Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Young Justice: Turbofied
Chapter 5: Leaguers and Evaluations
League Meeting Room, Watchtower
It was somewhat quiet after the Ultralink left the Justice League in their conference room; a significant contributor to that silence was the fact that Flash had taken Max to the lunchroom to get the young hero a meal. If the speedster was still present, he would've likely said something by then or made some sort of comment about all that they had been told by the two strangers. Granted, it wasn't the strangest thing that any of them had ever heard, Superman likely holding the most bizarre encounter with his regular meetings with Mr. Mxyzptlk, the fifth-dimensional trickster. Still, it was hardly a contest on the strangest origins they had encountered over the years.
The group sat in relative silence until Hal decided to speak first. "So, that was quite the story…," said the Green Lantern as he looked around the room, trailing off as he couldn't say more than that.
"To put it mildly," agreed Hawkman from his spot around the table.
Superman nodded; this was not a regular encounter, despite dealing with extra-dimensional threats when he worked with Dr. Fate on a previous occasion. So, while the Justice League wasn't completely unfamiliar with transdimensional occurrences, they still didn't have enough to understand the given situation completely. Something that the Kryptonian knew Batman would have some issues with, as the Caped Crusader wasn't a big fan of new heroes suddenly appearing who claim to have noble intentions. Plus, he's had his own experience with trans-dimensional beings. It still amazes the reporter that Batman has a fan as driven as Bat-Mite. Still, from what he's seen of both Max and Steel, the two were pretty far from the insane powers that the little imp possesses, granted that wasn't much, but he doubts the two of them are concealing such power.
"Assuming they are telling the truth," stated Batman, ever a source of doubt.
"I don't know, Batman," said Green Lantern, "Those images Steel displayed were pretty convincing, and matched up with everything the kid told us."
"Images and videos can be generated," countered Red Tornado, "Steel is more than advanced enough to create the footage and images."
"Except he has no reason to do so," argued Diana, coming to the Ultralink's defense, "Despite being a machine, his words were that of sincerity when he spoke of Max. Lying would not help him, nor would it help Steel."
"I could also see his heart, he was calm, well, as calm as someone fighting the Royal Flush Gang for the first time," added Superman, using his X-ray vision to take a look at Max and his physiology. From what he saw, the kid had a human heart rate, human internal organs, human bone structure, just human altogether.
"Regardless of the validity of their evidence, it doesn't change the situation they are in," concluded J'onn, feeling that the others should move on to other matters pertaining to Max and Steel.
"Agreed, then it's fortunate that we do have some expertise in things like this," said Captain Atom, referring to a recent addition to the Justice League. All of the members gathered knew who he was referring to and came to a silent agreement that she could definitely help Max and Steel with their current condition.
"I think it would be best for Max to spend some time with her, at least for the moment," agreed Black Canary, thinking about what they should do with the kid and Steel's concerns about his mental health, "If he's with someone he can relate to, he might be more willing to open up about his past trauma."
"Let's hope she doesn't scare him when they meet," quipped Hawkgirl, causing a few members to roll their eyes at her.
"Karen's not that bad," spoke up Green Arrow, having met the woman a few times, but he would admit that she could be a bit forward at times. Though no one could say she wasn't compassionate or friendly with others, "Yeah she can be a bit bold, but she won't push the kid too far."
"She'll know when to ease up, I trust her," added Superman, coming to the defense of his cousin from another Earth.
"We're getting off-topic," stated Batman, noticing that the conversation was starting to wander to other aspects like Clark's interdimensional relative.
That was an interesting conversation, though not as complicated as Karen came from a world where their counterparts already existed. This on the other hand was much more complex, as Max and Steel came from another world entirely, not an alternate dimension where certain facts would be changed slightly, but a parallel dimension where things were drastically different. As it stands, the two came from a world where the Justice League did not exist and he and Steel were the only heroes of Earth.
In other words, they were in untrained waters.
"Not sure what's left to be discussed, Batman," said Captain Atom, looking over at the Caped Crusader, "Seems like we got everything we need from the kid and Steel."
"They told us that Steel can harness Max's T.U.R.B.O. Energy, but didn't tell us what the upper limits of their link are," elaborated Batman, recalling that while the two did say Steel can contain and harness Max's power, they didn't really say what they could do with it.
"From what it looks like Bats, the kid gives Steel power and he in turn gives Max a fancy suit to wear," Hal simplified, giving Batman an arched eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair.
"Is that all there is to their link?" retorted the Dark Knight. It was less of a question and more of a statement. Two new individuals from another world were one thing, but they came from a completely different universe entirely where they were the only heroes. So Batman wanting to get every detail he could on their new arrivals wasn't entirely surprising. What they know about Max and Steel can be invaluable; what they think they know about them can be deadly.
"What if we were to ask Maxwell and Steel to display their capabilities in the training center?" suggested Red Tornado, thinking of a possible solution to the current predicament. He did agree, logically they lacked quite a bit of information regarding Max and Steel.
"How do you suggest we ask them such a question?" Inquired Wonder Woman, pointing out a pretty apparent issue in the request. No matter how you might go about it, asking an individual to show off their abilities so soon after their arrival will no doubt come off as abrasive and distrustful, "Max has barely any time to acclimate to his surroundings. Being asked to demonstrate his and Steel's capabilities so soon may not be so well received."
"Especially with Steel raising concerns for Max's mental health," added Dinah, recalling how the Ultralink was worried for his friend's wellbeing. Being put through this might make things a bit worse or make the situation harder to manage.
"Does it matter when we ask them?" Stated Aquaman, "The two are willing to share any additional information we might require. Is there really a need to scrutinize them and their potential at the current time?"
This was a very important detail that many members of the League seemed to have forgotten: there wasn't any reason why they couldn't wait before asking Max and Steel to display their powers. There wasn't an ongoing crisis, threat, or really anything to justify why they needed to know what Max and Steel are capable of so soon. It had been relatively quiet, well, quiet for the League anyway, and no major threats had emerged or called for such scrutiny of two newcomers. It was mostly just Batman not really giving strangers the benefit of the doubt; wanting to know everything about them should they turn out to actually be a threat.
Given the Dark Knight's history and his regular foes, it wasn't very surprising but it still came off as a bit cold.
"This all well and good, but I'd also like to point out one other detail we're overlooking," interjected Green Arrow, getting the attention of the gathered League members, "Say we get the information from the two, they put on a show and Bat's gets his notes for his new profile on the duo; what happens next? Where do they go?"
That was something that a few members of the League overlooked. Once Max and Steel had showcased their powers and abilities, what happened next? They didn't exist in this universe, meaning they didn't have a home or anywhere to go for that matter. While they did touch on having Max interact with someone that was in a similar situation and despite requesting that someone keep an eye on Max, they didn't go beyond what happens next. Where could the two go? Obviously, they couldn't stay in the Watchtower all the time, despite the station being equipped with living quarters where members could stay as long as was needed. Steel might not have an issue with the Watchtower, Max on the other hand… given Steel's concerns, the headquarters for the Justice League might not be the homiest place for him to get adjusted to things.
Not to mention, many members of the League had a feeling that Max and Steel would no doubt want to continue being heroes. This would only add to the tricky situation they were facing; how and when would they go about getting details regarding Max and Steel's powers, where would they go, and who might be able to take them in for the time being, while also being able to keep an eye on Max's mental health? The gathered heroes were lost in thought for a few minutes, thinking about how they might handle things until Martian Manhunter spoke, breaking the silence.
"I believe there may be a way to achieve all the goals at once," announced J'onn, getting the attention of the gathered members.
"What did you have in mind, J'onn?" Inquired Superman, giving the Martian the floor.
"I think it goes without saying that you weren't expecting any of this to happen, huh?" Said Flash as he led Max to the cafeteria, the young man was surprisingly quiet for the majority of the way there.
Not that he could really get a word in as the Scarlet Speedster did most of the talking for both of them. In fact, Flash was the one doing most of the talking, with Max just giving a response every once in a while, semi-paying attention to what the Leaguer was saying while also looking around the Watchtower and safe to say, the Justice League's HQ made N-TEK's look like a shack in the desert and the Daedelus Platform look like an old cargo plane from the Boneyard. Seriously, the inside was absolutely insane to Max, it was a combination of super futuristic technology and modern design. Max was pretty sure they passed an indoor park or something similar on their way.
"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Guessed Flash, noticing the teenager just looking around in awe of the place.
"That's what she said," said Steel, suddenly appearing, causing Max to groan while Flash just snorted.
"Really?" The teen deadpanned, looking at the Ultralink unimpressed.
"What? Like you didn't think that same joke," protested Steel, placing his arms on his 'hips.'
"I think it has less to do with the joke, and more along the lines of it being a too easy joke to make."
The trio turned to see an African-American woman approaching them. She had short dark brown hair, and brown eyes, and was about 5'8". She was wearing a sort of black and bronze orange jumpsuit. The collar had been flipped up while the zipper was left partially unzipped. The most striking part of her outfit was the necklace around her neck; it appeared to be made of some type of bone and was carved into the shape of a fox head. On either side of it were about three animal teeth.
She approached the group, a kind smile on her face. However, as she approached, Max couldn't help but notice a subtle sway in her stride.
"I don't think we've met before," noted the African woman as she approached the trio.
"Hey Vixen, this Max and Steel," introduced Flash as he gestured to both teenager and Ultralink respectively.
"Well, it's nice to meet the two of you," smiled Vixen as she placed a hand on her hip, "What brings you to the Watchtower?"
"It's a bit of a long story," replied Max as he scratched the back of his head, "Plus, Flash was taking me to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Haven't had anything in a while."
"You boys don't mind if I join you?" Inquired the heroine.
"I've got no problem, how about you Steel?" Asked Max, glancing at his friend.
"Dude, you know I'll always take the chance to chat with a real superhero," answered the alien drone, earning a chuckle from Vixen as the quartet went to the cafeteria.
Moments later, Max and Flash were carrying some lunch trays to a table where Vixen was chatting with Steel. Max kept it simple, getting himself a turkey sandwich, chips, and a bottle of water while Flash went with several cheeseburgers and french fries. The younger hero didn't really know what he expected when he and Steel arrived in the cafeteria, but seeing so many people in costumes made it feel like he was at a convention or something.
In a way, it was kind of cool to see so many heroes all going around and just being people, chatting with one another while sharing meals with one another.
"So, you and Max are from an alternate dimension where you are the only heroes around," recounted Vixen, Steel having given her a brief run down of their shared history, "And you're-"
"An alien war machine that decided to 4 out on my former creator and his mission to absorb everything in our universe," summarized Steel, "Pretty much." Max and Flash sat down with Vixen, the African heroine was on Max's left.
"And what's your role in this dynamic duo?" Inquired the woman as she glanced over at Max, resting her chin in her hand as she gave the young man her attention.
"Besides the body, I provide Steel with power he needs and in return he helps contain and keep me from going critical with T.U.R.B.O. Energy," explained Max as he crunched down on some chips.
"In our dimension, Max's father is from the planet Takion, where T.U.R.B.O. Energy originates from. He's also the sole survivor of his planet after it was absorbed by Makino, my creator," explained Steel, "During the invasion, Jim was able to convince me to turn on Makino and fight for the greater good."
"Sounds like your father gave quite the convincing argument," noted Vixen, she then gave Max a curious look, "What did you mean by 'contain' and keep you from going critical?"
Max coughed into his hand as he scratched the back of his, "Yeah, about that. I'm only half Takonian, my mom is human."
"Under normal circumstances, a Takonian can produce T.U.R.B.O. Energy towards a certain extent before their body's cells stop producing to avoid them overloading," elaborated Steel, being more versed with Max's condition and more capable of explaining the situation, "Since Max is only half Takonian, his body is sort of missing the part that tells his cells to stop generating energy."
"So, without Steel, I'm basically a walking, talking Tachyon bomb," finished the teen.
"Ouch," winced Vixen as she sat up.
"It's not all bad," shrugged Max, as glanced at his best friend, "We just can't be separated from each other for more than eight hours."
"And in return, Max keeps me from shutting down permanently," added Steel, as he hovered beside his best friend.
"Seems like you two have everything figured out," noted the heroine with a smile.
"Trust us, things were tricky at the start," said Max, giving Steel a side eye, "Especially with some stuff."
"You didn't have to respond all the time, dude," countered the Ultralink, folding his arms, "Not my fault, everyone thought you would talk to yourself like some kind of schizophrenic."
"What's this about 'talking to yourself?'" asked Flash, getting curious himself at that comment.
"Well, obviously, Max can't really go out and about with just the Base Steel Suit and it's too dangerous for him to remove the suit, otherwise he would go critical," explained Steel as he gestured to the suit, "To help him blend in with the crowd, I created Turbo Camouflage Mode that would mimic traditional clothing, or whatever outfit I previously scan."
"You might want to shield your eyes for a second," advised Max as Steel flew into his chest.
There was a small burst of energy as Steel combined with the suit. A bright blue flash filled the cafeteria for a second, Vixen and Flash shielded their eyes from the flash. When it died down, both heroes saw that Max was wearing a plain blue hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The hoodie had a white symbol of Steel on it.
"Handy," noted Vixen, she then realized that Steel hadn't come out of Max's chest yet, "And let me guess, Steel can talk to you when he's connected to your chest, but no one else can hear him."
"Pretty much," shrugged Max as Steel disconnected in another small burst.
"So how does the Steel Suit do that?" Asked Flash, pretty curious now, "Is it akin to undifferentiated microclusters?"
"Not to that extent," replied Steel, as he flew over to the scarlet speedster, "The Steel Suit can be broken down into particles and reformatted and reshaped into a myriad of different forms. All of which are powered by Max's T.U.R.B.O. energy. To keep it simple, we call these different suits 'T.U.R.B.O. Modes.'"
Vixen then looked over at Max, "I assume he comes with a translation function?"
"Basically, Steel can reshape the suit into different suits that are all powered by the energy I generate," explained Max, chuckling as he had more or less become the Ultralink's translator when it came to explaining high tech stuff, "We call these different suits 'Modes.'"
It was then a thought came to Vixen's mind as she recalled a detail they mentioned, "So, it isn't safe for you to take off the suit because you'll quickly overload and explode."
"Yeah," confirmed Max.
"So what do you do when you have to shower or-," inquired the heroine, but Max and Steel quickly cut her off.
"Let's just say the suit can be retracted a bit when the situation calls for it," coughed Max as Steel shuddered somewhat, recalling how they fixed that part out.
"Also, I'd rather not lose my appetite, thanks, Vixen," remarked Flash as he gave the heroine a pointed look.
"Fair enough," she replied as she sat back.
"Sounds like we missed quite a lot," commented a voice, getting the attention of the quartet.
Approaching them were Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter. Seeing them approaching, Vixen and Flash, along with Max and Steel, turned to face them.
"Not that much," replied Flash as he gestured to Vixen, "Just introduced Max and Steel to Vixen here while we had something to eat."
"I hope you let Max finish his meal before picking at his," said Wonder Woman, poking fun at the speedster's hypermetabolism.
Flash just rolled his eyes as Max, Steel, and Vixen chuckled at the scarlet speedster's expense. The young hero had to admit that the league was quite a lot like a big family, having their own form of fun and jokes. Not unlike what he, Berto, and Steel would get up to at N-TEK. It was definitely something he and Steel could get behind.
"You guys finish talking about whatever it is you needed to?" Inquired Max, getting the notion that they needed something from either Steel or him.
Superman chuckled as he glanced at Wonder Woman, "Are we that obvious?"
"Well, you did say you needed some time to discuss everything Max and I told you about us," reminded Steel as he hovered over to them, "Plus, one of you did mention needing to go over some other details with us."
"Your capabilities," stated Batman, cutting right to the chase as he stepped forward, "You said that you can harness the energy Max generates, but didn't specify how or in what way."
Flash then spoke up, "They actually explained it to us while we were having something to eat. See, the suit Max wears is composed of units that Steel creates, which can be reshaped and reformed into different suits that are all powered by Max."
"It's a bit tricky to explain in theory," added Steel as he remembered how long it took to explain the finer details of the Steel Suit to Max when they first linked with one another. He then recalled how Forge, Kat, and Berto tested him and Max when they first went to N-TEK, "You wouldn't happen to have someplace we could show off what we can do?"
It was then Superman smiled as he had just the place in mind, "Actually, we do have something that you could use."
Seeing where he was going with this, Flash stood up from the table, "I'll go get the simulation ready."
With that, he sped off and out of the cafeteria in a red blur. Max and Steel were surprised by how fast he could actually move, as they haven't seen Flash use his powers yet.
"He is fast!" Noted Max, his eyes wide with surprise.
"He does call himself The Fastest Man Alive for a reason," reminded Wonder Woman with a smile.
"Not sure that's a title he should still keep using," stated Steel as gave her a dry look, however, he then changed the subject back to the main focus, "So what's this 'Simulation Room' you guys are talking about?"
Turns out, the Simulation Room was actually a very large, white, empty room where Max and Steel stood in the center of the room, the former with his hands in his pockets while Steel hovered next to him. While heading there, they were given a brief rundown of what the room was. Basically, it was a sort of holographic room that could recreate any environment from an observation deck that overlooked the room. It was essentially the same thing as the training sim that Uncle Ferrus would have Max and Steel train in daily.
"So… how does this work?" Asked Max, looking around as he glanced at the observation deck for a second.
"The Simulation Room generates a virtual simulation that outputs stimulation to all senses. Everything you see, hear, feel, and smell will come off as the real deal," informed Superman through the room's speaker system. With him in the Observation Room were Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Martian Man Hunter, and Vixen, who decided to join them out of curiosity.
"So… it's basically a Holodeck?" Summarised Steel.
"Pretty much," confirmed Flash, also speaking into the system, "Also, don't worry about breaking anything. This baby was designed to handle some of the League's heaviest hitters, so feel free to cut loose."
Max and Steel glanced at each other for a second. The same thing was said about the Training Sim when Forge was running it, only problem was when they really cut loose, it ended up frying all of the systems in the simulator. Berto was not a very happy camper that week, because he had to completely rewire and overhaul the systems to handle Max's T.U.R.B.O. Energy. But if they were confident the Simulation Room could handle it…
"If you say so, just don't blame us if we end up breaking it," replied Max as the room suddenly shifted around him and Steel.
A few seconds later, the two found themselves in a city that looked quite a bit like New York City's Times Square. The only thing that really stood out was the complete lack of people, so it was kind of eerie in a way, seeing such a major city so empty like this. There were some cars, taxis, and a bus or two around the area, but for the most part, the entire area was empty.
"Huh, pretty convincing," commented Steel as he scanned the newly formed environment.
"So, what do you think they're gonna throw at us first, Steel?" Inquired Max as he looked around the area, crossing his arms as he kept an eye out. A part of him had a feeling that the League was really gonna test them, but they wouldn't throw them into the deep end right off the bat.
"Probably some generic thugs," replied the Ultralink, "Or they might do the same as Commander Ferrus and start off with some ninja warriors."
"I'm thinking training bots," replied the young man with a shrug.
It was then by the Red Steps a few objects began to form. Sparkling with electricity and energy, likely just for dramatic effect, several robots formed. The robots were about 6 feet tall, had gray bodies, thin arms and legs, narrow waist, wide chest, and a u-shaped head. The robots didn't look super impressive, at least compared to the robots used by N-TEK that Max and Steel would train with, they still looked like they could put up a somewhat reasonable fight.
"Called it," smirked Max as he glanced over at Steel who merely rolled his eye.
"Before we start, how should we go about showing off what we can do?" Spoke up Steel, as he floated next to Max.
"Destroy the robots however you wish, don't be afraid of holding back," said Wonder Woman, speaking into the microphone.
"Well, you heard them, Steel," smirked Max as he looked over at his partner, "Wanna give them a show?"
"Eh, why not," shrugged the Ultralink as he got ready himself with his best friend, floating in front of him.
"Let's Go T.U.R.B.O.!" Shouted Max as he uncrossed his arms, his eyes lighting up with T.U.R.B.O. Energy while Steel's arms locked into place. Energy also flashed around the little robot.
The Ultralink slammed into Max's chest as his whole body lit up with energy. Particles of the Steel Suit flew around them before reforming into the Base Steel Suit, mask included. Getting himself ready, Max Steel entered a combat stance.
One of the robots raised its arms. Clenching it's hands, energy began to form around the limbs before a bright burst of energy was fired at the hero. Max Steel ducked under the shot, looking back to see what kind of damage it did. The shot had blasted through the window of an empty taxi. Not super powerful, but it was glass, so they didn't know how strong the shot truly was.
Without wasting a moment, Max Steel charged right into the fray, the other robots soon fired on him as well. The young hero easily avoided the incoming fire, Steel giving him a heads up display on where the shots were coming from. Closing the distance between him and the Red Steps, Max charged his legs with T.U.R.B.O. Energy and launched himself right at the first robot. Pulling his fist back, he threw an uppercut that knocked the robot's head clean off. He then spun around, avoiding a shot from the robot on his left. Sweeping his leg, he swept the machine's feet from underneath it. He then grabbed the robot's arm and hurled it at the remaining robot. The two machines collided with each other, tumbling off the steps.
Turning around, Max Steel saw more training bots forming. This time there were additional robots, given how fast he and Steel took out the other ones.
"Guess you guys are stepping it up now," said Max aloud, glancing at the viewing window, "Not a problem for us though."
Crossing his arms again, Max's visor lit up with T.U.R.B.O. Energy, "Go T.U.R.B.O.: Strength!"
The Steel Suit came apart and reformed in a matter of seconds, as Steel switched to Strength Mode. Charging his feet with energy, Max leaped into the air, jumping off the Red Steps and brought his hands above him. He charged both his fists with energy as he came down, smashing both his hands onto the center training bot. This caused a small burst of T.U.R.B.O. Energy to wash out, short-circuiting the closest training bots. Grabbing one of the malfunctioning robots, Max hurled it at a few other robots, smashing them to pieces.
The remaining training bots opened fire at Max Steel, however, the young hero was hardly worried as the shots bounced off Strength Mode's tough armor. Breaking into a run, Max charged toward the robots, smacking one robot away with a backhand. He then kneed another in the chest, jumping up as he did so. He swung his leg down, kicking another drone to the side. Spinning around he threw a straight right at another robot, sending it tumbling back. He then grabbed two drones and smashed them into each other before throwing the two aside.
"I almost feel sorry," commented Steel, keeping Max informed on where the other robots were around him via the Steel Suit's HUD. The teen hero chuckled as he punched another training bot, smashing it to pieces as he grabbed another bot by the leg and used it as a makeshift club. Bashing several other drones that appeared.
"Not as bad as Uncle Ferrus's training," added Max as he threw the drone he had been using aside, "Still, wonder what else they're gonna throw at us."
"How about we give them something to send to us instead of just waiting?" Suggested the Ultralink.
"Eh, why not?" Shrugged the teen hero as he crossed his arms again, "Go T.U.R.B.O.: Flight!"
Max's body lit up again and the Strength Mode broke apart for a moment before reforming into Flight Mode. A second later, Max Steel shot up in the air as the jet on his back blasted out thrust. The four wings adjusted themselves as the hero flew into the air. Steel did make sure not to fly up too high, not wanting to fly into a wall. Banking around, Max Steel flew back down to Times Square where the training robots were. The training bots on the ground began firing on the heroic duo, however, Steel disconnected from Max's chest for a moment so his friend could hold the Ultralink's arms.
"Ready Steel?" Asked Max, charging energy into his hands.
"Fire away," replied Steel to which Max channeled his T.U.R.B.O. Energy through the Ultralink.
Steel's eye lit up before a blue beam shot out, striking a drone dead center. The beam caused the robot to explode, sending pieces everywhere. Banking around, Max Steel went for a few more passes, firing more beams at the remaining robots, taking them out as soon as they appeared. While also making sure to not get shot down by the incoming fire. After taking out several more destroyed robots, Max Steel flew back down to the ground, landing on the street as the two got ready for whatever the League came up with next.
"Hope that isn't everything you've got," said Steel in a cheek tone, "Cause we've still got plenty to give!"
It was then more training bots began to form, however, some new versions were also created, some larger and bulkier than the previous ones and others were designed for aerial combat. Max just looked over at Steel.
"Think we can take all of them?" He inquired, readying himself.
Steel merely scoffed as he got ready himself, "I doubt we'll be below 50% by the time we're done."
"Go T.U.R.B.O.: Strength!" Shouted Max as he switched back to Strength Mode. It was then Max charged right into the closest group.
*20 minutes later…*
"So I take it Ted isn't too torn up about his car being crushed?" Inquired Green Arrow as he caught up with Black Canary, the two decided to chat for a little bit before going to see how Max and Steel's demonstration was going.
"He might not say it, but I can tell he isn't too disappointed about having to ride his motorcycle for the time being," replied Canary with a chuckle as the two headed to the Simulation Room.
"Still blows my mind," stated Ollie as he recalled some of the details from Max and Steel's introduction, "Starting out that young."
"Pretty sure Robin is younger than Max," pointed out the blonde heroine, recalling Batman's protégé and how young he is.
"Maybe, but you still can't help but admire the two and how they have done so far," replied the emerald archer as he folded his arms.
Black Canary couldn't help but agree with Green Arrow, having seen some of the snippets from Steel's memory banks. The types of enemies they have faced, the threats they have gone up against, and while they did have help from his family and N-TEK, it was still a massive undertaking for a 16-year-old to have to deal with. Even if Steel could give Max whatever he needed to deal with the given crisis at the time.
"No argument there," said Dinah as she and Green Arrow approached the Simulation Room's observation deck.
However, as soon as the door opened, the first thing both heroes heard was what sounded like an explosion, followed by a partially destroyed combat drone smacking into the observation deck's window. Both Black Canary and Green Arrow looked at each other in surprise before entering the Observation Room, where they saw the other heroes gathered. Batman was seated behind the controls, Superman was to his right with Wonder Woman on his left. Martian Manhunter was observing from the side with Vixen next to him. Flash was also watching Max Steel show off his abilities, however, he had a bag of popcorn in his hands, which he was munching down on.
"Wow," commented Green Arrow as he and Black Canary approached the window as the combat drone slid off, "Never thought I would feel sorry for some training bots."
"Should've seen him 10 minutes ago," said Flash as he glanced back at the two heroes of Star City, recalling how effective some of Max Steel's previous modes were against several drones.
As if to back up the Scarlet Speedster's statement, Batman pressed a few keys on the console and brought up several smaller screens. Each screen was a recording taken from Max Steel's display in the Simulation Room. While the screens showed Max Steel at different points in time, and at slightly different angles, it did make it easier to differentiate the many different modes Max Steel had at his disposal.
"Enhanced strength, flight capabilities, underwater survival, enhanced speed, ultrasonics, invisibility, enhanced durability, cloning, flame throwers, space survival, enhanced reflexes and agility coupled with retractable whips and spikes," listed Batman, displaying Strength, Gauntlet, Flight, Sky Stinger, Scuba, Speed, Stealth, Cannon, Clone, Heat, Rocket, and Spike Mode.
Green Arrow let out a whistle as he and Black Canary watched the clips of Max Steel displaying each mode, noting how easily the young hero and robot tore the combat drones apart. It went without saying that Max and Steel really under sold what the two of them were capable of pulling off. However, the two being so willing to share their capabilities did put a few members of the League at ease.
"Kinda thought the two would be like Dan Garret or Booster Gold," noted Flash, recalling some stories he heard about the first Blue Beetle, and their resident hero from the future.
"Blue Beetle was never capable of anything like this," stated Batman as he made notes about each T.U.R.B.O. Mode was powered by Max's energy, "Max Steel's modes are all powered by Max's energy. However, it appears the upper limits of each mode depend on how much energy the two put into each mode."
He then played some short videos of Max and Steel charging some of their modes, and how they seemed to become stronger when more energy was directed into the given suit. Superman hummed as he looked back down toward the Simulation Room, watching as Max Steel, who was currently in Spike Mode, showed off some impressive combat skills.
"He's been well trained," noted the Man of Steel.
"Go T.U.R.B.O.: Nova!" Shouted Max Steel, his voice coming through the speaker.
It was then another bright flash filled the Simulation Room, causing a few members of the League to look away for a moment.
"Man, the kid has another Mode?" Said Flash, honestly impressed by how many different modes Max Steel had at his disposal.
Down in the Simulation Room, Max Steel switched to Nova Mode, a much larger Mode with a red, blue, white, and black color scheme. This was one of his more powerful modes. It looked more like a Mechanical Exo Suit, with larger limbs, a cockpit, and just a much larger frame. The most striking feature of Nova Mode was the enormous cannon mounted on Max Steel's back, plus the additional cannons on his arms. While in the past, Nova Mode didn't include a helmet, given the protective cockpit, however, Steel decided to include the helmet to give Max his heads-up display for better cover and protection.
"How are we looking on power, Steel?" Asked Max, noting that they had been at this for a while now and they had been pretty liberal with how much T.U.R.B.O. energy they were using.
"Still have about 60%," reported the Ultralink, bringing up a screen on Max's H.U.D., displaying his energy levels, "Don't think we can show off Dual Strike and Exo Strength."
"Titan Mode is also out of the question," added Max as he aimed his arm cannons at some drones.
The muzzles of the cannons began glowing bright blue before a powerful beam erupted. The blasts struck the combat drones, blowing them to pieces, even the larger drones couldn't stand up to the shots fired by the duo. Turning around, Max Steel faced a larger group of combat drones. Redirecting energy from the arm cannons to the main cannon, the Ultralink adjusted the beam and how it would fire. Steel also made sure to dial back the power, not wanting to blow a hole in the wall of the Simulation Room. Bracing himself, Max fired the cannon, and a wide beam shot out from the muzzle. Aiming at the ground in front of the drones, a huge flat beam struck the ground before rising up. As the beam passed over the drones, they were pretty much incinerated, disappearing as soon as the ray swept over them. After a moment, Max Steel shut down the beam and looked out at the area in front of him. The street had been completely scorched from the intensity of the beam, while some of the larger combat drones had not been completely destroyed, they had been melted beyond recognition.
Letting out a sigh, Max Steel switched back to the Base Steel Suit in a blue flash. Max had the helmet retract while Steel disconnected from the chest plate. The two gave each other a fist bump, all the while their audience observed from above.
Back in the Observation Room, the League was pretty surprised by how powerful Max Steel's latest mode was. Flash had actually paused in his snacking, dropping the piece of popcorn he was gonna eat back into the bowl. Even Superman and Wonder Woman were surprised by the level of firepower Max had at his disposal, granted, they had seen Max's previous T.U.R.B.O. Modes, but seeing something like this definitely surprised them.
Green Arrow broke the silence with a whistle as he scratched the back of his head, "Man… when the kid said Steel was a war machine, didn't think he was that kind of a war machine."
"You were expecting something else from a highly advanced symbiotic techno-organic extraterrestrial drone?" asked Batman dryly, already making notes regarding Nova Mode.
"...Touché," replied Green Arrow, scratching the back of his head, while Black Canary and Vixen chuckled at the emerald archer.
"His capabilities aside, what comes next for the two of them?" Spoke up Wonder Woman, recalling that while they had determined many of Max Steel's capabilities, they hadn't really given much thought as to where the two would stay.
Superman hummed as he folded his arms, they had been so preoccupied with determining Max's capabilities, they hadn't given much thought regarding what would happen next. Neither Max nor Steel existed in this universe, they had no one to turn to for help, no place to stay, no resources, nothing. Not to mention, it wouldn't be wise to leave Max alone, especially with Steel's concerns about his mental health.
They needed someone who was familiar with such people, and who had experience with helping them get past their traumas. Max could stay with them for the time being, at least until they could give him and Steel a proper place to stay. It was then an idea came to mind as he looked over at Black Canary.
"Canary," started the Man of Steel, getting the heroine's attention, "Would you mind letting Max and Steel stay with you for the time being?"
To Be Continued…