"Hey, Wendy?" Mike called coming up to the red-headed teen just as she finished her shift in the Mystery Shack. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you…"

"What is it, Cy?" Wendy replied with a lazy grin. "I can't exactly answer you if you don't spit it out."

"Well…" Mike hesitated for a moment as he tried to figure out how to word his request. "I want to get better at fighting… hand to hand specifically, but I can't exactly sign up for a normal self-defense class because of… everything… you're one of the best fighters I know, especially considering you've survived the apocalypse and have taken down all sorts of monsters. If anyone can teach me how to be a better fighter while minimizing the risk of me accidentally hurting them it's you. But only if you want to! Don't feel pressured to help me if you don't…"

"Dude! Chill!" Wendy cut in with a laugh, giving Mike a playful punch. "I'm happy to help you out without all the flattering, though I do appreciate hearing how awesome I am. I'm always happy to wipe the floor with a willing volunteer. When do you want to start?"

"Um… whatever works best for you," Mike replied with a shrug. "My schedule is pretty flexible so I'm willing to work around your obligations."

"Cool, then let's head to the backyard," Wendy said, putting her stuff down.

"Wa- now?!" Mike said in surprise and confusion, not expecting that immediate of a result.

"I don't have any plans today and the sooner I can see where you're at the sooner I can figure out what to teach," Wendy replied easily. "So if you're ready to eat grass, we might as well start."

Mike was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake as he hesitantly followed Wendy outside. They stood facing each and dropped into ready stances. Since this was just supposed to be a demonstration of Mike's fighting knowledge and abilities, Wendy let Mike throw the first punch, dodging the attack and grabbing his arm so she could examine his fist.

"Good, you know the right way to make a fist," Wendy commented as she let go, ducking under his next strike and blocking the one after that. "Your stance isn't half bad, though I can tell you're still getting used to your new weight and balance. Do you have a lot of experience fighting?"

"Sort of," Mike grunted as he failed to block Wendy's return blow to his shoulder. "I got into a lot of fights as a teen, but that was pretty much it. I wouldn't consider my encounters with the haunted animatronics fights…"

"No… but doing everything you can to survive is an important lesson," Wendy said, flipping over Mike and kicking him in the back. "Because there are no rules when it comes to a fight for your life. Fight dirty and with anything and everything you've got."

"Got it…" Mike wheezed as Wendy pinned him down. The redhead let him up and they started another round.

They were at that for a while, Mike trying to beat Wendy with the girl occasionally giving tips or stopping them to correct Mike's footing or movements.

"You've got to stop holding back," Wendy complained as she pinned Mike once again for the dozenth time. "Your cybernetics make you stronger and faster than most humans and you should use that to your advantage. And I get it… you don't want to hurt me or anyone else and that's a valid concern, but you aren't going to learn to properly regulate yourself until you learn to use all you've got. And let me remind you, I kept up with your cyborg ass when the demonic robot was in control and legit trying to kill me. So come on Cy! Give me a real challenge!"

"Right," Mike agreed, determination filling him as he rose to his feet once more and wiped dirt from his face. The redhead was right, Mike did need to stop holding back and learn to fight with his full strength. That was why he had sought out Wendy after all, because the lumber jill could easily handle anything he could throw at her.

Taking a deep breath, Mike force himself to lose the tension of holding himself back and widened his stance in preparation for his next attack. Mike dug his feet into the ground and launched himself at Wendy, moving faster than humanly possible thanks to his animatronic legs. Wendy was still far more skilled than Mike and easily dodged out of the way. Not used to moving at those speeds, Mike stumbled when his punch didn't connect and almost faceplanted, but he recovered in time.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Wendy laughed in excitement. "Of course, you've got a long way before you can even come close to my level and I doubt you'll ever top my skills, but you defiantly have the potential to be a close second."

"Oh, I'm going to make you eat those words," Mike smirked, his eyes glowing slightly brighter in his excitement as he got ready for his next move. "Someday I'll be able to beat you more often than you can beat me."

"We'll just have to see about that tin can," Wendy replied, launching a surprise attack of her own. Mike barely managed to dodge before launching himself at her once again.

They only went for a few more rounds before calling it quits for the night. Like Wendy had said, Mike hadn't been able to beat or land a solid blow on her, but these current spars weren't about that yet. Right now it was about getting Mike to actually use his animatronic limbs to their full potential and already he had been making visible progress. He was starting to react faster to match the speeds he could move at and was able to move more smoothly. He still had a long way to go, but he was on the road to becoming a great fighter.

"Not bad for a first day Cy," Wendy complimented as they sat on the porch steps to rest, having Pit Colas to help cool down. "You actually got me to work up a bit of a sweat."

"Nice to know my fighting prowess barely qualifies as a workout," Mike snorted, chugging his drink and grabbing another one from the cooler. "But I do feel better about this whole thing though."

"Something that'll help is to find a way to just cut loose and see what you can do with your abilities," Wendy suggested. "Go running through the woods and turn it into your personal parkour course. Use your wires to help you climb and swing through the trees. See if you have the strength to break trees or crack stones. Yeah, you're bound to get a little banged up, but you'll have no better way of finding out what your limits are."

"You know what, I think I will," Mike said, already thinking over what he could do or try out. "And then maybe next time I'll manage to get a few good hits on you."

"Ha! In your dreams," Wendy laughed. "But if you keep up the good work, maybe you will in a month or so. And someday I want us to really go all out. That means everything you've got, wires, claws, everything and I won't hold back either. It'll be epic."

"Looking forward to it," Mike replied, feeling excited for when that day would come. The two shared a fist bump, both as a sign of their friendship and a promise to strive for their shared goal.