Volume Ten - Bond

## Chapter 109 - The Aftermath of Chaos

Andromeda was holding Jack as she was running away from the place where Karim had attacked. Jack was whimpering as the bullet wound in his knee was bleeding badly. "Hang on, Jack...we'll...find help..." Andromeda says, feeling herself tear up. The people that saw them turned to look at their phones, Andromeda not knowing what they were doing. Then, she saw a hotel that said it was open. Maybe it would have medical supplies. She runs inside, not noticing the camera watching her. A hospitality robot stood at the reception desk.

"I-is there a place to...to heal him?" Andromeda asks, as the robot looks at Jack's condition. "Medical supplies are in the third floor." It says, as Andromeda walks to the elevator, hearing Jack's breathing become heavier. "Please...please don't die..." She whimpers, as when she walks into the elevator, she falls on her knees and holds Jack's hand, crying. The elevator goes up to the third floor, as Andromeda picks Jack up again, wincing at his groans of pain, and runs out and towards what looked like a medical kit. After getting it, she runs into a room and sets Jack down on a bed, as she took out what looked like tweezers and gulped.

Andromeda's heart broke every time Jack screamed from what was surely searing agony. After pulling out the bullet, Andromeda quickly sprayed the now severely bleeding wound with what she thought was the disinfectant agent, making him scream more. "It's...i-it's going to be ok-kay..." Andromeda's voice cracks, she didn't think it was going to be okay. She then bandages the wound quickly, and hugs Jack as gently as she possibly can. Jack was crying from the pain, and his own crying made her cry.

But at least...they survived.

## Chapter 110 - Fear of Loss

Jack woke up to birds chirping, as he still felt a dull pain in his knee from the bullet. He noticed Andromeda laying next to him, with her arms around him, and thought. He couldn't do anything against Karim...it was scary. He barely survived that encounter, and all Karim had used was a gun...but why was he ignoring the bullets? They didn't even faze him...that should be...impossible...for anyone not a robot...or an angel...he turned towards Andromeda, who was still sleeping, but her face was wet with tears. He then remembered last night, it was saddening, to see her weep. "...I...I can't fight him..." Jack whispers, as he knew...he truly...couldn't fight Karim.

For Andromeda's sake...

The next time Jack awoke, Andromeda was wearing what was essentially a black mess tank top, and cargo pants which too were black. She wasn't currently wearing her jacket, but watched the raining sky while sitting on the windowsill. Jack tries to get out of bed, but so much as trying was painful, and he gave up, knowing it was probably impossible right now. Andromeda turns to him and he sees her expression, one mixed with relief and worry. She gets off the windowsill and walks over to him, as she puts her hand on his cheek. "How do you feel?" She asks. "I wish I knew..." He answers, as he looks at his bandaged leg.

It was so easy to imagine what would have happened if Karim had the slightest bit less mercy. Jack thought he would be dead by now, and then realized something. He...never considered dying an actual possibly...except two times. When Kafziel attacked and...when he was against the Wicked Prodigy. Karim made him fear for his life like no one else could...and...the only two who got close were like gods. Jack shuddered to realize that Rosenstock and Shunsuke weren't joking. Karim was truly more dangerous, and terrifying, than anyone else Jack had faced. And that realization...shook him.

And it clearly shook Andromeda, as she held him close. "I...beg you...not to...not to die..." She whispers, as Jack wanted to say he wouldn't to reassure her, but...even he didn't know if he could escape death. Then...he remembered...he was probably...all that tied Andromeda to her humanity. If he died...then... "I won't die...I promise." Jack says. Andromeda then gives a small smile, which soon fades, she hugs him and cries again, as Jack hugs her back. A little while passed, as Jack then noticed something else.

A security camera looking directly at them.

## Chapter 111 - Hotel of Suspicion

Andromeda walked back into the room holding a breakfast tray, as Jack smiled a bit. The breakfast was good, he and Andromeda talked more about when they would regroup with their friends. But all throughout, the camera watched them, turning as they moved. Jack knew he shouldn't be suspicious of a camera doing its job, but this one was...eerie. Then, he finally noticed when he looked up at that same camera again. The light was magenta, and not blinking. Jack the noticed that the camera wasn't just looking at him, *it was looking directly at his eyes!*

Jack gasped, Andromeda noticing. "What's wrong?" She asks. "The...the camera...it's looking directly at us!" Jack shouts, as he then notices the posters, and remembers seeing the symbol of the hotel. The Impossible Triangle, with an eye inside it, the symbol being purple. "This...this is an urban legend..." Jack breathes. "No one who goes into this hotel...comes back out." "What...?" Andromeda demands, as she turns towards the camera. "It...it has to be a legend...let's just get out of here now." Jack says.

Andromeda carries Hack to the elevator, which doesn't open. "Dammit!" Jack shouts, as Andromeda runs to the doors that lead to the stairs. Those were locked too. "Not on my watch." She growls, as she uses her Psychic Weapons to slash the door open. When they run into the stairs, the lights are turned off, Andromeda is very quickly are running through darkness. The only lights they could see were those magenta triangle eyes, as Andromeda slashes at them to destroy them. Andromeda keeps running until she bumps into the door handle. She slashes that down too to run towards the entrance, which was locked. "Help!" Jack shouts at the civilians.

"They won't hear you. Those doors are soundproof." A voice says, as Andromeda yelps in pain, falling to the ground as her horns fly through the air. She and Jack turn to see a man with somewhat long, spiky, yet neat silvery white hair and purple eyes walking towards them. He wore a black trenchcoat with a golden lining over a black suit with a white undersuit and tie, and black pants and shoes. He held a golden cutlass with a silvery blade, as he looked down on them. "I will tell you both my name now. It is Saparbek Sadulaev." The man says, as he takes out a device, and it glows magenta, everything fading to black when the flash ends.

## Chapter 112 - Nonexistent Color

Jack wakes up to see a screen with the same symbol but lighter over magenta colored static. He looks around and sees...people in vats, half human, half machine, all unconscious. "Wh...what is this...?" Jack breathes, as he notices he is in a chair and tries to get out, but he can't. He realizes that he is bound to it, hands, arms, legs, torso and all, and something is...holding his eyes open. Saparbek walks out of the shadows, holding a screen pad as his cutlass was not in sight. "The newest one to join in on my vision..." Saparbek remarks, as Jack glares at him. "What vision?" Jack demands, as Saparbek looks at him.

"Transhumanism." Saparbek says. "Humans leaving our flawed, fleshed bodies and entering perfect, metal ones." "What?" Jack demands. "This hotel I made is meant to help me collect the samples I need to go on with my experiment." Saparbek says. "I hypnotize the people who stay here, and convert them into machines so that they may work here, under my control." "You...you mean you're going to...do that to me...?" Jack breathes. "Indeed." Saparbek answers casually, now looking at his pad. "How...is that even possible?" Jack demands.

"Do you know what Magenta is?" Saparbek asks, as Jack doesn't respond. "It's a figment of the imagination, less real than any other color. It doesn't exist." "What are you--" "Let me finish." Saparbek says, interrupting Jack. "I place...subliminal messages in the static, and the other faint sounds you might be hearing. They are meant to dull you, so that you will more easily focus on my one directive." "I will never be your puppet." Jack retorts, as Saparbek looks at him, before pressing something on his pad and putting it away. He then takes out a pocket watch with the same symbol on it, and begins swinging it like pendulum.

"Look at the eye, follow its movements." Saparbek says. "The more you try not to do it, the more you will do it." Jack tries his best not to look at the pendulum, but everything that was a light was turned off, except the eye on the pendulum. Jack can only follow it, as he does so. Then, the lights all flare up, Magenta, but the pendulum was still visible, and Jack kept looking at it, as he felt himself drifting off. He tried to stay awake, but soon lost his reason to try. "You will...take out the Socqreath." Saparbek says, these words being the only thing Jack truly hear amidst the droning sounds.

Then, he stopped being able to see or focus on anything.

## Chapter 113 - ...Ep...Wgah'n...

Andromeda ran through the hotel, looking around for Jack. She was panting, breathing heavily, essentially hyperventilating. She couldn't lose him, she couldn't let him be killed. She had to save him! Where was he? Where was anything in this damned hotel? It was like running through a haunted mansion. Andromeda expected something supernatural to attack her at any second, but she didn't know what would. The droning sounds and brightly glowing eyes on the walls in the darkness didn't help anything either. She held her head in pain and tried not to collapse as she kept running. Finally, she reached a door, and slashed it down as she ran in.

Andromeda kept looking around, it was dark, and the droning was more apparent than ever before. Magenta lighting illuminated what looked like cyborgs in vats. She then turned and saw someone standing behind glass high up. It was Saparbek, and he was looking down at her. "So your horns haven't healed yet." He remarks, as she hears him from a speaker which broke the droning momentarily. "Even if the had, the frequency here is meant to disable your Psychic Weapons. And I have a third layer of protection even then." He snaps his fingers, as one more light activates, showing Jack in some sort of combat suit, with his eyes dazed and dead.

"Jack...?" Andromeda breathes, as Jack looks up at her with those lifeless eyes. He then takes out what looked like a laser gun and fires at her, as it leaves a searing mark on her cheek. Andromeda yells in pain, as she immediately grabs the gun and pulls it out of Jack's hand, as he takes out a combat knife, rushing towards her and slashing. Andromeda keeps dodging, not wanting to attack him. "What happened to you?!" She shouts, worried. "I took control of him." Saparbek answers. "He only hears me, and my commands." Jack slashes again, as Andromeda dodges another knife slash and grabs it to wrench it out of Jack's hand and throw it away.

Jack then knees Andromeda in the stomach, punching her twice in the face as he kicks her in the stomach to send her away before she can fight back. She crashes into the door, feeling it partially cut into her back, as she roars in agony. Jack walks towards her and swings a kick at her face, as she uses her arms to block, feeling them slightly break. "The suit he is wearing enhances his physical capabilities." Saparbek says, as he walks through the glass structure. "Can you kill the one you love most to come to me?" "I will tear your fucking head off!" Andromeda roars, as Saparbek raises his head as if he were royalty.

"Then try it, girl." He replies, as Jack grabs Andromeda by the neck and throws her into the wall. She notices the gun on the ground and goes to grab it, as she feels Jack grab her legs. She manages to just barely grab it and shoots the screens and eyes, but Jack still attacked her. Andromeda tries to shoot Saparbek, who seemed to reflect them with his cutlass. Andromeda throws the gun at him as it shatters the glass and misses. Jack then punches Andromeda into a chair, as she crumples to the ground, greatly weakened.

"Please...Jack...it's me..." Andromeda whimpers, crying, as Saparbek watches. Jack looks at her with his still dead eyes as he takes out another combat knife and prepares to stab her with it. Andromeda lets him stab her in the stomach with it, and grab her by the neck, before lifting her up. She looked into those eyes, before hugging him. "That won't work." Saparbek says from above. "He is completely under my control, and you will both serve my vision, of the age of machines." Andromeda ignores him, as she looks into Jack's eyes again, crying. "Jack...look at me..." Andromeda says softly, as she gently grabs Jack's hand, and takes it off her neck.

Jack just pushed the knife in harder, as Andromeda whimpered from the pain but still looked at him. "I refuse...to believe that...you will let him win..." She says. "I...won't let you...let him win...because I..." She trails off, as Jack stabs her even harder, but she catches the stab with her hand. Despite the pain, she still pulls him closer, and kisses him, as his eyes light up. "...I love you." She finishes.

The knife clatters to the floor, as Jack looks at Andromeda in shock. "Wh...where am I...?" He breathes, as he falls to the ground, Andromeda catching him with all the strength she has left.

"Note to self, increase the power of the trance state." Saparbek says, as he was standing behind them. Andromeda and Jack glare at him, as he glares back. "Why did you have to be a Socqreath?" He demands. "You ruined everything." Jack picks up the gun and fires it at Saparbek, as a robot leaps in front of him to take the blast. The lights flicker and turn off. When they turn on again, Saparbek is gone.

## Chapter 114 - Prison Break

Kazuyuki sits in his cell, thinking, as he feels his chains holding him back. He was given IVs because the guards didn't want him to use his hands, and he was never allowed to sleep normally either. He had to admit they were good at their jobs, but he had now waited for the perfect day, a new guy was apparently coming from what the officers had said, and he had the perfect strategy to get out now. He just had to wait until the new guard was here and he would be able to enact his master plan, and finally...watch this world burn with a smile on his face.

Kazuyuki then heard footsteps, and looked up to see a man with very bright blonde hair and teal eyes standing there. "Hello." Kazuyuki says. "Who are you?" The man asks, as Kazuyuki bows his head down and smiles, before looking back up. "Please! You have to get me out of here!" He shouts. "What...?" The man asks warily. "I was falsely accused of murder and put in here! Please help me escape!" Kazuyuki shouts, sounding as sincere and frightened as he possibly can as he breathes heavily and puts on a terrified face. "But...you could be lying." The man replies. "It's the police who are lying!" Kazuyuki retorts. "PLEASE! HELP ME!"

Kazuyuki begins to cry, as the man, with a drop of sweat on his face, opens the door. "Okay." He says, as he unlocks the chains. Kazuyuki smiles as he slashes his uncut fingernails across the man's throat, slitting it. The man falls to the ground as Kazuyuki reaches into his mouth and rips out a tooth, before stabbing it into a wire. The entire prison shuts down, apart from the guards, who notice and run towards Kazuyuki's cell. Kazuyuki, meanwhile, notices a fancy rapier-like sword, and picks it up as he notices multiple guards aiming their guns at him. "Do I look good with this sword?" He asks, as he drives it through one guard's heart and the other's shoulder, before slashing that Guard across the neck and tearing the sword out of the first guard's chest, the lights flickering the whole time.

Kazuyuki walks through the prison as he notices more guards, and stabs into the wall, opening a compartment as he takes his bionic eye out of it and puts it back in his socket. His eye glows in the dark, scaring the guards enough for them to hesitate, and they hesitated long enough that Kazuyuki managed to disarm them of their weapons and stab them in their hearts. Kazuyuki walks away, smiling, as he reaches the exit of the prison, leaving a trail of bodies behind him. Cannons, tanks, machine guns and everything else was aimed at him. "You're not getting away!" The Warden shouts. "Oh, I'm not?" Kazuyuki asks, as his eye glows brighter.

Suddenly, all the weapons aimed at him shut down, including the guns, as Kazuyuki stabs the warden in the shoulder and lets him fall to the ground. "I never told anyone this either, but my eye...can also control technology, any technology I see." He says. "It's your fault you couldn't see that coming, not mine." He then walks away, none of the guards being brave enough to follow him, except for the Warden, who had gotten back up and taken out a knife. He throws it at Kazuyuki, who deflects it with his sword before noticing the Warden driving another knife towards his throat. Kazuyuki parries this and leaps back, as the Warden runs after him.

"This is worthless of you to do." Kazuyuki says, as he deflects the Warden's knife, and dodges the next one. He parries and dodges the one the Warden thrusts at him, as he disarms the Warden of this knife. "You cannot get away at any cost!" The Warden roars, as he swings a kick at Kazuyuki, who bends forwards to dodge as he swings his sword at the Warden, stabbing him in the leg. The Warden roars in pain, as he punches Kazuyuki in the face. Kazuyuki slides back, as he grinds his sword on the ground and swings it to block the Warden's next knife throw. Kazuyuki then stabs the Warden's hands, making him grunt in pain.

"You can't walk and you can't throw...what can you do?" Kazuyuki asks, mocking the Warden, who glares at him. Kazuyuki then stomps on the Warden, at least knocking him out, as he walks away.

## Chapter 115 - Regroup

Kasper watched the screens that showed the security cameras for a while, as he saw Jack and Andromeda finally returning from the mission they were on. He lets them back inside, as they fall to their knees from exhaustion, pain and injury.

"What happened to you guys?" Candice asks, as she was healing them of their injuries. "We...fought Karim." Jack answers, as they were shocked. Kasper knew that 'fought' must be a loose term. "And then we...spent a night at the Hotel of Horror." "That's only an urban legend." Shunsuke replies. "It's real, and we met the man running it. He made use nearly kill each other with...flashing...lights...agh..." Jack holds his head in pain, unable to keep answering. Andromeda held him close, as Shunsuke hands Jack his gun back. "We found this at the place you investigated." He says. "Didn't want you to lose it."

There had been a while to think about what was said. Jack and Andromeda...apparently they...dealt with two legends. No wonder they were in such bad shape. Then, he remembered what Jack had said that ended the conversation.

"He didn't even try to dodge the bullets. They didn't hurt him in the slightest."

"...No wonder he is so feared." Kasper breathes, as he uses his wheelchair to go outside, and look at the stars. The night sky was beautiful...then, an alert. He looks at his console again, as it shows a news section. He presses it and sees...no...Kazuyuki...escaped?

"I did. I know what you were thinking." Kazuyuki's voice says from behind him. Kasper gasps and turns around, as a syringe is jabbed into his neck, and he feels dizzy, the world spinning, before everything went black.

## Chapter 116 - The Devil's Greatest Trick (Pt. 1)

Kasper woke up still feeling dizzy, as he looked around. There was a single purple screen...showing his mansion! "Yes...I know where your little hero base is." Kazuyuki says from behind Kasper, making him jump as he shakily turns his head to barely see the figure of Kazuyuki, Kazuyuki bending his torso down as Kasper sees his glowing eye. "Feeling well, Kasper?" He asks. "Y-you c-can't--" "Can't what?" Kazuyuki asks, cutting Kasper off. "Know where your base is? I am the smartest person on this planet." "You...won't...win..." Kasper finishes. "And why is that?" Kazuyuki asks. "Because...we have--GAAAAH!!!!!!!!" Kasper screams.

"Don't try to be witty." Kazuyuki retorts, his sword stabbing Kasper close to one of his vital organs, but not close enough to be lethal. "Friendship means nothing in this world. Love means nothing in this world. The primary objective of a living organism is to survive and reproduce. You don't need bonds for that." Kasper feels tears roll down his face as Kazuyuki takes the sword out and jabs it into his face, cutting across it and making Kasper scream again. "Yes, suffer." Kazuyuki says, as he smiles, his hair and the shadows hiding his eyes. "I want her to hold you in her arms, your bleeding, crying corpse, as she weeps, and weeps, and weeps."

"I want to show this world chaos, and watch it burn to the ground."

Kazuyuki's screen brightens, as he is made to be a silhouette, only his smile being visible. "You are a pawn in my plan for the total annihilation of love, hope, and bond." He says. "In the end, only chaos will remain. Chaos I will revel in. The world will burn, and all will know the true power of a single human." He then pulls his sword hand back, as his smile widens and Kasper sees his glowing eye again. Then, Kazuyuki thrusts his sword, as hard as he can, through Kasper's chest, as everything, once again, goes black.

## Chapter 117 - The Devil's Greatest Trick (Pt. 2)

Candice runs through the city, breathing heavily to the point of nearly hyperventilating multiple times, sweat and tears rolling down her face. She felt nothing but sheer terror and worry, as she knew exactly who must have captured Kasper...the same man who hospitalized him...who killed her mother...who killed Kasper's idol...Kazuyuki. She continues to run, as she ignores traffic lights and crosswalks. She at many points slams her Psychic Weapons onto the ground to boost herself into the air, and move faster.

She continues to run, as the lights flickered here, the light being a cool, yet eerie, blue. She slows down and looks around here, as she notices something on the ground, twitching. No...not something...someone! She runs over to who it was, and...it was Kasper, twitching and barely whimpering, in a pool of his own blood. "N-no...no, no...no..." Candice whimpers, crying harder. "No...no, no, no...n...NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" She screams, as she sobs, holding her hands on her face. She then tried to heal Kasper, before hearing a voice.

"It's no use, he's as good as dead." Kauzyuki says, as he walks out of an alleyway, only partially illuminated by the light, holding a more Renaissance age sword. Candice turns to glare at him, her face wet with tears and her body shaking with both fear and anger. Kazuyuki smiles. "Did you actually think that humans were somehow better than other species?" He demands. "Am I not proof that your little fantasy can never come true? I want to see what you creatures can do! I want to experiment on the world itself. Thank you for participating." Kazuyuki sounded so calm when he said that, and when he said. "Oh, and by the way, I killed him."

"I drove a sword through his weak little heart, the heart of the boy who chose such an obvious partner, and couldn't even protect himself, let alone his idol, or his girlfriend's mother, or anyone." Candice became increasingly enraged at Kazuyuki's words, as she stands up and bows her head down, before looking up and glaring at him with glowing eyes, forming Psychic Weapons that...had blades on them. "I am not going to kill you." Candice says, as she slowly walks forwards. "I am not going to humiliate you." Kazuyuki's smile widens, as he tilts his sword. "I am going...TO FUCKING MUTILATE YOU!" Candice screams.

"Then go ahead and try." Kazuyuki replies callously, with an insane grin on his dimly, partially lit face.

## Chapter 118 - The Devil's Greatest Trick (Pt. 3)

Candice sends her Psychic Weapons forwards as fast as she can, as Kazuyuki twirls, ducks and weaves around them, as if dancing, his very movements looking eerie in this light. He even parries some of the weapons with his blade, as he rushes forwards and swings his sword at Candice, who grabs Kazuyuki by the legs and throws him into the air. Kazuyuki lands on his feet and grinds his sword across the ground, as he rushes behind Candice and stabs her in the back, narrowly missing her spine and heart. Candice then slashes again, Kazuyuki pulling back as his sword's blade is cut off and a gash is left on his arm. "Gh..." He grunts softly.

"You wanted this, didn't you?" Candice asked, as Kazuyuki smiled at the tinge of sadism he heard in that question. "Oh, yes...I very much want this." He replies coldly, as he throws multiple knives at Candice, who catches them as she cuts Kazuyuki's sword arm off. "Gah!" Kazuyuki shouts, as Candice grabs his other arm and tears it off, doing the exact same thing to his legs. She then flips him over and stomps on his chest with her actual foot, glaring down at him with absolutely no kindness in her eyes. Yet despite all this...Kazuyuki never looked happier, or more insane.

"Go ahead. Do it." Kazuyuki says. "Avenge your mother, your teacher, your boyfriend. And remember, there are many in this world like me, and you have no way of knowing. Shred me to pieces, turn me to goop, I don't care, as long as it is brutal. Give to me your humanity, and give up your kindness. Kindness...does not suit your species." Kazuyuki waits for his head to come off, closing his eyes with a satisfied, evil smile on his face. He looked that if he had arms, he would spread them out in an accepting manner. A Psychic Weapon was inches from his neck...when it pulled back.

"...I won't." She replies, as Kazuyuki's smile fades. "You said you would mutilate me, correct?" Kazuyuki asks. "I already did. I'm done with you." Candice says, as Kazuyuki laughs dryly. "You just don't want to give me what I want, right? What do you want?" He asks. Candice turns around and begins to walk away. "DON'T YOU WANT TO AVENGE ALL THOSE I KILLED?! ALL THOSE YOU LOVED?!" Kazuyuki shrieks. "ACCEPT IT! HUMANITY IS ROTTEN TO THE CORE, AND I AM THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT! LOVE, HOPE, BOND, ALL FAKE! ONLY ONE THING IS ABSOLUTE! CHAOS!"

"...I'm done being your puppet." Candice replies, just as coldly to Kazuyuki as he once replied to her, as she picks up Kasper, and walks away.

"You'll regret this..." He mutters, as he he closes his eyes, angry for the first time...in his life.

## Chapter 119 - Miracle

Candice sat in the hospital chair, crying, as Arthur watched Kasper's condition closely. "There's...a small chance he'll live." He says. "But don't get your hopes up...these...injuries are...severe..." Candice nods, as she cries harder. "This...this is why I must end death...I...lost my family a while back. Disease, murder, accidents...you name it. And we...lost one of the greatest minds of our time, and our greatest soldier." Candice kept thinking about...whether or not she should have killed. But she made up her mind.

The heart monitor became more stable, as Kasper slowly opened his eyes. "This is...a miracle." Arthur remarks, as Candice places her hand on Kasper's head, as gently as she could. Kasper's breath could be seen on the breathing apparatus, as he slowly turned his head to look at her. "...C...Candice...?" Kasper asks weakly, as Candice smiles softly, still crying. "I...I thought..." Her smile fades and she cries harder before she can finish her sentence. Kasper slowly raises his hand, and places it on her cheek, as Candice puts her hand on his. Arthur had already left, supposedly to tell the hospital about this event.

But all the time...Candice felt it...it was horrifying...

...the urge to kill.

## Chapter 120 - A Dark Reunion

Karim sat in an abandoned building, playing Chess with himself at a table. The exact moment he checkmated his imaginary opponent, he heard the door be opened, and turned his head to look. In the darkness, was the Wicked Prodigy. "Well, well...I haven't seen you in a while." He remarks, smiling, as the Wicked Prodigy takes out a knife and thrusts it at Karim, who grabs the Prodigy's arm, and looks him in where he believes should be the eye, his grip being strong enough to make the Prodigy drop his knife.

"It's been a long time...Mathieu." Karim says, as the Wicked Prodigy doesn't respond. "As I take it, you want to kill Andromeda and Jack." The Wicked Prodigy teleports away from Karim, and fires his cane gun at him, Karim already having closed the distance, and caught the bullet with his hand, said bullet ripping right through it, yet Karim didn't seem to notice, as he uses his hand to grab the Prodigy by the neck, and slam him into the wall, holding him up. "Come on, old friend. Aren't you the least bit tempted to help me out so that we beat a common enemy?" Karim asks.

"Or...do I need to prove to you which one of us two is stronger?"