hecu_marine | (no subject)

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chell

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Outside the bugs might still be screaming. It's hard to say. The humans operating the floodlights came forward to grab Chell and Adrian as soon as they saw them- well, to grab Chell. Shephard almost got shot, because when the antlions are swarming and the bullets are flying, a gas mask looks an awful lot like a Combine full face helmet.

Someone saw what they were about to shoot in time, though, so Shephard avoided that fate. They're inside now, being led through the narrow corridors of some sort of concealed base. 'Led' is the operative word, as Shephard is still trying to recover from having floodlights turned on while using his mask's night vision functionality.

"So," says the human closest to Chell, a dark-skinned woman with her shotgun slung over her shoulders. "What's your story, anyway?"

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"I'm from... Aperture Science," Chell says softly, still blinking her eyes and seeing stars. It makes it hard to walk. She's just thankful, compared to Adrian.

"... huh," says the woman. "Aperture Science. Man, there's a name I haven't heard in a long, long time..."

Chell's still blinking, but she tilts her head a fraction. "You've... heard of it?"

"I used to live outside Cleveland, when there was a Cleveland," says the woman. "The Combine made the mistake of sending a ground force to take the tech centers at Case Western. When Millis Science Center blew, it took half the city off the map... not the half with Aperture in it, obviously, but it was bad enough as it stood."

She nods, and says, "Aperture is mostly underground, I think. But the part I saw that wasn't looked fairly untouched." It was more like a glimpse, really, but aside from the flaming debris? Completely okay.

"I'm surprised anybody survived in there that long. Guess the boss-man was crazy prepared, not just crazy." She nods towards Adrian. "What's his story?"

Chell doesn't say anything to the first part. 'The boss-man,' however crazy, is still her father.

"He's... a marine. One of the last, if not the last, from all accounts."

The woman casts a dubious glance at Shephard. "He looks a little young for the part, if you don't mind my saying so," she murmurs. "That kind of thing could get a man in a lot of trouble."

"It's... it's... do you know what really happened at Black Mesa? Time. They broke time and space. A lot of things can happen when that's done." It's still quiet, but Chell's quaking, just a little. You don't insult her friends, or even insinuate things.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you," says the woman, "but some of our people here had brothers or sisters in the Marine Corps, and they're a little... protective... of their memories. You might want to warn your friend to be careful who he talks to."

Chell nods, releasing the tension from her slight frame. "Alright. I'll do that--thank you. And... your group? Has just been... surviving here?"

"Pretty much. Most of these people were survivors of Pittsburgh," says the woman. "There's not even a city there now, just automated manufacturing facilities and Synths. We call it the Scab."

Chell wrinkles her nose a little bit at that. "I... I helped. Gordon Freeman get to the Citadel of City 17," she says slowly, not sure if she should be telling the woman this. She has even less of a handle on what's going on in her world than anyone she knows.

"There's hope."

That would be the point where all of their companions come to a stop and stare at once. "Gordon Freeman?" the woman repeats. "He's alive? He's really- he's back?"

(Nobody can see it right now, but Shephard is rolling his eyes something fierce.)

Chell nods, solemn.

"He's a good friend."

Say what you will Adrian, but Gordon Freeman is the closest thing she's had to a father figure, even counting her biological father, and literally brought her back from the brink. That sort of thing leaves a definite impression.

"Oh, wow- and you made it this far already, without being caught? That's practically a miracle! How'd you two do it?"

Shephard starts to draw breath, but there's a turn in the corridor before he can speak. The next room has the maps-and-tables look of every war room ever, more or less, and a tall grey-haired man with some interesting facial scarring talking with several other humans. The woman next to Chell raises her hand. "Tim! Tim, guess what we found outside?"

Chell just sighs. She's never been the subject of so many people's attention in her life, and if she doesn't focus on keeping calm, she'd freak out. About this, about everything, but especially about being in such tight quarters with so many people watching her.

"Well, now," says the grey-haired man as he eyes the two newcomers. "I didn't think anyone was left in the area, other than the people we already knew about... My name's Tim Hutchence, and I'm more or less in charge here. Who might you two be?"

Chell lifts her head a little to speak to them. "I'm Chell. I come from Aperture Science... I found myself in City 17 due to... a freak accident, and then... back around here, due to the same sort of thing."

Tim nods, and turns to the other newcomer. His expression was guarded but neutral before; now...

That is not a happy look at all.

"I hope," Tim says softly, "that you have a really good reason to be wearing that uniform, son."

Chell, for her part, fidgets nervously. If someone tries to hurt Adrian... well. She'll have to do something. But she hopes it won't come to that.

Edited 2008-11-23 01:34 (UTC)

Right now, Shephard would love to have his mask down. That's not the kind of look any Marine of his age knows. That's a Vietnam-era look, and the mask would at least be a layer between him and the other man.

"Sir," he says nonetheless, his mask held in his hand. "I have the same right to this uniform as any other member of the Corps-"

"Bullshit." The word comes out as a snarl; the other humans begin backing away nervously. "How old are you, boy? Nineteen? Twenty?"

"Twenty-two-"

"Then you have no goddamn right whatsoever to that uniform!" Tim snaps. "There is no more Corps!"

He lunges at Shephard, a move the Marine's still-recovering vision can't quite follow. The ensuing scuffle is short and ends with Shephard's back to the wall, Tim's left forearm across his throat. "Every last Marine on Earth who didn't get killed in the Seven Hours War wound up on the wrong end of a Combine Elite capture-and-convert unit," the grey-haired man says through clenched teeth, "so you had better come up with a damn good answer to my next question if you don't want to end up naked. Where the hell did you get that uniform?"

(He's too close, too focused, to notice anything in the way of peripheral vision. And he's not very good at immobilization holds. Shephard could get in an incapacitating knee strike if he was lucky, he sees that in an instant...)

"Right upper pocket of my vest, sir," he manages to answer despite the arm across his throat.

Tim blinks. "Come again?"

"Photographic identification... right upper pocket. See for yourself."

There's a moment of no less tension for all its silence as Tim eyes the younger man; then he snaps the pocket open and pulls out a small card. "This is a military ID card from 2000-"

"Picture. Sir."

Another moment of silence, as Tim looks back and forth.

"How the fuck-"

"Black Mesa. I was at Black Mesa." He coughs. "Some kind of... suspended animation shit. I'm a goddamn Marine. Let me down, you dogshit bastard."

The other people from the bunker hold Chell back and put their hands over her mouth when she tries to run to help Adrian, and she just watches in shock as Adrian's pinned to the wall.

When he drops Adrian, they let go of her too, and she says angrily, "It's true, every word... the same thing that put him in suspended animation.... took me from City 17 and threw me here. It's true."

Tim swears under his breath and runs both hands through his hair. Shephard, for his part, angrily straightens his uniform. "You'n your people saved our asses from the fuckin' antlions. I figure that gets you one stunt like that. Next person who tries that kinda stunt gets one of my boots so far up his fuckin' ass his stomach's gonna ask when he started eating leather."

"... sounds like a Marine to me, Tim," someone comments in an undertone.

Chell walks over to Adrian, looking him over. "Are you alright?"