A New Beginning

Chapter 1

Five years ago in London

The red and blue lights flashed brightly, lighting up the dark night sky. Along with it had brought the attention of almost the whole neighborhood, who was all gathered outside the bar, at three in the morning. This wasn't the first time Greasy Dog had the police called there this late, it seemed every weekend someone was being hauled out for causing trouble. Tonight however, the call made was one of the ugliest scenes London Police had ever seen.

It started off innocent enough, a local band came for some drinks after a show on the other side of town. Couple of drinks, and a dance or two later, their bassist started getting rowdy with one of the workers. So, there he was: Murdoc Niccals, the bassist of Gorillaz being lead away by police. The woman he attacked sat back inside, crying in her tattered clothes both bloody and bruised as paramedics tended to her. He sighed, sure he had flipped out lots of times, Murdoc was known for that. His temper had gotten him in more trouble than he could care to remember, but tonight was different.

Naturally Murdoc, as a star loved the feeling of a million eyes on him, however the eyes he felt that night as he was walked through the crowd and taken to the police car, didn't feel warm and adoring. They felt cold, too cold for his liking. Especially the last glances of his bandmates as the car drove away.

The police wasted no time throwing Murdoc in jail, this wasn't his first time in prison after all. They stripped him, tossed him a striped suit, and put him in a cell before Murdoc could even get a word of protest in.

"That's no way to treat a star," Murdoc grumbled. He plopped down in annoyance on the rusted bench by the window and took in his surroundings. The cell was tiny and cramped, no bigger than a closet. It housed a single bed, already preoccupied by a large African- American male covered in tattoos and scars, and a toilet sat in the back corner with a sink next to it. There was mold growing in the corners of the ceiling and below it was a bucket, most likely to catch the leaks that dribbled through the water-damaged cracks.

Murdoc scoffed, he had seen nicer cells during his imprisonment in Mexico. It's not like he had expected the Ritz, he was fully aware no prison would ever cater to offenders like that, but come on. This place was disgusting. He shifted, and pulled himself up on the bench just enough to lay down. No sense staying up all night, getting worked up over the ordeal would be pointless. All he could do was get some sleep, and hope this whole mess would blow over.

Sadly it didn't. In fact if anything, the situation got worse. By morning the media was eating the story up like it was some kind of Christmas feast. Reporters were showing up to the prison, even going as far as camping out in their trucks all day and night, just to get the chance to speak with bassist who apparently finally had snapped. Murdoc's story was all over the Tv's and in the newspapers, and by the third day it had gone global. Murdoc was used to being hated, it was something he grown accustomed to since childhood, but never in his life time had he received this much hate mail. They called him names, and went as far as threatening him. Large groups were even protesting outside, demanding the worst punishment possible for him. Luckily for Murdoc, the police kept the protesters at bay until the trail.

The trial was long, not that anyone expected any less. Karma it seemed had finally caught up with Murdoc Niccals, sure he had cheated, schemed and wronged people his whole life,but it was what Murdoc was best at. He couldn't help that, and despite the band's lawyers best attempts at rigging the trial, Murdoc was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. For the first time in his life Murdoc couldn't believe it, he was paying the price for something he had done. His quick thinking and smooth talking didn't work, he specifically paid those girls to keep him out of trouble and they failed to do their job. This was it, it was finally the end for Murdoc and not even Satan himself could help him now.