Morning Observations

Turbo Artist Doe stood at the tall windows of her tower, watching Canvas Wood Metropolis wake up below. The morning sun painted everything in golden hues, and she could see deer citizens walking to work alongside humans on the busy streets.

"Another beautiful day," she said to herself, adjusting her yellow gloves.

Her art-tech belt beeped softly. She touched one of the paintbrushes, and a holographic screen appeared in the air. The morning news was starting.

"Good morning, Canvas Wood! This is Channel 7 News," announced the cheerful anchor, a human woman with curly red hair. "We begin today with some unusual reports from citizens across the city."

Doe tilted her head, her small antlers catching the sunlight.

"Several residents called our newsroom last night, claiming that colors seemed... duller than usual. Mrs. Penny from Palette Park says her roses looked less vibrant yesterday evening."

Doe frowned. She pressed her teal mask against the glass and used her x-ray vision to scan the city below more carefully.

The Sparrow's Warning

What Doe saw through her x-ray vision made her gasp. The buildings weren't just looking duller—they were actually losing their color! Gray patches spread across rooftops like spilled milk, and the famous rainbow bridge connecting the art district had turned completely silver on one side.

Her communication device buzzed. "Turbo Artist Doe, this is Mayor Brushstroke!" The voice crackled with urgency. "We need you at City Hall immediately. The situation is worse than we thought."

Doe teleported instantly to the marble steps of City Hall, where a crowd had gathered. But her attention went straight to a small sparrow perched on the fountain's edge, chirping frantically.

"Help! Help!" the bird called out in a tiny voice. "The color thief struck again at dawn! I saw everything from my nest in Palette Park!"

A woman with short brown hair pushed through the crowd. She wore paint-splattered overalls and carried a toolbox. "I'm Luna the shoemaker," she said breathlessly. "My shop windows went completely gray this morning. Whatever's happening, it's getting faster."

Doe knelt down to the sparrow's eye level. "What exactly did you see?"

"A fox! A silver fox with glowing paws touched Mrs. Penny's roses, and all their red just... disappeared!"