Zioles' Secret Mission

Chapter 17: Final Test

Zioles took a deep breath, his body still humming from the adrenaline of the fight. Cobra lay defeated on the ground, barely moving, but Zioles knew there was no time to rest. The tension in the air was palpable—he could feel the eyes on him, watching from somewhere in the shadows.

The eerie silence was broken by the slow, deliberate clank of footsteps descending from above. Zioles turned his gaze upward and saw a figure emerge from the stairwell. Viper. His presence was as cold and calculating as the name suggested. Leaning casually against a metal bar, Viper surveyed the scene with a smirk, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“So, you’ve taken down Ironclad and Cobra,” Viper drawled, his voice smooth and taunting. “I’m impressed, Zioles. You’re stronger than Leon gave you credit for.”

Zioles squared his shoulders, trying to gauge the new threat. Viper’s calm demeanor was unnerving, as if he wasn’t the least bit concerned about what had happened to his comrades.

“What do you want, Viper?” Zioles asked, his voice steady despite the tension in his muscles.

Viper chuckled, twirling the metal bar in his hand like a toy. “I’m the last one standing between you and Leon. But I’m in no rush to fight. I prefer to watch… and wait.”

Zioles narrowed his eyes, unsure of what Viper was planning. But before he could react, there was a movement behind him. He spun around just in time to see Cobra struggling to his feet, his eyes wild and unfocused. Zioles’s heart sank as he realized what was happening—Cobra had taken the drug, The Pit.

Viper’s laughter echoed through the room, filling the air with a sinister edge. “Ah, this is what I’ve been waiting for! The Pit drug—it’s a game changer. Cobra’s not done yet, and you, my friend, get to experience the real power of a Pit fighter.”

Cobra’s body convulsed as the drug took hold, his veins bulging, and a dark aura enveloped him. The once-fluid and graceful fighter now moved with a ferocity and speed that was almost inhuman. His eyes glowed with a dangerous light, and the madness of the drug-fueled him into a frenzy.

Zioles braced himself as Cobra lunged at him, faster and stronger than before. The force of the attack sent Zioles skidding across the ground, his body screaming in protest. Cobra’s movements were wild, unpredictable, and fueled by the dark power of The Pit. Each strike was more powerful than the last, and Zioles found himself struggling just to keep up.

Viper leaned against the railing, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “You’re in for a treat, Zioles. Let’s see how you handle this!”

Cobra swung at Zioles with a vicious kick, and Zioles barely managed to block it, the impact sending a shockwave through his arm. Cobra’s enhanced strength was overwhelming, and every blow landed with bone-crushing force. Zioles tried to counter, aiming a strike at Cobra’s midsection, but Cobra shrugged it off as if it were nothing, retaliating with a brutal elbow to Zioles’s ribs.

The pain was blinding, but Zioles refused to back down. He had faced impossible odds before and come out on top, and he wasn’t about to let Cobra—or Viper—win. He forced himself to stay calm, searching for any opening, any weakness in Cobra’s frenzied attacks.

Cobra charged again, but this time, Zioles was ready. He dodged to the side at the last second, grabbing Cobra’s arm and using his momentum against him, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him to the ground. The impact stunned Cobra for a moment, but it wasn’t enough. Cobra roared in anger, the drug pushing him beyond the limits of normal human endurance. He was back on his feet in an instant, more enraged than ever.

Viper watched the fight unfold with a sadistic smile, relishing every moment of Zioles’s struggle. “Come on, Cobra! Don’t let him get the upper hand!”