It was really early in the morning, and I was awoken by loud thumps coming from the wall by my bed. I was hoping it was Russel stumbling onto the walls in the hallway, or Noodle banging on the door trying to get into my room in Kong, but I knew that wasn't it. I knew I wasn't home anymore, Kong Studios isn't there anymore and Russel and Noodle aren't on the other side of the wall waiting for me.
Wait...then what IS on the other side of the wall?
I sat up groggily, but sped up my pace at the thumps got louder and louder. The room around me was freezing, considering I was underground. I threw open the curtains to the window to reveal that bloody whale's eye staring right at me.
I shouldn't have opened the damned curtain!
The most high-pitched, blood-curling scream came out of me as I fell off of the tiny bed and onto the floor, hitting my arms slightly. The whale didn't leave, my throat became sore very quickly and I couldn't feel my own body past the rapid trembles and shakes racking through me. The cursed thing finally swam away, out of my view. No matter how desperately I wanted to, I couldn't close the Curtain. What if it came back!? What if it was waiting for me to get closer?! I sat in fear on the floor, hugging my knees tightly and biting into the flesh of my hand as a nervous tick.
Suddenly, a migraine hit my head from all of the screaming. I stood up far too quickly, trying so hard not to fall over my own feet as I went for the painkillers. There were only about four left. Murdoc wanted to see me suffer, I'm sure, and he stole the rest from me.
I went to grab the pills and almost fell twice. My head was pounding horribley, it hurt more than my throat at this point. The painkillers were in my mouth in less than a second. I swallowed them all dry and coughed a bit, hoping they'd work fast. I obviously couldn't go lay on my bed with the whale by my window, so I slumped down onto the floor and sat there as limp as a rag doll.
The migraine slowly died off, but still left a pounding in my head every once in a while.
I closed my eyes and began to just day dream. I wanted to be back at Kong Studios. I wanted the Gorillaz back together, all of us, and willingly. This wasn't right, Noodle and Russel's gone and Murdoc had to gas me just to get me to sing. I would've sang for that man if we were all still together. He doesn't understand how empty it feels to sing in something so meaningless.
Then I began to think, and mostly worry, about Noodle. Where she was, if she was ok...Because I know she's stronger than ever, she can take care of herself. But where was she? That's another reason I hate singing now, our guitarist is a lifeless Cyborg replica of someone I loved dearly. Noodle was one of my closest friends...like a sister to me, so knowing she's just...gone...
And having to stare at that metal THING lately...
It's not her. It's not Noodle.
And almost as if on cue, the door burst open. There she was, the lifeless Cyborg, glaring down at me. Instinctively, I brought my knees to my chest again to stay away. She walked over to me and grabbed me by the collar, pulling me to my feet with her undoubtabley strong grip. I gasped as I was thrown to my feet. The Cyborg's glare stayed as she motioned to the door, and I knew I had to go record my next song with Murdoc again.
She spun around on her heel like a soldier turning to salute, and stomped out, waiting for me to follow close behind. I was relieved to get away from the whale, but it wasn't like the Cyborg was much better. Her focused was kept straight in front of her the whole time. I just wanted this to be done with.
"S-So..." I said nervously. Her focus didn't budge. "Noodle? That's your name? H-He just calls you Noodle?"
She turned her head abruptly to me and her glare got nastier. She turned her head back and walked. Every now and again I heard gears churning in her, or I'd see the tinniest bit of spark come from her neck.
"A-Are you ok? Your...n-neck. I need to tell Murdoc." Once again, she turned her head to face me and kept giving me a dirty look. "I-I'm just saying, m-maybe somethings going on in your machinery," My voice was very nervous now, hoping she at least understood. I reached toward her neck slowly to see if there was a problem, to which she quickly shot her hand up and grabbed my wrist with force. I yelped and tried to pull my hand back, but she wasn't letting go.
She must've remembered pretty quick where she was taking me, so she let go and continued walking. I looked down at my wrist, a bright red line was grazing across it, growing darker each second.
"N-Noodle!" I stuttered, but I didn't get a reply.
"You're not Noodle," I said quietly, thinking she wouldn't hear me. "You'll never be anything like her. Murdoc's scum for making this...this fake."
Suddenly she stopped in place, her expression went to a mixture of confused and blank, which confused even me. I heard more buzzing noises coming from inside of her, and sparks of electricity quickly lit from parts of her metal body. "Why'd you stop?" I asked. The gears moved faster inside of her, buzzing loudly. I was seriously worried she might've exploded.
More sparks shot from her body, the gears screeched loudly as she yelled. "NOODLE."
My eyes widened, I backed up a bit. The noises were dying down and her sparks stopped. The Cyborg paused for a moment before walking again, glaring when I didn't come with her.
"Y-You can talk?" I was surprised at the voice that had come from her. Of course I knew it wouldn't be Noodle's voice, it'd be impossible, but the voice that came from the Cyborg was so robotic and electric, it sounded almost fake.
"I didn't know that..." I muttered as I walked with her. We approached the room, and she opened the door with just as much force as she had oppened mine.
"What took you so long, bloody fool!?" Murdoc screamed the second the door open. He rolled up a magazine and tossed it at my head.
"S-Sorry, Muds!" I groaned. I backed away from both him and the Cyborg girl. "S-She stopped for a little bit, S-sorry-"
"Don't blame the Android!" Murdoc snapped angrily. "She's absolutely perfect, faceache! My creation, afterall! You slowed her down, didn'tcha? Sod off!"
I sighed and sat down in a plastic chair by the door as he brushed the Cyborg's fake hair out of her face. He mumbled things about her hair out of place, or a couple of scratches on her face. Truley, Murdoc sounded like some obsessive father to this...thing.
"By the way, Muds, I-I didn't know you programmed her to talk." I said. Then I remembered the cold voice she had emitted. It made me remember the first time we'd ever met Noodle, at Kong Studios, she arrived in the FedEx crate and popped out with a big, childish grin. And she had yelled "noodle"! I new right then and there she was going to be a big part of my life. The whole memory saddened me.
"She did what?!" Murdoc yelled.
"She's not supposed to?" I asked.
"W-Well I gave her the proper tools for it-" He began examining her neck-area. "Well, I never thought she'd USE it. She's not programmed for TALKING!" Then his expression was proud. "Atta girl! What was her first word?!"
The Cyborg looked up, a slight spark coming from her neck as she yelled again. "Noodle!"
"Sweet Satan, she even knows her name!"
I cringed when he said HER name.
The Cyborg stood, blank expression, then looked back over at me and narrowed her eyes. "She must've heard something that triggered programming in her voice," Murdoc explained. "Whatever, we can work on her vocal box later, now we have to record!" He backed away from the Cyborg and went to the microphones.
You're not Noodle. You'll never be anything like her.
Was it because of me? Did I trigger something in her?
"Well what the hell are you waitin' for, Dullard? Get over here!"
I frowned and went over to the microphone before me, shoving the headphones on with a sigh. This was all pointless. As I began to sing the first chords of the song quietly to myself before the actual recording, I faced the Cyborg. Expressionless. Waiting there for orders.
Nothing like Noodle.