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Mike knew he wasn't supposed to be snooping, it isn't in his job description! None of this act was supposed to be in his job description!!! But they had to keep the boss going, they had to get the points promised in their contracts after all! (wait did they even sign contracts as Mikes???) Never mind that, it was a rare time they had a guest star— A miracle they'd even see a Cyber World resident after their lightners disappeared one after another.
After that whole…commercial sponsorship ended. (A yikes and half, witnessing that implosion, at least that shithead isn't around no more!)
Another haughty laugh echoes from Tenna's green room, glass breaking once more against who knows what.
The sound still manages to make them all flinch, despite how often it echoes within the growing depths that surround their world. He however shoots a glare at the Zapper next to him, they're on battery acid cleaning duty. Mike isn't about to risk his form getting even greener after getting covered in that stupid green ink the lightners seem so found of.
"Dat's good right?" the Zapper ducks down to his level to say, "The Boss is makin' her laugh, jus' like the old dayes."
Mike grits his teeth and points back up to the SHUT UP!! sign he put up above them just for these bozos. At least their other Mike listens. You gotta have a Mike who listens. And despite Motormouth Mike's own (made up) name, even HE can shut up sometimes. Who do you think does the audio around here!!
Well, all of them do but that's not the point!
"To Think, She Would Finally Gain The Courage To Move On Her Own."
Queen had shown up all on her own, knocking on the Green Room doors after traversing through that whole mess outside the studio on her rocket throne. The same like all those visits before, where Tenna was distracted by all the glitz of the city coming by to halt the shows for a few. Enough that Mike and his Mikes were able to relax and play the new games coming from Cyber World. (Now they just had a bunch of cat attacks lying around after the rest of the Mikes got charmed by them!)
There's a nervous laughter from Tenna that echoes out the door. It makes them hesitate to think what answer will fumble out of their boss' mouth this time. This is why scripts are written, folks! Especially when your boss hasn't interacted with a non-resident in years!!
"…Will she be coming back? Kris—Kris, you know…They miss the fun." Tenna mutters out, and from the outside they can hear him twiddling with the fun juice in his hands. Who knows how Queen managed to get the boss to break out that stuff again, even after the censors.
There's a silence, and even with the sign above them it is deafening.
"I see."
Tenna's laugh putters out, with that hint of bitterness they've been able to hear for years.
After a moment, Queen speaks once more,
"Noelle, She Has Been Searching For More Strange Things As Of Late Again."
There's a bravado that feels as if it's been sucked out of the two as they've been sitting in that green room for hours. A stark difference to the sort of rivalry they performed on the camera's earlier, shooting line after line at one another during the games. Even Mike was surprised to see the old Tenna come back in full force as a host, brandishing sharp teeth at a similarly sharp witted opponent.
"I Fear She Has Lost Her Greatest Ally In Her Endeavors. Showing Those Secret Searches Of Hers." Queen continues, "Stealing Me From My Kingdom In A Gambit—Her Greatest Act Yet."
Her laugh somehow putters out the same way.
As his Mike, he can already feel Tenna's vibes already starting to dwindle into dangerous territory from outside the room. The next shock therapy session's going to be a disaster, he knows it. Even quiet Mike's frowning at this scene! They're shit outta of luck once this visit's over!!!
"…Kris. They've stopped playing games with their brother here. Stopped watching me altogether." Tenna states amidst the silence, "They're in places I can't reach. I-I can't watch them anymore. Asriel, I don't know why but I barely see the boy either."
Metal taps against explosive glass.
"I Have Sense That Once She Leaves, I Will Be Returned Back Where I Was Found. History Erased Once More."
"…Will it all be gone, then? Everything?"
Then suddenly that energy returns, party music swelling out of nowhere as if it wasn't shut off hours ago when this meeting turned all—all freaky! They were just talking about the lightners visiting again, how did it turn into this?!
"Of Course Not I Am A Computer." Queen laughs, and another glass gets thrown as an explosion rocks the ground. (GREAT! JUST GREAT!!!) "Trash Cans Are Not False And Our Dump Does Not Overflow Definitely Not. Would You Like To See The Funny Shows They Make On The Internet Again ?"
Whatever the hell that means at least gets the boss laughing again.
"If it's more of that irate nerd you have I'll take it! I'll take all the game knowledge you got! As long as you stop editing my shows to say swears and those—nonsensical phrases!"
"Lmao, I Can't Believe They Got Away With That On Live Television"
"You edited—! Never mind that—Did that nerd ever show this game on his show? I've got plans, big plans, you see! Despite my specs I can still make fun games!"
Queen's laughter is back to it's same old loud haughtiness,
"Perhaps One Day I Will Be Able To Show You Cool App Phone Games, Antenna. And Yet These "Classics" Are… Charming In Their Own Way."
And with a click of a heel hitting the ground,
"But… It Seems Noelle Has Chosen To Hide Away Once More."
"Ah…Kris. …Kris should be getting to bed, shouldn't they?" Tenna says solemnly, as he's said the same over and over when discovering the lightner turning him on late at night.
Tenna is the only one who sees Queen off at the Golden Door at the edges of the snow covered wastes. He's the only one allowed past the backstage areas, after all.
Well, from behind these loose prize balls he can't see jack shit!
He swipes the scope out of listener Mike's hands, "Give me the lens! We gotta act fast if Tenna does anything stupid!!"
Twisting the tube to get a good focus, he can spot his boss just staring at the crack in the door. Face full of static, straight into the darkness within. Almost as if in any second he could reach out and escape this world.
Would turning to stone be so bad?
That's what Tenna would probably say in the next therapy that's what! And he's just gotta stand there in his sweaty costume, "yes boss", "no boss", with the jittering jumper cables in his hands like he has an idea hows this is supposed to go!! They always make this medical shit up on TV!!!!
"Maybes one of us should go up and do some speakin'?" meathead Mike suggests, hopping to glance over the prize ball,
"Course, COURSE! I'll go. Talk him outta whatever's going on under all that static. It's my job to be the talking Mike, anyway—"
He tosses the camera lens back to listener Mike, only for it to plop softly into the snow. A suspicious trail of spherical footprints leading up to the Golden Door.
The static gone, Tenna looks down at the DAMN TRAITOR rubbing their head against their boss' leg.
"…Mike."
And with a swell, Tenna raises that Mike into the air with a smile,
"I can always count on you to be here at least!"
That was supposed to be HIM!
The other traitor picks him up in his rage and shakes him up and down enough to roll out of it, "C'mon, don' we gots a green room to fix up? "
Sigh.
At least that felt good.
"…Let's split before Tenna decides Mike petting hours are over."
With a click of a button, they're zapped out of the snow and back to work.