Groups/Businesses/Teams

Both Good and Bad, listing them as I find them in the old issues, usually just pasting a clipping part of their appearance.








Genetech is a company that was recently in the news for announcing breakthroughs in its science division, notably in the field of human genetics and enhancement. The story vanished on the same day from all news feeds whether through TV, radio, Newspaper or Internet channels.


"I have, for years, fought crime and injustice on the streets of London. At one point I was a member of a government sanctioned team, the Executive, Retribution.

Lore Knights - existed for centuries, magical heroes who protect "The Land".  Dozens if not hundreds have come and gone over the years.

The Vanguard

"Ve hef watched this place for a long, long time. Ve see costumes come and go, and ve are wondering why. Now? Now we know. I vill make zis simple, in terms you can understand. We are the Blood Knights, and ve are the new power in this City. Zis... building is surrounded by me people. Zere is no escape for you. All of you... 'hero' types have a simple choice... We feed from you... or we slaughter those outside in the hall. Your choice. You see, feeding from such as you gives us great sustenance, and a nice boost in our abilities as a consequence..."

Nightingale gasped "Vampires! You are Vampires!"

...

Nightingale came out, peeling rubber gloves from her hands. "You're a trouble magnet Yeoman!" she said, shaking her head. To Haunt she turned. "Despite the odd getup, it seems you are far more useful than Mr Yeoman here. Were it up to him there'd be a fight taking place and someone would be getting punched through a wall. Can you get rid of these clowns without causing a scene?" She looked about and sighed. "So much for this place. They must have been casing it for weeks and decided to make a move when you arrived with injured supers. The Blood Knights are a new gang, eastern european. I examined a 'Vampires' blood once and it's the real deal. Oh, not Bram stoker style swirling capes and gothic horror, but a parasite that attaches to every cell of the hosts body, spreading and multiplying. For all intents and purposes, they don't register as alive. These 'parasites' feed off the host, and drive them to seek sustenance - living blood - to replenish them. In return the host is changed and empowered to better serve the parasites needs. One bite is enough to cause sickness in a normal human, but to transform them they must first be drained of blood then fed tainted blood from the Vampire. If there's a gang of these things running around, they *could*, in theory, create a plague of people like them. I suppose they are kept in check by the aversion to sunlight - it kills the parasites off, and by association, the host. A stake through the heart stops the parasites and the blood pumping round, shutting them down into a kind of sleep. Garlic seems to repel them. Forget crosses or holy ground though. In fact, they may be - perversely - attracted to such places simply because they are traditionally supposed to fear them."

...

Nightingale sighed, then nodded. "This is going to hurt." she said.

Yeoman looked at her strangely, sad almost, and nodded. "Sorry." he muttered.

Nightingale placed her hands on Yeomans shoulders, then they started to glow... Yeoman looked agitated, and Nightingale suddenly cried out! "Aiiiehhh!" she squealed, desperately trying not to cause a fuss and have those people in the sports hall come running!

Her glowing hands faded, and Haunt was astonished...

Nightingale, a beautiful woman moments before, looked like she'd been in a boxing ring with a world champion! Blackened, swollen and split eyes, puffed up lips and her nose swelled as if broken. She stumbled, and Yeoman held out a hand to help her. She took up - then cried out again! He fingers were twisted and purple, as if broken. She could barely stand, and he helped her to a chair where she sagged down, then held her ribs. "How... how do you do that?" she muttered, then probed in her mouth and pulled out a broken tooth. Spitting some blood out, she looked up through one good eye. "A normal person... a room full of normal people, would have died with the beating you've taken! Even now all I want to do is curl up and die!"

Yeoman smiled softly, and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Thank luv" he muttered. "I owe you one."

"One?!" she spluttered, then gasped and held her ribs again. "One? Ha!"

Haunt saw her bruises urn from purple to yellow, even as she sat there. With a sigh of pain, she eased herself out of the chair and hobbled over to Haunt. "Your turn?"

Those men might be part of the organisation - the Carver Gang - that Haunt sought.

...

"Hands where I can see 'em" snarled a dishevelled looking cop who advanced towards the car, his own hand inside his crumpled jacket. "Detective Shaw, he's Detective Robson. We don't like bad guys. That's why we stopped you."

His partner, equally world weary, looked about. "Where'd all the fog come from? I swear I'm sick of these night shifts. I forget what sunlight looks like..."

The first cop scowled and looked up at 'Garrett Hunt'. "Tough guy huh?" he muttered, and glanced in the car. "Hey... Joseph Cummins... aka 'Joe Capello'... word is you're the man to see for the latest must have drug on the street. What say we go back to the station and talk about it?"

"And what about your girlfriend here?" growled the first cop. "Hands up clown. Now." Shaw gave Hunt a quick pat down, but seemed disappointed there was no weapon, nor anything of interest. "No ID? Who are you supposed to be? His girlfriend?"

Shaw snarled, then added "We really need to talk to Capello. Your choice. You get lost, or come to the station with us."

Capello squirmed in the seat of the car, and looked up - imploring - at Hunt. It was clear Haunt wouldn't get what he wanted if he or Capello were in cells.

"Greetings! Greetings and salutations... one and all, I bid you... welcome!" he smiled, though his eyes were wild and flitted from face to face. "I... am the Arranger. I Arrange, control, plan and scheme. More than that, I have a plan to set in motion a series of events that could see many of you become very rich, and very powerful..."

"We already are!" shouted an Irishman from somewhere in the crowd. "An' we don't have to look like idiots ta do it!" There was laughter from those around him, until the Arranger grinned, showing filed teeth ending in points. "An' we don't have to look like idiots ta do it!" mimicked the Arranger in a whining voice which caused the Irishman to go pale and angry. Suddenly the Arranger whipped up his cane and a beam of bright light surrounded the Irishman! Those near him stepped away, but one placed a hand in it and cried out as flesh sizzled! "Ah ah! Don't touch!" cackled the Arranger. "Nobody likes a big mouth Mr Shearan!"


...



Pausing for thought he gathered together what he knew about the Arranger. The fellow was clearly a very powerful mentalist, able to twist the minds eye into seeing what the insidious Arranger so desired. Potent indeed.

No other evidence that the fellow was physically equipped to go toe to toe with a powerhouse like Haunt, and a possibility that tossing him high into the air had finished off his threat - few would miss such evil as he presented.

That nagging doubt raised itself in Haunts mind though.

If his enemy was still alive, and still able to escape, chances were Haunts toss had spiralled him through the air across London to a (hopefully) bumpy landing. The police would be crawling all over the building looking for clues and evidence they could use in an attempt to keep the criminals in jail.


...



Pausing for thought he gathered together what he knew about the Arranger. The fellow was clearly a very powerful mentalist, able to twist the minds eye into seeing what the insidious Arranger so desired. Potent indeed.

No other evidence that the fellow was physically equipped to go toe to toe with a powerhouse like Haunt, and a possibility that tossing him high into the air had finished off his threat - few would miss such evil as he presented.

That nagging doubt raised itself in Haunts mind though.

If his enemy was still alive, and still able to escape, chances were Haunts toss had spiralled him through the air across London to a (hopefully) bumpy landing. The police would be crawling all over the building looking for clues and evidence they could use in an attempt to keep the criminals in jail.


...



OOC:  You know, I wonder if this guy got caught later on and is currently in Supermax where Lionheart and Miss Victory are running around in?  Evil thought!  

Grabbing a bowl of cereal and setting down on the couch, the actor/superhero flicked on the television.

"...breaking news, the superhuman incarceration facility near Trefeglwys in Wales has been attacked and severely compromised. There has been no official word from the government other than to say there is an 'ongoing situation' and that local residents must stay in their homes at all costs. Police and Army are on the scene and the UKChampions have been alerted. Unfortunately our sources have suggested the Champions are under strength right now with their strongest members, including Adjutant, away on a mission. More from this breaking story as we get it..."

The helicopter was staying a respectful distance from the place but zoomed in enough to see gunfire and orange clad inmates running unhindered about the place.

Some were using super powers.

Haunt felt pretty sure that the supers he'd met earlier would have gone to investigate that.

He could go back to bed, try to get some sleep or find some way to get to Wales as quickly as possible... which might involve contacting Wandafar, DICE, the UKChampions or anyone else with a really fast vehicle.