Janus blinked as he adjusted his eyes to the sudden change in illumination. No longer was he in a dark alley. The streetlights lit up the area in a more traditional manner, casting bright light in all directions as opposed to brilliant column-like beacons. His eyes scanned the area up ahead; just beyond the alley he could see a sidewalk that led to an intersection. Towering buildings with bright windows and colorful glowing signs served as a backdrop for the city. Itzel and Gurk maintained their pace, taking a right turn out of the alley while Janus took a moment so his vision could adjust. Realizing that they were leaving without him, Janus sprinted forward.

Upon turning the corner, a pair of yellow circular lights flew towards him. Janus put his hands over his head, jumping to the side to avoid them. The flying object whizzed by him by a good margin, but what caught his attention was that a rush of air passed above him. He looked behind him to see what that object was. It was vaguely car-shaped, but more streamlined regarding its curves. The darkness obscured the vehicle’s finer details, but the nighttime lighting made the blue trail that followed it all the more distinct as it raised its elevation to what looked to be a higher lane.

“What in the world?” Janus whispered to himself. His head angled upwards, revealing more of those floating vehicle traversing stories above him. Despite being awestruck, he soon realized that focusing on the traffic meant he was diverting his attention away from his saviors. He looked forward, and upon noticing that he was getting left behind, closed in the distance between him and the other two with a short hop.

“We did our part of the deal,” Itzel said without turning behind her. Janus sped up, making his way to her side. “Time for you to scram.”

“I appreciate what you did for me,” Janus said as he caught his breath. He didn’t look at Itzel; instead, his attention was on the other side of the street. People of all shapes, sizes, colors and species trekked the sidewalk. Most were standard humans like himself, all dressed in a wide manner of attire that made it difficult to pinpoint a specific trend. Throughout the crowd he could see an assortment of animal features stick out through the standard humans. Tails. Antlers. Long fluffy ears. None of them were quite as unhuman as Gurk, but the ones he did see stood out from the rest of the populace.

“Uh-huh.” Itzel’s march remained untampered by Janus’ remarks.

“But would it be at all possible for you to reconsider your position?” Janus continued, stepping forward so he remained one step ahead of the woman. He was visible in her peripheral view, but she still paid him no mind. “Your friend seems willing to help. Isn’t that right, Mister Gurk?”

The crocodile shrugged his shoulders while emitting a low grunt. “Hmm…”

“Gurk’s a nice guy, but he’s gotta eat just like everyone else. We’re not a couple of tour guides. You see all these fine people walking the streets? Go try bugging one of them.”

“But you said that not having one of those… Implant… things is illegal,” Janus said in a low whisper. He stepped out of the way for a bulky man with large elephant ears attached to his normal human head to squeeze past him and Itzel. “What happens if I get caught? Will I get arrested? Executed?”

Itzel stopped in her tracks, rolling her eyes as she turned to Janus. “Stop being so dramatic. Worst case scenario is they’ll detain you for a couple of days before hauling you back to the Outskirts. And knowing those weirdos, you’ll probably feel right at home there.”

“I see. And what exactly are the Outskirts like?” There was a twinge in Janus’ voice. His eyes were wide open. His body trembled. His entire demeanor radiated fear.

“You’ll find out for yourself soon enough, I’m sure. Now this is goodbye. For real.” Itzel put her pointer finger a few inches from Janus’ face. “You keep following us and you’ll end up like those Lurkers back at the refinery. Understand?”

Janus nodded.

“Good. Now let’s get going, Gurk.” Itzel turned her head, but her crocodile companion wasn’t behind her. “Gurk? Now where did you run off to?”

Janus saw a long blue tail slip into an open door a few paces behind him, knocking down a folding menu sign in the process. “I think he went that way!” he said as he gestured with his thumb as he made a jaunt towards the building.

“Hey! What did I just say?” Itzel exclaimed as she followed, stopping in front of the open door. Gazing inside, she immediately realized that it was a diner that had caught her friend’s attention. A black and white checkered floorboard covered every square inch of the ground. Along the walls were blue booths and tables. The entire building was dimly lit as the main source of lighting came from dingy ceiling lights and flickering blue signs shaped in the words “GRUB ON” that were plastered on the walls.

On the far end of the store was an assortment of cooked meats and dishes behind a glass counter. Gurk’s back was towards her, his head moving slowly towards the right as he surveyed his options. Janus stood adjacent, staring at the array of food with him. There were a couple other patrons in the restaurant as well, both taking a break from eating their food to cast confused and worried gazes upon the crocodile standing in front of the counter.

“What are you staring at, huh? Just keep eating,” Itzel barked at the older woman who had taken her eyes off her soup to scrutinize Gurk from a safe distance. The customer returned to her meal while Itzel continued towards her friend. “It’s like people have never seen a Neo-Sapia before,” she said in a low voice, but just loud enough for the customer to hear. She then stood beside the crocodile, looking at him and then looking at the food in case. It didn’t take long for her to realize what had caught Gurk’s attention.

“You’re looking at that dish, huh?” Itzel pointed to a medium-sized bowl of steaming cauliflower.

“Yeah,” Gurk replied with a nod. Itzel could see his red tongue jut out between his jaw as he licked his jagged teeth before retracting it again.

“Of course. But for two thousand tokens? You know it’s not going to fill you up.”

“Don’t care.” He replied in his typical slow and deep manner. Gurk’s entire body moved up and down as he scanned the area for an employee that could assist him.

“Two thousand tokens? But you said that exterminating a Lurker only earns you one,” Janus said before poking his head from the other side of Gurk’s wide girth.

“Yeah. I know.” Itzel remained focused on the other options of food available.

“The elimination of two thousand Lurkers is worth one bowl of cauliflower?”

“Took you that long to figure it out, huh?” Itzel put one hand on the counter and leaned forward to see if there was an employee in the kitchen. “Is there anyone working the front?” she shouted.

“I assure you that I understand basic arithmetic.” Janus’ demeanor became stern. He walked around Gurk to look directly at Itzel. His arms were crossed as he gave Itzel the same kind of somber gaze that she had been giving him all this time. “I posed that question to figure out why a simple bowl of cauliflower is worth who knows how many hours of Lurker slaying.”

“I would have assumed it was common knowledge. But as I’ve learned, you’re not all that common.” Itzel turned around and leaned her back against the counter, propping herself up by her arms that rested on top of it. “Cauliflower is a rare crop. Lurkers are the most common and weakest type of Essencima. Plain and simple.”

“Thank you. Was that so hard?”

Itzel turned her head towards Gurk who remained fixated on the food inside the display. “Come on. Hurry up so we can get out of here.”

“Dine in,” the crocodile replied, adjusting his head just enough so he could look at his human friend.

“What? Why?” Itzel moaned.

“Music.” Gurk pointed towards the ceiling with one of his fingers. His head began swaying to the soft jazz melody that became apparent once he pointed it out.

“But if we dine in, we’ll have to stay with-“ Itzel looked at Janus. He remained in the same pose and expression from moments ago.

“How can I help you today?” An unenthused male voice blurted. All three turned to look at the employee; he was short and pale save for the dark splotches that were scattered across his face while being dressed in a blue button up shirt that matched the rest of the interior. Between the two spotted dog ears that drooped over his black bowl cut was a white folding hat that bore the words “GRUB ON” in dark blue lettering. His eyes widened upon seeing the large crocodile looming over the register. He took a step back before regaining his composure after noticing the other two beside him.

Gurk pointed to the food he wanted. “Cauliflower. Please?”

“A-alright. Anything else for you?” the employee asked.

Gurk turned towards Janus. “Hungry?” he asked with an inquisitive tone.

“Me?” Janus pointed to himself with his thumb.

Gurk nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Janus put his hand over his stomach; he could feel it rumbling through his jacket. He then stole a quick glance at Itzel. She shook her head disapprovingly.

“This is why you’re always broke. You’re spending two grand on a bowl of cauliflower and now you’re giving this guy dinner? And I know you’re going to ask to stop by somewhere else later tonight. No way that’s going to fill you up.”

Gurk tilted his head away. “Sorry.”

“It’s your money,” Itzel said as she shrugged her shoulders. “Do what you want with it.”

“Hey Gurk,” Janus said as he placed a hand on the crocodile’s scaly arm. He was surprisingly chilly to the touch, making Janus retract his hand upon contact. “I appreciate it. I’ll make sure to make it up to you.” Janus smiled, followed by patting the crocodile on the back of his jacket.

“Welcome,” Gurk replied. Despite the limited articulation of his mouth, Janus could make out a grin on the crocodile’s face.