La Enfermedad Mortal

Chapter 1: The Deal.

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If I tell everyone the title in English, it will spoil the story. Sorry, people. Welcome to the Jungle… -grins- enjoy.

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I don't own Gorillaz, Albarn and Hewlett do. Lucky sods.

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The dark silhouette silently moved down the deserted corridor, the sky's darkness reflecting off her figure. Noodle stopped at her room and gently pushed open the door still quietly sobbing. She heard the elevator's doors open and she wiped away her cold tears hastily. The lobby door opened and the loud clank, clank, clank of the Cuban heels echoed down the corridor.

"You still up?" he greeted her and Noodle slowly turned around to face her bassist. She cracked up a smile but Murdoc could still see the tears welling in her emerald eyes beyond her happy expression. Murdoc's usual enraged glare and bad mood softened and he sighed looking down on her.

"… You ok?"

"Don't ask me that after you know what happened. I don't wish to talk about it," she whispered.

"I didn't want to."

Noodle let more tears fall and she hung her head down ashamed of them. Murdoc didn't have a clue how to cheer her up and no matter how hard anyone tried, they couldn't. They stood in silence till Noodle finally looked up with innocent bloodshot eyes.

"I can't handle this Murdoc. I'm sorry."

"Well, what do you want to do about it?"

"… I can't stay here. I want to leave."

"Why?"

"I want to be alone to collect myself. If I stay then I'll just cause everyone to suffer."

"You'll make everyone suffer by leaving now."

"It doesn't make a difference. Nothing can help me so I just want to relax till the end of it all."

Noodle stared despairing at Murdoc waiting for his verdict about her irreversible situation. There was nothing anyone could do but the least she could get was what she wanted. He smiled lightly.

"I'll tell you what, love. Let's make a little deal," Murdoc told her. "I'll let you go… as soon as we've finished the El Manana shoot."

Noodle moaned depressingly and dug her hands in her face shaking her head. Murdoc bent down to her and took her hands away from her stained face and looked to her with pleading eyes.

"C'mon, love, it's only one music video and then you'll be free! You can go anywhere you like in the world and spend time in paradise and you'll have as much time as you want."

"B-But what if the windmill…?"

"No, no, no, love. We've been over this a thousand times, Hewlett gives the signal and you'll jump out with the parachute. Your safety is guaranteed 100 percent as well as old Jimmy's." (Snigger)

"I still don't like the idea, Murdoc. I mean anything could go wrong."

"It won't, Noods. The shoot will go just fine and it'll be a mega hit, right up there in the charts for weeks!"

Murdoc smiled more thinking of all the glory and pride they'd swell up in when fans go wild as to what happened to Noodle. The Asian teen sighed thinking very carefully about this.

"Please, love. We'll do the shoot once you've packed everything and can sing the plans by heart."

"I have to pack?"

"… No, listen; what do you want to do exactly?"

"I just want to leave!"

"And you can leave with a bang once that windmill falls to its death! It makes perfect sense, love, the sequel to Feel Good Inc., the release of the soul and all that jazz. Please don't fuck up those awesome ideas of Hewlett's."

"I'm just not so sure I can deal with it."

"I know you can, Noodle. You've got the courage and skill to go through this and then you can get your break and disappear from everything for as long as you need. No fuss."

Murdoc gave an encouraging look and got to his full height again.

"Just think about it, right? We'll talk it over when you've made a decision. 'Night, love."

The Satanic bassist turned around and walked back down the corridor turning in for the night. Noodle sniffed and put a hand on her door but paused still thinking quite unclearly in her intelligent mind. She turned to face Murdoc just as he reached the door to the lobby.

"Do you care about me or the charts?" she yelled out to him.

Murdoc stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around to face an anxious Noodle back down the other end of the corridor. He stared at her speechless as though an insult had just been thrown at him. He decided not to do anything and quickly slipped out of the door and made his way back to his Winnebago in the carpark. Noodle sighed sadly and walked into her room shutting the door closed behind her. There was no time for sleep now; she had a lot of thinking to do… and a lot of stuff to pack.

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"You'll have to tell Russel and 2D."

"No, I won't."

"Why won't you tell them?"

"I can't or they'd never let me go."

"And I would?" Murdoc asked her testily. Noodle smiled skeptically as she folded up her blue jeans and stuffed them in a bag on her bed. Large brown boxes surrounded her room as well as her belongings littered the floor.

"Well, yeah, I'm packing and I don't see you trying to stop me from leaving."

"It's because I love you! I'd do anything for you!" Murdoc said in a mockingly grieving voice followed by a low growl. "They'd want to know why and where you're going, love, these fags aren't the only ones who care about you."

"Oh, so you do care about me?" she asked optimistically. Murdoc glared at her as she grabbed more items to pack.

"… Smartass," he scowled making Noodle jump. She folded up another piece of clothing avoiding Murdoc's eye contact.

"I'm not telling them about my… condition… it's just too painful for me and for them."

"I'll do it."

"You will do no such thing!"

"Well, what are you going to do? Spend your last 6 months in Hawaii and then let them come for a visit 2 years later and find your skeleton in the closet?"

"Murdoc, you're not making this any easier."

"Well, I'm sorry but its bad enough knowing I'm about to lose my guitarist!"

"How do you think I feel?" she asked with a melancholy tone to her Japanese accent. Murdoc watched her gloomily as she slowly made her way around her room and packed her belongings that would be burned and go down with the windmill for the El Manana shoot. The bassist surrendered and started picking up a few toys and things from beside his feet on the ground and chucking them on her bed. Noodle smiled appreciating his help.

"… I'm not coming back. I'm leaving for good. As soon as the windmill goes down, I'll be on a plane to the Maldives and I'll stay there till… till-"

"Till what? The day you drop dead and they throw your corpse out into the ocean?"

"Yeah. It's better than coming back and dropping dead right infront of 2D and Russel."

"They're going to find out sometime."

"Sometime. Sometime later. For now, let them have their fun and bask in the joy and honour of being the Gorillaz. I want you to tell them… when the time is right."

"I've got bad timing, love," he stated flatly. Noodle cast him a dark look.

"… Tell them when I'm dead."

"They'd kill me. I can't do it. I don't understand why you want to leave now rather than spend the last of your days with the ones you love."

Noodle sighed in frustration and dropped her things on the floor turning to him with an angry expression while threatening tears.

"I never want to have to say goodbye. That's why I'm departing now. I never want to leave you guys… but I don't have a fucking choice!" she screamed at him. Murdoc backed away from her slightly intimidated by her mood swing. She stared at him while she quietly panted and soon there was a loud knocking on her door making Noodle jerk away and continue packing.

"Noodle? Noods, can I come in?" 2D's voice traveled through the door. Murdoc looked at her sympathetically and she whispered to him still turned away.

"It's unbearable to leave the ones you love in such a brutal and tormenting way." A stray tear fell down her pale cold face and her door opened to reveal the lanky blue-haired singer. Murdoc cast him a death glare and 2D jumped in surprise.

"Muds, why are you here?" he asked.

"We were just talking, 2D," Noodle answered for him. The vocalist walked around Murdoc and the bunch of boxes on the floor with his long legs towards Noodle.

"About what?"

"Mind your own, face-ache!" Murdoc snapped at him.

"I was only asking!" The bassist snarled at him glaring coldly. Noodle sighed quietly and wiped the tears from her face as she turned around letting her violet hair cover her eyes.

"What did you want, 'D?"

"I was just wondering if you needed help packing…" 2D's hollow black eyes darted around her room with a slightly confused expression. "Why are you packing everything? You're only going on a little holiday, right? It's not like you're never coming back."

Murdoc quickly turned to Noodle with a nervous expression and she just breathed in and out slowly fighting tears. The guitarist cringed in depression slightly and bit her lip. 2D's focus came back on her and he watched her.

"Yeah… It's not like… Excuse me," Noodle sobbed and she covered her mouth and quickly ran out of her room and down the corridor just as she burst into hysterical tears. Murdoc sighed and looked to 2D like a secret 'nice going' face. The singer raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged in question.

"What's her problem?"

"… You have no idea, mate… you have no idea," and Murdoc gave him a final snarl before he left Noodle's room leaving 2D all alone in his own guilt.

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I actually quite like this story… hmm. I've really grown attached to my tragic side… it's getting kind of out of control though. Oh well. You guys know the drill, right? Read, review, have a nice chat about breakfast and I'll have the inspiration to write the next chappy for yours all.  Um always finish with a randomly insane statement for a reputation… Damon Albarn is hot, smart, hilarious and has the most beautiful blue eyes. I envy his wife. Of course, no one needed a private detective to figure that out.

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