Usual disclaimers apply. The only things I own in this story are the created characters. Everything else belongs to Konami.

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Andrew's Story - Chapter Eight

Flirting With Danger

(Location – Muse City)

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Hours passed. Night had fallen over Muse, and it was pretty quiet...

Well, apart from Jowy and Nanami's endless arguing that is. And it was keeping Andrew awake. He closed his eyes, but couldn't close his ears to the conversation...

"This is YOUR fault Jowy! You were terrible!"

"Huh! Your acting was worse! You sounded like a little girl trying to talk like her mother!"

"My acting was way better than yours, right Riou?"

"No way, Riou liked my acting better. Didn't you Riou?"

They both looked over at Riou, who shrugged: "You both stunk."

Andrew nearly laughed, but managed to stifle it in. Good lad, exactly what I would've said.

"Hey! Meanie!"

"Hmph. Don't class my acting in the same league as Nanami's!"

"How dare you!!!"

It continued like that for a while, before everybody eventually fell asleep. Andrew reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He turned it over, before replacing it in his pocket.

This could all have been avoided if that blasted girl hadn't kept on interrupting me. Shame Riou likes her...oh well, I'll be out of here by the morning. Hopefully.

And with that thought Andrew drifted off to sleep...

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There was a loud knocking on the Cell door. The sun had risen again, and the sounds of bustling people should've been enough to wake everyone up. But they all awoke with a start as the guards came in.

The guard looked around at everybody: "Which one of you is Andrew?"

Andrew stood up. The guard nodded before continuing: "Welcome home. I assume you have your pass there?"

Everybody turned around to face Andrew, who shrugged: "I TRIED to tell you I come from Muse, but everytime I tried, Miss Blabbermouth over there..."

"HEY!" Nanami fumed

But Andrew continued anyway: "She interrupted me. Don't worry guys, I'll find this Viktor guy and get you all out soon!"

The others seemed to either look further dismayed or a little brightened. Andrew looked around at everybody, put on his best "sorry guys" expression, and he was escorted out of the cell, to the busy streets of Muse City.

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Andrew looked at the guards: "Can't you just let them out? They are with me after all."

The guards did look sympathetic...but: "Sorry Andrew, rules are rules."

Dammit...well, all I need to do is find this Viktor guy and he'll get them out. I guess that's the plan. That plan sucks. And it's all I've got.

With a look back at the cell and a sigh, Andrew walked into the heart of Muse City to try and find this Viktor guy.

Now how did Riou describe him again...um...oh yeah, "just look for the guy who looks like a rugged bear and that'll be Viktor." Gee, so much information - my head is swamped.

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It was now midday, and Andrew had been looking all over Muse for about three hours now. He sat down on a nearby bench and once again let out a sigh.

"Okay...not at the armour shop, Dr. Huan says he hasn't seen anybody like that, nothing from the Runemistress. I'm stumped! Where haven't I looked?!?"

Andrew turned around the corner in the eastern side of Muse City, and was almost knocked down by a girl in a white cape. Andrew turned to face the girl.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

But the girl had already walked off again, and Andrew just shook his head in dismay.

Somebody skipped learning her manners...

Andrew shaking of his head in dismay turned to shaking his head in disgust before he passed by a relatively new store. He looked up at the sign above the door. It turned out to be a Bar. The gears in Andrew's head went into overdrive.

"He's gotta be in there! Where else could he be!"

Andrew walked as calmly as possible into the bar. He quickly scanned the bar, skimming the occupants - taking an unnecessary second look at the incredibly hot bartender - looking for anyone who fitted Riou's rather vague description of Viktor.

But there was nobody like that here...Andrew let his head fall down in defeat.

"Excuse me? You looking for someone in particular?"

Andrew looked up and saw heaven itself...or at least an angel...the incredibly hot bartender had walked over. Andrew decided to play it cool.

"Yeah, I'm actually looking for somebody called Viktor, but you're an even better find."

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10 minutes and one bitch slap later...

"Ow! That hurt!"

Andrew cried out in pain as the landlady applied more medicine to the bruise left by the bartender's slap to the face. The landlady put on a sympathetic face anyway.

"Well, it's what you get for trying to flirt with Leona like that. Hold still, one more dab...there! It'll heal that bruise quickly now."

Andrew nodded in thanks, and made to leave the bar.

But the landlady stopped him: "Wait a second...you said you were looking for Viktor?"

Andrew turned around: "Yeah! Is he here?"

The landlady shook her head: "Not just now, but he'll probably be in later on. Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest while you wait. It's on the house this time, if only because this story'll give the staff a good laugh later on."

His pride completely bashed, Andrew decided to take the free bed. He felt kinda guilty at leaving everybody in that cell while he slept on the really comfy bed.

But there's nothing I can do until Viktor gets here...and it IS free after all...

He dozed off soon afterwards.

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Andrew was awoken later on by the landlady. She looked frantic.

"Some lady's got some kid hostage outside! Come on! You gotta see this!"

The landlady ran back down the stairs. Andrew quickly grabbed his sword and ran out the room and down the stairs...

Returning seconds later to put his clothes on...

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Andrew, finally fully clothed, ran outside to see what was going on. It seemed to be a face-off, as a guy in a black cloak was staring down a girl in a white cloak...

HEY!!! It's that girl who bumped into me yesterday!

Andrew ran over towards her, but stopped when he saw who her hostage was...

"Lord Riou!"

He looked over, but the girl and the guy were still in a stand-off. She had two strange looking crossbows in her hands, one aimed at Riou and the other at the guy. Andrew had seen enough...

He charged at her.

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Find out what was happening with the others while Andrew was searching for Viktor in the next chapter!