John knew his shot at Shahim’s feet could only delay his opponent for a moment. He needed to end this. He needed to get to mate. He looked for position.

He was now in the far corner of the room from the only exit still intact, so as Shahim flipped in midair, John pressed his hands back at the corner wall, bringing his feet up so that he could push off with all four limbs at the same time.

His feet connected with the wall a moment after his hands did, and with unified precision, all four bionic limbs powered at once, the drywall caving and cracking under the compound pressure as John propelled himself backward in a high arch, angling up toward the ceiling in a massive backflip.

Shahim saw it and flexed his damaged muscles once more, using his arms to try and throw his upside down body upward into the path of his opponent.

It was a desperate move, and John brushed it aside with a deft sonic punch. Not too powerful, not too much, a well-protected knight swatting back an errant king.

And in a moment it was done. John was past Shahim. He landed and turned in one fluid movement. It was almost beautiful. And as Shahim clawed and kicked to get at him, John turned his queen upon his opponent’s lone king and thrust him back again.

The full-powered sonic punch sent Shahim reeling. John slowly rose from his crouching position and stared intently at the prone Shahim Al Khazar, cornered and alone at last.

Three and a half seconds had passed since Shahim had entered the room.

The battle was over. Shahim had no pieces left. The two meters that lay between them was all John needed to stop Shahim from bringing his remaining brute force to bear. But still Shahim would not surrender. He would try against hope to escape. He bent his legs to launch himself away but John fired another pulse at his feet flinging him onto his front. Without pause, even as his feet rolled beneath him, Shahim was already trying to use his arms instead. But John fired another pulse under the man, flipping him once more and sending him sprawling across the floor.

Again Shahim tried to power himself upward but John was stepping slowly toward him now, beating each limb down, forcing Shahim into the corner, into mate at last.

Shahim registered components of his machine frame starting to break down. Too much pressure, too many hits, his systems were failing. But John did not relent. He did not let Shahim move a muscle without immediately smacking him down. For his part, Shahim did not stop either. He was ready for death but he would not give in to it. Why did the other Agent not start attacking with his laser as well? Why did he not finish it?