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Episode 3: The Phantom Lady


Ed looked up at the woman on the table. "Who's the Phantom Lady?" he said, turning to Al. He shrugged.

"You're too young to know who I am, little boy," the woman said. Ed's face turned dark red. "Now you," the Phantom Lady said turning to Danielle, " come with me." She grabbed Danielle by the arm and pulled her up.

"Stay away from her!" Colonel Mustang said, snapping his fingers. Flames flew at the Phantom Lady. She jumped to the side and let go of Danielle, who fell back into her chair.

"Now, now, I told you I would be taking souvenirs," the Phantom laughed. She pulled out a small dagger and threw it at the Colonel, who barely dodged it.

"Colonel!" Lieutenant Hawkeye yelled, pulling out a gun from her garter. But she stopped from firing. The Phantom Lady had Danielle placed between her and Riza.

"Well now, it's been a fun night. But it's time for us to go," she said, pulling Danielle closer to her. "Bye now!" And she dashed off, pulling Danielle behind her.

"Stop!" the Colonel yelled, running after them. Ed, Al, Hawkeye, and Armstrong followed him closely.

"Don't try to follow," the Phantom Lady called back to them. She tossed back several small, silver balls, which emitted a thick smoked that choked them. They all looked around, squinting through the haze.

"Where did they go?" Hawkeye asked.

"We'll split up," the Colonel commanded. "Armstrong, take the maze in the back. Hawkeye, take the front lawn. Edward and Alphonse, upstairs. I'll take the Kitchen and the Guests Quarters."

"You have a maze?" Ed asked, awe-struck.

"Now!"

Each went their own way.


Armstrong came up to the huge maze entrance.

"Danielle, are you in there?" he called.

"Help me," came her voice.

"Don't worry, Danielle, I'll save you!" he said glowingly as he cracked his knuckles. He bounded off into the maze.


Hawkeye stood on the stone stairs looking out into the darkness.

"Danielle are you out there?" she yelled.

"Let me go!" yelled Danielle's voice from the dark street. Hawkeye tightened her grip on her gun and ran out onto the lawn.


Mustang stepped into one of the dark guest rooms. He heard shuffling over in the corner.

"Danielle, is that you?" he asked.

"She hurt me. It hurts," came her voice in a whisper.

The Colonel looked at the area where he had heard her speak. He closed his eyes and smiled. "I don't think so," he said, snapping his fingers.


Ed and Al checked every door as they passed them. Each was empty with no sign of Danielle or the Phantom Lady.

"Don't you agree that the Colonel is taking this very seriously?" Al said.

"Well, yeah. The woman did blow up his front door. Who wouldn't get mad," Ed replied, opening a door and looking in a room.

"I don't think it's that," Al said, looking in a room too. "I think the Colonel really cares about Danielle."

"The Colonel doesn't know how to care," Ed argued, opening another door. Danielle stood in the middle of the room, looking at him. She let out a sigh and fell to her knees.

"Danielle!" Ed and Al yelled running to her side.

"Edward," she whispered, as he supported her. She lifted her hand. Her fingers grew out - like sharp knives.

"What the --?!" Ed yelled, dodging the slashing fingers. Danielle lunged at him again, swinging her hands through the air.

"Ed!" Al yelled as Danielle slashed Ed's side. Ed looked at the cut.

"That's it!" he yelled, punching Danielle through the window.

"Um - don't you think you over did it?" Al said. "What is she?"

"She -- was a homunculus," Ed muttered. "But that doesn't make any sense."

"Because that wasn't her," said a voice behind them. They both turned to see the Phantom Lady with the real Danielle at her side. "And that wasn't a homunculus, it was a doll fixed with the souls of animals."

"But that doesn't make any sense either!" Ed yelled. "To make anything like that goes against the laws of Alchemy! ------ Unless you had..."

"The Philosopher's Stone?" the Phantom laughed. "Silly little boy. That matter is too big for kids like you."

Ed laughed. "Alright then. Let Danielle go!"

"I don't think so. It's time she came back with me."

"What do you want with her?"

"That, too, is none of your business."

"You won't get out of here so easily. The others ---"

"Won't have such an easy time with my creations."

"How many of these dolls do you have?"

"Four."

"You mean three now," Ed smirked. Something hit him from behind and he fell to the floor.

"No, I still have four."

"Ed!" Alphonse said, kneeling beside his brother.

"Tata, love," the Phantom said, pulling Danielle with her.

"Edward! Alphonse!" yelled Danielle.

The doll swung at Al, but her claws merely clanged against the metal. He picked it up and threw it at the wall. He quickly drew a transmutation circle and placed his hands on it. When the doll ran for him, he activated the circle and a huge cage rose around it.

"Good job, Al," Ed said, standing up. "That thing nailed me pretty good." He stumbled into Al. The doll hissed at him, reaching its claws out. "It's amazing."

"Do you think that she really used the Philosopher's Stone?" Al asked.

"It could have been a fake, but I'd like to think she did. But I'll beat the truth out of her if I have to!" He ran out the door, Al following.


"Now, you stupid girl," the Phantom said, thrusting Danielle onto the roof, "it's time you were taught a lesson."

"What are you talking about?" Danielle asked.

"Don't play dumb! Now come on, we're going back."

"I think you got the wrong person, so let her go," said Edward, behind them.

"You again? How boring," the Phantom sighed.

"Let her go!" yelled another voice. Colonel Mustang ran up behind the Elric brothers.

"What? How did you know my creation was fake? It was suppose to have killed you!" the Phantom yelled.

"It was obvious," the Colonel said coolly, "Your Danielle said 'It hurts.' The real Danielle would never admit to pain."

Ed looked at Al. "Al, draw a transmutation circle," he whispered. Al looked at him confused.

"Did you destroy it?" the Phantom asked, glaring at the Colonel.

"Nothing left."

"Damn you! Do you know how ling that took to create?!"

"Don't worry, they weren't that good anyway," said another voice.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye! Major Armstrong!" Al yelled as the others joined them.

"Not you too!" the Phantom yelled, pushing Danielle to the side. The Phantom drew out several daggers.

"Danielle!" the Colonel yelled. The Phantom stopped and turned. Danielle stumbled backwards close to the edge. She caught her balance.

"Al, now!" Ed yelled, running toward Danielle. Al put his hands on the circle. A stream of light shot out and down the side of the mansion. Several thin ledges extended from the house. Ed ran at Danielle, grabbed her, and jumped off the roof.

"What?" everyone yelled. They all ran over to the edge. Ed and Danielle looked up at them, covered in rubble from the broken ledges. Ed had used them to slow their fall.

"See ya, crazy lady!" Ed yelled as he picked up Danielle and ran with her toward the maze.

"Good job, Elric," Colonel Mustang said to himself. "Just keep her safe."

"You little bastard!" the Phantom Lady yelled. She turned to see the others blocking her way.

"Move out of my way!" she yelled.

"You'll have to go through us," Mustang smiled. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.


Ed ran through the entrance to the maze. He cut a few corners and stopped, panting. He put Danielle on the ground.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?!" she yelled. She dusted off her dress.

"You're welcome," Ed mumbled, aggravated. "So what did she say to you?"

"Nothing of any use," Danielle replied. "She kept saying that she was taking me back to where I belonged."

"Do you know what she was talking about?"

"Not a clue. I think she's a thief and she's trying to hold me for ransom to get the Colonel's goods."

"I don't know," Ed answered, thinking about the situation.

Danielle looked down the maze path and then back up the other way. She examined the hedge and turned back to Edward.

"If we make it to the center, I know where there's a secret passage we can use."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Ed walked along behind Danielle as she tried to remember the fastest way to the center.

"Exactly how big is this thing?" Ed asked as they walked down a long, dark path.

"About three acres," Danielle said.

"What? Are you serious?! Man, the Colonel must be loaded. Who inherits the money if he goes? Your dad?"

"Why would my father inherit it?" Danielle snapped.

"Oh - so your mom's his sister."

"Yeah, but she doesn't inherit the fortune."

"What, is she on the Colonel's bad side or something?" Ed laughed.

"No," Danielle replied, "she's dead."

Ed looked at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said, sympathetically. They continued to walk in silence. Each seemed to be absorbed in their own thoughts.

"What happened to your arm?" Danielle asked, breaking the silence.

"And my leg," Ed added.

"Your leg too? What happened?"

"Why do you wear that special glove?" Ed asked, eyeing her black gloves, obviously made of the same material mentioned in the file.

"Touché," she smiled. "I guess we both have certain points we don't wish to share."

"Maybe in time we will."

"My thoughts exactly. We really aren't that different, Elric. Except for I'm taller."

"You're not taller! Maybe by an inch! Not even that much!"

"Sorry, I didn't know your height was a sensitive point," Danielle said smoothly.

"It's not."

"Shorty," Danielle whispered. Ed turned a violent shade of red.

"Well, you're - you're -"

"Hey look! It's the center!" she said, running ahead. "Hurry up - Shorty."

"What?! Come back here and I'll show you shorty!" Ed yelled, running after her.

The center was a huge fountain of an angel. Her hands were extended to her sides, where water flowed down them. Here wings were outstretched, and water rose high above them. Small, white flowered vines streamed along the wall of the pool.

"Finally. I though we would never make it," Ed sighed.

"You doubted my abilities?" Danielle smirked.

"And your abilities will be your down fall," laughed a voice behind them. They both turned to see the Phantom Lady step out from behind the fountain. "I'll come for you again, little girl. And no one will be able to stop me next time. A warning for you, boy; get in my way again, and I'll kill you for sure." Flames shot at her, but she disappeared behind burning hedges. The flames began to spread quickly.

"Edward, how do we stop the fire?" Danielle asked.

"Leave it to me," Ed smiled. He clapped his hands together and placed them on the fountain. It turned into a giant stone structure that sprayed water from the fountain onto the flaming hedges.

"Edward, that was amazing! You must have a very good imagination to come up with something like that!" Danielle complimented.

"Ah - it's nothing," Ed laughed, scratching his head.

"Danielle, are you okay?" said a voice behind them. Colonel Mustang led the others up to the center of the maze. Danielle nodded her head.

"Kinda got reckless with the flames, huh, Colonel?" Ed said mischievously.

"And you talk to me about reckless, Elric," Mustang snapped. "What about on the roof?"

"Colonel -" Danielle started. Mustang looked at her.

"Sorry, Edward. Thank you for your actions. I am, once again, indebted to you." He turned and indicated for Danielle to follow him.

"What about the secret passage?" Ed asked.

"You transmuted the entrance," Armstrong said. Ed coughed. Lieutenant Hawkeye and Major Armstrong turned to follow Mustang and Danielle.

"Hey, Danielle!" Ed called. She turned around and looked at him. "You can call me Ed."

Danielle looked at him for a moment and nodded her head. Al walked up beside Ed.

"Brother, we should go home," he said. Ed looked up at him.

"Yeah, Winry might be getting worried," Ed laughed. "Let me stand on your shoulders so we can find our way out of here."


"Hey you guys!" Winry yelled, running to the front gate to meet them.

"We brought you some food, Winry," Al said.

"Just in case you were hungry," Ed added. Winry looked at them both and smiled.

"Thanks you guys. I'll accept that as an apology," she said.

"What do you mean 'apology'?" Ed asked, aggravated.

"You guys just left me here!"

"We didn't have to bring you any food!"

Al sighed.



-------------Preview of Next episode------------


"Danielle Faize," said a voice behind her. She turned to see Lieutenant Bradshaw pull up in his car.

"Sir, I need your permission to get a certain set of archives that I need," Danielle said.

"I'm sorry," Bradshaw said in an unconvincing sympathetic voice. "Those archives can't be seen by just any State Alchemist. But - you're not just any State Alchemist, are you?"

Danielle didn't say anything.

"Tell me your secret and I'll give you permission."