Morning Preparations

Ms. Crayon Raccoon stretched her arms as sunlight streamed through the tall windows of her mansion. The four crayon towers gleamed in the morning light, each one a different bright color.

She pulled on her sleek black-and-blue supersuit and fastened her red cape around her shoulders. Today felt different somehow. The air seemed quieter than usual.

"Time to check on the factory," she said to herself, summoning her giant blue crayon. The familiar weight appeared in her paw, glowing softly.

She stepped onto her balcony and looked toward Wild Metropolis. Smoke rose from the crayon factory's chimneys as always, but something seemed off. The usual rainbow-colored steam looked... pale.

A small bird landed on her balcony railing. "Good morning, Chirpy," she said, scratching behind the cardinal's tiny red head.

"Morning, Ms. Raccoon! Something strange is happening at the factory. The workers look confused."

Ms. Crayon Raccoon frowned. Factory problems meant the whole city would suffer. Without proper crayons, how would the children color their drawings?

"I better investigate," she decided.

The Flickering Blue

Ms. Crayon Raccoon flew through the crisp morning air, her red cape streaming behind her. The giant blue crayon felt solid in her paw as she soared toward Wild Metropolis.

Below, the crayon factory's smokestacks puffed out completely colorless steam. Workers in bright coveralls stood in small groups outside the main building, talking with worried expressions.

She landed near the factory entrance and walked toward a woman with short brown hair wearing a yellow hard hat. The woman looked frustrated as she examined a box of crayons.

"Excuse me," Ms. Crayon Raccoon said. "I'm here to help with whatever's wrong."

The woman looked up. "Thank goodness! I'm Penny, the factory manager. Everything we've made today comes out invisible. Look." She held up what appeared to be an empty crayon wrapper.

Ms. Crayon Raccoon squinted and used her X-ray vision. Inside the wrapper was a perfectly shaped crayon, but it had no color at all.

"The machines are running fine," Penny continued. "But something's happening to our color supply. The whole city will run out of proper crayons by tomorrow."

Suddenly, Ms. Crayon Raccoon's giant blue crayon began flickering like a dying lightbulb.