Chapter 6: Sorted Out

"So, let me get this straight, Mr. Hobbs."

Russel had brought Noodle in to see a professional. She was now over on the carpet, doodling on a piece of paper that was given to her by the man. She seemed happy and very confident in what she was drawing.

"This girl showed up in a FedEx crate, she does not know where she is or where she came from, she cannot speak English, and she says her name is… Noodle?" the man, whose name was actually Benjamin, asked.

Russel nodded.

"Noodle" seems to be the only English word she knows. And she kept repeating it and pointing at herself, so, I guess it's her name." he added to the nod.

Ben shuffled the papers. He also straightened up his glasses and crossed his legs. He stole one glance at Noodle over on the floor. She was still colouring, and she also started to hum just a little bit.

"And you wish to keep this girl?" he asked,

Russel nodded. He couldn't say he was convinced by Murdoc to keep her, Ben would probably freak out. He knew Ben faintly, because he saw Murdoc get into a bar brawl with him once, of course it was the Satanist's fault because he was extremely drunk and started it.

"Why?" Ben asked, catching Russel out of his thoughts.

The black man rubbed his bald head and sighed. He looked over at the sweet little Japanese girl behind him. She seemed so happy with her drawing and whatever song was stuck in her head, this made him smile graciously at her.

"Well, let's just say I need a little sunshine in my life. And Noodle is… the sunshine I've been looking for."

He wasn't lying. As well as her badass guitar skills, he also adored how small and cute she was, not to mention she'd make good sister material for 2-D. That man deserved more happiness considering that he's been through hell since Murdoc recruited him for the band. And by recruited, he meant forced into being the lead singer and being cheated on by the bassist. Either way, everyone could have some happiness. Russel wasn't sure about Murdoc being exactly "happy" in the same way they were about Noodle being with them, but he seemed sincere about keeping his word to assist in taking care of her.

"Besides," Russel added. "I think she's already emotionally attached to us, so, it'd be kinda bad to tear her away."

Ben nodded and looked over at Noodle once more.

"Mr. Hobbs, you live with two other men? Stuart Pot and… Murdoc Niccals?"

Russel's palms grew sweaty, but he nodded all the same.

"And you think it's a good idea to raise a 10 year old girl in the same home as him?" Ben asked.

Russel sighed.

"No, I think it's a horrible idea. The worst one ever, because I know how terrible Muds is… But, I also have never known him to hit a kid. Besides, he seemed pleased to the fact that she liked us."

Ben placed his glasses on his face and his eyes scanned the papers on his desk. He saw information about the three men that wanted this girl so badly.

Russel Hobbs, nice guy with excellent manners, expelled from school, due to demon possessions, only survivor in a school shooting.

Stuart Pot, only child of David and Rachel Pot, former employee at Uncle Norm's Keyboard Emporium, very kind, but not all there, knocked into a coma with an eight-ball fracture then later revived with a second car accident.

Murdoc Niccals, horrible criminal record, claimed Satanist, has a drinking problem, history of being abused by his father and abandoned by his mother as a baby.

These three men didn't seem like parenting types, and it would most likely be a very dangerous idea for Noodle to stay with them. After all, she's only about 9 or 10 at most, and she can't even speak English. But going back to the fact that she's attached to them emotionally, he knew it would affect her if they took her away.

"Russ! Russ!" a tiny voice exclaimed.

Russel looked over and saw Noodle holding a piece of paper up to him. It was of course scribbly, that much he would expect, but he also could make out what it was. It was him, 2-D, Murdoc, and Noodle herself standing together. Russel was smiling with closed eyes, 2-D was holding Noodle and they both smiled, Murdoc was also smiling with jagged teeth and angry eyebrows.

Russel smiled at the picture and patted Noodle's head. He thanked her in Japanese, and Noodle said "Doitashimashte," to him with a head bow and a giggle.

Ben leaned forward, his hands folded neatly on his desk.

"You can understand her?" he asked with a hint of interest.

Russel nodded.

"I studied Japanese a while back, but I'm still a bit rusty." he added to his nod.

Ben looked at Noodle. Black, spiky hair, shining, innocent eyes, not to mention she was tiny. She seemed enamoured with Russel and if she ever saw him hurt or scared or was torn away from him, she would be broken and shattered. He knew this would probably result in disaster, but he had to do it.

"Very, well, then I've decided." Ben spoke. "You are now responsible for this girl."

Russel's ears perked up, he stared at Ben in disbelief. Was he serious about this?!

"R-Really?!" he exclaimed.

Ben nodded and repositioned his glasses, he reached into his desk and pulled out a document. He pushed it towards Russel with a pen.

"Read all the terms before signing. And once you sign, there is no going back."

Russel picked up the paper, his white eyes scanned the document. Though it would be hard to tell considering he had no pupils.

Parental Adoption Form

By reading this document, you confirm that you wish to adopt the child known as _, and he/she will be entrusted to you. You will be required to feed, supervise, and care for them until such time when you cannot or when the child comes of age. By signing it, we entrust the life of the child to you, and you must also educate them, by either means of public or home education, you must makes sure the child receives frequent check-ups and gets his/her vaccines regularly, and if the child is sick or requires surgery, it will be covered by your medical insurance.

By signing this, you confirm you are over 18 and a legal adult. You also confirm you are qualified to handle raising a child, and you have a good job that will help provide for possible future funds for college that your child may or may not attend.

Sign here _

Print here _

Place the name of the child here _

Other info here _

Once Russel finished reading the form, he took one last look at Noodle then nodded. He took in a deep breath, chasing away his nerves. He couldn't believe he was doing this, he never thought he'd have a kid in his life. He never thought that he'd be adopting one, either, if he ever would have one. He signed his signature, then printed it, and when he got to the line where he was supposed to put Noodle's name, he stopped.

"Uh, Ben? I don't know her last name." the black drummer said.

Ben shrugged his shoulders with indifference.

"You can use your last name, if you want. Since she's gonna be your kid, she'll inherit your last name anyway."

Russel signed her name on the line, putting his surname after it. "Noodle Hobbs", it read. Kinda sounded silly to him at first, but he was sure he'd get used to it. He pushed the document towards Ben and the man took it. He folded it neatly and place it into his desk.

"Pleasure, sir, thank you very very much." Russel said, standing up.

He and Ben shook hands and bid farewell. Noodle placed her hands together as if she was praying and bowed her head to Ben.

"Arigatō, misutā, sayōnara." she said.

Ben raised his eyebrows; he didn't understand what she said.

"Er, she said thanks and goodbye," Russel explained, seeing Ben's face.

"How do I say "You're welcome"?" he asked.

"Doitashimashite," Russel answered.

Ben said this to Noodle, rather awkwardly since it was a strange sounding word to him, but she seemed to accept it and joined her new dad over by the door. She held his giant hand as tightly as possible with a childish smile plastered to her face.

The two walked out of Ben's office and headed for Kong Studios. Noodle leaned out the side of the buggy and rested her head on her folded arms, eyes closed, the wind blowing through her black hair. She fresh air felt good on her face, and she felt good to be out of that Pull-Up and into a fresh set of clothes. She felt good to have a home and a dad and a brother.

But what was Murdoc to her? She didn't know yet, she still had to know him better before she could decide what their relationship was. She was sure there was something more to him…

Meanwhile…

"Here, ye go! Get the cooool, get the cool shoeshiiiine~"

Murdoc grumbled at 2-D who resided in the recording booth in front of him. They were trying to record the vocals for one of the songs for like the "billionth" time, but something about 2-D's voice didn't fit with the hook. It sounded good for the main parts about Nike shoes and a monkey watching a vapor trail, but he didn't fit well with the shoeshine bit.

Murdoc stopped the instrumental and told him to shut up.

"I don't bloody understand why your angelic voice keeps fucking up the hook!" he grumbled.

2-D removed the head phones and stepped away from the microphone.

"Dunno if I should take that as a compliment or an insult." the bluenette pondered.

2-D exited the recording booth and sat in a chair across the room from Murdoc. He wanted to say sorry for not being useful, but he decided not to, because every time he'd apologize to Murdoc, the bassist would just smack him over the head or say, "Not as sorry as yer gonna be, you twat." Sometimes he'd do both if felt like it!

2-D hummed a tune awkwardly. It was a song he wanted to tell Murdoc about for their album, but he was too scared to tell him for fear of rejection. Speaking of which…

'Paula… why'd you reject me? Why'd you go for 'im instead of me… I thought you loved me?' he thought.

He didn't know why Paula somehow popped back up in his mind. Maybe the word "rejection" just triggered something in his memory and one thought just lead to another. Like a chain, or something other.

He also wondered if Murdoc liked Paula. He said she was a "rubbish looking bird", meaning an "ugly looking girl", but he also recalled Russel telling him that there was no way it wasn't consensual. And Murdoc telling him he was "doing him a favor"? God, what was 2-D even thinking of at this point?! He wasn't sure where his dumb brain was going with this mishmash of thoughts, but he just wanted it to stop.

Instead, he tried to lighten up the mood and talk about the song.

"Oi, Murdoc?" the Cockney man spoke.

Murdoc looked up, his two-toned eyes as dull as ever.

"Where'd ya… get the inspiration fer this song?" 2-D asked.

Murdoc took in a deep inhale and crossed his legs, touching each of his fingertips to each other while placing his hands on his knee. He shifted his eyes up to the ceiling as his lip curled into a pondering position. He stayed like that for a while before crossing his arms and hunching forward, his elbows resting on either of his knees.

"Dunno, actually. But I think it's one of the best ones on the album so far, even if I do say so myself." Murdoc said, sounding proud of himself.

2-D nodded, he also liked it. 19-2000, such a peculiar name for the song.

"Well, uh, if ya ask me, it sounds like the kinda song you'd listen to while driving a Geep down a highway." he said.

Murdoc's eyes moved over to look at 2-D. Then his yellow-ish skin seemed to regain more colour, as if he was just struck by inspiration. Murdoc Niccals struck by inspiration… 2-D better start running now.

"Heh, ya know, twerp, that's actually not a bad idea!" the gravelly voice bassist exclaimed.

"Wha?" 2-D squeaked.

Before Murdoc could ramble about his idea, whatever the hell it was, the door to the booth opened. It was Russel and Noodle! 2-D stood up and made a dumb grin at the two, wasting no time in running over to greet them. He only said "Hey, Russ," to the drummer, but picked Noodle up into his arms and spun her around in the air, even tossing her up a little ways.

"Ā! Iya, iya ̄ !" Noodle giggled and squealed. "Toochie onii-chan, iya!"

Murdoc rolled his eyes at the childish man and approached Russel.

"Well?" he said.

Russel rolled his eyes, if you saw his pupils he would, anyway, and nodded.

"She's ours now," he explained.

"I signed the papers, I know all the ins and outs of what to do, and as long as we work together, Noodle will grow up, just fine."

Murdoc smiled with his jagged teeth. Finally they had a band! He could finally be famous, and rub his success in everyone's faces, he could show the world the star he was meant to be, he could finally prove to his bastard dad that he would amount to something after all, and that he was the wrong one.

"Well, I guess now there's only one thing left to do: Name our band." Murdoc said.

"Name? Didn't you have one already?" Russel asked, raising one bushy eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, I've decided I don't like it anymore, lards." Murdoc replied.

'Of course you did, because how can you not?' Russel thought.

2-D set Noodle down beside him and put his attention on Murdoc.

"So… what's our name gonna be?" he asked.

Murdoc turned around to face them all, he smirked a painful smirk at them.

"We are the one, the only, the biggest band in the world: Gorillaz!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. 2-D and Russel were still processing the name, but Noodle, being the hyper child she is, got excited by Murdoc being excited.

"Yaay! Gorr-i-razzuuu!" she cheered.

Done! And to quote Kyle Schwartz from South Park: "I'm baaaaccck!" I know you guys probably missed this fic, and I did too! But right now I need a favour: What should happen next? I have many ideas, but I wanna know what should happen next?

Idea 1: Noodle sees Murdoc getting frustrated by the hook of "19-2000" and how 2-D's voice doesn't work with it. But, how can she help?

Idea 2: Noodle wants to know more about Murdoc, so, she can have closure over what he is to her, but why is he avoiding her? Nani?

Idea 3: Noodle wanders into a sleeping Russel's room at night, being scared by a noise. But she sees someone she has not yet met in Kong? And he's a… ghost rapper?!

Tell me which one you want next, and then I'll tally the results! Also, be sure to tell me what you thought of this chapter too. And yes, it is true that if you separate a child from someone they are emotionally attached to, it can affect their mental health.

R&R!