Chapter 27: Derek vs the Werewolf

The full moon hung low in the night sky, casting silver light across the empty streets. Derek moved silently, hood up, leather jacket creaking as he surveyed the area. Reports had come in—people disappearing near the outskirts, claw marks on cars, and terrifying howls echoing through the night.

“Genetic mutation…?” Derek muttered, crouching on a rooftop, eyes narrowing. “Someone’s gone too far this time.”

A guttural roar ripped through the air. Derek’s muscles tensed as the figure emerged from the shadows—a hulking man with elongated claws, sharp fangs, and wild, matted hair. His eyes glowed amber, and his body rippled with unnatural muscle. The werewolf.

“You’re Derek Thunder, aren’t you?” the creature growled, voice guttural yet intelligent. “I’ve heard stories.”

“I’m here to stop you,” Derek replied calmly, stepping off the rooftop onto the street below. “Whatever you’ve done, it ends tonight.”

The werewolf bared its teeth. “Stop me? You’re just one man. You’re weak. Fragile.”

“Fragile?” Derek smirked, cracking his knuckles. “You’re about to find out how wrong you are.”

The creature lunged first, claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. Derek rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and countered with a swift kick to the werewolf’s midsection.

“Not bad,” the werewolf growled, catching Derek’s leg mid-air and throwing him into a brick wall. “You’ve got fight… I’ll give you that.”

Derek shook off the impact, standing tall despite the pain. “You’re strong… but you’re reckless.”

The werewolf howled, launching a barrage of strikes with claws and fists. Derek ducked, flipped, and dodged, using his agility to stay one step ahead. He landed a spinning kick, connecting with the creature’s jaw, but it barely flinched.

“You think that will stop me?” the werewolf snarled, eyes blazing. “I am evolution perfected!”

“Evolution?” Derek muttered. “More like mutation gone wrong.” He leapt, sliding under a swinging claw, and kicked off the wall to strike the werewolf’s shoulder with a forceful elbow.

The werewolf staggered but recovered quickly, lunging forward with inhuman speed. Derek sidestepped, delivering a rapid series of punches and kicks, each one calculated, precise, testing the limits of the monster’s defenses.

“You’re fast,” the werewolf admitted, snapping its jaws inches from Derek’s face. “But not fast enough!”

With a roar, it grabbed a nearby lamppost, tearing it from the ground like it was paper, and swung it toward Derek. He dodged, rolling across the pavement, then grabbed a metal pipe, slamming it into the creature’s side.

“Persistence is your weakness,” the werewolf hissed, swiping at Derek, leaving deep gashes in the concrete.

“Persistence is my strength,” Derek countered, vaulting off a car, spinning in mid-air, and delivering a kick that sent the werewolf crashing into a dumpster.

“Impressive,” the creature growled, rising with unnatural speed. “But you can’t kill me!”

“I’m not here to kill you… just to stop you,” Derek said, eyes narrowing. He lunged again, feinting a punch and then grabbing the werewolf in a wrestling hold, slamming it into the ground.

The werewolf howled in pain, twisting violently, trying to throw Derek off. “You’re strong… too strong for a human,” it admitted through gritted teeth.

“Not human enough to stop me,” Derek replied, flipping backward to create distance. He surveyed the area, calculating his next moves, using every bit of his environment. Street signs, parked cars, lampposts—all became part of his strategy.

The werewolf charged, teeth bared, claws slashing. Derek sidestepped, using its momentum to flip it over. He grabbed a chain from a nearby fence, wrapping it around the creature’s legs to trip it.

“You’ll pay for this!” the werewolf roared, struggling against the restraint.

“Only if you make a mistake,” Derek said calmly, landing a series of precise strikes to weaken its hold. Each punch, each kick, carefully measured to subdue without killing.

The werewolf snarled, lunging one last time. Derek anticipated, pivoting and slamming it against the wall, finally pinning it with a kick to its chest. “Enough!” he shouted, locking eyes with the glowing amber gaze. “You’ve lost control. It ends here!”

Panting, the werewolf lowered its head, finally subdued. Derek stepped back, breathing heavily, wiping blood from his knuckles. “You could have chosen to use your power for something good,” he muttered. “Instead, you hurt innocent people.”

The creature growled low, almost human-like now. “You… are not like the others,” it admitted. “You… understand…”

Derek shook his head. “I understand enough. Now you’ll be contained before you hurt anyone else.” He pulled out a secure containment device designed for mutants like this one, activating restraints that glowed and locked around the werewolf’s limbs.

The street fell silent, save for Derek’s breathing and the distant echo of the city. He stepped back, watching the moonlight glint off the creature’s amber eyes, now subdued.

“You fight well,” the werewolf whispered, almost respectfully. “Perhaps… we are not enemies…”

“I fight to protect, not to make friends,” Derek said, tucking his pipe away. “But maybe someday you can find redemption… in a safer place.”

As sirens approached, Derek vanished into the shadows, the moonlight guiding him to his next mission. Another threat neutralized, but the war against chaos and evil was far from over.