The Wardens

 are a superhero organization based in New York Central, that was formed out of the remnants of the Protectorate following Gold Morning.

Modus operandi
Some considered them a successor to the PRT. Although a large and powerful group, they were not a government-sponsored national team in the same way the Protectorate was. They did not have civilian oversight, and were arguably less transparent than the PRT.

They would certify certain cape groups and lend support. They provide coordination between the teams, and likely organized the lottery to determine which hero teams would deal with which district.

Compared to PRT, the Wardens seem to provide their affiliated capes with a degree of autonomy, staking on their own experience and competency, but dipping into semi-autonomous subgroups when situation demands. It was compared to the PRT accreditation of other teams.

Direct Wardens members usually prioritize threats from the higher-end of the spectrum, such as Ogun, Sleeper and Machine Army, leaving mid- and low-level threat to affiliated teams.

As an organization they have been on guard for conspiracy and internal feuding, while counterintuitive over the short term it is meant to help achieve their long term goals.

Structure
The Wardens included a number of teams under their banner, including some that were not originally a part of the Protectorate. These sub-teams were sometimes known as "cells", and had their own individual leaders.

The Wardens continue to employ group of Guild-supported exPRT-veterans – Dragon's Teeth.

Main Teams

 * Advance Guard
 * Foresight
 * The Attendant/The Shepherds
 * The Flock

Lesser Teams

 * Kings of the Hill
 * Wayfinders
 * The Navigators
 * Breakthrough
 * Auzure
 * PRTCJ
 * The Huntsmen
 * Rooftop Champs
 * Girls at Bat
 * Super Magic Dream Parade
 * Erring Right

Background
Eden envisioned a possible future where the Wardens were the enemies of the Shepherds, who they believed had created powerful "superweapons". In reality, Eden herself was influencing them both to prevent peace. However, this future never came to pass and Eden was slain.

Post-Gold Morning
The Wardens were established and became one of the many groups that was trying to fill the gap that the Protectorate left with its collapse.

Several ex-villains eventually joined. The Wardens provided minor support for Goddess' Cluster, two of them became Warden employees, two other receive financial support on a regular basis. Some other Shin parahumans also applied to Wardens for a refugee status.

They located their heavily fortified headquarters in New York Central area of The City near the largest cluster of inter-dimensional portals.

Glow-Worm
Over two years after Gold Morning the Wardens had become an umbrella organization with numerous other hero teams working under their certification and supervision.

When Weld returned, he was given a position as the leader of a Wardens team.

Early Ward
The Wardens were spread thin. Numerous comparisons to the PRT were drawn and the damage from Gold Morning was felt dearly.

The legal wing of the Wardens participates heavily in forming the new government and law structure.

Post-Fallen fall
The Wardens Headquarters got demolished by portals. Personnel loss was not specified. Despite ensuing strain on resources, they continue to deal with the outside threats to The City and its settlements.

Valkyrie and her flock were deployed against numerous threats the wardens had to deal with.

Post-Goddess' Takeover
The displaced headquarters was located.

Some Wardens under Narwhals command were mobilised to protect Brockton Bay and its time bubbles from March and her team.

Post-Time Bubble Pop
New headquarters was organized, the Bunker, hidden on uninhabited Earth.

The Wardens agreed to banish uncontainable parahumans to another Earth. Necessary portal-creating equipment was provided by Lookout and placed in their new HQ.

Assisted in arresting Orchard.

The Wardens rallied a response to Teacher's attack on The City's infrastructure. They also accepted assistance of Tattletale and started hiding at-risk parahumans at their bunker.

The Wardens deployed against Teacher at the same time as Shin Diplomatic Crisis happened. After initial reports of success their main team disappeared without a trace.

They gathered the second assault, and put another three teams against Teacher as a last-ditch attempt.

Post-Attack on Teacher
After the battle Wardens partially moved into the Cauldron Compound to oversee thralls recovery and make use of leftover equipment and real estate.

They started demanding immediate evacuation of The City and applying pressure on remaining villains staying in the way of it.

The Wardens received a visit from Kid Cassandra and Gary Nieves, who were heavily questioned about their previous activities and plans.

They started investigation into Breakthrough and their venture into The Shard Realm, benching the team and related parahumans, and confiscating their tinker-tech.

The Flock were given opportunity to meet with their people.

Following the invasion of Shin super-weapon into The City borders and The Kronos Titan attempt to stop it, Wardens were mobilized and prepared to engage both. Kronos was urged to stand down by Chevalier. And The Red Queen was persuaded to change the method of attack by Victoria Dallon. Wardens' capes stayed to oversee it.

The Ice Breaks
Following the Breaking of the Ice the Wardens decided to selectively engage the Titans for the sake of stalling them and collecting information. They extend mobilization to everyone willing to assist and introduce affiliated capes to the information about the Shardspace.

They decided to assist The Kronos Titan and proceed with Victoria Dallon's plan to sent unpowered volunteers into The Shardspace. Later, they send Case 53s together with Faultline’s Crew, Breakthrough, and some others against the Titan Fortuna.

They continued fighting the growing number of Titans, but were forced to switch priorities to The Simurgh, once she reached the active stages of her plan. Ziz quickly brought the fight to the Wardens by invading their compound.

The Wardens were eventually pressured into assisting Titan Fortuna and, as a consequence, proceeding with Antares' plague, with Defiant, Dragon, and Chevalier taking the lead.

The Wardens decided to start forcibly administering plague to their most dangerous prisoners and capture Chris Elman as precautions. Their unpowered personnel was tasked with the dissemination of an escape plan to the refugees.

Ward Epilogue
They plan to resurrect Fume Hood and Dauntless.