The Scavenger's Secret: More Than Just Junk

“In the Iron Vultures biker club, I was Jennifer Johns, the resident weirdo, the perpetually broke scavenger who couldn't even ride a bike. They called me useless, a charity case. But then came the Sturgis Gauntlet, a brutal, mandatory rally that threatened to bankrupt us. Suddenly, the club charter was dragged out, revealing my forgotten title: Treasurer. I was forced to go. On the road, their high-tech bikes overheated, water ran out, and they faced disqualification. I quietly offered up "my junk" – military-grade canteens and custom coolant – saving them. They just looked at me with pity, convinced I was so poor I' d sacrificed my pathetic scrap for them. When we were ambushed by the Silver Vipers, everyone was knocked out, except for me. I hid, then emerged to tend to them, only for Doc, our medic, to accuse me. "You' re the only one untouched. You set us up, traitor." They dumped out my canvas sack, expecting to find proof of betrayal. Instead, a pathetic collection of rusty bolts and frayed wires spilled onto the ground. The anger faded, replaced by overwhelming guilt and pity. They believed I was simply a girl so poor I collected garbage to sell online. They thought I was a loyal but pitiable member, too useless to be anything else. But standing there, watching them see only what they expected, I felt a cold surge of something else. This wasn't pity. This was opportunity.”