The War I Fought

After-Action Report

January 23rd, 2029
1:12 PM
Atlanta, Georgia
Lamina International Forces Outpost Alpha Infirmary

Everything was black and noiseless save for a male's voice saying "Umbra" over and over. Every time the word was uttered, it grew louder and louder, until it was a shout. The blackness surrounding everything soon began to alleviate, shifting to a maroon color, the color of the inside of an eyelid.

With that shift, the tall girl from the Havana Club opened her eyes. She looked to her right, her eyes beginning to focus on the figures before her. She realized she was in a hospital bed, looking around to the bleached walls and spotless floor. She spotted her uniform, the black material appeared brown, the majority of it stained with blood. She looked at the right shoulder, seeing the large tear left by her attacker. Rubbing her eyes, she made eye-contact with the man calling her name.

He was a tall man, standing at 6'1, with fair skin. His hair was shaved in a faux-hawk, the tips of his hair dyed red. He had a short mustache and goatee. He folded his arms smiling gently, his muscular frame accentuating more. "Glad to see you're awake, Umbra." He said, in a higher voice than his build would suggest.

"Rocket?" Umbra whispered groggily, looking past him to a girl sitting in a chair beside the bed. "Cobra?" She questioned, unable to focus on the girl since her eyesight had not yet focused at the extended range.

"Yes, I'm here, Umbra. You're in the infirmary." The girl smiled. She was of Spanish descent, with long black hair reaching down past her shoulder blades. She had gentle eyes and soft, young features. "We were afraid you wouldn't wake up."

Rocket took a step towards the bed, placing a hand on Umbra's shoulder. He looked her dead in the eyes and began to ask question after question. "What happened? Bad mission? Were you ambushed? It had to have been a bunch of them to thrash you and Bobcat.. I swear I'll find them Umbra, I swear I'll-"

"Rocket, please." Cobra hissed, causing Rocket to realize how pressing he was being. He retreated, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Wait, did Bobcat not make it out?" Umbra was stressed, her eyes darting back and forth between the mountain, Rocket, and the gentler Cobra, however neither one looked at her, choosing instead to stare at each other with sunken looks. "Somebody answer me!"

Rocket looked back to Umbra, struggling to find the words to make what he needed to say easier. He sighed, shaking his head. "No. She was captured by your attackers."

Tears began to fill Umbra's eyes as she looked out the window, hoping somehow that she would be able to see Bobcat in the streets of Atlanta, unable to accept that she was gone.

Cobra rubbed her arms before standing up. "Look," she said quietly, placing a hand on Umbra's back. "I know this is hard to grasp, Sarah, but-"

A loud crash cut Cobra off, as a slender, gray-haired, pale woman entered the infirmary quietly, slamming the door. She wore a gray business suit jacket and skirt, with tall heels. Instinctively the three people standing before her raised their arms in a salute, Umbra's taking slightly longer to raise her arm completely. "At ease." The Gray Woman started. Her voice was sharp and direct, devoid of any unnecessary sounds or tones. She slowly walked in between Rocket and Cobra, staring down at Umbra.

Umbra knew this look she was being given, and was prepared to hear a monotonous speech on how she failed her mission. When the Gray Woman placed her hand on Umbra's shoulder, whispering "I am glad you are safe", Umbra was unsure whether she was still under an anesthetic or not. "You do not have to speak. I can understand the trauma you must have been in. You lost a great deal of blood." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.