Market Research: Sheska Kidnapped for Philosopher's Stone Knowledge
Word Count: 1551
Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl
Rating: T
Characters: Sheska, Kain Fuery, Team Mustang, Major Armstrong
Warning: Beatings
Summary: Sheska is kidnapped by a group that realizes she knows Dr. Marcoh's research. They'll do anything to get it out of her, while her friends and allies race against time to find and rescue her.
Notes: This is set post-Promised Day. Sheska and Kain are married and have children. Sheska knows that the cookbook she memorized contained the recipe for a philosopher's stone, she just doesn't know how it does or how to make one and she doesn't want to know.
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Sheska Kidnapped for Philosopher's Stone Knowledge
"I'm sorry, Fuery, but you're off the active search team."
Mustang's words rang throughout the office, and all Kain could do for a moment was stare at him in shock. Off the active search team? Off the active search team? The words sunk in and suddenly anger boiled up in him.
"What? No, no sir!" He had never directly countermanded one of Mustang's orders before, but this time he was without hesitation. "Sir, that's my wife out there! You can't take me off of this case!"
Mustang didn't back down, just stared at him with the same steely look. "The fact that it is Sheska is why you're off the active search." He said firmly.
"You can still work from back here," Riza said, not unkindly. "You would be a great help in vetting and putting together all of the intel, and then in provided the technical support needed for the rescue."
Fuery was ready to fight again, tense and his mouth opening, but Havoc cut him off.
"Look, Kain, we're genuinely concerned about you," Havoc said. "The way you're acting, it's, well…" he stopped and scratched his head, as if thinking about the way to phrase it.
"You act like you're about to kill anyone who has laid a hand on Sheska," Breda said bluntly, not beating around the bush.
"I'm sorry, Kain," Mustang said and there was a note of genuine apology in his voice. "But you're compromised. I can't let you on the front lines of this. I promise that we'll do everything we can to keep searching for her."
Fuery didn't care about the note of apology in Mustang's voice. He didn't care that he was 'compromised.' This was his wife! This was Sheska, and she had been kidnapped! She wasn't cut out for this sort of thing. Him, the rest of the team, sure! But Sheska? She was traumatized by what she had seen on the Promised Day! She still had nightmares about it! And now who knows what was happening to his wife!
He took a step towards Mustang. "No! No sir! You wouldn't stay away if it was Riza! You'd be right there on the front lines!"
"Fuery…" Mustang warned.
"I'm not going to stay back when Sheska's life is on the line! How can I face our kids if I'm not doing everything I can to bring their mom home!"
"Kain, that's enough," Riza said.
"I won't let you risk your life either," Mustang said. "Not when your kids need you too—"
"Don't talk about my kids when you won't let me save my wife!" Fuery yelled, stepping forward again, arms raised.
"Okay, that's enough!" Havoc said.
Havoc and Breda moved quickly, holding him back. Fuery bucked and struggled against them, yelling out his anger and frustration. For a few moments he struggled, Havoc and Breda having to brace themselves more than they expected to hold him back. Their Master Sergeant was surprisingly strong.
"Kain. Kain!" Falman had been silent up to this point, although watching intensely. He got between Fuery and Mustang. "Kain, listen to me! You'll do Sheska or your kids no good if you get arrested for hitting your superior officer! You're still needed! Sheska still needs your expertise, just not on the front line!"
There were a couple more hard and harsh breaths from Kain, before he was fighting again. "Let go, let go of me!" Only this time, he was pulling back, not aiming towards Mustang, but just to get away from being held. Havoc and Breda let go of him cautiously, watching just to be sure that he wasn't going to attack Mustang.
Kain was still glaring at Mustang, still breathing hard. "If anything—Anything!—happens to Sheska, I'm going to hold you responsible!" He adjusted his uniform jacket and looked at the clock. "…. I've got to go pick up the kids. But this isn't over!"
They all watched as he left the office, slamming the door shut behind him.
"…He's scared," Falman said. "Please don't hold it against him."
Mustang shook his head. "No, I don't." He glanced at Riza. "I'd be feeling the same way."
. - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - .
The battle was still raging, with the anarchists fighting against he the military. But that wasn't important to Alex Armstrong, outside of what he would have to deal with to get to safety. Instead, what was important was the young woman that he was holding in his arms. She was unconscious, her glasses were cracked, her uniform torn, and she was beaten and bloody in a deliberate way, although it was mostly confined to her legs and body. Her hands and arms were unharmed, presumably so that she could still write. He was incensed to see her like this, but he was going to forgo his desire for revenge for now and get Sheska to safety.
She had been missing for a week, the military alerted to her missing status by young Kain Fuery, who had grown worried when she hadn't returned home that night. A search had been immediately issued for her, especially as it became known among the higher ups in the search that she had memorized Dr. Marcoh's notes on how to make a philosopher's stone. Alex had left no stone unturned, aided by an equally driven Fuery. It had still taken them a week to find out who had taken her, an anarchist alchemist group who wanted her knowledge for their own.
When the team had gone in to get her out, Alex had been on the forefront, busting through walls and whoever he had to, to find the young woman. He had found her chained to a desk, scattered paper and ink everywhere, and unconscious with her glasses cracked. She as bleeding from the corner of her mouth, clearly having just been hit, and a man was standing over her, ready to deliver another blow.
He did not allow it.
The criminal was blown back by one punch, hitting the wall hard. He was out of commission and Alex turned his attention to Sheska. He quickly broke the chains that were holding her to the desk and looked over her carefully. She was injured, that much was obvious, but she didn't look too injured to move. Her uniform was torn and dirty, and he wanted to give her as much protection as possible. He quickly shed his uniform jacket and shirt and wrapped the young woman up in it before gently lifting her up in his arm and heading out with her.
He had an easier time getting out with her then he had coming in. Their troops saw him coming, knew his objective, and made sure to keep him covered while he took her out of the building and to the waiting ambulance.
. - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - .
She was laying in the hospital bed, her eyes closed. Kain could see her there, the blankets pulled up to cover her. Her arms were out, one of them with an IV drip in them. Her glasses were set to the side on the nightstand. He hesitated. He could see bruises on her arms, and on her face. He had been told that her legs were worse, having taken the brunt of the damage done to her. Quietly, he walked forward, not wanting to disturb her, but also desperately wanting to make sure that she was okay.
He needn't have worried.
Her eyes opened, and she looked over at him, a tired smile flitting across her face. "Kain…"
He was immediately at her side, a hand gently running through her hair. "Sheska—Sheska I was so worried. I—"
She held up her hand, and he grabbed onto it, trying not to squeeze it as hard as he wanted to.
"I'm glad you're here," she said. "I need you."
He kissed her hand, trying not to look as upset as he was seeing the bruises and cuts on her face, the bruises on her hands and arms, and how small she sounded.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her.
"…honestly, in some pain." She said. "Mostly in my legs."
He hesitated. "Can… can I look?"
She nodded and moved her arms off of the blankets for him. He carefully folded the blankets back, getting his first look at her legs. Shock, and then a boiling anger pulsed through him. Her legs were black and blue, with welts on parts of them. It looked like she had been beaten with a cane, or some sort of instrument. They were swollen from it all, and Kain swallowed hard at the thought of the pain this wonderful woman that he loved had to have gone through.
Gently he placed the blankets back down, taking care not to put pressure on her legs. He could feel himself shaking with emotions, anger being a top one. He went back to her, face, gently putting his hands on either side of her face and looking her in the eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
She hesitated and then, slowly, started to tear up. She shook her head as the tears began to fall, and Kain just reached down, and wrapped himself around her, holding onto her as much as he could.