Disclaimer: Don't own.

The audience must have thought it was all part of the gig. Because as soon as Murdoc caught sight of him he walked on stage. Suddenly the whole atmosphere changed. Except for the bands. The audience screamed, cheered and whistled at the return of the world's greatest drummer. Noodle was the first to react. As soon as Russel had crossed a third of the stage the Jap's brain seemed to work again. Guitar barely staying on her and flying behind her small figure, she ran to her father figure as if she were ten again. He embraced her with a tight bear hug and Noodle fit as much of him as she could into her arms.

"Russel-san!" Noodle cried. "You're...you're back!" Russel just chuckled at the teenager and nodded. Then he glanced over at 2D. This also drew Murdoc's eye over to the singer as well. No longer were his eye emotionless, no, they seemed to smile. It wasn't only that though, he had a silly grin on his face. He waved slightly at Russel; his brain was too gone to actually put his feelings of joy into actual acts since he was in shock. Then, letting go of Noodle, Russel looked up at Murdoc. The Satanist froze. He looked right back at Murdoc. It seemed like an eternity before either one of them moved, but slowly Russel raised one of his massive arms. He then pointed at Murdoc, a scowl on his face. In response Murdoc blinked, once, twice. The audience laughed, thinking it was all planned, staged, and it was another one of the stunts that their beloved Gorillaz were about to pull off that would go down in the musical history books. Russel took a step towards Murdoc.

Oh shit

And then the flight or fight came over Murdoc. Anyone that was in their right mind would take one quick glance at Murdoc and know that fight was no option. He looked around quickly, no options out except running into the audience, which was pure suicide, except... Nope, only one other option. Murdoc threw his bass up in the air, fortunately it wasn't his precious 'El Diablo,' and booked it past Russel. Just as he passed the drummer he heard the Bass crash onto stage and Noodle shrieked at the sound. Poor girl couldn't stand to see an instrument destroyed.

"Sorry, Nood!" Murdoc cried out as he rushed past the entrance of the wings of the stage. As soon as he was past those velvet curtains, the wings, and back into the body of the stage, he stopped briefly to look around. Where to go? Dressing room? No...they'd suspect that. 'Bago? No, he had that thing locked down tighter than an insane asylum and it'd take him forever to get in, nonetheless to actually get the thing moving. No time to think though. Murdoc started running down one of the many corridors behind stage. People were rushing around like crazy at the news of Russel's return. Dashing through the halls and chattering about it, no one expected the Bassist to be running around in a flurry.

"Outta my way!" Murdoc cried as he pushed two people that were talking over to the ground. Really, it wasn't necessary, but Murdoc Niccals had enough energy in him to never drink coffee again in his life.

"Sodder!"

Murdoc just ignored him and continued to sprint. Right, left, right, right, left, right, right. The corridors went on forever! Doors, signs and windows flashed by him. His lungs began to beg him to stop. They had been attacked with so much smoke and now he expected him to pump oxygen through his body at an obscene rate. Murdoc turned a final corner and stopped, hands clutching his knees, lungs striving to regain themselves.

"Awright...," Murdoc said between heavy breathes, "awright...y'er fine 'ere..." Finally he was able to regain himself a bit and looked up. His eyes zeroed in on two people standing in the hall. They looked very familiar to him. He squinted and then moaned.

"Ya got to be kiddin' me," he huffed.

They were the two people he had knocked over earlier. So, this whole mad dash had been for nothing. His mind was taken back to a scene of Spinal Tap. Oh, how foolish he thought that awful band was, getting lost on behind stage. Now, oh, now the joke was on him. He looked up again. The two had became three. A massive black figure had joined them.

Of course, Russel. Murdoc turned to sprint again.

"'Ey, Muds!" Russel boomed.

"AHHHHHHH!" Murdoc cried out hysterically as he dashed down the hall. Russel was smarter though. He was able to take a corridor that would eventually meet up to where Murdoc was running to. Plus, it was a shorter distance anyway. He planned the timing just right. He stepped into the corridor just in time to have Murdoc run full bolt into him.

"Nnnugh!" Murdoc flew backwards through the hall, landing with a very loud thud. Russel shook his head laughing.

"Yo ain't never gonna learn," Russel chuckled. Murdoc raised his head from the ground.

"Don-" he started, "don' kill me, Russ...I never...I never..."

He never what?

He had hurt 2D. He had messed up the band. And now here was Russel, back for his revenge, his soul. He'd have to fight the devil for it, but Murdoc had seen Russel when he was determined. Russel didn't loose. He had done all the things that had driven Russel away and that had made him loose 2D.

"Awright," Murdoc sighed, laying his head back down on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, "I did. Go 'ead, kill me."

Murdoc then saw Russel loom over him.

"Kill yo?" Russel asked with a smirk on his face, "I ain't gonna kill you. Not yet." Easily the massive man was able to bend down, grab the Bassist by the collar of his shirt and pick him up. "I got a surprise for ya, Muds."