Was She... A Traitor? | Levi X OC

Chapter 18: The 57th Expedition Day

Author's Note: Feel free to skip this chapter if you'd like! Most of the events are quite similar to the anime, with just a few minor adjustments to show Kat's involvement. The attack on levi's squad begin in the next chapter!

Erwin raised his hand, gripping the map in front of him. "Listen closely. This is the formation you'll maintain throughout the expedition." He explained how the Scouts would spread out in their familiar long-range scouting formation.

"Red smoke," he began, "means an abnormal titan has been spotted. Green smoke is the all-clear signal, and black... black means the presence of an intelligent or highly dangerous titan."

The explanation was simple, concise, as always with Erwin. His calmness reassured them, but every soldier knew the risks outside the walls. The expedition was not just a mission—it was survival.

Erwin's last stop was Levi's squad. He approached them with his usual calm demeanor, but his eyes, sharp and calculating, betrayed the gravity of his words. "You all will be at the center of the formation," he said, his gaze flicking to each member in turn, lingering on Eren for just a bit longer. "And Eren will be with you."

Kat felt the slightest ripple of surprise sweep through the squad. Eren. Of course, they all knew how vital his role was, how dangerous things could become if his powers were misused—or worse, lost. Levi stood silent, his face unreadable as he absorbed Erwin's words.

"Your job," Erwin continued, "is to keep him safe and keep an eye on him. Should anything go wrong..." his voice lowered, "you know what to do." Levi nodded once, the gesture small but decisive

The expedition began, the ever-present tension that came with leaving the safety of the walls. Kat rode alongside Levi's squad, her heart steady but alert. The sound of wind rushed past her ears, and the vast open space ahead seemed to stretch forever, broken only by the distant trees and hills.

Hours passed, the formation maintaining itself like a living, breathing organism, each soldier playing their part, until a sudden red smoke rose in the distance.

"Abnormal titan," someone shouted, breaking the tension like glass.

The scouts maneuvered swiftly, diverting from the path, the sound of hooves pounding like a war drum. Then, as the seconds ticked by, black smoke. Kat's stomach tightened. Black smoke... a dangerous titan.

Her eyes shot forward, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw the silhouette moving at an unnatural speed. The Female Titan.

"Don't let her catch up to us!" Levi ordered, his voice slicing through the chaos. "Keep moving!"

Kat's heart raced as she glanced at Eren. His jaw was clenched, his hands trembling. He reached for his arm, his fingers hovering over the skin just where he'd bite to transform.

But Levi's words echoed in Eren's mind, clear and firm from days before the expedition.

"Don't bite unless it's the last resort. Your power is for protecting yourself, not charging in blind."

Eren hesitated. The Female Titan was closing in fast, her eyes locked on their squad. But he remembered Levi's command. He needed to trust them, like how the squad blindly trusted Levi. He didn't bite.

The titan was upon them, the earth shaking beneath her immense strides, her hand reaching out, ready to crush them. Eren's eyes widened as he struggled to keep control. Kat's hands tightened around her reins, the tension between survival and disaster pulling at her.

And then, just as the Female Titan was about to grab them, there was a sharp whizzing sound. The trap had been set. Dozens of thick wires shot out from the trees, wrapping around the titan's limbs, binding her in place as she let out a guttural roar. The ground trembled beneath her as she fought against the restraint.