[center][img]http://www.itinerantpreacher.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Paradox.png[/img][/center] The lab was feeling cramped and tight, Bobi hadn’t left it in days. Her arm laid flat on a cold, metal table. Her forearm was open and visible, tiny blue wires poking out here and there. She sighed, rubbing the dark circles under her eyes as she continued to work on it. Tiredness was not usually something she felt, but it hit her like a freight truck that night. She didn’t technically need to sleep, though it would help her immensely right now. A soft knock sounded on her door, and her head slowly turned toward the noise. She shuffled over to the door handle, leaving a tiny sliver to see. There, standing in the darkened hallway of HQ was a very young, obtrusive Thomas Beastly. He smiled lightly up at her, being far too short even for his young age. He looked like any normal, teenage boy with dark combed hair, and hazel eyes. Bobi kept a hand on the door, keeping it slightly open, as she stared at him with cold, pools of cobalt. “H-hey, Bobi! Um, me and the other Agents wanted to get you something, since it’s your ‘Agent Day’ and all-” He said, clutching something small and white in his hands. It was a folded piece of paper, that much Bobi’s eyes could make out. [color=cornflowerblue]“You’ve made me a card.”[/color]She said simply. She automatically held her hand out waiting for him to place it in her palm, but Tom was so shocked that she actually responded that he just stood there for a few short moments. He shook his head vigorously, then shoved the card over to her. “I hope you like it! Really, I do. We worked hard on it this year.” He chuckled nervously. Bobi nodded at him, not sparing even a smile, then closed the door gently. She locked it, but for what she didn’t know. The card was nice, Bobi thought, but her mind lingered on it for only a second before returning to her arm that was on the table. Tom seemed to have not noticed that she was missing one arm, for which she was grateful for. She couldn’t handle him being even more weirded out by her than he already seemed to be. The longer she stared at the arm, the less it seemed to make sense. 8081 was buzzing softly, and she could feel that familiar heat on her back that meant it was close to reaching its limit. [i]Nothing[/i]. 8081, a super AI that knew virtually everything about the world, knew nothing about itself. She grimaced, a terrible sense of uneasiness settling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t used to such a feeling, but ever since she joined Paradox around 5 years ago it’s been showing up unannounced. Particularly when she was faced with 8081; she felt it claw at her insides slowly. She picked her arm up, and attached it easily back onto the stump. She winced as she felt the wires twist and snake their way back into their proper places. The pain slowly subsided, and Bobi braced herself against the metal table with one hand as she tried to think on what she would do next. She had no assignments, and 8081 was getting her nowhere fast. All she had left to arguably busy herself with was the card that Thomas brought over, and she didn’t think she could quite muster the emotional strength to socialize with the rest of them. The lab had a tiny cot in the corner a thin, cotton blanket strewn haphazardly across it. That’s where she slept when she stayed in the lab overnight, though she hadn’t been using it for awhile. Just as she was about to take a few steps towards it however, another knock resounded against the door. She clenched her teeth, holding in a silent groan. Leila stood outside, her hands in front of her, leaning on a nice, dark green cane. “Happy Agent Day, Agent Adolow.” She greeted, with a demure smile. Bobi stood there, trying to figure out why Leila would come to her, and not just call Bobi to her office like she normally did when it was time for assignments. Leile chuckled, lightly. “Ah, as curious as ever. But, I didn’t come here for idle chit chat. You now have a new assignment, but it has to be a secret between just the two of us I’m afraid.” Leila said, walking into the small lab. [color=cornflowerblue]“What’s the assignment?”[/color] Bobi asked. Leila hummed softly to herself, tracing a hand across the metal table. “You are familiar with an Agent named Shou Hanamura, correct?” Leila asked. Bobi stood there as 8081 frantically dug up as much information on him, before answering confidently. [color=cornflowerblue]“Yes. I am now, anyways.”[/color] She told her. “Great! Because he’s gone missing. And no one can find him. Not even Charlotte.” Leila said, turning to Bobi. “It’s been a month now, since he and his partner split up.” Leila explained. “He ran away for seemingly no reason other than that he was upset about his partners actions.” Bobi nodded, folding her arms, still reading over 8081’s findings. [color=cornflowerblue]“His partner was a Maxwell Heighnsworth?[/color] [color=cornflowerblue]I remember hearing his name around HQ, everyone was talking about him a couple of weeks ago, but…”[/color] She shook her head. [color=cornflowerblue]“I wasn’t paying attention to the gossip it seemed.”[/color] Leila winked, cheerily. “I guess it didn’t seem all that important to you then huh?” She sighed. “But nevermind that, if there was ever anyone who could find him, I believe it’s you.” Bobi nodded, but there was a nagging sense of curiosity that she felt. [color=cornflowerblue]“Uh...If you don’t mind me asking...why me particularly?”[/color] She said, quietly. Leila raised an eyebrow. “Well I think it’s fairly obvious. You’re a very capable person, with an amazing ability, and you’ve proven yourself to be able to solve even the most confounded of mysteries.” She said. “This should be a cake walk for the amazing Miss Adolow, should it not?” Bobi didn’t know how to feel about Leila’s confidence in her work as an Agent. She supposed she ought to feel happy, but lately it’s been tough to feel anything. “Also,” Leila added. “You need to get out some more. I can sense you’re apathy from all the way over here, and it’s distressing.” She grinned. “This way, you will have to talk to people, and the people you talk to will be more than uplifting, I can guarantee you that.” Bobi let out that groan she had been holding in. Agitation was also a feeling she was getting used to, though slowly it was becoming more and more familiar.[color=cornflowerblue]“Are you certain-?” [/color] “Yes.” Leila said, before she could finish speaking. “I am 100% certain that you are the right Agent for this assignment.” Bobi shook her head, [color=cornflowerblue]“That’s great, but it’s not what I was going to say.[/color] [color=cornflowerblue]I meant ‘Are you sure this Shou Hanamura person went missing?’[/color] [color=cornflowerblue]Maybe he ran away.”[/color] She suggested. Leila cocked her head to the side, in contemplation. “Interesting theory. You can test it once you track him down.” She said, walking toward the door. Bobi sat down gently on the cot, her eyes trained to the gray walls of her lab. She hadn’t a clue as to where she should start with her assignment, all she knew is that she had a measly week to figure it all out. ..................... [color=8882be]here's bobi's first post and I'm using that image above as a banner so i guess it fits the atmosphere a bit![/color] [color=8882be]also damn thats a dark blue, or rather my eyes are just THAT bad lol.[/color] [hider=LET ME FACE, LET ME FACE, LET ME FACE MY FEARS~][url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KWMVnz2XZk[/url][/hider]