Chapter 40:race against the bombs (V)

The city was a battlefield. Smoke curled in jagged plumes, sirens blaring from every corner. Streets that had once been bustling were now littered with burning vehicles and shattered glass. The explosions from yesterday were only the beginning. Derek limped through the chaos, his leather jacket still tattered from the previous day’s devastation. His wounds throbbed, but he moved with precision, scanning the streets.

“They’ve upgraded,” Derek muttered, voice low, eyes narrowing at the sight ahead. Hundreds of AI-controlled military drones hovered over the skyline, their sensors glowing red. Each bot carried small but powerful payloads, capable of tearing through concrete, steel, and human flesh. Red Rose had gone further than ever.

A voice crackled over his earpiece. “Derek… behind you!”

He spun just in time to see a streak of purple racing toward him. Lady Venom landed gracefully, the scales of her suit glinting in the firelight, long hair whipping around her face. “I told you I’d help,” she said, voice firm, but her eyes betrayed urgency. “And we don’t have a lot of time.”

Derek nodded, adjusting his stance. “Explain later. Let’s stop these bots first.”

Together, they darted across the street, ducking behind overturned cars as the drones unleashed a barrage of laser strikes. “These things think faster than human soldiers,” Lady Venom muttered, kicking one bot off balance. Sparks flew as it crashed into a lamppost.

“Then we’ll be faster,” Derek said, diving toward another drone. Using his martial arts training, he smashed the controls with a well-placed kick, sending it spinning into a storefront.

They moved in tandem, silent communication through glances and gestures. Lady Venom vaulted over debris, spinning midair to disable a bot with a precise strike. Derek launched himself onto another, grabbing its circuitry and twisting until it sparked violently.

“Why are you helping me?” Derek finally asked, ducking a laser beam.

She glanced at him but didn’t answer immediately. “Later,” she said, voice clipped, eyes focused. “Right now… just keep moving.”

Red Rose’s presence was felt before it was seen. A shadowy figure observed the chaos from a tall building. “Derek Thunder,” he said through a speaker system mounted on the drones. “You think yesterday’s tragedy was the end? My city will burn, and there’s nothing you or your little ally can do.”

Derek’s jaw tightened. “We’ll see about that.”

The drones began to concentrate their attacks on a bridge that connected two parts of the city. Derek and Lady Venom exchanged a look. “If that bridge goes…” she muttered.

“We can’t let that happen,” Derek said. “Cover me. I’ll plant an EMP device to shut down the bots.”

Lady Venom nodded, moving like a shadow across the street to intercept drones. “Go,” she said.

Derek sprinted toward the bridge, every step calculated, dodging falling debris and the drones’ relentless attacks. “Just a little closer,” he whispered to himself. He vaulted onto a railing, kicking off with explosive force to land on the bridge itself. Pulling a compact EMP generator from his jacket, he positioned it near a cluster of drones.

A drone detected him and fired. Sparks exploded near his head, sending him rolling across the concrete. Gritting his teeth, he activated the EMP. A high-pitched hum filled the air, and one by one, the drones twitched and fell, sparks flying as their systems shut down.

Lady Venom joined him, breathing heavily. “Nice work,” she said, glancing at the smoking corpses of the drones. “But this is only the beginning. He has more.”

Derek clenched his fists. “Then we keep going. I’m not letting him destroy everything.”

They moved through the streets together, clearing drones and helping civilians where they could. The destruction was immense, but they adapted, working as a team, complementing each other’s skills. Derek’s strategy, combined with Lady Venom’s agility and precision, allowed them to slowly gain ground against Red Rose’s AI army.

At one point, a massive drone dropped from a rooftop, its size dwarfing the others. Derek jumped aside, pulling Lady Venom with him. “That one’s different,” she said, scanning its weaponry.

“We handle it together,” Derek replied, voice steady. “On three. One… two… three!”

They attacked simultaneously. Lady Venom scaled the drone’s side, slicing into its circuitry while Derek used a metal rod to smash its main control panel. The drone flailed violently, sparks flying, before it collapsed into a burning heap.

They paused briefly, catching their breath amidst the chaos. “You’re fast,” Derek said, wiping sweat from his brow.

“You’re not bad yourself,” she replied, smirking. “But we can’t slow down. He’s still out there, and I can feel it—he’s watching.”

Derek nodded, eyes scanning the horizon. Fires burned everywhere, civilians evacuated where possible. Red Rose’s signature strategic mind was evident; every move they made, he anticipated and countered. But Derek and Lady Venom were relentless, driven by the stakes.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from a nearby building. “Lady Venom… Cold Genius…”

Lady Venom tensed. “I didn’t call for him,” she muttered.

The voice continued, more insistent. “I can explain! You need to trust me!”

Derek’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s talking?”

A figure emerged from the shadows, not a villain but a frightened engineer who had been forced to assist Red Rose. “I didn’t want this,” he said quickly, glancing between them. “He’s controlling everything—the AI bots, the explosives… it’s not too late to stop him, but you need to act fast!”

Lady Venom glanced at Derek. “See? I told you there’s a reason I’m helping you.”

Derek’s jaw tightened. “Then let’s move. Show me what he’s planning.”

The engineer led them to a control hub hidden in a collapsed skyscraper. Screens displayed the AI bots’ positions, their targets highlighted in red. Derek’s eyes scanned the layout. Hundreds of civilians were still in danger, their paths marked for destruction.

“We shut this down, now,” Derek said, voice firm.

Lady Venom placed a hand on his shoulder. “Together.”

They moved with precision, disabling bots and rerouting controls, narrowly avoiding automated traps. Sparks flew from misfired lasers, explosions rocked the building, but they pressed forward, coordinating their attacks.

Finally, Derek reached the main terminal. “This ends now,” he said, fingers flying across the keyboard, bypassing Red Rose’s AI command protocols. One by one, the bots powered down, falling silent. The threat to the city diminished, at least temporarily.

Lady Venom exhaled, wiping soot from her face. “You did it,” she said softly. “For now. But he’s not finished.”

Derek nodded, eyes hard. “I know. But at least today, we saved lives.”

She looked at him, a small, almost hesitant smile crossing her face. “I’ll tell you why I’m helping you… later,” she said, voice quiet but filled with meaning.

He gave her a brief nod, understanding enough for now. The city was battered, the smoke still rising, but the immediate threat had passed.

And somewhere in the shadows, Red Rose watched, his hands clenched. His plans were disrupted, but the war was far from over.