Chameleon's Corruption

2

                Afternoon or no, no matter what time of day it was NuVenom's sky was still as dank and dark as ever. Pollution was a real problem in the local atmosphere and it was very rare to get a good look at the sunlight, at most you would see a sickening reddish-green haze during peak daytime as the sun tried to force its way through layers of smog. The locals didn't mind so much, however, seeing as how the majority of them had grown up here because no matter what there were always a plethora of vice-addled people who were out wandering the streets looking for a cheap way to intoxicate themselves. If you were running a successful business somewhere in the city, statistically speaking you're probably the owner of a bar. Even the darkest, dingiest and most secluded of bars had their fair share of regulars and wouldn't you know that the darkest, dingiest and most secluded bar is precisely where the two lone Powalskis would spend what few credits they didn't care to save.

The Brazen Vixen; a valiant name for such a dumpy little hovel. Only a block from their apartment complex and neatly tucked away down a thin flight of stairs well far off from the beaten path, it was quite the obscure location to seek out. But despite the unclear signage, odd placement and lack of atmosphere it still managed to pull in enough patronage to have been around for as long as Leon and Lars could remember. The regulars were antisocial as one would expect but most of them had been coming here for years so one way or another the faces were all familiar; everyone was at least vaguely aware that nobody in this place was going to cause trouble and that's precisely how they liked to keep it. Only rarely would newcomers drop by and when they did, it was probably because they were already in the know. It was practically unheard of for somebody to just come in unannounced or without invitation.

When they weren't at home or out trying to scrounge together money, Leon and Lars could probably be found here; at the same table in the same corner they'd been sitting at ever since they were old enough to drink. Playful little knife etchings in the wood furnishings marked this domain as their own, two young men just trying to fulfill the natural desire to leave your mark on this world in any way possible. In fact, that's what Leon was doing at this very moment. A discreet little switch blade held in one hand was twisted into the tabletop with precision as the elder sibling watched, swirling the froth around in his pint glass.

"I wish you wouldn't do that." Lars eventually spoke up, "You know I like that knife."

"Oh but I'm drawing this one for you, consider it a gift." The younger teased as he eased up on the etchings. The 'gift' he'd left behind were two "L"s with a plus sign between them encapsulated in a half-finished heart. He proudly looked down at his work.

"Looks a lot like all of the others you've drawn on here. Which 'L' stands for 'Lars'? The first one or the second?"

"I'm leaving that bit up to your imagination."

"Mm, elusive as usual. C'mon, give me the knife back." He extended out his unfurled fingers and reluctantly Leon did as he was told, flipping the blade back into its handle and placing it in the awaiting palm. His brother wasn't wrong, in a way it was kind of a special knife. It was the same one that had been used to leave a prominent, notable scar on Lars's right cheek; stolen from their assailant after he was subdued with a rock brutally smashed against his noggin. With the memories themselves long in the past, the weapon and the mark it'd left behind served as daily reminders of what can happen out here when your guard is down.

"You're no fun."

"I'm just tired, Leon. It felt like we were out scrounging about in that alleyway for the entire morning."

"That's because we were." The smaller of the two reminded, Lars let out a defeated sigh before taking a swig of his beer. Not much of a drinker, all Leon had on his side of the table was a glass of water and some crumbs left behind from what used to be a sandwich. "Didn't you see the people start to look at us funny? We were looking around that area for longer than we should have."