Colossus By Design: Season 2 - Log 95

[April 25, 2166]
["La Favela Merda"]
[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]
[Colony State - Canadian Super-Nation]

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La Favela Merda........ the shit slum.

Although the name might be an exaggeration to an extent, it isn't so far from the truth as to be a complete fabrication. Indeed, the locals have very good reason for their choice of words to describe the area: it's dirt poor.

In this day and age, most countries have a very good standard of life, with resources made abundant by economically sound yet also environmentally friendly methods and distributed evenly by the Global Union of Divisions. The major companies of the world merely supply government-sanctioned institutions, and in turn they're allowed to provide surplus to the general populace at their own leisure.

However, the outskirts of the South American continent were not so lucky. Even so many years later, with the majority of the inner regions of the continent decimated by nuclear and biological weapons, the stretches of land closest to the coastline quickly became overcrowded and understaffed by government officials. It is because of this influx of people, and not enough resources to go around, that the slums of the 21st century made their second coming.

As with any area dominated by poverty and a lack of infrastructure, gang activity has skyrocketed, potent enough that, due to their size, the larger organized crime syndicates have created their own separate black market economy throughout the coast-bound communities.

So great is their influence that the G.U.D. hasn't been able to retake the majority of the eastern coast through regular diplomatic means. Indeed, the only way to reclaim the territories lost to the crime syndicates would be a full military assault, something that the politicians would rather avoid. Thus, the many slums and hollowed shells of formerly great cities remain primarily as gang territory.

In one particularly dangerous alleyway in La Favela Merda, a group of gangsters, armed with rather advanced energy-based firearms that contrast greatly with their ragged and torn up clothing, is waiting by a drug runner's house. The three of them look rather nervous, with the two teenage gangsters anxiously pacing in front of a dumpster.

All of a sudden, a streak of black with blue lightning appears, faster than the eye can see, prompting the gangsters to bring their weapons up; they're shaking like they'd just seen a ghost. The manifestation simply stares at the group with a look of disapproval in its eyes. Finally, it stops vibrating its body, revealing a black-clad character that speaks in a voice that can only be described as demonic.


(Zoom): Do you have it?


The three gangsters look at each other frantically, at first unsure of how to respond.


(Zoom): I said.......


The dark speedster suddenly dashes at the elderly gang member, grabbing him by the throat and holding him up against the nearby wall.


(Zoom): DO YOU HAVE IT?!?!


The elderly gangster nods his head furiously; Zoom releases his grip on the man, allowing him to fall onto the ground. He then turns sharply towards the teenage members, quite understandably unsettling them. However, the old man nods towards them, prompting the two to enter the drug runner's rundown old house; several minutes pass by, filled with shouting, the sounds of objects being thrown, and plasma being fired off.

Finally, the two teenagers bring out a large white briefcase, completely covered in biohazard warning stickers that are all from one company: S-Death Materials.

The black-clad speedster swiftly takes the briefcase, opening it up with just the slightest hint of enthusiasm. But what lies within? Inside the biohazard-grade holding case from S-Death Materials is a single large injection device, housing a vial of yellow liquid stamped with a single sticker that reads as follows:

"WARNING! VELOCITY-1 IS HIGHLY VOLATILE! EFFECTS ARE STILL BEING TESTED! PLEASE REPORT TO DR. SAVAGE BEFORE CONDUCTING EXPERIMENTS WITH VELOCITY-1"


(Zoom): Ahhhh........ just what the doctor ordered.


Zoom proceeds to inject himself with the Velocity-1 formula, causing a sudden surge of blue electricity to course around his body. This naturally sends the three gangsters scrambling for cover behind the dumpster; the electricity dies down after a few seconds, and the gang members slowly move out from their hiding spot, nervous yet also curious.

The elderly member is the first to speak up out of all the gangsters.


(Angelo Barreto) Is....... is it to your liking, Mister Zoom?

(Zoom): Perhaps....... but you and your lackeys better get started on more. Maybe even look for ways to improve it. I need all the speed I can get, if I'm gonna go through with my plans.

(Angelo Barreto): O-Of course, Mister Zoom! Anything to get back my dear Gabriella--

(Zoom): ENOUGH!


Angelo Barreto shuts up immediately.


(Zoom): You will see your wife again when I determine your bootleg batches of the Velocity formula to be....... adequate. Do not disappoint me.


As quickly as he arrived, perhaps even faster, Zoom runs off, leaving behind scorch marks in the ground from where he was standing. However, these aren't just any burns, for they spell out a message, clearly intended to be read by the gangsters.

"ZOOM NEVER FORGETS. ZOOM ALWAYS KNOWS. REMEMBER ZOOM."