Morning Assembly

The alarm buzzed through Creative Fortress 38 at exactly seven in the morning. Zara adjusted her blue-glowing mask and stepped into the main assembly hall. The towering windows showed New Super City stretching below, its buildings gleaming with morning light.

"Another beautiful day," she said to Marco, who was tapping his sunglass goggles nervously.

"Yeah, if you like everything the same," Marco replied. He pointed outside. "Look at the park across the street."

Zara squinted through the window. The park looked normal—green trees, brown benches, people walking their dogs. She shrugged. "Looks fine to me."

"That's what I mean," Marco said quietly. "Yesterday the flowers were purple and orange. Today they're all just... bland."

Other heroes gathered around them, their black and blue supersuits catching the sunlight. Kai floated slightly above the ground, her red curls bouncing as she landed.

"Has anyone else noticed something weird about the city?" she asked.

The room fell silent.

The Sparrow's Warning

Twelve-year-old Elena stepped forward, her blue-glowing mask reflecting the morning light. "I've been tracking color patterns across the city," she said, pulling out her tablet. "Look at this."

The screen showed a map with dozens of gray spots spreading like spilled ink. Each spot marked where colors had vanished overnight.

"It's not random," Elena continued. "The pattern moves from the outskirts toward the center. We're next."

A small brown sparrow suddenly crashed against the window with a loud thud. Marco jumped back as the bird slid down the glass, leaving tiny scratches.

"Wait," said Kai, floating closer to the window. "Look at its wings."

Where the sparrow's wings should have been bright brown and gold, they were completely gray. The bird chirped frantically, as if trying to warn them about something.

"The animals are losing their colors too," whispered Zara.

Outside, a siren wailed from the direction of Central Plaza. Through their communicators, they heard emergency broadcasts: "All citizens remain indoors. Unknown phenomenon affecting city infrastructure."