Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gorillaz or anything about them—they are fabulous. But they belong to Jamie Hewlett & Damon Albarn, ladies and gents. I only play with them. Therefore, please do not sue me; you won't get a dime, trust me.

A/N: BIGGEST JERK EVER! Please...forgive me? I have no excuse to give so hate me if you must. You probably will by the end of chapter!

'thoughts' & Flashbacks

"Talking"

Everything else

Oh stylo
Go forth, blossom in your soul
When you know your heart is light
Electric is the love
When the mako flies
Up from the bottom in your eyes
Then I know the twilight skies
Not so broken-hearted

~Stylo-Gorillaz Ft. Bobby Womack

Canvas of Imperfection

Decorating ones room, Noodle now realized on further inspection, required a certain amount of focus and sanity; sparing such things was hard at that moment. Seeing as to she hardly had any of either, it—simply put—made her job all the harder. When one was deranged it was hard to make a room look like oneself, especially when one suddenly had become two-selves. Coming back to Plastic Beach would've been a dream come true had she not had to look upon another version of herself, one that was, more or less, insane and a slave at that. Sighing, the sane part of her argued that artillery and military weapons were not her style. But the less rational part, the one that was convincing her to be more like the Android—since it seemed everyone loved the damn machine—told her it would fit perfectly into her new persona. Aggravated, Noodle slumped against her wall, feeling lonely and even less sane now that the Android was no longer around. What had happened to it had made her curious; but she dared not ask Murdoc where it had disappeared to. In fact, she was pretty sure he wasn't the one who had removed it from her room. She wanted to think that it had been 2D, her sadistic savior, and yet something told her it wasn't him either. For as long as he'd suffered the guarded watch of the Android, she highly doubted that he'd come anywhere near it again. So her last bet landed on Russel, her father figure as of the late. She was sure it was him.

Despite all this, Noodle continued to wonder how to decorate her room. 'Well, OUR room, really,' she mused as she glanced around. The fact of the matter was that, to her, she was indeed sharing a room with another person. She was glad to be rid of the android, if only physically. But another part of her was sure that Murdoc liked the Android better and that they were all used to it; so why not become one with the damn thing? Sure, it seemed like a sick thought but Noodle knew better than to think she was all together there in her own mind. Who was she to judge such morbid, irrational thoughts? Sighing, Noodle placed the Ithaca shotgun against the wall where it rested heavily, barrel making a loud 'thunk' as she let it go. Her old clothes had been stripped off the Android again and were folded in a neat pile next to where she'd just put the shotgun. Scowling, she reached for the duck hat, momentarily surprised when she saw "the mask" drop next to it, worn, breaking and dirty. She stopped for a second, staring at it like it was alien to her before grabbing it and slowly bringing it up to her own face, covering the scars from an audience that wasn't present. As she cupped it to her damaged facial features, Noodle felt like a blanket of irking serenity overcame her and she relaxed, if only a bit. However, she knew such things were not to last as she had been trying, diligently, to put the mask to rest before she'd had her transformation, as it were. Sighing, she placed the mask back on the pile, gathering it up and going in search of the protective box it had been kept in all the years prior to her return. 2D had done a miraculous job of cowering under Murdoc's wretched hands; and yet he'd managed to keep some part of her safe, and it amazed her.

However, that alone was not enough to stop what had happened. Struggling to not choke herself with her own two hands, Noodle tried to contemplate whether it was a smart idea to deny this. On one hand the idea of silencing her own body and mind felt like a relief to her aching heart; the other half wasn't so willing to give up when she'd just started to live. Even if 2D's love was unattainable at the so-called finish line, she could at least be near him until someone came, stole his heart again and took him away—for the time being anyway. As it was, his heart was nowhere to be found. His abyssal eyes were the only thing that continually reminded her of such a state. With a twisted, renewed vigor, Noodle placed the contents in their newfound home and shoved it unceremoniously into a secluded corner. Once done she returned to her task at hand, beginning to hang random artillery on the walls alongside pictures of recently rummaged and rediscovered items that fit her other personality. Next to the prized Ithaca shotgun sat a large paper fan, stolen mercilessly from 2D's room prior to her discovery of the missing Android. It looked odd sitting there, the large red paper fan contrasting beautifully against the menacing black of the metal murderer. She felt like this combination quelled the warring part of her heart and mind in a way that could not be silenced by mere death. The compromise of her two minds seemed a practical, if not absolute and only choice, method to satisfying the rage simmering beneath the surface of her olive visage. Her decision to split the room into two sides seemed reminiscent of some American Cartoon villain she couldn't quite place, which also seemed to be a ridiculous thought for the time. Shrugging, she returned to mounting the complete opposite decorative items about the room, hoping that she would be done in time for dinner. Despite the fact that the Android never craved dinner, Noodle couldn't say the same for her human half.

Therefore, some hours later, after plenty of work and no interruptions, she found herself more than halfway done with her room. Satisfied at what she'd accomplished she dusted off her hands and made her way to the upper reaches of Plastic Beach, intent to fill her grumbling stomach with something other than the demented solidarity that lingered around whenever she was alone for too long. To her surprise she was floored when she ran into Murdoc, who was standing in all black at the entrance of the common area. The Astronaut with the skeleton head seemed to be laughing at her as she stood, frozen in puzzlement, in front of their band leader. He was giving her a peculiar look, as if gauging what to say to her, when she shot him a dirty look. At this his mien immediately changed from perturbed to what she considered amazement, before settling back into strange assurance all at once. If she was surprised then, it was nothing compared to her reaction when, without any warning whatsoever, a hand wrapped around her shoulder and yanked her backwards. Noodle let out a shocked yelp as she stumbled, landing disgracefully on her bottom and coming face to face with their fearless leader. Her left eye, not covered by her bangs, was wide as she stared up at him, mouth agape like a fish. Murdoc seemed to be studying her intently, which explained her inability to snap at him. A few more moments passed before he stood up and began walking away from her. She was still recovering from her shock when he turned around and looked at her again. He seemed to be pondering what to say to her when she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Where is 2D?"

He looked thoughtful. "Noodle…"

"Yes?" She answered quickly, her emerald eyes furious.

"Hmm…'at Dullard is downstairs…why?"

"I want to see him."

"Eh…'e don' wanna see yew." Murdoc's reply was firm and cold, but didn't seem quite sincere to that aspect.

Somewhat confused by the contradiction lying in his tone and words, Noodle could only stare. "I don't…I don't believe you!"

"Stop yer blubberin," Murdoc replied bitingly. He had been pretty sure he was dealing with Noodle and not the rebellious Android. He was definitely sure when she'd yelled at him. "Face ache is in 'is room, whinin. Why don' yew go'n get'im?"

With that he departed the room, leaving Noodle alone in the almost complete silence, the humming of the fish tank the only sound. She couldn't hear any other noises, no other occupants in the area. Even the recording Studio was silent, which signaled that none of her "family members" were present. Murdoc had disappeared behind his bookshelf, no doubt to his secret lair, while Russel was conveniently absent. It seemed her last option was to find 2D, the nagging feeling of doing so persistent in her head and heart. Instead of heeding it, she detoured into the quiet, solemn Recording Studio, wanting to disappear into a dark void. Her mind was drawing consistent blanks as she sat at the synthesizer, hands in her lap as she tried to think of a tune, anything but 2D's heartbroken expression. Yet no matter how hard she tried it remained, burned into her mind like her brain had been branded with the image. 'Why do I feel so bad? He hurt me, dammit…' she mused bitterly as her thought returned to the scene of offense, the one where he'd almost kissed her. 'Almost…bastard…' She paused at this, emerald eyes darting over the open window of the studio, focusing on the darkening night sky. She could see stars shining brightly since Point Nemo was in the middle of nowhere without an obstructions. They sparkled, and previous to now, she was sure she would have found such a view magnificent, gorgeous even. But cynical thoughts plagued that hopeful view into a dead ground. Looking away, Noodle felt like crying but couldn't seem to find the actual tears within her. It was as if the well of her emotions had dried up from drought. 'Which…isn't entirely off now, is it?' She was thoroughly convinced the "Drought of Love" had consumed her and she would forever be a dried of rosebush, thorns still ever present but beauty gone with the summer breeze.

"And now I'm spouting poetry to an invisible audience…" she whispered to no one in particular. Resigned, Noodle put her head down, resting her chin on her crossed arms as she stared out the window, lost in her wandering thoughts.

Some hours later found 2D wandering around the upper reaches of his home, groggy, drugged and generally foggy-minded. He seemed to be, more or less, lost though not in his thoughts as one might assume. He was actually just lost. He couldn't remember, for the life of him, where it was that he was trying to go or what he was trying to find. His mind seemed to be swimming in confusion, like a bunch of colors swirling in one huge mass had swallowed his brain right up. This is why, of course, he found himself in the common area, puzzled and staring at the jukebox in awe. It was alight with its bright neon colors, not playing but making whirring sounds as it turned the CD and vinyls over in its case. The silence would've been more irksome, troublesome even, but 2D found it eerily soothing as he glanced around the empty area. He had seen no sign of Russel for hours; and no sign of Murdoc since they'd last spoken. However, he couldn't fight the sudden urge to peep into the recording studio. What he found there made his jaw drop but he managed to stay relatively quiet as he stared. Noodle was bent over the synthesizing board, asleep it seemed, with the Android's clothes fitting, still, too tightly on her lanky but surprisingly curvier form. Her silhouette seemed leaner than usual but he could still make out her slightly more girlish figure in the opaque moonlight streaming through the large studio windows. Her even breathing was quiet for the most part, the occasional whistle escaping her slightly parted lips instead of light snores. 2D's drug-addled brain struggled to make the connection of leaving and pursuing, the opposites not sitting comfortably in the fog that surrounded his mind. He almost took a step forward but quickly halted when she seemed to come to, also seemingly unaware that he was there in the doorway. Instead, she paused, rubbing her tired eyes before blinking sleepily at the synthesizer board.

"Say…" she murmured. "Do you think 2D-san would even…talk to me anymore?" He almost blurted out that such a question was utterly ridiculous when she spoke again, her voice bitter, sinister even. "Why would he do that? You're always hysterical…nothing like the Noodle-san he remembers." The bite in that tone of voice seemed queer and sent chills up his spine as he continued to listen to her. "Yes…I suppose you're right…" Again, her voice changed. "Yes…I'm all you have now, Noodle-san. No one will ever have you without me near."

"Lil…love?"

Her head slowly turned to him, as if processing that he was actually standing there—or if she'd been dreaming. Upon realizing that 2D was indeed there, in the flesh, her face dissolved into blankness. "2D-san…yes?"

"Yew…awright?" He seemed perturbed, though the expression was harder to understand as he looked the same as always.

Noodle nodded. "Hai." She continued to gaze at him with her nonchalant face for a few more moments; but when he made no moves, she hopped of the stool and walked past him through the door. For the briefest of moments their shoulders touched and she gazed up at him, eyes searching his for something. Seconds later her face went placid again, and she seemed to revert back to the Android's creepy personality. She shot him an evil grin as she poked him in the chest. "I'll be watching you...prisoner."

The mere term made 2D stop dead in his tracks, terrified eyes following her disappearing form as it vanished behind the bookcase to Murdoc's underground lair. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he heard loud footsteps descending the stairs to the patio. He looked up in time to see Russel's massive form exiting the stairway. He blinked, hoping the fear would not show to the drummer but it was far too late. Russel was eyeing him questioningly.

"Yo 'D…you aight?"

2D shook his head. "Russ…s'gettin worse. Noods…she jus' threatened me…as'tha Android."

Russel could only give 2D a weary shake of his head. "Muds…I'm gonna pound his face in fo' dis…" The drummer seemed intent on beating the bassist senseless at any given opportunity and 2D knew he had to stop him, despite everything.

"I wos finkin, Russ…maybe we should…talk ta Noods…see if she is…mo'receptive…or summink…" The dark-skinned man appeared to be thinking it over and 2D breathed a short sigh of relief when Russel nodded. "Awright…so…yew gonna go first?"

"No, 'D…you gonna go first."

"Wot? Yeh but I…" 2D gulped when Russel gave him the death look. "Why?"

"Much as I hate to say it, 'D…yo' the reason she snapped…not Muds." 2D didn't seem to comprehend what his friend was saying but finally agreed, whether out of true understanding or defeat not seeming to make a difference. Russel just seemed determined to make 2D fix everything. He glared at the lanky vocalist for a minute before letting out a heavy sigh. 'Look, 'D…just…go talk to 'er. Somethin tells me you is the only one who can fix dis."

Defeated, 2D nodded and turned away, making his way towards the general direction he thought Noodle/the Android may have went after disappearing into Murdoc's lair moments before. He had a strong feeling the split entity made its way into Noodle's soon-to-be-room-was there a door connecting the lair to her room?-and decided that it was the best place to start. All was quiet as he made his way down the lift, an eerie feeling settling in the pit of his stomach as it opened slowly on Noodle's floor. The silence that encompassed him as he stepped out seemed stifling, as if invisible hands were beginning to wrap themselves around his throat as he approached the door at the end of the hall. He couldn't hear a sound coming from her room, not one; this irked him. And 2D was not easily irked since he fell asleep to Zombie movies every night of his existence on earth. Carefully, and with a large amount of hesitation flowing through him, 2D pushed the door open, noting the quiet that rolled out in his face in thick waves. He glanced around, blackened eyes searching for some form of life in the dimly lit room when he heard a chuckle from the right of him. He quickly turned, his head beginning to pound at the quick action, and came face to face with Noodle leaning up against the wall next to the Ithaca shotgun, which was resting on two metal hooks above her head. Her face was in a twisted smirk though her sparkling emerald eyes seemed soulless as she beckoned to him with her lithe, delicate fingers.

"2D-san…what brings you here…so late at night?"

He gulped, not sure he was comfortable with her tone of voice, or the way she was looking at him. In fact, he would've rather preferred the predatory glance of the Android to the empty, placid gaze she was directing towards him. Her body language did not signal any hostility, but then again, to him, it signaled very little of anything regarding life. He stood rooted to his spot though he'd completely entered the door. Yet he made no move to further approach her distant figure. He wasn't sure where the dim light was springing from as he didn't see any lamps or lighting of any sort. Seeming to sense this, Noodle languidly pointed to a stand in the corner to her far left. He blinked as she shifted her position, resting all her weight on her left hip as well.

"Candles, they're useful when one doesn't have lamps."

He nodded numbly, still not sure what to make of her current state of actions, let alone her state of dress, which consisted of a tailored version of the Android's outfit though now it looked less revealing. Her lips were also stained in that red lipstick she'd sported upon her return, and the shimmering purple eye-shadow on her eyes accented the highlight of her olive skin. Had this been any other situation 2D would've admired her stupidly, maybe even let her lure him into her soulless gaze. But she was not only Noodle; and he would not be sucked into the Android's games. He was still utterly terrified of that creature. Nodding at her indication of the candles, he decided it was best to just leave her be for the moment since he had come to speak to Noodle, not the split personality she was sporting these days. He made to leave when the door was slammed shut before him. Disbelief placed his features as he looked into the emerald eyes of Noodle, her brows knitted together and door still tightly on the handle.

"Where are you going 2D-san? You did come to see me…didn't you?"

He gulped audibly, his voice squeaking as she began walking towards him. He back pedaled at her actions, not really paying attention to where he was going; not really sure where he'd end up until his back hit the wall. "Yeh but…yew seem tired. Though' I'd…leave yew be fo'while." He scratched his head when she said nothing. "S'ppose I should go now. Yew be awright. Sowry ta bother yew!"

"Don't be so ridiculous…" came the hushed reply even as the young woman trapped him, both her arms on either side of him like a cage as she smirked up at him. He wasn't sure now if he was looking at the Android or his beloved Noodle. She seemed to have Noodle's eyes but that smirk made him think otherwise. He cringed as she sidled up to him, her body brushing against his in areas that craved her touch but were disgusted by the Android's inhumane presence. 2D felt his lower lip shaking when she stood on her toes and breathed him in as if he were her next meal. In the case of the machine, he believed that to be the case. Trembling, 2D bit back a cry of fear as she leaned in closely, her lips lightly moving past the shell of his ear as she released a low, uncharacteristic giggle. "Prisoner…I'm glad you've returned. There are so many more games we haven't had the chance to play…"

2D let out a yelp as she slammed one of her hands into his shoulder, shoving him into the wall even though there was no space left between him and the hard surface. She let out another sinister chuckle as his eyes widened in fright. He could barely move, his heart beating so fast he thought it might burst through his chest cavity. And then the headache began; first a dull throb that eventually mutated into a heavy pounding that made tears of pain spring to his red-rimmed eyelids. His shoulder ached but he couldn't focus on that pain when his head felt like it was going to explode and she was looking at him like she wanted to sink her teeth into him. There was nothing sexually charged to her gaze. Mostly malice and sadism could be seen in her eyes, which he was used to though, nonetheless, afraid of. His mind did a complete 180 when she suddenly removed her hand and backed away, her eyes glazing over in sudden confusion as she glanced up at him, her green spheres portraying loss and puzzlement. He could only stare at her, solemnly, while she seemed to reorient herself to their surroundings, her purple bangs rocking back and forth on her forehead as she peered around them. He wanted to reach out to her, more than anything he did. But he was scared of her, not sure which Noodle he was dealing with in that moment. And he sure as hell didn't want to risk re-inviting the Android back into the semi-secured space between him and the young woman he loved.

"2D-san…what…what're you doing down here, in my room?"

He was at a loss for words, again. Sighing, he rubbed his aching temples, wishing he had his pills right then and there. "Summink…Russ told me ta…come check on yew…"

"Oh…did…something happen?" Any bad blood between them seemed to have disappeared as she stared at him, eyes wide. "2D-san, are you feeling alright? You don't look so well."

"Need me pills…" he trailed as he wracked his throbbing brain for their location. They weren't in his jacket pockets or his jean pockets. "Mus'be in me room…fook…"

She continued to stare at him, uncertain as to what she should do. Part of her wanted to help him through the peril of his constant migraines but another part of her wanted to shout at him to get the hell out of her private cache. She couldn't remember him coming into her room and assumed this was because she was asleep. She never gave the Android a second thought. Not having it there physically seemed to erase the notion that it still existed. 2D saw this confusion on her face through the haze of agony dominating his head; his heart began racing. 'Muds wos right…she's…lucid,' he thought, realizing, albeit rather slowly, that she was indeed not all together there. His heart suddenly ached terribly as he discovered the woman he loved was losing her mind, so to speak. Not sure what to do now that she was in and out of reality, he continued to stand there, wanting nothing more than to disappear from her view. She still appeared to be piecing things together when a sudden frown placed her face. 2D could only shift from foot to foot in the silence.

"You…you didn't come here to visit me, then? Just to check…Russ asked, right?"

He nodded slowly, unsurely. "Yeh but yew…s'not totally my reasonin…"

She scowled. "Well, I'm quite fine, thank you, 2D-san. You can tell Murdoc-san and Russel-san that I do not require any…supervision. I am not a child."

He blinked stupidly, fractured eyes still unsure as to his next course of action. "Yeh but…" She shot him a disgusted look and he faltered. "Awright well…I'll jus' be goin then."

"You lied…"

He whirled around though the movement made his head pound and nausea rise in his stomach. "Wot?"

"You lied…you came down here to…" she spun around to face him as well, a pleading look in her usually unreadable eyes. "Please 2D…tell me you lied…that you didn't just come to check on me." He didn't really know how to answer her plea and felt another wave of nausea making its way up through his esophagus, begging for release. He did not grant this as Noodle stumbled towards him, her eyes glassy as she clutched his forearms in fear and loathing. Her glassy eyed gaze turned into one of distaste and anger at his lack of reaction. "You…you're just checking up on me…because Murdoc-san needs a guitarist. None of you care, do you?" 2D, still paralyzed by the sudden change in personality and emotions, said nothing. Noodle became frazzled. "I hate you, all of you. None of you care about me, or what's happening, none of you love me…she really has won…hasn't she?"

The desperation in her voice seemed to snap 2D out of his stupor and he shook her hard despite Mike the monkey playing the bongo in his head. "Wot? Stop sayin'at! We do love yew, lil love!"

"You," she spat scornfully, "have a funny way of showing it, 2D-san!" Then it came out, like verbal vomit and Noodle was frantically shouting at him, her form trembling within his grasp, horror filling her eyes at the words coming out of her lips. "Is there anything you like about me? Is my body that repulsive that you can't even kiss me, just for an easy fucking lay? Are these scars marring your perfect perception of what a woman should look like? You are a fucking coward! At least if you're not going to sleep with me, then stop teasing me and pretending to care!" To her continued horror 2D seemed to be about as surprised as she was. By the time she was done, her hands had flown to cover her mouth as she red tinted her entire face. Whether this was from embarrassment, anger, shame or some other emotion, both he and she were completely unable to discern it now.

She would have made to apologize, the guilt seeping into her, but had little to no time as her back was slammed against her wall and she felt 2D's hands all over her. His lips were bruising her own with such intensity she found herself seeing stars. Her own hands were digging into his hair mercilessly, her mouth opening to his as their bodies pressed so close together Noodle thought she was melding with him. 'Isn't this…what I wanted?' Her mind refused to succumb completely to the action—because it wasn't wholly welcomed. It had been surprising yes, but it had not be necessarily welcomed. In fact, all the emotions pouring into her from 2D's lips did not seem loving in the least. She could taste anger and fear, upset and betrayal, lies and shame. Right as his hand reached for her shirt, Noodle pushed him away, roughly. She glared at him despite the tears threatening to fall. 2D looked more than ashamed; he looked distraught but equally angry with her. Instead of saying anything to him she turned away and felt the tears burning her eyelids so harshly she thought they might be made of acid rain. She wanted to scream at him, she wanted to feel the animosity toward him that would make it all okay for the time. Yet none of it came. All she felt was disappointed, and crushed, by fault of her own, as well as his. She had finally received her desired kiss and it felt emptier than anything else. 'It wasn't even a kiss, was it? It was a desperate attempt to shut me up! No…wait…that's not it…' She sighed again as she heard 2D move, slowly, behind her.

"Please…just go away."

"But Noods," he replied quietly, "S'not wot yew fink…I swear…I jus' though' tha'…."

"Not another word. Please…" she half turned to him, hair shrouding her face. "Just leave me alone."

Yet he remained, rooted to his spot and unsure of whether to really listen to her, or not.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the upper reaches of their synthetic homeland, Russel and Murdoc listened intently to the scene downstairs. It wasn't as if they were afraid to join in the argument that ensued between Noodle and 2D; but rather they figured he was the only one who could fix it. Murdoc had admitted this, begrudgingly, to the drummer, all the while hoping his precious Android hadn't really been destroyed. But one look at Russel told him that the machine had probably been thrown overboard, short-circuited and sank to the bottom of the endless ocean around him. Having his nose-broken again seemed too-big a price to pay for a piece of machinery, though this was questionable as the Android was more than just a machine to the Satanist. Sighing internally, he kept his ears alert incase the situation changed. So far it seemed as though 2D was only making things worse since Noodle had already asked him to leave. They'd both heard a slight ruckus but weren't exactly sure what had transpired. Was Noodle tearing the room apart? Was she bashing 2D's face in? Neither of them really knew but they decided against asking, not really wanting to risk what might happen should they, too, infuriate the young Axe Princess. However the anticipation grew when they heard silence ensue after the loud banging noises and such. And silence usually meant something else had gone awry, more than it already was. Murdoc figured ignoring the situation was best; but upon Russel pointing out the nasty repercussions, he had to pay more attention to it.

"E're quiet down 'ere."

"Ya think?"

Murdoc let the sarcastic response go, not wanting to fight with the drummer for he would surely lose, even if Russel was good at controlling his temper. The quiet atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by the lift coming up; both men would've scrambled to appear normal had the lift not stopped one floor away from its previous resting place—and had they not been who they were. When it stopped just above Noodle's floor, both them realized that 2D had returned to his room. Even with Plastic Beach being so vast they were sure they would've still heard Noodle's sobs or 2D's pitiful whaling or sorts after such an event. However, no such complaints followed. All was still deathly quiet below them and both men looked at each other; Russel weary, Murdoc peeved. It would seem as though nothing had been solved save for a few punches thrown, and, more likely than not, rightfully deserved. And yet this did not sit well with either man, for it signaled that there was still a long way to go where reconciliation was concerned.

"Yo Muds…go check on baby girl."

"Wot tha fuck? I'm not doin 'at, Lards!" Murdoc roared, suddenly finding his voice despite the fact that Russel looked positively murderous. "I like bein alive, thanks!"

Russel rolled his eyes. "Muds, she's only gonna kill ya if she ain't da Android." Murdoc raised a brow. "I doubt she's Noodle right now anyway."

Murdoc still refused to go, digging his heels in, figuratively. "I ain't doin 'at."

Sighing, the drummer decided he would venture on down, calling the elevator up to their floor. What awaited him below seemed ominous but he doubted that it was anything to be physically afraid of—even the Android didn't intimidate him. What he didn't think he could deal with was an emotional young woman turned basket case, or an emotionally challenged and voided middle aged man. His choices of 2D or Noodle were both bad, in a manner of speaking; both were species to avoid. Yet the decision was taken out of his hands when Noodle appeared before him once the lift door had opened. She seemed to actually be Noodle, her eyes tired and bloodshot but otherwise, lucid enough to realize who she was looking at. In the background Murdoc managed to slink away before he was noticed, too. She raised her eyebrows to the drummer, interest evident there but form still almost lifeless in the now tailored Android suit.

"Russel-san…I am hungry."

If Russel thought he couldn't be anymore surprised, the uttered request practically brought his jaw to the floor. He knew she had to eat sometime but that she'd actually asked was still a shock—the Android didn't eat. Shaking the thought from his head, Russel nodded his approval. "What you wanna eat, baby girl?"

She looked thoughtful though her eyes remained red rimmed and sleepy. "I would like waffles…a lot of them. I feel like I haven't eaten in ages. When was the last time I ate?" The mere fact that he couldn't give her a quick answer confused her and Noodle's brow creased in puzzlement. "I…never mind. Please…I'd like to eat."

As they made their way to the dining area Russel could not help but wonder if, in this state, she'd even taken notice of the state of dress she now sported. He didn't think she wore the most comfortable clothes to begin with, considering what she'd shown up in was a dress, thigh-high socks without shoes and a mask. The tommy gun she'd left by the entrance was another indication of her time in hell. Nevertheless, he didn't think the short shorts, tight-fitting button up jacket or beret would have gone unnoticed. It irked him but as she seemed truly famished, he would not keep her waiting. In fact, whipping up a batch of his famous waffles seemed all the more of a normalcy for them, especially for her. What he wasn't sure of was how long it would actually last—an eternity would be nice. And if Noodle had caught on to the fact that she was only half-there she said nothing, which made him all the more certain her lucidity would only last for so long. In the meantime, he would try to get Murdoc to talk to their vocalist, even if the two men hated each other. Something he had learned long ago was that when the going got tough, in the Gorillaz, the tough got beaten. He would make Murdoc fix it, even if it meant breaking his nose again. Smirking to himself, Russel began pulling out the ingredients to make waffle batter just as Noodle's stomach growled loudly. At least some thing was the same, for now.

In his room 2D was reminiscing over all the good times he had with Noodle, at least all the ones he could actually remember, which weren't many. Having taken far too many drugs over the years caused a lot of lapses in his memory; and he knew it couldn't be good for his overall health. Despite that thought he couldn't help the bitterness that welled up inside him at the memory of Murdoc leaving all their things behind at Kong. How many pictures had they lost when Kong was abandoned? How many priceless memories were still there, rotting away on the landfill they'd once called home? He figured now would be as good a time as any to find out. He knew it would require leaving Plastic Beach and returning to Essex. But if it put to rest the demons it had summoned, he would do it. If anything he'd do it to get away from Noodle for a while as it appeared she was only half with them, not to mention she seemed to hate him even prior to his kissing her. He felt awful about what he'd done, kissing her without warning but glad that, for a moment, she had seemed to respond. He knew it was not the right away, not the right time and for that he punished himself. Instead of pulling out stray strands of hair as he did in the past, 2D decided to leave on his mission, to return to Kong. That he would be doing it alone is what scared him the most. He'd spent the last 7 years awaiting her glorious, if not unrealistic, return home. He spent years pining away over her disappearance, almost killed himself doing it. Now she was back and he couldn't make things right. 'Not 'ere in this place…' he told himself over and over again.

Plastic Beach was not going to bring back the old Noodle. It was not going to release its strangle hold on him until he dealt with the past; until he dealt with himself. And Noodle was not going to be the same if he didn't figure out what she'd been doing at Kong the years before she vanished into thin air. Sighing inwardly, 2D began to pack lightly. It was true that he'd have to steal a boat—Murdoc might eventually kill him for it—and find out how to use it. It was a small price to pay when one thought about what was at stake. Taking one last look in the mirror, he tried to give himself a morale boost before he managed to forget what he was doing in the first place. It was now or never.

He hoped when he came back, Noodle would still be there.

TBC

(Yeah...so who hates me now? I know what you're thinking-"WTF, that's IT? WHERE THE HELL IS THE REST OF IT? AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME?" *flame launcher authoress* Yeah...hate is welcomed right now. I can't say sorry enough or give excuses...R&R, if you'd like? .)