A few days had passed, since 2D's outburst. Without much incident. And the more the young man had observed of the bassist and his behaviour. The more the feeling that something was not quite right with him grew. Just the day before he'd seen the old man's own pet raven, Cortez, peck him quite ferociously on the arm. As the bassist was trying to climb into his wagon. The keyboardist had begun to wonder from that moment, if perhaps even the raven was thinking the same thing as he.
"Murdoc, just ain' behavin' quite like Murdoc?"
The bassist had stuck to his usual schedule, and gone down the pub for the evening. Leaving the keyboardist alone to wander Kong, and think. Not that sticking to routine really told the young man everything was fine, and he was being silly about it all. It seemed to go much deeper than that, down into the very core of the man. The inner fire that was Murdoc Faust Niccals. Just didn't seem to be burning as bright. In fact, you could almost say his general nasty mood was pretty lack-lustre overall. One would assume that, that itself was a generous portion of what made the bassist who he was. So take that away, or shave a few grimy layers of it off, and what you have left over could not be called Murdoc Niccals. Someone trying to pass of a reasonable impression maybe.... Either way, 2D felt that although without Murdoc's usual intensity, he'd been able to apply himself to doing his own thing without interruption. Things just didn't feel right. And that left him feeling strangely uncomfortable. He'd become used to the tantrums, the name calling, the beatings and so forth. Now it almost seemed like Murdoc just couldn't be bothered with the keyboardist any more. The young man shivers at the thought, and opens a door. Wandering the lonely dark halls of Kong was definitely an experience. But without the threat of the bassist leaping out and scaring the pants off him... He sighs deeply and thrusts his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers. Childish maybe. But damn it, that's what made Muds, Muds!
He suddenly stops and looks up. With all the thinking, and wandering, he'd somehow found his way to Russel's room. Maybe the drummer had noticed the change in Murdoc to? The only way to be sure, was to ask. But how do you ask without sounding stupid? Or crazy? 'Or both?' He certainly didn't want to go saying anything and have Russel laugh at him. After all, he did have a habit of zoning out and missing entire conversations. Many times he'd heard the tail end of something, and replied back in a way that he thought was meaningful. Only to find he'd slept through the important stuff, and completely missed the point of the entire conversation. 'I could ask in a kind'a vague way?' he thinks, raising his hand to knock on the door. But he's struck by the thought that maybe he had slept through something? Maybe he was reading something into Murdoc, that just wasn't there? He lowers his hand again, and turns away. Taking a few steps back down the corridor. He stops again and looks back at Russel's door. But what if he's wrong? What if this is important, and maybe Russel is seeing the same thing? Maybe Russel doesn't know how to express it to? Maybe he thinks he's the only one? 'If I tell him I see it to, then he won't feel alone.... Like I do.' He turns and walks back to the door. Once again raising his hand to knock. But what if he doesn't? Or hasn't? 'I will look righ' silly then.' He lowers his hand and walks away again. But if he doesn't ask, he'll never truly know? He turns and walks back again, this time determined to knock and just come out with it. 'Get it ova and done wif. Either way, I jus' gotta know.'
"But wot if he don' believe me?" he suddenly asks himself, and once again lowers his hand.
"Why you pacin' at my door?" Russel's voice suddenly booms from somewhere behind him. 2D leaps back, spinning and slamming up against the door, clutching at his chest in fright.
"Don' do that! Scared me 'alf tah deaf." the keyboardist gasps, as Russel peels him off the door and nudges him aside. He watches the drummer open the door and walk inside, still trying to think of the best way to ask the large man, if he'd noticed Murdoc's odd behaviour. Sliding in behind him just as Russel closes the door, he gazes around the room, for a moment distracted. Russel slowly lumbers over to his bed, dropping bags of food on the floor, and heavily sits down. The bed creaks and groans loudly, but somehow manages not to break. Not that 2D notices. He's far too busy staring at the cigar stub, floating around in the lava lamp. Russel sighs heavily and looks over at the young man. Slightly annoyed that he'd invited himself in, but too tired to complain about it. 2D taps the lava lamp with a finger, snatching his hand back when the hot glass comes in contact with his skin.
"Wotchew wan' man?" the large man asks, as 2D sticks his finger in his mouth. The keyboardist looks around and for a moment his mind goes completely blank. The drummer recognizes the familiar look, and hangs his heavy head. Leaving the vague young man with the thought, he begins rummaging around in the bags at his feet.
"Oh yeah. Well'w yah see, I've been watchin' Muds for a couple days now right? An' like I know he's like all intense an' stuff. But like, I like him an' I know that lossa people find that like, wrong. But I don' really care.... An'way, for a few days now, every time I look at him, I get this righ' funny feelin..." the young man suddenly says. Russel stops and slowly raises his head. He gazes at the young man, standing in front of him wringing his hands, and equally as slow, raises a heavy eyebrow.
"Oh. Ah, okay? A funny feelin? But man, what's yo' funny feelin' gotta do wit' me? If'n yo ass feel dat way 'bout him. Den you gotta tell him.... Though,... I kin'a have a funny feelin' bout dat myself." Russel answers, not really sure he knew the best way to answer a question like the one he felt he was being presented with. 2D smiles weakly for a moment, thinking perhaps Russel had seen the same thing himself after all.
"Okay. So wot funny feelin' do you have then?" he asks, stepping forward. Russel shrugs and looks back down at the bags again.
"Dat if'n yo ass tells him what you jus' said. Den he's goin'a rip yo stoopid Cracker head, off'n yo shoulders." 2D blanches and seem to go completely limp.
"Awwww, that ain' 'elpful." he moans. Russel pulls a burger from one of the bags, and looks back up at the young man.
"Well den why you haffa tell him? I know it might be diff'cult. But dere have bin many people who have fallen in love wit' someone, fo' good or bad reasons, but neva tol' 'em." he replies, unwrapping the burger and licking his lips. 2D nods at him thinking for a moment, when suddenly his brain leaps upon a single word that the large drummer had said. Sending sirens raging through his mind. 'Love?'
"Wait, wot?! I ain' in love wif him! Wot made yah fink I woz in love wif him?!" he splutters. Russel furrows his brow and studies 2D's now very astonished, but angry face.
"Well coz dats what yo ass jus' said!" he gruffly replies, jabbing his burger toward the frustrated young man. "You said you had a funny feelin' bout him. An if'n you two Crackers wanna git it on, den I ain' one tah stan' in yo way. Min' you, I already have a feelin' who dah bitch goin'a be in dat relationship." he chuckles, and bites down on his burger. 2D paces back and forth in front of him, grabbing at his hair and fuming about what Russel had just suggested.
"Noooo. I didn' mean that kind'a feelin' at all! I woz talkin' about a completely.... Wait? Who'd be the bitch?" he stops and looks at the drummer, who half smiles, and swallows the portion of food he'd been eating.
"If'n yo ass don' know dah answer tah dat. Den Muds ain' hitcha hard enough yet." Russel chuckles, and reaches into another bag for his drink. 2D raises an eyebrow, and a finger, and goes to say something else. But the thought of what the drummer had said already, makes him realize he was wasting his time. Russel hadn't noticed it at all. He lowers his hand and closes his mouth, waving the drummer off and leaving him to his meal. The large man watches him leave, as he takes a gulp of his drink. "Crazy ass Cracker." he chuckles, and unwraps another burger.
2D instantly decides that he didn't want to ask Noodle what she thought. Considering the conversation he'd just had with Russel, the last thing he wanted was to cement any thought that he had more than feeling's of friendship towards Murdoc. Besides which, if Murdoc found out what he'd even unwillingly hinted at, the outcome could be more than detrimental to the young man's health. He sighs heavily and begins the long walk back to the car park.
"She'd prolly end up finkin' I woz havin a long standin' relationship wif him, or sumfink?" he moans, as he opens a door ahead of him. "Or dat I fink I'm havin' his twins.... Eww." he shudders as the door closes behind him. He enters the car park and as the door closes behind him, he hears a noise. Looking up onto the Winnie's roof, he sees Cortez sitting up there, quietly preening his wing feathers.
"You know though, doncha?" 2D calls to the bird. Cortez stops and looks down at the keyboardist, narrowing his cold dark eyes.
'What that loco amigo want weef me?' Cortez thinks, slowly pacing up and down and getting himself ready to swoop down and attack the young man.
"You knew it long before anyone else I'll bet?" 2D continues.
'I know nufeenk. Who say I know sumfeenk? Whoever they are, I come over their house, and peck holes in their gato.' Cortez adds, even angrier than before.
"That, that....!" 2D splutters angrily, pointing at the large car park entrance door. "That impostor, just ain' Muds!"
'Carumba! That amigo a geenius?' the bird is so astonished by what the keyboardist just said, he stops and blinks vaguely at him. Dipping his head under his wing, and trying to clear his vision. 'Thees can not be that loco 2D? I know he stoopeed.' But looking back down at the young man, he can plainly see that it is indeed 2D standing there. The raven flaps his wings and glides down to the young man. 2D instantly flinches, remembering the many times the large black bird had attacked him before. But to his surprise, this time Cortez gently lands on his still outstretched arm. He blinks at the bird, who quietly caws at him, trying his best to get the keyboardist to understand him. But the young man can't, instead he gives the bird a flinching smile and carefully raises a hand to give the raven a pat.
"Aww, you are a nice bird." 2D coos.
'Nice bird nufeenk. Why I no get that fat eediot? He have much more brain een his casaba. Not loco like you.'
"But you do know it, doncha? Not that it makes a difference. Knowin's one fing. It's wot tah do that's tha problem." 2D sighs. Cortez looks down at the floor. He knows the young man is right. It is a problem. Even with the little he knew, in truth, he couldn't be sure exactly what this impostor was, or how he'd managed to do what he had? The bits and pieces he'd been able to glean over the last few days were fine. But what to do with it all and how, was the tricky part. Especially for a bird. All he cared about really, was getting his master back. And as soon as possible. He looks up at the young man's face and tries to work out a way to get him to understand, that he'd already worked out that the impostor, was indeed an impostor. A demon to be exact.
'Only way ees to show the loco amigo. You come weef me. I show you.' Cortez thinks, flying down from the young man's arm and landing on one of the Winnie's side mirrors. He pecks the window and looks back at 2D.
"Wot? You want me to look in the window?" 2D asks, walking over and cupping his hands against the glass.
'No stoopeed. I want you to open the door!' Cortez, caws angrily and flies to the door, diving at it, and doing his best to attack it with his feet. 2D watches for a moment, and slowly begins to understand.
"Oh, you wanna go inside. Okay." he smiles, and opens the door. Cortez immediately swoops inside and lands on the shelves by Murdoc's books.
'I show you the book, and you read out feengs to me. Then I can show you what to do. Okay?' Cortez says, pecking at one of the books. He looks around and sees 2D is no where to be seen. 'Hey? Where you go amigo.' The raven flies back outside just in time to see 2D's bedroom door close.
'Eediot. I no say it time to go bed! Aye Carumba. Thees amigo ees stoopeed.' Cortez flies to the door and begins pecking on it loudly. 'Open the door. You come out now and we do thees.' The young man opens the door and looks down.
"Allo again." he smiles.
'Allo nufeek. We have much to do, and I no have time to play. Now come weef me.' Cortez caws loudly, and begins pulling on 2D's laces. Walking a few steps away, and waiting for the young man to follow.
"I don't understand?" Cortez walks back and pulls on his laces again, walking back to the Winnie a short distance, and looking back to see if 2D is following. Finally it dawns on the keyboardist, and he follows the raven back to the wagon. The bird flies inside, and lands on the shelf again, looking to see if the young man was watching. 2D pokes his head inside, and Cortez once again pecks at the book.
'Okay, you read. I show you what to do, and we get Murdoc back.'
"Aww, you want me to read you a story. I didn't know Murdoc did that sort of thing, but Okay." 2D grins, taking out the book that Cortez is pecking at.
'Read me a story? I'll peck you in the cahones. I peck you so hard, that years from now, your bambinos weel feel eet.' 2D sits down and places the book on the table. The raven flits over to the table, and approaches the book. Opening it as best as he can with his beak, he turns the pages. Looking for the one he knew would show the keyboardist, what they were dealing with. Finally he sees the page and begins pecking hard at the picture. 2D looks down at it, and back at the bird.
"Why are you showing me this.....?" he stops and looks hard at Cortez, then around the wagon. Slowly his brain begins to take it all in and he realizes that maybe Cortez is no ordinary raven. "You're trying to tell me sumfink important, aincha?" Cortez suddenly falls onto his back as if he's dead. 2D lurches back, pressing his knuckles against his mouth. But suddenly getting to his feet again, the raven caws angrily at the startled keyboardist.
'Why you make thees hard! Concentrate amigo! Yes I try tell you sumfeenk important. I no do all the work here.'
"Didn't know ravens could faint." 2D mutters, looking over the picture. "Are you sayin' that, that impostor is this guy?" he asks, pointing at the demon in the picture. Cortez blinks at him and cocks his head to his shoulder, almost looking like he was shrugging.
"Oh, so not actually this guy? But a guy like this?" the raven caws softly in confirmation, making the young man grin happily at getting it right. "So what do....." Suddenly they are interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into a space close by. 2D panics and stands up, for a moment not knowing where to run to. Cortez flies to the shelf and pecks the space where the book came from, and caws at 2D. The young man grabs the book and roughly shoves it back in the hole, then dives out of the wagon, racing back to his room. Cortez looks at the open door, and hides his head under his wing in disgust.
'Eediot. Now he know sumfeenk up. Not like raven know how to open door.' he sighs and hopes that the impostor will think he'd accidentally left it open himself. Murdoc steps inside a few seconds later, looking cautiously around the wagon.
"I know I shut this door." he growls, then sees Cortez sitting near the books. He notices the one that Cortez had shown 2D wasn't quite pushed in all the way. He smiles, thinking that perhaps the raven had been trying to pull it out. "Interested, are we?" he takes the book out and sits down at the table. The raven eyes him carefully and not wanting to upset the demon, flits over to the table and sits close by.
"I can read some of it out to you. I know a thing or two about it you know?" the bassist smiles, thinking maybe he'd finally found a way to win the bird over.
'Oh I know you know about eet. I know you ees a diablo, and I am goeeng to send you back.' Cortez almost seems to smile which makes the impostor happy. Murdoc slowly flips through the pages, looking for something he could share with the bird. When suddenly he comes to the page Cortez had shown 2D. Seeing the slight tears and peck marks, the bassist stops and furrows his brow. Slowly he runs his hand across the page, deep in thought. Cortez begins to feel anxious and slowly moves back a few steps, getting ready to take off if things suddenly turned nasty. The bassist suddenly slams the book closed and grabs the raven tightly in his hands. Cortez cries out and begins pecking furiously, but the impostor suddenly grabs him by the neck and presses down as if to break it. The raven stops instantly, and caws softly, hoping to save himself.
"I'm not gunna hurt you. But let me get one thing between you and me, perfectly clear. I know yer no ordinary bird. Yer a lot smarter than a lot of humans I've met. Congratulations on working me out. That was well done. But all that ends here, got me? I dunno who you had in here, probably that fat git Russel? And I dunno how much you were able to get across to him? But if he suddenly does or says anythin' I don't like, you and he are done fer. Understand?" Murdoc slowly lets the ravens neck go and gently places him down on the table. The bird ruffles his feathers and caws gently back, letting the bassist know he did understand, and would behave. This pleases the old man, and he makes his way to the back of the wagon, and goes to bed.
Cortez sits quietly in the dark, staring at the faint outline of the sleeping bassist. He almost seems to grin at him, because he knows that the old man had got it wrong. It wasn't Russel who was helping him get his real master back. It was 2D. So the bassist would be watching the wrong person. This would give him as much time as he needed, to teach 2D all he needed to know. It would of been easier if the American had worked it out, sure. But so long as he had some assistance, the raven didn't care.
'You sleep eesy now diablo. Because you need all the energy you can get amigo. Dees raven goin'a get you. You wait and see.'