DC: Zoom

Orange lightning streaked through the city, weaving effortlessly between pedestrians and speeding cars. Loose papers swirled in the wake of sudden gusts, startled onlookers shielding their faces as the blur shot past.

The sharp wail of an alarm cut through the midday air. Inside the museum, a group of masked men struggled to lift a massive gemstone from its display, their movements rushed and labored.

Leonard Snart stood near the entrance, casually checking his watch. Sunlight gleamed off the sleek, silver barrel of his cold gun, frost already forming at the tip. He exhaled, his breath visible in the sudden chill around him. With a smirk, he snapped his fingers.

"Alright, folks, time's up. Cops will be here any minute—move it!"

The crew moved quickly, making their way toward the waiting getaway car. Just as they neared it, one of the men spotted a few civilians cowering behind a nearby bench. Without hesitation, he raised his gun, ready to silence them.

Before he could pull the trigger, Snart grabbed his shoulder, his grip firm. "Hey, we don't kill civilians. That's the code."

The man scoffed. "Yeah? Well, they saw our escape car—"

He barely finished his sentence before his body stiffened, ice creeping up his limbs. Snart lowered his freeze gun, the air around him still frosty. "And that's what happens when you don't follow the code."

The others exchanged uneasy glances before nodding, carefully loading the stolen jewel into the truck.

Then Snart felt it—a shift in the air, something he couldn't quite describe. A sudden gust, a crackle of energy.

Before he could react, a blur of red streaked toward them, a lightning bolt emblazoned on its chest.

Without hesitation, Snart pulled the trigger. A surge of icy blue shot forward, slicing through the air and locking onto its target. It struck with a sharp crack, sending the figure crashing to the ground, skidding across the pavement.

"Alright, move, move!" Snart barked as the crew scrambled into the truck. The engine roared to life. "Get us outta here!"

"Ahhh!" Barry screamed as he hit the concrete hard, pain jolting through his body. He tried to get back up, to run, but something was wrong. His movements felt sluggish—too slow.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered, struggling to regain his balance. He pushed forward, but his legs gave out again, sending him tumbling to the ground.

By the time he looked up, the truck had vanished down the street, sirens blaring in the distance as the police finally arrived.

Snart and his crew arrived at their hidden safehouse, the place as quiet and secluded as ever.

"Wow, I can't believe we pulled that off!" one of the men cheered, cracking open beers. Laughter filled the room, but Snart remained focused, already planning his next heist.

As they celebrated, the beers began to float upward, rising slowly into the air.

"Shit," Snart muttered under his breath, instincts kicking in. He reached for his freeze ray, aiming it at the door, but the moment he did, a figure materialized—unbothered by the closed door. Blue lightning crackled around the figure's dark suit as it moved with unnatural speed, ripping the freeze gun from Snart's hand.

Snart froze, his heart pounding. He tried to mask his fear, but there was no denying it—this thing didn't look human. Whispers had been spreading about a demon, but he'd never believed it. Now, it stood before him.

"It seems you're too slow," the figure rasped, its voice distorted and guttural, echoing unnaturally through the room.

Snart swallowed hard but kept his cool. "Zoom… if I'm not mistaken?"

The speedster stepped closer, blue lightning crackling around his suit, his blackened eyes piercing through the dim light. "Leonard… you are a man of… principles," he drawled, his voice dragging like a nightmare. "And that… is exactly what I need."

Snart's grip tightened at his sides. "And what do I get out of it?" he asked, a smirk creeping onto his face.

Zoom tilted his head slightly. "You love the thrill… you love robbing banks," he rasped, his voice echoing unnervingly through the room. "Well… I can offer you a get-out-of-jail-free card."

The other men in the room stood frozen, fear etched across their faces, not daring to move.

Snart chuckled, the tension rolling off him like ice. "That's a tempting offer," he said, his smirk widening. "But I assume I'll be getting paid as well?"

"Of course," Zoom's distorted voice echoed through the room. "You'll control a fraction of the city… but first, I need to break the unwilling souls."

Snart's smirk didn't waver. "I'm in."

"Good." Zoom's darkened gaze shifted to the rest of Snart's crew, who stood paralyzed in fear. "Now… your men." He stepped forward slightly, lightning crackling around him. "Make sure they understand… they work for me as well."

Before anyone could respond, Zoom vanished in a blur of blue lightning, leaving nothing but the scent of ozone and a thick tension in the air.

"What the hell was that?" one of them muttered.

"Some call him the 'Man-Beast,' others just say Zoom. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the names," Snart said, his tone cool and detached. "What I do know is that two days ago, they found bodies in a warehouse owned by the Crimsons. They're infamous for human trafficking, but somehow, their operation was shut down overnight. All because of that… man. Left one survivor to spread the word, and now it's all over the city."

Snart turned to the man beside him, a cold smirk curling on his lips. "Well, looks like things are about to get… interesting."