Disclaimer: Don't own it. You know what. FMA. Darn, now I said it. Anyway, on with Chapter 10!

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Sorry, I ain't a kid," Roy shrugged, then smiled deviously, "You have to go on a training mission like everyone else before the real thing, squirt."

"I AM NOT A SQUIRT!" Edward snarled at his higher-up, "And plus, I survived on my own on an island! That should count!"

"On your own?! I helped! That was MY mission, anyway!" Kaori sneered. She hated it when Ed-the most handsome man in the world-was stuck up and a know-it-all.

Roy ignored her, "That wasn't under military surveillance."

Edward crossed his arms, "Fine. Where to?"

Roy, surprised that he agreed so early in the argument, stuttered his words, "W-well, we found a homunculus wannabe running around Central. Think you can catch her?"

"All of the OC's are girls these days," Edward muttered, putting his fleshed palm up to his forehead.

"What?"

"Nothing. We're on it," Ed saluted, then made a goofy face at the Brigadier General. Then he ran out of the office before Roy could burn him to a crisp.

~*~

"Well, hello, Fullmetal Pipsqueak."

Ed gritted his teeth. He had heard that somewhere before…he just couldn't remember. Was it that bastard Wrath? Wait, which Wrath? Or was that Envy's twin brother? Aw, dammit, whatever! I just gotta arrest this freak!

"Hello yourself," Alphonse sneered. He had his hands on his hips, and he was regarding the black-clothed girl with a nasty smirk that would often be found on a bloody Fullmetal's face.

They were standing in the entrance to an alleyway, similar to the one Scar and Edward once fought in. Perhaps it was the same one. The wannabe homunculus was balanced on a silver pipe running along the top of the alley, wearing a sly smile. Black linen and silk draped from her body, and her hair-similar to Kaori's, only with no ponytail-sat messily upon her head.

"E told me much about you," she slurred.

Edward twitched and glared at her. He clapped and transformed his right arm into a blade.

Alphonse glanced a warning at his older brother, then looked back at the black-clothed girl.

"I'm Nikumu," the girl smiled, showing off a row of white, sharp teeth. It reminded Kaori of a cat's mouth.

Author's Note: If you type in "hate" on Google Translate, the Romanization "nikumu" pops up. That's where I got her name.

"Kaori," Kaori sneered, stepping forward bravely. Edward and Alphonse looked at her, astonished.

Nikumu growled and frowned. She leapt off the pipe quicker than Kaori could follow, and she sped towards the ground and Kaori, yowling angrily.

Kaori pinched her face up and pulled three daggers out of the side of her pants. She held the daggers' handles in between her fingers, the sharp ends pointed at Nikumu's face.

The middle dagger sunk itself in between Nikumu's eyes, going right through the bridge of the cat-like girl's nose.

Edward smiled and rushed forward, slicing off Nikumu's leg.

The girl yowled with pain, dropping down to the cement sidewalk. Kaori pulled the dagger out of Nikumu's face and smirked. She planted her right foot on the black-clothed girl's back, "Well, well, well, who's smirking now?"

Nikumu growled, "You won't get away with this." Suddenly, she lurched up, throwing Kaori to the ground. In the same instant, Nikumu flipped backwards, landed so lightly on the alleyway floor you couldn't hear her landing, then rushed forward like a bullet.

Alphonse yelled and stepped in front of his brother and Kaori, holding up a hefty sword almost as tall as he was. He blocked Nikumu's ramming attack, only she wasn't planning to ram Edward and Kaori into the path of a car.

Three spikes that could have penetrated diamonds and steel stuck out of Nikumu's forehead and went through the sword.

"Thanks, Alphonse," Edward smiled, when he suddenly froze, "Her leg-she has two legs."

The leg that Edward had severed was now connected to Nikumu's thigh again.

"I didn't sense any alchemy going on during our fight," Ed frowned worriedly.

Alphonse's brow furrowed with frustration, "Me neither."

"I didn't see any flashing lights, as well," Kaori pointed out impatiently.

While Nikumu was struggling to penetrate Al's sword altogether, Ed turned around to face Kaori, "We don't mean we didn't see anything. Maybe you don't know as much as we do what alchemy 'feels' like, but you can just feel this sudden energy coming from the Earth or somewhere when alchemy is performed. The closer the performance and the bigger the transmutation, the more an alchemist can sense it."

Alphonse smirked over his shoulder, "We aren't exactly tested on this when we apply for State Alchemist-hood, but it's a good sense to have. You could call it a sixth-sense, alchemy in itself."

Kaori blinked and stood there with wonder, a finger at the edge of her lips. Her eyes were wide. A sixth sense…

"RAH!" Nikumu suddenly broke through Al's sword. The steel clattered to the ground in pieces, and Al and Ed dodged out of Nikumu's way.

"WATCH OUT!" Alphonse called out. Edward eyes widened as Nikumu headed straight for Kaori in her rage.

"They're MINE!" Nikumu growled, the spikes on her forehead becoming longer.

Kaori's eyes widened. I'm going to die! I'm sorry, Ed, Al-

"OOF!"

She was suddenly shoved out of the way. She saw red and black colors flying in front of her, then white clouds and the blue sky, and a stray blond hair drifted down and landed on her collarbone. She blinked.

The hair was suddenly replaced by blood.

She gasped and looked up once the dizziness escaped her. Nikumu's spikes were embedded in Edward's chest. Nikumu, now 3 feet away from the Fullmetal Alchemist, stood crossing her arms and smirking evilly. Alphonse stood there, shocked, looking ready to cry.

"EDDDDWAAAARRRDDD!"

The Fullmetal Alchemist fell to the ground.

Author's Note: Sorry it's a bit short. I just thought this was a good spot to stop at. Hehheh, just have to wait until next time!

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