"Wow, that was one hell of a first patrol," Jos remarked, leaning forward as Malvin paused in his storytelling.
"Yeah, I don't think any of our first patrols came close to that kind of excitement," Tores chimed in, prompting nods of agreement from the group.
"Count yourselves lucky," Malvin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "None of you had to deal with that kind of chaos right off the bat."
"But did Officer Silas actually wall-jump his way up a building?" Clare asked, her eyes wide with intrigue.
Malvin nodded. "He might not have been the best Guard out there, but you couldn't deny his physical skills," he admitted with a wave of his hand.
"I didn't expect Xain to just kick him in the ribs like that," Loreen commented, sounding surprised.
Malvin gave a weary nod. "He did whatever it took to get away."
"Exactly," Aeron chimed in with his usual deadpan tone, though there was the slightest hint of pride there. "He did what was optimal."
Jos scratched his mane-like hair, eyeing Malvin. "This Xain kid was pulling off moves like that at twelve? What kind of freak is he now?"
Clare, recalling a specific incident, shrugged. "He actually took down an orc singlehandedly once," she said, referring to when she and Xain fought against The Shadow Baron's thugs.
Aeron gave a slight nod, a flicker of nostalgia in his otherwise neutral face. "He was always one of the most active kids at the orphanage. Barely sat still for a minute," he added, recalling his younger brother's relentless energy.
Malvin shook his head, muttering to himself. "If you think that was impressive, just wait until you hear the other nightmares he's put me through." Just thinking about it brought up a series of unfortunate and chaotic memories that he was clearly used to enduring whenever Xain was involved.
"What happened after that, Captain?" Loreen asked, prompting Malvin to continue the story. He glanced at her, then shrugged before carrying on.
"Well, after that little fiasco, we went back to the alley and hauled the two thugs to the station for interrogation. Not that we did it ourselves, though—we just reported to the Captain at the time, and he handled it."
Tores tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Wasn't Cliff Howard the Captain back then?"
Malvin nodded. "Yeah. Once he stepped down, I was promoted." He seemed to drift for a moment, memories of the older man filling his gaze.
---
"I'm proud of you boys—first patrol, and you already managed to bring in two bad guys," said a man in his late forties, leaning back in his chair. Cliff Howard was a gruff, strong presence with graying brown hair and black eyes. He spoke around a cigar, and his tone held a genuine warmth.
"We didn't catch them all, though," Malvin muttered under his breath.
"Hmm?" Cliff raised an eyebrow, not catching his words.
Silas quickly nudged Malvin in the side and interjected, "Nothing, Sir. Mal here is just being his usual negative self."
Cliff let out a hearty chuckle, leaning back further in his chair. "What's there to be down about? You're disappointed because you didn't catch them all? Malvin, you've got nothing to be sour over—most officers don't nab a single suspect their first day." Malvin exhaled, nodding slightly. "Yes, sir."
---
"After that, Captain Howard told us to relax while he worked on getting those thugs to talk. He was set on finding out where the wolf demi-human or Philip Crude, was hiding, and whether they were connected to any known gangs." Malvin leaned back in his chair, recalling the intensity of that day.
"Were they?" Loreen asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Malvin let out a small sigh, recalling the moment. "We managed to get both the location of Philip and the confirmation that they were indeed part of a gang called The Cubs. But when we arrived at their supposed hideout, it was completely empty."
"The Cubs?" Jos chimed in, tilting his head. "Can't say I've heard of them."
Malvin turned to him, shaking his head slightly. "I doubt any of you would know them. They weren't all that significant. Philip Crude was their only notable member, and he was the leader. But they were connected to someone much bigger—someone who's on the most-wanted list."
The specialists and Clare exchanged furtive glances, a silent communication passing among them. Finally, Tores broke the tension. "Who?" he asked, curiosity piqued.
The air around Malvin seemed to drop a few degrees as his expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. His fists clenched tightly as he uttered, "Joshua Ambrose." There was a sharp edge to his voice, laced with bitterness that caught everyone's attention.
The group's reactions varied, each of them aware of the infamous name yet knowing few details about the man behind it. As Guards, they'd all been briefed on Ambrose's crimes: an illegal entry from outside the city, his attempt to establish a drug network within Ironhelm, and his eventual disappearance after evading capture. Though he was no longer within city borders, Ambrose's name remained on the most-wanted list. Beyond these basic facts, however, the man himself was a mystery, but Malvin's reaction left no doubt that he had a history with Ambrose.
"Did you know him, Captain?" Clare asked, giving voice to the question on everyone's mind.
Malvin took a steadying breath, then another, visibly forcing himself to release the tension from his fists. After a long pause, he finally replied, his tone terse. "You'll find out soon enough." The answer hung in the air, a promise that whatever connected Malvin to Ambrose would be revealed in due time.