"That was a good meal." Cherry said.
"I'm stuffed." Atticus added.
They soon saw Luna coming back.
"Did you find someone for Atticus?" Cherry asked Luna.
"I sure did." Luna said.
"Great, who is it?" Atticus asked.
"Come on out, buddy and meet your new trainee." Luna called out to the man she had in mind to train Atticus while she would train Cherry.
'I wonder who's going to train me?' Atticus thought to himself.
A masked man came toward Atticus. Cherry zipped behind Atticus as she felt anxious about this man.
"Atticus Fudo, meet Scorpion." Luna introduced.
"Pleased to meet you." Atticus said to the masked man.
Scorpion bowed to Atticus.
Cherry shivered nervously. "Scorpion..." she muttered to the masked man.
"It's okay, Cherry, he won't hurt me or you." Atticus smiled calmly.
Cherry smiled nervously to Scorpion.
"You remind me of myself at your age." Scorpion spoke to Atticus.
"Really?" Atticus smiled.
"Oh, yes," Scorpion replied. "I hope you enjoy your good night sleep tonight, because it'll be the last one for a long while."
"Yes, sir!" Atticus saluted.
"I like you already, let's see if you can live up to my expectations." Scorpion replied.
"I won't disappoint you, sir." Atticus saluted.
"You better not," Scorpion replied. "I don't take lightly to disappointments."
"And I never disappoint anyone," Atticus said. "Well, at times I do, but not all the time."
"You better not with me." Scorpion told him firmly.
"Uh, yes, sir." Atticus replied.
"Good." Scorpion nodded firmly.
Atticus looked up at Scorpion and soon saw as he left.
Cherry shook chills all around her body. "Scorpion always gives me the willies, ironically, Sub Zero is the cold one."
"He's a perfect trainer for you, Atticus." Luna said.
"I just hope I can appease him." Atticus replied.
"Better you than me." Cherry smirked.
"Gee, thanks." Atticus said, unimpressed.
Luna soon showed Cherry and Atticus where she and the others slept where they also unpacked.
"I hope this is comfortable enough for you all." Luna told them.
"It's comfortable." Atticus said.
"It'll do." Cherry added.
"If there is anything you should ever need, come find one of us." Sonya instructed.
"You got it." Atticus said.
"Get some rest, you guys will need it." Luna advised.
Cherry and Atticus soon settled in as they felt quite tired after a long journey away from home, and where they would need it. Cherry and Atticus fell fast asleep that night as they wondered what it would be like to fight in Mortal Kombat and not just in the video games, but this was real life, to them anyhow.
The next day soon came. Cherry and Atticus were at peace until they were yelled out of bed to wake up to start their training and the sun was just now coming up.
"Ugh... Do we have to get up now?" Cherry groaned. "The sun's not even awake yet..."
"Well, you should've thought about that before you kissed Mommy goodbye back home." Luna teased.
"Alright, we're getting up now." Atticus said.
Cherry grabbed onto her bed and stood up, looking a little miserable that her sleep was interrupted. "Why so early in the morning?"
"Better get used to it, Missy." Luna smirked.
"Trust me," Atticus said. "This is nothing."
"Hurry up and get moving." Luna replied.
"What about breakfast?" Cherry asked.
"Real combat specialists don't eat breakfast until an hour or two after warm-ups." Luna replied.
"I learned that the hard way during Royal Guard training." Atticus said.
Cherry groaned as she knew this would be a lot of work for herself.
Luna and Scorpion soon watched Cherry and Atticus at work as they did jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, sprints, and crunches.
"I can't do this..." Cherry groaned as she fell on the floor while sweating. "I feel like I'm in gym class when Drell substitutes."
"Come on, Cherry, keep going!" Atticus said.
Cherry groaned as she tried to do what she could. Scorpion even sat on Atticus's back which was of course no trouble for him, though Cherry seemed to struggle with Luna on her back.
"Oh, come on, how is this fair?!" The perky goth asked out of pain.
"No pain no gain, Cherry." Luna advised.
"I've been in pain for SIX HOURS!" Cherry complained. "When can I stop?!"
"Keep going, I'll tell you when to stop." Luna told her.
Cherry groaned and soon kept pushing against her will.
Later on...
"Aaaand... Stop!" Scorpion told Atticus who didn't even look tired.
"Really?" Atticus asked.
"You don't even look tired..." Scorpion replied. "I'm impressed."
"He has trained under Goku." Luna said to him.
"Yeah, and trust me, he's way more strict than just these exercises." Atticus said.
"Okay, time for breakfast." Scorpion told the others.
"Finally..." Cherry groaned. "I'm starving."
They soon had breakfast. Cherry smiled peacefully as she made a ham, bacon, and egg sandwich with biscuits before digging right in. Atticus sipped his water and had some bacon himself.
"So, these are the new kids..." A man said before the two turned around and they saw that it was Johnny Cage. "Let's hope they don't suffer any miserable fatalities."
"Oh, we won't." Atticus said as he finished his breakfast.
Johnny chuckled. "I'd like to see what you're made of."
"I guarantee it won't be easy." Atticus smirked.
"Oh, really?" Johnny smirked back as he towered over him.
"Oh, yeah." Atticus replied as he stood up from his seat.
'Atticus, don't..." Cherry spoke nervously. "Oh, boy, this can't end well."
"Show me what you got, boy." Johnny smirked to Atticus.
"Oh, I sure will." Atticus smirked back.
"I'd like to see you try." Johnny laughed as he roughly ruffled up Atticus's hair.
"You'll see what I can do." Atticus said.
Johnny chuckled.
"He's under my wing, Cage." Scorpion told Johnny.
"Oh, then I better hide under my bed from a little boy." Johnny replied.
'I hope I get to face him in my first match.' Atticus thought to himself.
After breakfast, Luna and Scorpion taught Cherry and Atticus their best moves and had practice fights with them before they would move onto the other fights in the world of Mortal Kombat, and where they would need it for the fights ahead.
"Come on, Cherry, you need to buck up." Luna told the perky goth.
"I don't get it," Cherry frowned. "I can fight great in my video games, but why can't I fight like I do with you guys in the games? I guess Drell was right about me... I'm just a spineless little duchess of darkness who's going to spend her whole life getting walked over."
"No, he was wrong." Atticus said.
"I can't fight..." Cherry sighed.
"You usually play your best Mortal Kombat when you're angry..." Atticus encouraged. "Try to think of something that makes you angry."
"Okay." Cherry shrugged.
"Hmm... What are some things that make you angry?" Luna asked. "I don't know this Drell person, but he seems to make you very angry."
Cherry soon glared at the mention of the warlock while shaking her hands as they balled up into fists. That seemed to give Luna an idea.
"I'll get you some chocolate later." Atticus told Cherry.
"No, I need meat." Cherry replied.'
"All right, I'll get you boneless chicken wings..." Atticus nodded as he took note of that for later.
"Alright, Cherry, focus on your hatred towards Drell." Luna said.
"What?!" Cherry asked.
"I know he must make you angry, but maybe you can channel that anger towards your own fighting..." Luna encouraged. "Think of the last time he really pushed your buttons."
"Oh, that's easy." Cherry glared.
"Channel that anger." Luna advised.
Cherry thought back to before she and Atticus came here about how Drell put her down about not being ready to fight on her own like Atticus and Mo could and she even seemed to turn bright pink in the face from hatred.
"And now let out all of your anger." Luna said.
Cherry concentrated hard as she thought back to training before coming with Atticus to this place, though her imagination was a bit exaggerated.
"Oh, Atticus, I'm so proud of you, you're my best student ever!" Drell beamed.
"I wish I could be strong and independent too!" Cherry cried like a baby.
"Don't cry, Cherry, maybe someday you'll be as cool and powerful as your best friend," Drell smirked. "But... Probably not~"
"Leave her alone, Drell." Atticus said.
"Aw, look, you get all mad, but you can't do anything..." Drell smirked to Cherry before poking her over and over.
"Stop it!" Cherry glared.
"What're you gonna do?" Drell mocked before laughing.
Cherry's eyes twitched and she soon squeezed her eyes shut and began to fight against Luna in perfection, and where Luna was rather impressed.
Cherry soon woke up and realized what she did. "I-I'm sorry, Luna, I didn't mean to..." she stammered nervously. "I didn't mean to get so aggressive like that, I'm so sorry!"
"Don't be," Luna smiled. "That was amazing."
"Really?" Cherry smiled back.
"Really." Luna smiled sincerely with a nod.
Cherry smiled back as she was now proud of herself and the training could really begin now. Raiden watched from afar as Cherry and Atticus were being trained by Scorpion and Luna to learn how to fight for themselves. Atticus could tell they were being watched, but didn't let that stop him.