[flack]

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Because their assumption was that this was an internal Red Legion matter, and so they weren't expecting the Yellow King to crash the party.
From Niko's perspective, the current Chrome Disaster that's affecting Cherry Rook is internal Red Legion business; she has to clean up her own mess herself, before Cherry Rook breaks the non-aggression pact by killing too many members of other legions. She calls in Black Lotus and crew, and is operating on the assumption that since Black Legion has declared war on everyone else, nobody will be expecting her to bring them in to help her, and anyway it's an internal Red Legion matter so nobody from the outside legions should get involved.

This is true, exactly how the situation started.

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Which, if the Chrome Disaster was a spontaneous manifestation, would be a reasonable assumption.

In episode 9, at around 9:00 minutes, Niko and Black Legion has this conversation
BL: “Impossible, the Armor has already been destroyed. Two and a half years ago, I witnessed the last of the chrome disaster and that armor.”
N: “Then explain why it has resurfaced again.”
Moreover, after showing Haru the vision of the battle with the 4th chrome disaster BL said this
“Afterwards I and the other kings confirmed that the armor no longer existed in the storage.“
N: “Then how do you explain what is happening now?”
(I don’t know what they actually say in Japanese but I think the subbed is close enough).

From this it should be clear that there is a decent chance that this fifth chrome disaster is not a spontaneous result and that an external power is involved (which we know from episode 10 to be true). Knowing this, they should be considering the possibility that the Chrome Disaster may in fact be created. (Note here that I am not denying that it could just have been spontaneous, but they should definitely NOT rule out the possibility it wasn't.) But the creation of it is definitely at a high level. Hence, the possibility that other kings may be involved. In all the other Chrome Disaster incidents, we know that more that multiple kings were involved.

but Instead I was surprised they turned out to be like you say

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Again, they were expecting to be dealing with the Chrome Disaster quietly and alone; they didn't expect it to be a trap laid by the Yellow Legion.

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Was there a lack of paranoia? Perhaps, but remember: These are kids. They're, what, sixteen at the most? They weren't expecting an ambush because prior to this time, it was not known that a Chrome Disaster could be created. Had they known that, they would probably have prepared.

This doesn’t make any sense...Obviously, we know their physically 16 year olds and they dwell in a 16 year old body. But they are a group comprised of 2 kings of Accel World, the amount of time dilation they experienced in that world should make their heads well above age 25. I think it was approximately 1 year in that world is a day in the real world (I don’t know if it is exact but it is close).

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Wasn't the best of plans, but it was the best they came up with with the information they knew at the time.

They planned poorly and that for me was unexpected, that is why they find themselves in the hole they are in now.

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Edit: As an addendum: If Black Lotus and her crew were making an attack of their own, yes, they ought to be prepared for anybody to attack them. But this sitiuation with Niko was so out of the ordinary. It'd be like a team of Navy SEALs working alongside Osama bin Laden.

Ymmv.