And apparently, whatever they want to hide from you, too. I count at least four things. Maybe you miscalculated.” 

Were the G-Man capable of turning red with rage, Adrian was sure he would have. Instead, he remained his same sickly, pallid color, but was near shaking with fury. Then, something seemed to change, and he stopped bristling. “... It seems… I have some, thinking to do.” 

Without any other explanation, the G-Man vanished, and Adrian let out a sigh. Wasn't his job hard enough without babysitting an eldritch horror with a bruised ego? He rolled his neck and climbed back into the scout car. Onward and upward, after all.