Birdie (Levi x OC)

six

The rest of the month vanished into a blur of oil, iron, and relentless, singular focus. I lived within the walls of my workshop, my world narrowing down to the blueprint-covered chalkboard and the smell of cooling steel.

The burn on my hand proved to be a stubborn reminder of the stakes, but it healed significantly within the first week. With Hange's tireless dedication, and her surprisingly steady hands, we pushed the prototype through its final stages ahead of schedule. After a series of grueling field tests that left several target dummies in splinters, the design was officially cleared for mass production.

Commander Erwin moved quickly. Under a veil of strict secrecy, a handful of like-minded engineers and the rest of my squad were brought in to assist. Together, we assembled the final battery of cannons.

The engineering was a brutal masterpiece: each unit consisted of six heavy-bore barrels, each housing seven barbed harpoons. The primary challenge hadn't just been hitting a target, but ensuring a creature with the strength of a Titan couldn't simply rip the machinery out of the ground. We countered this by integrating a secondary firing system; rear-mounted anchoring hooks. Upon impact, the weapon would simultaneously lash itself to the massive, ancient trees of the forest, turning the forest itself into a cage. It was a complex contraption that had cost me dozens of sleepless nights, but seeing the final product secured and ready felt like a victory in itself.

Yet, as the day of the 57th Expedition loomed, the weight of the invention began to settle heavily in my gut. This wasn't just a mission; it was a desperate gamble.

Erwin had staked everything on this during Eren's trial. He had looked Darius Zackly in the eye and promised that the boy would be the key to capturing the intelligent Titan he was certain would emerge. If we failed to bring back a prize, if my weapons didn't hold, the Military Police would waste no time in dragging Eren away for execution.

I'd grown fond of the boy over the past month. I saw the way he looked at the sky, full of a fierce, desperate desire for freedom that reminded me of why I joined the military in the first place. I spent the night before we departed checking and re-checking every bolt, every spring, and every coil of cording.

I wasn't just building a weapon; I was building a life-raft for a boy who had become a friend. I could only pray the steel was as strong as our desperation.

~

Finally, the day of the 57th expedition arrived. With the boulder plugging the gates of Trost, we had to detour through Karanes District before leaving Wall Rose. Due to the intense development schedule, I'd only seen my grandfather once this past month. He couldn't see me off on my first expedition, but he'd sent a letter instructing me to be careful and to "win for all mankind," expressing deep, familiar concern for my safety. I promised myself I would write him back as soon as I returned.

We were double-checking supplies and horses before setting off. I was busy tying down the carts carrying the Special Target Restraining Weapons, ensuring the tarps were pulled securely over them so as not to raise suspicion among my fellow Scouts. Only those who had survived more than five years in the Survey Corps, and I, were privy to this expedition's hidden agenda.

I had begun to suspect that Commander Erwin knew far more than he let on. I was troubled by his confidence—how could he be so certain an intelligent Titan was going to show up? In that sense, I felt strategically blind. However, I trusted the Commander's judgment and decided to focus on executing my work quietly instead of questioning his strategy.

I finished securing the contents of the carts with my squad, my fingers moving in a practiced rhythm as I double-checked the ropes. Beneath my focus, a tremor of dread hummed. In a matter of hours, my invention would face its ultimate test. I knew the mechanics but engineering couldn't account for the unknown. What if we faced something on the scale of the Colossal? We didn't have enough firepower to restrain a god. I shuddered, forcing the thought back into the dark.