Naecken watched the fight from the safety of his ice castle, standing, with his hands held on his back, near a wide pillar made of stone hard ice.

"They came faster than I had anticipated... but the important thing is that they came. They're so predictable, don't you think..." Naecken said, turning to the pillar, "...Mick?"

Mick Harrison's hands and feet were tightly covered by the hard ice coming from the pillar, that kept him attached to it leaving his body in an uncomfortable 'X' position.

Naecken's face neared Mick's, as the composite being examined the human. "It's funny... part of me considers you a friend. You, and Euro, and Turkish... and Mxy, of course."

Mick looked right into Naecken's red eyes... and spat, aiming at it's face. However, the saliva was too thick and didn't split, falling on Mick's chest and ruining what could have been a very cinematic moment.

"Aw, shit..." Mick said, as Naecken started slowly walking around the pillar as if nothing had happened.

"It's a small part of me," Naecken continued, "but it's there, and it'd be foolish not to acknowledge it. That's why it had to be one of you."

"What the fuck do you want with me?!" Mick yelled. "I won't turn into M-X-Y, if that's what you want me to do. I couldn't even if I wanted..."

"I know, that's precisely why I took you..." Naecken replied. "Euro's current whereabouts are unknown to me, and kidnapping The Prophet is out of the question. When I heard you were weak and couldn't turn into Mxy I knew for certain you were the one I had to take. I was so eager I went there myself... oh, you should have seen the look on Shir's eyes... I have never seen the poor girl like that, not even in the caves in Mandelovia... remember?"

Mick was furious. "You're not Naecken, you fucking piece of... red... hellshit... or something... DON'T YOU FUCKING PRETEND YOU'RE HIM!"

"I'm the Naecken you knew and I'm also not him. That's the beauty of it, can't you see? Oh, this is why I liked you so much, Mick. You were never the sharpest tool in the shed. We had so much in common..."

Since this seemed to be 'conversation time', Mick decided to try and see if he could get Naecken to tell him what his plan was. You know... like in Bond movies.

"So, uh, you said you had to take one of us and you decided to take me... But what for? I mean, what's the big idea?" Mick asked.

"I took you to attract the rest," Naecken answered. "To make sure that they came here."

"Well, the joke's on you, red... They were coming anyway!"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll figure out some other way to take advantage of having you here, old friend..."