I don't own Karl or any of the xxxHolic characters.

xxxHolic belongs to CLAMP

Karl belongs to Unknown-Person. Go check his stuff out at .com

However, the idea, concept and actual writing of this story DOES belong to me.

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The sound of heavy boots clunking across Yuko's wood floors startled Wantanuki. He looked up from his dusting and was taken aback by the man who stood before him. Tall and handsome, his hair was blonde and pulled back into a ponytail. A yellow and black bandana hid most it from view. His face was lit up with a sweet smile. A smile that looked sinister with the three violent scars slashed across his left eye. "Well hello there," the man said.

Wantanuki stood up straight. "Um, hi. Are you here to see Yuko?" –I didn't even hear him come in,- he thought. –But he must be a customer.-

"As a matter of fact I am. I hear that the witch here can grant me any wish." There was movement on the man's shoulder and Wantanuki saw a black crow was perched there, looking at him innocently.

"Yes, that's right," he answered.

Yuko's voice came from the doorway behind Wantanuki, wafting across the air as mysterious as the smoke from her opium pipe. "Well hello Karl. I see you've finally arrived."

The man stiffened. Wantanuki looked at him. Karl? Not the name he would expect such a pirate-like man to be called. Karl recovered from the shock of Yuko calling him by name. "I didn't know you were expecting me."

Yuko smiled knowingly at him and gave no response.

He giggled, a high-pitched, terrifying sound that sent shivers up Wantanuki's spine. "I apologize for keeping you waiting then. You see, I heard about this place by word of mouth. It was a bit of a coincidence that I happened upon it at all."

"There is no such thing as coincidence in this world. Only inevitability,"

Karl dismissed her comment with a smile. "Yes, that's very interesting. But if we could get down to the matter of my wish? You see, I'm in quite a hurry."

Yuko took a long drag of her pipe and blew the smoke out. "First we should discuss your payment."

"You can have anything you like. If it's mine to give I'll gladly give it to you in exchange for what I want." Karl stroked his crow, clearly impatient.

"One should not be so quick to say they'll pay anything," Yuko said. "But seeing as you've already committed yourself, tell me. What it your wish?"

Wantanuki remained behind Yuko. Karl scared him but he was curious to hear what this strange man's wish was. Karl spoke simply and in an almost serious tone. "I want to be free." The sober air evaporated as he put a hand on his hip. "To be more precise, I want an energy source. Something that won't restrict me to staying in one place and will last as long as I do."

Yuko put her pipe on the side table. "That should be fairly easy," she said. She raised her hands and a strong wind swept through the room. Wafts of strange fog curled around Karl. A glowing bracelet formed around his right hand and in a moment the wind dissipated. Yuko looked pleased with herself. "There. How does that suit you?"

Karl flexed his right hand. Wantanuki noticed it was an unnatural gray. Almost like it was made out of cement and not flesh. The pirate smiled. "I'm impressed." His hand reached for his bird. In one swift motion the crow morphed into a cutlass which Karl swung at Yuko's head. The tall woman summoned a sword with a whirl of magic and blocked his blow. She pushed him back and shoved Wantanuki to the side. Tumbling behind the couch, Wantanuki watched them fight with wide eyes. Mokona popped up next to him.

"You don't think he'll hurt Yuko-san, do you?" Wantanuki asked.

"No way," Mokona said with confidence. "Yuko's too fast for that."

The two danced around each other. Karl bumped into a pedestal and knocked the vase on top off. Wantanuki yelled and dove forward, catching it, but just barely. He let out a sigh of relief. Then he yelped as a cold, rough hand grabbed him by the collar, making him drop the vase. It shattered, but Wantanuki had other things to worry about. Karl wrapped an arm around him, holding the blade of his sword close to his captive's neck. Yuko hesitated.

"I really am grateful for you solving my problem for me Witch Lady, but I have no intention to pay you. Now if you don't want your little human to die, I think you should perhaps forget you ever saw me." Karl's tone was cheerful, but deadly. Like arsenic in lemonade.

Yuko made her sword vanish with a flick of her wrist but she didn't seem worried at all. Instead, she returned Karl's smile. "All things in this universe has balance. If you do not pay, that balance will be disrupted. After all, you committed to pay earlier. If it was a lie or not doesn't matter. Words are binding things." She took a step towards him and Karl pressed the sword closer to Wantanuki's neck. He gasped.

"Uh…Y-Yuko-san?"

The space time witch kept her eyes on Karl. "You payment went into effect as soon as that bracelet formed on your wrist. Something of equal value must always be given in return. So, in order for you to have an energy source that won't restrict you, you must never intentionally kill or maim another living thing as long as you are alive."

Karl faltered for a moment. But only for a moment. "How do I know you're not making it up?" he asked.

"Do you really want to try your luck? Go on, kill him. But don't be surprised if that bracelet shatters the moment you do."

It was a tense moment and Wantanuki definitely didn't like Yuko's suggestion for Karl to kill him. But it wasn't like he could do anything about it in his current position. Karl's grip tightened on him but he let him go. Wantanuki stumbled away and hid behind Yuko. The pirate shrugged. "Seems I don't have much of a choice in the matter, now do I? Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving." His sword became a bird again and he made to leave.

"But you have another thing to pay for," Yuko said with a little smile.

Karl turned to see her holding a piece of porcelain in her pale fingers. Wantanuki blanched. "The vase! I'm sorry Yuko-san! I didn't mean to let it fall!"

The space-time witch looked amused. "Oh, it's not your fault Wantanuki. After all, you did catch it. It was Karl here who made you drop it. And, by extension, it was him who broke it."

Folding his arms, Karl gave Yuko an irritated smile. "I don't have any money."

"I don't want money," Yuko replied. "The vase was something of great value to me, so therefore you must pay with something of great value to you."

He put a hand over his bird protectively. "And that would be?" he asked coyly.

Yuko laughed. "Not your bird. Perhaps next time. No. You will pay with your freedom. From now on you must work for me until your debt is paid."

Karl's scarred eye twitched. "And that would be how long?" he asked.

"Oh, about four weeks I'd imagine. Until then you are not allowed to leave this lot unless I specifically tell you you can."

Wantanuki grimaced. "How do I just know this isn't going to turn out well?"