Chapter Text
It always happens on a Tuesday.
One of the Zappers, nigh indistinguishable save for the small fact that they were a head taller than the lot of them, gets called to Tenna's office.
They're a particularly accident-prone remote. Their hearing isn't the best, and even simple instructions laid bare before them are subject to misinterpretation. Really, the fact that they get called for disciplinary action isn't surprising.
But every week- And always on a Tuesday.
Like clockwork, after the last shift closes and employees are sent home, there’s a signal calling for that same Zapper.
One of the more seasoned Zappers baps them on the shoulder, and they startle a little as though they'd been lost in thought.
He jerks his head towards a corridor. It's a familiar one to all of them, and the motion is so routine even they can pick up on what it means.
“Boss wants to see ya's.”
He spells it out for them anyways. Tenna gets mad when things don't go his way. Real hissy. Nobody wants to deal with him when he's like that- Well, nobody except Mike, but he's special. No one envies that job.
The point is. It's better safe than sorry.
They mumble an awkward thanks, adjusting their collar as they hop to it.
The Zapper enters Tenna's office stiffly, making sure to close the door behind themself.
Tenna is sitting behind his desk, expression blank besides his pointed nose staring straight at them. His hands are folded on the table, and with his eyeless gaze he waits expectantly for them to sit down.
“Uh, evenin, boss,”
They greet him awkwardly, clearing their throat despite the anatomical lack of one due to their speaker being located somewhere in their chest.
“Zapper.”
His voice is flat, professional, and utterly devoid of its usual showman charm. Mister (Ant) Tenna is a bombastic, loud individual, every emotion at 100% and firing at all cylinders at all times. When he's angry, his charisma stretches thin to mask it.
This isn’t anger, though. It’s something else.
“Well, uh. Yeah, boss. It's pretty obvious, ain't it?”
The CRT nods once, the first time he's moved since they entered his domain. He's animated beyond belief both on camera and behind it— So to see him so restrained is strange.
“If it’s so obvious, then why haven’t you learned by now?”
The mask slips, a fanged smile peeking out before he schools his expression once more.
“Every week, we do the same song and dance. It's like you never learn your lesson!”
Without another word, he moves one hand under his desk and grabs something that sounds heavy.
The Zapper gulps.
“C'mon boss, maybe y’could take it easy on me dis time.”
They say, voice a little pleading. If Zapper anatomy would allow it, they surely would have broken into a cold sweat by now.
He slams one fist down on his desk, a twisted grin across his screen.
“You're not getting out of this! We're going to go through all of this over and over again until you get this through your head once and for all, got it?"
As they cower in the seat across from him as he brings out his torment for the night.
“I've been looking forward to this,” He says, a warning in his voice. “You aaalmost got the better of me last time, but this time, I swear.”
Tenna slams a whole board game on the table between them, no longer able to keep the excited grin off his face.
The Zapper groans pitifully, holding their head in their hands.
“Do we really gotta do dis one?? I'se got real rotten luck every time we play, Tens. Startin to think it's rigged.”
“Come on! You can't rig a set of flat discs! Besides, what do I look like to you? A Pippins?”
Tenna laughs heartily, holding his hand up as he stage whispers.
“You've only lost the last 5 times! People always say that the 6th time's the charm!”
He leans over and slaps them on the back once. The impact doesn't even phase them.
“Nobody says dat, Ant.”
They grumble, leaning forward to pick a color anyways.
“Going for black today, hmm?”
“More like I know youse like pickin red,” is their reply, an amused curl in the thin line they called a face. He laughs again.
“What can I say? It just matches my suit too well!”
“Though,” There's a pause as Tenna flicks one of his discs towards the center of the board. In lands in the middle ring, and he tsks as he straightens up.
“You really could do with picking for yourself every once in a while.” He tilts his head towards them as he addresses them.
“Whaddya mean?” They look over, hand hovering behind a black disc of their own.
“Even when you get first pick, you’re thinking about what I want first! Normally people will get something they want when they’re offered to choose, you get me?”
He elaborates, and they give him an uncertain look before shooting their first disc. It misses his disc and goes straight for the gutter. Tenna fails to suppress a chuckle at that.
“I guess, but eh, I’on want to be too self important.”
“Self important-”
He makes an incredulous noise, flicking a disc of his own straight into the gutter from shock.
“Zapper! You’ve been here since the start of this whole Studio!”
Pivoting, he moves his hand in one quick motion until he’s pointing at them.
“If anyone besides me has the right to be self-important here, I think it’d be the remote I came with!”
They look a little embarassed to be singled out like this, even in the privacy of his office like this.
“Ah, gosh, Tens- C’mon, youse know I ain’t da kinda Zapper who likes da limerick.”
“Limelight.”
“-Eh, yeah. Limestone.”
(He sighs, but gives up on correcting them further.)
“I didn’ take ya’s up on Head’a Security for a reason, y’know.”
Fidgeting with their hands, they shift in place. Their admission comes shyly.
“I like lettin other folks take da stage. It’s nice jus’ bein in da back, yanno? Makin sure things go well while da magic happens for everybody else t’see.”
He purses his lips, swaying a little as he taps his hips with his free hand.
“Hmmmmmm,”
He sounds like he’s about to protest, but the humming instead transitions to a question.
“In any case! How are things going with that little…”
Pulling his hand away from the board, he makes bunny ears with both hands- Wait. No. Those are air quotes.
“Scheme? Have you been keeping an eye on ‘Mike’ like I’ve been telling you to?”
“Oh, yeahs, he’s a real swell guy.”
They wiggle joyfully in place at the reminder.
“We’se got another guy in da gig too. I’se sure you’se met ‘im. He’s da-”
Tenna brightens at the mention of Cat Mike.
“The fluffy kitty one, right?” He seems charmed.
“Yes, yes, I think that’s my favorite one you’ve come up with so far!”
Zapper puts a hand on their chest and pretends to be offended.
“Not even a li’l love for da cowboy? Aw, boss…”
They make a sniffle sound, but Tenna is unswayed.
“I’m sorry, Zapper Mike, but you’re just not as pettable! The ratings don’t lie.”
They pause, remembering something suddenly.
“Right- Right! Yeahs, I wanted to bring somethin up to ya’s ‘bout dat.”
He makes a curious sound and pivots, leaning forward so they’re at… well, it isn’t exactly eye level, since neither of them have those. But he matches their sightline in a show of mutual respect and interest in what they have to say, so it’s close enough. With a ‘go on’ gesture, he prompts them to continue.
“So we’se found dese minigames in da back, yeah? I thinks dose Cattenheimer gals left ‘em ‘ere… Or maybe Kriss Kross stole ‘em. Y’know how dat kid is.”
He laughs warmly, a small flower bud popping up from the tip of his nose just at the mention of them.
“Yeah, so, anyhoos- We’se found dese minigames, and dey’s been real good practice for our ‘Mike Attacks’— Boss says we gotta use different attacks when we’se Mike, so we don’ give da gig away— and, uh. Dey’s got some names.”
They suddenly look a little shyer now, tapping their fingers together and avoiding his gaze.
“And, uh, to keep things simple, we’se been callin each other by da games we’se got. At first dey was just nicknames, but I’se been thinkin ‘bout it, and… I think I’se likin it as a name name.”
He stops midway through adjusting his angle, a surprised look on his face.
“An, look, I know I’se just been Zapper or Big Guy to ya’s for da longest time, and youse still good on callin me all dat! I jus- It’s been nice, havin a name like dat. Kinda feels like me, if y’know what I mean, so-”
Before they can finish, Tenna’s already scooped them up in a hug. The room is spinning around them, with the TV twirling on his feet.
“That’s wonderful to hear!! I’m so proud you’ve picked a name out, all on your own!!”
He pulls away, still beaming to look at them.
“Now, what is it?”
They tell it to him quietly, and his antennae twitch.
“…”
“…Tens?”
Tenna very pointedly looks away.
“Tens. Is it a bad name??”
“—NO! No, not at all!! It’s-”
He squeezes them a little, still not looking at them. Now that they’re looking at him a little more closely…
“Are you- Are youse tryin not to laugh?!”
They sound like they’re about to laugh themself.
Tenna takes a deep breath, steeling himself as he looks back to face them.
“It’s a great name, Jongler.”
They stare in silence before the both of them start to cackle like madmen.