#mega elementor

I mean there’s the obvious reason.

Molly and Forge, at the very least, are gonna be in such deep denial. Molly because that’s her son who would surely never do this willingly and Forge because he’s more likely to continue to think the worst of Steel than anything else. I mean, how could Max possibly be expected to resist an Ultralink?

(Especially one insidious enough to run such a long con. Forge can’t believe he let that thing play the amnesia card for this long! Even after it started using Jim’s memories to string Max along. Convince him of something impossible to yank him around with. He should’ve seen it for the manipulation tactic it was rather than lie outright to keep Max from prying for answers. Maybe if he’d told Max what Steel really was from the start…)

The other three are also close enough to be biased but they probably paid a little more attention to Max’s spiral before those two fully went rogue. Not to mention Berto pointing out that Max is smart enough to have sent them some obvious signals that he’s under duress if he was really being used entirely against his will.

And that got me thinking.

What if Max has been sending NTek distress signals?

But not because of Steel.

I started thinking about why any villain would be willing to work with these two when Max has such strict lines that would get in the way of their biggest ambitions. Then it hit me.

Max Steel isn’t the one fucking up their plans by dragging his feet or arguing about morals. NTek is putting a stop to the worst of this shit.

Because Max is tipping them off. (With Steel’s approval, usually. Some of these plans are just destructive for the sake of it.)

If a villain wants to cash in a favor with them to set up something really bad, they’ll follow through. They’ve got a reputation to keep up.

But that damned NTek always swoops in just in time to foil their plans! Of course it’s occurred to people that Max Steel could be ratting on them, but NTek’s hostility towards Steel and the fact they target him so heavily muddies the waters there.

And they’re usually owing these favors because Max needs a villain’s help to save Steel from Ntek, sooooo. It evens out.

I’m thinking about what these villains must think of Max Steel’s alleged plummet from grace.

The Ultralinks think Steel’s finally got his processors on straight. He fed them some bullshit that felt disgusting to say about how his systems malfunctioned upon contact with Mk’rah’s Turbo energy. But after all this time he’s managed to adapt and overcome the interference. It’s more difficult to suppress this host than it should be, sure, so please ignore his vessel’s insignificant yapping. Rest assured that Steel is the one calling all the shots now and they’re free to clear the way for Makino’s glorious conquest! Or whatever.

Extroyer, who knows it’s possible to suppress an Ultralink instead of the other way around, thinks that’s horseshit. But he can understand wanting more than what your superiors think you’re due. Good on them for breaking free from NTek’s cage. They better not get too comfortable, though. There’s only one apex predator in Copper Canyon, after all. They should know their place on the food chain.

Toxzon is kind of convinced Max had a similar arc as him, actually. His old allies think him mad for colluding with his clear criminal mastermind friend? Bah, good riddance! Toxzon is sure they can make NTek and THI pay for doubting their expertise. Though Max Steel still has a lot to learn in the ways of villainy. Even Fishy agrees they need to work on their ruthlessness.

Dredd knows that these two are fucking lying about going to the dark side because they’re telling him the truth. Wisely. They’re far from the sharpest schemers and if they’re willing to be of use then Dredd is magnanimous enough to work their goal into his own designs. Isn’t he so generous, helping save his old friend like this? Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn’t it? Or maybe that’s the Turbo energy he’s also getting from this deal. Ha.