ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER!

Maxwell walked silently through the hangar, the dim lighting barely illuminating the inactive space. Fortunately, his visor had night vision. He remained vigilant, ensuring no one was nearby and that Angel wasn't watching him. The Titanfall system was a secret he planned to take to his grave.

Stopping in the center of the hangar, Maxwell accessed the system and claimed his reward.

The air vibrated momentarily before a Titan materialized in front of him, standing idle. It was a genuine Vanguard-class Titan, the only noticeable difference being that the graphics were now entirely real.

"Titan Vanguard 7274 online," BT announced in his synthetic, stoic tone. "Pilot identified: Maxwell Williams. Link protocol pending."

Maxwell smiled, crossing his arms as he looked at his new partner. "It's good to see you, BT. How are you feeling?"

"All operational systems are within expected parameters. Full diagnostics were completed. System efficiency: 100%. No neural link detected."

Maxwell sighed at the last part. Without the Neural Link, the interaction with BT felt cold and indifferent. There was no instinctive understanding between pilot and the Titan, something that made these war machines far more than just combat robots.

"Yeah… I figured as much." He scratched the back of his neck, knowing that trying to explain anything to BT without the link would be a pointless effort. "Alright, let's just run the protocols and make sure everything's set for our little show."

"Affirmative, Pilot." BT responded, opening his hatch and allowing Maxwell to hop in with a smooth double jump.

Inside the cockpit, Maxwell watched as the massive metal colossus performed all the necessary protocols. He felt a mixture of excitement and frustration as the Neural Link came online. He finally had a Titan, but it still wasn't the perfect partnership he wanted. Even so, the mere fact that BT was here was already a huge step in his journey.

"I'm going to need your help to impress some people in the army. Head to the drop pods, we're doing a Titanfall." Maxwell said as he stepped out of BT.

"Understood. Proceeding to the launch point. Titanfall deployment will enhance visual impact and reinforce your authority over the troops."

Without hesitation, BT began moving. The Odyssey was designed with Titans in mind, so its corridors and open areas were spacious enough for them to move freely.

On his way, BT passed through the Odyssey's main lobby, where Moxxi was hanging out with the Minerva squad.

Moxxi's skillful hands, which had been braiding Eris' hair, suddenly froze as she felt the ground tremble. Minerva and the other girls, who had been lounging around, immediately went on alert, thinking the ship was under attack as they approached Crimson Armory.

Eris, who had been quiet until now, widened her eyes in awe as she saw BT walking down the corridor.

"Whoa! That's amazing!" Before she could even finish her sentence, Moxxi yanked the braid she was working on, forcing Eris back into her seat with a firm pull.

"Oww, oww! That hurts, Moxxi!" Eris whined, rubbing her scalp.

"Sit still and stop acting like a child."

"That's not fair! Athena is getting a Titan. I want one too!" Eris pouted, crossing her arms.

"Become a pilot, and you'll get one," Moxxi murmured, narrowing her eyes as she analyzed the Titan with interest. Resting her chin on her hand, a sly smile played on her lips. "Tsk… He really said he'd give me the blueprints in a few weeks, not that he had a second-generation Titan walking around the Odyssey."

 ...

General Knoxx remained seated in silence, listening to the tense murmurs of his officers inside Crimson Armory's command center. His unit, consisting mostly of hardened veterans and eager recruits, was still wary of affiliating with Ouroboros.

"A corporation, General? Doesn't this count as treason?" One of the officers, a seasoned colonel, asked carefully.

"Sir, we all know there are some disagreements with Atlas' higher-ups, but is this the wisest course of action?" a captain remarked, crossing his arms.

Knoxx kept his eyes closed. He knew that arguing wouldn't change anything, it was better to leave that job to Maxwell.

Before he could respond, a soldier rushed into the room, saluting sharply.

"General! An unidentified ship has entered our airspace!"

Immediately, the tension in the room spiked.

"Have we made contact?" Knoxx asked, his voice firm. The last thing he wanted was his troops firing at the wrong people.

"Yes, sir! They claim to be allies!"

Knoxx's eyes glinted with understanding. He gave a small nod and stood up calmly.

"Then let's go welcome them."

The officers exchanged uncertain glances before following him outside.

By the time they arrived, Knoxx's army was already assembled, soldiers and commanders watching the sky with caution. The ship was approaching, and everyone was waiting anxiously to see who these so-called "allies" were.

As it landed, the crowd shifted slightly, clearing a path for Knoxx. He stepped to the front, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with a silver lighter.

The troops were restless. Then, a small object was ejected from the ship, descending rapidly toward the ground.

Maxwell.

Dressed in his pilot suit, he landed gracefully, kicking up only a small amount of dust. He walked forward with a steady, confident pace. The recruits exchanged confused looks while the officers near Knoxx whispered among themselves.

"Is that our new leader?"

"How the hell did he not break his legs?"

"Are we all gonna have to wear that uniform now?"

The murmurs were cut off when the ship's loudspeakers issued a brief warning, advising everyone to keep their distance.

"Standby for Titanfall."

*Voooosh!*

"..."

*BOOOM!*

Something was launched from the ship at high velocity, crashing down behind Maxwell and kicking up a massive cloud of dust. The ground trembled, and the soldiers swallowed hard.

Silence hung over the field when a blue light shone through the thick cloud, like a dome-shaped shield, which disappeared after a few seconds.

And then, it rose. Just like everyone else's heads.

Standing eight meters tall, Maxwell's Vanguard-class Titan was revealed, each of its massive steps shaking the earth and the hearts of those watching.

The soldiers felt a collective shiver run down their spines. What they were looking at wasn't just some Hyperion mech. It was a metal monster, a colossus built for war, a stallion of steel.

Maxwell continued walking until he was face-to-face with Knoxx. Casually, he removed his helmet and extended his hand.

Knoxx stood still for a second, observing the young man before him. Then, with a small smirk, he spit his cigarette onto the ground and shook Maxwell's hand.

"Damn, kid. Scaring my men like that?"

"Scaring? Look at them, they're loving it!"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you they were all depressed about the Prometheus Division's desertion."

As Knoxx and Maxwell laughed and exchanged words, the surrounding soldiers couldn't hide their curiosity. The metal colossus that had fallen from the sky was unlike anything they had ever seen before.

BT remained still, but his sensors were on high alert, scanning each present. His blue visor flickered occasionally, detecting every movement around him, ready to react to any threat.

Some of the bolder soldiers approached, touching the Titan's metal plating. Others just watched from a distance, whispering among themselves.

Knoxx chuckled, patting Maxwell's shoulder.

"So this is your ace in the hole?" He gestured toward BT. "Atlas and Vladof have their mechs, too."

Maxwell smirked, crossing his arms.

"This isn't just a mech, Knoxx." He tilted his head slightly. "We call them Titans."

BT seemed to acknowledge the conversation and responded with cold precision.

"Statement: Comparisons to conventional mechs are inaccurate. My performance exceeds standard parameters in tactical combat, support, and operational autonomy."

The soldiers froze when they heard the Titan talking to itself. Artificial Intelligence was nothing new, but it was usually used for tedious tasks, not to control huge robots.

"…Shit. That's still a Gundam?" One of the soldiers muttered.

"Titans? That's a good name. Atlas claimed to have created the weapons of the gods, and now we have Titans. I guess our pantheon is complete." Knoxx turned his gaze back to Maxwell.

"Autonomous and intelligent." Maxwell took a step to the side, gesturing toward BT. "I can say without a doubt that he's worth a hundred of the best mechs in the galaxy."

Knoxx gave BT another look.

"Now every cool kid is going to want one."

Maxwell chuckled.

"They're not for sale."

Knoxx seemed thoughtful but shook his head slightly.

"We've spent enough time out here. We should call the others inside." Knoxx turned to enter.

"Nah, we should get moving. I captured one of the Vault Hunters and brought them with me. Their friends are probably already on their way." Maxwell shook his head.

"Well, that's a shame. The Lance Assassins had a gift prepared for you," Knoxx sighed.

"A gift?" Maxwell tilted his head.

"Oh yes, one of the Lance Assassins mentioned that you like blades." Knoxx laughed as he saw Maxwell following him.

"Sooo... it would be rude to turn down a gift from a subordinate. I'll call my Marvins to help with logistics." An idea crossed Maxwell's mind about what it could be.

"Follow me. I'll take you to my armory."