The Fiend. Mike had been watching him, uncomfortable and tense during his segments. They were so creepy and demented, and he feels it even sharper now, being a father himself. Segments like that could lead to brainwashed children, or... who knows what. Part of him is glad George and Sara are still so young, that AJ can control the narrative behind what they see on TV just a little more easier than how things will be when Sara is old enough to properly make sense of things. Mike shakes his head and tries to breathe as MizTV is taken over quickly by the music of the Firefly Fun House, and he wishes, for a minute, Daniel could put aside all of the nonsense that went wrong between them all of those years before and do something meaningful, but apparently not.
Even the almost silly exchange between Daniel and Bray leaves uncomfortable tingles up and down Mike's arms and later, when they're backstage once more, the show over for the night, he's drawn by impulse and reaches out to snag his former rookie's arm. "Excuse you," Daniel snaps, clearly on edge after how his time on MizTV went.
"No, excuse you," Mike responds tensely. "I don't know what game you think you're playing with all of this, but it's not really anything to take so lightly. I know what Bray Wyatt's capable of. Do you even remember what he did to me? Huh?"
Daniel stares at him, the lack of response eating at Mike. "Well, I'm sure you're going to tell me either way," he says.
"They abducted me," Mike says. "Beat me down, dragged me into the darkest, most unused corner of the arena they could find, and they chained me to a fence and scrawled LIAR across my chest. If Tamina and AJ hadn't found me when they did..." His voice fails him, a distant look in his eye, and Daniel exhales. "I'm just saying. We're both fathers now, we have to take these things into consideration."
"Don't- don't mention Birdy," Daniel warns him. "She has nothing to do with this."
"You honestly think Bray won't target her?" Mike asks incredulously. "Or just having to see her daddy wrestle the big scary man with the funny puppets won't affect her? Brian, all of this needs to be considered." He stares at him with sad, wide eyes. "They're all so small, and so vulnerable."
Daniel groans. "Don't you think I know that?" he snaps. "I'm trying my best to protect her, and Brie. I don't need you harassing me backstage about it. Focus on your own issues, Mike."
Mike chews angrily on his lower lip as Brian storms past him, pointedly ramming into his shoulder before continuing on his way. "Stupid ass, never could just listen to me. I know what I'm talking about, Daniel!" he yells.
No response comes and he shakes his head viciously. "Pride comes before the fall," he mutters, trudging away.
It's a relief to go back home, cuddle Sara and George close and listen to their breathing while AJ kneels close by and runs her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. "He'll have to learn the hard way," she murmurs, kissing his forehead.
"I know. I hate it, though," Mike says, leaning into her warmth. "I do have some experience in these things. Why can't he just accept that sometimes I know more than he does? Why does it always have to be a competition?"
AJ shrugs aimlessly and hoists George out of his arms when he begins to fuss and whimper. "I'm not sure," she says. "Still holding onto old gripes from NXT days, I guess." She cups Mike's face with her free hand and smiles faintly at him. "But that's not on you. You're a much different man than you were back then. If he can't see it, that's his problem, not yours."
Mike sighs. Strokes Sara's forehead as she dozes in his lap. "I love you," he whispers to AJ and she beams at him.
"Love you too, husband," she says, kissing him softly. "It'll be alright, one way or another. Don't worry about it right now."
He closes his eyes and exhales, wishing it was as easy as that to do so.