When the Titans Fall

Titanfall

Once again, Fox was lead in her unit to the test chamber, where several titan chassis had been lined up like the pods had been. Each other member of the squad headed to a chassis, with B and Delta bidding her good luck. Inside the cockpit was slightly cramped and Fox felt slightly claustrophobic as the hatch closed, feeling like she was being eaten. The blank HUD blinked into life, a battleground made of sand coloured walls materialising around her. She looked down, and realised she was still in a titan and was holding a big machine gun. B's voice burst into her ears.
"Alright squad. We've got something to prove here. The enemy unit is the First Squad, and by extension, Harvey. We have to show that son of a bitch why we're all on the top squad. Fox, stick with me as best you can."
Another Vanguard titan moved in front of her, this one wielding a chain gun.
"Three, Echo go left. Alpha and Dee will go down center and we'll take the right. Everyone okay?"
"Fine." Said Echo, a touch of annoyance in his voice, no doubt from being paired with his least favorite person on the team.
"Wolfpack, move out!"

Fox and B moved down a side passage, after moving past a bridge where Alpha and Dee split off. They reached the opposite side of the map, only to find no-one.
"They're gone. Anyone have eyes?"
"HOLY SHIT!" yelled Echo from over the comms. This statement was punctuated by a loud crack, then many small popping sounds like explosions from a distance.
"Dee, Alpha, group with us and push right side from behind, we can stop them from..."
B was cut off by a loud shriek of metal and a horrified scream from Echo, then a sickening crunch and an explosion.
"FUCK!" Yelled B, dashing in his titan, and meeting the two other blue Vanguards as they bore down on Echo's last position. They rounded the corner to see Three's titan crumple under a barrage of missiles, dropping it's giant railgun and going down in a ball of fire. All six of the First were still relatively undamaged, and Alpha's squad was outnumbered. Then another, annoyingly familiar voice crackled into Fox's ear.
"Kinda feel bad for the kid. Almost. He had a big mouth though, so he deserved it."
"Harvey, you bastard..."
"What's the problem 'Bravo'? Getting pissy your squad is losing a training match?"
Everything seemed to slow down. A ball about the size of a human fired from the gun of Alpha's titan and sailed, clean through the air, to hit Harvey's titan square in the chest section. Everything seemed to click then, like a switch had been flicked in Fox's brain. Every switch, every combat function in her titan's arsenal came to her at once, and as the firefight broke out, she knew what to do.
B and Alpha took point with their shields as Delta's titan and one of their opponents phased away. But Fox barely noticed. She fired in short bursts to counter enemy defensives, then started experimenting with her titan's weapon systems, quickly finding how to use the energy siphon and missile barrage. B's gun shield ran out, but he kept advancing, firing a hail of bullets at most of the opponents. Alpha's strategy was more erratic. His titan singled out an opponent with the Ion kit, and took to melee combat, using every tool in his arsenal to confuse and damage the pilot he was fighting. The enemy Titan returned from phase shift, only for Dee's Titan to appear behind it and impale it from behind with a collosal broadsword and slice upward, splitting it easily.
"Don't split up!" Shouted Harvey.
The Vanguard that was opposing the Loner literally came apart under his offensive, losing it's arms, then a leg, before he kicked the chassis into Harvey's Tone type vanguard and bowled it over. Bravo slammed the front of his gun into a weak spot so hard the entire front of the Titan caved in around the barrel. Fox's Titan responded perfectly, slowing and stunning and chaining melee combat with bursts of rifle fire, until Harvey's unit fell and he was the last one left. Dee cut his legs from under him.
"You wanted to know why they let me into this unit?" Fox asked. "It's because I'm able to win. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a kid."
"You're an idiot. I've won" said Harvey. His Titan started glowing white and he was ejected high into the air.
"Nuke!" Yelled B, backing up. Dee and her titan dashed to the glowing chassis and lay a hand on it.
"It's just a sim. See you on the outside."
Both titans disappeared in a blue fizzle. Fox looked up and saw the rapidly descending figure of Harvey. And as Dee prepared to sacrifice her life for the squad, Fox pulled the trigger and ended the last opponent in a blaze of muzzle flare.

"Well that was insightful" said B upon exiting his Titan chassis
"About what?" Questioned Fox
Alpha pointed at her. He still unnerved her, perhaps even more now she knew he wasn't entirely 'all there'.
"About why you're on the squad. We each have something special, a gift.
Three almost never misses a shot, no matter the odds, Dee can physically live in phase space, Echo is a whiz with grenades and, apparently, you can pilot Titans professionally with no prior knowledge." Explained Bravo
"Well, I wouldn't say professionally..."
Started Fox, but Echo cut her off.
"I know I haven't been here long, but seeing you pilot that thing from the outside, it looked like you were totally in your element."
"Hold on, 'rarely' miss?" Interjected Three.
"'Hey, don't worry guys, I can totally land this shot on this pilot, oh shit.'" mocked Bravo
Three's ears went red
"He was riding a titan and was hidden behind a particle wall, I'd like to see you land that shot, Mr. 'Watch-me -bowl-this-frag'!"
Dee burst out laughing, and Alpha doubled over.
"That was one time and..." B started, then faltered, looking to Alpha, still doubled over despite everyone else's silence
"Oh shit, Alpha? Hold in there man, it'll pass"
"What's happening?" Asked Fox
Alpha began shaking, then punched the floor, denting it. Fox backed away.
Then, as soon as it arrived, the spasming stopped. A deep, shuddering exhale could be heard from the other side of Alpha's helmet. He raised his hands, still trembling slightly and signed something to Bravo.
"It's a side effect of his... accident. Muscular spasms and fits, accompanied with excruciating pain."
Fox just stared at the two inch dent in the solid steel floor and said nothing.
Alpha left on his own, leaving the others to go back to their dorm.