Morning Preparations

Ms Crayon Platypus stretched her arms in the highest tower of her fortress. The morning sun painted the five crayon-shaped towers in bright colors across Craft Room City below.

"Today's the day!" she said, adjusting her blue and black supersuit. The Speed Drawing Championship registration started at noon.

Her giant blue crayon hummed with energy as she picked it up. Light swirls danced around its tip.

"I've been practicing for months," she told herself, floating to the window. "My crayon blast technique is perfect. My multiplicity power lets me draw with six crayons at once."

Down in the city streets, she spotted other artists heading toward the contest building. A tall giraffe carried an enormous paintbrush. A fox wheeled a cart full of colored pencils.

Ms Crayon Platypus's confident smile faltered slightly. She hadn't expected so many talented competitors.

"Well," she said, gripping her crayon tighter, "I guess we'll see who's really the fastest artist in Craft Room City."

The Unexpected Question

Ms Crayon Platypus flew down from her fortress toward the contest building. The streets buzzed with activity as artists hurried past with their supplies.

She landed near the registration desk where a smart woman with short brown hair sat behind a clipboard. The woman wore wire-rimmed glasses and a crisp green blazer.

"Name?" the woman asked without looking up.

"Ms Crayon Platypus," she replied confidently.

The registration woman's pen froze. Her eyes widened as she finally looked up at the platypus in the supersuit.

"Oh my," she whispered. "You're... you're the Ms Crayon Platypus? The superhero artist?"

Before Ms Crayon Platypus could answer, a small gray koala bounced up to the desk. He wore paint-splattered overalls and carried a tiny easel.

"Did someone say superhero?" the koala squeaked. "That's not fair! Regular artists like me don't stand a chance against someone with superpowers!"

Other contestants nearby stopped talking. A fox with colored pencils nodded in agreement. The tall giraffe frowned.

"Maybe superheroes shouldn't be allowed," someone muttered.

Ms Crayon Platypus felt her stomach drop. She hadn't considered this problem before.