Colour Kid's Arc

Chapter 4 of 11

From the cracked window of the old booth, Colour Kid watched the creature freeze on the rails. Its bulbous eyes locked on his. Paint dripped from its many legs, pink and yellow beading on the ties. It had felt him watching. Now it was watching back. The glowing stripes he had painted across the tunnel walls pulsed softly, lighting every twitch. Ink Gray crouched behind the pressure plate, hand raised, waiting. Colour Kid pressed the copper pipe to the rail one last time. The creature took a slow step forward. Then another. It was heavier than it looked. It hit the plate. The trap snapped shut with a wet metal clang, pinning four of its legs to the ground. The thing shrieked and thrashed, smearing the rails with bright streaks. The bat dove past Colour Kid's ear and vanished down the tunnel. Pinned, but not dead. Not even close. Colour Kid climbed down from the booth, shaking. The creature's eyes still tracked him through the glowing stripes. Behind it, far down the tunnel, new lights were coming. Lanterns. A cold blue glow. The shriek had called them. Both factions had heard.