Chapter Text
It was hard to quantify exactly where "jumping through a portal to an alien dimension" was on his list of Things That Should Have Killed Him, considering, well, everything, but it was pretty high up there. Now that Gordon was on Xen, he's sure the list will keep growing.
The portal jump itself was something of a harrowing experience. The blinding flashing lights, the intense vertigo and feeling of molecular displacement, coupled with whatever the hell that large alien was, have left him with an intense sense of dread and a headache. He'd bet his crowbar that that alien who had somehow addressed him mid transport was the thing he had been sent here to kill. He really wasn't looking forward to that.
Gordon wasn't upset, per se, that he had been sent to do this, he just wishes he had a choice of actually saying no. He knows he could have refused, decided he'd had enough and put down his guns and just taken a nap, and they wouldn't have been able to do anything about it, but the choice was obvious, he was the only one who could do it. Or at least he hopes so. He doesn't want to think about what would happen if he died out here. How many more people would they send in after him? Do they even know he's alive right now? He really should have thought about this before jumping through that portal. And now that he thinks about it, had they told him how they were going to get him back to Earth?
Gordon shakes the thoughts from his mind, really not wanting to think about that, and takes a moment to survey his surroundings. Before him is a sort of field lab, complete with generators, computers, microscopes, you name it. Gordon wants to say he can't believe that Black Mesa has already been here long enough to set up a makeshift field lab, but after today, he wouldn't be surprised if Black Mesa had a Mars moon base. Looking through the equipment there's not much for him to use here except a couple flares. If he wasn't so over encumbered by the sheer number of weapons he was carrying, he'd snag a few. They were good for setting things on fire in a pinch. As it were though, carrying a rocket launcher, two experimental weapons, and a myriad of guns was more than enough fire power for now.
Deciding there was nothing else for him here, Gordon made his way up a small incline. He was immediately on guard however, when he saw a red flashing light and what looked to be a person in an HEV suit lying on the ground. Pulling out his shotgun he cautiously approached the body, wary of what might be lurking in the shadows. Gordon crouched down and inspected the suit. Dead. And by the stench of it, for quite some time. He didn't read the name on the tag while he removed the battery pack and replaced his own depleted supply. No need for heavy emotions on top of the weight of the world he's been tasked with carrying around.
Just as Gordon turns to leave, his vision is completely overtaken by soft purple light and something warm(?) engulfing his upper body. He scrambles back and trips over the suit, fumbling with his gun in the process. How could he let something sneak up on him like that! He knows he's tired and hasn't had a proper meal in god knows how many hours (days?), but if he's this sloppy already he'll never make it off Xen. He grips his shot gun, shaking his head violently to readjust his glasses while his hands are occupied and looks for whatever had snuck up on him.
Except there's nothing there? He looks left and then right, he could have sworn something was there. And then there's a small almost purr like sound above him and Gordon slowly lifts his head expecting the worst. But as he continues to stare at, whatever this thing is, nothing happens.
The creature (can Gordon call it a creature? It looks more like a blob of light) slowly circles Gordon's head, descending at a lazy pace until it is once again practically engulfing him. Gordon doesn't know why he doesn't shoot it, but he doesn't. In fact he lets the gun fall from his grasp as he slowly lifts his hands up to the light blob, trying to feel it through his thick gloves. The blob doesn't seem to have any mass as Gordon's hands go right through it. Maybe it really is made of light? His hypothesis is quickly disproven, however, when he feels it actually nudge him back a little.
Gordon stands up slowly, not wanting to be sitting on a dead body any more and tries to get a better look at this thing. It really does appear like its made of light, but it looks like it might have some sort of organs within its translucent body. It vaguely reminds him of a protozoan cell, but as it comes to settle around his head and bob around, Gordon decides that calling them a protozoan seems too clinical and detached. It purrs and chirps some more, nudging Gordon ever so slightly out of the cave. Gordon chuckles, looks like he made a friend.
Gordon holds, or rather, tries to hold this creature in his hands. He suddenly wants to hug this creature and wishes it weren't intangible, and as he thinks this he feels his arms being pushed out from the center of its body until he is practically hugging it. Gordon smiles and he thinks he might actually cry. He hasn't felt this safe in quite some time, which is strange considering he's still very much exposed and vulnerable out in the open like this and this creature has done absolutely nothing to warrant such a feeling aside from not attack him. Gordon will unpack that later.
Whatever this creature is, Gordon has deemed it a friend and he really hopes his trust in it doesn't backfire. The creature trills again and becomes intangible once more, covering Gordon's face with its body. A warmth overtakes him and Gordon has the sense it might be trying to hug him back in its own way. The warmth it exudes isn't physical. He doesn't fully understand this feeling he's experiencing, but it's like the feeling one gets upon seeing a dear friend, of being held in tight embrace and knowing you're safe, that nothing is coming to harm you. Gordon doesn't want to leave this feeling, but he once again feels the Friend (because that's what he's calling this thing now) nudge him once again and Gordon knows he's got a mission to complete.
Stepping away from the Friend Gordon leaves the small cave and continues his trek forward, not knowing exactly where he's going, just knowing he must move forward. He looks back at the Friend and sees it move back to hover around the body he found. Something stirs in Gordon's chest, but he ignores it. He gives a small wave, feeling momentarily silly for doing so, but smiles softly when he hears the creature chirp back.
Gordon really hopes not everything is out to get him on Xen, but knows such hope is dangerous, so he once again hoists his shotgun up and continues forward towards what is most probably his doom. At least he was able to make one friend along the way.