The Start Of Something Great

I.C.0.N

Unknown POV: 0608, Jan. 5

The beeping of the M.R.V.N. units echoed through the hangar as Chuck, 0110, and Needle entered, preparing to suit up in their Titans. Chuck was the only human pilot among us, a quiet one, always speaking in grunts or simple yeses and nos. He piloted an Ion Titan marked with the M.R.V.N. logo on the hatch.

0110 was an advanced M.R.V.N. with an integrated A.I., piloting a Scorch Titan, while Needle—a stim junkie—was a simulacrum constantly chasing his next adrenaline high. He piloted a Northstar Titan, always eager for the next fight. As for me, I'm known as Idiot—mostly because of all the reckless stunts I've pulled in my career. I'm the squad's demolition expert and Ronin pilot.

We'd just received our briefing from Commander Gates and Bossac: assist in the ongoing fight on the surface of Kiter.

"Almost there, sir," 0110 said as he walked up to me. I nodded, watching Chuck and Needle finish their checks. "Good to go?" I asked, climbing into the cockpit of my Ronin Titan.

"Ready for Titanfall," I said, strapping in.

"Affirmative, Pilot," Marvin—the voice of my Titan—responded as the hatch closed and I began the final checks.

Once everything was calibrated, I opened the hatch and saw the captain approaching. The captain was another advanced M.R.V.N. unit, an old war veteran from the Titan Wars. He'd fought in the battle of Demeter and was one of the few M.R.V.N.s who could speak freely.

"Pilots, you know your mission. Get down there, help the 64th and ODST secure the base," he ordered, saluting as the M.R.V.N. crew prepping my Titan gave me a thumbs-up. I returned the gesture, my heart racing as I felt the anticipation build.

It was time to drop.

Jean's POV: 0615, Jan. 5

The pilot I'd been facing, the one with the tattoo of the 42nd Attack Battalion, climbed back into his Tone Titan. He was about to finish me off when a bright green Northstar Titan landed beside him, taking the Tone by surprise.

Before the pilot could react, the Northstar delivered a crushing punch that sent him reeling. I grabbed my XO-16, quickly aiming and opening fire as the Tone pilot struggled to regain control.

"Go help the others, I've got this one," I called to the Northstar. The pilot hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran to assist elsewhere.

"Well, looks like you still have some fight in you, Jean," the enemy pilot sneered, standing up as I reloaded my weapon.

"I'll always fight for something I believe in," I retorted with venom, launching a salvo of rockets. Several connected, but he fired back, his rounds thudding into Atlas's armor.

I spun to the side, dodging his missiles and quickly reloading my XO-16. The Tone was on its last legs, the pilot clearly trying to hold on for dear life. In a desperate move, he activated his Salvo Core, launching a barrage of guided missiles.

I raised Atlas's left arm and activated the Vortex Shield, catching half the barrage and sending it right back at the Tone. The missiles slammed into it, pushing the Titan into a doomed state.

Seizing the moment, I charged forward and tore open the Tone's hatch. I grabbed the pilot and yanked him out, holding him in front of my cockpit.

"Well... looks like you've got me," he coughed, his words strained.

Without hesitation, I shoved his Titan to the ground, firing a final rocket salvo that obliterated it. I opened the hatch and drew my B3-Wingman, stepping onto the wreckage.

"You deserved better, friend," I said, aiming the pistol at his head. "But you fought on the wrong side."

With a single pull of the trigger, his body went limp in my hand.

Climbing back into Atlas, I holstered the Wingman, feeling the weight of the kill. The tears on my face were hard to ignore as I dropped Mike's body to the ground.

As I refocused, I saw the Northstar on top of a Brute Titan, its railgun shoved into the cockpit, charging a shot. Joy's Titan was stomping on another Brute, crushing its cockpit beneath its foot.

Suddenly, an explosion caught my attention. Looking to the side, I saw a Ronin Titan standing next to a pilot who had just jumped off a Legion Titan. The Legion exploded, the blast rocking the area as the pilot climbed back into his Titan.

Carver's POV: 0637, Jan. 5

Ray and I stormed through the base, cutting down soldiers as we went. After clearing a few rooms, we finally reached the command tower. Inside, we found a pilot waiting for us. As we raised our rifles, he ducked behind a console, taking cover.

Ray fired first, her Flatline aimed at the spot where the pilot had been. I reloaded my R-201 and moved closer to the console, ready for a counterattack.

When I reached the cover, I peered over the top. The pilot was gone.

"They're gone," I said, scanning the room.

"Damn. Grab the data and let's get out of here. I'll cover you," Ray said, her voice calm despite the chaos.

I nodded and moved toward the center console, pulling out my data knife and inserting it into the port beneath the keyboard. The download began, but what I found shocked me.

"They're trying to develop jump drives based on alien tech," I said, looking over the unencrypted files. "They want to connect to the IMC on Earth... We can't let this happen."

Ray crouched next to me, reading over my shoulder.

"What the hell?" she muttered.

The download was almost complete. I turned to her and tapped her shoulder. "Let's go."

We headed back toward the entrance of the tower just as Buck's voice crackled over the comms.

"Gunner, Ray, what's your status?"

"Almost done. What's the situation?" I asked, looking at the nearly finished download.

"We're taking the rest of the base. Get the data back to the MCS Dawn," Buck ordered.

An explosion echoed outside, the sounds of Titans clashing filling the air.

"Copy that," I replied. "We'll be there."

The two of us made our way outside just as the Tone from earlier lay destroyed, with Atlas standing victorious beside it. A dropship descended, the rear hatch opening to let us inside. As it took off, I took my helmet off and turned to Ray.

"Thanks for having my back, Ray."

She gave me a small smile, removing her helmet. "Thanks for having mine today."