Colonel Mustang and Lt. Hawkeye meet 2nd Lt. Ross at the hospital in Central. He gives them the bills the Elrics have collected during their stay. As Mustang demands where they went, Ross stutters while Hawkeye notices the map the Elrics left behind. Just then, a mysterious couple barges in and the woman demands to know where the Elrics are. Before a confrontation breaks out, her husband notices the map, so they take it and leave.
The Elrics and Winry arrive in Rush Valley, home to many Automail engineers and vendors, which Winry switches to the latest designs. Meanwhile, at the automail shop, a girl named Paninya asks her master, Dominic, for new mail, which he refuses, and also refuses a rude customer’s request, as he only gives out automail to people who really need it. The Elrics and Winry stumble upon an automail competition in the lever, and the Elrics quickly learn why the challengers are losing. Paninya then comes out to prove the power of her automail, having been taunted by a rude customer from earlier. Unaware that the fight promoter was cheating through alchemy with a hidden transmutation ring under the table, Paninya also loses and runs away after being further taunted. When the promoter first insults Ed’s height, then his automatic arm, which Winry insults, he encourages Ed to win, which he does by ripping off part of the champions right shoulder. Later, when the two confront the group and demand that Ed return their cheating bounty via alchemy, Ed reveals their earlier cheating and Winry angrily responds by beating both men and the Elrics with a key.
Meanwhile, at Central, Mustang and Hawkeye meet with Major Armstrong to discuss Hughes’ death. While Armstrong can’t say anything other than that it’s an individual from the Elric investigation, Mustang suspects it’s related to the possibility of the State Army trying to create the Philosopher’s Stone, and someone higher in rank than himself has ordered Armstrong to stay quietly. Back in Rush Valley, Al wonders where Winry went and points out that Ed shouldn’t have cheated, while Winry runs into Paninya again. Noticing that Paninya’s legs are also automatic, Winry looks at her arm with automatic mail and realizes that it is a high performance design that needs a minor repair. In response to Winry’s question, Paninya reveals that it is due to a train accident that cost her both legs and her right arm, and she was an orphan on the street until Dominic found her and gave her an automail. Paniya reveals that her dream is to put Dominic’s skills to good use. Winry decides to pit her automail against Ed to help Paninya trust her automail. That night at Dominic’s shop while fixing Paninya’s arm Dominic is in a big shock after Winry reveals her name and Dominic remembers Winry’s grandmother Pinako who is afraid and after noticing what Winry is doing he leaves them their work.
The next day after meeting the Elrics, Winry tricks Ed into taking out his State Alchemist pocket watch that Paninya stole and threatens to take it to a pawn shop. After a hearty chase across the rooftops of Rush Valley, Paninya seemingly walks into a trap after jumping into an alley, only to reveal that her right automail leg has a hidden cannon before fleeing back to the rooftop. As she worries about Ed, he makes a surprise attack and retrieves his pocket watch from Paninya. But when her right automail leg breaks, threatening to fall off the roof, Ed saves Paninya by transforming several stone hands from the side of the building. After Ed criticizes her for trying to beat him in automail, Paninya and Al return to Dominic. After Dominic berates Paninya for her foolish quest, Al makes her realize that Dominic was trying to teach her that the automail is designed as a vital replacement for her lost limbs and not for show. At Central, Sheska is horrified when Mustang informs her that the investigation into Hughes’ death has been suspended. Major General Hakuro arrives accompanied by another man and harshly mentions Mustang’s move to Central just as an upset Sheska leaves.
As Al prepares to return to their hotel room, he recognizes two familiar people, the same couple that Mustang met recently. Back in their room, Winry mentions the possibility of Ed growing, but wonders if he wanted automail and promises to study harder so he doesn’t become a handicap. Despite this, Ed admits that he still wants his original arm and leg back. Al returns with bad news. Ed recognized the man behind him and fainted in despair.