Billy Bandit

### Relatives

Duke Bartlett, Beaux Bartlett, Sandra D. Bartlett (MacGuthers), Frankie Bartlett (deceased)

### Occupation

CEO of B & W Enterprises (Bandit Bling), PT Sales at Premium Deluxe Motorsport, Sales Director of Blue Water Boats

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

DasImpaler (https://www.twitch.tv/dasimpaler)

### *From Sand(y) . . .*

As you drive into Sandy Shores, a sign welcomes you "Welcome to Sandy Shores -- We Have Liquor" . . . that tells you all you need to know. The one-time sea side vacation spot has long since fell into disrepair as the Alamo Sea turned increasingly toxic and the drug trade got its hooks into the hard-working country folk of Blaine County. But the residents of Sandy don't let hard times keep them down. They are quick with a joke and usually more than willing to lend a hand to a neighbor, all for a beer after the work is done. The Bartlett family always tried to live by these ideals; Frankie, Sandy and their three boys (Duke, Beaux and Billy) were well-liked by their neighbors in the trailer park.

Frankie like many residents of Sandy picked up a shovel at 18 and went to work at the mines. He put twenty years in and would've likely stayed there his whole life if it hadn't been for a cave-in that caused him to lose partial use of his right leg. The pain and medical bills pushed Frank's 'social' drinking habit to a daily one. For the most part, he kept his friendly nature, but those close to him knew he was hurting and worried about money.

Duke, the eldest of the Bartlett boys was nearly 18 by now, and decided to take up a family, and Sandy Shores, tradition to help alleviate the family's money woes. Fixing up his dad's '69 Pontiac GTO, Duke soon found himself running moonshine and the Bartlett Boys became known throughout the county for both their 'shine and their antics. The trio could oft be found tearing up the dirt back roads on the way to a delivery.

The Bartlett Boys had their fun and made enough money to keep the creditors away, but Duke wanted more, as he always did. "Shine is good and all, but there's something that Sandy wants a lot more and their willin' to pay!" Those words would set the Bartlett family on a new course that none of them could have predicted.

Duke convinced Beaux to join a small local motorcycle gang made up of some undesirables who's rap sheets were longer than their arm and who'd either washed out of or would never be taken seriously by any reputable club. This motley crew called themselves The Blaine County Bandits. The group mainly got into bar fights and liked to puff their chests (as long as no one was around to call them on it), but Duke saw a chance to put them to work and make a lot of money. Meth had already started to rear its ugly head near the Alamo Sea but Duke figured he could help the spread and planned to be at the center pulling in the money.

Beaux idolized his older brother and jumped at the chance to prove himself tough enough to run with a motorcycle gang; however, Billy, the youngest, thought they should keep with running moonshine like they had been for the past few years. Duke wasn't gonna have it though, his mind was made up. "I'm sick of being hungry! We're gonna eat good for once" So, Duke set about starting his own lab; Beaux, at his brother's instruction raised through the rank of The Blane County Bandits -- and Billy, forgotten due to his disagreement kept running shine in their dad's old "Judge".

### *To the Dirt . . .*

For about a year, things went the way Duke said they would; the money came, but so did problems. Duke and Beaux were quick to flash the new muscle they had in the form of the 'Bandits' and Frankie and Sandy were known the wiser, but Billy -- he wasn't so sure. Billy was so sure that Duke's new business venture was gonna bring trouble to their door that he kept making larger and larger moonshine deliveries, trying to show they didn't need more money. But this also drew unwanted attention, and unlike his brothers he didn't have a motorcycle club to help him avoid it.

The extra deliveries meant more time on the road and faster driving, not that Billy minded any. He'd been behind the wheel of cars on these dirt roads since his feet could touch the peddles, but he'd never really had to outdrive someone with decades of experience. At least not until, the BCSO decided they couldn't overlook the increased reports in moonshine, especially when they weren't having any luck shutting down this new source of meth amphetamine. The sheriffs set up on the old dirt trail and waited for the bright orange GTO to come roaring down the hill. As soon as Billy crested the hill, he saw the red and blue lights flash to life and his chest tightened in a way he'd never felt to that point. Now, THIS was danger. So, why was Billy smiling, he wondered. His grip tightened on the wheel and he felt his foot press hard against the floor.

Before long the lights were barely noticeable for all the clay dust and tire smoke, and the roar of the 370 hp Ram Air IV V8 drowned out the sirens. Billy barely noticed the people as they blurred past, and he almost didn't notice the distance he had as turned a sharp right on to Joshua Rd. He'd have gladly kept driving all night, but something told him to pull into the garage of the old filling station. Billy cut the engine, and had just enough time to pull the rolling garage door shut before he heard the sirens wail past down the road. As the adrenaline left his system, Billy found himself suddenly gasping for air as he slid to sit on the dirt, slumped against the garage door.

Little did young Billy know that the sheriffs would have soon given up the chase regardless, as they had gotten a call about a massive fight that had broken out on Rt 68. Neither Duke nor Beaux ever felt the need to tell their baby brother that when they saw the orange GTO race past that they got a few hang-arounds to start a scene. Billy would have likely never found out, if one of those hangarounds hadn't gotten arrested and made a deal with the BSCO to avoid jail time. That was how BCSO got the break they needed into their meth case, and how almost a year later; Duke and Beaux ended up in Bolingbroke with a 20 year sentence handed down.

Billy now found himself singly responsible for keeping the family afloat at only 20 years old. His dad's drinking had taken its toll on health, and his mother had all but shut down from the grief of 'losing' two of her baby boys. She was convinced she'd not seem them outside of a prison ever again. Between caring for Frankie and her grief, Sandra never seemed to have time to talk to Billy. He knew, though she never said it, that part of her blamed him for what happened to his brothers. "Brothers are meant to stick together." "Family does for family." These lessons had been repeated all his life, and her pulling away told Billy that he had failed to live up to them in her eyes. But still he had a responsibility to keep the bills from piling up -- and moonshining had gotten more dangerous, the BCSO emboldened by having taken down 2 Bartlett boys already.

Billy Bartlett had no idea how he was ever gonna make enough to keep everyone fed. He was drowning some sorrows in a beer, when he saw the flyer. "Demolition Derby and Figure 8 Death Race - This Sunday at the Blaine County Fairgrounds. 1st Prize - $1000" That feeling suddenly washed over Billy again, it was like the sirens and lights were all around him. Billy pulled an old junker out of the scrapyard with the last of his money and got to work. Come Sunday, she wasn't pretty -- but she was running and up to spec. Billy drove his heart out and managed to take 3rd place, good for 250 dollars, less than he'd spent on the car . . . but with a job offer. The fair was packing up to move to the next stop and they need drivers for some stunt shows. "Pay is $100 a show -- 3 shows a day and 4 on weekends." He didn't remember even having time to think before he heard himself agreeing.

### *A Bandit is Born . . .*

Before long, Billy was a draw at local events; Sandy showing up to see "Frankie's boy" drive and do stunts. But there were those that felt anyone with the last name Bartlett owed them a pound of flesh. Billy took more than a few beatings from enemies and former business partners of Duke's alike, all the while his father too sick to help, his mother to removed to care, and his brothers refusing to accept his visits when he came to Bolingbroke. Billy remembered an announcer once commenting "that young man drives like he has nothing to lose" -- and he knew in that moment how true it was.

Billy only felt right during shows, but that was only a few hours a day. The answer was obvious; more shows. Billy started putting his own stunt exhibitions together, bigger and crazier. No more Figure Eight, no more Demo . . . stunt jumps, Ring of Fire -- he was willing to do it all, as long as the people came. "Billy Bartlett doesn't have the right ring to it. . not for a proper stuntman. Evil Knievel, Jock Cranley -- I need a stage name. I got it! Billy Bandit!"

### *A Star Rises . . .*

For next several years, Billy Bandit found bigger and bigger ways to push the envelope and the crowds grew alongside the danger, until people were coming from beyond Sandy, even from out of San Andreas. Billy came a bit of hometown hero for a long time, even doing a couple local commercials and garnering a small fan club. The money was coming in, but Billy didn't care about that. It was about the crowds, if they were there he wasn't alone. If they were there, he was loved. His father, Frankie, finally succumbed to his failing liver -- but Billy wasn't at his funeral. The stuntman wasn't brave enough to face it; losing his dad, maybe the last person that loved him as Billy Bartlett, that was too scary. So, instead that night he jumped a car over 10 buses (not quite Evil's 14, but a hell of a feat) but the axle broke on the landing and rolled and he broke 6 ribs and learned why you never cheap out on a 'flame suit'.

As much as that crash hurt, the month of not being able to do show was worse. Even then the doctor tried to tell Billy he needed 2 more weeks of recovery, but fortunately, a few free tickets and some autographs for the doc's kids got Billy the medical sign off he needed. The danger continued to grow, but the crowds stopped growing. Billy needed it, he needed it more and more each day. His mother never spoke to him when he came by to pay the bills; he'd stopped even asking if Duke or Beaux would accept his visit when he went in each week to top off their commissary. He only had those crowds and they only loved 'the Bandit'.

Billy's time away from the shows began to be full of more and more time at the bar, letting local fans fawn over him and numbing the growing pain and quieting his mind with drink. He'd been doing these show's for nearly 10 years - he'd been the Bandit for longer than he'd really ever been anything else, and he knew it was slipping away. Stunt shows weren't drawing crowds as well, he'd been lucky Sandy was as loyal as they were -- but he saw the writing on the wall. The shows got more frequent, the stunts bigger but more rushed. He heard a young driver, Wally Bloom, that had credited 'Billy Bandit' as his hero got paralyzed trying to recreate on of his stunts. He remembered going to meet the boy, and realizing just how young he looked -- and how bad he needed a drink seeing that kid -- a kid he arguably put there, hurt forever, but smiling cause he was surrounded by family and meeting his hero. When was the last time Billy had smiled like that? He'd walked away from dozens of wrecks, so, why'd he feel so unlucky?

### *And Crashes Back Down . . .*

Billy found himself thinking about that young fan a lot. How was he? How did he manage to smile through all that loss? Had he realized Billy was a fraud and stolen a whole different live away from him? Billy couldn't fathom actually being that happy, so he faked it. He let himself believe all the hype and praise from desperate fame chasers and would be profiteers.

He began to shill every product placed in front of him, his bar tabs grew and grew, he did more and more to keep eyes on him -- even spending a lot of his own and other people's money to cut a poorly thought out vanity album entitled "Makin' Out Like a Bandit". These awful decision and reckless behavior were the final nail in an already dying career. After 12 years, the Bandit's show was over -- but being Billy Bartlett again; that just wasn't an option.