Chapter Text
The crowd cheered as Floyd strummed the last chord on his guitar.
"Thanks for coming out everyone." Floyd said into the mic. "This crowd was amazing!"
The crowd cheered louder and added in some whistles.
"As I mentioned before, this is my last show here in Mount Rageous. I'm moving onto to some other cities." Floyd said, "I'll definitely come back though, I love the vibe of this place."
The crowd got impossibly louder. Floyd was glad he put ear plugs in before the show.
He slung his guitar around so it settled on his back.
"Goodnight, Mount Rageous!" Floyd waved and bowed, then walked backstage, taking his ear plugs out.
For the past couple months he had been playing at a club on the outskirts of Mount Rageous called The Turntable. It was where lesser known artists would come to show off their talents in hopes to make it big and be able to play at the Rage Dome.
As he walked through the curtains to backstage, a stage hand handed him a water bottle.
"Thanks Darla." Floyd said with a nod.
Darla was a Funk troll. With pink limbs, purple and yellow stripped fur, and messy yellow hair on top of her head.
Floyd had been shocked to learn different kinds of trolls existed outside of the Troll Tree. Not just different in looks, but in music too.
He also discovered that most of the other genres were either terrified of him or hostile towards him. He found out later it was because he was a "Pop Troll"
Floyd had managed to get the whole history from a Techno troll. How the Pop Ancestors wanted all music to be Pop.
He had told the Techno troll that he had no idea. No one in the Tree knew about the Strings or the history behind it. It made him feel guilty about what his ancestors did.
Just a week ago he had heard about the Rock-Apocalypse, that had happened a year prior. That Queen Poppy of the Pop Trolls had stopped it and united all the genres. Even created Trollstopia so all trolls could live together in harmony.
Floyd was late to hear the news because 1. He had been running from an abusive relationship of one year when it happened. He remembers wandering, trying to find any type of civilization when his music disappeared and he turned grey.
He had sent himself into a panic attack, but before he could spiral too far it was back.
And 2. Mount Rageous didn't really care about troll news unless it was about some rising star.
He now knew that the Pop Trolls had escaped the tree and had settled just north of Bergen Town. That was his next stop, now that his contract was up. He had to see Branch and Grandma. He promised to come back after all. Better late then never. He told himself filled with guilt.
Snapping back to the present, Floyd walked over to the trolls section of backstage. It was a little area set up under the snack table so the bigger artists, like the Rageons and Vacationers wouldn't step on them.
He set his water bottle of the small vanity and reached for his guitar case. He set it on the ground and opened it. He swung his guitar back to his front and unclasped the strap and set the guitar in his the case, closing it shut with a snap.
"You sounded amazing, Daddy!" A small voice said from his hair.
His eyes flicked up and saw the same amethyst eyes staring back at him upside-down. The one good thing that came from his abusive relationship.
Pulling the trolling from his hair, he tickled his stomach. The trolling shrieked with laughter.
"And you did such a good job staying still through the whole show." Floyd said, nuzzling their noses together, pulling out their ear plugs.
Asher, his son nuzzled his nose right back with a wide grin in his face. He was Floyd's mini me in every way, besides the color of his fur, which was a deep purple. He even wore matching black belted pants. While Floyd was shirtless, Asher had a small green vest on, similar to the one he had left with Branch.
Asher had just turned one a couple days ago and was not as near as sensitive as Floyd, which he was grateful for. He was a very quiet kid, unless he was telling a story or singing.
He was surprisingly an easy baby, just how Branch was. Soft spoken, but could sing just about anything.
Floyd loved his little boy with all his heart and he would give him the world if he could.
"Are you ready to go Ash?" Floyd asked, adjusting him onto hip.
"Yes, Daddy!" Asher shouted. "On to Pop Village!"
Floyd chuckled as he stooped down to pick up his guitar case and one handedly put the strap over his head. He moved it slightly to fit comfortably on his back.
"Alright, kiddo, let's go." Floyd said, heading towards the exit.
"Floyd! Wait." Darla called out. He stopped and turned back towards her. She walked up to him holding out an envelope.
"Here's your check for you last show." Darla said, with a smile.
"Thanks again, Darla." Floyd said taking the envelope and putting into his hair. "I'll see you later."
"Good luck on your journey." Darla said, with a nod of her head. She turned to Asher. "Good bye, little one."
Asher shyly waved, then hid his face in Floyd's neck. Floyd smiled and gave his own wave as Darla walked back to the entrance of the stage.
Floyd turned back towards the exit and took a deep breathe.
"Here we go." Floyd said more to himself than to Asher.
He pushed the Troll sized door open and stepped out into the bustling night air. The smog was thick and it felt like it clung to Floyd's hair and fur. He couldn't wait to get out of this polluted city. It always smelled of exhaust and rotten food.
He missed the smell of the forest and the fresh fallen rain in the soft mossy grass.
Floyd began their trek down the side walk, heading to Troll Underground, which was a city build just for trolls under the very streets that the Rageons walked on every day.
Troll Underground had accommodations for every Troll genre. From Pop to Classical and even the sub genres.
Floyd and Asher had been living there for the past 4 months or so. Floyd was still chasing his dream of being a solo artist but the industry was rough. Way harder out here than it ever was in the Tree. Maybe he could rent a beetle bike from the Rock trolls to get to Pop Village faster.
Floyd had fully intended to go back for Branch once he made it big, but he had failed to attract the right audience that would enjoy his music. One year turned into two, two years turned into five. Then he fell in with a bad crowd and lost himself for a few years.
He had dabbled in ring pops at first, then it moved to rock candy, and finally something called fun dip.
When he had finally realized what he was doing he checked himself into a rehab center on the outskirts of Rock Troll territory. By then it had been twelve years since he left the tree.
Floyd had been devastated about how many years he had wasted. The rehab center helped him a lot. Had even provided him a therapist.
He spent three years there and vowed to never touch that stuff again. Today he was eight years sober.
He had almost relapsed while in his abusive relationship, but thankfully he had been able to escape before he had.
Asher had really been his saving grace. His biggest motivation to never turn that way again. He had hated himself then, he has the self harm scars scattered along his forearms to prove it. The white scars harsh against his cyan skin.
When Asher came along, he didn't know anyone could take up his whole heart the way he did. He never knew how he had ever lived without him. He was his heart and soul.
"Daddy, can we sing?" Asher asked as they turned into the alley where the entrance to Troll Underground was.
"Of course, Ash. You start." Floyd said, kissing his forehead.
"Skidamarink a dink a dink, Skidamarink a doo, I love you" Asher started singing, after a moment.
Floyd smiled, this was Asher's favorite song that he sung to him while he was still an egg.
"Skidamarink a dink a dink, Skidamarink a doo, I love you." Floyd sang back.
The next part they both sang. Their voices blending seamlessly.
"I love you in the morning, And in the afternoon, I love you in the evening, And underneath the moon, oh, Skidamarink a dink a dink, Skidamarink a doo, I love -"
Floyd stopped singing and walking abruptly when he heard shuffling to his right.
Asher was stock still with just his ears swiveling. Listening. He had spent the first months of his life in a forest and learned how to listen for danger. Listening for anything that wanted to eat them.
Every instinct in Floyd's body was flaring up in his body, telling him to run. Telling him to hide. He felt like he was back at the Tree. Waiting for a Bergen to snatch them up. Something was watching them.
Floyd could see the door to Troll Underground. He just needed to get there before what ever was there got them.
Without warning he took off in a run, making Asher gasp.
Before he even took three steps a white hand gripped around him and jerk up. The movement made Floyd lose his grip on Asher.
"NO! ASHER!" Floyd cried reaching down as his son fell.
Another white hand shot out catching Asher. Then closed another hand around him.
"Please, don't hurt him!" Floyd begged, not taking his eyes off the hands that trapped his son. "He's just a baby!"
"Daddy!" Asher's muffled yell came from the enclosed hands.
His parental instinct took over as he wiggled and fought to get to his son. He then bit down on the hand that held him.
Floyd heard a scream from the one that was holding him. He felt the hand squeeze him hard, making his guitar case push painfully into his back.
"Knock it off!" A girl's voice yelled at him, "or I will hurt your precious baby!"
Floyd immediately released his hold on the girl's hand and looked up in fear at the Rageon. Her skin was pale white, she had green hair, pink lips, and blue eyes. Which were staring at him menacingly.
Floyd started to shake, but swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Please, don't hurt my son." He pleaded.
"We won't, if you comply." The girl said.
"Sis, the book never said anything about baby trolls." The other Rageon said. Floyd whipped his head around to look at the one who had his son. It turn out to be a boy that look similar but had green lips instead. Most likely twins.
"Don't worry, Veneer." The girl said sweetly. "We'll use it as collateral, to make this troll listen. Now put that one in a bottle and hand me another one."
There was movement as the boy now known as Veneer held Asher in one hand and used the other to dig through a shoulder bag.
Veneer pulled out what looked to be a purple perfume bottle. He spun the top open and put his son through the hole.
Floyd watched as his son fell through the hole and with a small thump hit the bottom and instantly started crying.
He started struggling again, but the girl squeezed even harder, taking his breath away and the guitar case started to crack.
"What did I just say?!" She screamed. Floyd's ears were ringing as he covered them. In one swift movement the guitar case was ripped from him, the strap burning across his chest before it snapped in half.
Floyd cried out in pain at the rough treatment. He watched her throw the case to the ground. It splintered on contact. Pieces of wood and sheet music littered the ground.
Before he could get his bearings again he was shoved through the opening of another purple bottle. Floyd yelped in pain as his right ankle twinged when he landed.
Both the bottles Floyd and Asher were in were shoved into the bag. Everything went dark as the two Rageons ran out of the alley, making the bottles clink against each other.
"Daddy, I'm scared." Asher cried, trying to keep himself from sliding around the smooth bottle.
"I know, baby." Floyd said to the darkness. He didn't know what these two were going to with them, but whatever it was it couldn't be good. "I'll figure a way out of this ok."
Floyd didn't feel so sure if he could. He hadn't been fast enough to get them out of harms way. He hated that he couldn't protect his only baby.
He just wants to hold him close and hug him, but he can't because he wasn't strong enough. So instead he just hugs himself, repeating 'you're ok.' We're going to be ok.' 'Daddy will figure it out.' 'I love you Ash.'
Floyd has to figure this out, he needs to get his baby out and away from these two lunatics and away from this city.
He wishes he would have left as soon as he heard about Pop Village. He and Asher would have been safe there. With Branch and Grandma. Maybe his other brothers were there too.
The bag shifts and feels like it's put on a solid surface. He hears muffled voices of the two Rageons, but cant make out what they are saying. The bottles settle and the flap on the bag opens slightly and let's a small bit of light in.
Asher's bottle is to Floyd's right. His heart breaks as he sees his baby curled into a ball, crying with his eyes closed tight.
Floyd scoots as close as he can to his son.
"I'm here, Ash." Floyd whispers. Asher's eyes flutter open and find Floyd.
"Daddy." Asher cries. He uncurls from the ball and scoots as close as he can to Floyd.
Floyd begins to repeat his mantra from earlier and watches as Asher slowly falls asleep.
After a few minutes, Floyd hears two slams and a quiet roar. The bag and bottles slightly vibrate.
Floyd figures they must be in a Rageon vehicle. They are taking them to a new location to do Muses knows what to them.
Floyd hope he figures out how to escape before they hurt them.