The abandoned warehouse stood silent beneath the storm.
Rain slammed against broken windows while thunder rolled through the empty industrial area outside. Water dripped from rusted pipes overhead, echoing softly through the massive space.
The mission was over.
But none of them looked untouched by it.
Four black masks rested carelessly over the metal table.
Weapons scattered nearby.
Blood stains across the floor.
Half-open medical kits.
And for the first time since entering the V stadium.
They were quiet.
Not because they were tired.
Because tonight stayed in their heads.
Krish threw himself dramatically onto the couch with a loud groan.
"I hate missions."
Shiva looked at him in disbelief.
"You were smiling while beating people."
"That was adrenaline."
Dev quietly cleaned blood off his knuckles.
"You threw someone through a steel door."
Krish pointed instantly.
"See? Nobody appreciates talent here."
For the first time that night, the corner of Ram's lips almost moved.
Almost.
Then Shiva suddenly noticed something near Ram's wrist.
A black band.
Thin.
Sharp metal hidden inside it.
Sia's blade band.
Shiva's eyes narrowed slowly.
Then a grin appeared.
"What's that?"
Krish looked over lazily.
And immediately sat straight.
"NO."
He pointed dramatically toward Ram.
"Brother kept the hairband too? It's over for our leader."
Ram didn't even bother looking up while wrapping bandages around his arm.
"It's evidence."
Krish laughed loudly.
"Right. And I'm a therapist."
Even Dev looked away for a second hiding amusement.
Shiva folded his arms.
"One mission and this man started collecting souvenirs."
Ram calmly tied the bandage tighter around the blade wound on his bicep.
Then without even looking toward Krish, he spoke.
"Still better than threatening to burn an entire stadium."
Complete silence.
Krish froze.
Shiva blinked once.
"What?"
Dev slowly looked up too.
Krish stared at Ram like betrayal had personally punched him.
"You said you wouldn't repeat that."
Ram finally looked toward him.
And there it was.
That faint almost invisible smirk.
"You were loud."
Shiva burst out laughing instantly.
"WAIT YOU ACTUALLY SAID THAT?"
Krish pointed aggressively toward Ram.
"I was in the moment."
Ram answered immediately,
"You looked one second away from starting a war."
Dev quietly added,
"A very unnecessary war."
Krish looked offended beyond words.
"She was bleeding."
The words came out faster this time.
Sharper.
And suddenly the joking atmosphere weakened.
Because this time…
Krish wasn't joking.
The storm outside grew louder.
Rain crashing harder against the broken windows.
Krish leaned back slowly, eyes fixed somewhere far away.
His fingers tightened around the broken silver chain in his hand.
Radhika's chain.
"I just…"
For the first time that night…
his voice sounded tired.
"I couldn't stand there and watch that again."
Silence filled the warehouse.
Nobody interrupted him.
Ram's expression changed slightly.
Because he knew exactly what Krish meant.
The past.
The one thing neither of them talked about anymore.
Krish laughed softly after a few seconds.
But there was no humor in it.
"The first time I stood there and couldn't save .."
Krish couldn't complete that sentence, like if he will complete he will lose all the control he had.
Even Shiva stopped smiling now.
Krish looked down at the chain again before muttering quietly,
"This time I did."
The words settled heavily between them.
Then Shiva ruined the emotional atmosphere immediately.
"Still doesn't explain why you nearly killed the entire floor."
Krish looked offended again.
"Brother she was literally spitting blood."
Dev added calmly,
"You picked someone up with one hand."
"That man annoyed me."
Ram shook his head slightly.
"You scared even our people."
"Good."
That made Shiva laugh again.
Meanwhile Dev quietly removed his jacket.
And Krish immediately froze dramatically.
"WAIT."
Near Dev's collar remained a faint lipstick stain.
And lower on the black fabric…
small dried tear marks.
Shiva slowly turned toward him.
Then toward the stain.
Then back toward Dev.
"Well well."
Krish stood up like a detective solving national secrets.
"The silent one has lore too."
Dev calmly folded the jacket over his arm.
But his eyes lingered on the tear stains for one second too long.
A memory flashed instantly.
Saraswati clinging onto him unconsciously.
Trembling.
Broken voice.
"Papa… please don't leave…"
Something twisted sharply inside his chest again.
Dev lowered his gaze slightly.
"She was scared."
The room slowly quieted again.
Because somehow the calmest person there sounded the heaviest.
Krish looked toward him carefully now.
Dev rarely spoke emotionally.
Which meant this mattered.
Dev leaned back against the table quietly.
"Even after everything… she still tried smiling."
Silence.
Because now all of them remembered the same thing.
The girls never begged for themselves.
Only for each other.
Meanwhile Shiva finally noticed the red marks still visible on his wrist.
Durga's nail marks.
Sharp enough to leave impressions even now.
Krish instantly noticed too.
And grinned.
Dangerous mistake.
"Looks like someone got attacked during rescue."
Shiva looked down at the marks unconsciously.
A memory flashed through his mind.
Durga punching him.
Fighting blindly even while barely standing.
Then suddenly collapsing against his chest the moment she heard his voice.
His expression shifted slightly.
Almost softer.
"That woman fights like a criminal."
Krish pointed dramatically.
"And yet you carried her like she'd break."
"She couldn't walk."
"Mhm."
Shiva narrowed his eyes immediately.
"Say one more thing."
Krish grinned wider.
"Durga bhabhi hits hard though."
Rishi just entered with files," What's bhabhi?"
Ram taking files from him," Bhabhi means sister in law in hindi."
Rishi nodded.
The knife Shiva threw was easily dodged by Krish.
Krish jumped off the couch instantly.
"ATTEMPTED MURDER."
And for the first time since V Stadium…
actual laughter echoed through the warehouse.
Small.
Exhausted.
But real.
Then slowly the atmosphere settled again.
Ram finally opened the file slowly.
The old paper scraped against the metal table as photographs slipped out one by one.
The warehouse became quieter.
Even the rain outside suddenly felt distant.
At the top of the file…
the same symbol appeared again.
A black crown
.
And beneath it in bold letters:
QUEENS
Shiva's expression darkened immediately.
"So the rumors were true."
Dev picked up another page silently.
Mission reports.
Surveillance logs.
Underground movement records.
Every page connected back to the same four girls.
Ram's eyes narrowed slightly.
"They weren't random targets."
Krish leaned forward from the couch now, spinning Radhika's broken chain absently around his fingers.
"No kidding."
Ram pulled another document from the file.
And this time…
actual photographs slid across the table.
The room went still.
Sia.
Radhika.
Saraswati.
Durga.
Clear photographs.
Names beneath each one.
For a second…
none of them spoke.
Because suddenly the girls from smoke-filled rooms and fragmented memories looked real.
Human.
Closer somehow.
Dev's gaze unconsciously stopped on Saraswati's photograph first.
Bright smile.
Messy hair.
Eyes filled with life.
Completely different from the trembling girl clinging to his shirt hours ago.
His fingers paused slightly over the picture.
Then quietly…
almost unconsciously…
he read her name.
"Saraswati…"
The name settled strangely inside his mind.
Soft.
Warm.
And annoyingly memorable.
A flash crossed his thoughts instantly.
"Papa… please don't leave…"
Dev looked away immediately.
But not before Krish noticed.
Unfortunately for Dev…
Krish noticed everything.
Meanwhile Shiva picked up Durga's file next.
One look at the photo and he almost scoffed.
Even in the picture she looked dangerous.
Arms crossed.
Sharp eyes.
Expression screaming problem.
Shiva stared at the photograph for a few extra seconds before muttering,
"Yeah… looks exactly like someone who'd punch the person rescuing her."
Krish burst out laughing immediately.
Shiva ignored him completely.
But internally…
another memory replayed instead.
Durga collapsing against his chest.
Her grip slowly loosening around his wrist the moment she felt safe.
His eyes unconsciously dropped toward the fading nail marks again.
Then toward her name written beneath the photograph.
"Durga…"
Krish slowly looked between Shiva and the file.
Then grinned.
Dangerously.
"Shiva and Durga."
Dev immediately looked away already knowing where this was going.
Shiva closed his eyes briefly.
"Don't."
Krish pointed dramatically between the photograph and Shiva.
"Brother mythology itself shipped you."
Even Dev quietly added without looking up,
"Accurate pairing."
Shiva stared at both of them in disbelief.
"I saved her once."
Krish smirked.
"And she assaulted you twice. Strong foundation."
Shiva threw the nearest file at his face.
Krish caught it lazily before another
photograph slipped into his lap.
And for the first time since entering the warehouse…
Krish became quiet.
Radhika.
Even inside the photograph there was something calm about her.
Dangerously calm.
The kind that hides storms underneath.
His eyes unconsciously moved toward her lips in the picture.
And instantly another image flashed inside his head instead.
Blood.
Tears.
Broken breathing.
"Kill me… but leave them…"
Krish's grip around the silver chain tightened slowly.
That silver chain was somewhere helping him stay calm, like the exact thing he needed.
Then he looked back down at the photograph again.
And finally smirked faintly, eyes not leaving the smiling face of Radhika even for a second.
"So Ms. Chaos finally has a name."
Ram glanced toward him briefly.
"Ms. Chaos?"
Krish leaned back holding the photograph casually.
"Brother she nearly started a massacre just by existing."
Shiva suddenly blinked once.
Then looked at the photograph again.
Then at Krish.
A dangerous grin slowly appeared on his face now, the revenge time look.
"Wait."
Krish narrowed his eyes immediately.
"No."
Too late.
Shiva pointed dramatically between Krish and Radhika's file.
"Krish and Radhika."
Complete silence.
Then Dev quietly muttered,
"Radha Krishna."
Krish looked personally attacked.
"I hate all of you."
Shiva looked deeply satisfied now.
"No no continue. This is getting interesting."
Ram finally leaned back against the table watching the chaos silently.
For once…
he wasn't stopping it.
Krish pointed aggressively toward Dev.
"You started this."
Dev calmly replied,
"Not my fault your names sound spiritually connected."
Shiva nearly laughed himself to death.
Meanwhile Ram still hadn't touched the last file resting near him.
Until finally…
his eyes lowered toward it.
Sia.
The warehouse lights flickered once .
Brown eyes.
Cold expression.
Sharp features.
But somehow…
he could still see the same girl standing near the café window.
Then another memory replaced it instantly.
Sia kneeling.
Drugged.
Broken.
Still protecting the others.
Then stabbing him the second her chain loosened.
Ram unconsciously touched the blade band still lying beside him.
Krish noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
Krish slowly looked between Ram and Sia's photograph.
Then toward the blade band.
Then back toward Ram again.
A slow dangerous grin appeared on his face.
"WAIT."
Ram already looked irritated.
"Don't."
Krish ignored him completely.
He looked at Sia's photograph dramatically.
Then at Ram.
Then finally announced:
"Is this Ramayana or something?"
Dead silence.
Shiva turned away instantly laughing.
Even Dev lowered his head hiding a smile.
Ram stared at Krish with absolute disappointment.
"You need help."
Krish pointed toward the table immediately.
"Brother your name is Ram. Her name is Sia. Destiny itself is writing scripts now."
Shiva added immediately,
"And she stabbed him too. Very accurate adaptation."
Krish nearly fell off the couch laughing.
Even Dev quietly muttered,
"Modern version."
Ram closed his eyes briefly like he regretted knowing these people.
But internally…
his thoughts betrayed him again.
Because the moment he looked at Sia's photograph…
something about tonight refused to leave his head.
The kneeling.
The blade.
The trust hidden inside fear.
And somewhere deep down…
a dangerous feeling had already started growing.
Not attachment.
Not yet.
But something close enough to become a problem later.
Ram finally closed the file slowly.
Thunder echoed outside again.
Heavy.
Violent.
And now…
for the first time.
First - rankers finally knew exactly who the girls were.
Not random survivors.
Not accidental targets.
Queens.
A name whispered across the underground world like a rumor nobody dared confirm.
Until tonight.
The laughter slowly faded inside the warehouse.
Not naturally.
It died.
Like someone had suddenly pulled warmth out of the room.
Rain slammed harder against the broken windows now. Thunder echoed through the old building while dim yellow lights flickered overhead.
The teasing about names ended there.
Because deep down…
none of them actually believed in any of it.
Not destiny.
Not fate.
Definitely not love.
Those things sounded beautiful only to people who had never seen the underground world closely.
Krish leaned back against the couch, still holding Radhika's broken silver chain loosely between his fingers.
Then suddenly scoffed quietly.
"Funny how people think names decide stories."
Shiva sat across from him cleaning blood from his knuckles silently.
"People believe a lot of stupid things."
Dev calmly folded his jacket nearby.
"Gods. Destiny. Soulmates."
A faint humorless smile crossed his lips.
"Easy concepts for people with easy lives."
The warehouse fell silent again.
Because every single one of them carried memories that killed belief long ago.
Krish stared at the ceiling quietly now.
"If destiny existed…"
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Some people wouldn't have died begging for help."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
The storm outside almost sounded louder after that sentence.
Even Shiva looked away slightly.
Because they all remembered.
Different incidents.
Different losses.
Same helplessness.
Ram finally spoke after a while.
Calm.
Cold.
"There are no gods in this world."
His voice echoed quietly across the warehouse.
"Only people strong enough to survive it."
Krish smirked faintly.
"That sounded depressing even for you."
Ram ignored him completely.
Because unlike others…
Ram truly believed it.
No divine justice had saved anyone in their lives.
No miracle came when Empire fell apart.
No god protected their families.
Only blood.
Betrayal.
And survival.
Shiva leaned back against the chair quietly.
"Love is worse."
Krish looked toward him immediately.
"That sounded personal."
Shiva laughed once.
A sharp empty laugh.
"People become weak the second emotions get involved."
Dev finally spoke softly from near the table.
"Weak people trust feelings."
A pause.
Then quietly:
"Strong people trust information."
The room became colder somehow after that.
Because none of them were joking anymore.
Not now.
Not after V Stadium.
Ram finally stepped toward the large table again.
Leader mode returning instantly.
The files spread across the metal surface like pieces of a war map.
Photographs.
Dealer routes.
Auction reports.
Underground movement records.
And in the middle of everything…
QUEENS.
Ram's eyes darkened slightly.
"Forget the names."
The others slowly looked toward him.
"Forget the coincidences."
He tapped the file sharply once.
"Queens are not random victims."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Serious now.
Focused.
Ram spread another set of papers across the table.
Pictures of hidden dealer locations.
Transaction codes.
Movement patterns.
"Dealers don't move like this unless the product is valuable."
Krish's expression hardened slightly at the wording.
Ram continued anyway.
"Girls disappear in this world every day."
Silence.
Cold brutal silence.
Because they all knew that truth too well.
Ram's gaze sharpened.
"But the mastermind personally walked into V Stadium."
A pause.
"That changes everything."
Dev crossed his arms slowly.
"Meaning?"
Ram finally looked up.
"Meaning Queens are not side targets."
Thunder crashed outside.
The lights flickered once.
"They're the main target."
Even Krish stopped moving now.
Ram pointed toward the reports connected to the girls.
"Every path leads back to them."
Shiva frowned slightly.
"You think the mastermind knows about Empire?"
Ram answered instantly.
"He knows something."
His fingers rested against Sia's blade band near the table unconsciously.
"And whatever it is…"
His eyes darkened.
"It's important enough for him to expose himself."
Silence spread across the warehouse again.
This time heavier.
More dangerous.
Krish finally looked toward Ram carefully.
"So what now?"
Ram stepped closer to the map slowly.
Then marked four points across the city.
Hospital.
Academy.
Underground routes.
Queens' known movement areas.
"We stop chasing dead files."
His voice remained calm.
Controlled.
"No unnecessary missions."
Shiva folded his arms.
"You want us babysitting them?"
Ram's expression didn't change.
"No."
A pause.
Then coldly:
"We use them."
The sentence landed sharply.
Krish smirked slightly now.
Ram finally looked toward them fully.
"Queens are already connected to the mastermind."
His voice lowered.
"If we stay near them…"
A pause.
"He'll come again."
Thunder roared outside again like the city itself heard him.
Dev understood first.
"You're turning them into bait."
Ram's eyes remained unreadable.
"I'm turning them into the fastest path toward answers."
Krish looked down at Radhika's chain silently for a second.
Then muttered quietly,
"They'll hate us if they find out."
Ram's answer came instantly.
"Doesn't matter."
Cold.
Sharp.
Leader.
But strangely…
none of them fully believed his tone anymore.
Because despite all the logic…
all four of them still remembered something else too clearly.
Sia collapsing in Ram's arms.
Radhika crying against Krish's chest.
Saraswati trembling while holding Dev's shirt.
Durga relaxing the moment Shiva held her closer.
And that was dangerous.
Because emotions were exactly the kind of weakness they had spent years surviving without.