DRIVER 88 (The Death Race Saga).

1. The Quiet Before the Storm

As Jaxon's car roared through the chaotic prison yard, his mind momentarily flashed back to a darker, quieter time. For a split second, the violence and madness around him faded, replaced by the distant echoes of a life he'd long left behind.

He knew Viper's gaze was on him. He could feel the weight of his eyes cutting through the darkness. But what Jaxon didn't know was that Viper's cold, calculating nature wasn't born overnight. Behind that stoic exterior was a man who had endured the very same hell Jaxon was now experiencing—a man whose past was as bloody and violent as the present he now lived.

---

2. The Making of Viper

Viper wasn't always the ruthless enforcer everyone feared. In fact, he had once been just like the rest of the prisoners—a young, idealistic man with a family and a dream. But that all changed the day his younger brother, Michael, was murdered.

Viper had grown up in the underbelly of a sprawling city, where crime was an everyday occurrence and family loyalty was all that mattered. His brother Michael had been the good one—the one who had stayed away from the gangs, the drugs, and the violence. But when Michael had crossed paths with a powerful local gang, his life was taken in an instant.

It was a simple case of mistaken identity, but it shattered Viper's world.

Viper swore revenge on the men responsible, and in his quest for justice, he became something darker. He joined the gang his brother had once avoided, climbing the ranks with brutal efficiency. The once kind-hearted man was gone. In his place stood a hardened killer, willing to do anything to climb to the top. The killings, the betrayals—he did them all, but it wasn't enough. His rage was insatiable.

It wasn't long before Viper caught the attention of the one man who could help him gain control over everything—the Warden. The Warden, recognizing Viper's potential as an enforcer, made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

---

3. The Betrayal that Changed Everything

Viper had always been ruthless, but his loyalty was once absolute. However, after years of serving the Warden's bidding, Viper's belief in the system began to crack. It was the day he found out that the Warden, the very man who had promised him everything, was the one who had ordered his brother's death. The entire chain of events that had led to Michael's murder had been orchestrated by the Warden himself.

The betrayal was complete.

Viper's rage, already volcanic, reached its boiling point. The Warden had used him as a tool for his own purposes, and now Viper understood just how deeply he'd been manipulated. It was too much to bear. Viper turned on the Warden, but the Warden was always one step ahead. Viper's betrayal was swiftly punished, and he was thrown into the prison that had become his home.

The same prison that Jaxon now found himself in.

---

4. Back to the Present

Jaxon's thoughts snapped back to reality as a bullet whizzed past his head, the shrill sound of metal slicing through the air. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging as he swerved his car to avoid the incoming fire.

Viper wasn't just another inmate in this twisted game—he was part of the system itself, a weapon forged in blood and betrayal. Jaxon had to respect the kind of man Viper was, but that didn't mean he was afraid of him.

But what if Jaxon could use Viper's past against him? What if the pain that had driven Viper to this point could be turned to Jaxon's advantage?

Jaxon pushed the thought aside. His focus needed to be on the Wild Card Event. The wreckage in front of him was growing, explosions shaking the ground as cars collided and flames spread like wild fire. The arena was a hellish battleground, but it was Jaxon's arena now. He could feel it—the scent of blood, the roar of the crowd. This was what he was born for.

---

5. The War Within

As Jaxon continued to race, the thought of Viper lingered at the back of his mind. He knew that Viper had once been a man driven by vengeance, just like him. The more Jaxon thought about it, the more he realized they weren't so different. Both had been betrayed. Both had been used. But where Viper had crumbled under the weight of his past, Jaxon had risen from the ashes, becoming something stronger.

But in the Wild Card Event, survival wasn't just about strength—it was about manipulation, strategy, and mind games. Viper's past could be a weakness that Jaxon could exploit.

Jaxon's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He had a plan. He needed to get closer to Viper, bait him into making a mistake. Viper's emotions were raw, his need for revenge an open wound that could be manipulated. Jaxon had no choice but to use every tool at his disposal—his skills, his intellect, and his understanding of betrayal.

---

6. The Collision Course

The sound of screeching tires brought Jaxon back to the present. A prison guard's armored jeep was barreling toward him, a heavy machine gun mounted on the front, its barrels spinning in a blur. The guard was aiming directly for Jaxon, and it was clear he had no intention of stopping.

Jaxon floored the gas pedal, his car surging forward with a deafening roar. He was in the thick of the Wild Card Event now, and there was no turning back. The rules were simple: kill or be killed. And in this race, every move could be your last.

But as the jeep came closer, Jaxon saw the flash of red—an unmistakable silhouette in the distance. Viper. He was coming for Jaxon, just like he had every other opponent before. But this time, Jaxon wasn't going to run. He wasn't going to play by Viper's rules.

In this race, Jaxon was the one who would make the rules.

---

End of Chapter 25.