Weeks had passed since Panch Shakti's renewed commitment to training. They had fallen into a rhythm – college classes during the day (trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy), grueling practice sessions in the evenings, and constant analysis by Simran and Krishna. They felt stronger, faster, more coordinated. But the shadow of Meteoroid Man loomed large, a silent threat they knew would return.
One morning, Krishna, Rosy, Gunjan, and Mahira headed off to college, leaving Simran behind. She had skipped classes, claiming a migraine, but her real mission was at Krishna's house. With Gauri out teaching for the day, it was the perfect opportunity to install the new, advanced sensor network Simran had designed.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Krishna had asked, pausing at the door.
"Positive," Simran replied, already unpacking delicate components onto the living room table. "This requires precision, not brute force." She gave Rosy a pointed look, who just grinned. "Besides, someone needs to monitor the city while I'm offline. Just keep your comms open."
Simran worked for hours, her super-intelligence allowing her to install the complex array with incredible speed and accuracy. She placed tiny, almost invisible sensors at key points around the house and garden, linking them wirelessly to a central processing unit connected to her laptop. This wasn't just a simple alarm; it was designed to detect Meteoroid Man's specific energy signature from kilometers away, giving them precious warning time.
Finally, she finished. She ran the final diagnostic sequence. All sensors were online, calibrated, and feeding data. "System activated," she murmured, a sense of satisfaction washing over her.
The satisfaction lasted exactly three seconds.
Suddenly, the system shrieked. A loud, blaring alarm filled the room. Red warning lights flashed across Simran's laptop screen. The main sensor, the long-range one, was blaring PROXIMITY ALERT - SIGNATURE CONFIRMED.
Simran's blood ran cold. He wasn't kilometers away. He wasn't even blocks away. The sensor indicated the energy signature was almost on top of them.
Before she could even send a warning message, the front wall of Krishna's house exploded inwards. Concrete, brick, and furniture flew across the room in a devastating wave of force. Simran screamed, diving behind the overturned sofa just as a massive chunk of debris slammed into the spot where she had been standing.
Through the dust and haze, a dark figure stepped into the ruined living room. Meteoroid Man. His glowing green eyes scanned the room, instantly locking onto her hiding place.
"The clever one," his gravelly voice rasped. "You carry the fragment too. Give it back."
Simran knew she couldn't fight him. Not alone. Not without her suit. Her only chance was to stall, to survive until the others arrived. She frantically tapped the emergency alert button on the comm unit clipped to her belt, sending a silent distress signal to her team.
Meteoroid Man took a heavy step towards her, his footsteps crunching on the broken glass. Simran's mind raced. She grabbed a heavy table lamp and hurled it at him. It shattered harmlessly against his rocky chest. He didn't even flinch.
She scrambled backwards, using her quick mind to analyze her surroundings. Wires, broken electronics, spilled water from a vase... an idea sparked. She dodged another piece of thrown debris and grabbed a live wire dangling from the shattered wall, plunging it into a puddle of spilled water just as Meteoroid Man stepped into it.
A massive surge of electricity arced through the water, engulfing his lower body. He roared, a sound of pure agony mixed with rage, green energy flickering erratically from his cracks. The attack hurt him, but it didn't stop him. He ripped the wire from the wall and advanced again, his green eyes burning with fury.
Simran was trapped. He raised his hand, green energy gathering in his palm. This was it.
Suddenly, a blur of saffron-red slammed through the ruined doorway, tackling Meteoroid Man from the side with the force of a truck. It was Judith.
"Get away from her!" Rosy roared, her armored fists already flying.
Pritha landed beside her, her indigo suit already shifting to match the hardness of the broken concrete floor. Rukhsar appeared in the ruined window frame, a silent shadow. And behind them, The Leader stepped calmly through the chaos, his sidearm already drawn.
They had gotten her alert. They had suited up and raced back across the city with cheetah-speed and eagle-flight, arriving in the nick of time.
"Anura, fall back!" Krishna commanded. Simran scrambled away as Judith engaged Meteoroid Man in a brutal close-quarters brawl.
The fight was different this time. They were stronger. They were coordinated. Judith met his strength head-on, her reinforced armor holding against his blows. Pritha used her adaptability, shifting from rubber to absorb his energy blasts to steel to reinforce Judith's defenses. Rukhsar was a constant distraction, shifting forms, appearing from unexpected angles, forcing him to divide his attention. Krishna directed them, calling out warnings, coordinating their attacks, firing precise rubber-bullet shots that targeted Meteoroid Man's glowing eyes, momentarily blinding him.
They were hurting him. They saw cracks forming on his rocky hide that weren't healing as fast as before. They were pushing him back.
But Meteoroid Man was adapting too. His rage seemed to fuel him. He let out another roar of pain and fury as Judith landed a particularly heavy blow to his chest. Green energy pulsed wildly around him.
Then, he did something unexpected. The green energy flared brightly from his back and feet, lifting him off the ground. He hovered for a moment, his green eyes burning down at them. He was flying inside the confined space of the house.
He unleashed a final, devastating energy blast downwards, forcing them all to dive for cover as the floor erupted. Using the chaos, he shot upwards, smashing straight through the ceiling and the roof, a dark rocket disappearing into the sky.
He had run away again.
Panch Shakti slowly picked themselves up from the wreckage of Krishna's living room. They were bruised and battered, but they were alive. Simran had survived. They had driven him off.
"He's learning," Krishna said grimly, looking up at the massive hole in his roof. "He's getting stronger. And now he can fly properly."
Simran wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixed on something glinting amidst the debris near where Meteoroid Man had been hit the hardest. She cautiously approached and picked it up.
It was a small, sharp fragment of the same dark, obsidian-like rock that made up Meteoroid Man's body. It must have broken off during the fight. It felt strangely heavy in her hand, and even though it was detached, she could feel a faint, pulsing green energy within it.
She held up the fragment, her eyes gleaming with scientific curiosity even amidst the destruction.
"Well," Anura said, a grim smile touching her lips. "Looks like the hunter left us a sample."
[To be continued…]
Support me: vanshbosssrahate@oksbi (UPI ID)
Author: Vansh Rahate
Editor: Vansh Rahate
Story by: Vansh Rahate
Under: Alaukika Studios