Disclaimer: I do not own the Gorillaz characters or the concept; that belongs to the creators Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn. I do however own my OC Alyss.


Chapter Two: Conditions

To keep a secret is like a creed, and sometimes you don't go against that single belief. To let someone in on this well guarded secret means to put your trust in their hands; whether or not they destroy it in their hands proves how much they trust you.

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They were unmoving like statues, and the silence that shrouded them was one that was allowed to linger; somewhere in the series of words that came from Murdoc's mouth was the sense of doubt. Alyss was staring right into the mismatched eyes that were studying her, they were so much like her own, yet they were defensive, guarded even from a force that was unknown.

2D started strumming his fingers together as though this lack of noise was unfamiliar and that he couldn't stand it. Even Russel seemed uncomfortable by the silence that was ensuing much longer than necessary. The duo just glanced at each other before Murdoc's stare intensified and Alyss knew she was trapped.

"Well?"

Alyss couldn't take her eyes away from the ones that resembled her own, she felt like she was staring back at a reflection of a dream gone wrong. Her voice sounded distant, almost as if she was trying to recall a lost part of her past, "well what?"

"Got anything to say? 'f not 'hen ya can get out," Murdoc replied. The once intrigued tone he had used seemed to fade into its usual annoyed tone again.

The teen's eyes widened at that, "Get… out? You would just kick me out?"

Russel finally found his voice and joined, "Muds we can't just kick her out."

"Why the 'ell not? She ain't my kid."

Alyss watched as Russel and Murdoc started to argue; on the inside she was numbed by what was just said, the news that someone might be related to her. She took the time to think about her past… she suddenly felt angry… almost… as if something bad happened a long time ago and she couldn't quite get the memory to play in her mind. Her eyes widened and she looked at Murdoc and Russel.

"Um… guys…"

The duo kept arguing, not hearing Alyss' voice that had gone through a decrescendo and was now a whisper. She felt something numbing her mind and she knew exactly what that meant; she almost considered leaving the bickering duo to argue and seek help from a pharmacy or a hospital maybe. Alyss then remembered that she had escaped from a Sanatorium, there was no way she could just leave and risk being arrested for what she had done to make the escape successful.

"H-Hey!" Alyss said, raising her voice to the point where Russel and Murdoc weren't arguing. Once they stopped she asked, "What if I-I could p-pay you? I mean… t-to let me stay."

The numbness was now slowly being replaced by pain but her face never changed from looking annoyed at the bickering going on between Russel and Murdoc. Alyss watched as Murdoc seemed interested.

"What would ya pay us wit? 'f you're in pajamas I don' think ya got money on ya."

Alyss paled at that realization, but at this point in time her mind was scrambling for a way to keep her newfound freedom, not to lose it because some guy said no to her staying out of sight for… who knows how long.

"I-I-I c-could do jobs around h-here, like l-laundry and d-dishes or whatever n-needed to be done. P-Please let me s-stay."

2D snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Alyss. She sounded desperate as though she was about to cry if Murdoc didn't agree, and her eyes started to tear up slightly. It wasn't really noticed, not unless you were where 2D was; her red eye was the only one in clear view for 2D but he saw what the other two members couldn't, she was in pain.

Murdoc watched Alyss for some kind of change in her face that mimicked her voice, but none were given for him. He saw annoyance when he really should've saw desperation; he heard sorrow when he could only see a normal expression. It was like a puzzle of emotions and expressions; they didn't fit together. Murdoc sighed.

"Fine, ya can stay… under one condition."

Alyss could hear the blood pulsing through her head as though her blood had turned into waterfalls and that she was standing right under one. She struggled to listen and maybe Murdoc could tell that she wasn't exactly paying attention.

"And that would be?"

"We're gettin' a paternity test."

Russel blinked. The drummer kind of saw that coming, it wasn't common to have Niccals as a last name and to have the same last name as the bass player for Gorillaz and to just appear out of nowhere; he could see why Murdoc wanted one.

Alyss watched as everything was starting to blur from the tears that were starting to form from the pain that was engulfing her head. She didn't show her pain as she questioned, "… Is that all?"

Murdoc nodded.

"Then I have two conditions," Alyss began.

"No. I had only one," Murdoc held up one finger to give an emphasis, "condition. Ya can only 'ave one."

2D then interrupted, "Need anyfing Alyss?"

Alyss glanced at 2D who seemed the most concerned out of the trio. Murdoc and Russel saw 2D's expression and glanced at Alyss and blinked.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yea… I'm fine…"

2D walked over and put a finger a little under one of her eyes. When he withdrew his hand away from her it was revealed that tears were rolling down her face. Alyss felt her face warm up after that and she quickly wiped her eyes, "I-I said I-I w-was f-"

"What are your conditions?"

Alyss glanced at Murdoc to see that he was still annoyed and that he looked rather angry that she got a headache. Her gaze slowly fell to the floor and she whispered her conditions.

"'m sorry luv, I didn' catch that," Murdoc remarked smartly, pretending that he didn't hear.

"I-I w-want t-to s-s-share a room w-with someone… a-a-and I need medication," Alyss repeated, glaring at Murdoc.

Murdoc leaned against the wall casually.

"So what's the medication for?"

Alyss frowned, "I-I-Insomnia… h-headaches…"

The Satanist rolled his eyes, "Great… another dullard. Oi faceache! Give 'er some of your pills."

2D looked at Murdoc then at Alyss, "B-But-"

Murdoc's hands began to form fists and 2D instantly ran to his dresser and started to search for the pills he too had to take for his headaches. The teen watched 2D and Murdoc and took in the fact that the duo barely got along when it came to inconveniences like headaches. She sat down on the bed and rubbed her temple, not once complaining about how much this was killing her.

Russel was hovering over her as though she was a little kid who had just gotten injured; it… was slightly comforting. Yet it freaked her out, that someone was that worried about her.

Two oval shaped pills were shoved in front of her face; Alyss shakily took the pills and then glanced at the trio. She quickly swallowed them and felt the pain almost go away completely, she closed her eyes and hung her head.

"Alyss?"

"I'm okay… thank ya."

Murdoc raised an eyebrow, "Ya gonna pass out?"

She shook her head, "No… it's just… this is a lot to take in…"

"Ya get used to it. Ya can sleep in dullard's room, got it? He'll give ya a tour."

2D stared at Murdoc, "Hey Murdoc, why do I 'ave to give 'er a tour? She's your ki-"

There was an echo of a slap that connected with the azure haired singer and a small whimper came from him.

"Muds," Russel started in a dangerous voice, "Don't hit him."

Murdoc rolled his eyes, "Whatever. 'ave fun watchin' luv here," he said mockingly as he walked out of the room… slamming the door shut as though to cause more pain. This plan succeeded and Alyss felt a dull pain growing behind her eyes and she felt drowsy.

"Are… you okay 2D?" she asked, looking up only to appear blinded by the light.

Russel helped the singer up to his feet and 2D nodded.

"'m fine. Ya look like you're gonna pass out fough."

Alyss looked guilty and she just hung her head, "… Don't make me take that paternity test."

The duo blinked, "Wot? Why not Alyss?"

"… I never knew who my parents were in the full seventeen years I've been alive… so… why bother finding out that I'm related to… someone like… him?"

2D tilted his head and watched as her eyes started to close, but they were struggling against what the pills were inducing. He walked over and sat next to her on the bed and patted her head. Once his hand gently connected with her head, she was already in a distant place in her mind, lost in the world of dreams, sleeping in the stream of sunlight.

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Russel silently closed the door and turned toward the singer who was against the wall of the hallway. He sighed at the very idea that there was another person in Kong Studios, they had just managed to get rid of people who had decided that this would be their new home and now they were providing a home for a person who could've been a homeless person for all they knew.

"Do you trust her D?"

2D seemed lost in his own thoughts and shrugged, "I don' know fough she seems like she's tellin' 'he truth."

Russel nodded at that and looked at 2D, "You have to watch her. If something happens or she says anything tell me or Muds okay?"

"Why?"

"If she's Muds' kid then we're screwed… and the fact that she takes medication… we're not sure what she's capable of doing, where she came from or anything."

"So wot does that mean?" 2D asked curiously. He almost seemed like a five year old child who was just assigned to spy on an older sibling.

The drummer gazed at 2D and answered shortly, "Be her friend and just find things out."

2D watched as Russel mentioned something about food as he walked away from the singer. He averted his glance from the huge figure to his bedroom door and he strummed his fingers together nervously. He didn't want to deceive her like Russel was implying… 2D then realized that the idea seemed like something that Murdoc would tell 2D to do. He shivered. Sometimes he wondered if all the arguing that Russel and Murdoc do from time to time meant that their personalities were rubbing off on each other.

But he was curious too… he wanted to know more about her, especially when she told him and Russel that she didn't want to know if Murdoc was her father or not.

"But why wouldn't she wanna know?" was all 2D thought as he waited patiently for Alyss to regain consciousness in the hallways just outside his room.


Here's chapter two! Alright this chapter was a bit of a struggle to write, mainly because I don't think all the characters got their fair share of dialogue. Though I'll make up for it next chapter. So what did you guys think? Feel free to express your opinions! I'm open to anything you want to comment on. Thank you for reading!