Triad Crushed In Britain

Last Tuesday saw a real turn around in the battle against organised crime in Britain when The Crusaders finally captured the leader of the incoming Triad; world famous Triad boss Li Chow Ling.
The Crusaders moved into action as soon as they had conformation on his location and struck at him in his lair, a huge Townhouse in the Chelsea area of London.
What happened inside the building is not known for sure though we have found out that the building Chow Ling was in suffered structural damage to a basement wall and also an expensive staircase leading from the floor above down into the luxury games room where the battle took place. We also know that there were thirty-six arrested at the scene, mainly high up Triad bodyguards and known criminals connected with the merciless outfit.
The battle itself was short lived and violent, many of the combatants needing extra medical attention due to damage done to their ears by high frequency sonic attacks. Though out of all the criminals captured there was only one fatality, that of their leader.
It is believed Chow Ling died of a massive heart attack on the scene and that others are waiting to take his place, though the latter seems unlikely as the Triad were in full route as this point.
British police now wait for the inevitable tough few weeks when the local hoods try and squeezing control of their areas and widen their turfs.
VerityLluce

STORMWATCH RETURN

Earth 2 have reported the first sighting of ThunderMonkey and his Stormwatch in over a year answering a question lost in amongst the reformation of The Crusaders; whatever happened to Britain’s number two hero team?

Thundermonkey and the Stormwatch have fought many battles and gathered some great victories in Britain but when missing over a year ago while investigating Dimensional disturbances in Bristol, now they have returned, only not here but on LV426 and have gained a harder edge. An edge that saw they smash their way through a large group of space pirates and leave many of them in hospital for their troubles.

Official stance on the heroes is that they disrupted a dangerous attack on Earth 2 and that they are very welcome on the planet by the ruling council, yet there other voices suggesting the heroes need to be asked to return to Earth as trouble did come to the area until they showed up.

I interviewed Ex Crusader Shatterproof briefly through portal communication and she assured me that Thundermonkey was an excellent addition to Earth 2’s defence force and any suggestion of asking them to leave was totally ridiculous.

‘Thundermonkey is the coolest and certainly the nicest talking chimp i've ever met and he can hang with us anytime. The Stormwatch have been operating for some time and they know how to bring it. That's the bottom line.’

When asked about the current troubles and The Crusaders here on Earth she said ‘Good luck to anyone that takes the name, it’s a tough gig. If they stand up and call themselves that then there are hundreds of friends out there to back them up as well as hundreds of enemies to tear them down. I hope they pull it off.’

VERITY LUCE

Smythe Industries Bury Their Dead.

   The three men who died controlling ‘Stephenson’ Power armour in the battle against Baron Zemo  at Oxford Street were laid to rest yesterday but Smythe himself was bullish about his units effectiveness and their continued security duties within many government buildings.

‘I know these men died bravely trying to save Steve Rogers against a superior foe,’ began Smythe outside his office this morning. ‘I know that they are more than likely not going to be the last of my men to perish, but we will not surrender to terrorists and lunatics. We will continue to fight them wherever they go, whatever they do. We will not be scared into stepping down from our commitments, in fact, today we approach them with renewed vigour!

I want those out there that think they have rattled us to know we are here, we are not going anywhere else and nothing they can do will make us. The line is drawn, no further. That is all.

Today we remember that five men stood bravely and valiantly and three of them lost their lives. We will not forget them or the lesson they have taught us; do not retreat, do not surrender and do not compromise. We morn their loss and send our condolences to their families. ’

The Smythe foundation has paid out settlement packages to the families of the men that died, each one an ex pilot in the Royal Airforce, and though the sum was undisclosed it has been stressed that their families will be well provided for, Small comfort for them in their grief.

VERITY LUCE

Chapman In Crisis Talks

Acting Director of MI13 Joseph Chapman has been called in for several high level meetings over the last week as concern grows around Chapman’s organisation, operating costs and efficiency.

Chapman, the man to wear the Union Jack costume before the Crusader Union Black, is said to be up against the wall over costs, organisation and large numbers of losses in personnel as well as the real source of most people’s irritation, the total lack of domestic security provided by the agency.

‘It is true the Prime Minister is asking for greater accountability, transparency and presence in Britain,’ said Chapman when he returned to MI13’s base and was confronted by a throng of Journalists. ‘If i could tell you we are in good shape then i would but in truth we are taking some lumps, not getting that many back in and that does make a difference to the powers that be. We cant coast along and expect a blank check on our desks, we need to show we are getting results for our actions and in many ways we are. I just cant show you the evidence right now.

The ministers and men in power know the score and i’m confident they grip the importance of the work we are doing here. Do you want explosions and frantic running in the streets? Go hang around and wait for The Crusaders to show up. If you want real work that makes a real difference then stay the course because this agency is going to be in a very good way very soon.’

Chapman was upbeat and cocky but he would have to be a complete idiot to claim that there is no pressure on his team or on him at all. Many have already decided that in the event Wisdom doesn’t recover from the injuries he suffered in the Marauders attack MI13 will be dissolved and its units broken into smaller, separate squads to complete their tasks of keeping Britain safe.

VERITY LUCE

Thief Takers Expand Operation

The Thief Takers have moved in on drug dealers in their local area and in the borough next door to theirs in London with the help of a swelling task force now under Tagger’s control. Just a month ago Tagger and his two associates ‘Decker’ and ‘Street’ were a three man investigation team, now their number has supposedly grown to over twenty with ‘Decker’ controlling the streets and patrolling on mopeds with a group of other youths. ‘Street’ takes care of the bulk of the operations so we are told and that leaves ‘Tagger’ who aids the flow of information and Surveillance and also keeps an overall eye on the’ Thief takers.’   

London’s Metropolitan Police are said to be happy for the help they are receiving from all quarters of the community and that they would urge people to by all means follow their hearts and aid the civil justice cause while making sure they are also well aware of the inherent dangers citizen based action now attracts.

For us at the Chronicle it’s an interesting case, why are the Thief Takers so resistant to joining the Bow Street Runners if they are going to operate  on these streets. Surely its safety in numbers, or do the Takers feel distancing themselves from Freestyle and Yeti’s men and women is all the precaution they need?

Verity Luce.

 

Great Lakes Crusaders Fend Off Biker Assault

   Flat Man and his band of mismatched Chicago heroes have bitten off more than they can chew by taking the Crusaders name, or have they? With a full two weeks under their belt as Great Lakes Crusaders it seems the name brings as many dangers across the pond as it does here in Britain.

   Flat Man, Mister Impossible, Dinahsore,  Squirrel Girl, Door man, Big Bertha and their newest member Slapstick all repelled a six man ambush party last week without too many problems but were caught off guard when ‘Jet’ using Neo-Nazi bikers stormed the city park and insisted they would not move on until The Great Lakes Crusaders had come to talk to them.

   As soon as the heroes were on the scene the bikers attacked and the struggle is being touted as the toughest battle Flat Man’s band have ever had to participate in. With the numbers against them they created a circle and fought the enemy until they withdrew on their bikes leaving their fallen comrades behind them.

   In total there were forty arrests and no serious injuries bar the multiple deaths of Mister Impossible, who is in possession of the same sort of power that kept the Falcon alive, if not young, while he served in the Crusaders. Many people are now linking Mister Impossible with The Falcon, claiming he ‘Shagged around like a rabbit in his youth and there is nothing to say Impossible isn’t a distant relative. No reason at all.’

    With Flat Man insisting he will keep to the path they have chosen and remain Crusaders it seems they have the prime requirements to be Crusaders; Balls of steel.

Verity Luce.

Crusaders Capture N.M.A Hitteam

The Crusaders added another victory and one that was very personal indeed. Late on Tuesday Britain’s primary hero team alerted the authorities that they had engaged and captured the infamous hit team that had claimed the lives of two Fake Capes (as they were known then) and is thought to have conducted the sickening murder of the disabled scientist Clifford Marsh, and is also wanted internationally in connection with the N.M.A’s continental Bombing campaign of 2009.

The four men; Tim Munchen, Victor Yates, and Arthur Dern were led by Kurt Fritzel in their reign of terror and its thought Fritzel was receiving his orders directly from Aberline’s inner council, giving them targets and dates for their hits. Though the organiser of the hit teams scouring Britain is not known for sure its believed that Aberline has ex N.M.A Cabinet minister ‘Drake’ coordinating their efforts to gain maximum effect.



Kurt Fritzel



Yates, Muchen and Dern are all ex royal marines who have been wanted internationally since the N.M.A took over Britain and its known they served within Cromwell’s brown shirts. Fritzel was part of German Special forces and was part of The far right movement that took over Germany and then France at the same time that Britain was subjugated by Aberline/Cromwell.

All four men were taken with minor injuries an handed over to the Birmingham police who have the men in maximum security lockdown pending the initial hearing of charges against the quartet of death.



Acting Chief of Greater Manchester Police Tom Flinn had this to say about the arrests, ‘I have been highly critical in the past of these individuals but even i have to acknowledge that it was a job well done. These four have been one of the driving forces behind the campaign of terror and for The Crusaders to take them down so cleanly is a real accolade. Its made me have to reassess my opinion of them. Why? Because this isn’t a reactionary encounter, they have hunted and taken down this threat and its not a threat that was aimed at them. It was a good thing they did, in the right way.’



With The Crusaders finally winning over Tom Flinn with Fritzel’s capture could it be that finally they are on the up with the establishment? We will have to wait for a reaction from Joe Chapman before we even think about going that far.

Verity Luce

Rival Vigilantes Hit the Streets

The Bow Street Runners have cornered the market in non powered heroism, or so they thought, but now a new group have decided to buck the trend and stand on their own. A trio of young men in London have been dubbed 'The Thief Takers' and have successfully fought inner city drug dealers and gangs of hoodies in the two weeks since they have officially been active and have made it clear they are not going to join the Runners.
Group leader 'Tagger' wasn't interested in commenting to the press and his two comrades are also pulling the same line, a line of defiance against criminals without a need for publicity. 'Tagger' and his men have so far managed to avoid serious injury and the N.M.A but now that they are out in the open and not under the protection of The Bow Street Runners we have to ask; how long can they last?

Crusaders Sink Captain Zemo

Director of S.H.I.E.L.D Rogers visit was going perfectly till an old enemy swung into terrifying action, shooting Rogers out of the sky and sending his flying car crashing into the middle of Oxford street. With the vehicle down and smoldering 'Stephenson' power armour decended and surrounded the crash site to provide cover for Rogers and his S.H.I.E.L.D ground based protection team.
As the five power armours and twelve crack troops took up defensive positions giving Rogers time to excape the wreck their enemies organised and then struck with devastating results! From the skies came the devastating force that is Masterman; a Nazi villain who has battled now deceased German hero Blitzkreig many times. His targets were clear and as he hammered into the power amroured protectors as the leader of this evil force struck the S.H.I.E.L.D agents.
Baron Zemo led Batroc the Leaper, The Whirlwind, Flagsmasher and the new female Beetle into the street, dowing the S.H.I.E.L.D soldiers in seconds and effectively cutting off any escape routes Rogers could have taken, something he obviously had no intention of doing anyway! With Flagsmasher and Whirlwind splitting to help Masterman destroy the Stephenson armours; killing three of the pilots on the scene, Zemo declared his team to be called The Axis of Evil and that their goal was simply to finally kill Rogers.
The battle between the power armours and Masterman and his assistants continued as Rogers desperatly tried to stay alive, help coming in the form of The Crusader Urban who arrived  and entered the battle, valiantly taking on Batroc the Leaper, giving Rogers only two villains to dodge. Urban led Batroc into a quieter area of the street at which point two Bow Street Runners took a terrifying risk and attempted to blindside Batroc, they were doomed to fail.
Curbstomp and Scots Kiss both jumped in and attacked but were brutally taken down by The Leaper, though luckily they escaped with only concusions and minor fractures. Urban was soon after shot in the back and Rogers was covered in Zemo's awesomely hard Adhesive X leaving him prone and at the Axis of Evils mercy. At this point it looked like Oxford street would be host to the third death of Steve Rogers and not the forging of a legend, yet a legendary battle is what followed and a victory that will be talked about for years to come.
From the smoke came The Crusaders, Apex, Anathema, Not Alice, Sinner, Fung Chi and Gamma. As they broke into the battlefield they selected their targets and showed incredible maturity for such a young and low powered team. Many groups would select The Masterman as their main priority and try to bring him down quickly but Gamma obviously knows his tactics and understands the first rule of any superhuman conflict, remove the leader! Apex came along the pavement and threw a newspaper stand at Zemo that bounced off the Nazi lunatics shoulder, he fired back and downed Apex for a few seconds but that cost him dearly as from the skies came sinner who smashed into Zemo with his forcefield and blew the Axis of Evils leader across the battle and out of the fight! Two blows that surely sent a message to every villain team on the planet, two blows that told them; 'We know how to stop you!'
Fung Chi was intercepted on his way through the smoke by masterman and had his bike smashed as down the street Batroc the Leaper entered into a duel with Anathema. Their battle was brutal as though The Crusader was obviously out matched by his opponents skill he certainly wasn't going to beaten in grit, Not Alice unleashed her terrifying scream and Gamma tusseled with The Beetle after removing the target, Rogers himself, from the battlefield by phasing through the floor, displaying yet more powers that have the experts wondering if their is something that Gamma cant do?
As the battle progressed it looked like Flagsmasher and Masterman would simply prove too powerful when backed up by Whirlwind and Batroc, but as qucikly as Not Alice was downed by Masterman Sinner was striking again, this time doing damage to Batroc while Gamma used Beetle as a baseball bat against Masterman and then The Whirlwind. 
Fung Chi had lured Whirlwind into a trap that saw him fall down a manhole and so out of the fight for vital seconds, giving The Crusaders time to rally, get Not Alice back on her feet and take out Batroc. With the Leaper down and Beetle following quickly afterwards only Flagsmasher, Masterman and Whirlwind were left against the six battle worn Crusaders. It was at this point that Fung Chi released the beast with Apex as backup. The pair of them hammered  Masterman and brought the Nazi powerhouse down and then sent him crashing across the street as they made a world class strongman look like a guy way out of his depth.

Masterman was in trouble as Flagsmasher made a mess of Apex only to be beaten down seconds later and as The Crusaders pushed the advantage Masterman had obviously had enough and took to the air and away. Whirlwind tried to do the same but flew straight into Sinners forcefield and a brutal thrown mace, borrowed by Apex(?) from the unconcious Flagsmasher. Whirlwind joined his comrades on the floor and The Crusaders were victorious!
In amongst the battle were moments of bravery from Bow Street Runners leader Yeti and spokesman Freestyle who brought medical attention to the surviving Stephenson pilots, all done while the battle raged around them!
With the enemies down The Crusaders helped the authorities to control the fires and reduce the amount of damage done to the area due to the battle. The Stephenson pilots were removed to hospital and recieved treatment for injuries sustanined in the battle, S.H.I.E.L.D agents were removed to secure locations and Rogers himself helped to co-ordinate the clean up effort.


Batroc The Leaper



With the containment process well underway the villains were removed from the area and The Crusaders retired to get some well needed rest, having to carry Anathema with them as he keeled over and could not be revived on the scene.

With the smoke clear and bruises heeling we can look at the event that is sure to stamp The Crusaders authority on this island and stand as a warning to other villains that if you wish to conduct illegal business in this great land then you will have to go through them first, something that Zemo backed by Masterman could not do.



Anathema had a quiet battle but as the footage is poured over it seems that he was conducting more than just a campaign of self preservation, could his biological control powers have taken the next step and moved beyond the constraints of just touch? Time will tell, but of course Zemo wont, he will be taking all his meals through a straw for the time being in the prison cafeteria.

Verity Luce. 

Flagsmasher

Utopia Bloodbath!

Utopia found itself beseiged yet again last week when a vampire army that had decended on the city of San Fransico burst free from hiding and assaulted the mutant haven of Utopia, swarming over its surface, swooping down from the skies and bursting from the oceans.
To meet the army of bloodthirsty monsters cyclops had gathered a formidable force of X-Men, all with toughened skin or force fields to keep the vampires at bay and with them stood a force of British heroes.
Blade and Fury stood with the X-Men, obviously there in their capacity as vampire hunters and MI13 officers, but with them came two members of The Crusaders; Not Alice and Urban, and if their presence on the island wasnt beguiling enough their performance in the battle certainly was nothing short of breathtaking.
MI13 director Joe Chapman confirmed that Blade and Fury were both cleared to go and do whatever damage to the Vampire army they could and were asked to gather as many supernatural hunters as possible to join the effort. Chapman made it quite clear that Blade was commanding the unit that hit San Fransico, tracked the vampires, made contact with The X-Men and ultimatly put in a massive show of power in the final battle.
As the Vampires attacked them from all sides Blade, Fury and The X-Men were obviously extremely adept in the use of their powers in combat but what is being talked about is how incredibly effective Not Alice and Urban proved in the battle that surely looked lost for them before it even started. Yet Urban (armed with some form of mystic broadsword) and Not Alice, 'The End' in hand cut through the oncoming Vampire forces like a hot knife through butter. Slashing and tearing their way through with ease!
Not Alice is shown on some footage to change the shape of 'The End' into a razor sharp hulla weapon and throw it through the crowds, destroying vast amounts of the enemy with each swing. Urban, clearly a very competant warrior used his broadsword to slash through the vampires too, sending all that stepped towards him into the abyss.
The battle raged for over twenty minutes before a Vampirised Wolverine was dropped into the mix, but elite tactition and world class leader Cyclops took command of the situation, seemed to activate a chemical release in the mutant Wolverines system which restarted his healing factor and removed the vampire curse from him. With the battle for their teammates soul resolved so quickly the X-Men and British heroes hammered the enemy into oblivion and saved the lives of all who lived on Utopia and almost certainly everyone on the planet, as an army of mutant Vampires would have likely proved itself to be unstoppable.
International reaction has been very strong and led to the Vatican issuing a statement calming its believers and telling them that the dead are not rising from the graves but that a terrible virus is responsible.
With the Vampire state now crushed and fleeing in dissoray we must ask what, or where will the The Crusaders show up  next? They certainly seem to be moving in the right direction as when pressed for a comment about the incident and The Crusaders Scot Summers had this to say.
'We were attacked and we repelled its vicious onslaught. As we have seen before the X-Men are capable of dealing with any situation, but ths was a very dangerous battle and id like to thank Blade and his British unit as well as S.H.I.E.L.D and The Crusaders.
The Crusaders fought incredibly valiantly and were exceptionally useful! Its good to know that no matter how hard it is out there at the moment the new breed is just as dedicated as the last lot and on tonights showing Not Alice and Urban are certainly not to be messed with.
Verity Luce

Icono'Blast!

A huge fireball consumed the residence of ex-New Crusader and television personality Icon last night and sparked fears that he was killed in the massive explosion. At 10 30 exactly last night the whole flat he has lived in in London for the past four years was destroyed, though damage to the surrounding structures and residences was limited, police believe due to it being a directed explosive device being the cause.
It is not known if Icon was in the building when it detonated but its being widely reported that he has not been seen for at least two days and has not come forward since the blast prompting Reuters to claim that the charismatic ex hero was killed instantly in the explosion.
So far the New Crusaders have not commented on the possible demise of their ex teammate and The Crusaders have been taking their normal routes around their streets without feeling the need to come forward.

Bow Street press liaison Freestyle was quick to get on the record though, 'This is terrible news for all the people of this country. At the very least Icon is missing and at the worst he has been killed,' began the man now being called 'the voice of the resistance.'

'The fact is that he has always been treated as a second class citizen, what with him winning the contest to get powers. He took that gift and he worked it and god damn did he know how to move. His physical prowess was breathtaking, simple as. For me he earned his place on the team and pasted the test, but its after his tenure as a New Crusader that's really damaged his rep. I think i understand what happened with him and the others in their team, if you look, they have all survived a traumatic ordeal and have reacted in different ways. Thunaer has removed himself from the country as has Clive The Cavalier; probably still running from the pain, Captain Britain and Fury have thrown themselves into their work, Aperture is on Earth 2; you don't get much further from Britain than that, Mass Driver had a full on nervous breakdown, Kong was the source of the pain and if you listen to the word on the street Scratch is gone for good too. Maybe Icon just went for the most lighthearted thing he could find?

Either way he did some great things for this country and the world and i think its a massive loss to us, the New Crusaders and the world. As spokesman for the Bow Street Runners i would like to extend our hand to the authorities and offer any and all assistance that they need in tracking down Icon wherever he may be.'

Love him or hate him he was a true hero and one that always stirred strong emotion from the people. As the search continues we hope that they find the man whose tongue in cheek catchphrase holds true for those investigating his disapperance; 'Failure is not an option.' 

Verity Luce

Midnight Run

Midnight

S.H.I.E.L.D has issued a global arrest warrant for one of its agents and ex New Crusader Midnight. The details of the warrant and charges that they wish to question her in the connection of are unknown but it is clear that S.H.I.E.L.D are taking the matter very seriously indeed.

'It is clear to us that their is a serious issue concerning the agent we call Midnight. We have tried to bring her in quietly but she has of two hours ago gone officially rogue and so we have no choice but to issue an arrest warrant for her,' came the shocking news, straight from Director of S.H.I.E.L.D Steve Rogers mouth. 

'She is considered armed and extremely dangerous and we advise that if spotted she is to be monitored but we urge the public not to approach her at this time. Report any sightings that occur to the official S.H.I.E.L.D website and we will react appropriately.' 

With controversial Ex New Crusaders seeming to dominate the news we have to ask how much worse can it get for the old guard and their rapidly tarnishing reputation?
Verity Luce.

Killer Gorilla Kong'quered

The Crusaders posted a massive and unexpected victory in the jungles of The Ivory Coast when they went toe to toe with the ultimate Killer Gorilla; Atomic Kong and his army of evolved chimps. With the beast captured they contacted S.H.I.E.L.D and had the villain, his minions and themselves picked up and air lifted to safety.

The Crusaders were in the country following an undisclosed lead when they discovered the villainous Kong in command of a disused research facility. Details are vague at the moment as S.H.I.E.L.D have been very tight-lipped about the incident though they have released what they classify as the 'bare bones' of the case.

Atomic Kong, an ex New Crusader and member of the team till he betrayed them in a bid to 'take over the universe', was surrounded by intelligent chimps much like he was when he was defeated by the last New Crusaders team. The battle was presumably brutal and i would bet terrifying (having met Kong i can confirm i have never witnessed anything scarier than Kong when in battle, the primal, psionic, malevolence coming off him is enough to make most people lose bowel control almost instantly), Kong not only possessing physical power in spades but the intellect to make it truly effective. To defeat him is incredibly impressive, to do so without significant loss of life is down right jaw dropping for a team that's been pounding the streets and hasn't seen real world class opposition before.
S.H.I.E.L.D confirmed that a 'body-pit' was discovered at the scene and that Kong was engaging in scientific activities that, left unchecked, would have posed a 'serious threat to nearly all bipedal life on earth,' according to S.H.I.E.L.D's own scientific wing.
To add to this credible victory its well known that the original New Crusaders thought that Kong was killed in the battle at their mansion and so had not searched for the villain following the explosion that they thought had ended his reign of terror before it could get started. These 'street level' heroes have crossed the globe, tracked down the walking horror that is Atomic Kong and S.H.I.E.L.D have confirmed that they have in fact almost certainly saved the planet from an engineered species-specific extinction.
'Atomic Kong represented a clear and present danger to all humans on this planet and to be honest on Earth 2 as well,' said deputy director of S.H.I.E.L.D Dum Dum Dugan. 'He was in possession of a weaponised biological virus that had the potential to wipe out ninety perecent of the homo-sapien life on the planet. He had a delivery system in place, prepared and ready to deliver the agent into the atmosphere. Obviously, that would have been bad.
The Crusaders have stepped out of their comfort zone, dragged themselves through thick jungle and entered into combat with an enemy that S.H.I.E.L.D rates as being in the top ten most dangerous criminals on the planet. No, Kong cant match up to the likes of Graviton or the Hulk in power but in reality he is far more likely to hatch a workable plan to achieve his goals and be competant in executing that plan to its final and inevitable conclusion. For Kong that means global domination and the deaths of billions. They really don't come any more dangerous.
This victory represents a significant change in how this team will be seen. In our view they have just stepped into the big leagues, again, not in power alone, but in their ability to achieve tasks when the odds are clearly stacked against them. We congratulate them on a job well done, thank them for their efforts and tip our hats to a group of your heroes clearly on the up.'



Mr Chimpington



Along with Kong were Twelve hyper intelligent Chimps that were using batons and pistols to try and kill The Crusaders when they were captured. They were all arrested and taken into custody and it is believed they will be taken to the London Zoo 'Dangerous Animals Conatinment Zone' where ten of Kong previous chimps currently reside along with The Pencat, a 'molest' of thirty Colonie, a flock of thirty dogbirds and assorted other dangerous animals. 'Mr Chimpington,' Kong's right hand chimp has vowed to not rest until they have escaped and murdered and most brutally molested the bodies of those that attacked their master 'The Sun King' (Atomic Kong).   



Taking down Atomic Kong should shut up those that have made their doubts about The Crusaders very noticeable and send an extra wave of fear through the crime syndicates and scum of the land. These heroes know what it takes to make it and are made of tough stuff indeed.

Verity Luce

   





Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D To Visit Britain.

Confirmation was given today by the Foreign Office that Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D Steve Rogers is indeed scheduled to visit Britain in an official capacity to discuss intelligence issues, multi national terrorism and MI13's security set ups as part of a European tour.

Rogers will meet with Acting Director of MI13; Joseph Chapman, the heads of MI5 and MI6 and the Foreign Secretary as well as visiting national monuments to the brave men and women that fell in World War Two. 

While here it is expected that he will also pursue The Bow Street Runners and The Crusaders in his aim to strengthen bonds between superhuman teams around the globe and improve information networks within that community.

Rogers is due into the country on the tenth of July and is expected to stay for 'several days.'

Verity Luce 

Freestyle Upbeat About Future

With the dust settling Freestyle has been very quiet but yesterday he spoke at a Bow Street Runners meeting and invited the media to join them so that transparency of intent could easily be seen. Speaking in front of a crowd of forty Bow Street Runners and an assembled mass of reporters he seemed calm and focused.

'The summit has finished and i need to tell you what happened in there. I need to tell you that we were represented exceptionally well by The Yeti, that he stood his ground, that he spoke with conviction and that he spoke with calm and considered words.
I would love to tell you that i too represented our organisation with honour but i think we need to be honest. I went in there with a personal grudge against The Crusaders and that effected the talks badly. I was not the only problem in the room but i was the greatest. I went for them verbally, allowing all my pent up irritation about their self appointed name to spill out and for that i apologise.
We have all seen the Bow Street Runners on the t.v, we have all seen The Crusaders on the t.v, we know we are all pulling in the same direction, but sadly i have got in the way. From now on that will not happen. I will as of this moment be stepping down from the leadership role in this great organisation and instead be throwing my full support and advice behind The Yeti, a considered, popular and excellent leader in his own right. Cometh the hour and cometh the man, well the hour approaches and The Yeti is certainly our man!
I will continue to fight alongside you all and help to organise, advise and support The Yeti and yourselves, but i cannot lead anymore.
The Crusaders were there to talk, share information and to smooth these troubled waters between us, i respect them and their stance against the N.M.A. I support Gamma as the obvious leader of their unit and offer my services whenever/if they ever are required. The Yeti has asked me to do the same for the Bow Street Runners in this case and he throws his full support behind The Crusaders as well.
We will struggle against the criminals and terrorists together, we will will fight them as one and we will stand as a unified wall of force, opposing tyrants and crime lords alike. We will not be moved from our places on the streets, we will not be terrified into submission and if you come for us we will hold our heads high, knowing we stand together, for the greater good, and that will send the message that must be sent...we will not be defeated.'

This new stance from Freestyle shows the gravity with which he now takes the situation they face on the streets of this country under siege. This Blitz attitude of the Bow Street Runners may well get some of them killed, but personally i think this is the making of something very special indeed, something unique, something that could very well prove to be pivotal in our fight for survival in this hazardous world.
Verity Luce

Lord McDonald Speaks

Just days after 'The Justice Summit 011' and Lord McDonald managed to clear some time in his busy schedule to talk to me on a wide range of subjects from the Summit to his time in The New Crusaders.
I met the Lord after a busy morning in the house and we had an exquisite dinner before we relaxed into an afternoons discussion.
Lord Alastair McDonald is many things, charismatic, humorous, intelligent, a financial genius, a life long Lord and hereditary Peer and an Ex Super Hero. He is confident, charming and conversation always flowed well, so long as you stay away from certain subjects.
V: So, Lord Alastair, all the world wants to know about the Summit. How do you think it went?
Mc: Well. At least as well as can be expected. You get big personalities in a room and you never know what your going to get. I think we all came with some expectations, we all wanted to see what the other people around the table were like and certainly we all came with some pre-conceived notions. By evenings end i think we walked out with a greater understanding, a greater respect and a way forward.
V: Freestyle was certainly very outspoken before the summit, how do you think this will have changed his view if at all?
Mc: I think he came in with an attitude and i hope that that has adjusted some now. In the end the climate of heroics has changed considerably, not just here but all over the world. Following the events in America and Asgard, the fall out of the Osbourn debacle and the return of Steve Rogers we have to expect change, fallout, and this is part of it. Before we saw heroes in white hammering famous villains in the streets on live prime time t.v, now? Well now we see hard working, gritty grafters working the streets and trying to make a difference from the ground up. 
MI13 steps in to take most of the enemies out before they even land so we have so much more need of fire fighters, and these guys can fight fires.
V: Would you be critical of Freestyles stance before the summit at all?
Mc: To be fair with the lad he has all the makings of a decent hero himself. I'll go further than that and say he is one. He made a bad decision when younger and looked to do what so many do; he wanted to make money out of his gift, his ability to fight. Now that led to him landing himself in a fight with The New Crusaders on their genesis day, a fight he lost and they won. 
From there he did a very short amount of jail time before he was busted out by Aberline who thought he would jump at the chance to join his organisation, he declined and went solo on the streets. He fought petty crime and kept his head down until Cromwell took over and then he really pushed himself by joining the resistance, helping to organise raids and acting as a big gun in a very weak arsenal. Saying that he stood on Tower Bridge when The Thing an Daniel Rand went down, he stood his ground and he fought and he was in that group that held out long enough for the escaped New Crusaders to come in and crush the N.M.A forces that were pouring onto the bridge. He is a hero. That is a fact. 
He has been quiet since, but he has stepped forward and helped the Bow Street Runners to pull together, form teams and buddy systems, get interactive with local police and has given them a strong and charismatic leader to rally behind. He is vital in the survival of many of those Runners who would have been killed by the N.MA and he has turned them into a force to be reckoned with. Does he have a right to tell The Crusaders they haven't earnt the name? No. But he should be respected and his view heard.
V: What are your thoughts on The Crusaders?
Mc: Well, from a ministerial point of view we have an organised unit of powered individuals to deal with situations on the streets of our cities, so they do fall into a grey area, but i think we are for the moment happy for them to do just that. They follow the same laws as all but we do bend the rules for these heroes, to allow them to have the impact they need to have. We bend the rules, we do not brake them. As long as they continue to fight and protect the innocent and watch their aggression levels then they can clear up as much crap as they can find and we are very happy with that.
On a personal level I like them. I think they have shown maturity, restraint, skill and balls of steel. We only need to look at the pressure they have been under, the amount of aggression the N.M.A have thrown at them and the way they have dealt with it to know that they are in for the long haul. You don't take the kind of licks Apex took and step back in lightly, yet that is exactly what they did. Was it just that their deaths were miss reported to give them time to heal or the upper hand against the N.M.A? I cant tell you, but i think they are a strong pack, full of fight and the fire in their eyes? Its impressive.
V: So have they earnt the right to use the name?
Mc: I don't think any of us would argue with a group of plucky heroes wanting to take up the Mantle, but you are asking me so i'd say they have already earnt it and cemented that right. Its what they do from here that will define how they are viewed in the eyes of the public and the history books that follow.
V: Questions have been raised about forced Registration, whats your stance on the matter?
Mc: There is no plan for Registration to become compulsory at all. This coalition stands by its election pledges to back heroes and to look for the heroism in all our citizens. I did register when the it was asked of us on a voluntarily basis, many of my fellow New Crusaders did the same, but not all. We all want some secrets, thats why we hide behind the masks, but i think its a personal decision, it will stay a personal decision and that really is all that can be said about that.
V: Finally Lord McDonald, there has been some talk of ill health for you personally, how are you and would you have any advice to give to The Crusaders or Bow Street Runners out there right now?
Mc: Well its true that i do suffer from the horrific injuries that i suffered in that final battle with the Sentry, but the reports of my early demise are greatly exagerated. As for The Crusaders and Bow Street Runners? Look up and take it all in. The time your out there it can feel like forever but realistically you have a high chance of a very short career. If you can enjoy the camaraderie, take in the amazing things you see and do and try to come back alive after each shift. Apart from that...give them hell Crusaders!

We know that The Crusaders are locked into a bitter fight with the N.M.A and the Triads, but is there another element to this puzzle that we aren't seeing yet? How long before The Crusaders are tested as their predecessors were, in the streets, in the open and against world class power houses? When the fight comes im convinced that these boys will be ready for it and i hope that they are backed up logistically by other brave men and women from The Bow Street Runners.
Verity Luce

Summit Passes Without A Hitch

The crowds waited with baited breath outside the O2 Arena and were rewarded with the first full public appearance of Britain's hot new team The Crusaders. They arrived last, after the people gathered had cheered in the ex New Crusader and Government official Lord Alistair McDonald A.K.A Caber, Major of London Boris Johnston, S.H.I.E.L.D agent Solomon Hurt, MI13 operative Blade, acting chief of Greater Manchester Police Tom Flin, Bow Street Runners representative The Yeti and Freestyle himself. As we waited patiently inside The Crusaders walked down the access road, a serious, dark, strong presence (except Gloop who waved Merrily to the crowd and showed off his up-till-then-unknown shape shifting ability).
The Crusaders passed the corden of Stephenson power armours and then split up, leaving four of their number guarding the perimeter; Fung Chi, Apex, Anathema and Not Alice, while Gamma led Gloop, Sinner and Urban into the room.
Freestyle had already requested a member of the media to be in the room for the first part of the talks and so contacted yours truly, Verity Luce, to act as Press officer and representative. A job that i treated with the utmost seriousness.
As the team entered the room the atmosphere changed from one of tension to an electrifying apprehension, a potential for great good or harm was clear in the air and to start with it was clear what Freestyle was spoiling for, and that was an argument.
With a cocky attitude he pressed The Crusaders on issues such as tensions between the Runners and their team and questioned the validity of their claim to even call themselves Crusaders. The issues were discussed robustly and Gamma clearly seemed to be the alpha male amongst his men while Freestyle carried gravitas perhaps above what he has shown in the past. With the talks going as well as possible it came to Gamma wanting to share information with the table and it was at this point that I was required to leave the room.
Standing outside I can only imagine the secrets and villains discussed but i can tell you that a short recess followed shortly after i left and Freestyle looked reserved and off balance as he grabbed some air. Back inside and they continued their talks for at least another half and hour before the group finally broke and as the other delegates left the room The Crusaders gathered all together to talk to Lord McDonald, then Blade and Finally Solomon Hurt.
Outside Freestyle and the other delegates left quickly though Lord McDonald consented to give me an interview regarding The Crusaders in the days that followed.
What has changed in the country now that this monumental meeting has taken place? Can the heroes move forward and embrace a new era of communication or has this simply cemented ill feeling and distrust? Only time will tell.
Verity Luce