"Brother, over here!" shouted Al and Ed came running over, water droplets dripping from his blonde hair.
They had been looking for an inn to stay at ever since it had started raining earlier in the day. Both of the brothers ran for the inn, the rain making ting sounds against Al's armor and soaking Ed to the bone.
"Finally!" shouted Ed as they stepped into the warm, dry inn. "How come you can never find one of these things when you need them, Al?"
"I don't know brother, but I'm happy that we found one before you caught a cold." said Al as Ed shook out his coat and both of them walked over to the fireplace.
"Yeah, me too." said Ed as he held out his hands to warm them and suddenly sneezed. "Oh well, too late."
He sniffed and rubbed his nose before turning around to face Al, who was sitting at a nearby table watching him. Ed moved a little closer to the fire before speaking.
"How are you feeling Al?" asked Ed and Al made a sound of surprise.
"Fine, why do you ask brother?" asked Al.
"It's just that we've been searching for three years now and still haven't turned up anything." said Ed as he looked down at his automail arm, the metal glinting in the firelight.
"So, we'll find something eventually. Don't give up yet." said Al and Ed turned around to face the fire, remaining silent.
A few moments later, a waitress came walking up carrying a tray of food.
"Here's some nice warm food. Eat up." said the waitress as she set it all down on the table. "Here are some towels, hon."
"Thank you." said Al as he grabbed a towel and started drying his armor.
Ed quickly made his way over to the table and grabbed a plate before piling as much food as he could onto it. He then started to shovel food into his mouth at an amazing speed before pausing to put more onto his plate. As he put another piece of meat onto his plate the door banged open and several men trouped in, each holding a piece of heavy duty weaponry.
"Hands in the air!" shouted a man holding a pistol as he pointed it at the ceiling and fired a shot.
Several women screamed as everyone put their hands in the air, including Ed and Al. As the men searched the crowd, one of the men noticed the chain of Ed's pocket watch. He snagged it with the point of his machine gun and pulled the watch out of Ed's pocket before letting it fall.
"Yer one of them State Alchemists." snarled the man and Al gasped as Ed's eyes narrowed. "Hey Bill, there's one of them dogs of the military over here!"
The man holding the pistol walked over to Ed and Al's table before pointing his gun at Ed.
"You must be in cahoots with that other State Alchemist that's been running around here. They must've called you in as backup." said Bill as he cocked his pistol.
"What other State Alchemist?" asked Ed as he slowly started to put his hands together.
"Don't play dumb." said Bill as he changed his aim to Ed's head. "I know you were sent here as backup. Dogs like you aren't welcome here."
Suddenly the door banged open as a girl about Ed's age kicked it in. Her wet hair was black while her bangs were like Ed's and were red as blood. She was dressed in black pants that had chains hanging from them and a matching tube top, an assortment of necklaces hanging around her neck. Her dark red coat was drenched, but the large double-edged sword that was strapped to her back was curiously dry. Bill snarled and turned, pointing his gun at the girl and her red eyes narrowed into slits.
"Picking on helpless little kids now are we, Bill?" asked the girl in a mocking tone as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. "He's got nothing to do with me."
"Shut up!" shouted Bill and the girl smiled. "I know they sent that little punk in as backup and I ain't lettin' him out of here alive!"
Ed's eyes narrowed and the vein in his temple began to bulge at the comments of him being little. Al gave him a quick glance before turning his gaze back to the girl.
"Get 'er boys." said Bill and he pulled the trigger of his pistol.
All of the men started shooting at the girl, smoke filling the room and Ed made his move.
"Now Al!" shouted Ed as he clapped his hands together and transmuted his arm into a handblade before jumping at the nearest terrorists.
The terrorists turned their guns on Ed, but Al blocked the remaining bullets before their chambers went empty. They scrabbled at their belts, trying to reload their guns before they were attacked.
"You little punk!" shouted Bill as he reached for his belt and started putting bullets into his pistol.
The girl cut through the smoke as she jumped over the wall she had transmuted out of the floor and ran at Bill, her sword in hand. She charged at Bill, successfully knocking the pistol out of his hand, before dropping to the floor and kicking Bill's feet out from underneath him. Ed on the other hand had tackled his man and was determined to beat the crap out of him. Al kept the others at bay by knocking them to the floor and knocking away their weapons.
"Run!" shouted Bill as he crawled to his feet, the girl occupied with another terrorist.
He ran out the door, his men following in hot pursuit. However, one man was unconscious and that was the man Ed had tackled. The girl walked over to him and waited until Ed stood up before lifting the man off the ground by the back of his shirt and throwing him on the table. Ed transmuted his hand back to normal before confronting the girl.
"Who the hell are you and why are those men after you?" asked Ed angrily as the girl sheathed her sword.
The blade looked to be made of the finest steel but in regular intervals along the blade, three red diamonds of an unknown material sprouted out of the steel. This unknown material appeared to be the core of the weapons as more of the weapon was gathered to make the pommel. The hilt was wrapped in silver wire and the cross-guard appeared to be made of gold.
"My name is Raven and you must be Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist." said Raven as she reached into the pocket of her soaked jacket. "Mustang sent me to help you in your search for the Philosopher's Stone."
She handed a crumpled piece of wet paper to Ed who carefully pulled it apart and started to read it. It read:
Crimson Blade Alchemist,
You are hereby assigned to assist Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, in his search for the Philosopher's Stone. Report any findings straight to East Headquarters.
Colonel Roy Mustang,
The Flame Alchemist
"I don't need any help." said Ed as he handed the crumpled piece of paper back to Raven. "Especially when it's coming from Mustang."
"But brother." said Al as he rested a hand on Ed's shoulder. "We can't turn down any help that might lead us to the Philosopher's Stone."
"But still, I don't want Mustang to feel like we owe him one." said Ed as he looked up at Al.
"I'm coming with you, whether you want my help or not." said Raven as she sat down at the table next to the unconscious man. "I'm not out to do any favors for Mustang, but I'm also searching for the Philosopher's Stone. He figured I'd be more productive working with you."
"See brother, she's after the Stone as well." said Al. "Why not let her come with us?"
"I guess it can't hurt." said Ed as he crossed his arms, the man on the table beginning to groan.
Raven stood up and grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him into a sitting position. She leaned her head in close before asking him a question.
"Where's your hideout?" asked Raven as the man looked groggily at her.
"Like I'd tell you, military scum." sneered the man before beginning to laugh.
"You'd better unless you want to walk around with only one leg." threatened Raven as she reached back for her sword.
"All right, all right, I'll tell you! Just don't cut off me leg!" begged the man as he eyed Raven's sword with fear.
"Talk!" shouted Raven as she grabbed the hilt.
"The hideout's at the edge of town, down in the sewers." babbled the man extremely quickly. "The only way to get there is the manhole at the church. Please don't hurt me!"
Raven let the man go before turning and sighing. She ran her hands through her hair before turning to the towels Al had left lying on the table and clapping her hands together. Her hands glowed as she placed them on the towels, transmuting them into ropes.
"You can transmute without a circle." breathed Ed as the girl grabbed on of the ropes and started tying up the man.
"Don't look so surprised. Just because not a lot of people can do it, it doesn't mean that you're the only one in the State who can." said Raven as she tightened a knot. "That should do it."
She finished looping the rope around the man's ankles before typing a complex knot and tightening it with a jerk. The man struggled against his bonds as Raven dusted her hands off. She dragged him off the table by the back of his shirt before dumping him in a corner.
"Keep an eye on him, and phone Headquarters. They'll send people over to pick him up and help clean up." said Raven and the waitress nodded before hurrying off. "Come on."
Ed and Al followed her outside into the rain, where she looked left and right before taking off down the street.
"Where are we going?" asked Ed as he ran to catch up with her.
"To the bandit's hideout in the sewers, but first we have to go to the church." said Raven.
They made their way down the main street for sometime until they reached a large wooden sign that read "Graveyard" and pointed to the right. From their position, the steeple of the church was just visible through the rain and they began to pick up their pace. When they reached the church, Al opened the rusty doors and they entered the dark room. Suddenly a light flared and a man came walking over to them, a candle in his hand.
"Who are you and what do you want?" asked the old man, the candle shaking in his unsteady hand.
"We're here to find the bandit's hideout. Do you know if there are any manhole's around here?" asked Raven and the old man pointed towards the back of the church.
"They don't come through here, but I know where the entrance to their hideout is hidden." whispered the old man as he leaned in closer. "You must go to the graveyard and find an old water pump that doesn't work. There you will find the entrance to their hideout."
"You mean we have to go back outside!" moaned Ed loudly, his coat dripping water.
"Stop complaining Ed." said Al as he and Raven started walking towards the door.
Ed followed them back out into the rain when Al and Raven ducked behind a tree. He followed them with a puzzled look on his face and when he opened his mouth to ask a question, Raven put a finger to her mouth to silence him.
"Who was that old man?" asked Ed in a low whisper, the leaves protecting them from the worst of the rain.
"I don't know, but he doesn't live there." said Raven as she folded her arms. "I'm sure the bandits have searched the building well before making their hideout in its backyard. He's gotta have a link with the bandits or he wouldn't be here."
"I don't know if this means anything, but I saw bullet holes when we were inside the church." said Alphonse as he looked around. "And when I opened the door, I noticed that it hadn't been opened for some time."
"And I'll bet that the only other doors in the church lead to the bandit's hideout and into the graveyard." said Ed as he absentmindedly started to play with the chain of his pocket watch. "I say we go back in and find the entrance to the hideout."
"I agree." said Raven simply. "We can easily overpower the old man and they won't be expecting us to come in through the church."
"Right." said Al.
"Then its agreed." said Ed as he punched the air. "Let's do it!"
They quietly made their way back over to the church and Al boosted them in through a window before climbing in himself. Raven put a finger to her lips again before motioning to the back of the church. They crept through the church, avoiding the pews and other things scattered about the floor. When they reached the back of the church, they saw a large tunnel that had been dug out of the floor, large piles of dirt around it.
"This is it." said Ed as he looked down the hole that quickly sloped so that it was level with the ground. "Who's going first?"
"I'll go." said Raven as she raised her arms over her head and jumped into the hole.
Ed and Al watched her roll to avoid hurting herself when she landed before Ed started down the ladder. When he reached the bottom he found it brightly lit with lights that had been wired throughout the tunnel.
"Pretty elaborate place for a bunch of rats." said Ed as Al reached the bottom.
"Yeah, and I don't like it. How could they afford all this when they're dressed like beggars?" asked Raven as she looked at one of the lights. "We'd better hurry."
They started walking down the tunnel that proved to slope a little bit. It took them about ten minutes of walking before they heard voices.
"Where the hell are they?" asked a man angrily. "I thought you said you told them to wait by the old pump."
"I did." said a familiar voice. "I don't know where they went."
"Quit bickering like old women and git yer butts over here!" shouted a third man and there was a quick shuffling before he continued. "Now, back to the plan. Group A, you sneak around the back and place explosives against the back wall and wait for the signal. Group B, you will set up the guns on the hill facing the main entrance and wait until Group A blows the back wall. Group C, you will shoot the soldiers the instant they step foot outside that building."
Ed looked down at the floor to find many boxes with dynamite stamped into their sides. He nudged Raven who looked down before hurrying her pace. When they reached a curve in the tunnel, they found themselves face to face with a large opening filled with terrorists. Al grabbed Ed by the back of his jacket and pulled him back into the shadows.
"What do we do now?" whispered Al and Raven's eyes swept the room.
Among the men was the old man from the church, except that his hair was brown instead of gray and he was holding a rifle in his hands. He didn't look so old without the wrinkles underneath his eyes and around his mouth, but there was no mistaking him. Raven motioned to Ed and Al before walking out into the room, causing everyone to stop and the room to go quiet.
"You don't look so old without all that make-up on." said Raven as she looked at the old man who looked dumb struck.
"Where's that other State Alchemist that we saw at the inn?" asked Bill as he pulled a dagger out of a large wooden table and grinned. "Did the little shorty run away scared?"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?" screamed Ed as he came barreling out of the tunnel, Al hot on his heels.
"ED!" shouted Al, but it didn't stop his brother. "Stop!"
"Damn it Ed!" shouted Raven as the men raised their guns. "Duck!"
Ed and Raven transmuted separate walls out of the ground, blocking the bullets. When the bullet's stopped, Ed transmuted his arm into a handblade before Raven gave him a boost over the wall before following. Raven drew her sword in midair and brought the flat down on a man's shoulder, breaking it with a loud snap. With a quick movement she swung it around her head, knocking the guns out of the hands of two other men. Ed was following suit, except his handblade could not deal the same damage as a sword.
"Shoot them!" screamed Bill as Raven closed in, sword flashing red in the light.
She brought down the sword, cutting Bill's dagger in half before hitting him in the face with a left hook, knocking him to the floor. Ed finished fighting a terrorist before he and Al ran up to Raven, Ed panting from fighting for so long.
"Is he dead?" asked Al in a scared voice.
"No, just unconscious." said Ed as he bent down over Bill and checked his pulse before transmuting his hand back to normal. "What do we do now?"
"Wait for the people from Headquarters to get here and clean up the mess." said Raven as she sheathed her sword. "Then we can get the hell out of here."
Suddenly they could hear sounds coming from the tunnel and Ed put his hands together while Raven merely stood there. Soldiers came out of the tunnel and Ed straightened as the lead trooper came walking over to them.
"Crimson Blade Alchemist, sorry it took us so long." said the lead trooper as he saluted Raven. "We'll take care of the rest."
Raven started to head towards the tunnel when Ed stopped her.
"What are you going to do now?" asked Ed and Raven stopped.
"We did the dirty work so the State will take care of the rest. After a night at the inn, we'll be ready to head out." said Raven as the terrorists were dragged to their feet and had handcuffs slapped on them.
She started walking and Ed went to stop her again when Al put his hand on Ed's shoulder.
"She's right brother. I think we should let her come with us." said Al and Ed looked up at him.
"Yeah you're right, Al." said Ed as he watched Raven disappear into the tunnel. "She probably has some of the same reasons as we do and it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra help along the way."
Al looked down at Ed with admiration, though it didn't show because of his face. He slowly followed as Ed ran after Raven who had come back to the tunnel opening to wait for them.
"We don't mind if you want to come with us." said Ed as he put his hands in his pockets. "You probably have your reasons and we won't question them."
Raven flashed him a smile before turning and walking off.
"Hurry up, I want to get back to the inn before it gets too dark out." said Raven as Ed and Al hurried to catch up with her.
"You know, she's actually pretty nice once you get past the outer shell." said Ed as he smiled.
"I think you're starting to like her Ed." said Al and Ed looked up at him angrily.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ed as he chased a laughing Al down the tunnel, waving his fist.