The Führer's Son

Edward and Alphonse comb Central asking residents whether anyone has spotted the odd black-and-white creature that follows May Chang. Far away in East City, May bumps into an elderly stranger, mentions she is changing trains on her way to the northern region, and hurries off to rejoin a hooded traveling partner. In the western sewers, Scar and his companion shake off pursuing military police, though Kimblee, reviewing the aftermath, notes the fugitive is leaving an unusually loud trail as his unit boards a westbound train.

At Hughes' resting place Mustang leaves flowers and falls into conversation with the same old woman, only to recognize her as Lieutenant General Grumman in disguise. Grumman recounts being demoted east after brushing off Raven's pitch about deathless soldiers, and Mustang lays out the corruption festering in Central Command, using the collapse of Reole as evidence. Their exchange sharpens Grumman's own appetite for action, and he spots a sketch of May's little pet among Mustang's papers as they part.

Searching the National Central Library for material on alkahestry, the brothers turn up almost nothing. Major Armstrong passes Edward a secret tip that May headed north, plus a family letter of introduction directing them to Fort Briggs and its fearsome commander. An overexcited boy fawning over the Fullmetal Alchemist turns out to be Selim Bradley, the Führer's son, and the Elrics are hosted at the executive residence, unsettled to watch the homunculus King Bradley behave as a loving husband and father. Resolving to find May quickly, the brothers ride north as Scar and Marcoh again slip Kimblee's grasp in the forests near West City.

May Chang passes through East City bound for the north, briefly meeting the disguised Grumman. Mustang and Grumman confer at Hughes' grave and align their ambitions against Central's leadership. Armstrong points the Elrics toward Fort Briggs and Major General Armstrong, handing over a sealed letter of recommendation. The brothers meet Selim Bradley and dine with the Bradley family, confirming the Führer's household seems oblivious to his true nature. Scar and Marcoh evade Kimblee once more, and the Elrics board a train for their first trip to the North Area.

The installment draws on the manga chapters covering the 520 cens promise and the northern wall of Briggs. The array behind the title card comes from Alex Louis Armstrong's gauntlets, and the episode marks the debut of Edward's fur-trimmed cloak in the 2009 series. Several beats are anime-original: Bradley never joins the family gathering in the manga, where the brothers simply remain in the library, and Kimblee's brush with the disguised Grumman plus his tracking of Scar do not appear on the page. The original Japanese makes Kimblee's recognition of Grumman clearer than the dub. For the Adult Swim airing, the closing shot of the brothers riding north was trimmed for commercial time.