Morning Patrol

The Line stood at the window of his tower, watching Canvas Metropolis wake up below. Colorful buildings stretched in every direction, their bright walls gleaming in the morning sun. A family of humanoid cats walked down the sidewalk, their orange and black stripes vivid against the blue concrete.

"Another beautiful day to protect the city," he said, adjusting his black rectangle mask.

His phone buzzed on the desk. The screen showed a text from his friend Maya at the art museum: "Something weird happening here. Colors look... different?"

The Line frowned. He grabbed his utility belt, checking his pencil blasters were fully charged. Through his window, he noticed a gray building in the distance that should have been bright yellow.

"That's strange," he muttered.

He pressed the elevator button. The doors opened with their familiar ding. As the elevator descended toward street level, The Line felt an odd chill run down his spine.

The Flickering Flight

The elevator doors slid open, and The Line stepped onto the street. A hummingbird zipped past his face, but instead of its usual emerald green, it flickered between gray and its original color like a broken television.

"What in the world?" The Line whispered.

He pulled out his phone and called Maya. "I'm seeing it too. A hummingbird just lost half its colors."

"It's getting worse here," Maya's voice crackled through the speaker. "The paintings are fading fast. Mrs. Chen, the museum director, is panicking."

The Line looked up at his tower. Even the blue walls were starting to look washed out, like someone had poured bleach on them. A group of humanoid cats walked by, their orange stripes now pale yellow.

"Maya, I'm coming to the museum right now."

"Wait!" Maya shouted. "The water fountains in the plaza just turned completely gray. The water itself!"

The Line ran toward the museum district. As he turned the corner, he gasped. The entire fountain in Central Plaza looked like liquid metal. Children were backing away from it, confused and scared.

Something was draining all the color from Canvas Metropolis, and it was happening fast.