Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 19: Death of the Undying

Colonel Roy Mustang stands in his office, his face a grim mask against the setting sun as he hears the sounds of violence over the telephone. He shouts for Elizabeth, his subordinate, but the line cuts, replaced by the chilling silence of a life taken. A woman's motionless hand lies in a pool of blood, confirming his worst fears about the Third Research Laboratory. Mustang's trembling hand as he hangs up shows the burden of command and the personal stakes involved in this deadly game.

In a hotel room, Alphonse Elric discusses the military's suspicious moves with Winry Rockbell and Ling Yao. Ling reveals that Mustang is targeting high-ranking officials connected to a secret lab. Al connects this to Hughes's murder, resolving to join the dangerous investigation. Despite Winry's evident worry, Al promises to return, his red eyes glowing with determination.

In a shadowed alley, Riza Hawkeye is caught by Gluttony, her handgun shots proving useless against his rapid regeneration. He laughs, his vacant eyes and gaping mouth signaling her impending end. Just as he prepares to devour her, Mustang's dog, Black Hayate, creates a crucial distraction. Mustang appears, unleashing a concentrated flame blast that sends Gluttony reeling, then rushes to Riza's side, his concern evident.

Mustang, Riza, and Al speed through the city, discussing the bizarre Ouroboros tattoo Al saw on Gluttony. Mustang confirms it as the Homunculi's mark, and they grasp the terrifying extent of these beings' regenerative powers. The weight of the conspiracy deepens as they drive toward the Third Research Laboratory. They arrive at the silent, stone structure, Mustang reflecting on its grim history and the corruption at the military's core.

Barry the Chopper, housed in his armored body, senses his original flesh nearby, a primal urge taking over. Disobeying Mustang's orders to wait, Barry charges impulsively toward the laboratory entrance. Mustang and Al are forced to follow, trying to prevent Barry's reckless actions from jeopardizing the mission. His uncontrolled urgency adds a layer of unpredictable chaos to the infiltration.

Mustang and Jean Havoc explore the lab's lower levels, finding disturbing surgical tables and jars filled with unidentifiable organic matter. The air is thick with the smell of old blood and chemicals, hinting at horrific experiments. Suddenly, Lust emerges, mocking Havoc by revealing her identity as "Solaris," his former lover. Havoc is devastated, paralyzed by the betrayal, as Lust's cold eyes underscore her manipulative nature. She immediately attacks with her razor-sharp "Ultimate Spear," forcing them to take cover.

Lust expertly slices a water pipe, drenching Mustang and disabling his flame alchemy. Yet, Mustang quickly adapts, his mind sharp even under pressure. He electrolyzes the floodwater into flammable hydrogen gas, then grabs Havoc's lighter, planning a desperate, localized explosion. His focused eyes show the sheer will required to fight an immortal enemy when his primary weapon is useless.

Mustang flicks the lighter, and a massive explosion engulfs the chamber, but it is not enough. As the smoke clears, Lust's body stitches itself back together with horrifying speed, proving her invincibility. She then lunges with supernatural speed, plunging her elongated nails deep into Havoc's spine and Mustang's stomach. Both men collapse, bleeding profusely, as Lust leaves them for dead, savoring their apparent defeat.

On the floor above, Barry the Chopper confronts his own mutated, monstrous body in a grotesque duel. Meanwhile, Lust, tattered but triumphant, announces Mustang and Havoc's deaths to Riza Hawkeye and Alphonse Elric. Riza's grief and rage boil over; she empties her gun into Lust, bullets proving useless against the Homunculus's regeneration. Spent and broken, Riza collapses, awaiting her own end, her despair absolute.

Just as Lust prepares to deliver the killing blow to a broken Riza, Alphonse Elric steps forward, using his armored body as a shield. Without a transmutation circle, he claps his hands, raising stone walls to trap the Homunculus. He declares his refusal to let anyone else die, his memory flashing to Hughes's tragic end. Al stands firm, a beacon of defiant resolve against Lust's relentless attacks.

A brilliant trail of fire erupts through the hall, knocking Lust back, announcing Mustang's dramatic return. He staggers into the light, his shirt revealing a self-cauterized wound, a transmutation circle carved into his own bloody hand. Riza is speechless with relief, tears finally falling as she realizes he is alive. Mustang unleashes a relentless stream of flames, incinerating Lust repeatedly, burning away her Philosopher's Stone. His face, alight with focused fury, shows the sheer will required to end this monstrous enemy.

Lust's body crumbles to dust, leaving only her shattered Philosopher's Stone and a final, cryptic prophecy. Mustang collapses from his wounds, instructing Al to find medical help for Havoc. Riza catches him, her voice thick with emotion, grateful for his survival. The lab is silent, the immediate threat gone, but the team surveys the damage, left with the physical and emotional cost of their brutal victory.

Back at the hotel, Winry Rockbell waits anxiously, her hands clasped in prayer. When Al returns, her relief is profound, but she cries upon seeing the damage to his armor, a symbol of the dangers he faces. Meanwhile, in the ruined lab, Barry the Chopper's soul seal is struck, and both his soul-bound armor and his mutated body perish. Barry accepts his end with a quiet peace, his bizarre journey concluded.

The scene shifts abruptly to the peaceful, green cemetery in Resembool, a stark contrast to the preceding violence. Edward Elric stands alone at his mother's grave, seeking solace and guidance, the wind rustling his hair. His reflection is shattered by the appearance of a tall man with long blonde hair and glasses. Edward freezes, his face a mask of shock and deep-seated anger as he recognizes his estranged father, Van Hohenheim, standing over the grave.