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
Max staggered out of the ice cave, thoroughly exhausted. Saving the world had that effect on a person. Hawk landed near him, as he hit the snow coated ground on his back.
"Max, are you all right?" Rachel's voice asked above him. The teen gave her a thumbs up and a smile, just as Berto arrived. Max breathed a sigh, watching his breath freeze into a cloud above him.
"Terrorists are heading for maximum security," he affirmed. Max grinned, and sat up. Kat arrived on a snowmobile moments later.
"Hey, Steel. Don't tell me you're beat," she greeted, a little mockingly. The younger agent was on his feet in a moment, grinning good-naturedly, hands inconspicuously behind his back.
"Ever had a snowball fight in Alaska?" he asked innocently. All three of his companions shook their heads, and were immediately beaned in the chest or head by packed snow. Rachel brushed the snow from the front of her uniform. By the time Kat and Berto had gotten the snow out of their eyes, Max had scuttled behind the safety of Hawk.
"That's it, Steel. You asked for it," Kat chuckled, collecting a large snowball and rushing at the small plane. A moment later, both of them fell out from behind the jet, Max with a headful of snow. She flipped over him, and was hit in the back by a heap of snow. Berto joined the fight, and the three of them were rolling, ducking, dodging, throwing, and laughing. Snow sprayed into the air.
"Come on, Rachel!" Max called, waving at her during a short lull. Rachel shook her head slightly.
"Nonsense," she muttered under her breath, turning her back on the fighting agents. Max tackled Berto into the snow, and turned his head to look at the blonde member of Team Steel. In a moment, he was back on his feet, and sneaking up behind Rachel, collecting a snowball at the same time. Kat and Berto continued the fight without him. Rachel heard the soft, snow-crunching steps behind her, but didn't think anything of it, until a snowball caught her in the back of the head, followed quickly by a human smashing into her. Rachel glared over at Max, who was picking himself up off the snow. He shot her a hopeful blue-eyed look.
"Come on, Rach. Be a kid again. Just for today," he said softly. She shook her head, trying to rid it of extra ice crystals. Taking it the wrong way, Max brushed past her, and hurried to rejoin the snowfight. Rachel contemplated for less than a minute before getting up and moving almost silently towards the group. Less than three yards away, she knelt, scooped up a ball of snow almost the size of Max's head, then hurled it at him. The attack caught him off-guard, and threw him to the ground. Kat and Berto paused just long enough to start laughing. Max flipped to see his attacker standing less than five feet from him, a snowball in one hand, and wearing a triumphant smirk.
"Just for today," she agreed, then hurtled the snowball at his head. Laughing, he dodged it, and retaliated, Seconds later, he'd crashed her to the snow, grinning.
"Tag, you're it. Leeds," he teased, then bolted several feet away. She scrambled to her feet, and chased after him.
Okay, that was just a little tribute to snow for you all. So they're maybe a touch out of character. Do we really care? Catch ya later! Luv ya all!
-Maxy Steel