Why does my arm feel funny?

  Then, blackness hit me.

  My eyes opened to white.

  I was lying on the ground, exactly where Borschmack had me in a chokehold earlier. My lungs burned as air rushed back in. Borschmack sat calmly on a concrete slab he had dragged over for himself. I slammed my elbow into the ground and launched myself upright, then stood.

  Did he choke me out? How long was I unconscious for?

  Borschmack was joined by a familiar face—Hematite. He twiddled his fingers casually, "Ah, ah, ah. Don't move."

  Wires surrounded me from every angle, humming faintly. He was my natural counter.

  Hematite glanced at Borschmack, "Tell him already. He's awake."

  Borschmack crossed his fingers, "I won our fight three minutes ago, when I choked you out. That was enough time for Hematite and I to end any peon near here. Us 'traitors' didn't kill you for one simple reason."

  I snickered, "And what's that?"

  Borschmack made a heart with his hands, "Vellin loves you. He wants to give you a chance to live out your days in peace somewhere else. He says you were manipulated by Leo, so you're unable to truly be held accountable for your crimes."

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  I spit, "He says this while working with that bastard right there?"

  Borschmack reinforced his fist, veins bulging, "A means to an end. Will you accept this mercy or not?"

  I grasped the heaps of wire and forced them apart, snapping them in two, "Of course not."

  Borschmack sighed, "Vellin said you value loyalty, and you're more loyal to Leo and Sun that is healthy. Don't blame us for what we do now."

  Hematite pulled a wire from behind a building, dragging Yumi into view. The wire didn’t cut her, even as it yanked her forward violently.

  Hematite formed a fist, "I can kill her in an instant. But I'll let her speak first."

  Yumi pleaded, "Please, Caleb! I know Leo's done so much for us, but Sun is over. At least the one we know. Accept their deal! Vellin knows you were involved in his parent's death, and he's still offering us this! I had to see you go comatose... don't make me see you die..."

  Borschmack smiled, "So how about it?"

  Those bastards. If I used everything I had, could I kill those two? My dream about winning may have been fake, but a Hundred Percent Reinforcement was real.

  Leo saved me. He's my brother. I have to—

  I said, "I can't betray Sun, but I can't defeat you two without Yumi dying."

  Hematite said, "So steadfast..."

  I said, "One day. If you're able to defeat Leo within the day, I will surrender."

  Hematite tightened a wire around Yumi's throat, "Like we'll accept that."

  Borschmack clapped once, slow and deliberate, "I would expect no less from you, Demon Buddha. We accept your terms."

  He continued, "Go back to your house and stay there. Ignore any subordinates that demand your help."

  I asked, "If I got one clean hit to your head, what would've happened?"

  Borschmack swallowed, "I would've died, of course, but it's a grappler's job to make sure that doesn't happen. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone you lost to me."

  He walked past me to Headquarters, "Grappling is just better."