Chapter 1

Kill the Stranger

Many believe in many different beliefs and many people fight for different reasons, but always the main factor of these beliefs is simply, either you kill or not, such is the case of one person, Max McGrath.

Max McGrath was once your average day high school student, nothing more nothing less. That wasn't until one day his life changed forever when he discovered he's body was able to generate and harness a special power called, T.U.R.B.O energy. It was also thanks to this energy that came in contact with his partner and best friend, an alien known as an Ultralink by name of Steel, and from that day forth through hardships and misfortune the two became friends and became the hero known as, Max Steel. But now Max Steel will face possibly the greatest challenge yet, a test to his beliefs and a fight against a corrupt empire.

"Uh my head" Max groaned as he sat up massaging his forehead.

"You said it Max, I feel like someone dumped a boulder on my head" Steel said rubbing his head with his flippers, with a groggy look in his eye.

Once they had recovered from there little headache they began to realize that something was off, like for one they weren't in Max's bedroom. Instead they appeared to be in a forest of some kind in the dead of night.

"Uh Steel, when did your room become a forest?" Max asked his Ultralink partner.

"I don't know, but we should probable call Forge so we know where we are" Steel replied

"Good idea" Max said still observing their surroundings

Steel then tried to call N-tech , hoping they can figure out where they are but to his shock all he got was static on the line.

"Um, Max, I think we may have a problem" Steel said with concern in his voice

"What's up Steel?" Max asked

"I can't get in touch with N-Tech!" Steel shouted shocking Max

"What?!" Max shouted in shock

"Yeah I know right, but we have to stay calm" Steel said

"Calm?! How I'm I supposed to be calm!" Max shouted in a panic

"Listen, all we have to do it go Turbo Flight mode and look for the nearest city" Steel replied which seemed to calm Max down

"Oh right good idea Steel" Max said

"As always" Steel said

"Then what are we waiting for, Go Turbo f…" Max started to say until he heard what sounded like a group of people running

"You hear that Steel?" Max asked

"Yeah I did, and judging by those footsteps there not too far from us. Come on!" Steel said with excitement as Max and Steel ran/floated toward the sound.

Once there were close enough what saw was a strange sight, they saw two people running across a clearing to what looked like a shed, one looked like a guard of sorts with silver armor, and the other one was a girl wearing a blue dress.

"Uh Steel, we didn't time travel did we?" Max asked the Ultralink

"I…don't think so" Steel replied confused by the people's strange old clothing

Then out the forest came another person, this one being a young boy wielding an old fashion sword on his back and was bent over trying to catch his breath.

"Huh, I wonder what they're running from." Steel said with a question mark appearing on his face

"Whatever it is, it can't be good" Max said as they continued to watch

"Tatsumi, I'm glad you made it, I'll get the mistress into the shed and wait for reinforcement, I'll need you hold them off" the guard said which made the now named Tatsumi shocked

"Huh! What do you expect me to do?" Tatsumi said then almost out of nowhere a another person came into clearing, this one a girl about Max's age, with raven black hair, red eyes and was wielding a katana.

"I think we found what there were running from" Steel said which Max nodded in agreement

As they watched, they saw Tatsumi draw his sword from his back ready to face off against the girl, the girl then ran forward with incredible speed until she jumped onto Tatsumi's head and spring board off it. She then started running at the guard and the girl, as the guard let lose a torrent of bullets as the girl, to their shock, dodged all of them and got up and close to the guard only to their shock and horror the girl killed the guard with a quick strike cutting the guard in half sending blood everywhere.

"Ss…Steel please tell me we didn't see that happen" Max said in a scared tone trying his best not to barf

"Sadly we did" Steel replied feeling disgusted as well

Sadly the horrors were not over, the girl then stood over the other girl ready to strike her, Max and Steel were ready to jump in until, out of nowhere, Tatsumi came in and swung at the girl causing her to back off.

"That was close" Max said

"Tell me about it" Steel replied

"I told you you're not a target, you do not have to die" the girl said in a monotone voice

"Maybe, but I won't let you kill this girl" Tatsumi shouted at her

"Yeah you tell her" Steel said from the concealment of their hiding place

"hmm" the girl replied like she wasn't surprised to hear that which surprised Tatsumi as well as Max and Steel, but Tatsumi shrugged it off and took a stance ready to fight.

"You have made your choice, now you die" the girl said readying her sword

"Oh boy, Max I think it's time we intervened" Steel said

"You got that right Steel" Max replied as they made their way deeper into the forest so wouldn't hear them when they…did there thing.

As they got into position Max gave a worried look toward Steel.

"You think we can do this Steel?" Max asked

"Max, we beat a lot of baddies in your time, including Makino; this is just another day of being a super hero" Steel replied which made Max smile with confidence.

"You're right Steel, let show her what Max Steel can really do" Max said

"Now you're talking" Steel replied

So with that Max and Steel both got into their positions and…

"GO TURBO!"

Meanwhile both Tatsumi and the girl were in the middle of their battle with both of them clashing swords, until the girl did a quick back flip over Tatsumi and delivered a swift kick to his back making him stumble and with that brief moment the girl then stabbed Tatsumi in the chest causing him to fall to the ground.

"Tatsumi!" the other one shouted scared as the sword girl stood over him with his sword pointed at him.

After a while Tatsumi then got back up with a little smirk on his face.

"Why'd you back off all of sudden?" Tatsumi asked the girl although he knew the answer

"Because it felt like I hit some sort of armor" the girl replied in her monotone voice

Tatsumi then pulled a wooden idol from his sweater with a stab mark in it showing it was what kept him from dying.

"I guess the villagers were looking out for me" Tatsumi said but the girl didn't care instead she merely readied her sword again.

"She must die" she said as she charged at him again

"Wait, didn't say you wanted this girls money, you don't need to kill her!" Tatsumi yelled try to deter her but she was not listening.

Her sword was now inches from his throat, ready to slit it, just seconds away from ending his life. Then just before the sword could touch him, suddenly a blue beam of light came flying through the air and slammed into the girl sending her skidding across the ground and stopping a good foot away. Once she stopped she looked at where the blast had come from as well as the other two, when they did they saw a shadowed figure standing on top the shed.

"Hey is this private party or can anyone join" the figure said

The figure then jumped off the roof and landed in between the girl and Tatsumi allowing them to see him in the light, but what they saw was quite a shock. The person was definitely male judging by his voice and body but wore was a strange suit. It primarily white, black and blue and seemed to shimmer and glow with some sort energy and he also wore a helmet as well that hid his face and had a strange symbol that made up its visor as well on his chest.

Seeing the strange person, the girl was suddenly on edge, readying her blade.

"Who are you, are one of the targets guards?" the girl asked in her monotone voice

"Well, no, not exactly" the man replied

"Then you are not a target, if you step aside you will not die" the girl said again pointing her sword at the armored man

"Sorry to disappoint, but that's not going happen" he said getting into a fighting stance as well as the girl

"Then you will die" the girl said

"Careful she's dangerous, she's an assassin from Night Raid" Tatsumi shouted at him

"An assassin huh, please I've dealt with worse" the armored figure said

Then with no warning the girl shot toward the armored man and gave a downward slash at him only to raise his arms stopped the blade, he then pushed the blade away from and quickly delivered a jab to the woman's torso, sending her to the ground only for her to get right back and delivery a series of strikes at the armored man as he blocked them. The armored figure then rolled out of the way of one her strikes a delivered a round house kick to her head, only for to duck under it and delivered a kick of her own at him sending flying into a tree.

"UH! Ow" he said standing back up

The girl then came at him again almost giving him no room to breathe, giving out another downward slash at him, then to her surprise instead dodging it as she thought the armored man, he actually punched her blade only his fist seemed to be glowing blue. Once it made contact an explosion of blue light went off sending the girl flying only for land back on the ground with a good foot between them.

"How do like that?" the armored being said with a bit of cockiness in his voice

"You punched my blade. Most people would dodge an attack like that" she said

"Yeah well, I'm not most people" the armored being replied getting back in his fitting stance

"Who are you?" the girl said pointing her sword at him

"I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours" he said in a mocking tone

'He doesn't know who I am, how' the girl thought but pushed to the back her mind for now.

"My name is Akame and you?" the girl now named Akame asked

"Well if you must know, the name is Max Steel" Max Steel replied

But all Akame did was raise her blade ready to fight again as she charged at Max delivering another series of attacks at him as he was forced go on defense again.

"Hey Steel, any idea's how to beat her" Max said quietly to himself so that Steel was the only that could hear him.

"Unfortunately, not yet, her striking power and speed are beyond anything I've ever seen, and to make matters worse whatever that sword is made of is really testing the integrity of the Steel Suit" Steel said through their mental link.

"Then it's time to stop playing around, it time to…" Max said

Akame then ran at Max Steel again ready to give another strike of her sword until to her surprise his suit started to glow then turn into multiply hexagons and shouted.

"GO TURBO, STRENGTH!"

Then his suit exploded outward and let out a huge flash of blue light as the force sent Akame skidding across the ground and blinding her as well as Tatsumi and that girl. Once the light faded Akame was shocked to see that the suit that Max had worn just changed. Now he was huge, towering over Akame, as well as his muscles with his helmet remaining human sized.

"Alright, ready for round two" Max said cracking his knuckles

"So, you're an Imperial arms user?" Akame asked which only confused Max

"Um, Imperial what now?" Max replied confused until Akame dashed forward swiped at him only to her surprise Max simply caught the sword with his giant hand.

"Ha, nice try" Max said

Max then hoisted Akame into air until she was eye level with him and delivered a jab to Akame's torso causing to knock all the air out of Akame and sent her flying across the clearing until she hit a tree, letting out a grunt of pain. She then got back up from the ground using her sword as a crutch as she felt the pain from that attack.

"Come on, it that all you got?" Max asked in a mocking tone raising his fists

But instead of giving an answer she just started circling around him at high speeds and creating afterimages.

'That armor must have a weak spot' Akame thought searching for an opening only to her shock Max then raised his fists up and slammed them into the ground making a shockwave lifting her into the air, seeing his chance Max then delivered a uppercut sending Akame into the air only for Max to jump into the sky and send her back to the ground with a downwards hammer fist. Akame then got back up and back off a little just a Max landed.

"What's the matter, done already" Max said

Max then heard someone approach him from the side, looking down he saw it was Tatsumi with his sword drawn.

"Um, what are doing?" Max asked confused by the boy's action

"What's it look like, I'm going to fight alongside you Max Steel, seeing you fight this assassin made me want to keep fighting" Tatsumi said

"Oh okay, that I can get behind" Max said raised his fists, ready to fight.

Seeing that Akame was now fighting two opponents now, she now knew things might be a little difficult especially since this Max Steel had strength that can rival her friend, Leone's strength.

'Considering my opponents now, I should take out the sword wielder first, that way I can focus my efforts on this "Max Steel"' Akame thought reading herself

But right before she could run forward someone grabbed Akame by the collar of her shirt forcing her to stop, looking up she came eye to eye with her friend Leone in her beast mode holding her back which also caught the attention of both Max and Tatsumi.

"What are you doing?" Akame asked her friend in her usually monotone voice

"We still got some time left, the big guy has got my interest, and I kind of owe the kid a favor that I think that he wants to cash in on" Leone said giving a wink at the two guys, each of them having a certain reaction.

"Hey! You're that girl with boobs that scammed me out of my money!" Tatsumi shouted at her only to make Leone chuckle at this.

"Yep that's me" Leone said in a teasing tone, while Max on the other hand.

"Ah geez, puts some clothes on lady" Max said covering his face with his hand; suddenly his suit seemed to "disassemble" itself and reform into the suit he wore before.

"Huh, you're a strange guy, Max Steel, most people would die to get a look at my body" Leone said with a smirk

"Well I'd like to keep my innocence thank you very much" Max said still covering his face which only made Leone laugh but it was quickly stopped as she adorned a serious look on her face.

"By the way, Tatsumi said that we were here to kill innocent people, but if you see what's behind those doors you might reconsider" Leone said walking over to the shed while Tatsumi and Max looked on ward in confusion while the young blue dressed girl looked with terror in her eyes.

"Hey Steel got any idea what she's talking about" Max said quietly

"Got me, but I can tell you this I've got a bad feeling about this" Steel said

Once Leone was at the door, she then gave a good solid kick to it causing it to shatter and fall over revealing the inside of the shed.

"Take a good long look boys, this the true nature of the Capital" Leone said

As Tatsumi and Max stepped into the shed and what they saw was possibly the most horrible thing they saw, especially in Max's case. In the shed they piles and piles of copses with cuts and bruises, while others looked diseased and decaying.

"WW…what is all this" Tatsumi said staring at the scene before them, while Max was trying hard not puke in his helmet.

"PPP…Please tell me I'm dreaming" Max said holding is stomach

"Unfortunately, no you're not Max" Steel said surveying the scene

"You see we got some info saying that this happy family loved to pick up people from out of town and bring them here to torture them for their amusement" Leone explained which brought Max to his breaking point.

He then rushed out of the shed brushing past the two assassins and leaned against the wall feeling his stomach lurch.

"I think…I'm going…to be sick" Max said

"Not in the helmet you're not" Steel said making the helmet around his head disappeared as Max let loose the content of his stomach.

While he was doing this, Akame and Leone were both taking a good long look at Max's face since he lost his helmet. He looked rather young probably around Tatsumi's age with brown hair and blue eyes.

'He acts like this is his first time seeing death, yet he fights like he has been in battle for years, just who are Max Steel' Akame thought to herself just as Max finished emptying his stomach.

Once he was finished he's helmet returned and turned to the girl in the blue dress looking at her with unbridled rage behind his visor. He then stomped over to her and took hold of her wrist, looking straight in here eye.

"Alright then girly, I think it's time for the authorities to get in on this, and lock you up for good" Max said tightening his grip on the girl only for Leone to walk up to him and place a hand his shoulder with a sad look in her eyes.

"Sorry kid but as noble as that is, it won't work" Leone said getting Max's attention

"What? Why?" He asked

"It's simply really, due to the wealth of her family she could easily bribe the authorities and turn a blind eye to all of this" Leone explained making Max loosen his grip on the girl causing her to squirm out.

"So not even authorities can stop all this?!" Max shouted in disbelief at this

"Yep, but that's why we're here, so we can end this suffering, by killing it at its core" Leone said as Akame raised her blade.

"No, wait" Tatsumi said catching everyone's attention

"Oh come don't tell me you're still going to defend her" Leone said in disbelief

"Yeah, come on man you saw what she did" Max said trying to wrap his head around what Tatsumi said

"Yeah I know…that's why" He said as he drew his sword "I'LL DO IT", and in the blink of eye he slashed at the girl killing her in an instant as blood caked the ground.

Seeing this everyone had different reactions, Akame was indifferent, Leone looked with a calculating look and Max looked with horror seeing someone's life taken before his life.

"ha, Thank you Tatsumi, I really needed to see that" a voice said inside the shed until the sound of vomiting could be heard.

"Max! There's someone still alive in their but their fading fast" Steel said

"On it Steel!" Max said as he ran back inside the shed again and found the survivor in a cage of all things.

It was young boy of all things, striped down to his shorts and wore a blooded headband while his body was covered in red spots and blood was dripping from his mouth.

"Hey there, hold on for a second I'll have you out soon" Max said look for a key to open the cage.

The boy then looked up and saw the armored warrior but he was to tired and in too much pain to feel fear.

"Who are you?" the boy asked in a weak voice

"Just someone who's here to help, now watch out I'm busting this cage down" Max said

Once more his suit then flashed blue and turned into hexagons like it did when he fought Akame and shouted.

"GO TURBO, STRENGTH"

And with one flash of light he had transformed back into muscular form again. He grabbed the bars of the cage and with one tug he then ripped the cage from the wall and threw it to the side. Quickly changing back he then rushed in and scoped up the kid in his arms bridal style and brought him out to see Tatsumi standing there in shock at what Max had done only to be replaced with worry when he saw the boy in his arms.

"Ieyasu!" Tatsumi shouted running toward them as Max set the now named Ieyasu on the ground.

"Steel, get a scan now" Max said as if he was talking to someone

"Steel?" Tatsumi asked

Then to his shock out of Max's chest plate came a small metal creature, it was the same color as Max's suit and seemed to float in the air and instead of hands it had flippers instead and no legs.

"What … what are you?" Tatsumi said staring at the strange thing, but simply ignored him and floated over to Ieyasu, then out his eye came a beam of blue light that swept over him.

"So what's wrong with him Steel" Max asked the now named Steel

"It's not good Max, it seems he was infected with some sort of virus, it's causing all his organs to shut down, and I'm surprised he's alive" Steel said

"Is there a way to cure him" Max asked, hoping he could at least save some one's life today but that hope was quickly shot down.

"I'm sorry Max, he's body as sustained too much damage, he's…beyond your help" Steel said sadly which only made Max hang his head in shame.

"Hey it's okay, Tatsumi, Max and…Steel, it's okay, I knew my life was over the moment I was in this Hell hole and now I can rest easy knowing that my friend… has been… avenged". And with his last breath he finally let his life go. Seeing this Max, Tatsumi and Steel couldn't help but feel grief over take them at the loss of some one's life.

"It was his strong will that kept him going, but now he is somewhere better" Akame said as she witnessed the scene before her, only showing a little shock at the reveal of this "Steel", "Let's go" She simply said

"Hey wait, don't you think we should bring them with us?" Leone asked

"Hmm" Akame replied

Suddenly Leone then grabbed the two boys and started to drag them away from the shed as they started kicking and squirming.

"Besides we can always use the extra muscle, and with this Max kid we got more then we bargained for" Leone said with a cheeky smile

"Hey let go of me, I need to bury my friends!" Tatsumi shouted as he was dragged

"I for one would not like to be part of some team of assassins!" Max shouted

"Don't worry, I'm coming" Steel said flying toward Max only to be grabbed by Akame, making him struggle in her grasp.

"What about this thing" Akame asked has she inspected Steel

"Oh bring him along something tells me there's more to him that meets the eye" Leone said as Akame nodded in agreement.

After a while the group came to the top of a roof top where there were three other people, a girl with pink hair with a huge gun slung across her back, a green haired man with a pair of razor claws on his hands and finally a behemoth of a man wearing a silver suit of armor with red tipped spear on his back.

"You're late! You know how long we've been waiting and who are they and what's that thing Akame's holding?" the pink haired girl said staring at Steel.

"There are new recruits!" Leone said with a smile, causing Max, Tatsumi and Steel stopped struggling and started in disbelief at what they heard.

"Oh right I forgot to mention, your part of the team now!" Leone said has she dropped them and Akame dropped Steel.

"Congratulations, starting today your part of The Night Raid!" Leone shouted with glee has the three of them stared in disbelief at the group of people until they snapped out of there stupor.

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this!?" Tatsumi shouted at the blond assassin

"Yeah, I don't even what to join your little group!" Max shouted

"Yeah, what happened to freedom of choice?!" Steel shouted getting right up in Leone's face

"Give it up, Leone always gets her way" Akame said still in her monotone voice which made Leone smile

"Ah, see my best friend gets it" she said and petted Akame's head.

Leone then grabbed Steel again holding him tightly in her hand.

"Ah, not again" Steel said in an agitated tone

"I'll hold on to the little guy, Bulat, the others are ours" Leone said gesturing to the armored man as he took both Max and Tatsumi under his arms.

"Hey let go, I told you I don't want to murder people!" Tatsumi shouted

"Same here!" Max agreed

"Oh don't worry it gets easier ~" Bulut said in very strange tone which made both of them uncomfortable

"Um, what does?" Max and Tastumi said in a worried tone

"Mission complete, lets head out" Akame said as she and the rest of the group jumped off the roof and started making their way through a city.

"Wait where are we going?!" Tatsumi shouted as they traveled ahead while Max had a look of worry on his face under his helmet.

"Ah man Steel, what did we get ourselves into".