Chapter 29: Venomous showdown

The city hummed beneath a dark, clouded sky. Rain slicked the streets, reflecting neon signs that flickered in fragmented rhythm. Derek perched on the edge of a rooftop, hood up, jacket clinging to him from the drizzle. Every muscle tensed. Every sense sharpened. He knew she was close.

“Black Viper,” he muttered, scanning the shadows. “Time to see what you’re really made of.”

A faint hiss echoed from across the rooftops. Derek’s eyes narrowed. There she was—Black Viper, sleek, agile, moving like liquid. Purple and black suit clinging to her form, her snake emblem glinting faintly under the neon lights. Her domino mask reflected the faint glow, concealing her identity, but Derek had learned long ago: masks didn’t hide intent.

“You’re slow,” Derek called out, crouching low. “I thought snakes were supposed to be fast.”

A sharp laugh hissed back. “Careful, Thunder. I bite.”

Derek smirked. “And I’ve got antidotes for all your tricks.”

She leapt, twisting midair, landing lightly on a rooftop across from him. Her blades gleamed. Derek noted the thin, glinting strips on the edges—poisoned, no doubt. He tensed, ready.

“You’re predictable,” Black Viper hissed. “Always jumping into my territory.”

“Predictable? Nah,” Derek replied, flipping forward, landing just outside her striking range. “I just like watching snakes squirm.”

She lunged, whip-like strikes snapping through the air. Derek rolled, barely dodging, feeling the breeze where her poison-laced whip had grazed. He countered with a precise kick, sending her skidding backward. The echo of her landing crackled through the alley below.

“You’re fast,” she spat, wiping a streak of rain from her mask. “But speed won’t save you.”

“I’ve got more than speed,” Derek said, launching himself forward. He feinted left, then struck right. Metal clanged against metal. She hissed, parried, and shot a series of knives at him. He twisted, ducked, and used a grappling hook to swing past her, kicking off a wall for momentum.

“You think that rope trick will help?” she taunted. “I’ve tangled better than that in my sleep.”

“Sleepy snake, maybe,” Derek quipped. “But I’m wide awake.”

The fight moved across rooftops and alleyways, rain making every surface treacherous. Black Viper swung and slithered with uncanny agility. Her whip struck lampposts and walls, sending sparks into the puddles below. Derek blocked, countered, and slid under her blade. Every movement was a calculation. Every breath measured.

“You won’t stop me, Thunder!” she hissed. “I’ve already corrupted half the city’s tech!”

“I’m not here to stop you from playing games,” Derek said, landing a spinning kick that sent her crashing into a fire escape. “I’m here to end the game.”

Her eyes narrowed behind the mask. She disappeared into the shadows, only to reappear atop a water tower. “Clever boy,” she murmured. “You think you can anticipate me?”

“I don’t anticipate,” Derek replied, scaling the side of the building with practiced ease. “I adapt.”

She struck again, this time with a poison-tipped dagger aimed at his shoulder. He twisted just in time, grabbing her wrist midair. They struggled, rain pelting them both, wind howling around the tower.

“You’re strong,” she admitted, voice low. “Too strong.”

“Stronger than snakes, apparently,” Derek said, wrenching the dagger away and tossing it into the night. “But not strong enough to fool me.”

She hissed, snapping a whip behind him, tangling his legs. He tumbled, rolled, and used the momentum to spring back up. She landed gracefully, circling him like a predator. “Why do you even care? You’re just one man!”

“One man?” Derek laughed. “I’m one man with the truth. And truth bites harder than any poison.”

Their fight escalated. She lashed, he dodged. He struck, she countered. Roofs shook, gutters spilled water, and neon lights reflected off their wet forms. Derek used the environment: walls, poles, and even the rain itself to gain leverage. Black Viper tried to lure him into a narrow alley, but Derek anticipated the trap.

“You think you’re clever,” he said, pinning her briefly to a wall, rain dripping down their faces. “But every snake leaves a trail.”

“You’re arrogant,” she spat, kicking him away. “Arrogance will be your downfall.”

“Confidence, Viper,” Derek corrected. “Confidence isn’t arrogance. It’s preparation.”

She vanished into a cloud of smoke she’d thrown, reappearing behind him. “Not bad, Thunder,” she said softly. “But bad enough to kill.”

He turned just in time, narrowly dodging her strike. Using her momentary imbalance, he grabbed her wrist, flipped her, and slammed her into a rooftop AC unit. Sparks flew. She hissed in pain but quickly recovered, whip lashing out. Derek ducked, caught it, and yanked her toward the edge.

“You’ve got nowhere to go,” he said, pinning her. “Give it up, Viper.”

“You think this is over?” she spat, struggling. “I always have a way out!”

“I’ve got more than a way out,” Derek said calmly. “I’ve got everything you’ve stolen. Every file. Every sabotaged program. It’s all accounted for.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “How—?”

“Calculations,” he replied, letting her see the data drive in his hand. “Proof of every crime. And proof of who you really are.”

Black Viper hissed and twisted, trying one last desperate move. Derek anticipated, blocked, and disarmed her completely. He pinned her to the wet rooftop, rain pouring down around them, dripping into her mask.

“You’re done,” Derek said firmly. “All your chaos ends tonight.”

“You… can’t stop me,” she spat, breathing heavily. “There are more of us. Others coming…”

“I don’t care,” Derek said. “One snake at a time. And you? You’re the first.”

He tied her securely, activated a tracker, and called the authorities. “She’s contained. Send the team.”

Black Viper hissed, glaring. “You’ve only delayed the inevitable, Thunder. This isn’t over.”

“I’ll be ready,” Derek said, stepping back. Rain dripped from his hair, jacket heavy against his shoulders. “Always ready.”

As the authorities arrived, Derek disappeared into the night, blending into the shadows once more. The city slept, unaware of the battle just fought above them. He looked down at the restrained Black Viper. “One down,” he whispered. “And the game continues…”

To be continued.