The Aberrant Path

By Falling Knight

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately like everyone else, do NOT own Dragon Ball Z or Full Metal Alchemist. Those rights belong to Akira Toriyama and Hiromu Arakawa, not me. It would be completely awesome if I did, but I don't and that's life. It's unfair to all of us.

Author's Note: Yeah…I am SO sorry for not updating in like…months…It's been real crazy. Heh. *big sweat drop rolls down face nervously* ANYWAY, this chapter is decent sized compared to the last one, so I did at least try.

So finally we see a bit on the Fullmetal side! Yay!:D By the way, it starts a decent amount of time before Ed and Al get to Briggs. The story follows closer to the manga canon if you couldn't tell. So, without any more crap from the author, onto the long delayed story!

Chapter 2

A Fated Meeting

Not a long distance from where Son Gohan's battle with the androids had been, was the border between the countries Drachma and Amestris, and also the Northern Fort Briggs. The fort more accurately, was the border. It was an amazing concrete structure, many miles long and an impeccable stature. In addition, the fort had security tight as a used car salesman's ass. Soldiers of the Amestris army were constantly on guard for any signs of Drachman spies. If you were stupid enough to be in the surrounding area without going past the checkpoint, and lucky enough not to be shot on sight, you would then be escorted by gunpoint to the fort's brig and be extensively questioned. If you were fortunate, the commander may let you go, but if you were found guilty of Drachman conspiracy, well, the results weren't pretty.

And who was the bigwig with the iron fist at Fort Briggs? None other than Major General Olivier Milla Armstrong, the Northern Cliff of Briggs.

Major General Armstrong was what any of her soldiers might call an intimidating figure. Tall and well built, yet still gorgeous, she struck fear into the hearts of many. Equipped with her gold-hilted rapier, her frosty eyes could pierce anyone's soul. On top of the nickname "Northern Cliff of Briggs", Olivier had also been appropriately dubbed "Snow Queen" by many of her own staff. She was a woman who demanded much, and expected it to be done quick. On top of being excellent with a blade, the general had a no-nonsense attitude that had helped her be victorious in every Drachman escapade. Olivier Armstrong had high ambitions and was steadfast in her duty.

At the moment, Olivier was not happy. In fact, she was rather annoyed. About two hours ago, a deafening explosion had shaken the floors down to the core of the mighty fortress. The scary part? No one knew the cause of it. This irked her very much, as Olivier always knew what was happening in her territory, and as such, had sent out a search party.

The commanding officer paced in her office. Truth be told, she was a bit concerned. Worried, really. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Did Drachma have a new weapon? Were they testing it so it could be used on Amestris? The thought made her cringe inwardly. She didn't want to think of that prospect.

Olivier's head whipped around as the door to her office suddenly opened, and her aid, Major Miles, stepped in. She relaxed slightly and awaited his report.

"It's just me, Major General," he said, gesturing to the hand that gripped her rapier. She shrugged it off and let go, a little embarrassed.

"What's the status?" she inquired in a very business-like manner, after recovering.

Major Miles was a man of average height, dark skin and red eyes to match his Ishbalan heritage. He had medium length hair tied back in a ponytail, and sunglasses to hide part of his lineage. Ishbalans didn't always have warm welcomes in Amestris. However, this meant absolutely nothing at Briggs. Miles was her right hand man and always got his work done, one reason why she trusted him so well. He shifted a little under her gaze.

"We've found something. Or rather, someone," he said.

"A survivor of a suspect?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Not sure. As of now, both I guess. I've only just heard and was going to see for myself. Reports say he's in the infirmary now. Care to join me?"

"Duh," was all she said before stalking out the open door he held for her. Miles could only shake his head and chuckle softly. This was going to make for an interesting day.

The two officers entered the infirmary and were surprised to see Captain Buccaneer already there. He was leaning against the counter, his humongous arms crossed, one of which was mechanical. His gaze was held by something behind the curtain while his beady eyes narrowed with distrust. His head spun around as the two came in, and the long braided Mohawk that hung off of his nearly bald head hit the cabinet with a dull thud. He got to his feet and saluted the pair, his full muscular height almost double a normal person's.

"Well, let's see him then," said Major General Armstrong, tapping her foot. " I haven't got all day."

Buccaneer shrugged and pulled aside the light green curtain to reveal a very battered and unconscious young man. His entire body seemed to be scraped, bruised, or broken. Olivier almost winced at the sight.

"Is he even still alive?" she asked, aghast. Buccaneer nodded.

"Doc's only just finished with him. Said he'd be out for at least a week (Ha ;p) , what with all the drugs in him. He said it was preposterous he was even breathing."

Miles sighed. "So much for interrogation."

"Oh, we'll get it out of him. Whatever the hell happened out there." She turned to the captain. "What did it look like at the scene?"

Buccaneer could only shake his head. "Absolutely nothing. Where Alvaria used to be is nothing more than a field of craters. Whatever bastards got them, got them good. We found this bloke buried in a pile of snow outside in the town's forest."

"Interesting," she said, furrowing her brow. This was just too weird. "Do you think it's Drachma?"

"Hard telling. Wouldn't surprise me, but if it is, we're gonna have hell to pay." Buccaneer shrugged.

"Thank you for your information, Captain. Now, if you two would excuse me, I'd like a moment alone."

Miles and Buccaneer saluted her, but before leaving, Buccaneer added one more thing. "Oh, and General. Just so you know, he's been muttering strange things in his sleep. Odd words like 'androids' and something about a pair of swimming trunks…" He shrugged again.

Olivier waved him off. "Thank you, Captain. Your hard work is appreciated."

He nodded once in acknowledgment and closed the door. As soon as it clicked shut, Olivier sighed and plopped into the stool next to the bed. She eyed the man in bed next her. He appeared handsome beneath the bandages, his short cropped hair black with a bit of a spike to it. He had a very muscular physic and seemed to be somewhere in his early to mid-twenties. A pained expression was on his face. Olivier wondered if either his meds were wearing off, or he was having a bad dream. Considering he'd only received pain medication moments ago, it must have been the latter. He gripped the sheets tight and gave a small whimper.

Olivier rolled her eyes and got to her feet. She didn't have time for this. She'd get a guard to watch him and inform her when he woke. She was almost to the door when she heard him.

"Damn Androids!" he muttered. "Come and face me you monsters!"

Oliver spun around on the spot. It was just as Buccaneer had said. She had, of course, heard whispers of these so-called 'Androids of Mass Destruction'. Apparently, her country didn't see fit that its citizens know of them. Either that, or they weren't real. She had always thought more of the latter, but seeing this man in front of her, and also of how uninformed her country was on the world around it…she just wasn't so sure anymore.

Olivier walked back over to the man's bedside and looked down on him. Sweat rolled down his face and his vice grip on the sheets tightened. His head twisted to the side with a grunt. Must be dreaming, she thought absently. He muttered under his breath again, but it was too quiet to hear. She leaned a bit closer, and was startled when his eyes shot open with a gasp.

Olivier managed to keep herself from toppling over, however she did slightly loser her balance. Buccaneer had claimed the man would be out for at least a week, and here he was, moments afterward, already conscious.

As she tried to recompose herself, the man attempted to sit up, but failed. He groaned with the effort and fell back on his pillows. If Olivier hadn't been so flustered, she might've laughed.

The raven-haired man blinked as he tried to see past the haze of his medication. Delirious, probably, thought Olivier. Either way, she was going to get at least some answers while he was conscious.

"What's your name?" she asked, moving in his field of vision. She figured she'd start with something easy before moving to the important stuff.

The man looked at her groggily for a moment. "My…name?" he repeated, his deep voice muddled with confusion.

"Yes," Olivier prompted with slight irritation. "What is it?"

"It's," he paused, as if solving a very difficult math equation. "Gohan. Son Gohan."

"And what do you know about Alvaria, Son Gohan?" she inquired, hoping he would stay awake. However, it was no use. Gohan's eyes drooped with exhaustion and pain medication. Before he could respond, he slipped into a delirious unconsciousness once more. Olivier doubted he even heard her second question.

Frowning, the general left to find the doctor. Locating him in the office a couple of rooms away, Olivier instructed him to contact her immediately if the patient showed any signs of awakening. She then left the infirmary to check on the damage reports and anything else that required her attention. This was going to be a very long day.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gohan was floating in a black abyss. He felt numb. Earlier, there had been pain. Slowly, over time though, the pain had eased until he felt nothing. Now, he floated.

As Gohan was suspended in the darkness, he realized that he could move. First, his fingers and toes, then gradually he could move his arms and legs. As Gohan stirred his limbs, he realized that he could swim. With a swift kick, he took off into the nothingness.

Gohan had no idea where he was going. Nowhere, as far as he could tell, he thought dryly. As he swam farther, Gohan could make out a dull blue light. He radiated toward it. This must be what bugs feel like, he thought. Gohan got closer to the light.

As he approached it, he realized that it was nothing more than a floating orb the size of his pinky nail. He reached out to touch it, but as his hand got close, it flew away. He watched, enthralled as it split in two. He blinked, and the two orbs became a beautiful set of crystal blue eyes. They seemed familiar. He blinked again, and recoiled in horror. There, formed around the beautiful eyes, was an even more radiant woman.

The woman was gorgeous to say the least. Her shoulder length fair hair framed her porcelain face. She wore a denim skirt and jacket over her slender, yet built figure. Gohan knew this girl. She made his blood run cold.

The girl smiled at Gohan and walked his way on an invisible flat surface. Gohan wanted to swim away, but fear and revulsion held him in place. Her face was inches from his own. She softly cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Gohan tried to push her away, kick her, anything, but he couldn't move. His body stayed stiff against his mind's command. The nightmare continued as the kiss deepened even more. He wanted something - anything - to stop it.

Gohan got his wish as a fist knocked him roughly aside and away from the woman. Conveniently, he couldn't feel it through the numbness. Standing next to the blonde woman was an ebony-haired man, the girl's twin. Gohan knew both of them. They terrorized his world and every waking thought. Androids Seventeen and Eighteen.

"What do you think you're doing with my sister, Punk?" asked Seventeen. He wore a pair of torn jeans accompanied with a black t-shirt and orange bandana around his neck. His icy cruel eyes matched his sister's. There was no life in either of them.

Gohan only growled in response. He knew talking to these two was no use.

"Not going to answer, eh, Gohan?" he asked.

"He doesn't deserve to," said Eighteen, her smooth voice hinted with mock annoyance. "He's a horrible kisser."

Seventeen laughed. "Ouch. Burn." He looked at Gohan. "Got anything to say now?"

Gohan said nothing, but broke into a fighting stance.

"I think he wants to play, Eighteen," said Seventeen mischievously. He smirked.

"Doesn't he always want to?" asked Eighteen, with real irritation. "What say we just kill him this time?"

A shiver went down Gohan's spine.

Seventeen grinned maliciously. "Sure."

"Damn Androids!" Gohan roared. "Come and face me you monsters!"

Then something happened that Gohan didn't expect. The androids began to grow - as big as a house - as big a skyscraper - as big as a city. Gohan stood, horrified, before attempting to swim away. A white light engulfed him.

The pain was back. A dull, muting pain, but not unbearable. He tried to fight it, but the numbness overtook him and he fell.

It was so bright. Everything was so white and blinding. He blinked and squinted, where was he now?

Then he saw her. A beautiful angel - blocking a bit of the blinding light and providing some of her own that seemed more warming. She must have been the one who saved him. Her long golden locks went past her shoulders. She had the most lovely azure eyes and pink full lips. The eyes were different from the Androids'. They were a sea - full of life. He then realized that she was frowning.

"What's your name?" she asked.

Gohan wanted nothing more than to please her. He had never wanted anything more in his life than to see her smile. At him. Then he was unsure. "My…name?"

"Yes," the angel said. "What is it?" She looked a little displeased.

"It's," he panicked. It was a simple question. He wanted to make her happy, but he didn't know the answer. What was his name? Then it came to him, the android had said it only moments before. "Gohan. Son Gohan," he finished happily. Darkness then shrouded his vision and the numb feeling took over. The angel, his angel, said something else, a question perhaps, but he couldn't hear. Cotton was stuffed in his ears. Desperation to go back washed over him. He wanted to scream, but found that his voice box was broken. The last he remembered seeing was the blue eye, beautiful and sparkling, and then nothing.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sun set over the ruined West City. At the center of it was Capsule Corp., the previous center of all business relating to the ingenious invention of Hoi Poi Capsules. It was now but a mere image of what it used to be. Huge cracks ran along the entire structure, and there were some rather large holes in what should've been the roof. Sitting atop the dome building was none other than Trunks Briefs, descendant of the capsule creator and Saiyan royalty.

Trunks felt like anything but royalty, alien or not, at the moment. His world was in ruins at the hands of two cybernetic beings. His master and best friend, Gohan, had been training him to fight the Androids, but Trunks felt little hope. There hadn't been hope in thirteen years.

Trunks sighed and looked wistfully at the setting sun. It was the end of the day and Gohan still had not come home from fighting the Androids. He had left early this morning for a quick survey, and had yet to come home. Had something happened? Was he okay? What if he wasn't? Trunks felt a lump rise in his throat. His teenage lavender hair swayed gently in the breeze and his eyes watered. He didn't want to think about that.

Trunks got to his feet and jumped with inhuman strength to the ground in front of the house. Inhuman strength, but not anything close enough to match the Androids'. He cursed and looked back to his nearly demolished home. That's it, he thought. Trunks powered up slightly and blasted into the air. He was going to find Gohan.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please leave thoughts and comments in a review on your way out! Peace out! :D