Salvation: A Half-Life/Mass Effect Universe Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: this fan-fiction takes place after the events of both Half-Life 1 and 2 and its episodes, and jumps to the events after Mass Effect 1 and 2. If you have not played or beaten these games this fiction may not make much sense to you. Characters property of their respective companies, Half-Life created by Valve and Mass Effect created by Bioware.

Chapter 4: Revenge

"Come on! Move you hunk a' junk!" Alyx lashed out in frustration, as lightning cracked in the distance, splitting the night sky in two.

The battered, yet sturdy, 4x4 pickup she drove was able to cut through the wallows of mud with remarkable ease, however it was built for utility not speed. And the rain, now pouring down, coated the windshield with water before the wiper blades could dissipate it.

"Come on..." Alyx said, exhaling an anxious breath, as she tapped on the steering wheel with one hand, while she peered through the tempest night for any sign of Gordon.

"The Alyx Vance would do well to be tranquil." The vortigaunt next to her calmly suggested. "The Free Man knows, only too well, how to guard himself."

"No!" She exclaimed abruptly, never once taking her eyes off of what she perceived to be the road, as the rhythmic beat of the heavy rain continued to pound the exterior of the truck. "Not against these... these things! Not without help!" Alyx asserted. "They... freeze you... make you helpless..."

A sudden shiver ran down her spine, as a flash of lightning struck against the shadowy backdrop of night. She remembered how they had her pinned up against the wall, and the feeling of dire helplessness, as she watched her father die.

"Yes." The vortigaunt responded, bringing her back from the brink of the remorseful trance she nearly entered into. "Shu'ulathoi. The Combine Advisors..." He continued. "Powerful they are, but cowardly. They will not be traveling alone..."

There was silence between them for a moment, and all that could be heard was the pounding of the rain, and the traction of the tires. Just then, without warning, Alyx slammed on the breaks, startling her vortigaunt passenger, as the truck fishtailed, and skid to a halt.

"Look!" she cried out, as she threw open the door, and rushed out into the rain.

Alyx was soaked in a matter of moments, as she waded through the heavy mud. The vortigaunt was quick to follow, as they both approached what used to be an abandoned barn - now debris, ash, and something more.

"This is the work of The Free Man." The vortigaunt declared, breaking the silence, as they both stared at the entombed Antlion Guard.

"Yeah, but where is he now?" Alyx beckoned, as she looked around, hoping to spot his orange suit, or yellow car clashing with the darkness. But to no avail.

"Ah...!" The vortigaunt uttered, as he rushed over mound of debris, towards the fallen Antlion Guard, for a closer examination. "The Free Man is most wise. Look here." He said, motioning Alyx over with his hand, as he crouched down beside the guard.

She quickly rushed over, being cautious however, as she navigated the ashen rubble of the barn.

"The Free Man has extracted the pheropods from the Myrmidont. He likely seeks to use them in his endeavor."

Alyx looked on at the gaping cavity in the guard's underbelly, surprised that Gordon actually knew the vortigese art of pheropod cultivation.

"Well that makes me feel a little better, I suppose... Knowing that Gordon is going in prepared." She said, a look of concern overtaking her face, despite her best efforts to conceal it. "But we still need to help him." She declared, with a sense of determination now in her voice. "I'm not about to lose him and my dad in the same day."

The vortigaunt stood up from the crouched position he took while examining the guard, and turned to Alyx.

"Agreed. Let us now make haste to find The Free Man, and render our assistance."

Alyx acknowledged with a nod, as they both turned and headed back to the truck - Alyx taking special precaution, as she navigated her way off of the pile of ashen debris. The engine was still running when they climbed back into the pickup, soaking, sopping wet. The two truck doors slammed shut simultaneously, as Alyx's mud covered foot pressed down hard on the accelerator. Piles of mud erupted from under all four tires of the truck as it sped off.

---

His car moved slowly along the narrow, now gravel covered road that led them both deep into forest. The sound of the marching strider was nearby now, and he could make out Combine radio chatter among the foot troops. The copse of the trees provided them adequate cover from the downpour of rain above, gently filtering out into a small drizzle.

Despite his size, DOG had somehow managed to lighten his thunderous steps to a gentle tap. As Gordon matched DOG's slow speed, the friendly, mechanical behemoth suddenly stopped and poised himself, sticking his head straight forward almost like an Irish Setter, pointing for his master, on a hunt. Instinctively Gordon knew exactly what DOG was trying to tell him.

He quickly shut off the engine, stepped out of his battered car, walked in the direction DOG indicated, and slowly peered out from behind the trees for a closer look. There before him, marching on a street overlooking a slight cliff was the Combine Troop he had been seeking.

The street had long since fallen into disrepair, it was riddled with cracks, potholes, and chunks missing. The guard rail put in place in order to protect drivers from the edge was mangled, and in many places missing.

Since he had managed to destroy the Citadel, and close the portal relay doorways used by the Combine, they were now stranded here, cut off from all communication with other Combine cells. Thus, they had no choice but to band together in convoy troops such as the one before him now.

He took great care in sizing up the force marching before him, taking extra precaution not to be seen. He counted about twenty to thirty foot soldiers, each armed with a Standard-Issue AR2 Combine Assault Rifle, just like one of the ones he carried. One claimed from a nameless fallen Combine soldier.

He also counted three Hunter. These bio-mechanical beasts we're definitely going to prove a challenge - possessing every bit the strength of an Antlion Guard, and considerable more intelligence. They also had the ability to launch a projectile that pierced and clung to any surface it touched. These flechettes would then detonate within moments, spelling disaster for anything or anyone they were attached to.

At the rear of the troop was the massive, gargantuan beast, whose pounding footsteps had led Gordon and DOG here. Standing a towering 40-feet tall, the strider slowly marched behind the troop, its smooth mechanical frame glistening in the downpour.

As he continued to appraise his enemies, and attempted to formulate a plan of attack, he suddenly spotted them... At the front of the troop we're two large, slug-like creatures, floating forward. One of which had a green, pustule-like gash in its side. Obviously, this was the one wounded by DOG earlier that day, as he saved Gordon and Alyx from their clutches - too late to save the good Dr. Vance however.

A cold breeze swept through the forest, howling past the trees, as the look of seethed determination returned to Gordon's face. He turned, and headed back into the forest, towards his car. Walking with a purpose in his step, a cold gaze in his eyes, and wicked thoughts running through his mind, he reached the rear of the car and popped the trunk...

"Hardpoint Alpha reporting status; sector clean, negative moment. Overwatch priority one objective remains proceed to sector Delta Black." The coded Combine radio chatter persisted among the convoy of foot troops, as they marched forward in the rain.

Unexpectedly, a cylinder shaped object with a red flashing light came hurdling toward the formation of foot troops, from out of the brush, coming to a rest at their feet. It took them a second to realize what this object was before...

"Shit! Grenade!" Yelled one of troops, via his helmet's radio com link, as the group frantically attempted to disperse.

Boom! The loud explosion echoed through the mountainside. The grenade left the troop formation scattered and disoriented, leaving five soldiers immediately dead and three more wounded.

"Outbreak! Outbreak! Outbreak! Sector is not secure, hostiles inbound!" The radio chatter continued, this time with a deep sense of urgency, as they attempted to regain their bearings. "Negative visual on hostiles, stay alert!"

The troop, now thrown into complete disarray, tried to get a grasp on where this stray grenade had come from. They looked around in all directions, and poised themselves for combat, brandishing their assault rifles tightly. The massive strider, hoping its height would give it a better view, searched the area for any discrepancies or signs of hostiles, but found none.

Just then, from the same point of origin of the previously flung grenade, came flying two small apple sized pods, accompanied by the angry roar of a V8 engine. The pods found their mark, erupting into a cloud of liquid, coating several foot soldiers.

"Over there! Eight O'clock! open fire!" Came the radio chatter again, once they realized the objects hurled at them this time were not grenades, and therefore not a threat to them.

A barrage of gunfire, from soldier, strider, and hunter alike, tore into the forest, digging into the bark, and erupting shards of wood. Suddenly, a flood of green insect like creatures burst out from behind the trees, many of which were instantly shot and killed in the onslaught. The antlions, naturally attracted to the pheromones, ruthlessly attacked the foot soldiers. Most of the antlions were no match for the heavily armed and armored guards, but what they lacked in power, they made up for in numbers.

"Active Biotics! Active Bio-AHHH!" A soldier screamed into his radio, just as he was mauled down by the blood-thirsty swarm.

The strider watched helplessly from its position high above the battle taking place at its feet. If it shot into the crowd, it could do more harm than good, killing its own allies. The hunters however, had no problem joining into the fray, stomping antlions left and right and piercing their exoskeletons with fletchettes.

A pair of jade green eyes, watched from behind the trees, as chaos ensued among his enemies, creating the perfect distraction. As he sat in the car - the engine running, and his hands gripping the wheel, he turned to DOG, and gave him a slight nod, which his robotic ally quickly reciprocated. DOG bolted forward to a nearby tree and began to climb to the top, with chimp-like agility. Gordon slammed down hard on the accelerator, and the battered yellow Charger came bursting out of the woods, from an opening, eager to join the fray.

Gordon spotted his first target, and took aim, as if his car had come equipped with a crosshair display. One of the three hunters was busy trying to quell the numbers of the antlions, too busy to notice his car coming straight at it. At a moments notice, it turned around, only to catch a glimpse of the yellow blur, before being plowed into. The limp body of the hunter fell over onto the front of Gordon's vehicle, obstructing his view for a moment, before rolling off to the side.

"Target confirmed! Anti-Citizen One. Engage and terminate!" He heard a soldier exclaim into his radio, as they identified him.

Gordon drove a short distance away from the primary Combine force. He slammed on the breaks and spun the wheel hard. The slick, rain covered road was perfect for him to execute a 90 degree turn, leaving his car completely perpendicular to the bulk of the Combine forces.

The Combine unanimously turned their attention over to Gordon as the antlion numbers were completely thinned out to nothing. He dove out of the car, and quickly ran to the opposite side, putting the car between him and the combine. He had felt a few shots hit his backside, which simply ricocheted off of his hefty HEV armor.

Gordon ducked for cover on the opposite side of the car, his entire arsenal of weapons, easily accessible, were resting comfortably on the passenger side. Gordon grabbed the AR-2 assault rifle and primed it, waiting for an opportunity to return fire from the barrage of bullets now showering his car.

It wasn't long before the entire left side of the vehicle was completely riddled with bullet pocks. Hoping to give himself an opening, he took his last grenade out of the bandoleer, removed the pin and let it fly.

"Look out!" One of the soldiers yelled as the grenade bounced in their direction. The five soldiers in the grenade's immediate vicinity quickly dove aside - one of them actually taking refuge behind the corpse of the fallen hunter.

Boom! The grenade exploded, this time claiming no lives, but giving Gordon a short opening to return fire. He shot up from behind his car, and let loose a rapid battery of gunfire, hitting three of the soldiers as they tried to emerge from the ground, successful in avoiding the explosive but not Freeman's bullets.

The gargantuan strider, as if having had enough, slowly began to descend on Gordon's position. Gordon could hear its anti-matter assault cannon being charged up as it prepared to fire.

Just then, out of nowhere, as the strider was moments from firing, DOG came flying out of the tops of the trees, slamming into the strider, causing the it to miss its target - instead firing its canon deep into the night sky. Gordon breathed a sigh of relief, as he continued to exchange fire with the foot soldiers and hunters. DOG grappled furiously with the strider, causing it to stagger back and forth, trying to shake free of its unwelcome passenger, like an angry bull trying to toss off a cowboy.

Suddenly, like a giant redwood, the two of them toppled - falling back into the copse of trees, and disappearing out of sight into the forest. Distracted by the awesome sight of the battle between the two behemoths, he hadn't noticed the manhacks released by the soldiers. He scanned the trees hoping to see some sign of DOG, but could find none. All he could hear was thunderous pounding in the trees accompanied by mechanical moans.

All of a sudden, something slashed at his cheek, leaving a deep gash, and causing him to turn his attention to the assembly of manhacks flying at him. A second one came at his face once more, intent on leaving more than just a superficial wound. Gordon swiftly moved his head out of the way, causing the manhack to scratch into the side of his car.

With speed and precision, Gordon quickly went for his trusted crowbar, on the floor of the passenger seat, as he felt a manhack attempt to cut into the back of his armor, with little success.

Seeing that Freeman was preoccupied dealing with the infestation of mechanical flying blades, the foot soldiers started to spread out, trying to get a flank on his position, never once ceasing their suppressing fire.

While still in a crouched position, Gordon began swinging furiously at the incoming manhacks, as they weaved in and out, trying to mince him alive. A smashing sound came as he nailed one dead on, causing it to burst into a flurry of sparks, and a million tiny mechanical pieces. Smash! Another one erupted, and then another, and another until none were left. When he had finished with the manhacks, he realized that there was a sudden silence of gunfire.

"Hold it right there!" came a sudden muffled voice, as a Combine soldier emerged from around the rear of his car, with an assault rifle pointed right at him.  

Within a matter of moments he was surrounded by five of the foot soldiers, putting him in a highly precarious position. With his crowbar still clenched in his fist, he put his hands up, attempting to lure the soldiers into a false sense of security, as he searched for an opening.

Before they had a chance to disarm him, a loud thrashing came from the trees once more, as the strider emerged over the top of the forest, with DOG still clinging on the proverbial bucking bronco.

The split second distraction was more than enough. Gordon swung his armed hand down, on the soldier immediately before him, with unforgiving force. A loud buzz, similar to the one heard from hospital EKGs when a patient flatlines, was heard, as Gordon cracked his helmet and skull open. Before the collapsing soldier had a chance to hit the ground, Gordon snatched the rifle out of his hands and turned to the soldier directly behind him, firing into his chest, and leveling him where he stood. Gordon kept his finger on the trigger, releasing a long battery of rounds, as his target dropped, it left a clear opening for the target directly behind him, dropping him as well.

It all happened so fast, that they didn't have time to react. When the two soldiers still standing, finally got a grasp on what was going on, they abruptly opened fire, riddling the back of Gordon's HEV suit before he turned his attention back to them and finished them off.

"Major laceration detected." His suit announced in a feminine, robotic voice.

His faithful orange, armor was on the cutting edge of technology, rivaling any modern combat gear. But it was not invulnerable. Much like any fortification, it too had its weak spots. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot into his left shoulder, as he discovered he had difficulty moving it. A bullet had managed to find one of the structural weaknesses of his suit, where the shoulder joint connected with the primary chest piece, and pierced the back of his shoulder.

With a pained look on his face, as he favored his left arm and shoulder, Gordon looked on as DOG tussled feverishly with the Strider. Now only the strider, two foot soldiers, and the two hunters remained standing. He had wondered why, with such a large opening for attack, the hunters didn't advance on his position same as the soldiers. Then he saw the answer. The two Advisors were huddled together, cowering behind the hunters, as the hunters formed a protective barrier between Freeman and his target.

Suddenly, the strider began to thrash about much more violently, as DOG started prying the protective plating off it's head. The strider flailed about wildly, sensing its impending demise. Before DOG had a chance to tear into the innards of the behemoth, he lost his grip, and was was flung off, despite his best efforts to stay mounted. DOG was sent flying off of the strider and slammed hard into a large boulder resting on the edge of the forest, beside the road.

"DOG!" Gordon yelled out, as he watched his mechanical ally crash hard against the rocks, with unyielding force. He waited for a moment, hoping to see DOG get back up, but to his dismay... he didn't.

The battery of bullets and flechettes continued in Gordon's direction as he looked on at Alyx's fallen robotic companion... Without thought or hesitation, he climbed up onto the frame of his car and into the driver seat, bullets ricocheting off of his suit all the while. Like a man possessed, he started the engine, paying little mind to the barrage of ordnance coming his way, slammed on the gas, and turned heading straight for his aggressors.

Three of the hunters' fletchettes found their mark, drilling into Gordon's chest plating. But like someone discarding a piece of lint from their clothing and tossing it aside, he quickly grabbed them, yanked them out and tossed them out of his car, leaving them to explode behind him.

As his headlights bared down on their target, he could hear the strider once again beginning to charge its anti-matter assault cannon. He grabbed his crowbar from the passenger seat, and used it to press down on the accelerator, lodging the crowbar between the gas pedal and his seat cushion.

The strider locked on to the approaching yellow car, took aim and readied itself to fire. At that instant, Gordon lunged out of the car, and tumbled onto the street, as his vehicle continued onto its target.

"Umph!" Gordon grunted in pain, as he hit the ground, and rolled on the wet pavement, causing his wound to give him added distress.

A split second before the strider could fire, his jaded, yellow car careened into one of its stilted legs, sweeping it out from under it. The strider came hurdling downward, and moments before its head could hit ground, its anti-matter assault cannon went off, hitting the two hunters beneath it, and spelling its own destruction.

A loud explosion erupted, bathing the night in a bright orange light, as bits and pieces of the strider and the hunters rained down. The force of the explosion, in combination with the slick road, also caused his car to overturn and rollover multiple times, tossing the weapons he still had tucked away on the vehicle, in every direction.

An object came flying towards Gordon, landing directly at his feet with a loud clang. Somehow his crowbar always found a way to get back to him, as if they were destined to work together always. Still favoring his left shoulder, he bent down to pick up the long piece of iron.

He walked over to the flaming wreckage, basking in the orange glow, as he breathed heavily from exhaustion. With his crowbar still clenched in his right hand, he hunched over trying to catch his breath. He had done it...

Suddenly, a familiar force pounded in his head!

"UGH!" Gordon grunted, as he scrunched his eyes in pain. "No!" He groaned in agony.

He opened his eyes in a daze, and from behind the wall of flames he saw the two advisors emerge. Summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, he did his best to shake off his disorientation, as he ran over to them, and raised his crowbar high above his head. But before he could bring it down on them, a great physical force restrained him in place, a force he knew all too well.

Slowly, his feet lifted off the ground, as they suspended him up, ready to subject him to the same fate as Dr. Vance. He was brought face to face with the scarred advisor. There he struggled and squirmed in the rain, trying desperately to break free. But it was no use... Slowly the horrid proboscis began to emerge from this dreadful creature's baleful face, almost as if taunting him before he died.

Gordon closed his eyes in defeat... "I failed..." He thought to himself, as he started seeing the image of Eli's death play in his mind once again.

"I love you sweetheart! Close your eyes honey, don't look...!" Eli cried out, knowing this was to be his last few moments on Earth. The last few moments he'd ever see his darling daughter.

"I love you Dad!" Alyx yelled out, with tears in her eyes, and anguish in her heart, as she looked on - completely helpless to do anything else.

"No! Oh my god! No...! No!!!"

He could hear her voice crying in agony, in his mind. Helpless... He was utterly helpless to do anything. Suddenly, he saw them pierce the back of Eli's head, rendering him lifeless... And he was helpless... He couldn't stop them then... There was nothing he could do...  

"No..." he said to himself, as he began to breathe heavily. His chest, and his brow tightening with anger.

The seething in his soul burned inside him once more. He saw it, over and over again, in the darkness of his closed eyes.

"Dad! Dad! Don't leave me..."

"No...!" He uttered, inhaling, and exhaling breaths in droves, as he clenched his teeth.

"Oh Gordon...! Gordon, he's gone... He's gone..."

"NO!!!" He erupted in a rage, as he opened his eyes once more, bringing his crowbar crashing down, despite the overwhelming restricting force. It slashed straight through the skin of the advisor before him, causing it to let forth a loud, tormented squeal, and causing it releasing him from it's grip.

Shocked by what it just saw, the second advisor immediately, turned tail and ran, floating away as fast as it could. With his feet now planted firmly back on solid ground, Gordon quickly scanned the area, looking for a firearm or anything he could use to bring down the fleeing advisor before it could escape.

Spotting his gravity gun, he picked it up in a hurry and used it to grab a large, metallic piece of smoldering debris. The advisor would be out of range soon - he had to take aim quickly and carefully. His eyes narrowed and focused - a sudden jolt of energy released the projectile and it hit its target dead on, causing the advisor to come crashing back down to earth.

Gordon watched it slither and squirm on the floor, in agony. He bent over, yanking out his crowbar from the first impaled advisor – there was no question that one was dead. Slowly, he walked over to the writhing slug, crowbar in hand, as he watched it squirm around in anguish.

He stood over it, looking down, as the advisor's two optic eyes looked back at him, almost pleadingly. Without saying a word, his face void of all expression, he knelt over the damned creature, raised his crowbar high over his head and proceeded to ruthlessly and mercilessly bludgeon it to death. Green blood splattered onto his suit and face, as the creature wailed in torturous pain. And his crowbar drank... drank until its thirst had been quenched with blood, and his enemy slept forever...