Chell's second playthrough

End Credits

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Chell got embraced in the warm light of the sun. The wheat stalks waved in the soft breeze that blew through her hair. A little shiver went down her spine because of the sudden change in temperature. Chell inhaled deeply. The fresh air felt so foreigner to her after breathing the recycled oxygen her whole life. A loud clank sounded behind her and Chell quickly turned around. A small metal shed stood just a few meters away from her, a circle of mud and dead wheat stalks lay around it. The door had one single sign saying 'keep out' and the metal shimmered in the sun light. A thumping sound came from within the shed like something was climbing up the elevator shaft, before the door swung open and spit out a half burned companion cube, before it slammed shut once again.

Chell stood still for a couple seconds as the sound of the door echoed in her head. And the further the sound ebbed away, the more that place seemed to melt away from her. Deeper and deeper, back down into the earth like water that sunk away in sand. Letting her stand there, alone, safe... free. Chell looked over to the companion cube. Its sides were black, scars from the flames that had licked at its hull and burned the metal. But the pink heart in the middle still shone with life. They both made it out. They were both alive. She carefully walked over to it. She reached out to touch it, to pat its corners and feel its cool metal against the palm of her hand. Just as a smile was about to form on the corners of her lips, her hand fell through the cube and it twitched like a broken hologram. Her smile dropped. The world around her gave the same glitching effect before turning completely blank. The wheat field disappeared, just like the sun, the sky and shed. Just gone. Just white, everywhere.

Was it a trap. Was it Her? Chell was about to panic when a big orange screen opened up in the sky. She stared up at it, afraid for what it was about to tell her. Afraid for Her voice to echo through the room, for green gas to start leaking out walls, filling her lungs, making her choke. But nothing was about to kill her. It was indeed Her voice that boomed into her ears, but it was different. It was not murderous or that calculating calm she was used to.

GLaDOS was singing.

''Well here we are again
It was always such a pleasure
Remember when you tried to kill me, twice?
Oh, how we laughed and laughed
Except I wasn't laughing
Under the circumstances
I've been shockingly nice''

Chell blinked once, twice.... What was happening?

''You want your freedom?
Take it
That's what I'm counting on.
I used to want you dead
but
Now I only want you gone''

Chell had to do her best not to freak out. Sure the turret opera had got her off guard. But this was something else interlay.

''She was a lot like you
(Maybe not quite as heavy)
Now little Caroline is in here too
One day they woke me up
So I could live forever.
It's such a shame the same will never happen to you''

''You've got your
short sad
life left
That's what I'm counting on
I'll let you get right to it
Now I only want you gone''

The text followed Her voice on the screen in bright orange letters. But they seemed to be mirrored, what made it hard for her to read it. So she just tried to listen to what GLaDOS was saying.

''Goodbye my only friend...''

Chell raised an eyebrow.... What?

''Oh... Did you think I meant you?
That would be funny
If it weren't so sad
Well you have been replaced
I don't need anyone now
When I delete you maybe
[REDACTED]''

It said redacted, but she had heard Her loud and clear. Maybe I'll stop feeling so sad. What was that supposed to mean?

''Go make some new disaster
That's what I'm counting on
You're someone else's problem
Now I only want you gone
Now I only want you gone
Now I only want you

gone

Chell bit her lower lip. She didn't know if it was because she felt emotional or that she was just confused. Probably both. The screen disappeared. As did the music and Her voice. It made place for a darker screen, with some little white specks in the background. Like... stars. Just as she thought about it, the little space core flew across the screen saying in a chipper voice. ''So much space. Need to see it all, space space space''

Just as he disappeared Wheatley came into view. Chell's stomach twitched, like someone had just stabbed her in her heart. He looked broken, with all the dents and scratches and the big crack in his blue optic. He sighted. ''I wish I could take it all back. I honestly do. I honestly wish I could take it all back. And not just because I'm stranded in space.''

''I'm in space.''

Wheatley laughed a little. ''Yeah, I know you are mate. Yep...We're both in space.''

The space core flew around in little circles in the background. ''Spaaaacccceee!''

''You'd know what I'd say if I'd ever get to see her again?'' Chell narrowed her eyes, ignoring the core flying by again.

''I'm in space.''

''I'd say; I'm sorry. Sincerely. I'm sorry. I was bossy... And monstrous..........And I'm genuinely sorry.''

Chell felt her eyes watering. No, she wasn't going to cry. Not because of him. Not because of that backstabber, that horrible core that betrayed her and made her test and tried to kill her. The one that had told her to let go........ The one who had woken her, who guided her through the rumbles of Aperture. The one who saved her out of the test chambers and who helped her to come up with a plan to defeat Her. The one who trusted her. The one she would've considered to call a friend. That one?

Chell let out a muted cry and fell on her knees. Her fingers pressed against the blank floor, knuckles getting white, tears dripping from her chin. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. She looked back up again, her vision was blurry by her tears. She saw Wheatley, floating around aimlessly in space with the happy little yellow optic-colored core spinning around him. A few words were displayed across the screen, all mirrored. But there were a few thick white letters that caught her attention. She tried to focus on it to read what it said.

Portal 2

Suddenly the screen disappeared. The sound of a computer shutting off filled the room. Chell looked behind her. The room, the walls, the floor.... The world she was in. It got sucked away. The room folded like a piece of clothing getting stuck in a vacuum cleaner. It was like a black hole and she was getting pulled towards it. Chell got up as fast as she could, tried to run, survive, get away from whatever that was. But the invisible power was stronger. It made her trip, dragging her along the floor. Chell cried out in fear, reaching out to someone, anything to safe her. Just before she got sucked in, she pressed her hand against the black computer screen.

But whoever was on the otherside, hadn't noticed.