Ashes fill the air in a large cloud as Murdoc suddenly throws a glass ashtray straight into 2-D's face. He shrieks in pain after it busts his lower lip wide open and falls on the carpet with a thud. As blood begins to spill all over his shirt, Murdoc yells, "If you mess that note up one more time I'll throttle you good!" Russell sets on him and punches him to the floor. Noodle throws her guitar onto the sofa and does the best she can to keep Murdoc from being pummeled to a pile of green sludge as 2-D grovels in the corner, regretting his decision to come back. He knew this would happen again, it was just a matter of when. It's not his fault that he can't make music like a machine. But, he came back for his friends, and to make music with them again. He means to stay even if he bleeds for it.
"That's enough Russell, we still need him conscious!" Noodle says, loud enough to be heard over the terrible sound of Russel's fist hitting Murdoc's jaw and nose. Her yelling and attempts to physically restrain him finally work and he drops Murdoc, "I'm satisfied," he says and leaves slamming the door. Noodle takes a moment to compose herself by pinching the bridge of her nose and letting out a long, controlled breath. Now she turns her attention to poor 2-D, his feeble attempt to stop the bleeding has only made him more of a mess. Murdoc makes it to his feet and swallows the blood in his mouth. He's pissed, but he can't take it out on 2-D or he will have Noodle beating him next.
"Agh! I'm going to get a drink! Fix the kid up will ya? I'd like to get something done today." he says, and exits the room. After allowing some distance to get between Murdoc and themselves, Noodle takes her injured and crying bandmate to the bathroom. Russell knocks on the door just as Noodle begins to get the bleeding to stop. Despite no answer, he opens the door and sticks his head in. "Hey man, you alright?" he asks.
2-D turns and smiles, "I'm alright, you got him quite a few more times than he got me!"
"Ha! I sure did! Try not to worry about that happening again, he knows I ain't just blowing smoke anymore." With this, he closes the door and returns to the studio room to continue working. 2-D takes over caring for his injury, allowing Noodle to sit on the sink counter and light a cigarette. "Damn his temper!" she says, her exasperation surprising 2-D. He brings the cloth he has been holding back to his lip and smiles. Of all of Murdoc's acts of violence, this one was quite tame. He is also happy that his friends rushed to his aid, having them around once more really is a godsend for him.
Noodle notices 2-D's goofy smile and looks at him in curiosity. Seeing her confusion, he holds out a hand and says, "Spare me a ciggy?"
Suddenly part of her anger is dispelled, and she gives him a cigarette from her pack. He takes it and lights it; Noodle flicks her ashes down the sink drain. "I suppose I ought to go thank Russell, I'd be a carcass by now if he didn't get after Murdoc."
"I'm sure he'll be happy you're still in bright spirits," she says.
"This is just a bump in the road, I'm not gonna get pushed over by one little cut lip!" he says, his smile now ear-to-ear. His happiness is always infectious, and now Murdoc doesn't seem like such a big problem. She ashes her cigarette and jumps off of the sink top, "Get yourself cleaned up, 2-D. I'm going back to retune." Once she is gone, 2-D looks in the mirror. His lip is swollen and tinder, he touches it gingerly. "It's not so bad."
Back in the studio room the other three argue. "Look he deserved it! He messed up that part five times in a row! He's trynna slow us down!"
"That's not an excuse to make a mess of his face, man! We haven't even been doing this for a week yet so let him get back into the swing of things." Russell says.
"He doesn't need any time to get back into the swing of things, he's just leading us on! Besides, haven't I had enough punishment for what I did?" Murdoc narrows his eyes, looking for his pardon.
Russell looks up from the sheet music in front of him, "You'll keep your hands off 2-D for a while, it ain't like old times no more."
"Well, where is he so we can get back to work?" Murdoc says, admitting defeat for the moment. For now, he will lick his wounds but vows to not let this insult go unpunished. Seeing 2-D return a few minutes later with a joyful expression angers him so much he makes scratches in the neck of his bass. He takes a drink and lights a smoke to distract himself, and once he gets over it, the creativity flows from them for the rest of the day and on into the night. It's one in the morning before they finally decide to call it quits; despite all the fuss he made about getting work done Murdoc can now hardly play a single note in his inebriated state.
As he falls onto the couch to sleep off his drunkenness, the rest leave him. As Noodle and Russell go to sleep in their beds, 2-D puts on his jacket and takes to the streets. It's almost cold tonight and a fog dims the glow of the street lights. He walks along the empty streets and feels grateful to be on a bigger island. Under one of the lamps, he stops to light a cigarette and looks up at the light. The smoke dances around the bulb and then disappears above it into the darkness. All is quiet, and this moment seems to be frozen in place.
2-D shakes his head and the moment is gone. He walks on until he is finally tired, and returns to Kong Studios. As he closes the front door, his stomach growls and he decides to stop by the kitchen before heading to bed. As he enters, he sees Noodle standing in the light of the open refrigerator. She is drinking straight from the OJ bottle when he says, "Hey Noodle." He goes to the cabinet and grabs a snack, not noticing her surprised look. "Goodnight Noodle," and he is gone.
Noodle stands with a flush face, clenching tightly to the OJ bottle. She had forgotten that 2-D went out for a walk, and didn't think to put on a hoodie or shirt before leaving her room in just her underwear. Luckily the refrigerator door shielded her from his sight, and he didn't stick around long. Hearing his footsteps fade away, Noodle returns the OJ to the fridge and makes a hasty retreat to her room.