Thanks to those who leave a comment, follow or at least read. If you find any typos, please let me know so I can get them out of the way. To those who read both of my Gorillaz stories, what do you think of 2D's accent - does it sound better and more convincing in Immortal Hatred or in Man Research? Leave a comment, don't be shy.

Having finished university and using English language less and less, I feel that I am forgetting how to use it properly. If my writing makes your eyes bleed, I am truly sorry. About this chapter: the song quoted is Tenacious D. The word wonderboy isn't included in the Longman dictionary. The web has a meaning for it, but I don't like it and prefer to associate it with a more emotional state of mind rather than being successful. What strikes your mind when you hear this word? Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 2: Wonderboy

Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power?
Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from that mucky-muck now?

When Wonderboy and Young Nastyman joined forces;
they formed a band the likes of which have never been seen,
and they called themselves…

"Gorillas!"

"Gorillas WHAT?"

2D and Murdoc lay leisurely on a pillow-covered floor, right on the spot where Murdoc had previously drawn a red pentagram. Heavy rain drops drummed drearily on the roof of the Winnebago. Multiple satanic ritual candles were moved from the pentagram onto the shelves, their lights flickered hauntingly like wisps over a foggy mire.

"Call the band Gorillas". – 2D spoke softly as twirls of smoke escaped his lips and curled upwards. He passed the hose of the shisha to Murdoc, watching as the delicate whirls dissolved in the thick fog of smoke that hung in the air. "You know how you're all grabby when it comes to the band? Silverbacks, the males of the troop are also like that – they're in charge of... well, everything, really."

Murdoc snorted as he passed the hose back to 2D. The sound of rain mixed with the sound of bubbling water in the azure jar. 2D opened his mouth and watched the smoke lazily roll out of his lips once again.

"Silverbacks also take care of orphans. Just like you took care of me," he turned his head to look dreamily at his silent compadre.

The latter choked on the smoke as he tried to laugh. "You wanker, you're not an orphan. Where do you even get all this from."

"Dunno." 2D shrugged off.

Murdoc knew the answer, though. Whenever he would go out for the night he'd leave the TV on so Stu-Pot wouldn't feel lonely. He got out of his way and got a TV for that reason alone.

"Gorillas. Gorrrrilas. Hmmm." Murdoc tried to taste the sound. "It misses an edge. Gorrrilaaaz. No, no, that's gonna look retarded."

While Murdoc was evaluating the band-name and staring at the coal which shimmered bright red like a chunk of lava as if it possessed the answer Murdoc was looking for, 2D threw a pillow on Murdoc's stomach and lay his head on, facing the man whose poker face fell off for a split second as his whole frame tensed. 2D put his left palm under his cheek, letting the other rest by his chest and proposed, gazing at the inverted cross that glimmered in the candle-light whenever the bassist breathed in:
"We can play around with the spelling and writing. Like write it with a Z or flip some letters the other way around."

"With a Z, eh?" Murdoc's husky voice gave out hidden interest. "Gorillaz," he repeated expressively, eyes narrowed, savouring the sound, "You can make anything sound badass as long as there's a Z in it."

2D grinned naively, "Mudz."

The Satanist chuckled. He ruffled the blue hair when his wandering gaze finally locked with the two hideous dents 2D had for eyes and for an instant he thought he saw the void staring back at him.

"Sounds stupid though, I have another name in mind," he spat out suddenly and looked away with a revolted expression, however grinned on the inside that he might just name his band Gorillaz and make it look like his own idea.

2D wilted noticeably but kept looking at the surly man that towered above him. Murdoc felt an uncomfortable shiver go down his spine and looked back at the staring eyes. Many a people found 2D's eyes hideous to look in. Unsettling, at the very least. As far as Murdoc was concerned, they reflected his, Murdoc's soul – black, ugly and deformed.

"Little sod lying there so suggestively. What is he driving at. He's screwing with my mind, he is. S-c-r-e-w-i-n-g. Fuck sake! No, Murdoc, that's not you at all, relax. You just need to shag some broad and things will seem clearer. Sure, I grew fond of the guy, but that's normal unless you're a complete antisocial git. As long as he doesn't try anything funny, I guess it's all just my imagination. Just don't lead him on, don't lead him-"

"Whatcha thinking about, Muds?" 2D asked, contemplatively.

Murdoc looked away in front of him and licked his lips unwarily. With one eyebrow raised, he replied, casually: "Think I'm well baked, mate."

The smoke screen in the Winnebago was thinning slowly while the weather outside seemed to get worse. Furiously the wind howled and the rain increased with it, banging violently on the roof top as if it were raining rocks. 2D got up and looked out the window, amazed.

"Wow, it's really raining cats and dogs, innit," he said in awe, like a child marveling the range of toys in a toy store. "Come 'ere," he motioned Murdoc to come and look. "It's like giant snow balls only melted ones."

Murdoc rolled his eyes. "It's just rain, you nitwit," he mumbled inoffensively as he came up to the window. Suddenly 2D grabbed him by the wrist and tug toward the door. "What the hell are you doing?" 2D's face was filled with merriment as he opened the door, jumped out and almost dragged his friend out from cover. "No! No-no-no-no-no, it's cold and wet and JESUS FUCKING CHRIST MAN!" the Satanist panicked when he felt the heavy, cold raindrops fall on him like golf balls from the sky and quickly snuck back inside the Winnie.

He sat down at the entrance and lit a cigarette. He watched the blue-haired man stand in the downpour with spread arms and swirling with his face turned upwards to the clouds. One moment he caught the rain with his tongue, the other he was jumping into the puddles. "Come out Muds, it's fun!"

"Uh, ye-a-ah, I don't think so." the man drawled without a second thought and yet felt as if he had just caught himself lying.

"Look at him prancing around like a 5-year-old. So much joy, I bet if I showed him a finger he'd burst out laughing. So what's my reasoning? I'll catch a cold and get sick and I hate being sick. I'll get wet and stink like a dog. My wonderful pair of Cuban heels will soak and fall apart. Besides, two blokes standing in the rain would look gay as fuck."

2D stopped and turned toward Murdoc, mouth open, his hair drenched dark blue, stuck to his face so he could hardly see anything.

"Who's the nitwit now?" he raised his voice so Murdoc could hear him, as if he just read Murdoc's mind. His voice was sounded teasing, clear and melodious even through the cacophony of wind and rain.

Murdoc felt he's been issued a challenge. "Why, you sodding git," he grinned and leaped outside.

2D made a run for it, Murdoc after him, running behind the few cars on the lot, jumping over and sliding across them, they laughed like two stoners and yelled unintelligible sounds at each other like drunks.

"Aight', that's, enough, for this, year," Murdoc, bent down from exhaustion tried to recover his breath and extended his hand towards 2D telling him to stop. Nevertheless, 2D's momentum was set as he rammed into Murdoc with a thud, grabbed him by the waist and spinned him a few times in the air. The Satanist felt like whirligig after being let go. They both sat on the stairs of the Winnie.

"You awright, Muds?" 2D looked at Murdoc with concern seeing as the man still had trouble catching his breath.

"Never been better," Murdoc replied, his face turning into stone, hiding all emotions.

"You don't sound it, though."

Murdoc lit a cigarette and offered one to 2D as a distraction. They both were shaking from the cold, only the heat from their bodies mingling as they sat close to each other. The rain continued pouring as awkward silence fell upon the two. Awkward for Murdoc, as 2D's vacant expression gave away no inner turmoil whatsoever. He was shivering ever so slightly and his teeth would chatter now and then when his jaw slacked off. What was he thinking about? Were there any thoughts at all in his head or had Murdoc rammed out any capacity to think out of him? Suddenly surprised by his own mental image of leaning close to 2D to warm him up in an embrace Murdoc's core shuddered violently. "Come on D, it's freezing."

Wet clothes hung everywhere where it was possible to hang them out to dry and the smell of freeze-dried coffee and stale cigarette smoke filled the air. 2D sat on the bed, writing something down in his notebook, Murdoc was spread out on the pillows on the floor below him, tugging at the strings of his old guitar. A cigarette was burning in his mouth which he skillfully puffed only touching it to flick off the ashes into the tray. He growled as he repeated a line which was obviously failing by the sound of the twang that got cut off mid-rif and just begged to be continued. He scratched his bare chest and reached into the pocket of his jeans for his guitar pick when 2D rolled off the bed and landed in between his legs.

Murdoc sat up nervously, sending the pick through the strings, resulting in the sound of a melodious rainbow. He looked up questionably at 2D, who was kneeling in nothing but his underwear. Murdoc's hands were browsed through the strings as both gazed intensely at each other. 2D reached out and put his large palm on Murdoc's shoulder, caressed his neck with his thumb, then leaned in for a kiss. The Satanist felt a warm breath on his skin, a strand of hair tickling his cheek as 2D's moist, burning lips pressed to his neck, and sucked hard on the spot, leaving a blistering hickey for everyone to see when suddenly the earth started shaking like-

"Oi, are you even listening to me?" 2D inquired petulantly while repeatedly tugging Murdoc's knee to attract attention.

2D sat between his legs with a notepad in his hands. Still only in his underwear.

"Fuck's sake, put on some pants, will ya?" Murdoc growled as he lowered the guitar onto his uncomfortably enlarging crotch. "What'cha want?"

2D went out of his sight, came back fully dressed and sat down beside Murdoc. "I wrote down some music for the melody you've been playing for the last few 'ours." He took a pen and began doubling the lines on the musical keys to make them stand out even more.

"You what? Lemme see that," Murdoc grabbed the notebook out from 2D's hands. "My melody ain't even finished yet," he groused, looked through the symbols, tore the page out and shoved the book back to 2D.

"Not like I can read any of that stuff, anyway."

"I know, 's' why I made up the rest myself," 2D sounded proud, his eyes gleaming with joy; he hugged his knees and rested his head on the arms, looking at Murdoc with curiosity, waiting for his reaction like an overzealous terrier waiting to be petted and fed a treat.

Murdoc got up and spread his arms, still holding his guitar in one hand, "Whoa whoa, hold your horses, partner," he sounded overly defensive. "Don't you think you're getting way out of line? It's MY band, after all, and I didn't give the cue just yet," he almost yelled as he vehemently crushed the page.

He paced up and down in front of 2D, who visibly shrunk in size and grew silent.

"I guess it's about time we got you a keyboard, then," Murdoc's husky voice sounded warm with notes of apology as he knelt on one knee in front of 2D. Their eyes met again and the next moment 2D was hanging on Murdoc's neck.

"Muds, you're the best!"

"Heh, tell me more about it," he whispered and closed his eyes, sly grin spread on his face, secretly soaking in this moment of spontaneous intimacy as he hid the page with 2D's melody into his back pocket.

"Ehehehehe, I'll descipher this baby later."