Chapter 49: A Monster Among Men

Edward, Mustang and the rest stare aghast at a clean gouge torn from the safe house wall and the trench it carved across the earth. The once-placid Gluttony now hunches on all fours, his restraints inexplicably broken and writhing teeth jutting out along his torso.

Inside the executive residence, Pride speaks to Bradley out of the shadows, having caught word of Scar's escape; Wrath counters that Gluttony has been seized, and Pride marvels that the humans keep making fools of them. Wrath finds it amusing that homunculi who gripped the nation for centuries are suddenly run ragged by a handful of people, and welcomes the challenge as a sign that the young may be rising. Pride warns that Wrath has spent too long among humans yet agrees not to carry the words to Father, asking instead what will be done about Gluttony. Wrath knows both the homunculus' rough position and the identities of his captors, Hawkeye and Mustang.

Down in the homunculi's lair, Envy brings food to the imprisoned Dr. Marcoh, reminding him that as a candidate Human Sacrifice he must keep up his strength. Refusing the meal, Marcoh reveals how much he has already worked out: the homunculi mean to turn all of Amestris into one enormous Philosopher's Stone through a nationwide transmutation circle, and the shape of that circle marks the North as the next site of slaughter. Envy admits he is close to the truth, then Wrath enters and orders him to fetch Gluttony from Mustang's group.

At the safe house, Hawkeye edges closer to investigate and is nearly killed as Gluttony's new mouth, a cavernous maw running the length of his body and lined with rib-like teeth around a sideways eye, eats away her rifle barrel. Mustang bursts out with the Elrics and Knox, warning her not to provoke the creature, which seems fixed on him alone. Deciding flame is their only recourse, Mustang unleashes an inferno, but it is simply drawn in and swallowed by the eye at the heart of the abyss. Terrified, he flees into the trees with the brothers, and though they scatter to confuse the beast, Gluttony locks onto Mustang until Hawkeye's paired pistols spoil his aim.

Wounded and spent, Roy collapses, while Knox and Ling load Lan Fan into the car. Edward buys time with a transmuted Mustang dummy long enough for the group to regroup. Ed reminds the reluctant Colonel that he must return to confirm and act on the truth about Bradley, so Mustang, Hawkeye, Knox and Lan Fan speed toward the city while Ed, Al and Ling stay to wring more from Gluttony. Hawkeye presses a loaded pistol into Ed's hand, and despite the memory of Winry in the alley, he grimly accepts it.

As the car races off, a black horse gallops toward the forest. The boys cower as Gluttony shrieks for the blood of whoever slew Lust, but at a signal from Ling and Shao May they halt at the sight of the horse, which speaks aloud to command Gluttony to stand down. Recognizing Ling, the horse then shifts into Envy, who greets the Fullmetal pipsqueak.

Gluttony breaks free and reveals a full-body devouring maw that swallows even Mustang's flames. Marcoh deduces the nationwide transmutation circle and names the North as its next target. Mustang's group retreats while the Elrics and Ling stay behind, and Envy arrives disguised as a talking black horse.

Envy's correction of Marcoh points to the fact that the homunculi founded Amestris itself for the express purpose of building a nationwide transmutation circle, not because they moved there to make one. His jab about a soldier he once killed refers to Maes Hughes. Cowering before Gluttony, Ed puzzles over where all the massive objects the homunculus devours actually go.