Birdie (Levi x OC)

ten

"Shit, Hange. I don't know if this is going to hold," I muttered, my voice tight as I looked over at her and Moblit. We were perched on a slate roof in the heart of Stohess, the air shimmering with a dry, oppressive heat that made the sun feel like a physical weight on my shoulders.

I wiped a smear of grit and grease from my brow, my fingers trembling slightly from hours of tensioning heavy metal cables. We were positioning the target-restraining weapons at precise intervals along the district's primary thoroughfares. This was Plan C—the "failsafe." If the tunnel ambush failed and the recruits couldn't contain Annie Leonhart in her human form, we were the ones tasked with bringing her down.

Because we lacked enough full-sized units to guarantee a capture, we were supplementing the traps with heavy, barbed netting. Across the street, Nifa, Keiji, and Abel were anchoring the nets parallel to our barrels. I watched them work, the mechanical "clack-clack" of their tools echoing in the quiet street. I silently prayed that my craftsmanship wouldn't be the thing that failed humanity today.

"We'll be fine, Birdie. Besides, this is only a backup plan," Hange said. She placed a steadying hand on my shoulder, her eyes bright with a manic, singular focus that bordered on a fever. "Just concentrate on the task at hand. One loose bolt and she's gone."

"Yes, Squad Leader," I replied, forcing my breathing to even out as I moved to adjust a final set of barrels with Moblit.

Once the trap was set, a heavy, suffocating silence fell over the rooftops. We waited. Somewhere in the labyrinth of the city, the pieces were moving. Jean Kirstein, disguised as Eren to bait the Military Police, was currently traveling in a carriage with the Commander and a sidelined, frustrated Captain Levi. Meanwhile, the real Eren, Armin, and Mikasa were supposed to be leading Annie into the dark of the underground.

"I hope we don't have to use these," I whispered, my hand resting on the cold iron of the firing trigger. "Maybe they can take her before she even has a chance to breathe."

"Me too, Birdie," Moblit said, his smile tight and brittle.

The answer came in the form of a violent, bone-shaking crack. A massive plume of golden lightning and scalding steam erupted from the center of the district, followed by a shockwave that rattled the shingles beneath my boots and shattered windows for blocks.

"Someone transformed," Hange said, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous rasp. "It's her."

"Dammit," I hissed, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the weapon's handle. "The tunnel failed. She's out in the open."

The sounds of destruction grew with terrifying speed, the rhythmic, house-shaking thud-thud-thud of a Titan in full sprint and the sudden, high-pitched cacophony of panic from the public. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Why wasn't Eren transforming? 

"Plan C is a go!" Hange roared, the playfulness gone from her face. "Everyone, ready the weapons!"

I crouched low, tracking the street below. A flash of blonde hair appeared; Armin, maneuvering desperately through the alleyways with his ODM gear. Moments later, the Female Titan rounded the corner. She was terrifyingly fast, her muscles rippling with predatory grace under her skinless frame.

"FIRE!"

The rooftops erupted in a chorus of mechanical shrieks. The metal harpoons hissed through the air, trailing thick, braided steel cables. They found their marks with a series of wet, heavy thunks, piercing her limbs and torso. The sheer force of the kinetic impact dragged her to a staggering halt, her heels carving deep furrows into the cobblestones. She rocked violently, the cables groaning and vibrating with a low-frequency hum under the incredible strain.