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: Here's chapter 9 everyone. I wish I could say it was stellar and worth the wait but then I'd be a big liar. I'll let you be the judges of how good or bad it is.

'thoughts' & Flashbacks

"Talking"

Everything else

Distant stars come in black or red,

I've seen their worlds, inside my head

They connect with the fall of man

They breathe you in, and dive as deep as they can.

~Plastic Beach—Gorillaz~

Canvas of Imperfection

It shouldn't have come as any shock that 2D was gone but when Russel knocked on his door that morning and received no answer, suffice to say he was equally floored when he'd burst through the door only to find the room empty. He'd scratched his head, puzzled for a minute before stomping his way back up to the studio area where Murdoc was practicing plucking the strings of his bass. Noodle was absent as was the norm. Russel tried to control his hands but they were on Murdoc's collar of their own accord.

"He's gone. D is gone, Muds."

Even though he was hanging from the large drummer's fists, the Satanist didn't seem the least bit concerned. "Yeh? An' wot of it? Like I care, Lards."

"You is some piece of work, Muds," Russel replied with annoyance, dropping Murdoc back onto his stool. The bassist casually returned to his plucking, face impassive. In any other instance Russel would've pounded his face in but decided it was the less wise decision, for now. "Where d'ya think he went?"

"The 'ell if I know. At' Dullard could fall in'a black 'ole fer all I care."

The drummer shot him a death look and Murdoc had the decency to flinch. "Whatever, Muds, you fuckin bastard. I'm gonna go look for baby girl."

Murdoc rolled his eyes at Russel, not really caring what any of them did anymore. The fact that the drummer had thrown the Android overboard was a particular sore spot for the bassist. It was his finest piece of work and Russel had thrown it away like it was trash. It was Murdoc's prized possession, his best accomplishment other than the success of the band. Grumbling madly under his breath, he returned to his previous task, not wanting to think about the matter any further.

Outside the studio door Russel gave a long, frustrated sigh. He didn't know how he was going to get through to any of his band mates, especially Noodle. She was currently locked up in her room and he wondered how she could be seeing as to it hadn't been fixed yet. Then again, he had heard her banging away down there for more than a day or so, before 2D left. His curiosity would've got the better of him and he would have ventured down to see what she was doing if she hadn't suddenly appeared from the lift, a wrench in her hands. She still seemed lucid, which he was thankful for, and she threw him a small smile, emerald eye shining from the side of her face not covered with her purple locks.

"Ohaya, Russel-san. I was wondering if you had a hammer I could use. I need to nail something to my wall but I'm still…not familiar with everything here."

The statement was unsettling to him seeing as to how long she'd been residing in Plastic Beach. While it had many a place that hadn't been discovered, most of their fake homeland was relatively old now. He couldn't fathom what she was referring to but decided to let it slide lest he upset her back into her paranoid state of the "Android." He wasn't convinced Murdoc didn't care about their guitarist but the bassist was doing a good job of acting aloof if this was not the case. It was disturbing to him how much their leader could ignore them or torment them—2D and Noodle were both living testaments of that. Russel himself was enough of an example of shunning since Murdoc had, conveniently, failed to let him know about the new album. But they'd all found their way back though without permission in 2D's case. Noodle's reappearance had spawned something of a concern for them now, especially since she wasn't all together there, and no one seemed to really be addressing it. With 2D gone and Murdoc in his guilty funk, it left only Russel to deal with the repercussions of Noodle's mental breakdown. He would be bashing heads in and soon if he was any judge. Nodding to her, he beckoned for her to follow him to his living quarters.

At least around him she was consistently lucid; the Android didn't seemed to exist for very long periods of time when they were in each other's company. He was glad of this but it also, frighteningly, reaffirmed his belief that 2D and Murdoc were the major causes of her losing her mind. Shaking his head at how excited she became when he handed her the hammer, Russel took a seat on his bed. She didn't follow his example but paused at the action, her gaze questioning.

"Russel-san…are you alright?"

"I should be askin you that, baby girl," he answered.

Noodle blinked at him. "I…I do not understand."

"You been actin funny. You don't notice?" He asked the question straight out but in a tone that resonated worry instead of anger and confusion.

The emeralds of her eyes tightened and glistened as she stopped swinging the hammer, her hands trembling. "I…I'm sorry, Russel-san…I can't remember. I feel as if…I feel as though I have pieces of my memory missing…but I can't recall any of it. Have I…have I done anything wrong? Please tell me."

And what could he tell her? That she was on the verge of a split personality that was becoming completely functional as each day went by? How was he going to inform her that she was mentally unstable because of her emotions surrounding their vocalist and resident bassist? Russel felt as though telling her these things would only worsen that which she strived to get away from, that which would only become more of a detriment than helping to solve the issue on hand. Sighing, she shook his head. He wouldn't lie to her, no; but he wouldn't disclose everything for fear that it might completely break her. He wouldn't dare mention 2D's absence, either.

"No, baby girl…you ain't done nothing wrong. Ya just…been outta it, I guess," he offered instead. A truthful lie. She didn't seem to be buying it though, her eyes glistening more and lips in a tight frown. 'Shit…this ain't gonna work.'

"I…" she seemed to be struggling for words as she shifted from foot to foot. "I am…not well, I know, Russel-san. I see it in everyone's eyes. But I…cannot remember or make sense of why…not anymore."

'Did she ever?' he asked himself as they stared at each other. Shaking his head, he nodded to her in agreement. "I'm sorry, baby girl…guess I ain't much help."

She let out a small, Noodle-like giggle, very much a resemblance of her old self that Russel cherished as her surrogate big brother and father figure. "It's alright Russel-san…I don't blame you…you've treated me the best since I've returned. And I…appreciate it. I only wish…" she paused, her eyes glazing over and he feared the worst; but she remained relatively "normal" to his eyes. "I suppose dwelling has never suited me…onii-san."

He'd become familiar with the term over the years and liked hearing it from her. It meant she cared for him and their mutual familial relationship was still intact despite the Android's poison. It made him wistful and he returned her smile. "Let me know if you need any help down there, aight?"

She offered him another large, friendly smile before skipping out of his room, whistling a pleasant tune all the way to the lift. He supposed it was better for her to have even the smallest hint of happiness rather than long, drawn out bouts of the Android's personality. It meant she was still quite alive in there and kicking, too. Either way, it made no difference in his planning to find 2D. That was certainly going to become an issue once she became more Noodle than the Android. Her bouts of lucidity were sure to decrease when she realized 2D was gone. Russel hoped she hadn't already understood this, or there would surely be hell to pay.

Downstairs in her room, Noodle was sitting resolutely and almost statue-like on the stool adjacent to her bed, her fingers firmly crossed in her lap. She knew she was only half there, in her mind; but not missing enough to realize 2D was, indeed, no longer residing in Plastic Beach. The only hope that was still alive within her rested with the knowledge that most of his belongings were still eerily, snugly packed inside his room a floor above. Odd as it was, this did not bring her the amount of comfort she wished for, nor did it ease any troubles she had regarding his return. Normally she would've been thrown into a fit of rage, an angry stupor. But as the years had passed without her family's presence, without the man she loved, Noodle had become sadly accustomed to his absence and yearned as she would any other time. She was also sure that the Android's constant presence in her stress-addled mind had something to do with this. While the Android did not miss 2D the way Noodle herself did, the twisted creature seemed to miss torturing him at the very least, a thought which made Noodle cringe inside. She would've been sick but she had eaten nothing nearly sustaining enough to expel from her stomach.

Sighing, she decided a nap was in order. After all, her eyes burned like she hadn't slept in days. And seeing as the Android did not sleep, she wasn't surprised to find that now, she too couldn't.

Trudging one's way through the latter part of Britain was already an unforeseen annoyance for Stuart Pot. He wasn't really cut out for long journeys through anywhere, at least not while he was conscious. Rubbing his head again, 2D tried to alleviate the oncoming headache surfacing through the effects of his medication, hoping that their power would last at least until he reached somewhere to rest. He'd managed to slip away in the dead of night without alerting Murdoc—or maybe the Satanist no longer cared—and was gone before anyone seemed to notice. While he felt terrible about leaving Noodle and Russel behind with the crazy bassist, he convinced himself—however hard that actually was—that he was doing all of these things in the best interest of his friends. He knew Noodle would do worse if he hung around in the state of mind they both were in; Russel might end up killing him on accident. All of these were risks Stuart Pot was not willing to take where his friends well being was concerned. He figured the best way to get them through whatever hellish atmosphere had settled over them was certainly not being together, not this time. The many years passed between them only amplified how much they had missed each other, and how much they lost on each other. It made him sad to think, when he was thinking, that this is what would, ultimately, become of them of they were not careful.

Trying to clear the thoughts away without a physical shaking of his head, 2D slumped against the nearest bus stop, content to wait for it to come and take him closer to Kong. He hadn't been there in ages and it scared him, slightly, to think of what it may have become in their absence. He had overheard Noodle talking to herself some months ago about how she'd returned to a wasteland even inside their old home; he dreaded to think what might inhabit it now. But he wouldn't give up yet, for he felt if he did he was also giving up on Noodle. And he wouldn't do that, no matter how empty-minded he was. Trudging his way towards the bus stop, he boarded the auto with relative ease and leaned back in the closest seat he could find. The bus itself was pretty much empty, which wasn't entirely surprising. He doubted many people would go in the direction he was headed to. There wasn't much out by Kong as it was a deserted landfill. He also doubted anyone would recognize him from that part of town as they'd been living in the middle of the ocean for the last 7 to 8 years. He felt no need for a disguise or to travel incognito; no one would be visiting their old home after all.

Even before he arrived he had an ominous feeling settling in the pit of his growling stomach. Clearly his being hungry was not enough to overrule the eerie feeling taking over every inch of his being. After jumping off the bus he paused before the gates of his old abode. Kong looked particularly menacing where it stood; the landfill looking like it had started to eat up most of the building that remained. It didn't seem like any thought had been given to the care of the building, as though it had been easily forgotten, which he was sure it had been. Who would want to take up residence in a zombie filled, horrific smelling dump other than themselves? Only Murdoc could make something so horribly disgusting seem glamorous and attractive to the outside world. The fact that they were abnormal star sensations had nothing to do with it, not at all. Convincing himself of this small, unimportant pleasantry seemed pointless as he pushed open the gates and proceeded through casually until he remembered that it was indeed a zombie infested place. At this recollection he high tailed it to the door and burst through as quickly as possible, slamming it shut behind him. This, he realized shortly after, was probably going to awaken anything that had been sleeping in the place for however long it had been there. He also decided he wouldn't stick around and wait for that. He didn't intend to remain at Kong for an extended period of time; he wanted answers, then to get the hell out. Finding those answers, on the other hand, would prove to be quite the challenge as he wasn't even sure what it was he was searching for in the first place. Scratching his head in frustration, he set about looking through the rooms of Kong—the important rooms—one by one to see what might uncover the truth into Noodle's disappearance.

Noodle had awakened from her nap with relative grogginess, her mind foggy and eyes blurry from her rather long nap. She figured it must be sometime around dinner given the lighting but then again, there was no real light in the lower reaches of Plastic Beach. Her room, without its candlelit fixtures or light bulbs, was like an Egyptian tomb, cold, dark and dank. Sighing, she pushed herself off the bed to go in search of food when her stomach growled loudly. She continually reminded herself that while the Android did not require any real sustenance to continue going, she truly needed food to function. Such necessities seemed annoying with the Android's thoughts and presence residing within her fragile body and mind. She knew it had yet to touch her soul but she attributed this to the fact that the Android probably had no soul, being a metal machine and all. She wondered why this particular maddening occurrence didn't extend to her heart as well, why it didn't make her heart somewhat into stone so she wouldn't have to feel the ache and pain that lingered at the mere thought of 2D? Sighing, Noodle resigned herself to another torturous, long evening of pining away for the Vocalist while she tried to normalize parts of her life that no longer seemed to have any light in them with his absence starkly present. Her eyes felt filmy as she glanced around the room to take in all the objects she'd used to decorate it. Many of them were reminiscent of the Android while others reminded her of 2D, which caused the ache in her heart to flare up and double over. Her arm flew out to keep herself from falling over at the force of the ache, the pain swelling as she tried to picture herself during happier times. The only problem was that most of those times involved 2D himself.

Thinking of him hurt her and made her happy all in one; what could she do about that? 'Not think of him at all.' The thought hit her like a ton of bricks as she could swear she'd heard the Android's laughter following the statement, the evil tone of voice lingering just beneath the surface of those words. The thought itself had been in her mind but had it been her own? 'No…I would never…I couldn't do that. 2D is too important to me…I love him.' Shaking her head, Noodle refused to let such a thought even to permeate in her mind. The Android's poison could be fought off for a little longer. 'How much longer Noodle…how much longer?' She did her best to push the thought further and further into the darkest recesses of her mind, not wanting to allow it anymore energy. She vowed to herself then and there that if 2D did not return by the end of the week that she was going to go after him. In all likelihood she was pretty sure he wouldn't since 2D probably didn't even remember leaving his home let alone where he was going; but Noodle had a pretty good idea. 'Maybe having the Android for this particular journey won't be so bad,' she surmised. If returning to Kong—she was sure the singer had ended up there—alone was the plan, and she was sure it was, then having the heartless machine's abilities to wield guns and such could only help with her martial arts abilities. She didn't really know if there were still hungry zombies lumbering about but Kong was a landfill and graveyard all in one; better to be safe instead of sorry.

Sighing, Noodle looked around her room for anything useful to take. The Ithaca shotgun sitting on its hinges made sense but not much else did. She wasn't sure if the remaining guns in the room even worked; let alone how to use them properly. 'I could learn within seconds,' she told herself. And yet the idea of that carnage didn't appeal to her the way crushing zombie heads with her bare fists did. With another sigh, this one heavier than the previous one, she decided to pack a few things and leave them ready for whenever it was time to depart. Telling Russel her decision was going to be the hardest part. She already knew that, without saying so, he would adamantly refuse her resolution and ask her to wait until the blue haired singer returned. Doubt settled in her mind that he eventually would. She quickly jabbed her finger on the lift button. Tapping her foot didn't seem to do a thing to expedite the process but she opted for continuing the action to relieve stress. In the end it didn't seem to help so she eventually ceased the action. And the ride up to Russel's area wasn't any easier; anxiety piled on with every inch of ascension. Breathing in deeply, Noodle tried to calm her already frayed nerves to prepare for whatever Russel might say to deter her from the mission at hand.

As luck would have it when she exited the lift he was seated there on the couch with Murdoc looking every bit annoyed and perplexed. Russel tended to have that look about him even when he was focused, mostly because the whites of his haunted eyes made him look mindless. Murdoc's normal eye seemed to be searching the room for her, seconds later spotting her standing sedentary on the lift's threshold. Russel brought his gaze to her as she attempted to appear normal; as normal as possible with the Android's thought process swirling around her head in constant motion. She was about to step out when Russel stood and began shaking his head.

"Ya ain't goin baby girl."

She opened her mouth in protest. "Russel-san, I have to find 2D! I'm the reason he left, I know it."

"No, Muds is the reason he left, damn cracka ass," the drummer replied firmly and accusatorily in Murdoc's general direction. To his credit the bassist seemed completely unfazed as she took another long sip of whatever was in his glass. Noodle had the feeling it was bourbon or scotch. Again, the drummer shook his head. "Don't see how you rushin over dere is gon' make him come back, Noods."

She blanched at this; not having thought what would happen if he refused to return to Plastic Beach. "I…" her words trailed off and Noodle felt her eyes begin to burn with unshed tears. "I…" she tried again, steeling her resolve. "I know he will come back, if only I go to him. You don't understand…I made him leave."

Russel blinked. "How?"

She signed, shoulders sagging. "It is a long story, one I don't have the time to tell. Please," she begged. "Please let me go find him. I promise you, I will return with him. Please, Russel-san."

"Let 'er go, lards. Yer wastin yer time wi'tha one, yew is," came Murdoc's drunken slur.

For once Noodle was grateful Murdoc was trying to get rid of her. He would not stand her way like Russel did now. For a moment Russel regarded the Satanist like he was a lunatic, which he was. But after a few more minutes of silent contemplation he nodded to the purple haired guitarist. Noodle granted him a small smile as she quickly made her way to the nearest dock, hoping that there was another boat around. She didn't know how long it would take to get to Kong but she was not looking back, not now.

2D clambered through another pile of junk that littered the old car park where Murdoc used to reside when they had all called Kong their home. The cemetery graves were all empty, he'd surmised. The good amount he'd passed on the way were the perfect indication of such. Mere seconds into remembering this discovery found 2D falling face first onto the concrete as he tripped on a pile of rubble he hadn't seen. Cursing, he picked himself up, cringing when the previously dull ache in his head strengthened. He muttered irritably to himself as he searched for his bottle of painkillers in his pockets, which were full of useless items he's snatched along his journey through the dilapidated living space. He'd stopped in Noodle's room on his way down, pausing there to see if the room resembled anything of its former glory, wondering, idly, what had happened to Shaun. The Japanese style dividing panels were cracked, torn and broken on the floor. Noodle's bedspread looked rumpled on the mattress, as though it had been used though perhaps not recently. CD's lay strewn across the rotting red carpeted floor while various pieces of an old boom box lay smashed in a corner. He gave it a forlorn look, ready to move on when he caught sight of her football helmet and keyboard wedged underneath a fallen piece of ceiling. He recalled these items in particular from her first video shoot. DARE had been a major success, especially for a budding, young girl, who, at the time, was still mastering her talents and living with 3 grown men.

He wondered, for a second, how Noodle felt living with the 3 of them. She had no other females to look up to and they weren't the best role models. 'Well…cept' fo' Russ…' he thought as he scratched his head, all the while still peering curiously and sadly into Noodle's once uniquely decorated room. The memories that her room shook up inside him left him feeling forlorn and wishing he hadn't left her in the first place; but he knew, on some level, it needed to happen. He wasn't right for her at the present because he didn't understand her. And it was abundantly clear that she didn't understand herself, what with how easily the Android infiltrated her usually strongly guarded psyche. Letting out a sigh he pushed past Noodle's room and made his way to the car park, where he presently stood, pondering where his bottle of pills were. Murdoc's Winnebago remained where it always had, resolute and dingy in the corner of the concrete floor. The area smelled like old whiskey and urine that must have been years old. He wasn't even sure how the fumes remained but either way it was a disgusting display of how low Murdoc had let Kong sink after their break up. After Noodle's disappearance he hadn't seen any reason to stay around; Russel had vanished after too, torn up over Del's true death. Glancing around he caught quick sight of a large hole in the car park, the area sending eerie vibes his way that made him uncomfortable and the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. Cringing he inched closer and closer in cautious curiosity though everything told him he should not even go over there.

He was almost on the threshold of the broken wall when someone grabbed him from behind. 2D flailed unceremoniously in an attempt to throw of his attacker, thinking it was a rogue zombie that managed to find him. He was, mostly, relieved and shocked to find a pair of emerald green eyes staring back at him, one scarred but bright all the same. "Noods?"

"Hai, 2D-san. I am sorry if I startled you but this…is not a good place to be. There is…nothing back there you need to see. Russel-san wishes you to return home now," came her quiet, but firm voice.

He fumbled for words and she began to lead him away from the gaping hole in the decrepit wall. He wanted an explanation and he wanted a real one. Throwing her hand away 2D dug his heels in as she stumbled forward at the force. "No, lil love. I need ta see." She stared at him curiously. "I fink…I fink s'betta if I do, don' yew?"

She shook her head. "No, 2D-san. It no longer matters, what's back there."

"Wot is back 'ere?"

Noodle narrowed her eyes, lips pursed in warning as she felt the Android's voice egging her on, straining to get out. "Nothing of further importance. This place is a dead place. Why did you come here, 2D-san?"

He shuffled his feet from side to side, not really sure what to tell her, not really sure how to tell her the reason why. What kind of reaction would she have, he wondered? He felt a little strange telling her that the reason he had ran to Kong was to discover the truth behind her disappearance and to scrounge any clues he could find to help him understand the girl they'd both left behind, the girl they'd both lost when she'd become the woman they now knew. She continued to give him a hard stare, her patience thinning as the Android persisted in her psyche, pushing and prodding for any weaknesses.

"Look, lil love…wot 'appened to yeh…I jus' want to know. Yew was gone fo' 7 yea's…" She bristled and 2D felt his worry being overridden by frustration and anger. "Wot 'appened?" When she didn't answer, instead looking off to the side, he became aggravated; the effects of his earlier fall irritating his already pained mind. "I said, wot 'appened?" he roared.

Noodle's eyes blazed. "I was trying to save Murdoc, okay!" Her shout echoed around the car park and they both, simultaneously, wondered if the remaining zombies—because surely there were still some lumbering about—had heard her. Clenching her fists, the purple haired guitarist strained to answer him through gritted teeth. "Look, what's back there is a gateway to hell. I was trying to save Murdoc, okay? I was trying to reach everyone once I found it. I was never able to get a hold of any of you. And then…" she turned away but 2D did not miss the sniffling sound. "He just went off and replaced me with that damn Android…you all did. 7 years…7 years after that damn mishap that was El Manana and no one…gave a shit about little Noodle. I was 14 years old…not even from here, didn't any of you care?"

2D struggled for comforting words. "Course we did, lil love. I care 'bout yeh…always 'ave."

"Then why didn't you come, any of you?" She asked though her voice seemed tired more than upset. "I waited…I hoped."

His blackened eyes, red rimmed from countless days and night of crying for her, were exhausted with their circumstances. "I did, love. Muds…Russ an' I begged 'im ta send ou' a search party for yeh."

She seemed slightly disbelieving, if not completely unconvinced. "I know…I know. I'm sorry." She fought the Android's wishes to voice its thoughts, to guilt 2D into believing that she, Noodle, did not believe him. Deep down the young woman knew he had come looking for her, if anyone would have, she knew it'd have been him. He was her closest friend and seemed the most distraught by her disappearance when she finally returned. Deep down she was beginning to truly believe that he did love her though the Android made this belief seemingly impossible. Her shoulders sagging a little, Noodle turned her gaze back to 2D, stretching a hand out towards him.

"Please, 2D-san…please come home."

He stared at her, remembering their kiss from the couple of days before, feeling that intense urge to kiss her again though more gently. Her eyes were glistening and he figured she wanted to cry but knew she would not do so. A part of him wanted to reach out, take her hand and walk away. But another part of him could not yet leave the place where it all started for them, the place where he had last walked the halls with her, made music with her, spent time with her as she truly was. Seeming to sense this, Noodle let her hand drop and made her way towards the brink of her past despair, pausing once she'd reached it. Blinking back tears she looked to him.

"This is where I died that day…this is where it all started. Murdoc…he knew, he knew all along. The plan was for me to take a break but things don't always go to plan, as I'm sure you've noticed. And when it comes to Murdoc, anything is expendable for the price of glory and fame. He left me to rot…I ended up in the one place he should've. I was in hell, 2D-san, HELL. I'm not the same person you knew," she said bitingly. 2D's blank stare only hardened her resolve and he felt powerless to change that, especially when looking at her now. "I never will be again. The sooner everyone at home adjusts to that, the less issue we'll all have; trust me."

But a part of him could not let go of what she said because for him, it was admitting defeat and accepting it, which he did not want to. He knew she had changed and he knew change happened to everyone over extended periods of time. But her change was unnatural, the Android's poisoning not something that he could accept and continue on with, not when it was clearly affecting her so, hurting her so. It made him curious as to how she went on everyday without barely any complaints. Had she accepted the Android's personality as something to call her own when it was clear that the artificial piece of life was not something normal or healthy for her? He wondered, momentarily, if she had accepted the Android's twisted psyche into her own head as a defense mechanism, as a way to ensure that she would not be hurt again or as a way to preserve her fears, to protect her heart. Was it safe to say that hers was now fading away as a result of the Android's treachery? Something in his gut twisted and urged him to press her further. He figured that maybe if she blew up, vented and let out all her frustration that things would change, that she would open up and let him in where she hadn't before. That she would become her old self once again.

"Yew're lyin' Noods," he whispered quietly.

She whirled around to face him, eyes ablaze but narrowed at his still figure at the other end of the car park. "I must have misheard you, 2D-san. What did you say?" He gulped as she began to advance on him. "I believe you said I was lying, that I am a liar." When 2D said nothing more, though his eyes betrayed nothing, Noodle's mouth turned into a prowling smirk. "I don't believe you, the coward, afraid of Murdoc's bare hands, should have anything to say to my brave Noodle. She fought so valiantly, with such dedication and anger, the feeling of betrayal coursing through her as she fought to come back here…who are you to call her a liar?"

"The android…" he mumbled with irritation and a momentary lapse of fear.

She nodded, Noodles eyes and expression seeming to have disappeared in the wake of the Android's presence. "We'll be integrated soon. Call it what you will but you didn't seriously think this wasn't going to happen, did you? I am a prototype based off facets of Noodle's DNA. Murdoc's experiment has been a true success. A fool to think he could manipulate a person's DNA without repercussions. I am not a machine 2D-san, my veritable prisoner." 2D shivered at the word and the Android's smirk widened. "I'm not some knock-off personality of hers." The vocalist gaped in horror at her words. "Don't upset her further. I'll be watching you."

2D barely had time to try and register what the Android was saying when Noodle stumbled a little, glancing around wildly as though she didn't recognize where they were. "2D-san…I thought we had left."

He tried to think of a good response to give her but failed miserably, simply extending his hand to her. "No…but we should now, lil love."

Grasping his hand, Noodle looked up at him with a small, tired smile. "Thank you 2D-san…for coming home."

He graced her with a weak, crooked smile of his own. "Course love…wotever makes yew smile."

They high tailed it as gracefully and slowly as the wandering zombies and stench of Kong would permit. Noodle's lucid state remained as they walked the miles to the nearest bus stop before catching the next one headed towards where 2D had left their boat. Plastic Beach, being in the middle of nowhere, would probably take them a while to reach, especially with 2D feeling the beginnings of yet another migraine; Noodle was still in and out of her lucidity by this point. She was glancing around in what appeared to be slight paranoia, which worried 2D because if the Android made yet another appearance he wasn't sure what he'd do. Sighing as they rode the rickety bus back to the nearest dock, 2D couldn't help but throw Essex a mournful look as the last visible remnants of Kong disappeared over the horizon, and with it, all of 2D's hopes for Noodle's smooth recovery faded as well.

She, for one, never looked back at their old home, her gaze glued to her lap as if it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. Oddly enough, her fingers were still threaded through his, which brought 2D little comfort when her words continued to ring in his ears. The constant, incessant echo of what was now a seemingly tangible, very frightful reality for the young woman and the family he called his own only served to exacerbate his pre-existing fears. "I'm not some knock-off personality of hers." The phrase struck him to the core and 2D shivered; at this, Noodle brought her gaze to meet his, her other hand coming to his face.

"2D-san…are you feeling okay?" Her emerald eyes sparkled at him, the gash on her eye illuminated by the setting sun behind them.

Shaking his head and giving her yet another of his fake smiles, 2D answered her with as much honesty as he could must. "S'awright, lil love. Jus' tired. Get some rest."

Nodding, a yawn escaping her lips, Noodle settled back into the bus seat, nestled comfortably against 2D. He didn't know if she was grounded in reality at the moment, judging by her actions and state of euphoria. But he could only sigh, millions of emotions swirling around his head, when she fell fast asleep. They had a bit of ways to go back to the dock and 2D wanted nothing more than to view this as a peaceful moment with his Noodle. And a part of him took that concept and ran with it while another scolded him for considering this when Noodle was still blatantly unwell. What he did know was that upon their late return to Plastic Beach, there would indeed be hell to pay. If one thing was for certain, Murdoc would be semi-furious if even for selfish, unimportant reasons—of this he was sure. Stretching his legs to their full extent 2D allowed himself the smallest hint of personal satisfaction by tightening his grip on Noodle's warm fingers; he let his head rest upon hers, letting sleep claim him. Whatever it was that was going to happen, he decided not to worry about it.

For now.

TBC

(Hey all. I'm currently going to be refocusing my time on my Dragon Age fic—at least Chapter 7—which is almost done. Then I'll be coming around full circle and working on my KH, then this one again. I have an idea that this one will come to a close soon, maybe in a few more chapters as it deals mainly with the emotional drama between 2D and Noodle up until they get together. Don't expect anything more than that. Yes, I still need to finish addressing the issue with the Android and I will. Thanks to everyone who had read, reviewed, and is still doing all that. I appreciate all your support.)

~Sadistickunais