Micro earpiece for communication. Watch on my right wrist that told not only the time, but had different screens for tracking each other and for calling in backup. Gun strapped to waist alongside my switchblade and one right above my right ankle. In my bag: another knife concealed as a bottle of hand lotion, chloroform perfume in case of emergencies, blank swipe cards to create passes for confidential areas, and a pack of gum. Just regular spearmint gum.

It was safe to say that I was physically ready for the day ahead. Although I'd spent only a couple of weeks training for this moment, it felt as if I'd trained for it my entire life. All of the combat and mental training throughout my twenty years of life would be put to the ultimate test on this day.

I was leaning against a black limousine, a German driver's license in my hand. Natasha Schwartz, twenty-five, 145 pounds. After some digging around, we learned that Natasha and her husband, Alexander, worked for the German embassy, only two of many employees who were invited to the ceremony. Among them: Kevin, Alice, Gerald, and Richard. For tonight: Oliver, Lucy, Thomas, and Lucas, respectively.

"Your eyes are blue again," commented Silas as he strolled towards me. He'd traded in his thick glasses for brown contact lenses, which concealed the green eyes I'd grown accustomed to, and his curls were now short. His body was gracing the tuxedo he'd tried on, red tie matching the color of the mask in my hand. His comment took me back to the day I'd attacked him outside Mr. Miller's, when I'd worn the contacts to ensure that my identity was hidden from him. Oh, the irony.

"And yours are brown," I retorted as he shook his head, laughing lightly. Without his glasses, Silas looked much older. Mature. His boyish features had become rugged, home to scars that were not there before I'd met him. His otherwise fresh eyes had bags underneath them, and his jawline seemed sharper, thinner due to the amount he'd been working out.

Silas didn't have time to respond. Behind him followed Lucas, Lucy, and Oliver. Thomas was nowhere to be seen. We'd landed in Germany an hour ago, and although I'd been to the country many times before for missions, this time felt different. This time, I didn't know if I'd ever return.

"Where's your brother?" I directed the question towards Lucy, who placed her hands on her hips, the purple material wrinkling slightly under her touch. Her dark lipstick emphasized her full lips. Her eyes were not concealed. Instead, she wore a blonde wig, which suited her pale complexion.

She looked at her father nervously. Lucas stepped forward, adjusting his black tie. "He..." he cleared his throat, clearly ashamed of his words, "he left after we got off of the airplane. He said he didn't want to be a part of this."

Oliver, muttering some profanities and rolling his eyes, strode over to mine and Silas's side. His jet black hair was spiked up with gel, dark brown eyes pretending to be green for the day.  He adjusted his cuffs as he spoke, "Maybe it's for the best."

Once we'd all boarded the limo, I settled back, fishing through my bag to feel for the journal and box. After my fingers brushed their surfaces, I eased back into the seat between Oliver and Silas.

"Once we get there, blend in. I can't stress it enough. Don't fall behind a crowd or in front. Stay in the middle. They'll be expecting some type of disturbance."

Everyone's eyes were on me as I did what I do best: take control. Although we'd rehearsed the entire plan a dozen times, it didn't hurt to refresh everyone's minds.

"They'll ask for ID at the entrance, right Lucas?" He had the most information about what was happening inside the ceremony from his mole, Henry.

The older man nodded. "Yes. Tonight, we are these identities." He held up his fake ID. "No slip-ups."

"Oliver, the Arc agents?" I leaned back to give him space.

He cracked his knuckles. "There will be some inside and others waiting on the perimeters."

Lucy cleared her throat, adjusting her dress. "How are they getting in?"

"They have their own means," Oliver supplied, but didn't bother to elaborate.

"We get in, get Schneider, and he'll lead us to whoever is in charge. He's our priority. After we get him, we find the others, and hopefully that'll lead us to Lara, and whoever else is being held captive."

Lucas winced at the sound of her named, but nodded, agreeing with the steps I'd laid out. Saying it was easy. Getting to Schneider alone was going to be a difficult task.

"We find the codes, and any other resources they have. And we kill anyone who stands in our way."

Silence fell over the vehicle.

"And if anyone finds Harris, don't kill him. He's mine."

No one argued.

The hour-long trip had another twenty minutes left when I felt Silas shift beside me.

"Did you send that box to Julia that I asked you to?" he asked, his eyes home to unreadable emotions.

The day before, he'd handed me a box and asked me to send it to the woman who was supposed to protect him weeks ago. I hadn't asked what it was, simply because I wanted to limit how personal my interactions with him were.

"Yes, I did. What was in it?"

"Letters to my family. She'll send them if we don't... you know..." he gulped, unable to finish the sentence.

I drew in a sharp breath, his words causing pain to surge through my chest. My hand found a place to rest on top of his, and I gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze, trying to push his words out of my mind.

"Oliver, have you heard from Maya?" I asked my friend, craning my neck so that I could see him.

Every time I mentioned her name, the shadow of a dark cloud seemed to fall over his face. Whatever he'd talked to her about on the phone had been affecting him, and I could see it now in the way that his jaw clenched at the sound of her name.

"She can't make it. Arc won't fly her here, and she has no other way of getting a pilot without staying off the radar. She said she’s with us though, doing what she can on her end," he finally whispered, playing with the watch strapped around his wrist, "she said to tell you 'good luck' though. And to tell you to kick ass."

A smile slipped onto my lips, and I found myself myself thinking back to all of the biggest missions of my life. In each one, Maya and Oliver had been present. Going through with this one tonight didn't feel right without her, but a part of me was relieved that she wouldn't have to face the same danger we soon would.

"Do you actually think we'll find the codes, Zara?" Silas perked up, keeping his eyes on the passing scenery.

Lucas and Lucy were lost in their own conversation, and from time to time I heard Thomas's name pop up.

"I think that either Lara or anyone else working with the weaponry has to know them. Or where they are."

He nodded, but didn't seem convinced.

"Nothing's ever certain in these missions. Just, please, follow my orders exactly. Don't try anything," I warned, knowing all too well that Silas was at times driven by impulse.

He paused before he spoke, "I figured out what to name this mission."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Secret Silver."

*

When the car came to a smooth stop, we all shared looks of determination and took a collective deep breath.

"Show time," Oliver whispered as he stepped out of the vehicle, helping Lucy and Lucas out of the same side.

Silas shuffled beside me. "Are you ready?" he asked, unbuckling his seatbelt, his hand still intertwined with mine. His eyes searched mine for answers I could not give him.

"I was born for this, Silas. Are you?" My voice was even, steady, unlike my frantic heart. I tucked my short hair behind my ear, the new style feeling foreign.

"This is my superhero moment. Of course I'm ready."

I placed my maroon mask onto my face, the plastic hugging my nose. Silas did the same with his silver one.

He took my hand and led me out onto the sidewalk. The road was lined with countless other limousines, and people lined up at the doors of the venue.

The building was magnificent. Huge.  The stone walls were riddled with modern windows, which were tinted to conceal the indoor areas. Guards were posted at every few feet, eyeing the crowd intensely.

I breathed in the spring air, letting it fill my lungs before reopening my eyes. I saw three pairs staring right back at me.

It wasn't until then that I realized they were waiting for me. For my command. I hooked Silas's arm with mine and stepped in front of my team, falling into the line that had formed outside the door.

The other attendees were dressed in extravagant dresses, meaning our plan to go unseen would be much easier. We were underdressed, and would easily be overshadowed by the others.

I kept my eyes on the guards at the entrance, sizing them up, while at the same time trying to see if I recognized any of them as G.O.L.D. agents.

People were speaking in hushed whispers, and I tapped my foot anxiously as the line moved slowly.

"Silas," I started, tilting my chin up to meet his eyes, "is your earpiece in?"

He nodded, his hand reaching up to his ear. There was some amount of time spent on teaching him how to use the gadgets, but luckily he picked up on everything quickly because of his technical skills.

Silas was going to be an important part of this mission, equally as valuable as the rest of us, and that scared me.

He also knew how to use a gun now. Although he didn't have the best aim from when we were training, he knew the general direction in which to shoot, which would have to do for now.

I remained quiet, glancing over my shoulder to see Oliver behind me, his arm hooked with Lucy's. The poor girl, no matter how much she tried to hide it, could never stop blushing when she was in his proximity.

Oliver caught me looking and threw a subtle wink, lips curving into a lopsided smile. Lucas trailed behind, looking natural as he flashed a smile at a couple nearby.

When I returned my gaze to Silas, I found that he was already looking at me. Something in me wanted to take his contacts off, just so I could look at his natural emerald eyes. If my darker complexion was capable of it, I would have been blushing from his gaze, which was nothing short of endearing.

"Eyes on the prize, Bridges," I whispered as we took a few steps towards the man at the entrance.

He pulled me closer to himself, the warmth of his body comforting. "They are." And still, he was looking at me.

"Name and I.D. please," the gruffy man at the entrance demanded, his features hard, a gun visible underneath the flap of his jacket.

I offered him an alluring smile, taking advantage of the looks my mother had passed down to me.

"Certainly," I purred in a German accent, slipping my I.D. into the man's outstretched hand. "Natasha Scwartz. German Embassy."

His eyes studied me from head to toe, before his lips curved upwards into a grin and his features softened. He looked down at the card and back at me, nodding in approval.

Then, he stepped forward and took my bag from me, searching it thoroughly. When he was satisfied, he handed it back to me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Standard protocol," he explained, though it seemed like he didn't have a problem with the contact.

I flashed a smile, raising my arms. "I understand."

My heart beat steady, I stood still as the man patted his arms down under my arms, waist, and legs, his touch lingering for his own enjoyment. My guns were concealed in a belt worn underneath the giant cage of the gown, so it was not detectable from someone just examining the outside of the dress.

"You've been thorough enough," Silas's threatening voice made the man retract his hands from my waist, right before I was about to point out his leisure actions. Silas's jaw was clenched, one hand in a fist by his side, but when I shot him a reassuring glance, he relaxed. Such darkness was not common in his features, but he had surprising me a lot lately.

No matter how much I myself wanted to knock the man's teeth out, we couldn't afford to draw attention to ourselves.

He grunted. "Mr. Schneider welcomes you. Enjoy your night." He winked, allowing me to step into the door, and turned to Silas.

"Alexander Schwartz," the green-eyed boy lied cooly, his voice smooth, smile charming. How he'd managed to go from a stuttering mess to a casanova was beyond me. "German Embassy, same as my wife." His German accent, although not as clean as mine, was impressive, as he glanced at where I stood.

The man huffed and checked his I.D. He proceeded to pat him down much less thoroughly, and let him through. I let out a breath I'd been holding since we'd stepped out of the limo.

Silas came to stand by my side, exhaling as well.

We watched as Lucy, Oliver, and Lucas followed the same process. Oliver's hard features dared the man to touch him or Lucy longer than necessary, so they were done rather quickly as well and fell into step behind us.

Silas and I stayed a few feet ahead of them. We didn't want to seem like a big group. Congregating in such a way would draw attention and raise suspicions.

We walked silently down an empty hallway and towards towering double doors. The guards on duty wore stone-like expressions as they opened the doors and let us through, into a magnificent hall pulsing with life.

Before passing through the door, I caught a glimpse of the guards' necks, which were home to the tattoos of lions. They were G.O.L.D. My blood boiled in my veins, but I took a few deep breaths to cool myself, and offered a smile before stepping into the venue.

A glorious buffet lined one end of the room, in front of a stage. In front of the platform, militants stood in position, still and awaiting the arrival of the chief guest.

The people walking about were conversing loudly in German, some in English. Most people wore masks to fulfill the theme, others walked around with bare faces.

"Zara," Silas whispered, snaking his arm around my waist, "before we do this, I need you to know something..."

I gulped, anticipation clawing at my mind, which tuned out the jazz music swimming in the air.

"I've always known how to tie a tie."

The words that escaped his lips were laced with humor that was dark in a way. But I needed it. I simply grinned and we walked right into a storm that was waiting to destroy us.

(A/N)

Are you guys ready for Secret Silver??? IK I AM

next chapter will be action-packed! stay tuned.

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