The signal tower level was a scream-fest.
IndieVibe X2's full-sensory VR turned BT's javelin toss into a gut-punch. Most streamers—Daisy "Dizzy" Lane, Yin, ShuBro, Winter Melon, Eggplant, Ethan "Piggie" Vance, Old Horse—crashed hard the first few tries.
Daisy's stream hit 69 million views, and the "throwing is the only way" meme blew up on Twitch. The high-tech Titanfall world using caveman tactics? Iconic.
Chat went feral:
"Yeet the Pilot!"
"Gus, you savage!"
"Throwing's the vibe!"
ShuBro, after three VR disconnects, six flubs, and five abyss dives, nailed a wall-slide double jump onto the operation tower. "Finally!" he gasped. "Y'all with X2s, try this. It's brutal."
His HUD pinged the link module—northeast, end of the tower maze. BT's throw only got him to the tower group. Now, he had to parkour through a sky-high gauntlet.
IMC drones swarmed in. "Target spotted! Militia Pilot on Z4! Shoot him!"
Bullets sparked at ShuBro's feet. He dodged, whipping out the Arc Gun.
Chat exploded:
"What's he doing?"
"Arc Gun's live?!"
"Electrofishing's illegal, but zapping grunts?"
"ShuBro's unhinged!"
"Yo!" ShuBro grinned, firing. Zzzzt!
Lightning torched the IMC squad, turning them to ash. "Internet addiction? Cured!" he cackled, mowing down grunts. "Scream louder, you're hooked!"
Chat lost it:
"Dr. Shu's in!"
"Yang's ghost is back!"
"Internet rehab, Titanfall style!"
"Memory of 2008 zaps me!"
The Arc Gun's one-shot kills felt like cheating, a PC-hack vibe in VR. Streamers like Daisy and Yin joined the chaos, frying enemies with glee.
But the mission loomed. ShuBro leaped through towers, dodging fire. Below, BT tanked IMC Reapers and stalkers at the main tower.
"Found it!" ShuBro yelled, prying open the link module's cover. A suitcase-sized device.
BT's voice crackled: "Protocol 2, mission update: secure the module, Kubo. I'll hold for pickup."
ShuBro glanced down. BT was swarmed, reeling from artillery. Yet he charged the platform's edge to cover ShuBro.
"Damn it, BT!" ShuBro muttered. He hooked a grappling cable, clutching the module, and leaped.
Bullets whizzed by. His jump booster flared, rocketing him through the crossfire like a cable-car stuntman.
"Zipline king!" he roared. "Who's flying? ME!"
Chat erupted:
"Blockbuster shit!"
"ShuBro's a lone wolf!"
"Title change: Fugitive Pilot!"
ShuBro hit the platform, unhooking mid-air. BT, battered, turned, dropping his force field to catch him.
"Fruit Robo, return!" ShuBro shouted, landing in the cockpit.
Click."Pilot mode activated."
Chat wheezed:
"Fruit Robo?!"
"ShuBro's allergic to cool!"
"BT's like, 'I deserve better.'"
"Immortal stream moment."
ShuBro drew BT's Ronin sword. "IMC ganged up on my 80,000-pound bro? Eat this!"
The blade swept, carving through stalkers and Reapers. BT charged, unstoppable.
Daisy, meanwhile, was a mess. After grabbing the module and clearing IMC grunts, she faced the main tower's satellite dish.
BT tossed her to the top. She swapped the broken module, panting. "Done. No more—"
Rumble.
The dish vibrated.
"What?" Daisy froze.
Rumble.
Her voice cracked. "No…"
The dish tilted, turning vertical like a flipped bowl. Daisy slid, screaming, "WHAT THE HELL?!"
She plummeted off the tower, Typhon's abyss swallowing her. Time slowed, wind slicing her face.
"BT!" she wailed.
BOOM! A massive hand caught her.
"I got you," BT said.
Daisy opened her eyes, meeting BT's glowing blue optic. Zzt. He blinked, setting her on the platform.
Relief hit. Daisy choked up, flashing a shaky thumbs-up. BT paused, then returned it.
"Pfft," she laughed, tears in her eyes.
Chat melted:
"BT's a real one!"
"Pilot-Titan bromance!"
"Gus cooked with this."
The bond was electric. Daisy, as Jack Cooper, felt it—BT wasn't just AI. He was her partner, guarding her through Typhon's chaos, honoring Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot.
She wasn't a full Pilot yet, just acting. But with BT, she felt unstoppable.
The signal went through. The Militia fleet arrived, riflemen flooding the platform.
Commander Briggs approached, a no-nonsense woman Daisy knew from Anderson's helmet feed.
"Lastimosa's dead?" Briggs asked.
"Confirmed," BT replied. "Connected to Acting Pilot, Rifleman Jack Cooper."
"Rifleman?" Briggs scoffed. "Lastimosa picked you?"
Daisy bristled. She'd risked her neck for the fleet. "Excuse me?"
BT cut in: "He had no choice."
Briggs nodded. "We'll transfer you to a qualified Pilot."
Daisy's hand twitched toward her Mozambique shotgun. Transfer BT? Over her dead body. Lastimosa entrusted him to her.
Chat raged:
"Dizzy's pissed!"
"No one takes her BT!"
"Blast her, Daisy!"
Before Daisy could snap, BT spoke: "Negative. Kubo is my Pilot. Combat efficiency over 90%."
He scooped Daisy into his cockpit, shielding her. "Requesting authorization to maintain connection."
Daisy grinned, sprawling in the seat. "Yeah, Commander! Try finding a better duo!"
Briggs stared, stunned. A rifleman and a Titan, this tight?
She sighed. "It's an emergency. Authorization granted. Rifleman Jack Cooper, you're BT-7274's official Pilot."
She stepped closer. "Your Titan believes in you, Cooper. Prep for a big fight."
Daisy smirked at Briggs' back. "BT's not a machine. He's my ride or die."
The screen faded. Then, a prompt hit:
"Next level supports multiplayer. Difficulty scales with players. Play online? [Yes/No]"
Chat exploded:
"Multiplayer?!"
"Gus dropped a banger!"
"Let's squad up!"
In Seattle, Zoey Parker groaned at her desk. Multiplayer news and "throwing is the only way" trending on X? Titanfall's $170M budget was nowhere near a $90M loss. Her $990M rebate was dust.
"Gus, you're killing me," she muttered.