Cold Flame

Seventeenth in the Brotherhood series, this chapter builds the case against Maria Ross as investigator Henry Douglas confronts her with a matching bullet and a witness account that no alibi can counter. A prison break engineered by Barry the Chopper frees both Ross and Ling, but the escape ends with Mustang seemingly reducing Ross to ash, an act that turns Edward's grief into rage against the colonel.

Douglas leans on Ross with the round that killed Hughes and a requisition slip, dismissing her account of firing at Laboratory 5 since the ruined site offers no proof. Turned away at the gate, Armstrong learns that Brosh's corroborating report is being ignored and concludes the arrest is a setup. After Falman spots the news and alerts Mustang, Barry smashes into Central Prison, springs Ling once he hears the prince hails from Xing, then breaks Ross free and convinces her that flight is her only chance against a rigged trial. The fugitives cross paths with the brothers before Ross runs into Mustang, whose flame alchemy appears to kill her on the spot; Alphonse has to hold back a furious Edward, and the colonel coldly claims he merely carried out orders. A coroner named Knox confirms the body as Ross while pinning the deed on a vengeful Mustang. Elsewhere Ling grills fish outside Falman's building as a beacon for Fu and Lan Fan, and Armstrong, secretly acting under orders, hauls Edward off toward Resembool while Alphonse stays behind. Learning Barry survived, Lust sets his animal-minded human body loose to hunt down his hollow shell.

Barry's manga remark that Ross does not look like a murderer is left out, likely for pacing. Doctor Knox's disgust at the Hero of Ishval turning such power on a young woman carries an added sting, since incinerating people is exactly how he earned that title.