Chapter 19: venomous first strike

Rain streaked across the abandoned district, neon signs flickering like nervous eyes. Derek moved with silent precision, leather jacket clinging to his body, eyes scanning every shadow. He was following a lead—one that could finally bring him closer to Red Rose.

A sudden flicker of movement caught his attention.

“Well, well… the infamous Cold Genius,” a melodic, yet dangerous voice purred.

Derek froze mid-step, eyes narrowing. A figure emerged from the shadows: a woman in a sleek purple suit, tiny scales glinting faintly under the streetlights. A snake emblem sprawled across her chest, and her long hair whipped around her face as she shifted, a purple domino mask hiding her identity.

“Who are you?” Derek demanded, instinct sharpening.

“I’m Lady Venom,” she replied smoothly, stepping closer. Her tone was calm, almost teasing. “And you’ve just wandered into my territory.”

“I don’t have time for games,” Derek said, his voice low, cold. “Step aside.”

Lady Venom chuckled softly, crouching into a ready stance. “Oh, we’re not playing games, genius. I’m here to stop you—and anyone who gets in my way.”

Derek’s eyes darted to the surrounding rooftops and walls, noting every possible advantage. “Then I guess we’re done talking.”

Before she could respond, she leapt, striking with fluid agility. Her fist connected with a steel pipe, swinging with a hiss of kinetic energy. Derek sidestepped, grabbing a nearby railing and flipping over her strike. “Nice entrance,” he said sarcastically. “But predictable.”

“Predictable?” she hissed, darting forward with a spin kick aimed at his shoulder. “You think you’re the only one prepared?”

Derek rolled under her kick, sweeping her legs in response. She flipped back, landing gracefully. “Impressive,” she said, brushing rain from her suit. “But I’ve faced better.”

“Then show me,” Derek replied, stepping closer. His eyes flicked to a stack of crates, calculating angles, trajectories, and momentum.

Lady Venom grinned beneath her mask. “With pleasure.”

The battle erupted. Steel met steel, boots skidded across wet pavement, and acrobatic flips sent water spraying into the neon-lit air. Derek struck with calculated precision, each punch and kick measured, but Lady Venom moved unpredictably, her serpentine grace making her difficult to read.

“You rely too much on logic,” she taunted, swinging a retractable whip from her wrist. It wrapped around a nearby pole with a hiss. “Combat isn’t just strategy—it’s instinct.”

“And instinct without preparation is recklessness,” Derek countered, twisting to grab her wrist and throw her into a stack of crates. The crates exploded outward, raining splinters and debris. “Remember that.”

She laughed, rolling to her feet. “You’re insufferable, genius.” Her whip lashed at him, narrowly missing his neck. “I like that.”

Derek gritted his teeth, ducking under another strike. “Flattery won’t save you.”

She darted forward again, aiming a swift kick to his chest. He caught her leg mid-air, twisting her momentum. “Neither will arrogance,” he said. She somersaulted back, landing deftly.

“You think you’re in control,” she said, crouching, eyes glinting under her mask. “But you’re reacting. Always reacting.”

“And you think you’re the predator,” Derek replied. “But even predators can be trapped.”

Lady Venom’s eyes widened slightly. “Trapped? Let’s see you try.”

The fight escalated, movement rapid and unrelenting. Derek kicked a puddle, sending water spraying into her eyes. She hissed, wiping it away, lunging with a spinning kick. He sidestepped, grabbing a pipe from the ground and swinging, but she ducked under it, springing upward and delivering a backflip kick that grazed his shoulder.

“You’re fast,” Derek muttered, adjusting his stance. “I’ll give you that.”

“And you’re predictable,” she shot back. “You rely on patterns too much. I can see them before you even make them.”

He smirked, calculating silently. “Then I’ll make it interesting.”

He feinted left, pivoted right, and launched a series of strikes aimed at her ribs, then head, then chest—short, medium, long combinations. Lady Venom countered, deflecting some, dodging others, letting a few connect. “Not bad,” she admitted, spinning away. “You’re more dangerous than I thought.”

“And you’re more persistent,” Derek replied, catching a wrist mid-lunge. “But persistence alone isn’t enough.”

She twisted out of his grip, landing atop a rooftop ledge. “Who says I want enough?”

Derek followed, leaping onto the edge beside her. Rain slicked the rooftop tiles. “Then what do you want?”

“To see if you can keep up,” she hissed, striking him with a swift elbow to the chest. He stumbled back but recovered instantly. “And to stop you before you make things worse.”

“Stop me?” Derek laughed, a short, sharp bark of amusement. “Do you even know what I’m after?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she said, circling him like a predator. “All I know is that you’re a threat. To my goals. To my plans. To everyone under my watch.”

“Then let’s settle this,” Derek said, eyes narrowing. “One way or another.”

They clashed again, the fight moving with fluid precision, a deadly dance of skill and strategy. Metal pipes, kicks, flips, and blocks blurred together. Derek used every environmental advantage—rails, crates, puddles—while Lady Venom used her agility and suit gadgets to counter.

“You’re impressive,” she admitted mid-fight, swinging a retractable blade. “I might actually enjoy this.”

Derek gritted his teeth, deflecting the blade with a pipe. “I’m not here to entertain you.”

“You’re not here to stop me either,” she hissed, eyes gleaming. “We’re equals in different ways.”

“Then we’ll see who’s better,” Derek replied, stepping in, fists aimed, striking fast and hard.

The clash continued, neither yielding, neither backing down. Rain poured harder, soaking them, but they didn’t pause. Each strike, block, and kick was a test of skill, strategy, and willpower.

Finally, they broke apart, breathing heavily. Derek wiped rain from his eyes, muscles tense, mind calculating. “You’re strong. Faster than I expected.”

“And you’re clever,” Lady Venom admitted, chest heaving. “Not just fast, not just strong. Clever. That’s why we’re evenly matched.”

Derek smirked, adjusting his stance. “Don’t get used to compliments. I don’t hand them out freely.”

“And I don’t take them,” she replied, crouching, ready to strike again.

A distant siren echoed. Derek’s eyes flicked to it. “Looks like our time’s up—for now.”

Lady Venom tilted her head. “For now?”

“Yes,” Derek said. “We’ll meet again. And next time, it won’t just be a test. It’ll be a war.”

She nodded slowly, a smirk beneath her mask. “I look forward to it, genius.”

Without another word, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Derek standing alone on the rain-slicked rooftop.

He exhaled slowly, heart still pounding. “So… this is her,” he muttered, eyes narrowing. “Lady Venom. Dangerous, clever… and persistent. Not the type to underestimate. Not the type to forget. This is going to be interesting.”

As he leapt down to the streets below, blending into the rain-soaked city, he knew one thing for certain: the game had just begun.