Andrea opened his eyes slowly. He saw Michael and Catherine towering over him.
"Let me guess, I blacked out." Andrea said sitting up.
"Yup. Now let's get down to business." Michael said helping him up.
"What time are the people even coming ?" Catherine asked.
Michael walked to the large glass doors and opened it. "Now!"
Just then people began to flood in, most children and their parents.
"It's a fundraiser. Let's go guys." Michael said leading a group of people.
Catherine sighed and looked at Andrea. He smiled at her as he picked a group of kids with him.
For the rest of the evening the trio worked their asses off.
Andrea walked up to Cathy as she was sketching a portrait of a little girl and her mother.
"Wow!" He exclaimed. "You've gotten better than last time."
"Thank you!" She said. "Oh and Michael said he needed you in the back."
Andrea nodded and made his to the back to meet the Michael.
"What's up?" He asked as he entered Michael's office.
"Some of my files are missing. I need you help to recover them." Michael said fumbling with his laptop.
"Scooch." Andrea said.
He began typing on the keyboard very fast. Opening files and closing some.
"I found the problem. You encrypted you're files to hide themselves if you fail the password three times." Andrea said.
He turned to show Michael the screen. He was face to face with a bunch of codes.
"Speak more English and less AI." Michael said.
Andrea sighed smiling. "In simple terms you locked your documents, forgot the password and the hid themselves."
"So can you find them?" Michael asked.
"I've already done that." Andrea said showing him the files.
"Thanks bro." He said pressing his phone.
Andrea received a beep from his phone. He looked at the message and saw that Michael had sent him a thousand dollars.
"Why!?" He asked in shock.
"First of, this work shouldn't go unpaid. Second, your family. If I'd asked someone else they'd have charged far more." Michael said.
Andrea cocked his to the side trying to listen too something.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked.
"It's awfully quiet for a studio that's full." Andrea said looking at Michael.
Michael took his laptop and opened the CCTV footage from the studio.
30 minutes ago.
As Catherine had finished the sketch, three men dressed in black walked in.
Catherine noticed their awkward movements around the paintings.
"Look, everyone start leaving one by one. There are some strange people on black in the premises." Catherine whispered to the woman in front of her who immediately passed the message on.
The woman slowly stood and took her daughter by her hand.
"Come we'll come back tomorrow." She said.
Her daughter just nodded noticing the tension in the air.
The two slowly made their way to the door. As they were about to open the door, a gunshot was heard.
"No one move." One said turning to crowd who had gathered at one side.
"Now who's the owner of this humble establishment." He said.
Present Time.
"Shit!" Michael cursed. "Andrea listen carefully and call the cops once I walk out."
"Why are like this?" Andrea said smiling.
******
Catherine stood in front of the group. The man in the middle approached her.
"Are you in charge?" He asked.
"What's it to you ass?" Catherine spat out.
The man used the tip of his gun to lift her head up.
"I don't think you're in the position to talk like that, missy." He said with a smirk.
"Oi!!" Michael's voice rang out.
Everyone turned their head to face him. He was holding a paint bucket and brush.
"Keep your musty digits off my little sister." He said.
He began swinging the bucket slowly as he put the brush inside.
"And whose this pimp?" One of the other men said.
"Pimp!?" Michael yelled. "You dickhead."
He threw the paint bucket straight at the guy. The action took him by surprise.
The bucket hit him right in the nose sending him to the ground.
The other two looked at the guy as he fell to the ground.
Michael quickly closed the distance between the other two.
The leader pointed his gun at Michael. He grabbed it by the muzzle and pushed it aside before he pulled the trigger.
The other pointed his gun at Michael and then the lights went out.
"Three minutes!" Michael yelled.
The men began firing shots at the ceiling to prevent the others from moving.
The third got up from the floor and turned on a flashlight.
"Damn. He said touching his nose. "It fucking broken."
"Find that pimp!" The leader yelled.
They began to flash their lights around looking for Michael.
As one passed a wall with a lot of painting, Andrea emerged holding a crowbar. The man looked at him with confusion.
"Hmmmmm. I guess that blows my cover." Andrea said.
The man raised the gun to shoot Andrea. Andrea quickly swung the crowbar and smashed it on his hand.
It collided with a bone cracking sound. The man screamed in pain holding his broken arm.
Andrea kicked the gun away and used the heel of the crowbar to hit the guy on his head knocking him out.
The leader looked in the direction of the screaming.
"Don't lose sight of me." Michael said popping up in front of him.
He quickly grabbed the gun and yanked it and threw it aside.
"So did you come to buy art or and autograph or just to steal?" Michael asked casually.
The man threw a punch at Michael frustrated. Michael ducked down and returned the attack with an uppercut.
"No talking, got it." Michael said and landed another punch on him.
The man tried to land a jab on him. Michael stopped him mid punch and jabbed him twice in the gut swiftly.
He made his way behind him and grabbed him by the waist. He lifted him up and gave him a suplex landing him straight on his head.
Michael got to his feet dusting himself down just as the lights came on.
"Don't move or you'll have a hole in your brain." The last man said from behind Michael.
Andrea was about to move but the man caught him from the side of his eye.
"You too." He said.
Catherine began to walk up to the man from behind.
"You god-damned mother fucking bastard!" Catherine yelled as she landed a punch square on his face from behind.
The force sent him falling to the ground and remained on the floor.
"Woah sis!" Michael and Andrea exclaimed. "Since when where you able to punch like that?"
"I could always punch like that but just haven't had the chances to use it." She said simply.
Moments later sirens could be heard and police officers and Uncle Griz began to trope in.
"Let me guess you guys took care of it." Griz said looking round.
"Yup Uncle but be careful of Cathy." Andrea said.
"Andy! I heard that." Cathy said helping someone people out.
Michael, Andrea and Uncle Griz laughed at her response.
Midgar International Hospital
The three siblings and Griz made their way to Melissa's room.
Andrea knocked. He took a deep breath then opened the door.
Melissa lay in a bed surrounded by machines— heart monitors, respirators and others.
"Hi Mum." The three said smiling.