"I hurt myself today,

To see if I still feel.

I focus on the pain,

The only thing that's real…"

Johnny Cash's resonant and tired vocals fill the kitchen through the scratchy speaker of the radio, distracting the blue haired man from his newspaper. His shiny black eyes peer over the top of the paper upon hearing it. Getting up from his chair, he ambled to the counter and turned the nob on the greyish silver box to raise the volume. Sighing gently, he slumps back in his seat, chewing on the end of his cigarette, causing some ash to fall from the end like black snowflakes onto his jeans covered lap. He glanced around the room, which looked as though it has just been bombed. It was a wreck, and the smell made his headache worse. He furrowed his thick brows and wrapped his thin arms around his skinny body. He had taken his pills a half an hour ago so all he could do was pray that they were going to work soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could cope with the pounding pain in his skull before passing out. After a few seconds, he threw his head back as he swallowed four more, just to quicken the process.

2D put his forehead on the greasy tablecloth with a guttural sigh as the words "What have I become?" from Johnny Cash pulses through his sore head. That was a good question. A very good question. One he didn't know the answer to. It was too hard for him to think. Besides, since when could he ever come up with an answer to anything? Well, at least Murdoc would say that. 2D's large eyebrows lowered a little as he thought about this. Why did he ever think so highly of that bastard? Even going as far as to once declare that he loved him? What has he ever done to him to deserve those feelings in the first place? All he has ever done is kidnap, hurt and frightened him. Even just the day before Murdoc had beaten him senseless for a reason that had now fled 2D's mind. Who knows, it could have been nothing at all for all he knew. He couldn't remember past being hit across the head, which had knocked him out.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, the man sighed as he saw that it was still just after noon. He just wanted to sleep. He hadn't gotten a good rest in at least a week, mostly due to his headaches and stress. Like his migraines, he wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to cope with this.

Finally, the song finished and the chatter of the radio resumed. 2D went back to his newspaper, trying to ignore the pounding in his cranium. But it had caused his vision to become blurred and he was seeing double on the page as the words danced around in front of him, making him sick as he tried to read. After a number of minutes, he folded the paper, huffing irritably. Suddenly, his attention is taken by the radio again. When the opening notes of Stylo started.

"NO!" 2D snarls, throwing the newspaper at the radio, knocking it off of the counter from the force. Maybe it broke, but who cares? He hated being reminded of Plastic Beach. He never wanted anything to do with it. And he didn't want anything to do with Gorillaz. It has only been a couple of months since them, and in that time he had realised just how horrible his existence was.

And it was all Murdoc's fault… and his for being so stupid.

There was no point in fighting against the aches. Getting up from his chair, 2D stumbled out of the kitchen, knocking into the doorframe and walls as he went, swerving like a drunk. He wanted to go to his room and collapse onto his bed to sleep. Or die. Both sounded good right now.

As he stumbled, he didn't notice as he knocked into someone, earning him a hard shove which causes him to cry out as he hits the wooden floor under his feet. 2D groaned and sat up as his head span.

"Watch where yew are goin', ya tube!" Murdoc's angry tone cuts into 2D's mind, making him glance away angrily.

"I wus just goin' upstairs, Murdoc…" he replied quietly as he dragged himself upright with his long arms, "Ta sleep, ya know?"

Murdoc snorts and pointed upward towards the second floor,

"Not a good idea, mate." He commented.

"But why?" 2D almost whines, becoming more desperate as the pounding in his head seemed to accelerate.

"The princess is throwing another one of 'er tantrums." The green skinned man huffed before heading towards the kitchen. 2D's brows raise a little upon hearing this and seeing the fresh bruise on Murdoc's bare back.

"Noodle? What's wrong wiff her?" he asked worryingly.

"How should I know?! Yew check her!" Something fired out of the kitchen, barely missing 2D as the radio hit the floor beside him. But the man took no notice of it.

Ever since they had found Noodle, 2D had been terrified for her. Who knows what she had been put through in hell? The scars on her face and the fact that she always seemed to be hurt and angry could only give him some clues. But he would never fully know. And he hadn't been able to stop worrying since then. Though, he figured that he should do what Murdoc wanted and check on Noodle. Not for his sake though.

Clambering to the top of the stairs, 2D stood in front of Noodle's door. He didn't knock straight away, since he wasn't sure if Noodle would want him to come in or not, or if she would be angry if he tried to come in. But 2D wasn't a stranger to being on the receiving end of someone's rage. He knocked the door lightly.

"What?" an angry tone snapped on the other side of the door. 2D's black eyes widened slightly as he started to worry.

"Noodle? It's just me, luv." He said in his usual quiet tone, not wanting to upset her even further. He waited a few seconds, but he didn't hear anything in reply. Still worried, he gently pushed the door open and peered into the room.

The blinds were down and the room seemed to be, overall, pretty shabby. The girl was perched on her bed with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. 2D sighed sadly upon seeing that she looked afraid and upset. Her face still looked sore and bruised from some incident that 2D was still unsure of as to what happened. Her green eyes were half closed as she turned to look towards 2D. She looked angry.

"What, 2D?" she grumbled, running a hand through her dishevelled navy hair. The man leant against the door frame, blinking his soft black eyes in her direction.

"It's just… Murdoc said you were upset-"

"I don't give two hoots about what Mur-dick said! I was fine until he barged in!" 2D glanced behind him, seeing a smashed vase. It didn't take him too long to figure out where Murdoc got that bruise.

"What did he want, luv?" He perched on the bed, cocking his head to one side softly. He couldn't help but worry about Noodle. Who knows what happened to her in hell? His gaze softened a little and his eyebrows rose a little.

"Did yew… 'ave another attack?" He asked softly.

Noodle sighed and crossed her legs, hugging her skinny frame.

"...I couldn't stop screaming… Or throwing things. And I don't know why…"

"Oh..."

"And he came in yelling at me to shut up so I-" she gestured to the broken vase, "I'm not sorry though!" She snapped suddenly, "He's lucky I didn't do worse! Replacing me with a bloody robot…"

2D didn't say anything for a few moments. He didn't blame Noodle for her anger. He didn't like that robot either. It was too far deep into the uncanny valley for him. And it scared him relentlessly because of how violent it was, and he'd get the feeling that if he crossed into its line of sight at any given time, the cyborg would blow his head off. But what he hated more was just the idea that Murdoc seemed to think that Noodle was replaceable. Which 2D strongly disagreed with. Murdoc only cared about the band as far as he was concerned. Though he didn't say so, he was enraged upon finding out that he had put that monstrosity together, thinking it could replace the Japanese girl. He would have wrecked it if he wouldn't be killed by either Murdoc or the cyborg first.

"Ahh." 2D sighed finally. "Murdoc can be a right bum at times." He added as he picked at his nose and flicking whatever was in there away.

"I know." Noodle shuddered, giving 2D a more serious look, "...I hate the way he abuses you." She took out a cigarette and flicked the top of a lighter to burn the end of it. Letting out a puff, she looked towards 2D as he gazed at her, with his head slightly cocked to one side as if her words had just flown over his head. But she meant what she said.

She could never understand Murdoc's reason for abusing the young man so badly. He had such a lovely nature, and his soft black eyes -which shouldn't hold any emotion at all- had such a gentle kindness in them that she just loved about him. As for Murdoc… well, he was the total opposite of sweet 2D.

"Hmmm…" 2D sighed thoughtfully, "I guess I was… just too stupid to notice."

"No you aren't."

"I don't care what I am. I mean… I don't even want to be here anymore." The blue-haired male sighed, "I wish I could just… leave, ya know?"

Noodle chewed on the end of her cigarette, offering one to 2D, who took it gratefully. His migraine appeared to be subsiding, finally.

"But, where would you go?" she asked him, flicking her hair from her face. 2D rolled his eyes upward in thought. Where would he go? Murdoc had taken away his home and almost everything he had.

He sighed softly, "I don't know, hun. I wish I knew."

"Anywhere, say the first place you can think of." Noodle insisted, scooching closer to 2D, who gave her a gentle smile.

"…Paradise." He answered finally, earning him a quizzed look from Noodle.

"What?"

"Paradise." He repeated, "I don't know where it is or how to find it, but… it has to be somewhere. I mean… just someplace where I can be happy and lead a normal life. Where I don't have to worry about being hurt or kidnapped. A place like that has to exist… right?" he asked Noodle, reminiscing to a child asking a parent about the existence of Santa.

Noodle looked up thoughtfully as he said this. She wasn't expecting that kind of response from him. After some thought, she figured that she knew where he was coming from. After the trauma she had endured over the last number of years, she could understand what he meant.

"I understand." She answered, putting out her cigarette in an ashtray.

"Yew do?" the blue haired man asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. I mean… after all that has happened to me… I just want some peace. From everything. Like what you said. Paradise." She rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry if that sounds selfish of me…"

2D smiled softly at the girl. He was actually pretty relieved that she understood how he felt. Maybe it was just from experience, but he partially expected to be struck for talking about what he was thinking. Though, how he could expect that from Noodle was beyond him. Though he wasn't expecting her to feel the same way. It made him feel more at ease, and he quietly hoped that Noodle felt the same. She did seem a lot calmer.

Noodle smiled widely at the man, confirming what 2D had thought. She gave him a soft look of appreciation, something that 2D hadn't experienced in quite a long time.

"Thanks, Stuart." She said, still smiling at him.

"No problem, hun. I'm glad I help yew." 2D ran his long fingers through his hair and let out a long sigh, "I think I'll go for a nap. Me 'ead is killing me."

"Maybe if you are lucky, migraines won't exist in Paradise." Noodle joked, making 2D shake his head softly with a smile.

"I'd like that." He added before giving Noddle a small wave as he left her room. Slinking to his own room, he looked out of his window, seeing the sun turning the sky a vivid orange as it will soon begin its descent into night. 2D's smile widened as he fell backwards onto his bed and closing his black eyes.

Well, at least there is something for him to care about in this place.