CHAPTER 26 – THE “EXPLOITER” AND THE RAMBLING WRECKER
Johnny and his group made their way into the red palace’s fortress wing. The fortress wing of the palace had three floors. Julia and Johnny took the top floor. While Qin and Cleo took the main floor. Leaving the basement for Margaret and Lisa.
Johnny was the first to find the chosen one at one end of the fortress, while Julia was at the other end of the building. He quickly alerted Julia of the situation. She then alerted the others as they headed his way. Before they could get there, Johnny was suddenly pulled into the room the chosen was sitting in.
Johnny was surprised at the force that was pulling at him. His body was trying to be sucked into a small hole that led to a room. The way his body was trying to be sucked in would kill him. He managed to burst a hole in the wall. He went headfirst throw the hole. “Here’s Johnny.” He yelled as he shot into the room and rolled,
Johnny heard a voice as he got up brushing himself off. The voice made his body go cold with anger and dread. “Well, if it isn’t Johnny.” A man said sitting in a chair. The man was sipping a drink from a glass. Johnny knew this man but had no idea how he got here. The man was the missing Road Rage Renegade driver from many years ago. The driver was responsible for crippling his younger brother. The driver went by the name of the “Exploiter”.
Johnny completely forgot about the others as he rushed the man. The man let out a rough laugh as Johnny tried to reach him. Johnny was determined to cut him down. Before he could even touch him, the man pushed a button on a table he was sitting next to. “It is time we finished our little feud once and for all.” Before Johnny could respond they were both sucked into a wormhole. He was blinded by endless darkness.
When Johnny was able to focus. He found himself sitting in the prototype. The outside of his car was a different design, the car was a 67 Chrysler Imperial that he had named the “Ballistic.”
He scanned the surrounding area. The first thing he noticed was a bright 1940s neon orange tow truck, painted with other yellows, reds, and oranges to make it look like it was on fire, sitting in a derelict stadium. Johnny gulped looking at the amount of armor and weapons stacked onto the infamous “Ramling Wrecker” with “The Exploier” behind the wheel.
The truck's roof had a missile launcher with six missiles loaded on the rack. The truck’s hood had two gatling riffles on either side with six barrels that could fire armor piercing rounds.
The front end of the truck had a plow with spikes on the front. The grill could spew out flames from two flamethrowers giving it a demonic appearance. While the headlights had there own trap with hidden plasma cannons.
On the rear of the truck, in the bed, it carried a dispenser to drop land mines. Along with a barrel of oil it could drain out for oil slick, or to be launched into the air with the tow truck’s main deadly feature. Instead of having a tow cable, the truck carried a magnetic wench that telescoped to be taller or shorter. The giant magnet could hook cars and swing them around into objects like a wrecking ball.
Johnny looked at the truck a final time before checking out the rest of his surroundings. He found himself in an old experimental Banzai Bangers derby bowl called the “Grave Pit”. The state of the art arena got the name for its purpose. Drivers who had grudges against each other could face off in a one on one to the death derby. Any type of vehicle could be used. As long as it only had four wheels. Weapons were allowed at first but were quickly banned after matches ended too quickly.
The event was popular with fans of the sport due to the uniqueness of the arena. The arena could change into any landscape or idea. In the center of the arena rose a circular platform. In the middle of the platform sat a multi-colored changing sensor. Whichever driver ran over it first could choose how the arena environment was chosen.
Although it was popular, Banzai Bangers eventually axed the event as too many of their good drivers weren’t worth losing. Plus, the cost for keeping the event running was too much. The constant changing of the arena environment was the final nail in the coffin for the event. It used up so much electricity in each event. It nearly drove Banzai Bangers bankrupt. It was only used once a year for a day.
Johnny realized why he was now in the “Ballistic.” He needed a vehicle that could keep him alive. He only used the car in feud matches against others. He wanted to survive so he got the best car he could use. The last event was supposed to have him face off against the “Exploiter”. The Rambling Wrecker’s driver. He never got the chance since the “Exploiter” just disappeared before the main event and was never found.
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After reviewing his situation, Johnny tried to contact Albert mentally to reach the others. He wasn’t getting any response. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice on the prototype's radio.
“I hate to tell you that all communication to the outside world has been cut off. So, no one can help you. It also has been far too long Johnny. It is time ‘The Exploiter’ defeated the ‘Invinsible’ Johnny,'' said a voice on the radio with a sadistic tone. Their was a brief pause before he spoke again. “It is too bad I didn’t add your brother to my tally of kills. If I had claimed him, I would have beaten the all-time death score of 23.” The “Exploiter” just sighed in frustration. “At least I hold the number of crippling injuries of any driver of 45, and an injury count of 145.” The man smirked to Johnny from inside the Rambling Wrecker as he continued to brag about his stats.
Well that record had already been broken by my rival Brandon. Johnny thought to himself. He wanted to just cut off “The Exploiter” telling him his record had been beaten already.
“By the way Johnny. I got the chance to have my revenge thanks to ‘The Admiral’ and ‘The Creator’. They let me have the chance to deal with you if other plans failed, which it seems things have.” Johnny looked back at the “Exploiter” with confusion, wondering who ‘The Admiral’ and ‘The Creator’ were.
“Exactly who are they?” Johnny asked back now, curious trying to get more info out of who his enemies could be.
“They are none of your concern. The only concern you need to worry about is me.” The Exploiter said, deciding to go into a backstory after.
“The day I vanished was the day I was given freedom from my old life. ‘The Admiral’ was kind enough to let me go back to my old roots of being a ruthless brute. Ever since I had been locked up for life after being arrested in the Death Derby: Euro Enduro by Interpol on multiple accounts of ruthless killings, which I never did. I was left to rot in prison, but thanks to Road Rage Renegades I was able to crave the attention for carnage. Banzai Bangers was fun, but nothing took the promise of this position…”
The “Exploiter” went on a long rant of his past. It made Johnny bored out of his mind listening to the rant. He half heard most of his comments of where he was arrested at the Death Derby: Euro Enduro. How he was left in prison to rot. Then how he was recruited into Road Rage Renegades. Then more on his disappearance again, and other things. Johnny was so bored of listening to the story, he fell asleep on his wheel. Even the “Exploiter” didn’t seem to notice Johnny snoring away.
Johnny was woken up when his head hit the steering wheel, jolting him awake in surprise. The Exploiter also jumped to remember what he needed to do, giving Johnny another speech. Luckily, it wasn’t boring but still important.
“I’d like to stay and chat more but it is time we dealt with our feud once and for all. You should be thankful I let you have a copy of “The Ballistic” to drive in. Honestly, there isn’t much hope for you anyways. You’ll have thirty minutes to prepare before you die.”
So this isn't the real prototype just a copied design of it. How did he get the plans for it I wonder?
Johnny was given a message on the prototype's on-board terminal after the speech. He was alerted that he needed to select weapons and armor for the prototype. He would only be allowed eight selections of either armor or weapons. He first tried to select some weapons and was given an access denied prompt.
The “Exploiter” came back on the radio to taunt Johnny again. “Oh I am sorry I forgot to mention. Unlike with Banzai Bangers where they don't allow weapons. I can use them, but not you Johnny. I was allowed to set up the rules for our duel. I have made it so you cannot use any weapons. Also, your car isn't invincible to any damage.” The man laughed with an evil snarl.
Johnny was livid and wanted to be angry finding this out. “My only way of beating him is to out defense him.” Johnny sighed as he decided on what to use for defenses now that he couldn’t use weapons against his enemy.
Johnny thought fast on his decisions of what would work against his opponent. The first thing he chose was to make the prototype nonmagnetic. “There now he won’t be able to use his tow cable on me.”
He thought of other things that could help. He added heat resistance for the flame throwers. He looked up over at the missile rack on the Rambling Wrecker next. He couldn’t decide if he would use flares or a jammer on the missiles. He ended up using a jammer, since he wasn’t sure the missiles were heat seeking. If that was the case, it would have been a waste. He added plexiglass to the windows for stray bullets from the gatling rifles.
The last and final thing he added was a ton of armor plating. Johnny tripled the armor for the prototype. The prototype was plated with armor on the sides. Even the wheels were covered. The rear of the car had a heavy weight guard on it while the front had a plow.
WIth all the extra weight of the armor, Johnny’s plan was to ram the Rambling Wrecker into pieces. He would also have to outwit the “Exploiter” in the bowl making sure he ran nto the traps on the course some way or another.Johnny made the changes with the prototype turning into a mass of dark purple as it transformed into the new design.
“I hope you are ready for your defeat, Exploiter,” Johnny said with a savage tone. “We will see who wins,” He smirked back, activating a switch in the Rambling Wrecker teleporting them both to their starting points. He was behind a gate that led into the Grave Pit. On the other side, he could see the Rambling Wrecker. “I’m going to finish this once and for all.” Johnny said in a growling tone as he looked the other way as he watched the starting lights.