What happened?

The Storm Before the Battle

The night air was heavy with moisture as the first raindrops began to fall.

Later that night, Bhumi sat alone in the garden, her tears falling freely.

"I never expected this," she whispered.

A voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

She looked up to see Vaibhav.

"Where is he now?" he asked.

Bhumi shook her head. "No one knows... and he didn't even think about me before leaving."

Vaibhav sighed. "I trust him too. But we need proof."

Before they could say more, a group of men approached them.

One sneered. "Looks like someone had a breakup."

Another laughed. "Or maybe she's hiding her face because of her brother's crimes."

Vaibhav stepped in front of Bhumi. "Touch her, and you'll regret it."

A man lunged toward Bhumi. Vaibhav struck first, headbutting him and following up with a powerful punch.

From a distance, Kritika saw the fight and ran toward Nick.

"Nick! Bhumi's in danger! Vaibhav is fighting alone!"

Nick's face hardened. "That's none of my concern."

Kritika stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?!"

Nick turned away. "He's not my friend anymore."

Kritika clenched her fists. "Then I'll find someone who actually gives a damn."

"That's all you've got, huh?" Vaibhav spat, his voice laced with exhaustion.

One of the gang members, a tall boy with a smug grin, stepped forward. "Are you serious, kid? You can barely stand." His eyes glinted with amusement as he cracked his knuckles. "And there are still eleven of us."

Before Vaibhav could react, another opponent rushed from behind and grabbed him in a tight hold.

"Now it's over," sneered the leader. Without hesitation, the group began pummeling Vaibhav's stomach. He clenched his jaw, refusing to give them the satisfaction of a scream.

"You're just a newbie," one of them taunted. "You really thought you could take us?"

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the alley. One of the attackers collapsed to the ground, unmoving. The rest froze, eyes widening in alarm.

"Is that... Wick?" Shristi murmured as she and Annu arrived at the scene.

Annu's eyes narrowed, scanning the figure stepping forward. "No... that's Nick."

Before anyone could react, Nick launched into the fight. With a single punch, he sent two more crashing to the ground. The remaining gang members hesitated, the fear in their eyes growing. Shristi and Annu wasted no time, rushing toward the girls and engaging them in their own fight.

Realizing they were losing ground, one of the gang members shouted into his phone, calling for backup. Within minutes, thirteen more arrived, armed and ready.

Nick's lips curled into a smirk. "More of you? Good. I was just getting warmed up."

He charged. Kicks, punches, headbutts-each movement was precise, each attack devastating. Within minutes, five more lay groaning in the mud.

Just as the battle seemed to escalate, the attackers' phones began ringing simultaneously. One of them hesitantly answered.

A voice, weak and pained, rasped through the speaker. "Retreat! Get back immediately, you idiots!"

The entire gang froze before scrambling to flee without another word.

Vaibhav, still catching his breath, scowled. "Cowards! Get back here!"

Bhumi, stepping forward, placed a hand on his shoulder. "You should look at yourself first," she said gently.

Nick turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Bhumi, instead of scolding him, you should appreciate him. Despite knowing he would lose, he still stood his ground to protect you."

Bhumi hesitated before sighing. "You're right. Thank you, Vaibhav."

Kritika crossed her arms, smirking at Nick. "You claimed this didn't matter to you. So why did you come?"

Nick's eyes darkened. "I said it doesn't matter to the gang. But it matters to me." His voice lowered. "Wick and I may no longer be brothers, but that doesn't mean Bhumi isn't still my sister."

Bhumi's expression softened, then hardened again. "It's shameful that despite your issues with Wick, you still showed up to protect me, while my real brother was nowhere to be seen."

Annu interjected, "You're wrong. He is protecting you."

Bhumi scoffed. "What nonsense?"

Annu turned to the girls they had fought. "Tell her why you ran."

One of them, still shaken, hesitated before answering. "We were ordered to come here by our leader. But we were warned-if Wick or Dipanshu showed up, we were to immediately call for backup."

Nick's gaze sharpened. "Then why did you run away?"

Another girl swallowed hard. "Because your leader... Wick... is at our leader's house right now. He threatened him. We had no choice but to leave."

Bhumi's eyes widened. "I never said he was hiding from a fight. Just from this situation."

Before anyone could respond, Vaibhav stiffened. "There are more people coming. Looks like they're with them."

A group of thirty-five men, wielding chains, bats, and rods, approached with deliberate steps.

Nick exhaled sharply. "So that's why you ran-to bring reinforcements." He rolled his shoulders. "Fine. Come at me. I was just getting started."

Before the fight could begin, a voice called out.

"Wait! We're not here to fight you, Aryan!"

A young man stepped forward.

"I'm Barik," he introduced himself, his tone respectful. "Wick sent us here. I apologize for being late." His eyes flickered toward Bhumi. "Sister Bhumi, please forgive us. And... please don't tell Wick we showed up."

Bhumi clenched her fists. "You idiots!"

Annu let out a breath. "Now I can say he really is protecting you."

Shristi nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I have to admit, I misjudged him."

Nick turned away. "We don't need your help. Leave."

Barik bowed slightly. "Alright. But be careful, Aryan. You're the leader now. That means you'll be targeted."

Nick didn't respond. He simply turned toward the hostel, leading the others away.

---

In another scene...

---

Dipanshu, Deep, and Dev walked down the dimly lit street, the weight of recent events pressing on them. The air was thick with tension, their conversation low but sharp.

"Our group has become such a mess," Dev muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

Dipanshu scoffed. "Yeah, but let's be real-I don't think Wick did anything. It's Khusi playing the victim card again. And have you noticed? She's trying to get closer to Nick, too."

Dev exhaled sharply. "She's messing with the wrong person. Annu won't let that slide."

Deep, who had been silent, finally spoke. His voice was thoughtful, almost hesitant. "But why? Why would she do this?"

Before anyone could answer, the distant hum of engines cut through the night air.

Their steps slowed.

A group of bikers emerged from the shadows, engines revving, their headlights casting eerie glows across the pavement. The three instinctively took a step back, muscles tensing.

The bikers didn't hesitate. They charged.

"Tch," Dipanshu clicked his tongue, rolling his shoulders as he assessed their numbers. "Now you idiots think you can take us down?"

Dev smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Are you serious? Beating a Shield elite member is no joke."

Deep's gaze flicked across the gang. "Fourteen of them. Looks like they brought friends."

Dipanshu's lips curled into a confident grin. "Then let's give them a proper welcome."

Without another word, he launched forward. His first punch sent one attacker crashing into the ground. He spun, dodging a wild swing before landing a brutal elbow to another's jaw. Within seconds, five of them were down.

Dev and Deep weren't far behind. Dev moved like a shadow, precise and ruthless, his kicks and punches breaking through defenses with ease. Deep, usually the quietest, fought with controlled fury, taking down opponent after opponent.

The remaining gang members hesitated, their confidence wavering.

Then-panic.

They turned on their heels, scrambling onto their bikes, engines roaring as they fled into the night.

Dipanshu dusted off his hands, watching them retreat with an unimpressed expression. "Pathetic."

Dev exhaled, adjusting his jacket. "They should've known better."

Deep smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Guess they do now."

The three exchanged glances before continuing their walk, unshaken. The night was far from over, but one thing was clear-no one challenged the Shield and walked away unscathed.

---

A Reckoning Unfolds

The next morning, the Shield held an emergency meeting.

Nick's voice was sharp. "What exactly happened?"

Dev, still bruised, replied, "We were ambushed. There were about thirteen of them."

Vyshank spoke next. "We were too."

Vishal nodded. "Every single one of us was attacked. No one was seriously hurt, but we're all exhausted."

Vivek frowned. "Strange. It seems like everyone in the Shield was targeted-except you, Nick."

Nick's brows furrowed. "That's true. But why? As leader, I should've been the first target."

The door burst open.

Karan entered. "Forget the meeting. Come with me."

Nick narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Karan's expression was unreadable. "Just come."

He led them to a garden near the college.

The sight before them left everyone speechless.

People were tied to trees, their bodies bruised and battered.

Vivek stepped forward, yanking a cloth from one of their mouths. "Who did this?"

One of the captives groaned, "Someone from your group... we don't know his name."

Another gasped, "He called himself The Ghost."

"No," another whispered in fear. "He called himself The Killer."

Vivek's jaw clenched, jealousy flaring in his eyes. "Enough! Who do you work for?"

The captive hesitated before answering. "Someone hired us to attack the Shield."

Nick's expression hardened. "So I wasn't attacked because I'm the leader?"

The man nodded weakly. "Thirty of us did attack you. But before we reached you, he found us." His voice trembled. "He... Wick... destroyed us. Please, just let us go!"

Vivek exhaled sharply. "Untie them. Release them."

As they did, Dipanshu muttered, "He's something else. But how did he stop all this with a single phone call?"

One of the attackers answered. "He went straight to my boss's house. He warned him."

Nick's voice was quiet but firm. "Leave. And don't ever come back."

Dev sighed. "Let's go. We have a party tonight. Who knows when we'll get another chance? The tournament is near."

Nick didn't move. "I'm not in the mood. You guys enjoy."

Dipanshu placed a hand on his shoulder. "We all know the truth, Nick. He didn't betray us. But even if we asked him to come back, he wouldn't."

Nick closed his eyes. "I know."

To be continued...