The Freakshow War

Go to the office and save the reporters from the Freakshow

I just got word that the Freakshow are tearing up the office of a webzine called Hypertypes that follows Paragon City's super-powered scene. Can you go to that office and save those reporters from the Freakshow?

Hypertypes reports on the activities of all super-powered individuals, both heroes and villains alike. Perhaps they found something out the Freakshow doesn't want in the public eye.

The sounds of terror fill the Hypertypes office.

Objective: You found the body of Mike Schwartzwald.

Body of Mike Schwartzwald

You arrived too late to save Mike Schwartzwald, the investigative reporter, from the Freakshow. In his hand was a crumpled piece of paper bearing the name 'Joe Baker'.

Objective: You found some files on the Freakshow.

Schwartzwald's files

These computer files contain hundreds of pages of research, supposition, slippings, and interviews. They all seem centered around the Freakshow, but aren't in any kind of organized pattern that you can see. After flipping through a calendar, you notice several recent meetings with a man named Joe Baker.

Mission Complete: You've saved the Hypertypes office and found some information.

It's a shame you weren't able to save that Schwartzwald fellow; it sounds like he was the Freakshow's primary target. At least you were able to recover his files. most of these notes do seem to be about the Freakshow, though I'm afraid they'd only make sense to Schwartzwald himself. Maybe he got close to something. There are several references to meetings with a man named Joe Baker; maybe he can tell us more about the Freakshow's attack.

Meet with Joe Baker

I'm determined that the Freakshow will go down for the murder of that reporter, Mike Schwartzwald. I've located the Joe Baker mentioned in Schwartzwald's files. Turns out Mr. Baker is a mid-level manager at Crey Industries. I managed to contact him, and he agreed to meet with you. He sounded really nervous. I'd recommend that you be ready for just about anything.

Maybe Mr. Baker knows what Schwartzwald was investigating. That information could tell us why the Freakshow killed him.

This is the place Joe Baker asked to see you, but you can't shake the feeling that he isn't the only one waiting for you.

Mission Complete: You've spoken with Joe baker, and learned some interesting information.

Joe's story

After you rescued him from the Freakshow, Joe Baker told you:

'Look, I'm never going to say any of this in court, I know Crey too well for that. But I will tell you what I can. I work for Crey Industries. We were losing sales to a competitor, and they were family owned and wouldn't sell their business to us. So I was ordered to go to a meeting for 'Radical Acquisitions Strategies'. Imagine what I thought when I walked into a room full of Freakshow! They were asking those maniacs to attack our competitor, like it was something they did all the time.

The Freaks' leader, this huge maniac called Dreck, he was barely listening. Looked like he was gonna start tearing the place up and see how fast we could run. And then I recognized him. This Dreck, he'd changed, but it was Daniel Watson. We'd worked together. At Crey.

Mr. Baker owes you his life, but he still won't testify to what he knows. Crey using the Freakshow as hired thugs? There have been rumors, but still. You know, that sheds some new light on that murdered reporter's notes. I'm going to read over them again. Check back with me soon.

Protect UniMaxComm from a potential attack

Based on our new information that the Freakshow are working with Crey, I've uncovered a pattern in their attacks. They make a lot of random hits, true, but they also consistently attack businesses owned by Crey rivals. Those attacks are usually timed to ruin the competitor's ability to compete with Crey. Of course, the Freaks also raid Crey from time to time, so I can't be sure of anything. According to Schwartzwald's notes, the next Crey-sponsored Freakshow attack should be against a company called UniMaxComm. Would you protect them from this potential attack?

Thanks, Red Tomax. I'll call UniMaxComm and let them know they're in good hands.

Looks like we were right. Dreck, the Freakshow leader, is hiring his men out as mercenaries to Crey. I'll go back to Schwartzwald's notes on their activities; maybe I can find some more connections.

Break up the meeting between the Freakshow and the 5th Column

It certainly seems clear that Dreck has been hiring the Freakshow out to Crey as mercenaries. I dug deeper into the notes Schwartzwald made before he died, and I found a mention of an upcoming meeting between the Freakshow and the 5th Column. I don't know what they're up to, but the Freakshow are maniacs; working with the Column, they'll be twice as bad. I need you to break up that meeting between the Freaks and the 5th Column.

The meeting is going down in a war-torn coastal area that I've isolated with an emergency force field. I'd like to see the lead negotiators in jail, Red Tomax. I hope they can tell us more about these strange alliances.

Most of the Freaks you put in jail won't talk, but one of them was willing to cut a deal. It seems the Freakshow steal most of the chemicals and cybernetics they need, but sometimes there are things that they just can't get through theft. When that happens, Dreck sells the services of his loyal Freaks to get whatever he needs to keep his never-ending party going.

Investigate the Freakshow strife

Red Tomax, the Freakshow have started fighting among themselves. It looks like Freaks who are loyal to Dreck are making hits against those loyal to Bile the Technophile. That's not so unusual, but it made me go back to Schwartzwald's notes, and I found something. Turns out that most of Schwartzwald's mystery informants were Freaks in Bile's faction. Could it be that Dreck has identified them as a threat? I need you to investigate this strange Freakshow strife.

Ok, I've identified a Freak called the ZikZak Man who runs a group of techno-anarchists. He was one of Schwartzwald's contacts, and he's come under fire from Dreck loyalists. I'd like you to talk to him.

The sound of gunfire rings through the air, the mad rhythm section of an urban nightmare.

Mission Complete: You've talked to the ZikZak Man.

The ZikZak Man's story

When you rescued the Freak call the ZikZak Man, he told you:

'This is gonna be huge. There ain't no hiding it now! It's all on the 'Net! Information's gotta be free, man! Who cares what happens!'

ZikZak put all of the information about the Freakshow's mercenary activities out on the Internet. Red Tomax, the Freakshow factions are going to explode! It barely matters if the information's true or not. When the fighting starts, it's going to be tough just to keep the warring Freakshow factions from taking half the city with them. Things have just gotten much worse.

Take Clamor Boi out before he can effect a prison break

ZikZak's published all of Schwartzwald's findings to the Internet: the Freakshow's mercenary actions, their ties to Crey, all of it. It's started an intense war among the Freakshow factions. For the most part, they're sticking behind Dreck, but that's probably just pack instinct. The more ideological factions are trying to go out on their own. One of those is Clamor's group of anti-corporate militarists. I have good word that they're sitting behind a Freak named Clamor Boi. They're planning to break Clamor out of jail, along with that young Freak faction leader, Upstart. I need you to take them out before they can effect a prison break.

I'd advise you to get some allies with you on this one. Clamor Boi won't be easily stopped.

With Clamor Boi in jail, the plan to free Clamor and Upstart will dissolve. That's a big victory for you, Red Tomax. If those Freakshow faction leaders had been freed, they would have exacerbated the fighting among the Freakshow groups. And the public would have been the ones to pay the price.

Stop one of the Freakshow raids

It looks like Dreck's trying to put a stop to the fighting among the Freakshow, by reestablishing his street cred with all of the factions. He plans to do it by ordering raids against Crey facilities all over the city. That might convince the Freaks that he really is the bold, violent leader they're looking for, but it's also going to result in a lot of civilian injuries. I'm calling in all my hero contacts on this one, Red Tomax. Will you stop one of the Freakshow raids?

There may be a lot of dirty work going on behind the scenes at Crey, but there are also a lot of innocent people working for them.

Thanks for stopping that Freakshow raid, Red Tomax. You and the rest of my hero contacts really went to work on this wave of Freakshow violence, but it looks like these defeats have only exacerbated the Freaks' rebellious natures. I'm hearing reports of Freak on Freak violence all over town. Dreck's going to have a tough time keeping that madcap group of misfits together. Of course, if their violence becomes too widespread, the city as a whole could be in trouble.

Stop Freakshow fighting

It seems the Freaks' recent defeat at your hands really shook their faith in their leader, Dreck. I thought the Freaks were chaotic before, but now their inner squabbling has descended into an all-out-war! Someone's got to stop the Freakshow fighting before it gets really out of hand.

Those Freaks are out for blood, Red Tomax, and they'd be happy to spill some of yours.

The good news is that this Freakshow faction war seems to be over for now. The bad news is that means Dreck is once again frimly in control of the Freakshow. At least we've learned a great deal about their activities over the last few days. Their connection to Crey is something we'll have to keep in mind, as well as their willingness to perform mercenary work to keep themselves in cybernetic technology. I guess you've proved that the day will come when the city's defenders will have to eliminate the Freakshow for good.