Birdie (Levi x OC)

eleven

As I maneuvered through the ruins toward the fight, the image of the young girl's dying face and the priest's manic distress over the Walls burned in my mind. The priest had been so agitated, not just sad.

The destruction formed a clear path, and I quickly reached my squad. I landed on the roof beside them just as Eren threw the Female Titan over a set of buildings, where she crashed into another street. Eren trampled everything in his path to reach her, intent on beating her, but oblivious to the havoc he caused the town.

My eyes instinctively scanned the rooftops, half-expecting to see Levi, despite knowing he was miles away with Commander Erwin. The instinct to seek his presence for stability, even in the middle of a battle, felt oddly strong.

"Birdie, where did you go?" Moblit asked.

"Sorry, I just got caught up at that cathedral," I tapered off, shaking my head to dismiss the memory.

The damage was on the scale of a Wall falling.

"This is insane..." Jean muttered, his eyes wide.

"Squad Leader," Moblit directed his attention to Hange. "Even if we capture the Female Titan here, wouldn't it leave the towns in ruins?"

"Even so...we're continuing the mission," Hange's voice was firm. "That was Commander Erwin's decision." Then, despite her evident concern, she made the order: "Prepare for capture."

We split into groups, keeping sights on the Titans while staying far enough back to avoid the crossfire. We just needed an opening; a chance for Eren to expose the nape.

The fight continued. The Female Titan did a great leg sweep as Eren charged, hardening her skin on impact. One of Eren's legs came clean off. I winced.

Unfazed, Eren reared up for a lunging punch, forcing Annie to slide backward on her feet. The side of her face flattened. The hit didn't bother her much, either; her eyes narrowed, and she lifted her leg, sending the hardened shell straight into Eren's Titan face. The force sent Eren flying directly into a building. We braced ourselves as the air pressure picked up, and Eren's Titan lay crumpled in the street.

"Damnit," Hange muttered.

Annie Leonhart didn't let up. She pressed her hardened, crystallized foot inside Eren's mouth, pushing deeper until his jaw broke and his teeth shattered. She screamed, pulling back a hardened fist and slamming it into his face. Blood sprayed the buildings below.

"She's got him..." I said breathlessly.

One final scream and punch left Eren's Titan mangled. The Female Titan looked breathlessly down at the decimated corpse, then turned and ran straight toward the Wall leading out of Stohess District.

"She's leaving him..." Armin whispered, looking at Eren's ruined body.

"She's headed for the wall..." I spoke quietly, remembering the frantic priest.

"If Eren's down, we have to stop her from escaping until he gets back up—" Hange was cut off by an all too familiar Titan cry.

"He's up, Squad Leader," Moblit directed Hange's attention back to Eren.

Despite his obvious injuries—half an arm and one leg missing—Eren began to leap toward Annie at full speed. The Female Titan ran faster, knowing he would catch her.

And he did.

He grabbed the Female Titan in a chokehold and tackled her to the ground, breaking a bridge in the process. They slid across the street, landing only a short distance from the towering wall.

"Eren!" Mikasa ran up to us, intent on helping.

"Stop," Hange ordered. "We don't know if Eren will recognize you right now. You could get caught in his fight."