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The Parahuman Response Team is a paramilitary organization that also encompasses police and/or emergency functions. They are trained to deal with parahumans and the fallout of their actions.

Modus operandi[]

The PRT is dedicated toward law enforcement, akin to SWAT, with a code of justice (the PRTCJ) modeled loosely after the UCMJ. Congress has the power to stipulate the laws governing the PRT. The Executive branch has the power to direct the PRT. The Protectorate, Wards, and Watchdog programs, among others, fall under the umbrella of the PRT. While treated like the military in many respects, the PRT is not explicitly a military organization.[1]

A big focus of the PRT is public relations, with the goal being to shape the public perception of capes.[2] This includes things like giving Protectorate capes tips for interviewing, facilitating safe international travel for heroes in their secret identities,[3] and making sure movies portray parahumans in a positive light,[4] with heroes being invincible and heroic.[5]Furthermore, the PRT tries to keep some of the more extreme feats that parahumans are capable of from leaking to the public, for fear of the knowledge causing undue distress.[6]

Symbol[]

The PRT emblem is shaped like a shield[7] and bears the letters ‘P.R.T.'[8] It was often depicted with wings.[9][10]

Structure[]

The PRT is a multinational organization spanning the United States of America and Canada, with talks about expanding into Mexico. It is overseen as a whole by the Chief Director and Deputy Chief Director while Directors and Deputy Directors oversee individual PRT departments. Local Parahuman Response Team Directors usually have a say in the decisions that the Protectorate make as well as the equipment, locations, and funds available to them. Each Department has varying responsibilities and jurisdiction based on their placement.[11]

United States' PRT departments are designated from one to sixty-seven in order of the country's largest cities to its smaller ones, with smaller offices located in other cities and towns.[12] Canadian cities were added later as part of a treaty, but given special designated (Vancouver (NW), Edmonton (N), Toronto (NE), etc.).

Brockton Bay (ENE), Pueblo (F), and Jasper (J) warranted special attention and, as such, were given special designations. Other special cases include Quarantine Zones (PRT departments Q1 through Q7).

A map of PRT departments in the US, with quarantine zones in red.
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WEDGDG[]

Main article: WEDGDG

WEDGDG, commonly referred to as "Watchdog", is a PRT-centered organization consisting of capes and civilians charged with targeting and identifying economic and political malfeasance.

MIRIS[]

MIRIS is a largely failed PRT-centered organization made to promote and enable rogues in society, where parahumans who could not be recruited were supported in business and other practical means such as stipends. A series of setbacks and defunding have largely gutted the group, and it barely subsists now.[13][14]

Protectorate[]

Main article: Protectorate

The Protectorate is a parahuman organization working under the PRT that has agreed to accept government funding and legitimacy and agreed to follow a special set of laws laid out for parahumans, to accept bureaucratic oversight and cooperate with local authorities.

Wards[]

Main article: Wards

The Wards are an organization working under the PRT, parallel to the Protectorate, that underage parahumans can join. If a cape is still in the Wards by the time they reach eighteen, Wards can be reassigned to a Protectorate team, but are generally kept in one city.

Notable Members[]

Name
Director Costa-Brown
Director Piggot
Deputy Director Renick
Director Tagg
Director Seneca
Director Armstrong
Director Hearthrow
Director Wikins
Director Knox
Sean Gilpatrick

Ancillary[]

The organization also operates strike teams like Protectorate Critical out of Los Angeles and Houston, as well as provide security to high ranking government officials like the president.[15]

Equipment[]

DOC PRT1234

Cosplay debuted at Hartford, Connecticut 'Connecticon' in 2016

PRT officers wear chain mesh and Kevlar vests, and helmets that cover their faces.[16]

They carry firearms - both pistols and assault rifles.[17] These are usually loaded with nonlethal rounds, unless targeting individuals who are considered expendable or capable of surviving. In addition, specific individuals can carry a variety of specialized equipment. The PRT officers can carry grenade launchers that carry specialized load outs, including containment foam and tinker-made rounds.

Containment foam is the PRT's most common non-lethal response to threats. PRT officers are usually equipped with tinker-made containment foam applicators, mounted on the backs of the officer and dispensed on the target with spray applicators. The PRT, in response to large threats, has large vans with turrets mounted on the top to spray the containment foam.

The PRT typically uses large vans for transportation, these are usually marked with purple stripes diagonally across the side,[18] the initialization of the organization stenciled on the side, their emergency lights are green and white.[19] This distinguishes them from lights used by emergency services. It is unknown how much variation there is between individual departments.

History[]

Background[]

On January 18th, 1993 Alexandria, Eidolon, Hero and Legend were sworn in by the President of the United States under PRTCJ as the founding members of the United States' Protectorate. It was the first in a long series of steps, hastened by outside influence,[20] that led to the formation of the PRT, the Protectorate, and in the organization of heroes worldwide.[21] In exchange for government funding and legitimacy, the members agreed to follow a special set of laws laid out for capes, to accept bureaucratic oversight and cooperate with local authorities.

Post-Echidna[]

Following the revelation of her secret identity, Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown was demoted to Deputy Chief Director while she trained her successor.[22]

The PRT began investigating Cauldron capes within the Protectorate using government thinkers. When found, they were forbidden from leadership roles.[23]

Post-Gold Morning[]

The PRT did not survive Gold Morning as an organization, and it proved difficult to replace.[24] Two years later, a "new PRT" was still being constructed.[25]

PRT was partially succeeded by coalition of The Wardens, The Guild, and Dragon's Teeth. It was succeeded by the PRTCJ in another part.

Fan-art Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • 'HOSV' stands for "Hive Of Scum and Villainy," not "High Occurrence of Super-Villains."[26] Brockton Bay was threatened with HOSV status, much like Pueblo and Jasper were.[27] Gary, Indiana; and Gallup, New Mexico are designated as HOSV's.[28]
    • The designation may be a reference to the movie Star Wars, in which Obi-Wan describes the spaceport Mos Eisley as a "wretched hive of scum and villainy." Star Wars was released in 1977, and as such exists in both Earth Aleph and Bet.

References[]

  1. The PRT is a paramilitary (that is, organized like military but not explicit US Military) grouping of law enforcement, akin to SWAT. The Protectorate, Wards, and Watchdog programs, among others, fall under the umbrella of this paramilitary organization. Because of the stipulations, regulations, the justice system for the powered, and the international actions that the Protectorate may take, there is a code of justice modeled loosely after the military one, giving Congress the power to stipulate the laws, and the executive the power to direct - but while they may be treated like military in many respects, this doesn't make the PRT military, and barring certain specific deployments, it doesn't make the Protectorate military either. - Wildbow on Reddit
  2. Keep in mind that the PRT is in large part a PR organization. They want to recruit wherever possible, and the more kill orders you sign off on, the less people are going to be willing to play ball with you. - Comment by Wildbow on Reddit.
  3. I've got a really expensive costume (see power details) and stuff that is not going to make it through security, and I can't even leave because this asshole gang leader wants to kill me. Can't go to a hotel because they'll come for me, can't get on a flight because I'll lose my costume and secret identity.

    The go-to advice is to contact the PRT, because they'll give a pass to heroes, but I'm less of a hero (a good bit less) and more of what I would call an entrepreneur and opportunist. - Stranded, PHO Sundays
  4. Hierophant: I think it'd be mostly similar, except instead of amber cloning they'd just have a dinosaur tinker
    Horizon:Leviathan being that one super-saur in the lake in Jurassic World would be awesome though
    Wildbow:Nah, that'd be discouraged
    Cxaxakluth:I mean, the first movie is something like<[...]1993
    Hierophant:Didn't someone theorize that Earth Bet would incorporate parahumans into a lot of stuff
    Cxaxakluth:was behemoth around then?
    Wildbow:PRT would subtly discourage 'tinker creates catastrophe and citizens try to cope' movie. - IRC conversation, archived on Spacebattles.
  5. I could remember the movie scenes where the mob of criminals went after the cape or hero, shot, saw they were invincible, and then kept shooting despite the futility of it.  I was suspicious the PRT had used leverage over the media to encourage those scenes, with the follow-up of the mob getting taken to pieces.  A way of affecting the public’s approach to capes and the willingness to go all-out. - from Torch 7.3
  6. Sources corroborating the visual,” Tattletale said. “Direct hit. It worked.

    String Theory pumped her fists in the air.

    “What was that?” Vista asked.

    “G-driver,” String Theory said. [...] “Upgrade of the F-driver.”

    The Firmament Driver,” Defiant explained, over the earbuds. “At the time of her arrest, String Theory was threatening to use her Firmament Driver to knock our moon out of orbit.

    “And we didn’t hear about this because-”

    Morale,” Defiant replied, as if that was explanation enough. - Excerpt from Extinction 27.4
  7. Anchorage Local: PRT SETS UP SHOP​
    Without announcement or fanfare, discreetly delivering supplies and personnel via. unmarked aircraft, the PRT has unfurled its flags, mounted its iconic shield emblem on the face of a downtown property, and opened its doors. With the PRT come two teams of heroes, consisting mainly of unknowns. The capes include Horizon, Lightslinger, Snaptrap, Auroch...​ - Department Sixty Four, PRT Quest thread i p16
  8. The building housing the local Parahuman Response Team division didn't really stand out. The exterior was all windows, reflective enough to mirror the mottled dark gray of the sky overhead.  Only a shield logo bearing the letters ‘P.R.T.' marked it apart from the other buildings of downtown Brockton Bay. - Interlude 3
  9. Dragon suit silhouette in the background, wings echoing the wings of the PRT logo over their heads. - IRC conversation archived on Spacebattles
  10. PRT emblem would be worked in via. gold, with wings peeling off of the sides of the logo & drawing attention to it, at one shoulder. - Wildbow on Reddit
  11. Many of the major cities have something going on that adds on other duties or focuses. Some push harder patrols because of ongoing issues with crime, others are more investigative, or host facilities where Watchdog does simulations and tracks goings-on. Some have non-Birdcage prisons or asylums. Others are branding-focused and handle media and costuming and the like for a much wider area than is usual. It's often but not always tied into the city's identity, often tied to geography and the needs of the area, and so on.

    This & the nature of the director and leadership styles and current events in the city all add different pressures and focuses, and skew the numbers. There are crime-ridden areas where the emphasis on patrolling might be much higher. - comment by WildBow on Reddit
  12. The 66 or so largest cities in the US & the various special case scenarios (Brockton Bay being one) have a much more regimented approach. Offices (PRT establishments in smaller cities, small towns) are far looser, but don't have, say, informations departments or branding departments, or whatever else. So the cape is sorta asked to pick up the slack or handle some of that themselves. Being proactive about being liasons, keeping tabs on police scanners and incidents at schools. Time traveling outside of their city to the nearest PRT department to get stuff like costumes done or so on. - comment by WildBow on Reddit
  13. Rogues who sign up with the PRT and stay out of trouble can receive a stipend. They may also receive protections, but this varies by department. Rogues mostly work day jobs and some try to earn wages with unique avenues afforded by their powers, but it often puts them in an awkward spot, where there's pressure to join one side or the other, and/or they're seen as a prime target for powered thugs who want to earn street cred. For a B-list thug like Longfingers, a rogue who's working a day job providing tinker prosthetics to celebrities and movie studios is a wealthy, newsworthy target who has little combat experience and who, following ass-kicking, counts in most circles as being a 'I beat a notable cape' tickmark on one's resume. - Can rogues make a living as a hero? (Wildbow, Reddit.com, 2017-03-06)
  14. MIRIS - A largely failed venture to promote and enable Rogues in society, where parahumans could not be recruited were supported in business and other practical means. A series of setbacks and defunding have largely gutted the group, and it barely subsists now. - PRT Master Reference
  15. As schmee says, the Protectorate is just one group under a wider umbrella, alongside the wards, watchdog & a few minor supporting organizations.
    If you take Murderbeam and have him volunteer his services to the PRT, then it's possible he..
    • Ends up on a strike team. Gets training, gets stuck at a staging point somewhere until a crisis happens, gets sent to deal with a major incident, typically a 'might be a class S threat but too early to tell' kind of incident. Dealing with birdcage convoy escapees, kill orders, outright war, etc. Depending on when you are in canon these have been scaled back and/or the strike team members have been deployed to other roles, and only, like, Alexandria and Eidolon really maintain any (and have very full schedules, traveling to other countries).
    • Get stationed in a place that's 'safe' from a PR perspective. Murderbeam isn't able to do much against the Machine Army, but might get stationed near Pueblo or the Pastor's area. Depending on his background, could be a punishment detail or a 'work for 2 months, take 3 months off for mental health reasons' kind of deal.
    • Fulfills another role as bodyguard, escort, fly-along for high-risk convoys, etc. He ends up being one of the really scary looking cape who goes with the President when the man travels to Russia or the guy that rides alongside any birdcage transport vehicles.

    For your Thinker, they'd be a pretty natural fit for Watchdog. It's not all just staring at spreadsheets- there's a fair bit of investigation, tracking down troublemakers and checking that everything is upright. - What Does The Protectorate Do With Powers That Inherently Violate The Code? (Wildbow, Reddit.com, 2017-05-14)
  16. Standing guard by the front of the room, raising their weapons in our direction, was an on-duty PRT squad. Their very recognizable uniforms were chain mesh augmented with kevlar, topped with faceless helmets. The only means you had to identify them with were the badge numbers printed across their vests in bold white numbers. Four of the five had what looked like flamethrowers. They weren’t firing yet – they couldn’t. They were packing the best in nonlethal weaponry, but there were elderly people and children in the crowd, and according to Tattletale, that meant they were prohibited from opening fire on us for the moment. -Excerpt from Tangle 6.5
  17. Assault rifles. - Comment by Wildbow on Spacebattles
  18. Krouse stepped over to the window. The street was lit only by the minimal moonlight that filtered through the clouds. There were police cars and fire trucks massing inside the quarantine area, as well as black vans with pale purple stripes and the letters P.R.T. on the sides. The people outside the black vans had uniforms like the man he’d just beat up, only they wore helmets. - Excerpt from Migration 17.7
  19. It took three minutes for the PRT to arrive. I saw the green and white flashing lights and heard the splashing before anyone stepped into my field of view. - Excerpt from Parasite 10.2
  20. Absent Cauldron's meddling, there's no PRT for one thing. There's no Suits, no Red Gauntlet, no Elite Sentai group or whatever I called them, no Elite; all groups that Cauldron set up or supported. - Wildbow on Spacebattles
  21. January 18th, 1993

    “I, Alexandria, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the director appointed over me, according to the regulations of the PRTCJ.”

    Applause swelled around her. As far as the eye could see, there were crowds and flashing cameras. President Griffin extended a hand and she shook it.

    He leaned close, “You do us proud.”

    “Thank you, James. I’ll give my all.”

    He squeezed her hand and moved on.

    “I, Eidolon, do solemnly affirm…” - Excerpt from Interlude 15.z
  22. Cell 22.4
  23. But what can you do in their shoes? What would you do differently?

    The info about what Alexandria is was inevitably going to leak, even before she died, and the death could readily be a catalyst for many people talking about it. Only Contessa was really holding them back (and Cauldron, behind the scenes, decided to stop protecting the Triumvirate: see number man’s interlude). So it was bound to get out somehow.

    Alexandria dies, and you have to tell the public -something-. Chevalier makes the call to tell the public about her shady background, with the caveat that he has to reassure the public that the Alexandria situation won’t recur. He promises to vet the leadership, makes it public so the ones in power know to step down while there’s still an excuse.

    But you get isolated cases like Pretender, who are too committed to their careers to leave, people who know they have immediate subordinates who are Cauldron Capes. Who find themselves between a rock and a hard place, in a situation where things were already strained at best (ie. Las Vegas). - Comment by Wildbow on Drone 23.2
  24. The PRT is done.  There are groups trying to cobble together a replacement, but it’s looking shaky at best. - Excerpt from Teneral e.1
  25. Let’s not ignore that the PRT is gone, we no longer have non-capes in charge of them, and they have more proportional power than ever.  Let’s not ignore that they’re making a new PRT without any of the key rules that defined the last one. - Excerpt from Glow-worm P.1
  26. PM_ME_YOUR_CHURCH: Tbh, I think HOSV is more likely to mean something to the effect of "High Occurrence of Super-Villains" or something similarly mundane and bureaucratic.

    Wildbow: Hive of scum & villainy. - Comment on Reddit by Wildbow
  27. Pueblo - F - Cape town, villain presence mandated PRT attention
    Jasper - J - Cape town, villain presence mandated PRT attention - PRT Master Reference
    • Gary, Indiana was designated HOSV, wherein the villain population is deemed out of control.
      [...]
    • Gallup, NM was designated HOSV. - Comment on Reddit by Wildbow

Site Navigation[]

Parahuman Response Team
Chief Directors Rebecca Costa-Brown West
Directors Alfred CarrDan SenecaEmily Piggot HearthrowJames Tagg Kamil ArmstrongThomas Calvert West Wilkins
Staff Glenn Chambers (Director of Public Image)Jessica Yamada (Parahuman Psychologist)Renick (Deputy Director)Sean GilpatrickMorgan Keene (Parahuman Liasion)
PRT Department #01: New York
Director Wilkins
Staff Jessica Yamada (Parahuman Psychologist)Morgan Keene (Parahuman Liasion)
Leaders LegendChevalierPrism (Second-in-command)
Members AdamantAstrologerCacheClayUrsa Aurora
Team Captain Jouster
Members FlechetteShelter
PRT Department #02: Los Angeles
Director Knox
Leaders AlexandriaRime
Members ArbiterUsher
Team Captain VantageAuroch
Members ArbiterFlambéLeister
PRT Department #03: Houston
Leader EidolonExalt (Interim)Dispatch (Second-in-command)
Members Gentle GiantChroniclerYoung Buck • Strapping Lad • Intrepid
PRT Department #04: Chicago
Director Hearthrow
Leaders MyrddinRevelShuffle (Second-in-command)
Members Anomaly • Brazier • Campanile • Gauss • Stardust
Team Captain Tecton
Members AnnexBearachCuffGarnettGolemGraceRaymancerRompWantonWeaver
PRT Department #05: Philadelphia
Leaders Chevalier 
Members Rime 
PRT Department #08: San Diego
Leaders Spire
Members Prefab
Members GullyScapegoatWanton
PRT Department #10: San Jose
Leader Bastion
PRT Department #11: Austin
Team Captain Hoyden
PRT Department #13: San Francisco
Leader Lightslinger 
PRT Department #18: Detroit
Members Horizon 
PRT Department #20: Seattle
Director Foote
Members FumeGasconadeSnubnose
PRT Department #22: Washington
Director West
PRT Department #24: Boston
Director Kamil Armstrong
Staff Jessica Yamada (Parahuman Psychologist)
Leader Bastion
Members HunchReynardRouletteWeld
PRT Department #26: Baltimore
Director Alfred Carr
Members Mayday • Turtleshell • Aerobat
Team Captain Houndstooth
Members Avenguard • Avian • Stungun • Keychain • Blush • 10-59 • Pigeonhole • Optics
PRT Department #29: Las Vegas
Leaders Satyrical 
Members Blowout Floret Leonid Nix Pretender  • Ravine Spur 
PRT Department #39: Atlanta
Members Cinereal 
PRT Department #43: Raleigh
Members Cask
Members Cask
PRT Department #64: Anchorage
Director Dan Seneca
Staff Walsh (Deputy Director) • Cpt. McKay (PRT Tactical & Operations) • Wedge (PR and Liaison) • Harrigan (Accounting) • Dr. Rowland (Testing, Research, Analysis) • Ingram (Informations) • John Saito (Headquarters)
PRT Squad One Lt. Leatham (Squad Leader) • Sq. Crigler (Foam) • Sq. Beebe • Sq. Gilliam • Sq. Young
PRT Squad Two Lt. Burns (Squad Leader) • Sq. Holquin (Foam) • Sq. Anderson • Sq. Armstrong • Sq. Rollins
Leader Horizon
Members CaskLightslingerRailSnaptrap
Team Captains Auroch
Members FeintRouletteVellum
PRT Department #ENE: Brockton Bay
Director Emily Piggot Thomas Calvert James Tagg 
Staff Renick (Deputy Director)Jessica Yamada (Parahuman Psychologist)
Leader Armsmaster Miss Militia
Members AdamantAssaultBattery ChallengerClockblockerDauntlessDovetailSereTriumphVelocity 
Team Captains BatteryTriumphAegis WeldClockblockerCrucible
Members Browbeat ChariotFlechetteGallant Glory Girl Kid WinShadow StalkerToggleVista
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