Recent events have demonstrated that metahuman issues are not confined to any one country or geographic locale; indeed, there is no corner of our globe that has not had to wrestle with the question of what role our metahuman kin are to play in our global society. Unfortunately, this also means that virtually every governing body has been faced with metahumans who, for whatever reason, choose to use their abilities in a manner opposed to the public good. As it is simply not possible for every nation or state to maintain a qualified, well-equipped force capable of responding quickly to such incidents, I offer a solution: the Metahuman Response Force can provide a ready supply of seasoned combat professionals, trained and armed with cutting-edge technology and educated in the latest metahuman protocols, for a modest fee that can be negotiated to prevent placing much strain on any economy.
-Gunther Beremud
The Metahuman Response Force (MRF) is a private military corporation owned and operated by Gunther Beremud. Using the results of research conducted through his Gothic City halfway house, his Metahuman Fighting League medical facilities (prior to the League’s sale to the Knightfalls), and the dubious medical research center on Alcatraz Island, he has developed weapons, defenses, and tactics specifically designed to account for enemy forces with above-human abilities. This force is ostensibly presented as an alternative solution for any government that is unwilling or unable to develop and maintain its own equivalent force, although the hidden truth is that, for the right price, basically any organization or individual can procure its services; the agents responsible for negotiating contracts ensure that more than enough plausible deniability is built into the terms, allowing the organization to escape legal retribution should a contract go sour (although it has no qualms about leaving subordinate employees to take the blame, when necessary).
MRF soldiers are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds. Most have some manner of prior military or law-enforcement training, from standard municipal police and Army infantry to specialties such as SWAT or Special Forces. Emergency medical personnel, search and rescue professionals, disaster response team members, and bounty hunters also have some representation in the organization. Many of these individuals were dishonorably discharged or otherwise left their former roles under dubious circumstances; the MRF is more concerned with effectiveness and loyalty than with moral character or ethical behavior.
Regardless of background, all MRF soldiers go through a training regimen that grants them proficiency with all standard MRF equipment, with individuals going on to specialize in more exotic gear as their individual assignments dictates. This training includes an extended “first-hand experience” period in the prison on Alcatraz Island, the official explanation being that it gives all recruits an opportunity to interact with and observe metahumans in a tightly-controlled environment. Metahuman inmates on good behavior can also earn special privileges or even reduced sentences by volunteering as sparring partners for MRF trainees.
The darker truth behind this training period is that it gives the Demon of Silence, the entity possessing Warden Josiah Whitby, a chance to subtly alter the mind of each recruit. Direct control of such a large and widespread force would be impossible, even for a being of the Demon’s power, but it is able to ensure that every trainee has a heightened level of obedience and loyalty, and a vastly reduced fear response; MRF troops will unflinchingly stand and fight to the death in even the most clearly suicidal situation, if so ordered by a commanding officer.
Light Infantry
The MRF light infantry consists of its “rank-and-file” troops; those that have completed their basic training but have not gone on to any further specialization. Their services are most often procured when an employer simply needs some added muscle, or to secure an area and set up defensive positions and checkpoints in support of specialty troops. Despite their comparative simplicity, they are still a rigidly disciplined and well-trained fighting force, and have the versatility to serve in a variety of functions, from guard duty and crowd control to assaults on fortified positions. Their equipment is likewise variable, from light-duty armor, sidearms, and some manner of stun baton or stun gun, to heavy Kevlar and ceramic-plated full-body armor with automatic weapons. Each light infantry soldier wears a helmet with a two-way radio and night-vision goggles, and is trained in at least one manner of hand-to-hand combat school.
Heavy Infantry
One of the breakthroughs uncovered at the Alcatraz research facility was the isolation of the genetic code that produced enhanced strength and stamina. Heavy infantry “volunteers” are subjected to intensely guarded mutagenic processes which transform them into hulking behemoths, approaching eight feet in height and nearly eight-hundred pounds in weight, almost all of which is solid muscle. Side effects of this treatment include drastic changes in appearance (most heavy infantry soldiers tend to resemble Neanderthals in their facial structure), as well as noticeable intellectual degeneration. Because of this latter effect, heavy infantry are not as versatile as light infantry, and are generally only used as shock troops and in other situations that require massive force and firepower, rather than finesse and precision. These troops wear full-body, powered armor that has a resiliency equal to that of most modern tanks. Hydraulic supports increase their already titanic strength, allowing them to exert up to twenty tons of force, and each suit is fully environmentally sealed, with air filtration, radio communication, and night-vision peripherals. For armaments, each soldier carries weaponry that would normally need to be mounted on vehicles: belt-fed light machine guns, rocket launchers, etc.
Cape Jumpers
Cape Jumpers are a catch-all name for any of the MRF’s airborne units. They pilot the organizations transport helicopters and cargo planes, provide aerial reconnaissance, and even engage in aerial dogfighting, bombing, and strafing actions. Perhaps the most respected and feared members of this group, however, are the “Downers.” These elite specialists are trained to eliminate airborne metahumans without using cumbersome vehicles; encased in g-force neutralizing suits and prototype jet-packs, they are quick and maneuverable enough to keep up with anything flying at subsonic speeds. Their armaments include bola and net-launchers for ensnaring wings, and sonic disruptors for inducing severe vertigo.
Psi Ops
Psi ops troops are units that specialize in neutralizing psionic targets. Each member of this force has undergone intensive mental conditioning and meditative techniques for the prevention and resistance of mental attacks. Their armor incorporates an experimental substance that has demonstrated properties which further disrupt psychic attacks and intrusion. Each soldier also carries a psi-cloak device which, when activated, essentially hides their mental signature completely, although these devices can only be used short-term (up to one hour of continuous usage) without triggering horrific migraines in the user. Psi ops troops carry weaponry appropriate to their current mission.
Metahuman Strike Teams
Metahuman strike teams are specialty units that are usually assembled for a specific mission (or set of missions). They consist of both human and above-human powered individuals, most of whom have a background in military special forces, espionage, or other forms of covert operations. There is no such thing as a “standard” MST; each member of a team is expected to be able to cooperate with a regularly-shifting roster of teammates, and engage in a wide variety of missions. MST units also frequently contain “contractors,” specialist individuals hired by the MRF on a temporary basis.
Robo-Force
This branch of the MRF consists of those who are expert in the operation of automated combat units: everything from aerial reconnaissance drones and unmanned anti-personnel turrets to advanced combat robots. Their mechanical minions are deployed in situations where it is deemed too dangerous or otherwise disadvantageous to deploy biological troops.
Special Equipment
The MRF utilizes a wide-range of standard issue weapons, armor, vehicles, and other equipment, most of which is identical or at least similar to that in use by military and law enforcement units around the world; the organization is quick to analyze and incorporate any battlefield technology that is deemed to be of potential use. It has also developed a number of unique technologies, which are put into service whenever need dictates.
Neutra-bombs: one of the drawbacks of most “non-lethal” weapons is that there is often still the risk of serious and even lethal harm to those exposed to it. Tear gas can aggravate respiratory conditions; stun guns can induce cardiovascular issues, and so forth. In an attempt to minimize this, the MRF has developed a proprietary technology that, when detonated, releases a momentary “psychic pulse” that renders any individual without psychic shielding unconscious for up to one hour. Even individuals with only low-level psychic defenses will likely be momentarily stunned if caught in the burst radius of approximately five city blocks. The technology is also available in smaller “neutra-grenades,” which have a burst radius of approximately twenty meters.
Insertion pods: a long-standing logistical issue is that of delivering one's troops to the battlefield; ground and aquatic transport can be slow and cumbersome, and aerial drops are inherently risky. A prototypical solution to this quandary has been developed by the science division of the MRF: insertion pods. These pods, resembling little more than large, metal buckets, are constructed of highly durable material designed to shrug off aerial flak and anti-aircraft fire alike. Within, protected by a layer of proprietary non-Newtonian fluid, is an inner pod equipped with basic life-support and g-force mitigating technology, enough to accommodate one soldier in his gear. The pods can be dropped from aircraft or even fired from vehicle-mounted "pod launchers" from up to five miles away. Once the pod's sensors detect contact with the ground and cessation of movement, they will burst open, releasing its occupant.
Combat Robots: Capable of being remotely controlled or executing pre-programmed battle tactics, the MRF combat robot is essentially a walking, thinking tank. For all of its durability (nothing short of anti-tank ordinance will penetrate its armor), the robot is surprisingly speedy, with a top speed of approximately 50 miles per hour over open ground, as well as far more maneuverable than any vehicle. It is equipped with heat-sensitive motion detectors, and can be programmed to distinguish between hostile and non-hostile targets. Its twin .50 caliber miniguns fire armor-piercing rounds capable of punching cleanly through a reinforced cinderblock wall.
Bulwark Battle Tank: based on the design of the M-1 Abrams tank, the Bulwark retains its predecessor’s armor and offensive capabilities. The notable difference is that the each Bulwark has been equipped with an energy deflection shield, which provides an invisible barrier extending about a dozen centimeters from the physical surface of the tank itself. This field has no effect on physical objects, but will deflect most forms of energy that come into conflict with it, making it almost immune to energy-based attacks.
Rules
PM Beremud if you want to hire the services of the MRF; the PM should include what kind of troops you need, whether you need them short or long-term (several missions vs. fighting an actual war or extended security detail), and what you intend to use them for.
Once you have acquired the services of your troops and equipment, they will follow your orders without question, unless instructed otherwise by Beremud.
The MRF is a constantly-evolving force; additional kinds of troops and equipment will likely be added in the future, and if what you see doesn’t suit your needs, Beremud can work to customize a battle unit that will.
You can also PM Beremud if you have a character you’d like to work for the MRF, on a temporary or permanent basis; we’re always hiring!
MRF forces are also available to serve as foils and villains in RP’s; just ask!
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