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Chapter 12 - Children of the Titans

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Shift saw the explosion and its debris rocketing towards them and knew there was nothing they could do except watch their demise consume them.

Movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention as Athira raised her hand.

A black wall appeared, stretching across the entirety of Indigo and absorbing the debris into thin air as it collided. Their white outlines didn’t fall to the ground or shatter. They simply disappeared. Heat brushed Shift’s face as the fire to the side of the shield kept going several metres behind them.

She just saved us.

Athira dropped her hand and the shield went with it. “What Reader, found a fire elemental to do your dirty work for you?”

His voice drifted from somewhere within the dock warehouse. “You bring friends, I bring friends. It’s only fair.”

 A shadow appeared in the building. As it moved forward, it became clear that it was two people - one tall and the other small. “The difference is, Athira, only one of us needs them to secure the other. Isn’t that right?”

Shift heard Zoe hiss through her teeth. The light around her hand gathered intensity as she clenched it. “Raph, he’s got a child.”

“Colourless, too,” said Kione. “Although--“

“Feel free to attack any time now, friends,” said Reader, voice sounding bored.

“--there’s more people with colours beneath us,” finished Kione, his scanner already disappearing as the floor buckled underneath them.  

Around their feet, sections of metal sheeting were snapping open, figures shooting up at impossible speeds and quickly surrounding their group, not hesitating to begin their assault.

Raph had a glowing red broadsword in his hands as he charged at the trio driving Kione back. “Tal, get the elemental! Zoe, the kid!”

“Watch the one in the cloak, boys! She’s off her rocker!” called Reader from the sidelines.

Shift flexed his palm, the colour coming instinctively with the adrenaline flooding his system. He took a deep breath, calming his heart even as the first two of Reader’s goons charged towards him.

He ducked under the first swing and back-stepped the next from the second, trying to work out their colour before he shifted one of them and was stuck with it.

Come on, thought Shift. One of you, use something I can work with!

Sure enough, one of them snarled as green colour spiralled up his arms, changing them into thick, clawed limbs.

He’s a green. Shift looked to the other one. Now what are you?

The non-green circled him as bear arms launched his assault. Shift continued to avoid contact, although he knew he couldn’t keep it up much longer. He had to shift something and shift it soon.

Then he felt it. A brush against his mind, trying to weaken his will.

The non green was off to his right, just visible in his peripheral vision and if Shift wasn’t mistaken, had a hand pressed to the side of his head while the other stretched towards Shift.

Gotcha.

Shift faked an advance on bear arms, causing the man to step back. Before he realised what was going on, Shift swapped directions and launched himself at the purple.

As most purples tended to do, Reader’s goon froze under the threat of a direct assault like he was caught in the headlights of Shift’s cool gaze. It took one swift strike to knock him out. Shift caught him before he hit the ground, laying him down roughly with one hand while his other pressed to the man’s chest, signalling his colour to begin copying the purple’s colour.

It finished just in time. Bear arms was on him. He knocked Shift to the ground, swiping at his head with transformed arms. Shift arched, trying to push the goon far enough back to use his borrowed powers but the man was far stronger than he.

Realising he had no other option, Shift grabbed the man’s chin and forced eye contact. Purple sparks formed in bear arm’s mind as Shift took hold of it the best way he knew how, squeezing at the most active part of the man’s mind. He slacked.

“Should have gone with a turtle, mate,” said Shift as he tightened his grip on the green’s mind and slipped them into unconsciousness. “Remember the turtle.”

He was shoving the man off him and getting to his feet when Raph’s voice reached his ears.

“Shift, drop!”

Shift didn’t question it. He dropped to the floor at Raph’s word, pushing himself into a roll off to the side. He felt the heat as it rushed over his head, glancing just in time to see a fireball dissipate into thin air.

He snapped his head back, finding Reader’s fire elemental walking towards him calmly, the fireball in his hand growing in preparation to shoot off a second.

“Little rude, don’t you think?” said Shift, preparing to dodge another ball of firey death.

He couldn’t take an elemental with his current purple colour, even if they were only fire. Their minds were unexplainably more resistant to the control purples could exhibit.

“Like I care,” said the elemental. “Taking the purple aspect was your biggest and last mistake of the night.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

The elemental shoved his hand forward, launching the fire. Shift dove out of the way, an action that became unnecessary as a wall of metal rose up and blocked it, sending it scattering.

“What, had enough of me?” said Talia. “Man up, elemental.”

The fire elemental sneered and launched an assault of embers that once in the air, flared and grew in size, surrounding Talia’s being.

Talia threw up another wall of metal to buy herself some time and grabbed one of the pre-runed stones attached to her waistband, throwing it on the ground as it disappeared into a brilliant flash of aqua light. The fire elemental drew closer, trying to get around her barrier.

When the light cleared, a glowing blue circle about five metres in diameter centred around Talia’s feet had appeared, trapping both elementals inside it. The fire elemental tried to leave, only to have the circle flash and knock him violently back inside the miniature arena.

Shift knew that trick. Anyone inside the circle was bound to its area until the blue colour released them. Except judging by the way Talia was bringing up the metal sheets to reveal the dark waters below, the only escape the fire elemental had was down.

It was clever. Once the elemental’s fire was out, it would take time and intense concentration to ignite the air and bring it back, something they couldn’t afford. Being soaked wouldn’t help his case, either.

Shift looked back to see how the rest of the group was faring.

Raph and Kione had their side more than covered. Goons of all colour were backing off before Raph’s sweeping broadsword, Indigo’s leader wielding it as if it were no more than a stick.

But Athira...

Shift watched her, mesmerised. The girl moved in fluid, graceful motions that would put any dancer to shame. Her cloak swirled around her like a living embodiment of her being, defying the laws of physics as he understood them. It acted as one with her body, floating around her form and pulling back as if controlled by her muscles.

Black flecks drifted from her form as she moved, although from what he could see she wasn’t using her colour. Athira struck with the heel of her palm, bringing it back and twirling around to strike the same goon again with her elbow. She wove under his strike, somehow ending up behind him and delivering the final blow across his back that sent him crumpling to the floor.

Shift was confused for a moment before he saw Zoe with her back to the fight and understanding dawned on him.

Athira was keeping the goons from reaching Zoe, who was firing off well placed beams at Reader and preventing him from joining the battle. Even as Shift watched, a smaller blue of the group tried to sneak around Zoe. Athira’s hand shot out, a black tendril extending to wrap around his chest and drag him towards her into striking range.

Another minute passed and Indigo had the goons under control. Talia dragged a drenched fire elemental behind her and added him to the pile of Reader’s cowering minions. An orange net extended from a gadget in Kione’s belt, solidifying and draping itself around the prisoners.

“I’ll watch them,” said Kione, gesturing to Shift and Talia. “You guys go in.”

Zoe had Reader backed into a corner against a stack of metal poles and some kind of device for lifting them. His hands were raised, eyes not particularly focused on anything but rather searching the background.

“I blinded him temporarily. His colour isn’t as effective without eye contact but it won’t last long,” said Zoe, her fist clenched and glowing, aimed at Reader’s face.

“Good work, Zo,” said Raph.

Zoe backed off, the light on her palm dimming as she stepped back behind Raph and wandered off to stand in a place further from Reader’s sight. The child that had been in Reader’s grip was planted firmly on her hip, clinging to her body. Shift heard faint words of comfort coming from her, but nothing she did seemed to stop the incoherent stream of words slipping from the boy’s mouth.

Raph motioned for Talia to join her. “Protect her and the kid.”

Talia nodded and ran to join Zoe as Raph and Shift approached Athira, who already was already standing over Reader’s slumped form.

Raph unclipped the binders from his waistband. “You going to do this the easy way or the hard way, Reader?” he asked.

Athira held out a hand, blocking Raph’s path. “He’s answering some questions first.” Her eyes never left Reader’s face. “At Starpoint tower, you could read my runes. How?”

Raph glanced at Shift, who shrugged at him. Raph grimaced but lowered his hands and backed off a step.

Reader glanced at Raph, disapproval clear on his face. “Why do you hang around these children of the titans, Athira? You are destined for so many great things and you choose to waste your time frolicking around with some half-baked Colour team.”

“Don’t avoid the question. My runes.” She laced her left arm in colour, revealing the outline of the runes beneath the suit’s sleeve. “What did you see in them?”

“Pretty, but those weren’t the ones I was talking about. They’re merely power binders to keep you from killing yourself.”

“Then what?”

Reader pursed his lips. “When I studied with the Azarin monks, I used to think the runes the texts referred to were of the blue colour, as did everyone else. So that’s what I did. I followed the trail of Elite experiments, right up to Starpoint tower where they attempted to open a rift... but it wasn’t enough. It didn’t make sense.”

His eyes flashed. “And then, you showed up and suddenly, it all fell into place. The entire time, I was looking in the wrong place. I was looking in the physical plane when really, I should have been looking to the mental.”

“What does that have to do with me?” asked Athira cautiously.

Reader gave her a hungry look, one that made Shift want to punch him. “You are marked, my dear, and with something beyond the blue colour’s runes. What you have withstands time. It is imprinted on your existence and no matter what you do, you cannot escape it.”

Athira was rigid, fists clenched at her sides and face set like stone. “And what, you just saw this?”

“Funny what you can learn from the mindscapes of people, isn’t it dear?” said Reader. “Yours... that boy’s over there.... They say he’s colourless when really, he sees things that we could only hope to know. Granted, now I know them too. I’ve seen everything he has now.”

“The hell are you talking about?” asked Raph. “Colourless people don’t have any abilities. It’s the reason why we inform the Elites about them, so they can keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t fall into poverty or depression because of it.”

Reader laughed. When it faded, there was a smirk on his face. “Ah, you poor, poor children of the titans. Is that what they tell you?” He shook his head. “Such finesse in your fighting yet such stiff mindsets, always following orders. Of course, it is only to be expected of the warden’s descendants.”

“Why do you keep calling us that?” demanded Athira. “What are these ‘titans’, Reader?”

Reader raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t talking to you, Athira. I was referring to your friends. The ones you’re wasting time with. You’re no child of the titans, that much I know.”

Shift was mildly surprised Athira’s glare hadn’t set Reader’s hair on fire yet or incinerated the silver mask from his face. “Then what am I the child of, Reader?” she said, voice barely kept even.

Reader continued on as if they were holding a pleasant conversation. “I’ve learned so much in our short time apart, Athira.” He sighed. “So many visions, so many beautiful possibilities, but only one is set in stone.” His gaze cleared and zoned in on Athira. “No matter what you do, he’ll break through the veil.”

He leaned forward, face so close he could stroke her cheek with his tongue. “And you want to know the best bit?” he said, breathing down her face.

“It always comes back to you.”

Athira paled. She stepped back. “You can’t know that. I’ve been searching for years an--“

“Looking in the physical, I bet,” said Reader, cutting her off. “Never exploring that mindscape of yours or the secrets it holds. That offer still remains, if you wish. We can explore your mindscape together.”

“You’re not touching her again,” said Shift. He turned to Athira, placing a hand on her shoulder. The colour vibrating within her skin started eating away at the remaining purple in his system. “Athira, nothing is making him tell the truth.”

Reader laughed. “She knows I am, though. Even if she denies that she has, she sees it too. She knows there’s no way out. That she’s only delaying time until his arrival, giving you all a few last years of peace before your annihilation. The Kingdom of Sin will come to pass, Athira. Nothing stops it. Not even the Spectrum.”

Athira’s face hardened. “What’s the Spectrum?” she asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

“I suppose I can tell you, since even if you succeed, you will eventually fail,” said Reader. “It’s an alliance.”

Shift saw the hope flash in her eyes. However, it only made Reader’s smirk grow.

 “You think you might have a chance? His arrival is prophesised my dear, you don’t have a choice.” He tilted his head. “At this rate, not even the Spectrum can help you. The disturbances in colour, the waking of Thols’ hidden energy is accelerating the process. Already you feel the power eating away at your control. Isn’t that right?”

Athira didn’t have a verbal reply for him. Instead, alarm crossed her face and she backed up, throwing nervous glances at the door. Shift took her arm, trying to steady her but she shook her head.

“No, Shift I can’t be here when the dis--“

 “Is that why you brought your little friends along, Athira?” asked Reader. “Too scared of yourself to do it alone any more, need the support group around, eh?” He smirked. “Well I hope the rest of you brought pom poms. She’s going to need them.”

Shift’s colour crawled beneath his skin as he remembered the reason why they’d come here in the first place. How they’d found Reader to begin with.

He dropped her arm, glancing around as if there was something he could break to stop it.

The disturbance

There was a change in the air, like the wind had switched direction or the tides had turned.

Raph raised the binders again, making as if to attach them to Reader.

“Athira,” he said, placing on hand on her shoulder. “The Elites will be here soon, expecting binders on him and villains to question. We don’t have time--“

Athira shrugged off his hand. “We have time if I say we have time. I’m not done with Reader yet.”

She stared the villain down, looking more like the Owl Shift had always imagined her to be. Her eyes were cold, calculating behind the grey irises. She’d said she needed answers but refused to tell anyone what for and Shift couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to the mindscape and its guest she claimed to guard.

‘If life as we know it wants to continue, I don’t have a choice.’

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A/N - If you're enjoying Indigo somewhat so far, can I please has comment or if that's too much, a vote? <3

Wordcount: 41,158