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Chapter Nineteen: Divide and Conquer

Tyson sprinted down the hallway, weaving in between onlookers, desperate to get out from the building. Someone called out his name, but he just kept running. There was a news report running on one of the ceiling televisions. Brad Best and AJ Topper were recapping today's battles and they focused their discussion solely on him and his loss to Robert.

Too much. Why couldn't they all just give him a little space to breathe? Did everyone always have to focus on his actions? Did they have to make it such a big deal? But Tyson, you are the reigning champion. It's only natural people are going to focus on you, a voice said deep inside. "Just leave me alone!" he bellowed, tears stinging his eyes.

He continued to run until he reached the security exit. Pushing open the doors, he ran outside and continued until he could run no further. Lungs burning and legs aching, Tyson collapsed onto his knees and punched the ground, tears flowing down his cheeks. He was outside now and sitting on the pavement. Fortunately, there was no one else around. Everyone was inside enjoying themselves.

Nothing but a loser. The world champion once again shown up big time on the global stage. Losing a battle in the first elimination round. He bladed like an amateur. He squeezed his eyes shut, but when he did all he could see was Hiro's gloating face and his laughter ringing in his ears. "Get out of my head! You're lying! I'm not unworthy!" he exclaimed, yelling at the ground as if it would somehow make him feel better.

But if he were worthy then why would Hiro, his brother, turn his back on him, not once, not twice, but a third time? That face. The expression of repulsion in Hiro's face hadn't been a figment of his imagination. The scorn and malice in his tone was very real. He was nothing but a disappointment in the eyes of the brother he had admired for so long. A living failure. A disgrace. Unworthy.

"Tyson?"

Hilary. He could hear that voice from a mile away. Why had she come? He didn't even bother to lift his head. He didn't want to show her the weakness on his face. She'd think ill of him too probably and he couldn't bear for anyone else to look at him with such disappointment. Taking in a deep breath, he said, "If you have come to belittle me then you're wasting my time. I don't want to hear it."

He felt her presence besides him. Naturally. Hilary was persistent and driven by a need to help others, but she couldn't help him. No one could. "I was checking to see if you were all right," she said, placing a hand on his left shoulder, as if to provide some form of comfort.

He flinched then jerked his arm away, unnerved. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You can't fool me Tyson. You're hurt."

Was it really that obvious? He supposed so. After all, he had just left his teammates without uttering a single word to them. "I suppose they're all inside talking about how much of a failure I am," he said in a low voice, desperately trying to keep his voice steady as to not give away too much of what he was feeling inside.

"You're not a failure, Tyson."

He squeezed his eyes shut, still refusing to lift his head. "I lost the battle that I should've won… And now they're all talking about me. The media. The fans. My own teammates. They think I'm weak… And they're right." He would never have become champion if not for his teammates. They were so much stronger than him. He was the weak link in the team. "I need to be strong more than ever, but I'm not. I can't… I just…" His voice quavered.

He felt her hand on his shoulder again. This time, he didn't shake it off. "I don't know who told you that, but you're not weak, Tyson. You never were."

Using the back of his right hand, he wiped the tears from his eyes then looked at her. How? That was the only question on his mind. How could she believe in that when it was so obvious, he was useless to everyone and unwanted by all? "…I don't understand. How can you believe in me after what you witnessed today? Don't you understand? I have to be the best for the team. I have to."

"But why do you have to be the best?"

"I'm…" Words failed him. Why indeed? "...I'm the champion and it's my responsibility to prove it repeatedly. I defeated Tala. I defeated Zeo. I defeated Brooklyn. And now we face something else entirely and I… I can't be the champion people want me to be. I can't be the one every kid wants to be because I'm not a true champion. I have the title, but what does it truly mean?"

All it said was one thing – that he had won some tournament out of sheer luck. He saw the posts on the boards from his doubters. People who explained why Kai deserved to be the one true champion because he was a better blader. Tyson couldn't argue with them; they were right. What had he done to prove to anyone that he deserved the trophy over his friends who had triumphed over tougher obstacles?

"…I don't deserve the title… I've done nothing to prove that I do… Every battle that I've fought I did not do alone…" He shut his eyes again and looked away, ashamed. But he couldn't stop. Not now. The tears had already spilled. "…I want to be someone people can look up to… To be the hero people want… To be the hero you hear about in legends… But I'm not that guy. I'm just another chump who thought he could be remembered." A bitter laugh escaped him. "Even my own brother can see it."

"I want to slap you right now. You listen to me, Tyson. You are not weak and don't you dare believe it." Her hold tightened. He looked at her. Not a jeering face, but once of genuine concern. "You are the hardest working blader that I know of and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. You overcome every obstacle that comes your way even when the odds are stacked against you. You fight for a world that is worth saving when others would simply give up. If that is not the definition of 'hero' then I don't know what is."

Amazing. Hilary believed in him. Despite their irrational arguments and their insults, she still saw something in him she valued. She still had the faith that he could overcome this. She saw him as something he didn't think he was – a hero of legends. He looked at her again. "You believe in me."

"Of course I do, you idiot," she said, drawing a hand back. "I have stood by you for years even when you've given me no reason to. I had many chances to turn my back and walk away, but I stayed at your side because I… because you're my friend and friends stick by each other through thick and thin. I've watched you fall. But I've seen you rise too. You're never going to get rid of me, Tyson. I'll only leave if you tell me too."

He hadn't failed to notice how her voice had faltered briefly, but she had recollected herself well and carried on as if nothing had happened. Did she… No. Of course not. He just happened to be the first guy who ever paid her any attention. "You're not ashamed."

"Aren't you listening to a single word I'm speaking?" She looked at him as if he had suddenly grown horns out of his head. "I would never be ashamed of you. Annoyed, angry even… but never ashamed. Forget about Hiro. You won without him before. You can do it again. Forget about the word champion. Focus on what matters. Justice for Mr. Dickinson."

Stanley. The man who had been brutally murdered at a public event. He gritted his teeth and clawed at the ground. What a fool he had been. "Hil…"

Her hand moved from his shoulder to his hand. Slender fingers clasped around his own. In a softly spoken she added, "You can't be a hero to everyone… but you're a hero to me."

Tyson didn't have anything to say to that. He just looked at her, speechless. His mind was still struggling to understand her undying belief in him. It wasn't as if he had been kind to her over the years. Often it was Kai who stepped in to calm her down and make things right. "…Did anyone ever tell you that you are insane?"

Still, he smiled for the first time that day. Maybe things weren't as grim as he had thought him to be. Hiro might be disappointed, but Hilary didn't share the same view. His teammates… His friends… They were still present. He could see them now approaching him, no anger nor disappointment on their faces. Perhaps… He climbed to his feet.

"I won the fight," Rei said. "We're going through to the semis, but I can't blade in that round. My Driger blade needs to be made again." He held up his damaged blade for Tyson to see.

"Do you believe in me?"

Max nodded. "You were never in doubt, Tyson. I was going to sit out for the next round, but I'm needed."

He looked to Kai. Kai nodded. "We all lose, Tyson, but our losses makes us stronger. We're just fortunate that it happened in round one." Not entirely positive but that was typical Kai. "Look, the loss happened, but that's in the past now. We have to look to the future and whether you believe it or not, you're still the strongest blader on this team."

"The Demolition Boys next then," Tyson remarked.

"Yeah… the PBB All-Starz are skilled bladers, but they seemed distracted, but the Demolition Boys have the hunger the Americans lack," Kai said.

"What's the battling order?" Max said. "I'm happy to blade first again."

"I imagine it's going to be the same line up we battled against in Moscow all those long years ago," Kenny explained, looking up from the brochure. "Spencer and Bryan haven't done much blading since then, but I would say we should win this comfortably."

"The Demolition Boys weren't impressive last year," said Rei.

Kai shook his head. "We shouldn't underestimate them. Tala and his teammates have something to prove this year and they're not going to hold anything back. Max can blade first. He'll probably battle Spencer. Tyson to face Bryan. I want to take on Tala myself. We have a score to settle so I'll blade last."

He suspected Kai's relationship with his former team had fallen apart during the later stages of the tournament. Why else would Kai be so eager to battle against Tala? But that was fine with Tyson. He wasn't the only one with personal demons to conquer. They were looking at him, waiting for a response. He nodded. "That's fine."

"We all need to be careful," Rei started. "I was hospitalized after the battle against Bryan."

"And Tyson got trapped in a big iceberg with Tala," Max pointed out.

"You think they'll be up to their same old tricks again?" Kenny said.

Everyone looked to Kai. "It's hard to say, but we should be on our guard. Desperation can make a man dangerous."

"Sound advice," Max said, turning to look at Hilary and before facing the rest of the group again. "Say… you two want some pizza? Kenny paid for it. We've got a box left over still if you want it."

The pain of the loss to Robert had lessened. Yes, it was still there, and it hurt, but he knew he wasn't alone. His teammates still wanted him on the team despite the loss. They still saw value in him and that alone was enough to continue fighting. Not to mention Hilary's words to him. The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a smile as he reflected. "You can't be a hero to everyone… but you're a hero to me."

"I'm sorry, did I say something funny?" Kai said.

"Maybe he's thinking about the pizza," Rei teased.

"Thanks guys, honestly," Tyson answered, his smile fading. "I wouldn't be here without any of you. You've all stuck by my side for years, put up with my insults and endured my tantrums, and I think that makes you all champions. You've all been there for me when I've been down. Now it's my turn to give back and ensure we make it to the end." He stuck his left hand out before him. "United we are one, divided we will fall."

Max placed his hand on top. "I hear you, Tyson. Nothing will ever undo our spirit."

Rei followed suit, placing his hand on top of Max's. "Whatever obstacle stands in our path we will overcome it."

"Everything we've learned over the years comes down to these final two rounds," Kenny said, adding his hand. Hilary followed shortly afterwards. They all looked to Kai who still hadn't joined in. "Aren't you going to join us?"

He looked hesitant. Probably thought this pre-battle cheer thing was a little cheesy. "You know, sometimes I regret being part of the team again…" Much to his surprise, Kai placed a hand in the pile. "…But I'm truly proud to be part of the Avengers. I wouldn't want it any other way. This tournament is ours to win."

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Bryan walked along the riverside bypassing the big wheel. Parents with young children were queuing up for the ride, while others walked across the bridge to reach the harbour. Other people were visiting restaurants and others took advantage of the cool weather by jogging. Everyone seemed so happy.

Distracted, he walked past several restaurants, his stomach growling. The message was clear. Time to eat and quick. But where to go? He didn't recognize any of these names. He didn't consider himself a coward by no means, but dining at a place with food items he wasn't familiar with made him a little uneasy.

"…watch it!"

Startled, he whipped his head around and noticed a female on the ground. Having been distracted by the food shops, he had walked right into another person, successfully knocking her over with his bulk physique. Wait. He recognized this girl. Aqua hair. Short and lean. Dark skin. "Ming Ming?"

She climbed to her feet, dusting her skirt off with both hands. He probably should've helped her up onto her feet, but she seemed perfectly capable of doing that. Besides, what if she took offense? She glared at him, but Bryan just looked on confused. What did she want? A medal? Money?

"Fancy bumping into you here all alone."

"The same can be said for you," Bryan replied.

"Brooklyn and Garland are checking out the pool room at the hotel. I came here alone to get some fresh air."

It dawned on Bryan that it must be difficult being the only female on a team of males. He tried to think of something to say, but his mind came up with blank. The last time he had crossed paths with Bega it hadn't ended on a pleasant note. Did Ming Ming still harbour ill feelings towards him regarding what he had done to Brooklyn? Maybe it was best not to mention it.

What would Tala do in this situation? Wait. Why was he even thinking that? Why would it matter what Tala would do if alone with a girl? It wasn't like Tala had much experience with the ladies either. In fact, all the Demolition Boys had little experience when conversing with the opposite gender. He blamed Boris for that. No girls in the Abbey because girls were a distraction from beyblading.

"So, you lot got yourselves here. Say, know of any good places to eat?" Bryan started. At least he didn't start with the weather. Even an abbey boy knew to never start a conversation about the weather with another person. "I'm hungry."

Ming Ming shrugged. "There's a nice chocolate place down the street."

Chocolate for lunch. Not the healthiest option, but he wasn't going to complain. Besides, chocolate was nice. "Okay." He started walking. To his surprise, Ming Ming followed him, managing to keep up with his pace. A few blading fans walked by. He could tell they were fans because they had shirts on with text saying, 'Beyblade Tournament 2016'. One of them took a quick photo of them and sniggered.

"Big match in New Zealand in two days."

"Yeah."

"Blading against the Avengers."

"Yeah."

What a thrilling conversation. Honestly, he tried to make it a lively one, but what was he supposed to talk about? With Ming Ming of all people. She was a total opposite of him. She was small and he was tall. She was slender and he was solid. She liked to sing, and he couldn't carry a tune to save his life. What on earth could they possibly talk about?

"So…" he started. At least she wasn't here with her teammates. That would make things a little… heated. "…Why are you here anyway? You're not blading in the tournament."

She frowned. "We might not be blading, but we're fans of the sport Bryan."

Right. Of course. But didn't they lack the funds to fly all this way? Perhaps they had found a source of income somehow since the last time they crossed? "Are you coming to watch our match against the Avengers?"

"Maybe. Would it make you happy if we did?"

Confused, he frowned. "Why would it make me happy?"

"You're not much of a conversationalist, are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

They continued to walk down the street in silence, each blader lost in their own thoughts. It was hard to imagine what thoughts were running through her mind. What did girls like to think about anyway? Shopping? No wonder girls weren't allowed in the abbey. They were too confusing. Eventually, they reached the chocolate shop. Max Brenner. Everything on the menu was chocolate-related.

"Hi, Bryan."

A certain raven haired blader was looking at him with a knowing smirk on his face. He also spotted Spencer who was currently seated at a table and looking quite satisfied with his milkshake. Great. How did these guys get here before him? And why hadn't he been invited?

"Hi, Ming Ming," Ian added.

"Why are you here? I thought you were practicing with Tala," Bryan replied.

Ian shrugged. "Tala was getting all moody, so Spencer and I bailed." He looked at Ming Ming again then Bryan. "Well, Spencer and I should probably go back. Tala wants to go through another practice run before tomorrow. See you later, Bryan. Have fun." Before Bryan could get out another word, Ian walked over to Spencer, whispered something into his ear. The two boys glanced at Bryan then sniggered before walking off.

"Well, let's have a seat, shall we?" Ming Ming said, entering the store. She spotted a table in the far eastern corner then sat down. Bryan, unsure of what else to do, decided to accept her offer and joined her. This was certainly a new experience for him. "Why don't you tell me a little about your team?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I want to understand you lot better. You may find we're a little more alike than you think." She leaned back in her chair and grabbed the menu, her eyes quickly scanning the words on the plastic.

"I doubt that. You wouldn't understand what it's like to be a servant of Boris."

She looked up from the menu. "We worked for him too without knowing anything about his past."

"Unlike you, we didn't have a choice." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "We were taken from our homes at a young age. Taken away from our parents then placed in some abbey believing we were special children." He barked out a laugh. "That was all a lie. We were soldiers in the womb."

"I remember you mentioning that. So why not leave when you were mature enough?"

Again, he snorted. "It's not easy to leave when you work for a madman like Boris. Balkov Abbey was a prison – every corner and every room had a camera. Our every movement was monitored. We like lab rats trapped in a maze." He clasped his hands on the edge of the desk. Just mentioning the name Balkov Abbey made his blood boil. "That's why you'll never understand our team. Yeah, you worked for Boris, but you made that decision. We didn't."

"But didn't Kai escape? You could've gone with him. Aren't you friends?"

Friends. Yeah right. "We were all brothers in the Abbey, but Kai was the favourite. He was the Golden Boy. He was going to be in the team no matter how poorly he performed. His grandfather, Voltaire, was the mastermind behind Balkov Abbey. Boris was just the puppet." Fortunately, Voltaire was still in Russia and locked up behind bars. He could never hurt them again. Same with Boris. "Divide and conquer. That was the plan."

It felt odd telling Ming Ming about his life story, but it only fair to finish what he had started. He had brought it up during the dinner party, and she had asked nicely. On the positive note, at least they were having a conversation. She wasn't reacting in the way he suspected she would. She wasn't forcefully prying for details or casting judgements on him when so many others would. Never judge a book by its cover. Only now he was starting to understand that.

"That still doesn't answer my question."

Right. Kai escaping. He cleared his throat and carried on. "Kai left without warning. We were supposed to be battling each other, but Kai didn't show up. They tried searching for him, but Kai couldn't be found. He hadn't left the building, so it left only one room that was unmonitored. The room with Black Dranzer. Kai had broken the glass protecting it and had taken the blade for himself. Boris hadn't been too impressed with him."

"And he was gone the next day?"

Bryan nodded. "He left. He ran away. The experiment with Black Dranzer had affected him greatly and so he bolted. The authorities tried to stop him, but Boris decided to let him go. I suppose he always knew Kai would come crawling back to his roots." He scowled at the memory and tightened his grasp on the table. His knuckles started to hurt. "Kai could've shown us the way out, but he left us behind. All the years we spent together meant nothing to him. He was happy to leave us behind to suffer while he managed to get a few years of his life back."

"And yet he joined your team."

"Tala's decision. We talked about it beforehand and debated it. Spencer and I argued no. We didn't need that traitor on our side again. He had already burned us twice, but Tala was open to forgiveness. Kai came to us and Tala laid out the invitation to which Kai accepted. We might've reunited for a third time, but Kai didn't treat us like teammates. He used us to get to Tyson. He didn't a crap about our well-being."

It was only by luck Tala had stumbled upon them knocked out. If Tala hadn't found them… Most likely he wouldn't even be here today in this very building. "People may think Kai is some noble blader but he's only interested in serving his own needs."

The girl brought a hand to her lower lip and bit down on a nail. Had he made her nervous? Or was it something she did out of habit? "Kai never said a word to me during his short stay at Bega Headquarters. To be honest, I always thought he was gay. He avoided all the females like the plague."

Bryan couldn't help it. He spared a chuckle at her words despite the seriousness in her tone. Kai, gay? "There were no females in the Abbey."

"That explains a lot. So, you're just a bunch of repressed bladers?"

His humour faded. Repressed? "We're not repressed. We just haven't had a chance to act on… emotions." In the words of Boris, emotions were a weakness. Feelings led to temptation which then led to self-destruction. The only emotions accepted were anger and hate which Boris claimed was a positive force. Bladers were pushed to their limits until they were broken. "Do you see now why you and I are not alike?"

"Our situations may have differed, but it doesn't change the fact our experiences broke us. We are the damned," she said softly.

He stood up from the chair. "I need to leave. My teammates need me." He had already told her far too much.

"I thought you wanted to eat?"

"I've lost my appetite." They were not 'broken' as she had put it. They were not fragile tortured souls. No. He looked at her one last time. "You could never hope to understand us because you have not suffered as we have. When you have been locked inside a prison for years and been pushed beyond your limits then come back and tell me we are alike."

Before Ming Ming could speak again, Bryan made a break for the door, leaving the poor girl behind on her own.

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"Come on, Max. I know you're better than that!"

"Go, Draciel! Hit him with all you got!"

Tyson grabbed a banana smoothie and sat down in between Hilary and Kenny across from the practice dish. The battle against the Majestics might've been over, but there was no time to rest. "How tough do you think the Demolition Boys will be?"

"The Majestics fought well, but we've had the advantage of blading against tougher opponents," Kenny mused, tapping away at his laptop. "Tala plays to the level of his opponent – I noticed when I battled against him last year, and the big improvement he made against Daichi later in the tournament," he added, peering over his laptop to study the match.

"We know the Demolition Boys well," Hilary said, her knees pressed together, hands resting on her lap. "Surely, we have an advantage? And we have Kai. Kai knows them better than anyone else. I don't think we need to be concerned." Draciel and Dranzer slammed into each other.

"A lot of time has passed since the tournament. Who knows what they've been doing?"

Tyson bounced his knee up and down. "All this blading makes me want to blade too. It's so hard being a spectator. So, Kenny. Have we got any data on the Horseman? Or the Bai Hu?"

Rei entered the room, a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair untied. "The Bai Hu are some clan that used to be old rivals of the White Tigers back in the day. We thought they had just disappeared… I guess not."

"And we haven't got enough on the Horseman either. They didn't reveal much at all, and I don't think they'll show their cards in their quarters tomorrow," Kenny answered, looking back at his laptop's screen again.

Tyson peered over his shoulder to see what he was typing. So far, Kenny had made a few notes about launch speed and spin speed. "I'm not too concerned. We'll take each battle as it comes, but we should just focus on beating the Demolition Boys. They won't be such a cakewalk. I think-" His words were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Tyson. We need to talk." Robert's voice.

Tyson stood up and put his smoothie down on the kitchen bench. "Robert?" He walked over to the door and opened it. Robert was accompanied by Enrique and Johnny. "Did you come to have a rematch?"

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Robert owned you." He pushed his way into the room.

Kai and Max ceased their battle and recollected their blades. "Did you get lost? This is our preparation room. Oh wait. You don't have one anymore," Kai said.

"I wouldn't get so cocky if I were in your shoes," Johnny said, digging his hands into his pockets. "You guys may have beaten us today, but you just got lucky. We're a bit distracted with some outside business. Robert thought it would be a good idea to come here to tell you something. So, shut up and listen."

"What is it?" Hilary said.

Robert closed the door. "The tournament doesn't get any easier for you. You will face the Demolition Boys then, if you succeed, you will battle against the Horsemen and they are unlike anything you've ever battled against."

"Way to be dramatic, Robert," Enrique drawled. "But he's right. You Bladebreakers… Or Avengers… Whatever you are called, need to be at your best. There's a storm brewing and you're right in the path of it."

"You know something," Max said.

Robert nodded. "Forget about the battles of the past. Forget Tala. Forget Zeo. Forget Brooklyn. What comes is far more dangerous threat than the three of them combined. The Leviathan. He was the first bitbeast to be created but he fell and became trapped. He is the living embodiment of all that is evil in this world."

"That's what King was warning us about…" Tyson started.

Kai frowned. "We watched one of their earlier matches. Our bitbeasts sensed something off about them."

"As did ours," Robert replied. "We ran into the Dark Bladers several days ago, and they told us about the awakening of an old evil. We have had our differences with them, but I do not see why they would lie about this. They are creatures of the dark, as is this old bitbeast we now face."

"I've never heard of the Leviathan before," Kai mused.

"Neither did I until recently, but I do know my ancestors kept a book about their experiences with this Leviathan creature. In biblical terms, this Leviathan was said to be a great serpent, and the embodiment of evil and chaos," Robert explained. "Mariam of the Saint Shields can confirm this."

"Mariam knows?" Max said, eyebrows raised.

"You know her?" Johnny said.

Max nodded. "Yeah. She was my rival." A pause then, "…How do you know Mariam?"

"Mariam and I crossed paths," Johnny answered.

A smirk spread across Enrique's face. "Johnny's got a crush."

"Go fuck yourself, Enrique," Johnny snapped, flipping his middle finger at the blond.

Enrique sighed. "…Classy."

Kenny nodded. "Makes says," he said, glancing at Max. "They did spend a lot of time studying the sacred bitbeasts. Her teammates know more about these bitbeasts than any of us do. If they think there's something dangerous out there, we should believe them."

Kai nodded. "Kenny's right. Our bitbeasts are the four sacred ones. The Saint Shields made it their holy mission to learn everything about them. If they're in danger, they're going to know about it."

"Well spoken, Kai," Robert acknowledged.

"This… Leviathan creature… What else do you know about it?" Rei said.

Robert nodded. "We cannot confirm the finer details, but we do find it a bit suspicious that this Horseman team, made up of amateur bladers, have made it into the professional scene. I don't know all the precise details yet, but yes, I believe the beast was caged. I do not know who is behind his release, but it must be someone who has access to the best technology science has to offer."

There was only one company in the entire world that had the funds to produce the best. The PBB headquarters in America. Max's mother. All heads turned to Max who paled. "No… My mother would never…"

"I don't your mother is to blame, Max," Robert said then paused. "There is someone else behind the scenes pulling the strings and your mother has been caught up in it. Your mother coached the All-Starz but it was not her idea, was it? The man was Douglas, the CEO of PBB Enterprises. He mysteriously vanished after his team lost the American Tournament."

"You think he's a suspect?" Hilary said.

"Who else could it be?" Enrique said. "Think about it. Douglas wanted to prove so desperately that science could defeat spirit. You guys proved him wrong. So, we think he's been planning behind the scenes for years trying to prove science still wins."

Robert looked at Tyson. "I also suspect your father is involved in this. He knows a lot about myths and digging up old artefacts and such, yes? If there is a cage to be found, then he would know where to look."

"I should talk to my mum," Max said.

"A gathering of minds," Robert answered. "We can pull bits and pieces to conclude together, but now is not the time. You've got a major battle to focus on."

"After the semis we can talk," Kenny said. "We'll all know more by then."

"The other teams can help too," Kai said. "The ones no longer competing, but Robert is right. We need to focus our efforts on defeating the Demolition Boys before we can even think about the Horsemen." He looked at Robert. "We'll leave the uncovering of information to you lot since you no longer have a tournament to focus on."

"You better make it to the end," Johnny said. "We didn't lose for nothing."

Robert glanced down at the time. "We would love to stay, but we must depart now. There's a VIP party being held in a few short hours. There's a special guest performing, and it would be most rude of us to be late. We will keep in touch. Best of luck for the remaining rounds." He turned his back and walked off with his teammates.

"So… pizza?" Max said, changing the topic.

Tyson nodded. "Why not?"