Anxiety

Anxiety is the 'main' story of Mendax City, introducing the Magna College and the characters Joshua, Holly , Martin , Grace and Howard in Act 1, and is the first appearance of Jebediah the Red with the Orb Aqua Puella. Magruder is present in this story as a shadowy figure in Joshua's dreams, and in the conclusion as a telepathically manifested spirit.

It begins exploring the friendship between Holly and Grace, and their shared vision of the Oceanarium. Holly is portrayed as a kind and free spirit, lusted after by the arrogant Joshua. Grace is secretly envious of Holly's attractive nature, and falls into a destructive relationship with the sadistic drug-dealer Martin, due to her low self-esteem. Brian is mentioned throughout Act 1 as Joshua's best friend, however is absent for his involvement at the chronologically simultaneous A Death In The Family.

Holly has rejected Joshua on multiple occasions, but as he grows increasingly desperate to woo her, he changes tactics from arrogant advances to emotional blackmail. He tels Holly about his dreams of 'The Bully Bushman' - a character out of a story from his childhood that taunts his dreams. Holly belays her disdain for him and allows a friendship to blossom, eventually inviting him to the Oceanarium research site, which is supposed to be a secret between her and Grace.

Grace tries to conivince Holly that Martin is a good guy, but she is reluctant to trust him. He deals drugs to several students at Magna college, and spends a lot of time with Joshua and Brian. Several times a week, Martin goes to a strip club where he sits quietly in the corner, developing an addictive crush on the green-haired dancer Cassandra. He considers that he loves her, and is always thinking of her when he is with Grace, and treats her very poorly.

Eventually, Grace brings Martin to the Oceanarium site, only to find that Holly is already there with Joshua. Feeling betrayed, Grace goes with Martin into the nearby storm drains. Holly and Joshua follow them inside, and become lost in the labyrinth. Trapped in the dark, the four of them happen upon an armed team of soldiers scanning the area. The soldiers hear them walking around, and move in to capture them. They are all eventually caught and taken to the team's leader, who they discover to be Brian. Surprised to see him, they demand an explanation, which he is unwilling to give. Knowing that Brian has just lost his mother, they decide not to press him, and agree to keep quiet about what they have seen.

Unable to resist the Pandora's box, they return the following evening, just to be captured by Brian's team once more. Brian lets them in on his secret: upon his mother's death, he not only inherited the ExoGen company, but also its shadowy secrets concerning a new kind of energy. He believes it to be a kind of inter-dimensional vortex that he is on the verge of discovering.


 * Magruder and Jebediah the Red show up - the final showdown - Holly and Martin Die, Joshua and Brian are sent to Tribus, and Grace is the only survivor*** Where did I write this scene down?