The HAWK appeared over the house, circled, and landed. Max and Janus got out and walked to the door. Lucca opened it and gestured for them to come in. "So what did you guys find out??

Janus sat down and sighed. ?He?s underneath a lake. We don?t have much time before he come?s up.?

Crono sighed. ?Nadia, I think we should tell them.? Lucca look at the two. ?Tell us what??

Nadia managed a smile. ?Well, Crono and I have been discussing it, and thinking it over, and... We?ve decided to, get married.?

Lucca stared at Nadia. ?Normaly, I?d say congratulations, but at a time like this?!?

Crono stood up. ?Look, if we don?t, Max will never be born, and Earth won?t stand a chance against Tykotious.?

?Earth doesn?t want to survive.?

Everyone turned and faced Max. "What?"

?Look at what?s happened. Glenn?s died trying to save Earth, my vision of the battle with Tykotious. Don?t you get it? Earth doesn?t want to live anymore. It?s been alive for four billion years. I think I?d want to end it too if I were that old.?

Janus rose to counter the remark. ?But look at everything else. Earth brought you here, even if it was through Darien, it still brought you here. Then there?s Illumina and Nadia?s rescue. If that doesn?t say I want to live, then I don?t know what does.?

Max sighed. ?Alright, I?ll fight him.?

Janus cut in. ?No. We?ll fight him. We?re a team. As Glenn said, we may not have many bonds between us, but we?re still a team, no matter what.?

Crono nodded. ?I agree. We?ve come too far to quit now.?

Lucca nodded as well. ?There?s no way I?m going to let some alien parasite destroy the world for my decendents.?

?I?m in, all the way.? Nadia added

Robo came up to the group. ?As am I.?

?Count me in.?

Everyone looked at the doorway, and saw the lithe girl standing there.

?Terra.?

Terra ran up to Max and hugged him tight. ?I?m not letting you get away from me.?

Max smiled. ?We don't have many bonds...but there's something that has binded us together...Janus, Crono, Nadia, me..we're of the same bloodline...and all of you, at one point or another, protected that bloodline. Terra here, she's got a crush on me, and the feelings rather mutual...so what say we get started?!?

They all gathered in the war room of the castle. ?Ok, I picked up some maps from my time, and compaired them with the ones of this era. From what I?ve found, Jemstone Lake should be, in the present, in Porre. The lake won?t exist until 1865 for some reason, so we?ll have to attack him directly in the entry point. If I?m right, Tykotious entered somewhere around here,? Max explained, pointing to a spot he had marked on the map. ?And dug his way to the lake, where he breaks through, and attacks.? Max sighed. ?We have to find the entry crater, and stop him from breaking through. That?s the hard part. I have no idea where the crater is, and he?s deep underground. We?d have to force him up prematurely, and kill him. Anyone got any ideas??

Janus nodded. ?You can accelerate his internal clock, and he?ll come up, thinking it?s time. He doesn?t have enough power to create a continuim wide time gate, meaning we have an advantage. You, on the other hand, have full use of your powers. You should be able to pull his own trick on him.?

Crono shook his head. ?We don?t know what kind of powers Max has. He may only be able to speed us up.?

?Look, we?re running out of time," Max snapped. "Tykotious is almost to full power. We have to stop him now.?

The HAWK flew over the sea, scanning the cold depths. ?There it is.? A faint outline appeared on the screen.

Crono flew to the spot, and hovered over the water. ?That?s twelve thousand feet down!? Max nodded. ?And one hell of a ride. There?s no ground over the bottom, so we should be able to fly right in. Lucca, turn on the pressure shield.?

Lucca flipped a switch, and a thick dome covered the canopy. ?Take her down Crono.?

Crono shook his head. ?No way.?

Max nooded. ?I figured you?d say that.? He took out a wierd handle-like device, and pressed it to Crono?s neck. A faint hiss came from it, and Crono slumped over.

?What did you do to him?!!?

Max moved Crono into his seat. ?It?s a mild tranquilizer. He?ll be fine in about ten minutes.? Max flew down towards the water, the jet accelerating at an incredible rate. ?Time to see if I?m all that I?m cracked up to be.?

The HAWK hit the water, plunging down into the icy depths. Max pushed the throttle to it?s peak, and the jet sped down into the gaping hole. Alright, now it's payback time.

Tykotious woke to a strange vibration. What is that sound? Suddenly, he went flying up into the ground. No, not yet!!! The ground cracked open, and a huge, spiked shell came up. No, It can?t be! The HAWK broke through the ground, a glowing field surrounding the jet.

That immortal brat!! He did this!! But how?!!!

The jet landed, and the team got out, weapons drawn. Max ran to the edge of the crater with Illumina at the ready. ?Tykotious!!?

?That?s him?!!?

Max stared at the creature, a beast who was responsible for the death of his parents. ?Now we end this. Attack!!!? Max rushed at the shell, Illumina shining in the sunlight.

Nnoooooo!!!!!!!

Max leaped into the air, and brought Illumina up as Janus summoned a great swirl of energy, and fired it at Max?s sword, causing the blade to flare a brilliant white. Lightning and fire surrounded the blade, ice trailing it. Illumina struck with the power of the universe, light blazing from the attack. It was if the sun itself, had struck. Time froze as the energy pulsed through Tykotious?s body and internal system, electrocuting it.

"RRRRRREEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGRRRR!!!!!!? The shell?s head exploded, knocking Max back, and leaving a gaping hole as a scream echoed from the inside.

?Tykotious.? Max stared at the hole, knowing now, his destiny.

To be Continued......