Makino's Gone (But There's Nothing Left Behind)

THIS ONE SHOT CONTAINS EXTREME ANGST AND MASS DEATH!

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Alarms blared across the Daedalus as agents ran and shouted, attempting to regain some control over the massive vessel.
"We've got a complete system shutdown! That blast took out everything!" Berto yelled across the control room.  He frantically tapped at the computer screens around him, trying and failing to get something, anything back online.  "Commander, I can't get anything back online! Weapons, thrusters, everything! I'm completely locked out of the system!" The panic became more evident in his voice with every word.
He turned to the Commander with a crestfallen face. "And no sign of Max or Ven-Ghan either."
Both Molly and Forge's faces fell in disappointment and sorrow.  With a sigh of resignation, Forge straightened himself.  "We can't focus on that right now.  How long will it take you to get the thrusters and cannons up and running again?"
Another shock ripples through the aircraft as the Apha Cannon fires another blast.  The alarms blare louder, and more lights flash in warning.  The Daedalus is going down.
Forge stares at the computer screens surrounding him.  There are no other options.  No time to get the remaining engines up and running.  No time to wait for Ven-Ghan to return. And worst of all? No time to let Max and Steel know what's happening.  Wherever they are. 
With a deep, shuddering breath, Forge activates the comm in his ear, and issues an order.  "Evacuate. The Daedalus is going down.  I want everyone off before we hit the ground." he turns off the comm and lowers his arm in defeat.  Both of their best chances of taking down Makino and the Alpha Link are gone.  But they won't give up, they can't.  For the other eleven billion people on the planet, for the planets already absorbed, and the for the ones that will come next should Makino succeed.  For Max, for Steel, they can't.  They will continue the fight until there is no one left.
But there isn't much time, with each passing second, the Alpha Link plates get closer to their final positions.  So Forge, Molly, Berto, and the rest of the Daedalus crew race to the aircraft still in the hangar, and everyone else into the escape pods.  If they can;t help in the air, they can at least help slow the ground assault.
~~
Millions of miles away, a lone starship races through the darkness. Holding two unconscious passengers within a force bubble.
They wake up, groaning from the pain that comes with blowing themselves through hyperspace. 
"Ven-Ghan?" Max asks once he regains his bearings. "How did you find me?" He looks above him  to the ship's pilot.
"I didn't find you.  I tracked your partner."  The green alien said.
"Me?" Was all Steel could reply.
"I am an ultralink hunter, am I not?"
"I'll give you that."
"I will take it."  Ven-Ghan finishes as he opens a portal in front of them.  The ship disappears through, and only seconds after reappearing on the other end of it, abruptly disappears through another.  This cycle continues for many more portals, allowing the trio to light years in mere minutes.  They appear through another portal to a terrifying sight.  The Alpha Link plates are in position.  The Earth is no longer visible, and the Alpha Link is beginning to dive into the planet's surface.  They were too late.  Their home cannot be saved.
Both Max and Steel screamed, a horrible, dying sound that you never want to hear.  Max pounded on the force field surrounding them, punching and banging, begging to be let out.  To try something, anything, in attempt to save their home.
"Let us out! Ven-Ghan, please, we have to stop it! We have- we have to-" Max collapsed into sobs, still weakly hitting the field. 
His friends, his family, everything Max had ever known was gone.  He looked up to the Alpha Link, just as a bright flash took place. And just like that, in an instant, Earth was absorbed.  Now there was no reversing it. His planet, his home, was gone.
"I am sorry Max Steel, but there is nothing we can do for them now."  Ven-Ghan said regretfully.  "But, we may still be able to stop Makino."
Max takes a few shaky breaths, tears continuing to stream down his face.  He nods his head in agreement.  "Ok, ok.  We need to get back inside the Alpha Link." Max nods his head to reassure himself.  He has a plan, but knows Ven-Ghan and Steel will never agree to it.
"Steel, I need you to take Ven-Ghan to the power core and get Dad out.  I'll keep Makino busy long enough for you guys to get out, then I'll blow him to atoms!"
Steel separates from his symbiont.  "Are you sure Max?  Splitting up doesn't seem like a very good idea."  The little robot asks.
Max nods in response. "This may be our best shot. Makino won't be expecting an attack right now, and some of the troops are still deployed."
With that statement, Ven-Ghan opens a portal, and Max jumps through, leaving Ven-Ghan to open another that he and Steel jump through, leaving the relative safety of the small spacecraft.
Steel leads Ven-Ghan to the power core, and sets upon deactivating it. Ven-Ghan could only stare in astonishment at the man held captive.
"Is this really Mk'rah?" He asked Steel. For years, Ja'em Mk'rah was a source of inspiration for the bounty hunter. An idol, in Ven-Ghan's eyes. Someone he strove every day to be like. To see him bound like this, helpless, made his stomach turn.
"Yeah, it is." Steel said. He flew to a control panel, and began working to shut it down.
Suddenly, sparks flew and the plates siphoning Jim's energy shut down. The hero fell, and Ven-Ghan jumped to catch him. He opened a portal.
"Let's get him out of here," Ven-Ghan said, gesturing with his head to the portal, as he was using both hands to hold Jim.
"You go," Steel told him. "I need to find and help Max."
Ven-Ghan nods, and takes Jim through the portal, while Steel flies as fast as he can to Max's location. He's no doubt battling Makino by now, and is going to need help.
Steel races through the corridors, following the trail of destruction. He comes to a large room, right at the front of the ship. Max and Makino are battling, but Max is clearly worse off. The Steelsuit is cracked, and pieces are starting to come off.   Steel can see Max's Turbo energy fluctuating beneath it, trying to escape.
"Max!" Steel shouts, and Max turns to look. Even though his face is covered, steel knows that his partner is smiling in relief. But that was all Makino needed as a distraction. As Steel flew as quickly as he could towards his link, Makino began absorbing Max's armour, using it to create his own twisted version.
Max screamed, agony overtaking his body as the armour was violently ripped away. Steel managed to link with Max, but it wasn't enough to stop Makino's onslaught.
"Give up Max Steel! You cannot win! Your planet is gone, as are your allies! You are alone, there is no one else left!" Makino laughed as Max curled up, trying and failing to contain his energy.
And, an idea came to Max. He quickly ran it past Steel, who didn't like it, but agreed it was the only way to stop Makino. Slowly, he stood, and launched himself at the warlord!
"There may be no one else left, and we may not have been able to protect the Earth, but you can be sure that we'll avenge them you monster!" Max yelled, allowing all the pain, the sorrow, the guilt that he felt to rampage through his words, to allow the emotions to help him generate more energy.
Makino easily stopped his assault, and held back both of Max's fists with his own. "Why do you continue to fight? You can't win! I will destroy you! And make sure that there is nothing left to find!" Makino increased the power he was taking from Max Steel, allowing himself to be made stronger by it, while his adversary was weakened.
"Steel and I may die today, but the least we can do is take you with us!" Max stopped fighting to keep his Turbo energy, and Steel released the dampeners.  Makino became the recipient of every ounce of energy Max and Steel could give! Makino groaned at the sudden influx of power.
Soon, Makino's own armour began to rip away, unable to handle the raw power the duo were putting out.  It was overwhelming, Max digging deeper than he ever had before, and without steel using the dampener, and directing it at a single target, there was more energy than anyone had ever thought possible.
Makino screamed, and a flash of blue and white overtook the entire Alphalink.
~~
Not long after Ven-Ghan got back to his ship, and had situated the man in the passenger seat, Jim began to wake up.
"Wha-," He got a look at his surroundings.  "Where am I? Who are you?"
"I am Ven-Ghan, one of the last Kaduonnians, and a bounty hunter for the Black Star Council.  I am a friend of Max Steel, your son.
Jim gasped, and Ven-Ghan explained what had happened during his sixteen years of imprisonment.  To say the Tachonian was surprised would be an understatement.  And Jim realized something.
"Wait, does that mean my son is-" He was cut off by a blinding flash, and a monumental explosion.  Both Jim and Ven-Ghan covered their faces in an attempt to fend off the light.
When it faded, the Alphalink was no more.  There were remnants of the ship, but nowhere the amount there should've been.  It was as if most of the interior had been vaporized. 
Ven-Ghan instantly knew exactly what had happened.  "Oh no," And the Kaduonnian piloted through the debris, scanning for any sign of Max and Steel.  Rounding an armour plate, he found the source of the explosion.
Jim saw him too.  "Is that- is that Max?" He asked, fear already conquering his voice.  Ven-Ghan nodded, and Jim broke into tears.
Ven-Ghan expertly maneuvered his ship over to Max, and got the boy into the spacecraft.  Steel was still linked, but there was a problem.  The explosion, combined with the battle against Makino, had nearly destroyed the armour.  His helmet, an arm piece, and a majority of the plates protecting his legs and ribs were gone.
But what worried Jim most? The usually luminescent blue armour plates were dull, and almost gray.  Jim knew from his time with Steel that these blue plates often reflected the amount of energy he had.  He had never seen them so dull.  He felt Max for a pulse, hoping and praying that one would be there.
There wasn't one.  Tears began to fall from Jim's face, and were soon flowing freely.  He hugged his son and cried. Cried for all the time he lost, for missing his son grow up for sixteen long years. 
Ven-Ghan was quiet, and intended to keep it that way until Jim was ready to break it with something other than sobs.  Though you could not see it, the bounty hunter was crying too.  And he knew that they would not be the only ones.  Word had spread of the son of Mk'rah, and his deeds in the defence of his planet.  Others would mourn the loss of the great hero.  He quietly sent a message to the Black Star Council. 
Makino was dead. Ja'em Mk'rah was alive and with him.  Mk'rah's son and link had defeated Makino alone.
But Max Steel was dead.

Makino may have gone, but to Jim? There was nothing left behind.