Max woke up and yawned, ready to take on the day. He put on his jacket and walked into the living room, where steel was watching some Saturday morning cartoons. And before you ask, he was watching the original transformers on Netflix, because Saturday morning cartoons don't really exist anymore.
"Where are you going?"
"Well, since I was suspended from school, I'd thought I'd go for a quick walk" Max said as he put his headphones in.
Wait, YOU GOT ME SUSPENDED?! Max thought. This was around this time molly walked in, angry as fire.
"Mom, is something wrong?" Max asked.
"Someone spent $80 on my credit card"
"Hey, don't look at me" steel said. "I haven't bought anything with your credit card in months! If I want to buy something, I use Ferris'!"
"Well then, who did?!" Molly shouted.
"Well, what was it spent on?"
"An ITunes album of the 80's greatest hits"
"Oh, then that was me" max said.
"You like the 80's?" Steel said.
"Dude, the 80's were way better than that crap we have now!" Max shouted.
Oh man. Max thought. I cannot believe those words came out my mouth!
"Now if you excuse me, I'm going for a walk" Max said as he put in his head phones. His play list started with money for nothing by dire straits, and he was on his way.
…
Back at dread's headquarters, Jason has been really busy since he stole that flash drive. First of all, he redesigned all of the dread naughts, making them look more like The ninja soldiers from the 2003 ninja turtles cartoon. Second of all, he started on creating some artificial dragon flame. Then he started trying to find out ways to break into N-Tek, and he hired an intern by the name Jackson Stewart. He is not to be confused with Jackson Nadakai, the OC from earlier in the story.
This intern was as tall as Jason, he had black hair, blue eyes, and was commonly seen smoking a cigarette. At the moment he was trying to hack more of those files
"Jackson, how far have you gotten in those files?" Jason asked his intern, referring to the files he stole from N-Tek back in chapter 7.
"I can't seem to find out more about the dragon flame yet, but get this: Forge Ferris wants to get to second base with Kat Rayan!"
"Wow, I never knew about that" Jason said.
"But I did find something else interesting" Jackson said. "Do you know what XJ9 is?"
"Yes. It was a project me and Dread were working on while he was still alive. It didn't turn out so well"
"Do you know what happened to it?"
"No. If I did, I would have tried to get what's left of it. Why are you asking?"
"Because you might want to look at this" Jackson said. Jason looked at the files and saw something shocking-It had the location of XJ9's remains!
"Holy crap"
"Look, there's even some photos" Jackson said as he brought them up to the screen. Jason saw this to be a perfect opportunity to reclaim something that is supposed to be his. If he could resurrect Xj9, she and project darkkus can rain terror on N-Tek. He could imagine it now: XJ9 killing both Kat and berto, Darkkus stabbing max steel and snapping Ferris' neck, he thought it would be a great idea!
"Jackson, send some dread naughts to the bottom of the ocean. Tell them to bring up whatever they find"
"Yes sir"
…
Max was walking down the street doing all these retro dance moves to smooth criminal by Michael Jackson. Everyone was staring at him, but he didn't care.
Okay, you're making a scene. Max thought. Dread didn't stop, as dread somehow managed to do the gravity lean. It got worse when Max started singing along to the "Annie are you okay" part.
Okay, you're really making a scene! Max thought.
"Mommy, what's with that weird man?" Some little girl asked.
"That is why we don't do drugs sweetie" Her mom said as she dragged the little girl away. Max didn't care as he was too busy getting foot loose to notice.
Nearby, Butch and his gang were roaming around. What were they doing you ask? Oh nothing, just some illegal stuff. You know, stuff like vandalism.
"Dude, do you see what I did to principle John's car?" One of butch's friends asked. I'm naming him Nick.
"Oh, you mean when you wrote "loser" on his windshield?" Butch said.
"And when I slashed his tires! Man, he's going to be so pissed!" Nick said with delight.
"What about what I did to his house?" The other friend said. Let's name him Flash.
"Dude, that was awesome!" Butch said. They looked over at the street ahead as Max was still getting footloose, this time to "Need you tonight" by INXS.
"Well, well, well, isn't it that McGrath dweeb!" Nick said.
"What's he doing?" Flash asked.
"Who cares? Let's go beat him up" Butch said. Butch doesn't really have a reason to beat up max other than the fact that the former is an A-Hole.
"HEY MCGRATH!" butch shouted at him.
Don't respond to him, don't respond to him, don't respond to- Max didn't hear them at all, and he only got their attention when he felt a rock hit him in the back.
"What the he-"
"Oh hello McGrath" Butch said as his two henchmen walked up to him.
"Do I know you?" Max asked as he took out his ear phones.
"Wow, you want us to leave you alone by pretending to not know who we are" butch said right before he laughed.
"Is there something I can help you with?" max asked. "Because I'm not pleased by your presence"
"Oh, was that your way of saying get lost?" Nick said as he pushed Max.
"I say that we beat the crap out of him and that we take anything he has on him"
"be ready to get the snot knocked out of you McGrath" nick said as he started trying to beat up Max.
Dread, just ignore them and listen to more of this 80's stuff. Max tried to tell dread through his thoughts. They're not worth it. Just-Max saw Nick charging at him with a crow bar, but max just ducked and kicked nick in the back. Max then took out his IPod and changed the next song from "Straight up" to "Beat it" by Michael Jackson. Nick tried to get back up and to fight max, but max didn't let him. First he grabbed nick's grow bar and kicked it away from the fight, making it hit butch's car which wasn't too far from the area. He then kicked Nick in the face, and he punched nick in the gut.
"Oh my god, he beat nick!" flash said.
"Why you-"
"Now now now" max said as he threw nick's phone at butch's face. "Let's not say something we might regret" the phone hit butch directly in the face, making butch have a nose bleed.
"No one makes me bleed my own blood!" Butch said in anger.
"Then it pleases me to be the first" Max said sarcastically. And I just made a reference that I'm not sure anyone is going to get.
Are you trying to be a smart alec?! Max thought. Flash tried to beat the crap out of max, but max managed to dodge his attacks so much, Flash started getting tired resulting in max managing to sweep kick him.
"Now it's just you and me tubby" Max said, making a "Come at me" hand sign.
"TUBBY?!" Butch asked as he ran towards max. Max didn't hastate to beat butch, as he sucker punched him in the face. Max then kicked butch in the gut, and then elbowed in into the concrete.
"That's what you get when you want to mess with me" Max said as he walked away. He started dancing again, this time to "Take on me"
That was easier than expected. Dread thought to himself. Oh hey, I love this part! Right when Max said that he saw the same place as yesterday being robbed, and this time by two different people.
"Come on Lennie, this dragon flame stuff ain't gonna steal itself" One of the henchmen said.
"I'm just worried as heck. You saw what exstroyer did to Benjamin, didn't you?!" Lennie said. "Rob, I'm sure that we're screwed!"
"But what if we're not?" Rob said. "I don't see a single cop car in sight. I don't see max steel anywhere. I'm sure we're safe"
"Fine, just take the case and let's get outta here!" Lennie said. Max saw something that looked rather pitiful car parked nearby an expired parking meter. It was beat up, chipping paint, and looked like a least obvious getaway car. Dread knew that steel was nowhere nearby and that this robbery need to be stopped. He tried to think of what to do when he got an idea. Max walked up to it with a knife he took from butch and opened the hood.
Wow. Dread thought. This engine looks like it was made in 1965. That will make this even easier.
Max walked away from the van as he saw the two criminals run into it, and he started giggling.
Dread, what did you do? Max thought. Yes, max probably should know, but, you know, suspense.
"Okay, unlike Trent, we didn't set off the alarm. Now all we need to do is drive away" rob said as he put his key in the ignition. He was ready to drive away while listening to Justin Bieber but that didn't happen.
"What the?! It won't start!" Lenny said.
"That can't be right!" Rob said. "Come on. Start! START!" Rob walked out of the car and noticed something strange in the hood: something was leaking out. Now terrified, Rob ran over to the hood and opened it, and saw someone cut its fuel line.
"What the heck?!" Lennie asked. Max quietly walked away as the cops came and arrested them.
Meanwhile, Steel and Molly were walking down the street, talking about a date Molly went on.
"So this guy was flirting with all of the other girls, spent most of his time at the bar then at your table, was rude to the waiters, and you scheduled another date with him?"
"I know, I give people too many chances" Molly said.
"You should try going for a guy who looks like Brad Pit. He should also be nice, and someone max would like" steel said.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about max" Molly said. "Where is he?"
"Well, he said he went for a walk" Steel said.
"Yeah, but he's been gone for a while now. I'm starting to get worried" Molly said as she saw Max standing there, watching Lennie and Rob cure their heads off.
"What on earth is he doing?" Steel asked.
"I don't know" Molly said. she walked over to Max to see what he was doing, because he's laughing uncontrollably.
"Max, what's wrong?" Molly asked.
"Did you get infected some sort of laughing gas made by a clown?" Steel asked. You might have had to seen the Tim Burton Batman movie to get that reference.
"Oh no, I'm just laughing at those two idiots" max said as he pointed at Rob and Lennie. "I cut their fuel line"
"Why?" Molly said.
"They were trying to steal more of that dragon fire stuff" Max said.
"Okay, first of all, it's Dragon flame" steel said. "Second of all, wouldn't calling the police been a whole lot easier?"
"Now where's the fun in that?" Max asked right before he continued laughing. "Alright steel, let's link and take out these pansies GO TURBO!"
"Is this someone's idea of a cruel joke?!" Lennie asked.
"Well, I thought it was pretty funny" max said, which gave the two crooks a shock. "Now hand over that case, or I'll do more than cut your fuel line"
"And what makes you think we'll comply?" Rob asked.
"Maybe because that means you guys get to go home uninjured and with your bones intact"
"Dude, I think we should give him the case" Lennie said.
"No way! Didn't you see what exstroyer did to Benjamin for his failure?! I don't want that to happen to us!"
So exstroyer's behind this. Dread thought. Knowing him, there's no telling what would happen if he gets his hands on that case.
"Max, I don't think they're going to give us the case" Steel said.
"Don't worry, I have a plan"
"Hey Rob, should we get the-"
"NO! Let's try handling him ourselves first" rob grabbed a gun and tried to shoot max steel, but he missed, and max just caught the bullet. He flicked it back at them, which broke a fire hydrant right behind them.
"Now what?"
"TRY AGAIN!" Rob shouted as they kept shooting. Max converted into speed mode and he dodged all of the bullets. It wasn't before long until he managed to punch Rob in the face, knocking into the car. Lennie tried to hit him, but he slipped on the water leaking out of the fire hydrant and he hit his head against the car.
With his skills, you'd think exstroyer would hire some better henchmen. Dread thought.
"Hey Rob-"
"Yes, get the plan B devices" Rob sad as he wiped some blood off his lip.
Plan B devices? Dread thought. What are plan B- Lennie and Rob pulled out what seemed to be suit case out of their cars. Lennie opened his and took out what looked like some of those slap bracelets. If that's not what their called, I'll explain what I'm talking about. Those things made out of a bendy plastic with small meatal rods that curl up on your arms if you slap it against your wrist.
Anyway, he put that device on his arm, and it started forming an suit of armor on Lennie's body. One minute, he looked like a skinny loser; the next he looked like a mixture of baymax's armored up mode and the invincible pearl from one piece. His helmet looked a tiny bit like Samus from Metroid blast, and his fore arms where huge.
That is so lame! Max thought as his ghost laughed. He looked over at his body, who was just standing there. Hello? Dread?
Rob opened his case and pulled out what looked like chest armor. He put it on, and it also started forming on his body. This one looked more like a mixture of Samus' suit and iron man, and max thought this one was a lot cooler.
Now that's what I'm talking about! Max thought. He looked over at his body and saw he was in shock over what he was seeing.
"Impossible" Max said. "That's-That's my tech! How did they get my tech?!"
"Like our armor, max steel?" Lennie asked. "Some guy named naught sold it to us. I forgot his first name. I think it was something like Jennifer-"
"It's Jason, moron" Rob said.
"Your langue offends me" Lennie said disappointedly.
"Alright, enough games" Max said. "GO TURBO! CANNON!" Max turned into his cannon mode and tried to smash into Lennie, but Lennie put his forearms together, and somehow max's cannon attack had no effect.
"WHAT?!" Max's ghost, dread in max's body, and steel said at the same time.
"Hey, this shield works after all!" Lennie said as he punched Max, sending him flying into three buildings behind him.
"Okay, let's try going for iron man this time" Steel said as Max got back up. He rushed towards rob (in speed mode of course) in order to strike him but this attack failed. Rob grabbed two poles out of his thighs which soon turned into guns. He started shooting at max rapidity, knocking max back.
"Wow, it's almost if these things were designed to kill max steel"
THEY WERE! Max thought. If dread made them, then he should have mad them impossible to destroy! None of max steel's attacks will work on them!
"Max do you think we should try again?" Steel said.
"Just try and stop us!" Lennie said. Max tried to fight both of them at once, but failed. Lennie used his shield again and rob shot him twice, knocking him into the wall.
"Give up yet?" Lennie asked.
"Lennie, leave him!" Rob said. "Remember, if we don't give this case to exstroyer, he's going to kill us both!"
"Aw, but I want to kill max steel first!"
"We don't have time for that!" Rob shouted, not noticing max getting back up. Max was pretty injured, and he was bleeding from his forehead, but he was still not going to give up. He noticed what looked like a panel that was out of place on Rob's back. Thinking this was a weak spot, Max punched him in the back, but with no avail.
"What?!" Max said out loud.
"I said we don't have time for you!" Rob said as he smacked max back again. Molly was really getting worried by what she was seeing, and she started trying to call N-Tek, telling them about what was happening. Randessa picked up the phone, and told Molly that Ferris was busy trying to find a damaged ultralink in Mexico, and he couldn't help her.
"What about Keeah? Can't she help?!" Molly asked.
"Sorry, but we don't know where she is" Randessa said.
"I-I just don't think max can win here"
"You're an annoyance, Max steel" Rob said. "This is going to be so good for u-" rob noticed Lennie was standing there, in full out panic mode.
"Lennie, what's-" Rob then looked in Lennie direction and saw what was scaring Lennie so much. It was a figure standing out in the distance, and it looked like they really didn't like what they saw.
"What's gotten into them?" Steel asked as Max got up.
"You two are late with my dragon flame" the figure said. "I don't appreciate tardiness" max looked at the figure and instantly recognized who it was. It was Exstroyer.
