I had lost track of how long we had been down here doing these portal tests. Chell had explained that because daylight is always simulated in the facility and special stuff is added into the air that keeps us awake, the passage of time can easily be lost. I can't tell if it had been a few hours or a few days, but one thing was sure: however long we had been down here, she managed to spill out a lot of information.

"So, let me make sure I've got this right," I said as we exited the elevator. "You were a test subject for these portal tests back in the early 21st century, were almost executed at the end of your run, managed to escape and run amuck in the facility, only to confront that GLaDOS robot and shut her down?"

"That's the gist of it," Chell replied with a shrug. "After that, I had almost escaped the facility, but one of those damn machines dragged me back in here and placed me in some sort of hyper-sleep chamber. Next thing I knew, I woke up and, after learning that centuries, if not millenniums, had passed, saw that this entire facility was in pieces."

"And then this 'personality core' gizmo named Wheatley guided you through the place to help you escape, only to accidentally turn the robot lady back on?"

"Yes... and he, unfortunately, didn't survive the encounter... she crushed him and tossed him aside as if he were garbage...."

"Dang... I'm sorry, Chell. He sounded like a good little robot."

"Well, he was my only companion and the only one who had any sort of idea of what was happening."

"Well, you've got me, now," I told her with a shrug and a smile. "I can't exactly be the most help, but I can at least keep you from going insane from loneliness."

"Well, I suppose I'll take it," she replied with a small smirk, though she still didn't look too happy.

"What's eatin' you?" I asked.

She gave a small sigh and shook her head.

"It's just crazy to think I'm the only living human being right now. I know there's you and your men, but you guys are from, what, the 60's, you said?"

"Yeah, that's correct."

"I mean, when you realize that everyone you've known and loved is now dead and gone... and that there might be nobody else in the world except you..."

"Hey," I interrupted as I put my hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine, I promise. Once we find a way out of this place, we'll figure out a solution."

"Thanks, Engie," she replied with a grimace, "but I don't think even you can fix this."

"Are you two done?" GLaDOS asked from above. "I've been waiting patiently for the next test."

"Yeah, yeah, we're done," I replied as I continued forward.

Chell seemed to have snapped out of her funk and continued forward. When we entered the testing room, I looked around and didn't notice anything too difficult that I hadn't seen before.

"You ready?" I asked Chell.

She gave a determined nod in response.

Before we could do anything else, though, the room suddenly went dark!

"What's going on?" GLaDOS asked. "Who turned out the lights??"

The way she asked that convinced me that she didn't do it. But who did, then?

That's when I heard what sounded like a muffled explosion from outside the room. Chell and I both looked around, trying to figure out what it was. Then, we heard it again, only louder.

Finally, we heard it one more time, only this time we heard something else, as well. It sounded like someone screaming. Wait... I recognize that scream!

"SCREEEEEEAMING EAGLLLLLLLLLLLES!!!"

That's when the right side of the room exploded in a bright light! Chell and I flinched to protect ourselves before waiting a second and looking back.

Standing in the hole in the wall was a familiar figure wearing a round helmet, holding a rocket launcher, and giving a salute.

"Hello, Engineer!" Soldier called out. "Hello, Lady-I've-Never-Seen-Before!"

Chell turned towards me with confusion.

"Friend of yours?" She asked.

"He is, indeed!" I replied with a grin. "Soldier, how did you get here?"

"We don't have time for that, Hardhat!" Another familiar voice called out as his silhouette came into the hole. "We gotta get out of here before-"

Scout froze and stared next to me. I looked in that direction and saw that he was staring at Chell.

"Well, hello, Ma'am," he said with a grin as she ran towards her. "I'm Scout. I'm kind of a big deal. I'm actually the leader of this entire group!"

"Scout, that's a lie as bald-faced as a baby's behind!" I snapped.

"C'mon, Engie! Give me a break!" Scout snapped back.

"Just... What's going on?" I asked.

"Well, we're breaking you out of here!" Scout replied.

"Aren't you worried about that GLaDOS robot stopping you?"

"Oh, that evil voice that kinda sounds like the Administrator? Nah; I managed to find a way to turn her off for a few minutes."

"Look, Shorty, I can hear you and I will kill you."

"Oh," Scout replied. "In that case...RUN!!!"

On cue, the four of us ran out through the hole and found ourselves on some railed platforms high above the ground! We just kept running forward, trying our best to not lose each other.

"Alright, so here's the plan!" Scout called out to me. "It's still a work in progress, but we're going to shut that robot down, find and free the rest of the guys, and then get the hell out of here!"

"Sounds like a plan!" I replied. "How are we going to do all that?"

"That's the part still in progress!"

I groaned as we kept running forward. Chell was keeping up fine while Soldier jumped behind us with his Rocket Jumper.

Finally, we reached a dead end. We looked down and saw a small platform at the bottom.

"Chell and I can make that fall with our boots," I hold Scout and Soldier. "Soldier, use your BASE Jumper, and Scout, drink some of your Bonk! to survive the fall!"

"Roger that, Sir!" Soldier replied with a salute as he jumped off the edge and deployed his parachute.

Scout pulled a can of Atomic Punch out of his pocket and took a huge gulp before sprinting off the edge and landing on the platform.

"Go, go, go!" I commanded Chell. She gave a small nod and jumped, with me right after her.

After we all landed on the platform, we kept on going forward before we could see an exit in the distance!

"Let's go!" Scout called out. "We're almost there!"

That's when we heard loud, mechanical whirring from next to us! We looked and saw that the walls were quickly moving in on us!

"We'll never make it in time!!" I called out.

"Yes, we will!" Scout replied with confidence. "Engie, grab onto Soldier and he'll rocket jump to the exit while the lady here grabs onto me!"

He then pulled out a can of Crit-A-Cola and took a gulp.

"Do what he says!" I told Chell. "It's our only hope!"

She nodded and held Scout's hand while I jumped on Soldier's back. The America-loving lunatic quickly used his launcher to move us to the exit while Scout's drink gave the other 2 a speed boost!

Soldier and I jumped through the exit and looked behind us. Chell and Scout were almost to the exit, but the walls were coming in fast!

"HURRY!" I screamed.

Scout then used all of his stamina to pick up the pace as the duo jumped through the doorway just as the walls closed! When they did, we were left in complete darkness.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked the darkness.

"No!" Soldier cried out. "I'm not alright!"

"Why?? What's wrong??"

"I've gone blind!!"

"You're not blind, you dope!" Scout replied. "There just aren't any lights on! C'mon, let's look for a switch or something...OWOWOW!"

"What's wrong??" I asked.

"This little punk over here," Chell replied in a cold tone, "just grabbed my ass!"

"ON ACCIDENT!" Scout cried in defense. "I'm sorry! Let go of my arm!!"

"Let him go," I told Chell.

There was a pause for a second before I could hear movement and Scout sigh in relief.

That's when some light poured into the room. We turned around and saw another door had opened up.

"Well, let's go, boys and girl," I said. "We've got work to do."

As we went towards the door, Scout bumped my arm.

"What's her deal?" He whispered to me.

"She's... a tough one," I replied.

Scout's face was expressionless for a second before he smiled.

"I love a good challenge!" He said with glee.

Oh, boy...