"Please Commander Smith!" Armin begged. Underneath the canopy of trees, it was hard to make out the details on the boy's face. They had set up the trap for the Female Titan, troops hiding in the bushes with javelins at the ready. Others were outside the woods, bait for the lesser Titans. She was surprised that the boy here had gotten here before the bait had been set up. He must have raced over soon as he put two and two together.

Hanji remembered him as the new recruit that Dot Pixis hailed as a strategic genius, although to most soldiers he seemed anything but. The plan he suggested was crazy, insane. There was no way anyone in his or her right mind would even consider the plan he suggested.

But sane men would never win this war.

"This plan will work," he urged. Erwin considered him, lips straight and eyes unreadable.

"And if it doesn't Arlert?" he asked. Erwin understood that loss of life was necessary in this battle against the Titans, but a man to basically suggest suicide? The look on Arlert's face, however, held no regret.

"Then have your men at the ready for the next plan. If my life is lost, so be it."

Hanji wasn't shocked by the Commander's response. The boy's logic had been too convincing to persuade him any other way.

"Let it be done, but hurry," The ground shook. "She's approaching fast."

As if he were flying, Armin lowered himself to the ground below. He stood, not even trembling, ready to face the Female Titan. Erwin turned to face his best soldier. Too many men had died today, and he needed his best.

"Levi, have your device ready!" he called to Levi as he was walking over to Armin. Hanji bit her lip. She didn't like this, and by the look on his face, she could tell Levi didn't like it either. Yes, Armin's conclusion to the Female Titan's identity was probably correct, but if his other conclusion was inaccurate…

The rumbling was closing in. Like an obedient pet dog, Armin lowered himself to his knees, and Levi, with an executioner's precision, lowered his blade to the back of Armin's neck. The Titan's weak spot. Hopefully, in more ways than one.

Hanji could see the flash of her eyes…

"Annie Leonhardt!" Levi called out. "Stop, or I'm cutting off his head!"

Hanji saw the hesitation, the spark of recognition…and something else? Still, Hanji's heart flew into her throat as the Titan screeched to a halt. The eyes widened just a millimeter as Levi spoke.

"Annie Leonhardt, reveal your human identity, or I cut off his head."

Levi's gear was already poised to fly if the Female Titan tried to attack. With his skill, she wouldn't be able to catch him, but his flight would certainly do a great deal of damage to Armin, because at the angle he had set his 3D gear, Armin's head would come clean off if Levi retreated. His only hope was Leonhardt's surrender, and she knew it, Hanji realized.

No one moved. She had only minutes to decide.

They passed. Levi raised his blade. It would be fast.

Then the Female Titan raised her hand to the back of her neck, and ripped away the flesh. At that moment, a million things happened. Annie was exposed and was immediately swarmed by the Survey Corps. Levi lifted his blade away from Armin, stepped away, and sheathed it. Armin quickly scrambled over to the Titan's corpse. As soldiers closed in on the Female Titan, pulling Leonhardt out of the neck and wrapping (none too gently) ropes around her whole body, preventing her from doing any damage to herself, throwing a cloak over her head and tying it. Hanji realized what Armin was going to do before anyone else, and zipped down to him, grabbing him before he could get to Leonhardt. Tightening her body-bind around him, Armin stopped. His body was now shaking.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I got…carried away…I…I forgot…I—"

"I know," Hanji whispered in his ear. "Don't worry. Commander Smith always keeps his end of the bargain."

Biting his lip, Armin nodded. Hanji gently released him and watched as he stood, his body's trembling barely perceptible, watching as the woman he loved was wrapped up like hunting game. No, Erwin would keep his promise. Unfortunately, Erwin wasn't the one he was going to have to worry about.

Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of musical numbers. We'll call this chapter the Intermission. There will be more singing, I promise. There were some things to happen before I could start the next chapter.

Also, this means that certain characters remained alive…