TK was exhausted, and he didn't think he could take another hit from Ethereal. He had exhausted a lot of his energy in stopping the construct and he didn't know if he could fight his partner anymore. So as Ethereal gathered his will, he closed his eyes, ready to accept defeat. It was a skill he had learned long ago. Pick the battles you want to win. This was a battle he wanted to lose. At worst, Captain and Leo would smack him around. But the others still wouldn't know how good he was with his powers, and that meant he was still a wild card. That was another lesson he had learned long ago. Always be the wild card.