2nd Gen Pandavas

व: The Fourth Rank - Part 6

CHAPTER 24:

Is this a Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare?

ABHA

"...Well that was random," said Priya.

"Give her a break, Priya," said Ghata. "Her whole world just came crashing down just like ours. We all freaked out just as much as she did."

As sudden as Violet may have run out of here, none of us could really blame her. When we only thought our reality had changed, the first thing we did was panic. Priya broke down in tears, Ghata's amnesia seemed to have worsened, and I don't even know what went on in Suru's head besides all of that rage. The only reason I was able to keep a level head was because I was so focused on what to do next. Find my cousins. Figure out what happened. Try to find a way back. Planning was my best tool for keeping calm in a bad situation. And now it looks like someone else needs it as much as I did.

"Justified or not," I said. "We'd better make a plan and fast. I've gotta go and catch up with her before she does something rash."

"Ok, then," said Priya. "The usual? Swarm the HQ, find the bad guy, and-"

"Kick his dwarf-looking a-?" said Suru.

"Dude, seriously, where'd you even get those words?"

"Your Discord server."

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY OFF OF THAT! DO YOU WANT MOM TO KILL ME?!?"

"But that's where my Minecraft and Roblox buddies are!"

"Your 'buddies' couldn't carry a team if it shot them in the-"

"No, we're not swarming him," I said. "V-man isn't like न. He's craftier and better at playing with people. I bet he's expecting us to just show up and bust heads."

"So what do we do, make an appointment?" said Priya.

That wasn't a bad idea actually. व's whole schtick is being a wealthy, successful businessman so it would help us get in close by playing along. That is what we did with न, who was basically an MMA addict. But if we can't go as a group...

"Actually, yeah," I said. "We're gonna send a representative to talk to him. And I know just the negotiator,"

I looked over at our gothic cousin.

"ME?!?" Ghata panicked. "I can't-"

"Yes, you can," I said. "You're the only one of the five of us that can face व directly,"

"But why-" she started.

"Priya and Suru can't negotiate with him," I explained. "Suru's too timid and Priya's idea of negotiating is introducing them to a bullet point-blank,"

"Ok, shade-thrower," said Priya. "What about you?"

"Like I said, I have to go after Valerie," I said. "We're the only ones with access to V-man Tower and if we keep the mind link open, I can send you the knowledge and you can all figure a way in there,"

"That place is gonna be huge!" said Priya. "If it's anything like न's castle, no amount of surveillance is gonna get us through!"

"Not if it's a single point," I said. "What have we all got to work with?"

"A small brat with a mirror and a bigger brat with a skull theme," said Priya.

"My new friend," said Suru, smiling a little.

"Ganpati-deva if I'm lucky," said Ghata. "Otherwise, I'm on my own."

"And that's why you'll be best," I said. "If a whole group approaches व, he'll be on guard. Meanwhile, if we can at least get Ghata to meet him alone, she can either talk to him or distract him long enough for us to free Maya and stop the illusion,"