Big Girls Don't Cry

 

"Stuart," a puff of smoke took flight from behind a grand leather seat. "Sit." Another waft of cigarette hovered in the air, above a deep, gravely voice.

With a scene, similar to that of the Godfather, 2D nervously looked around, hoping to find something to ease his anxiety. He had been called upon so suddenly, that it surprised him; when his confusion kept him from appearing, he was forcefully escorted by a pair of robotic arms. Said arms were currently busy holding up a rifle, whose shadow covered half of the robot's youthful face.

'Noods…' 2D remembered solemnly, though this robotic face shared her characteristics, it would never have Noodle's demure charm.

"I said, 'SIT,' Faceache!" Murdoc spun his chair around quickly in a menacing approach, successfully startling 2D into the seat behind him but then losing control and spiraling Murdoc into the wall behind him. "Shit!" The aquarium vibrated, all fish inside swimming around in fear and confusion.

2D watched Murdoc grumbling under his breath, when he heard the cyborg giggling in the corner. So much like his little Japanese sister, yet so different.

"Shut it, yah golem!" Murdoc threw a pencil at her, which she easily dodged, retaining her smile. "Errrr," Murdoc snarled pensively, choosing to ignore her and focus on 2D instead. "Listen, I got some news 'bout Noodle. There was this whoooole charade on whether or not she was alive. YOU don' believe me," Murdoc pulled himself into his work desk, "oof!–but

our little piece of sushi was supposed t' be restin' her weary hands until we were ready t' call on her talents again an' make a new album." Murdoc waved his hands about. "That was the deal but, uhuhuh, obviously, that didn't work out."

"Yeh, cuz she supposedly parachuted out, then yew said t'wos prolly cuz she was dead or in Hell or sumffink." 2D frowned.

"Yes, well, the bullets were supposed t' be plastic, an' I though' they were until they actually started, uh, shooting down the floating island. But, as the say, shit happens, eh?" Murdoc grinned, then frowned when he got no positive response from 2D. He stuck out his tongue, childishly, before letting his jovial smile return to his face ten-fold. "Good news, Stuart!"

"Could anyfing yew evah say be good?" 2D rolled his eyes, mumbling as he looked down.

Murdoc heard him, but chose to ignore the retort. "Yah see, two-dents, Noddle is our greatest asset. She's an outstandin' guitarist, she looks great, an' she's a brilliant song-writer."

"If yew though' she wos so great' why'd yew replace her then?" 2D glowered at the robot, but felt his glare run away when his stare did nothing; the bleedin' thing was creepy!

"Well, see, tha's the thing! I needed a Noodle, an' she was suddenly gone, so I wen' back to the place I'd last seen her: the scene of the, 'El Mañana' video, the crash site."

2D sighed, thinking of how helpless he felt seeing everything go down, and hearing everyone wonder and ask what had happened. How could he answer? He was as clueless as everyone else.

"However, there was nothing left." Murdoc couldn't help but remember the feeling of despair he too felt when he realized he had been too late to save his little girl. "I did what I could. I-I scraped up some of Noodle's DNA samples from the wreckage a-an' got t' work buildin' a cyborg version of her." Murdoc stopped to take a breath, looking up to see 2D staring at his twitching fingers. "It ain't the real Noodle," Murdoc signaled to android Noodle, who grinned and slobbered, like a wild animal while she listened to the conversation. "-obviously, but it, eh, it's close enough for jazz." Murdoc tried to laugh his melancholy feeling away. "She's my, uh, my own gun-slingin', guitar playin', body guard! She can shoot bullets right outta her mouth, y'know. What other band can stake clame to somethin' like that?" Murdoc was on the defensive over his decisions, a fact 2D picked up and could not help but prod at.

"A real one." He mumbled to himself again.

"Anyway," Murdoc frowned at 2D, wanting to move forward with this conversation without these silly feelings of guilt and nostalgia holding him back. "I've received news tha' Russ had this bad, big break-down. Demons shooting out of his speakers."

2D was shocked to say the least, since when did Murdoc know this that he didn't even bother to let 2D know?

"I ge' tha' everyday, what's he complainin' about?" Murdoc continued, sipping on a lukewarm glass of rum he found on the floor. "An' he was living in Ike Turner's basement, which I thought was a euphemism for something else! Ack, my throat's gettin' very dry." Was he trying to badmouth Russell? It sure sounded like it to 2D, not that it would be strange for Murdoc anyway. "But, y'know, I've noticed this mysterious brown dome way, way, off in the distance. An' it seems to be inching closer an' closer to the island." Murdoc dipped his finger in the stale rum, slowly whisking it around, tauntingly, as if he held a secret no one else knew about. "Chances of tha' dome turnin' out t' be Russell's big bald head is ridiculous-"

2D cut him off, understanding finally settling in. "Russ?!" This wasn't what he was expecting at all. "Where? Is 'e close?" 2D sped straight through the questions this new material created.

"Zip!" Murdoc imitated a mouth closing. 2D obeyed immediately, though it wasn't clear if it was from excitement or submissiveness. "I'm not finished." Murdoc knocked back his warm rum, grimacing at the musty flavor it had developed, taking the time to chose his words carefully and clear his throat again. "I've also got the funny feeling that we haven't heard the last of real Noodle." 2D desperately wanted to shout in joy, but chose silence in desre that some other good news would come. "Who knows how this'll all pan out?" He looked up at 2D, who was biting his lower lip, and smirked. "Now, I'm going t' set up for the filming of one more video."

"What?! No!" 2D exploded, angry that Murdoc would chose celebrity over searching for their friends! Their…family.

"Quiet, dullard! Before I take any chance of a compromise back." Murdoc glared waiting for 2D to calm himself.

2D frowned, biting his lip to keep from speaking more, knowing that in the end he would have to do what Murdoc said anyway. If there was a small chance they could do something to find Russell or Noodle, he would take it; catch and all.

"Wot we doin' then?" 2D asked in a resentful defeat.

"So glad yah asked! I've called our collaborators, all of 'em. We're goin' t' be filmin' the video for, 'On Melancholy Hill', an' the main theme for it will be our search for th' real Noodle."

2D look straight at Murdoc, suspicion clear in his posture and tone. "Are we gunna, like, look for her f'real? Or are we gunna preten' for th' video?"

"Yah dolt, of course we're gonna look for her f'real! Yah can't fake that!"

"Really? Cuz yew've managed t' fake evrythin' else, yah ol' goff. Yew're jus' a fake person." 2D leaned back into his seat and crossed his arms, staring intently at Murdoc.

"Watch yehr words, faceache…" Murdoc glared back, before standing to open the shades. The moon light shone in, allowing some added illumination in the, otherwise, dark room. He stared out into the deep sea before him, the waves reflecting the moon, making it look like moving glass. He wanted to film a new video, but the truth was that Murdoc no longer wanted to be alone. On top of that, Murdoc could smell in the air that the peaceful period they had experienced these last couple of weeks was quickly coming to an end. "Go t' bed." He stated simply, his gut telling him that the following day would be full of surprise and anxiety. "We begin filming at day break."

---

Murdoc stood proud, above the sea and just a few dozen meters from the shores of Point Nemo. The search had turned up nothing, except the puréed remains of a school of superfast jellyfish. What an oxymoron. Anyway, the film was sure to be a success; Murdoc could feel it in his gut. All of the fans hoping against hope that Gorillaz would be fully reunited at last, the fan base of his collaborators only adding to his own, a full gathering of people willing to help Murdoc when he called for it.

His face remained unchanging as he stared out into the horizon, dramatically of course. Behind him stood the droid and Mr. Pot, who's slouching made him seem smaller than the bassist, no longer towering over him as he used to during their prime. It was a bit sad really…Oh well! Murdoc had more important things to worry about!

Like that stench that wafted in the air. Murdoc took a sniff, it wasn't the worst thing that he had ever smelled, but he could still admit that the stench was horrid. And with all these visitors around, how embarrassing...not. He didn't really care, but Murdoc felt obligated to at least determine where the stink came from. A brand new, faux gold telescope would help, one Murdoc conveniently had with him and, looking through the optical instrument, Murdoc confirmed that it was, in fact, the manatee that lived on top of a thin mesa. But wait…what?

Murdoc closed his left eye tightly, making sure all of his vision went to the eye looking through the spyglass. Yes, it was…it was…'It's him!'The Boogieman! He was back, and enjoying the feel of the dead mammal's skin by the looks of it. Murdoc was taken aback, panic shooting through him as he thought of something to do, before turning to order the droid to shoot the dark entity.

"Do it quickly!" Murdoc pointed, knowing he couldn't kill it, but perhaps they could scare him away again.

Android-Noodle obediently followed the order, aiming her rifle and covering her upper lip with her lower teeth. Quickly, she pulled back the fore end, pushing the bullets from the tubular and shooting at the deviant. Two shots and two bullets that flew through the air, zipping through the sea air and straight into the trench coat of the Boogieman.

His red goggles looked down at the damage imposed on his garb, two giant gaping holes. His annoyance was clear by his body language rather than his face, for it was covered completely, and before SunMoonStars left, he forcefully grabbed onto the dead beast and pulled it toward him with, struggling; demon or not, he didn't have much upper body strength.

Murdoc saw him, and the deceased animal, crash into the ocean, disappearing in the depths of the water. Instead of relief, though, Murdoc knew this was a warning of sorts, letting him know that the Boogieman was back. Which also mean, the Black Cloud, those blasted pirates, would be returning soon as well.

Murdoc look up to his floating island, covered with dense fog, Cyborg Noodle lowered her weapon, and 2D stood confused and scared. The day had barely started and already it looked to be full of happening.

---

The black cloud that had engulfed Vicky relinquished its' hold on her in what felt like seconds. Her eyes flew open, a gasp of air made it's way past her lips and her hands immediately began searching for her nephew. She was surprised by the strong pair of arms that were wrapped around her and, looking at their owner, she founds a surprisingly scraggly man who, apart from his hold, paid no attention to her.

"Let me go!" She screamed, her eyes scanning for the small child while her body fought against him. All at once another tuft of dark smoke appeared, causing Vicky's blood to run cold. It was the very same person…thing she had seen multiple times in the past week. He quickly turned his head to look at her, his red goggles staring at her, then towards the pink piece of land Vicky was only now noticing.

"There he is!" yelled one of the many men that surrounded Vicky. Wait… Since when were they on a boat?

"Get 'im!"

"Shoot 'im down!"

"Yah dogs got yehr orders! Shoot at the target while he's still in plain sight!"

Vicky's attention was captured by the two figures standing on a rooftop of a swanky white building. It was too far to determine who or what they were, but it was obviously a man and a child, and the crew members of the boat were clearly after him, which meant, "Murdoc…" Vicky whispered to herself.

Red Goggles raised his hand, pointing to the edifice, and more specifically the man and soon, bullets began flying in all different directions.

Vicky screamed, afraid that a bullet might hurt her before she was able to find and help Vladimir. She was hurtled forward, rope being quickly spun around her hands, and a leash attached to prevent her escape. "Let me go! Vladimir!" She cried, desperate to find her nephew, to see him and make sure he was…oh, god…alive!

Rudders, high above, signaled that helicopters were being used as well, making for a full-on attack from land and sea. Vicky could scare contain her reaction upon hearing the bullets kissing the air and the water, objects falling into he ocean creating a loud explosion and causing water to fall splash onto Vicky.

The boat started moving closer to the island, making Vicky lose her footing and before she knew it she was on the ground, helpless despite her cries for liberty and her nephew. A calloused hand pulled her upwards, on her feet, and Vicky punched him as hard as he could. The pirate winced in pain, but it was nothing compared to what he was used to dealing with and so he held her firmly in place regardless of her aggressiveness.

At the moment, Vicky felt like a rabid animal, struggling to get lose and adding to the loud noises of war. There was so much noise and volume that, had it not been for the moment that Vicky paused to take a breath, she would have missed the crying of a young boy growing louder. Vicky whipped her head left, then right, then left again, not finding the source but know the voice could only belong to Vladimir. Her stomach dropped when she finally found him, he was tied in the arms of Red Goggles, who held him against his chest. The grip could've almost passed for endearing had it not been for the gaze he kept on Vicky, making a cold shiver run down her spine.

Red Goggles suddenly let the child drop towards the floor, where he disappeared before Vladimir hit the ground and Vicky yelled. Because now the boy was lost again, and because Goggles was striding towards her like a man with a purpose. A cold salty wind blew beneath the cape of the man with the Red Goggles, and soon Vicky saw that he was not but skin and bones underneath his tunic. Literally, he was a walking skeleton. Vicky understood real fear and panic, and as she saw him preparing to envelope her with his cape, she closed her eyes, hoping that whatever he did, was quick and painless for her sake and the sake of the child.