Ch 5: Kidnapping
Rating: T for language and violence
Characters: Edward, Hughes
Timeline: general
Notes: switching it up with some parental!MaesEd this time! I feel like this is the type of prompt worthy of a whole chapter fic, but alas, I will condense it into a oneshot. So sorry if it's fast paced. It also takes place about a year and a half before canon, except Ross and Brosh have already met the Elrics once (rather than the first time being when they're made bodyguards in the series). Also even though this is general (therefore BH/manga leaning, it does take a little from the Barry the chopper episode of 2003, because I just really (sadistically) love the scene when he and winry are kidnapped.
It had been two days since the Fullmetal Alchemist went missing. Hughes' investigation department had been scrambling to find any clues since Alphonse had reported his brother's disappearance, but had come up empty—that is, until a clue was handed directly to them.
Maes had gotten a call from Roy over in Eastern that his office had received an anonymous letter—or more specifically, a ransom note. It said that Fullmetal would be returned to them in exchange for 15 million cens, to be dropped off in the warehouse district in Central two days from now. Failure to comply would result in the death of the boy. Maes was ready to drop the money, because that kid's life was more than worth it in his eyes, but the military was a little less willing. They had more than enough money, but spending it on one alchemist was "ridiculous", no matter how talented he was. Only the führer had seemed genuinely concerned about the boy's safety, but Maes was sure it was all political posturing. All the other big-brass generals (with the exception of Grumman) couldn't care less. Thus, Maes would have to stage a rescue operation without the ransom money, and pray it all goes well. And, he'd be doing some…less than legal things to ensure that prayer was answered.
Major Armstrong may have been a mineral specialist like Fullmetal, but he too knew enough about other organic materials to transmute a boatload of special money-specific paper. Then all they had to do was create a template of what their 1,000-cens bill would look like, and they were well on their way to printing the required ransom amount. As long as the kidnappers didn't look too closely for watermarks, it looked pretty darn authentic; even Maes was impressed with himself.
When the day for the exchange came, Maes gathered his trusty team (Armstrong, Ross, and Brosh) and set out to the warehouse district.
"Do you think Fullmetal will be alright?" Maria asked. She and Denny had met him once, briefly, when he was visiting Hughes' family for his thirteenth birthday. He was a tough kid, that was for sure, but she was still worried about what kind of things he could've been through in the last four days.
"He's going to be fine," Maes answered. He wouldn't let Ed be anything but fine. In the year and a half he'd known the Elric boys, that same paternal fire that burned for his sweet little Elysia had been lit for them as well. He wanted to see them happy and healthy, freed from the clutches of the military. He wanted them to get to be kids; which was why, whenever he saw them, he made sure to discreetly get them to engage in some kind of age-appropriate activity, whether that was giving Ed sweets or a book that wasn't about alchemy, or giving Al some paper and coloring supplies to exercise his creativity. They were only twelve and thirteen, for heaven's sake; so it made Maes' blood absolutely boil that someone would kidnap Edward for economic gain.
But if Maes was being honest, he was worried too. Maria was right—Edward was a tough kid, and he'd been through far too much in his short life. But that didn't mean he couldn't be hurt…especially by people who clearly didn't give a damn about him.
Maes cleared his throat. They were getting close, so he needed to reiterate the plan. They could not mess this up. "Listen up, soldiers. When we get there, you three are going to stay low so I can speak to the kidnappers alone. I'll bring the briefcase, and hopefully they'll buy it and release Ed. If they either know the money is fake or refuse to give up Ed, that's when we attack. Major Armstrong, I expect long-range alchemy; Sergeant Brosh and Lieutenant Ross, long-range weapons. Shoot to injure; I want to take those bastards to Central and find out who they work for."
Three simultaneous salutes erupted from Hughes' subordinates. "Yes, sir!"
"Good. Now let's get Ed."
The car stopped a block from the warehouses. Maes got out with the briefcase of 15 million forged cens (it better work, because he was in so much trouble if it didn't). Armstrong, Ross, and Brosh followed, the three of them splitting off to take an alternate route to their destination. Maes walked to the designated drop spot, and waited.
Three minutes later, a door opened at the warehouse ahead of him, but no one came out—just the echoes of a deep, rough voice. "Bring the money forward." Maes did as told. "Leave it outside the door." Maes set the briefcase at the door, trying to sneak a peek at who was speaking. The inside of the warehouse was dark, with only one light on in the far corner; he couldn't see whoever was talking. Maes looked to the left, catching sight of his subordinates crouched behind a stack of metal crates. He nodded ever so slightly to signal it was going well so far.
That was when a figure emerged from the darkness, a man of massive physique with cold eyes and a bald head. He wasn't any match for Armstrong, but that wasn't saying much; he was at least twice Maes' width in pure muscle.
"Come in and join us, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," the man demanded. "My name is Jaxon. We'll count the money together."
Maes blinked, wondering how the hell they knew who he was, when the man grinned.
"And your three friends will be taken care of by my friends."
"Shit…" Maes mumbled under his breath. How did they know? He looked toward the crates, where three more muscular men were standing by Armstrong, Ross, and Brosh, each wielding rifles. "Stand down!" he ordered. He was pretty sure his soldiers could take down the three guards, but who knew how many more were inside the warehouse—and with weapons? He cursed himself for thinking this would be easy. It would be safer to go along with the kidnappers' demands until he could fully assess the situation. Eyes narrowed, Maes followed Jaxon inside the dark warehouse, fingering the blade hidden in his sleeve in anticipation.
Jaxon led him to the dimly lit corner of the building, and Maes' heart dropped. Standing against the wall with a gun held against his head was Edward. How he was standing was a mystery—various bloodstains covered his torn clothing and bare arm. Maes did a quick inventory on him; his automail arm was still attached, but had been tied behind his back along with his other hand, and his mouth was gagged with a dirty rag. His legs were shaking slightly, and the man holding the gun had his other hand firmly gripped onto Ed's left shoulder. He caught sight of Maes, and a bit of hope flickered in his eyes, only to be replaced again by a shining fear. Maes held eye contact with him for a moment, trying to send as many silent reassuring messages as he could. He'd never seen the boy look so scared before, and it scared him. All the more reason to bring these kidnapping bastards to justice.
Jaxon set the briefcase on a metal table, clicking it open. His eyes glittered greedily at the sight of the money, and he pulled a wad out, flicking it playfully. He turned to Maes, grinning wickedly. "Sorry to spring this on you so late, but terms have changed. It turns out our organization needs 20 million cens, not fifteen, for the return of the Fullmetal Alchemist. If you are unable to provide, we will have to kill the boy."
It took all of Maes' self control not to launch himself at the other man. "That is not what we agreed on!"
"So you're saying you don't have the extra 5 million?" Jaxon asked, still grinning.
"I have 15 million, just like your note said!" Maes roared. He glanced at the man holding the gun. If he made a move at Jaxon, the gun-wielder would most likely shoot Ed. He had to plan this perfectly. "Who are you people, anyway?!"
"Just a group of disgruntled veterans who want the money the military owes us, that's all. We've been screwed out of living the lives we deserve, and we're going to get what's owed to us, one way or another."
Disgruntled veterans…Maes believed them. The military made promises to all its soldiers, but wasn't the best at keeping those promises. Especially from the most recent Cretan border-skirmish. It had been a bloody battle, moreso than any one so far, and the military had promised pension for anyone who fought. Then, once the soldiers got back, the higher ups repealed their offer. Maes couldn't blame people for being angry…but that did not justify this.
"I understand your frustration," Maes started, "but how could you kidnap a child to get that money? Do none of you have any shame?"
"This is not a child," Jaxon's assistant sneered. "This is a tool of the same State that has robbed us." He squeezed Ed's shoulder harder, causing the boy's eyes to squint in pain. "But we heard he was especially valuable to the State…so he will get us what we want. One person's life is more than worth what we will gain."
Ed whimpered lightly, pleading eyes toward Maes. Just hang on, Ed, I'll get us out of this, Maes thought. He looked Ed and the gunman up and down, and an idea clicked. Ed's automail foot was right next to the gunman's, who was wearing sandals. If the kid could get a good stomp in, it could distract him just long enough for Maes to strike. He'd go for the gunman first to get the weapon out of the way, then for Jaxon (assuming he didn't have a hidden weapon of his own). "The only thing you'll be getting out of this is a life sentence," Maes hissed while making eye contact with Ed again, and once he was sure the kid was looking, he signaled down with his eyes. Ed looked down, and Maes subtly tapped his left foot a couple times. Ed looked back at Maes' face, and Maes signaled left, toward the gunman, before tapping his foot again. Ed's eyes widened slightly, and he looked back at his feet, shifting his automail foot questioningly. "That's right, or maybe even the death penalty." That's right, Ed. Hit him! Maes prayed the kid understood the 'that's right' was for him, not the kidnappers.
He did. With every bit of strength he could muster, Ed brought his metal foot down onto the gunman's bare toes. The man howled in pain, dropping the pistol. Before anyone could process what was going on, Maes lunged forward, arming himself with one of his knives and lunging at the bastard. He stabbed the gunman right in the forearm, before tearing out the knife and ramming the butt of it into the man's temple. The force on his pressure-point knocked him unconscious, and Ed dropped to the ground, freed from his grasp.
"You asshole!" Jaxon yelled, pulling out his own firearm. It went off, aimed at Edward, but missed by a few inches. Maes leapt onto the other man, wrestling him with every ounce of strength he had. He wasn't nearly as strong, but somehow, he managed to get a stab to Jaxon's shoulder (while taking several blows himself). It wasn't enough to stop the burly man, however, and the gun went off again, shooting off to the far wall. Maes struggled to get the weapon out of Jaxon's grip, both men straining and grunting in exertion.
"I will…not…let you…hurt him!" Maes growled between breaths. But, alas, he just wasn't strong enough. In the scuffle, Jaxon ended up on top of Maes, scrambling to get his gun into position to fire point-blank at the Lieutenant Colonel. But that was also when the crackle of alchemy sounded through the air, and a slew of concrete spikes raced toward them.
"Hold on, sir!" Armstrong's voice cried out. A spike speared Jaxon in the leg, and he cried out, falling to the side. Maes rolled out of the way as Ross and Brosh ran forward, guns raised, and Armstrong transmuted the floor to wrap around Jaxon's torso, trapping him. He delivered a fierce blow to the man, knocking him as unconscious as his lackey.
For just a moment, Maes breathed, waiting for his adrenaline to come down.
"Are you alright, sir?" Ross called out, gun still trained on Jaxon. "We heard the gunfire and figured that was our cue to take action."
"...Thank you," Maes said, finally feeling in control of his body again. With that, he forced himself to his feet, rushing over to where Edward lay. The boy was staring ahead, terrified, and Maes put a hand gently on his head. "Ed, it's okay. We've got you."
"Sir?" Brosh asked.
Without turning away from Ed, Maes ordered, "Gather up all these goons and lock them down with alchemy. Now!"
The three soldiers nodded brusquely, rushing to drag the unconscious gunman and Jaxon away; they knew Ed needed Maes, and Maes alone right now.
Meanwhile, Ed looked at Maes, wide, scared eyes crinkling with recognition. Maes smiled at him, touching the gag tied around his head in a question of permission. Ed hummed desperately, closing his eyes. Maes pulled the filthy fabric out of Ed's mouth, before moving to the rope tied around his wrists. He sliced the rope with his knife, and finally, Ed was free.
The moment he was untied, Ed pulled his flesh hand to his chest, clutching his ratty tank top. He looked back at Maes, and before he could say anything, his eyes filled with tears and he was sobbing.
Maes' paternal instincts kicked in again, seeing the hurt, sobbing child in front of him, and without thinking, he pulled Edward close, cradling him against his chest. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay." Maes rocked the boy slightly, the same way he would Elysia, stroking his hair, which had come loose from its usual braid. He just held Ed's shaking body close, knowing that in this moment, this was what the boy needed most. Someone to be there, to be strong when he couldn't. Maes silently wished he could have been there like this through all the other hardships Edward had endured. He hoped there had been someone, through it all, who was there to tell him it was okay.
"I…" Ed's voice croaked from Maes' chest. "I thought I was gonna die." Another heavy sob escaped him. "I really thought they were gonna kill me."
Maes continued rocking and stroking Ed's hair.
"They—they grabbed me outta nowhere, with some kind of sleeping drug. And they broke my automail, and—and said they were gonna kill me and did all this stuff with knives and said no one would come to save me and—" Ed took a hiccuping breath. "—and I was just so scared, Hughes. I was really, really scared."
Being the prodigy he was, Edward Elric scarcely ever spoke like a child. But to hear his awful, harrowing experience over the last four days be reduced down to 'I was really, really scared' made Maes' heart clench even more. No matter how tough and smart Ed was, he was thirteen years old—and he had every right to be scared.
"We got them, Ed, you're safe now," Maes said softly.
Edward took in a few shuddering breaths as his tears slowed. Maes held him a minute longer, even after he'd stopped crying, to let him know he was safe. "Now, where are you hurt?" he asked gently. He needed to know before they attempted to get him out of here, even if it made Ed upset again.
Ed sniffled. "I think…I think my ribs are broken. And there's cuts from the knives all over, and my right arm doesn't work, and I haven't eaten anything…but…I think that's it."
Maes cringed a little, thinking about Ed stomping on the gunman's foot as hard as he could with broken ribs and open wounds. That must have been so painful; Ed was a really, really tough kid. "Where's the worst knife wound?"
"My stomach…" Ed replied.
Maes nodded. "Okay. It'll be okay. I'm going to pick you up, and we'll get you help." He gently moved Ed, putting one arm under his knees and the other around his shoulders. Ed curled up in Maes' arms, laying his head against the man's chest. His automail arm hung awkwardly off to the side, and Maes moved it to rest against Ed's chest; he couldn't imagine having so much dead weight pulling on his shoulder would be very comfortable. Ed winced a little, and Maes' heart squeezed. He could see the wound on Ed's abdomen now through the slice in his shirt, smeared with sticky, still slowly-leaking blood. Those bastards hadn't even tried to bandage any of it. Maes held Ed tightly, wishing he never had to go through this—or any of the terrible things he'd experienced in his life.
As long as he was alive, Maes would do whatever he could to protect these kids, Edward and Alphonse both, as if they were his own. And just like Elysia, if it ever came down to it, that included dying for them.
ngl, i like this so much i'm really thinking of making it its own story. complete with leadup, more scenes with the investigators figuring things out, more scenes with ed being tortured (*grinning devil face*), and a better conclusion. this has potential haha