Author notes: So, I wasn't exactly about to leave everyone hanging on the cliffhanger of last chapter. I was intending to write this chapter as soon as I could, partly because I wanted to do so anyway and partly because that ending was pretty evil of me to do. Originally this chapter was going to include pretty much everything in the next chapter as well but this was getting long enough that if I continued the end result would be large and hey, I wanted a break. This chapter raises enough chaos and confusion on its own, let alone what the ending of the next chapter would've brought had I included it here too.
Anyway, I've got college and exams coming up very shortly so time will probably be very limited on my end, making updates few and far between. That being said, I'm going to try and find the time to write and update when I can. I should be able to at least start, if not finish, Chapter 12 (it should be a fairly short one) in the next week or so. Now we return you to your scheduled fanfic.

Chapter 11: Retribution

Above the twin bases, beyond the battlefield, high above the woes and conflict of mortal man there was only the heavens and beyond them the infinite majesty of space. It was ironic that the sky above Teufort, a place of countless bloodshed and deaths, was normally a deep and tranquil blue. The weather was rarely anything other than warm, clear and pleasant regardless of the time of year, as if mocking the pain of the struggling men below.

Today this was not so. Clouds had been brewing during the battle and now there was a veil of darkness cast over the bases as thunder rumbled and lightning crashed down not too far away. BLU stood by their Engineer's nest in front of the RED base, ready to unleash their arsenal on the lone man who even now ran to meet them. The mercenaries ignored the freak weather, too caught up in their own emotions, the feelings of helplessness, the anxiety, the rising anger, the will to survive, to finally escape...

Lightning crashed once more, striking the bridge between the bases with alarming force, destroying the roof and sending smaller chunks of wood flying off in all directions as larger, more stubborn pieces hit the ground and water with their own great impact. The heavens growled with fury, as if this entire random act was annoyance at being ignored. The surprise soon wore off, the men of BLU finding their hearts still beating as they resumed their ready stances, casting their eyes past the now settling dust and fading smoke.

Nine pairs of eyes met a single gleaming set. Standing in front of BLU base was their target. Perhaps they were over-eager to get this ordeal over with. Maybe they had been too distracted by the freak storm or they simply weren't paying enough attention. Regardless of the reasons, they didn't notice the distinctive crackling of power and the sparks that accompanied it of a full charge. With a laugh that would haunt their nightmares forever if they ever slept again, the RED demon reached back and flipped a switch on the LFD.

And with that simple motion, the world vanished in pure light and hellfire.

The prototype design the RED Engineer had integrated into the LFD was one that combined elements of both the standard Übercharge and the Kritzkrieg, to grant invulnerability and terrifying power for a brief period. The downside was a longer charge time and no healing was done by the medigun element during the charge, relying solely on the dispenser for healing. Whilst this was a great aid in and of itself, he'd seen potential in the design far beyond what either team had ever seen before.

The Medic's notes held a tantalising possibility. Early experiments had determined that overbuilding the charge beyond the normal limits required to initiate an Über could bring powerful results, but was highly unstable. As such, the medigun was limited to prevent overcharging by limiting capacity at 100%. The Engineer had found a way to stabilise the buildup of energy and more importantly, a way to best utilise it. Simply increasing the duration of the Übercharge was not enough, a waste of the potential he had seen.

His own Overdrive system for the chaingun and his thrusters were useful, but not as powerful as they could be and the LFD itself...overdriving the LFD had so far proven to drain too much energy and had left the contraption in need of repairs when he'd last tried. But if he used the excess energy of the Übercharge...

Captivated by the power an Über-Overdrive would bring, further research was done into some of the stranger weapons the mercenaries had used, such as the Soldier's Banners, which somehow converted rage into firepower or defensive bonuses for nearby teammates. He had no idea why TF Industries and Mann co hadn't expanded on this ability to harness emotion but he, however, saw fit to exploit this to his full.

The result was untested, he'd barely had time to test the regular Übercharge, let alone his masterpiece before the day to meet the BLUs in combat had arrived. He'd passed 100% a long time ago in this battle, saving the charge for when he needed it most. And so it had ever so slowly grew, eventually peaking at 200%. He'd had his doubts about even attempting to use the Über-Overdrive as he had no idea if it would even work, let alone the exact effects it would cause.

But when he'd noticed the charge percentage, the crackling of power, the possibility that lay at his fingertips...it was impossible to resist. And then, standing there outside the base, the entire enemy team there, blocking his escape, ready to tear him to pieces...

He flicked the switch.

The world vanished and he felt a bestial roar escape his throat, seeming to echo across eternity, causing ripples in the white void that filled his vision. The ripples expanded, colliding and suddenly shattering the nothingness, replaced by burning hellfire, forked lightning and a surge that racked him to his core. His body wasn't trembling, he realised, it was vibrating, soaked in pure destructive power, his mind unable to even begin to comprehend the impossible mix of fire and lightning that surged through his blood, contorting his very soul.

He felt his heartbeat grow more erratic, his body pushed far beyond mortal limits, his mind ready to slip away into darkness forever. But...he couldn't just give up this easily, could he?

The countless memories of his fallen comrades flashed through his mind. He remembered the world outside the pointless fighting, the innocents who didn't realise the entire world was under the thumb of two major corporations. He thought of his team, of the laughter they had shared, of their smiles, of their cries of pain as they died over and over.

With an almighty cry he flung his arms outwards, the darkness fleeing from the passion of the RED demon. He'd built this damn thing and he wasn't about to be controlled by anyone, let alone his own creation! He'd drawn on emotion for power but rage and despair was not the answer. He'd built this for revenge, yes, but beyond that he held a greater goal.

He wanted the war to end. He wanted to see RED and BLU gone forever. He wanted to be able to rest, to live his life in a tranquil world where he wasn't in the grasp of the Administrator. His desire was to be free! To be free of this war, of this battle, of the endless cycle of death and rebirth, of pain and suffering!

The world returned to him as his heart burned with a bright light, the light of hope. Hope for the world, for a better future, for an end to this madness. It blazed with love. Love for the freedom he'd be stripped off, of the men who'd fought and died by him all these years. And it exploded with the need to end this, to avenge the dead, to strike divine justice from the heavens themselves and pierce the hearts of the BLU team with his revenge.

BLU team found themselves speechless. Some were frozen still, others had fallen to their knees and for many their jaws were loose, their eyes wide and their hearts pounding. They'd felt it somehow, a great influx of terrible power into the world, a sheer intense rage howling and clawing, the RED Engineer's struggle, his fight to remain himself and not be consumed by the darkness.

They too had lost sight of the world, felt the passion, the roaring unbreakable spirit of the man before them, the love he held in his heart, the will he would make reality. The clouds above parted directly above the glowing sphere of light that floated before them, the world becoming silent as the aura shrunk down to reveal a human figure rolled up into a ball.

The figure uncurled himself furiously in a single motion, arms and legs spread out as he hovered above them, head slowly moving its gaze other them. The impossibly bright aura of light had shrunk down into an intense red flame that engulfed his body as white lightning arced across his body. To the common eye the transformation was hardly drastic, as beyond the surging power that manifested itself around him, he was still clearly the RED Engineer.

But to stand before that presence...that was when the truth was revealed. Rationally you could tell yourself that he floated there in place above by the tremendous power output of the thrusters in his boots. You could say that the aura was nothing truly significant compared to the effects of an Übercharge. But you'd be lying to yourself, for there was something about the RED demon floating above that struck the very soul, filling you with resolve to do the impossible even as you found yourself overwhelmed by an unthinkable fear.

Something about his gaze under those goggles...perhaps it was how they blazed so furiously that his goggles actually shone, a light source in their own right. It could have been the slowness, the silence, the completely blank expression. Perhaps it was merely the fact that no matter how big you were, he'd always be looking down on you.

The Angel of Death, for there was no doubt that he was the one above them, flexed his hands for but a moment before lowering himself and raising both hands. His left blurred and became the chaingun they were growing to hate the sight of, whilst the space around his right rippled and the shotgun, Vengeance, appeared within his grasp.

There was no need for words, no need to even attempt to shoot back or to escape. The Heavy took a single step back, dropping his minigun. The Medic simply stood there, finger ready to release an Über but never moving. The Scout, Pyro and Spy fell to their knees. The Sniper and Soldier removed their headgear. The BLU Engineer simply stood there, back tall as he stared Death in the face, knowing that was to be their punishment.

Death had no need for such trifling concepts as precision or conservation of ammunition. He simply fired, not once worrying about having to reload Vengeance or overheating the chaingun. Death simply lingered in the heavens, spitting hellfire with one hand as the other struck them down with the very hammer of Thor himself. Each one fell with no resistance, each death causing the clouds to part a little more, a growing beam of light shining down onto the massacre below.

Whether by accidental twitch or intention was unknown, but the BLU Medic unleashed his Übercharge, bathing himself and the Heavy in the unbreakable BLU power. The weapons stopped firing the instant the charge was active and in mere milliseconds later the Angel stood before them, a blade glowing as he held it out before them, engraved within it on the visible side were eight red emblems that represented the fallen members of the RED team, whilst the mark of the Engineer himself was instead on the hilt itself. There was an inscription on the weapon but the Heavy found himself unable to read it for everything had suddenly started to go dark and he found himself consumed by an incredible agony racking his body and his very soul.

With his last moments he glanced down at the sword that had pierced past the still active Übercharge, into his heart and out the other side. With a lazy swing, the RED Demon flung the corpse off the blade with the ease one might swat a fly. The Medic was alone and found that the usual feeling of invincibility an Übercharge granted was very absent before the might of the being who looked at him. The doctor shut his eyes. Demon or Angel, whether it was raw revenge, divine justice or the passionate spirit of a man who had lost everything...the true form of his killer didn't matter.

Soon he too was a lifeless body on the ground, the power of the charge flickering away as the corpse settled to a rest. His killer simply hovered above them all, raising his sword to the heavens as if parting the clouds above. As if out of fear or loyally following a strict command, the darkness left the battlefield and the sun once more blazed overhead, shining down cheerfully on the bloodied mess that was Teufort.

With a final nod, as if his great task on this Earth was finished for now and his head moved backwards, shutting his eyes, the light fading from behind the goggles as the aura flickered and sparks started to fly from his frame. The energy suddenly vanished and the Engineer, a mortal man once more, fell to the burnt and bloodied ground below, body smoking and aching. He landed in a crouch with a grunt of pain and slowly stood to his feet, looking down at his hands, at what he'd become and what'd he almost turned into.

His thrusters coughed a little and his left arm creaked as sparks flew from the LFD. A frown, a careful step forward and he slowly returned to the depths of his base, his systems slowly returning to normal. He rolled the limb back a few times, checking diagnostics as the LFD finally spluttered back into life, easing the pain and covering him with the calm healing glow he'd been waiting for.

A sigh. A step. A small smile.

The briefcase was gently lowered onto the table and the Texan left it behind, a hard look set into his features. He'd shown them absolute despair, he'd given them justice and he'd had his revenge.

But there were still loose ends. BLU were broken, but still alive. He still had work to do. There was still a problem to be solved...