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2009 a.t.b., 1:30 p.m., Fort Benning, Georgia. After the long drive from Las Vegas, Alistair and the California cavalry arrived at their destination. The area's perimeters appeared to be heavily guarded by military personnel.

Alistair (Age 8): Nifty-looking school. My mom went here?
Lieutenant Keyes: Alistair Wake... Welcome to Ranger School.
Alistair: This is where she became a Ranger, huh?
Sergeant Morales: Yep. I get the feeling that you're gonna be pretty popular, here.

As the vehicle entered the compound, the soldiers exited the vehicle and Alistair followed suit.

Lieutenant Keyes: Head into that building and see Chief Hanlon.
Alistair: The big boss of the Rangers? Why?
Lieutenant Keyes: He's been...out of sorts, these last few years. You need to cheer him up.
Alistair: How do I do that?
Lieutenant Keyes: Prove your existence.

Alistair understood what he needed to do and entered the building. Inside, he approached the reception desk and talked to the woman behind it.

Alistair: Excuse me.
Receptionist: Oh, hi there, little guy! What can I do for you?
Alistair: I'm here to see Chief Hanlon. Is he in?
Receptionist: Well...I can't really tell you that. Sorry. Do you know him?
Alistair: My mom knew him. My name is Alistair Wake.

At the mentioning of Alistair's name, the receptionist's face showed shock as she looked Alistair up and down.

Receptionist: (surprised) Um... Your mom was...Cheryl Wake, right?
Alistair: The first female Ranger in the U.S. Army, yes.
Receptionist: I'll take you to Chief Hanlon, right away.

Meanwhile, in Chief Hanlon's office, Hanlon, a man in his 50s, with white hair and a white beard, wearing an outfit reminiscent of a cowboy's, was sitting in his chair, looking out at the scenery of training recruits who wanted to become Rangers, with a feeling of melancholy. At that point, someone started knocking on his door.

Receptionist: (behind door) Chief Hanlon? You have a visitor.
Chief Marcus Hanlon: Go away. I'm not in the mood to talk.

Chief Hanlon heard the door open and the sound of someone walking into his office. He didn't turn around to see this person, nor did he care.

Chief Hanlon: You just don't leave well enough alone, huh? A close friend of mine always thought that way. Disobeying orders that were absolutely stupid. Never murdered, never let any of her comrades die...a real do-gooder. (laughs) The biggest do-gooder the military's ever seen. Hell, she was friends with the President. America's best President and the first female Ranger. And, now...all of them are dead. Daughtry, Cheryl, Phoenix...(tearing up)...and their child. (crying) Why!? Why did they have to die!? He was a boy! He... He didn't deserve to die! (angrily) Screw you, Hawking! Screw you! You sick...piece of...shit!
Boy's voice: You really cared about her, huh?
Chief Hanlon: (sniffs) Yeah. I'm just a sad old man.
Boy: Doubtful. I heard you were in your 50s. Didn't know that she was friends with Daughtry, though.
Chief Hanlon: (gets up from chair) Yeah, well...(turns around)...you learn something new every...

Before Chief Hanlon could finish his sentence, he looked at the boy in front of him and realized that it was Cheryl Wake's son: Alistair.

Chief Hanlon: (tearing up again) Alistair? You're...alive?
Alistair: I still have no idea how I survived the amputation.

Chief Hanlon looked at Alistair and saw that his left arm was a cybernetic prosthetic.

Chief Hanlon: Oh, my God.

Chief Hanlon ran towards Alistair, knelt down and hugged him, as if Alistair was his own son.

Chief Hanlon: I thought... And your parents... Oh, God. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Alistair! (screams while crying)
Alistair: It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do.
Chief Hanlon: You were my friends! I should have known!
Alistair: You couldn't have. Let it go.
Chief Hanlon: (stops hugging) How can you say that!? You're own parents are dead! You should be mourning!
Alistair: I don't mourn. Mourning isn't the hard part...
Chief Hanlon: What's wrong with you!? Why are you so selfish!? How can you-!?

Alistair slapped Chief Hanlon across the face before he could finish talking.

Alistair: I've watched my parents die, I've lost an arm and a leg, I was ditched in the Mojave with a ton of dead bodies. You're in your 50s, you lead the Rangers, and you've been sitting down and mourning for two years. Mourning isn't the hard part. (pauses) It's letting go. My parents are dead. Move on. Sitting on your ass and complaining aren't going to fix anything. You're 56 years old. Act like it.

Chief Hanlon immediately calmed down, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Chief Hanlon: You're right. I'm sorry. I was... (sighs) It was some pretty rough shit.
Alistair: No. Having a mech shoot your arm, with the bullet destroying the bones connecting the shoulder to the body, thus tearing off the arm and repeating the process on a leg. That's rough.
Chief Hanlon: Anyway...(stands up, smiling) I'm glad that you're alive. (salutes) Welcome to Ranger School...sir.

2017 a.t.b., 10:30 a.m., underground tunnel below Tokyo. A resistance group fighting Britannia arrived and found a mysterious vehicle. The leader of the group, Kaname Ohgi, was the first to speak.

Kaname Ohgi: You think this is the place?
Kento Sugiyama: Well, you received the call. So, this must be it.
Yoshitaka Minami: Where the hell is Tamaki? If he's in trouble with that gang again...
Young Female Voice: A gang?
Ohgi: Oh, perfect timing, Kallen.

From the darkness of the tunnel, a young woman with red hair approached the group. This girl was known by Alistair and the rest of Ashford Academy as Kallen Stadtfeld, but her true name was Kallen Kozuki.

Kallen Kozuki: You mentioned a gang attacking Tamaki?
Minami: Yeah. We saw Suzaku Kururugi, too. When me and Yoshida saw the gang, we ran. The next thing we know, Tamaki's alive and unscathed. Said something about a "badass" saving his life.
Kallen: Well, Tamaki isn't slippery enough to hide from a gang, unscathed.

Immediately, the sound of running footsteps echoed in the tunnel and Tamaki approached group.

Tamaki: (panting) Hey. I made it.
Kallen: You...ran all the way here?
Tamaki: Yeah. What, is that weird?
Ohgi: Forget about it. Zero called me and said we needed to show up at this place.
Tamaki: Maybe he's in that cool-looking vehicle?
Ohgi: (pauses) Uh...
Tamaki: Go on. Knock.
Ohgi: Alright...

Ohgi knocked on the door at the side of the vehicle. A familiar voice responded after the knocking.

Voice: (behind door) It's unlocked. Come in.

Ohgi opened the door and entered the vehicle, the others following suit. The inside of the vehicle was grander than the outside appearance did. Ohgi saw a masked man with a cape sitting in a sofa at the far end of the vehicle and recognized him, immediately.

Zero: Quite nifty, isn't it?
Tamaki: What the hell? What kind of vehicle is this?
Ohgi: How'd you get this?
Zero: I acquired this from a nobleman who indulges my requests, every so often. Until you can get better living conditions, this will be our hideout.
Tamaki: Nice!
Kallen: No one would suspect this vehicle to be our hideout.
Ohgi: So...you think it's a good idea to team up with us?
Zero: You're damn right, it is. I screwed up at Saitama, big time. Thank God for that third party.
Kallen: "Third party"? What does that mean?
Tamaki: Neither on Britannia's side, nor his. Basically, a triple threat. Sometimes, anyway.
Zero: It certainly was a triple threat. And I had my ass kicked. For five minutes.
Tamaki: Not used to Knightmare combat, are you?
Kallen: Tamaki!
Tamaki: What? It would make sense. I mean, he started...what, like, over a week ago?
Zero: Right on the mark, Tamaki. I actually blame myself for starting the fight with him.
Kallen: Wait... Aren't you a strategist? Couldn't you...?
Zero: See everything coming? No. At one point, his Sutherland's shoulder collided with my Sutherland's face. He was probably aiming for the throat, but he did that move, anyway.
Tamaki: Wait, was he showing off?
Zero: Doubtful. He was actually being quite acrobatic. His Sutherland certainly showed it.
Tamaki: Like that white Knightmare that one-shot everybody?
Kallen: Well, it destroyed my Glasgow, so I'll need something to replace it.
Zero: I noticed that you didn't have any weaponry on it. Does that mean you're proficient in melee combat?
Kallen: Yeah. What about it?
Zero: Well...(lays down a file on table)...I've done some looking around the military's database and found that.
Ohgi: What is it? (opens file)
Zero: Knightmare schematics.
Ohgi: What does this mean, exactly?
Zero: Britannia's upping the ante. They're upgrading Sutherlands to be proficient in different fields of combat. Right now, they've got Sutherlands excelling in melee combat, ranged combat and a balance of both. These upgrades make them stronger, faster and more durable than the original model.
Tamaki: That's not good. As of now, we have no Knightmares to call our own, so we can't fight them.
Minami: What the hell is wrong with you? You never talk like this.
Tamaki: I decided to grow up, for once.
Zero: You're right, though. We can't fight them, as-is. If we had simulators, we could test all of you and see what your proficiencies are.
Ohgi: Like how Kallen's a melee expert?
Zero: Exactly. But, it doesn't hurt for a melee expert to have a firearm that suits them, right?
Minami: What do you mean by "ranged" combat? Like more Slash Harkens?
Zero: More like a better variety of artillery. The current ranged Sutherland has artillery cannons on its back.
Minami: Oh, shit. That's worse.
Tamaki: So, if we can get some simulators and test against these upgraded Sutherlands, we'll be able to figure out what we excel at?
Zero: Precisely. I've found some, but we need to get them, tonight.
Ohgi: We're going to raid a warehouse!?
Zero: It's not that bad. Should be a piece of cake.
Kallen: Like hell! We can't fight Knightmares, as-is! Remember!?
Tamaki: Mind if I take a look at the warehouse plans?
Zero: (hands Tamaki document) Be my guest.
Tamaki: (looks through document) Let's see what you've got. Mm-hmm...
Ohgi: It's one thing, providing a miracle. But, we're going up against unimaginable odds!
Zero: It will work. Trust me.
Tamaki: (laughs) No freaking way.
Minami: What's so funny!?
Tamaki: Let me put it this way: Very easy job.
Kallen: That's bullshit!
Tamaki: Get this. The guys guarding the place don't even know that they're carrying precious cargo. They know that they're simulators, but they don't even use them or have Knightmares. They think the place provides no strategic advantage, whatsoever. Basically, they don't give two shits about their job.
Ohgi: So...it is an easy job?
Tamaki: Zero, you got some guns, right?
Zero: Best thing I could get, at this time.
Tamaki: Alright. Run the plan by us.

2:54 p.m., Ashford Academy, student government clubhouse, Lamperouge residence. Nunnally was in the dining room, waiting for Alistair to come visit her. She heard the door open and instinctively responded.

Nunnally: Hello?
Alistair: Guess who?
Nunnally: (excited) Alistair!
Alistair: Were you waiting on me, adorable one?
Nunnally: Of course! Please, sit.
Alistair: (chuckles) All right.

Alistair sat down in a chair, in front of Nunnally.

Alistair: So... About the other day...
Nunnally: (normal tone) What do you mean?
Alistair: I didn't mean to bum you out about... You know...
Nunnally: Alistair, it's okay. You had to tell somebody, right?
Alistair: I mean, you've suffered, too.
Nunnally: I know. That's why I want to be your friend.
Alistair: (smiles) Thanks.
Nunnally: So... Do you have a girlfriend?
Alistair: (stops smiling) I'm not that lucky.
Nunnally: (worried) No...
Alistair: Uh... I really don't know what to talk about.
Nunnally: (normal tone) Tell me about America. I mean...if you're comfortable with it.
Alistair: (sighs) Well... After that whole mess with my parents and being ditched in the Mojave Desert... I was stuck in the Las Vegas Medical Clinic for, like, weeks. They were working on putting the prosthetics into my nervous system.
Nunnally: Oh, dear.
Alistair: Kind of explains how they move so fluidly, huh? Anyway, when I see the prosthetics, this rich, charismatic dude walks into the room. Turns out that the guy was the owner of Las Vegas, Mr. Robin Edward House.
Nunnally: Las Vegas?
Alistair: It's on the southwest side of the U.S., in the state of Nevada. It's the only treasure the Mojave has to offer. Casinos and restaurants and businesses as far as the eye can see. House said that he needed a roommate, so he chose me.
Nunnally: A six-year-old?
Alistair: He wanted me to be a courier for the Lucky 38. Let me tell ya, it is the biggest tower in all of Vegas. You can see the entirety of Vegas, just from the penthouse.
Nunnally: Amazing.
Alistair: While I was a courier, I had this sweet duster that I wore over a sleeveless shirt. The really cool part was the symbol on the back. Alright... Imagine a black star, then give it blue outlining.
Nunnally: Alright.
Alistair: Next, a raven and a bald eagle show up. They start flying, then they pass each other, making a sort of "x" with their wings.
Nunnally: I see it.
Alistair: Do you think it's pretty?
Nunnally: Um...
Alistair: It's based on me, actually. In tarot card readings, the Star symbolizes hope. The eagle, specifically the bald eagle is a symbol of freedom. And, in Native American symbology, the raven symbolizes change.
Nunnally: Hope, Freedom and Change... I love it.
Alistair: Really?
Nunnally: Of course! It's beautiful!
Alistair: Well, my mom was Native American. While my dad was half-Scottish, half-Irish.
Nunnally: Such an impressive bloodline.
Alistair: Yeah. About two years later, Britannia leaves America.
Nunnally: Leaves? You were free!?
Alistair: Not exactly. The Vice President, Samuel Hawking, who killed President Daughtry, thus causing Britannia to enter, brought in Civility and the Enclave, solely for "entertainment."
Nunnally: "Entertainment"?
Alistair: Hawking was smart, but he was absolutely insane. He was a card-carrying villain, essentially.
Nunnally: (angrily) What a horrible excuse for a human being.
Alistair: I'll say. (shudders) Always hated that evil mullet.
Nunnally: What happened, then?
Alistair: Well... Let's just say that there were crap-tons of bad guys. I mean, they were freaking everywhere.
Nunnally: (worried) Oh, my.
Alistair: Hey, there was nothing I couldn't handle. I beat 'em all!
Nunnally: (excited) You're like a superhero.
Alistair: (smiles) Aww! I'm not a superhero. I'm just really, really heroic.
Nunnally: That's what I love about you.
Alistair: (blushes) I...uh... (chuckles nervously)

At that point a door opened and Sayoko entered the room.

Sayoko: Nunnally, it's time to go.
Nunnally: (disappointed) Really?
Alistair: (stops blushing) What's going on?
Sayoko: We're heading for the hospital to help Nunnally with her legs.
Alistair: So that she'll be able to walk again. (to Nunnally) Good luck.
Nunnally: (normal tone) Alright. First, come a little closer.

Alistair knelt onto the ground in front of Nunnally and Nunnally grabbed his head and kissed Alistair on the forehead.

Nunnally: I'll see you later.
Alistair: (smiling) Aw, Nunnally.

Alistair rubbed his forehead with his right index and middle fingers as Sayoko and Nunnally left. Alistair stopped rubbing and his fingers were fixated on his forehead. He did not move from his current position, except for breathing and blinking. Then, for lack of a better word, he woke up.

Alistair: (stops smiling) Whoa. What the...? What happened? Did I...black out, or something? Weird.