A/N-After all this time, could it really be? Does Lakshman, our good old Sirji, finally get to fight? Is it his time to shine? YES BABY IT FREAKING IS AND NO ONE CAN DENY ME SOME UNNECESSARY LAKSHMAN CONTENT NOW-

Atikaya was humongous. The biggest being the planet had ever beheld, with the possible exception of Kumbhakaran, Tadaka, and Subahu, all of whom Ram had killed. So the fates didn't seem too optimistic for Atikaya, because technically, he was next in line to be killed by Ram. But the Gods had had enough of Ram killing rakshasas. Indeed, Lakshman had been preparing for massacres since childhood. It wasn't fair to the man who had been loyal and obedient to his brother, even to a fault, that he shouldn't get a turn.

Atikaya, also, was silent. But, as mentioned earlier, he was silent because he really didn't have anything smart, dumb, or otherwise to say. Ravan thought he was mute until, at age three, Atikaya finally tackled a rakshas he was playing with and tore him to shreds, and screamed "MINE!". The rakshas had curiously taken his toy elephant, and was observing it. And now he was dead. Not that Ravan cared. He was just happy that his child was following in the family footsteps. That was to say, killing things, but also, in this case, getting killed by p̶r̶i̶n̶c̶e̶s̶   hermits.

Decked out in shining silver armor that sparkled even in the clouds of dust, Atikaya rode a white horse, which too sported a pair of gleaming fangs and shook its head, smoke coming out of its nostrils whenever it snorted. So, it was safe to say that both the rakshas and the horse weren't very happy. Atikaya was the last of Ravan's sons who had come to the battlefield that day, the last of whom had raised their swords and roared.

He wasn't dumb. He had seen his brothers die. But he hadn't stopped fighting, and he hadn't gotten off his chariot. Whichever vanar had dared approach him, or even look his way was soon pierced in the heart and flying through the thick air by his hands, or rather, his aim. He was the second son of Mandodari, and he would not die as quickly as the sons of Dhanyamalini did. Atikaya was out for blood, and he would be damned if he didn't get it!

He was skilled with a bow, which he seemed to have ordered matching his armor (what, even a demon can appreciate style! Just look at Bhallaladeva!). Raising the magnificent Gucci weapon, he strung five arrows and released them into a swarm of monkeys, his mouth curving into a smile as they multiplied, and looking, watching maliciously as they took the intended lives, not even flinching, not even blinking.

Such was the confidence of the prince of Lanka that he didn't even mind the generals who approached him, muscles rippling angrily. They were but centimetres away from his chariot when they were tossed off, injured like they were pesky flies, swatted away carelessly by Atikaya. "Cowards!' he roared (the first time any of them had heard him speak). "Get me someone worth my talent!" Atikaya sought a challenge, and unlike the previous ones who had wanted the same, he deserved every bit of it. Atikaya was a menace. And he would have to be stopped.

-----O-----

The focus zoomed out of Atikaya and his killing spree as he rampaged the battlefield and edged ever closer to the home base of the vanar sena. We now focus on the planning and healing tent, a large green structure. The opening to the tent flapped open, lifted up by the raging wind. Right behind the flap of the entrance stood many trustees of the vanar sena, from their King to their most loyal generals, to their God.

Ram's dark hair flew in the wind majestically as he stood strong, his clothes billowing as his muscled arms clenched into fists beside him. Though Ram's face remained untelling, unreadable, his light blue eyes suddenly turned icy, cold. It was as if a blizzard rushed through his mind. He looked very much like a hero, the hero of the tale, and though he was, technically anyways (how else do you think it's called the Ramayana fool, would it be named after a buffalo?), there was someone else who would save the day, standing right behind him.

This person happened to be Lakshman, who looked so fearsome that the vanar sena stayed ten feet away from him as a precautionary social distancing measure, always necessary when Lakshman was angry. Because if Ram was quietly seething, looking as if the oceans had invited a brewing tempest, then Lakshman was an inferno, his choppy red hair looking like fire and golding skin shining with sweat, and face furrowed and clenched up so angrily that his jawline could cut a diamond.

Ram had finally found the man who could defeat Prince Atikaya. And it just so happened to be his brother. He had good luck like that. "Lakshman!" Ram exclaimed as if they were good old friends, embracing him tightly and shaking his shoulders so much that Lakshman blinked rapidly. "I should have known before! You are the one to defeat Atikaya!" Ram let go of him and stared him in the eyes.

Instead of an excited one, a bewildered Lakshman stared back at him. "W-What?" he asked tentatively, trying to convince himself that he wasn't dreaming. "You mean that I can go into the battlefield and-" Ram looked like he was about to interrupt, but Lakshman quickly interrupted him to prevent him from interrupting (it's a confusing family). "NO! I want to go bhaiyya!" Lakshman rubbed his eyes as if not believing the day had finally come where he could finally go into the battlefield.

Without hesitancy, he grabbed his bow from where it lay dusty on the side of the tables, fixing a tight, killer grip on it, and touched Ram's feet for a second, before getting up. "Pranam, bhaiyya." he murmured before escaping the folds of the tent and going off to find his enemy, an enemy who would find him worth much more than any talent Atikaya had.

------O------

(Just two men shooting arrows at each other, nothing to see here! Move along)

Lakshman approached Atikaya, who glanced at him only for a moment before sending a hundred arrows towards the man. Lakshman deflected them all with a single astra, raising his bow before bringing it down, raising a single eyebrow almost tauntingly at Atikaya, who was, easily said, quickly distracted from his routine of eliminating threats before they were even born, as his assault remained countered.

He eyed the enemy in front of him, seven feet tall like him, arms crossed, chest only covered with a sparse cloth, looking unassuming if you could forget the quiver slung across his large chest and the bow which somehow towered over him. The vanar sena had, quite possibly, sent Atikaya his twin, in terms of height and structure. But to him, the rakshas prince who could do no wrong, he was not equal in talent.

"See if you can counter this!" Atikaya laughed, sending a flaming arrow his way, watching excitedly as the embers sparked in the air, the astra ever nearing his enemy. And then he had to stop watching, because Lakshman too had sent an agni baan and the two fires met right in the middle of the battlefield, clashing and sparking with each other until there was nothing but wispy smoke alluding to the fact that there had been a battle there.

"I have seen, and I have done." Lakshman said calmly, folding his hands in front of him as his bow rested idly on his shoulder. "But I suppose you are still seeing, aren't you?" Because Atikaya was just staring at him, mouth ever so slightly agape, as if Lakshman had done something otherworldly, awing, and somehow offensive at the same time. "It's alright, take your time." Lakshman rubbed his wrists. "I have all day. But I do fear you might not, considering-"

Lakshman released an arrow from his bow (nooo, I thought it was his sword he released the arrow from! What a brand new twist! Releasing an arrow from his bow! Wow!), and it rushed forward, immune to the wind. Atikaya's eyes stuck to it, watching it ever so closely, before grinning. Er-rather-showing a very interesting display of his bloodied teeth. The only thing that could stop the wind, or resist it, was the mountain.

And so a wall of flat bedrock met the Vayu Astra, and both warriors stared at the place where the arrows disappeared into nothingness, each impressed with the skill of the other. It was then that Lakshman realized that he couldn't simply play dumb anymore. This was not some dumb game. He was Lakshman goddammit, and though he would have liked to conduct this fight with a sword so he could finish it off quickly, there was some charm in a long, drawn out one that when he won (and he would win, make no mistake about it,), he could rejoice.

Clenching his teeth, Lakshman stepped forward one step, and Atikaya was almost frightened for a second, gulping, before he stood up, and tried stepping forward once for himself. Neither backed down, and Lakshman reached back, drawing a crescent shaped arrow with some mist going around it, swirling mysteriously. Atikaya eyed it for a second, before reaching back and pulling out his own arrow. With two identical twangs of the bowstring, the arrows arced towards each other, not affected by anything, it seemed, except each other, and both crumbled into little bits.

But not even waiting for a second, Lakshman released another arrow, and watched as, catching Atikaya by surprise, there was no defense for it to meet at the middle, and it neared ever closer to the Prince of Lanka. But the moment it was to hit him, the arrow was spliced by a sword. Lakshman stepped back, squinting his eyes (everyone needs glasses, guys, not just 21st century readers). So he was using a sword, was he? Well two could play that game.

The next time Atikaya sent an entire artillery of common steel arrows at him, Lakshman had, prepared, a sword (reusable, so he wouldn't have to sacrifice a shield), and with masterful, practiced movements, it sliced into every single missile which dared face him. It was a sight to behold, a man with hair flying around his neck, standing with feet apart, a shining blade at his side and surrounded by arrows.

Lakshman exhaled, and in that moment, Atikaya released another arrow. Before the opponent could react, his mind buzzing, the arrow had embedded itself into Lakshman's bicep, where the clenched muscle and tissue stopped it from going out the other side. Lkashman glanced at it, and looked up, ducking before another one could reach his chest. "Stupid sons of Ravan," he breathed underneath his breath, because GOD that astra hurt! What poison was it?

Well, before Lakshman could go all "snake" and start analyzing the poison which was probably now in his bloodstream, he had released, already,a thousand gleaming pearly arrows. Atikaya had no response to those, for some reason, for every weapon he threw at them, they did not even flinch at, simply racing past. Atikaya's eyes widened, but his stance was confident as they neared. Lakshman just smirked.

But his smile disappeared, was wiped off his face as those arrows clashed with Atikaya's armor and dissolved into nothing but bits and pieces. He tried again, and again, and again, but each and every time, whenever his rain of arrows would near the cocky son of Ravan, they would crumble in front of the shining silver armor, and Atikaya would cackle in a way that made Lakshman burn and sizzle, but being unable to do anything, just had to try again, and again, and again.

And then, finally, Vayu figured it out. Using his 'God of the Wind' powers, he whooshed down next to Lakshman's ear, and gathering his clothes around his arms, hissed something in. "His armor. It has been gifted, from Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe himself!" Lakshman scratched his eyebrow nonchalantly. "The only way to kill him is the Brahmastra itself! Nothing else will do!" And with that, the air disappeared.

Lakshman, who had managed to pretend the entire time that he was truly trying to figure out the answer to all his problems for himself, and wasn't actually actively interacting with a God, finally removed a seemingly unassuming astra from his quiver and strung it. Atikaya rolled his eyes, waving his hands, but the moment the baan was released, one of the most powerful celestial weapons with the power to destroy all of Earth and mankind, it made its very assuming and angered nature known.

Atikaya's eyes widened to the size of-you all will die with this-mini universes, if the universe was circular. He didn't try to defend himself. He didn't strengthen his armor. The rakshas didn't even pray. He ran the effing opposite way. The prince hightailed it out of there, without horse, chariot, or even a bow, just waving his hands, screaming and running.

Well, the Brahmastra could counter running. It went even faster, and as it neared Atikaya's armor, the silver second skin peeled off to reveal a mere chainmail, which the astra easily pierced through. The moment the tip of the arrow touched flesh, Lakshman closed his eyes and smiled, smiled as the screams were overpowered by a seeming inevitability of an astra meeting its mark. And back at the base camp, Ram burst into sobs. Internally, of course.

Bonus Scene

"What have I done?" Ram screeched, watching as the arrow embedded itself into Lakshman's arm. "I have killed my own brother! I have sacrificed him for what? Nothing! I-" Ram narrowed his eyes maliciously. "Now you've done it Ravan, oh nevermind!" Because Lakshman had pulled out the arrow and discarded it aside as if it was a pesky fly. "YES KILL HIM LAKSHMAN!"

"NO!" cried Jambavan. "That could be an infection! Or worse, tetanus! What if it's tetanus, Prabhu? He could get a swollen arm, and then lockjaw, and then he could die! Overnight!" Before Angad could clap a hand on the over worrying bear's mouth, Ram was out the tent and physically fighting his way through the rakshasas to get to Lakshman, and Hanuman and Sugriv (plus Nal, Neel, Rishabha, and Mainda) had to pull him back.

A/N-I HAVE DONE IT! YAAASSS! Okay, yay, Lakshman! After all this time!