Rumor Mill - 4

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Brockton Bay Police Department: 44.

Gang activity puts an increased strain on the police department, which, given the outdated technical fleet and general underfunding, leads to a gradual decline in efficiency. It's a good thing the older cars hold bullets better, or a few minor to moderate injuries among patrol officers would have been a problem.

PRT ENE: 99.

Due to the ongoing conflicts in the city and the success of the PRT, Wards, and Protectorate, the CEO was forced to increase funding for the SCP branch and send additional forces to the city, more specifically a squad of professional PRT fighters from New York, equipped with the latest technology. Most of the squad is guarding the warehouse with the L33t Tech still to be shipped to Canada, while Dragon begins examining the resulting samples. It's too early to tell the results, but there are persistent rumors floating around the net that the tinker tech L33t is a real gold mine for reverse engineering.

Wards: 95

The Guardians of Brockton Bay continue to save their immediate superiors from ignominious dismissal, time after time leveling the balance of power (and influence) in the city, often forcing groups of powerless gang members to retreat by the mere fact of their appearance. Thanks in large part to them, the Protectorate has managed to maintain the status quo all this month.

Protectorate: 50

Through the efforts of the Armsmaster and medics, the Protectorate has managed to stabilize the fragile balance by the end of the month. The Head of the Protectorate has to personally patrol the most dangerous areas where conflicting gangs clash, and judging by the state of his equipment, it's not easy.

Empire 88: 3.

A near catastrophe caused the Empire to split.

Caught in the crossfire, Kaiser was seriously wounded, and Hookwolf, Stormtiger, Krieg, and Rune were captured by the New Wave. Parts of the city center, for decades owned by the Empire, have fallen into the power of the Coil, and are now controlled by his mercenaries. According to the PHO, Night and Fog have left the Empire, and have left the city, and Purity has had a serious falling out with the gang leader.

ABB: 34.

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The previous efforts have markedly undermined the ABB's fighting ability, draining the gang's financial and human resources. Thanks to Lung, they still manage to hold their territory somehow, but if this continues, it may not be enough.

Merchant: 31.

While street fights are simmering in the more financially secure parts of the city, the half-defeated gang of junkies and drug dealers have been all but forgotten by most of the powerful players in the Bay Area. And in vain, for it is only the efforts of the police holding them back at the edge of residential neighborhoods prevented Skidmark from bringing his subordinates back to their former level of strength.

Coil: 98.

The two-headed serpent has once again lived up to his dark fame by snatching a notable chunk of territory from the jaws of Empire 88. Some sofa theorists from the PHO believe he'll use the cash flow from the takeover to further increase his own influence or other sinister projects. Or maybe he'll buy himself a farm to breed ponies, but that's where they differ.

Undersiders?: 49

If it weren't for the special effects like pitch-black smoke and huge dog-like monsters, the appearance of another small parahuman group in town might have gone unnoticed. But they deservedly so, for there was no activity worthy of the community's attention.

Faultline Crew: 84

A small local war makes a major shift in the political landscape of the region, mixing the cards for some factions and providing noticeable profits for others. Of course, both need the services of those who can solve their little quandary with their rivals... Fast, high quality, and for a handsome fee.

Uber and L33t: 53

Somewhat quietly and mundane, amid the ongoing gang war, the news of Uber and L33t's disappearance from the detention cells to which they have been transferred from the hospital slips online. Given the so-called "revolving door system" into which cape justice has evolved, this was to be expected.

New Wave: 90

Thanks to the knowledge of not entirely voluntary informants and a fair amount of luck, New Wave manages to inflict substantial damage on the operations and assets of most of the gangs in the city, taking advantage of their distraction to the internecine squabbles. Thanks to an in-house healer, team members are able to return to action time and time again, while their opponents take months to recover from their wounds and injuries. Because of the long-standing blood between them, Empire 88 suffers noticeably more than the other gangs.

Lone Heroes: 53.

This time the lone wolves in white hats don't get any significant amount of glory - teamwork has its advantages. They're left with crumbs from the table of glittering parahuman alliances in the form of small-time dealers, burglars, and the occasional post on parahuman websites.

Lone Villains: 82.

Feeling the blood in the water, the rabble in black hats seeks to fill the vacant spots of roofies, petty pushers (among the few underlings, of course) and other vacancies in the underground business. While the few heroes are distracted by the big targets, the small fish thrive under the cover of the raised murk.

Fresh Triggers: 79.

Countless street fights have spawned quite a few casualties, not all of whom have survived their injuries the way they were before...

New: Bownancic (Mover 2, Blaster 4), Nefry (Mover 3, Thinker 3), Thing (Breaker 8)

Cultists: 29

Silent investigators in tight suits and wrinkled uniforms manage to apprehend some strange people who are rumored to belong in an insane asylum or drug treatment center rather than behind bars. They talk about some kind of drug, new but old, and say nothing else. The people of the Bureau seem to be worried - they haven't found what they're looking for at all.

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