Chapter 12

By the looks of it, Murdoc had dragged Russel and 2-D out of bed too. Noodle sighed at the sight of Murdoc's sly smirk, then put on a smile. She sat across from the bassist at the dining table.

"Finally up, are you? Good," Murdoc dropped his expression.

"Can you tell us wha-" Russel began.

"Yeah, yeah," Murdoc interrupted, "When's the last time we all performed together?"

"Weren' i' Demon Dayz?" 2-D answered.

"Rhetorical question," Murdoc barked, "Whatever. I've been trying to get us a gig."

Russel and Noodle exchanged glances. 2-D was busy watching a fly buzz around the room.

"I thought you'd be more excited."

"Maybe we woulda been if you hadn't gotten us up so early,' Russel snapped.

"Oh come on. Dents doesn't mind getting up so early," Murdoc retorted.

"Wha'd yew say?" 2-D pried his soulless eyes away from the fly.

"See?" Murdoc looked proud.

"When you say gig, what do you mean exactly?" Noodle chimed in.

"Glad someone's paying attention," Murdoc said, "I mean a proper concert. Not some five minute show in a pub somewhere. The big man downstairs says he can get us a gig in New York."

"You mean Satan? I dunno if dealing with Him's such a good idea, Muds," Russel observed.

Murdoc rolled his glassy eyes. "Not Satan. Well... close. Our manager."

"Hang on, we're performing in New York? Why not a venue a little closer?" Noodle asked.

"Because I don't want our crazy fans following us home."

Noodle remembered how Russel, before he shrunk back down, used to sleep on the roof. As if Murdoc cared about staying incognito. "Sure," Noodle added, "Where exactly did you have in mind then?"

"Apollo Theatre," Murdoc announced. He seemed disappointed when nobody cheered.

"As long as there's no puppets involved this time, I'm in," Russel sighed. He stood, then wandered over to the stairs and quickly returned to his bedroom.

"Fastest I've ever seen him move," Murdoc commented, before cackling at his own joke.

2-D snapped out of his fly-watching trance, returning to reality. "Wha'? Did yew say somefin'?" he spoke to nobody in particular.

"Nope," Murdoc waved him away. 2-D shrugged, then wandered over to the fridge to stare blankly at the shelves.

With nobody else at the table, Murdoc turned to Noodle, grinning. "What?" she had just moved to leave.

"So... did you sleep with the robot?" Murdoc raised his eyebrow inquisitively.

"No."

"Didn't even consider it? C'mon, she might as well be yours now anyway. Although, it is little weird - you snogging your own clone and all."

"Robot clone," Noodle corrected, rising from her chair. Murdoc snorted to himself as she hurried back upstairs.

Cyborg looked up from Noodle's guitar when the instrument's owner let herself back into the bedroom. The robot tried hiding the guitar behind her back and giving Noodle a giant smile.

"You can play it all you want," Noodle giggled.

Cyborg revealed the guitar from behind her. "Thanks," she rested it on her lap.

"What were you playing?" Noodle sat beside Cyborg on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not actually sure," Cyborg hummed. She plucked at the strings until she re-found her melody. The whine of the guitar sounded strangely unfamiliar to Noodle as Cyborg played it. Somehow, the robot managed to make the acoustic guitar sound like synth. Suddenly, Cyborg stopped playing. Her voice not unlike Noodle's singing voice, she began reciting the lyrics to Broken, before abruptly stopping. "That's it," she decided, "I was trying figure out what that song was too."

"I thought you didn't like singing."

"Did I say that?" Cyborg looked confused, "I suppose I don't like it as much as other things. What did Murdoc want?"

"Oh," Noodle pinched the bridge of her nose, "Apparently we're touring soon. Well, performing in New York anyway."

"Performing?" Cyborg froze.

"He probably won't want you involved."

"Good."

"You don't like performing?"

"It's fun to play," Cyborg lifted the guitar off of her lap, then stood and leaned it against the wall, "But I don't like it when there are so many people around."

"I get you," Noodle nodded, assuming that was because Cyborg was technically born on a deserted island, with nobody for company half the time. "Maybe you could come watch anyway?"

"Okay," Cyborg grinned, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think Murdoc hates me?"

Noodle folded her arms as she considered the question. "Murdoc hates a lot of people," she forced a quick response out, then paused again to think about a more suitable answer. "I think he... is indifferent towards you."

"I hate him," Cyborg balled her hands into fists. Something about what she does said sounded right, so she said it again, "I hate him."

"Why?"

"Because..." Cyborg almost told Noodle that Murdoc had hit her, but she stopped herself, "Just because he's mean."

"I used to hate him too," Noodle curled her knees up to her chin.

"Used to?"

"Back when I first got here, I avoided him like the plague."

Come to think of it, Cyborg didn't remember seeing Noodle much after she arrived. She was either out or in her room all the time.

"He kept 2-D locked up in that bunker all day and he..." Noodle elaborated, reading Cyborg's inquisitive expression, "And he... he made you."

Noodle expected Cyborg to be offended, but she wandered back over to the bed and threw her arms around her instead. "Should I say sorry?" Cyborg muttered.

"No, you shouldn't. I was mad at Murdoc, not you. Actually, I thought having a robot copy of myself would be cool," the smile in Noodle's voice was obvious. Cyborg pulled back, matching Noodle's smile. Noodle followed her, jumping to her feet. "Murdoc asked me something funny earlier," Noodle changed the subject.

"What was it?"

Noodle opened her mouth to repeat Murdoc's question, then decided that it might not be appropriate for the robot. "Nevermind," she shook her head, reaching for her guitar.

"Oh, okay," Cyborg shrugged.

"I guess I should get some practice in,"

Cyborg dropped onto the bed, then watched as Noodle did the same and began tuning her instrument. "Actually, I might try having a shower," Cyborg thought aloud.

"Why's that?"

"I wanna see if I'm still waterproof," Cyborg scratched near the bullet hole in her head, "Then we can go swimming like you wanted."

"If you're sure."

Cyborg smirked, then jumped up and hurried into the bathroom connected to Noodle's room. "How do I make it go?" Cyborg called.

Noodle smiled to herself, then followed Cyborg into the bathroom.