Athira opened her eyes in the same concrete shell of a room she'd fled to after leaving Indigo base, and almost immediately collapsed against the wall behind her.

She could still feel Rathe's sandpaper scales crushing her, could still feel her ribs cracking, still taste the blood on her tongue. The molten claws that had shredded her mind and scraped against the last, solid piece of her had left embers behind. They lingered, burning in her thoughts — like this time, Rathe's essence hadn't only sunk into the Below.

Mine.

The darkness pressed in around her. Athira grabbed her head with one hand, her amulet with the other, forcing herself to breathe, to focus on the light from her runes and the fact that she could see the outline of herself as her eyes adjusted, and just breathe.

She missed her cloak, the comfort it offered. She felt all too exposed without its familiar weight around her shoulders. The sleeves of her borrowed shirt were charred scraps on the floor. The concrete walls of the room were scorched. This place was nowhere important, and that was exactly the point. If something — if she or her Colour got out of control — a half-built, abandoned skyscraper at the edge of the restricted zone was one of the best places to be. There was nothing here except dust.

"Are you awake yet, little Owl?"

Athira's head snapped up, her eyes scanning the sprawling darkness around her.

"You'll have to forgive my intrusion," continued the voice she recognised. "It's just so rare to find one able to traverse their mindscape. It was fascinating to watch."

Athira stood slowly, bracing herself with one arm against the wall behind her as she lifted the other, using the Blue rune light to search the room. She stepped forward, Black coiled around her lowered arm.

"Of course, I'd expect nothing less from one such as yourself." In the far corner, a shadowy figure leaned against the wall, arms folded low across their abdomen. "To imagine the secrets you must know, the truths you've uncovered!" A sigh, a step forward — closer, too close. A hand reached towards her. "I must admit, I'm rather envious of —"

Athira snarled. The tendril coiled around her arm lashed out, slamming the figure back against the wall with an audible thud. They attempted to wriggle free, but her tendril held firm. Her lungs burned as she bit down on a breath, taking those last few steps to stand before her apparent stalker.

This close, the violet gleam in Reader's eyes looked far past sanity. "Was that really necessary, Athira?"

Athira clenched her fist, squeezing the tendril a little tighter in reply. He lifted his chin and remained silent, the Blue light of her runes glinting off his mask as she floated up to match his eye level.

It was his fault that Rathe had overpowered her.

His fault that she'd almost lost.

"I should kill you for what you did at Starpoint," hissed Athira. Her fist closed over her amulet, the metal scorching her palm. "And if you ever take my amulet again, you'll wish I had."

Reader cleared his throat. "Well, before you make any dramatic decisions, I might have something of interest to you."

"And what's that?"

"My source about the Surge locations," said Reader casually, like she couldn't just squeeze her hand and break him. "I brought him with me. If you'll be so kind as to let me down, I'd be happy to introduce you."

"You weren't exactly forthcoming at Starpoint. Why be helpful now?"

"I discovered that our interests align," said Reader, attempting a shrug inside the constraints of the Black pinning him to the wall. "We would both prefer it if these Surges were stopped, correct?"

Athira hesitated.

She didn't trust Reader. Underground villains as a standard were a slimy, corrupt bunch of idiots, but Reader was something else entirely. After the Nomstral incident, more than one Purple had gone insane, and Reader was no exception. Behind the polite words and the formalities, something had cracked — and he was all too aware of it.

It'd be safer to just take the answers she needed, though safe was a relative term. The amount of Black it'd require would have consequences, and right now, she wasn't sure she was stable enough to handle them — though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't tempted to risk it.

"I can see you're indecisive," said Reader, tilting his head. "How about you give me... oh, let's say, seven minutes to convince you. If you aren't satisfied by then, you have my full permission to do whatever it is you're considering now."

It took far more willpower than she cared to admit to loosen her tendril's grip on him, though she kept him pressed against the wall where he couldn't reach her, couldn't touch her. "You have five."

Reader's violet-lit gaze glimmered with amusement, betraying the smirk that no doubt lurked behind his metallic mask. "Then five it is. Shall we?"

The Black released him and crystallized, shattering against the ground. "Walk."

Reader smoothed down his jacket and strode towards the door, Athira close behind.

They emerged out of the dark room and into the large, open space that spanned the majority of the floor. The afternoon sun filtered in through the unfinished walls, and as Athira's eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she glanced over Reader. He still wore the same outfit as last night, his grapple guns strapped to his thighs and the dust of Starpoint's rubble settled in his maroon hair.

"You'll have to forgive my dishevelled appearance," said Reader, making a doomed attempt to brush the scuff marks off his jacket as they walked. "I found myself rather pressed for time between our meetings, but I'm sure you'll appreciate my efforts."

"As long as you have pants on, I don't care about anything except your source," said Athira, running a finger over the bird engraved on her amulet. It was still hot, but Talon would be occupied ensuring the Rathe's most recent remains weren't trying to reform.

Reader sighed. "When did civility die?"

"The moment you decided to be a massive creep and follow me here. Four minutes."

"I'll have you know; my source drew this building disappearing into a black void earlier, and given my role in your little breakdown at Starpoint, I came to see if I could be of assistance." He huffed. "Unfortunately, you were far too hot to touch and I could do nothing but keep vigil, but my intentions were noble."

"Three minutes."

"Fine, fine," said Reader, waving a hand as he headed towards a corner, his footsteps echoing off the empty walls. "As curious as I am about what lays at the end of this erratic timer, I'll get to the point. My source sees things in his mind, particularly things that are significant to the most likely timelines. While Rathe has always been a common subject, my source has begun to see some kind of Purple with increasing frequency. When he saw it at certain locations, I decided to investigate, attempting to learn what this Purple capable of altering the timeline might be."

"The Surge locations?" asked Athira.

Reader gave her a knowing look. "Exactly. It wasn't until Starpoint, when I saw your mindscape and how you reacted to these Surges, as you call them, that I truly started to piece things together." They reached the corner, rounding the pillar. "Ah, here he is. Right where I left him."

Tucked away behind the pillar, surrounded by a small disaster of crayons and paper, was a kid.

The boy was maybe seven years old, with dark hair and clothes that were slightly too big for him. He lay on his stomach, feet kicking carelessly against the ground as he scribbled crayon across a piece of paper. The floor around him was covered in what looked like a hundred similar drawings, heavily featuring the variety of red, black, and purple crayon stubs that lay within reach.

Reader made his way towards the kid, careful not to step on any of the drawings.

"Our friend is finally awake, Zac," said Reader, ruffling the boy's hair. "What do you think?"

The boy — Zac, presumably — glanced up at Athira. He narrowed his eyes, and without a word, picked up a darker red crayon and began to draw sharp, jagged lines across a new piece of paper.

"I agree," said Reader, nodding along as he tapped a finger against the silver mask that covered the lower half of his face. "Quite observant, even for one of your talents. Athira, may I introduce —"

"Is this a joke?" said Athira. She'd expected Reader to attempt to deceive her somehow, but she'd at least expected he'd put effort into making it believable. "He's barely what, seven? Colour doesn't mature until thirteen."

"He's seven and a half," said Reader defensively. "But it wouldn't matter if he was thirteen or thirty, because as far as society is concerned, Zac here is Colourless." Reader leaned down, picked up one of the drawings at the top of the pile, and held it out towards Athira. "Yet look at what he draws."

Athira snatched the page from Reader's hand. She locked eyes with him, daring him to give her an excuse to retaliate. He stepped back with an almost... respectful incline of his head, and Athira, after a moment, begrudgingly glanced down at the page.

Without a doubt, the kid had drawn Rathe.

The outline, the sharp silhouette of his head, the crimson skin, and the heavy, black pits of his eyes were hard to mistake, but they weren't just on the drawing in her hand. Every picture scattered across the ground contained some aspect of Rathe.

The spined tail that had knocked her from the air.

The claws that had crushed her chest.

The fangs that gleamed with the fire burning in his throat — the fire that'd scorched her face as he'd drawn her closer.

Athira's grip tightened on her amulet.

On the floor, the kid's hand was flying over the paper with more talent and speed than most people three times his age possessed. He swapped crayons in a frenzy, the marks he made yet again forming the figure that Athira dreaded, only this time, Rathe's normally wide, angular face looked disturbingly human.

"Impressive, wouldn't you say?" said Reader, gathering up a few of the newer pieces to inspect them. "Zachary has always preferred to communicate through his art, rather than any verbal means, though I must say he's improved significantly."

"Is this what you've been wasting time with since last night?" said Athira. Every drawing was another glimpse of her nightmares. Rathe standing over the ruins of Sirah. Slashes of scarlet and crimson that almost tore through the paper. "Teaching some kid to draw Rathe after you saw him in my mindscape?"

"I'm flattered you think I could encourage this kind of artistry in a night, but no," said Reader. "I had to convince Zac's parents of this little excursion. Knowing how I intend it to end, they were rather reluctant, but I thought it essential that you witness Zac work first-hand. Had I shown up with nothing but a collection of Zac's past drawings, I can only imagine the scathing comments you'd have justifiably concocted."

Athira sifted through the drawings with the tip of her boot, only half listening to Reader's ramblings. She wasn't at all convinced by his story of a seven-year-old who could see the future, but she found herself looking for a hint of the truth somewhere in the pile.

While almost all the drawings were of Rathe, a large number were smothered by a haze of pastel violets. Several contained the likeness of Sirah's docks — the next Surge location. In some, Rathe had conquered the haze, but in others...

Athira picked up a drawing where the haze had lulled Rathe to sleep. "So, you're telling me that Rathe's throwing a tantrum because he doesn't want to take a nap." She crumpled the page, tossing it at Reader's feet. "Who could have possibly guessed?"

Reader gave her a withering stare as the page hit his boot. "I can assure you, that if these Surges continue, it will be more than just Rathe who is 'put down for a nap'. Think Nomstral, but the entire planet." He sighed, tilting his head to the side with one finger pressed against his mask. "The timeline this Purple leads to is incredibly bleak, not to mention boring. I was rather hoping to avoid it."

Athira was about to ask Reader exactly how gullible he thought she was when something caught her eye.

Green crayon.

Among the excessive use of red, purple, and black, this one drawing at the bottom of the pile was the only one that contained green. The emerald hue was bright, fusing with the crimson that blended into Rathe's disintegrating body, and unlike any of the other drawings, this one was bordered by black.

Athira knew exactly what the kid had drawn, and more importantly, she knew it was unlikely that Reader with his smooth, unburnt hands, could have told the kid to draw it.

A Colourless kid, able to see the future — to see Rathe, and the Surge energy that was driving him into a frenzy. It seemed impossible, but Athira had long since learned that didn't mean much when she was involved. There was still more Reader wasn't telling her, but for the first time in years, something else flickered among the smouldering anger that'd pushed her forward for so long.

Athira was careful to keep it contained as her attention returned to Reader. "Any idea what this Purple is, or who it belongs to?"

"Unfortunately, no," said Reader with a one-shouldered shrug. "If I had to guess, I'd say it could be some sort of artefact created by a breaking point Colour." He waved a hand to the side. "Either way, the question we should be asking isn't what this Purple is, but rather, who might be desperate enough to try and control it."

"And who might that be?"

"I'll give you a hint," said Reader. "This Purple is strong enough to subdue Rathe, but could also wipe out the rest of the Thols at the same time. There's only one group that would find that risk to reward ratio acceptable, while also being capable enough to not blow themselves up the first time they tried wielding it."

Reader looked at Athira expectantly.

"Don't stop now," Athira said dryly. "You were doing so well with the monologuing."

Reader rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you've heard of them before. They call themselves Wardens."

She stared at him. "The Wardens are a legend to make kids feel better about the monsters under the bed."

"They're real enough, I assure you," said Reader. "I've had the unfortunate experience of encountering them on several occasions. They take their duty to 'contain the Sins at any cost' quite literally, to the point of insanity — I should know. One time, I was peacefully enjoying my lunch when they —"

Athira cut him off. "If they're real, where do I find them?"

Reader sniffed and inspected his nails. "Though I have my suspicions, I wouldn't wish to give you incorrect information until I've confirmed it myself." Something beeped on his wrist, and after a few taps, he sighed. "Regardless, it appears as though we're out of time."

"Why, is this conversation cutting into your Villain 101 class?" said Athira. "For aligned interests, you're being annoyingly vague."

"My dear, I would never be so basic," said Reader, encouraging Zac to his feet. "And while our interests align, I won't have a one-sided working relationship, Athira. I expect you to prove your capability."

Athira clenched her fist around a shard of Black. "Tell me where to find the Wardens, and I'll prove exactly how capable I am by putting an end to this before midnight. I'll even get you a stopwatch first."

Reader's smirk glinted in his eyes. "And where's the fun in that? I'll be sure to contact you again — when you're ready, of course. For now, I must ensure Zac returns home safely."

With Zac's hand in his, Reader turned his back on Athira and began to walk away, deeper into the building.

He wasn't walking away from her.

Not when she still needed answers.

Her blood was pounding in her ears as she raised a hand. Black flooded from her skin, twisting into a tendril that snaked around Reader's ankle. He noticed too late, barely releasing the kid's hand before the tendril violently yanked him off his feet.

Reader's back hit the ground with a satisfying thud. His jacket hissed across the bare concrete floor as the tendril dragged him, slowly, inexorably closer. His eyes flashed violet, fingers twitching at his side. The telltale shimmer of a mind blast ripped through the air, crashing into a wall of Black that Athira swiped into existence with a hand.

The blast dissipated. Athira stepped through the wall, her tendril now around Reader's throat, forcing him onto his knees before her. When violet flickered through his eyes a second time, she rewarded him with a swift punch across the jaw.

Uh, Thira? said Talon's voice from inside her mindscape. Everything okay out here?

Athira grabbed a handful of Reader's hair, jerking his head back up towards her. She was careful to keep a thin layer of Black between them to ensure he stayed out of her head. The kid was back drawing on the floor, blissfully unaware of anything else.

Just fine, Tal. "Last chance, Reader."

"Or what, you'll torture me?" said Reader, bored. "Dangle me from a skyscraper? 'Haunt' me for days on end until I break?" He blinked. "I assure you, I've survived far worse."

Thira, warned Talon, sensing her intentions. There's a Surge coming. I can feel it. It's too dangerous to —

If I know who's causing the Surges, I can put an end to them, said Athira, fingers tightening on Reader's hair. Is Rathe still down?

Talon reluctantly fluttered through her mindscape. Still down. Haven't even got that icky feeling when he's starting to reform yet. Turtle boy really did a number on him.

Good.

"No, no dangling from skyscrapers — not today." Amusement glittered in Reader's eyes. "Do it, Owl. Show me what has the Underground terrified." He leaned closer; amusement consumed by a wild, ravenous frenzy. A dare. "Show me."

Athira almost laughed. The Underground was terrified of anything it couldn't control, couldn't make vanish. Most of their leaders could be spooked with a bluff and a quick show of Colour.

Not Reader. His insanity couldn't be cowed by threats alone, but unfortunately for him, the Owl didn't make threats she couldn't keep.

If Reader wouldn't give her answers, she'd rip them from his mind — even if it broke him.

*+*+*+*

A/N - C10+11 drove me up the wall trying to work them out when I was doing the rewrite. Any extra (but earned) encouragement you feel like throwing around on them (esp 11) would be greatly appreciated <3