What is it? It's the middle of the night.
Oh, there's just something that was concerning me.
If it's about Scar, I still don't have anything. Or is this about Marcoh, in the care of the Fuhrer?
Yeah, there is that too,
but lately, it feels like we haven't even appeared...
That idiot. He doesn't know how I feel.
I wonder if you shouldn't have also reported to Col. Mustang.
About the brothers, I mean.
We don't need to tell him. Not yet.
The group that I was going to send to the library for security is standing by.
They should be more reliable than I am for now.
Does that mean...?
Yeah.
On my own authority, I approve the entrance and investigation of the site of the 5th Laboratory.
However, get ready to be punished.
I hate that place!
It's been a long time, huh, boy?
But then, I guess it was four years ago that you first saw me.
That night, with the pretty fireworks.
Who in the world are you...?
That other guy said you were a Homunculus.
But that couldn't be.
Oh, why is that?
A Homunculus is an artificially created person.
A man who isn't a man...
But there has never been anyone who could create one.
It's impossible!
Impossible? There's no such thing.
After all, there's a boy who is nothing but a soul standing in front of me.
You're not a person!
Can I eat him?
Man cannot obtain anything without first sacrificing something.
In order to obtain anything, something of equal value is required.
That is alchemy's Law of Equivalent Exchange.
At the time, we believed that to be the true way of the world.
I'm starting to understand the research that took place here.
The gist of it is the large-scale military use of alchemy.
In particular, research related to human transmutation.
They used these incomplete Philosopher's Stones.
Knowing you, it's possible that you can complete the Philosopher's Stones.
You know about how these things are manufactured?
No. By the time I was brought here, those had already been mass-produced and then abandoned.
The person who was in charge here before, Doctor Marcoh, must have left them behind.
What's that?
Regardless of what they are made from, do they have any meaning?
Even if the ingredients are people,
would you be able to turn them back?
In that case, making them into complete Stones would give them a lot more meaning.
I agree with him.
You?
As they are, their lives will have meant nothing at all.
But...
No meaning, huh?
Al, your life hasn't lost its meaning, huh?
You have overtime this late into the night?
F-Fuhrer! Sorry to cause a commotion!
I hear you have suspicions about the 5th Laboratory.
There have been rumors before now that I always overlooked,
thinking that Brigadier General Grand was working for the good of the military.
However, things are different, now that the lives of the two young alchemists are at stake.
I'll send a squad with the major, and come myself.
There's no way I'm going to have you guys go in alone.
Where is the scarred man?
He dropped into a nasty place.
I see. No matter.
Greed may be coming to interfere.
We'll have to get the Fullmetal boy to speed things up.
This is the area right above the transmutation circle, right?
They've been made into storage tanks, to supply the Philosopher's Stones in the room below us.
All right, I can use this.
You humans... really, a hundred years can go by, and you never change.
What's with that bastard?
Is he really a soldier?
Do you still think that person is his Excellency, Basque Grand?
His Excellency isn't that great a bigwig.
You say you're going to transmute in both rooms at the same time?
Yeah. The Philosopher's Stones in this room alone won't be enough,
and even Marcoh's research suggested a way of using two transmutation circles.
The Philosopher's Stones above, and the Philosopher's Stones here,
will collide with the two transmutation circles and condense together.
That kind of explosive power is necessary to refine them. I'm changing the transmutation circle, too.
A transmutation circle with seven corners...
First time I've seen one.
It just came to me.
If I succeed in creating a Philosopher's Stone,
I'm going to return Al to normal, and then disappear.
You can do whatever you want to after that.
I'm glad to hear that.
Let us out! Is anyone out there!?
Hey!
Stifle it, will you?
What are you all relaxed about?
Not even you, the comrade-killer, once known as the Crimson Alchemist,
can do anything about this, can you?
Do you know why I am called the comrade-killer?
Y-you blew your comrades all up, right? With bombs?
Bombs?
I have no need for such things.
The human body is composed of mostly water,
but there is a certain quantity of metallic atoms included within.
By making use of that composition, and a small amount of organic compounds,
I can easily transmute explosive materials.
And, surrounded by this much red water...
...my power becomes...
Why are there people here...?
Were there any other researchers left besides you?
What those people are wearing are prisoner uniforms.
Why are they here!? If I had transmuted without knowing they were there...!
You guys! Who brought you here!?
I did, Fullmetal Alchemist!
Under my orders, the prisoners from the 2nd Prison were relocated here.
And whose permission did you obtain to be here?
That was a close one.
The general died, right before my eyes.
Who are you?
Nice to meet you, Fullmetal Pipsqueak.
I'm impressed that you found your way here.
Just kidding, you good-for-nothing!
Whoa! My, you really are driven, huh, Pipsqueak?
That's too bad. I really hate fighting, you know?
You shut up with that "Pipsqueak" stuff!
You're the one who started this fight!
Good grief, you don't even know your own place.
Do you know who you're picking a fight with? Huh?
We've only kept you alive because we were told to keep you alive!
You're going to pay... You are definitely going to pay...
You, who carry his blood...!
Envy!
It's your fault for not thoroughly checking the ingredients.
You...!
You don't want this experience to become any more painful, right?
If not, would you be a good boy and continue with your transmutation for us?
We've had a setback, but there are still some ingredients remaining, and all...
Use these prisoners to create a Philosopher's Stone...?
You set this up for me to do from the start...?
You aren't going to say no to us.
Al!
Brother...
...these guys...
...they're Homunculi.
They couldn't be...
He's right.
These people are all Homunculus - "perfectly created humans".
They have promised to reveal their secrets to me.
Once they do, Nina will come back to life.
What's the point of bringing just her form back to life!? Nina's spirit won't be in there!
I do 00}have her spirit.
Right here.
The Nina that lives in my memories.
I will transplant all of it into the Homunculus Nina.
Once I do, the truly perfect Nina, the greatest one that I could desire, will be born.
Transplant... memories...?
That won't be Nina!
Okay, that's enough chit-chat.
Fullmetal Pipsqueak, why don't you start the transmutation already?
First, repair the ceiling.
This is a problem. We cannot use alchemy.
We have to ask someone else to do it.
You can't use alchemy? So then, why do you need the Philosopher's Stone?
Are you like Cornello?
Are you megalomaniacs, with designs on controlling the world?
We want to be human.
That's all.
If you're really Homunculi, then there must be an alchemist who created you.
And if even he couldn't create a Philosopher's Stone...
We weren't created by anyone! We were born!
All we can do, is dangle hints about the Philosopher's Stone,
leading those who desire the Stone to someday complete it.
Hold on. Then you're the ones who taught Mugwar how to use the red water...?
And informed Marcoh and Tucker here in this laboratory of different things...?
And in the town of Liore, gave Cornello that fake Philosopher's Stone...?
By doing so, you fools who held interest in the Philosopher' Stone would gather around.
And so, we found you.
And then I... ended up here...
No! Me and Al came this far for our own sakes!
Our long journey... we've finally arrived...!
Because that's what we wanted.
We aren't being controlled by anyone!
It's an equivalent exchange.
We teach you the way to refine the Philosopher's Stone,
and then you use the Stone, and turn us into humans.
I can't trust you.
Do not misunderstand. We are not asking you to do this.
This is an order.
After all the trouble it took to bond this soul, by doing this...
H-hey! Stop that! You stupid bitch!
Edward Elric, I...
It's simple.
Stop!
Please stop! Please, don't do anything else to my brother!
Brother!
Brother, it's all right. After all, I'm just...
Suppose you were an imitation. What would you do then?
Do you have any proof that you ever really existed?
You keep quiet, Al!
Brother, stop! Are you serious!?
What folly! I knew I should have sent him back to God.
The boy can do it. I'm sure of it.
Brother! Stop!
Brother, stop! Those people are human!
Yeah, that's right. So what?
I don't want to go back to my original body if it means sacrificing other humans!
You were aware of that from the beginning, when you tried to bring your mother back to life, weren't you?
Nothing else but a human life will do when it comes to human transmutation.
For someone to live, they must take from someone else's life, to some degree.
In order to accomplish something, a sacrifice must be made.
All grown-ups know that.
But, we didn't..!
You didn't care if you are cursed as dogs of the military?
That's what you decided when you entered adult society, isn't it?
Don't go turning back into children, now that it suits you.
So this is the truth behind truths, is it?
Brother!!
Al... if we give up here, then we'll never...
I'm sorry... Al...
I just can't...
Fullmetal Alchemist!
Take your brother and go!
Don't be ridiculous!
The older brother protects the younger one!
Al!
We cannot allow this to end just yet!
Oh, no...
Even with the unfinished Philosopher's Stone... With this much of it, the caster's power will be augmented.
Ready to charge in through the back entrance!
The surrounding area is also sealed off!
I repeat, secure the large suit of armor and the boy with the braid.
Take anyone who appears to be a civilian employee into custody.
And everyone else?
Mow them down!
Move in!
It couldn't be! The Crimson Alchemist...?
Edward!
The transmutation reaction is increasing without bound!
Lieutenant Ross!
Mom...?
Good work.
Fullmetal Alchemist!
Episode 23: "Fullmetal Heart"
Brother, what is it that you've been wanting to say for so long, but couldn't?
It's not, by any chance...?