Birdie (Levi x OC)

thirty-five

"And this," I announced, lifting the large, dull cylinder high in the air with both hands. "This is the new projectile we are going to be using against the Armored Titan."

My grin felt genuine as I looked at the group. "I'm calling it a Thunder Spear." I passed the weapon to a soldier in the front row, instructing them to pass it around so everyone could gauge its surprising heft.

Commander Erwin and Captain Levi were standing to my right. Erwin's expression was the usual mix of calculation and trust, while Levi was leaning against the cold stone wall, his arms crossed, his entire posture radiating judgment. Hange stood a few feet away, her eyes alight with pride and anticipation.

"And why did you call it that?" a young man called out from one of the crowded benches.

I made eye contact with the soldier, allowing a small smile to touch my lips. "Well," I paused, letting the suspense build. "Because it's loud, of course! It's going to make a hell of a bang."

A soldier near the back of the room—a newer recruit I didn't recognize—let out a sharp, poorly contained laugh. The sound was quickly muffled, but it fractured the concentration of the room.

My cheeks flushed hot with indignation. My head snapped toward the noise, sending a glare that said Try me, recruit.

Before I could launch a verbal counterattack, Levi moved.

He didn't move much—just straightened from the wall, taking a single, slow step forward. The sound of his boot scuffing the floorboards was the loudest thing in the room. He didn't look at the laughing soldier; he looked directly at the crowd.

"The name is clear," Levi's voice cut in, carrying perfectly across the silence he had just manufactured. "Now finish the explanation, Birdie. We don't have time for interruptions. Anyone who is confused about the objective can clean the latrines later."

The threat was subtle but absolute. The classroom snapped back to attention. My initial anger vanished, replaced by a surge of warmth and focus.

I took a final, steadying breath and turned back to the crowd, the grin now wiped clean, replaced by the seriousness the Captain demanded. "Thank you, Captain," I said, my voice firm. "As I was saying: here is the targeting mechanism that will pierce the Armoured Titan's skin."

I continued, "A tethered projectile is fired to pierce the tough Titan skin. When the string is cut, it activates a safety mechanism that triggers a powerful second explosion, driving the projectile even deeper into the target."

I had completed the Thunder Spear cannons just days earlier. The tedious hours spent in my workshop had finally paid off. Testing the weapon outside of Trost—with Hange, Moblit, and Levi looking on—was the true reward. We all stared in shock at the gigantic, instantaneous hole the Spear had torn through a tree.

"I guess it works," I had mumbled, still stunned by the sheer destruction of the projectile.

"Good job, my cute little Bird," Hange praised, affectionately rubbing my head.

I glanced up at her with a smile. "Thanks for trusting me with the design, Hange."

The triumphant image of the blasted tree dissolved. The scent of gunpowder, replaced by the cool, stale air of the Survey Corps briefing room. I realized I had drifted off mid-sentence, my gaze locked on a spot over Commander Erwin's head.

I cleared my throat, snapping back to the dozen sharp faces staring at me—faces that needed to understand this weapon. "So, that's the core concept of the Thunder Spear Cannon," I concluded, tapping the diagram on the chalkboard. "Any questions before we move on to loading procedure?"