Indigo's Owl [Indigo Rewrite]

Chapter 44 - A Tentative Truce

The Wardens and Red took their place opposite Raph. Zoe dropped herself into the chair on Raph's left with a slump. Kione took the one on the right. Shift looked like he was considering it for a moment before he ultimately decided to remain against the wall between Athira and Talia. 

And with that, the talk began.

All things considered, it went surprisingly smoothly. By some small miracle, the Wardens didn't push for answers about Athira's other form. They seemed mostly content to listen to Raph speak. The answers they did offer were vague and delayed at best, and Athira got the sense there was someone else on their mind link calling the real shots.

In the end, they were at least able to agree on the most important thing — that the Wardens would immediately cease all experiments, Sloth, Spectrum, or otherwise, until an internal investigation had been completed regarding Karma's influence on their operations.

It was far from everything, but for now, it was enough. Indigo were exhausted, and even Zoe's glow had begun to dim by the time they left the room.

Zoe still had the energy for one additional demand before they left, however, and while the rest of Indigo were escorted back to base, Zoe and Athira were taken to another part of Elite HQ.

They found a nearby bathroom to clean themselves up in while they waited. Fresh clothes from the Elite's training stock helped, but try as they might, they couldn't quite get the bloodstains out of Zoe's white-blonde hair.

Zoe did, however, manage to get one thing clean.

"Ta-da!" said Zoe, holding up her locket. "It'll need a new chain, but it won't be the first time I've replaced it." She looped the broken chain around her wrist, and with Athira's help and some tape, secured it in place. Zoe flashed Athira a smile. "With a little luck, the new chain will be stronger than the last one."

It was another thirty minutes before Zoe's demand was finally fulfilled, a duration in which Athira almost fell asleep twice despite standing up.

Yet when Zac's parents walked through the doors and saw their son quietly scribbling away beside Zoe on the floor, even Athira had to admit that the delay had been worth it. Zac saw them and dropped his crayons, reaching up for a hug — the first bit of interest he'd shown in anything outside of his drawings — as his parents swept him off the ground and wrapped him in their arms.

"I don't know how to thank you," said Zac's father, his arm around his wife who refused to do anything except cradle Zac to her chest. "I never thought—"

"You don't need to thank us," said Zoe with a small smile. "I'm just glad I was able to get him back to you. Hopefully, you'll all be a little safer from Reader in your new home."

"So what the Elites said about the relocation was true?" asked the father, concerned. "We can't afford the prices in the inner city. It'd be—"

"The Elites will pay for everything," said Zoe. "Zac—well, I'm sure you've noticed his drawings are too accurate to be coincidences. He isn't as Colourless as you thought."

"What," snapped the mother, eyeing Zoe. "They intend to bribe us with housing to abuse my son's ability?"

"No," muttered Athira, half asleep from her seat on the bench. "They intend to keep Reader from abusing your son's ability, unless of course you'd rather be robbed twice a month again." She sat up, meeting the mother's death glare with a flat look of her own. "If Zac decides to help us later, fantastic. But we'll make sure the Elites don't force you into anything."

"And if you need anything at all," Zoe added, "if you have any problems or concerns with how the Elites are handling things, you come straight to Indigo."