<< TW: drug use, specifically intravenous. >>

"Noodle?"

Murdoc shouted down the hallway of the band's rented house on Wobble Street. Noodle had only come back a few weeks ago, and had in general been her usual happy self. But today, Murdoc couldn't find her anywhere. And to him, this was a reason to be concerned. She was usually out and about somewhere, or at least playing music in her room and dancing around to it. But now, the house was silent.

He ran his hands over dusty picture frames on the wall. He didn't know why, but he could almost hear Empire Ants in his head as he looked at all those old memories. He hummed along, brushing dust off the last of these pictures. It was a picture taken back in 2005, only a few days before El Manana was recorded, and Noodle faked her death and left the band. She, in this picture, was sitting in front, with all the others gathered around her. The band looked truly happy...

The nail on which the picture was hung suddenly came loose from the wall, and the frame fell to the ground and shattered. Murdoc sighed and grumbled, walking on.

"Noooooooodleeeeee?" He peeked around the hallway corner. Her room. Of course! Why hadn't he looked there in the first place? He shook his head as he approached the door, turning the knob. He met with resistance; it was locked.

Well, that was weird. Her door was usually never locked...

Oh well. Maybe she just had someone over, or was changing, or something like that. She was eighteen going on nineteen now, she could take care of herself.

"Noodle? It's Murdoc... may I come in?"

The small house was eerily silent once more, his sentence echoing down the hall. He looked at the "Ocean Bacon" written on the wall. Couldn't have something to do with that, could it?

"Noodle! Is something wrong? Let me in, please!"

He knocked hard on the door, and yet again got nothing. This called for desperate measures. With one swift kick, the door swung creaking on its hinges. Murdoc's eyes widened at the scene laid out before him as he ran into the room.

<< Triggering content starts here. >>

Noodle was lying on her floor, face up at the ceiling. Her arms and legs were splayed; the blankets were falling from the bed, it seemed like she'd fallen from it. Her eyes were cloudy white, covering the green of her irises. Her lips were curved into a smile, and were a deep blue. A shattered syringe left its glass in her arm, and the needle itself protruded from her elbow.

<< Triggering content ends here. >>

She was dead.

Murdoc was at a loss for words. How do you prepare yourself for this? And when it happens, how do you react? He was just numb, not even feeling his tears running down his face, not hearing his fearful screams for 2D and Russel, for anyone, anyone, please, please help.

He did feel himself crash to Earth, crash to his knees, picking up her limp body in his arms. He never meant for this to happen. He never meant to hurt anyone.

"Noodle? Oh, N-Noodle... please..." He saw unfamiliar tears fall onto her face. "... t-this is my fault... all my fault... please... b-bring her back!"

He took shuddering breaths, clinging to what was left of the girl he'd raised. The one he'd loved like a daughter. The one that seemed to always smile. Now, the only remnant of that was a body without a soul.

"Take me!" He shouted to whoever was listening then, whoever pulled the strings. "T-take me instead... it should've been me... why her?! She's a kid... s-she's just a kid... s-she made a mistake... a-and it's all because of me. I let her grow up in a place like this, a-and I sent her away... bring her back, and take me instead... please..."

He looked down at the body, which still laid lifeless in his arms. His shouts did nothing but cause his throat to burn and his heart to ache. He pulled her head to his chest, a hand in her hair, and sobbed freely.

"W-what did I do?! I didn't mean to hurt so many people..." He rocked back and forth. "Where did I go wrong? I-It... i-it's all gone wrong..."