Dark Energy (Chapter)

If you you expect to be taken to safety by the combine carrier, think again. You end up in the hands of elite combine soldiers who take your beloved manipulator. A door in front of you opens, and look! It's the treacherous Dr Mossman!

Don't expect to be completely aware of her true intentions though, she may prove to be useful very soon...

As you are carried behind her, she guides you right into Dr Breen's office, while he is trying to convince the poor captured Eli about his attempts to deliver Earth to the Combine. Dr Breen sees you and seems to be very pleased about this situation, especially when you realise Alyx is captured as well!

Just when it feels like things are utterly hopeless, Judith Mossman redeems herself when she uses a small electric charger to prevent Breen from fulfilling his schedule. The enraged Dr Breen runs away, picking up the manipulator to fire off a shot at you causing a small explosion. You'll notice you are freed from the clutches of the combine carrier, and together with Alyx you must stop Breen once and for all.

Get into the elevator. Alyx will spend the time explain her thankfulness for your actions to help her and her father, but eventually she is interrupted by the sound of Breen desperately bargaining with the leaders of the Combine race, apparently about his own safety in the exchange of Earth...

Again, he escapes before you manage to stop him, leaving only your manipulator behind. Pick it up and get into the elevator Breen used to flee, and wave goodbye to Alyx as you travel into the lions den, the top dark energy core of the Citadel.

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here...

You'll see Dr Breen in an energy field sphere in the middle, which apparently is both a way of teleporting him out of there and disintegrating almost the entire citadel, like he explains. The only way to stop him is to get up to the top before he does, so get going!

First, run to the right and jump over the small gap between the two platforms. Follow the pathway up and to the left, pass by the rays holding combine energy balls and wait, as a huge moving platform is moving vertically next to you and soon reaches your level. Get on it and kill the soldiers waiting on the above level, and dash to the opposite wall with a very narrow pathway leading right out to the middle of the big hall. Another smaller platform is descending to you which you have to jump to. It will take you up quite a bit and you might end up above Dr Breen. Get off it when it stops, and kill the soldiers rushing out of an energy field gate. To the left of the gate, there's another elevating platform leading up to the absolute top.

Like Alyx exclaims, the portal for Breens escape and your demise is opening, so you better hurry! You need to destroy the portal opening up, and the only way to do that is to grab the combine energy balls nearby to shoot them right at the bright white light. Once you hit it the first time, a number of shields will appear and you'll have to shoot them down one by one. Watch out for the gunship approaching, you might have to shoot it down if it's bothering you too much, but you can try dodging its shots to continue firing at the portal.

When you destroy all the shields and fire off an energy ball right into the portal, a massive explosion erupts, about to wipe out everything, even you and Alyx! What happens now? Is this the end?

Yes, it is, but we'll leave you to find out what truly happens. However, we can reveal that you'll meet a very familiar person once again... Just like old times.

Congratulations, you've finished Half-Life 2!