Chapter 25: Lady Venom vs Red Rose

The city skyline shimmered beneath a blood-red sunset, casting long shadows across the streets. Somewhere above, a helicopter whined, but the real storm was coming down below. Lady Venom crouched on the rooftop, purple domino mask glinting in the dying light. Her long hair whipped around her face as she flexed her fingers, preparing for the inevitable.

“This is it,” she muttered, voice low but resolute. “No more running.”

Across the street, in the shadow of a towering office building, Red Rose’s limousine pulled to a halt. He stepped out, mask perfectly covering his face, half red, half white, each color reversed from the other. His tuxedo was pristine, posture immaculate, a stark contrast to the chaos he left in his wake.

“Lady Venom,” Red Rose called, voice smooth but venomous. “I was wondering when you’d show.”

“You’ve gone too far this time, Rose,” she snapped, landing gracefully on the pavement below. “All your schemes, all your manipulation—it ends tonight.”

Red Rose’s eyes, visible only through the slight slits of his mask, glinted. “Bold words. But you forget—I don’t work alone, and I don’t lose.”

Lady Venom smirked, crouching into a combat stance. “We’ll see about that.”

Without warning, Red Rose’s men swarmed the area, armed with knives, bats, and futuristic gadgets. Lady Venom launched herself into action, a blur of purple and motion. She struck the first two men with precise kicks, sending them crashing into concrete and metal.

“You never were subtle,” Red Rose said, clapping slowly. “I admire the energy, though. Truly entertaining.”

“I’m not here to entertain,” Lady Venom replied, flipping over a thug swinging a metal pipe. “I’m here to stop you.”

Red Rose raised his hand, and holographic barriers flickered around him. “Do you think brute force alone will work against me?”

“I don’t rely on brute force,” she said, eyes narrowing. “I rely on skill, speed, and precision.”

The two clashed in the center of the street. Lady Venom’s strikes were lightning-fast, her kicks and flips keeping Red Rose on his toes. He countered with cunning, using his mask’s augmented vision to anticipate her movements and unleash carefully calculated attacks.

“You’re fast,” Red Rose said, blocking a spinning kick with his arm. “I’ll give you that. But speed isn’t everything.”

“Neither is overconfidence,” Lady Venom shot back, delivering a roundhouse kick that grazed his side.

Red Rose stumbled slightly but recovered instantly. “Interesting. You could be dangerous… if you weren’t so naive.”

“Naive?” she asked, dodging a punch and slamming a thug into a wall. “You call trying to protect the innocent naive?”

The fight escalated. Lady Venom vaulted over a car, landing on Red Rose’s shoulders and delivering a powerful elbow strike. He countered mid-air, twisting to throw her off balance, but she rolled, recovering instantly. Sparks flew from a nearby generator as Red Rose struck it in frustration, electricity crackling dangerously.

“You think you can handle me alone?” he sneered. “I control everything—every move, every shadow.”

“I control the fight I’m in,” Lady Venom shot back, striking again. Her blows landed with precision, each one pushing him back a step.

Red Rose stumbled, mask glinting under the fading sunlight. “Impressive. But one can only fight so long.”

“Then you better end this quickly,” she said, spinning low to sweep his legs. “Because I’m not giving up.”

He laughed, a cold, calculated sound. “Neither am I.”

The street erupted into chaos as the remaining henchmen attacked. Lady Venom moved like water, evading knives, disabling attackers with flips, kicks, and acrobatic maneuvers. Red Rose took advantage of the chaos, slipping behind her for a quick strike, but she sensed him and pivoted, his hand catching only air.

“You’re slippery,” he said, breathless. “I like that.”

“I’ve had practice,” she replied, lunging forward with a precise strike aimed at his torso. Red Rose blocked, gritting his teeth, and retaliated with a sweeping kick that sent her skidding across the wet asphalt.

“You’re stronger than I expected,” Red Rose admitted, straightening his posture.

“Stronger than you think,” she countered, springing off a lamppost and delivering a high kick that grazed his mask. A faint crack appeared, but Red Rose merely tilted his head, smiling beneath the mask.

“You’re persistent,” he said, circling her. “I’ll give you that. Most would have faltered by now.”

“Persistence is survival,” Lady Venom said, narrowly dodging a strike that would have severed the streetlight behind her.

The fight continued, each landing precise strikes, deflecting attacks, and using the environment to their advantage. Lady Venom vaulted over a barricade, rolling into a spinning kick that connected with Red Rose’s side. He staggered but quickly recovered, launching a counterattack with a series of jabs aimed to test her defenses.

“You’re good,” he said, panting. “Better than I imagined.”

“I told you,” she replied, ducking and spinning around him. “I’m not here to imagine. I’m here to finish this.”

Suddenly, the fight paused momentarily as Red Rose’s eyes glinted. “You have courage. I’ll give you that. But you fight blind.”

“I see enough,” she said, blocking a punch and flipping backward onto a nearby roof. She crouched, eyes locked on him. “And I see your weakness.”

Red Rose smirked beneath his mask. “Perhaps. But weaknesses are for those who hesitate.”

“Then I won’t hesitate,” she replied. She leapt forward, landing with a thunderous strike that knocked him back, staggering him against the rooftop edge.

For a moment, both paused, panting, sizing each other up. The wind howled around them, carrying the distant sounds of sirens and chaos.

“You fight well,” Red Rose said, brushing himself off. “But this is far from over.”

“Neither is it for you,” Lady Venom said, eyes narrowing, hands flexing. “And when this ends, you’ll regret ever crossing me.”

Red Rose’s mask tilted slightly, a silent acknowledgment. “Then let us dance again… soon.”

With that, he vanished into the shadows of the city, leaving Lady Venom standing alone on the rooftop, rain dripping from her mask and purple suit. She exhaled slowly, looking over the skyline, every muscle tense, every thought focused.

To be continued…