Chapter 23: No Mercy

The city slept under a veil of fog, but Derek didn’t. He moved like a shadow between the streetlights, leather jacket clinging damply to his frame. Every alleyway, every corner, every flickering neon sign could conceal a threat—or his prey. Tonight, he wasn’t hunting ordinary criminals. He was hunting Viper Fang, one of Lady Venom’s deadliest lieutenants.

Derek’s phone buzzed, a tip sent from one of his analysts: “Viper Fang spotted near the north dockyards. He’s carrying a high-powered knife set and likely scouting for civilians to intimidate.”

He clenched his fists. “I’ve waited long enough,” he whispered. “Tonight, I end this.”

Hours of surveillance had taught Derek the villain’s patterns. Viper Fang was bold, but predictable—arrogant enough to follow his instincts without questioning them. Derek’s plan was simple: lure him into a trap, make him believe he was hunting the city… while actually being hunted himself.

Derek crouched atop an abandoned warehouse, eyes scanning the dockyard below. Crates stacked like walls, shipping containers forming corridors, fog drifting low over the water. A faint shadow moved. There—Viper Fang, pacing near a stack of containers, twirling a knife with casual menace.

“You think you’re safe?” Derek muttered, voice lost to the wind. “Not for long.”

He slipped down silently, stepping into the alleyway across the water, just visible enough for Viper Fang to notice. The lieutenant’s head snapped up.

“Who’s there?” Viper Fang called, voice cold and hissing. “Show yourself!”

Derek stepped fully into the light, just enough to reveal a shadowy outline. “I think you know,” he said calmly. “Or at least… you’re about to find out.”

Viper Fang laughed, a low, dangerous sound. “So the Cold Genius wants to play hunter? How cute. You think you can catch me?”

“I don’t think. I know,” Derek replied, his voice steady, eyes locked on the villain. “And I’ve learned a lot since you started terrorizing these streets.”

“You’ve been following me?” Viper Fang sneered. “Pathetic. You’re just a boy playing vigilante.”

“Call it what you want,” Derek said, moving closer. “But I know your patterns. I know your weaknesses. And tonight… I finish this.”

Viper Fang’s eyes narrowed. “Then come and try.”

The first clash was sudden. Viper Fang lunged with his knives, a deadly blur of steel. Derek rolled under the swing, grabbing a metal pipe from the ground and deflecting the second strike. Sparks flew as the knives scraped against the pipe.

“You’re fast,” Viper Fang hissed, circling. “But fast isn’t enough.”

Derek grinned faintly. “Neither is arrogance.” He feinted left, then delivered a spinning kick that sent Viper Fang staggering into a stack of crates. Wood splintered under the force.

Viper Fang regained his balance quickly, knives ready. “Impressive,” he said. “But I’ve killed people tougher than you.”

“Good,” Derek replied, voice low and calm. “Then you’ll know what it feels like to lose.”

The fight moved like a storm across the dockyard. Derek used every part of the environment—sliding under containers, swinging from metal bars, bouncing off crates to land kicks with precision. Viper Fang countered with brute strength, slashing with knives, trying to keep Derek at bay.

“You think you’re clever,” Viper Fang spat during a brief pause. “But cleverness doesn’t save lives!”

“Neither does fear,” Derek countered, eyes sharp. “And I see yours hiding beneath that mask of confidence.”

A loud crash—Derek had thrown a crate, sending Viper Fang tumbling into a stack of barrels. He scrambled up, rage twisting his features. “You… you’ll pay for that!”

“I already am,” Derek said, rushing forward. The two collided with a force that echoed through the empty dockyard. Fists, elbows, knives clashing against metal and leather. Derek twisted, dodged a blade, and countered with a high kick that smashed Viper Fang into a lamppost. Metal screeched. Sparks flew.

“You’re strong,” Viper Fang gasped, wiping blood from his lip. “I didn’t expect… this.”

“I told you,” Derek said, his voice calm amid the chaos. “Arrogance is a weakness.”

Viper Fang lunged again, desperate. Derek sidestepped, grabbed him, and launched him into a stack of containers, toppling them like dominos. The sound of crushing metal and wood rang out.

“You won’t stop Lady Venom!” Viper Fang screamed, dazed but not defeated.

“Then I’ll stop her lieutenants first,” Derek shot back, catching him mid-lunge and flipping him across the dockyard. Viper Fang slammed into a chain-link fence, leaving a dent in the metal. “One by one. Starting with you.”

The villain tried to crawl away, but Derek’s boots were fast. He slammed Viper Fang into a lamppost again, rainwater dripping into both their eyes. Derek’s breaths came steady, measured. He was in control.

“You… you’re insane,” Viper Fang hissed, blood streaked across his face. “I… I won’t die here!”

“You already are,” Derek said firmly. “Your reign of terror ends tonight.”

Derek delivered a final series of strikes—elbows to the ribs, a knee to the chest, a spinning kick that sent Viper Fang crashing into a concrete pillar. He slumped, barely conscious, groaning.

Derek crouched next to him. “I don’t want to kill you,” he said quietly. “But I will if I have to.”

Viper Fang coughed. “She… she’ll avenge me,” he gasped.

“Then she can try,” Derek said, standing tall, looking out over the dockyard. “But tonight, this city is mine to protect.”

The wind howled. Fog swirled. And somewhere in the distance, a figure watched silently, a shadow among shadows. Lady Venom knew. She had noticed.

Derek turned, scanning the empty docks. “It’s not over,” he whispered. “And I’ll be ready when she comes.”

He disappeared into the darkness, leaving Viper Fang unconscious but alive, chained to a post for authorities to find. The first piece in the chain of Lady Venom’s network had been taken down.

To be continued…