This story, like most things, is best experienced with a killer soundtrack. If you'd like to listen in, here's your first song recommendation: Suburbia (The Full Horror) by Pet Shop Boys
On June 31st, the sky turned black and the citizens of the city were transformed into amphibians.
It was pretty much downhill from there.
[scroll pan of city skyline, Rogue Rutabaga, Ax playing synth keyboard]
There we go.
That's him.
Ax Olotl — a little to bold to follow the rules, a little to smart to break them. During office curfew, he's an accounting intern at one of the local blank-faced banking corporations. After work, he's out here playing electronica on the street corners for the dull promise of extra cash.
[Clink! A coin falls in the tip jar, Ax looks up]
"Thanks—"
[A frog in a beanie, sunglasses and sweatshirt looks down at him]
"Don't mention it, kid. There's a surprise Angler patrol a block down. If you ain't chill with a stint in the Tower for disturbing the peace, I recommend you run."
[Ax looks worried, grabs tip jar and speaker, looks down, starts zipping up keyboard case] "Shoot. Thanks, man."
"I said, don't mention it." [The last few words are pink and glitchy]
[Ax looks back up, to see the frog has lowered his sunglasses to reveal Illuminex's i glowing in his eyes.
"Shoot."
Oh yeah.
Anglers.
[The frog's body explodes into a monster with spiky legs and teeth]
[Ax starts running]
Just another perk the City has to offer.
[The main Angler chases]
See, ever since your friendly neighborhood evil overlord Illuminex blotted out the sun and took over the city, things have been a little different around here.
[Ax is running through alleys, panting]
On one hand, creativity is outlawed, music is a crime, and artists are thrown in jail. On the other hand — well, that'd been the Anglers.
Meet your lovely local law enforcement.
[Ax ducks into an alley behind a dumpster]
There's two kinds, as far as we know — this beastly looking type here, and these floating snitches:
[two glowing Fishbowls pull up and start blaring:] FUGITIVE LOCATION IDENTIFIED. FUGITIVE LOCATION IDENTIFIED.
[Ax looks down into the Tips? jar and sees the "coin" the Stalker gave him blinking magenta]
"Seriously? A freaking tracker?"
[Dumps out the few coins and bills on the ground and runs, scrambling over alley fence]
[Fishbowls circle the tracker, blaring:] ERROR ERROR ERROR
A little stupid, but hey, nobody's perfect.
[Ax jumps off a trash can to a fire escape, climbs to the top floor, climbs in through the windows, sirens fading]
[Jogs down short corridor towards his room, flings open the door, rushes in, slams]
Home sweet home.
[Leans against door, panting, freezes in shock]
[Sees room, there's a girl sitting on his bed, silhouetted by the blue lighting of the window]
Now here's where things start getting interesting.
---
[Ax tenses]
"Who the heck are you?"
[The girl stands up and turns to face him]
"Oh yay, you're finally here."
[Ax scowls, hands out, defensive]
"How did you find my apartment? I ditched the tracker!"
[The girl pokes his bed with her foot, the room is very messy]
"Not much of an apartment — Tracker? You're being followed?"
[She straightens up, looks alarmed]
"Yeah, the fricking tracker your creepy buddy out there dropped in my tips jar!"
"What?"
"Your tracker? The one I dropped in the alley? Your Angler patrol? You're not very smart for one of Illuminex's Anglers."
[The girl laughs and plops back down on his bed.]
"I'm no Angler."
[Ax doesn't let his guard down]
"The heck you aren't. Any second now, you're going to do that weird thing with your eyes—"
"Huh? You mean this?"
[The girl stretches her eyes wide open and makes a weird face, rocking side to side]
"Oooh, I'm a creepy deepy Angler, oooh, imma take you to prison, oooh. You mean that weird thing?"
[Ax begins looking a little confused]
"If you're not an Angler, what the heck are you doing in my home?"
"I'm here to recruit you."
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