Johnson

Johnson was a legend on the world of Varis, a place where speed is everything. Here, the sport of auto racing was monopolized by the rich and elite until Johnson became the first commoner to shatter that mold. But just when he shocked the world by winning his first official race, he vanished without a trace.

The only person who had a clue to Johnson's whereabouts was an old man who claimed to have ridden in his car. According to him, Johnson drove so fast that he tore open the fabric of space and went beyond the stars. However, all of those who have heard the story simply dismissed the old man as being senile.

This old man lived an ordinary life and spent most of it in the slums of the city. He was a construction worker in his youth and helped build many of the city's extravagant sights, including the famous Varis Speedway racetrack. He earned a meager salary for his labor, but enjoyed gazing at the downtown lights and getting lost in their promises of a better life. Years and years passed, and he grew old. He could no longer work like he used to, but his debts continued to pile up. Visits from debt collectors became increasingly frequent and violent, and one night they came for blood.

The old man ran with everything he had, but he felt like he was sinking in mud. This city that he helped build would surely give him a way out, right? Little did he know, his salvation was heading towards him at 180 miles an hour...

"Hey, get in the car!"

The old man was suddenly pulled into the passenger seat by a firm grip as his pursuers disappeared in the rear-view mirror. Everything happened so quickly that the old man only saw a flash of light, and thought he was finally going to meet his maker.

When he came to his senses, he realized that the driver was just a kid. A young boy that filled up nearly the whole driver's seat.

This was the old man's first time in Johnson's car. He had spent his entire life in Varis, but he had never seen the city like this; at least not at this speed. Johnson drove like he was possessed, speeding around every corner of the city. They were going so fast that the world outside seemed to be moving in slow motion.

"My pops always said to be fast!"

The old man didn't know what kind of father this boy had, but the boy spoke of him with a sparkle in his eyes and held those words dear to his heart. For the first time, the old man began to understand why the people of Varis kept saying that speed was passion, and the pinnacle of speed was the limits of the universe. After experiencing such extreme speed, he gained a deeper understanding of the city.

The people were always coming and going in a hurry, and it was all exemplified by the words of Johnson's father: "Be fast!"

The old man did not see the boy for many years after that fateful ride. He returned to the construction site despite being too old and sickly for the work. He looked up just as a pipe came crashing down from the top floors. He closed his eyes and thought he would finally be free of his debts.

Suddenly, there was another flash of light, and a figure, or rather the silhouette of a car sped through and grabbed the old man. For a moment, he could not comprehend what he was seeing...

"I've gotten faster, right? Hahaha!"

It was Johnson! He's become... half machine, half car? A roaring engine was now Johnson's new heart, and a carbon frame was his body. On both sides of him stood exhaust pipes that looked like bottle rockets. In this world where speed is everything, the old man couldn't think of a more fitting body for Johnson.

But it was tragedy that led to this moment. Johnson and his father had gotten into a terrible car accident, and only Johnson survived the crash. He didn't have the money to pay for expensive prosthetics, so he allowed the doctors to perform an experimental procedure to fuse him with his car.

The old man furrowed his brow. This kid had managed to outrun death. And not once, but twice! Despite his age, he saw in Johnson the true meaning of speed. It felt strange, yet real.

As the old man said goodbye to Johnson for the second time, he had a feeling that they would meet at the edge of the universe someday.

The old man's life went on uneventfully after that, until the day he saw Johnson on a jumbotron, crossing the finish line at Varis Speedway. That kid had performed a miracle! He was the first commoner to win an official race. He became a trailblazer and a beacon of hope for the lower class; the catalyst that will change this world forever.

Excitement surged through the old man's veins, and he began dreaming of becoming like Johnson; to have passion pumped through a roaring engine into his soul.

Johnson did not show up at the podium after his win. When he crossed the finish line, something triggered in his mechanical body and a blinding light appeared ahead like a doorway to another world. And just like that, Johnson, who had just become a legend in his world, vanished into the light.

"Johnson was my apprentice, you know. Now he's out there among the stars. There! That's him!"

The old man got his wish and became like Johnson, and now lives his life at breakneck speed. In his spare time, the old man would tell stories about his time with Johnson. He still believes that if you can go fast enough, you can leave this mundane world and soar into the cosmos, just like Johnson did.

Johnson, at this time, had just arrived on a strange new world. To him, this just meant new faces to meet, new places to explore, and new speed limits to break.

"Hey, you with the ponytails. Wanna race?"

The roar of his engine echoed throughout Eruditio.

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