Chameleon's Corruption

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                Venom. As much as it should; try to not let the thick fog of pollution, poor weather and heavily militarized government scare you. While it's true that it certainly doesn't have the best reputation in the Lylat System it's good to sometimes step back and put things into context. Contrary to popular belief; just like on any other planet the majority of Venom's population live entirely normal lives, separated from the actions of their notorious leaders and serving the only community they know in whatever way they can. Grocers, chefs, farmers, doctors... Spend a day in one of the suburban districts and you might start mistaking it for any other town you could have grown up in. Keeping that in mind, however, it goes without saying that the reputation the planet has didn't go unearned. The darker, less civil side of the society was something that couldn't be ignored; especially if you were unfortunate enough to have been born into it.

The cities in particular were large, overpopulated and unclean; the results of many years of both constant expansion and constant neglect. The biggest example of this was none other than the capital metropolis known as NuVenom; a massive, sprawling city that played the role of a central economic hub. There was a small percentage of the population that was rich enough to live in the lavish upper-tiers of NuVenom's society but apart from them it served as a practical dumping ground for undesirables. The overpopulated streets were crowded with the homeless, criminals, low-wage workers and everybody else who couldn't afford to move elsewhere. Needless to say that crime was rampant and the police were underfunded, it had been that way for so long that the populace had grown used to it.

It wasn't all dreary and depressing though. There was a certain charm that could be found buried under the layers of grime and for millions, this place was home. The nighttime aesthetic was uniquely unparalleled; neon signs, billboards and other advertisement-bearing screens lit up in bright colors all vying for your attention. No matter what time of day it was there were always ships coming and going as well as thousands of people bustling about in the streets. There was always something happening and that was a particular kind of allure that one could only find in a degenerative, vice-filled city like this one.

Leon Powalski's story wasn't much different from the stories that could be told for many of the orphans who lived on the streets of NuVenom. The household he was born into was poor and his parents irresponsible; both mother and father struggled to hold down any meaningful, long-term employment and would leave himself and his brother, Lars, on their lonesome for long stretches of time. Lars was only two years older than Leon but, still technically being the eldest, he was always the one to man up and take charge of things. Cooking, cleaning, shopping... At times he came across as more responsible than the people who were supposed to be raising him.

Being so frequently abandoned unfortunately meant that committing to getting an education was a big struggle for the growing boys. The closest school was still too far away to walk and they didn't have reliable transportation. That, coupled with the fact that they were mal-equipped to handle a normal school day, meant that even when they did find their way there they still weren't known to get good marks. Their poor grades, unreliable schedule and lack of sociability all added together to culminate in both of the cold-blooded chameleons dropping out at depressingly young ages. But, keeping on the brighter side of things; they had a warm apartment to sleep in, enough food to get by and a working television. The necessities in the eyes of eleven and thirteen year olds.

Tragically, however, even simple comforts such as those weren't to last forever. When they were together the parents' arguing was ceaseless, resulting in the times that they were away being stretched for longer and longer. It grew to a point where, secretly, Leon would wish that they would just leave him alone, that he could just be with Lars and didn't have to worry about his parents anymore. Somebody, somewhere must have been listening because his wish came true. Eventually there came the day that everybody expected; Dad just didn't come home. They waited, called around... Even talked to the police but, of course, that didn't go anywhere. Mom's mental state deteriorated as she scrambled trying to make ends meet but when it finally sunk in that the math simply wouldn't work out without him around, she took the easy way out; the traumatizing bang of a gunshot resonating from her room late one evening making it clear that Leon and Lars were now left all alone in this world. Despite his young age Leon's older brother had already begun maturing and he proved it that night. Stories went around about what happened to kids who went to orphanages on this side of town so instead of letting fate decide what would happen to them next, Lars set aside his grief and sprung into action. That very same night he threw together some bags, grabbed his younger sibling by the hand and took him to the streets. He knew they'd be better off this way.