The room was silent, everyone staring at the lifeless corpse. Noodle turned to look at 2D, her eyes holding on the dead man's blood on his face for a moment too long. The blood had begun to dry, and it stuck some of 2D's blue hair to his face. The woman's stare brought it all back to his attention, and the smell of blood finally registered upon his senses. It was a nasty smell, like an old coin after you rubbed it between your fingers. It made his stomach churn. He pressed a hand to his mouth, shutting his eyes tight, fighting the urge to be sick and somehow winning.
"We should go, 2D." Noodle said, shutting Murdoc's eyes. She was planning on leaving Murdoc here, in the study. The pirates would hopefully be dealt with soon. Looking up sadly, the woman saw how her friend was becoming more and more nervous. After he had gotten over the wave of bile that had been trying to force its way up his throat, he submitted to simply sitting on the ground, pressing his pale face into his knees as he kept his dark eyes tightly shut. 2D's shoulders were visibly shaking now, and he seemed to have not heard her. Noodle sighed. "2D, we need to go now."
"That skeleton isn't much help is he, darling?"
"Please be quiet." Noodle spat, glaring towards the last pirate. He chuckled, but obeyed her anyway after asking a final question. "Yes, Murdoc is dead, now please be silent."
Noodle plucked the gun from Murdoc's cold hand, turning a bit and taking aim before firing multiple times at the windows. The glass fell away in large shards, allowing for the chilled sea air to rush in. The sudden sound caused 2D to cry out, falling to the ground once more and causing the pirate to roar with laughter. Only after the singer realized what had happened did he glare over to the pirate.
"Sod off, why don't you?" 2D snapped, getting back up into a sitting position.
The pirate captain rolled his eyes. "You're a right git, you know that?"
"Fuck you. Hey, love, why don't we knock him out again, eh?" the singer said, nodding when Noodle only stared at him. She was surprised, having not expected the man to pull out of his shocked state so quickly. She didn't care what was done with the pirate, so she simply shrugged.
"Do what you think is right then, 2D." She replied, getting to her feet and stumbling off to the window to look out for Russel. He was on his way over, frantic. Quickly, she waved to him, getting his attention so that he wouldn't rip the island to pieces in a futile search for his band mates. He calmed down easily enough, though he was none to pleased at the sight through the window. Sensing this, Noodle began telling him all that had happened.
Meanwhile, the guys were taking turns taunting each other. 2D, having been stuck alone with Murdoc for so long and thus forced to grow a spine, refused to fall behind.
"Can't even keep a woman, can you? Just look at the state of her." The pirate teased, hoping to hit a sore spot and doing just that.
"Say that again!" 2D said, furiously stumbling to his feet. He went over to the pirate, kicking him as he went before he jumped at the man to begin beating the crap out of him.
"Can't keep a woman!" the pirate sang, taking his first opportunity when 2D got too close. He was able to move his head, so he cracked it against 2D's own forehead. The fight, a weak one due to 2D's current state of health and the pirates bondage, ended there. Satisfied, the pirate spat at 2D's face, causing a mixture of blood, spit, and part of a tooth to hit the younger man in the face. Disgusted, the singer kicked at him, though the attack was as feeble as all the others had been, and scooted away to rest against the wall of the lift. He continued to glare at the pirate before him, though the other man found it slightly difficult to tell just where those odd eyes in 2D's head were focusing on. To make up for it, in a way, he sneered up at the man.
"Bet that was your first death, eh? First time seeing a dead man?" he tried, pausing to spit some more blood from his mouth. A muscle twitched in 2D's face. "Not much of a tough guy, are you? Niccals never did choose wisely. He must have hired you to work here over a drink or two, I'd wager."
"He didn't hire me. He gassed me and had me shipped out here, the bastard."
The pirate had the grace to look surprised. "I had no idea he played for that team," he muttered. 2D's eyebrows rose in confusion, and the space behind the elevator shaft went silent. Thirty seconds later, he cried out, feeling some immature need to defend himself.
"No! Murdoc wouldn't go near me like that, not even if all the women were gone from the world."
"Oh."
"C'mon, baby girl, let's get you out of here." Russel said, forcing his hand into the study to calmly wait for the young woman to climb on. She protested, not wanting to leave 2D behind.
"We need to gather supplies too, Russel, and pay our final respects to Murdoc."
The drummer frowned, alarm showing on his face. Withdrawing the hand and brought his face closer to the hole, peering in with one eye to see the lifeless body of the band's leader.
"Shit. I'm sorry, Noodle baby, I'm real sorry you had to see that." Russel said quietly, though his voice was still loud due to his current size. Noodle accepted these words, though she didn't feel that they were completely necessary.
"There is one pirate left, over by 2D. Murdoc got the other one. Could you wait for a little longer? I would like to talk to 2D, and also gather anything I can that will be of use." Noodle finally said. Russel nodded, leaving to find the ship the pirates had arrived on. He knew that there were submarines underwater around the island, but he somehow felt that this would be the best way for his friends to travel, for now at least.
Noodle staggered away, going into the studio and quietly shutting the door behind her. For a moment she rested against the cool door, sighing when the voices of 2D and the pirate began bickering once more. She hoped that 2D wouldn't try and fight the other man again; he didn't have the strength for it. Anyway, after she was finished looking around the studio, she expected him to be able to guide her around the island. Hopefully, he knew his way around, and he would know where… Who was she kidding? Judging by how the man looked, deathly thin and pale as a ghost, he probably knew as much as she did about where everything was on the island. Other than the confines of his underwater room, she assumed, he was clueless. Besides, what was there to collect on the island, other than necessary items like food, water, and medical supplies?
As if to make a point, the famed instrument El Diablo rested in its stand. It was all the way across the room, but right in Noodle's line of vision. How could she leave it behind? She quickly claimed it as her own, searching around the room for anything else and finding nothing. Leaving the room for the study once more, she set the bass on the desk by Murdoc, and then went to the lift. 2D was up and at her side in an instant, or a little longer than that, asking what she was doing. She looked up at him, smiling.
"Pack your bags, 2D, we are leaving Plastic Beach." She said. 2D beamed.
"I thought you'd never say that, love." He replied, leaning past her to stab the call button for the lift with his finger. The doors opened instantly, a good sign, and the band mates stepped over the dead body before them to get in. 2D selected the button to take them once more to his room, and then they were off. The ride down started off as an awkwardly silent one, until Noodle coughed slightly.
"2D, do you know if there's anything else we need to take with us off the island? I was thinking that Murdoc's-"
"We can't take him with us!" 2D said, shocked. "He'll rot away before we reach land."
Noodle shook her head. "I meant that we take his bass with us, as a reminder."
"Oh."
"Is there anything else you think we'll need?"
"My zombie movies, I can't leave those." He instantly said, grinning as the lift doors opened. Quickly, he made his way to his door, opening it a little wider to make room for both of them. "Be sure to not shut the door behind you, or else we'll be locked in."
"That's terrible."
"That's Murdoc for you."
Having no bag to pack, 2D settled on using a pillowcase. There wasn't much to stuff it with, other than his movies, a DVD player, and his multi-plug. Noodle wedged a ratty old shoe under the door to keep it open before searching around the room. The floor was covered in paper, drawings and used Sudoku puzzles, the latter of which had all been done incorrectly. 2D noticed her studying the drawings with a small smile before stuffing his banjo into the pillowcase. It had been broken weeks ago in one of Murdoc's drunken beatings, but he had been hoping on getting it fixed. He knew how to repair it himself, though he lacked the material needed. He placed a final item into his pillowcase, a drawing off the back of the door, and suggested that they check out the studio one last time, for the sake of his banjo. It was agreed upon, and they left once more for the lift, stepping out and over the dead body once they made it to the proper floor. Sadly, 2D saw the way Noodle was hobbling about, and he edged back into the lift, leaving his pillowcase just outside.
"I'll be right back, Noods," he said, pressing a button before the woman had a chance to respond. He traveled silently to Murdoc's floor, where his room was. Going on a hunch, the singer had assumed that that was where the man would have kept the first aid kit: far away from him, and in his own room, where he wouldn't have to share it with anyone. The lift doors squeaked open, and 2D walked the short distance to Murdoc's door, opening it with only a little difficulty. Once inside, he was instantly jealous. His former captor's room was far better than his own. Grumbling, he set to work.
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Back in the study, Noodle had allowed herself to rest against the lift, opting out of sitting down only because she was unsure if she would be able to get back up later. Wearily, she wiped sweat from her brow, glancing over to the hole in the wall to see Russel. He nodded back, quietly informing her of the fact that they'd be leaving in style on the ship.
"I hope you know how to, er, drive it," Russel said "because I know 'D will have no fucking clue what he's doing."
"Two ain't enough to sail," the pirate complained, being completely serious. The drummer and guitarist ignored him, already knowing he was right. Russel suggested that Noodle and 2D travel on his head.
"We won't have room Russel, not with all of the things we will be bringing with us." Noodle said. "There are submarines here, aren't there?"
"Yeah, but I don't think they're the safest way to go. I think Murdoc was the only one who knew how to get around in one." Russel said flatly, bothered at mentioning the dead man. "I know 'D has been around in them too, but I wouldn't count on him knowing what to do."
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Feeling accomplished, 2D made his way into the lift and back to the study. Once he was back with his companions, he proudly held out the large first aid kit. Noodle smiled and walked with him to the desk. 2D set it up on the wooden surface, opening the box to show Noodle the contents. She quickly thanked him before telling him that she could manage with cleaning up the wound in her leg, secretly not wanting him to help her with it because she was slightly worried that he would make it worse. As much as she cared for the man, she knew that it was unwise to take such risks. As she turned her attention to the matter at hand, she idly asked the bluehead about the submarines.
"There's this one that looks like a shark, it's the one we used for the On Melancholy Hill video, and the end of Stylo too. Murdoc did the driving, but that won't be too much help for us now." 2D said. Noodle could barely detect the happy tone in 2D's voice, though it was expected, sadly. "Anyway, lucky for us, I know a bit about how to get around in the sub."
"Like hell you do," Russel said, grinning. The singer smiled back, shaking his head.
"Nope, Dave, the engineer until he was fired or something, slipped me some books and stuff under my door for me to read. One day he slipped a manual under, so I took a look at it."
"Did it tell you how to get to the subs?' the pirate asked sarcastically. 2D's face fell.
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Russel solved the problem of the day by reaching into the study, making the hole in the wall larger, and grabbing the pirate. Quietly, he deposited the man on the beach next to a plastic tree, much to the bound man's displeasure.
"Stupid cracker ass." He muttered, shaking his head. "We can get to the sub easily enough, I'll just grab it and bring it up to the surface. 'D man, you sure you know what you're doing?"
The sudden harshness startled the singer and he nodded his head meekly. This wasn't very convincing.
"I swear man, if you screw up one time and hurt Noods, so help me…"
"I won't Russ, really!"
Noodle paused in her work, looking up and raising an eyebrow, and then sighed, returning to wrapping gauze and bandages around her leg. Lucky for her, the bullet wasn't lodged in her leg, so all she had to do was clean it first. She had to cut away the majority of her stripped leggings from the injured leg. The soiled material lay off to the side, ignored. There was more to be done, but she knew it was best to not do anything too drastic until she could find someone who was absolutely certain that they knew what they were doing.
"I have faith in 2D, Russel." She said in a calm tone. "If he thinks he can do it, I will believe in him." She added with a smile. Both of the men relaxed at this, one very much relieved at her words. "We should leave soon, shouldn't we?"
2D nodded, going over and retrieving his pillowcase from where he had left it earlier. Bringing it over to the desk, he began stuffing it with food, stealing some away to be eaten on the spot.
"We can also catch fish to eat along the way, and catch rainwater to drink. Having a source of water ready however is needed, don't you think?" Noodle said, wiping her hands clean with an antibacterial hand wipe from the first aid kit.
"Can't we just drink the water from the ocean?" 2D asked.
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Russel ducked back down underwater to search for the submarine, leaving his band mates to wait on the pier, where they were laden down with several bags containing things from more food to supplies for the sub. Noodle had Murdoc's bass with her strapped to her back, and 2D was wearing his captain's hat. He couldn't help the way he violently jumped away, tripping on a coil of rope in the process, when Russel finally came back up with the sub. The large drummer had some nerve, bringing the sub up out of the water as if it were a real shark jumping from the water. In the light though, it looked more like a whale, or else that was just 2D's nerves talking. Shaking his head, he followed Noodle down the pier to the submarine, tossing a bag into the now-open hatch before going back for another. Being the gentleman, he had taken it upon himself to carry all of the baggage into the "shark". Noodle snuck her guitar in before crawling in herself.
2D began struggling with the third bag, which had been as heavy as the first until his mind kindly reminded him that he was, more-or-less, a walking skeleton, and that all of this was only making him worse. He was grateful when Russel finally just picked up all of the remaining bags and stuffed them into the submarine.
With the worst part over with, 2D turned to have a final look at his personal hell. Grinning, he extended a hand, flipping the bird before laughing and turning back around to get into the submarine.
"See you later, you old sod!" he laughed.
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AN: The end! Thank you to all who read and reviewed!
... I sort of wish that I kept this as a oneshot, so don't be suprised if I move all the other chapters somplace else as a sequel or something. ;D
