Hello, Latios963 here! I thought I might try to do some angst for Max. He's just so cute! But I hate everybody only thinking he's just some person on a constant sugar-high. I just want him to be understood, for once.

*Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

Why, Max, why?

That was the thought plaguing Alex Wilson's mind. Why? Why did you do it?

Alex was a forty-year-old man and head of the Science and Technology department of the espionage organisation named Hex5. A lot of times, his thoughts were concerning an upcoming experiment but this time, they were about particular blond-haired, blue-eyed fifteen-year-old boy called Max, or, to the world of spies, Shadow.

Alex was friends with Max's father, Taro Tate. They were friends long before Max joined the ranks of Hex5. The Hex5 board of directors had wanted someone who knew how to beyblade. They looked at all the teams in the world and narrowed down a few based on the last Beyblading World Championship. The BBA Revolution, the Blitzkrieg Boys, White Tiger X, F-dynasty and the PPB All Starz.

For the BBA Revolution, they considered none of them worthy enough. Tyson and Daichi were too immature, dense, a lot of times idiotic… do I need to go on? For the Blitzkrieg Boys, well, they would've been perfect except for the fact that they didn't seem too willing to take orders. For Ray of the White Tiger X, he lived in the village and it would be rather inconvenient to try and contact him. Julia and Raul of F-dynasty were a good match but Julia was too commanding to take orders and Raul, having lived all his life in his sister's shadow, would have difficulties standing up to others without his sister. And they only wanted one new agent. That left the PPB All Starz. They focused more on Rick and Max. Rick was too street-boy and had an attitude.

But Max…well, he fit in the requirements easily. He was a great blader. He knew when to be serious. He was physically fit. He had no problems obeying orders yet he would put his foot down if needed. And although he hid it, he was also academically brilliant. He also learnt fast. He was the perfect candidate.

So, a few months after the BEGA incident, Alex introduced Max to the world of Hex5. They trained him rigorously and taught him a lot of subjects and he was now already at the standard of a graduated scientist. He was able to rise surprisingly fast in the ranks of Hex5 and had, in a few weeks time, gained the trust and respect from his fellow agents, thanks to his polite and charming nature, when it took most people months, some even years.

It was easy for Max. He would only be at the HQ when he was either called for a mission or simply because he had time on his hands. Then, he could do other things in his normal life when he wasn't on an assignment. He was able to juggle his studies, his social life, his Beyblade training schedule and his spy life.

But that all changed. His parents had gotten divorced. Alex heard it from Taro himself and had immediately gone to comfort Max who was, understandably, distraught by the news. No, 'distraught' wasn't a good-enough adjective to be used. Try 'his world had been ripped into pieces, put through a paper shredder and then thrown down the sewer'. When his friends tried to comfort him, he couldn't take it and just snapped at them. They were offended, shouting back a 'We were just trying to help! If you don't want it, then fine!' before they left.

After the day he fought with his so-called 'friends', max could be found at Hex5 more often. He was normally at the lab, inventing new creations and testing out things. Soon, Alex realised that Max was depressed. Alex didn't want to it to be true but the signs were obvious. He was skipping meals. He spent nearly all his time working and Alex was sure that, sooner or later, he would collapse from the pressure. He was moody, no longer the happy-go-lucky kid Alex once knew.

He tried his best for Max, he really did. But it was as if Max had dug a hole so deep no one could reach in and pull him out. If anyone saw Max work, they would think that he was truly his parent's son. He had, sadly, gained their workaholic traits and seemed to put his heart, mind and soul into his work.

The only time Alex saw this side of Max in the Max before his parents got divorced was when he was doing something to please someone around him. Like that time he had been building the fastest jet-plane on Earth. When asked why he wanted to build it, he simply said that it had always been his father's dream to build the fastest remote-controlled toy plane. Except, instead of a toy, Max had built a full-scale fighter-jet. Or that time when Max, who had heard that one of his ex-teammates, Tyson, badly wanted to get tickets to go to the Football World Cup, he had built a laser gun and traded it with the organiser of the World Cup who was also a member Hex5. He spent a week designing the gun and nearly fainted when he was finished. And another time, when the members of White Tiger X, who weren't really counted his closest friends, needed a tooth from a Siberian White Tiger to complete the bracelet they were making for their mentor Tao, it was Max who had gone to the jungle and actually wrestled the tiger and snagged its tooth. It was fortunate that he had told Alex what he was doing and where he was going because Alex had been so worried, he had dispatched a team to follow him. If he hadn't, Max would've died. He'd been so badly injured. When Alex was leading his stretcher to the surgery room, he heard Max say, "Give this to White Tiger X." He passed Alex the tooth before he was wheeled into the room. If he had died, those would've been his last words. His last words might've been for his friends…

And then, they had just abandoned him like that, especially when he needed them the most. That was just too harsh.

Whenever he saw Max working on something for his friends, Alex would sigh and wish he'd do something for himself. Now was no different. Except for doing something good, this time he was harming himself. But he was doing this because he believed the world would be better off without him.

No, he wasn't dead, if that's what you're thinking. He became something far worse. He became a cyborg.

It wasn't like Tala of the Blitzkrieg Boys. Because, unlike Tala, Max willingly signed up for this. He knew exactly what he was getting into. He wanted to become a half-robot. And another thing different from Tala, his actually worked. Because although Boris made Tala to be cold and emotionless, Tala wasn't like that. But Max now was.

All because he was denied the one thing he craved for: Care. The love from his parents. The concern from his 'friends'. Those were what he wanted.

He probably felt that life was not worth living anymore. Because, the experiment could've failed and he would've died. And even if it was a success, he wouldn't be in control of his body.

And this, was far more painful than seeing Max dead. Because Alex knew, that, at least, if Max was dead, he would be free. So it wouldn't hurt so much. But seeing the cheery boy he had once been turned into a cold, merciless spying machine? It felt like someone had just ripped his heart out and tore it into two and you were somehow still alive to experience it. Yes, it was that painful.

He should have seen the signs. When he read Max's post-mission reports that explained everything he did in detail, Alex noticed how the once-cautious Max would throw himself in danger's path every time. Like he couldn't care less if he lived or died. In fact, Alex thought that Max might've thought that. In fact, when Max wasn't at the lab, at home – which was very seldom – or on missions, he would be in the hospital. Although he would complete the assignment every time, he would always end up injured.

He should've seen the signs. No, scratch that. The correct sentence would be: He should have done something about it.

Alex remembered him talking to Professor William Johnson, head of the project, after he heard about Max's decision. Although usually, he had the authority the stop any kind of experiments, he couldn't with this one. Because this experiment mixed with the Biology department and the head of the department wanted to do it, as well as many of the scientists working on the project. However, he still had some chance of stopping the project. He just needed to convince two people.

"He's just a boy, William! A boy shouldn't be subjected to this!" Alex glared at the scientist before him.

"But he wants it!" William persisted. "Why should we stop him if he wants to do it so badly?"

Alex played his trump card. "But you, of all people, should know that human beings usually chose what is bad for themselves!"

That had ended the argument. William was convinced. You see, he had a past of thievery. He chose to steal stuff. He had tried to tell himself that he had no choice and that his family was facing difficult times. Keyword? Tried. He knew it was bad of him. But he had chosen to do it.

The other person Alex had to persuade was Doctor Jonathan Smith. He was the only one who knew exactly how to do the process. However, he wasn't moved. In the end, the project continued and William decided to stay on to ensure the safety of Max.

It was two months later when Alex could see Max again. Max had changed. His ocean-blue eyes which had been sparkling with excitement a year ago was replaced by an emotionless, cold look. He was tensed up and his eyes surveyed the room and its occupants warily and would always analyse them and search for any backup exits in case something wrong happened and he needed to leave quickly.

Gone was the teen with that cat-like grin, that carefree nature and the liking of putting mustard on his noodles before eating it. Gone was the boy who loved beyblading and who treasured his friends before anything else, except Draciel. This was the product of what bitterness, resentment and depression had done to the used-to-be sweet member of G-Revolution. Speaking of beyblading and Draciel…

Alex looked at Max before shaking his hand and looking into those blue eyes that were devoid of any emotion. Unknowingly to others except him and Max, Alex slipped Draciel's bit-chip into Max's hand before smiling at him. Max had passed him the bit-beast to take care of before he went for the experiment.

And now, as Max looks at Draciel, Alex swears that he saw something flare up in those eyes of his. Was it happiness? Contentment? Relief? Regardless, Alex felt something flare up in his own heart, too. Except he knew exactly what it was. It was hope.

Hope that there was still a chance the old Max could be brought back. Although it was a small and slim chance, it was still a chance nonetheless and it was that thought that would drive Alex to wake up every morning.

Because, as long as Alex lived, as long as there was a hope that Max could be returned to them, Alex would not rest until he achieved this goal.

No, Alex Wilson would not give up.

He would never give up.

As long as he still had that little grain of hope.

Hope.

I hope you liked it! I certainly did enjoy writing it! If you guys want, I'll do another fic about Alex trying to bring Max back, how Tyson, Max's parents and all realise what've they've done and how they find out about his secret agent life.

Thanks for reading, please review!

Latios963