Johnny slowly woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, his head felt like it was splitting apart."Ah! Hiss—what the hell?"
Zed slicked back his gelled hair and said to Johnny,
"You should remember something, right, Johnny?"
Johnny let go of his head, staring blankly at his own flesh-and-blood hands. His voice trembled in disbelief."I... I... I turned into a flaming skeleton! That... that..."
After speaking, he looked up at the ruins and the sea of fire around him. "This is real?"
"You've already seen the devil of Hell—what else do you think is impossible?" Zed sat down casually on a big rock.
Johnny, like a drowning man grabbing a piece of driftwood, turned to Zed and asked urgently,"What happened to me? And who is that Bastor Kale you mentioned before?"
Normally, Zed would deal with these "products" through transactions, but Johnny—already bitten once and now twice shy—wasn't suitable for that.
Zed figured that if he so much as mentioned a deal, Johnny would jump out of his skin, so he cleared his throat and began instead:
"The elemental demon Zarathos had his eye on Atlantis's sacred relic—the Medallion of Power. Although he failed to seize it, his blood and power tainted the medallion, turning what was once holy into something both righteous and wicked.
"To prevent any disasters, ancient humans split the medallion into four pieces, entrusted to the Kale and Barton families. Meanwhile, Mephisto captured the severely wounded Zarathos through deceit and transformed him into a Ghost Rider.
"Later, Bastor Kale, a devotee of Mephisto, drove his own son, Noble Kale, to suicide. The souls of suicides can't enter Heaven—so Mephisto claimed him.
"From then on, the Kale bloodline was marked by Mephisto. And as it happens, your mother's maiden name is Kale. Flowing through your veins, Johnny, is one-fourth of the Medallion of Power. Understand now?"
Johnny stared blankly at Zed, struggling to digest so much information."Really? It sounds like you're making this up."
Zed had to resist the urge to beat him. Johnny was treated far better than most of Zed's "goods"—almost on par with Tony—and yet he was being so ungrateful.
Holding back his temper, Zed continued:"Every generation, the eldest son of your Kale family line is marked by Mephisto. He treats you all like crops—when the essence of Zarathos and the Medallion's power has ripened enough, he reaps you."
Johnny didn't reply, but something in him shifted. Zed's story was too elaborate, too intricate to be some random lie. No one would go that far just to fool him... right?
He got to his feet, looked Zed straight in the eye, and asked seriously,"He toyed with my father's life... just to grow me like a crop to harvest later?"
"Technically speaking, your adoptive father. Your biological one's long dead—but it doesn't make much difference," Zed said, shrugging.
"Then who are you? And what's your purpose? Don't expect me to believe you're some good-hearted Samaritan." Johnny stared directly into Zed's eyes, unflinching.
Zed flashed a bright, almost radiant smile."Me? I'm Zed Oleg. A seeker of power. A man who cast aside his humanity on an endless journey. I have no interest in Zarathos or the Medallion of Power. My goal... is you, Johnny."
Zed's bluntness caught Johnny off guard."Me? You must be mistaken—I'm just a—"
"John↗ny↘ Bla↗ze↘! Don't underestimate yourself!" Zed pointed at him dramatically, his grin tinged with mischief. "Your own power rivals that of Zarathos or the Medallion! Mephisto's short-sighted fool's eyes can't see your potential—but I can."
Johnny shivered at Zed's smile—it made his spine go cold. He didn't want to stay another second. He turned around abruptly."Uh... thanks for everything tonight, but I've got a date. Goodbye."
Voss walked up beside Zed, watching Johnny's retreating back."Lord Demon King, what should we do next?"
"Sit back and watch. When Johnny chooses of his own will to become the Ghost Rider—that's when we harvest the fruit. For now, escort Skye back to the company," Zed ordered, before striding off after Johnny.
Meanwhile, Johnny arrived at Roxanne's apartment—only to find it ransacked, the place in complete disarray, and Roxanne nowhere to be found.
"Roxanne! Where are you?!" he shouted, panic tightening his chest.
Then, a swirl of black smoke coalesced before him, forming the face of Blackheart. A message echoed in his mind:Your girlfriend is with me. Bring me the Contract in exchange.
"Shit! I don't even have the contract!" Johnny roared, slamming his fist into the wall.
Zed lightly pushed open the damaged door, which promptly fell off its hinges with a crash."Oh~ that wasn't me," he said lightly.
"How did you follow me here? Don't try anything funny," Johnny warned, still on guard.
"Tut-tut-tut," Zed wagged a finger. "If telling you where the contract is counts as 'funny business,' I'll just go. Don't let me interrupt your damsel rescue."
"Wait! Tell me where it is! Help me save Roxanne—and I'll give you what you want. You want my power, right?" Johnny said desperately.
"Hmph. Carter Slade—the gravekeeper in San Venganza, Texas. The previous Ghost Rider. The San Venganza Contract is in his hands. Let's go," Zed said, turning to leave.
He mounted his sleek Striker motorcycle and looked at Johnny's Harley."We're both riders. I'm curious—which of us is faster?"
Johnny couldn't beat Zed in a fight, but when it came to riding, his confidence was absolute. Gripping the throttle, he revved hard, then shot forward like a rocket."Try to keep up!"
Zed smirked and gunned his own engine. My bike's from the future—you think I'll lose to a Harley? Letting him lead a bit wouldn't hurt.
Two roaring machines tore down the streets, chaos in their wake. Speed traps shattered, alarms blared, and traffic officers could only gape as two taillights vanished into the night.
"Damn it! What are they, racing to the afterlife?!" one furious cop shouted, hurling his cap to the ground.
Neither Johnny nor Zed had time for them—they were fully focused, throttle pinned, eyes sharp.
Zed stayed tight on Johnny's tail, waiting for a straightaway to overtake, while Johnny relied on superior technique to widen the gap through tight turns and quick lane shifts.
After several sharp bends, Zed could finally feel what Takahashi Keisuke and Fujiwara Takumi must've felt in a race.
"What?! Inertia drift?!"
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)