Synister Syndicate

Synister Syndicate is an organized crime syndicate that operates in North America. It is the largest of its kind in the region and its base of operations is beneath Halcyon City. It has maintained a formidable legal front as an umbrella group of private military contractors called Syn Security who provide a maximum spectrum private security solution in recent years since the advent of metahuman heroes and villains.

Criminal Activities
Besides providing legal armed services, Synister Syndicate is known for arms trafficking, drug distribution (including black market Neurocozyne and O.Juice), theft, extortion, smuggling (human and/or technology), and cybercrimes such as hacking, electronic theft, and illegal tracking. They have a reputation for being both discreet and ruthlessly efficient, and as such charge a sizable fee. A.E.G.I.S. have been known to hire them on occasion but recently, they have displayed aggression towards each other.

Synister Syndicate in general favors stealth, discrimination, and "intelligent" ways of conducting battles. They are not as flashy or brutish as their more established rivals such as Nine Scales, but make up for this with purchased or stolen cutting edge equipment and weaponry, as well as their extensive use of mechanical augmentation and cybernetics. They control nearly 40% of all smuggling in Halcyon City, and specialize in transporting illicit goods and criminals from place to place as well as theft and extortion.

Appearance
Synister Syndicate mercenaries often have a tattoo of glowing red eyes somewhere on their body. During high-risk jobs, the tattoo would be removed with an acid wash to prevent them being identified, then reapplied once the job was finished. Members take pride in their tattoos as the journey of acquiring it is a lengthy and grueling one.

Recruitment
The Synister Syndicate recruit only the best operatives they can find among mundanes and metahumans. Although the group consists of largely metahumans, the people in power are largely mundanes. According to a source, they have ongoing dossiers on many potentials. In some circumstances, the Synister Syndicate will kill off a potential recruit's close contacts or relatives to place them in a position more suitable to commit to the organization. For example, the Synister Syndicate killed the sister of Straxx so that he would commit to the group.

The Synners (a term for members of the group) are paid handsomely and have access to cutting-edge weapons and augmentations. In their line of work, Synners must execute their orders without hesitation or question, even when it involves killing civilians in cold blood. To prove their ruthlessness, recruits are rumored to be required to successfully commit a murder before they can be given their tattoo.