Silver Strength

The ballroom smelled like blood. The tattered flag of the Scarlet Guard had been torn from the spear and lay on the ground. It appeared as though it were surrendering, but one look at the smoky and blood stained room proved the flag was grinning in absolute victory. Those Red Rats had done it.

And he had known about it.

Oliverara grabbed Maven by his collar and yanked him back and away from Mareena Titanos. The fake Silver went to follow but one sharp look from Oliverara stopped her cold.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Oliverara roared as she tossed Maven against the wall. He held up his hands meekly and his cold eyes sparkled with a bit of fear. Good, Oliverara thought. He should fear me.

"You weren't supposed to be shot," Maven explained weakly. He pointed at the Red and Silver stains on Oliverara's jacket. "I see you still managed to hide your secret. I see no harm done really."

Oliverara scoffed. "No harm? There are innocent people dead! Those rebels were targeting my brother, me, Colonel Macanthos. They are dangerous and yet you stand by and let them wage their war on us! What type of tyrant are you? You are letting the weak be in power and the powerful suffer!"

Maven stood silently as Oliverara fumed and twisted the metallic coverings on the walls into distorted shapes. He smiled at her; as if her anger was amusing to him. "You keep saying 'us'. What, do you think just because you hide your complexion well you're suddenly Silver?" He stepped closer to the enraged magnetron. "You're not special Samos. Don't forget, you're just as disposable as the rest of them."

"If I'm so disposable," Oliverara growled, "then why was I taken off their hit list?" She smiled her crooked smile at Maven. "I'm guessing the Silver Scarlet Guard member had something to do with that."

Maven just adjusted his gala outfit without saying a word. Then he turned to walk away as if their conversation wasn't happening.

"What's the matter Prince," Oliverara mocked. "Scared to admit that Mommy's plan isn't for you?"

"You underestimate me General," Maven spoke with his back still to her. "Is it really so hard to believe that the shadow of the flame might be willing to watch his fellow Silvers die? That he might be willing to give the rebels a list of people he needs gone? That him discovering the true color of a target that could destroy the lie so careful in place, that he'd be willing to let the biggest fish in the pond survive for just a while longer? Do you really think I'm so stupid as to not have a backup plan for all those that survived?" He finally turned to her; just to marvel at her shocked expression.

"Don't underestimate a liar Oliverara. I would think you of all people would know that."


Sparks sizzled the air as Oliverara tore another mechanical structure out of the Training Room wall. It shattered like a precious vase against the far side. Another machine hurtled a ball of metal at her which dissipated before reaching its destination. Oliverara turned her fury on that machine and soon the mechanical arm was cracked and broken on the floor while the base creaked and groaned for mercy. Oliverara gave it none as she tore it entirely in two and watched the cybernetics crackle and whine the last of their life away.

The piece of equipment was still too whole for her though. Yes it was in pieces but pieces could be mended and put back together until it was in enough condition to follow orders again. It needed less! It needed to be gone, entirely gone, so that it was never of any use to another person again! Oliverara screamed in rage and grabbed the corner of the base with her hands before prying the shell off of it. Her muscles cried but Oliverara didn't care. The pain was better than the crushing emptiness inside her. She kept going, tearing and eating away at the shell of the once great machine until the floor was filled with broken and demolished gears and parts.

Oliverara collapsed on the ground. breathing heavily. Trickling Red blood ran from cracks in her knuckles and cuts on her wrist but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She had been destroying the Training room for hours now. Just the thought of staying and listening to the chanting Silvers made her sick. Their cries of strength and power made bile rise in the back of her throat. Maven was right; she wasn't like them.

"This isn't a sight I'm used to seeing."

Oliverara reflexively covered her bloody knuckles but relaxed when she saw the figure standing in the thinly veiled darkness. Elane Haven stepped from the shadows of the wall with a kind smile on her face. Oliverara gave her a nod of acknowledgement. The red headed Shadow was one of the few Silvers Oliverara could stand to be around, and not just because she was Evangeline's girlfriend. Elane was naturally kind and caring to everyone. Even the Red servants could be heard praising Elane's generosity and sweetness. How such a nice girl ended up in love with the bitchy Evangeline was beyond Oliverara.

"How long have you been spying on me?" Oliverara asked her.

Elane shrugged. "Maybe an hour. You didn't seem to be in a talking mood. More of a 'stab the first person you see' mood."

Oliverara smirked at the truth in that statement. "Why did you stick around then? Evangeline still parading around with Cal?"

"Well, yes she is, but I was a bit worried about you Oli- ahem General," Elane stumbled over Oliverara's title in place of her name.

"Elane, you're in love with my sister and engaged to my brother. You can call me Oliverara." The statement evoked a smile out of both the shadow and the magnetron.

"It just seems more appropriate to give you the honor your title deserves," Elane explained.

"Whatever you wish Elane. I could care less about my title." It means nothing as long as my blood is Red, Oliverara thought sadly.

Elane came closer to her and took a seat in a space not covered in disassembled parts. Their shoulders brushed slightly. Oliverara eyed Elane carefully. The only people who came this close to her were her siblings and Ellyn. Everyone else was too scared. Even children ran from her.

"I know the Samos family isn't big on talking about their problems," Elane began, "but destroying an entire room isn't exactly normal for you guys either." Oliverara glanced at the Training Room again. It was entirely a mess.

"I can't talk to you about this Elane," Oliverara whispered. She couldn't talk to anyone about this. Elara would know and then her entire family would be in danger. Maven, Mareena, and the Scarlet Guard had to remain a secret. Of course, there was one thing that she could get off her chest.

"Are you sure you can't?" Elane asked. "Because there's only so much Training Room to destroy." Oliverara chuckled at the joke.

"Fine," she sighed. "Tonight, when the Scarlet Guard attacked, I was with someone up in the balcony. We heard the rebels talking about their plans and one of them saw us. Of course we fought them and I'd like to think I wounded a few. Then I was shot. And so was my partner. The only person who knew about our relationship was Ptolemus. I didn't want Evangeline to know; I don't know why I just felt like it was too much to ask her to keep so many of my secrets. One way or another she should know now. It was plainly obvious. Anyway, not the point. The point is one of the captured rebels was the one who saw us together and he tried to bargain that information to Cal during interrogation. I, I lied that he was going for a weapon and I stabbed him through the heart."

Oliverara felt a choked sob starting to build in her throat and fought to not cry. Why was she crying over a Red rebel? He would've been executed eventually. He was a threat to her and Ellyn's safety! She should feel proud of herself! Then why did she feel like she had done something awful? It's your Red blood, she thought angrily. Its always made you soft.

"I have killed thousands of Reds on the battlefield," Oliverara continued. "I have ripped hearts out of chests and chopped off heads in public executions. I have one of the highest kill totals in the army, but here I am, falling apart over some Red Rat that got to die a nice clean death he certainly didn't deserve."

"So you feel remorse for killing him," Elane summed up. She put her hand on Oliverara's shoulder gently but the magnetron flinched anyway. "I'll tell you what I told Evie a few years back. Remorse doesn't make you weak. It just means you have to make peace with what you did."

"So accept that I killed someone for a good reason and move on?" Oliverara asked. Elane nodded. Then the shadow got up off the floor and held out her hand to help Oliverara up as well.

"C'mon, I'll take you to Evie and Ptolemus. They'll be happy to know you're okay."

Oliverara smiled. "They sent you to talk to me didn't they?"

Elane nodded. "Your own siblings are scared of you; that's quite an accomplishment considering your entire family hates being scared." Oliverara smiled wider and got up, brushing away Elane's hand.

"Thanks Elane. Evie doesn't deserve you."

"Oh don't worry, she knows that."

The two girls chuckled at the joke and left the demolished Training Room behind them.


As you can see this was more of a filler chapter than anything else. Just the aftermath of the attack and revealing Oliverara's attitude towards her own gory deeds. Next chapter will be more eventful, we'll have some Mareena and Oliverara action and probably a bit more of Elara and Oliverara interaction too. What do you guys think of Ellyn and Oliverara's relationship? DO you think things will be different since Ellyn survived the shooting? I think so ;) Anyway, hope you all enjoy this short little chapter! -RR