Summary:
After Alphonse fashions a new mask for Ling’s companion identical to the one Edward destroyed, the Elrics leave Rush Valley by train and head for Central City with Winry and Ling in tow – much to Ed’s chagrin. Ling apologizes for the earlier actions of his companions and explains that both the young girl Lan Fan and the old man Fu belong to a clan that has served his own family for generations. While Winry notes that she hasn’t seen one of Ling’s servants since they left, Alphonse and Edward comment on how Ling must be from a well-to-do Xingese family to be constantly guarded by vassals.In the center, 2nd Lt. Jean Havoc enters a dilapidated apartment building with a basket of food and reports at the entrance of a specific unit. The door is immediately opened by plainclothes Warrant Officer Vato Falman, who thanks Jean for the visit as he carries a basket into the flat – the apparent contents of which are a gun and fresh ammunition. Falman regrets his current mission and longs for the day when he can return to his regular duties as he and Havoc are reunited with Falman’s temporary charge and roommate: Barry Chopper. While Barry and Jean have a friendly chat, Falman asks about news of the Colonel and the outside world. Havoc replies that he hasn’t seen much of the Colonel in the past few days, surmising that the heavy paperwork may be either the cause or a cover for something more secretive in the making, and is unable to give Vato an estimate of how much longer he’ll have to watch over Barry here, but notes, that he has some good news: that he finally found a new girlfriend in Central City.At the central headquarters, Sheska is unusually agitated when a fellow receptionist asks her for the key to the third document storage room. Panicking, Sheska awkwardly convinces her friend to come to the room later to retrieve the key, and once the coast clears, she checks the room itself to find Colonel Mustang dozing inside, surrounded by texts. He wakes up the colonel and informs him that he slept for about ten minutes, to which Roy replies that he needs to get to the upcoming Military Council meeting and will be back when the meeting is over. As a worried Sheska watches the Mustang drive away, she doesn’t notice Captain Focker appear behind her until he asks what the Colonel was doing in the Document Repository without permission. Sheska apologizes for allowing the colonel to enter the record vault, but when Focker graciously exonerates her, she mentions that Mustang was researching lists of executed prisoners at the Central Penitentiary, military headquarters records of state alchemist activities, information regarding Central Alchemy Laboratory #5. and the murder of Maes Hughes. As Focker ponders this information, Sheska notes that the bullet found in Hughes’ body was the same caliber used in state military weapons, and wonders if a kind person like Hughes could really have been murdered by one of his fellow officers. Captain Focker comforts Sheska and advises her to get back to her work and stop worrying, but as he leaves, Sheska’s words seem to have affected him greatly. However, his attention is drawn when he sees another Captain Focker absentmindedly walking down the corridor towards him. When the second Focker passes, the first quickly changes form to resemble another military officer before being seen – revealing himself to be Envy in disguise.In the washroom, Roy is cleaning up for the council meeting and runs into Major Alex Louis Armstrong, who greets him kindly, noting that he met Edward Elric in the Southern Region a while ago. On his turn, Roy mentions that Fullmetal will soon be sixteen, and wonders if he will restore his body and leave the State Alchemist program by then, or be sent to the battlefield. With these words, Major Armstrong recalls his youth on the front of the Ishval Civil War. So he was horrified by the seemingly senseless slaughter of innocents, and because he disobeyed the orders of his superiors, he was soon sent back to Central while the others remained, killing and dying. Back in the present, Armstrong questions whether the state’s military would really send a young boy like Ed to such a battlefield. Roy claims that Edward knew the risks when he joined the State Alchemist program, but Alex chides him for resorting to cold, uncaring logic to justify such actions. Roy replies that Alex – as a soldier – should not condemn military rule, to which Alex replies that he does not, merely suggesting that personal power such as his own should ideally be used to protect the nation and its weak or . powerless citizens. He believes that with the civil war behind him, it may be time for the country to change, and slyly mentions that such a change would require a leader who understands the agony of war and can aim for the top with a level head. Roy casually brushes off the agreement, but as Armstrong turns to leave, Mustang asks him if he told the Elrics about Hughes’ death. Alex replies that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Roy reveals that he uncovered a lot in his investigation – the true main component of the Philosopher’s Stone and the facility where they were created, as well as the fact that Maes was killed because he stuck his neck in the case with Elric. brothers and discovered something dangerous. As the two men exit the restroom in different directions, Armstrong warns Mustang to be careful because anyone could be listening.In their underground lair, Envy discusses Mustang’s recent snooping with Lust, who laments that her attempt to keep the Flame Alchemist under closer watch by having him transported to Central is falling by the wayside and that the prime candidate for Human Sacrifice is causing so much trouble. Envy asks if Lust has been able to gain anything from her “connections”, but – although she believes her new resource will be fruitful – the answer is no. Suddenly, Envy gets an idea to get the Colonel to stop poking around.In town the next day, Second Lieutenant Maria Ross is publicly arrested by the military police as the prime suspect in Maes Hughes’ murder, to her obvious shock and horror. As she is whisked away, Jean Havoc cheerfully arrives at a restaurant across town for a date with his new girlfriend “Solaris” – unaware that the woman who greets him is Homunculus Lust. Meanwhile, Edward, Alphonse and Winry finally arrive in Central City.