All the way here, Number 9 had insisted on showing off—riding a bicycle while freezing the snow beneath it into solid ice so the wheels could roll smoothly. But that stunt came at a cost. It drained his abilities nonstop. A minute or two might not matter, but when the consumption piled up, it became significant.

If he weren't locked in a brutal fight with Ray, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Against almost any other opponent, he would have been fine. But Ray's attacks were outrageous