I slipped into my room; I had just gotten back from work and didn't want to attract the attention of dad. My paycheck was burning a hole in my back pocket as I took a seat in my beanbag chair and began strumming some random notes on my bass guitar.
"You just get back?" I looked up and saw Emily standing in my doorway, arms folded and a smile on her face. She didn't look one ounce like us and for that I was grateful. She had mum's beauty, the blue eyes and brown hair, her skin was fair, but even she couldn't escape the slight green hue that was overwhelming in me and Hannibal's skin.
I nodded, surprised at what she was wearing, a mini skirt with a low cut shirt, Emily had certainly changed from since she was a little girl.
"How much you'd make?" she asked softly. I lit a cigarette, taking a drag off of it.
"Five hundred," I said, blowing a smoke ring. She grinned wider.
"That'll get us through the week then with some left over if I pitch in." she said, excited. "I bet you feel rich huh Muds?" she asked. I nodded.
"I bet you do." Came a cold voice, Emily froze and turned as dad appeared behind her. He shoved her out of the way as he came to stand in front of me, with an expectant hand outstretched. "Give it to me Murdoc." He said flatly. I shook my head.
"It's my money, you want some? Go get a fucking job you lazy-" I didn't get to finish my sentence as my father yanked me up by hair, causing my bass guitar to fall onto my toes rather painfully.
"Listen here you little bastard," dad spat, face inches from me. "I raised you, I own you, everything you make is mine by default."
I stared into his mismatched eyes that so resembled mine and bowing my head (as much as his death grip on my hair would allow anyway), I dug into my pocket and produced the check. My dad grunted and let go of me, shoving me back down into my beanbag. He pushed past Emily, leaving my room.
Emily's grin was gone and both of us were silent until we heard the front door slam, announcing the man's departure. She sighed, looking at me with sympathy in her eyes. "Yet another paycheck gone to dad's drinking efforts." She murmured, leaving my room and heading into her own down the hallway.
"Murdoc-san!" the voice of the Gorillaz guitar player sounded, as a disruptive banging also filled the silence.
"Go away!" I moaned, burying my head under a pillow. I had drank myself into oblivion the other night and had quite a nasty hangover.
The banging increased in volume."But 2D said he needed you, says you Otousan is here!" she said loudly.
"My WHAT?" I asked, wondering what the hell she was trying to say in the gibberish language of hers.
"Your father!" she translated. That sobered me up considerably and I sat upright, getting out of bed. As soon as I stood up I swayed a little and made my way to the door. Opening it I saw little Noodle and glared at her.
"I don't believe you." I said flatly, she scrunched her nose up and glared at him.
"No joke!" she said angrily. "Green skin, big nose, red eye, skinny, tall, old-" I grabbed her by her radio helmet and yanked her inside. Obviously this wasn't a joke since Noodle definitely wouldn't know shit about what my family looked like. I told her to sit on my bed as I went through my drawers, and put on the first thing I saw.
"Okay luv I need you to stay 'ere." I said as I knelt down and put my hands on her shoulders.
"Why?" she asked.
"I don't want you anywhere near my father." Was all I provided as I left her in the Winniebago and made my way across the car park.
The elevator ride up was torture, wondering why on Earth my father would come to visit Kong? I knew Hannibal was sometimes prone to show up begging for money but dad? I shook my head as the elevator opened onto the third floor, the floor that had the living room. I exited the elevator and saw Russel walking my way. He looked at me and sighed.
"Thought Noods didn' reach the parking lot," he said. "C'mon man, your dad's complaining, I wanna throw 'im out already." Russel grumbled.
I stumbled into the living room and saw my father, his back to me, inspecting the furniture. 2D was sitting on the couch, twiddling his thumbs, looking very uncomfortable. He saw me first and stood, all too happy to see me.
"Well then," Ache-Face said. "I fink yew know each other." He laughed weakly at his own joke, but there was nothing less funny about me and my father's reunion. He looked at me through those haughty eyes and his arrogant smile that had haunted me all those years of my wretched childhood.
"Well my boy, you certainly know what you're doing here," he said, his bloodshot eyes narrowing.
"Why are you here?" I said stiffly. The old drunkard feigned offense.
"Do I have to have an excuse to visit my son?"
"You never had before." I countered. My father threw his hands up with a sigh.
"You caught me," he said. "I've gotten meself into a spot of trouble at Stoke and need some money, d'you think you can spare some?" he asked.
I was fuming as I pointed to the elevator. "Get out." I snarled. All pretences fell away and my father was once again the bastard that had made my life hell for so many years.
"You little fucker!" my dad hissed. "I'll go but remember, you're me, we're flesh an' blood, boy, so take a good hard look at yourself in a couple of years." And with that he marched to the elevator, shoving 2D out of the way like he used to do with Emily so many lifetimes ago.
I looked at Dullard, my eyes narrowed. "What the hell're you lookin' at Face-Ache?" I asked, clenching my fists. He didn't say anything but stood up, embraced me and left down the hallway to his room humming the opening lines to 'Dirty Harry'.