The Prices I Pay ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X ERWIN SMITH X OC))

Chapter 29

She sat there spiraling for what felt like hours before the feeling of someone wrapping their arms around her made her jump. The sudden sensation seemed to snap her out of her own head, and suddenly the world was loud again.

"Silica," she looked up as Erwin spoke her name. His brow furrowed with worry as he wiped the tears off her cheeks. "What's wrong? How long have you been alone down here?"

Silica could only manage to blink at him. Her mind drew a blank on an idea on what to say, and again her panic began to rise in her chest.

"Hey now, it's alright," Erwin spoke softly as her eyes began to water. "You don't have to talk. Come here."

He lifted her up into his arms as he spoke, and carried her to the couch before sitting down with her in his lap. All the while she hung onto him, and buried her nose into the crook of his neck with her eyes squeezed shut. He held her securely against him, and with his presence came a reassuring calm.

Erwin had eventually rested his cheek on the top of Silica's head, and when she felt herself start to nod off, she could hear him begin to hum. It was a quiet, deep sound, and it helped Silica to completely relax against him.

The couple remained there for the night, and Silica was allowed the peace of falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

__________

Silica returned to duty the following day as if nothing happened. Her mind felt foggy as the day went along, and she spent her time trying to distract herself by rigorously training her squad.

They had been going hard in training as they usually would have, but with the looming idea of another Expedition coming up sometime soon, Silica felt it necessary to push them to their full capabilities before they were to leave the Walls. The time spent perfecting techniques had been paying off, and despite working themselves to the bone to win over Silica's praise, Elite Advancement did not appear to be losing momentum any time soon.

Silica followed closely behind them via ODM gear as they flew through the training forest, and took note of their movements as they sliced the napes of the Titan dummies. Despite Elijah's meek exterior, he was incredibly nimble and zipped through the air so quickly that it was difficult to keep track of him. He still had a ways to go in terms of physical strength, but his progress did not disappoint his captain.

Quinnton was an all around surprise in his talent given his sheer size. He was the tallest and most muscular out of all of them — including Brutus — however he had adapted to using the ODM gear in a way that allowed him to use his heft to his advantage. He was remarkable to watch as he worked, and the look of deep concentration whilst he did so never faltered. Monica's progress was minimal but steady, and Lance continued to impress Silica.

However, the ones who surprised Silica the most were Logan and Nick, not because of their individual feats, but of how methodically and skillfully they worked as a team. They had come to be called the 'Dream Team' by their fellow squadmates, and Silica felt it necessary to switch the formation of their squad to keep them together.

Elite Advancement's consistency in their skills made a world of difference in Silica's worry over the Expedition, and when training was finally over that afternoon, she felt confident in their odds when that day finally came.

"Phew, I'm beat," Nick had said on their way to the mess hall. He held his hands behind his head as he sighed. "I don't care how uncomfortable those dormitory beds are, I'm gonna sleep good tonight."

"You say that every day at this point." Lance deadpanned with a frown.

"I'm pretty sure Nicky could sleep anywhere just fine," Monica humored with a snicker. "I've seen him fall asleep standing up a few times."