"Miss Cagalli, please slow down," Kisaka protested, eyes flickering about the crowd. "There are far too many people here. It will be too easy to be spotted."

"He's right, Cagalli," Ahmed agreed, "There are ZAFT soldiers everywhere. We need to stay out of sight. We can send scouts to scan the area."

"No chance," the blonde girl responded at once. "I'm doing this myself. Besides, it's dark. No one is going to recognize me." She stopped casually just out of range of light from a street lamp. Though it was late enough, the cobblestone roads of Central were swimming with people, most of them soldiers of either the State or ZAFT.

"At least we know the Tiger is definitely here," she asserted. "Now all we need to do is find out what they're up to. What's distracting them so much that they haven't even noticed us?" She bared her teeth in aggravation. "We're not just some worthless group to blow off! Why won't they acknowledge us? If they wanted to, they could have figured out we were here."

"Maybe they already have," Ahmed proposed forebodingly. "Don't be so quick to jump into trouble."

Cagalli shook her head. "They haven't noticed us. I want us to fight fairly, but the way they're acting has made them perfectly susceptible to ambush." She shifted and allowed a soldier of the State to pass by before continuing. "Don't think I haven't noticed how anxious our men have gotten. They want to attack ZAFT and be done, but I won't let them. I want to figure out what's standing between those Coordinators and us and get rid of it."

"It's probably just the Earth Forces," Ahmed said, struggling to catch up to her as she began to move again.

"Look around," Cagalli snapped. "Do you see any Earth Forces?"

Kisaka spoke quietly. "The legged ship we saw was surely attacked by those GINNs," he mused. "But my guess is if they haven't been defeated, they'll be here eventually. However, the princess is right," he turned his dark-eyed gaze to Ahmed. "It seems as if ZAFT has ulterior motives in Central." Suddenly he halted, his face frozen in shock. "Where's Cagalli?"

Ahmed blinked. "Uh oh." He rotated in a full circle, but failed to determine which way she'd gone.

The princess of Orb Chuckled quietly to herself, creeping roguishly against a brick wall. The darkness of the alleyway successfully hid her from curious eyes. She paused to plan her dash to the next clump of shadows, relieved that she had managed to escape without a hitch.

"Those two would have only slowed me down," she tried to convince herself, taking a deep breath and pressing onward. Somewhere off to her right, the Lesseps crouched in waiting, its beige risers and cannons visible even above the highest rooftops. She had no idea where to start looking, but she was sure there had to be clues in Central somewhere.

She pressed her back against the wall, bringing her handgun to her cheek and sliding stealthily to the corner of the building. Peering out and confirming that the coast was clear, she slipped around the bend.

CRASH.

"Ow! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Cagalli blinked, rubbing her head ruefully from her spot on the ground as she looked around to see who had spoken. A blonde boy of roughly her own age and wearing a crimson jacket was sprawled on the cobblestone next to her.

"S-sorry," she stammered, picking herself up shakily. So much for not being seen.

"No worries," the boy said, raising an eyebrow incredulously. "But you shouldn't be lurking around here so late at night."

"Oh please." The princess snorted. "Don't lecture me when you're creeping about the same way that I am."

"I'm a State Alchemist," Edward Elric argued shrilly. "Now get out of my way, will you? I'm kind of in a hurry." At the moment he wished he and Al hadn't decided to split up during their search.

Cagalli set her jaw in place and stiffened. "Hey. You're the one in my way. You move." The alleyway was impossibly narrow, and she wasn't about to back down to some ridiculously diminutive boy who claimed to be a member of the State. "You can't be a State Alchemist," she decided. "You're way too short."

"That's it," Ed seethed, clenching a fist as his eyebrow twitched of its own accord, "Step aside or I'll make you."

"Try it." She stuck out her tongue.

Edward's eyes swelled to the size of plates. "What! You scruffy looking rebel!"

"Half-pint!"

"Tomboy!"

Their noses were inches apart. It was then that Cagalli noticed the color of his eyes. Their golden glow bared a stunning resemblance to her own, and for a moment she was left unguarded.

Ed took the opportunity of her distraction to make his move. In a flash, he had slammed his elbow into her midsection, winding her and knocking her to the ground.

"Sorry about that," the young alchemist apologized, making his way forward without bothering to glance down at his quarry, "But you asked for it." Suddenly a sturdy grip closed around one of his ankles, and he found himself face flat on the rough stone as his limb was tugged from underneath him.

Cagalli took hold of his shoulders, rolling him over and slamming him backward. Faster than lightning she was atop him, pinning him without leaving an inch of leeway. Edward's head hit the concrete with a loud crack, and she smirked.

"It serves you right."

"You crazy bitch!" Edward hollered, as mild spots began to float before his swirling vision. "That's it. I'm not going to go easy on you anymore." He clapped his hands without a second thought, watching with relish as her face melted into a look of panic upon witnessing the static crackle of light that stemmed from his palms.

When the smoke cleared, Cagalli found herself at the bottom of a very large pit that had taken the place of the spot she'd recently been sitting on. She cursed. The blonde boy waved cheekily down at her from the edge of the hole.

His grin was taunting. "What have we here?"

He turned to go, then whirled as he heard the noises of her mad scrabble to escape. Only when he felt the narrow barrel of her handgun at his back did he begin to rethink his hasty actions.

"Easy now," he spoke slowly. Then, with a trace of annoyance, "I didn't think you could get out."

Cagalli tossed the hair from her eyes indignantly. "Did you forget I'm not anywhere near as short as you? If you wanted to keep me there, then you should have made the hole deeper."

"You're a formidable opponent," Edward observed, genuinely impressed. "Care to tell me your name?"

She paused, and then decided it couldn't hurt. He didn't look like a member of ZAFT, and he'd already claimed to be a State Alchemist. With an alchemy display like the one she'd just witnessed, the chances that the blonde boy had been lying were slim.

"Cagalli Yula Athha," she stated, lifting her gun and allowing him to turn around to meet her gaze.

"I'm Edward Elric," he told her in return. "Look, I don't know who you are or why you're sneaking around, but I'm not going to ask. I don't think you're one of those Coordinators, so I'm letting you go."

"Is that so?" Cagalli asked. "Or did you forget that I'm the one keeping you from leaving right now?" She motioned with a nod of her head to the gun that was still pointed at his chest.

"Quit messing around," he berated her, and to his great relief she stowed the weapon.

Out of the darkness floated a very familiar voice. Cagalli flinched. It was the voice of Kisaka, calling her name and no doubt searching for her like a madman. She rubbed her head sheepishly and stepped aside to let the alchemist pass her.

"I guess I've got to get out of here," she said, "Sorry for being so stubborn."

Edward's features displayed a knowing smile. "Oh, I get it. You're a runaway." He didn't wait for her response. "Well then, get the hell outta here."

"Thanks," Cagalli said, a slight blush making itself visible on her cheeks. Then she flailed her hands about in embarrassment. "Ah! But don't think I'm being grateful or anything! You really shouldn't have gotten on my bad side."

"Whatever you say."

"Bye then," she dashed around the next corner and out of sight.

Edward made his way back down the alleyway, not the least bit surprised when he jumped over the hole, took a right, and found himself facing a worried looking boy of his own age.

"Whoops, sorry," Ahmed murmured in surprise. "Um, you didn't happen to see anyone pass through here, did you?"

Edward kept his face passive. "Not a soul."

A/N: I don't think I did the two of them justice in this chapter. Thoughts like that make me sad. I tried, but Ed and Cagalli are so hard to characterize. Oh well. Hopefully you got a few laughs out of my attempt. XD