Half-Tale: The Fallen

Chapter 5 (1/3) - Home

Half-Tale: The Fallen

Characters are not mine. Half-Life and Adrian Shephard belong to Valve Corporation, and Undertale and Chara Dreemurr belong to Toby Fox. Please support the official releases.

Chapter 5 (1/3) – Home

/ / /

Adrian found himself lost in the depths of his mind, deep in thought, during his short walk back towards Toriel's home. The fact that he could be constantly being watched by the G-Man messed with him. Even in places where it should be impossible, it was impossible to know.

He doesn't know what he's fully capable of. For all he knew, the G-Man could be a God, bringing him out of that facility to save him for... what?

That uneasiness that he felt earlier, he supposed, was exactly that: the feeling of being watched. Every room, every area, every corridor he goes through, every encounter... is there any way of knowing for sure?

Without getting as lucky as he did when he witnessed a brief blur out of the corner of his eye when he gazed upon the grandeur that is Old Home?

He wanted to tell someone.

...though that exact mindset, he knew, was why the G-Man brought him to that place.

But now there were reasons why he couldn't tell anyone. He didn't know if that would cause more trouble for himself or the person he would tell it to.

The first person that came to his mind, obviously, was Chara. Being a ghost, she doesn't have many people to actually tell it to. But he wasn't sure if that would put her in any danger or not. And putting her in danger was definitely not an option. And that wasn't only because she was his guide either, although that was part of it.

The other reason was something he would never admit out loud.

It was driving him crazy. Far more than he thought it should; he's been through far worse. But now that he knew he's likely being watched compared to his uncertainty back in Black Mesa, there wasn't much to help his case.

But, considering all of that, does it really matter that much?

"I'm really overthinking all this, aren't I?"

A mild headache invaded his head, resulting in him putting a hand over his face. He supposed that now, just like before, he could really go for a cigarette.

Chara, in the meanwhile, floated alongside Adrian, curious as to what he was thinking about. Tilting her head, she beckoned for him. "...Hey Corp. You sure you're okay? You seem kinda... distant."

No response.

"Eh... Corp?"

No response yet again.

"You need to stop blanking out randomly. I know I do it sometimes too, but that doesn't give you the excuse to do it yourself, you know."

Chara brought her hand to her chin in exaggerated contemplation. She had some... drastic methods she could use to wake him up from his thoughts, like yelling directly into his ear like what he did to her a while back, but she decided against it upon seeing what they were coming upon, looking up and smirking. "...Never mind. Looks like I won't have to do anything."

"Oh my! You made it all the way here with such speed! I am impressed, young one," a familiar feminine voice suddenly said, breaking Adrian out of his thoughts instantly upon hearing it. She walked over to Adrian, greeting him. "I was just about to return to you, assuming you were already halfway through the RUINS. I suppose I underestimated you, hee-hee."