A/N - READ! Athira’s cloak colour has changed. Her ‘Owl’ one is now grey and speckled with various shades of brown and white, much like the wings of an owl. It was confiscated by the Elites and never given back. Since she still wanted a cloak, Raph gave her a plain indigo one to wear. Kay? Kay. Go! 

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Chapter 23 - A Warden’s Bidding

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Discord was livid.

He slammed a palm on to the scanner, barely waiting for the bleep that told him the door was open before snatching it off again. Resisting the urge to kick the door panels in as they opened at an agonisingly slow pace was getting harder by the moment.

Who designed the stupid things anyway? A man like him didn’t have time to wait for panels to slide open. His time was better spent inside the rooms that the doors guarded.

Teleportation. The next big thing.

Three swift strides took him through the open door. Another three after those took him straight past the doorman that was supposed to scan ID as an extra precaution. The man attempted some garbled protest as Discord ignored him and marched straight up to the commanding centre of the room.

The raised platform, usually occupied by only a round table with chairs to match and an Elite if it was lucky was now swarmed with them. At least ten Elites were gathered, leaning over the various see-through screens while three orange techies waved their hands about and did whatever it was orange colours did to bring up data.

Naturally, Discord pushed his way to the edge of the table and slammed his hands on to the table.

“This better be important,” he said before turning his gaze to the nearest orange. “Move.”

It took the orange colour two seconds too long to process Discord’s order. Though he’d scrambled out of his seat, he left his various belongings behind which Discord quickly removed with a small blast of sound. The stylus and various attached notes went flying off to the floor below where the rest of the oranges worked around screens.

Discord promptly placed himself in the newly vacated seat. “What’s the situation?”

The red Elite across the table eyed him. Juveria, he remembered. She was one of the few to ever best him two out of three in the duelling arena, although he considered her a cheater. With her ability to conjure red-coloured objects from nothing at will, his sound blasts had barely been able to reach her.

 Either way, she seemed to think she had some kind of blackmail over him that allowed her to talk down to him.

 “Discord,” said Juveria dryly. “Please try to manage some respect for the techs, they’re rather important.”

Discord made as if to stand up from the table, keeping his palms in contact with the surface.

“If you brought me here to lecture me, then I’ll be leaving. I have better things to do than play House with you ladies.”

Another green Elite beside Juveria rolled her eyes.

“No need to be dramatic,” she said.

Discord stared her down. “And you would be... someone not very important?”

“Nope, but I’ve heard all about you,” said the green Elite with a grin. She barely flinched under his gaze. “Where to start--“

“Gaby, shh,” said Juveria.

The urgency in her tone was unmistakable. Judging by the way the green Elite’s expression lots its sparkle to that of a scolded child, Discord knew she’d picked up on it.  

He smirked. “Yes, Gaby, please remain quiet unless you have something worthwhile to say.”

“I could say the same to you.”

Discord turned around and realised he hadn’t been the reason behind the green Elites change in expression at all.

Not even close.

A female and a male stood over him, staring down their noses with an air of barely contained annoyance. The female struck him as a regal creature, with pale blue lines of etched out runes tattooed into her skin, across her face, arms and neck. The tattoos seemed to resemble the templates for the runes rather than the runes themselves. Discord guessed the male had twenty years up on his female counterpart because his skin had long since given way to gravity, but he too bore the same runes.

The pair was unmistakable.

“Warden Karma, Warden Pyha,” said Discord, inclining his head. Even he wasn’t stupid enough to mess around with Wardens nearby, even if he still couldn’t quite believe it. Wardens? Here? What could possibly be happening that would dictate their presence?

He removed himself quickly from the chair and stood beside it. “May I offer you the seat?”

Karma’s lips curved into a smile, marring the perfect edges of the tattooed runes across her lips.

“You may.”

 She lowered herself into the chair with an air of grace, folding her runemarked hands in her lap as Pyha took his place beside her. Both wore a satchel harbouring their premade runes secured from their waists, while the rest of their body was garbed in a shimmering blue suit that radiated power.

 Discord had never quite managed to figure out where the Warden’s material came from so he could get some for himself.

In yellow, of course. The real colour of power, the colour of pure energy.

“What are two Wardens doing in our humble headquarters?” asked Discord. “If I may so inquire, that is.”

Karma was the first to answer. “I’m at the understanding that all here are in confidence of the project currently being undertaken in regards to Rathe?” Nods around the table. “We have reason to believe that its completion is under threat.”

Discord frowned. “We had Wardens Illiriya and Caiden here not four weeks ago to check up on the project’s progress and they deemed it satisfactory. They appeared pleased that we’ve managed to locate a Spectrum as well as keep it on track to finish in three year’s time as originally planned.”

He couldn’t read Karma through her perfect mask of neutrality. “While you have indeed found what is looking to be the yellow Spectrum, there have been reports of something much more sinister taking hold in Sirah. That her armband has broken only adds to my concern. They are difficult to create, but much more so to destroy.”

The female Warden paused, letting her gaze linger on each Elite for a second or two until she finally rested on Discord.

“How many of you would agree that the Herald has finally realised their potential?”

The response was uncertain murmurs that dedicated their belief to either side, but it was a purple colour that found their nerve before the rest.

“We haven’t found anything that would indicate such a thing, Warden Karma,” he said, obviously trying to resist biting the inside of his cheek. “The project is based here in Sirah, and it would make sense for the Herald to directly assault it if they understood their purpose in Rathe’s arrival already.”

“We haven’t collected any reports from the Colours or our sources of suspicious activity, either,” added a blue Elite next to Discord.

Pyha raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you?”

The blue Elite faltered. “Uh, I don’t think so, no.”

Juvi had commandeered a screen from one of the orange techs and was flicking through documents at such a pace that Discord’s eyes couldn’t keep up. He resigned himself to the background, keeping eyes on every little movement anyone made.

“Here,” said Juvi. “The Owl’s been sighted again near--“She hesitated, as if realising what she’d done. “I’m sorry, Wardens, I didn’t mean to--“

Pyha waved a hand at her. “Feel free to discuss, we’ll observe.”

Juvi licked her lips and nodded, quickly hiding her gaze back behind the screen.

 “The Owl’s been sighted two nights ago near the edge of Pibar lane.” She paused, presenting a perfectly captured image from a security camera of a cloaked figure floating mid-air. “It wouldn’t be particularly unusual, except that since Indigo found her working with Reader, she’s dropped off the map. Now, three weeks later, she’s back and takes out an Elite patrol by herself? She’s never taken these kinds of risks before, so why now?”

“Why does she do anything?” asked another Elite. “Her motivations, her colour, everything about her except that god damned cape is unknown to us. Hell, she even left villains for us to imprison more often than not.”

“Isn’t her cloak gone from storage? Didn’t it disappear just before these attacks started?”

That started a spring of various other comments and input that went into creating an unintelligible mass of words and speculation, until one finally rose above the rest.

“Didn’t we get a look at her amulet?” asked the green Elite, Gaby something. “The one Discord confiscated when the girl that joined Indigo got caught in the middle of Reader and the Owl?”

Discord couldn’t help the smirk at the mention of his name. Damn right these Elites would remember who was there to bring Reader and almost the Owl in. If it hadn’t been for Indigo letting her get away, the double catch would have been enough to promote him past a team manager.

Keeping a bunch of headstrong young adults in line is a waste of my time. It’d be much better spent if they put me on the Rathe project, but no. Manage Indigo, they said.

A thought of team Amber crossed his mind. At least my team isn’t completely useless, I guess. Understandable, though. They are mine after all.

“It wasn’t the Owl’s amulet,” said one of the two remaining orange techs. “From what our analysts could tell, there wasn’t anything special about it.  No power boost, no colour alter, nothing. Whatever it is, we’re pretty sure it’s just a trinket to the girl, probably with sentimental value or something. The bird engraving is detailed, but that’s the only notable thing about it.”

“Who is this girl?” asked Karma.

“Purple colour named Athira,” said Discord. “Just joined Indigo on probation two weeks ago after getting tangled up in their Reader-Owl pursuit.”

“This Indigo team is coming up a lot more than simple coincidence would usually allow,” said Karma. “Is there anything else of note about them?”

She directed the question at Discord, who tried to seem indifferent as he replied.

“The yellow Spectrum is part of it,” said Discord. “Their green colour has an unusual ability, can borrow other colours for short periods of time but without them, he’s more or less useless.”

“Ah yes,” said Pyha. “I believe he was trending on the social sites a few days ago after some heroic rescue of a young boy and his mother from a fire. Dramatic, that was. Hashtag ‘Shift the moment’, if I remember correctly.”

Discord struggled to keep his face neutral at the comment. Karma was exactly what you would expect of a Warden -- calm, powerful, well articulated and completely in control of the situation. Pyha, on the other hand, was starting to make Discord think he was some random Colour that had slipped by security and was trying to impersonate a Warden.

“I don’t believe that is relevant to the situation, Warden Pyha,” said Discord, trying to keep the disdain out of his voice for the older man.

“It’s a good thing that your beliefs aren’t playing too much on my mind then, isn’t it Elite Discord?” said Pyha calmly. Juveria and her green Elite friend could barely hide their amusement. “Personally, I find the social media sites to be informative of things you Elites tend to gloss over in your reports. Always so technical, never feeling.”

“In any case,” said Karma. “I believe that Pyha and myself will be looking further into this Indigo team.”

“I would be happy to assist you with any questions you may have,” said Discord. “I am the team’s manager, after all.”

Karma inclined her head. “Your assistance would be appreciated on the matter, but please understand we don’t wish to alert the Herald to our presence unless the situation becomes dire, something we want to avoid if possible. Our presence will not be announced as we investigate.”

“Understood.” Discord was about to strike up a line of conversation regarding how he’d managed to track down the yellow Spectrum and Reader in the hopes of catching Karma’s attention when his wristlet flashed yellow and beeped four times.

“If I may be excused,” he said politely, giving Karma a half bow. “I have a villain that requires my immediate attention in the processing chambers.”

Feeling satisfied, Discord once again shoved the doorman aside and strode out into the hallway.

He was about a minute out and considering all the ways he could force Reader into revealing pieces of information interrogation had failed to get out of him when footsteps made him halt.

Discord spun around, colour at the surface of his palm to find Karma standing behind him.

“Warden,” he said, lowering his hand. “You startled me.”

She caught the underlying message. “I don’t think you could harm me if you tried, Discord. Basic energy blasts would require you to be Spectrum or related to the Sins to get past my wards.”

Discord inclined his head as Karma moved beside him. She waved him forward with a hand.

“Come. I will accompany you to the processing chambers, if that is to your liking.”

“I would appreciate the company.” Did this mean that she found him worthy? Even if she had just insulted his colour, he was sure that given a chance she’d rethink her words. “But are you not needed at the Centre to attend to matters?”

Karma barely glanced at him, instead clasping her hands in front of her so the runes across their backs lined up.

“Pyha is more than capable enough to take care of matters in the Centre, if not more so,” she said. “But I wished to talk with you further about the yellow Spectrum’s broken armband.”

“What is it you wish to know?”

They turned the corner, running into a pair of Elites. Their expressions turned shocked once they realised who Discord was walking with. Their heads followed him all the way out the door.

Karma’s silence remained until they had moved into the next vacant room, where she stopped him with a touch.

“We were not anticipating a need for more than one armband per Spectrum,” she said. “And so we only made the seven.  I was one of the blues that were involved in their creation, and I tell you they are not easy to destroy. Only the Spectrum the Wardens currently have in our care could harm them.”

Discord mulled over her words for a moment. “Are you suggesting that the yellow Spectrum destroyed it herself?”

“I said our Spectrum could harm it,” Karma said evenly. Discord swore the pale blue tattoos across her eyelids flashed for a moment. “Not that he could destroy it. I suspect that the original wielders of each colour could do so, since Spectrum are their descendants and do lesser damage to it, but it is far more likely that a power associated with a Sin was responsible for the armband’s destruction.”

Discord struggled to pull implication from her words. “The Herald, then?”

To his surprise, Karma slowly shook her head.

“The Herald is dangerous because they understand the situation. Nothing is hidden from them, all is revealed. Rathe speaks to them, guides them even if they aren’t aware of it, which I doubt. They are determined, unswerving with their loyalty and devotion.”

Her words made Discord uncomfortable, but the Warden seemed not to notice and continued on.

“They are not dangerous, however, because their colour is so potent it could destroy that armband. Not unless they were directly channelling Rathe, which it seems far too early, even on this timeline to consider.”

“So you suspect there is another,” said Discord slowly.

Karma smiled. “Exactly. And until we learn more about them, we can’t pinpoint their factor in the prophecies.”

“I will see it done, Warden,” said Discord, dipping low at the waist.

“I bet you will,” was Karma’s amused reply.

*+*+*+*

Fifteen minutes later, Discord was still buzzing with a smug smile upon his face. Not even the fact that this incompetent guard was taking three times longer than necessary to bring out a prisoner could spoil his mood.

A Warden had specifically sought him out. Karma, of all of them. One of the most powerful blues in the history of Thols for hundreds of years had sought him out and given him a task to complete.

There was nothing that was going to stop Discord from getting the answer out of that yellow Spectrum, Zira whatever her name was. He’d drag her back to Elite HQ to interrogate the girl if he had to, rules be damned. Whoever had broken her armband was as good as his to present to Karma and get himself a promotion.

He’d long suspected a lot of the Warden’s powers came from that shimmering material they all seemed to wear. The suits practically hummed with energy. He already knew it was possible to imbue the fabric during creation -- hell, the regular Colour suits were treated as such -- but the Warden’s were different, and he wanted it.

Discord flexed a palm.

Yep, he could feel the power now. One blast knock-outs. They were practically his.

“All clear!” called the guard.

The door panels beside where Discord was standing against a wall slid open as the light above them turned green. Discord strode through them, past the night holding cells to the one at the end that was currently empty.

That quickly changed. As he approached, Discord heard the hiss of hydraulics and a dark haired head appeared from below, growing taller by the second. By the time Discord was standing outside the Resiglass door to the cell, the cell’s floor had clicked into place and its prisoner with it.

The man’s face was pale where his silver mask had previously rested. After bringing him in, Discord remembered the struggle it had been to remove the damned thing. Underneath, the man’s flesh was heavily scarred to the point where it went beyond recognition as a face.

Other than that, there was nothing significant about the man. He was of a well muscled build from those grapples he used to swing around the city, but other than that, he was nothing more than a purple coloured villain to Discord.

“Prisoner,” said Discord. He opened the door after a quick glance to ensure the binders were still in place on the prisoner’s hands. “Move.”

“It’s Reader, if you don’t mind,” said Reader. He tut-tutted with his tongue. “Really Discord, you should know better. You’re the one that took credit for my capture, although I’m pretty sure we know it was Indigo that did that.”

Discord grabbed Reader by the arm and shoved him forward. “Shut up and move. You’re to follow me to your new holding.”

“Yes yes, I know the drill,” said Reader as he started forward. “No need to be so crude, you know. I’m a willing participant here.”

Discord smirked. This was going to be fun. “You won’t be after you see where you’re going.”

“Hmm, let me guess.” Reader was silent for a second, but kept in stride. “Cavern deep below the Elite facility, unknown to just about everyone except those involved in the project. Hm, unexpected.”

Discord took Reader and pinned him chest-first into the wall. He brought his mouth to Reader’s ear.

“You’re going to tell me exactly what you know about that project right now or so help me--“

“Oh please, stop.” Reader sighed, as much as could be managed with his face crushed up against the wall. “Enough with the threats already. If you want to know what I know about the project and another secret that I suspect will be relevant to the situation, you’ll allow me to remove my cheek from the plaster so we may talk in a civil manner.”

When Discord hesitated to give him a reply, Reader made a convincing ticking noise with his throat.

“Five seconds before I ‘forget’ everything!”

Discord released him, but kept one hand against Reader’s bare wrist. “This better be worth it. One wrong move and a sound wave goes right through your body.”

Reader smiled at him. “Oh, it is. Your precious Elite project requires people who can read minds, I believe? For your... colourless? Or pinks, as you Elites seemed to have termed them?”

“What of it?” asked Discord, glaring at an Elite that walked by, giving him a strange look.

“Well, I wasn’t going to mention anything about the subject, but I’d prefer to avoid becoming a zombified guinea pig so I suppose I’ll just have to tell you.”

“Tell. Me. What?”

“It just so happens,”Reader said with a dramatic pause. “That I, my friend, can read not only minds, but the mindscapes that generate them.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Oh, but it is. You, Discord, want nothing more in life than to rise to the rank of Warden, isn’t that right?”

Discord didn’t have a reply for that. That Reader knew about the Wardens at all was a complete surprise to him. They were known to have existed, sure. But very, very rare was their presence ever required such were the matters of urgency they attended to. Rare enough that common criminals like Reader and some Colours were blind to their presence at all.

 “No one tattled, if that’s what you’re wondering,” said Reader. The purple colour sounded almost bored. “I know you want to become a Warden, Discord.” Reader’s eyes gleamed. “You have the potential to be one. And all you gotta do?”

Discord had to lean in to catch the end of Reader’s sentence.

“All you gotta do is catch the Owl,” said Reader. “I’ve seen a Warden’s mindscape when they came for ‘inspection’ disguised as Elites. They want her, and they want her bad. You get her and anything you want is within your grasp. That, in addition to turning over a mindscape reader? Anything you want, anything. It’s yours.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Discord was going to do next. Time didn’t exist in the space between Reader’s last word and Discord’s decision. He turned them both around and started walking back to the processing room.

“Might I ask where we’re going?”

“You’re going back to be processed,” said Discord. “Only properly, this time. And then you’re going to tell me everything you know about the Owl.”

*+*+*+*

A/N - [Bad pic of Athira's new cloak colour on the side, or as close as I could get it with my iPad app and ten minutes]