Before they could question Murdoc about his sanity, 2D and Russel first had to reach him. The keyboardist managed to force open one of the gates blocking their path up to the deranged drummer and after closing it, the two made their way to the front door. As they walked, they couldn't help but notice the chills this place was giving them. As if appearances weren't enough, the building also had the atmosphere to match.
"I'm sure it's not so bad on the inside," Russel said positively after noticing the way 2D wrapped his arms around himself. "With a little fixing up I'm sure this place'll shine like new."
"Yeah, right," the singer grumbled miserably. When he said they should get a new place this was not what he meant. Who did Murdoc think he was to take all of his belongings and declare this place to be their new home? He was getting fed up with the man's rash decisions, frankly.
"Hurry up, will you?!" The drummer was obviously getting impatient but due to the rising anger of the bluenette only one of his bandmates complied. 2D saw it fit to piss off the man more by slowing down and deliberately taking as short a stride as possible. By no means was it easy for him and his long legs, but it was very much worth it to see the annoyance on Murdoc's face.
"D?" Russel had noticed that the singer was no longer beside him and turned to look for him just in time to catch a glimpse of movement in the nearby trees.
"C'mon, faceache! You need to get your ass over here ASAP!" Murdoc was not pleased to see 2D stop moving altogether. "I'm serious," he growled, trying to sound somewhat urgent. He wasn't that far away; he was maybe a good forty to fifty feet. The drummer ground his teeth in frustration. If he'd just get his damn ass in gear then...
Murdoc's eyes flickered over to the trees and saw them just as Russel took a step back in shock.
"2D!" they both yelled in unison.
The singer was a bit baffled at the use of his actual name by the raven-haired man and by the time Russel pointed a finger behind him his brain had already caught up to the urgency of the situation. Whirling around he expected to see some sort of rabid animal about to pounce. Instead, he saw a group of five rotting corpses hobbling towards him, skin mostly decayed and falling off along with their hair and what was left of their clothing. The closest one reached out for him, thinking he was frozen with fear and an easy meal. Before it could grab him, however, he sent a sharp kick into its face and watched its head snap back before the rest of it toppled into the dirt. While the remaining four stared at their fallen comrade in what was likely surprise the singer trotted past Russel and up to the porch.
Murdoc stared at him in shock and when Russel joined up with them his mouth was slightly agape.
"What?" 2D asked, a little uncomfortable from the attention.
"You... You just kicked a zombie in the face," the drummer said, unable to hide any of the surprise in his voice.
"Yeah." He didn't see the big deal about it. Russel, having closed his mouth, looked at him and then to the group of retreating forms and back again. "Ok, seriously. Stop it. It was just a zombie."
"Yeah but... Damn, faceache. We didn't think you had it in you. Heh... Ha ha! I think you'll adjust to this place better than I thought." He clapped a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "I'm impressed. You've earned yourself some points in my book." The two of them shared a laugh and for once actually looked like a couple of old friends. Russel couldn't help but smile at it.
"Alright you two. Why don't we go inside where nothing's gonna eat us and then we can talk." The others nodded and Murdoc led the way into what they assumed was the living room.
"What do you think? I set up most of this stuff by myself." He was obviously proud about the whole thing and the two didn't want to squash it for once.
"It's... quaint," the keyboardist said, unable to think of anything better to say. "So... How much did this place cost?" He rubbed the back of his neck, a little nervous of the answer.
"Oh, you won't believe it! The guy only wanted seven hundred. Isn't that great?!" His bandmates' faces said that no, it was not great. "What's with you?" he asked, visibly deflated.
"Uh, Murdoc," 2D started, walking over to him and placing his hand on his shoulder. "Listen, mate. Normally, that'd be a great price for any place."
"Yeah?" He was baffled by the singer's sudden change in behavior.
"But this place? Honestly, it was probably too much."
"Whaddya mean too much? I'll have you know that I'm an expert negotiator. I got this place for the three of us all in one day!"
"Muds, what D is tryin' to say is that... um..."
"Look at the size of this thing!" He gestured with both his arms, knocking away the singer's hand. "I'd like to see you buy something this big and only spend seven hundred pounds."
2D sighed and brought a hand to his face. "You could have at least told us, y'know."
"I did." The drummer shot him a pointed look.
"No. I mean it would've been nice to have a little say in what we were buying. You just went out and bought this heap and then moved everything into it without anybody's say but yours."
"...Heap...? This 'heap' has everything we'll ever need if we're going to become a band. Tons of space, a full-sized recording studio, zero neighbors, bathrooms," he listed, ticking each one off on his fingers with increasing vehemence. "What's not to love about it? It's perfect!"
"Except for the zombies," Russel mumbled, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in preparation for the soon-to-follow explosion. Black and red darted over to him in surprise.
"You can't be serious. No. You aren't serious." Murdoc's gaze desperately told him to keep his mouth shut.
"Muds, c'mon. Nobody in their right mind would throw any good money at a place with zombies living in the front lot."
"Which tells me the exact reason why you bought it," 2D added, glowering at the older man.
Murdoc's gaze went from 2D to Russel before finally settling on the singer. "Listen here, you little shit," he snarled, stomping up to him to get in his face. "If you don't like it, then leave and don't come back. I'll start my own band in the place that I paid for!"
"Good luck finding a new singer, guitarist and, oh yeah, keyboardist. Don't forget the bassist either," he replied, completely unfazed by the personal space invasion.
Murdoc stood silently for a few moments, eyes slightly wide, before letting out a low growl and stepping back. He looked between the two of them in disgust. "I can't believe how fucking ungrateful you all are," he said. "Here I am, spending my hard-earned money on something that benefits all of us and you two are insulting me over it. So it's not perfect. It's cheap and it suits our needs. Why do you two even care when it cost you absolutely nothing?" Both men flinched at the hurt behind his words. Though he tried masking it with his anger it was still prevalent.
"Sorry, Muds. You're right. It's just that... Look man, I'm all for making music in some fancy ass studio but one that's surrounded by zombies? I think I'd rather stay in D's apartment." Russel, the ever-lasting mediator, did not want this to get any more out of hand. Although he wasn't keen on completely taking the drummer's side either.
"Well, it's a little too late for that, butterball," Murdoc sneered. "You see, I've already got all the paperwork for this place taken care of. I can't back out now; I own it. And I highly doubt I'd ever be able to sell it."
"Maybe you should've thought of that and asked us first," 2D bit in, leaving Murdoc reeling from his outrage.
"That's it! Fuck you, assholes! I swear I'll never do another fucking thing for the two of you again!" Before they could respond he had already stormed off, leaving them alone in a zombie-infested wreck of a studio.
"Maybe we were a bit harsh," Russel sighed, feeling the guilt sink in. It wasn't unusual for Murdoc to get angry, but this was the first time he'd ever seen him so infuriated. Although he hadn't known the man for very long, if he had to guess he'd say the level of his frustration depended on how hurt or upset he was feeling. This must have been an especially painful blow.
2D remained silent, biting his lip as he often did when contemplating a tough decision. Finally, he said, "I guess you might be right."
"C'mon, man. We really hurt him and you know it. Don't you feel bad?"
"...Yeah..." He slumped over a little and rubbed his temples. "I'm gonna go find my meds. Hopefully Murdoc didn't lose 'em." He was out of the room before Russel could say anything more.
The keyboardist just let out a withered sigh and decided that the best course of action would be finding the kitchen. At least he'd have something to do.
As the singer made his way through the eerie halls he couldn't help but feel like he was being followed. At first, he shrugged it off and told himself it was just his paranoia but when the feeling returned there was no mistaking it. With each step he took the sensation increased and by the time he reached some windows he was certain now that there were eyes on him. Multiple eyes. But when he turned around all he saw was an empty old building.
Suppressing a shudder, 2D returned his attention to the window in front of him. He wiped off some of the dust and filth but it only helped a fraction. He had a feeling that every glass pane on the studio would need a good long washing. Gazing out onto the lot he caught sight of Murdoc sitting by the edge of the woods smoking. He could practically see the waves of anger radiating off him like summer heat. Even though he'd likely be cussed out for it, the bluenette decided to try getting the man back inside for both his safety and so all three of them could reach a happy medium in their argument. 2D dug his fingers under the grimy window and eventually managed to pry it open without breaking off his nails in the process.
"Hey, Muds!" he shouted down to the angry man. Surprisingly enough, the drummer actually acknowledged him and looked up expectantly. The singer froze there. He wasn't sure how to word anything without it sounding offensive. He wasn't quite ready to apologize-it was only fair for Murdoc to be first-and he didn't want to just tell him to get back inside.
Down below, Murdoc snorted and returned to staring out at nothing. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. Why would that blue-haired idiot feel sorry so quickly? It'd likely be days before any of them could tolerate each other again.
"Murdoc? What are you doing down there?" 2D saw that he'd lost him and tried to quickly get him back.
"What's it look like?" The drummer was originally going to give him the silent treatment but after such a stupid question he felt he had to respond with something snide. "I'm practicing for my dance recital, you twat!" Seemingly satisfied with that comment, he fell silent again.
2D bit his lip. He had already known that this was going to happen no matter what he said but he couldn't give up now. The paranoia was catching up to him again and he desperately wanted some company. He'd seen more than enough horror movies to know that monsters always preyed on the lone, defenseless ones first before setting their sights on others. He'd wandered off too far to find his way back to Russel, and even if he did the man likely wouldn't still be standing there. He was probably in the kitchen or trying to find it and 2D didn't have the slightest clue of where it was. His best bet was Murdoc.
"Why don't you come back inside? What about the zombies?" He peered out into the shadows in an attempt to see if there were any more out there hiding.
Murdoc quirked a brow at the young man's sudden concern about the zombies. Just fifteen minutes before he had casually kicked one's face in and hadn't even flinched and now they were suddenly a problem?
"They won't come near me, faceache. They aren't that braindead. And for any who are..." He grinned manically and held up a revolver. "They can play a good ol' game of Niccals roulette. There's only one bullet missing and I dare any one o' those wankers to take a bet on which shot I'll miss because of it." He chuckled darkly while 2D merely gulped. The temperature in the hall had suddenly dropped several degrees and he could've sworn he heard whispering behind him. He spared a quick glance and saw nothing, however something in the seemingly empty space seemed amiss. He turned back to the window.
"Hey, Muds?" he almost whimpered. Murdoc's sinister smile disappeared instantly at the sound of his voice. "Is there anything else you're not telling us about this place?"
"Whaddaya mean? Well, one of the sinks is broken but that's not-" His eyes widened as soon as he realized what the singer was getting at. The look on the younger man's face was all the confirmation he needed. "Get outta there, faceache!" It was too late. By the time 2D turned to run he screamed in absolute fear before disappearing from the window. Murdoc could just see his hair through the other windows as he ran. Cursing, he threw his cigarette in the mud and ran towards the entrance.
Russel had been poking at what may have been sentient fungus growing in the fridge with a fork when he heard 2D's horrified scream. Dropping the utensil he slammed the fridge door shut and tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. Murdoc hadn't been lying when he said that Kong Studios was massive. It had taken him a little while just to find the kitchen. He wasn't entirely sure where in the building 2D had gone off to and with a scream like that he certainly wouldn't be where he was moments ago. Hoping that whatever he was facing wasn't too nasty, Russel took off in the direction of 2D's initial scream.
2D ran as fast as he could through whichever passages he saw first. He had no idea where he was going but he didn't care. Anywhere was better than here. There were things chasing him. Several. He hadn't bothered to get a good look at them before he took off. All he saw were red eyes and impish grins that made his insides start screaming at him to run. He was currently trying to zig-zag through the corridors in an attempt to lose them but to no avail. Whatever those creatures were, they had no intention of letting him escape.
"Murdoc! Russel! Help!" The singer didn't know where they were, or if they could even hear him, but he figured he had nothing to lose by screaming. The creatures were gaining and he was running so fast that he doubted they'd be able to find him otherwise.
There was a sharp pain in his ankle that made him stumble and before he knew it he felt dozens of furry bodies dive into him and slam him onto the floor. Stuart started screaming in absolute horror as the creatures began biting and clawing him relentlessly. Tiny razor-sharp nails dug into every inch of his body. Every time he struggled something would give him a massive headache and just thinking was becoming painful. There were weird screeching noises that he didn't think was him and something was poking right by his eye and he just wanted it all to stop and-oh shit! They were under his clothes!
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
BANG!
By the time 2D recognized the voice the oppressive weight had vanished and he was free to breathe and think clearly again, though his ears were still ringing. His eyes slowly fluttered open and focused on the blurry silhouette of the man standing above him.
"I said git! You ugly little shits! Go on! Git!" Murdoc kicked at the last little pest before it scampered off and disappeared down the hallway with an indignant hiss.
"M... Muds?" The drummer looked down at the younger man sprawled on the floor with what actually looked like regret.
"Fa-Ah, Stu. You alright there, mate? No, no! Don't try to stand. Not yet anyway." Murdoc pushed him back down. The bluenette really looked worse for wear. His clothes were shredded, he had tiny gashes all over him, and he looked extremely disoriented.
"Muds," he said again, his strength slowly returning. "Just... Just what were those things? What just happened?" He had regained enough of his senses to make out the sheepish grin on the older man's face. "Murdoc," he said more firmly, blinking away the last of the confusion.
"Those... might have been demons." The singer's eyes widened in shock.
"What?!" Murdoc flinched at the sound.
"They're normally pretty harmless. Well, unless they gang up on you," he added after seeing the look on 2D's face. "They can't really do too much damage though. Don't worry. You aren't cursed or anything although I'm sure those'll sting for the next few days or so. You'll have fun in the shower, that's for sure." The drummer grinned again while scratching his head with the barrel of the revolver.
2D hauled himself to his feet, nearly knocking the man over. He immediately had to lean on the wall for support but once the dizziness subsided he shot a vile glare at Murdoc.
"I can't believe you-this! I just-I just got... fucking molested by demons and here you are trying to make jokes!" Murdoc took a step back in shock and slight fear; he'd never seen 2D so angry. "You didn't-Agh! This is unbelievable! Why didn't you tell me?!" he shrieked.
"I-"
"You didn't tell me about the studio! You didn't tell me-or Russ-about the zombies that wanted to eat us! And now you couldn't even be bothered to bring up the fact that there were demons here too?!" The bluenette was gripping his hair tightly while taking ragged breathes that bordered on wheezing. Murdoc said nothing out of fear that the singer would spiral into a real nervous breakdown.
It took a few moments of wild panting but eventually 2D calmed down enough to speak normally again.
"Murdoc, you stupid son of a bitch! Why would you buy a place that's infested with demons and zombies? Agh, I knew you were a freak from the beginning but this is just ridiculous. How are we supposed to make music here, huh?" He crossed his arms with a scowl.
"That's not gonna be that hard, faceache. We just have to do a little pest removal and then everything will be fine. They're only low-level demons; they can't do that much damage. It's really not worth throwing a tantrum." Murdoc shrugged nonchalantly. The singer merely stared at him blankly for a full three seconds before huffing and storming off, silently muttering curses along the way. "Oh, by the way," the drummer called, "all your stuff is in the basement. Like, in the car park basement."
The bluenette stopped, huffed again, and made his obscenities louder before continuing on. Murdoc merely chuckled darkly to himself. Oh, this place was gonna be fun.
"There you are!" Russel said as soon as he ran into 2D. He froze once he got a good look at him. "What... happened?"
"Oh, nothing. Just got attacked by a bunch of small demon things. Don't worry, everything's just fine. It's great even. Just got some pest removal to do and we'll all be so happy here." The keyboardist said nothing as the younger man stormed past him and down the hall. From the tone of his voice and just how rough he looked, things had clearly gotten ugly. Russel shuddered. Now he really wasn't sure about this place.
A few hours later saw the band gathered in what was designated to be the living room. 2D and Murdoc were seated on the couch, both of them trying to keep as much distance between them as possible, while Russel stood across from them with his arms folded.
"Alright, guys," he started, "I think it's time we clear the air here and lay down some ground rules." The singer and drummer merely grumbled. Russel sighed. "We've been over this. We can't be fightin' like cats and dogs over dumb shit. And I think we can all agree to tell each other about any big decisions, got it?" He glared at Murdoc as he said this.
"Fine," was all the man said.
"Alright. So-"
"Anything else about this place you wanna tell us, Muds?" 2D interjected. "Seriously. Rodents, dragons, killer mutant unicorn robots. I'd like a full list please." Just about every inch of the singer's body was covered in some sort of bandage. He looked like an improperly preserved mummy. Murdoc at least had the decency to look a little ashamed.
"Well, not really," the drummer began. "Aside from those little pests and the zombies outside, there isn't much else here. Well, there might be bats or something in the attic-I haven't been through the whole place yet-but I'm sure that's no big deal."
"Okay, good. Now onto other matters." Russel took a deep breath in preparation for when things went south. "Rooms," he said, gazing at the two expectantly.
"What about rooms?" 2D eventually asked when Russel remained silent.
"How we gonna do this?"
"Well, my room's apparently in the basement and I really don't feel like moving anything so, yeah. I've got the basement." The bluenette gave a simple shrug of indifference. Truth be told, he was glad he was so isolated from everyone. It would give him a great place to lay low when he'd had enough of Murdoc for the day.
"Alright. Muds?"
The drummer rubbed his hands together maniacally. "Because I saved so much money on this studio I thought I'd treat myself to something special for a job well done." He turned to 2D all of a sudden. "I've bought myself a lovely little home on wheels that I think I'll be keeping in the car park. Right. By. Faceache. Isn't that great? We'll be basement buddies!" he declared with a sneer.
The singer's face was already buried in his hands. "You gotta be kidding me," he groaned. "Just when I thought I'd have somewhere to get away from you!"
"You can't get away from me! My brilliance reaches the farthest ends of the universe."
"Muds. Please, stop." Russel didn't think he could take any more. "So does anyone care where I make my room?"
"C'mon, lards. This place is big enough to fit twelve of you. I'm sure you can find something."
"...Thanks..."
"Alright! So it's agreed we're staying here?" Murdoc shot them both dirty looks as he said this. Russel was the first to give.
"Look, man. We know you did all this for us. And we appreciate it and all but... Next time, ask us before you go and make a big decision. Everything you took from D's apartment was his, remember? You had no right to be sellin' the joint and movin' his stuff here. Got it?" Murdoc stared at him blankly. "Muds," Russel said firmly.
The drummer glanced over at 2D-who was watching expectantly-sighed, and nodded. "If you're done lecturing me, Grandma, I'd like to go and have a drink," he said, rising from the couch. Russel snorted.
"I wasn't aware either of us could stop you."
"Good to see you know where you stand." Murdoc left the room without another word.
"You know, I'll never understand what goes on in that sick head of his," 2D grumbled, absently picking at a loose band-aid stuck on the crook of his arm.
"Dunno why you're trying," Russel joked, taking Murdoc's place on the couch. "How's your head doin'?"
"Better. Murdoc actually took the time to keep all my pills together. I was worried he'd just fling 'em with whatever else he could grab at the moment."
Russel nodded, contemplating. He still remembered that fateful day when he'd met the singer and drummer. He doubted he'd ever forget it. What had him thinking about now though was the topic of 2D's pills. He'd seen the man down what was probably well over the recommended dosage in one go. Did he do that every time?
"Hey, D?" he started.
"Yeah?"
Russel chewed the inside of his cheek. It really wasn't his business but... "How many of those pills do ya have to take?" The bluenette stopped sullenly messing with his bandages and turned all his attention to the keyboardist.
"What do you mean by that?" Well, that came out ruder than expected. The man had actually flinched.
"I mean... If you have a headache, is that the only time you take them?" Russel could sense that a direct approach was not a good idea. 2D's brows furrowed with thought.
"Sometimes. Usually, yeah. I make sure to take some whenever I feel a bad headache coming on. Why do you ask?"
"No reason. I was just wondering-"
"Do you think I have a problem or something?" Judging by the man's surprised reaction, it would seem that way. "Russ," 2D cut in before he could object, "I don't know where you got that from but it's fine. Really. What? Did Murdoc say that to you? Did he tell you I take them by the handful or something?" 2D stopped himself right there.
"...No..." Russel looked like a strange mix between concerned and stunned. Maybe he should've considered his word choice more.
"Sorry, mate. I don't mean-I-ugh. Listen," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I keep track of all my pills. I promise you I'm not doing anything stupid. Okay? But thanks for your concern. It's more than I'll ever get from Muds."
"...Yeah... So, anyway, there's nothing edible in the fridge and I don't wanna find out what's lurking in the pantry." Russel decided it was time to change the subject. "How about takeout? I'm feeling Chinese. You?"
"Yeah, sure. Get me a vegetable dish or something. I'm gonna go fix up my room in the meantime. My pills ended up being the only thing Murdoc didn't just hurtle in there."
"Got it. Good luck."
"Thanks, mate." The singer stretched before leaving the room, silently thankful that they'd gotten off the topic of his pills. He knew what Murdoc said about his medication behind his back or whenever he thought he was too high to understand; he was positive that some of that commentary found its way to Russel. There were plenty of times where the man would blurt out snide remarks right in front of his face! Well, whatever. They had more important things to worry about and so Russel would likely forget this incident altogether by tomorrow morning.
2D sighed and leaned against the wall for a moment as he realized they still had their work cut out for them in finding a bassist. Unless, of course, he recruited Paula. He bit his lip as he thought about it. Now that he'd had time to cool off from the fiasco at the café he was honestly considering letting her join. After all, he knew from experience that she was a damn good bassist and if she caught on to the type of music that Gorilla was going for from nothing more than his absently playing a half-finished song then she'd be an excellent choice. However, part of him still wasn't quite ready to forgive her and welcome her back so soon. He wanted her to be a little more apologetic.
The bluenette pushed himself off the wall and continued on to his room. He'd decided to leave it up to fate. If he saw her again and she seemed sincere enough then he'd welcome her into the band. If not... Well, he was certain there were other skilled bassists out there. Ones with fewer stains on their record.
A/N: Hey! An update! I know it's been ages since I've added a chapter to this (and everything else for that matter) but don't worry, I'm slowly working on it. I've been working on chapters for mostly everything I've got going so far and revising some of my older works whenever writer's block kicks in. Don't expect regular updates though; it'll be sporadic at best. I might upload a few over a long course of time or you'll see a bunch and then none for a while. Hope you all still like the story though. As always, read and review!
