Hello! This michelaski here sounding very geeky as she admits that this is her first FMA fanfic submission. Anyway, I've had this fic in my head for months(you can ask my beta) and debating on wether I should put this up or not and in the end, I decided to take the risk. Aside from that, hope you enjoy...oh and I don't own FMA in anyway whatsoever...unless having two vol. of the manga and the DVD counts as anything...

Chapter One
New Partner

All was quiet, with the exception of the echoing tap of boots as someone walked through the halls of headquarters. A girl was the culprit of said tapping, she wore a sky blue tank top and black knee high boots concealed the calves of a dancer while a short, jet black, mid thigh skirt covered said body part discretely and sensually. Her black and blue blazer was slung over her shoulder, alongside her small messenger bag. She had her hair up in a most unusual bun with stray hairs poking out of it.

Every so often, a nameless military worker would stop in his tracks and gaze at her in awe. It had been a long time since she walked these halls, she left in a hurry last time because of that weird assignment Mustang gave her. She waved at the ones she knew and smiled at those new faces that she just couldn't put a name to as she walked down. Finally, she reached the door she was looking for and shyly stepped inside.

"Mustang," she greeted rather firmly.

"Partner," said person replied, wiggling his brows suggestively. At the sound of that word, the female looked around and her eyes rose to a huge metal armor and short boy who stood next to it. The boy had long, braided blond hair, his fiery golden eyes were the highlight to his features. "Element might I say that you look lovely…" Roy began, smiling wickedly.

"Okay!" the girl replied turning abruptly towards the door. "Time to change!"

"Element wait!" cried Mustang. She stopped in her tracks and turned to him, rather irritated.

"This is your partner; Fullmetal, and his brother," he said while pointing to the tin armor and the boy.

"Pleasure meeting you two…" she said with a small smile. The boy just eyed her, looking confused and irritated.

"You mean to tell me that this girl is my partner?" he cried angrily.

"And you're telling me that this loudmouth shrimp is mine?" Element cried in a similar tone to his, trying to trigger him into using his manners.

"Who're you calling shrimp!" cried the boy as the tin armor held him back.

"I see you've gotten off to a good start…" Roy said, ignoring the yelling couple entirely. "Anyway, Element, I was wondering…" Roy began. Element snapped her fingers and a window burst open. "You missed me?"

"You know what's so sad about you Mustang?" Element began. "Your ego is so big that you thought I was actually aiming for you and I wasn't in the first place!"

"What're you talking abou-?" Roy stared as a book fell from the shelves behind him. The hit on his head was enough to knock him out, and he fell to the floor, dazed, with his mouth agape. The door behind Element burst open as Riza Hawkeye stepped inside.

"Mustang!" she cried, not noticing at first sight that he wasn't at his desk. She looked to the floor and saw him, mouth now closed, out cold. "You know Sir…you actually look better with your mouth shut…" she said almost to herself. She looked behind her and saw Element along with Fullmetal and Alphonse. "It's been a while, Am…" she said, acknowledging her presence and giving a small wave to Ed and Al.

"It really has, Riza…" Element replied with a smile. Hawkeye smiled back, then regained her composure and directed herself to Ed and Al.

"I can safely assume that you know that she's your partner but have absolutely no idea who she is…" Riza began. Al nodded and Edward just scoffed. "She's the Elemental Alchemist, she passed the test a few months after you passed Edward."

"You sure don't look like an alchemist…" Edward said with a huff.

"If you really want me to look like one, should I buy a nice red jacket like yours?" Element said sarcastically and batting her eyebrows like a flirt. Edward muttered something that was unintelligible for all. "My real name is Amber McLain and as you can safely deduce from my alias, I control the elements…"

"Right," scoffed Ed. With a snap of Amber's fingers, a leaf blew in and covered Edward's mouth.

"Thank you fauna!" cried Amber with a grin. "Now if you promise to keep the snide comments from escaping that sorry excuse of yap hole you call your mouth; we'll get along just fine..."

Riza watched indifferently as Ed tried to mutter something but the leaf stopped him from getting anything out. Alphonse watched them with glee, he had the distinct feeling that she was really going to be helpful in their search. After a while, the leaf blew off Edward's mouth, enabling him to speak again.

"That was not funny!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Oh... touchy, touchy..." Amber said with a tinge of sarcasm. Alphonse kept trying to contain his glee since the feeling that Amber was going to be a big help in their search got stronger by the moment. "So, anything new Riza?" Amber asked, changing her focus for just a moment.

"Not at the moment..." Riza said while thinking. "Mustang's subordinates are as lively as ever."

"How's Black Hayate?" Amber asked with a teeny tiny smile that Al quickly noticed. Ed however, was busy plotting ways to get rid of his new "partner". In the end... all of his ideas seemed to end with Amber saving herself or backfiring.

"Large and healthy," Riza said, as she showed Amber a picture.

"So cute..." Amber said giving Riza back the picture. She then turned toward the Elrics.

"Well, come on boys... we need to do some research before we head out..."

"Who said you're in charge here?" complained Edward.

"You just did," Amber said with a smirk. "Now let's head to the library!" she cried while running off. Alphonse ran right after, curious as to what alchemy she might do next. Ed ran off after them in a huff, not sure of what to make of her. After a while, Edward stopped running and decided to take his time getting to the library, he wasn't in any hurry with her around... she'd just get in the way.

At the library...

"How old are you Amber?" asked Alphonse while Amber looked in what seemed to be the tenth book in the past five minutes.

"You want my life story?" Amber inquired, raising a brow at the tin boy. He nodded shyly and she smiled. "I guess it does make sense... we are working together from now on and it would help knowing about one another..." she continued, thinking about it. "I really don't have much to say... but I'm sixteen. I passed the test at thirteen once I heard that your brother passed at twelve. I wouldn't want him to know it but... once I heard that he took the test and passed, I got the courage and took it as well."

"What about your family?" Al asked, curious about why she hadn't mentioned it. He thought that her family was the first thing she'd talk about.

"Nothing important," she said softly, adding a little more mystery to herself. She didn't want to expose anything yet although she'd have to soon enough.

"What are we looking for anyway?" Al asked, changing the subject, earning a smile from Amber.

"More on the Ishbal Massacre..." Amber said while pulling out five books at once. "If we're first heading off to what was once known as Ishbal, we might as well know more of what was going on."

"Brother and I could tell you..." Al said quickly.

"I could've guessed but, you see..." Amber replied as she set the books down on the floor and picked the one at the top first. "I love to read and I just prefer it that way... How about a deal? You tell me what you know and I'll tell you if it's anything like I've read, sound good?"

"Deal," Al said as she grinned in response. She settled herself in the corner, stretching out her legs and then crossing them. She pulled out small, oval, black rimmed glasses from her blazer, and put them on before starting to read. Al watched her in silence, not sure of what to say now. She seemed so vivacious earlier but now she seemed very calm and passive.

"Al?" he heard her voice call out after a while.

"Yes?" he asked, looking her way.

"Could you hand me my bag please?" she asked, not bothering to look up from the textbook. "I left it at the chair right beside you..."

"No problem," Al said while completing said request.

"Thanks," Amber said as soon as she heard her bag drop beside her. Without even bothering to look at the bag, she opened it up and pulled out a pen and small notebook from it. "Just need to jot this down..." she said while scribbling on the blank page.

"Amber?" Al called out after another long silence.

"Yes?" she replied nonchalantly. She didn't bother to look up again, paying attention to the book and Al at the same time.

"What are we going to do after you're done here?"

"Well...to the old Ishbalan grounds of course...and we're going on foot, I have to make a couple of detours on the way..."

"You sure those legs of yours can take it?" Edward asked rudely as he stepped in.

"Yes, Fullmetal," Amber said sourly. "I can handle it..." she continued while closing the book she was reading. She took off her glasses and flashed her milk chocolate eyes at him. "Just because I'm a female, doesn't mean I can't hold my own."

"We'll see about that..." Edward began slyly as the door opened.

"Am!" called out Lt. Hawkeye's voice as she stepped inside. The urgency in her tone caused Amber to look her way quickly wondering what the problem was. "You remember your reevaluation?"

"Yes..." Amber said as she stood up. She straightened out her skirt before putting her glasses away. "It's next week in Central..."

"No...it was just changed. It's in less than ten minutes and a battle assessment against Col. Mustang," Riza answered quickly. Amber quickly glared at Edward, knowing that he was the one responsible.

"All right..." Amber said while picking up the books and putting them back in their respective shelves. She then walked over to her bag and put in the two things she had pulled out of it earlier before zipping it shut. "I'll be right down," Amber finished saying as she picked up her bag.

"We'll be seeing you..." Riza said as she closed the door.

"Thank you for moving up the reevaluation Edward," Amber said without even looking at said boy. "This makes things a lot easier for me," she finished saying as she slung her over her shoulder and left the room.

"Jerk!" Al cried as he hit Edward on his head. Ed rubbed his head in pain and frowned at his brother.

"What'd I do?" he cried.

"You're being mean for no reason at all!" Al cried as he hit his older brother again.

"Of course I have a reason!" Edward cried, waving his arms frantically. "She's acting like a know it all for no reason at all! And she called me a shrimp!"

And there it is...the first chapter. Hope you liked and if you have the chance, I'd appreciate a review. Laters!