A blanket of silence enfolded the city. In all her years there, Lumen had never known the place to be so quiet. It was as if the people, the animals—hell, even the damn buildings—were waiting with bated breath; for what, she couldn't guess. All she knew was that it left her with an incredible sense of foreboding. The young woman stared out into the fog, a pensive expression on her face. For perhaps the fifteenth time that morning, she wondered if the rest of them would show up. Known as Unit 14, they were figuratively brothers and sisters in arms. But they were so much more than that. Much, much more. Lumen hugged herself tightly, shivering in the brisk cold. Something had driven her to wait outside for her cab instead of the warmth of her apartment. She'd been staring at those same walls for four months now, and that morning, she had nearly burst out the door, ready to be free of that place. But escape came slowly. She was still prisoner to her body; the cane resting neatly across her lap was a harsh reminder of that. It had taken her some time to get down the stairs. By the time she'd reached the bench on the sidewalk, she was all but ready to pass out. Now the young woman sat waiting, a soft drizzle coating her in a light layer of raindrops. She looked the picture of authority. Her long hair pulled back into a bun, she wore the standard Reaper gear, the black cloth stark against the white bench. The only change was the Director insignia shining against her collar. It had startled her that morning when she first put it on. While she had always expected to be made a Director, the rushed circumstances of her promotion just made her feel hollow. Her eyes saw the emblem on around her neck, and yet in her mind, she always remembered it on another. Someone much older, a man she'd followed on three missions. A man who she last remembered as putting a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger.
The sound of a car approaching snapped her out of her thoughts, and she watched listlessly as a black sedan pulled up neatly along the curb. Her ride was finally here. The driver didn't have much work to do. She had only packed the bare necessities, piled neatly into two duffel bags. Nothing more. In the chance that she died on the journey, her items could be easily used by others or destroyed. That was the mentality that she'd always had for every mission. And now, in the wake of the accident, she felt the touch of death more strongly than she ever had before. There was no time for weak-hearted sentiments. She could only prepare for what may come—whatever that might be.
"The city gates, please," Lumen said breathlessly as she settled into the car. Then, a beat later, she couldn't help but smile at herself. Of course her driver knew to take her to the city gates. He remained silent, but she caught the barest hint of a smile in the rearview mirror. Her own smile deepened. Well, at least she'd made one person happy that morning. As they came closer to the edge of town, the young woman found herself looking out the window, out into the gloom that surrounded them. The walls of the city gate loomed before them like a great specter. As they drew closer, she could see the gates enclosing the outer courtyard. There, painted black against the room, sat the ever formidable camper of Unit 14. Lumen felt her breath hitch in her throat. It was even larger than the last one they embarked in. The implications of that change spoke gravely about what was to come. Looking towards the back end of it, she suddenly noticed a throng of people clumped together. There must've been about twenty people there, some Reapers, and some civilians. Were they there to send them off?
All too soon, they arrived. Still eyeing the crowd, Lumen barely registered the driver's quiet, "Careful" as he helped her from the car. Careful, indeed. The ground was slick with rainwater. She was suddenly grateful for the man's hand on her arm. For her to tumble to the ground right in front of her onlookers would be disastrous. Still, it stung at her pride to be helped. She allowed him to help her up to the edge of the courtyard, where the ground was less slick. Then, she released herself from him.
"Thank you for the help," She said politely, "but I can take it from here."
"Ma'am". Tipping his hat to her, he left as quietly as he had come. Now she stood alone, with only her bags beside her. Sighing, the young director turned slowly. All eyes were on her. Of course. Straightening her spine, she rose to her full height of 5'9", hoping to look more confident than she felt. Whatever she appeared to be in their eyes, it would have to do.
And so she walked, her cane tapping roughly against the ground as she marched to her future.
