It started out as another normal day for him. He woke up, had his morning stretch, sniffed a nearby fire hydrant, marked his territory, and made his way to the market.
Who was he? He didn't have a name, being a stray dog, and most of the humans called him 'mutt', 'pooch', 'stupid dog' or even 'trash', but the friendly young lady that worked at that place that sold what the humans called 'bread' liked to call him Lou.
And that was exactly where Lou was headed, after making a few stops, here and there, to try his luck with some extra morsels. The market was always crowded by the time the sun shone right in the middle of the sky, and most humans barely paid any attention to the shaggy dog that snuck around the food stalls and under the butcher tables, only the owners gave him trouble and chased him away if they saw him. He had to learn to be stealthy and patient in order to survive.
Having snatched a few bites from the baldy nose-haired butcher Lou liked to steal from, he made his way to the woman's place, already picking up the scent of her baked goods in the distance.
That was, until he picked up a new scent.
It was completely foreign, and some of his instincts were telling him to avoid it, but something about this new scent was drawing him in... and so Lou followed it, the trail leading him away from the crowded marketplace and into the dirty and fortunately deserted alleyways. Trash and junk piled on the side of the buildings, the floor littered with puddles of dirty water and grime, Lou even saw a few rats scurry into their hiding places as he trotted along the path.
After making another turn, Lou found himself at a dead end staring at a strange green cloud, as it hovered a few meters above the ground. Unsure of what he was seeing, he tilted his head in confusion, before letting out a wary bark. The thing shuddered and darkened, letting loose a bolt of lightning that arced towards him. Poor Lou could only let loose a yelp as he was struck, passing out from the shock, while the cloud dissipated into nothing.
By the time Lou stirred and tried to stand up, the sun was already setting. He scanned his surroundings, looking for the aggressive thing that hit him, but it was gone. Taking a moment to shake himself and smell the air, the dog turned and left in a hurry, not wanting to risk being hit like that again if the thing came back. As he made his way back to the marketplace, he noted the crowds were thinner now, as the night approached, and he picked up the pace. Lou had learned that the kind woman's workplace closed at night, and the sun was already setting. But something felt odd. Lou felt odd. Still, he walked quickly to his destination, unaware of the faint green glow emanating from his eyes...