Chapter Text
From the very beginning, it has been watching. It's what it was made to do. Always observing, never existing. Not without a purpose beforehand, the task it was made to complete. They sometimes long to step out of the shadows. Without entertaining characters, it can be quite a sad life.
Fortunately for this strange being, they haven't had to worry about that for some time. For its eyes had landed on their favorite character so far. An eccentric green Pippins, dedicating his life to finding a missing person. His theories were all over the place, much like the man himself. He never ran out of something funny, or endearing, to say.
For Friend, you could say it was love at first sight. It followed him everywhere he went, learned everything that was put out in the open. His love for the smallest of details, his quiet and affectionate nature towards those he can call his friends, even his secret identity as Mike. It caught their attention very early on, but they didn't much care for that charismatic persona. Under the mask, he's much more fascinating and desirable. Unfortunately, Battat strongly disagrees. They felt like they were losing him to this idea of Mike that wasn't anywhere near accurate.
Despite this, Friend lost the desire to watch anything, anyone else. He was just so...special. It was like a performance just for them. They wanted more than anything to reach out and feel him, speak to him, ask him hundreds of questions. When he rambles on to others, they can get lost in his voice for hours. Even if what he's saying is completely incorrect.
They had tried to work up the courage a few times. Gave a few hints that something was watching, the very reason behind his biggest obsession just around the corner. But it didn't want to destroy the magic entirely. They knew it would scare him, and as adorable as he undoubtedly would have looked, their heart couldn't help but twist at the thought of being detested by him.
Through its research, it soon realized something horrible. His heart was waiting to be given to another.
This on its own is not the end of the world. Truthfully, they are content with only longing. The issue is...his target of affection.
Mr. Ant Tenna. The one who Battat has been working with as Mike for a few years now, even before his friends decided to help him. While a loveable man on the surface, and on the screen, a quick peek behind the curtain will show you that he's anything but. Short-tempered, demanding, whiny, insecure, egotistical. He likes holding power over his small, useless employees, treating them more like slaves. Most of them are too simple-minded to protest, some would follow him to the ends of the Earth, just for the crumbs of compassion he does give. Unfortunately, Battat is one of those people.
Mike is Tenna's entire world. Without those three picking up the slack, he would have nothing going for him. And yet, he still thinks that he has the right to boss them around. If things aren't perfect, the demon's beloved is usually paying for it somehow. Even if he didn't do anything wrong, he still needs someone to comfort him and put out his fires. Battat does this without any complaints, even when on the verge of collapse. It has seen him struggle to keep his composure, learning to just smile and nod at everything Tenna says and does. If Tenna says it's Mike's fault, than it is. If it was someone else's, Mike has to validate that. If Tenna is hurting, Mike has to drop everything to make him smile again.
They wouldn't wish this role on their worst enemy. Which, as of right now, seems to be Tenna himself. But Battat seems to enjoy his job despite it all. Being the favorite, being relied on more than anyone else, it drives him every single day. With the one-on-one time they often have, Tenna is way more personal and affectionate than should be allowed, making Battat thoughtless and malleable in the CRT's hands. Friend can barely stomach witnessing it. His admiration for Tenna goes beyond anything they've ever seen, no matter how much he tries to push it down. Even his coworkers can see right through it.
Through all of this, Friend has only watched. Watched with one solace, one thing that puts their burning anger at ease.
He is going to die soon. Painfully, abruptly, and exactly as he should. Very few are aware of this, but Friend has known from the very start. Has known the fate of this entire world from the very start. Truly, it shouldn't indulge in something that will be so short-lived. Not even Battat will mean much, eventually. But they're here to have fun, and heaven above, is he fun. Their heart will surely ache with his absence, but that's a defect on their part.
Their one hope is that, at least once, it can truly show their fondness for him. Perhaps they can once Tenna is out of the picture, in a way that he never has.
And soon, in a way he never will.
“He's on his own now! Fuck this!”
That loud declaration from the Pippins rang in Friend's ears one day, and they immediately went to investigate. Battat was throwing his Mike mask onto the floor, struggling to pull the suit off swiftly. His two friends look at him with a pitiful expression.
“Uh– are'ya sure, boss...?” Jongler asks quietly. “Tenna's, uh, not doin' so hot..”
“Yeah, and so what?! He never is! He's gonna keep treating us this way forever!”
He throws his costume all around the area, kicking things and pacing back and forth as he does. Friend quietly wonders what pushed him to his limit, knowing all that he's had to endure.
“Doesn't matter how much we suck up to 'em, how much we do, it's all worthless! If we mean so little to him, he can find out how much he needs us while we're gone!”
A smile of pride forms on the demon's face. It was a bit late for this, considering the circumstances, but what better day to make Tenna alone and miserable than his last?
He deserves nobody in his final moments. No comfort, no reassurance, everything he's built should fall apart completely. His act is getting old, and he knows it. They're all starting to realize the same thing.
“An' I ain't against dat, but...what if he...does somethin' dangerous?”
“I don't care what happens to him,” he spat back. “He can figure it out himself.”
Without another word, he hid himself away in his office, leaving the others even more confused. Friend lingers a bit longer, enough to hear them agree amongst each other.
“We's should...still check on 'em, yeah?”
Pluey nods, and that was that. Even with this agreement, “Mike” had officially quit. Tenna's begging was left unheard.
Through the walls, they find their way to Battat once more. With no obligation to Tenna, maybe it could finally...
Immediately, it is hit with the sight of the Pippin's hard work making a mess on his tile floor, while he was curled up against a wall. Though hiding his face, Friend could hear a few rigid breaths from him, its newfound confidence shrinking into nothing.
Oh, poor thing...
If only you knew just how much you mean to me.
At least this is the last time he would be subjected to Tenna's torment, made to feel this way for someone who doesn't love him like they do. Perhaps this upcoming event would soothe him a bit. It's certainly making Friend feel better.
It became cold in an instant. Something resembling snow fell towards the ground, the lonely atmosphere heavy and suffocating as Darkners transformed into stone statues. It did nothing to dampen Friend's enthusiasm, however. In fact, it was foreshadowing for something it had waited ages for. Every time Tenna had shamed Battat, demanded his attention, sobbed about that damn mailman, its want – no, need for his death grew stronger, until it was overwhelming. Unbearable. It burned in its flesh, knowing that there was nothing it could do. It wanted desperately to speed up the process, to keep their beloved out of harm's way, but the Knight had plans that needed to go smoothly. Once they remembered that, it would scold itself for being so emotional, almost ruining everything for one singular person. Because he's the most fun thing in their life. The only thing that truly matters.
Now, it can have the best of both worlds. It watches with great intrigue as Tenna's destined battle with the heroes began, knowing how it needs to end. The final showdown, which he executes with a certain charisma, every attack a fun game or gimmick, until he's finally broken down into the small and pathetic man he truly is. After everything, the three of them refused to fight back.
Friend scoffs at his woeful story of apparent loneliness, only trying to force the heroes into feeling sorry for him. It has seen this song and dance hundreds of times, the manipulation still working like a charm it seems. Tenna still had people like Battat waiting on him hand and foot. Was that not good enough? Was anything ever going to be? Even as replacements, as rebounds, he couldn't accept anything but his broken family. A family that saw how useless he was, and wasted no time clinging to false hope and nostalgia.
Such a miserable creature. He was never content a day in his life. Why did he have to make it everyone else's problem?
The hopeful monster girl soon shares her own story of isolation, one much more believable and moving. It seems to comfort the CRT, as she foolishly promises that nobody will be abandoned ever again. It snickers to itself, and in that moment, it can see a slowly approaching, threatening darkness. A knight in shining armor, waiting for their cue. It smile widened, begining to tremble uncontrollably as the seconds to the end counted down, and only they wouldn't be thrown for a loop.
They watch Tenna's glee with a careful eye. Watch as he leads the heroes to the “grand prize,” the last person to give up on him. Who has, in the meantime, changed people's lives for the better. For a brief moment, this was a happy family reunion. A glimmer of hope for everyone's future.
Until reality sharpened its blade, and hit a deadly blow. Tenna's arms were sliced clean off, his screen went dark, and he collapsed. There were looks of shock, terror, grief, and...nothing at all. The rest of the event is a blur in the creature's eyes. None of it registers, and none of it matters. In its place, there is a long, piercing laughter that only the most poisonous hate, mixed with the sweetest taste of victory can bring. They're so lost in the bliss, it feels like dying themselves. They have to leave the heroes to their own devices so they don't get caught.
The sight replays over and over in its mind, they find themselves still giggling over it. Tenna would be happy to know that he's brought so much joy to this anonymous audience member!
Except...no, he wouldn't. He can't be anything at all anymore, can he? He can't feel, can't act, can't even exist. He's nothing, and he will stay nothing until the world is covered in darkness.
Tomorrow, perhaps they will finally get the chance to meet Battat face to face. With Tenna off the air, the possibilities seem endless.
He thought things had reached its worst, when Tenna had his breakdown and pushed everyone away. When his only focus became entertaining the heroes, even through force. When Battat, for the first time in his life, didn't play into his delusions. He had to ignore what was going on outside, because he knew that if he saw it, he'd come crawling back. Even if Tenna killed him for it.
He doesn't know why this ruined him like it did. He's used to being bossed around, having Tenna treat them all worse just to look better for his audience, or his own ego. But God, if it didn't hurt to see him self destruct like that. To become the worst version of himself in a way that is usually saved for behind the curtain. His desperation for undying love made him only see a fantasy that he was never going to live, instead of the reality that everyone else was doing everything to make him happy. Not even the most carefree members of TV World could handle it anymore. If only Battat could've stood up for himself like that, before he reached his boiling point. He felt so frustrated. For all of them. They put their all into this performance for the heroes, and at the first sign of pulling away, Tenna had completely lost it.
At first, it was...nice to see Tenna having fun again. And making those kids smile, even to just each other. He deserved this moment of stardom that he's been lacking for years. But sometimes, when he gets too caught up in the spotlight, he's...different. Almost unreachable. Mike becomes less like a friend and more like a servant. Or an emotional support animal.
But Battat was probably just being selfish, anyway. Mike was needed to put out that fire, and he was too focused on his own feelings to care. Knowing that, he still couldn't bring himself to move, or let Tenna's tantrum get him exactly what he wants.
Battat's dealt with it all by now. The neverending sobbing fits about missing Spamton, which make him feel nauseous every single time, the accusations thrown at everyone in his general direction, insisting that everyone's against him. Battat was patient, because he saw himself in those moments of weakness. The anger, the paranoia, the desperation. For so long, he didn't have anyone to care for him the way Mike cared for Tenna. Until he met the others.
Pluey and Jongler set themselves apart in unique ways. Jongler is soft, Pluey is unapologetically weird. Battat has never met any Zapper or Shadowguy like them, and that's probably why they actually enjoy his company, instead of laughing at everything he does. While he was cold to them at first, assuming the worst, he soon realized that their intentions were anything but malicious. For some reason, they wanted him to be in their circle, to be a part of his whole Mike operation. Just for the fun of it.
Those two carried so much of the crippling weight on his shoulders, and he doesn't know where he'd be without them. He's much easier to be around, now that they've actually earned his vulnerability. Even then, he still hasn't completely lost composure in front of them. He almost longs for it sometimes, but would rather drown in his isolation before he lets his only friends see him act so pathetically. He's Mike, for heaven's sake! He can't be the one losing control!
...
All this to say, everything fell apart the moment he quit for the three of them, and he was none the wiser. Since he'd rather sit and sulk, Pluey had to barge into his room and tell him what he missed out on, a frantic and sobbing mess.
1. Jongler had turned to stone.
2. Tenna was dead.
In that moment, his frustration melted into a guilt that, after a few quick breaths, caused him to gag.
“What– what do you...what happened?!”
Pluey, without another word, grabbed Battat's hand and took him to the live footage of something he could only imagine in his nightmares. A fight between the three heroes and the Roaring Knight, with Tenna lifeless on the ground, completely ignored. His arms were detached from his body, cut wires poking from the ends. His screen was cracked, antennas bent, and right in front of the two of them was an unresponsive Jongler. Battat was so dizzy that he didn't even notice them at first. Once he did, he jumped, eyes wide as he felt the side of Jongler's face with his hand. It was ice cold.
“Oh my God.”
This all happened while he was gone. When he wasn't looking. When he left Tenna. This is what became of him after being abandoned by the one who promised to stay forever.
His grip got tighter. His breathing got louder. Pluey's grief-stricken whimpers turn into an echo, and...
He bolted in the opposite direction. Pluey shrieked, catching up enough to desperately pull him back by his poncho.
“We have to go back for him! We can still fix it!”
He never should've left.
It's all his fault.
If Mike was still here, then...
Pluey protested further, tightening their grip with everything they had as he was pulled back to where he started. The longer he stayed away from Tenna's side, the more careless he got, trying to push them away to no avail.
“Let go of me!” He cried out, and the other's sobs and screams got louder as they clenched onto Battat's body like their lives both depended on it. They gestured towards the battle that was still ongoing.
“I don't care! I can't leave him like this! Pluey!”
The Shadowguy grabbed the wrists that were threatening to claw at them, holding them together. He was finally brought to frustrated tears as he kept trying to break free. He was soon pinned to the wall, powerless to stop it as Pluey's weight presses onto his. Their lips tremble as he continues to squirm.
“I have to–! Damn it, Pluey! We're the only ones who can help him!”
One hand meets his face, turning it to Jongler's frozen figure. He shuts his eyes closed, but the message was clear. Especially as Pluey suddenly let go of his wrists altogether, but pulled him into a tight embrace, crying in his shoulder.
We aren't leaving them.
I'm not losing you, too.
We stay together.
Whatever happens after this, we are staying together!
Battat's body threatened to fall over at any moment. Like he was being spun over and over. He felt so...cold. So empty.
Pluey doesn't get it at all.
None of this had to happen.
This...is all his fault.
This is his punishment for leaving.
Someone's dead because of him.
And if it had to be anyone, it should've been him.
...
But he doesn't say that to them. He doesn't say anything.
He's completely still, like the stone next to him that used to be one of his best friends. And the other is clinging to him before he dares to slip away again.
There is not a single person that matters to him, who he didn't fail.
Friend was still feeling the high of Tenna's death. So much so that it did not see the aftermath of the Roaring Knight's sudden appearance, nor did it care to know. TV World had turned into a distant memory, and its citizens were relocated to Castle Town. Well, some of them, anyway. Friend had made sure that the “Mikes” made it to the other side, not caring for much else. When they had peeked into the room, they were surprised to see Battat and the Shadowguy wrapped around the Zapper's arms, a mix of relief and sorrow on their faces.
This is quite the transition, they reluctantly admit to themselves. Realistically, nobody is going to be as amused by Tenna's death as they are. Especially not his favorite playthings. That doesn't even go into the fact that they just lost their home. Not that Friend thinks it was anything special.
Still, it gave him his space. If a miracle soon happens, then they have all the time left in the world to know each other!
...
When they did cross paths again, many hours later, Friend saw something very interesting.
Tenna's body was on the floor of Mike's room, Battat on his knees surrounded by various tools and parts. He was mumbling things under his breath, like “c'mon, c'mon...” and “buncha useless idiots!”
The arms were starting to have wires reconnected to his torso, held back together with brand new casing. Mike was responsible for some of Tenna's basic maintenance in the past, so he's not going into this completely blind. But he isn't nearly skilled enough to tackle this on his own, and he tries anyway. Friend's smile, which they assumed would last forever, quickly drops. Every movement he made was careful, full of a persistence that wouldn't die. Even when his body hovered, when his eyes threatened to close, when he would accidentally send a shock to his fingers. Despite not wanting anything to do with him just moments ago, he was making good progress so far, and showed no signs of wanting to stop. This filled the creature with endless confusion and dread. Why was he doing this to himself? Why was he not able to hesitate helping for even a moment?
The Lightners weren't able to fix Tenna. The monster tried to convince the saved Darkners to contribute, but they were hesitant to even attempt it, for whatever reason. Maybe they simply hated him that much. Still, the useless scrap metal was brought back with the rest of them, perhaps with the hope that someone would eventually step in and fix him.
That someone, to their horror, ended up being Battat, without anyone's approval. Nor the other Mikes, if they had to guess. For now, he was alone, having to stop himself every now and then to breathe.
They watched uncomfortably, but couldn't look away. His hands were trembling as he made each incision, and reality set in with what was about to happen. Tenna was going to come back and take everything away from them. The status quo will return, with Battat following him around like a lost puppy, leaving no room for the Pippins' secret admirer who longs to make itself known.
The first thing that came to their mind was to make the CRT unfixable, ripping him into millions upon millions of broken parts and throwing him out where he belongs. Ah, wouldn't that be nice? That might be exactly what they do!
They just have to wait until his back his turned, and...
Battat lets something slip out of his hands, his eyes dead as they stared at the machine below him. He tiredly mumbles something to it, voice weak.
“Please. Please work. Please.”
...Hm.
This is...an ugly sight, they immediately think. Even in death, Tenna is able to force Battat to give him everything he has. He's close to tears before anything has even happened, and Friend's rage towards the corpse softens in favor of the one fixing him.
Battat hovers his finger over the power button, building up the nerve to press it. In that time, Friend has an important decision to make.
Let Tenna be revived, and put up with his existence for however long he stays here. Or break him completely, leaving Battat with a heavy grief for someone that doesn't deserve to be missed.
Before they can decide, Battat pauses, eyes going wide before he suddenly stands up and walks off somewhere, leaving them more time to decide. Both options don't seem favorable.
They wish he could see what they do. That Tenna is simply not worth the effort, and never will be. Unfortunately, death does not erase one's impact on others. Even if that would be best for everyone. It's Battat's love for the man that caused this problem. They will never stop playing a major role in each other's lives. Which is...troublesome.
...
They slowly make themselves visible, feeling their paws on the floor as they approach the better, but not perfectly rebuilt, Tenna.
This is who Battat will always prioritize. Who he will always love, despite not even wanting to. Friend is still a stranger to him. A stranger who has seen everything it wishes to, who has rooted for him since the very start. It has seen him fall, get back up, and create a better world for himself. And at the center of it all, was Ant Tenna. The one both pulling him back and pushing him forward, forever stuck in a prison of his own making.
They cannot fully understand this devotion. But it clearly isn't going anywhere. The best that they can do is...work around it.
A paw touches the side of his casing curiously. They wonder, if this is enough to fix him, what his reaction would be. Would he be grateful? Unintelligible? Or would he simply yell at Mike for abandoning him in his time of need? They aren't sure if they could see that without intervening.
They see their face in the reflection of his screen. Being mostly pure darkness, their eyes can be mistaken for the only thing present. They move their head up slightly, and it's as though it has taken his face, wearing his body like a costume. As they are face to face, it's forced to think of everything it hates about this man.
...
He has no idea...how lucky he is.
To know you.
To see you.
To talk to you.
To be cared for, by you.
To be loved, by you.
Even like this.
What I would do to be in his position.
If it were me, I would've...
...
If it...were me...
The more they think about it, the wider their eyes grow in the reflection. The idea that it could be them, somehow. If it could just...make it so.
If it could just...
They hear a door click open, stopping their train of thought. Without thinking, they become one with the body that disgusts them inside and out. They feel nothing, see nothing, hear nothing. They are completely vulnerable and paralyzed. But it doesn't last long.
His screen flickers on, granting them vision. All at once, they're hit with all of their senses at full force, and the first thing they are greeted to...
...is Mike.
Instinctively, it gasps, and he does the same. His voice hesitantly calls out to them, full of relief.
“...Tenna...?”
It was undoubtedly Battat's voice, not the one he puts on for the character. Friend opens its mouth, and an uncomfortable shiver goes down its spine. No words want to come out of a throat that's not theirs, a voice that it can't stand to listen to. The body rejects them entirely, and they feel sick.
A gloved hand touches their face, and it makes them jolt. It's not their body, but...it can still feel him. And it causes an electrical heat throughout their system. Because of the silence, he has to keep talking, now remembering to change his voice.
“Boss? Tenna, can you hear me?”
They look towards him, and smile without thinking. They only realize they're doing it when they hear Battat gasp again, extremely gentle.
“...Mike?” Its confusion is almost genuine, having to hesitate so they don't let the wrong name slip out. He pulls away from shock, the contact immediately missed. One hand is now covering his mouth, as the feeling of nerves and elation cycle through each heavy breath. He's shaking like he's the one just waking up from a medical procedure, barely still living. Eventually, his arms desperately wrap around their shoulders.
“I'm so sorry–” He chokes out. “I shouldn't have left, I swear I'm gonna fix it, I'm so sorry Tenna–”
They can feel something racing against their mechanical chest, followed by a growing need to hold him. Something about the action feels...inappropriate, knowing who he thinks he's talking to. Who they have now become.
Experimentally, they wiggle the tips of their fingers, slowly gaining control of their entire hand. They continue these short bursts of movement, just enough to inch its hand towards his back. Their limbs are flimsy, and they can pick up on some light clanking of metal, but just having him this close feels absolutely incredible.
“Shhh,” they soothe. “Not another word. It's okay, Mike. It's okay. We'll talk about it later.” There is no other way the conversation will end but in compassion and understanding. Something the real Tenna wouldn't have given, surely. He nods, pulling away after another minute.
“I, uh– still have some stuff to do,” he admits. “How are you feeling..?”
“Oh, I'm just perfect.” Given their current situation, it sounds extremely sarcastic, even though they mean every word. “Thank you, Mike.”
There's a brief pause, before he goes to grab some random tool.
“It's...no problem, boss. It's what I'm here for.” He continues to work on the arms, not shaking as much as before. “I had some help, y'know. They're, uh...out right now.”
They can't help but let out a chuckle. These three have been keeping this secret for so long, haven't they? It's strange that Tenna never noticed it. Though, that does leave Friend with an interesting predicament.
They want to be closer to Battat, not Mike. But Tenna only knows Mike on a personal level. And they aren't even guaranteed to see Battat all the time. They feel completely indifferent towards the other two, if not a similar envy that Tenna makes them feel.
...Guess the only solution is to end this little game, right? They were only doing this for him, after all. Might as well leave some room for honesty in this strange arrangement.
That will come later. For now, they will enjoy the first time alone these two have truly possessed, gaining more control as the upgrades piled up. Watching him fix this body is like all the times it would watch him work on hundreds of other projects. It filled their heart with joy, a sense of comfort in this tense situation.
A loud part of them was trying to push themselves free from this barely working prison. But the remaining parts of them, despite the uncertainty, saw this for what it was. An opportunity, perhaps its only one, to give both of them the love they desire. To close the gap between them that has existed for so long. Even if it's only an illusion, Battat feeling comfortable yet bashful in its presence, by its words, is an indescribable feeling. And that feeling is worth the inherent disgust that comes with what it must do to achieve it.
...Maybe they can't be Tenna. Not really. But from what they've seen, they can't imagine why they'd want to. Not when they know they can be so much better.
In the silence, their mind wanders, full of hopeful ideas. Everything it now has the opportunity to do, in order to show how much they love him.
If it were me.
There would be no need for you.