partners in crime - a tacophone fic

chapter 21 - you're welcome.

Microphone. I need to speak with you, I think this is serious. My arms.. they.. they're stuck and I can't get them out of this piece of scrap metal!
Is... What I would say if I wasn't bitter at the moment. You see, these arms have a locking mechanism that are bit different than my other machines. When it attaches to someone's arms, it connects to the nerves, which in turn make it function just like an arm. The only way to remove it is to push these red buttons on the control panels on both arms and it releases them.
I've pressed the buttons about fifteen times with both arms and even asked the hosts to try and help get them off but it's all been fruitless. Guess we are going to have to go with another plan. Which is why I'm standing in front of Microphone right now.
"Microphone, I know you hold a bit of a grudge against me right now, which is perfect, because I'm gonna need you to do something for me, and it's going to have to take someone who will completely disregard my well-being and follow through in order to accomplish my goal."
She rolls her eyes at that last part.
"What do you want, Test Tube?"
"Follow me to the lab and I will proceed with further instructions."
She looks at me funny for a minute, trying to find out what I want her to do for me just by studying my face but it fails. My poker face is strong.
"Alright then..." She says to me quizzically.
She's probably only agreeing because she felt bad about not helping me earlier. She wants to make amends I assume.
I hang my head low wishing I didn't take this chance in the first place.
I walk to my lab, hoping she will follow suit.
She does.
"Um, Test Tube, can I ask what I'm about to participate in?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you until after you enter my lab."
"Why?"
"Just because." I say to her, trying to convey zero clues to what I'm about to put her though.
It's silence after that.
Recently I've been making decisions without thinking, being stupid and dumb and never even giving a single thought about the consequences. I think I deserve whats about to happen.
I enter the code in and we both get pulled into my lab.
I hit the red button next to the door on my way in discreetly.
She crosses her arms and waits for me to talk. Here goes nothing.

"Microphone, I'm going to need you to break my arms."

"BREAK YOUR ARMS??? I'M NOT GOING TO BREAK YOUR ARMS TEST TUBE!"
"It has to happen Mic."
"I'm leaving-
"No you're not. You're locked in. Break my arms and get it over with please."
I open my toolbox and toss her the hammer. She doesn't even attempt to catch it and the hammer cracks my tile as it hits the floor.
"I'm going to explain something to you Microphone. If I leave these mechanical things on while they're still malfunctioning and do anything with them my arms will eventually stop working completely. If you break my arms right now, there is a chance I might be able to regain feeling in my arms again, so I'm going to need you to break them."
"Can't you just... fix the robot arms or something?!?!?"
"How Microphone? Both of the arms are on. If I strain myself even harder my arms will fail to function at all. Break my arms."
"No."
"Why not?" Maybe if I can pinpoint the problem and eradicate it Microphone will have no problems following through.
"Because you're my friend! I can't just break your arms! Are you insane Test Tube?"
"What if I make it easier for you? We aren't friends anymore. There. Now will you do it?"
"NO!"
We look at eachother for a brief second. Microphone has disbelief strewn across her face.
"Microphone, I will suffer even more if you don't do this."
"There's gotta be a way that doesn't just give up all hope though!"
She walks towards my arms and starts to press random buttons. Nothing happens.
"The controls aren't working, that won't do anything at all you know."
"We have to at least TRY!"
after a few minutes, still nothing.
"I won't hold a grudge against you, Microphone."
"I know but-
"Just break them. Don't think about them as my arms, just think of them as pieces of metal."
She lifts the hammer up in an attempt to try and listen to me but drops it onto the ground seconds later. The tile from earlier is shattered even more now.
"You're the only other person here Microphone YOU HAVE TO BREAK MY ARMS!"
"I CANT TEST TUBE! ITS ALL TOO MUCH!"
"FINE THEN!"
I know this is a big risk to take, but I'm willing to have one good arm rather than than two unusable ones.
"Test Tube DONT!"
I lift the hammer off of the ground and onto one of my tables.
"You won't so I will."
I raise my left arm, it starts to make those weird noises again and sparks fly from the joint socket. I put my right arm on the table, here goes nothing.
I slam down as hard as I can on my right arm. "OW!"
The metal bent and cracked a little, but it's going to take more than one hit to accomplish this. I really need Microphone's help.
"If you really want to be my friend again, pick up the hammer and start hammering at my arm.
She reluctantly comes over to me and picks up the hammer.
She hits my right arm a bit and it doesn't do anything but leave a tiny dent next to the previous one I made.
"Put more force into it Microphone! It's not as fragile as you think."
She closes her eyes and hits, hard.
Again, and again, and again, she's starting to tear up, her eyes are sealed shut. The hammer is cracking and destroying the gadget, along with my arm. It hurts like hell until my arm actually breaks and I can't feel anything anymore. I try to keep it together mentally and mic makes one big final hit. The whole gadget splits in two like a fault in the earth. She puts the hammer down and puts her head in her hands.
"This is all too much Test Tube-
"Just one more arm Microphone, please?"
She takes one deep breath and wipes her eyes, trying to calm her nerves, and picks up the hammer one final time.
"Do you promise not to hate me for this later?"
"I will not hold anything against you Microphone. This has to happen."
She looks at my arm, trying to prepare herself.
"Alright then, here goes!" She says with more vigor than before.
It takes about two hits for my left arm to break. The last one it took six.
I'll have to learn to write again, to hold things again, it's going to be a long process of recovery... Unless... No. I've taken one too many chances today.
About five more hits in the machine cracks.
my arms are freed.
"Can I leave now? Please?"
"Red button next to my door, press it and you're out of here."
"Okay then."
"Oh and Microphone? Thanks for the help."
I smile at her and try to show genuine happyness, but she looks at me with sadness in her eyes.
"You're welcome."