Chapter Two: "Hot Mess" – Cobra Starship

The train landed in Homsfield, a gem-mining town. Ed and Song got off the train and Song slung her bag over her shoulders. The town looked to be quite bustling even at this time of night. The station was positioned at the center of town, luckily right next to the inns. "Let's go find a place to stay first and then go ask around, Song."

"Sounds good to me," she replied. They found one at a reasonable right called the White Swan Inn. It was quite clean and cheap for the quality that it was. The proprietor was a middle-aged man and his wife, the Vernors. They seemed pleasant enough, and offered them access to their phone, at no extra cost, which was useful if they had to make routine calls back to Central.

"So what brings you two to Homsfield? We're a trade city, so just curious if you came to buy or sell. Most come for the gems, but now we've expanded toward other minerals," said Mr. Vernor.

"We're here to buy, but the what hasn't been fully decided yet. Curiosity just drove us here that's all," replied Song. "We're told not to come, but what's life without a little risk." Ed noticed Song was taking the undercover route, so that's why she had him discard his signature coat into her bag. Probably is also why she chose civilian clothing instead of the standard military uniform. It was too noticeable. Song was good about keeping him in the dark.

"So you've heard about our problem, I'm ashamed it got out. We were hoping it stayed quiet, it's a serious threat to business if word gets out that we have a criminal problem."

"If you don't mind me asking, what is exactly going on?" asked Ed.

"They go by Aikokushin, a group that is fighting against the military…"

"Interesting they chose a word that means patriotism in my language, ironic choice don't you think?" she said but before any could actually respond, "Then why attack this town? It's not a military base, so why is it a threat in their eyes?"

"Our town supplied materials for weapons used by the military in Ishval. We are the closest mining town so therefore, it makes sense that we would be the ones to supply the materials for that the bloodbath they called a civil war," explained Mr. Vernor.

"I see they're taking out towns that had any connection to the Ishval War. Therefore their targets are likely to be the ones who manufactured the materials, because they have the closest connection to the product," added Edward. Therefore there could be a logical pattern to the killings in Homsfield.

"That's not the case, even though that makes sense. They go after anyone they can get their hands on. They believe the whole town condoned the war, not just the ones who actually produced the materials."

"That's just stupid.

"Everyone's on pins and needles, so take my advice be careful out there," said Mr. Vernor looking into Song's eyes, "Especially you, miss, they don't kill women immediately they show up days later, and I don't know what happens in those days." Song nodded and assured him that she would be careful, she did not mention that it was Edward and herself who were going after those men. They withdrew to their room.

"What do you think, Ed?" she asked him point blank.

Edward sat for a moment in deep thought, "I think we have to go out tonight, after the streets are clear and try to catch them when they're active. Most killers attack at night, not during the day. We should wait until the streets are clear, so minimal harm to civilians."

"It sounds a bit rash, but we don' t have much to go on. We just need to see if Roger Buren is active tonight, to prevent any more possible killings tonight. Mustang gave us nothing to go one did he? There's a problem just go fix it."

They waited about an hour, when the streets began to clear out and pedestrians began to return home. Song then changed into a black long-sleeved shirt and long black pants. On her right leg she attached her kunai poach. She put on a dark green vest. Song then unlatched their window that faced the back of the inn. She swung her leg on the sill straddling it, then bringing her other leg around to where she was then sitting on the sill with her legs dangling outside. She jumped out the two-story window and landed gracefully on her feet. "Are you freaking serious, Song?"

"Just jump, Ed."

"Can't we just use a door like a normal human?"

"That'll raise suspicion, just jump. I'll catch you, promise." Ed jumped and Song met him in mid-air and brought him down safely. Song then pulled out a scroll out of her vest. "Summoning Justu," then ten tiny owls appeared, "Please scout out the area, see anything out of the ordinary, report back to me." The owls took flight.

"What are those?" asked Ed.

"My summoning owls, they're quite useful for surveillence especially at night with their keen vision. We'll be able to cover more ground with them in the air. They'll remain posted until I summon them back. We better get going. Let's do this, I'm going activate my Sharingan eye, so don't freak out it scares some people." Her eyes turned from emerald green to blood red with what looked like three commas circling her pupil. "Everything seems normal, no spikes in activity it seems," she told Edward. They ran down the streets and just as Song said all seemed quite normal, other than the occasional late-night person, there was no activity. Edward watched Song during their scan, she seemed substantially more intense than previously. At every little sound, her had instinctively went to her thigh where her kunai were. They went about like this for an hour, when Song suddenly stopped. "There's an energy spike a mile ahead," she informed, "We have to get there now!" Song broke into a full on sprint at a speed, Edward could only ever hope to reach.

When Edward finally caught up with her, he was staring at the dead body of young girl, maybe ten years old at the most. "Damn it!" shouted Song, "We're too late."

"I'd like to think you were right on time," said a voice from the shadows. He went after Song, but she grabbed him by his forearm and threw him down the street with a lot of force. She bit her finger and summoned her kusarigama waiting for the man to come back. He sprinted back toward swinging a knife at her but he could not keep up with her speed. She then saw a good opening and sliced with her blade, making the man double backward. She went in again with a slice at his neck and he fell down in a pool of blood.

"Pathetic," she said.

"Do you really think that he was the only one, girl?" Another man came forward, "You killed Yates, you bitch."

"Wind Style: Double Wind Scythe," the wind she produced formed around the edges of her blades. She then brought the weapon over her head and slashed down causing a large wave of wind after him. He dodged it.

"You think that'll work on me, bitch. Yates was the watchman, but I'm an alchemist. Roger Buren at your service."

"Just who I was looking for, Song Uchiha, at your service," as she put away her blades, "You stupidly told me your area of expertise, alchemists are long-distance fighters and rarely go for full frontal contact. Your other mistake was killing an innocent child, which pisses me off. Mangekyo Sharingan!" Her eyes morphed again into black roses on a red background. "Normally, I would never waste this technique on a loser like you, but I want you to know the worst kind of pain imaginable, you bastard." She then began to approach him, when something went wrong. Song began to cry out in great pain, collapsing on the ground and grasping at her shoulder, her eyes returned to the Sharingan. "Orochimaru, you bastard," she cursed. Turning to Ed, "I need you take over I'm sorry, this pain is too much." She then blacked out, her one weakness the damn Curse Seal of Heaven on her shoulder.

(o.o) Line Break ^.^

"Song, Song! Wake up!" Ed was shaking her awake. She began to rise on a bed back at The White Swan.

"How, did I get back here?" she asked.

"I carried you back, after I wounded Buren, but I didn't kill him, sorry."

"Thanks, Ed, sorry I could've had him back there, and now he knows what we look like. I blew it, I'm sorry."

"If you don't mind my asking what exactly happened back there?"

"It's a curse, put upon my a very powerful shinobi named Orochimaru. He wanted the blood-line trait of my family, the Sharingan eye. He went after mew when I was nine, because he thought he could take me as his new body. He wanted immorality through using my body and thus obtaining the Sharingan eye. The curse inflicts serious pain until one eventually gives into its power thus becoming his pawn. When ever, I get strong feeling of hate or anything that causes discomfort, it activates. Anyway, we should get some rest okay Edward? And don't worry about me, okay?" Song rolled back over on her side and was quickly out.

Ed began to think, maybe Song could not handle it and he should just go and confront Buren. However, how many men he had was still unknown. Mr. Vernor said ten, but he was not confident in that number. However, he did not want to put Song back in that situation if she had that strong reaction. "I'll be back," he whispered as he left her there sleeping quite contentedly.

He retraced their steps, fortunately Ed had a good memory of where he was going. "Buren, we need to talk," he shouted as he returned the street they had previously met earlier that night.

"Where's the girl?" he asked as he approached him.

"Sleeping off what happened earlier, but you still have to deal with me, Buren."

"That girl was strong, I hope you give just a good of a fight, as she gave Yates. Having a weak opponent is quite dull," he said. He began to transmute by rubbing his hands together, "Let me introduce you to my lightening." A shock spread throughout Ed's body as Buren grabbed his arm, "Feels wonderful doesn't it? It's completely invisible and no one can see it even if they wanted to."

"Amplified static electricity, nice," Ed said as he dodged an attack. One strike to my chest, and I'm dead. The electricity would cause his heart's electrical system to short circuit, causing his heart to stop functioning. So that's how he killed his victims and would explain the damage to the heart and not the rest of the body. Interesting…

O.o Line Break o.O

A rapping noise came at the window of the hotel room. "What the hell?" asked a groggy Song. She went to the window and let in one of her summoning owls, "It's your partner he's in a fight with another man," relayed the owl.

"Thank you," she said and the owl disappeared. Please have the kunai on you, she thought, and she transported herself behind Ed. She glanced at Ed, who lay on the ground. She noticed that Buren had once again vanished. Turning her attention back to Edward, who was unconscious and whose pulse was weakening, "Damn it, Ed." Get a grip she told herself as she began examining his heart. It was not beating at all, the electrical system and been disrupted. Song had to restart his heart with her own lightening jutsu. "Lightening Style: Shock Jutsu!" the lightening was sent from her hands into Ed's heart. She then checked his pulse, and it still was not there. She tried again, still nothing. Once more, please, she thought as tears fell from her eyes, and then she felt the weak pulse begin to quicken. His heart was now beating, but he still had received several serious injuries. She blamed stupid male hubris. "Let's go kid."