Max: Great! So.......

Tiffany sighed. As she'd expected, Max was only interested in one thing.

Sparring.

Tiffany: Not yet.

Max: Huh?

Ken: We still have to do data analysis.

Max: Data analysis?

Ken: Yes. On our own abilities progression, but as well, and perhaps most importantly, on your abilities.

Max: My abilities?

Tiffany: What Ken means is that in order for us to work together, we need to know the full extent of your abilities. And, of course, you need to know the full extent of our own. That's a big part of why training is so important. It's so we can know what to expect from each other.

Her points made Max think. To him,what she'd just said was really smart.

Max: Huh. I never thought of it that way.

Tiffany: Alright then. Now that that's all said and done... Ken?

Ken: Sure. Max?

Max: Yeah?

Ken: How fast can you run?

The question made Max smirk. It was like asking a teenage boy how good he was at a video game he was pretty experienced in, or, asking a jock how heavy his tackles were.

Max: Pretty fast....

Ken: Hmm. Well...

The gist was obvious. The place was spacious, and without a word, Max made a brisk jog a few metres from them all.

Max: So, how's this gonna work?

Ken: You run, and I'll record you and calculate your top speed, alongside other metrics.

Max: Ok then.

Luke, Rose, and Tiffany watched as Max did some stretches.

Ken: By the way, all things considered, would you happen to know your top speed? (thinking: It would be a little weird if he didn’t.)

Max: Yeah.

He continued stretching, however.

Ken: Hmm?

Luke: Huh?

Max: It's about...

He stopped stretching and took a moment to think.

Max: ... 500 kmh.

Ken: Hmm.

Luke: Woah!

Rose: That's incredible.

Tiffany: (thinking: 500 kmh..... That is fast.)

Ken: There's only a handful of human invented vehicles that can top that speed. That being said... Max, you're really fast.

Max: Thank you, thank you.

He fakely bowed, much to Rose's amusement.

TIffany: Agreed. With speed like that, he can avoid enemy attacks better than all of us. (thinking: Which also means I won't have to worry too much about him. That's good news.)

Max: Yeah. But it also means that my punches...

He made a fist and threw a jab.

Max: ... are gonna hit real hard.

Ken: True.

Luke: Yeah..

Ken: (sighs) However, since unlike Luke, your speed has to be consciously activated....

Max: Mmmmm....

Ken: ... it also means that you won't always be moving that fast.

Max: Yeah, yeah..... I'll be fine.

He started to hop on the ground.

Max: So, am I running or what?

Luke: I guess so.. Why not?

Ken: Yes, while we do know how fast he is, I do want to check on some other things.

Max, Rose and Luke: Other things?

Ken: Yes. Other things. (smirking) I'll let you all know once I'm done with the analysis.

Max: Alright....

He turned to the distance.

Max: Then, without further ado....

They all silently watched him as he got into position, and then shortly after, dashed.

He sped at an incredible pace, as he always did, leaving a dust cloud where he'd started.

Rose: So fast...

Luke: Yeah....

Tiffany: Hmph....

They all knew he could do it, but seeing it in a situation in which they weren't distracted was another story.

Max raced across the crater bottom, dashing while making a few tight turns here and there, before running in a circle for several minutes and then, brirefly, simply dashing in a straight line for quite a stretch and then returning to his starting position.

Max: So, how'd I do?

He was barely sweating or even panting. For the most part, he only seemed slightly exhausted.

Rose ran up to him.

Rose: That was amazing!

Luke: Hmph. Yeah.

Tiffany: Agreed.

Ken: Absolutely.

Like anyone receiving praise for something they did, Max couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself.

High speeds weren't a talent, but rather, a part of his DNA. For that reason, one might say he had no reason to feel proud of it, as he'd never worked for it.

But, as humans, it is a matter of course to feel proud of oneself when someone exclaims that oneself is intrinsically good. Be it a talent or genetics.

That's just how it is.