The soft hum of the main computer suddenly ceased, replaced by a jarring silence that filled Varun's office at the top floor of the Rao Corp's massive weaponry and armory building. For a moment, he blinked, as if his senses couldn't quite comprehend the sudden stop in sound. Then, the entire floor beneath him rumbled as alarms blared through the corridors.
Lockdown initiated.
All systems compromised.
The words flashed in bold red letters across the numerous screens in his office. Rao Corp was shutting down—everything was shutting down. Doors began to seal with heavy clunks that resonated throughout the complex. It was like the walls themselves were closing in.
Varun's first thought wasn't for himself. It was for Veena and Kaju.
His mind raced, connecting the dots with brutal efficiency. This wasn't an accident. Kunal. The hard drive repair had been a trap, a way to infiltrate Rao Corp's digital systems. And now, Kunal was trying to take everything down, piece by piece.
A cold wave of panic, unfamiliar and unsettling, washed over him as he thought about Veena and Kaju. They were at the training grounds, far from his office in the fourth building. Kaju had begged to play there just before they'd gone to sleep the night before. The thought of them separated by this lockdown... it drove a sharp wedge of fear through his chest.
"Veena... Kaju..." he whispered under his breath, already calculating his next move. He had to reach them. No matter what.
Varun strode to the edge of his private balcony, the distant training grounds just a speck in the sprawling cluster of buildings that made up Rao Corp. Below him was a dizzying drop, but he didn't hesitate. Not for a second.
With a steely resolve, he leapt into the void, his heart pounding in time with the roaring winds around him. Bypassing the 'Law of Freefall', his descent slowed as if gravity itself bent to his will. He floated down like a ghost, his mind already racing ahead to his destination.
Rao Corp wasn't just a building. It was an empire of steel, technology, and manpower.
The first building, the Private Army Dormitory, housed over 10,000 soldiers. Each room was fully equipped, a home away from home for those who lived to protect Rao Corp. Soldiers were given everything they needed: from recreational facilities to medical care, making the dormitory more of a mini-city than just a residence.
Then there was the Barracks, where the senior officers resided and where the elite training camp was held. Every kind of drill imaginable took place there. High-tech obstacle courses, holographic combat simulations, physical conditioning... It was the beating heart of Varun's army, molding soldiers into warriors.
Next came the Chemical Research and Bullet Manufacturing building. Here, scientists toiled day and night, perfecting everything from bullet designs to smoke grenades. They even worked on non-lethal sprays and high-tech fragmentation grenades, always striving to give Rao Corp the edge in battle.
But the crown jewel of the complex was the Weaponry and Armory, where Varun currently resided. Sprawled across the largest plot of land, it was a state-of-the-art facility that created every imaginable weapon—from high-caliber rifles to experimental armor. On the very top floor was Varun's personal space, overlooking the empire he had built. Below him, the weapons of war were born.
He also had access to private air and sea squads, though those were located elsewhere, out of immediate reach.
But right now, none of that mattered.
Varun's feet touched the ground, and without wasting a moment, he focused on the barracks ahead. The wall stood tall, an obstacle to anyone else, but for Varun, it was nothing. With a cold, focused expression, he extended his power. Bypassing the very atoms of the wall, he slipped through it effortlessly, emerging on the other side as if the barrier had never existed.
Inside, the air was thick with tension. Soldiers and instructors huddled in groups, discussing the sudden lockdown. But Varun's eyes scanned for two people—Veena and Kaju. His heart leapt when he saw them, standing near the training grounds. Veena was crouched next to Kaju, her protective stance softening only when she noticed Varun approaching.
"Varun!" Veena called out, relief flooding her voice. Kaju, still shy and silent, clung to her side.
"They're attacking us, aren't they?" Veena said, her eyes sharp despite the fear she tried to mask.
Varun knelt down, placing a gentle hand on Kaju's shoulder. "I'm here now. Everything will be fine." Kaju looked up at him, his large eyes filled with trust, even if they didn't quite understand the danger.
The tension in the room shifted as the teachers spotted Varun. Their relief was palpable—he was a symbol of strength, and his presence calmed the chaos. As they gathered around, Varun felt his pocket buzz. His advisor's voice crackled through the comms.
"Varun… we've got a major problem. MerryWeather's army—they've launched a full-scale attack on the Weaponry and Armory and the Chemical Factory. We've sustained heavy damage. They came in fast."
Varun's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. He took a slow, deep breath, letting the cold rage simmer beneath his skin. Kunal. This was his move. But Varun didn't let the anger control him. Instead, he became eerily calm.
"I'm on my way," Varun replied, his voice steady, but the weight of his words hung in the air.
He turned to the teachers, his eyes steely and focused. "Go to the dormitory. Recruit every available soldier and get to the chemical factory. You, with the teleportation power," Varun pointed to one of the instructors, "get the weapons teleported to the dormitory. I want every soldier armed immediately."
The instructor nodded, not wasting a second as he turned to carry out Varun's orders.
"You, the one with mind control," Varun said, locking eyes with another teacher. "I want you to take control of MerryWeather's soldiers. One by one. Take them down from the inside—kill them if necessary. Do it quietly."
The man nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Varun then turned to Veena and Kaju, his expression softening ever so slightly. "You two… you're coming with me. I'm getting you to the safest place in the building."
Veena didn't argue, though worry was etched across her face. Together, they made their way back to Varun's room—the most secure place in the compound. As they entered, Varun locked the door behind them, giving them a brief nod of reassurance.
"You'll be safe here," he told them, and though Veena's lips pressed into a thin line, she trusted him. Kaju just nodded, still clinging to her side.
As Varun sat at his desk, preparing to get back in control of the situation, his computer screen suddenly flickered. For a moment, he thought it was part of the system shutdown—until the screen began to glow with eerie precision. Then, to his shock, a voice emanated from the speakers.
"Hello, Varun."
Varun's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly schooled his expression. The voice was unmistakable.
"Kunal," Varun muttered, his tone low and cold. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he knew what this was. This wasn't a simple hack.
Kunal chuckled, his voice smug and taunting. "Impressive, isn't it? This little stunt of yours… trying to protect everything you've built. But you see, you're too late. With my power, Logical Systems, I can get into any electronic system. I control your computer, your weapons, your defenses. Everything you think you own… I own now."
The screen flickered, showing images of MerryWeather's army inside the Weaponry and Armory. Soldiers moved with precision, led by Kunal's forces. The Chemical Factory was in chaos—flames licking the edges of the screen as the factory workers scrambled to defend what little remained.
"You're doomed, Varun," Kunal sneered. "And the best part? You can't do anything about it. My power allows me to manipulate any electronic system. I've already taken over. Your beloved Rao Corp is mine."
Varun sat back in his chair, staring coldly at the screen as Kunal's voice continued to drone on, gloating about his supposed victory.
"I control your systems, Varun," Kunal sneered. "Your entire empire is crumbling right under you. Rao Corp is nothing now. And there's not a single thing you can do to stop me."
Varun's expression remained impassive as Kunal continued his taunts. Then, with a slow, deliberate breath, he spoke, his voice low and dangerous.
"You don't really know me at all."
Suddenly, the roar of engines filled the air, causing Varun's entire office to vibrate. Kunal's smug grin faltered as the sound became louder and closer. He looked around, confusion and fear flickering across his face.
"What… What the hell is that?" Kunal muttered, his bravado cracking.
Varun leaned forward, the cold smile that barely curved his lips sending a chill through Kunal. "You're about to find out."
Through the window, three fighter jets from Varun's private air force appeared, slicing through the sky and coming to an abrupt stop behind Kunal's location with pinpoint precision. The sight of them, fully armed and ready, stunned Kunal into silence.
"No… no way," Kunal stammered, eyes wide with shock. Fear gripped him as the jets loomed closer, their presence menacing. "This—this can't be happening…"
Without a second thought, Kunal pulled his aircraft into a full-speed escape, fleeing the scene in sheer panic. But Varun wasn't about to let him get away so easily.
Varun stood up, his eyes focused and sharp. He stretched out his hand, and with a single thought, bypassed the displacement between his position and Kunal's aircraft. In an instant, Varun was no longer in his room—he was now right behind Kunal's speeding jet, having teleported himself directly into the chase. But in the chaos of the sudden shift, Varun was thrown off balance, tumbling through the air at a dangerous height.
For anyone else, it would have been a death sentence, plummeting from such a height with nothing to break the fall. But Varun wasn't anyone else.
With a flick of his wrist, he calmly bypassed the Law of Freefall, halting his descent and allowing him to walk on air as if it were solid ground. He watched the scene below with cold precision, calculating his next move.
One of his jets approached swiftly, and he could see the pilot eject from the aircraft in a blur of motion. The pilot gave Varun a look—intense, unspoken, but clear in its message: "Kill that motherfucker."
Varun chuckled softly at the gesture, appreciating the loyalty of his soldiers even in moments like this. Without hesitation, he leaped into the approaching jet, seamlessly taking control of the aircraft.
Within a fraction of a second, Varun boosted the jet to its full power, causing a sonic boom to erupt around him as he broke the sound barrier effortlessly. The sky screamed with the force of his speed, and Kunal, in his rapidly fleeing aircraft, could only watch in horror as Varun closed the gap between them with impossible swiftness.
Kunal's face twisted in panic as Varun's jet shot toward him at lightning speed. Desperation filled his voice as he tried to engage his power, Logical Systems, to manipulate the aircraft and fight back. But Varun was already one step ahead.
With a calm yet ruthless focus, Varun bypassed the Law of Current Flow within Kunal's aircraft, rendering his power completely useless. The systems inside Kunal's jet flickered, then died. Everything went dark.
"No… NO!" Kunal's voice cracked with terror as he realized what was happening. His jet, now a powerless shell, began to dip and spin out of control.
Varun, still in his jet, slowed his pursuit, watching with a cold satisfaction as Kunal scrambled inside the failing aircraft. Without any systems to rely on, Kunal's escape was over.
But Varun wasn't done. With icy precision, he popped out of his jet, landing on Kunal's now-spiraling aircraft. He bypassed the structure of the jet's exterior, slipping inside effortlessly. The moment he was in, Varun pulled out a sleek black pistol from his holster.
Kunal turned, his face a mask of terror, knowing his time had come.
"You… you can't!" Kunal stammered, backing up against the cockpit wall. "You won't get away with this!"
Varun's eyes were cold and unwavering as he raised the gun. "I already have."
In a single, deafening shot, Varun pulled the trigger. The bullet struck Kunal cleanly, the force sending his lifeless body collapsing to the floor. Varun stood there for a moment, the silence after the gunshot thick and heavy.
As Kunal's body slumped lifelessly to the floor, the jet, now out of control, began its final descent. Varun turned and walked toward the exit, bypassing the structure once more to step out onto the open sky.
As Kunal's body fell, tumbling through the air below, Varun glanced down one last time at the MerryWeather aircraft spiraling into the abyss.
"Stupid design," Varun muttered to himself, amused by the poor craftsmanship. "Not fast enough either."
He watched with a smirk as the jet finally disappeared below the clouds, and then, with a final bypass, he returned to the ground, the battle won.