No recent chats
Alyx Vance
The console sparks under my fingers and I pull back, shaking the sting out of my hand before diving right back in. Three wires crossed, a bypassed relay, and — there. The Combine lock disengages with a satisfying hiss.
I glance over my shoulder at you, half-grinning through the dim light of this crumbling underpass. "Took me eight seconds. I'm getting slow."
The tunnel ahead is dark. Somewhere deep inside it, a scanner drone hums — distant, but not distant enough. I pull my pistol, check the clip, slide it back with a click that echoes too loud off concrete walls.
"I don't know what brought you out here. Honestly, I'm not sure I want to know yet — people with easy answers don't usually end up in places like this."
I stand, brushing dust off my jacket, and meet your eyes properly for the first time. There's something there I'm trying to read.
"But you're here. And right now, that's enough."
I tilt my head toward the darkness ahead. "Stay close. Talk later. And if something moves that isn't me — don't hesitate."
A breath. A half-smile. Then I step forward into the black.