Ed was strolling in awe around the vast and unfamiliar city. It was the dead the night and the streets were mostly empty save for the occasional car driving by. "It's gotta be at least a few hours past midnight" Ed muttered to himself. The cool, crisp air caused his breath to steam a little bit on every breath. He heard a whirring noise above him. Some machine flying around high in the sky above him. That's when he noticed how enormously tall the buildings were. They looked so bleak and oppressive to him. The windows were so small, they looked like they were falling apart and every inch of the bottom of the buildings were plastered with colorful graffiti. Ed noticed the color of the sky. It was a dark orangey color with a purple tint. He saw no more than 10 stars, 15 at most.

Ed came to an intersection. He looked up at the street signs, 125th and Park Ave. There was an elevated railroad which carried shiny silver trains. A train screech to halt as Ed turned the corner. There were loud booms that were progressively getting louder as he moved nearer to the source. They had a rhythm to them. "Boom Boom tick Ba-Boom Boom tick". Ed looked up toward the sound as realized it was music. Very loud music judging from the fact that it was resonation from an open window near the top of the building. He heard muffles lyrics as he continued walking searching for someone he could ask for an idea of what this place was. It sounded like someone talking in rhythm with the beat.

"It's 1995 and now that I'm older stress weighs on my shoulders…"

The music faded out as Ed kept strolling. Ed stopped as a realization hit him. "It's 1995?" he blurted out. "Wait in back in Amestris its 1921! So that means I went forward in time by….74 YEARS!" Ed was dumbfounded. "Wait that globe I saw spu-", Ed was interrupted. "YO SHUT THE FUCK UP! IT'S 4:30 IN THE FUCKING MORNING!" Ed looked up at the enraged guy who was hanging halfway out the window and replied, "NO FUCK YOU! YOU RAT BASTARD I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE HELL I AM AND HOW I GOT HERE!" "STOP SMOKIN ROCK FUCKING CRACKHEAD AND SHUT YOUR SHORT-ASS-WANNABE-SUPERMAN-WITH-A-FUCKING-RED-CAPE MOUTH BITCH! IM TRYING TO SLEEP I GOTTA GOT TO WORK IN 2 HOURS!" Ed was fuming. Steam was literally shooting out of his ears like a kettle that was boiling over. Ed was about to yell back when a woman in another building yelled "BOTH OF YOU GUYS SHUT THE HELL UP DONE WOKE UP MY BABY IM BOUT TO CALL THE DAM COPS SEE HOW YALL LIKE THAT!" They both kept quiet. Ed swallowed his pride and kept walking as he didn't want to deal with the police. He assumed the guys who woke him up earlier were police and they weren't too nice.

Ed made it another block when he was stopped in his track by a woman's blood curdling scream.

"HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPP!...…"her voice faded and he just heard sobbing. Ed instinctively ran towards the sound. "If this place is like London..." he thought to himself. "…then I can't use alchemy here. I'll have to rely on close combat". He came upon an alley way wear three men were trying to tear a woman's clothes off. "Not on my watch guys" Ed said with a smirk on his face. Ed threw his cape off ready to fight. "Oye what are you some kinda superhero whiteboy?" one of the thugs said mockingly. The guys walked out into the light revealing their faces. The first guy that spoke had caramel skin and braided hair with a black bandanna wrapped around his head and a black hoody on. "So you tryin' a fight dawg?" he said. The second guy came out of the shadows. He was very dark skinned and had a yellow hoody obscuring most of his face. The zipper was open showing a large chain with a diamond studded cross on the end. "Nah you know what it is?" he began. "It's that we got his girl wit us. Yo ya girl is fine money, but you can't keep her all to yourself. Ya gotta share maaaan!" He had a smile on his face as he spoke. The third dude, who was gripping the woman tightly by her arm, stepped out. He had pale white skin and dirty blond spiky hair. He had a black leather jacket and a small gold chain with a cross and a little guy hanging on the cross. "Oh shit another white guy in Harlem! Yo if I didn't have to kick your ass I'd be cool with ya kid!" he said laughing afterwards. There was a short silence as a train came by, screeching as it passed

The woman had brown skin, a little darker then the first thug. She had curly hair pulled back in a ponytail and was wearing a professional looking outfit. She had a double breasted jacket and a long skirt ending midway down her calves. Her jacket was ripped open but she was holding it closed with her free arm. "Help me…" she said sobbing, her face wet with tears. "Shuddup bitch!" yelled the dude holding her. He then backhanded her in the face. "THAT IS ENOUGH!" exclaimed Edward as he charged at him. The first dude got in Ed's way, swinging fists and aiming for a knockout. Ed ducked under his wide, untrained punches and caught him right in the jaw. Instant knockout. The guy holding the woman threw her to the floor as the remaining thugs double teamed Ed. The black guy charged him but Ed hit him in the solar plexus and when he bent over to gasp for air he gave him an elbow to the back dropping the guy on the concrete. The last guy came in with an uppercut that Ed caught and pulled the man toward him by his arm and dealt him a head butt to the nose, knocking him unconscious.

He helped the trembling woman up. She was bleeding from her lip and her upper cheekbone. She gave him a tight hug for at least a whole minute. Ed embraced her back. He was silent, but comforting. Ed, still breathing hard from the fight, said "I'm Edward Elric. What the hell are you doing out this late anyway?" Steam coming out of his mouth on every breath. "Um...I should be asking you that? You're like 15 kid, but I see you can defend yourself so that's not a problem. And by the way…it's Jackie. Jackie Jimenez." she said while her voice was still trembling. "Thank you so much. There's no way my words can express my gratitude. What can I do to repay you?" Ed was about to answer when he saw that the black dude was not unconscious the whole time and was getting his breath back. He began to get up. Jackie walked over to him before he could get on his knees and kicked the living shit outta him. "Take that pedazo de mierda! Hijo de puta stay the fuck down!" He exhaled in pain as he got the wind knocked out of him. He was confused as to what the hell she just said. "Anyways as I was saying..." She continued. "…what exactly can I do to repay you? I know a lot of people I can get you into a club, or get you a job and I know mad cute honies your age!" Ed looked down at the floor, his hair shielding his face. He said remorsefully, "I have nowhere to go…"

A/N: Song referenced was "Runnin" by The Pharcyde. Stay tuned for the next chapter!