Chapter 4: At the Sign of the Upgrade Station
A few days later, the four Scouts made it to 2Fort, and approached the Upgrade Station by the RED base. There, they were greeted by an older-looking Heavy with a long dark-brown beard, who didn't see them immediately until they shouted at him. When he looked down, he made a sharp laugh.
"I haven't seen little men like you in long time," the Heavy said. "I am the RED Upgrade Station's owner, Borislav. What brings you to 2Fort?"
"We came from Harvest," said Freddie, trying to keep his anger in check. "We're friends of Gerald, and he said he would meet us here at the Upgrade Station."
"Oh, I see. Well come in, and make yourselves comfortable!"
The Heavy Borislav stepped aside so the four Scouts could enter. While the Upgrade Station mainly served as 2Fort's main pub, it still upgraded weapons for its namesake. After they chose a table near a stack of crates, Borislav immediately handed them four Scrumpys.
"Uh, excuse me, have you seen Gerald lately?" Freddie asked, getting Borislav's attention.
In turn, Borislav shook his head. "I haven't seen him in over a week, and he's usually a regular customer."
After Borislav left to deal with another table, Steve sighed and said, "This wasn't how things were supposed to go."
"Yeah, and we nearly got killed getting here," Mickey added, downing his Scrumpy in one gulp.
"Didn't Gerald say something about a friend that would meet us if he couldn't make it?" asked Patten.
"Uh-huh, and he said I wouldn't have trouble recognizing him," Freddie answered, sipping his Scrumpy. He made a quick glance around the room, but no one seemed out of place.
Then in the far back near a window, Freddie noticed a very tall man wearing a blue Demoman uniform and a matching hood that shaded his face. But despite the hood, Freddie could see one eye keeping a steady gaze on him. So he turned away, but as the night wore on, Freddie still felt like he was being watched. Steve noticed the man too, and leaned in close to Freddie.
"Freddie, that man's been staring at you all night," Steve said. "Do you think he might be after the bomb?"
"What gave you that impression? He's not wearing black like that Heavy guy." Freddie looked around, and waved Borislav over.
"I know, but he's still suspicious to me."
"Hey, Borislav," Freddie said once Borislav was hovering over them. "Who is that man in the corner?"
"Him?" Borislav looked at the man Freddie was pointing to, and made a worried frown. "He is one of the few Demomen left in this country, ever since the Robots started killing them many years ago."
"But why would Robots be interested in – oh," Freddie said, realizing that the Robots must have assumed the One Bomb was with the Demomen after they couldn't find it on Iomhar's body.
"Because of their misfortune, they are known for bringing bad luck wherever they go," Borislav continued. "That man in particular has been hanging around here for some time, and since he's never bothered to introduce himself, the people have started calling him Cyclops. I suggest you stay away from him if you can."
With that warning in mind, the four quickly finished their Scrumpys and decided to pay for their drinks and meal. As Steve and the other two went to the cash register, Freddie cleared the table and just as he was heading toward the disposal, someone tripped him. He didn't see whose foot it was, but he immediately lost his balance falling headfirst toward the floor. While the bottles and plates crashed on the floor, Freddie managed to save himself by placing his hands out in front of him. The impact hurt, but what caught Freddie's attention was that the bomb on its chain popped out from under his shirt. He quickly got on his knees and grabbed it, but when he opened his palm, the blue light was blinking. A sharp squeeze on his left shoulder made him look up, where he saw the Demoman, Cyclops, looking down at him.
"Press the light again to turn it off, and come with me if you want to live," said Cyclops quietly.
Freddie did as Cyclops said, and the blue light did stop blinking. While the other men watched Cyclops leave, Steve, Mickey, and Patten helped Freddie up. They managed to drag him away from the crowd before they noticed Cyclops standing near the exit to the Upgrade Station, looking at them.
"Uh, I think he wants us to follow," Freddie said after a brief shock.
"But we don't know if we can trust him," Steve insisted. "What did he say to you?"
"He told me to come with him if he wanted me to live," Freddie replied, and then he whispered, "When I tripped, I accidently pressed the light on the bomb, and it started blinking. Then Cyclops showed up and told me to press it again, and it stopped. He clearly knows more about the bomb than we do, and I want to know why."
"All right, but it'll be your fault if he turns out to be working with the Robots," Steve said firmly, and called Mickey and Patten over.
The four of them followed Cyclops a little ways behind him, and eventually they found themselves in a locker-room where the RED mercenaries used to be cloned to continue their battles. There, Cyclops turned to face them, and removed his hood. Underneath, he was wearing a black cap to cover his close-cut hair and a patch over his left-eye. He gestured them to sit on the benches, which they did, while he leaned against a locker.
"How did four ignorant Scouts like yourselves come to possess the most powerful bomb ever made by man?" Cyclops asked bluntly.
"Why should that interest you, pal? It's none of your business!" Steve said defensively.
"On the contrary. After all, I am a Demoman, and bombs are my trade," Cyclops said, downing a bottle of Scrumpy he had taken with him from the Upgrade Station. "I am also acquainted with a certain Medic who was supposed to be here a week ago."
"You know Gerald?" Mickey asked.
"Don't let him fool you. He could've been simply overhearing us," Steve said, reaching for his bat.
Cyclops noticed and said, "I wouldn't draw that bat if I were you. If you do, I'll blow you to bits right here and now."
"Don't antagonize him, Steve, he clearly means it," Freddie said. After Steve let his hand fall, Freddie asked, "Before we answer your question, I would like to ask you a few questions. How did you know how to turn off the blinking light? How do you know Gerald? And are you working with the Robots from the Moving Fortress?"
"I see you don't trust me," Cyclops said, taking another sip of Scrumpy. "To begin with, I am not working with the Robots. Why would I help the monsters that have been killing members of my Class for years? Second, my knowledge of the One Bomb comes from Gerald, whom I helped several times including tracking Mumble to find out what he knew. Satisfied?"
"Uh, yeah, though they weren't what I expected," Freddie replied, feeling guilty. "I inherited the bomb from my uncle, Bobbie Billows, who stole it from Mumble forty years ago during a quest which took him over the mountains near Coldfront. When Gerald learned of the bomb's true nature, he told me and Steve to come here and wait for him. The other two, Mickey and Patten, just sort of came along after we had a run-in with a black van."
Suddenly, Cyclops crushed the bottle in his hands, and his right eye widened. "A black van? Did you see anyone coming out of it?"
"Yeah, a Heavy, but he wore dark shades, and his clothes were black as well," Freddie answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Did he see you?"
"No, but he almost did if it weren't for a random whistle that came out of nowhere."
"That must've come from one of the others in the van, telling the Heavy to call off the search when they weren't getting the signal."
"The signal?"
"If the light on the bomb's topside gets pressed, it starts the countdown for the bomb to go off, which sends a signal to the Androids, and the Heavy you saw was one of them."
"Androids? I've never heard of those."
"They're Robots created in the likeness of the original nine mercenaries Redmond hired before Blutarch secretly cloned them for his team. They are programmed to only obey Gray Mann, even after death, and retrieve the One Bomb at all costs."
"But if pressing the light starts the countdown, how come the bomb hasn't gone off yet?"
"By pressing the light again, the countdown halts due to a safety mechanism Gray Mann installed in case the bomb gets set off prematurely before its intended explosion. But there's no guarantee how long the safety mechanism will last, so I suggest you avoid touching the light altogether from now on. Now, if you trust me, I would like you four to tell me your names."
Freddie looked at the others, who all unanimously nodded, though more reluctantly on Steve's part, and so they introduced themselves to Cyclops.
"Very well, Freddie, Steve, Mickey, and Patten," Cyclops replied, kicking away the pieces from the Scrumpy bottle that fell on the floor. "Since you've been so patient, I will tell you my real name. I am Aonghus, son of Aonghas, and the unfortunate heir to Iomhar's legacy."
End of Chapter 4