Indigo's Owl [Indigo Rewrite]

Chapter 19 - Persuasion

"See if you can figure out where the key is kept," said Athira. Her eyes flicked towards the untouched sandwich. "You'd better eat that before Zoe comes in."

Kione leaned back in his chair and scowled at the sandwich. "Eating is such a waste of time. Can't you just put it into my stomach with your Colour or something?"

Athira wrinkled her nose. "Yes, but even I have my limits."

"Surely you could just —"

The door to the Tech lab slid open, casting a bright, Yellow light into the dim space.

Kione launched forward, grabbing the sandwich and shoving it into his mouth.

"I'm eating it, I swear!" he said around a mouth full of bread.

Zoe stepped inside, an eyebrow raised. "While I'm glad to hear it, I came to see if you had the address I asked for. The Elites still won't give it to me."

Kione sagged, putting the sandwich back on the plate and tapped something out on the keyboard.

"Sent to your wristlet," he grumbled. "Anything else you'd like while I'm at it? The sun a little further to the left, perhaps?"

Zoe skipped behind him and wrapped him in a one-armed hug. "This is good for now, but I'll let you know!"

Zoe turned to Athira.

Athira eyed her, suspicious. "What?"

"I'm going to Zac's house — y'know, the Colourless kid we found with Reader?" Zoe said with a smile that was all too innocent. "After all the stuff you and Kione found about the missing Colourless, I wanna check and make sure he's okay."

"And this concerns me... why?"

"Weeeeeell," said Zoe, sidling a little closer. "If you fly me there, I don't have to fill out all the paperwork and explain to Discord about my 'joyride' outside Indigo's sector, and you'll be able to ask Zac some questions about his visions!"

"I've got research to do," said Athira. "Maybe tomorrow —"

"You're always researching something," said Zoe. "C'mon. It'll just be a short little trip. Might learn something fun!"

"There is literally no point arguing with her," said Kione. "It just wastes even more time before she wears you down. I've learned it's better to just give in." He glanced at Athira. "I'll see if I can find that key."

Zoe bounced on her toes beside Athira. "Pleeeease, Thira?"

Athira sighed. "Fine."

*+*+*+*

The address led them to a neighbourhood of tightly packed high-rise apartment complexes right by the edge of Starpoint's restricted zone.

After a double-back down the narrow one-way street to find the right building, Athira dropped Zoe in front of the entrance alcove and landed beside her.

Zoe approached the building's buzzer and checked the address on her wristlet again.

"Okay," she said. "I'll handle the talking, and assuming Zac's feeling up to it, you can ask him about his visions." She glanced back at Athira and pointed a finger at her. "If the parents say no to that, I might be able to talk them into it as long as you don't scare the socks off them. Just don't traumatise the kid, okay?"

Zoe pressed the apartment number and pushed the buzzer.

Some twenty seconds later, a tired-sounding voice came through the speaker. "Hello?"