Summary:
Recalling his escape from the ruined Xerxes, Van Hohenheim recalls wandering the Eastern Desert to the point of collapse and being found by traveling Xingese merchants, speaking as if to several invisible people, urging them to calm down and pleading with them. for their forgiveness.In the present, he stands in the Father’s lair, giving the individual names and personalities of the eight souls the Homunculus leader has just taken into his body, explaining that they are working with him to defeat the one who took their lives. The Father refuses to believe that the souls inside the Philosopher’s Stone can maintain individual consciousness, declaring them to be mere bits of energy, but Van replies that speaking to each soul in his Stone individually drove him nearly insane, the immortal body the Father gave him to all the time it takes. He claims to have done the one thing his Homunculus friend never thought of doing: talking in depth with all 536,329 people trapped in his body. As he speaks, the souls newly introduced to the Father’s body begin to move on their own, forming a spearhead that impales the homunculus in the forehead. Although the father was stunned at first, he only broke the tip of the spear and tried to regain his composure, but immediately after that, more points appeared and shot out from his mouth and throat. Father coughs up a glob of black blood, but as he casts a significant look at Van, the blood begins to twist and form on its own, slowly turning into a humanoid body of liquid shadow that falls to the ground next to the deflated Homunculus. human shell. The shadow form opens a large mouth full of teeth, swallows the shell, and declares – as eyes similar to those inside the Gate open all over its body – that humans are not the only ones who have evolved.Captain Buccaneer and 2nd Lt. Falman’s squad move above ground in Central HQ towards the main gate of the compound as they eliminate the Mannequin Soldiers while Sig and Izumi do the same inside. Izumi spies one of the top military officials – Brigadier Edison – desperately trying to keep the mannequin soldiers at bay as he laments that these immortal soldiers should have obeyed him, wondering if the “good gentleman” lied to him and his buddies. Izumi deftly rescues Edison from the jaws of the homunculi, but when he gratefully offers her the position of his personal bodyguard, she stabs him in the stomach and demands to know more about the “Good Gentleman” he just was. speaking. On another floor, Briggs’ soldiers lead Olivier and Alex Armstrong to the Führer’s executive office and ask the Major General if he will set up his command center there. However, Olivier noticed the large windows behind the Führer’s throne and, scoffing at the idea of a command office in a place so prone to sniper fire, ordered the room cleared. Before doing so, Alex notices a secret passage that appears to lead down to the underground tunnels and wonders if that’s where all the dummy soldiers come from. Just then, Olivier receives word from the makeshift command center below that Buccaneer’s team has taken the front gate and secured the tank in the courtyard, while the other teams have taken the remaining gates and armory with little resistance and little loss. As Olivier issues orders to keep all gates closed until every last dummy soldier is destroyed, ninety percent of Central Command is declared to be under Briggs’ control. Victory is assured.Just then, though, the familiar voice of King Bradley comes over the wire, announcing his return. He declares that he will move in personally to root out the rebels and orders all able-bodied Central Force soldiers to assist him. Briggs’ soldiers inside try to determine which direction the Führer will attack from, but Bradley nonchalantly replies that his approach will be from the front, as there is no need for the King to enter his own castle from behind. Realizing the danger of fighting the Homunculus, the Buccaneer orders the tank squad to withdraw from the main gate, but Bradley charges and armed with only a grenade and a single sword, quickly immobilizes the tank and kills both the driver and gunner before charging towards the gate. entrance. Buccaneer tries to stop him, but is immediately dispatched and his crocodile automail is cut to ribbons. His two biggest obstacles removed, Bradley marches to the door and orders the terrified Falman to open the compound to his master. Shaking and shedding tears, Falman apologizes to the absent Colonel Mustang and raises his gun at Führer Bradley, expressing his grief at not being able to meet Roy upstairs. Rising to his feet, the Buccaneer praises Falman’s courage, but chastises him for crying in the line of duty. With the chain of his automail saw wrapped around his left fist and anchored in his teeth, the Buccaneer informs Bradley that he can still fight. Bradley taunts Buccaneer and Falman, calling their courage reckless, but Greed – sitting casually on the front gate – communicates that while such recklessness is indeed idiotic, she cannot abandon such irrationally brave people.