Instead of being killed by Abbas, Malik was somehow put into stasis and sent off to Templar lands -olive branch, maybe?- where he somehow also got stuck in Minerva's vault. After Ezio punches the pope and enters he doesn't find a recording by Minnie but a cranky, just woke up Malik who has no patience for all this drama.
+Malik kicks Templar ass during their escape, and comments on how the quality of their enemies had gone down.
+Malik making ALL the sassy comments but no one can speak his language. So sad.
+Malik seeing Altair's statue and just... I don't know... exploding and finding a translator to share ALL THE EMBRASSING STORIES. Like, why do you guys have a statue to a NOVICE in your basement? Seriously? Let me tell you the time he got booted back to novice for being an arrogant dumbass.
The Power in the Vatican Vault is... Malik Al-Sayf
+Malik kicks Templar ass during their escape, and comments on how the quality of their enemies had gone down.
+Malik making ALL the sassy comments but no one can speak his language. So sad.
+Malik seeing Altair's statue and just... I don't know... exploding and finding a translator to share ALL THE EMBRASSING STORIES. Like, why do you guys have a statue to a NOVICE in your basement? Seriously? Let me tell you the time he got booted back to novice for being an arrogant dumbass.