Fangirls

As Max lowered himself down onto the sidewalk, a large crowd of girls appeared seemingly from nowhere. They pushed and pulled, jostling Max and Steel around in a way that was reminiscent of a game of ping-pong.

Max was torn between being embarrassed by the attention, and wanting to soak it in. He wasn't usually one to stick around and talk to fans, but the sheer number of ladies surrounding him made him think twice. Would they be angry if he just took off?

"Can I get a selfie with you?" a red-haired girl asked, an earnest look on her face. "Can you sign my shirt?" "Please, just one picture!" Their voices all melded together in a loud cacophony that had Max struggling to keep up.

It was Saturday, and he had the whole day free, so there was no reason he couldn't hang out a while. He held his hands up in what he hoped was a calming gesture, "Okay, I'll do it. I'm going to need you all to form a line first though."

There was a chorus of giggles and triumphant shouts as they scrambled to get into a semblance of a line. The first girl, the shy redhead from before, seemed ecstatic as Max Steel scooted in close for her selfie. She smiled broadly and gave him a quick hug before darting off to show her friends.

The next girl who approached him had chestnut brown hair, and her phone was clenched tightly in her hand. "Did you want a picture?" Max asked, when she didn't say anything.

"Yes!" she nearly shouted, nodding her head enthusiastically. Max smiled beneath his helmet and stepped over beside her, preparing for the selfie. "Actually, I wanted a picture with Steel."

A beat of silence passed, and then the girls in line spoke up in unison. "Me too!" they shouted. "With…Steel?" Max repeated, checking to make sure he'd heard them correctly. The girls all nodded affirmatively, and Steel suddenly detached himself from Max's chestplate.

"Hello ladies," he said with an exaggerated flash of his optic screen. Max assumed it was supposed to be a wink, but since he only had one "eye", it didn't quite work out for him. Nevertheless, the crowd went wild, and Max was left staring incredulously as the women swarmed to Steel.

The teenage boy watched as the line moved forward, and the women would often rush to Steel first, and then double back to get an autograph from Max as an afterthought.

He knew Steel was instrumental in his success as a superhero, but he couldn't help feeling slighted by the fans' inattention to him.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and his gaze locked onto a pair of warm brown eyes. Sydney brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and smiled brightly, making him catch his breath in a quiet gasp.

"Can I get a picture with you?" she asked, still smiling warmly. Max was glad his helmet shielded his face from sight, because he was sure he had a dopey smile spread across his face as he nodded. "Sure, Sydney."

She giggled and playfully bumped his arm with her elbow, "Hey, you remembered!" The superhero chuckled, "Of course I did. You saved my life, remember?" She held her phone out in front of her and wrapped her free arm around his waist; Max instinctively draped his own arm over her slender shoulders.

Sydney smiled and pushed the shutter button on her phone, capturing a picture with the famed Max Steel. She left her arm around his waist as she checked the photo to make sure it was satisfactory. He knew his dumbstruck smile had returned, and was once again glad that his helmet hid his face.

Sydney grinned at him once more, exclaiming a quick thank you before she took her leave. As he watched the crowd of girls gathered around Steel, he no longer felt jealous that the Ultralink had so many more fans than he did.

If Sydney was the only fan he had, it was more than enough for him.


A/N: Very short, but I like the way it turned out!