An Alchemist's Anguish

A mysterious man with a cross-shaped scar across his face attacks and murders Brigadier General Basque Grand. The Führer orders Hughes and Armstrong to use all available resources to stop the murderer. Meanwhile, to avoid being in their debt, Mustang introduces Edward and Alphonse to Shou Tucker, the "Sewing-Life Alchemist," who obtained his state alchemist credentials by creating a chimera that could understand human speech. He opens up his library to the Elric brothers for them to study living creature transmutation, but they also end up spending time to play with Tucker's daughter Nina and family dog Alexander. Upon returning to the house for another study session, they find that Tucker has created another speaking chimera in order to satisfy his yearly assessment requirements. However, Edward is furious to discover that the speaking chimera was created using Nina and Alexander, and he also realizes that Tucker did the same with his wife, two years prior. Alphonse stops Edward from nearly beating Tucker to death, as Edward is left feeling helpless. Mustang tells him that by being a state alchemist, he must prepare himself to take a life if called upon by the military. While Tucker is under arrest for his actions, he is visited by the scarred man, who kills him and the chimera.