Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Episode 7

When Ed, Al, Shannon and Armstrong got to Central, the library was nothing but ashes.
"What! Nooo!" yelled Ed.
"It's nothing but ashes!" yelled Al.
Shannon just stared at the ash and rubble that was left in front of her.
"Major Armstrong! We've been looking for you!" someone called out.
The 4 turned around towards the voice to find 2 military officers racing towards the Major.
"Ah! Lieutenant Ross! Sargent Brosh!" said the Major.
"What brings you 2 here?"
"We are here to take over watching over Edward Elric and his brother, oh wait we weren't told that there was a third kid here to!" said the Lieutenant.
"Oh, the news hasn't come to Central yet! There is a new State Alchemist and that's her there." explained the Major.
"Nightmaress is the name!" said Shannon sliding her mask onto her face.
"Isn't she a little short, I mean, she's shorter than Edward." said Brosh.
"What did you call me! Come say that to my face!" yelled Shannon with an angry expression on her face.
"You wouldn't want to make her mad!" said Ed, "She is pretty violent we've all seen her fight she's very strong." Ed finished whilst trying to calm Shannon down from her tantrum. The look on her face looked like she was about to kill someone, which scared the 2 military officers.

"We are terribly sorry Nightmaress!" trembled Brosh. "Do you have a real name?" asked Ross still shaking.
"Yes, it's Shannon."
"Major, you need to report back to Headquarters, we'll take over for now." said Ross
"Why thank." said the Major, then walk in the direction to Central Command.
"Great we're getting babysat again, just when I thought we were home free." Ed said frustratedly.

Ross and Brosh lead the trio to the car that was going to take them to someone who worked at the library that could help.
"So, Alphonse, why are you wearing that suit of armour?" asked Brosh.
"It's a hobby!" said the Elric brothers.
"Hobby? What kind of freaky hobby is wearing a suit if armour?" whispered Ross and Brosh.
"So, nice weather today, huh Al?" Ed said trying to make a distraction.
"Yes it's beautiful weather!" Al added to the distraction.
Shannon just sat there.

SHANNON'S P.O.V.
These brothers are pretty close. If I had a sibling, I would make them look after themselves and I wouldn't help them a bit.

***
After the awkward ride to the temporary library everyone climbed out of the car, Shannon did a big stretch and kept on walking to catch up with the others. They entered the building and to a small room. It only looked small because there were books surrounding the room. Soon, everyone had to turn side-ways to walk because the masses of books.
"How does someone read this many books! If I had to read this many I would probably be asleep." said Shannon.
"Miss Sheska?" called Lieutenant Ross.
Alphonse looked around and found a hand sticking out of the pile of books and a pair of glasses held by the hand.
"Ah, brother." Al pointed to the pile of books for Ed to see.
"AAHH! There's someone under there!" yelled Ed.
Everyone joined in to dig the person out from under the pile of books.

When the books were off, they uncovered a lady who was thanking everyone.
"Oh thank you all so much." she said with embarrassment.
"Sheska, we're here to see if you remember an author from the Library." asked Brosh.
"The Library! Such a beautiful name! I loved working there, but I was fired because I wasn't doing my job but read too many books! Now, I have no way to earn money and move my poor elderly mother to a hospital! To become a librarian was dream job since I was kid!" yelled Sheska.
"Do you remember an author by the name Tim Marcoh?" asked Ross.
"Tim Marcoh... Oh yeah! His books were in the library" said Sheska.
"That's great! But that means that they are nothing but ashes now." Ed sadly said whilst walking away.
"Sorry to waste your time." said Al whilst walking with Ed.
"You wanted to read the books, is that what you wanted?" asked Sheska.
"Yeah but they're just ash now don't worry." Ed said whilst almost walking out the door.
"I memorized all the notes I could write you out copies, word for word." said Sheska.
Ed and Al stopped in their tracks and raced back to Sheska.
"Thank you bookworm! You're incredible!" yelled Ed.
"Wow, now that's a talent." said Shannon.

After 5 days, Sheska came back with a copy of every booklet of notes that were at the Library. Ed gave Ross her, his Alchemist ID and pocket watch.
"Give that to the people down at the State Alchemist' office and withdraw the amount of money written on the piece of paper." Ed said happily whilst picking up some booklets and walking out of the room with Al and Brosh, who were also carrying some booklets.
Ross and Sheska look down at the amount Ed wrote down on the paper.
"WOW! What does he do to earn this much money. He's just able to throw it around if he wants!" yelled Ross and Sheska in amazement

"Do you want to help us Shannon?" asked Ed.
"Yeah! I wonder if this will help me get some of my memories back!" said Shannon with excitement.
The 3 went into a room with books on Alchemy to help with reading the notes.
"Aren't these just cookbooks?" asked Brosh whilst flicking through a booklet.
"Alchemists' like to hide their work in their own way so that if the work they did was dangerous, they hide it for no-one to figure out, but we're going to try and crack this code." explained Ed.

Brosh and Ross just left the room when Maes Hughes comes to see the Elric brothers.
"Yo boys! Told you to give me a shout next time you come to Central! Oh what's this! Is this short kid here the new State Alchemist! I only just got a call from Mustang about you!" said Hughes whilst patting Shannon on the head.
"Is that how he described me! The next time I see that bastard I'll kick his ass!" yelled Shannon. She looked like she was about to bite Hughes' arm off.
Ed had to go and calm her down again. Soon Sheska came to the door.
"Thank you for giving me that money Ed. I was able to move my mother to a hospital."
"Oh I got to get back to work. I need to find some book, but I'm pretty sure it was burnt in the fire. Now what am I going to do." Said Hughes
"I think I know just the person who could help you." said Alphonse looking at Sheska. Hughes looks behind him.
"Your hired lady, come with me!" said Hughes dragging Sheska out the door.

ED'S P.O.V
Wow, Shannon has a pretty short temper! I wonder if she channels that anger into fights.

***
"Wow those kids must be pretty high up in the ranks. They talk to the Lieutenant Colonel like he's an old friend!" said Brosh in surprise.

Once Hughes left, the doors closed with Brosh and Ross outside.
The 3 were reading a booklet and another book at the same time trying to crack the code to the notes. Soon, Shannon fell asleep. She was sprawled out on the floor and using her coat as a pillow. When Ed noticed, he screw up a piece of paper and threw it at her, just to piss her off. He repeated at least 3 times. On the fourth time Shannon was awake, but didn't open her eyes and when the paper was centimeters from her face se caught it and threw it back at Ed. Shannon laughed and got up from her position on the floor and got back to reading.

After 3 days, Brosh and Ross were worried.
"TO HELL WITH IT!" yelled Ed.
The next thing the two officers heard was paper being thrown around.
Ross and Brosh enter the room slowly.
"Hey, just because you can't decipher the notes, doesn't mean you-" Brosh was cut off.
"We did." said Al.
"We cracked the code. The ingredient for a Philosophers Stone is live humans." Ed said whilst trying to hold in his rage.
"There has to be another way though." whispered Shannon.
"That's what the military is funding! That's terrible!" said Ross in disgust.

***
Soon, Ed, Al and Shannon went to a hotel to get some well-deserved rest.
"Brother, Shannon, you should really go and get something to eat. You haven't eaten anything for a while now." said Al.
"I don't want anything." said Ed whilst starring up at the ceiling fan from the couch.
"I'm not hungry." whispered Shannon whilst looking out the window.

***
Downstairs at the lobby, Major Armstrong was talking to Ross and Brosh.
"The Elric's and Shannon have locked themselves in their room." reported Ross.
"I would too if I found out what they just read." whispered Brosh into Ross' ear, hoping the Major wouldn't hear them.
"Your behaviour is most suspicious!" yelled Armstrong.

Back at the room Shannon was almost about to fall asleep.
"Hey, Al, I've wanted to say something, but haven't been able to. I-." Ed was cut off by Major Armstrong bursting through the door.
Shannon woke up quickly.
"Oh Edward Elric! It's terrible to find out about the Philosophers Stone!" he yelled.
Ed gave Brosh and Ross a death-stare.
"We're sorry!" said Ross.
"We didn't want him to take his shirt off!" said Ross.

"So Major, do you know any laboratories that were researching the Philosophers Stone?" asked Ed.
The Major pulled out a map of Central so everyone could look at the labs.
"I've visited labs 1, 2, 3 and 4. Wait what about the 5th Laboratory?" asked Ed.
"The 5th Lab was designed for researching the Philosophers Stone, but was later closed down." explained Ross.
"That's where it is!" said Ed.
"What makes you say that?" asked Brosh.
"There's a prison next door, and the ingredients for a Philosophers Stone are humans." explained Ed.
"You don't think." trembled Ross.
"They used prisoners to make Philosophers Stones." said Shannon who was just waking up.
"Oh my!" trembled Ross.
"You kids, don't go there, it was closed down for a reason. It's too dangerous." said Armstrong.
"You can't count on that." whispered Ed to Al.
"I SAID DONT GO THERE!" yelled Armstrong. The yell was so loud, it startled everyone in the room except Shannon who fell asleep again.

***
The military officers soon left.
"Yeah we won't go there alright." Ed said sarcastically.
The 3 slowly crept around the walls of that were guarding the laboratory.
"Shut down and not in use." Ed said another sarcastic comment.
"Well, why is it so heavily guarded?" Shannon asked.
"We are just going to have to find out." said Al enthusiastically.
"We can't make an entrance, the guards will see the light from the Alchemy. We are going to have to go over." said Ed quietly.

Al gave Ed a boost so he could get to the top of the wall and pull down some of the barb wire Alphonse and Shannon to climb up. When Ed broke off the wire, Shannon was given a boost from Al to help her climb the wall, then Al followed. When everyone was over the wall, there scurried over to another wall to protect them from being spotted.
"You know, I could've used my Alchemy earlier." said Shannon.
"No that would've made everything to easy." Ed explained.
Ed looked around for an entrance and only found an air vent.
"Al you stay here, me and Shannon are going in through this vent. Your to big to come so stay guard." Ed explained whilst pulling the cover off the vent and giving Shannon a boost so she could climb into the vent.
"It's not like I asked for a big body." Al whispered to himself.

***
"We're lucky to have such small bodies, if we didn't, there would be no way for us to get in." said Ed in relief.
"Ed, you just called both of us a tiny PIPSQUEAK!" yelled Shannon in a rage of anger.
"AAHH! I DID TO! AAHH!" yelled Ed.
Soon, Shannon reached another grate for the vent and opened it.
"The lights are in and no one's home." Ed's sarcasm was still going in his voice.
The 2 looked around for another opening to see if they could find the heart of the Laboratory.

***
Meanwhile, outside, Al was looking back and forth to keep watch. Suddenly, he heard a larger battle cry from above.
He quickly turned toward the voice to see a suit of armour, just like him, leaping from the roof.