MIAB

23: Rise Above The Storm

"Where is everyone?" Raul thought as he made his way up the stairs, stumbling on things he was afraid of seeing because, the last time he had done so, he had seen a skeleton hand that had a plastic silver ring.

He had recognized that ring. It had belonged to the six-year old Rosaline. The sweet girl with long dark blue hair and light green eyes that was from Spain as well. She was a possible candidate for Chaos's tamer and she was such a kind girl. She and Tyson had entered a room to be tested by Chaos and she had not come back. It had never dawned on Raul that she was dead until now.

"They can't have gotten too far." He muttered, stopping in front of a room and seeing the remains of a beybattle, "This must have been Gaea's room. That means that they're not too far away!"

He began to walk up the stairs quickly, almost tripping again. He paused, trying to regain his breath. Not too far from him, floating silently behind him, was Dark Driger. The beast was waving at Raul, mouthing words and just making a fool out of himself, knowing Raul couldn't see or hear him.

"Are they fighting Ouranos?" Raul asked himself before he heard groaning behind him. He turned around, Dark Driger having flown up to avoid being seen by the young blader, "What was that?"

"Raul?"

Raul perked up, seeing Ming-Ming, Oliver and Zeus – Zeus on Oliver's back and just waving at Raul – coming up the stairs, "You don't know how glad I am to see you guys."

"I bet." Oliver said, grinning at the Spanish male, "It seems that they beat Hades. Who else did they beat before you?"

Raul hummed, looking at the stairs and seeing how far they must have walked to make it here, "I know Hecate and Nemesis have been defeated but I don't know about Gaea. I think they have, seeing as they're making their way to the chamber of Ouranos."

"That leaves Tartarus, Dark Draciel, Dark Dragoon, Dark Driger, Dark Dranzer and Chaos left to defeat," Zeus answered, looking pensive, "Things might become more complicated."

"You think so?"

"I know so-." Zeus stopped, realizing that none of the bladers had spoken. They all looked up to see the smirking face of Dark Driger, who seemed very happy to have finally been noticed.

"Hello." He grinned. Instinctively, Ming-Ming reached for her blade but then remembered that it had been destroyed with Oliver's and she doubted Raul had a blade with him. Zeus certainly did not have one.

"Why are you here?"

"To say hello, mostly. And to say that you have been invited to enter Chaos's room." They all frowned at him and he pouted, "What? I don't think you want to enter my room. It's not as nice as his."

"What's the catch?" Oliver asked.

"Catch?" Dark Driger closed his eyes, putting a hand under his chin and thinking. He stretched in a feline-like manner – obviously. He was a giant cat – before responding, "None so far. Chaos won't be able to hurt you because you'll be considered a bystander and you'll be able to see the both sides of the battle without being there. Sounds tempting right?"

"No."

Dark Driger groaned, "Tough crowd."

"I'll go."

Ming-Ming, Zeus and Raul turned to Oliver like he was crazy. This just made the green-haired French boy smile, "They have an advantage over us in knowing how the battles have gone. I'm curious to see how they do that."

"You do realize you'll have to take me with you." Zeus muttered.

"Chaos won't hurt you. Dark Driger said so himself." He answered.