So howdy folks! This is the second thing I'm putting out here on the interwebs and I must say I picked quite the undertaking! This story will be very long, and span through many universes, following Ed and Al as they hop through different worlds. The first is, obviously, Buffy. I'm using a mix of original and Brotherhood series, so please just bear with me on that and pretend it is relevant to the plot. The Buffy-verse is taking place post-sixth season, but Spike is there with a soul and the whole First thing hasn't started up.

I own nothing but wish that I did. Why else would I be writing a silly crossover fanfic?

Here's the story. Please don't hate me too much.

Welcome to Hell: Chapter One

Falling to Pieces

The world was stark white as far as the eye could see. Ed knew without a doubt where he was: the Gate. This was wrong. This had to be a dream—no—a nightmare. Why was he here? He hadn't attempted a human transmutation, not this time. Yet as he turned, there it stood in all its blackness. The Gate.

"Why am I here?" he whispered into the emptiness.

"Brother?" the voice was so faint.

"Al?" Ed twirled around, frantic. Where was his little brother? If the gate had hurt him-

"I'm here brother!"

There he was, suddenly materializing out of the whiteness as if emerging from a thick fog. The sudden appearance of the suit of armor filled Ed's heart with self-loathing, amplified by their current location. It was all his fault, after all, no matter how much Alphonse protested.

"Does it hurt to look at him?" The voice rang, sickening, in Ed's head. "To see your ultimate sin every time you look at your dear little brother? To feel it every time you walk, or lift your arm?"

"Shut up." He growled.

"Now is that any way to talk to an old friend, Edward Elric?"

"I said, shut up!"

A dark chuckle reverberated in his mind and sent shivers down his spine. "Poor Edward Elric. So broken, so small."

"What the hell did you just call me?"

This time it was a whisper in his ear that made his blood run cold. "I called you short."

"Bastard!" Ed swung at the dark figure that danced away. The grin that dominated his darkest nightmares leered out from a pitch black face.

"Brother stop!" Al grabbed a hold of Ed, keeping him from the dark being of the Gate.

"I suppose if you don't want to hear my offer I can just send you back. But if you do that you know, of course, that I would have to exact a toll." The grin grew from just plain creepy to downright freakish, stretching to an inhuman size on the being's face: a gaping hole of malice.

"You mother-"

"Edward!" Al shouted, holding on tighter against his struggling brother, but careful not to crush him with his large armor plates. The Gate had screwed around with them too many times. It was irrational to try and attack it, he knew that, but the damn creature just made Ed so mad.

"Ed!" Alphonse's voice shocked Ed from his rampage. "The Gate is right. We don't really have another choice. We have to listen to what he has to say. Please, just calm down."

"Fine," he snarled, and Al slowly released him. Ed took a deep breath to regain his temper. He needed to be more careful, or both of them could die. "Okay. Why are we here? What could you possibly need from us?"

"The laws of existence are being tampered with by the Homunculi. They are messing with the multiverse. If I do not take action, everything will unravel, even me."

"Multiverse?" What was the Gate talking about?

"Alternate realities, Edward Elric." The Gate sneered. "The Homunculi dabbled with forces beyond their reckoning. They are now scattered throughout the multiverse, wreaking havoc. They do not belong in those worlds, however, and will tip the balance of existence because they themselves are mistakes in the first place, loophole creatures so to speak. I need champions. Kill them in whatever way you see fit, I don't care, just erase their existence from those other worlds."

"And what makes you think we will just be your champions you sick fu-"

"Alternate worlds?" Alphonse cut in, "You mean like, other versions of us?"

"Sometimes," the Gate gave the younger Elric an exasperated glance. "But most likely the places you go will be nothing like yours. Different geography, cultures, laws of physics and magic as well. Every world has its own set of rules so you had better get used to that right away."

"Who said we are going?" Ed was furious. Why the hell would he ever help this abomination? After everything he had lost to the Gate? No way.

"YOU THINK YOU HAVE A CHOICE?" the roar was so loud that Ed fell to his knees, ears ringing. The rage was gone as quickly as it came and once again the Gate spoke with that softer menacing tone that freaked Ed out so much. "Your reality works on equivalency, Edward Elric. Those rules bind me as well for dealings with your world. When you do this for me, I will of course give you something in return."

An inkling of hope ignited. The Gate couldn't mean- there was no way. He shouldn't even be getting his hopes up like this but-

"Do you want your baby brother's body back, Edward Elric?"

More than anything in the world.

"If you fail me, the consequences will be far worse than the toll for coming here, remember that little alchemist."

More than his own life.

"I'll provide transportation when you need it as part of the exchange."

There was no hesitation.

Al could see the decision in his brother's golden eyes. "Brother wait!"

"You've got yourself a deal."

"Good choice Edward Elric."

"Al we can't pass this up-" Ed started. Then the doors to the Gate swung open to reveal the gaping maw of the universe, he felt himself pulled in. Closer and closer. Soon he would be inside. Turning back to the grinning creature, he said "You had better keep your half of the bargain!"

Then he was inside the Gate. There were colors everywhere, swirling and spinning all around him. Was he going to be sick? Where were they going? Had he just made a huge mistake?

"Edward!" his brother screamed.

"Al?" he turned and stared in horror as Alphonse began to disappear. It was just like before, all those years ago, the armor crumbling away into little flecks of nothingness.

"It hurts!" his precious little brother shrieked in agony. "Help me!"

"Al! Al! No! Al!"

Ed couldn't see him anymore. There was so much movement. Were the colors the things moving or was it him? Both? None? Where was Al?

"You bastard! You lied to me! Give him back! Al! Give him back! Alphooooooooonse!"

Everything faded away. Everything.