Eye in the Sky

The four Freaks walked into the pristine white walls of hallway, Medizard and Magic Mann gawking in awe at the sheer sight of the building's majesty. Soldine and Major Scout Guy rolled their eyes, the latter suppressing a chuckle, remembering their first time walking into the Eye, just a few days after indoctrination into HECU ranks. Upon reaching the steel-plated doors, the group of Freaks was greeted by the flashy and bright suit of Agent Cinder, the fiery haired man appearing nervous behind his yellow-tinted glasses.

"Major, Soldine," Cinder said, feigning excitement. "And plus ones. Just the men we were looking for!" He moved to a control pad and began a rapid input sequence on the keyboard. "Colonel Dyson and Orangeman arrived just a few minutes ago, and we've been waiting for you to get the meeting started." The door opened with a hiss, leading into a small elevator, which everyone sub sequentially piled into like a can of aggressive sardines. Cinder was sandwiched between Soldine and Medizard, Major was checking the stocks on his gun, and Magic Mann continued to try and thaw out his head. Idly passing the time, Cinder reached into his pocket and plucked out his pack of cigarettes, offering them to the others in the cramped space.

"I don't smoke on the job." Major said, examining one of his buck shots.

"Smoking interferes vis my magic." Medizard said, huffing and folding his arms.

"This unit lacks lungs necessary for cigarette usage." Soldine droned, standing firmly at attention.

"Ah cah feeh mah heah." Magic Mann croaked out, rubbing the icy sphere on his head as it slowly melted.

"Suit yourselves." Cinder nonchalantly said, popping a cigarette in his mouth, snapping his fingers as a fire lit on his red gloves as he ignited his favorite pastime. It was at that moment he caused up, looking as the Freaks around him gawked at his hand, burning slightly, yet not catching fire. "Homemade gloves with flint in the thumb and tinder in two fingers, coated in fire-proof cloth. Good for a quick fix and great way to freak out muggers." He took a long puff of smoke as the elevator signaled a stop. "You Freaks aren't the only ones with a few tricks up your sleeves." The doors slid open, the men walked out, gazing at the various computers monitoring everything within the Freak world. On one screen, a Painis Cupcake was stalking a group of Clones. Another, Weaselcake was having a conversation with a skinny BLU Spy wearing goggles and an upside down helmet. On this, a group of BLU Vagineers sparred against RED Vagineers. On that, a bunch of MeeMs intermingled with Spycrabs. Here and there, everything was monitored in the Eye.

"Major, lad!" Exclaimed a deep Scottish voice. "Took ye long enough te get here, boyo!" Major smirked, watching as his old friend waved in his direction. Standing in the room alongside Miss Pauling, Agent Grease, Agent Splash, and among others, was a Demoman Freak wearing orange and black attire, as well as a black riot helmet. The aforementioned Freak, Orangeman, walked up to Major and planted a hearty slap on his back.

"Good to see ya too, Orangeman." Major grunted, smirking as his friend laughed. He took a moment to see the other occupants, most of whom were members of the Eye, Miss Pauling, a few HECU troops, and of course, the big man in charge, Colonel Dyson. The leader of the HECU wore a dark red suit, red and yellow striped tie, sported a pencil thin mustache and crewcut hair, and held a briefcase to his side. Major straightened up, standing at attention in the Colonel's presence. "Colonel Dyson, sir."

"At ease, Major Scout Guy." Colonel Dyson said in a weathered old voice, raising his hand. "You're not part of HECU's ranks anymore, there's no need for the formalities." The Colonel shot a glance at Medizard and Magic Mann, who were continuing to free Magic Mann's head from the block of ice. "Although I don't believe we extended the invitation to variable plus ones."

"Sir, they were with me when Doppelganger attacked the first time." Major explained, dropping his posture. On the side, Magic Mann finally freed his head, letting out a loud cheer. "They know how dangerous that Copycat is, so they joined up to help take him down."

"We are goin' te need all the help we can get, Colonel." Orangeman said, folding his arms. Colonel Dyson sighed in resignation, sitting at one of the chairs around a large table that had been set up in the center of the room.

"Are we clear then?" Miss Pauling asked, taking her seat, with everyone following in suit. "Good. Alright, who can sum up the situation at the moment?" Colonel Dyson cleared his throat, placed his suitcase on the table, opened it, revealing a high tech projector, and activated it to display a holographic projection of the Freak Holding Facilities and Mann Co. itself.

"At approximately 0400 hours," Colonel Dyson explained. "There was an escape in Maximum Detention in Cellblock D. Thirty guards on station were sent in to quell the situation." His face shifted to a grim mood. "Sixteen were victim to severe burn wounds, the remaining fourteen were burned to death."

"Doppelganger was imprisoned there after his first rampage." Agent Splash explained. "We kept him with a lot of low-level defect Freaks, but none of them with fire powers."

"Are you suggesting zat someone broke Doppelganger out?" Medizard asked.

"It's possible, but we have no information at the time of any Freaks freely roaming at that time." Colonel Dyson said. "But we aren't ruling out the theory. Now," The Colonel pressed a few buttons on the projector, shifting an image to that of the Factory. "At 1100 hours, first sighting of Doppelganger appears when Doppelganger attacked a white-suited Pyro Freak, stealing his ice-based powers and freezing his victim solid."

"Cryo, one of Dr. Schadenfreude's flunkies." Major muttered. "Could be the 'good doctor' was involved, but to what gain?"

"At 1300 hours, security reported the Cybor Compound was attacked by Doppelganger." Dyson continued. "There was no Australium located there at the moment, so we dodged a bullet there."

"The Administrator made a preemptive move to have all the Australium located by the Cybor Freaks to the vault at Mann Co. Headquarters." Miss Pauling said. "As part of an agreement with us and them to keep the tools from falling into dangerous hands." She tried her best to ignore the comments by a few others in the room about the Administrator and hypocrisy, masking it with a scowl.

"Following that," Dyson said. "Doppelganger moved towards the center of the Factory, where I understand the Necroborg Vagineer was located in a solid block of ice."

"Correct." Soldine droned. "Target was engaged, but escaped due to inexplicable circumstances."

"I'd hardly call 'he got ran over by Ninja Spy and Necroborg broke free' inexplicable." Magic Mann joked, which earned glares from everyone at the table. "What? Tryin' to lighten the mood 'ere."

"Medizard, Magic Mann, and I followed after them on foot," Major said, recounting the past few hours. "While Soldine, Scombine, Pyrogun, and Christian Brutal Sniper fought Necroborg."

"Wait… Christian Brutal Sniper was with you?" Miss Pauling noted. "Not only that, but he was helping you?"

"Yeah, isn't he kind of," Agent Cinder added, giving a 'so-so' motion with his hand. "Oh, I don't know, a god damn murderous butcher/psychopath?"

"Hey, I was caught off guard when he offered to join, too." Major interjected. "But he was pretty insistent on it, and we needed as many fighters we could to take down a bigger lunatic like Doppelganger."

"Mhmm, yeah mhmmm…" Agent Cinder said, hands clasped together with his forefingers pressed against his lips. "And, where is our mutual friend now, if he was so insistent?" Major didn't really have an answer, so he turned to the last person who saw him before the homicidal butcher vanished: Soldine. The RED Soldier Robot sighed, leaning on the table and adjusting his helmet, exposing his robotic, almost lifeless eyes.

"After Primary Target Doppelganger escaped due to inadvertent intervention by Designate Freak Ninja Spy," Soldine recounted, taking slight notice of Agent Cinder tugging at his shirt collar at the mention of Ninja Spy. "This unit and allies engaged with Secondary Target Necroborg, Designate Freaks Pyrogun and Scombine sustained heavy damage and were forced to take repairs, where they are currently located as we confer."


The Factory

"Okay, I think the worst of it's over." Pyrogun muttered between electronic breaths, resting on a repair bench as the machinery worked to resetting his parts that were damaged during the Necroborg battle. His torso was open like a cabinet and a few panels on his forehead and arms were exposed, revealing an intricate collection of wires, cogs, microchips, and a few pistons. For a slightly defective Robot Freak, Pyrogun was a true piece of workmanship. Scombine stood nearby, silently watching as robotic claws and tools worked at repairing Pyrogun.

"COMMENCING PHASE TWO OF REPAIR." Sounded the machinery as the tools became active once more, reaching into Pyrogun's access points.

"Wait, I forgot there's a phase two- OH GREAT MAKER!" Pyrogun screamed as sparks flew from his insides. "WHY WAS I INSTALLED WITH PAIN RECEPTORS?!"


Back at The Eye

"Designate Freak Christian Brutal Sniper and this unit engaged the Secondary Target," Soldine continued. "Necroborg proved to be a stronger adversary than probability receptors calculated, having incapacitated this unit and killed Christian Brutal Sniper." A pregnant pause followed. "Then an anomaly occurred."

"An anomaly, Soldine?" Colonel Dyson asked, leaning on the table.

"As the Secondary Target engaged this unit," Soldine explained. "Christian Brutal Sniper, having been killed by a broken neck, had stood up, restored all damage, and punched Necroborg through the chest." The entire room gasped. "Scans reported an unusual energy flux in Designate Freak's systems and bio-scans, including physical alteration and signs of dark energy. He had slain Necroborg with a weapon never seen in his arsenal. Future scans show the weapon bears 95.6% matching in structure and make-up to the demon sword Tenebris."

Agent Cinder spat out the coffee he was drinking, inadvertently spraying Agent Splash. "Tenebris?! As in, Nightmare Medic's unholy blade, Tenebris?!" Soldine gave a prompt nod. "I'd say you're joking, but you're a robot, and robots aren't programed for that kind of humor."

"Calculating appropriate response." Soldine said, eyes flashing red. "Calculating… Response found: Your mother."

"We're getting off track," Miss Pauling said. "Soldine, continue."

"Designate Freak Christian Brutal Sniper eliminated Secondary Target and collapsed from exhausting too much energy." Soldine said. "This unit awoke him, he responded by writing this note," He removed a scrap of paper from his person and passed it to Major. "And left the Factory. Current whereabouts are unknown."

"It says 'Getting bored, not worth the kill. Good luck catching the wanker. ~CBS.'" Major read. He crumpled the paper and tossed it into a waste bin. "There's a cut through the word 'kill'."

"He pinned it to my shoulder with a knife." Soldine clarified, gesturing to an exposed hole in his shoulder. "Afterwards, this unit followed after Designate Freak Major Scout Guy, and my report concludes."

"Is it my turn for story time?" Major jokingly asked. "Okay, when Doppelganger got run down by Ninja Spy's car… Speaking of," He turned to the Agents and Miss Pauling. "How did he survive that car crash with Ninja Heavy before those two were promoted to Freak Rank?"

"Irrelevant to the matter." Agent Cinder quickly said. "Continue the report."

"Right, so we trailed him down to a gigantic hole in the wall into the Crazed Countryside," Major explained. "Where the car was crashed into a tree, the Ninja Freaks were gone, we found Robot Engie dead for some reason, and we found a long trail of blood."

"So he was wounded from the crash?" Colonel Dyson suggested.

"Yeah, but we followed the trail and it just stopped." Major took a deep breath. "And that's when we found the bodies."

"Hundreds of bodies. Clones und lesser Freaks were strewn about the field like freshly reaped vheat." Medizard said, rubbing his forehead. "Atop an ocean of blood. Herr Doppelganger slaughtered zhem all."

"We moved through the carnage and came across a cabin that had been torn to hell." Major said. "Inside we found Rabid Heavy Taming Engineer and one dead Rabid Heavy. They had apparently been protecting Seeman and Seedler from having their powers stolen, but to no success. Seeman and Seedler fled prior, with Doppelganger tailing them."

"Probability assumption," Soldine droned. "Designate Freaks Seeman and Seedler have fled the Holding Facilities, and Primary Target has followed after them."

"And now here we are talking and NOT doing anything about it!" Major shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "So what's up?"

"At the moment," Colonel Dyson said, closing his briefcase. "Ghost and a few HECU Soldiers are on-route to the Reliable Excavations Division Base to do their best to contain the situation. We should have a field report on the situation in about…" He held up his watch, watching the time tick away as he waited for the response. Half a minute passed, and the doors to the room flew open, letting in an HECU Soldier who appeared to have run three miles, panting and heaving as he almost collapsed on the floor. "Good heavens, soldier! What the devil is going on?!"

"Sir…" The soldier weakly gasped. "HECU 1st… Lieutenant Grant… 3rd Platoon Squad… Six… The team reached the site…. Found the target… And…"

"For god's sake!" Colonel Dyson shouted. "Someone get him some water so we can understand him!" Agent Splash quickly ran over to his desk and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to the soldier. Lt. Grant pulled his mouth cover down and greedily guzzled down the drink, emptying the bottle and tossing it aside.

"Thank you, Colonel, sir." Lt. Grant said. "We reached the RED Base, or what's left of it, and found the Mercenaries, their helper Freak, the two escapees, and Doppelganger. Ghost immediately moved to engage him, but… He overpowered all of us." The room sat in stunned silence. "The troops are all dead. Ghost managed to lure him away from the base and sent me here to tell you he's bringing him as close as he can to the Badlands."

"Then we'll start sending the troops and Freaks after him immediately!" Major said, rising from his seat.

"But he had one more important request, sir." Lt. Grant said, raising his hand. "He requested that a certain Freak join the fight. Someone who knows Doppelganger well enough to defeat him easily."

"And which Freak is that?" Miss Pauling asked, somewhat dreading the answer.

"Zat would be me." Said a sickeningly familiar French voice. All eyes in the room immediately turned to the entrance and saw something many would dread to encounter. A Spy Freak, adorned in a bright yellow suit, red tie, black shirt, black gloves, a black balaclava, and piercing red eyes. A sinister smile was curled on his lips as a Black Rose Balisong danced between his fingers. Soldine stood from the table, snarling as his arm shifted into a machine gun. "Oh, come now my bolt-brained brute of a rival, is the raising of arms all that necessary?"

"For a high-level threat such as yourself, Handsome Rogue," Soldine growled, pointing the large gun at the red-eyed Freak. "These parameters are more than recognized."

"Soldine, stand down." Colonel Dyson ordered, glaring at the two Freaks. "Stand down, that's an order!" Reluctantly, Soldine obliged, his gun reverting back to an arm as he sat back in his seat. "As for you, Handsome Rogue, why are you here?"

"Ghost requested me, did he not?" Handsome Rogue asked, casually pacing around the table, brushing the surface. "He and I are well acquainted, through the good and the bad. And as for Doppelganger…" His face shifted from smug to savage, plucking a knife from his sleeve and jamming it into the table. "We have a history and I want him taken down."

"Why would we trust you?" Orangeman asked, glaring at Handsome Rogue from across the table. "You're just another back-pokin' snake of a Freak like Doppelganger! How can we trust ya after all the crap ye've put meself and the HECU through?" The red-eyed Freak stood there for a while in silence, a look of deep thought on his face. "Well, ya daft twit?!"

"Wait, monsieur, give me a moment…" Handsome Rogue said, putting his finger to his lips in thought. "A good reason for trust… How about zis," He leaned on the table, plucking the knife and twirling it between his fingers, a truly sinister glint in his eyes. "I know Doppelganger's true weakness zat renders his powers null and void." The entire room was left in stunned silence. "So… Does zat mean we have a deal?"


Freak-lopedia

Orangeman

Orangeman is an ORG Demoman "Freak", created by YouTuber SarisKhan. Orangeman was originally a BLU Clone Demoman who was part of a particularly bad BLU Team that constantly blundered its duties. Irritated at his teams failures, the BLU Demoman Clone left his team and joined HECU as Orangeman, while other members became Freaks such as Madic, Robosol, and the dread Team ZOM. Orangeman reached the rank of Lieutenant and spent a great deal of time serving under Major Scout Guy before he was moved to Freak status and formed a team with Soldine. Through many battles against Team ZOM, Dr. Schadenfreude, and even the Evolved Vagineer, Orangeman honed his skills to the point Mann Co. opted to move the Clone to Freak status. He was killed in a battle against Dr. Schadenfreude, but was luckily made a Freak and revived. He continues to serve alongside Soldine and HECU to help control the Freak populace, and continues to be in close contact with Major Scout Guy. Orangeman, being initially a Clone, had no real Freak powers to start off with, but is shown to be an incredible fighter with years of training and experience. Equipped with a modified Grenade Launcher and custom-built Sticky Bomb Gun, Orangeman is an ingenious fighter with the tenacity of a true leader.


Handsome Rogue

Handsome Rogue is a YLW Spy Freak, created by YouTuber AdmiralTrainstorm. Handsome Rogue is an incredibly dangerous and psychopathic Freak, able to summon and telepathically control up to fifteen various daggers and knives as well as freeze time itself with the "Zah Warudo" Time Stop technique. He's often considered an unknown variable, often working for whatever side because 'it amuses him', making him extremely unpredictable and dangerous. His loyalties shift constantly, and often disappears after growing bored. When it comes to women, however, Handsome Rogue considers himself a lady-killer, becoming incredibly persistent in attempting to court a woman, more often getting his ass handed to him for being a bit too clingy and creepy. He wears a yellow suit, black undershirt, red necktie, black balaclava, and notably has piercing blood-red eyes.