Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 32 : The Führer's Son

   

 Edward and Alphonse walk around Central City looking for Mei Chang, asking the locals if they have seen her strange black and white cat. Meanwhile, in East City, Mei accidentally runs into a mysterious old woman, and while apologizing, she mentions that she switches trains in East City, but ends up heading to the North Region. As Mei excuses herself to join her traveling companion, a man with his face covered by a hooded cloak, the old woman notices Xiao-Mei and remarks what a strange cat she is.

In the sewers of the Western Region, Scar and his companion are being pursued by the military police. They manage to give them a slip; but the next day in Central City, Solf J. Kimblee and his men analyze the report and deduce that Scar's trail of destruction and reported sightings lead west of their location. However, Kimblee notes that Scar is much more conspicuous than usual. When he and his men arrive at the train station on their way west in pursuit of their quarry—who is said to be traveling with an older, black-haired gentleman who more or less matches Marco's description—Kimblee passes a mysterious old woman from the East Area station. and smiles to himself.

Roy delivers flowers to Hughes' grave and stands there in contemplation as a mysterious old woman comes and starts talking to him. He greets her kindly and engages her in conversation, but soon realizes with a start that the "woman" he's talking to is actually Lt. General Grumman in tow. Grumman explains that he received Roy's request to meet him in front of Hughes' grave and figured that any situation that would require his immediate and covert presence would also merit a proper disguise. He turned serious and asked Roy to explain what he needed.

Ed and Al head to the National Central Library, hoping to find some documentation on the properties of alkahestra in Mei's absence. At the cemetery, Roy explained what he found out about the corruption of Central Command. While chastising the Colonel for losing all of his trusted subordinates – effectively halting all of his own forward movement – ​​Grumman describes an interaction he had with General Raven the last time he was in the capital. Raven asked him if he would be interested in a corps of immortal soldiers, to which he replied that immortality was an inauspicious thing - immediately after that he was demoted to the Eastern Region and forced to deal with all the ugliness of that region. After wondering to himself if Raven was talking about the Homunculi, Mustang brings up the incident at Reola where Edward deposed the Letoist prophet Cornell. After Cornell's disappearance, the city fell into chaos, but Eastern Region forces quickly intervened and managed to keep the rebellion under control. That is, of course, until the Central City troops take official control and rid the Eastern City of its jurisdiction. The peace in Reola quickly crumbled and the riots began again with even greater force. Grumman wonders what the military command is up to and jokes that they should wait until he leaves before stirring up trouble. But Roy replies that the lieutenant general can't be serious, because a man like him, with squads of soldiers honed and hardened by the Ishval civil war, couldn't be content to sit idle in the countryside while things start to develop. interesting in the capital. Grumman laughs at Roy's veiled call to action, noting that his own ambitions have been rekindled. As they part, Grumman notices a small drawing among Mustang's papers - Xiao-Mei's drawing.

At the Central Library, the Elrics are having no luck finding the Alkahestra and wonder why such a complete document repository would have so little information about her. Edward is suddenly approached by Major Armstrong, who quietly mentions that Colonel Mustang has sent him to deliver a secret message: the girl the boys are looking for has been seen in East City, where she is said to have caught a train to the North Region. An excited Edward prepares to leave immediately, but Armstrong stops him and hands him a letter of introduction bearing the Armstrong family seal. He says it might not help much, but informs Edward that they should head straight for Fort Briggs - a fortress in the mountains north of North City's command center - where they should be able to find help from the infamous commander known as "The Northern Wall". of Briggs”: Major General Armstrong.

Heading further west with his masked companion, Scar once again escapes capture by hopping on a train bound for West City. Back at Central's library, Alphonse continues his futile search for information on alkahestria, and when he remembers Mei's remote transmutation at the station, he wishes he had access to the ability. As he laments that he neglected to ask her about it at Dr. Knox's, and recalls Ling's remark that alkahestia is primarily a medical practice, he is approached by a young boy who marvels at him and exclaims excitedly that he has finally met a younger brother. of the famous Fullmetal Alchemist. He questions what Alphonse is researching so diligently, and when Al explains that he is trying to find out about the alchemy used in the Xing nation, the little boy wonders why an alchemist skilled enough to become state certified in the world alchemical power of Amestris would bother. to glimpse the small art of a foreign country. Just then, Edward runs up and tells his brother that they are leaving town immediately. The little boy is even more excited by Edward's presence, but when he mentions Fullmetal's famously small figure, Edward's rage is quickly quelled by government bodyguards who step in with sidearms drawn and order Ed to back away from their charge - young Selim Bradley, son of the Führer.

The boys are invited back to the Executive Residence, where Selim and Mrs. Bradley explain that the young boy has been a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist for a long time and wants to become a State Alchemist himself to help his father. The Elrics are a bit disheartened when they hear this, but when they ask Selim and the First Lady about the Führer, they are shocked to hear him speak of him so naturally as a human. But the mood changes somewhat when King Bradley himself comes home to greet the boy and his family. Ed and Al are a little taken aback as they watch the Bradley family interact so lovingly with each other, but the Führer's veiled remarks about his previous threats remind them of his power and their position. King gets busy and has Lt. Hawkeye follow him. As the boys leave the grounds that evening, concerned that King Bradley's family seems unaware that their husband and father is a Homunculus, they decide to head north to find Mei so that all of this business can end as quickly as possible.

Scar rides the train under the cover of night, telling his companion that he will arrive at the heir's destination in the morning. However, when Kimblee's men arrive at West City Station the next day, Scar and Marcoh are nowhere to be found. Examining the local train tracks, Kimblee deduces that the fugitives must have jumped off the train at a crossing as it slowed to take a curve, and wonders if they fled north or south of the tracks. Meanwhile, Scar and his companion flee through the dense forests, one step ahead of Kimblee's guesses. Ed and Al take the train north and note that this will be their first visit to the Northern Territory.