"Vijay and his four gang members were running in sheer terror from some unseen shadow.
They fled down a filthy, cramped alleyway that remained quite dark despite it being daytime. When they found themselves cornered with nowhere left to run, they stopped, gasping for breath.
Man, I really thought the police weren't looking for us anymore; Pawan said so.
But when that shadow came closer, it was none other than Anil Mahajan, his face set with grim determination."
Anil said in a deep, booming voice: "I have many questions for you, and I only want to hear the truth. Only the truth."
In the underground facility's enhancement chamber, a hall surrounded by numerous computers, mechanical blue light glowed from every surface.
Thomas was testing an iron-bed-like chamber. Pawan was observing the entire setup. He glanced at a screen and noticed one camera was off. Suspicion immediately crossed his mind—how could a camera be malfunctioning in such a massive facility?
Thomas called Pawan over and explained, "Today will be the best day for you. After this MME treatment, you will become far more powerful than you were before."
Pawan cut him off, clearly impatient: "Blah, blah, blah, blah. Don't you ever get tired of talking all day? Whatever this enhancement or treatment is, start it quickly! I need to get to training."
Thomas replied, "The machine is fully operational and ready. Now, we're just waiting for you."
Pawan stripped off his clothes and put on an electromechanical helmet that fitted over his head, with multiple wires dangling from it. Syringes were inserted into his fingertips, and Pawan lay down inside the chamber. His arms were secured.
When the machine started, the sound of a powerful engine filled the air. The status bar read 1 percent.
For a moment, nothing happened. But as soon as the status bar hit 10 percent, Pawan was hit with unbearable pain. The shocks made him scream, but the thick glass walls kept his voice from escaping.
"Pawan, you have to endure this. This process will run for 30 minutes. I know you can do it," Thomas said, trying to encourage him.
Pawan's eye color began to change; his restrained hands struggled violently to break free.
The process suddenly accelerated rapidly. A scientist tried to warn Thomas, but he shouted back that the process could not be stopped now.
In just five minutes, the status hit 99 percent, and then the entire enhancement unit exploded.
Smoke filled the air everywhere. Thomas and the others were coughing heavily. The enhancement hall was completely ruined—a mess of shattered computers and sparking wires covered the ground.
Just then, Pawan burst out of the wreckage of the unit.
His eyes were glowing fiercely. A bright green aura surrounded him completely.
It was still Pawan, but he was undeniably much stronger than the Pawan who had entered the chamber.
Nayak was meditating by the river. The soft sunlight illuminated the sweat on his body, causing it to glisten.
From a distance, a man wearing a heavy coat and a hat observed him.
This man was Anil Mahajan.
He walked up to Nayak and, removing his hat, commented, "You visit this spot daily."
Nayak simply opened his eyes, remaining otherwise still. "Who are you?"
"I'm a cop, and I want to find out why 'The Ring of Fire' and the 'Flame Keeper' organization are pursuing you."
He said this while moving closer.
Still seated, he heard the question and stared at the river, lost in contemplation.
They are very dark memories. I shouldn't bring them back." He said.
Okay, let's ask something else."
"Who is this Rudra?" Anil questioned.
Nayak's eyes shot open. How do you know that name? he demanded.
"The circumstances under which I discovered you were also very dark. Your whole body was covered in cuts, and you had bled profusely. You were passed out, yet even in your unconscious state, you kept shouting a name. That name was Rudra."
"The emotions on your face are clearly those of fury. This suggests Rudra was not someone you held in high regard."
"While screaming his name, you were also repeating, 'Let him go, let him go.' Tell me, who exactly is Rudra?"
That is none of your business." Nayak said.
It is! Anil shouted.
The kind of people my son associate with is absolutely my concern!
Your son! He stunned
The look in Anil's eyes made it clear he hadn't intended to say that. However, he cleared his throat and continued, "Nothing. What I meant to say is that you are a young man of my nation, and I won't allow the youth of my country to be ruined like this. So, now tell me the absolute truth: why are these people looking for you?"
"I can see a lie, and I can hear it, too." Nayak stated.
"I know you're friends with my son, Ayush. And thanks to your courage, he's begun looking up to you—he considers you his role model." Anil said.
"Ayush? Who is that?" Nayak asked
"You don't know my son?" He shocked
Nayak paused to remember, then exclaimed, "Ah! You mean Ayush!"
"Yes, I mean Ayush! Is this kid a scatterbrain or something?" Anil frustrated.
"I am sorry, I'm awful with names, so it slipped my mind. Anyway, how's Ayush doing?"
"I am not here to talk about trivial matters! I demand the answers to my questions."
Gravity was clearly evident in his tone.
Nayak told him his story, which left Anil Mahajan speechless with astonishment. A piercing cold breeze swept through the area. After listening to the whole narrative, Anil could only whisper, "Oh God."
"You have suffered a great deal."
"That's why you want to take revenge on all of them, isn't it?"
"The truth is, after everything I've endured, I no longer have the desire for revenge. I just want to shut down this organization."
"I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of an approaching person.
The person appeared, it was none other than Pawan.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here! Inspector and the 'hero' all in one place.
It looks like both my enemies will be wiped out today."
"And you the hero who are you to think you're some great messiah, forcing people to leave the gang? All of this happened because of you today! I won't spare you!"
Pawan! Please, stop!" You can do better' in life don't do this.
: "Quiet, you cop! I'm not talking to you!
Pawan made a gesture with his hand, and a strong gust of wind swept Anil Mahajan away. He slammed into a tree and was instantly knocked unconscious.
Nayak rushed over to check on him. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Worry about yourself, 'hero'," Pawan said, smirking.
Nayak glared at him, wondering: Where did he get such power?
This power is surging through my veins, and it is utterly overwhelming," Pawan declared. "I am feeling so strong!"
The air around him began to move violently, churning like a tornado. A sudden, fierce gale tore through the remaining structure, destroying the facility, and Pawan punched a massive hole through the wall.
As he departed, he yelled, "I will find him, I will fight him, and I know where he is!"
Pawan, no! Thomas shouted, but he was already gone.
Nayak stood watching Pawan, and it was clear that he had become far more powerful than before. But by how much? There was a gravity in the air around him that unnerved even Nayak.
Just one of Pawan's attacks made it obvious that he now commanded the wind itself.
Pawan increased the air pressure around himself, and a fierce, cyclonic gust of wind burst toward Nayak.
It was so fast that Nayak didn't even realize what had happened; in the next instant, he was thrown several yards away.
The force of the attack was enough to rip through the trees in its path.
Nayak tried to stand up, but Pawan gave him no chance.
Pawan rushed in like a storm and delivered a fierce kick right to Nayak's stomach. The blow sent Nayak flying more than fifty feet into the air. Pawan leaped so quickly that he reached Nayak first while they were still airborne, striking him on the back with both hands.
Nayak cried out and plummeted back down, hitting the ground with a loud crash.
Pawan floated down, as if descending effortlessly. He laughed and said, "Was that all the fight you had? I guess I was expecting too much."
He turned away and, taking a deep breath, said, "It looks like I'll have to go to the facility and fight that Rudra. Let's see how much power he has."
Nayak was unconscious, but the moment he heard the name "Rudra," something happened.
A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky. When Pawan looked back, Nayak was standing up. The aura surrounding him had turned blue, and lightning was circling his body.
Pawan showed no fear. Instead, he became excited and exclaimed, "Now this looks like fun!"
Pawan and Nayak advanced toward each other—lightning on one side, a storm on the other. The instant they both threw a punch, there was an explosion, as if a bomb had detonated.
The blast uprooted all the nearby trees and created a massive cloud of dust. When the dust cloud cleared, Nayak was gone.
Pawan was thrown backward; floating up, he yelled, "Where did he run off to?"
Nayak had taken Anil Mahajan to the other side of the river to ensure he wasn't hurt. Anil was still unconscious.
Pawan continued to yell. Nayak moved toward him and said, "Stop shouting, I'm right here."
Pawan immediately summoned a massive storm, and a dangerous vortex began to spin.
The vortex rushed toward Nayak, but he immediately raised his hand, and lightning began to crackle over his palm.
In an instant, the electricity coalesced into the shape of a Lightning Spear, and Nayak hurled it at the vortex.
The moment the spear impacted, the vortex burst, and a massive blast threw Pawan far away.
Nayak was saturated in electricity. A fierce storm erupted from the blast, and the sky quickly filled with stormy clouds. Lightning began to flash across the heavens. Nayak was enraged.
Pawan started to get up.
Nayak gave a warning: "Pawan, surrender. You can't win against me. Leave this path. I know you can change. Please."
"Shut up, you moronl!" Pawan roared. "I'm not here to listen to a sermon! You're going to lose today, understand, you idiot?"
Nayak took a deep breath. Just like I said, you can't reason with them."
He raised his hand to the sky and commanded the lightning. He declared his move: "Special Move: The Lightning Fall!"
A blinding bolt of electricity emerge and burst forth from the thundering clouds and pummeled Pawan.
When the dust cleared, Nayak was stunned. Pawan was getting back up again.
"You bastard!" Pawan roared.
Pawan was shaking, yet he was still challenging Nayak, his eyes completely red.
Pawan spun the air violently, and the rocks and broken, uprooted trees lying nearby began to fly. Nayak prepared himself for a second attack and launched the Lightning Fall once more.
Just as the attack was about to hit, Pawan collapsed, unconscious.
Just then, Anil Mahajan regained consciousness and witnessed the lightning hit Pawan
Nayak yelled, "Look out!" but Pawan was already gone.
However, the lightning still struck Pawan. Nayak rushed toward him, but Pawan was no longer there.
"You should come with us," a voice called from behind him.
Nayak spun around. The voice belonged to Dante.
"Dante! What are you doing here?" Nayak demanded.
Dante's face was smeared with blood, suggesting he had been in a fight. In one hand, he held a coat; with the other, he was grasping the collar of the unconscious Pawan. He held Pawan as if he were weightless.
"I came to collect Pawan," Dante replied.
Nayak swiftly reached the spot, but Dante had already put a great distance between them.
"I won't let you leave!" Nayak shouted.
"Don't worry about me," Dante said. "You should be worrying about your monster friend."
With that, Dante vanished from the spot. Nayak immediately raced toward the cave.
And anil Mahajan followed him.