#002: B.I..H.

"failure to comply will result in immediate termination of the individual."

“Is this dude being serious or something?” Wonwoo had broken the silence with his rather loud and obnoxious question, as the rest recovered from the not-so-very funny trick Bravo had supposedly pulled.

RM straightened up and adjusted his glasses before he calmly strode into the elevator and plucked the document from the string with his long fingers, before allowing the balloon to float to the ceiling of the elevator. He stepped out before the elevator doors shut and flipped open the document, glancing at the eight agents before he read aloud, “Project Uproot.” The rest could only stare at each other uncomfortably as RM continued.

“Uproot, like what the definition suggests of moving someone from their home or a familiar location, is the essence of this project. In this project, each agent has been specially chosen and employed by yours truly, Bravo, as agents fit for bigger and better things in life.”

“What the heck? What if I don’t want to?” Jaehyun had pushed forward from the group and placed his hand on his hip.

RM only gave him a pointed stare as he continued. “Failure to comply would result in immediate termination of the individual, all in the welfare of the rest of the team and The Syndicate.” Jaehyun gulped before shuffling back into his place beside Shownu.

“Now if all agents are intimidated and agreeable, please raise your left pinky up and say ‘aye’ before you can receive further instructions. This entire situation has got to be the last straw in every event leading up this moment, and each agent had a million thoughts racing through their head, yet they realised they had nothing to lose. People who were superbly talented in one area and yet could never find their place- maybe this was it.

“Aye.” RM had started off, prompting the rest to do so slowly, one by one, before it finally ended off with Sehun.

There was a pregnant pause and the palpable nervous energy in the air, before a robotic yet interestingly human male voice sounded throughout the floor.

“Welcome agents to Team Bravo. I am glad to have finally met all of you.”

“What the fu-” Daniel had started before being cut off by the voice’s rambling.

“Master Bravo has spoken very often and fondly of all of you. I am indeed very, very excited.”

Lisa squinted her eyes and put a hand to the air, as if signalling the voice to stop talking. “Hang on, hang on.” The voice finally stopped. “What in the world are you?”

The voice let out a light chuckle. “I am B.I..H., Bravo’s intelligent software made unusually, terrifically helpful. I will be forever at your service, Team Bravo, especially until we track down Master Bravo’s whereabouts, for I am sure you all have noticed his lack of physical presence.” For a robot, B.I..H. sure spoke a great deal, but it was also his lack of emotions that spared him from realising the gravity of Bravo’s disappearance, much unlike the agents whom shifted uncomfortably on their feet at the mention of the boss they have never met.

B.I..H. had easily shifted the mood though, with his constant prattling and especially his explanation on Project Uproot.

“I’m sure you agents must be dying to know what this entire project is about, so here goes! Project Uproot was specially designed by Master Bravo himself to help each and every one of you adapt and integrate into The Syndicate, a wonderfully awesome group of people that dedicate their lives to solving crime and making the world a better place, and also being much, much more efficient than the police.”

The agents could only widen their eyes at what B.I..H. was saying, as well as at the speed that he was rambling on as well.

“Now, an official welcome to HQ, or the heart of The Syndicate. Fun fact, this building is registered as the headquarters for a diaper company but from the Underground to floors 88, they  are all for crime-solving and kick-butting!” B.I..H. had laughed at the apparent hilarity that the agents just couldn’t get.

“The main floors that you guys need to take note of are the Underground, floors 80-88 and the rooftop. The rest are pretty much irrelevant, especially when you all are the cream of the crop in The Syndicate.”

At this point, RM had to interrupt. “But wait a minute, what does The Syndicate do?”

“The overarching goal is to make the world a brighter place, and the most significant department is Master Bravo’s which is actually the secret service, which you all are in… I mean that’s why everyone in this building is scrambling to find him; I can literally feel my systems burning from the energy overload from all the tracking and communicating that is going into looking for him.”

“Either way, The Syndicate also dabbles with developing cheaper and more effective medicines, pushing for campaigns to change certain unjust and ineffective laws and well the list goes on. But Master Bravo truly believed that to make the world better, it would be through solving each and every crime and bad thing in the world. So he assembled you guys, Team Bravo, until he, I guess, disappeared.”

B.I..H.’s revelation had effectively made the agents’ jaws hit the ground, all just staring at one another at the absurdity yet honour of being able to be part of something so big and wholesome.

“But enough about all that! It’s finally time to get all of you settled in!” This had definitely snapped the agents out of their trance as they straightened up, ready to receive more instructions. Knowing that they were part of The Syndicate to eradicate evil from the world and bei