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Chapter 14-Melodica
After Russel left his lair, Murdoc began to get back to work. He had heard Russel's large body coming down the stairs, which gave him time to hide his latest project. He walked over to the single closet that was in the room and swiftly opened the door to reveal the limp body of the Cyborg. He had reopened her lifeless eyes, which were now fixated upon him. Shuddering, he threw the android over his shoulder and proceeded to slam her down onto the war table.
Murdoc inspected her body carefully and looked over all of the work he had done. New guns had been installed, as well as a chip that made her more human-like.
It was only a start to the improvements she would need to function again, however. It would be a matter of time before he could figure out exactly what had happened to her to cause her whole system to crash.
The bassist carefully opened the panel on the Cyborg's head. Her bulging eyes and teeth were now visible, along with her gleaming metal skull. The wires that were once buzzing with life were now dull. No more electricity ran through them.
He sighed seeing his creation so lifeless. As of now, there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing he could do was attempt to mess around with her circuits until something happened.
Murdoc grabbed the wires he had recently installed into his wall and inserted them in the proper places so the Cyborg could charge. Surprisingly, charging was the only thing she could do; her internal battery was never harmed by the Boogeyman's force field. She now had wires running out of her from every which way, causing her to beep wildly.
He disregarded the obnoxious noise and watched as her open face panel regained some of its life. Smiling, he turned back to one of his many computers to do some research on advanced robotics.
Although the Cyborg's whole hard drive had been wiped out by the Boogeyman, she was still able to process a few mindless thoughts about what was happening around her.
When she first caught a site of the real Noodle without her mask, her mind was asking so many questions.
Where did she come from?
Would she be staying permanently?
Was she a threat to the island?
The Cyborg could process these questions all she wanted, but no matter what she could do, she would never be able to ask them to anybody except herself. Her situation was very pitiful; the poor android couldn't even move.
She felt horrible about not being able to help her beloved master. He was her everything; what she strived to protect and serve. She was a vegetable now, just as 2D had been so many years ago. She had no purpose anymore.
Without a task to do, the Cyborg's mind went amuck with hateful thoughts about herself. She blamed herself for crashing, as well as letting Murdoc be choked by the shadowy figure known as the Boogeyman.
She was still able to see after her system crashed. The mechanical being remembered being hauled inside and being dropped onto the floor. That fall made her completely lose most of her sense of smell. Her circuits and applications continued shutting down randomly until Noodle picked her up.
The moment she was placed on the couch by her twin she realized that the real Noodle was a truly good person, not a horrible one like she originally thought. She only had her sense of sight at that point.
She lost it after Noodle placed her combat hat perfectly on her head.
The Cyborg had no recollection of what happened after that. She only had the ability to think when she was charging, for the power suppliers went straight to her brain.
She looked up at her master, who was searching on one of his many computers. She hoped that he was searching for a way to fix her. She felt the need to serve him once again.
It was her duty.
She couldn't be a vegetable. She wouldn't stand for it.
"Russel-sama, did you enjoy being large?" Noodle asked inquisitively. "It looked really fun. I enjoyed being high up. Seeing the world from a different point of view really is lovely."
Russel sighed and rubbed his bald head. "It got old after a while…" he mumbled. The two were sitting out on the plastic grass that covered the top of the island. Noodle had discovered an opening in the sundeck that allowed her to climb out of the deck and into the fake, scraggly grass. It was a far cry from the real grass they had had on the windmill island.
Thinking about the windmill made Noodle sigh. The beauty of the wonderful floating island had perished a few years ago, but it still lingered in her mind permanently.
"I suppose it would be more fun if you could just see the world differently, like on the windmill island. Everything seemed so surreal when it was up high, you know…" Her thoughts drifted off without a care in the world. Noodle, who was on her towel, flopped back and stared at the sky.
"What the hell are you doin', Noods?" the drummer asked.
Noodle didn't respond. She moved her hand to take a cigarette out of her pocket, until she realized that Russel was right in front of her. The guitarist quickly moved her hand to the ground instead. The grass felt horrible on her hands. It scraped the outer layer of her skin enough to make her hiss.
Russel turned to Noodle again, giving her an odd look. Her behavior had changed since she was fifteen. It still wasn't something he was accustomed to.
"Are ya alright?" he asked blankly. Noodle turned to look at him; her cat mask perched to cover her face. She said nothing, and stood up to stretch.
"Everything's perfect Russel. Everything is pretty damn perfect."
With that, Noodle picked up her towel and headed inside.
2D had been locked in the studio by Murdoc that morning. He kept on pestering him to come up with a demo that was as good as Noodle's.
"Make some great f*ckin' music." he would tell him. 2D now found himself incapable of writing anything decent. Writing music was now like a chore.
By the time 2D bothered to look outside, the time had changed from late morning to late at night. The studio had gone completely dark, with the exception of a single lamp that stood lopsided on the mix table. Grunting, 2D went to fuss at the doorknob again.
He jiggled it with as much force as he could muster. It was still locked.
The singer kicked the door with his sailing boots. Opening the metal doors seemed like an impossible task.
He pounded on it again, this time with much more force. He thought he could see a small dent in the door. He grunted at the minimal amount of progress and let his body slide down the door and onto the floor. His efforts were useless.
2D wasn't sure how long he had been sitting. His thoughts wandered unconsciously without thinking about anything in particular.
It was one of those moments when he thought he heard a noise; distant, at first, and then it seemed to grow louder. He listened carefully to the sound.
It sounded oddly similar to a melodica. 2D pressed his ear against the door. The instrument was being accompanied by the rhythm of the lapping waves. He wrinkled his eyebrows and pounded as hard as he could at the door.
"'Ey!" he yelled. Suddenly, the music stopped. He pressed his ear harder against the steel doors, trying to hear if footsteps were coming to save him. 2D wasn't sure if he was correct, but he could hear the small sound of feet padding over to him. He smiled. If the person wasn't wearing shoes, which is what it sounded like, then it would be Noodle.
The doorknob was being pulled on the other side of the door. The pulling was very subtle at first, and then the sound grew just like the melodica music had. After a few more tries, the door slammed open, smacking 2D directly in the face.
He winced and fell backwards, grasping his bleeding face. Sure enough, it was Noodle on the other side of the door. Her hand also moved to her face in shock. She had no intentions of hurting the blue haired man. She quickly bent down next to him and removed his face from his hands. His nose was bloody, along with his upper lip. She frowned and pulled him up.
2D turned away from the guitarist. He didn't want her to see him in such horrible shape. Noodle turned his face sharply towards her again and wiped the blood from his face with her arm.
"A-Are you ok, 2D-kun?" she asked hesitantly. He ignored her questions and stood up. Noodle grabbed his shoulder, but he continued to walk out.
"2D-kun!" she yelled. Her angry tone made 2D turn around. His face was already starting to bruise up. The dried blood cracked along his cupid's bow, making him look more zombie like than he already was. Noodle cringed at the sight; but softened her expression and walked towards him.
2D wasn't focusing on Noodle, though. His eyes were fixated on the green melodica that was on the floor.
It was the one he was going to give her five years ago, directly after El Manana.
Noodle bent down and picked up the delicate instrument. Even though she was hiding behind her mask, 2D could sense her smiling underneath it.
"R-Russel-sama gave it to me as we were coming to Plastic Beach…I usually play it at night, in the lighthouse…" she said bashfully. 2D walked past her and climbed up the set of stairs that were by the lift. It was the closest entrance to the roof of Plastic Beach.
Noodle followed behind him, waiting to see what he would do. By the time she reached the top, 2D was already on the roof of the building, looking at the lapping waves. He looked so peaceful, regardless of his fresh injuries. The miniscule breeze seemed to play at his hair and shirt, making it wave ever so slightly. The guitarist bit her lip and stepped closer to him. It wasn't until she was directly next to him did he turn to face her.
"Russ gave that to ya, didn' 'e?" he asked quietly. Noodle nodded and handed it to him. 2D took it in his hands for a moment before handing it back to Noodle.
"I's yours, luv." he said. The man turned his attention back to the ocean.
Noodle started to put the instrument in her mouth, but she stopped and turned to 2D.
"I want to leave the island." she said abruptly. Startled, 2D furrowed his eyebrows.
"Yew like it 'ere…roight? I though yew did…" he said. Noodle shook her head.
"I-I want to go back to Kong. I believe Murdoc-san is going to go insane here, if he hasn't already. Change will be good for him." she stated. 2D longed for Kong Studios. He had ever since he arrived at Plastic Beach.
There was something inside of him that made him stay at the beach, though. It wasn't that he physically couldn't leave because of Murdoc. Some sort of dull attachment made him stay, and there were some parts of Plastic Beach he actually enjoyed.
"Muds won't leave." he said quietly.
"He needs to leave. I know Russel-sama wants to leave, and I now know you want to leave. I also want to leave. Murdoc-san is the only one stopping us."
2D bit his lip. It was obvious that Murdoc was the only one keeping them from leaving. Without Murdoc, Gorillaz seemed like nothing. He was their leader; they couldn't make another album without him.
Or, in more truthful terms, he wouldn't let them make another album without him.
Noodle put the melodica to her mouth, making 2D unable to comment on the issue any further. She played the same sweet tune she had been playing ten minutes earlier.
The bluenette tried to pick out the tune. It sounded a bit too familiar to him. After playing for three minutes, Noodle stopped playing abruptly.
"Wot was that?" 2D asked. Noodle tilted her head sideways.
"It was Broken. I thought you knew…" she said, confused. 2D blushed at his stupidity, a rare occurrence for him.
"I 'aven't heard it in a while, I fink." he said. 2D turned to her and quickly removed the mask from her face. Noodle, not expecting the sudden movement, defensively grabbed for her accessory, which was now in 2D's hands. He dropped it on the ground behind him and brushed the hair out of the girl's face.
"Ya don't need it… yer beautiful…" he told her. Noodle looked to the ground.
"No…I'm not. The scar i-" 2D cut Noodle off.
"Don' eva deny it, luv. Yer a beautiful girl."
Noodle's face was now fully exposed. 2D could see the red tones that had appeared on her cheeks. They nearly matched his.
Slowly, he moved his face closer to hers; trying to attempt the move he had screwed up the other night. Noodle let her own face drift to his. Within seconds, their lips were about to brush across each other.
Suddenly, the sound of boots came up from behind them. Noodle stepped away from the singer to see who had intruded.
Murdoc was standing behind the two, his hands on his hips. He didn't look very pleased with them. The bassist appeared to be extremely hung over, and could seemingly snap at any minute.
"I thought I told ya to go and write me a damn song!" he yelled. 2D cringed in guilt.
"'M sorry, Muds…Noodle let me out, and-"
"I don't care if the pelican let ya out! I don't see a single word written anywhere!" he interjected. Noodle's face became redder and redder; not in embarrassment, but in anger.
"I-I wos really tryin', Muds…I couldn't fink of anyfing." he said. It wasn't an excuse; the singer really couldn't think of anything good to write down.
"I couldn't fink of anyfing!" Murdoc mocked 2D, complete with a horrid Cockney accent. The bassist rose his hand up and smacked 2D hard across the face. The younger man stumbled backwards and almost fell against the railing that lined the roof.
Noodle had had enough. She walked towards Murdoc and grabbed his shirt.
"Murdoc-san, you need some sort of intervention. We're leaving Plastic Beach, and you're coming with us." she said. Noodle tightened her grip on Murdoc's shirt and waited for some sort of response.
MURDOC RUINED THE FLUFF! MURDOC RUINED THE FLUFF!