As he walked back and forth, glancing at me from time to time, I started to get nervous. Soon I couldn't take it anymore and I was about to demand an answer when Berto finally spoke.
"Relax would you?" Berto smiled and I crossed my arms against my chest in frustration.
"Give me a break, would you? You're the one taking forever." I shot back and he rolled his eyes at me, amused.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you what you want to know." Berto replied as I looked on. "I wanted to say that..." Of course Forge picked that exact moment to call Berto on his wrist computer. With an apologetic smile, he answered it.
"We have a situation. Toxzon's been spotted in downtown Copper Canyon. We need Jessie and Shock to head down there and find out what he's up to." Forge said.
"What about Max and Steel?" I asked and he told me that they had already left. "Okay we're on our way." As soon as Forge disconnected, I turned to Berto. "I have to go. I'll get your answer later I suppose." I told him and he gave me a thumbs up.
"I'll get back to my lab and send C.Y.T.R.O after you. Good luck." He said before he ran off.
"Figures this would happen. I guess I have no choice but to wait until I get back from wiping the floor with Toxzon. Let's go, Shock." I said as I rushed towards the hangar. "Turbo Flight time!" I shouted as a flash of green light transformed my outfit. Taking flight we made for the city in record time. The moment we got there, I hovered in the air looking for any sign of Toxzon. Not seeing him I was about to ask Shock what he thought we should do when I heard people yelling.
"Head towards the sound of screaming?" He suggested as we took off again.
"I never thought I'd agree to do that but I guess that's what heroes do." I replied as we flew overhead. Moments later we found Toxzon who was firing a purple goop at the surrounding buildings. Trying to figure out what he was doing I flew closer than I should have and he spotted me.
"So we meet again whoever you are." Toxzon said as he hovered in midair.
"I'm J-Shock." I told him and he laughed at me.
"It sounds like the name of a boy band." He said and under my helmet I glared at him.
"Now that you mention it…" Shock said and I growled at them both.
"It does not. And just for the record, you don't even know what a boy band is." I pointed out.
"I do so know. I used the computer in your room and accessed what you humans call the 'Internet'." Shock shot back and we started to argue until Toxzon interrupted.
"Will you two shut up? You're giving me a headache." He grumbled and I shrugged.
"Sorry about that. Maybe we should focus on kicking your butt instead." I suggested and flew towards him. Apparently Toxzon agreed with my plan right up until he figured out what I had just said.
"You tricked me!" He shouted as he threw up a purple shield and blocked my punches.
"It wasn't hard to do." Shock commented, making Toxzon furious. Frustrated, he slashed at me with his claws and knocked me towards the ground. I managed to stop meters from the street below only to be slammed backwards when I was hit by a blast of purple goop.
"Ow." I muttered as Shock detached from me and stared down at me.
"That was embarrassing. You might want to think about not doing that again." Shock pointed out as I shrugged to free myself, only to discover I was stuck fast.
"How about helping me instead of running at the mouth?" I said.
"Fine, hold still." Shock said as he took aim at the goop. Before my eyes he blasted most of it away, though not without hitting me once or twice. I climbed to my feet and brushed most of the goop away, glaring at Shock until I remembered I was wearing a helmet.
"Thanks, I think. Let's take down Toxzon and stop whatever he has planned." I said as I took to the air again.
"And find out what Berto was going to tell you." Shock said as we headed towards Toxzon.
"I guess there's that too." I added, trying to keep from getting distracted as Toxzon sent another blast of purple goop at me which I managed to dodge. This time I had the upper hand and, slamming my fist into him, sent him into the ground. "That's for making fun of my name!" I shouted and I heard Shock sigh.
"Really?" He said as I flew towards Toxzon, changing modes midair so that I slammed into him feet first in Strength mode. "You can't let that go, can you?"
"You sound like Berto." I commented as Toxzon stood up and swiped at me with his claws. I held up my arms, blocking his blows and struck back at him. Grabbing his arm I threw him at a nearby building, wincing slightly when he smashed through the glass and left an imprint. "That looked painful."
As he emerged from inside, shaking his head, he rushed at me and I charged, colliding headfirst with him and sending us both flying. Now sitting on the street I shook my head to clear it as Shock detached and stared down at me.
"Can we stop slamming into things please?" He asked me as I attempted to stand up, only to fall backwards again as the world spun.
"Maybe you're right." I muttered as I sat there. Finally I heard a familiar voice and looked up to see Max Steel and C.Y.T.R.O join the fight. "What keep you guys?" I called out. As Max Steel went after Toxzon, C.Y.T.R.O flew down and managed to pull me to my feet.
"We got a little sidetracked by Toxzon's goop monsters but we're here now." Berto explained as I shook my head again. "What did we miss?"
"Oh let's see. Toxzon making fun of our team name and me getting smashed into the ground." I told him as we went after Max.
"Why did he make fun of it?" Berto asked and Shock told him exactly what Toxzon called it. When he laughed I growled.
"Is everyone gonna laugh at me? You try to come up with a cool name and that's the thanks you get." I muttered as I decided to take my anger out on my enemy. By the time we found Max Steel, Toxzon was nowhere to be found." Where'd he go?" I asked as I looked around.
"That's what I'd like to know. He was just here a few minutes ago and now he's up and vanished. "Max replied as we searched high and low for him. Soon we came to the conclusion that he'd fled the scene.
"Is it just me or do all the villains pull the same disappearing act?" I asked, landing and changing back to Base mode.
"Sadly all of them do this." Steel told me as I walked around, hoping to find Toxzon. Soon however I realized that he had fled the scene and my efforts were in vain.
"Man this is so irritating!" I yelled as C.Y.T.R.O walked over to me.
"Don't let it get to you. It happens from time to time." Berto said and I sighed.
"Fine. What happens now?" I asked as Max Steel took to the sky.
"We go back to N-Tek and you get to see the new modes I've been working on." Berto told me and I grinned. Changing back into my Flight mode, we headed back to N-Tek. Once we got back, Berto asked me and Shock to meet him in his lab. Back in my base suit we hurried for the lab, more than a little excited to find out what my new modes were. Once we were inside Berto was already waiting, standing next to his computer. When he saw me he smiled. "Ready to see your three new modes?" He asked and I nodded, unable to hide the grin on my face.
"Let's rock!" I shouted as Shock linked with me. Now linked I waited for Berto to send the info about the two new modes to Shock.
"Let's rock? It's like 'J-Shock' all over again." Shock said out loud and I rolled my eyes.
"Hey if Max and Steel have 'Go Turbo' we can have a catchphrase too. What's your problem?" I asked him.
"Gentleman please." Berto said and I turned to stare at him.
"Excuse me?" I said and he shrugged.
"Sorry I'm used to dealing with Max and Steel. Force of habit." He answered and I rolled my eyes.
"Fine, whatever. Can we please just try these new modes out?" I asked. "Let's rock!" I shouted again, ignoring Shock and the suit lit up. Moments later I was wearing a new suit.
"Whoa!" I whispered as I checked out the new mode. This time I was wearing a suit not much bulkier than my base mode.
"May I present to you Speed mode." Berto said and I gave him a thumbs up,
"Very cool. So how fast can we run like this?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Probably as fast as us." Max said as he and Steel joined us.
"You know what? We should have a race sometime. Then we'll see who the fastest." I suggested.
"And now for the second new mode." Berto said and this time Shock changed from Speed mode to the second new mode, without giving me time to say anything.
"Hey isn't this…?" I said as I realized that this mode was very familiar.
"Correct, it's the mode you accidently tapped into. This one's called Stealth mode. Or 'Ninja mode' as you called it at the time." Berto said and I groaned.
"I'm not calling it that." I said as everyone laughed at me. "Anyway what's the third mode?"
"It's..." Berto began before alarms started to sound in the vicinity and I put my head in my hands.
"Now what?" I asked.