Anne immediately held the man's shirt and started bawling. The inspector just held her in his arms. He knew she needed to let out all that emotion before she could start talking.
The sub-inspector then reached for his handkerchief that he had in his pocket. "It's okay. Are you feeling better now? Do you want something to eat?"
Uh, huh," Anne said in between sobs.
With a decisive nod, Thiruvikraman spun around and beckoned to the nearest nurse. "Excuse me, nurse, is there something to eat that I can get for this lady?"
"Yeah, there is a vending machine on the far side of the fourth floor; you can get something from there now as the canteens close by 11 PM." The nurse replied, with packets of solutions in her hands.
He placed one of his constables, Veeraraghavan on watch as he left, and he made his way to the nearest vending machine to get something for Anne.
As Thiruvikraman briskly made his way towards the vending machine, his steps took him past the pretty nurse with glasses. She had an air of professionalism about her, moving with a sense of purpose through the hospital corridor. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—perhaps she could provide some comfort to Anne as well.
"Uhm, excuse me, but can you check up on the girl in 412? She is in a terrible mood and needs someone to comfort her, so if you're free, can you go cheer her up, please?"
He glanced down at her nurse ID, which was pinned to her breast pocket. It read "Angelina De Silva."
Thiruvikraman offered his gratitude with a nod and continued on his way to the vending machine. As he approached it, he pondered the situation at hand. The attack on Professor Stalin was deeply unsettling, and the motives behind it remained shrouded in mystery. He couldn't help but feel a heightened sense of vigilance, even within the confines of the hospital.
The nurse's lips curled into a warm smile as she nodded in agreement. "Of course, sir. I'll make sure to see to it."
Thiruvikraman offered his gratitude with a nod and continued on his way to the vending machine. As he approached it, he pondered the situation at hand. The attack on Professor Stalin was deeply unsettling, and the motives behind it remained shrouded in mystery.
"Whoever attacked him wanted him dead for some reason." He pondered to himself as he selected a couple cans of cold coffee. "Why would someone go this far to attack a history professor, of all people, though?". He couldn't get an answer to that question, so he couldn't help but feel a heightened sense of vigilance, even within the confines of the hospital.
"Something is not right about the nurse I just passed. I think I should make my way back to 412."
As he thought that himself, he saw an elderly janitor struggling to open what appeared to be a cleaning supplies door.
"Let me help you, sir." The short policeman quickly made his way to the closet and tried pulling it after getting the keys from the janitor, but for some reason, it wouldn't budge.
"Huh, that's strange," said the old man. "I recently had people come replace the hinges on this door as they had rusted to the point where they wouldn't open. Is it broken already?"
Thiruvikraman tried forcing it open with all his might, but the door still wouldn't budge. It felt like something was holding the door from the inside.
"Gramps, come over here and help me push the door." The two, combined with their strength, finally pushed the door open.
The weight that was holding back the door was that of a young woman's body. Her dress had the name tag "Angelina De Silva" attached to it.
"Oh no. Not now dammit!" Thiruvikraman said to himself as he pulled out his pistol that he held in his holster and hurriedly made his way back to room 412.
Just two kilometers away, Ash and Rishi were hiding in absolute silence as the mysterious group make their way through the alleyway, knocking on the shutter of each shop and seeming to be on the lookout for someone.
They were breaking into the shops that were locked shut with a lock-breaking rod, and thoroughly searched every shop, leaving no stone unturned. They also seemed to be armed with guns, machetes and batons, not your average gang of thugs or robbers. These men are on a mission.
Rishi quickly moved over to where Ash was hiding and quickly pulled him in "Listen, we hide and don't engage. It is paramount for us to not engage here. We are outnumbered and hopelessly outgunned. We need to get to the hospital , and secure Stalin's safety for now.
"It's okay; I can take them on." A surge of warmongering swept over Ash as he spoke, his breath growing heavier.
"How?" Asked Rishi, confused.
"I just feel like I can. I just have this primal feeling inside of me, egging me on, and also will provide instructions."
With that, sudden knocks and bangs started to be heard from the shutter outside the shop. Ash went up to the ceiling and knocked out the lights as the footsteps grew louder and louder.
"Hey! is anyone here?? We're looking for a person with long black hair, and a scar on his forehead. If he is here, hand him over!"
The echo of the demands bounced about the alleyway , but wasn't met with any response.
One of the members from the group went ahead and opened the shack, and a strong hand suddenly grabbed him by the neck and dragged him in.
A series of confused screams and bickering ensued as a bunch of thugs opened fire, but unbeknownst to them , Ash had already snuck into cover by diving behind the concrete countertop to the right, and made quick work of the man he just grabbed, seizing his gun and armour and handing it over to Rishi, who was sitting there.
"This was all I was able to get, is that okay?" Ash asked Rishi as they planned to make their mad dash
"I think this should do-"
*Clink*
*clink*
*Clink-ka-ling!*
The sound of metal clinking on the floor stopped just in front of Rishi and Ash, and It was a grenade.
"RISHI TAKE COVER!"
Ash quickly dove in and grabbed the grenade and threw it up, as Rishi took cover under the concrete countertop that was hollow.
*Ka-boom!*
The explosion of the grenade as it was near the ceiling brough it down, causing the entire building to crumble.
As the armed thugs cleared their throats and eyes, Ash was standing in the rubble, and bleeding a bit from the head. He had nothing in his hands, but the aura emanating from him stated otherwise.
"Just these hands are enough for you all." He said with a devilish smile as he took a fighting stance.
As Ash's fists ignited with an otherworldly energy, a forgotten legend was reborn in the midst of chaos, and the battle-weary thugs could only brace themselves for the impending storm.