Plastic Dimensions 41. Ransom 2.

A few hours later 2D returns to the bassist's bedroom with Kurt to find Murdoc standing on his sun deck, drinking rum. Hearing them making their way over to him, the bassist looks over his shoulder and can see the look of irritation on Kurt's face. He turns back to the ocean for a moment, rolling his eyes and assuming it's because the American has lost his fuck buddy, and isn't taking HIS difficulty into consideration whatsoever. Then turns around again looking for a route of escape. As for Kurt, he's just had his ear bent by the singer as to why the creature probably took Rafe and that it's all Murdoc's fault and he needs to make the bassist go and get the young man back before the Boogie man kills him. He sees the way the musician seems to look around rapidly, as if looking for a route of escape, and places himself in such a way the he could easily grab him with an outstretched hand if he needs to. Murdoc sees this and stops looking, resigning himself to the fact that he's going to have to face them and listen to their complaints. He groans and turns back to the railing, leaning heavily against it because he doesn't need to hear what they have to say to know what they're thinking. He's run through every possible scenario and come to the conclusion that the second he turns up, Boogie is going to have his guts for garters.

"Tell'w him," the singer growls at the bassist when he gets close enough, pointing back at Kurt a few paces behind him. "Tell'w him yah gunna save your own arse and leave the guy to suffer, coz you're a cowardly custard." Clenching his jaw firmly the bassist half pulls a fist as a threat to shut up, but the singer simply folds his arms over his chest and pulls himself up to full height, completely unimpressed because he feels justified in saying what he's saying to the angry man. Murdoc waves them both off and turns away again, bowing his head as a wave of tiredness takes him over. How could things have gone so terribly wrong for him, in such a short amount of time? One minute he's feeling on top of the world and is talking about doing all the things that a father does with his son. And the next he's flat on his back kicking his legs in the air like a dying cockroach, being told off by a dullard. A small flicker of the old bassist fires up and his eyes blaze at the blue haired younger man, who catches the look and for a moment his confidence shudders uncomfortably. But the look of death fades again as Murdoc seems to deflate in front of him, which boosts 2D to even greater heights.

"Dunno what yer talking about," the musician mumbles in reply. Not even remotely interested in interacting in the situation. He spits the butt of his cigarette over the railing and shuts down emotionally, with Kurt looking from him to the singer and back again as he thinks about all this. With 2D standing firmly next to him, huffing angrily through his nostrils. This isn't the man he'd come to know. The fiery snarling green man who won't take no for an answer. The more he looks at him, cringing under the firm gaze of someone who used to be so beaten down, that just the sound of his thick heeled boots crossing the floor used to make him uncontrollably shiver in fear. The less he believes that this is his benefactor and that he must have been replaced in the night by a very poor representation of the man.

"Yes you do! You know exactly wot I'm talkin' about. If you hadn' ripped tha' guy off, everyfink would have been fine. We wouldn' 'ave to be hidin' on this pink whore's palace..." Murdoc slowly stands up at the sound of that, gripping the railing tightly. "Noo an' Russ would be heya, Bruce Willis wouldn' 'ave chased us the way he did and Ray wouldn't 'ave been kidnapped by tha' monster!" the singer's anger pushes his confidence through the roof and he steps forwards.

Tired of being treated like the bassist's personal punching bag. Tired of listening to his endless venomous put downs and tired of trying so hard to be friends with a guy that behaves in such an unsavoury way towards him all the time. Kurt sees the tiredness on the bassist's face and decides that unlike 2D, he can't just assume the musician isn't planning to save the kid. 2D might simply be jaded by years of abuse from the guy, and unwilling to give him the benefit of the doubt this time. It doesn't mean that he has to agree with it though. For all he knows the guy might have been thinking about this all morning, but with Stuart snarling at him like this, it can be making it any easier. Besides which, he's seen that the musician has much greater depths than the singer gives him credit for on occasions. He sighs heavily as he watches 2D pace back and forth balling his hands into fists and huffing at the bassist, and Murdoc bearing his teeth back, looking as though he's about to rip the guys head from his shoulders. They might have known each other for years, but the amount of things they don't know about each other at times, completely floors him. Right now though, he seems to be looking at a complete reversal. Stuart in Murdoc's role as dominator, and Murdoc in 2D's submissive role, repressed anger and all. But he's seen this before if he's honest.

Hyperactive, thrill seekers and binge drinkers, who suddenly become dad's and WHALLOP! They change into quiet, overly cautious teetotallers overnight. Well, except for the drinking part in the bassist's case. He's behaving just like a real dad and 2D is taking advantage of it. It's not that he's incapable of doing the things he used to. It's more that there's suddenly someone else in his life that needs him to be there for them, and he's recognised the significance of his position. He's stopped thinking of himself as being invincible and is taking the role of dad seriously. Mortality has come home to roost, and he wants to be there to see Rafe grow and evolve to be the best representative of his genetic line. Fact is that just like a mum, the musician has become a daddy lion. He might be floundering right now, but the second that lion wakes up fully.... In other words, if the singer isn't careful, the REAL Niccals will suddenly pop out and take him down like a cheap Mexican piñata. To be honest this is the last thing that needs to happen. Rafe needs Niccals to focus that ferocious lion on that Boogie man. NOT on someone who has found a small chink in his armour and is taking a chance to step forward for the first time in who knows how many years.

"Come on Stu. Give Mr N a chance. If this Boogie man is half as dangerous as you say, then you must know that running in there guns blazing would be a bad idea. For all you know, he might be trying to work out the best way to do this?" Kurt says to the singer. "Right Mr N?" he adds, looking over at Murdoc. He sees the slight look of astonishment that slips quickly in and out of the musician's facial features, and catches on to what 2D had just been saying. The guy IS considering cutting his losses after all. He grits his teeth and sucks a deep breath, wondering how on Earth he can get the guy he's looking at to back away and bring the other guy out again, without resorting to kicking him in the guts like the singer is? No sense in having the musician pissed off with him to. He needs to know he has someone willing to support him if he needs it. So he waves what he can see aside and concentrates on keeping him focused on getting a plan worked out. He's just feeling vulnerable because in a sense his "immortality" has been threatened. Which is what kids are in a way. A chance for your genes to carry on and improve. Rungs on a ladder growing and changing to continue on to become an uber version of themselves. But with a conglomerate of the Niccals line, going back generations to the first one who stepped up and kicked down all opposition to his rise to the top of the pile. Just momentarily lost in all this. That's all.

"Err yeah. Of course. You can't. Boogie will rip you a new arsehole yah dolt," Murdoc grunts back and pushes past them both, a sudden feeling of claustrophobia rushing over him, making it hard to breathe.

"So what are we gunna do. From what Stu said about this Boogie character, he isn't one to mess around?" Kurt asks, following him and trying to push that understanding he knows is in there to the foreground and stimulate Niccals survival instinct into resurfacing. The bassist stops moving just as he reaches for the handle of the sliding door, thinking about it for a moment.

"No, he ain't and I haven't got a clue," he replies, shooting a quick look back at 2D still gruffly mumbling under his breath. "And YOU can shut yer damn mouth, or I'll punch yer teeth in," he adds as he reef the door open and marches inside.

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"Why can't you just tell me?" Rafe groans, hanging his head with his whole body screaming in pain from the evil creatures attention. Boogie slides his hands up the young man's battered, bleeding and burned body as he thinks about the best thing to do that would REALLY irritate the bassist. Somehow the idea of killing the kid doesn't do that much for me right now. Murdoc isn't the kind to have much sentiment where others are concerned, so I can't see him mourning the kids loss for more than a heart beat. He'll have already forgotten and have moved on by the next one. So why bother killing him? The whole dad thing is amusing, and maybe that's what I should be concentrating on? He's pinned all his hopes onto this boy being his progeny. If I can sever that...? Yes, that'll drop him like a stone. So lets begin by pulling son from father and shoving a dirty great wedge in there to keep them apart till he gets here. THEN... hmmm, then the real fun can begin.

"Aaaoooww, don't be such a spoil sport. You'll work it out, trust me. It's a WHOLE lot easier than you think," the dark creature drawls. The sound of his voice keeps flipping images of Murdoc into Rafe's mind, but he's in far too much pain to care who the guy is. He just wants him to piss off and leave him alone. "Anyway, do you still believe that he's coming to save you?" Boogie growls huskily into Rafe's forehead, pressing his chin against it to encourage the young man to lift his head and look at him again. Rafe sighs and follows direction, lifting his head and gazing into the dark man's sparkling shark-like eyes, which makes the creature grin broadly revealing rows of jagged teeth. Another flash of recognition slips through his mind then slips away again.

"He'll do what he does, whatever that might be," the young man replies almost at a whisper. The Boogie man rolls his dark eyes and gruffly presses his fists to his hips, shaking his head and tutting at Rafe's lacklustre reaction. Hm, maybe I worked him a bit too hard? Eh, what can I say. I enjoy my work.

"Well you mightn't find this exciting, but as fer me I feel brilliant. I win no matter what happens. If he turns up, then I get my payment. If he doesn't, I STILL get paid. I'll just take it from you," he grins, pressing his face so close to Rafe's that their lips almost touch. The young man knits his eyebrows and pulls his head back a little in confusion.

"Me?" he grunts.

"Yep, you. As an extension of Mur', being his supposed offspring, his soul and your soul are connected. In a sense. Either way, it'll piss him off something shocking. THAT is only if he cares. If he doesn't, then it'll piss you off. But I still get a soul. Brilliant, isn't it?" Boogie laughs. Rafe grits his teeth as a cold sweat breaks out on his forehead, making his teeth chatter.

"What if I'm not his son though?" he grunts, flexing the aching muscles in his arms and shoulders with a wince of pain. Boogie seems to freeze for a moment and let out a slow hissing sigh. He's been thinking about that since he first heard Niccals refer to the kid as his son. And so have you by the sounds of it. Yer already pulled back from him, aren't you? So there's less work for me to do in that respect. But it makes it less fun..... I suppose I need to cement once and for all who's the daddy?

"Ah now, wouldn't that be a thing. I should really check that I suppose," he nods. Rafe wrinkles his nose in wonder at how he plans on doing that, when suddenly the dark being plunges his hand into the young man's chest; the wall of his ribcage seeming to melt around his hand to allow it's passage deep into his body. Rafe screams in pain with the evil man grinning maniacally as he searches. Not at all concerned when Rafe faints in agony, his head dropping limply forwards on his shoulders. Finding what he was looking for, Boogie extracts his hand again, looking at the trickle of fog like mist creeping over his fingertips.

"Mmmm, now that is very interesting indeed," he growls, an odd mix of intrigue and confusion flickering over his face. "He's not only NOT his son. He's not even human?" he mumbles, looking hard at the unconscious young man suddenly worried about what he's actually taken on.

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Do you have any idea where he took him?" Kurt asks the bassist, fully prepared to help. Tired of being chased around by the two men, Murdoc turns on them. But he instantly sees the deep furrow of concern on Kurt's face and understands why he's being so persistent. He's worried to, and the longer he stands here arguing with himself and them. The more time Boogie is getting to hurt the kid. Kurt sees the flicker of fire returning to the bassist's eyes, and smiles. That's it Mr N, fight.

"Look I need some time to come up with a good plan, and I can't do that if you keep getting in my face," he growls at them. 2D grits his teeth angrily and peeks out from behind Kurt's large muscular arm at the bassist. He can see the old Murdoc coming back to, but he's determined to get a few more quick jabs in before he's fully recovered. Who knows when he'd ever get the chance again?

"Which is Muds way of sayin' I need time tah fink of a good way tah get out of helpin'. But make it look like I did all I could but there woz nufink more I could do," he snarls at him. Kurt looks down at him then over at Murdoc.

"Oh fer fucks.... Faceache, back off! I AM trying to work something out.... I just need more than one of me?" the bassist mumbles to himself as he thinks about it. Then grins slyly and starts shooing 2D and Kurt to his bedroom door, opening it and shoving them both out into the corridor. "Just leave it with me, okay?" he drawls and slams the door shut on them. 2D grumbles softly and waves it off, stomping his way back to the elevator.

"Told yah he wozn' gunna do anyfink tah help. Ray's done for, just like Noo," the singer snarls slapping the button and gruffly folding his arms over his chest as he waits for the car. Kurt smiles as he follows him, not believing that for a second. It had looked to him like the musician had come up with something, but he couldn't be sure of the details yet. He follows the younger man into the elevator when it arrives, and they head down to the study. Leaving the bassist to do whatever it is that he's doing, fully prepared to join him when he's ready.

Murdoc pulls all of his magic and demonic spell books out of storage and sets them all around him in the room, taking each one and reading it thoroughly, searching for something he remembers seeing about alternate selves. If he can find it then he can bring a few of them here and use them as either bait or back up, Distracting the Boogie man while he snatches the kid back from him. Or alternatively, they might help come up with a better plan. Because he's not at all confident about the one he'd come up with. If Faceache and Stretch had of been more helpful, maybe...? He waves them off and keeps searching. Two heads are better than one, as they say. Once he has the boy back under his wing, then he'll deal with the rebellious singer and remind him who the king of the empire is. Apart from that he could also do a little insider trading with his other selves. Maybe get some juicy titbits of information that could maybe come handy for him later. They'd have taken a different path to him, so they'd have travelled a slightly different path. Other outcomes, some better, or worse. Either way the alternatives would have taught them something. So why not utilise it as a resource here? Won't know till I find the damn thing though. So.....