Josh McGrath/Max Steel

          I think I can honestly say that this is the first patient I have ever had delivered to me in a straitjacket. Max hates the quarterly psych evaluations, but at least he comes to those peacefully. The fact that he'll be suspended from duty if he misses one session is usually enough to convince him. It's those little incidents between quarters that require restraints.
          He's a good kid, though, I have to admit that. Then again, it might be more appropriate to say he's TWO good kids... or at least on the verge of becoming that way. Multiple personality disorder isn't even acknowledged by every psychological authority, and I'm not entirely sure that's what we're dealing with here. All I really know is that "Max Steel" has a significantly different set of behavior patterns than "Josh McGrath," and that worries me. So far, Max seems like a combination of an emotional outlet and a very elaborate protective measure. He's all the parts Josh has hidden from the world, for one reason or another.
          Josh feels that he's not allowed to get angry, given the almost perfect nature of his life. Unfortunately, he has a significant amount of unresolved anger centering on the deaths of his parents, especially his biological father. This reaction is completely normal, but Josh seems unable to see that. So the anger gets swallowed, and sublimated into violent physical activity. It used to be extreme sports-- now it's Max Steel.
 Max gets angry easily enough... it's the softer emotions he has trouble with. Luckily for him, his team has learned to read him well enough that it's not a major problem... but even _I_ can tell he's got very strong feelings for Rachel. That's going to end badly if they don't do something about it soon. But, I'm a psychiatrist, not a matchmaker.
          On top of everything else, I think Max is the part of Josh that is his father's son. Oh, yeah, Maggie, THAT'S clear. What I mean is, most of Max's traits are those Josh inherited from his biological father, Jim McGrath. I've seen how uncomfortable Jefferson Smith is with the idea that Josh might wind up like his father, and Josh is an extremely perceptive young man himself. I'm sure he's noticed as well, and sits on those traits in an effort not to disturb his father. Until now, the recklessness, selfless nature, and strong protective drive had nowhere to manifest. Now, they're a part of Max Steel.
          Josh also has some of the strongest abandonment issues I've ever seen on a human being. Both parents died when he was very young, and his biological father repeatedly chose his job over taking care of Josh-- or at least, that's how Josh sees it. Becoming Max Steel greatly damaged his relationships with his friends, and completely severed his relationship with Laura Chen. Rachel took a promotion that somehow has kept her away from him almost completely. He's mentioned, only half-jokingly, the idea that he might be cursed, since he seems to lose anyone he cares about in one way or another.
          Perhaps because of these issues, Max is extremely protective of the people he cares about, often to the point of self-sacrifice. He would choose death in a heartbeat over losing anyone he cares about, or even placing them in danger.
          From the very first, I recommended to Jeff that Max never, EVER be assigned to a solo mission. In fact, the decision to place Berto on full-time monitoring of the biolink stemmed from that recommendation. Between his abandonment issues and a fear of isolation, I can state with great certainty that Max would fall apart if completely bereft of any and all support. There's a suicidal streak buried under all that recklessness, and losing that kid would be a real waste. Not just for N-Tek, but for everyone who knows and loves him.