Chapter 30: The Alliance

. . .

"You do realize that we're not just going to take you back, right?"

Murdoc didn't respond right away, staring gloomily over the mountains as smoke curled from the end of a half-charred cigarette.

Three days had passed since he'd told me about his experiences with the Suppliers. His body had mostly healed from the horrific cold he'd caught on his way up the mountain, but fatigue lingered in the stoop of his shoulders as he slumped over the porch's railing, and in the deep, sickle-shaped shadows curving under his eyes.

I was patient, but not pitying. "After everything you've done to 2D – to all of us – you can't just come marching back into our lives."

He tossed the butt of his cigarette into the snow. "Well, I wasn't expecting a bloody welcome-back party. Believe me, I understand why you wouldn't want me to return to Gorillaz." A trail of smoke blew out of his listless smirk. "From what I've heard, you've already found a replacement for me, haven't ya? Givin' me a taste of my own medicine, eh?"

I bristled at the insinuation. "We didn't bring in Ace to spite you," I retorted. "We needed a bassist to record songs."

"Heh… I know," he chuckled dryly. "You've never been the spiteful type."

Frowning, I gazed silently at the hole Murdoc's cigarette had burned through the snow. I hadn't forgiven Murdoc for his crimes against 2D and against Gorillaz. The bassist's story had helped me understand why he did some of the things he'd done – and made my stomach curl at some of the horrors he'd seen – but it hadn't excused what he'd put us through.

There was no way I could bring Murdoc back to the others. Even if he truly wanted to help us – even if he truly had nothing left to hide – his relationship with the band was broken. Now that I knew what had happened on Plastic Beach, I understood why 2D couldn't trust Murdoc, and why the singer had been so adamant that I shouldn't trust Murdoc either. I couldn't ask 2D to let Murdoc back into his life, and, quite frankly, I wasn't ready to let Murdoc back into my life either. My gut told me that I could trust him, but my mind still had pain to heal from.

I twisted to peer back through the window into the building, observing as El Mierda coaxed his sunrise yoga class into a downward dog pose. "So, one of those people is the brother of the gang leader we need on our side?"

"Yeah, and I think I know which one. The wiry bloke standing near the back, with the scruffy beard and the black T-shirt, looks just like their leader."

I glanced toward the back of the room and was surprised to find that I recognized the man in question. He'd offered me a towel a few days back when I'd broken a mug of tea – In fact, he'd mentioned that I looked familiar before wandering off without giving me his name.

A gong rung – the yoga class was over. I exchanged a glance with Murdoc before leading the way inside.

"Excuse me." The bearded man looked up from rolling his yoga mat as I approached. "Could we talk for a minute?"

The man raised a curious eyebrow and smiled. "Certainly. It's not every day I get to talk with someone new in a place like this."

"Yes; it's a bit off the beaten track, isn't it?" I tilted my head to the side. "What's your name?"

He hesitated for a moment before replying, "You can call me Frank. I'd ask for your name, but I think I might already know it."

"Do you?"

"You're Noodle, from that band Gorillaz, aren't you? I thought I recognized you from somewhere, but didn't quite put it together until your green friend showed up."

So much for staying under the radar – oh well. I didn't think I was in much danger of my wherebouts being broadcast by this man – Frank – or anyone else at this lodge, seeing as how everyone here had promised to keep the wellness center's location a secret. "Yes, that's me. I take it you're a fan?"

"I was. I'm afraid I haven't heard much of your music since I came to stay here, years ago – the last album of yours I heard was Demon Days."

"Well, then, you've missed a hell of a lot," Murdoc huffed by my shoulder. "But we've got more important things to do than gossip about our latest albums."

I cast Murdoc a withering glare. Frank glanced between us, perplexed. "Frank, this is Murdoc, the most polite bass-player you'll ever meet," I introduced sarcastically.

Murdoc rolled his eyes as Frank responded, "It's a pleasure to meet you! I wasn't sure I'd have the chance; that cold you caught nearly finished you off!"

My chest twinged – as angry as I was at Murdoc, I didn't like to think of how serious his illness had been.

"Well, Frank." Murdoc's eyes skimmed over the man's face. "If you're that pleased to meet me, I don't suppose you'll mind telling me if you're related to a bloke who calls himself Cutthroat Cal?"

Frank froze.

Even without the cool sense of deception swirling in my gut, I would've known Frank was lying by his painfully prolonged hesitation. "No… I don't know anyone who goes by that name."

Murdoc wasn't fooled either. He leaned forward – I stiffened as the bassist propped an elbow on my shoulder. "Really? Well, I'm looking for Cutthroat's little brother. I believe he used to go by Kenny Keys, and I've been told that he's been staying on this mountain."

Frank frowned. He picked up his yoga mat and tucked it under an arm. "I don't think you'll find anyone here who answers to that name. Lots of people who come to El Montaña Wellness Centre don't want to be found. If your whole reason for being here is to drag someone back into a life they don't want to be a part of, then I'd suggest you give up and leave."

As Frank's eyes burned into Murdoc's, I realized that he knew that we'd figured out who he was. Frank's denial was a warning: If we kept nosing around, he would refuse to budge.

Murdoc smirked casually, his sly face calculating. "Some pals I met in prison told me a thing or two about Kenny Keys. They say he got his nickname 'Keys' because he was an ace at piano. In fact, he used to get piano lessons from my own keyboardist, 2D. A.k.a. Stuart Pot."

"That's a lovely bit of trivia I don't need to know," Frank drawled back disinterestedly.

Murdoc narrowed his eyes. "They also told me that Keys might want to help Stu out if he knew he was in trouble."

I could see Frank's muscles going taut, feel the tension building in the air as he struggled to continue feigning nonchalance. "Is your keyboardist in trouble?"

"Deep shit, mate."

Frank was silent for at least a good ten seconds, his gaze drooping toward the floor as if heavy with the weight of conflicted thoughts. Finally, the bearded man turned away, muttering as he went, "Follow me. We should talk in private."

. . .

We sat on the edge of Frank's narrow bed as he slouched in a deskchair across from us. His small room at the lodge was strangely bare for someone who had supposedly been there for several years – not a single photograph or memento gave clue to what his life had been like before he'd ascended Aconcagua. The only hints of his hobbies were a yoga mat thrown unceremoniously into a corner and an old but well cared for keyboard propped on his desk.

Frank pushed the hair back from his forehead, scowling as he did so. "Your band is mixed up with the Suppliers? That group is a sour piece of work."

"So you've heard of them?" I prompted.

He nodded. "Yeah. They did a pretty good job of keeping under the radar, but my brother Cutthroat had heard of them. He warned everyone in our gang to back off if we ever met someone who offered us dark green pills. Said he'd heard of people disappearing who'd got mixed up with them, and people getting hurt. We were all criminals, but THEY were on another level – some said they could make whole gangs disappear overnight!"

Yikes – If that were true, I could understand why Frank's brother didn't want his gang to engage the Suppliers.

Murdoc leaned forward. "Well, Keys –"

"It's Frank. I don't answer to 'Keys' anymore."

Murdoc rolled his eyes. "Frank, then. Don't you think the world would be much better off if someone took down the Suppliers?"

Frank laughed humorlessly. "If it were possible, someone would've taken them down ages ago. There are plenty of gangs out there who'd love to see a threat like the Suppliers disappear."

"Gangs like yours?"

"Gangs like my brother's," Frank corrected with a hiss of emphasis. "Unfortunately, the Suppliers are a massive group with plentiful income. Even if my brother's gang was big enough to take them on, the Suppliers would be able to buy allies in a heartbeat and crush them!"

"So we'd want to hit them with a surprise attack!" Murdoc punched the air. "Take 'em down before they can even think to call in backup!"

"NO!" Frank stood suddenly, eyes wide like a startled cat's. "We need to STAY AWAY from the Suppliers! I don't want my brother, or any of my old associates, anywhere near those monsters!"

"So you're going to leave your old piano teacher to the Suppliers' mercy?" Murdoc's eyes burned.

Frank's stance wilted, his expression pained. "Stuart was a good man," he murmured. He closed his eyes tightly, fists opening and closing as if trying to grasp the emotions slipping out of himself. "When I was young, my mind was in a bad place… I thought I was hid it pretty well – not even my brother knew! – but Stuart could tell at first glance that I needed help. He's the one that taught me to use music to feel better, to clear my head…" His trembling fingers brushed delicately over his keyboard. "I wish I could help you guys. I really do. But we can't beat the Suppliers. They're too strong. We just can't."

There was something off about Frank's tone… His distress was genuine, but I couldn't help the feeling that he wasn't being entirely forthright. "Frank… Do you mind me asking why you left your brother's gang and came to El Mierda's hideaway?"

Frank clenched his teeth. "I was tired of the conflicts. I was tired of seeing the gang – my family – get hurt. Even when we won fights, there were always casualties." I could hear a quaver in his voice. "I told a friend that I couldn't take it anymore. They told me that they'd heard of a place in the Andes where someone in need of a blank slate could get away. I looked for that place, and I found it."

Murdoc's eyes narrowed. "That's why you won't tell your family to fight the Suppliers, isn't it? Not because you think they don't stand a chance, but because you know they'll get hurt, even if you win."

Frank winced, one hand tightening over the edge of his keyboard, then nodded silently.

Murdoc's next words sent an odd prickle running across my skin with their uncharacteristic rawness. "I've found that most people are willing to get hurt for a cause that matters to the ones they care about." He looked at his knees. "Sometimes you think you can help people by hiding from them instead of asking them to help you. Sometimes you think it's better to lose a fight then to ask your friends to fight beside you and watch them get hurt. But people resent being kept at a distance – they resent not being given the choice to fight." Murdoc closed his eyes and sighed. "If you really don't give a rat's arse about 2D and the Suppliers, then go ahead and ignore us. If you really don't give a shit about your family living in fear of those drug dealers, then go ahead and keep hiding from them in the mountains. But," Murdoc raised his eyes to pin down Frank's pallid face, "If they matter to you, and if Stuart and this fight matter to you, then quit being a prat and talk to your brother! Let him choose whether or not he wants to help you – don't make the choice for him."

Murdoc shoved himself from his seat, staring resolutely at the floor as he marched out of the room.

. . .

I found Murdoc smoking on the porch again, gazing listlessly at the hot springs. I had left Frank's room after the bearded man had agreed to consider calling his brother – Murdoc's words must have hit a chord in him. I thought the bassist ought to know how that we'd made some progress.

Murdoc flinched as I leaned against the porch railing beside him, letting out a ragged cough which seemed to shake his whole chest. There was a cold feeling in the air that had nothing to do with the mountain's frigid weather; I could feel it rolling uncomfortably through my insides, seeping into my blood... Something was wrong, and it had to do with the tired, sickly-looking bassist pulling deep breaths through his cigarette. "Murdoc?"

The man groaned. "Noodle, I'm sorry."

I raised an eyebrow – Murdoc wasn't usually the type to apologize. "Don't be – the talk with Frank ended pretty well after you stormed off–"

"Not about that!" He hissed, nails digging like talons into the porch's splintery railing. "I'm sorry about Plastic Beach! I'm sorry I didn't let you and Russ decide for yourselves whether or not you wanted to fight!" He raised a hand to claw at his hair. "The thing I just asked that Frank bloke to do – to talk to his family and not give up on this fight against the Suppliers – it's something I failed to do. If I hadn't been such a sodding idiot – if I'd listened to 2D when he said you'd want to help – we might've gotten out of this mess years ago!" The cigarette fell to the snow as his head dropped into his hands. "We could've all died – but we could've all been free. We had a chance, but I was too much of a coward to take it."

The chill in the air had gotten stronger. I shifted uncomfortably as warring feelings tore through my mind. "Murdoc, I'm not going to pretend that everything is okay. I'm not going to pretend that I'm ready to forgive you, because I'm not. I'm still hurting. We all are." I took a deep breath before continuing, "But I'm glad that you're finally acknowledging the wrong things you've done in the past. I need you to make me a promise, Murdoc. I need you to promise that you won't keep secrets anymore, and that you won't make these big decisions without the rest of the band."

Murdoc curled into himself like a defensive hedgehog, leaning heavily on the railing, head in his hands, nails bent towards his scalp. I almost didn't hear his muffled voice when he finally spoke. "There's another way."

I frowned. "What?"

"I thought of another way to get the Suppliers off 2D's case, without using a gang or fighting," He groaned. "It's the last secret I've kept, the last thing I haven't told you."

I repressed a surge of irritation, scolding the part of me that wanted to lash out at him for not telling me this earlier. "What is it, then?"

I thought I saw Murdoc's hands shake before they clenched more tightly over his face. "I could re-negotiate my deal with the Suppliers."

I huffed. "The Suppliers have never seemed interested in re-negotiating their deal."

"Because we never offered to give them what they really want," Murdoc murmured. "They want someone famous on their pills so that they can market their product. But it doesn't have to be 2D. It could be anyone else in the band. It could be me. It should be me."

I spun to face him. "You're saying we should end our troubles with the Suppliers by telling them that you'll take the pills in 2D's place?"

He nodded silently.

I couldn't hold back the next wave of anger that rolled through me. "Do you think these pills are a joke?" I demanded. "Do you think it'll be fun, being high out of your mind 24/7 for the rest of your life?" I scowled at Murdoc, willing him to pull his face out of his hands and look at me. "Have you seen what they did to 2D's mind? Do you have any idea how they make you feel?" I remembered the confusion and fear of my short time on the pills, and rage turned the ice in my blood to fire. "Do you really think I want to watch that happen to another member of my family?"

Murdoc moved swiftly – even with my quick reflexes, I couldn't respond before he'd pushed off the rail and grabbed both of my wrists, looking down at me. "You really don't like that plan?" He spat. "I want you to look me in the eyes, Noodle, and tell me that I don't deserve to be stuck on those pills!"

"What?" I gawped back.

He snarled. "I made 2D spend TWENTY YEARS on those sodding pills! Because of my mistakes, YOU were forced to take them! According to 2D, you overdosed and nearly DIED!" His nails dig into my skin as pain flashed across his face. "I'm not joking about these pills! I know what they'll do to me! And you know what? I don't care anymore! I just want the pain that I've caused this band to end! For the first time in my sodding awful life, I'm ready to take what I deserve for all the pain I've caused! Can you honestly say that, after all I've done, I don't deserve to be butchered by those pills like 2D was?"

I wondered what 2D would've seen if he'd looked into Murdoc's eyes in that moment. I wondered if he would've seen the self-loathing and desperation that I heard in the bassist's voice stretching down into the core of his soul. "Murdoc, 2D didn't deserve to be stuck on those pills, and neither did I. But I won't watch another member of my family suffer under them! I don't care if you deserve it or not; I just want all of this pain to stop!"

The manic expression on Murdoc's face crumbled. He seemed to shrink, to stoop, to fall through his own cloud of rage and land back into his sickly, fever-worn body. Then, for the first time in a very, very, long time, I saw him break down and cry.

. . .

Murdoc hadn't sobbed loudly. He'd just stood there, still staring at me, as tears began to streak down his face.

I'd dragged him back to his room – He almost seemed to be in a trance as I'd tugged his limp arm through his door, pushed him to lie down, and watched the weary man's eyes close as he sunk into a desperately-needed rest.

Back in my own room, I rubbed the tears out of my own eyes before picking up my phone.

It was about time I updated 'D and Russel.

Ring, ring… "Noodle!" 2D's excited voice chirped through the staticky phone speaker. "How are you? Did the trip up the mountain go well?"

Despite my frayed emotions, I felt warm, and smiled. "Hey, 2D. I made it up the mountain safely – I'm at the top of it now."

The sorrow in my voice must have been evident, because 2D's next comment was full of concern. "Noodle, what's wrong? Did El Mierda get away?"

"No, he's here, but…" I groaned. "2D, so much has changed… This trip… Murdoc didn't want me to find El Mierda. He wanted to meet me here to talk about his plan to stop the Suppliers."

"MEET YOU!? Noodle, is he –"

"He's here."

2D swore. "Are you safe? What's he been doing? How's he been acting?"

"I'm fine; he just… He showed up here sick, then came clean about everything that's happened between him and the Suppliers." My fingers tightened around the phone. "And he told me what happened on Plastic Beach."

2D's breath hitched. "He told you about how he made me trust him? And about how he… he…"

"How he forced you back onto the medicine," I murmured.

His breathing was ragged. "Noodle, you have to get out of there!" He urged. "You can't trust Murdoc! Whatever he tells you, whatever he promises you, he'll break as soon as it's convenient for him! I don't want him to trick you like he tricked me!"

"2D…" I ran a shaky hand through my hair. "Believe me, I'm mad at him for what he's done. But my gut tells me he's genuine about wanting to help us, and he has a real plan! There's a man living on this mountain who could convince a gang to fight the Suppliers with us! If we can get this ally, we have a real chance at beating them!"

I heard a heavy, quavering groan. "Please, just be safe. I love you, Noodle. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I love you too. And I promise I'll be safe."

"Noodle…" He hesitated for a long moment until a strained whimper broke the silence. "If Murdoc is out of jail… Does that mean… Is he going to come back?"

I frowned. "He's not coming back to Gorillaz, 'D. I won't let him near you."

He sighed. "Good. Thanks, Noodle. Is… Is there anything I can do to help you? To get this gang-alliance-deal moving so that you can come back?"

I smiled. "Just stay safe, 'D. I'll see you again soon."

. . .

By the time the wellness center served dinner, Murdoc had emerged from his room looking less emotionally volatile but as ragged as ever. His cough had come back. A concerned-looking hiker put a mug of honeyed tea into his hands before ushering him through the dining area.

When Murdoc finally crashed at a table with a measly bowl of pale-beige soup, I joined him with my own dish of chili. "You should eat that," I prompted, watching him stare blankly at his reflection in the bowl. "You'll be a pain to deal with tomorrow if you go hungry tonight."

He grunted, coughed, then started eating.

We dined silently. If he didn't want to acknowledge his emotional breakdown, I wasn't going to make him. I had my own emotions to deal with. Then again… Murdoc's behavior was concerning. He'd always made an effort to keep up an image of self-important confidence, but since we'd reunited, he'd seemed deflated somehow… defeated, even… as if he simply didn't have the energy to hold a fraction of an ego. I could chalk it up to him simply being drained from his cold, or I could take it as a sign that he was making an effort to be more genuine… But I had a sinking feeling that his drained affect was about more than just his physical illness.

Geez… We all need therapy, don't we?

"Hey…"

I looked up. Frank had approached the other side of the table, settling across from us with his own dish of chili. Scratching the back of his head, he took a deep breath before meeting my gaze. "I… I've talked with my brother. He agreed that it would be good for our gang if the Suppliers were out of the picture. And… When I told him about how Stuart had helped me when I was younger, he agreed that we owe him a favor. We're going to help you guys."

Hope sputtered in my chest like a streetlamp flickering to life in the evening. "Thank you."

"My brother and a few other mates want to meet up with the band to make plans," Frank added, a hint of nerves creeping into the tense set of his shoulder. "He wants to meet up with all of us. We'll need to pick a place to meet, and… And leave El Montaña Wellness Centre."

I felt a spark of pity for Frank. He hadn't left this place in years, and from what I could tell, he was deeply uncomfortable with the thought of returning to lower altitudes. "Are you going to be able to do this?"

He let out a soft chuckle. "I think so. I have to. My brother threatened to show my baby pictures to our friends if I miss another family reunion. But if you don't mind… I'd like to have a day to say goodbye to all my friends up here before we go."

. . .

I felt nervous and excited – I was finally going back! Back to Gorillaz, and back to our troubles with the Suppliers.

I sipped tea in the center's lounge the evening before our departure, watching Frank play a game with his friends which revolved around finding out who could hold various yoga poses for the longest amount of time. Many permanent residents and frequent visitors of the wellness center were sad to see Frank go, including El Mierda himself. Frank was a well-liked member of the center's welcoming committee, and El Mierda insisted that the place simply wouldn't be the same without him. Frank promised the elderly ex-criminal that he would return, but his pals insisted on making the time before his departure special nevertheless.

"Hey, Frank!" One woman shouted excitedly, pointing out the front window of the center. "You up for one last welcoming-committee job? It looks like we've got a group of hikers heading our way!"

I peered out the window curiously. Aside from Murdoc, only two or three new arrivals had turned up during my stay. The center's welcoming committee always met them with an enthusiastic greeting and a mug of steaming tea. Snow was blowing too thickly past the window for me to make out the figures' faces, but I could make out three staggering hikers being guided by a small Andean mountain cat.

Frank and the other members of the welcoming committee converged near the entrance as El Mierda strode out to greet the hikers. "Hello!" I hold the old man's croaky warble just outside the door. "Welcome to El Montaña Wellness Centre! I can see you're tired from your travels. Please, come in!"

The welcoming committee surrounded the hikers as they entered the building, taking their packs and helping them remove their coats so that they could enjoy the center's warm atmosphere. I had to peer between the helpful committee members to catch a glimpse of the new guests – when I recognized three familiar faces, my heart leaped and I jumped out of my seat. "Guys! You made it!"

The three hikers – the same three who had traveled with me to Mendoza and who I'd begun my climb up the mountain with – raced forward with excitement when they saw me. "Katsu!" The closest one – I recalled his name was Estefan – shouted my pseudonym as he raced forward to greet me with a hug. "I'm so glad you're here! When we lost you in that blizzard, we were scared you'd freeze to death out there!"

The other two – Teo and Nia – rushed to join the hug. "We've been scared to death, girl!" Nia exclaimed. "And to think, you were up here sipping tea while the rest of us were out there freezing and worrying! How long have you been here?"

"A couple of days," I admitted, withdrawing sheepishly from the hug. "Sorry I didn't try harder to find you – I got disoriented on my way here, and I didn't think I had much of a chance at tracking you guys down. Have you really been wandering the mountainside all this time?"

Teo nodded. "We got lost five times before finally making it here. Estefan didn't even think we were on the same mountain anymore."

"Who're this lot then?"

I turned to find Murdoc lumbering forward. He looked a bit better than he had the day before, but his eyes were still shrouded in dark circles as he perused my traveling companions.

"Murdoc, these are Estefan, Teo, and Nia," I introduced warmly. "We were traveling up the mountains together, but got separated in a snowstorm."

"OOH! Is this your boyfriend?" Nia squealed excitedly. "The one you told us about, who made that friendship bracelet? Did he follow you here to make a ROMANTIC GESTURE!?"

"NO!" I groaned, slapping a hand over my face. "It's not him!"

Murdoc laughed – this was the most amused I'd seen him in days. A teasing grin consumed his face. "You've got a boyfriend now? I leave the band for a few short months, and you decide to get a love life? Is my absence really that inspiring?"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, the band did write an album while you were gone, so yes. Your absence was inspiring."

My jab had no effect whatsoever in dampening the bassist's smug grin. "So, your boyfriend made you that trinket you've been wearing on your wrist?" Murdoc sniggered. "I'd assumed it was from 2D, but I guess he's not the only bloke in the world who has no fashion sense. Congrats dear; you've picked a real Picasso!"

I bit my lip. "Murdoc… It is 2D."

"Huh?"

"It's 2D. We're dating."

For a moment, his grin was frozen like a cartoon character about to plummet off a cliff. "You're dating 2D?"

"Yes."

His eye twitched. "Our 2D, or some other 2D?"

I scowled. "How many people out there do you think are named 2D? Yes, it's OUR 2D!"

. . .

I yawned as I booked a hotel room through my phone – Murdoc would need a place to stay when we traveled back to meet the band, since he wasn't welcome to enter whatever temporary home Russel had rented.

Cool dawn light flooded my small room at the wellness center. In an hour, I would meet Murdoc and Frank for lunch, then we would begin our journey down the mountain. I was still concerned about Murdoc's health, but everyone at the center told me that the trip down would be much easier than the trip up, and the bassist would have the assistance of his yak to keep him warm.

We hadn't spoken much since I'd told him about me and 'D. He'd wandered off muttering about finding something to drink, leaving me to chat with my travel buddies (who, at some point during Murdoc and I's conversation, had figured out that my name wasn't really Katsu).

I didn't think Murdoc was upset to find out about my relationship with the singer – he just seemed shocked, and his body was still a little too unstable to handle shocks well. Not that it mattered. I didn't care whether or not Murdoc approved of our relationship.

I thought about 2D and smiled. I'll see you soon.

. . .

Coming Up Next: Noodle reunites with the band, 2D reunites with a former piano student, and a brother reunites with his long-lost family… But will anyone be willing to reunite with Murdoc?

By the way: FOUR CHAPTERS LEFT! Unless I end up writing more than I planned and have to break up my scenes into more chapters... Which has happened before...