Chapter 3: Five Years Later...

SON GOKU

"Man, I can't wait, to see Pan again!" I said as we approached the gate.

Along with Gohan and Videl, Chi-chi, Vegeta, Bulma, Trunks, and myself decided to go visit her.

Chi-chi smiled and said, "I want to see my Grandbaby!"

Gohan nodded and said, "We missed her...so much.."

It hurt him so much to be this long without his daughter.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, "I bet she's ecstatic to see you."

His face lighten up and said, "Then, let get going."

The doors opened up wide and we walked inside.

I immediately felt the change in Ki, as we stepped out of the cave.

Vegeta groaned and said, "You weren't kidding about the Ki change... This is a strange land..."

Gohan nodded and said, "Just wait until you see alchemy."

I asked, "So how are we suppose to get there if we can't fly?"

Gohan smiled and said, "They live not far from here. Come on, I'll show you the way."

We all began walking down the road for a while until, Gohan and Videl stopped dead in their tracks.

"Oh, no..."

The house we stood in front of was completely burnt down.

"This is bad... They must have moved.." Videl said with a bit of a tremble.

An old woman began walking towards us and she asked, "Are you Son Gohan? Pan's father?"

Gohan nodded and said, "Yes... do you know where she and the Elric family is?"

The woman nodded and said, "Pan and the Elric brothers are in Central City right now. As for Trish..."

The old woman sighed and said, "She past on about six years ago..."

Gohan and Videl gasped with a bit of sadness.

Videl said quietly, "Those poor boys...first their father leaves and then their mother dies... I can't imagine..."

I said, "We should go find them."

The woman smiled and said, "By the way, I'm Pinako. Me and my granddaughter run an automail business down the hill. They occasionally visit time to time."

Videl looked at Gohan and said, "You go to Central and find my baby... I wait here in case she shows up."

Chi-chi and Bulma nodded and walk over to Videl, it appeared they were staying too.

Pinako pulled out an envelope and handed to Gohan. "Inside there some money your daughter left for you. It's enough to get you to Central, get housing, and eat while your there. It also contains a list of contacts, by which you can attempt to reach her."

Gohan nodded and said, "Thank you..."

Pinako smiled and said, "Well you better hurry, your going to miss the train."

We nodded and immediately began dashing toward the train station.

"This thing moves so slow... I wish we could fly here!" Vegeta said as we sat in the train car.

Gohan nodded and said, "This place isn't that advanced in technology, but it mainly focuses on alchemy."

Trunks looked out the window and said, "I think that's the place..."

I looked out the window to see a giant city with buildings everywhere, lighting up the night sky.

I responded, "Yeah, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought..."

When we pulled up we saw men running around the station.

They were all dressed in blue uniforms and was searching every inch of the station.

As we got off, the began to mobilize out of the station.

I stopped one and asked, "Hey, what's going on?"

The man said, "There's been a terrorist spotted in the city. Be on your guard, he an alchemist and is not afraid to use alchemy in attacks."

The man began running back to his group.

Vegeta smiled and said, "Now this is a hell of a lot more interesting..."

We began walking down the streets of the huge city, looking at everything that surrounded us.

We began walking down an alley way when we saw two of the guys in blue.

A man placed his hands on them and...they froze solid...

The killer looked at them and said, "Water freezes, water boils. Either way, you're just as dead."

All of a sudden a spear lands right in front of him.

He said with shock, "That's alchemy..."

"What a nasty thing to do." A young woman's voice said.

The man said with malice, "You of all people should know: Great deeds require great sacrifice. Isn't that the law of equivalent exchange?!"

A blonde haired boy in a red coat walked out, next to him was a girl with long black hair braided back, with a matching coat, and a orange bandanna tied around her neck.

The boy said darkly, "Save your breath. The laws of alchemy don't justify murder!"

He clapped his hands and began transmuting his spear into a spiked club.

The murderous alchemist said, "No transmutation circles..."

The girl did the same clap thing only creating a long staff from the ground.

Trunks said with a gulp, "I take it that's alchemy..."

The girl yelled, "Al now!"

A suit of armor runs behind the man and tries to hit him.

The two alchemist try to hit the man with their weapons.

The man grabs the boy's arms and begins to shoot lighting from his palm, only to have the armor knock him back.

The man yelled, "Impossible! Any water in your arm should have boiled!"

The boy tore off his coat and said, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you did ruin my coat..."

He showed the metal limb, he had for a arm.

The man said, "It's automail... So a talented young alchemist, who doesn't need transmutation circles, and has a automail right arm. I know you, your Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist!"

Gohan stepped back completely shocked, "That's Ed... Then that means the girl is..."

She said, "Don't forget me Freezer. I'm Son Pan, The Iron Will Alchemist!"

The man pointed to the armor and said, "So it's not you?"

The armor nodded and said, "No, I'm his younger brother, Alphonse."

The man then said, "But he's a runt..."

Ed got mad, and made it to where the man's face was trapped in a wall of stone.

The man said with his face all squished, "I've heard the stories, but I never imagine that, Fullmetal and Iron Will, were just little kids..."

Uh, oh... You shouldn't have called Pan a kid...

Ed yelled, "I'M NOT LITTLE!"

And Pan yelled, "I'M NOT A FREAKING' KID!"

The both transmuted a fist sending the man flying backward.

Al looked at Ed and said, "I don't think he was talking about your height just now, Brother..."

Ed growled and said, "Yeah, but he still pissed me off!"

Gohan stepped closer to them and said, "P-Pan..."

She looked at Gohan and said, "Dad? You here..."

She gave a soft smile and said, "I missed you so much..."

She walked up like she was about to hug him when a steam cloud filled the alley.

The man was gone and Ed yelled, "Dammit, now he's really pissed me off!"

Ed looked at Gohan and said, "Dam, you guys had some timing on showing up."

Gohan looked at Ed and said, "Edward...man I still having a hard time realizing your not the kid I saw when I left here... And Al..."

He looked up at Al and said, "Man, you hit a growth spurt!"

Ed looked at us and asked, "So Pan, who are the others?"

Pan smiled and said, "There's my Grandpa, Goku, Vegeta and his son, Trunks."

Ed smirked and said, "I'm Edward Elric, and this is my younger brother, Alphonse."

Al bowed and said, "It's very nice to meet you!"

Ed sighed a picked up his jacket. He clapped his hands and placed it on the coat, making the sleeve as good as new.

He put the coat back on, letting us see the strange symbol on the back, which Pan had as well.

He looked at Pan and said, "Come on Pan, we got to go report to Colonel Bastard..."

I asked, "Who?"

Ed sighed and said, "I'll explain when we get there."

"So once again, you under estimated you opponent Fullmetal." A man said while looking out the window.

Ed groaned and said, "We didn't expect him to have a dam circle tattooed on his hand!"

The man said, "Well, learn from your mistakes, Fullmetal. Now the name of the target, is Issac McDougal, he's a former State Alchemist."

Pan said, "Yeah, didn't he abandon his title after the Ishvalen Civil War?"

The man nodded and said, "The order is catch him, dead or alive."

Ed looked down and said, "No way, am I killing for you people."

The man nodded and said, "And that's your choice. Now off topic, who are these people that you brought into my office?"

Pan smiled and said, "Remember how I told you my family lives in another world?"

The man nodded and said, "So this is part of your family Iron Will. The 8 years must be up."

Pan introduced us all in a polite manor, which I've never seen her do before.

The man nodded and said, "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, The Flame Alchemist, and current commanding officer for Iron Will and Fullmetal."

Trunks stepped back and said, "Wait a second... Iron Will and Fullmetal... Ed and Pan are..."

Pan held up a silver pocket watch and said, "A dog of the military? Yeah, forgot to mention that..."

Gohan yelled at Mustang, "How dare you recruit my daughter into the military! I mean she's 16! What possessed you to..."

"Dad!"

Gohan looked at Pan as she said, "We chose to join... We need access to the secrets only state alchemist know about..."

Ed nodded and said, "We get access to restricted research, a large research fund, and unlimited access to off limits labs. We just work a case for the state once in a while... It's an equivalent exchange..."

I looked at Ed and asked, "Equiv-what now?"

Pan smiled and said, "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. Basically, in order to gain something you must give up something in return."

Trunks looked at them and said, "So you two went into the military for knowledge?"

Pan nodded and said, "We had to pass the entrance exam, but basically, yeah."

Vegeta laughed and said, "Never figure you for a bookworm..."

Ed said, "Alchemy is a difficult science that takes years of research and training to use."

Then Gohan asked, "Yeah, but you two didn't draw anything, how does that work?"

Pan said softly, "We're prodigies. We advanced so quickly, we found a way for our bodies to act as a matrix, for the transmutation." I

was about to ask another question when a man barged in.

He smiled and said, "Roy it's good to see you!"

Mustang looked fairly annoyed when the man walked in.

The man looked at the couch at Pan, Ed, and Al.

He began shaking Al hand and said, "Oh, say!.. Looks like my timing was perfect! You two are the Elric brothers and Ms. Son right? Uh– Wow, it's an honor to finally meet the youngest State Alchemists ever. You two are a real legends around here... I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. A pleasure."

Al said nervously, "Um, you want Edward. I'm actually his younger brother, Alphonse."

He looked at Ed and said, "What, you're the Fullmetal Alchemist?! Sorry, I had no idea you'd be so..."

Ed was fuming, and waiting for the keyword, 'short'.

Roy looked a Hughes and asked, "What are you doing here Hughes?"

Hughes smiled and said, "Actually I'm here on official business..."

He turned to the three teens and said, "I understand you don't have a play to stay..."

He pulled out something from his jacket. It was a photo of a woman and a little girl.

He smiled and said, "My wife, Gracia, and daughter, Elysia would love to have you!"

Pan smiled and said, "Thank you, Colonel Hughes but my family just got to town and..."

He smiled and said, "Nonsense, you can come too! We have plenty of room!"

I said, "Really we don't..."

He smiled and said, "Come on! My family will love you! We have extra guest rooms and everything! And my wife is making a wonderful dinner!"

I smiled and said, "Alright!"

"This is delicious, Mrs. Gracia!" I said as we dug in.

She smiled and said, "Go ahead, eat as much as you want."

Ed was eating with his gloves off, revealing his metal hand.

Gohan looked at him and asked, "If it alright, I'd like to ask what happened to your arm Ed?"

Ed looked down and said, "It happened during the Ishvalen Crisis... I got too close to some farming equipment and..."

I nodded and said, "Sorry to hear that."

Al wasn't eating, just sitting there making pleasant conversation, and Pan was still wearing her gloves and was being fairly quiet.

Hughes looked at them and said, "Al why don't you take off that armor, relax a bit, and Pan why are wearing gloves at the table, they could get ruined..."

Pan said nervously, "It's what my Teacher had me do, to improve my table manors..."

Ed said, "And Al has to wear the armor for his alchemy training, you know how it is!"

Little Elyisa smiled and said, "Training! Choo! Choo!"

I looked at the three kids while they sat at the table.

They're hiding something... I can feel it.

The next day, we were already on the streets, looking for McDougal.

A man yelled, "Call it in! We have 8 men dead."

We looked at the dead body of a man who's skin was steaming.

Pan said, "He turns water into steam, with the force of an explosion. The human body is 70% water."

Trunks nodded and said, "So he boiled him from the inside out... Horrible..."

I saw explosion in the distance and Al said, "That's the Major's alchemy!"

In moments a huge man walked out, he had a single lock of blonde hair coming from his head.

Pan smiled and said, "It's nice to see you again Major!"

The man nodded and said, "Ms. Son, a pleasure as always, but may I ask you are your compatriots?"

I stepped forward and said, "I'm Son Goku, Pan's grandfather."

The man smiled and said, "I am Major Alex Louis Armstrong, The Strong Arm Alchemist!"

Ed sighed and said, "We better get moving before the death toll rises.."

Pan nodded and asked, "Hey Major, where did you see McDougal last?"

He walked us over to an alley way. Pan nodded and said, "He's been spotted in alleyways all over the city, which means..."

Ed nodded and said, "He'll come back, to make sure his circle is still here."

Gohan looked at Ed and said, "He's planning to use alchemy?"

Ed nodded and said, "By the looks of it..."

I looked up and said, "Night beginning to fall."

Pan nodded and said, "Everybody hide..."

Sure enough after about 30 minutes, McDougal showed up and began moving away the broken stone.

"Perfect! It's still here!"

Ed and Pan stepped out.

Ed said, "I was wondering what you were doing in this alley. So we decided to come back and check it out and Bingo!"

Al came out at the other end and said, "There's no where to run! Give up now!"

McDougal laughed and said, "Who's says I'm running?"

The circle lit up with red sparks and more sparks lit up all over the city.

Al said, "An alchemic reaction on this size..."

Pan smiled and said, "He has a Philosopher's Stone!"

A what? What the heck is that?

The alleyway began to freeze over.

Trunks said, "He's freezing the liquid in the air..."

McDougal ran over to a pool.

Ed yelled, "Give us the Philosopher's Stone, Freezer!"

He laughed and said, "No I don't think so."

The frost touched the water and a huge ice wall formed.

Freezer grabbed the railing as the ice wall brought it up.

The ice wall began moving forward.

Ed yelled, "Major it's all yours!"

Major Armstrong stepped out wearing metal gloves and said, "Leave it to me. For the Armstrong style of alchemy has been past down for generations!"

He punched the ice wall making go back a few feet.

Then it swivel to the left and began going through buildings.

Vegeta said, "Well that's unexpected.."

Ed yelled, "You made it worse!"

Armstrong said, "I'm sorry, I was only trying to help..."

Gohan looked at the ice walls and said, "The ice walls are going to meet..."

Al yelled, "It's Central Command he's going to freeze it over!"

Ed looked at Armstrong and said, "We'll stall McDougal. Can you and the others handle the circles?"

Gohan nodded and said, "Consider them erased."

I stayed with Pan and the Elrics as we made our way closer to McDougal.

The Freezer looked at the command center and said, "Fuhrer King Bradly, for your crimes at Ishval, I sentence you to a frozen hell.."

I yelled, "Not so fast!"

Pan used alchemy to launch us on top of the wall.

Ed and Al did the same.

Freezer yelled, "You fools! I'm trying to save this country!"

Pan yelled, "We don't give a dam!"

Ed destroyed the ice below McDougal.

He jumped and grabbed Pan's left arm.

He tried to use the his alchemy on her arm, but nothing happened.

He jumped on to Al, transmuted his face, causing him to fall and knocked his helmet off.

Al's kicked Freezer off and stood up showing...he was hollow inside...

What the hell...

Pan picked up his helmet and showed her metal left arm in the process.

I stared in shock as my granddaughter put the helmet back on and showed off the extent of her metal arm in the process.

I whispered out, " P-Pan your arm...Al's body..."

She looked at me and said, "We'll explain later..."

McDougal looks at the armor and said, "There's no one in there. It's empty...! But that... that could only be true if his soul was bonded to the armor...So you two lost your arms...and you...you lost your entire body... Heh! I see... it all makes sense... You fools committed the ultimate taboo! You attempted human transmutation, didn't you?! Alchemy's one and only unforgivable sin!"

I looked at Pan who stood quite.

Ed looked down and said in a whisper, "You know... There are some lines you really shouldn't cross."

Ed and Pan both hit McDougal with their metal fist, knocking him off his ice mound.

We all slid down and Pan said, "It's over McDougal, there no water here!"

The Freezer laughed and said, "You forget, I have all the water I need, 70% of my body!"

Two bloody ice spikes came out of McDougal and jab themselves into Pan and Ed's shoulder.

I run up to punch him but, he freezes the blood on the ground, making me fall to the ground.

McDougal runs down an alley, and tries to get away.

Ed and Pan both stand up and pull the blood ice out of their shoulders.

Pan said, "I'm not letting that bastard get away..."

We all ran down the alley he went down to see, a blanket over the murderous alchemist and above him was a man with an eye patch.

Ed, Pan, and Al, immediate salute him and said, "Fuhrer King Bradly, Sir!"

I lean over to Pan and asked, "Who is he?"

Pan said, "He the ruler of the country, Grandpa, show him some respect!"

The Fuhrer smiled and said, "Ah, yes my two rising stars. I came out to see if I could help, and to think I'd be the one to catch him. This should at least make an interesting story for my son."

I looked at Pan who had taken off her jacket and began fixing it back to normal.

Her metal arm shined in the dim lighting.

I looked at her and asked, "Pan, what happened?"

She sighed and said, "I'll tell you, when we get back to Mustang's office..."

She pulled on her jacket, making sure no metal was visible.

Ed nodded and said, "Let head back to the command center... we have a lot of explaining to do..."