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2017 a.t.b., 9:00 a.m., Ashford Academy, student government clubhouse, Alistair's room. Alistair had just finished typing up the cell structure and the list of members that stood as the origin point of his faction of mercenary benefactors.

Alistair: (thinking) Alright. That takes care of that. All it took was 15 minutes. What a waste of a vacation day. (pauses) Dammit, I'm bored. Wait a minute. I can go see Nunnally! Weird, though. Busty hasn't even called a meeting, today.

Alistair went to the Lamperouge residence and saw Sayoko cleaning the dining room. Sayoko did not know that Alistair had entered the room.

Alistair: (out loud) Need some help with that?
Sayoko: (turns around) Oh, Alistair. Didn't know that you were here. No, I can take care of this.
Alistair: If you say so. Hey, is Nunnally around?
Sayoko: Since this is a vacation day, Nunnally is spending the day with some of her friends. She told them about you and decided to look after her, for the day.
Alistair: Damn. And I was looking forward to seeing her. (sighs) Screw it. I'm going to the student council room.
Sayoko: Won't do you any good, I'm afraid. Milly, Nina and Shirley all went to Lake Kawaguchi.
Alistair: Kawaguchi? That's near Mt. Fuji, isn't it?
Sayoko: That's right. There's a hotel near the lake, so that's where they're staying.
Alistair: Huh. And Lelouch?
Sayoko: On the job, again.
Alistair: God, everyone's busy. What about Suzaku? No, he's on engineering duty.
Sayoko: Alistair, do you know about the Japan Liberation Front?
Alistair: Japan Liberation Front?
Sayoko: Right now, they're the largest anti-Britannian resistance force in the country, remnants of the Japanese military.
Alistair: Remnants? So, Japan's military's still standing?
Sayoko: Correct. However, their whereabouts are unknown. They haven't made a move in a long time.
Alistair: So, Zero's the only one who's been taking action, then. I've got a bad feeling about today.
Sayoko: What do you mean?
Alistair: I get the feeling that something's about to happen. Something really freakin' stupid.

Meanwhile, at Zero's mobile hideout, Zero and his allies were conversing over the simulation results.

Kallen: Yep, it's official. I'm pure melee.
Ohgi: I'm more of a ranged pilot.
Tamaki: I'm both. Mix it up, be unpredictable, that sort of thing.
Zero: The plan was a success. The simulations tested our skills and we know where we stand in Knightmare combat. I am also ranged, Ohgi. You're not alone.
Ohgi: We still don't have Knightmares, though.
Zero: Yes, that's still an issue. How can we-?
Naomi Inoue: Guys!? You may want to take a look at this!

Everyone gathered around the TV in the vehicle and saw the breaking news bulletin taking place at Lake Kawaguchi.

Reporter: (over TV) I repeat, the hotel-jackers have been identified as the Japan Liberation Front.
Ohgi: The Japan Liberation Front?
Tamaki: The hell? Where'd they come from?
Reporter: Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting were taken hostage, as well as several tourists and hotel employees.
Zero: (thinking) Tourists?

The TV showed footage that was sent by the Japan Liberation Front, showing the hostages. Milly, Nina and Shirley were among the hostages, their hands behind their heads.

Zero: Oh, you jackasses.
Kallen: They're from the student council!
Tamaki: Shit just got real, people.
Reporter: The leader of the group claims to be Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe of the now defunct Japanese military.
Tamaki: The group? Not the entirety of the JLF?
Zero: Dammit, Tamaki! Quit stealing my thoughts! But, he proves a point. Hell, he's like a translator for what I say. Damn my intellect and vocabulary.
Kallen: This can't be happening.
Ohgi: I'm sure that they'll be okay. (looks at Zero) What do you think?
Zero: (out loud) I'm not liking it, that's for sure.
Reporter: The military is on the scene, to rescue the hostages.
Zero: (thinking) Cornelia. Shit! She'll sacrifice all the god damn hostages, just to kill off the JLF! Will that third party from Saitama be able to intervene? Because, I don't know how to deal with this!

Lake Kawaguchi, near the hijacked hotel. Cornelia, Guilford and Darlton were inside the G-1 mobile base, planning out their actions to rescue the hostages. Unfortunately, all of their plans were failing, especially the most recent one.

Darlton: What the hell do you mean by "wiped out"!?
Commander: We believe that they've modified 4 Glasgows into a linear cannon.
Guilford: That's a plausible thing!?
Cornelia: Get some long-range Sutherlands and fire from the starting point. See how that works.
Commander: Those...were long-range Sutherlands. The only ones we had.
Cornelia: (pauses) Do you even realize how much of a dumbass you are? I mean, I'm smart enough to not use an ace in the hole on the first attempt.
Commander: Forgive me.
Cornelia: How are you even here?
Darlton: Fortunately, the terrorists don't know that Princess Euphemia is among the hostages. We'll find a way to rescue her, I promise.
Cornelia: We're going to rescue her.
Guilford: We need a plan, first. All approaches were used, but to no avail.
Cornelia: Fair enough. (thinking) God dammit. Euphie was just at the meeting to observe how it would work out. Then, these JLF ass-clowns show up, causing shit to hit the fan. I bet Hawking's looking at this, right now. Sick bastard. Deny him the satisfaction. No hostages lost.
Guilford: Are you alright, Viceroy?
Cornelia: (out loud) Sorry about that. I was thinking about someone that I absolutely hate.
Darlton: Zero?
Cornelia: No, this asshole doesn't wear a mask. The guy's a shitstain on the face of humanity.
Darlton: I'm not going to pry.
Guilford: Me, neither.
Cornelia: Suit yourselves. (thinking) Think. All approaches have been compromised. The closest we ever got was by using the tunnel. However, there's a mastodonic-sized linear cannon at the end of the tunnel, preventing anyone from going any further than they already could. Wait, the Eleven pilot... Suzaku Kururugi, I think it was? He's here, along with the Lancelot. Gotta admit, though, it's a beast. The only problem is that it's more of a melee fighter, no guns, whatsoever. Besides, the Lancelot is practically a last ditch effort. I bet that third party will show up and kill Euphie. (pauses) Why doesn't that sound right? Euphie's done nothing, so far. Hell, she's placed her focus on aiding people's lives, even the Elevens. Wow, every time I say that word, I hate myself. Why? Doesn't matter. Either way, the JLF doesn't know that she's there and the third party has no reason to kill her. Maybe they'd...protect her?

Shinjuku, residential warehouse. Recruits for the Tokyo Mavericks were worn out, after all of the training that they had endured. Fitness, knowledge, combat ability and Knightmare piloting. These were only a few of the attributes that Alistair had taught them, including James.

Ichika: I'm freakin' exhausted.
Taiga: Yeah. It's worth it, though.
James: Not even I had that kind of training.
Ichika: Really? I find that hard to believe.
James: As you recall, I'm a cop. I received police training, not military training.
Taiga: Completely different things.
James: Oh, yeah.
Ichika: We've got normal combat down, but we don't have Knightmares.
James: That's the big issue. Ramsey and Kaplan have an entire faction of police behind them, including Knightmares. Plus, we're going up against Britannia, itself.
Taiga: You're really okay with going up against your own country?
James: These ideals about conquest and war and aristocracy have got to go.
Ichika: Amen.
Taiga: I'll say.
Ichika: What do you know about the boss, anyway?
James: Lots of rumors.
Taiga: And some of them are true?
James: Yeah. You have no idea how many evil people he's put down. Some of them weren't even alive.
Ichika: What the hell does that mean?
James: Civility Enforcement, LLC. A private military company that was funded by Hawking. Their forces were comprised of cyborgs. Before you ask, yes, I'm dead serious. A majority of these cyborgs, I believe the word used to describe them is "mooks," were subjects of experimentation with artificial intelligences. These AIs were placed directly into the brain. Once connected, that person dies.
Ichika: Gross.
Taiga: That's just wrong.
James: The worst part about it was that they didn't wash the corpses. They just didn't let the bodies decompose.
Ichika: I take it back. That is disgusting.
Taiga: That's just not human.
James: The only ones that were alive were the Agents: 50 super soldier class cyborgs to lead Civility. Alistair classified the "mook" cyborgs and any other creation of Civility's as "abominations."
Ichika: I can see why.
James: Civility was capable of creating technology that was capable of impossible feats.
Taiga: How impossible?
James: Turning a mountain into an ocean impossible.
Ichika: They could do that!?
James: I'm exaggerating.
Taiga: How could Alistair fight something like that?
James: Along with fighting the Enclave? Not even I know.
Ichika: Oh, yeah. Those sinister-looking, metal armor freaks.
James: Not just any ordinary metal armor. Power armor, like Knightmares.
Ichika: They made Knightmares!?
James: Not exactly. The power armor is more infantry sized, but still extremely durable and augments strength and other physical abilities. You have to have special training to even wear the god damn thing.
Ichika: I wouldn't be caught dead, wearing that. The helmet is ugly as shit.
Taiga: Not a very trustworthy look.
James: That's the point. All Hawking wanted was porn.
Ichika: What the hell does Hawking classify as "porn"?
Taiga: 9/11, for one thing.
Ichika: Oh, my God. He is a shitstain on the face of humanity.
James: He wanted a second Civil War, which is why he brought back the Confederacy.
Ichika: Just...innocent people, killing each other...for no reason? For a boner?
Taiga: That's gotta be a sign for insanity.
James: He was insane, but he was also smart. IQ of 173. Alistair's is 146.
Taiga: Lower intellect, but greater skill.
James: Besides, not only did the Enclave have military weaponry, but they also had energy weapons.
Ichika: Energy weapons?
James: Lasers, plasma and so on.
Ichika: Freakin' laser beams!?
Taiga: If those were on Knightmares, then we'd be in big trouble.
James: Yeah, but the Enclave's VTOLs were completely different. They're tiltrotors. Propellers, instead of turbines.
Ichika: Like helicopters?
James: They had those, too.
Ichika: What does "VTOL" stand for, again?
James: You can call them "vertibirds," if you like. Alistair does.
Ichika: Vertical takeoff. I like vertibirds better.
Taiga: Same.

Immediately, James' phone started ringing and James answered the call.

James: Hello?
Alistair: (over phone) Hey, James.
James: Alistair. What's going on?
Alistair: Boredom. Mostly.
James: Bored, huh?
Alistair: Well, all of my friends at school are gone and there's nothing going on. You know what? Screw it. I'm going to Lake Kawaguchi.
James: Kawaguchi?
Alistair: Yeah. I'm walking there.
James: You're going to walk all the way to Lake Kawaguchi?
Alistair: You'd be surprised at how far I can walk, from place to place, in a specific amount of time. There's a hotel near the lake. Some of my friends are there, too. They're in for a surprise, when I show up.
James: Well...I can't stop you. Good luck. (hangs up)
Ichika: Did I just hear that Alistair is going to walk to Kawaguchi?
James: Yes.
Taiga: Hard to believe that he's a man at 16.