"Now that all of you have calmed down," Malvin began, his voice cutting through the lingering murmurs of excitement and laughter. The conversation about his little sister was reluctantly set aside—at least for the moment—as all eyes turned back to him. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he continued, "Let me tell you what happened after she punched me..."
---
Silas stood frozen in the doorway, his wide eyes and slack jaw painting a vivid portrait of disbelief. Malvin clutched his abdomen, gasping as the initial shock of the punch subsided. His glare snapped to Noemi, his voice raw with fury as he yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Who the hell punches someone right after they wake up?!"
A perfectly reasonable question, though Noemi—being Noemi—was far from a reasonable person. Her red eyes flared with indignation as she countered, grabbing him by the collar of his hospital gown. "What the fuck is wrong with YOU?!" she shouted back, her voice echoing in the small room. "Why the hell did you almost get yourself killed and make all of us worry?!"
She punctuated her words with a violent shake, rattling Malvin like a doll. Silas, finally regaining his senses, rushed forward, waving his hands in a panic. "Please stop shaking him! He just woke up!" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of confusion and alarm as he tried to intervene.
Noemi's head whipped around, her crimson gaze locking onto Silas like a predator sizing up prey. "Touch me," she hissed, her tone venomous, "and I'll rip it off."
Silas blinked, his arms halting mid-air as her words sank in. Slowly, he stepped back, raising his hands in surrender. "Understood, ma'am," he said, his tone robotically polite. "Carry on."
"You traitor!" Malvin snapped at Silas, only for his attention to whip back to Noemi as she continued shaking him.
"Get off me, you rabid animal!" he yelled, struggling to free himself from her iron grip.
"What did you just call me?!" Noemi roared, her expression twisting with fury.
What happened next would haunt Malvin for years to come, the details of which were punctuated by a single, ear-splitting scream that reverberated through the hospital halls.
---
Malvin rubbed a hand down his face, letting out a groan as the memory played in his mind like a bad dream. Shaking his head, he continued, "After she finished thoroughly abusing me, she decided to leave. But, of course, not before..."
---
Noemi stood by the door, one hand on the handle as she looked back over her shoulder. "When you get home, you'd better be ready to apologize to Mom and Dad for making them worry," she said, her tone sharp but laced with a lingering trace of concern.
"I will," Malvin replied, waving her off dismissively. "You don't need to remind me." He gestured toward Silas, adding, "Now, please leave. We have Ironguard business to discuss."
Noemi's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a tight line as she turned away. Sliding the door open, she muttered just loud enough for him to hear, "Idiot." With that, she stepped out, the door clicking shut behind her.
"Such a little brat," Malvin muttered under his breath, letting out a heavy sigh.
"I think she goes beyond being a brat," Silas whispered, his wide eyes fixed on the closed door.
Malvin's brow arched as he turned toward him. "What was that?"
"Nothing!" Silas said quickly, waving his hands in front of him in an exaggerated gesture of innocence. "But enough about that. Are you okay?" His tone shifted, genuine concern bleeding into his voice.
Malvin scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "After what she just did? No, probably not. But if you're talking about before she went full lunatic on me..." He trailed off, his hand tugging at the collar of his hospital gown. Pulling it aside, he exposed his torso, revealing his bruised torso. His skin was mottled with dark purples and blues. Yet, considering what Joshua Ambrose had done to him, the damage was surprisingly mild. It wasn't good by any means, but anyone else would've been in far worse shape after such a beating. "I'm doing okay," he said, letting the fabric fall back into place.
Silas exhaled a loud breath of relief. "Phew. I thought you'd be way worse off after the state I found you in. Honestly, you looked like a mess."
Malvin turned to him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So it was you I heard before passing out. How'd you find me?"
Silas leaned back slightly, crossing his arms with a raised brow. "What? Not even a thank you for saving your life?"
With a low groan, Malvin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Thank you, Silas, for saving my life. Now, would you kindly tell me how you found me and what happened after I was knocked out?" His words were clipped, forced through gritted teeth.
"I don't think that was a genuine thank you, but whatever," Silas replied with a shrug, his tone dripping with mock indifference. "You've already made it clear you're a dick."
Malvin said nothing, his glare sharp but silent. He knew Silas wasn't wrong, and besides, letting him have his moment was the fastest way to get an actual answer.
"Anyway," Silas continued, brushing his chestnut hair back in a self-satisfied gesture, "I'll tell you what I told the Captain. After you ditched me to do our job all on your own—brilliant decision, by the way—you proved why we're supposed to stick together by almost dying. Lucky for you, I was there to save your sorry ass."
"If you're done gloating," Malvin cut in, his voice sharp, "maybe you could actually answer the damn question?"
Silas shrugged, clearly unbothered. "Fine, fine. After you left me to sulk on the street, about twenty minutes later, this blue-haired girl shows up out of nowhere and tells me you're in trouble."