To Love a Criminal ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X OC))

Chapter 25

Silica woke early the next morning and made way straight to Erwin's new office. She had her choices for Elite Advancement held under one arm, and sped through the courtyard despite the already unforgiving sun beating down on her head.

She shoved the large doors open and made a beeline toward the wide staircase in the middle of the main room, branching off to the left upon reaching the second floor. She kept her eyes trained on the corner she was supposed to turn to make it to Erwin's office, and had to halt mid-step as a familiar tall man walked out in front of her from the hall to her left.

Mike caught her by the shoulders as she nearly ran into him, and smiled loving at her when their eyes met. Silica returned it with an adorning grin of her own, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"I'm in a hurry," she told him once he latched onto her hand, preventing her from walking any further. "I'll meet you somewhere later."

"Dormitory roof?"

"You read my mind."

Mike winked at her as they went their separate ways, and within a minute, Silica was making way into Erwin's office.

The blond commander sat at his new desk with his nose already buried in the plans for the next Expedition — the one that was sure to be held in reclaiming Maria. His narrowed eyes glided upward upon hearing the doors open, and his concentrated expression softened immediately as she walked in.

"Good morning, Silica." Erwin greeted as she approached his desk, taking the files from her as she handed them to him.

"Commander." She nodded her head and crossed her arms, waiting as Erwin went through her choices. He hummed and looked back up to her.

"Get Brutus in a wheelchair and meet me in the courtyard." He said upon standing up, handing her back the papers as he neared the door. Silica followed him.

They walked off in separate ways; Silica guessing that he was off to fetch her new cadets. She broke off into a light jog once exiting the main building, and climbed the dorm steps swiftly toward Brutus' room.

She rapped her knuckles against the door three times before opening it, and saw Brutus replacing his gauze himself in the middle of the room. Silica immediately frowned once he looked at her.

"You shouldn't be standing." She reprimanded bluntly, walking up to him to finish wrapping him herself.

"You're peachy this morning." He commented, earning another scowl.

"Put a shirt on," she told him, gesturing toward the door. "The new soldiers await."

"Already?" He asked, surprised as he looped his arms through a button up shirt on the way out of the room.

Silica led him downstairs and retrieved the wheelchair that he was supposed to use from the space beside the stairs. He sat down slowly and buttoned up his top.

"Erwin went to grab 'em right when I walked into his office earlier." Silica informed, wheeling him toward the designated meeting spot. Erwin was still nowhere to be found.

Brutus snagged the papers she held in between her thumb and index finger, flipping through them quickly to see whom she had decided to settle with.

"You just had to pick Lacroy, didn't you?" Brutus rolled his eyes, tossing the files into his lap.

"You suggested him." Silica justified, scoffing.

"Yeah," he huffed. "But I didn't expect you to actually choose him."

"Quit bitching," she reprimanded, noticing Erwin in the distance; followed by several unnamed soldiers. "They're coming."

Erwin and Silica locked eyes as they approached, and said nothing as he stepped off to the side, motioning that the soldiers line up in front of Silica. She let on a stoic face, holding her hand out to Brutus as she waited for him to fork up the reports. He slapped them into her palm.