Beyond The Walls (AOT x OC Fanfic)

The Wings of Freedom

The town lay in ruins, the air thick with smoke and the stench of blood. Near the sealed gate, Eren's Attack Titan sat slumped, its massive form motionless, facing the boulder that had secured humanity's first victory. Around it, the remnants of the elite squad gathered, their eyes scanning the horizon for the remaining Titans.

Rico's voice rang out sharply, cutting through the tense silence. "The remaining Titans are coming! Let's climb the wall!"

Mikasa, however, was focused elsewhere. Her eyes locked on Eren, who was still partially encased in the remnants of his Titan form. "I will once we recover Eren," she said firmly. "Armin, how's Eren doing?"

Armin knelt by Eren's slumped body, tugging at the flesh-like material binding him to the Titan's nape. Sweat dripped from his brow as he struggled, his voice strained. "He's practically burning up! We have to hurry over the wall."

Jeiden and Mikasa moved swiftly to Armin's side, their expressions tense. Jeiden glanced at the grotesque organic material still attaching Eren to his Titan. "A part of his body won't separate," Armin muttered in frustration. "It won't come off!"

Jeiden didn't hesitate. Her hand moved to her blade as she declared, "Then we'll have to cut it."

"Wait!" Mikasa shouted, but Jeiden was already in motion. Her blade flashed in the dim light, slicing through the connection with surgical precision.

The effect was immediate—and disastrous. With a sickening lurch, the weight of Eren and Armin caused them to tumble backward. They fell from the Attack Titan's nape and plummeted toward the ground below, where two Titans awaited, their grotesque forms already reaching for the falling figures.

"Eren! Armin!" Mikasa screamed, her heart seizing with fear. Without hesitation, she prepared to launch herself after them, her 3DMG already primed.

But before she could act, a figure in a green cape shot through the air like a streak of lightning. The sound of blades slicing through flesh echoed, and in the blink of an eye, the napes of both Titans were cut. Their bodies fell with a thunderous crash as the figure landed gracefully on the back of one of the fallen Titans.

Armin looked up from the ground, his vision spinning. "Mikasa?" he croaked, his mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened.

Mikasa landed beside him, her gaze fixed on the figure standing atop the Titan. Jeiden's lips parted slightly, a name forming but unspoken. She then landed beside Mikasa, her breath catching in her throat as she got a clear look at the figure. Her heart skipped a beat, recognition sparking in her chest as she took in the raven hair.

"Who..." Mikasa whispered, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

Armin sat up slowly, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Huh?"

Eren, barely conscious, blinked up at the figure silhouetted against the smoke-filled sky. His mind was foggy, but one thought crystallized in his haze. The Wings of Freedom...

The figure turned slightly, their cape billowing in the wind, revealing the emblem of the Survey Corps emblazoned across their back. Their sharp gaze swept over the group, and their voice carried an air of authority and irritation.

"Hey, you brats," the soldier said, their tone sharp but not unkind. "What the hell is going on here?"

Jeiden felt her heart pounding as the figure descended from the Titan's corpse with effortless grace, his dual blades still gleaming. Without thinking, she whispered his name with a mix of awe and relief. "Levi..."

The elite squad, battered and bloodied, could only stare as Captain Levi of the Survey Corps stood before them. His presence exuded calm amidst the chaos, as though the Titans themselves were an afterthought. He sheathed his blades with a practiced motion, his sharp gaze landing on Eren, still unconscious on the ground.