And in Nepal, Krishna stood with Priya and young Chintu, the group of three idiots holding stones in there hand near the lake waters, Krishna holding the stone demonstrating the technique or stone skipping.
"Watch the posture," he said, his voice calm and patient.
"Bend your knees a bit, arm back like this, keep it level with the water. It's all in the wrist flick, not the force." He gestured the motion slowly, his hand cutting a smooth arc through the air. Chintu mimicked it, his small frame wobbling a little, while Priya adjusted her stance, a small smile playing on her lips despite her uncertainty.
Krishna nodded approvingly.
"Good. Now, on three, throw. One... two... three."
They released their stones together. Krishna's stone skimmed the surface flawlessly, skipping seven times before sinking with a final plop. Chintu managed five skips, bouncing across the water, and the boy jumped in delight, pumping his fists.
"I did it! Look, it went so far!"
Priya's stone, however, arced too high and splashed once before vanishing. She stared at the ripples, then glanced at the paths of the other stones fading into the distance. A quiet realization washed over her—there was no sadness if you didn't compare. She chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"Alright, that's it for today. Game over." Chintu pouted but grinned.
"Okay, bye! Thanks, Krishna, Priya madem!" He waved, scampering off toward his home nearby.
Priya and Krishna turned, walking back along the path as the sun dipped toward the horizon. They reached the house just as the sun settled, Daadee was in the living room, the TV flickering with news. As they entered, the broadcast blared: images of Basra's ruins, the blood ceremony footage (blurred but haunting), and experts dissecting the Global Jihad Front's plot.
" The terrorists' ritual was to summon a 'Savior' to kill the false God—Krish," the anchor said, showing words scrawled in blood: FALSE GOD. Daadee's face didn't change much, but she become little worried, she turned off the TV and looked at Krishna, her eyes filled with concern.
Krishna stood there for a moment, his express complicated, the words hitting him like a stone to the chest. Without a word, he turned and walked to his room, his shoulders slumped.
Priya followed quietly, entering to find him sitting on the bed, staring at his mask on the table, its sleek black surface reflecting the dim lamp light.
She didn't speak, just sat beside him, her presence a silent anchor.
After a long silence, Krishna spoke, his voice low.
" Dr. Arya told me humans would disappoint me, like they did him."
Priya tilted her head, her tone gentle.
"What do you think now?"
He sighed, rubbing his face.
"I don't know. Six months ago, they tried to kill me with a bomb, I forgave them, didn't feel a thing. They blame me for Basra, curse me, I don't care. But this... this happened because of me. The ceremony, the deaths, is it all to summon something to kill me? Am I that uncomfortable to them?"
Priya placed a hand on his arm, her voice warm and steady.
"You're sad, aren't you? Not disappointed, just... sad for them, for what they've become, what they are doing." Krishna nodded slowly, his eyes distant.
" I don't understand Priya, am I wrong? Should I stop?"She squeezed his arm.
"Give them another chance, Krishna. Not everyone is like that. And you are doing nothing wrong, the one behind this incident is wrong, Find the idiot behind this mess—the mastermind who orchestrated it all. No matter how deep he's hiding, drag him out. Show them what true power is: not destruction, it's your heart."
And next day -
James Whitaker slowly opened his eyes, and found himself in a Medical camp. He turned his head slowly looking around, and saw several more figures near him, they were similar, bandaged and looking rough. A nurse seeing him awake came close and helped, and asked him some questions, he nodded not listening carefully, when he saw a familiar figure coming through the tent it was Elena Torres, and she was also bandaged, but her condition was way better then him.
She thanked him for saving her life I'm the last moment, where he shrugged her off and asked what happened. She hesitates to tell him, and Whitaker notices this, and said in a low voice.
" You can say it can't be as bad as I imagine." And after hearing her explanation, it was worse than his imagination.
He slowly stood up, the nurse and Torres tried to stop him, but he didn't listen.
" Who is looking for the culprits?" He asked, not taking her words to heart.
" The second bataliyan John." Elena answered.
" John, that idiot. I have rested enough, time to do my duty, and this time I'm gonna do it properly, and no Krish will stop me." And he started to put his uniform on, when they heard a loud noise of something falling, and after hearing that, the trio looked at each other.
They came out from the tent, and this time it was day, and without thinking they all looked at the sky, and so did all the soldiers and people, many even came out from the tent. It was like the previous time he showed up, but this time no one was pointing his gun at the sky.
Whitaker slowly walked out of the crowd, his eyes focused on the figure in the sky, who seemed like the sky. And this time he didn't land. Whitaker looked at the group where a broken jeep was dropped, and inside that jeep, what looked like people, and when he was correct, they were the terrorist he was going to look for.
" Should I presume that you formally declare war with the US?" He asked, his neck straining from looking up. And Krish seems to hear this, and he hears a reply.
" Do as you please." And he flew up raising a dust cloud.
And after the dust cloud settles, Whitaker coughed up dust.
" He did it on purpose." And he looked around at the soldiers, who were staring around.
" What are you doing, capture those terrorists?" And they sprung into action.
" Torres, inform the US, and call back the second battalion."
" Yes sir." She said respectfully and left. And when she left, he looked like he was covered in dust.
" That son of a -"
And with Krish, he was hovering all over Iraq like a hawk, searching for a target. He looked at a huge mountain, and small camouflage tents near it. He accelerated his speed, and hit the mountain with full force, and came out from the cave below, where the camouflage tents were. The terrorist opened fire on him, and he stood there taking the bullets like nothing. And when they were done emptying it, he took action. He first punched a terrorist into a tent, and backhanded one flying. And before other clouds reacted, he started to punch down every single terrorist in the place. He was looking around for anyone that may have left, when he looked at a kid holding a gun pointing at him.
The kid looked funny holding an oversized gun and pointing at a person twice his size in the middle of a half burning, and half destroying terrorist base where people were groaning in pain.
Krish stared at the kid for a moment, and after thinking once or twice, he decided what to do.
And far from here in Iraq's capital near a school kids were playing outside, when one of the kids who was playing with Krish's figure noticed something. He saw something flying over.
And soon a man in black landed on the school ground holding what looked like a child, everyone looked at him, every single child and every single teacher. Krish cropped the kid in the playground.
" Studdy." And flew off.
And the kid who was playing with krish's doll looked at his doll twice and then at the krish flying away, and decided to see the situation up close.
And Krish after dropping the kid flew toward a ruined city, and inside the ruined city was filled with terrorists, and they were playing cards, one of them feeling little off took a pee break, and while was peeing, his friends were disappearing, and when he came back he was last and only one left. He grabbed the gun and started panicking looking around, when he bumped into someone, and that was krish, and the last thing he remembered was a punch punching him in the face, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself on the bus. And the bus was filled with his friends and others who were playing with him. He looked outside and found that a bus was flying in the air, and he started screaming.
Krish flew high, holding the bus over him.
After dropping the bus he flew high again, and this time he reached the desert area, and looked at the huge desert land in front of him, he felt it, he felt there was a building inside the dune. Krish waved the pros and cons and decided the easy way. He dived in the sand like a swimmer, and disappeared in it. And for a few seconds there was silence, that was broken by the earth shaking. The small creatures fled, and the ground started to crack and started to break apart, and soon from that sand, a bunker made out of heavy concrete and bars were bugged out. It was the size of a small building, and below that building was a krish holding with both hands.
And inside the tent of Commander James Whitaker he was getting calls left and right, when the earth suddenly shook like an earthquake, and his coffee he was holding fell down.
" Son of a -"
And with Krish, he started his journey of delivering food, and from time to time delivered it to Commander James Whitaker.
And soon, the president received the news, and so did Richard and Carl.
And Carl, when he got this news, looked a little amused when he got a phone call from Richard on a landline.
" Did you hear that?"
" Yes, I really didn't expect him to do this, this fast." and he looked at the satellite images on his screen.
" What are you gonna do?"
" Me? Why should I do something? Isn't he provoking the US by doing this, isn't it good for you."
" I'm not talking about that, what you gonna do if he finds out." And Carl laughed.
" It's not possible, there are no loose ends."
" The terrorist?"
" Who would keep a dog that would bite his master. Their purpose is to distract, and they have done, by now their ashes would be cold." And Richard after hearing didn't react, but asked.
" What did you do?"
" You know you shouldn't ask this?"
" And yet I'm asking." He pushed forward.
" Fine, I was planning it for later, remember Akbar, the one I mention has problems." And Richard seems to remember the ABCD culture chambers.
" You have checked his file right?" And Richard has.
" Can you move forward?" And Carl nodded.
" Fine, fine, well you remember the ceremony right." And Richard nodded.
" Well that was supposed to happen after the trial but now, it has to move forward. My plan was to let the military find them first, and then Krish to spice things up but somehow my plans are going in reverse now."
" Stop Riddelling and explain what this has to do with Akbar."
" Well, the savior they call is Akbar." And Richard got silent.
" You are a funking madman."
" No I'm not." He said looking at Cecelia who was testing metal body armour.
" So what's next?" Asked Richard.
" Wait for the news, ready your guns." And Richard hung up the phone.