RED Base

(Post Upward Mission)

The day was over once more. Mission complete, the REDs having a successful defense, having a massive morale boost thanks to Pootis Man getting the Administrator to reset the War Game, and held back the BLUs with a nigh impassible barricade. And to relax, everyone was enjoying sandwiches prepared for them by Intelligent Heavy, as well as Demoman's special stock of beer, and doing their own thing. However, two were not as involved in the celebration, Soldier and Engineer rattled to the core by the Freak battle. Engineer stood at his workbench by his lonesome, modifying his Dispenser plans to prevent outside modifications and adjusting the settings on his various wrenches. The words both halves of Solgineer shouted to each other, the vile insults, echoed within his mind.

'You learned the language of math because nobody wanted to talk to you'. He remembered the Soldier-Half shouting. 'Wrench monkey', 'tech savvy twerp'. But there was one that stood out most to him: inbred. He wouldn't call himself an honest man if he denied that he and his team did somewhat exemplify traits and a few stereotypes of their nationalities, but it was an endearing trait that made them all unique. But that word, a horrible stereotype and insult to Southerners and many others… To hear the word from Soldier's mouth, even though it wasn't really him, sent shivers down his spine. He was even more disturbed when he heard the Engineer-Half's insults, putting dark thoughts in his mind. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked to see Soldier, the patriot feeding sour cream to the raccoon he kept as a pet with an equally glum look on his face, and felt rotten. Sure, he did have problems with Soldier being so thick, but never did he outright call him out on it or yell at him.

"Do…" Engineer found himself muttering. "Do Ah actually think that about Solly?" Wiping the sweat from his brow, Engineer put his tools aside, filed his plans, and walked over to Soldier. Soldier looked up from Lt. Bites, seeing Engineer standing before him, hard hat off and everything.

"Need something, Engie?" Soldier asked, his normal bravado diffused, which immediately frightened Engineer. The prospect of words doing this much to such an unhinged man like Soldier, it was too much for the Texan to handle.

"Look, Solly, Ah've got to talk to y'all about what happened with Solgineer." Engineer said, the words getting stuck in his throat. "The things that Freak said."

"Me too." Soldier said, standing up. "You go first."

"Well, Ah just was thinkin' about the stuff Solgineer said," Engineer said, putting his helmet aside on Lt. Bites' cage. "When Pootis Man got his two halves to start fightin' amongst themselves like two bulls with red paint on their faces."

"The insults." Soldier stated. "I was thinking about them too." He looked down, his helmet further obscuring his face. "The things they said…"

"Now, Ah know that Freaks are mutant clones," Engineer said, shooting a subtle glance at Intelligent Heavy. "So they're bound to think a bit differently than us… But they're still technically us." Engineer looked up at Soldier, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah'm gonna be honest, Soldier, there are moments where y'all drive me up the wall. Like that time with the bread and we all thought we were dying."

"Heh, best three last days of my life." Soldier chuckled, pulling his helmet back a little.

"And that time you bombed that Mall Santa Facility." Engineer added.

"That was a Commie Training Facility, and you know it." Soldier retorted, folding his arms across his chest.

"And do Ah even have to mention the collection of severed heads?" Engineer said, gesturing to the aforementioned super-sized cooler, which continued to smell just as bad as the day Soldier retrieved them.

"… I'm not getting rid of them."

"Look, the point is," Engineer concluded. "Through all of the faults, yours and mine, Ah will never think any less of you, and always view you as my teammate," He removed his goggles, placing them on his neck and giving a genuine smile with his bright blue eyes. "And a friend." He extended his hand, waiting for a response from the gruff military man. "Can Ah get the same?" With no hesitation and restraint whatsoever, Soldier trapped Engineer in a bone crushing bear hug, a smile beaming on his face.

"You're good, son." Soldier said. "Real good, maybe even the best." Once releasing the Texan from the bear hug, Soldier casually put the worker's hard hat on his head, followed by wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Now c'mon. Heavy's starting a poker game and I need your help to tell if Spy's cheating or not." Engineer smirked, sliding his goggles back on as he was led to the table. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Putting down a freshly cleaned dish into the drying rack, Intelligent Heavy watched as Soldier and Engineer made their way to the table where Spy, Scout, and Heavy were gathered, playing poker. The friendly Heavy Freak allowed himself a smile, glad to see the turmoil, as minute as it may be, was finally put to rest, putting another dish away.

"Nice to see them bury the pickaxe," Sniper noted, sipping his coffee as he helped himself to another sandwich. "Last thing we need is everyone trying to kill each other instead of the BLUs."

"Is very right, Sniper." Intelligent Heavy said. At the table, Engineer and Soldier were dealt in, with Heavy as the dealer. "You know, Solgineer is like that, but to extreme." Sniper glanced at the pot-wearing Freak.

"Like how, aside from DNA and genetics?" Sniper asked.

"Freaks are not only changed in body," Intelligent Heavy explained, putting a glass away. "But in mind, too." He tapped his helmet for emphasis. "We may have same brain as host DNA, but we think differently." At the table, the pot had grown larger, with Soldier and Spy glaring at each other as they looked at their cards. "Solgineer may be half-Soldier and half-Engineer, but they are different in behavior. Their anger and aggression is bigger than Soldier and Engineer's, so they are easy to make mad." Intelligent Heavy glanced back at the table, watching as Scout stormed away, tossing his cards behind him from another bust. "But on opposite, Solgineer can be incredibly welcoming and kind. Is enhancement of brain function."

"Oh, I see." Medic said, having listened in through the entire conversation. "Ze change in endorphins and neurotransmitters in ze brains are manipulated into behavioral differences. Some Freaks are more made more violent und aggressive, like Painis Cupcake or ze Bugler, while some are more cheerful und pacifistic, like yourself. It is simple biopsychology at work." Intelligent Heavy blinked, the words from the mad doctor bumbling through his head.

"Uh… dah, that is exactly it." He said, taking off his pot and putting it in the sink. "That is what entire Project FREAK is: Forced Reality Enhanced Augmentations in Clones. Changing DNA and brainwaves to make us, the Freaks." He turned from the sink, watching as Soldier and Spy appeared to be in an argument while Engineer and Heavy looked on with nervous and irate expressions. "To be as close to different from host genetics as possible." Soldier suddenly lunged for Spy, but was held back by Engineer and the recently arriving Pyro. "Apparently."

"It's spelled wrong." Sniper noted, abruptly distracting attention from the sudden fight. "The acronym for the Project… It's spelled wrong."

"What?" Intelligent Heavy asked, completely caught off guard.

"Clones is spelled with a 'c'." Sniper reiterated. "There isn't a 'c' in 'freak', so the bloody acronym is wrong." He finished his coffee, tossing the empty mug in the sink with a splash. "I get Redmond and Blutarch are about as smart as three-week old piss, but you'd think they'd learn how to spell."

"Well," Intelligent Heavy explained, his tone incredibly reluctant. "The reason is-."

*WHAM!*

Everyone was made quiet when the doors slammed open, as a pair of frantic looking men ran inside. One was a RED Demoman, the other a big-headed BLU Soldier, and both looked as though it was tax day and they skipped out after three months. Intelligent Heavy immediately recognized the two as Seeman and Seelder, but was deeply worried as to them being here as opposed to the Holding Facilities. On the other hand…

"Oh look, a thing just happened." Intelligent Heavy quickly noted. "Something needs to be done. We'll talk about this never." Seeman quickly looked about the room before spotting Heavy at the table, running up to him and grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Intelligent Heavy lad!" Seeman exclaimed, babbling like a lunatic. "Ye've got te help us! Doppelganger broke inta the Crazed Countryside an' hunted me an' Seedler te steal our powers, but we escaped thanks to Rabid Heavy Taming Engineer an' his beast, but Doppelganger beat them an' now he's after us and we need yer bloody HELP!" He heaved heavily, the large Russian completely silent with his eyes wide open. "So can ye, lad?"

"Um… Seeman?" Intelligent Heavy called out, completely aware of the now dire situation. "That is RED Team Heavy. I am Intelligent Heavy." Seeman and Seedler immediately turned towards the source of the acknowledgement, and saw… another RED Heavy.

"See?!" Seedler called out, pointing at Intelligent Heavy. "There's another one! But who's who?!" The two mildly stupid Freaks began looking between the two Heavies, completely baffled at their new predicament atop the current one. It quickly got old… very fast.

"Oh, for God's sake." Scout shouted, walking over to the skin and pulling out the cooking pot and dropped it on the helper Freak's head. Seeman and Seedler immediately ran over to Intelligent Heavy and began their tirade again.

"Intelligent Heavy lad, ye've got te help-!" Seeman exclaimed, but was quickly silenced by Intelligent Heavy's massive hand.

"I heard first time, Seeman." Intelligent Heavy said. "So Doppelganger's after you… But how did you get out of Freak Holding Facilities?"

"Oh that's easy." Seedler said, popping in. "Front door." Not even the cricket wanted to chime in on the silence. Engineer raised a hand to ask a question, but Spy pushed it down, shaking his head in realization of the futile effort.

"And first place you wanted to go was… here?" Intelligent Heavy continued, pointing at the ground. The two Freaks nodded their heads. "Now… Why did you think this was good idea?" Before the two could even think of an answer to their question, a loud banging echoed across the building as something pounded hard against the door.

"Little pig, little pig~!" Said an utterly terrifying voice. "Open the door and let me in~…." Another bang on the door, causing the mercenaries to jump, and the See Freaks to hide behind an equally terrified Intelligent Heavy. That fear quickly shifted to rage as he glanced at the cowering Seeman and Seedler.

"YOU LED HIM HERE?!" Intelligent Heavy shouted. The two meekly nodded, cringing as another bang resounded. Intelligent Heavy groaned, rubbing his face in irritation. "Okay… Heavy was left out of most information… How many powers has Doppelganger taken?" The door banged once more, this time a gargantuan dent forming on the center.

"Um… ice magic, fire magic, weapon summoning, super strength, an' reality shifting powers." Seeman said. That was enough incentive to get the REDs to grab their gear and prepare for a real big fight. The dent grew with another bang, just as soon as the mercenaries were armed and ready. Engineer finished setting up a Level-3 Sentry, quickly glancing at the three Freaks behind cover.

"So what exactly are we dealin' with here?" Engineer asked, shouting over the continuous attacks on the door.

"Doppelganger," Intelligent Heavy explained, covering his head. "A Spy Freak with the power to copy other Freak's powers. He was so dangerous, he was put in Maximum Detention a week after creation." A resounding bang shook the foundations of the building.

"That bad, huh?" Scout asked, tossing his baseball up and down. "We got our work cut out for us."

"Sound off if you're ready!" Soldier shouted, hefting his Beggar's Bazooka.

"Ready!" Scout responded, loading his Scattergun.

"Ah'm ready!" Engineer called out, prepping his Sentry and Dispenser.

"In position!" Spy said, playing with his balisong between his fingers.

"I'm fully charged!" Medic announced, his medigun trained on Heavy's back.

"I am ready to fight tiny Freak!" Heavy shouted over the roar of his gun.

"Hurr huddah!" Pyro mumbled, pointing his flamethrower at the door.

"Ready to shoot!" Sniper said, peering behind the lens of his Machina.

"LET'S DO IT!" Demoman shouted, a Loose Cannon in one hand and a sticky bomb launcher in the other.

"And we'll be right here." Seeman said, pulling Intelligent Heavy and Seedler behind some crates. "Providin' moral support." The mercenaries rolled their eyes, but continued to wait as the furious banging increased.

"Not going to be fair, are we?" Doppelganger teasingly asked. "Well, I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your door in!" From the other side of the door, a deep gasp was heard, and when it released, a vicious gout of flame burst through the doors, forcing the REDs to shield their eyes from the intensity of the heat. Even Pyro rose an arm to cover the eyes. As soon as the flames relented, the mercenaries opened their eyes and saw the four inch steel door had melted, and stepping through the freshly burned hole was Doppelganger himself, dusting soot off his pristine white suit, but an incredibly manic look on his face. "Now tell me zis, weaklings…

Who's afraid of ze Big Bad Wolf?"


Author's Note: Pardon the shorter chapter length, but there wasn't very much we needed for the chapter, but we stretched it out as long as we could. And on a side note, to all the reviewers who request that certain Freaks make appearances (and to those who go so far as to make demands), we hear and consider every suggestion, but we have no idea if they will or will not be used. But still, we thank you for continual support.