Man:
If he's really a prophet, who can make miracles whenever he wants, then why is it turning out like this?

Military:
Please, cease fighting. Surrender, and the military will not hurt either side. Surrender. This is your final warning.

Boy:
But Rose, isn't it bad we're not fighting too?

Rose:
What for?

Lust:
Look at them all. Humans are foolish beyond salvation.

Gluttony:
Foolish! Foolish!

Envy:
Don't be so hard on them. After all our planning, I think this mayhem feels nice.

Lust:
Well if it isn't our personal prophet.

Gluttony:
Work well!

Envy:
Please. I only mobilized the believers. Before long, believers find differences between each other, and fight. It's only better now, with the military stepping into help.

Lust:
No matter how many times they repeat the lesson, they never learn. Human beings are foolish, miserable things, aren't they?

Envy:
All this production, just to make a Philosopher's Stone. 'Least I can change now.
Back into this adorable form.

Lust:
That one again? You love making yourself young.

Envy:
What else can I do? I've forgotten what I originally looked like.

Cray:
Wha-What are you doing here? Where is Father Cornello? The real one! What have you done with him?

Lust:
What should we say?

Envy:
Why don't we tell him the truth, Lust? Cornello's been gone a rather long time.

Gluttony:
Can I eat him?

Al:
Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth.


Envy:
Come to mention it, I did hear some juicy information. That curiosity of ours has left Central, heading eastward.

Lust:
You mean the State Alchemist Killer? Hmm. The Flame Colonel's in the East, now. Who else?

Envy:
Well you know the Fullmetal pipsqueak is there.

Lust:
Yes. Right now, that boy is the closest one to our goal. We can't afford to have him moving around, acting on behalf of his own interests. Not anymore.

Gluttony:
I'm done Lust.

Lust:
Now, what have I told you? Wipe your mouth, Gluttony.

Gluttony:
Sorry.

Lust:
So, what of this killer?

Mustang:
We call him Scar. That a codename?

Hughes:
I don't know, it's all that we've got. Several eyewitnesses have described a man with a large scar on his forehead, fleeing the scenes of the murders.

Mustang:
And you're sure he killed them all? Five well-trained State Alchemists, all by himself?

Hughes:
Nine, actually. Five kills in Central. Four of 'em alchemists. Cops have turned up five more State Alchemists in various other parts of the country. If you throw in aides and guards who got in the way, it's into the dozens. We know it's him because the M.O.'s identical. And it's not the kind of thing you can copy-cat. He explodes their brains, Roy. And we don't know why he's doing it. Everybody's panicked they'll be next.

Mustang:
So all of Central Command made the excuse they were with the Fuhrer, and came here en masse, thinking not even a killer would come to this backwoods place.

Hughes:
You're here, after all. Those up the chain that gave you this demotion of a transfer three years ago, they're aware of your abilities. You're protection for them.

Mustang:
Hell, Maes, now you're getting me shaken up.

Hughes:
So that's the big question; Who'll be the next target?

Woman:
Pardon me?

Hughes:
Oh, thanks, I'm very flattered, but I have a three year old girl, see.

Woman:
You have a call.

Hughes:
Oh. Right, sorry.
Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. Go ahead.
Understood. I'll be right there.
Well our question's been answered. They've found a soldier, dead at his guard station.

Mustang:
Skull blown up from the inside?

Man:
Doctor Marcoh?

Boy:
You mean Master Mauro?

Al:
No. Marcoh.

Man:
Sorry. This village only has one doctor, and Master Mauro's his name.

Man:
As you can see, folks don't have much money here. Travel's hard. It used to take a half-day trip to East City to see a doctor, before he came.

Woman:
He's a nice man. He'll take in any patient. Even people they said were incurable, elsewhere.

Man:
When I got my leg caught under the tractor, and thought I was done, he fixed me like you couldn't even tell it had happened.

Girl:
He treated me when I was sick, too. There was big flash of light.

Al:
Flash of light.

Ed:
Yeah, it's gotta be alchemy. This is Doctor Marcoh.

Al:
But he's a fugitive. Why would he become a miracle-performing doctor? He had to know it would draw attention.

Ed:
Down!

Al:
Why?

Ed:
Al!

Al:
This is a bad idea. I'm filling up with straw.
Who's that?

Ed:
A State Alchemist. I recognize him from HQ. He's one of the guys who came in with the Fuhrer.

Al:
But why's he here? Did he follow us?

Ed:
I don't how else to explain it. The Colonel said he's never reported Marcoh's whereabouts to Central Command.
Come on, Al. We'd better go straight to Marcoh's from here.
Easy there, doc, we don't want any trouble.

Marcoh:
I know what you want. You said you're a State Alchemist. You think you can take me back there!

Al:
Then, you are Doctor Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist? Is that really true?

Marcoh:
No! No more questions or orders. I couldn't bare it, going back to that place.

Ed:
That's not it! Listen!

Al:
Put the gun down. Please.

Marcoh:
Or have you come to silence me? Think you can kill me? Well I don't have to just let that happen!

Ed:
Al?

Al:
It's all okay. Shoot if you want, but I won't die. You're the only one who might get hurt.

Marcoh:
I see. You're him. You're the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Ed:
No, for the hundredth time. That name belongs to me.

Marcoh:
So I deserted the battlefield. And when I left, I stole all the research I'd compiled at the time; Their books, my notes. I have a hunch the military's still looking for me so they can see what I found out.

Ed:
That's it! Why he sent us! We're researching human transmutation.

Marcoh:
Forget it. I can't show you my work. The orders from above notwithstanding, I dirtied my hands with that research. Then the military, they put it to use on those people in that Eastern Rebellion massacre.

Ed:
You mean the uprising in Ishbal? That is what you're talking about, right?

Marcoh:
Armageddon. That's the only word that fits that battle. Women, children, it didn't matter, everyone was killed. And there wasn't any real reason. All they said was the people of Ishbal defied them. Spoke out against the system. What I was responsible for, I could never make up, even taking my life would be a token gesture. So I decided to vanish, and become a doctor. Help people, and slowly work off some fraction of the debt. Now get out.

Ed:
I'm a ranking State Alchemist! I have a right to that research and anything else you know!

Marcoh:
You're way too small for these concerns. I bet you were blinded by the abundant privileges, access to research, and prestige. So you joined their ranks. A foolish mistake. If you had been there during the rebellion, you'd feel the same way.

Ed:
I know that! I know what we're doing is stupid, okay! It's not your problem.
Look!

Al:
Doctor Marcoh, about five years ago, you treated some babies in Xenotime. I just want you to know they're fine now. The red water's gone.
Brother, what are you doing?

Ed:
Guesswork.

Marcoh:
Don't need circles.

Ed:
Is this the Red Water from Xenotime? No, it looks a lot clearer.

Marcoh:
Stop!

Al:
Brother!

Ed:
Get off of me!

Al:
This is wrong.

Ed:
He's on to something!

Al:
Ed!

Ed:
Let go!
It's not really a liquid.

Al:
No, it's not. It's looks more like that ring the Priest in Liore had.

Grand:
The Sage's Stone, The Celestial Stone, The Great Elixir, The Red Tincture, The Next Element. Did you really think a substance of so many names would be limited to just the form of a stone?

Ed:
Brig- Brigadier Grand.

Marcoh:
Brigadier Basque? Well, you've wormed your way up.

Grand:
You're damn right, Crystal Alchemist. And now you'll turn the Philosopher's Stone and your research over to me.

Ed:
Philosopher's Stone? That thing?

Grand:
An experimental leap at best, roulette at worst. You never know when it will reach its limit and backfire. An unstable, defective product, different from the true stone. But during the rebellion, it did augment our abilities. And make us tremendously powerful.

Al:
You're saying the military hasn't just looked for the Stone, in the past it's worked to develop it?

Ed:
Never mind that it isn't perfect, it was made by human hands, and it worked. That proves the concept is possible! The Philosopher's Stone's not a myth! Where are the design specs?

Grand:
And what do you mean to do with it when you see it? Increase your meddling, Fullmetal? This research is top secret, and falls under my jurisdiction. I can't permit you access to it. Let's go!

Marcoh:
No! Let go of me! Please! I'm sorry I ran! Have mercy! You can't take me back! I can't go back to that place! It's too much! I can't take it! The testing. The experiments! My hands are already stained! Please!

Ed:
This is just like before.

Al:
Brother?

Ed:
Maybe I haven't grown an inch since then. But I can't let my heart stay stunted, too!
Who is that?

Scar:
Finally. The Iron Blood Alchemist. Basque Grand.

Grand:
Your timing's too bad. Just as I got my hands on this.

Ed:
Get away!

Ed:
That face! That's the guy I saw in Central, three years ago. I'm sure of it. But never mind that. This is messed up. My mind's telling me to run, but my legs are frozen stiff.

Scar:
Crystal Alchemist Doctor Marcoh, I heard you were dead. I'll have to take special care... ...to wash you out of this world for your transgressions.

Marcoh:
I see. Yes, go ahead. How can I protest?

Scar:
In the name of the great almighty One, thou shalt perish.

Marcoh:
It's okay. Leave me behind.

Ed:
You've really got to work on that attitude.

Scar:
Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, you won't escape either.

Ed:
He knows my name, too? What's going on here? What have I ever done to make enemies? Okay, bad question. But nothing bad enough to kill me over!

Al:
Brother. This way.

Al:
Come on!

Ed:
Who in the hell are you? What are you coming after us for?

Scar:
If you're the creators of this society, there must also be destroyers.

Marcoh:
You can't understand. Please, Ed, leave me and run!

Scar:
You have a kind look in your eyes. My older brother's were exactly the same. Eyes that were strong, and peered into the endless distance, as if seeing something we could not. It was three years ago, yes. I was glad to hear you'd given up being a State Alchemist, so I could take you off my list. But now...

Ed:
Yeah, now. Too bad, isn't it?

Scar:
Too slow.

Al:
Brother!

Ed:
Al!

Scar:
Don't mistake your fortune. That alchemy was designed for human flesh. That's why you escaped with only a dent, this time. Stay out of this. My only enemies are State Alchemists, and those who stand between.

Ed:
But why? Why are you after us?

Scar:
Alchemists are those who take things away from their natural form and convert them into something grotesque. In hubris, they profane God, Creator of all, claiming they have a better design. I come as a right hand, an agent of God, to carry out his judgments.

Al:
I'm an alchemist, too. I may not have a state certification, but...

Scar:
Why do you seek death?

Al:
I don't. But you mentioned you had an older brother, didn't you? Then you should understand why I can't just sit by and watch my brother get killed. Even you should--

Scar:
I do. I understand exactly how it feels to watch your brother murdered before your eyes, when you can't do a thing. In fact, maybe... I'll show Ed.
I told you, you're too slow.
Auto-mail. So your right arm begets nothing but destruction, also.

Ed:
Don't you start with that. We're nothing alike, pal.
That State Alchemist, what's he doing here?

Al:
You've come for Doctor Marcoh?

Armstrong:
I'm sorry I'm late. The Lieutenant Colonel ordered me to tail you as protection.

Ed:
What? You mean Hughes did?

Armstrong:
I heard you on my way in here. You say you're an agent of God. Well, then why don't you try passing judgment on me? That's Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist!

Scar:
What a righteous day this is turning into. That you would come here, and save me the tribulations of finding you. Blessed God, full of grace.

Armstrong:
Don't pray just yet. You're facing the technique that's been passed down the Armstrong line for generations. That's hardly a blessing.
Next shot!

Rose:
As you can see, it's only children here. I doubt the guerillas you're looking for are four-feet tall.

Man:
Does this mean you've abandoned the so-called teachings of your little priest? All right then. Tell us where the rebel faction is that's resisting the military governance.

Rose:
Why should I?

Man:
We came to liberate this town from that tyrant Cornello. We're trying to help you. What, are you blind?

Rose:
You're not interesting in helping. You're here for control. This is our village, not yours. We're the only ones who can make it better. We'll fix it ourselves. We've got legs, we'll get up and use them!

Ed:
You dropped this.

Marcoh:
But isn't this what you're after? Didn't you think about taking it yourself, and leaving?

Ed:
Of course. And a younger me would have walked with it, without a second thought. But I can't forget the faces of all those people we saw today, and you use that in their treatments, right?
That Stone belongs to them. So do you.
You ready?
Then let's head out. We've got to find someplace where the military and that killer won't find us.

Marcoh:
You think we can escape?

Ed:
You've got legs, don't you? Let's put them to work.


Ed:
Fullmetal Alchemist.

Al:
Episode 15. The Ishbal Massacre.
We didn't know anything about the bloodshed. But you can't use ignorance to escape responsibility. Not with him.