I DO NOT OWN GORILLAZ, OR ANY OF THE BAND MEMBERS FEATURED IN THIS STORY!

Some Time Alone

Just a bit of it was all he needed.

Murdoc was still processing all that happened in the last few hours. And, all sorts of thoughts crossed his mind, offering valid questions that he hadn't considered up until this point. Thoughts like, how Eva observed him, and for how long?

When was she even born? He wondered. She probably hasn't known me my whole life, right?

Murdoc also had no idea who would take over for him in the real world, or if time was even passing there. And, thinking about it made him regret not asking more questions when he was with Eva. That way he would at least know more about this mess. He then sighed as he slumped against the wall, sliding down until he sat on the washed tiles underfoot. The bathroom was the only place he could truly be alone. Those kids followed him everywhere! Especially 2D. He'd been hiding out ever since they finished breakfast, which was about an hour ago, to hide from them, pacing restlessly just moments before.

As his eyes trailed up the walls, he tried to find any imperfections, but was entirely unsuccessful. Eva somehow replicated each aspect of the building perfectly. A flawless copy, or shell rather, of Kong Studios. The building had simply been redecorated to have a more kid-friendly atmosphere. Murdoc wondered if the outside world was just as perfect before another thought crossed to mind. Was there even a world outside of this Kong? If there were, he didn't know how far it went, or if there was an end. Wait, what if it does end?

He was almost grateful to be pulled from his thoughts when there was a light knock at the door.

"Murdoc...?"

"Yeah," Murdoc could immediately tell it was 2D. He wondered why the kid always seemed to be looking for him. Masking the annoyance he felt, he asked "What is it?"

Testing the doorknob, 2D was surprised to find it unlocked and cautiously stepped inside. He stood there for a bit and Murdoc could only glare at him, realizing just how short the kid was. His head barely reached the height of the sink.

"Are you okay?" 2D asked finally.

Murdoc rolled his eyes, "Sure, 'm fine."

"Um," 2D gripped the bottom hem of his shirt. "Then, are you sad?"

"No, I came here to be left alone." Murdoc watched as he walked closer and took a seat. He moved back a little when the boy leaned forward to look him in the eye. What does this kid want? 2D continued to stare at him as if he were trying to find something, and it was making him far more than uncomfortable. "Quit staring at me! It's weird."

2D heard him perfectly, but remained fixated."You look sad, though."

"I'm not sad-And, that doesn't mean you stare," Murdoc crossed his arms. "It's rude."

"Oh, sorry." 2D apologized, diverting his eyes to the shower curtain towards the back of the bathroom. It was bright with patterned monkeys all over. "Do you like monkeys, Murdoc?"

The older man raised an eyebrow, "I guess... Why?"

"There's monkeys on the shower curtain," 2D said, pointing to said thing. "And, we live in Kong Studios. And, you're in a band called 'Gorillaz...' That means you like monkeys a whole lot, right?"

Murdoc nodded slowly, absorbing what he just said. He liked monkeys as much as the next guy, but he was paying far more attention to the fact that 2D confirmed Gorillaz existed in this world. If all his band members were young here, then who did he record with? More importantly, was he still the leader?

Whipping out his cellphone, Murdoc did a quick search to find answers. He was surprised to find that Damon was the lead singer. Seriously!? He sounds nothing like 2D! Murdoc was even more put off by the fact that both their guitarist and drummer were replaced by the fake band who hijacked their Plastic Beach tour. And, he read that Jamie himself co-managed the band alongside Damon. Murdoc must've been showing his blatant disdain for the news, because 2D crawled over to view the screen.

"Why are you looking up ?" The boy questioned, looking up towards Murdoc. "Did you forget your concert dates again?"

"Something like that," Murdoc lied, frowning lightly as he pushed Stuart back. He then scrolled down to find their wiki entry, event schedule, and current merchandise, eventually discovering that they had a gig at the end of the week.

"Heheh, you always forget when you play."

"I do not. Those blokes would lose their own heads if it wasn't a part of them!"

"Yuh huh, you always run around like this-!" 2D rose to his feet and started rushing around with his hands gripping his hair. "'Why didn't they say we were playing today? It's not what the calendar said yesterday! Just wait 'til I get my hands on those two-! Where are my keys? And, why isn't my bass where I left it!? Sweet Satan, I'm gonna need more than a few shots tonight-!'"

"Fine-fine, I get it!" Murdoc couldn't help but be amused by 2D's impression. It wasn't entirely correct compared to him, though. The Murdoc they know must be really forgetful... "Do I really sound like that?"

"Mhm, just ask Russel. He acts like you better than I can."

"Nah, I think I'm good, 'D. One impression was enough."

Murdoc put his phone away, once again leaning back against the wall. Okay, so Gorillaz does exist, and Damon and Jamie do too. I'll talk with them later when we play this weekend. Then, he could work on contacting Eva. He figured she'd leave some form of contact for him in case something went wrong. However, right now he needed to check if there was an outside to this Kong.

Rising to his feet, Murdoc left the bathroom and made his way over to the closest window, peering through it at multiple angles. The street outside seemed real, especially since a car or two passed by with people inside. And, the sky felt fairly normal to him as well.

"What are you doing?" 2D asked. He had followed Murdoc and watched his strange behavior curiously.

Murdoc's eyes trailed a pedestrian crossing the street, then moved to follow another. "Looking."

"At what?"

"Outside." He scoffed, "What's it look like?"

"Yeah, but at what?"

Murdoc simply ignored 2D's question this time around. Something interesting had caught his eye. There was an aquatic themed truck passing through the neighborhood with sea creatures painted on each side, one of which bearing a striking resemblance to Eva's octopi. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look, but gasped in surprise when the picture blinked. Rushing to get out his phone, Murdoc searched the business name.

2D wondered if there was something scary outside and backed away from the window sill. "What happened?"

"Nothing, just looking something up." Murdoc shushed him. There's no way he hallucinated that. It definitely blinked, I know I saw it. It couldn't just be a coincidence. Murdoc scrolled until he found a logo similar to the one on the truck. "Hm, 'E's Exotic and Aquatic Pet Shop...'" He muttered, then turned to 2D. "I'm-Ugh... I mean, we're going out, so get your shoes on."

2D's eyes brightened, "Does that mean we're going to the park?"

"No."

"Aw," he pouted. "But, you promised we could go today."

"I don't remember saying that." Which was true, he really didn't. "Now go. And, tell Russel, Noodle, and Cyborg, too."

"Okay..."

Murdoc entered the address in his GPS as 2D dragged himself down the hall. The location was walkable, but he wondered if the kids he was now stuck with could make that walk without complaining. Russel and 2D would probably be fine, but Noodle and Cyborg would definitely need to rest a few times on the way. Maybe I should just drive, or call a cab...

While Murdoc was thinking, Russel came by and tugged his shirt. "2D said you're taking us somewhere. Should I get the stroller?"

Murdoc looked down at him and blinked, "The stroller?"

"Mhm, we use it on walks for Noodle and Cy, remember?" Russel pointed towards the kitchen. "You keep it back there, so we don't play with it."

"Sure, if you want to." Murdoc shrugged, then watched as he scampered off to retrieve it. Walking it is then... "Thanks, Russ'."