Aaaaand we're back. I would have had this up yesterday, but y'know, 4th of July. I was at my aunt's all day. Nice computer, but no internet connection. Ack. Here's chapter 10.

(o.o) Episode two, Chapter ten: Mudskippers(o.o)

As Andrew slid along the freshly blizzard'd roads, he wondered how he was going to explain this predicament to Bradan. John and Cory had been understanding, but Bradan...not so much with the understanding. -I'll just see how things turn out when I get there.- Dropping the explanation, Andrew's thoughts turned to the guitar slung across his back. He didn't know guitars very well, but this one was awesome. Did I mention it before? A pearlescent orange Rickenbacker 4003 bass guitar. Awesomeness. HOW Haruko had pulled a guitar out of his head, Andrew had no idea. But then again, if a robot could fit in there, so could a guitar. Andrew took a quick look back to make sure Haruko wasn't following him. -Good, nothing.- If that woman ever caught him, he'd be beaten into a bloody pulp. Then puree'd. Then beaten some more. Then served on a silver platter with a side of charbroiled duck. Basically, she'd pwn him. On a side note, it seemed to Andrew that Haruko could dish out pervertedness, but couldn't take it. Hmmm.

Bradan's house slowly came into view. Bradan lived out in the country. Waaaaaaaaaaaay out in the country. Where the roads weren't paved and the land was three-tenths trees, six-tenths farmland, and one-tenth roads and housing. Andrew slid up to Bradan's door, stood up and knocked. Bradan answered the door. Andrew guessed he had just woken up, judging by the state of his hair and the bags under his eyes.

"Morning."

"Hey, Andrew. Uh...what do you want? It's like, seven in the morning." Bradan asked rather groggily.

It was probably best to start at the beginning.

"Well, there's this woman living at my house-"

Bradan cut him off. "Yeah, yeah. Cory told me. So, what do you need?"

"I need a place to stay. You see, she kinda caught me looking at her in the shower."

"Nice, dude. You oughta try and keep those hormones under control. Look at some porn or something."

"I don't feel the need to lower myself to your level, my friend..."

Bradan flipped teh birdy.

"Anyways, I need somewhere to lay low for a while, or, y'know, I'll die. And stuff.

Bradan looked thoughful for a moment then said "Come on in. I'll see what I can do." Andrew walked inside. Bradan's house was a little bigger than Andrew's, but not much. Bradan went off to find his mother, leaving Andrew standing in the hallway. He stood there...yup. Did absolutely nothing. Aftrer crashing a Vespa through John's wall, Andrew vowed to nerer destroy anything in anyone's house without permission. Bradan came bounding down the stairs.

"You can stay. I told her your house was being fumigated for giant mudskippers."

"..."

"Uh...is something wrong"

"..."

"Hellooo?"

"...Mudskippers."

"Yep."

"Mudskippers."

"Uh-huh. Giant mudskippers."

"...Mudskippers."

"Sheesh, did I stutter or something?"

"Whatever...look I don't think this house is safe enough. What about that thing you built in the back of the woods?"

"I suppose...come on then. Let's get you somewhere safe."

They went back outside and walked to the garage. Bradan went inside for a minute, then the door opened and he drove out of a four wheeler.

"...You're not old enough to drive that thing."

"I got my learner's permit last week, biaaaaaaaatch. Besides, you weren't old enough to drive that Vespa, either. Get on."

Andrew hopped on the four wheeler and they sped off down a snow-covered dirt path leading into the forest. Andrew was a little twitchy. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bradan, per se...it was that he didn't trust Bradan's driving skills. Nontheless, everything went smoothly until...

"STOP!"

Bradan slammed on the brakes, flinging Andrew off in the process. "Why" Bradan asked as Andrew somersaulted across the snow. Using his mad chakra skillz, Andrew shot to his feet and ran up a tree. He reached and perched on the top of the tree. scanning the area and listening for anything. He saw something. A flash of pink. Laughter. Footsteps. Andrew's eyes widened. "She's here!!! Get to ze choppah...er, safehouse!" he bellowed as he jumped off the tree and landed perfectly. Bradan held up a card with a 10 on it, then tossed it away. "Get on! Hurry!" Andrew didn't need to be told twice. The four wheeler roared down the twisting path, yet Bradan didn't slide or ram anything. A voice rang out from everywhere.

"Look at little Drew-kun trying to run...you can't run from meeeeeeeee..."

"Hunt or be hunted, Andrew..."

"It's your turn to be the mouse, Drew-kuuuuuuuuuuuuun..."

"Seven days..."

"Riiight..." was Andrew's response to the last one, because it was totally unrelated to the situation at hand. They reached the safehouse thingy and ran in. Bradan slammed the steel door shut and locked all seven or so mechanisms.

"That bitch ain't getting in."

"Mortal danger is no excuse for improper grammar, Bradan."

"Shut up and grab a gun."

"WHAT?"

"Relax, they're all airsoft guns. Jeez, lighten up."

Bradan pointed to the back wall, which was completely covered in airsoft guns. Pistols, shotguns, glocks, colts, submachineguns, Andrew even saw a tommygun or two. He grabbed two submachineguns and a pistol. Dual-wielding owns all.

"Hey Andrew, what's with the guitar on your back?"

"This? Haruko pulled it out of my head."

"O...kay...why's it got one of those pully things like a lawnmower?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The guitar has a pull string thing like a lawnmower. It's got a trigger, too."

Andrew pulled the guitar off his back and took a closer look at it. Sure enough, there was a pull cord motor and a trigger on the back of it. Andrew held it like a gun, pointed at the floor, and pulled the trigger...blowing a hole in the it the size of a basketball.

"HOLY CRAP, DUDE! THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Andrew put the guitar down on a table in the corner. After seeing what the trigger did, he wasn't exactly eager to see what the pull-cord did.

"Uh...hey Andrew..."

"What now, Bradan?

"What's that thing on your forehead?"

"..."

Andrew reached up to his forehead and felt...something big.

Woo, another horn. And it seems like Haruko's already found Andrew? What will happen next time? You'll just have to read and find out...review please!

-Penguin Tsar