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Black Knights mobile base, 8:00 a.m. The Black Knights were watching the news, concerning the new threat that had arrived at Japan.

Atsuhi Sawasaki: (over TV) We hereby declare the resurrection of Japan as a lawful, independent and sovereign nation!
Newscaster: (over TV) That was Atsuhi Sawasaki, the leader of the forces that have occupied the military base at Fukuoka. Sawasaki was Chief Cabinet Minister of the Kururugi administration in the former nation of Japan. After the war against Japan, he fled to the Chinese Federation, now making his move in response to the civil unrest caused by the terrorist known as Zero. Whether the Black Knights have played a role in these events or not is unknown.
Tamaki: We didn't even know about this guy!
Ohgi: I doubt that Kyoto knew about this.
Diethard: Too true. I'm thinking that China has nothing to do with this.
Zero: I smell mutiny.
Diethard: Kyoto said that the Burais Sawasaki's regime is using belong to the Renegades.
Kallen: Oda Nanbu...! Bastard!
Zero: I'm a little out of the loop. Who's Nanbu?
Ohgi: An asshole.
Diethard: Oda Nanbu was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and chief advisor of the late Genbu Kururugi. The son of a bitch wanted Japan to revert back to its imperialistic ways, taking over other countries, so that Japan could be the top country.
Zero: He wants Britannia out of the way, so he can take over the world.
Ohgi: Exactly. I never liked Nanbu.
Kallen: No one did, apparently.
Chiba: I met him. He was so surprised to see a girl in the military that he responded with "Oh, my me."
Zero: ...I'm sorry, what?
Asahina: God complex.
Zero: Ah.
Chiba: He was a military commander, but he got dishonorable discharge, when he ruthlessly executed prisoners, because they were the enemy.
Zero: Damn.
Kallen: So, what do we do?
Zero: That, my love-struck friend, is the million dollar question.

Meanwhile, aboard the Avalon, Lloyd and Cecile were looking at the news, on the bridge of the aircraft.

Lloyd: Hmm...
Cecile: Suzaku is preparing for the mission.
Lloyd: You sure?
Cecile: He said so, himself. What about Pri-?
Lloyd: I don't think he'd like you calling him that.
Cecile: What about Schneizel?
Lloyd: He's in Tokyo, as we speak. Apparently, he's looking into the Renegades and Primebloods. Just last night, he wiped out 4 hideouts, for each faction.
Cecile: By himself?!
Lloyd: He's not to be trifled with, in speech or otherwise.

In the Knightmare hangar, Suzaku sat near the Lancelot, looking at his broken pocket watch.

Suzaku: (sighs)

30 minutes earlier, Britannian government building. Suzaku handed his pin that symbolized his position as a bodyguard to Euphemia back to the person who gave it to him.

Suzaku: I dishonored you. I disobeyed a direct order, and cannot be your bodyguard, anymore.
Euphemia: Don't worry about it. You're alive, and that's what matters.
Suzaku: Is it? Every moment I breathe, I keep hearing the voices of Zero and Alistair in my head.
Euphemia: It's your conscience, telling you to do what's right, even if it means disobeying orders form elitist scumbags. You're my friend, Suzaku. I care about you.
Suzaku: I don't think I can do that, Euphy. I'm not even sure of who I am, anymore. Am I a soldier? A bodyguard? A pilot? I... I just don't know what to do, except follow orders. I don't deserve friendship, after everything I've done.

Present time, Avalon. Suzaku put his pocket watch in his pocket and closed his eyes.

Suzaku: (thinking) What am I even doing?

Immediately, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his head.

Hawking: Aww. What's the matter? You being doubtful?
Suzaku: Who are you?!
Hawking: Me? (laughs) You know who I am.
Suzaku: Samuel Hawking.
Hawking: Bingo! Now, I'm in your head! Whatcha gonna do, huh? Bitch and moan, some more?
Suzaku: You can't be in my head. You're dead.
Hawking: Exactly! Now, why don't you mosey on over to your giant robot, and go on a rampage?
Suzaku: I can't. I don't have my orders, yet.
Hawking: Ohh! You're a soldier boy! Like to follow orders, like a dog! Where's your crank? I need to set it to "murder everything".
Suzaku: My God, how did Alistair put up with you?
Hawking: Oh, how I wish I could let you look into my head. Then, you'd be shitting your pants! (laughs) Still, though... Where's the swagger? You're starting to get some substance.
Suzaku: I have no idea what you just said.
Hawking: You're, like, on morally neutral, or something. What are you, Lawful Neutral?
Suzaku: God damn you.
Hawking: Me, I'm Neutral Evil. I love the idea of evil. You know, the apocalypse, people dying and suffering, chaos, anarchy, oppression, Social Darwinism...
Suzaku: How did you live with yourself?
Hawking: After killing so many people? Just fine. My first victims were everybody at the orphanage I lived in. At age 8.
Suzaku: Why? Why would you do that?! They treated you like family, the took care of you! Why would you kill them, after everything nice that they've done, for you?!
Hawking: Don't know. Then again, I don't care. All I ever wanted was for the apocalypse to start up. I wanted people to suffer, and I wanted the world to burn. Is that too much to ask?
Suzaku: It is, actually.
Hawking: ...You're freakin' boring. That Sawasaki guy's got the right idea. Still, I wanna know who's gonna succeed me.

Hawking's voice left Suzaku's head, and Suzaku opened his eyes, exhaustion suddenly emerging in his body.

Suzaku: (panting) The hell was that? Why am I so exhausted? Is it...because of his sins, crawling on my back? Yeah, that's gonna fuel some paranoia. (takes out cell phone) I'm a soldier for the country that took over my home country, I disobeyed an order to basically kill myself, I have a death wish and I'm hearing voices in my head. (pauses) Screw it. I've got nothing left to lose.

Suzaku dialed a number into his phone and the person on the other end answered.

Suzaku: (out loud) Hey. So, I'm about to go risk my neck to take a military base that's essentially been taken over by not only a traitor to Japan, but traitors to China. Please advise.

Meanwhile, at the Britannian government building, Euphemia was typing something into her laptop, when she heard yelling, outside her door.

Cornelia: Yes! Freaking finally!

Cornelia entered the room, holding a package.

Cornelia: It's here! I've got it!
Euphemia: What did you order, this time?
Cornelia: Video game, for the computer. The rumors say that it's difficult, even in the beginning.
Euphemia: Wait, you're going to play XCOM? That game takes strategy and luck, to even win.
Cornelia: I know. Gonna be playing, for the whole day.
Euphemia: Aren't you supposed to be fighting that Sawasaki guy, and the Chinese traitors?
Cornelia: I sent someone more expendable. And, by that, I mean no one likes the guy. Guilford, adjust your glasses. You're about to witness insanity. (exits room, door closes)
Guilford: (outside door) I don't like the sound of that.
Euphemia: I can already imagine the frustration and stress. (looks at laptop, sighs) Getting nowhere, right now. (closes laptop) Come on, think. How is this gonna work? (pauses) Nothing. I can't think. Dammit, Suzaku. (stands up) Might as well check if that museum replaced those paintings.

10 minutes later, Kyushu base. Sawasaki and the leader of the Chinese soldiers aiding his cause, General Tsao, were walking through the corridors, on their way to the control room.

Sawasaki: The winds of fortune blow our way, General. There's no chance of our failure.
General Tsao: These resources are quite remarkable. I've never seen their likes, before.
Sawasaki: The faction that's aiding us is called the Renegades. As their name implies, they defected from the Japan Liberation Front, which is now defunct.
General Tsao: For what reason?
Sawasaki: Because the Renegades want Japan to revert back to its imperialistic ways, to be an empire, again.
General Tsao: In order to take over the world, you have to wipe out the competition. Peculiar mindset.
Sawasaki: Perhaps my friend can best explain it.

Sawasaki and General Tsao entered a room at the side of the corridor, and saw a politician, typing up plans on his computer.

Politician: Yeah, what do you want?
Sawasaki: It's Sawasaki.
Politician: Oh, hey! It's been a while.
Sawasaki: You seem busy.
Politician: I can multitask. So, what's up?
Sawasaki: General Tsao, here, doesn't yet comprehend the meaning of the Renegades.
Politician: Peace through tyranny. What's not to understand?
General Tsao: You...admit that you're a tyrant?
Politician: I want to be the number 1 tyrant, actually. I'm...actually trying to succeed somebody. Now, could you guys get out? I'm trying to plan.

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Police Department, Chief Kaplan was sitting at his desk when Ramsey forced the door open, collapsing to the floor.

Ramsey: Ah! God dammit!
Chief Kaplan: Did you at least try to knock?
Ramsey: (sarcastically) Oh, I'm sorry! I couldn't think right, after having my foot get shot, by an acid revolver!
Chief Kaplan: Wait, they make acid weapons, now? I'm really out of the loop, these days.
Ramsey: (normal tone) Really? You're in your sixties, and you're just being a deadpan snarker, right now? You really are salt of the Earth.
Chief Kaplan: Perhaps it's because I'm busy planning our next move, while you were given your mission. Speaking of, how did it go?
Ramsey: I already told you. Freakin' Orange.
Chief Kaplan: Jeremiah Gottwald was there? How's he still alive?
Ramsey: I don't know! Dammit, my foot.
Chief Kaplan: Get yourself checked out. I expect a full report, when you get back.
Ramsey: (growls) Freakin' old bastard... (crawls out door)
Chief Kaplan: And, watch where you bleed! We just waxed the floors!