After their meeting with Father Envy, he takes the Elric brothers back above ground in an elevator where Wrath (King Bradley) is. Much to Elric’s surprise, he discovers that Central Command is above the Father’s lair. After taking the form or soldier, Envy decided to let Ed take a shower first. While alone with Al for a moment, Ed reveals that he saw Al’s body at the gate, and when Al notices Xiao-Mei, he reveals that he still has May Chang with him hiding inside the armor. The two are then escorted into a meeting room with Wrath and Colonel Mustang, where they then realize that Wrath is actually King Bradley. Mustang explains how his subordinates were essentially captured by being moved to different areas. Although Wrath refuses to reveal anything new about the Homunculi’s plan, given what he already knows, Ed wants to stop being the state alchemist and sees it as a program to track and select victim candidates. However, Wrath threatens to have Winry killed to not only force Ed to stay in the army, but also to not reveal his secret to anyone else. However, Anger allows the brothers to continue their journey to try to return to their old bodies. Mustang also stays put, even as he asks Wrath if he was the one who killed Hughes. Wrath reveals that it wasn’t him, but won’t reveal who actually did it. Although Mustang and the brothers can now leave, Wrath first stops Al due to the earlier noise and pierces his armor. Luckily the blade comes out clean as May and Xiao-Mei survive as they are small enough to hide in Al’s legs. After asking Mustang for money, the two leave.
Mustang runs outside, hoping to find Lt. Hawkeye, but finds Major Armstrong there instead, as Hawkeye takes a break and talks to Mustang when he returns. The brothers call Winry and check on her. She’s fine and happy that Ed called, even though it was weird. Ed doesn’t tell her about Wrath’s threat. While the brothers are at the phone booth, Greed finds them and hands them a piece of cloth with Xing written on it, which is given to Lan Fan of Ling. Still trying to find his way out of his thoughts about his father and his involvement in starting the civil war in Ishval, a wounded Scar stumbles upon Dr. Marcoh’s prison. When Marcoh realizes who Scar is, he explains that he is forced to help the Homunculus and reveals his role in the Ishval conflict. Ed and Al then split up and Al went to Dr. Knox to get May Chang treated and to deliver the news. When Knox complains about where he can sleep because they bring so many patients to his house, Lan Fan shows up. It turns out that Xing’s writing reveals to Lan Fan that Ling has obtained the Philosopher’s Stone, but Al has to let her know how it all happened.
Back at the military headquarters, Greed meets with Wrath and discusses how Ling accepted him into power. When Wrath comments on how Ling ended up being greedy and lost everything despite what he told him during their last meeting, Greed surprises Wrath by releasing Ling’s voice and telling him not to underestimate people. However, Greed is well aware of how Ling is keeping an eye out for an opportunity to take over. Meanwhile, Mustang explains the situation to Hawkeye and Armstrong in his car. Despite this, Armstrong refuses to quit because he still remembers how he fled the Ishval conflict and now knows that he must fight against what is wrong. Mustang also tells them his suspicions that he was being tested, because even if he removed Bradley from power, someone is still behind him, and Mustang can only truly feel human when he’s fighting monsters like Lust. After Al finishes his story about Ling’s situation, Lan Fan decides that she needs to replace her hand with automail as soon as possible, as there is still hope for her young lord. When Al asks to recover first, when he notices May at the door to the room and Lan Fan recognizes her name, she and May immediately engage in animosity due to their respective origins in their rival clans. Before they can engage in a full fight, Dr. Knox stops them from fighting in his house by hitting them both over the head with the food he brought. He threatens them by stating that there could be a pathogen he may have accidentally left in his house that could expose everyone if they continue their fight.
While he and Xiao-Mei help Dr. Knox clean the kitchen, Al learns about his estranged wife and son from an old photograph, but is dismayed when the doctor discards it. As for Ed, he goes to help clean up some of the destruction from their fight yesterday and notices that he can use alchemy again. Interestingly, some MPs told him that some other alchemists had not used alchemy earlier that day. Ed realizes that the time corresponds to when his father ended their alchemy. Shortly after, Ed remembers that May Chang and Scar could still use their alchemy, and realizes that finding the secrets of other forms of alchemy may be the key to confronting his father and getting Al’s body back without using the Philosopher’s Stone. He also realizes that he still has the gun that Hawkeye gave him and decides to return it.
In the underground, where the father is shown sitting on his throne recreating Gluttony by allowing it to grow from his body, Marcoh explains to Scar how he was forced to make the Philosopher’s Stone from the lives of the Ishvalans, and begs Scar to kill him. before they use it in their latest plan. But Scar angrily responds by wanting to know the details of what really happened during the Ishval conflict.