Inner Torment

"You've begun to suspect what he already knows; that he made the wrong choice. Picked the wrong successor."

That was what Lady Bone Demon had said to MK during their first encounter. Monkey King chose the wrong successor. That was definitely not something MK had been considering since he first picked up that staff. And Lady Bone Demon's words definitely didn't make that doubt 100x worse. Definitely not.

Her words echo throughout MK's mind. I do pity you. Just a piece in a game you cannot possibly comprehend. Kid, what the hell are you doin? If you don't snap outta this, you're fired!

MK snapped out of his daze. "Huh- what?"
There was a very angry Pigsy in front of him. "Are you just gonna stand there holdin a broom, or are you gonna clean with it?"
MK blinked several times, his mind fuzzy from dissociation. You're at work now, MK. Get it together. "Sorry, Pigsy. I just got distracted," he rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit.
Pigsy just scowled at him. "Yeah? Well, I got a noodle shop to open in five. You wanna stare off into space? Do it on your own time, Kid."
"Sorry, Pigsy," MK mumbled, starting to sweep the floor as Pigsy went back to the kitchen.

He tried to play it cool and ignore it, but for some reason Pigsy's words still stung like a bee. Actually, more like a whole swarm of bees, all chasing after him and reminding MK just how utterly useless he is. He ran away. He should've stayed to fight Lady Bone Demon and the Spider Queen. He probably would've lost, but at least he'd have tried. How could he be so stupid? Now Lady Bone Demon is filling his mind up with doubt and he can't focus. He couldn't even sweep the floor without dissociaing, for heavens sake! Why are Pigsy's words affecting him this much? Pigsy's always mean to him, that's just Pigsy. MK knows that Pigsy cares about him, deep down. Maybe Lady Bone Demon was right. If he can't even handle a little banter, how is he meant to replace the Monkey King one day? MK didn't want to think about that possibility. A world where Monkey King is gone, and MK is the world's only line of defense? That would go sour very--

"Kid, the hell is the matter with you?" Pigsy suddenly appeared in front of MK, or maybe he just didn't notice him approaching. "You've been sweeping this one spot a suspicious amount of time. Why can't you focus today? It's not a difficult task," Pigsy scoffed.
"Sorry Pigsy, I know, I just-"
"Yeah, yeah, you're sorry and it won't happen again. Just- Give me the broom and go take a nap or something. You better be fit to drive by 12, ya hear me?" MK nodded and trudged up the stairs, back to his room.

Once he closed his door, MK slid down until he was sitting on the floor and let a long sigh. He knew that all this Lady Bone Demon stuff plaguing his mind was not good, in fact it was actively harmful. What if she attacked? How could he ever hope to defeat her when he can't even focus enough to clean. MK knew almost nothing about this mysterious new villain. What did she even want? Based on the fact she teamed up with the Spider Queen (and.. everything else about that encounter), she was definitely not good news. He wanted to tell Pigsy, but Pigsy is, well, Pigsy. He's not easy to open up to. Maybe Tang or Mei would listen? As much as MK hated to admit it, he needed help. More than just his dignity was at stake here.

MK startled awake at the sound of knocking on his door. "MK?"

He must have fallen asleep on the floor. Begrudgingly standing up, he opened the door. "Hey Mei," MK said through a yawn.

"Hey MK, Pigsy said he sent you up here because 'the Kid is acting weird, I tell ya that much'," Mei said in a shockingly accurate impression of Pigsy.
MK's eyes drifted to the floor in embarrassment. Was he really that hopeless that even Mei had to check up on him? No, she's your friend. Friends check up on friends.
"Oh don't worry about it, I'm fine. Just tired's all." MK flashed a weak smile at her. He technically wasn't lying, but Mei still didn't believe him. She insisted on sitting next to him on the floor until he confessed. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, MK spoke up.
"Mei, do you think- Do you ever wonder-" he took in a deep breath. "I think Monkey King chose the wrong successor."
"Well, you're wrong," Mei said bluntly. "But tell me why."

-----

MK exhaled and put his head in his hands, exhausted from his recount of his recent adventure in the Spider Queen's lair.
"Ok," Mei said. "That's- That's a lot."
MK only hummed in agreement. They stayed there in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. But Mei is hyperactive, even is situations like this, and she abruptly stood up.
"Ok, MK. No more wallowing!" Mei declared. "Let's go down and have some noodles, yeah? We can tell everyone the whole story later. But right now I'm hungry and you're sad. So, noodles!"
MK looked up at Mei and smiled, grabbing her outstretched hand and standing up.

"Piggy!" Mei called from the stairs, jumping down.
"You fix MK yet?" Pigsy said, facing the sink as he washed up.
"Yup! He's really tired but I figured we could have some noodles?"
Pigsy turned to face MK and Mei and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Kids, I can't just give you both free noodles every day. I got a business to run!"
"What was it that Chang'e said, MK?" Mei said.
"Cooking is life, and life is cooking," MK recited.
"Kids, you can't just- Oh, who am I kidding, it works every time. Ya want misua or mi xian?" Pigsy said.

MK and Mei sat at the counter eating their delicious noodles, their faces bright from laughing. Pigsy added sarcastic comments here and there, poking fun at MK's bedhead. Yeah, a word of advice: don't sleep on the floor. MK's pretty sure he got a splinter in his- ear? How is that even possible? Tang and Sandy joined them soon enough, Tang begging for free noodles and Sandy offering to help clean up afterwards. Lady Bone Demon is a problem, but a problem for another day. As long as the gang is together, maybe it will all be ok after all.