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[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

 Well, that was something he hadn't really expected. He had gone so long without ever having a run-in with the crazy AI, GLADoS. It really wasn't nearly as bad as he had expected. There were just a bunch of interesting mazes. There were no security bots trying to kill him, or even a lava pit, or anything really extreme like that.

He was happy that at least he knew to not expect the promised cake, though it was a bitter comfort, not knowing what happened to his friends during his time gone. He pulled out his omnicomm as he oriented himself and began walking towards Engineering as he reviewed the recent posts to the network and typed out a message.

He hoped to find Billy, working away in the department that he'd come to love so much. Maybe even Sam or Anwei would come to visit him there as well. If not, at least he would be able to get some work done and try to get back to normal.

Comments

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

She could have left a message, and she was tempted to do that, but she hadn't seen Alex in a little while, and it had bothered her pretty badly that he might have been suffering while she was gone.

She wasn't known to rush to Engineering, but in this case she did so double time, hoping to catch up with him. Luckily enough, she spotted him right at the entrance, and hugged him tightly.

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex was taken by complete surprise at the hug from behind, causing him to squeal. He turned and saw a very familiar face, and any fear in him was gone. He squirmed around in her arms so that he faced her and returned the hug, gleefully exclaiming, "K-Katara!"

He buried his face in Katara's shoulder, breathing her scent in deeply as if to make sure she was real.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Well, not Katara, but still the same girl....that was just getting old, explaining this over and over. Right now, it didn't matter: she was just happy to see Alex again.

"There's so much I have to explain, but I'm back! Did you take care of the room? Are you all right? You weren't too sad, were you? I'm so glad to see you again!"

And you're in a bear hug now, Alex.

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex was all right with a bear-hug right now. "I m-missed you so much! I'm s-sorry, I g-got t-taken by GLADoS r-right a-after you left, s-so I d-don't know. I-I'm sorry!"

He squeezed her back as tightly as he could manage. He wasn't going to mention how much pain he and Billy had been in. How it was probably the thing that had made GLADoS decide he needed to run mazes. He just wanted his little makeshift family back together and all smiling.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

And she was definitely smiling, laughing and swinging him in the air. He might have been taller, but it was pretty obvious who was the stronger one.

"I know why I left, I was just horrified when I realized it. I thought I'd been gone for months when it was luckily just a week. But there was a reason for it, I know that now. It'll take awhile to explain."

[morphitudinous]

Billy was on his way there, actually, taking a slightly different route. He tended to walk more quickly than before, peeking around corners and checking for signs of Zedd's spying---but it would soon be a comfortable routine. The evil emperor would be more likely to launch an attack where he had more space, right? Not in this tiny hallway.

The thinking Blue Ranger was walking so quickly that he nearly missed Alex, the flash of hair finally making him pause. "Oh, hey! I thought you'd be resting first."

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex turned towards the voice and rushed towards the owner, calling "Billy!" He threw his arms around his friend in a tight hug.

"M-me? Rest? Ha! Wh-when have you known m-me ta g-get a g-good sleep?"

[morphitudinous]

An incoming tall friend meant only one thing: brace yourself, Billy. He did so just in time, holding Alex just as tightly and smiling over his shoulder. He felt oddly comforted right then---after that last talk, it felt good to be able to do this.

"I suppose I haven't," was Billy's fond answer, squeezing one more time before letting go. "I'm just glad you're back. The tests weren't too strenuous, were they?"

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex pulled away, smiling down to Billy, as awkward in his height as ever. "A-are you k-kidding? They were fun!"

Billy might have noticed that Alex often was playing various puzzle games on his computer, from mazes, to escape the room games, to brick-breakers. It probably wouldn't be too much of a surprise that he enjoyed running a maze.

"I m-missed you g-guys though. I c-couldn't wait ta g-get back!"

[expendable-mind.livejournal.com]

Splicer made his way down to engineering, bringing Lil along for the ride, much to Miguel's displeasure. He claimed he was the one who'd be playing the games anyways, but Splicer had promised to take out Lil to see the animals anyways, so might as well take out two tasks at once.

Lappy in his backpack, Lil on his shoulder, he had a pleasant stride, he had beaten every single aspect of the games he had on his lappy, and he couldn't log onto the online ones well because of this whole shit storm.

He groaned remembering he was so close to being top player in the sector, his score would drop so bad! Priorities right?!

He soon entered engineering a looked around for any signs of life, looking over his shades.

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

There was a bit of techno music playing. It wasn't offensively loud, but loud enough that it could be tracked to Alex's personal little hole in the wall. It was a wall of computer-type chassis and piles of various other supplies. The pile ended with the edge of the desks, making a sort of door at the end, which opened to a desk covered with papers, video game systems with disks, a laptop, and a rat. Sitting in front of it, spinning while reading papers and chewing on the edge of a pen, was Alex, humming to the lyrics.

[expendable-mind.livejournal.com]

Splicer grinned raised a brow, he leaned against the wall listening to the tune and tapping his foot to the beat, arms crossed.

[Seeevvvyyyyy he's as loud as you... Hmpf.] - came a small voice from the gothic lolita style doll riding his shoulder.

"If he was as loud as me, I wouldn't be able to hear you Lil." he chuckled, "I take it you're Alex?"

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex's eyes widened at the sound of the voices coming from the dolls. He tilted his head a bit, even as he dragged his foot to stop the chair. He lowered the music down so it was just audible in this area. "M-me? Y-yeah, I'm Alex." Is was probably already apparent that he wasn't good with making eye contact, since he avoided the gaze of even the dolls.

Still, he offered a smile, staring somewhere closer to the mouth or throat of each of the people. "I-it's nice ta meet you."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae had heard that Alex was back, and that had made her really happy. She knew it would be an immense boost of confidence to both Billy and Kaya, not to mention he always made her smile and feel at ease.

She made sure to take her time, she was sure that the others had made their way to see him already, and she wanted to give them their space.

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

A probably familiar beat was softly coming from a corner of the department as techno streamed from his speakers softly enough that it wouldn't bother anyone else in the department. Of course he would be thrilled to see Ronnae as well.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnie smiled warmly, seeing the once empty space occupied by it's rightful owned. She made herself noticed by rapping on the side of the wall lightly, loud enough to be heard, but not startle.

"H-hey Alex. Welcome back."

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex looked up, smiling at Ronnae. "H-hey!" He turned the music down even more, tossing papers he was reading onto the desk with a spin of his chair. He pulled his legs up onto the chair to sit cross-legged. "H-how have you b-been?"

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Alex. You're looking remarkably well for someone who's been GlaDOSed." After all, Ruffnut and Allenby had been fighting mad when they'd unceremoniously been spat out of their respective portals. He'd been expecting a little more distress when he'd walked into Engineering.

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex smiled and shrugged, "I always l-liked the game she's i-in in my world, an' I've always l-like puzzles, sot I g-guess it was sorta fun f-for me." It gave him a chance to not think for a while- to just get totally absorbed in a puzzle and not worry about anything too much. It was still a pain that she had taken him when he felt like Billy needed him, but considering everything Billy seemed to have survived without him well enough, and he was back now.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

He nodded. "So you were in your element. At least GlaDOS provides her participants with novel puzzles." And sometimes lasers, apparently.

"A few things happened while you were gone, but even the worst of those seems to have been resolved with little incident. ...Were you also offered cake?"

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

"Y-yeah, b-but I knew the cake was a lie. The cake is always a lie!" He snickered at the old meme from his world. Really, he missed the stupidity of the internet sometimes.

"What s-sorta things?"

[8wings.livejournal.com]

"Alex!" Anwei smiled. "Hello! I'm sorry I didn't come looking for you, but I just thought you were keeping to yourself."

She should have looked, she berated herself. She talked to few enough people here; she should keep track of them better.

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex shook his head, "N-nah, don' worry about it. GlaDOS m-makes you forget about p-people while sh-she has 'em." He had forgotten about quite a few people in his time, only to realize he hadn't known where they went or thought to look for them until they came back.

[8wings.livejournal.com]

"Really? I hadn't realized the memory control was that precise...." She paused for a long instant, eyes darting. It couldn't be chemical. Had to be some sort of psychic dampener, affecting only those memories. God help them all if that ever malfunctioned.

Then she came back to reality. "How are you feeling otherwise?"

[hack-rat.livejournal.com]

Alex smiled reassuringly, "P-pretty refreshed, a-actually! What about you?"