Attack on Titan x Oc

The sound of cannon-fire echoed throughout the forest as Damian watched the titans.
His legs had fully regenerated, and he was back on his feet. The bark felt rough on his skin as he made eye contact with a titan with golden eyes as it tried to climb up the tree.

"They, uh.." Krista said quietly, "They've figured out how to climb.."
He gripped his swords tighter, "They're fast learners.." He muttered.
"I can see that.." Squad Leader Nanaba said, "Well,  if they make it up this far we can always go up a little further, I suppose."
"Sir," Damian raised a hand, "My gears a little uh... gone?" Damian gestured to his legs, where everything below the mid-thighs had been cleanly sliced off. Blood coated the clean edge of his trousers and the leather straps hung loosely.

Nanaba stayed silent for a moment. Finally, she settled on, "Have someone carry you. Anyway, I doubt we'll be here much longer. I suspect the order to withdraw will be coming any minute."
"What makes you say that? Those explosions just now?" Krista asked softly, "I hope everything's alright in there."
"Me too.."

"Whaddya say we get outta the way?" Jean asked Armin, who nodded in response. The two boys flew to another, farther branch to escape a titan with a bowl cut that had climbed high enough up a tree to reach them.

"Ugly bastard is really gettin' the hang of it." Jean grimaced as he landed on Damian's branch. "At this rate, he's gonna try his hand at buildin' a damn tree house.."
"The alarming thing is that this shows that they can learn. Not a pleasant thought. Of course, they probably all develop at different rates."

"Armin. I talked as a titan. This feels like nothing compared to that..." Damian whispered, before his voice returned to its usual volume, "By the way. Just know, my gear is fucked and I can't actually move from this branch by myself. So if they manage to get up here, either one of you guys has to carry me, or you leave me behind."
The titan fell from the tree.
'Maybe I can escape in my titan form..' He thought, 'No, wait.. I'd be totally blind. Not a good plan..'
'Who gave that titan a bowl cut anyway? Poor bastard..'

Armin nodded, "These titans don't have the same intelligence you do though. They're not people."

"Hey, they want us keeping these titans outta the forest, right?" Jean asked.
Damian hummed, "Yeah."
"I think I just figured out why.." He turned around to face Armin, sparing a glance at Damian, "We're here to lure that female titan into a trap, aren't we? I mean, what else could it be?"

Damian's eyes widened as Jean continued, turning back to look at him, "It's like you said. There's a person inside it steerin' the damn thing. Commander Erwin wants to find out who."
"It just might be.." Damian agreed.
Jean stared Damian in the eyes, though he was talking to both him and Armin, "It's the only way all the pieces fit. You with me?"
"Yeah. Best explanation." Armin said.

Damian watched as the titan with the bowl cut struggled to climb any further. He spoke quietly, as not to let any eavesdroppers listen in, "'Course. If there's two people who can turn into titans, there's likely more where that came from. It's possible we're dealing with more than just this new female titan. I'd imagine, since they busted down the gates 5 years ago, the Colossal and the Armoured might be with her. I think.." He paused..

"We might have spies."

The titan fell from the trees with a heavy thud.
"A spy? Are you sure about that?" Jean asked.
"Think about it," Damian said, "Commander Erwin probably kept us in the dark because he's worried about spies in the Scouts. It's likely only a select few in the know about this.
Armin, who'd been silent for a while, gasped, "Shiganshina's probably when they got in.. I think they're the ones who killed the titan test subjects..
"Do you think the Commander was wrong to leave us out of the loop like that?" Armin asked.
"Well he certainly wasn't in the right.." Jean answered bitterly. "Why put so many of our lives at risk just because one or two of us can't be trusted? Hell, we could've smoked out the spy. Maybe saved some good people."

"You're right, we lost some talented veterans to her. I mean I watched Squad Leader Ness get killed instantly. Killed in an instant. Gone, just like that." Damian snapped his fingers for added emphasis.

"No, what Commander Erwin did was necessary." Armin muttered as he watched the titans.
"Are you seriously trying to defend him?" Jean asked. "Do you know how many of us died so the commander could play intrigue?"
"Of course I do. All I'm saying is it's easy to judge in hindsight. At the time, though, there was no way to know how things would turn out." Armin turned to look them in the eyes, brows furrowed.

Damian averted his eyes and watched the titan with the bowl cut struggle to sit back up. "He's a commander, not a soothsayer." Armin continued, "He had to act on what he had. Period. He had to choose: a handful of us, or all of us?"

"What would you have done?" He asked. "He made a decision. He sacrificed a hundred lives for the good of mankind." Armin sighed, "I may be naive, but.. there's one thing I know beyond all doubt. Genuinely harbingers of change must be able to do what others won't dare. Sacrifice their heart. Accept the burden of doing the unspeakable. Whether we like to admit it or not, the fact is this: To rise above monsters, we have to abandon our humanity. That's the irony, really. If you can't let it go, it's not worth holding onto."

Damian heard an ear piercing shriek from the forest, and before he knew it, the titans were storming into the forest.
Titans dropped from the trees, in an attempt to join the hoard, only to be trampled. One was unlucky enough to have its nape crushed by the feet of another titan.
"What the hell is this?" Jean asked, "They- They're all going in! Why're they ignoring us all've a sudden?"
"Jean!" Damian ordered, "Either pick me up or leave me."
Jean hesitated briefly, before nodding and kneeling so Damian could climb onto his back.

"You you telling me they're all abnormals?" Connie yelled as he soared through the trees.
"Who cares? Concentrate on pushing 'em back!" A scout ordered. "Engage!"

Jean flew higher into the trees, setting Damian down, "What's the plan? Stay up here, or go down and fight?"
"My gears pretty busted. The weight distribution would be off without the straps. Only way I could really fight them is if I transform, but my titan is blind.. I mean how unlucky is that! I have crazy good eyes, but my titan is fucking blind!" He laughed. What kind of sick joke is that? He sighed, "You're not going down there." Damian said firmly, "I'm not letting you become fodder, anyone but you."
Jean sighed, and shook his head, "We'll stay up here then.." He agreed.

From over the trees, he saw the blue smoke signals shoot up.
"The withdrawal signal?"
"Hold on. You tellin' me it's over?" Jean muttered.
"We return to HQ on horseback." Squad Leader Nanaba ordered.

Damian mounted a now spare horse- its original rider having been killed by titans earlier. The sun was barely past the halfway point, making it around 1-2 in the afternoon.

As they rode out of the forest and across the fields, Jean asked, "So if we're goin' home, that means the operation's a success, right?" He asked. Damian's horse trampled over some red flowers.
"Hopefully so." Armin answered. "If that is the case, then that might mean they've already discovered the female titans identity."
"I wouldn't mind knowin' that myself.. Still, I'm impressed with the commander. How'd he know she'd come after us once we took Eren beyond the Wall?"

"Think about it. During the Trost invasion, did it strike you as odd the way the titans suddenly halted their advance midway through?" Armin asked.
"I hadn't even realised.." Damian muttered.
"They must have intended some purpose when they destroyed the front gate, but they never made a move on the inner gate. Nor did they interfere with Eren when he sealed the breach. Perhaps, something happened which made them re-evaluate their plan entirely." Armin said.
"And what would that be?" Jean questioned.

"Something drew their focus away from the Wall's destruction. Something that forced them to call off the attack." Armin continued.
"You mean Eren's transformation?" Damian asked
"That's the most logical conclusion."
"Wait, but then that would mean-"

"That would mean they were there." Damian said, wide eyed as the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
Armin nodded, "Whoever called off the attack saw Eren transform. It means the enemy.. is one of us!"

The stirrups felt cold under Damian's bare feet.

A/N
Literally could not think of another title option. 🫠
-Milo

1528 words