Chapter XIV: Faster than a Speeding Bullet

'Hey! It's...' The Watchmen turned and faced the voice '...the MAN!' heralded a robot 'The MAN! is here!' exclaimed another one. 'The MAN! Has arrived!' 'The MAN!' 'The MAN!' 'Hey babe!' declared the voice. It was filled with pride like a child boasting of his toys, and had an almost Elvis/James Dean ring to it. His pitch was somewhere between bass and baritone. His tone was as smooth as fine leather with a vibrant tremolo. 'The MAN! The MAN!' the robots echoed. 'Like, thanks for the intro! I know you love me, YOU know you love me. That's why I'm...' He cut off his sentance and all at once the robots chanted, 'THE MAN!' Crono Marle and Lucca looked on as the Man presented himself. Wether he was a man at all, I cannot say. He was without a doubt the oddest creature any of them had ever seen. He was of good height, about half a head taller than Crono. HIs hair was spiked and jet black and stood in a mohawk atop his head. His head was shaped like an egg, and was featureless per se. A large pair of dark onyx, wrap-around sunglasses sat upon his head. His ears were pierced. Now as strange as Johnny's head was, the rest of him, was a pure enigma A scarf was wrapped about his neck, but after that, there was nothing remotely normal about him. Upon his back were two large tires with spikes for hubs, almost serving as shoulder blades. The axel was squarely in the center of his back. From each hung a long tail pipe. For his chest was the front end of a motorcycle, of sorts. Square in his chest was a headlight, which sat between two smaller lights. Johnny's legs were thin, and for feet he had tires. He was not quite a human, nor was he a machine, but a strange hybrid of the two. Marle wondered if he was some sort of alien. Lucca wanted to take him home to study. Crono didn't know what to think. He stood, arms out, bowing up slightly to recieve all of the fanfair being regailed upon him. He walked with a cocky swagger as though he were the king of the world. His chin was pointed up, and his voice was full of pomp.

'Thanks for comin' out to-day babe, glad you made it!' he said to a robot, his voice was seemed to be hyping itself. And if robots could swoon, the one he talked to would have. 'Who is this guy?' asked Lucca, in a bit of disbelief. 'What is this guy?' queried Marle Johnny then turned his attention to the party. 'Excuse me?' asked a surprised Johnny. 'Did you two pretty dolls just say, "who is this guy?"' They may as well asked him if the world was destroyed. 'Yall don't know who I am? Where'd you come from, Venus? Tell them, who am I?' 'THE MAN!' 'That's right, I am The MAN, but you lowlifes can call me Johnny. I'm swift as the wind, fast as lightning, slick as ice, quick as rain, oh-so-pretty and the badest, fastest, hottest, slickest, smoothest thing on wheels that's ever rode on the earth.' The three looked on, mainly in confusion, wondering weather to take this guy for real or not. He ran his hands through his hair, snapped his fingers and pointed. 'So what about you? I see you were checking out the Jet Bike, so you must be a racer. I'll give you spike-head, the chance of a lifetime; You get to race The Man.' He pointed directly at Crono. 'What me, race you? In that?' answered Crono. 'Oh yeah! Don't tell me your chicken!' 'Me, afraid, Oh no. If it's a race you want, I'll take you on' 'You got yourself a game. There's an old highway that goes across the ruins, take that bike and ride the wind babe, just don't chicken out.' Marle nudged Crono. 'What did you just get us into?' 'Um, I guess a race.' 'WE don't know how to ride that thing' 'Oh. Yeah. How hard can it be?' Crono went up and looked at the controls. Lucaa followed elaborating what she thought did what and how it worked. Crono paid her no heed. 'HEy,' He summoned a robot. 'How do I use this thing.' It explained in a frank, easy to follow manner. 'It's only got one speed and that's FAST. You get three turbo boosts, and don't worry about taking a hit, cause this baby can take a pounding. She's been through more than her share of combat. It's progrmed to stop at the finish line, so you don't have to worry about breaking.' it went on to describe how to steer, and how to use the turbo boost and what did what. Lucca wished she had a notebook to jot down what it was saying. 'Just so you know,' added the Robot, 'The man rides like a roller coaster' 'Say, what exactly is the Man?' asked Lucca to another robot. 'He's a winner. THE winner. That's why his hair's like that.' 'Ohhhh.' 'Is there room in there for all three of us?' asked Marle. Crono survyed the cockpit. 'I don't know. We can probally fit one more. Who wants to sit and wait here?' 'Are you racing him?' asked Lucca. 'Well he challenged me, so I have to.' Lucca shrugged. 'I don't care, Marle, do you want to ride?' 'I think you should. You were the one who was really impressed by this thing. I'll be fine here.' 'You sure?' Marle nodded. 'Yeah go ahead. Just don't take too long.' 'Alright.' said Crono. 'I'll be back.'

The robots taxied the Jet Bike out to the where the lab met with an old highway. Crono Marle and Lucca followed. Johnny stood poised and ready. He was crouching, ready to launch like a loaded cannon. When he was crouched down, Johnny looked like some insanely designed motorcycle. Somehow he transformed from a walking bipedal, quasi-human, to an outright racing machine. HIs large wheels served as the back wheels. HIs legs came together to form a single front wheel. His pipes protruded out the back, and they noticed a large booster square in the small of his back. His padded shoulders prodruded like wings, and his arms were tucked in. The road stretched out like a snake pulled tight from end to end. It was cracked and pocked like dry, parched, leperous skin. They could not see the end of it. THe avenue was ragged and thorny, not fit to walk upon much less race across. Crono looked out at the road, unable to see where it ended. On both sides and far off in the distance, he could see the broken skeletons of a once grand macropolis. Lucca and Crono boarded the Jet Bike. It was a tight squeeze with Lucca behind Crono. She found that drawing air made her uncomfortable. 'I better not ride with you.' commented Lucca. 'Alright. Your call.' She squeezed out and Crono looked at Johnny. Johnny's pipes began to tremble in eager anticipation. Smoke began to puff out. Crono wasn't sure if that was a preperation, or a normal bodily function. 'You ready Spike-head?' Crono's gaze narrowed. 'Oh yeah.' A robot rolled in front of them, directly between the two of them. Crono's heart began to quiver, not out of fear, but out of anticipation. He didn't know what to expect. He primed his hands upon the controls. They were already slick with his persipration. 'Gentlemen, start your engines!' commanded the robot. Crono switched on the igningtion, and was jolted by the sudden surge of power that resonated from the Jet Bike. IT quaked, throbing with power. The steering shook, Crono's teeth rattled and his joints knocked against each other. A plume of exhaust fire flaired out like dragon's breath. Crono felt the solid ground beneath him fade away as the Jet Bike hovered a good foot and a quarter off the ground. Lucca looked on in amazement, She was kicking herself for having stepped off the bike. Why did I get out! I may never have the oppurtunity to ride that again. What was I thinking!? She wished her father could be there to see all that she had seen. 'Good luck Crono!' Exhonerated Marle. He looked at her and Lucca and smiled. Part of him was eager to take on this new challenge. Part of him wondered how it was he was where he was, and why he was there. Part of him was just along for the ride. 'Thanks' Lucca was nearly beside herself. She looked on, studying the Jet Bike, watching what did what, and trying to figure out how it all worked together, and how everything else did everything eles. She hadn't been that nervous since she had been found back in the past. Marle began to bite her nails in apprehensiveness. Crono's fist clave to the steering, and he clenched his teeth. 'GO!!!!!!!!!!!' He kicked free the release and was off. Like water unlesahed from behind a breaking dam, they surged out into the road. Crono was nearly whiplashed, slammed back into his seat by the force of the launch. His hair flagged upon his head like a flame blown by strong wind. The wind was knocked from his lungs, and he found taking in air to be very formidable. His hands came off of the steering, and he had to push his way back to the controls. The air split roughly upon his face. Johnny was focused on the race and the race alone. He was like a dog hunting in familiar grounds,and he smelt blood. He lowered his head and barreled through the road. There was none that could beat Johnny, he was 100 percent certain of it. Not Doan, not anyother robots, no one; and certainly not this punk kid. What's he doing, trying to fake me out? Nah, No one can fake me out! No way he's gonna beat me!' Johnny kicked his throttle, leaving Crono feasting on his dust. How did Doan ever do this? He mused. Working his way back to the controls was like swimming through quicksand. THe Jet Bike took a serpentine course on the road. He took several bumps from Johnny. The velocity at which they traveled at was enough to shake his bones loose. As he snaked upon the road, he could feel his wings scrape upon the ground, causing sparks to dance out. Like Phaeton trying to control the reigns of his father's mighty chariot, Crono worked desperately to take some sort of control of the speeding Jet Bike.

Marle and Lucca coughed harshly, trying to expell the debris and dirt kicked up by Crono and Johnny's launch. The robots seem to laugh at them. The girls looked ahead, unable to see them. Their exhaust flames disappeared from view like candles retreating into the misty evening. 'COME ON CRONO YOU CAN BEAT HIM!!!!!!!!!!' Shouted Marle although there was no way he could hear her. 'YOU CAN DO IT CRONO!!!!!!!!!!' 'Man I wish I could ride that. Did you see how fast they took off? THey were like bullets. And I'd love to take that Johnny fella apart. See what just makes him tick.' 'I hope Crono wins' stated a concerned Marle. 'So do I. He's competive, but I bet he only wins half the time.' Lucca said. 'How many time has he beaten in all the years you've known him?' 'Twice maybe. That's why I'm always able to coax, or con him into being my gineau pig.' Lucca chuckled. 'Somehow that doesn't surprise me.' 'It shouldn't. He's been a bit reserved on this little adventure of ours, ususaly he charges head first into everything.' 'That doesn't surprise me either.' 'Maybe he's growing up or something. But I doubt it.' When Crono took ahold of the controls, he became the dog that finaly cought the car. He grappled with the steering, straining his shoulders, nearly pulling them out of their sockets. His triceps and biceps began to knot. Crono placed his head directly behind the small windshield. HIs neck and back began to knot up as well. Crono tried to keep an eye on Johnny who was little more than a purple and black blur. He felt the jarring shot of Johnny trying to sideswipe him. He had all the force of blitzing linebacker. Crono whipped the the steering, ramming himself into Johnny. The Man slowed for a second, and regained his momentum. Crono saw he had a lead so he reached for the turbo boost. Crono felt the Jet Bike booted like a kick-off on Super Bowl Sunday. He was slammed to the back of the seat, with such force, he swore his bones were knocked apart. He worked his way back to the controls, only to recieve a knock in the rear from Johnny, hitting his forehead against the steering. Crono's arms felt as though they were going to fall off. Him and Johnny continued to race fast as dragons streaking through the sky. When one would claim the lead, the other would snatch it back. Their contest went back and forth, teetering, and shifting, neither could sustain a lead for any longer than a second. Their race was like two heavyweights, slugging out their fight, blow for blow, hit for hit, spending all, sparing nothing. Crono rear-ended Johnny, but was unable to take the lead. He shifted right, hoping to find a way through, but was unable to pass. He leveled out to the middle. Johnny matched, staying directly before him. Crono inclined left, Johnny drifted as well, but stayed more towards the middle. He continued to drift over, luring Johnny. Crono slashed right just as he ran onto the shoulder, and again kicked the turbo. He clutched on for dear life, but still felt his head rocked back.

Crono took a hit to the rear left corner, which gave Johnny enough to take back the lead. Crono tried to pass Johnny, but found his passage barred. He rammed Johnny three times, but only succeded in extending Johnny's lead. He wondered when the race would end. Crono took several more shots from Johnny, and pulled neck-to-neck with him. He looked over at Johnny who stayed focused upon the road. Crono scraped the Man, knocking him to the side. Johnny countered by kicking dust into Crono's cockpit, and ramming him. Crono shook his head, and spat the sediment out. He wove left and right, coming within inches of Johnny, who still maintained a buffer between them. 'I wonder how they're doing?' Asked Marle, who had finished snacking upon her fingernails. 'They've only been gon for a minuite. I'm sure they're close to done my now.' 'I hope Crono wins.' A robot spoke up. 'He won't. No one, but NO ONE beats the MAN!' 'Care to bet?' offered Lucca. 'If you're willing to part with your money.' 'Alright. I'll give you 3 to one odds Crono beats the Man.' 'Deal' 'I didn't know robots gamble' commented Marle 'Guess so.' Johnny wondered what Crono was up to, he had ample oppuntunity to pass, but didn't capitalize. The Man saw the finish line coming into view. He locked Crono out of his mind, lowered his head, and kicked full-bore into high gear. He still felt Crono brush against his backside. Crono saw the state Johnny was in; his focus, his drive, his determination, and punched his final turbo burst. He pulled nose to nose with Johnny, and rammed him flank to flank. THe two ground against each other, causing sparks to fly out like a fountain. They were locked together like two wrestlers, grappling for position control. Neiher one could gain a sort of lead greater than an inch for any longer for an instant. Crono held an entire foot lead, and Johnny found himself unable to gain any lead, as his wing was caught upon Crono's stabilizer. He tried desperately to free himself from the Jet Bike's grasp, pulling and pushing, heaving against and ramming into his opponent. Crono gritted his teeth as Johnny struggled to break out. He noticed that he held a lead as long as his hand. He stayed the course, hoping Johnny would spend himself. He grinned to himself and then began to weave back and forth, stiffling Johnny's efforts. Crono could see Johnny's demeanor change drasticaly. The intensity began to fade, and both slowed to a halt, gradually like toys consuming all of the energy in their batteries. When they stopped, Johnny stood up and detached himself from the Jet Bike. A robot stood at the finish line and announced the time of the race. 'Challenger: 765.6754, Johnny: 766.5493'

Crono had no idea what that meant, but was glad to be finished. Hie body ached. He felt as though Yakra had chewed him up, the Dragon Tank had ran him over, and the Gaurdian Bit had fallen upon him. 'You beat me.' He was bearly able to get the words past his mouth. 'I don't get it. I'm the MAN! I never lose!' 'Yeah well.' Johnny sighed. 'How did you beat me?! No one's ever beat me!' He was bewildered and frustrated at the same time. 'WE gotta race again! WE just gotta!' 'I know we will!' 'Man you're the only person other than that flyer Doan to give me a good race.' 'Really? It was Doan who gave me this key' 'How is he?' 'He's getting along. Doing better now.' 'Good.' 'Johnny, just what exactly are you?' 'I am the MAN!' 'That you are.' The two of them cruised their way back to the starting line. Johnny showed Crono how to adjust the speed. They came to where they began where Lucca, Marle and dozen robots stood waiting eagerly. Lucca and Marle ran up to Crono. 'Did you win?!' asked Marle. 'What was it like?' Lucca wanted to know. 'Wow, where do I begin?' The robots mobbed Johnny like a rock star after a concert. 'Another victory for the MAN!' accoladed a robot 'Yeah Johnny!' They all leaned in, eager to hear what he was about to say, hanging on every mannerism, every guesture. 'I, I lost.' 'No. Really Johnny, was what your time?' It doesn't matter, I lost.' 'Quit lying, Johnny never loses!' 'I did this time.' The Robots turned towards Crono. 'I beat him.' 'WHAT?! THE MAN NEVER LOSES!' 'Don't worry, I'll beat him next time!' 'We know you will Johnny!' 'Hey Spike-head!' called Johnny. 'Anytime you wanna race, we'll ride the wind.' 'Alright. You're on.' Crono turned towards Marle and Lucca. 'Wow Crono! Great job, I knew you could do it!' esteemed Marle. 'Thanks. It was tough.' Lucca handed him a few coins. 'What's this?' 'Your cut. I had a bet going with one of the robots.' she chuckled. 'Thanks. Next time I'll want at least 60%' 'Keep dreaming.' 'So what was it like?' asked Marle. 'It hurts like hell. I feel like Yakra ate me!' 'I still wanna ride it' commented Lucca. 'No you don't'

The three of them rode the bike across the ruins at a moderate cruising pace. Johnny and his cadre stayed back. 'So you're saying this thing hurts to race?' Lucca inquired. 'I feel like the Dragon Tank ran me down.' 'Owch!' grimaced Marle They reached the end of the Lab, and continued down on a path which lead them south. The world was every bit as brutal as it been to them in every previous outting. They'd just have to deal with it. Though they did realize, if they suceded, the future would have a hope still. The Proto Dome looked much the same as the Arris dome. It was battered and stood alone like an old rundown barn in a fallow field. It took all three of them to open the door. Upon their entry, they found a musty, dank, dark chamber. THey heard the skittering of rats, and the humming and buzzing of Watchmen robots. 'Our gate's somewhere in here.' informed Lucca. 'I wonder where this one will take us?' mused Marle. 'WE'll know soon enough.' The three followed a long corridor, again, not knowing where it would take them. Crono walked with his hand upon the hilt, ready for whatever would try to get the jump upon them. He hoped for no confrontations because of the hammering migraine, sore ribs, and aching knees, and cricking neck. Lucca's eyes scoured about, taking in whatever she could. Her mental note book was running fast as a type writer. Marle looked behind her in case by some insane chance the Chancellor was a step behind.

The party did encounter watchmen on their way to the gate. When they'd come into it's vicinity, they'd awaken and target anything that moved, which were mostly rats. The oppurtune time to strike would come when Marle and Lucca would shoot it simultanously, Crono would dash in and smite it. After disposing of all of the robots, they found themselves before a door. When they entered, the rats scattered into the dark cranies between the walls, scurrying away from the three large interlopers. The chamber was large. Their footsteps resonated like shots in a canyon. The room reeked of must and rusted out metal. The three walked together as close as they could, still mindful of any snares or stray watchmen. The company followed it down long a long corridor, about a bend. The hall led them to another where door. Entering in They looked about it for he gate or another door, instead they found the biggest surprise of the journey. This room was large as a classroom, and dark as an empty alley. Something didn't sit right. Crono felt as though he were venturing alone into his basement. HIs teeth grasped fast to each other. His breathing became stacatto. Marle noticed a large heap of metal sitting before the wall like a sleeping gaurd. It was slumped over like a willow in the autuum. From what they could tell, it was some sort of machine. It was covered with a blanket cobwebs and dust, and several rats were dwelling in it. Beneath the cobwebs and dust, she could discern a few rust spots, and dents and scratches. It looked like a broken toy; abandoned, broken and forgotten. The mass was easily as heavy as the three of them combined, and stood before the door. 'What is that?' asked Marle End Chapter

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