A/N: Hey! You guys had me worried for a while there. Went to bed last night with only 1 review for the previous chapter. Was worried it stunk or something! But alas you pulled through as usual! I apologize to Maes Hughes lovers but once again I must be cruel(you know you love it though) because the muses demanded this. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!

Battling the Odds

Colonel roy Mustang's arrival was similar to that of a tornado sweeping through the land destroying all in its path. Anger heated his blood like water over a fire. Nearly boiling. He'd been stunned by Havoc's phone call that Maes was in jail having been framed for assault and pedophilia by the actual criminal and then the hospital's incompetent staff released Elric into the custody of his attacker had been enough to chill his veins with dread. He'd been spending his evening with a soothing cup of coffee and his alchemy books desperately searching for a way to reverse the trap transmutation Elric had set for him earlier that day and contemplating various plans for revenge. He would never say it out loud but he was actually kind of impressed.

The kid certainly didn't take being pushed around for long. He'd been expecting some kind of retaliation but hardly something so clever and heinous that it made him think twice about snapping fire to life. He suspected Havoc had a hand in misguiding Ed to such a plan of action and would make the man suffer for his interference. He'd been pushed a step closer to paranoia going through every set of gloves he owned checking each transmutation circle for hampering.

Several staff jumped startled as he stormed into the hospital door slamming it behind him. His team was easy to spot. Hawkeye was leaned against the counter looking ever so dangerous as she talked softly but intimidating to some nurse her gun laying oh so innocently next to her. Havoc was across the room pacing and hissing arguments like a caged animal, a trash can clearly having been kicked about by him, while Falman was blocking his path trying to talk him down to some level of calm. Feury stood off to the side staring from group to group nervously in silence unsure what to do and Breda wasn't present having left East City on assignment earlier. Hawkeye spied him first, holstered her gun giving one last order to the twitchy nurse and joined the group.

"What happened," he ground out in a false calm. Jean began immediately to retell what he knew recalling every detail he could think of that Maes had told him over the phone and everything he'd discovered on his own careful to explain it all as thoroughly as he could remember.

Roy felt his blood pressure rising fast the more he heard and began to clench and release his fists so as not to set something on fire noting that Havoc was having to do the same. These were his men under attack. He worked to make it seem like he was cold and detached but it was far from the truth and his team knew it. Except maybe Edward who was new enough to the group he probably hadn't figured it out yet. This little group were the few people that he allowed himself to fully trust and depend upon and would fiercely protect them. Nobody messed with or hurt anyone of his team and got away with it. Nobody.

"Feury, get on the radio and get the word out to be on the lookout for Elric. Give a detailed description and make sure they know he's a State Alchemist and that the pocket watch is currently missing," he began barking out orders.

"Yes Sir!" Feury saluted and scurried away quickly.

"Falman, get into the archives and see what you can dig up on previous incidents in the general area. See if you can get us more information to work with" the man took off with a sloppy salute as he jogged away tripping on the threshold of a doorway.

"Hawkeye get Hughes released. Do whatever it takes but get him out of there" she saluted and was off with a determined stride.

"And Havoc, get yourself under control before you lynch the staff. That's my job"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Maes Hughes sat quietly on a bench in the corner of the cell keeping himself separated from the other men locked in with him. There were six besides him. He rubbed his temples slowly and firmly his head pounding and throbbing with every pulse beat. He was miserable. He felt ashamed that he was in this situation, that he hadn't been able to convince them that he was innocent. Not that he'd really been given a chance to explain himself but he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the military! He should be able to get himself out of this mess. He shouldn't even be in this mess in the first place! He should have been able to protect Ed from the start instead of doing just barely enough to stop the attack. He'd done his job halfway and this was the result.

You shouldn't have left Ed in the first place. A scathing, cruelly honest voice sneered at him in his mind. He let out a harsh sigh and scrubbed at his temples harder ignoring that it made the pain spike to a new level. The little voice was right. How could he be that stupid? How could he just walk off and leave a child alone on a bench in the park at night? Sure Ed was no ordinary helpless child but he was still a child. What kind of man did that make him? What kind of father would he be? A lump formed in his throat at the thought. It was foolish, irresponsible, negligent even. Maybe he should be locked up for this.

"Hey, you, Hughes isn't it?" it took a moment before Maes realized he was being addressed. He glanced briefly at the man speaking to him. He was big and well muscled but not quite beefy standing a bit closer than comfortable his frame towering over where he sat.

"Y-yeah, Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes" he threw out the title hoping to dissuade the fight that looked about to start.

"Like anyone cares bout your military title. We heard the guards talking bout you. You're a real piece of work tryin' to have your fun with that little boy" another man snarled the group slowly closing in on him. Hughes stood, the room spinning around him sharply so that he had to brace a hand against the wall to steady himself as he slid along it trying to keep from being cornered.

"It's not true. There was just a misunderstanding. I didn't do it. I would never do that it's just that the officer never gave me a chance to explain what happened" he knew he was failing to convince them of his innocence but he kept trying anyways.

He really didn't want to have this fight. It wasn't so much that he couldn't fight, or confidence in his skills, but the odds were stacked against him with him being so dizzy from his concussion, out numbered, in close quarters, and unarmed. He wouldn't win this one. He managed to duck the first two blows but that was where his luck ended as their numbers kicked into effect and they started landing punches and kicks surrounding him in seconds. He fought back with everything he had while shouting for the guards, whom seemed too busy with other things to supervise their prisoners, shuddering at the feel of someone's nose crunching beneath his elbow and hooking another by the foot sending him flying to the ground. Pain shot through his hands like fire as he delivered blow after blow, his only chance in making himself too much trouble to be worth the fight, unwilling to be taken down easily.

It all fell to pieces when a fist that felt more like a hammer slammed full force against his temple sending him sprawling to the ground. A meaty fist wrapped around his neck jerking him painfully off the floor as one of the inmates apparently took charge of his beating and bashed him once, twice, three times against the closest wall then pinned him there. Squeezing, crushing, choking. He couldn't get any air, the world blurring and lurching around him. There was a familiar crackling sound so very far away but the oxygen starved mind couldn't supply the answer to what he'd heard vision tunneling to pinpoints, arms falling away slack to weak to fight any longer. Abruptly something sharp and unforgiving pierced his gut tearing, grinding shredding pain exploding through him like fireworks so that he would have screamed if he only had the air to do so.

Gracia…I'm so sorry….

There was a cacophony of shouting, a new female voice in the mix, followed by the pop of gunfire sounding so very far away. Maes felt himself thrown, or dropped he wasn't sure, back down to the floor landing hard, fire erupting through his stomach and side, vision going dark for a moment before returning to a blurry grey. There were more voices now, one angry and barking orders while the others intimidated and obedient while even more were incomprehensible moaning and groaning but it all floated over him unnoticed. Too much pain. So tired. I'm so sorry Gracia…I left you alone with a child coming…I'll never forgive myself for that…Hands were all over him, rolling him onto his back, legs propped up high on something his head placed on something soft. He barely noticed any of it.

"Hughes, Hughes c'mon man breathe" he knew that voice. He knew it but he couldn't focus. It was too far away. Sleep. He needed sleep.

"No Hughes you have to breathe, you can do this just breathe Hughes" He tried to obey, really he did, but he was so tired. He couldn't do it. So heavy. So tired. Suddenly warm soft lips pressed against his, oxygen forcing its way into his lungs, and without warning his lungs flared back to life sucking in air desperately, a loud wheezing gasp echoing in his ears consuming all his focus. Slowly the insatiable burn of his lungs started to fade and the fog lifted slightly. He cracked his eyes open slightly, not sure when they'd closed, and saw blonde hair, a fierce expression tainted with worry, barking orders floating disjointedly above him in a blur.

"H-Hawkeye?" he rasped erupting into a fit of coughing, head spinning, feeling lighter than air yet heavy as an auto mail limb, oh so grateful that it passed quickly.

"Easy Hughes, just lay still you're going to be fine," she soothed brushing sweat soaked strands of hair out of his eyes.

"Someone get me something to help stop the bleeding quick!" she shouted fearing how badly the wound gushed, blood already pooling thickly beneath him. When she pressed a towel against the wound it was like electricity shot through him his body filling with hot lava. He cried out then moaned hoarsely, back arching, as he struggled to squirm away from the new source of agony, everything smearing around him.

"Hang on Hughes, just hang on, I have to stop the bleeding. You hear me Hughes? She grabbed his chin forcing him to look at her, his skin cold to the touch but slick with sweat. She stared hard at him until she got a weak nod. She pressed down harder, seeing the blood starting to seep between her fingers, heart wrenching at the sound of his weak whimper and suddenly felt his whole body going slack.

"T-tired…so….tired…"his voice was hardly a harsh whisper, eyes drooping heavily, oblivion trying to claim him.

"No don't sleep Hughes, you have to stay awake. Hughes? Hughes? Maes!" Why wouldn't she let him sleep? He was so tired but she sounded adamant. Like it were important or something for him to stay awake so he tried his best. He peeled his eyes open again and forced his gaze to mostly stay on her, though it would slip away to somewhere else against his will sometimes, because this was Hawkeye and when she said he had to stay awake it was because it was important.

Though he couldn't for the life of him figure out why as he fought against the darkness.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

James sat in a chair heavily scowling as he held an ice pack to his newest, foot shaped bruises, and contemplated the situation. He never in his life expected such a small runt like this boy to be such a literal pain and so hard to control. He was actually starting to feel intimidated by the child and it gave him this sick shameful feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was disgraced in his own eyes if he didn't succeed. He hadn't ever failed before. His gaze shifted from that golden hair that so easily captured his attention down to his stomach and chest blackened deeply with bruises, his breathing sounding heavy and labored, then to the wrist and ankle cut by the wire restraints which were bleeding moderately, ever since the fight, and showed no signs of slowing. Suddenly he jumped up and went digging through his bag of supplies.

"Aha! Perfect!" he gloated aloud to himself holding up a syringe of a different drug. This stuff should keep the kid too groggy and disoriented to fight back but wouldn't put him to sleep. It was no fun if they were unconscious. His confidence restored by a plan that would bring him triumph he set the filled syringe on the nightstand next to the bed and moved his chair over next to it as well.

He waited for the boy to wake patiently as his fingers slid through his silky golden hair.