While visiting the grave of Maes Hughes, Winry meets Sheska.
Meanwhile, after the tractor they were using breaks down and then explodes, the Elric brothers have to continue their journey on foot to Ishval, as Ed (whose explosion has messy hair) complains that there’s no other way to get there but to go inside . heat. Arriving in a nearby town, Ed hopes to find a replacement vehicle so they can continue their journey to Ishval. However, Al starts an argument about Ed’s impulsive nature and inability to thoroughly plan ahead, as well as their mission to stop Scar. Al worries that if he stops Scar, it could affect their mission to recover their bodies. When Al states that it is better to deal with the Homunculi first, it results in a fight between him and Ed, using the transmuted items against each other. Al sees Ed as stubborn, complains about it, and Ed angrily leaves on his own.
At a restaurant in Central City, Winry and Sheska take the time to clear up their names, having met briefly once at Elicia’s birthday. Sheska reveals that she investigated Hughes’ death and discovered some unusual information, and only Winry can tell because Sheska can’t trust anyone in the state military, not even Colonel Mustang.
Sheska takes Winry back to her house. Winry refuses to read all the books Sheska has, so Sheska summarizes for her that when Hughes was investigating Lab 5 and the Ishval Civil War, he was probably killed for revealing a deep secret that no one was supposed to know.
As Ed has trouble adjusting to Al not being there, Al walks alone and realizes that the woman is a few steps ahead of them. Someone taps Al’s armor, who at first Al thinks is Ed, but is actually the snake chimera Martel.
In Central, Sheska reveals that the mystery of Hughes’ death has to do with the Führer’s secretary Douglas, the woman who started the war in Ishval. Sheska reveals that Douglas did indeed die two years before the war with conclusive proof sent from her hometown, with her name not removed from the active duty list, and that if Douglas were truly alive today, her age would be in her 50s instead of 30. . Sheska believes that Douglas is an alien, but Winry shoots that theory down. Sheska admits that she cannot monitor Douglas’s activities because her position as a records officer in the army is temporary and that Douglas is always with the Führer. Winry suggests they tap her phone line instead.
Al learns that Martel has been following him and Ed for information on the other Homunculi.
At Central HQ, once dressed in one of Sheska’s military uniforms, Winry has to hide her face when she sees Lt. Ross and Sgt. Brosh because he’s met them before, though Ross notices something. To Sheska’s surprise, Winry is able to easily open the door locks and lead them to an underground tunnel where the phone lines are connected. After setting up the connection for the headphones, both girls wait.
Meanwhile, Al questions Martel’s goal as it would waste the victim of Greed and the other chimeras who died protecting her, and Martel points out that she has nowhere to go because she is a chimera. Al leaves stating that he won’t let Martel do as she pleases because he understands how similar she is to Scar. As Ed continues his search, he remembers a similar incident from the past.
The wiretapping of Winry and Shesky is successful when Envy contacts Douglas (Sloth) to complain about his current mission in the North. When Winry recognizes Envy’s name, Douglas notices the static caused by the wiretapping and orders Envy to hang up while she fixes the problem. As Winry and Sheska prepare to leave, the sloth appears in its full aquatic form and the two young girls are forced to flee in terror. Meanwhile, Ross and Brosh rush in their direction, with Ross believing that the girl she saw earlier was Winry. Just before Winry and Sheska reach the exit, Winry trips and a sloth’s face appears, which Winry recognizes as that of Ed and Al’s mom. Before Sloth can finish off the two girls, Ross and Brosh arrive and force her to retreat. Meanwhile, Ed, remembering that Al was near the river when he escaped earlier, is able to find Al, who now agrees that stopping Scar comes first. He doesn’t have to walk to Ishval because Martel arrives on a motorcycle with a sidecar attached. Ed, who doesn’t know her, graciously accepts, while Al quietly states that he hasn’t given up on stopping her. As Martel drives them on their way, the Elrics remember the arguments they had in the past.