Breaking the Glass || Agent 38

Chapter One- Glass Walls

The front door gently clicked shut as an exhausted-looking girl shuffled through the door. She rubbed her hand against her right eye in an attempt to hide her tired appearance.

Crickets chirped outside of their window and the closed door as the once golden sky turned into its natural deep navy blue. Inkopolis's sky was spotted and speckled with the golden and silver blanket of stars. By the time the digital clock on the microwave reached 11:30 pm, she was halfway to her bedroom before the door to the room next to hers swung open. 

"8! You're back!" An excited Agent 4 smiled, accidentally bumping 8 with the door in haste.

Agent 8 turned to the inkling, careful to not let her tired features show. Agent 4 blinked her orange eyes, waiting for a response as the smile on her tan face slowly faded.

"Hi, 4," Agent 8 waved, "I was just coming back from a late-night shift at Ammo Knights! Sorry if I worried you at all!" She grinned.

Agent 8 rubbed 4's head, causing the hyper inkling to giggle. 8 was still careful not to let the tired expression on her warm tawny skin be visible.

4's pointed ears perked up as her face mask squished with her lips forming a smile. "Alrighty, well goodnight then!"

Agent 4 ran back into her room before 8 had a chance to say goodnight back. She shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh as she rubbed at her eyes furiously again.

She finally reached her bedroom. The walls were painted a light beige, and a window framed by cream white curtains displayed the night sky like a painting. A twin-sized bed decorated with plain white sheets and soft pillows called for 8 to rest. Light from a lamp illuminated the room with a soft golden glow from on top of a desk.

As Agent 8 settled in for bed, she wondered where Agent 3 was. She's probably sleeping, she thought. Like her body had a mind of its own, the next thing she knew she was in the hallway to check on 3.

The inkling was snoring softly, the covers kicked off of the mattress halfway and her green pointed phone still in her hand. Her limbs were sprawled out, almost like a starfish shape, and her hair had fallen out of its ponytail and was draped over her face. 8 smiled. She put the covers back on top of her fellow agent and put her phone on the nightstand.

"Goodnight, 3, sleep tight," she grinned before leaving, making sure to leave a fan on to keep her room cool.

She finally settled down and got ready for bed again, but as she stared up at the ceiling she realized she wasn't falling asleep as easily as she used to. The octoling squeezed her eyes shut and relaxed, but her eyes stung to touch. She sighed and sunk back into her mattress, waiting for sleep to come, but it never did.

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The next morning, the agents had gotten up and ready for Saturday. A tired Agent 3 sat at the counter tapping a silver spoon against a glass bowl of cereal. Agent 4 was on the sofa texting on her phone with her knees dragged up to her chest like a ball. Agent 8 struggled to pin her hair up as she paced around the kitchen, her Ammo Knights apron undone as well. Agent 3 looked up, raising a brow at the events unfolding.

"Uh, you ok?" Agent 3 asked sarcastically.

"No, I need to get ready or I'm going to be late and I can't get this bun right or tie my apron right now," she hissed.

"That was sarcasm." Agent 3 pointed out.

Agent 8 paused and looked at 3, blinking a couple of times before power walking into the bathroom to fix her hair in the mirror. Agent 3 sighed and slumped down, resting her chin in the bend of her arm. After a few minutes, 8 came power walking out again with a toothbrush in her hand. Agent 3 looked up and scoffed.