Summary: DBZ/FMA X-over. Sequel to my Alchemy and Saiyans fic. Chi-Chi decides to have Gohan learn alchemy, so she sends him to Amestris.

Disclaimer: Standard issue.

"Speaking" Thoughts (Me to you) "Telephone or other such communication device"

Last time:

Al stood there for minute, then headed back to the group and talked to Bulma. "We're heading for Resembool."

She blinked. "Why?"

"Because one of the two people in the world who can slap nii-san out of that--" he jerked his thumb at Ed, who was staring off into space "--is there, and they found a Dragonball."

Bulma blinked. "Resembool it is, then."

Chapter 18: Trap

When Mustang woke up, the first thing he noticed was that his back hurt. Then he realized that he was sitting in a rather uncomfortable wooden chair. And that his coat, gun, and gloves were gone. He gried to stretch his legs and hissed when ropes bit into his calves. So he was tied to the chair. What fun.

He looked up to examine his surroundings. Wooden floor, wooden walls, broken windows, wooden rafters, roof... Oh, joy. He was in a dilapidated shack. With the Fuhrer's secretary, what's-her-name... oh, right. Juliet Douglass.

He blinked and shook his head a bit. He was still a little muzzy.

"Good morning, Colonel," Ms. Douglass greeted him amicably.

"I was out for that long?"

"Yes. It appears my assistant was rather overzealous with the chloroform."

"Your... assisstant?" Mustang asked, looking around the one-room shack again and seeing no one besides himself and Juliet, who laughed softly.

"He is not here. He has been paid for his service, and wisely took his leave," she informed him.

Mustang started stretching his wrists and hands.

"When you captured me, you mentioned that I was to be used as bait. May I inquire as to who for?"

"The Elrics, of course."

"The Elrics," Mustang repeated. "What does the Fuhrer's secretary want with the Elric brothers?"

"That is my business and my business alone," Ms. Douglass informed him coldly.

The Flame Colonel decided to do some digging. He stretched his arms. "I must admire your bravery, knocking me out, and then going so far as to remove my gun and gloves, and tie me to a chair," he said with a smirk.

One of Juliet's hands turned to liquid, then shot out and nailed him in the chest, nearly knocking the chair over.

"Never question a lady's strength," she advised him mildly. Her arm returned to normal. "Now. Do you have a way to contact the Elrics?"

Mustang's mind was reeling as he gasped for breath. This woman was clearly a homunculus, and she worked in the military. How high up does it go? he wondered.

Then he remembered that Ed was in the company of six extremely powerful non-human warriors, which could probably take down one homunculus.

"...I have a phone."

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Bulma landed the plane behind the Rockbell house. As soon as she saw it, Winry ran out squealing. She waited until someone (in this case Gohan) got out before she started firing questions, though.

"Oh my God! That is so cool! How does it work?"

Gohan blinked. "Uhh..."

She turned to the Brats, who'd gotten off second. "How does it fly? What is it made of? What kind of engines does it have?"

The Brats gaped at her.

Winry rounded on Vegeta. "How high does it go? Is it steel? Chrome? Does it have any weapons?"

Vegeta glared at her and proceeded to ignore her.

Goku came out next with Mirai. "How do the engines work? What kind of fuel do they use? How powerful are they?"

Winry nearly pounced on Bulma. "Does the shape of the wings make a difference? What are they made of? How do you account for wind resistance?"

The next (and last) people off were Ed and Al. Winry saw them and froze. Ed gave her a wan smile.

"Hey. Kinda weird to be here without my arm being totally trashed."

Winry's eyes started to water. "How can you stay that, you big jerk!"

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A few hours after the plane had been capsulized (which provoked another round of rapid-fire questions from Winry), everyone had gathered in the Rockbell's kitchen. Bulma and Pinako were talking about motherly/grandmotherly things (mixed with machinery, of course), Mirai and Gohan had restarted their earlier card game, Goku was playing with Den, and the Brats were flipping through some photo albums when Ed and Winry came downstairs. Ed was holding the fourth Dragonball and looking slightly bloody, but generally much better than he had been. Winry's eyes were a bit red from crying and she was massaging her right wrist.

"Where's Al?" Ed asked, looking around.

"He went to visit your mother's grave," Pinako supplied.

"Yeah... He didn't get to go the last time we were here. I'll go meet him there." Ed handed the Dragonball to Bulma and left.

Sure enough, Al was at Trisha's grave. Ed walked over and stood next to him.

"Hey."

"Hey. Feel better, nii-san?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah. Winry gave me a talking to. And a couple wrenches."

Al winced sympathetically, then turned to look at him. "You really had me worried there, nii-san. I haven't seen you like that since Mom died."

Ed cringed. "Yeah, sorry."

"It's alright?"

The two brothers stayed there in companionable silence until the sun set.

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The next morning during breakfast, a phone started ringing. Everyone except the Saiyans looked up. (The Saiyans—and Ed, actually—were too busy eating to notice.)

The phone rang again. They all turned to Bulma.

"That's funny, I asked them not to call unless it was an emergency..." She flipped her cellphone open. "Hello?"

"Hi, Bulma, it's Mustang. I need to talk to Ed."

Bulma blinked, then hit the 'speaker' button and held the phone out to Ed. "Ed, it's the Colonel."

Ed frowned and reached for the phone. "He never calls me... Hi Mustang. It's me."

"Hello, Ed. Search going well?"

Ed's frown deepened. "...Yeah, so what's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing too major, but something's come up and I need you back in Central for a bit. I believe Ms. Briefs can track my location?"

"Yes, but—" Ed started.

"Then I'll be seeing you soon."

"Mustang, what the hell do you need me for??"

"There's someone who wants to talk to you," Mustang replied vaguely. "I really must get going."

"Wait—"

"Give my best to Alphonse."

/click/

Ed turned off the phone and frowned at it. "It's a trap," he announced.

There was a general "Wha-at?"

Ed looked around. "You were listening?"

"Yes."

"Were we fighting?"

"..No."

"Trap!" Ed scowled. "Plus Mustang NEVER calls me Ed. Ever."

Al blinked. "That's true."

"And he said something about 'someone wanting to talk to me' which means he was probably pressured into calling us. So..."

"Trap," Vegeta and Gohan finished. Vegeta glared at the teen demi-Saiyan for pre-empting his line. Gohan didn't notice.

Bulma nodded. "Well, that settle it. We're going to rescue the Colonel." she rounded on the Brats. "And you two are STAYING HERE," she ordered in an I-Am-Married-To-A-Saiyan-And-I-Am-Armed-With-A-Frying-Pan-Therefore-You-Will-Obey-Me Voice.

"Yes, Bulma," the Brats chorused meekly.

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And that's Chapter 18. Hopefully I'll be able to keep posting chapters one a day. I have finished the story. I'll start a chapter countdown once we get to five chapters from the end.