Viper's Bite

Chapter 10: Birth of a Superhero

".....That sounds like a wonderful name, ma'am!" The Viper responded in an uneasy tone. "Well, it's been my pleasure, but I'm afraid I must depart for the time being. Have a good night!" With that, the heroine swung away with a plethora of thoughts swimming back and forth in her head. 

She had been so busy lately that she had completely forgot Monday was her birthday. But she had a feeling that Drevis was up to something big, and she feared that the ramifications would be severe if her investigation took even one night off. Thankfully, the timeslot on the voucher wasn't that late---7:00PM to 8:30PM---so she figured she'd still have enough time to get home and change afterward before beginning her rounds. 

Despite this distraction, The Viper was unable to keep her thoughts of the dead sniper from haunting her mind, which ultimately started to make her incredibly fatigued and weary. Knowing she couldn't perform adequately in this condition, and needing to recover from nearly having her identity exposed to her mother, she decided to turn off her watch alerts and head home for the night. 

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The next morning, Herman met Hailey in the Viper's headquarters once again. She hadn't bothered to change into her costume; she had a church event later that day, anyways. 

"So.....did you ever come up with a legitimate name for this place?" Herman asked her curiously. "The 'Fang Sanctum'," Hailey stated clearly. "Sorry if I didn't make that clear last time." 

Herman laughed. "It's okay. So, umm....I have a bit of bad news. I made sure to grab the antidote before arriving here, and I did manage to find fingerprints on the sample tube. However, I seem to have misplaced it." Herman paused for a moment. "....The sample tube, I mean, not the antidote. That's right here," he clarified, raising another tube with a bright pinkish substance contained inside.

"Ha! Don't worry about it!" Hailey replied. "You know why? Because last night, I managed to find one of Drevis's minions and interrogate them about the location of his base. It's inside a secret mountain passage on the interior of the 'Mercury' sign. I'm going to go check it out tonight!" she said excitedly. "I don't think I'll need that antidote yet, though, so make sure you keep it safe until the time is right. You said you misplaced the sample tube, so I'd imagine that's all we have for the time being." 

"Do you need me to do anything for you today?" Herman asked. Hailey thought about it for a moment. "Umm....not that I can think of off the top of my head. I have to collect raffle tickets at my church's carnival today, so I'll be busy." 

"Can I come with you? You sound like you could use some help," Herman suggested. "I'll just stop at my home briefly to drop the antidote back in the safe." "Sounds good!" Hailey replied. "Jaden and Mitchell said they'd also be coming, so all four of us will be there!" 

"It's gonna be a great Sunday!" Herman exclaimed before sharing a high-five with Hailey, who started to walk out.

"Hey, umm....if you don't mind me asking, how did The Viper get her superpowers, anyway?" the boy then asked curiously, before sitting in a booth. 

Hailey turned around again and smiled at him before jumping into the booth as well, directly across from his seat. "I thought you'd never ask! So.....here's how it happened....." 

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-2017 (One Year Earlier)-

In an otherworldly, bubbly, clouded expanse known as Heaven, God, His son Jesus, and the angel Gabriel maintained their unending vigil over planet Earth. 

"My Lord," Gabriel announced solemnly. "It would appear that Duncan has failed the test You have given to him." 

"Indeed, Father," Jesus added. "I sense great anger, frustration, and turmoil within his soul. He has lost his way." He paused for a moment. "It is tragic, to be sure...You look upon the people of this world as if they were Your own children. And yet....they refuse to turn to You." 

"He grows more irritable and hostile as the years pass, Master," the angel observed. "Should You not do something about it?" 

"Calm yourself, my child," God bellowed. "Do you forget that I am omniscient? I know that which has happened, that which is happening, and that which will happen in the future." The deity paused for a moment. "It was never My destiny to defeat him. I shall set another on that path...." 

"Who....?" Gabriel asked curiously.

"Drevis's rampage will not last forever; there is good in him....I know it. A young, brave, valiant heroine shall firmly stand against him; an unflinching beacon against his invading darkness. She is a true Christian to the letter, filled with love, mercy, and compassion. She shall serve as Drevis's adversary on my behalf....and will eventually bring him back to the light," God explained.

Using His immense, unrivaled power, He created a snake out of nothing, with green and black coloration on its scales and a reddish-pink, forked tongue. He then scooped it up in His hand and delivered it to Earth's surface in a beam of heavenly light. 

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On the hill just outside Mercury Heights, Hailey and her friend Jaden were sprawled out on separate blankets, gazing at the stars which were scattered across the night sky. "Hey, that one looks like Ursa Major!" Jaden exclaimed, pointing to a constellation. "And that one looks like Draco!" Hailey followed up, pointing to a different one on the other side of the sky. 

The two were so distracted that they didn't notice God's snake rapidly slithering up to Hailey's blanket. When she wasn't looking, the reptile darted forward and sank its fangs into the back of the girl's hand. Once it had successfully delivered its cargo, it quickly slunk back behind a nearby bush, at which point God recalled it back to Heaven. 

"OW!" Hailey cried, clutching her hand in pain. Jaden quickly ran over. "Hailey, what happened?!" She uncovered her arm to reveal the bite wound she had suffered as a result of the attack. 

"Oh my gosh....don't worry! I'm calling for help right now!" Jaden said as she dialed the emergency hotline. 

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-2018 (Present Day)- 

"Jaden managed to get me to a hospital quickly, at which point my bite wound was successfully treated. However, after a while, I soon discovered that it had done some other things to me. I could run faster, jump higher, and dodge quicker than ever before. I didn't know exactly where these gifts came from, but I wasn't about to waste them doing nothing. So, I trained myself in combat, designed my costume, built some additional gear, and....." 

Hailey swiped her watch button and turned into The Viper. "That's how I became this!" she said happily. 

"Whoa! But.....wait, there's still one thing I don't get. Jaden saw you get bitten by the snake, correct? So how does she not know you're The Viper?" Herman pointed out. 

"She only knows that I got bit and eventually recovered. She has no idea that I gained superpowers from it." the heroine clarified. "To be honest, I don't know how she hasn't connected the dots yet. I got bit by a snake, and my callsign is 'Viper'....you'd think she'd have drawn a connection by now." 

"That's actually very interesting!" Herman exclaimed. "You got bit by a snake, and not only did you live, but you gained superpowers!" 

"Hey, I wasn't expecting it, either. But I saw a need and filled it with what I was given." Hailey swiped her watch again and transformed back to normal. "Now....who's ready to head to the carnival?" 

The boy hopped up and down. "Me! Me!" 

She laughed. "Perfect! Now, come on! We don't want to be late."