Meanwhile, Malik stood in front of his squad, his eyes narrowed into a cold, unforgiving glare.
His gaze swept across the group, stopping on Tomi, Zane, and Blaze, all of whom were visibly tense under his scrutiny.
"So, let me get this straight," Malik's voice cut through the air like a blade, cold and sharp. "You all lost to a lowly organization?"
The accusation hung in the air, heavy with disappointment. Tomi felt a shiver run down his spine. Malik's presence was suffocating, his icy tone enough to make Tomi's pulse quicken with fear.
Beside him, Zane and Blaze shifted uncomfortably, their eyes fixed on the ground, unable to meet Malik's piercing stare.
"It's my fault, Captain," Tijona spoke up, her voice steady but laced with guilt.
She stepped forward slightly, shouldering the blame as her eyes flicked toward Malik.
Malik's gaze, however, remained fixed on Tomi, his expression hardening.
"Arande is bedridden. Ace is in recovery. This isn't just a failure," Malik's voice grew even colder if that was possible. "This is a disgrace."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"There's only one solution from now on," Malik growled, his eyes never leaving Tomi. "You'll all live in the training grounds. Every waking moment. No breaks."
Tomi swallowed hard, anxiety knotting in his stomach. He knew Malik's next words were aimed directly at him.
"And you," Malik said, suddenly grabbing Tomi by the front of his shirt, lifting him with surprising ease.
Tomi felt his heart lurch, fear gripping him as Malik's strength yanked him off balance.
"You're with me," Malik snarled his face inches from Tomi's.
Tomi's pulse raced in panic, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.
His body tensed, and a surge of anger welled up from deep inside, clashing with the fear coursing through him.
"Let me go!" Tomi shouted, his voice a mix of fear and fury as he grabbed at Malik's hand, trying to pry himself free.
Malik's grip only tightened, but something in Tomi snapped. His vision blurred for a split second, and suddenly, he felt a strange sensation surge through him. His muscles tightened, his grip on Malik's wrist suddenly growing stronger.
"I said get your hand off me!" Tomi roared, his voice laced with a raw, unfamiliar power.
Malik's eyes flared with fury, his pupils narrowing as he glared at Tomi with unbridled rage.
He could feel the sting of Tomi's grip still throbbing in his wrist, but it only fueled his wrath. He yanked Tomi closer, their faces inches apart, his breath hot and dangerous.
"Brat!" Malik hissed, his voice low, but dripping with menace. His gaze was dark, sharp as a blade. "I suggest you stop."
The weight of his threat hung thick in the air, but before Tomi could react, Malik's fist drove into his stomach with brutal force. The impact was instant.
The air rushed out of Tomi's lungs as he crumpled, gasping for breath, his vision darkening as consciousness slipped away.
Malik barely spared him another glance as Tomi fell limp. He straightened, his cold, commanding gaze shifting to the others in the room.
"Tijona, Griggs, Jean!" Malik barked, his voice snapping like a whip. "Head out to your gate guard mission. Now."
The trio stiffened, exchanging nervous glances before nodding hastily.
"Roger that, Captain," they muttered in unison, their voices trembling with unease.
They quickly turned and hurried out of the room, eager to escape Malik's wrath.
Malik's attention shifted to Zane and Blake, who stood frozen, fear written across their faces.
His eyes narrowed, and with a single pointed gesture, he commanded, "And you two—follow me."
Zane and Blake flinched as if struck, their fear palpable.
"Moving!" they blurted, their voices shaky as they scrambled to fall in line behind him.
Malik didn't wait for a response. He turned on his heel, the cold hum of the electrical door parting before him as he strode out, Zane and Blake trailing anxiously in his wake.
Malik examined his bruised wrist, still throbbing from Tomi's sudden, unnatural strength. His eyes darkened, a glint of both irritation and intrigue flashing in them.
"He's getting used to the chip," Malik thought, glaring down at Tomi's unconscious body cradled in his arms.
The boy lay limp, but the potential danger he posed simmered beneath his pale, fragile exterior. Malik's jaw tightened as he considered what this power surge meant.
"You," he called sharply, his voice cutting through the room like ice.
Zane, standing nearby, straightened at the sound of his captain's voice. Malik's gaze bore into him.
"How did your conversation end?" Malik's tone was low, but there was an edge to it, demanding truth.
Zane allowed a faint, bitter smile to touch his lips as he met Malik's gaze.
"It seems like he hates the chip holders as much as the rest of us, dear captain." His voice was cold, and detached, with a hint of amusement at Tomi's growing self-loathing.
Blaze, usually the more lighthearted of the pair, chimed in, his usual jovial tone replaced by something darker.
"I second that, Captain. He despises himself. I don't see how someone like him could ever be an S-1 of destruction." His words were serious, far from the playful banter that typically marked his interactions. His eyes had a hard glint now.
Malik shifted his gaze between the two, his expression unreadable, but his posture rigid with tension.
These were his eyes and ears in the squad, and their assessments carried weight. Yet something about Tomi, something unsettling, gnawed at the back of Malik's mind.
Without another word, Malik turned his cold gaze away from Zane and Blaze,
"Well, I can't let my guard down yet," Malik thought as he strode into Gina's office, carrying Tomi's limp body over his shoulder.
Without a word, he tossed Tomi onto the medical bed with a thud, the boy's unconscious form lying motionless.
"Malik?!" Gina's voice rang out, a mixture of shock and fury.
Her eyes widened at the sight of Tomi's knocked figure, sprawled out as if he had been discarded like a rag doll.
The cool blue light of the holographic screens cast an eerie glow on her face, but her disbelief was evident. "Why would you do such a thing?"
Her voice turned cold, cutting through the tension as she glared at Malik. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides, fighting the urge to lash out.
"Enough, woman," Malik's tone was dismissive, brushing off her concern with the same ease as he had thrown Tomi onto the bed.
"Just get to work with your research." He sat down with an air of detached elegance, his posture relaxed despite the storm brewing in Gina's eyes.
Zane and Blaze stood at his side, their expressions unreadable, though their loyalty to Malik was clear as they hovered like shadows.
"Research on what, exactly?" Gina snapped, unable to contain her anger any longer.
She was sick of Malik's villainous, broad-stroke methods, and his complete disregard for human decency.
"On your so-called 'outside world mechanism' research," Malik replied nonchalantly, crossing his arms. "After all, he's an S-1, isn't he?"
Gina's heart skipped a beat. How did Malik know so much? Her stomach twisted at the realization that he was more informed than she had anticipated.
His knowledge of Tomi's classification, the subtle smirk that played at his lips—it was unnerving.
"Seriously, this guy," Gina thought, feeling the oppressive weight of Malik's gaze boring into her.
It was as if he could see through her, his cold, calculating demeanor making her skin crawl.
"Just because he's an S-1 doesn't necessarily mean he has access to… it," Gina retorted, her voice strained with frustration. "After all, I've checked his chip. Only a few abilities have surfaced so far, and the rest remain locked. I can't unlock them without further analysis."
Malik didn't flinch, his expression unchanged.
"So you've wasted your time coming to me," Gina concluded, her voice sharp as she turned back to her holographic screens, trying to focus on the new data flickering in front of her.
She could feel Malik's presence behind her, oppressive and unyielding.
"Anyway, that aside," Gina muttered, her voice tense as she tried to steer the conversation away from her anger.
She shot Malik a sidelong glare. "About the Eclipse Organization—were you able to find their main location?"
Malik didn't even look up, his gaze fixed on Tomi's unconscious form as he lounged in his seat, one leg crossed over the other.
"Didn't you task Litany, Ashe, Jake, and Helios with that?" he replied lazily, his tone indifferent.
Gina's eyes widened, her patience wearing thin.
"You've got to be kidding me!" she snapped, her voice rising in disbelief. "Malik, you missed the entire assignment, and now you're sitting here spouting nonsense?"
Her body trembled with barely contained fury. She couldn't take it anymore—the audacity, the nonchalance, his complete disregard for responsibility. Without thinking, she grabbed him by the front of his uniform, yanking him toward her with a menacing glare.
"Tell me this is some kind of sick joke!" she hissed through gritted teeth, her face mere inches from his.
Her eyes burned with frustration, and every muscle in her body was tense.
Malik's expression remained unfazed, cold as ever.
"Nope. Dead serious," he said flatly, his voice as calm as if they were discussing the weather.
His gaze flicked briefly to Zane and Blaze, who stood stiff with tension, clearly worried that Malik might retaliate.
Gina's hands trembled as she held him, her mind racing, unsure of what to do. She was on the verge of losing control, her emotions a volatile storm, but Malik's cold indifference made her feel powerless.
Slowly, she let go, her fingers clenching and unclenching as she grappled with the overwhelming frustration.
"Alright, Malik," she breathed, her voice shaky as she struggled to regain her composure.
She exhaled deeply, trying to force calm into her trembling frame.
"Please, for the love of God," she began, her teeth grinding together as she fought to suppress the rage threatening to boil over.
Her voice quivered with barely restrained fury as she stared at the unbothered man before her.
"Head out to your mission this instant!" she barked, her tone sharp but laced with forced professionalism.
Her fists clenched at her sides, knuckles white with tension. "Before this turns into a formal reprimand, and I'm sure you don't want that—especially not from Lady Maya."
"She can give me all the counseling she likes, but I'm not going," Malik muttered as he stood up, his voice dripping with indifference.
He stretched, and rolling his shoulders as if the weight of his responsibilities was nothing but a minor inconvenience.
"The rest of the GF2 squad is doing the same job as I am, so why should I work harder than them when we're all doing the same thing?" he added nonchalantly.
The words came out so effortlessly as if the idea of putting in more effort than necessary was beneath him.
As he exited Gina's office, the door slid open with a soft hiss, the cold blue light from the hallway spilling in.
Zane and Blaze followed closely behind him like obedient shadows, their eyes darting nervously between Malik and Gina.
Gina stood frozen for a moment, watching his retreating. The tension in the room lingered even after he left. Her fingers clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as her thoughts raced.
"That's because you're the best captain we have, Malik," she thought bitterly, her gaze flicking to Tomi's unconscious form on the bed.
Malik's words, though delivered with casual detachment, stung more than she wanted to admit.
Even if you pretend not to care, you're still human—your body has its limits, chip or not.
Suddenly, a soft chime echoed in the room as a tiny holographic figure appeared on Gina's wristwatch.