CHAPTER 4: Baptism by Fire

Amar was screaming.

Not out of excitement, not out of joy, but out of pure, unfiltered terror as he hurtled through the sky, completely out of control.

"OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD—!"

The prototype suit—Project Vajra, as it was labeled—had apparently decided that now was a great time for an impromptu test flight. The problem? Amar had no idea how to fly.

Wind roared past him as the Mumbai skyline blurred below. Skyscrapers, roads, and tiny people all zoomed by as he flailed in midair.

"SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS INCOMPLETE. INITIATING STABILIZATION PROTOCOL," the suit's AI chimed in, far too calm for the situation.

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!" Amar shouted as he spiraled downward.

Suddenly, the thrusters shifted, leveling him out before he could become a very unfortunate addition to Mumbai's traffic. Amar gasped, his heart pounding as he hovered, his body locked in a rigid upright position.

"FLIGHT MODE STABILIZED," the AI reported.

Amar let out a shaky breath. "Okay... okay. That was horrible. But I'm alive. So that's good."

He looked down. Mumbai stretched below him, the vast city looking like something out of a cyberpunk dream. Neon billboards, glistening skyscrapers, and endless traffic. In the distance, the Arabian Sea sparkled under the sun.

Then he remembered something crucial.

Arjun Sharma.

"Oh crap, I just stole India's most advanced prototype suit from the most powerful man in the country!" Amar groaned. "He's going to kill me. Or worse—sue me."

A beeping noise interrupted his panic.

"INCOMING PROJECTILE DETECTED."

Amar's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, WHAT?!"

A streak of light shot up from Sharma Industries' tower. Something fast. Something dangerous.

Something aiming right for him.

12:00 PM – High-Speed Pursuit

"MISSILE LOCK CONFIRMED. EVASIVE MANEUVERS RECOMMENDED."

Amar flailed. "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EVADE!"

The missile was closing in. Fast. He could already see the flames trailing behind it.

"Okay, okay, think! How do superheroes escape these things?" Amar squinted. "Oh right! They do flips and barrel rolls!"

Before he could second-guess himself, he twisted his arms. The suit obeyed, flipping him sideways just in time for the missile to barely graze past.

"HA! TAKE THAT, SCIENCE!" he cheered—before immediately realizing that the missile had simply turned around.

"TARGET STILL LOCKED. RECOMMENDING COUNTERMEASURES."

"Yes! Do that! Do countermeasure things!"

A sharp hiss. Small projectiles shot out from the suit's back, detonating in midair. The explosion sent Amar tumbling, but the missile was gone.

For now.

"Okay," Amar panted. "I'm not dead. That's a good start."

Then his earpiece crackled to life.

"AMAR KHURANA, LAND IMMEDIATELY."

It was Arjun.

His voice was cold, controlled, and furious.

Amar swallowed. "Uh, listen, Mr. Sharma—"

"LAND. NOW. OR I WILL BRING YOU DOWN."

Amar hesitated. Then, in a moment of pure survival instinct, he did the most Amar thing possible.

He cut the transmission and bolted.

12:05 PM – The Escape Plan (That Wasn't a Plan)

Amar had no clue where he was going. The suit was flying on pure adrenaline and nonsense decisions. He needed to think, to figure out what was happening, why he had a doppelgänger, and why he was caught up in something way bigger than himself.

But first? He needed to not die.

A red alert flashed on his HUD.

"MULTIPLE HOSTILES DETECTED."

Amar glanced back.

Oh.

Oh, that was bad.

A squad of drones, sleek and deadly, had launched from Sharma Industries. They moved like birds of prey, closing in fast.

Amar groaned. "I just wanted to survive the day! Is that too much to ask?!"

The drones opened fire.

Lasers zipped past, cutting through the air. Amar weaved, barely dodging, his flight path jerky and wild.

Then, suddenly—

The suit locked up.

"WARNING: REMOTE ACCESS OVERRIDE INITIATED."

Amar's stomach dropped. "Wait, what? No, no, no—!"

His thrusters cut out.

He plummeted.

"OH, COME ON!"

The last thing he saw before everything went black was the ocean rushing up to meet him.

Then—darkness.

12:30 PM – Unknown Location

Amar groaned.

He was lying on something hard. Cold metal. His body ached. His head was spinning.

Where was he?

He forced his eyes open.

Dim lights. Concrete walls. A massive metal door. The sound of distant machinery.

Not good.

He tried to move. His arms were restrained.

Definitely not good.

Then, footsteps.

A shadowy figure stepped forward.

"Welcome back, Mr. Khurana," a voice said smoothly. "We've been expecting you."

Amar groaned. "Yeah? Well, I wasn't expecting this."

The figure chuckled. "Don't worry. We have a lot to discuss."

A light flickered on, revealing the person standing before him.

It wasn't Arjun Sharma.

It was his doppelgänger.

And he was smiling.

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To be continue