General disclaimer: Max Steel belongs to many companies, Kids' WB!, two different computer animation companies, and a whole mess-o corporate executives. This story is my personal work derived from my inner child getting hold of an uzi and obliterating my good side.
BY:
Maxy Steel
Rachel sighed sadly, looking over at Max. Well, currently he was in civilian form, so it was Josh. His eyes were red-rimmed from silent crying. She'd been sitting there with him for the last hour, ever since that letter had arrived. She hadn't read it, hadn't felt it was her place, but she knew what the gist of it was. She'd broken up with him. Laura. In a letter, one of the cruelest methods. One for cowards. So that she wouldn't see his face, wouldn't see the pain, and wouldn't have to hear his voice as he asked why. Laura hadn't even left a reply address. He couldn't write back, ask why she'd chosen this. But it was clear enough, to Rachel, at least. The Chinese girl had been sick and tired of always being stood up. Josh may have thought he'd mended things fairly well after that disaster in Baja. She may have left on that research ship with a good-bye kiss, but seven months can change all that. This was the first letter she'd sent in three months. Such a shame it had to be a good-bye letter. Rachel looked over at Josh, who sniffled and looked up.
"I was such an idiot," he sighed after a moment. Rachel scooted closer on the couch. She'd come over to his house to tell him about some new training equipment that had come in. He'd just gotten the mail, and was ecstatic. He'd gotten a letter from Laura. He'd barely been able to sit through the description of the gear they'd been issued. His eyes had kept straying to the letter, sitting on the table. Almost the moment she'd closed her mouth, he'd snatched up the folded paper, and eagerly began to read. Rachel had felt a twist in her heart as his expression slowly turned from joy to shock, to sadness. The letter had dropped from his hand onto the couch, and his head had dropped his chest. The tears had come next. In that moment, there was nothing Rachel had wanted to do more than go out and shoot that woman in the heart. Right where she'd pierced Josh's.
"You couldn't have known," the young blonde woman tried to comfort. Only the rest of us knew, she thought, looking at him. He was wiping painfully at his eyes. She closed the small gap between them, and placed her hand on his shoulder. Sharply, he jerked his head away from her. She watched his chest tighten before another sob escaped.
"Thanks," he mumbled finally, looking over at her. She raised an eyebrow.
"For what?" she asked, tilting her head. In response, he hugged her tightly.
"For putting up with me," he explained a second later, letting her go and smiling. Rachel looked up at him. He looked so vulnerable right then. Like on Shark. A strange pull was drawing them closer. An inch apart. Their heads were almost touching.
"Hermano! We have a situation. Psycho's attacking a research ship out in the Caribbean," Berto's voice cut through, startling Josh, who jumped back in surprise.
"Augh. Perfect timing, bro," the young man muttered, standing and transforming. Rachel was on her feet in a moment as well.
"I'll meet you at the mission site," she said calmly, turning to the door. Max nodded, bolted past her, and was out the door a moment later.
The sun was just beginning to turn the night over to the darkness of night, when Hawk appeared over the Caribbean, and the ship was in sight.
"Any idea why Smiley's going boat-hunting?" Max commented, craning his neck, looking for the cyborg. Not even a glowing eye.
"Not a clue. I don't see any reason to attack a research ship that follows his usual pattern," the Spanish scientist replied, shrugging to himself. Max muttered something under his breath.
"Augh. Okay, going in. Might as well see what's on Smiley's agenda," the teenager sighed, setting Hawk's stealth mode. The jet zipped out over the boat, and Max groaned, seeing the situation. Laura, and the other college students who had gone with her on the research boat, were all grouped in the center of the top deck, along with the crew. Dread minions were everywhere. Last, but not least, Smiley was at the helm.
"Since when did Psycho start taking hostages?" Berto noted, frowning. Max flew Hawk directly at the ship, and prepared to make his exit.
"Let's just be glad he's changed his ways," the boy said with a sigh, flipping back the lid, and jumping from his jet. He activated the remote pilot on his way out, and hit the deck a moment later. Rolling once, he was on his feet in a second, and less than ten feet from the hostages. Laura looked at him in shock.
"Max?! What are you doing here?" she gasped. The secret agent ignored her, and turned to face his opponent.
"Hey, Smiley! What's up with attacking some helpless research ship? Don't you have better things to do?" he called mockingly. The cyborg chuckled, and jumped down to the deck the teenager was on.
"I do, actually. Like sinking this ship, with you on it!" he replied, then charged. Max easily jumped over him, taking out a guard on his way down. He landed, and spun around to face the terrorist.
"Getting rusty?" he asked, grinning. In response, Psycho reached out, grabbed Laura, and threw her over the side. He retained his grip on her hand, however.
"Max, help!" she screamed, grabbing the side of the ship with her free hand.
"Surrender, and I'll let her go," Psycho said, his red eyes flaring. Max gave an exaggerated sigh.
"Yeah, you'll let her go. Right into the ocean," the teenager retorted coolly, then pressed a button on his wristband.
"Going turbo!" he yelled, then rushed forward, and slammed his enemy with a powerful side kick. Psycho went overboard, losing his grip on Laura at the same time. Max reached over the edge instantly, and was surprised to see her clutching at the side of the boat. He grabbed her wrists, and in seconds, she was back on the deck.
"Not so fast, kid," a guard warned behind the teenager. Spinning around, Max was quick to deal with the opposition in a series of lightning fast moves, leaving a trail of unconscious minions in his wake.
"Is everyone all right?" he called once the last of the men were finished. He sighed in relief as the people replied back that they were fine. Laura suddenly had her arms around his neck. Max froze instantly, pried her off, and turned away, fighting down tears. Sure, she wants Max. But why not Josh? he thought bitterly. Almost as suddenly, a clear image popped into his head. Rachel. He felt like smacking his head on the side of the ship. Am I that stupid? he grumbled mentally, before a hand touched his. He snapped out of his reverie to see Laura regarding him with a confused look.
"Is something wrong?" she asked quietly. Max shook his head, and grinned slightly, slipping a hand behind his head.
"Not really. I just...realized something really important," he explained lamely. Hawk appeared at the side of the ship.
"I told Rachel you had everything under control. She's still at base," Berto's voice added with the arrival of the jet. Max turned to say his good-byes to Laura. She was leaning on the side of the ship, almost reflectively. He sighed, and settled beside her.
"I broke up with Josh," she said suddenly, almost in a whisper. Max swallowed hard, and pulled uncomfortably at his collar. Of all the subjects to chat about, why this one?
"I heard," he said, in an equally soft voice. Laura smiled slightly, then frowned.
"I feel terrible about it. I really do. But..." she murmured, resting her chin on her hand. Interested, Max tilted his head towards her. Maybe he could find out the reason why...
"But what?" he questioned, a little too eagerly. Laura moved back from the side, and turned to face him. She leaned towards him, making him a little uncomfortable.
"I don't regret it. Because....Max, I..." she almost whispered, closing her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and she tried to kiss him. Reflexively, he leaned back, and she opened her eyes, looking disappointed.
"I have to go," he explained simply, shrugging. With that, he patted her arm in a friendly way, and jumped into his jet. Shooting her one last, half-hearted smile, Hawk's lid closed, and he shot off. He'd made his decision. It wasn't her, not anymore.
Max jumped out of Hawk almost before the small plane had hit the ground at N-tek. He paused just clear of the jet, and sighed. He stretched, relaxing the tense muscles in his neck.
"What's up, hermano? You seem a little edgy. I mean, besides the scene with Laura..." the Spanish teenager commented. The older agent chuckled softly.
"Where's Rachel?" Max shot back absently. Berto shook his head slightly.
"Her office. Why?" the boy replied after a moment. Max didn't reply. Instead, he bolted out of the hanger, flicking off his bio-link at the same time. Berto blinked as the communications were shut down, tried once to get them back, then grumbled something in Spanish, throwing his hands up in the air.
The brunette teenager made record time to the older agent's office. Max paused outside Rachel's door, slowly letting his breathing and thoughts collect themselves. Hi, I was just in the neighborhood...no. Rachel, I love you. Marry me? Oh, heck no. If I had to go through life without you...nah, too dramatic, his mind raced even faster, however, the longer he stood there.
"Here goes," he muttered to himself, and keyed in his code. The door slid open, startling the single occupant. Max sheepishly stepped into the room as Rachel set aside the paperwork in her hands.
"Hello, Mr. Steel. Something wrong?" she asked, getting up and walking over to him. For a moment, Max just stared at her, blinking every so often. She returned the gesture, with more blinking. At last, he coughed, bringing both of them back to the real world.
"No, not really. I just wanted to say, well..." he said rapidly, then closed his mouth. Good going, Steel. Be a blubbering idiot. Good job! he said to himself, mentally slapping himself upside the head. Rachel raised an eyebrow at him.
"Wanted to say what?" she pressed calmly. He gulped, and took her hands. The words came.
"Rachel, I wanted to thank you. For putting up with me while I was so blind. For being there for me. And...." he faltered on the last, and most important line. She looked at him curiously.
"And...?" she inquired, looking up into his serious blue eyes. In response, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Motions instead of words.
Once again, the demon-angel wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote something to do with the image she kept playing for me. ECD tried to stop me, but hey. He's just a computer, what does he know? Catch ya later! Luv ya all!
-Maxy Steel