Aru stood at the foot of the roiling cloud, staring up at what seemed like infinity. Just a few paces behind her, Aiden and Brynne stood with their weapons poised. She heaved up Vajra and the lightning bolt crackled, shifting between various weapon forms.

"Whenever you're ready, Aru," Brynne said, pointing her mace at the cloud. The torrential winds flowed her way, shielding Aru from anything... bad that might happen. She nodded, taking a steadying breath. Cocking her arm back, she lurched forward, throwing Vajra.

The bolt made impact with the cloud, spidering through with its unearthly glow. It was then that Aru noticed the difference between her lightning and the cloud's: hers was golden. She supposed that Vajra was the odd one, since lighting usually lit up clouds with white anyway, but something was off about the feel of this electricity. It was too calculated, too deliberate. And, Aru realized, it was deliberately making its way towards her. She immediately called back Vajra, stumbling back as the bolt returned to her hand. It seemed to drag the whole cloud behind it.

She slowly backed away, an outstretched hand keeping Brynne and Aiden from coming closer. The cloud started churning faster, the lightning crackling through it more aggressively, seeming to weave...

"A NET!" Aru screeched, dropping to the ground. "DUCK!"

Brynne and Aiden immediately ducked. Aru threw up Vajra, the weapon expanding to form a protective mesh around the three as volleys of arrows made of storm pummeled them. She crawled closer to Brynne, tapping into their mind link.

What do we do? Brynne asked, sending up a vortex of air to deflect the arrows. We don't have much time. It's coming closer.

Aru sighed, recalling Vajra. Run away, call for back up, or move to a safer location to further observe. Or explode the thing.

Option 4 sounds good to me, Brynne transmitted, grinning. Aru nodded, turning to Aiden. "We're gonna blow the cloud up."

Aru didn't know much about the guy, but she had expected him to be at least somewhat okay with the idea. Instead, she was greeted with the horrified look of an older sibling who just realized that the younger ones got into the sugar syrup.

"Uh, no?! There's gotta be something else we can do!"

Aru raised a brow pointedly. "And what do you suggest, smart guy?" When Aiden didn't answer, she hummed. "Thought so. Let's go."

They had fallen back a few feet, watching as the churning cloud slowly stalked closer and closer. Brynne held Go-Go aloft, a massive whirlpool of wind collecting over their heads. Aru sat atop Vajra, trying to gauge how close it was. Massive arms extended from the clouds, fog and rain contained in the twisting arms, falling on her lashes whenever she came too close. Beneath her, Aiden cut through tendrils that came too close to them, frowning at viscous way they dissipated.

"Is this even water?"

Aru shrugged, Vajra sinking lower. "Can't tell. Could be water, dusty water, or something that isn't even water."

"...What else would it be made of?"

She shot him a smirk, ignoring his sputtering questions. "Brynne, we ready to make this go boom?"

"Born ready. Let's do it."

Aru ran towards the cloud, Vajra crackling in her hands, sending jolts of electricity running through her. The droplets sizzled and steamed around her as she neared it. It became darker and darker the closer she got, the ground trembling from the crackles of electricity in the cloud. It was truly and horrifyingly unearthly. She threw her lightning bolt.

She was thrown back. Her head cracked against the ground, stars spinning in her vision. She was acutely aware of Brynne calling her name, but she couldn't get up. Her bones felt leaden and smoke seemed to settle heavy in her lungs.

"SHAH!" Aiden's voice broke through the haziness, and she turned towards his voice. Aiden's hand suddenly appeared in her vision, hauling her up. "You good?" She shook her head, flinching at the spike of pain.

"I'll live. What happened?"

"Well..." He grimaced. "We've got another horde of asuras to fight."

She sighed, Vajra flaring. "I just wanna sleep, man."

"Oh," a silky voice rang out over the din. "You'll sleep soon, Arundhati."

She stiffened. That voice...

"Aiden, we've got bigger problems than asuras."