Yay, I'm back! Sorry… I got distracted… I started playing Call of Duty: Black Ops again, and well, I got REALLY into it… 'specially since I was owning people's asses XD It was awesome!

Anyhow, for those of you who care, I did take my ASVAB! And though I thought I did horribly, I was pleased to see I'd gotten an 84, which is good, considering the average score is in the fifties, and I only needed to score a 55 to get the job I want! =D So, YAY! Now, I gotta train my ass off. XP

It'll be worth it.

Anyhow, short chapter, again. I know, I'm disappointed too. It'll get better. I promise. It'll make you squeal! AHHH!

Small hands were weaving themselves delicately inside the exposed face of the cyborg on the table of the engine room, and these small hands were becoming tired and cramped as they checked the position of each wire they had placed a day or so ago. Since everything seemed to be in order, Noodle allowed her hands to retreat back to the open air and remove the gloves that clung tightly to her skin. Her eyes were weary and dull, and her expression was vacant as she wiped her forehead, removing the perspiration that had built itself in a thin mask over the skin of her face. With a long, drawn-out sigh, Noodle searched listlessly for a cord, to which she connected to the old hard drive, and then connected the other end to the laptop on the extra table nearby. As the drive loaded its contents, Noodle reached into her briefcase, pulling out the new hard drive Connor had gone through the trouble of getting for her. It was gorgeous, in a techno-geek sort of way, if you were really into machinery and all that jazz. With a shrug, blowing all thoughts aside, Noodle moved back to the computer, checking the specifications and configurations, and all of the codes and memory bank that began to decipher itself upon the screen of the laptop. She began going through everything, minutely reading every detail, and filling in blank spots that had been obliterated, from what Noodle had guess to be the damage the cyborg had gone through in the past year. She corrected codes here and there, running scans for errors, while also using her own keen eyes to figure any mistakes a machine wouldn't recognize, and there were quite a few, but the memory bank seemed to be in almost perfect order. Noodle could only hope that when she finally got this robot working again, that everything would link up proper and work solidly, as was originally intended.

As she got excruciatingly close to the end of the text documents and code-filled memory gaps, Murdoc made his presence known. "Who th'fock're yew doin', gurly? I wonted yeh ta fix tha damn cyborg, not play computer games," he scoffed, sneaking a peek inside the new circuitry of his cyborg.

Noodle turned to glare at him, a smudge of oil she didn't seem to notice on her cheek. "You," she pointed to him, jabbing her finger into his chest. "I told you, no complaining… You will allow me to do how I see fit, when I feel like doing so, so just be grateful that I do not shove my hand down your throat like I promised," she threatened him, positively irked by this disturbance. "I am tired, I am hungry, and frankly, I'm a little bit brassed with a certain someone who refuses to stop trying to pick fights with a blue-haired dunce." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before she let things get out of hand.

Though he was giving her a worried look –well, worried for himself –Murdoc let out an impish chuckle. "Is it yo' time o'the month, love," he cackled, smirking deviously. "I mean, fook, I ain't never seen yew snap at summin like tha'."

Noodle flushed, her face painted in scarlet, "No! And it's none of your business anyhow! Now," she took a step toward him, and he flinched when she outstretched her arm toward his neck, then slipped her hand beneath his collar, reaching down his shirt. She grinned when she curled her fingers around the object of her intentions, and yanked it away, breaking it loose from the thin chain it hung by. "I will be taking this." She pulled out the flash drive Murdoc had been keeping on his person since before they'd left to Los Angeles. She held it up, eyeing it as she spoke again. "Though I do not mean to do so, I have every right to be angry with you, Murdoc-san. I do not know why I have chosen not to let it out before now, but I do not really care. Once again, I am tired and hungry… So, now that I have what I need, and you know how your cyborg is being looked after, I suggest you leave before I decide to not control my feelings, and let out my frustrations in very unpleasant means." His mouth opened, ready to protest, but she quickly brushed him off, pushing him away. "No more disturbances! Leave!"

He pushed her hand away lightly, turning toward the lift, "Alright, alright, fiiiine! Nobody told mee not ta bother the tiny, frustrated Jap! Holy fuck!" He rubbed his chin, covered in stubble, as the lift doors closed after he'd gotten aboard it.

Noodle grunted, turning back to her project. She connected the flash drive, shaking her head in astonishment when it loaded promptly, and began filling in every gap Noodle hadn't yet gotten to, and even minor codes she had missed. She sneered, cursing. If she had just done that in the first place, then maybe she wouldn't have had to do all that other crap. But as she look through every document, comparing the configuration from both the flash drive, and the fixed documents from the hard drive, including the parts she had repaired herself, she figured she had done a better job herself. Now, at least, the cyborg would better understand orders given to her, no matter how long or complicated they were. She nodded, knowing the cyborg would be better off with her own adjustments.

Once everything was in order, Noodle took the old hard drive, disconnected it, and threw it in the briefcase, whilst retrieving the more advanced one Connor had gotten. She connected the new one, and began loading everything onto it, turning away as she began to become frustrated by the amount of time it was sure to take to download. As she waited impatiently, she moved back towards the body on the table. She could see loose wires in the neck of the cyborg, and immediately decided she would save fixing that for another time. One thing at a time. She needed to space everything out, or it might fall apart. She had to force herself to go slow with repairing the machine, or else face consequences, though she didn't know what they could be. The worst she could imagine was that the cyborg would simply short out again and not reawaken. She chuckled, wondering if the cyborg would ever have to worry about facing an opponent such as the Windows 'blue-screen-of-death'. Would that be like a computer's worst fear? She shook her head, trying to leave her musings behind and keep her mind from wandering.

When the information had finally shifted into the new device, Noodle removed the hard drive, and moved to the cyborg with it in hand. She opened a small panel, inserting the device and smiling to herself when she felt it go in smoothly and heard an audible 'click' as it attached itself inside the cyborg's head. Noodle placed her gloves back on, and closed the panel, screwing it tightly into place. She messed with a couple of wires here and there, manipulating them to her desire. She was satisfied to see that the wires she tinkered with did as they were supposed to according to Murdoc's blueprints. She adjusted a wire, sending it an electrical pulse, and the cyborg's face twitched. Noodle nodded, and then sent another jolt to another wire, which made its hand move. Smiling to herself, Noodle continued messing with it until the cyborg's hand clenched and unclenched. She giggled, transfixed with her new toy, but quickly her stomach commanded attention, and she sighed, realising she was playing with the nervous system of her robotic twin. She rolled her eyes, and closed the cyborg's face, cleaning off the oil that she had accidentally smudged onto it. After that, she put her things away, folded up the schematics and closed the laptop, leaving Murdoc's flash drive attached. Then, Noodle attached the charging station to the cyborg, knowing she was not yet finished, and that there would be a few kinks to work out, so hopefully a certain someone wouldn't mess with the android for at least a week. It would need that time to charge initially, anyhow.

After she rubbed the grime from her hands away with a hand towel, she left it forgotten, and shuffled onto the lift, pressing down on the button to the study a little too roughly. She curled her sore fingers, staring at her hands as she awaited for the lift to finish its assent, and breathed in slowly, her eyes heavy with boredom and fatigue. Once the doors open, she slowly walked out, her eyes darting back and forth across the room as she wandered through it and into the lounge. As usual, a constant thing lately, Russel was either cooking or watching the news on the telly in the lounge, and well, it was easy to see he was sitting on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the bright screen with his arms crossed over his bloated stomach. He smiled when he saw Noodle. "'Ey, baby-girl. How ya doin'?"

She grinned, rubbing her eye, "I'm fine, thank you."

"Why don't ya come and sit down, Noodle. Ya look worn out," Russel suggested, though his eyes had returned to the television.

Noodle nodded to herself. "I will… but, I am going to eat first." On queue, her stomach gurgled loudly, and Noodle clasped her abdomen, biting her lip. Russel arched his eyebrow, pursing his lips. Next he shrugged, and then leaned back, pushing himself deeper into the cushions of his seat. With no remark, no questioning, Noodle turned, feeling somewhat awkward as she left the silent room, aside from the voices sputtering from the telly. She grabbed anything she saw that sounded good to her, shoving food into her mouth and filling herself as quick as she could, not much caring for taste, as long as it didn't look inedible or expired.

Now satiated, Noodle joined Russel on the couch, sitting in the middle of the sofa as she now followed after everything reported on the telly, uninterested in everything that was said. Russel scoffed, "Man, we missin a lot out 'ere, ain't we?" He asked no one in particular.

Noodle looked up at him, and then back to the telly. "Russel-sama… do you…" She began, and he was now looking down at her. She moved her gaze to face him. "Do you think we'll ever go back? And leave the island behind?" She asked. "I mean… what's the point of living out here? Murdoc-san could stay, if he wants, but why must we stay? … If… if we ever wanted to make another album… it's not like we couldn't get back together again…" She began rambling, trying to come up with the answer.

He shrugged, looking away with a sigh. "I don' know, baby… it's complicated, I guess…"

She shook her head. "That's not good enough," she sighed. "Why is Murdoc-san so… infatuated with being here?"

Russel shook his head. Noodle never made anything easy, did she? "Maybe Muds is jus' scared of us goin our sep'rate ways," Russel tried. "… Maybe tha's why he don' want 'D ta leave, 'cuz you an' I both know dat if 'D gets away from here, he's gonna do 'is damn best ta make sho Muds can't find 'im…" Russel scratched the side his neck, grimacing. "But, at the same time, I don' think D'd go n'ewhere wit'out you, baby-girl." Noodle's gaze moved to her lap. So, Russel saw it too? But then, Russel had seen the way 2D felt for her long before she could have ever guessed at it.

"That is not exactly the answer I was looking for, Russel-sama," she spoke in a low voice.

He chuckled, his eyes never leaving the television-screen. "I know, but I don' know da answer, baby. I wanna go back, too. An' maybe we will… 'course, I don' think we shoulda ever even come 'ere in da firs' place…"

"Neither do I," she agreed with a quick nod.

"Ello," a voice chirped. Noodle looked up to see 2D's awkward form standing just in the doorframe of the study. He smiled, scratching his head nervously. "'ope m'not interuptin' anyfin'…" Noodle shook her head, grinning up at him softly as he took deliberate steps toward the two. Once he'd reached to sofa, he sat down on the opposite side of Noodle, and snaked his arm around her waist, trying to be subtle as he pulled her into him. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, her face blank, but he only continued to smile as he manipulated her to lean against him.

Russel smiled as he looked at the two from the corner of his eye. It was clear to him, 2D hadn't the first clue in how to be inconspicuous, but at the moment, he couldn't seem to let it bother him that his close friend was smitten with his daughter.

"Whot were we talkin' abou' befo' I walked in, love?" 2D spoke, ending the temporary silence. Noodle's face dropped, and her eyes shifted away.

"Um…" Noodle began, not knowing where to start.

"We was talkin' 'bout how it'd be nice ta get away from this shitty island fo' a while, D," Russel cut in. Noodle flashed her gaze up to her father, and with a sigh, leaned herself further into 2D. She hadn't wanted to let 2D know of their conversation. He only ever became depressed when he thought about being stuck on the island. Plastic Beach was like 2D's version of Hell, and she wanted to protect him from having to think about being trapped within it. She knew he wanted to leave more than any of them…

2D stared up at Russel, "Whatchew finkin abou' tha' fo?" Noodle arched her eyebrow, tilting her head back, leaning against 2D's chest to look at him questioningly. He grinned down at her, then looked back toward Russel. "S'funny. I thought yew liked ih here, Russ."

Russel shook his head, smirking. "Naw man. I only want ta be where I belong. An' dat's wit' my family."

2D grinned. "Right. Same 'ere, 'cept, I'd still rathah be off this bloody landfill."

"Where would you go, if you could leave, 2D-kun?" Noodle asked, her head still leaned against his chest as she looked up at him.

He fought the overwhelming urge to caress Noodle's face with his lips as he gazed down at her. "Er… I dun know, love… I 'aven't really given a lot o' thought to ih… but, I fink it'd be really nice ta like, go ta California, an' maybe back 'ome too… " Noodle nodded in agreement, and then the three dropped the conversation, staring at the telly as more stories from the news reporters began to request attention.

Down in the radio shack, Noodle was in shorts and a tank top, sporting a pair of fingerless martial arts gloves as she sent a kick into her punching bag. She was most concentrated on her breathing, keeping it steady and even as she extended her arm to press it against the bag slowly, and then yank her arm away and shove her elbow into it. Now thoroughly bored, Noodle took a step, staring at the ceiling as she tried to think of what else she could be doing to suck away her time, and then it came to her, though, she wasn't sure of it. She hadn't trained with a blindfold over her eyes in a frightfully long time. She searched the small space and found a long piece of cloth, and tied it around her head, then pulled it over her eyes. Once she was well and blind, she took a deep breath, then brought her left foot out in front, with her hands held in front of her body in a defensive stance. As she listened to the unchanging silence, aside from the soothing sounds of the swaying ocean, she inched around the room, moving by memory as she twisted and kicked the heavy bag. After it recoiled away, now swinging back towards her, she punched the bag again, then jabbed it with her elbow and she swung it around her body from where it hung. She began to chew on her cheek, becoming frustrated. It wasn't worth being on high alert to fight when there was no enemy to pose a threat and lash out at her. She wanted a moving target.

Noodle gasped when she felt a heavy presence on her shoulder, and she froze. 2D opened his mouth, about to ask her what she was doing, but within half a second, she outstretched her arm behind the intruder and grasped tightly onto their arm opposite to her. He wailed shortly when she kicked the back of his knee, and then pulled them both backwards. She used him as a cushion as he crashed into the ground, and he grunted painfully. Next, Noodle rolled her body, straddling her assailant and pinning their arms above their head with one of her own hands and she moved to slowly slide the cloth tied around her head over her eyes. She stared down at him and his flabbergasted expression, wide-eyed and fully stupefied. His mouth was agape as he looked up at her, and he swallowed. "Sorry… didn' mean ta botha ya…" She scrunched her brow, unsure of how to answer to their situation. "Er… w-whot are we doin, love?"

She sighed, and released his hands, and he began massaging his wrists, now bruising from where she'd held them so tightly. "Sorry, 2D-kun… You snuck up on me," she explained. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be out here…"

He smirked, "Out where? We're on a tiny lil' island, love. You can't 'ide on a tiny lil' island… Believe me, I've tried."

Noodle chuckled, then stood to her feet, holding out her hand to 2D, and he took it as she pulled him to his feet. "So whot were yeh doin, love?" He asked again after she'd let go of his hand again.

She removed her gloves as she answered him. "Trying to pass the time, I guess… I was practicing my form… like I used to all the time back in Kong…"

"Yeah?" He grinned, looking around the room. She nodded, her face impassive. His smile wavered with her nonchalant attitude, and he noticed she'd put her gloves away now. "Whot? Yo jus' gonna stop? I 'fought yew liked doin' 'is," he tilted his head to the side as he spoke.

"Um… I do… but, I'm kinda bored with it now…" She shrugged, and then took the blindfold she'd had on, and set it aside with her gloves.

"How come?" He questioned.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I don't know…"

2D pursed his lips, studying her carefully, and then he smiled again. "We dun yew show me 'ow ta do ih? Or, I'll do it wiff yeh, if yew want, love."

Her eyebrow arched, and she looked at 2D quizzically. "Do you really want to, 2D-kun?" He nodded.

Noodle smirked impishly, then paced around 2D slowly, close by his body. "Just remember… you asked for it, 2D-kun…"

2D scratched his head, and swallowed, "Um…" Before he could finish, Noodle had grasped onto his left arm, pulling it around in front of him, and then wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him down, so he was bent over in her half nelson. He yelped, and reached out, thinking he was going to fall forward. When he realised what was going on, 2D wrapped his hand around Noodle's right ankle, and pulled her leg forward, and she grunted as she fell backwards, releasing 2D as she landed on her back. Her gaze flashed up to him, the both of them wide eyed as they stared at one another. Then, a chuckle escaped 2D's lips, "Did I catch yeh off guard, love?"

She smiled, thrilled with the prospect that 2D could be a potential sparring partner. "How did you know to do that?"

He shrugged, reaching for her outstretched hand, "I didn't, love… Yo leg's jus te firs' fing I sawr." He stepped back, and pulled Noodle to her feet.

She bit her lip, her thoughts racing wildly. "Try hitting me," she suggested.

2D looked horrified. "N-N-No… Noodle… I dun want ta 'urt yew, love," he pleaded, reaching out to hold her hand. She stepped back, rolling her eyes.

"You won't hurt me," she spoke encouragingly. "Just do it."

He chewed on his cheek, staring at Noodle as he made a decision. He could do as she asked, and end up being renamed 3-Dents, courtesy of Russel… or he could refuse her, and disappoint Noodle, and he knew which of the two was worse. He nodded to himself, and stepped toward Noodle, grimacing as he sent his fist toward her head. Suddenly, 2D yelped again as Noodle quickly pushed her forearm into his, blocking the attack, and then shoved her free hand into his shoulder. With the hand she'd used to block him, she wrapped her arm around his, and promptly snaked it around his neck, bending 2D forward and pulling his arm back. He whined, "T'at 'urts."

She giggled, and then let him go. "Then fight back, Stuart."

He rubbed his arm, stretching out the soreness as he shook he head, "Nuh uh… Yo gonna kick my arse."

She smiled impishly, "You never know until you have tried, 2D."

With a serious face, 2D looked at her once more, and a thought came to him. He looked around the room with his eyes, and her eyebrows scrunched together as she watched him. Next, he looked back at Noodle and grinned. Her head tilted to the side, and her mouth popped open, wondering what could have been so interesting.

Swiftly, before her question could be asked, 2D pushed Noodle into the wall, trying his best not to hurt her as he pinned her arms to her sides. She gasped, her heart pounding, and adrenaline starting to course through her veins in excitement and fear. She took a breath, and 2D smiled, believing himself triumphant until Noodle ducked down, and freed one of her arms, then pushed his body around her own, shoving him into the wall with her back. Noodle grasped 2D's arm, pulling him forward, and flipped him over her back, and he landed on the ground with a muffled thud. 2D took a sharp intake of breathe, and he lifted his hands into the air. "Awright, yeh've got me… I give up," he told her.

Noodle smiled, stood up straight as she watched 2D get to his feet. "You know… you did good for your first time, 2D-kun."

"Yeah? … Well, can we do summink I wonta do, now? I'm knackered," he complained lightheartedly.

"We've barely begun," she countered, rolling her eyes. 2D pouted his lips, and Noodle sighed. "What do you want to do, 2D-kun?"

He smiled widely, "Le's watch a movie! I 'aven't seen a proper zombie in ages!" He spoke excitedly, clasping his hands together.

Noodle smirked, "With what tv?"

2D arched his eyebrow, "We could use te one up in te lounge. Russ's prolly in 'is room by now, an' Muds's sho to be pissed, so e'd be 'idin summehr te light can't find im." Noodle nodded to herself, exiting the room with 2D close behind, but he soon took the opportunity to hold her hand, and Noodle looked up at him with a small grin.

Once 2D had retrieved his movie from Noodle's lighthouse, the two made their way up to the study, and Noodle was surprised to see that 2D had been right about both Murdoc and Russel. After they got to the lounge, she sat on the sofa while 2D put 'Dawn of the Dead' in the DVD player and pressed play, then went to go sit at Noodle's side. She instinctively leaned into him when he wrapped his arm around her back.

Soon into the movie, Noodle realised the fear she once had when she used to watch these sort of movies seemed to have faded dramatically. Now she seemed to be able to find the same sort of humour in it as 2D. "Now whot's tha' guy doin? I woulda jus' shot 'im in te 'ead s'soon as I sawr e'd been bitten." Noodle looked up at 2D, wondering how he could question things he'd seen before dozen's of times.

She shifted her gaze back to the screen, wincing as another man had been attacked, and then later, she tilted her head to the side as she studied the film more thoroughly. Sure, this was a movie, but people can't possibly be this idiotic. She shook her head, and then turned to see that 2D was starting to doze off. She smirked, knowing the movie was almost over. 2D grunted when Noodle nudged him in the side, and he looked at her, wide-eyed. "Do you want to go to bed, 2D-kun?" His face still blank, he gave a small nod, and then yawned widely.

I see it around me, I see it in everything.
I could be so much more than this.
I said my goodbyes, this is my sundown.
I'm gonna be so much more than this.

With one hand high, you'll show them your progress.
You'll take your time, but no one cares.
No one cares.

I need you to show me the way from crazy.
I wanna be so much more than this.
With one hand high, you'll show them your progress.
You'll take your time, but no one cares.

With one hand high, you'll show them your progress.
You'll take your time, but no one cares.
No one cares. No one cares. No one cares.

I could be so much more than this.
No one cares.
I wanna be so much more than this.
No one cares.
I could be so much more than this.
No one cares.
I wanna be so much more than this.
No one cares.
I wanna be so much more than this.
No one cares.
I wanna be so much more than this.

Good Goodbye, lovely time
Good Goodbye, tinsel shine
Good Goodbye, I'll be fine
Good Goodbye, good goodnight.

Jimmy Eat World – My Sundown

You all hate me….I know it... Don't deny…