Avalanche, a max and shred fanfic

Thoughts

Radio

Disclaimer: I don't own Max & Shred, but I kinda wish I did.

Famous snowboarder Max Asher and his best friend Alvin Ackerman were enjoying a snow day on the slopes. While Max was perfectly balanced and confident on a snowboard, Alvin was...not exactly good at staying upright.

Max was watching his best friend try standing again and thinking.

'I love boarding on the fresh pow pow. Stepping onto a snowboard and pointing it straight downhill may be as close as you can get to flying without completely leaving the ground. Every winter, millions of people enjoy being out on the slopes. You might not think Alvin "Shred" Ackerman would be one of them. And you'd be right.'

Max is knocked out his thoughts by Shred falling to the ground once more. He starts laughing.

"Thanks a lot." Alvin huffs from the ground looking like a turtle on its back.

Max comes right up next to him showering snow onto him. "Well, it looks like you're getting the hang of this. I just don't understand how you did such a great job when you were impersonating me and now you have a hard time staying up on your board?"

"You know, one of us needs to have his head examined, and I'm sure it's not me." Alvin says jokingly.

"Admit it, you're having fun hanging out on the slopes."

"Oh, sure. I love having two pounds of snow in my pants. 'Let's have some fun," you said, "go somewhere we can just chillax" you said. " 'Fine,' I said, 'What about the movies?' 'The movies,' you said, 'are boring.' Well, you know something? I think I like boring. I would love to be in my lab working one of my inventions."

"Come on it isn't that bad. Here give me your hand I'll pull you up." Max says reaching towards Alvin.

"No. I got down by myself, I'll get up by myself." Alvin says as he fights his board to get off the ground. "You know, if you want to stay up here the rest of the day, that's fine, but I think I'm gonna go home."
"I thought we were gonna make snow-bros?" Max says while pouting.

Alvin looks at the pout and backtracks, "We can. I would just like to be warm for a little while first. Okay?" Max stops pouting and puts on his famous charming smile.

"Okay fine. How about I do one more run on the Red Eye and we'll have some hot chocolate in the lodge." Max says as a compromise.

"Okay then you and I will make some snow-bros." Alvin concedes.

"Sweet! How about a bro hug?" Max says while holding out his arms.

Alvin backs away and says, "Maybe later."

Max turns around and starts heading for the lift to take him to the top of the mountain.

Alvin gets a bad feeling and impulsively shouts at Max, "Be careful!"

Max turns around and waves with a smile. "I will be bro. This isn't the first time I've done this remember."

Alvin nods, but thinks about that feeling of his. 'Somehow his experience is not making me feel better.'

~Max~

After Max gets to the top, he takes a moment to just look around and admire the view. 'I wonder what Shred was so worried about. This is a perfect day for snowboarding.' He starts going downhill performing some of his signature tricks like the Flying Chihuahua, when he hears a crack at the top of the mountain. Half of the mountain was coming down. 'Okay maybe Shred had a reason to be worried!' Max tries to pick up speed to get away from the avalanche. He crouches down so there is less air resistance and goes around any tree or object that is in his way as he goes down the mountain. When something happens and all he sees is white.

~Alvin~

Alvin was just watching Max's performance, when he also heard the crack. He looks up and sees the rapidly falling snow and ice. "That's an avalanche. On Red Eye…Oh No...No...No…Come on." Shred starts panicking "Come on, Max, beat it." Max looks like he's beating the avalanche when all of a sudden Max falls. Alvin yells "NOOOOO! MAX!" and Max was gone in a flurry of white.

Alvin starts freaking out. 'What do I do! What do I do!... Get the ski patrol that's what I'll do.'

He runs to the patrol station. "Avalanche! Emergency! Listen, a friend of mine just got caught in an avalanche on the Red Eye trail."

"We know, we got a call from the top." says the rescue team leader. "They're forming a search team right now." The leader gets on a snowmobile. "You stay here. We'll let you know if we find him."

"You don't understand." Alvin says gripping the leaders arm. "I saw him go under. I can lead you there."

The leader looks skeptical and disbelieving. "You sure?"

"Yes!" Alvin says agitatedly.

"All right, get on. Let's go!" Alvin gets on the snowmobile and they head to where Alvin last saw Max.

After working for 15 minutes they still haven't found Max. Alvin starts get worried which makes him frustrated. "Listen, can't we get some more people to help? There weren't that many skiers left on the hill, and the patrol's stretched to the limit."

The leader shakes their head. "Are you sure this is where your friend went under?"

"Yes, I marked it by those trees."

"Well, one set of pines looks pretty much like another."

"This is the spot. I did the calculations and my calculations are correct I'm sure of it." Alvin says determined.

"Look..., I hate to have to tell you this, but only one out of 25 people survives an avalanche." The leader says regretfully.

Alvin looks at the leader in anger at their doubt. "I know the odds. I've done the calculations and I know what the numbers say about Max's chances of survival, but Max will be the one." But, his thoughts get the better of him.

'Supposing Max did find a pocket for himself in here, how long could he hold out? People have stayed alive for five or six days. But between the hypothermia and the frostbite, it's not a pretty picture. Oh Max where are you?'

The snowmobiles radio disrupts his thoughts.

"Air Scout to Rescue Team One."

"Come in."

"Rescue One, come in."

"We've got an unstable cornice on the south base of the mountain. It looks like it could come down at any time. Get your team together and leave the area within ten minutes."

"Repeat."

"Leave the area within ten minutes."

"Over."

"Roger, Base." The team leader responds into the radio. "I just got a report from the chopper near the summit. There's a lot of unstable snow up there."

Alvin is actually confused. "Meaning what?"

"They're gonna trigger a controlled slide."

"When?"

"They're planting the charges now."

Alvin is horrified "WAIT! They can't do that until we find Max."

The team leader says sadly, "I'm sorry, but these people just don't see it that way. Unless they break up those ridges, the whole mountain could cut loose, bury the lodge, the town and everything."

But Alvin is determined. "Well, how much time do we have?"

"They're giving us ten minutes, and then we gotta get out of this area fast."

~Max~

Max opened his eyes. 'Whoa…what happened? Why is it so dark and cold?' He looks around and sees nothing, but snow. 'Oh right avalanche. Well that is so not cool...haha cool.' He shakes his head at his own joke. 'Anyway… I just hope Shred's alright... SHRED! Oh he must be worried I gotta get out of here. But... which way is up… this may take longer than I thought.'

~Alvin~

Base to Rescue Team One.

Come in.

"This is Rescue Team One."

Terminate your search and return to base.

Repeat, terminate your search.

Avalanche Control is about to detonate the charges.

"Roger, Base." Leader responds.

Alvin overheard the radio discussion, "Listen. They can't set those charges off when there's a chance Max is still alive. They just can't. He's my best friend!"

The leader looks at him despondently "I'm sorry. I know how you feel. I've lost two friends this way, but there is a whole town they're trying to save."

"We're close to him! Look, I can tell. Please, ask them for another five minutes." Alvin begs the leader.

The leader looks torn, but can see if they don't help Alvin, the kid will just keep on looking anyway. "Okay, I'll ask."

"Thanks."

"This is Rescue Team One. We need more time please."

~Max~

'Okay I figured out which way is up, but I'm not sure how deep I'm buried and if I'm to deep I'll just make the situation worse. Why did I have to forget my avalanche beacon the one day I'm actually caught in an avalanche?! Oh well what to do now… Squiggle Puppy your the bestest ever pup'

~Alvin~

Base out.

"Rescue Team One out. They said that they were taking a chance just having us here looking for your friend. I could only get a couple more minutes. I'm sorry."

'No! Come on Max. You're the great Max Asher you can't let a little snow and ice beat you. My best friend wouldn't give up like this, you have to be here...you have to be fine.'

Base to Rescue Team One, your time is up.

You must leave the area immediately.

"Roger, Base. Rescue Team One out." Responds the team leader. "All right, people, that's it! Let's head back down."

Alvin hearing this starts digging with more desperation.

The team leader sees this and starts trying to drag Alvin away from where they've been digging for the past hour. "Come on kid I know you want to find your friend, but you'll end up buried just like him if you stay here."

Alvin breaks free from the leaders grip and goes back to where they where. He starts to dig even more frantically. "You don't understand. Max is my best friend! He's the only person outside of my family who doesn't care that I'm a nerd and even though he rarely understands he tries so hard to help me with my experiments and inventions. We don't always get along, but we always make time to hang out and I can't lose him!"

The leader is taken aback and then dumbfounded when Alvin's haphazard digging finally revealed a boot. They call on the radio.

"Repeat, a rescue in progress. Hold on those charges."

"MAX! He's here. He's down here." Alvin yells excitedly.

"Rescue Team dig here we found him." The team leader yells to their team. "Max, we're coming! Go easy, go easy. We don't wanna hit him."

"Max!" Alvin yells.

"Yeah." Max responds. You can see the tension leave Alvin. "Hurry up! I feel like a Popsicle." 'Yep that's Max alright.' Alvin thinks with a shake of the head.

The rescue team keeps working and starts easing Max out of the snow and ice.

"He's there! We're coming!"

"All right."

"Easy."

"Take it easy."

"Look out, now."

"We're coming, Max! We're coming."

"Here."

"All right."

"Max, come on, we got you."

"Careful, careful."

"Pull."

"Easy."

Alvin is the first person Max sees when he gets used to the sunlight in his eyes.

"Could I have that bro hug now? Please?" Max asks with his arms out and a pout.

"Oh just come here!" Alvin hugs him like he would never see Max again if he let go. They finally separate after 5 seconds. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Shred."

The team leader comes around with an emergency blanket. "You seem to be fine, but we'll have the paramedics check you out. You hurt anywhere Max?"

Max just smiles and shakes his head. "A cup of hot chocolate, and I'll be fine."

The team leader smiles the his attitude. "I think we can manage that."

Alvin just looks at Max with a frown. "I don't know whether to hit you or just hide your hair brush."

"You wouldn't do that to me Shred!" Max says scandalized.

"Yes I would you scared me!" Alvin says as fact.

"No you wouldn't."

"Yes I would."

"Wouldn't"

"Would"

"Wouldn't"

"Would"

The team leader just watches them go back and forth for a moment. "Come on, guys. We gotta get out of here." The team walks up with Max's stuff and luckily distracts the boys from their 'discussion' as they head down the mountain.

"Here is his board."

The team leader takes the board and quickly looks at Max again. "All things considered, you're a very lucky kid." When Max looks confused the leader points at Alvin who is walking a little ahead of them. "He didn't give up on you for a moment. He even fought me when we were about to give up."

Max looks at Alvin. "You're right I am lucky, but I already knew that. Here's the thing… Shred is my best friend because he doesn't care I'm famous, he just like hanging out with Max, and no matter how smart he is or how frustrated he gets when I mess up one of his science magician things he still wants to be my friend." Max leaves the team leader with that thought and catches up to Shred putting an arm around his shoulder.

Alvin looks at Max with a look of curiosity. "So what were you two talking about?"

Max gives a mischievous smile. "Oh just how lucky I am to have a friend like you that doesn't give up on me."

Alvin looks down embarrassed, then looks back at Max.

"Well, are you willing to admit now that snowboarding is dangerous?"

Max shoves his shoulder a little. "Snowboarding's fun. Avalanches are dangerous. Don't forget though that you find walking more fun than snowboarding."

Alvin huffs. "Walking. That's how man is supposed to get where wants to go. One foot in front of the other. Or it will be until I can get my hovercraft working properly."

"Can I try your hovercraft?"

"No."

"Please."

"No.

"Please."

"No."

And they argue about it all the way home.

A.N. I got this idea when I watched an episode of the 80's series MacGyver and I immediately thought of Max & Shred so I decided to combine them and this was born. Now some things said might seem slashy, but they're meant to be almost brotherly.