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It had been 5 years since the music video for El Mañana was shot. 5 years since the floating island with a windmill had went down and crashed. 5 years since Noodle went down with it. 5 years since 2D, Russel, and Murdoc had discovered Noodles lifeless body in the windmill, or what remained of the windmill. 5 years since Noodle had died, and it was all Murdocs fault. It was his idea to have the island go down. It was his idea for Noodle to still be on it as it went down, and now she was gone. And 2D hated him for it.
2D hated everything right now. He was kidnapped, held underwater against his will while his greatest fear, a whale, stared at him constantly. He was abused, forced to sing when he didn’t want to, all while being kept off painkillers. It made him want to die. At least he had one coping mechanism though, zombie movies.
Zombie films had always been a comfort for 2D. If he was sad he could always just put on a zombie film and he’d feel better. Lately he depended on them, being his only escape from reality. Sometimes he’d count how many zombies died, sometimes he’d count how many humans died. Sometimes he’d count how many zombies AND humans died. It was his coping mechanism. It was his only source of comfort anywhere on Plastic Beach.
Speaking of plastic, the Noodle replacement. Cyborg Noodle. He hated her. He has tried to destroy her various times but Murdoc has stopped him every time. It was useless. But how could he just replace Noodle so easily? It was insulting to her. He could vividly remember the time he confronted Murdoc about her.
“A cyborg? Really Murdoc? Wha’ about real Noodle? Have you no bloody respec’ for the dead?”
“Ahh don’t be so dramatic, 2D. It has her DNA and everything it’s practically her! Plus I’m not trying to find ANOTHER guitar player. This is just the easiest choice yeh?”
“I’on care if it’s the ‘easies’ choice’, the easies’ choice would be splittin’ up! This cyborg i’nt anythin’ like her! Jus’ because it has her DNA doesn’ automatically make it her,” 2D protested. Murdoc rolled his eyes in response.
“Bloody hell, 2D you’re so sensitive eh? Lighten up a bit, mate. It doesn’ matter that much.”
“It absolutely matters tha’ much! She’s lit’rally DEAD right now and you don’ even seem to care! It’s like you’re treatin’ her as though she never mattered in the band!”
“Well… to be fair she was a rush replacement for that Paula Cracker you always get all worked up about yeh? She did matter to the band but mostly in guitar skills if we’re being honest” 2D couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Noodle was so much more than just guitar, she was the main vocals of DARE, the one who made the music video for DARE! She brought so much life to Kong Studios as well, how could Murdoc pass that off as ‘just the guitar’?
“Rush replacement? She wa’ much more than that and you know that!”
“Shaddap, 2D you’re getting to be quite the annoying bloke eh?”
“You’re disrepectin’ the dead! I’m not jus’ gonna shut up now!” Murdoc picked up a book and wacked 2D in the head with it causing him to flinch and grab his head.
“Good, you’re finally quiet” he muttered before walking out to fix some parts with Cyborg Noodle.
2D was still mad at Murdoc for that. He was livid at him for everything. He wanted Cyborg Noodle gone, he hated even calling her that. That wasn’t Noodle. That wasn’t Noodle. It wasn’t her. It was empty. It wasn’t her. It’s not her. It’s not her. It’s not her. It’s not her. Itsnotheritsnotheritsnotheritsnotheritsnotheritsnother IT WASNT HER. Suddenly, 2D was interrupted by his door slamming open.
“OI FACEACHE! ITS TIME TO RECORD” 2Ds eyes shot open and his breathing slowed, he realized he had been hyperventilating. He had to sit still for a moment until the room stopped spinning. But he heard the heavy clomp of boots approaching him. “Are you bloody deaf? Get. The hell. Up.” Murdoc warned. When 2D didn’t comply he felt something hit his cheek. Hard. That snapped him out of it although his cheek still stung. Suddenly, 2Ds shirt was in Murdocs hand and he was jerked up.
“OKAY OKAY! I’ll record wiff ya!” 2D finally surrendered. Murdoc sneered and let him go and walked out the door. 2D murmured a ‘fuck you’ before also walking out.
Lifeless eyes stared at him. Eyes connected to a body, the body connected to the wall via various chords and wires. He stared back at it. He suddenly wanted to record even less. He was considering asking Murdoc to record later because quite frankly, he felt sick. But he knew that was a bad idea, Murdoc didn’t care about shit. God he hated looking at that thing, he turned his head the other way.
“Are we almos’ ready to record?” 2D asked, turning to face Murdoc. He rolled his eyes and nodded.
“Yeh… jus’ a second, faceache…” Murdoc was fixing a few parts on Cyborg “Noodle”. Eventually he just slapped her arm and turned back 2D. “Ready now” 2D nodded and reluctantly began singing.
“Up on Melancholy Hill there’s a plastic tree, are you here with me?” Every word 2D sang made him less and less motivated to sing more. How much had he eaten that day again? Finally, he had to stop singing for the instrumental part. The acoustic guitar always reminded him of the music video for Feel Good Inc. which he could never rewatch. Especially the part with the floating windmill. Every time it came up on screen he wanted to throw every single dvd case he had until he was sure he could never see or hear anything from the TV ever again. Suddenly he had to sing again, this was gonna be a long session.
When it was over and he could finally leave he practically ran after Murdoc out the door, but he paused. He thought he heard something.
“2D..” he turned around to see the cyborg staring at him again.
“You can talk?” He asked, taking a step closer. It nodded in response.
“There are many things I can do, that many of you do not know about” it would make weird movements, like tilting its head or lifting up a hand for no reason when it spoke. 2D paused.
“Did ya… need somefin’ from me?” The cyborg also paused for a second.
“..I know you do not like me because of what I represent.” It said simply. 2D furrowed his brows, that was true. He hated it. He hated it so much. He just wanted to throw it out the window into the water and watch it drown. “But I would like to change that, I did not ask to be made. I do not want this. I doubt I would ever choose to be this. But perhaps you and I can work together to make this nightmare more bearable.”
2D considered this for a moment. For a second he was willing to make everything at least a little enjoyable here, but he quickly stomped that thought out, he wasn’t a coward. He wouldn’t result to the cyborg for escapism. He took a step back.
“No” the cyborg seemed to freeze a bit. “Ion’ care if ya didn’ ask to be made, ya still did! You’re still here! You’re here instead of Noodle, and ya can’t even be upset because ya don’t have feelin’s or anythin’!” It paused before opening its mouth.
“I am trying to help you…”
“Then stop.”
“Stewart-“
“DO NOT CALL ME THAT!” He yelled before picking up three pens and threw them at her. She moved out of the way, dodging them.
“St- 2D. Please calm down, I did not know being called that upset you. I will stop calling you that if you would like. See? Isn’t that easy? Communicating with each other! We can get along can we not? We can help each other out here” She had some uncanny version of a smile on.
“…I hate you.” The smile immediately fell.
“…I can understand that. But we can try to work past that, right?” 2D shook his head.
“No… I hate you. I wan’ ya dead” Cyborg Noodle paused. Maybe she had to… take smaller steps.
“Okay then… we do not have to work past anything right now. Not completely anyways. But would you like to make a deal? I will try to get Murdoc to stop being so… aggressive towards you, and you at least try not to be aggressive towards me,” she offered.
“What?”
“Would you like me to repeat myself?” She asked in a genuine tone.
“No- no I heard you I jus’- do ya mean that? Gettin’ Murdoc to sod off?” She nodded.
“If you are not so mean to me” 2D thought it over. He guessed he didn’t exactly have to be nice to her, he just had to… tolerate her. At once he nodded.
“Alright alright- deal” Cyborg Noodles face lit up.
“Thank you!! I mean it! And while we are at it, can I watch a zombie film with you?”
“No.”
“I will be quiet!”
“Nope, neva’”
“You will not even notice I am there!”
“Oh I will”
“What if I hide? If I hide and you cannot see nor hear me, then can I?” 2D facepalmed and dragged his hand down his face and shook his hair.
”Fine.”