Birdie (Levi x OC)

seventy-four

"It's a go, Birdie," Onyankopon grinned at me from his pilot's seat in the airship. His wide, infectious mood lifted the tone of the deployment so significantly that I almost wanted to laugh; if I hadn't been so terrified.

I offered him a small, strained smile from the co-pilot seat, my stomach tight with nervous knots.

The past couple of weeks replayed like a disastrous fever dream. Onyankopon arrived at the island shortly after his letter arrived. Eren had sent his own final, chilling letter a couple of weeks later; detailing the exact time and location we were to attack. It was more than a plan; it was a manifesto. He explained how he had been in contact with Yelena and Zeke, and how they were readying things on their end. The goal was to "fake" kill the Beast Titan while actually bringing him into custody. A component of the plan Eren had insisted on.

Needless to say, Levi had been furious at the deception, hating every second of having to "pretend" to kill the Beast. Our goal was messy: Armin was tasked with taking out the ports, ensuring they blew so no one could escape or rush aid to Liberio. But even if we succeeded, Eren explained in his letters that there would  still be the Warhammer, the Jaw, the Cart, and the Armored Titan to deal with in the melee. We were walking into a fortress designed to kill us all.

I could hear the growing clamor of voices and the excited shuffle of boots behind me. Most of the soldiers gathered like Floch and his buddies sounded almost excited for this raid, finally taking the fight to the enemy. Myself, along with Levi's squad, did not feel that way. Rather, the whole attack felt like a slow, deliberate dive into a suicide pact. Every step felt wrong, calculated by someone we no longer trusted.

My anxiety was a physical weight, settling cold in my chest. I couldn't sit still any longer.

"I'll be right back," I said, unbuckling my harness and giving Onyankopon a reassuring tap on the shoulder. "I just want to see Levi and his squad before we hit Liberio's airspace. Just a quick word."

"Of course," Onyankopon nodded, his expression softening slightly as he read the tension on my face.

I got up, navigating my way through the few soldiers who were enthusiastically preparing their gear in the narrow front of the airship.
I found them quickly. They stood just before the main bay; a tight, somber circle that felt separate from the rest of the excited crew. Levi was giving them all clear instructions, his voice low and cutting through the general noise. Sasha, Connie, Jean, Armin, and Mikasa all stared intently at him, their focus total, their expressions etched with the understanding of what awaited them.

All of them, myself included, wore the new uniforms: sleek, practical black material paired with the classic green Survey Corps cloaks. It was a beautiful, stark combination for a night raid, but it felt like battle armor for villains. We were no longer heroes; we were about to drop from the sky and drown a city in carnage, all for a terrible, uncertain future.

I paused at the edge of their circle, drinking in the sight of my husband and my family one last time before they stepped out the door. Levi looked up, his eye catching mine, and his focus instantly fractured from the plan to me. He cut his briefing short, his intense gaze asking a dozen unspoken questions about my state of mind.

I walked the final few steps and stood next to Levi, facing the squad. I didn't need to be part of the mission briefing, but I needed to see their faces.

I let my gaze sweep slowly over each of them; Armin's worried eyes, Jean's rigid profile, Mikasa's stern calm, Connie's strained look, and Sasha's steady breath. This was the final moment of normalcy.

"You all know what's waiting down there," I began, my voice soft but steady. I didn't talk about titans or objectives. "I just want you to remember what you're fighting for. It's not just about the enemy. It's about making it back home too."