So I just said, "Huh?"
He jerked his arm free and continued walking—straight toward an oncoming 100-ton semi.
I had a sudden idea of what was going on, and acted rapidly.
I set the defense mech down, because you can't handle a man Maxwell's size with only one hand. I grabbed his arm again, this time with both hands, and pulled as hard as I could. It jerked him off balance and out of danger. The semi roared past.
And Maxwell turned on me with sudden, violent anger.
"Listen," he snapped, "what in hell's the matter with you? What do you think you're doing?"
I didn't argue with him. I took careful aim and threw a haymaker, giving it everything I had. It caught the point of his chin squarely and jarred me to my ankle.
He swayed a little bit and his face went blank, but he didn't fall.
For which I shall be eternally grateful.
Another giant semi, still nearly a block away, was hurtling toward us. If Maxwell had fallen, I could not possibly have dragged him out of the way in time. And the semi couldn't have stopped in that distance.