Next Day – Morning Outside College Gates
Shristi walked briskly toward the college, her bag slung loosely over her shoulder. The sun was harsh, but her mind was elsewhere — clouded with the events of the past days.
Out of nowhere, a loud screech of tires shattered the morning calm. A boy on a speeding bike zipped past her, laughing cruelly as he flung a bucketful of filthy water straight at her.
Shristi gasped, stumbling back as the cold water drenched her completely — her clothes clinging to her uncomfortably. Laughter echoed from nearby as the boy sped away without a trace.
Annu, who had been a few steps behind, rushed to her side, furious and worried.
"Come on, Shristi," Annu said, wrapping a comforting arm around her. "Let's get you to the hostel."
Shristi said nothing, her jaw tight, her pride wounded far deeper than her soaked skin.
---
Meanwhile – Shield Headquarters
Wick stood against the wall, arms crossed, eyes burning with a silent storm as he received the news.
Without a word, he turned to Annu.
"Tell her to change quickly. Then bring her to me."
Minutes later, Shristi — still shaken but now dry and dressed — found Wick waiting for her on his bike. Without asking a single question, she climbed on behind him, clutching the back of his jacket tightly.
There was a silent promise in Wick's posture: I'll fix this.
---
Scene Shift – Another College Campus
The roar of Wick's bike shattered the tense calm of the rival college as he sped in. Students turned their heads, whispering nervously.
Wick didn't slow down. He parked roughly at the entrance, threw off his helmet, and stormed inside. His voice echoed like a gunshot through the halls.
"Jimmy!" Wick roared. "Where the fuck are you hiding, motherfucker?! Come out!"
He didn't wait for a reply. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, fury radiating off him like heat.
By the time he reached the upper floor, Dipanshu and Deep had arrived too, moving silently but purposefully behind him.
Jimmy barely had time to react before Wick's fist smashed into his jaw, sending him crashing against the lockers.
The students gasped and scattered. Blood dripped from Jimmy's mouth as Wick grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall again and again.
Jimmy whimpered, offering no resistance.
"You think you could humiliate my people and get away with it?" Wick hissed, punching him square in the gut. Jimmy doubled over, coughing violently.
Dipanshu and Deep stayed back, knowing better than to intervene when Wick was like this.
---
Later – Meeting Room, The Shield Headquarters
The room buzzed with tension. Every key member of The Shield was present — Roy, Priyanshu, Nick, Deep, Dev, Dipanshu, Vaibhav — all waiting for answers.
Vaibhav stood up first, recounting everything he had uncovered — about Yuja's deception, Vivek and Rahul's betrayal, and the trap they had set for the Shield.
When he finished, the room fell into a heavy silence.
Wick leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, his voice low and grim.
"So they double-crossed us, huh?" His lips curled into a cold smirk. "Exactly as I planned."
Priyanshu frowned, crossing his arms.
"What plan?"
Wick's gaze swept across the room, sharp and calculating.
"Shristi was never the traitor. Yuja was. And Vivek and Rahul... they were the ones orchestrating everything from the shadows."
Priyanshu scoffed, skeptical.
"You're saying that just to protect her."
Before Wick could answer, Roy spoke up, his voice calm but firm.
"No, Priyanshu. Wick's telling the truth. Roy, Dev, Deep, Dipanshu, and I — we knew. We planned for this."
He nodded toward Wick with a rare look of approval.
"Actually, most of the credit goes to him. It was his idea to use misinformation — to bait them."
Nick leaned forward, smiling thinly.
"Just as expected. Vivek was always ambitious. And Rahul... he was too quiet lately."
Wick cracked his knuckles. His voice was low but carried across the room like a command.
"So... when's the date of the fight?"
Vaibhav, still recovering from his ordeal, didn't hesitate.
"Tomorrow. They're planning a full strike."
Wick's eyes glinted dangerously.
"Are you sure?"
Vaibhav nodded firmly.
"One hundred percent. They think we're broken."
Wick stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His presence filled the room like a rising storm.
"Good," he said. "Gather every Shield member. Prepare them for war."
He looked around at each of them — Roy, Nick, Deep, Dev, Dipanshu, Vaibhav — his voice cold, certain, unstoppable.
"Tomorrow, we show them what happens when you try to break The Shield."
The room erupted in determination. The final battle was coming.
And this time — Wick would make sure no one was left standing.
---
To be continued...