Morning Rounds

Ms. Crayon Camel stretched her purple cape as dawn painted Sahara Metropolis in golden hues. From her castle's highest tower, she could see the entire city waking up below.

"Another peaceful morning," she said, adjusting her red mask. Her sandy-colored fur caught the sunlight as she prepared for her daily patrol.

Flying over the bustling streets, she waved at the mix of humans and humanoid camels heading to work. Children pointed excitedly at her blue supersuit as she soared past their school bus windows.

Her first stop was always the Rainbow Crayon Factory on Third Street. The massive building usually hummed with activity, colorful smoke billowing from its cheerful smokestacks.

But today something felt different.

Ms. Crayon Camel landed softly near the factory's main entrance. Her power sensing ability tingled strangely. The usual bright rainbow smoke was barely visible, looking more like pale gray wisps.

"That's odd," she murmured, her black gloves adjusting her cape nervously.

The Gray Discovery

Ms. Crayon Camel pushed open the factory's heavy glass doors. The usual cheerful chatter of workers was missing. Instead, she heard only the soft hum of machinery.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing in the empty lobby.

A small sparrow with bright blue feathers fluttered down from the rafters. "Ms. Crayon Camel! Thank goodness you're here!"

"Who are you?" she asked, kneeling down to the tiny bird's level.

"I'm Pip, the factory's quality control inspector," the sparrow chirped nervously. "Something terrible happened overnight! All our color supplies have turned gray!"

Ms. Crayon Camel followed Pip deeper into the factory. Rows of enormous vats that should have bubbled with brilliant reds, yellows, and blues now contained only dull gray liquid. Workers stood around looking confused and worried.

"When did this start?" Ms. Crayon Camel asked.

"Around midnight," Pip replied. "One minute everything was normal, the next... this!"

Suddenly, the lights flickered. A loud mechanical grinding filled the air. The main production line jerked to a halt with a sharp clang.

"Now the machines are breaking down too!" a worker shouted.