Morning. And Murdoc had decided to make reservations at the swankiest restaurant in the nearby town, for the next day. Afterwards he had gone to meet Noodle at the shooting range, so that they could practice their shots. With all the zombies still lurking in and around Kong studios they really were going to need it.
About an hour into their shooting practice Russ and 2D stumbled in, breathing heavily from running. “Zombies!” cried out 2D his blank eyes wide with fear.
“What? Where?” Murdoc span round, face alert. Noodle was still shooting, protective earplugs still firmly in her ears. Murdoc caught her arm and she turned to see what was wrong. When she saw 2D and the larger Russ both panting with worried expressions, she took her earplugs out; waiting for an explanation. “They’re everywhere! They seem to be surrounding Kong!” Russ said seriously between heavy breathes. “Zombies?” Noodle inquired. Murdoc nodded curtly, motioning for her to come closer. “Right follow me to the Winnebago, I have a supply of stuff just for this kind of occasion,” he said grinning wickedly at the chance for some more anger management therapy. He couldn’t hit 2D for what he had done, Noodle had made him promise not to, ‘so I’ll just take it out on some other brainless piece of crap’ he thought cruelly.

Back at the Winnebago Murdoc was distributing weapons. He handed Russ a large metal pipe, perfect for the strong man mountain, he was the only one who could lift it and be able to use it for long periods of time; swinging it down, crushing everything in its path. 2D got a long thin rapier (one of a pair), but Murdoc wouldn’t say how he acquired it- he fell silent when asked. Noodle got his spare rifle and the baseball bat she had used previously, for if her ammo ran out. Murdoc finally outfitted himself with a sawn off shotgun (again refusing to explain how and where he had got it) with ammo and a long thin rapier in a sheath that was the other of the pair. “Don’t let the bastards bite yer, alright? They have venom, and as I’m sure you all know, that will make you one of them. Their teeth are sharper too, so if they do manage to bite you an they pierce the skin, just kill yerself, alrighty? I know some voodoo that’ll bring yer back sharpish if that happens anyways, kay? Remember we might have the advantage of superior intelligence,” He paced the small space of the Winnebago kitchen as he spoke. “Well some of us anyway” he said quieter looking at 2D; “But there’s probably a hell of a lot of em, and they’re pretty strong, specially if they smell blood. Cover any cuts an if you get surrounded give me a shout an I’ll come if I can.”

“Tha makes me feel so much better” Russ muttered darkly.
“OIT! I heard that! I ain’t too shabby at this stuff mate! Who’s been fendin off zombies while you was gone? And who’s been to hell and back, quite literally and outwitted Satan?” His voice subsided into mutterings on how he’d proven his fighting skills loads more times than some people. “I can’t kill,” said 2D quietly staring at the rapier in horror. “I’m Buddhist”.
“Shut yer face!” Murdoc snapped. Then “look put it this way, they’re already dead, so yer ain’t really killin at all are yer? You’re gunna be helping put these restless souls ta rest like. Yer’ll be doing em a favour right?” 2D’s look of confusion subsided to a look of bewilderment. “Look, if you don’t kill them they’ll kill you fer fucks sakes man! Buddhist or not, we need all the help we can get!” Murdoc snapped. “He’s right yano, D, it can’t be helped. I don’t like it either man but its gotta be done D” Russ put in softly. 2D looked close to tears but he just nodded. Noodle looked at them all; memorising their faces, just in case.

“Lets go then! They’ll be coming in if we don’t hurry!” She spoke louder, trying to rally the others.
Murdoc led the way to the Geep silently. “We’re using the Geep?” Noodle asked. Murdoc nodded curtly. “It’ll save time to get to em and we’ll be able to mow some of em down as we go. Me and Noodle at the front so I can drive and she has a clear shot, and you two at the back. 2D, try to slice the head off of any zombies you see ok? And Russ, just do what yer gotta do with the pipe.” They all nodded and climbed in, without questioning him. It wasn’t that Russ liked the idea but he knew it was a good idea and would mean less chance of an injury. “Noods? Don’t you get outta this car, okay? Even if the rest of us do” Russ spoke over the roar of the engine as Murdoc fired it up, racing out of the car park doors. “What??” Noodle cried. “You can’t stop me! I’m practically an adult now!” She said indignantly. Russ shook his head. ‘I’ll get out while he’s busy fighting and he’ll never know,’ she thought slyly.

Murdoc gasped involuntarily as he saw the hordes of zombies surrounding the hill on which Kong sat. Some of them had even made it past the gate already. “Shit!” Murdoc exclaimed, “How the fuck is there so many?” Then he realised. ‘Demons. There’s demons at the bottom of this I’ll bet’ he grimaced but decided against telling the others. It would only worry them and he could be wrong. “Muds when shall we start shooting?” Noodle asked, balancing the barrel of the rifle on the sill of the Geep. “As soon as their in range shoot em down. As many as possible- but don’t fire randomly, try to aim and save yer ammo.” He replied with gun in his right hand, steering wheel gripped firmly in his left. “Yo, we should stay together, right? If we need ta abandon the Geep we should stick together, so dere’s less chance of injury” Russ spoke louder to get everyone’s attention. Murdoc grunted in reply and Noodle and 2D nodded.

It didn’t take long, with Murdoc’s speedy driving skills, before the first group of zombies were upon them. Murdoc began rapidly firing his sawn off at the heads of dozens of them, splattering the Geep in blood and bits of brain as the zombies heads exploded everywhere. Noodle’s aim was just as good; she aimed for the ones further away, so that Murdoc could still navigate the Geep through the corpses. As soon as they were in the midst Russ took full advantage of his strength and the pipe- smashing skulls left, right and centre- maniacally with jaw set firm and his eyes fixed ahead. Meanwhile 2D just cowered in his seat, crouching as much as possible to keep away from the snapping groaning jaws and bloody arms of the zombies.  All the while zombies were mown down, and knocked flying by the front of the Geep- which was soon smothered with blood, guts and brains.

They slowly drove the zombies back out of the gates of Kong and down into the dump that the Hill was in the middle of. 2D just hid and clutched the sheathed rapier in terror; when suddenly and zombie launched itself at the Geep, almost landing in 2D’s lap. He screeched and Murdoc swerved the Geep at the exact moment before impact. 2D drew the sword and as the leering, broken jawed face of the zombie was inches from his own stabbed upwards into it and then with all his strength yanked out the rapier and slashed at its neck. The zombie’s face still didn’t let go of the lopsided grin that stayed there and was almost in 2D’s lap, when Noodle and Murdoc realised that was going on. Murdoc swerved again and Noodle span in her seat, brought up her rifle and loaded the zombie’s limp body with bullets, the force of them knocking it out of the Geep and crashing with a sickening crunch onto a pile of old refrigerators.

“Fanks for that” 2D said quietly. “I thought I woz a goner fer sure”. Noodle turned again and smiled at him. “No worries 2D-kun”.  Russ, who had only just realised something had happened, (he’d been too busy brain bashing to notice what had been going on) turned to 2D “D y’all alright? Yo as pale as a ghost, man.” 2D nodded, going a funny green colour; and suddenly leant over and threw up over the side of the Geep. But because of the speed Murdoc was going, rather than hitting the side of the Geep it flew back and hit a zombie full in the face, seconds before Noodle’s rifle found its mark, a bullet going through its head. Russ burst out in deep booming laughter. “Looks like y’all got a bullseye there D!” He said between laughs. They all joined in with the laughter- giggling bordering on hysteria- despite the fact that they were still surrounded by zombies.

It took them about an hour just to reach the bottom of the hill and the dump. The zombies had boxed them in between a pile of broken cars and a pile of rubbish bags; they had no choice but to jump out of the Geep. Noodle slipped out just after Russ had waded through the knee high pile of corpses in the opposite direction. 2D was to the right, a sickened look on his face as he followed Russ, delicately trying to avoid the pools of blood, amongst other things. He looked terrified and as soon as anything moved he jabbed at it cautiously with the rapier. Noodle climbed the mounting pile of bodies that was left in Murdoc’s wake; coming behind him she tapped him on the shoulder. He span, almost slipping on a patch of oily looking blood, rapier raised. “Oh its yer luv, don’t do that, I thought yer was another one of these bastards” he panted, sweat glistening on his brow.
“Shouldn’t yer be in the Geep, like Russ said?” he asked suddenly remembering what the larger man had said.

“I’m almost out of ammo, what would be the point?” she pointed out to him; “and I wanted to be with you” she said quieter. Murdoc grinned at her and pecked her on the lips briefly, before pivoting and skewering a zombie straight through on his rapier. He turned to face her again, “I’m glad yer here with me to be honest luv,” he admitted. She smiled widely, then linking hands, she crushed her opponents with her bat while he slashed and hacked away. “Yano, you’ve filled out quite a bit since our break,” Murdoc said looking her up and down, not for the first time since he’d found her in Hell. “Well I am getting older, though you seem to look younger than I remember,” she countered with a frown. He grimaced. “Well let’s just say it’s ta do with what happened in Hell, and leave it at that, ay luv?” He replied, goring yet another zombie. She nodded silently, wondering if he’d given any more souls to Satan in exchange.

They slowly worked their way around the dump- huge piles of corpses rotting away already, where they had been. Just as it had started getting dark, Noodle and Murdoc heard a scream, loud at first, fading into far off moans of agony in the opposite direction. “2D!” Murdoc and Noodle said simultaneously- Murdoc with a defeated sigh, Noodle with a loud exclamation. “What’s the stupid bastard gone and done now? Gone and gotten himself bitten or stabbed himself with his own sword, I’ll bet, the twat” Murdoc grumbled to low for Noodle to hear. The dark didn’t hinder them much as they leapt over the crow’s dinner, in the form of rotting bloody bodies.

2D had been cautiously jabbing a body freshly bashed to oblivion by Russ, when suddenly a half rotten, bone exposed, stinking claw of a hand grabbed his ankle from behind and dragged him half under a pile of its former comrades. “RUSS! RUSS!” he shrieked, having enough sense to grip his sword tighter. Russ turned as quickly as his girth would allow; just in time to see 2D’s head disappearing beneath a pile of bodies and rubbish. 2D twisted his body, grimacing and going green when he saw what he was being dragged into, but still managing to hack away at the hand that gripped his ankle fiercely.

“It’s just a body, it’s already dead, and you’re putting a restless soul to rest, it’s just a body” he kept mumbling to himself over and over as he slashed at the hand. Then all of a sudden a huge brown hand thrust its way in after him and grabbed his other thin wrist, pulling him hard. Even harder than the zombie. 2D felt himself being yanked in opposite directions, but still he furiously slashed at the badly mutilated, barely recognisable skeletal hand, praying it would let go and it would all be over soon.  He felt a sharp stinging in his ankle, a leering zombie’s teeth glistening with blood. ‘That’s my blood’ was the last coherent thought he had before everything went black.
Murdoc and Noodle finally found Russ crouched protectively over 2D, whose thin wiry frame lay at Russ’s feet. He was still and deathly pale, tinged slightly with green like he’d been sick or was going to be. His left ankle had a lot of skin missing- like it had been rubbed away by something flat and hard, bone. The right ankle was more worrying though, ringed teeth marks dead on the joint, little red droplets welling up in the little pointed holes, and a sickly green liquid oozed out of the bites themselves. “Shit!” Murdoc swore loudly, alerting Russ to their presence. He raised his head warily, like one of the many animals he’d stuffed probably had in their last moments.

“Noodle...why aren’t you in the Geep...Oh...forget it” Russ started to talk then changed his mind, instead turning to Murdoc to explain what had happened. “Follow me back to the Geep, you’ll have tah carry him, I think if we’re in time it’ll be ok” Murdoc said quickly, taking command with ease. Halfway back to the Geep 2D began to moan and whimper, his skin flaming to the touch, but all he kept muttering was “so cold...mum...need a blanket...Noodle...cold”. He jerked a few times like a marionette, limply his limbs flailing in Russell’s strong arms. “Keep him as still as yer can, alright? He’ll do himself more damage than wots already been done to him if we ain’t careful” Murdoc spoke for the first time in a while. Russ grunted in reply, busy concentrating on the task at hand. Noodle followed behind Murdoc carefully, quietly, worrying about 2D frantically. Occasionally she would slow down and gently stroke 2D’s blue hair, put her hand on his boiling forehead.

Murdoc would sometimes look back jealously at how she fretted over 2D, but then he comforted himself with the fact that if 2D made it, himself and Noodle would be going out the next day, for dinner together, just the two of them. That was the thought that spurred him on to trudge through the sky high piles of rubbish and zombies, and it was a good thought.

They finally made it back to the Geep, Russ set down 2D on the ground on top of the never used picnic blanket- thick with dust- from the boot of the Geep. Murdoc fumbled around in a small side compartment pulling out various things- some of which looked decidedly bad. A small shrunken leathery head, a mummified claw, a small blue and green item that looked like a dream catcher and some pots and pouches of bright coloured powder. “Right, Russ hold this up high, kay?” Murdoc mumbled thrusting the dream catcher at Russ. “Noodle, I need yer tah sprinkle these over the bite wound” he thrust the powders at her, all but one. Then he held the claw and head over 2D and began mumbling in some unknown harsh sounding language, something long dead that spoke of power, hatred, life and death. Noodle began sprinkling the powder over the nasty looking bite. She stepped back when a small amount of each powder was spread over his ankle where he’d been bitten. Murdoc’s voice rose in tempo and became louder as the chant wound on, stirring ancient animal instincts in the three standing. 2D began to shake and shiver uncontrollably, sweating profusely; “hold him down Noods, or it might not work” Murdoc said in between the harsh but strangely beautiful alien language he spoke. She obliged, crouching over 2D, her arms pinning his down as Murdoc continued his chant.

The powder (a bright sapphire blue substance) that hadn’t been poured over the bite suddenly rose out of the pot of its own account and swirled through the dream catcher Russ held tightly: once, twice, three times before plunging down into 2D’s mouth, looking like the lank blue hair that blew in the wind, just for a few seconds. 2D’s whole body shivered, right down his spine, to his feet; almost jerking out of Noodles control. The substances in the wound rose up too, in the wind Murdoc seemed to have created, but only a few inches up from the wound, before spinning wildly and dropping back onto the wound, seeming to knit the flesh back together. The shrunken head and mummified claw in Murdoc’s hands seemed to glow ethereally illuminating his face in eerie green light. His eyes seemed to glow like a cats, his features contorted by unseen emotion. The voodoo spell he was in the middle of stirred emotions deep within in him that he really did not need at that moment.

Jealousy at how Noodle’s grip on 2D’s thin wrists was gentle but firm, like a lovers; lust- how badly he wanted her right then and there. Hatred at 2D trying to steal her away: the urge to deliberately get the incantation wrong- last chance to doom him rather than save him. His face lit, the pure evil spirits twisting through him. But then Noodle looked up into his eyes, wiping the evil away, replacing it with something good and warm, not evil and icy- yet red hot all at once. He finished the incantation with no regrets, only hoping his memory had not failed him, and the ability to summon up the spirits had not left him. A blinding flash of light, a massive gust of icy wind and a scream was all that signalled the end.

The wound was healed now, all but for a long jagged bite-like scar winding round his ankle, and a pool of green goo- the zombie venom expelled from his system by the powders and spirits. Murdoc sighed in relief, and sagged to the floor, dizzy and tired from effort. He wasn’t near death like the first time, or on the verge of collapse like the last time. But a good meal, coffee, cigarette and sleep would definitely make him feel more perky. The exhaustion was always the worst part. That and almost being taken over by spirits older than time and more evil than most demons.

2D moved; his eyelids fluttering as he struggled to regain consciousness.  The bright light turning his gaze red, the cold air against his skin, and the burning feeling scouring his body told him he was alive. He finally managed to open his glued shut eyes, and seeing Noodle kneeling over him. “Am I in heaven” He mumbled. She smiled, ‘yep. After wot I did she’d never smile at me like that anymore.’ Suddenly a barrage of disgusting smells hit him and a harsh voice said “Shut it face ache, no yer bloody well ain’t, I just saved yer didn’t I? Just risked me body being taken over by spirits tah save ya with me voodoo stuff like”. ‘Murdoc? Voodoo? Noop. Not heaven then.’ 2D thought grimly.  He sat up and rubbed his head, which was throbbing worse than the rest of him. “ooh me heads thumping, where’s me meds?” he wondered aloud. Noodle handed him a small bottle of pills, his migraine tablets to be precise, that had fallen from his pocket. He swallowed 3 gratefully and shoved the bottle back into his pocket. Was this heaven? It really must be, Murdoc wasn’t flying at him, beating him for the other day and what had happened with Noodle.

‘Why would Murdoc save me? Probably so he can beat the crap outta me later for kissing Noods, I’ll bet,’ 2D wondered. But maybe heaven stank, it didn’t bother him so long as Noodle was there too. So he took a chance. As Noodle leaned over him to check his temperature he kissed her again. Full on the mouth and tried to pull her down onto him. She pulled away and this time he felt too weak to persist for longer than a few seconds, but still managed to get her flat on him for a few seconds. It might not have been long, but it was long enough for Murdoc to partially recover from his heavy fatigue; at least enough to jump up and try to attack 2D. He cursed and spat at 2D. “Leave her alone! Git yer fucking hands off her face ache! ARGHHHH!!” He swore some more, vile obscenities that clogged up the already disgusting air. Before he could get close enough to kick 2D Russ had grabbed him and held him down with one arm. Noodle had managed to disentangle herself from 2D’s grasp and she slapped him before climbing back into the front seat of the Geep; a confused look on her face. Murdoc was glaring at 2D, who had stood up, brushing himself down before getting in the back of the Geep quietly. “Sorry” he whispered to Noodle, who pretended she hadn’t heard.
You better be” growled Murdoc angrily, shaking the larger man off and getting into the driver’s seat, revving the engine just as Russ climbed awkwardly in next to 2D.

Now Murdoc’s main priority had always been the band. If he had fought with 2D (or more to the point beaten the crap out of 2D) he had never pushed him far enough to leave the band: after all, the band was more important, his fame and fortune to good and too much of an alluring promise to let the squabbles become any more than that. But 2D kept pushing him a little bit further each time, like you’d stretch an elastic band just that little bit more each time, just to see if it’ll break. Murdoc knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped, so he became determined to ignore it- so that the outcome wouldn’t be as dire as it might if he let his anger at 2D get the better of him. And of course he had Noodle to think about now too. He didn’t want to do anything that would upset her if he could help it, 2D wouldn’t get the upper hand that way. He loved Noodle more than 2D did, of that he was sure. So 2D was going to be ignored as much as possible by Murdoc.

Just to piss 2D off, as they drove over and through the piles of corpses Murdoc leant over and kissed Noodle, gently on the lips before returning his attention to his driving. She blushed crimson and smiled shyly, half hoping 2D had saw and half hoping he hadn’t. “Murdoc, what we gunna do about all these bodies? We can’t bury em all or nuthin,” Russ asked leaning over to hear Murdoc’s answer more easily over the noise of the wind and thunder. “Bury? Nah course we ain’t burying em, we’ll burn em all. Best way to release any souls left an all that” Murdoc replied, swerving to avoid a huge slippery red pool of blood. “Plus if any of ems still alive- or half alive- zombiefied- then it’ll kill em. Zombies hate fire with a passion,” he laughed as if it was obvious; putting one arm round Noodle, hoping 2D would see. 2D was curled up in the back seat, and physically he was there, but his mind was far off.

In his mind he was memorising Noodle’s scent, how her hair had gently brushed his face as he’d pulled her closer, how her eyes had widened in surprise that he was kissing her again, this time in front of Murdoc- despite the risk. It had been worth it. How for those few wonderful but brief seconds his lips had met hers and her body had been pressed against his from his wiry arms pulling her close. He rubbed his face; it still stung from her slap ‘that’ll leave a mark, but leastways it weren’t Murdoc’ he thought gladly.  

A jolt from the Geep brought him out of his thoughts just in time to see Murdoc lean over and kiss Noodle, then put his arm round her, the other hand on the wheel. 2D’s blood boiled and he felt his face sting even more from the slap, knowing that she was Murdoc’s in all but name.

Later that night, after they had all sat round the table for a silent and awkward meal, Murdoc wandered outside; a blowtorch in one hand and a lighter and box of matches in his pocket. He took his cigarette from his mouth, and blew a ring of smoke out, deep in thought. How to get 2D back? Without making him want to leave the band? How to stop him from advancing on Noodle, without upsetting her? It was such a conundrum. As he quietly set fire to pile after pile of bodies, flinching from the stench of burning flesh he thought about it all, and wondered what would happen. At least he knew he was clean in one perspective, even if he couldn’t promise much more than that for her. At least he knew he loved her.