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Naruto: Training is My Ninja Way
The whole Magic Amy savage doppelgänger saga was pretty much wrapped up. The trap was set, and now it was just a matter of letting time do its thing. If this Jennifer Peterson wasn't ruthless enough, they'd just swap her out for someone tougher. In the heart of this multiverse, there's no shortage of hardcore players.
Adam and crew stayed behind the scenes, giving a little nudge here and there—zero risk of getting caught. As long as they didn't pull a classic villain move—y'know, swaggering out with an "I've already won!" vibe, spilling their whole plan to the enemy, and handing them a golden chance to turn the tables—they were golden. Open attacks are easy to dodge; it's the hidden arrows that get you. Marla Grayson might slip through once, but every time? No way. And Adam's team? They could keep this game going forever.
Juno and Karen headed back to Boston, while Adam got a call from Ted.
Nighttime. Old Friends Bar
"Ahh, oww, ugh…" Matthew shuffled like a zombie, inching toward his beer mug, groaning in pain. "Damn it! I'm never going back!"
"Come on, it's just the beginning—don't quit now! Working out's good for all of us," Ted said, trying to pep him up. "I called Adam. He'll check you out when he gets here. Those trainers are pros—they won't wreck you."
"Easy for you to say—you're not the one who almost died!" Matthew whined, every muscle screaming. Lily had to feed him his beer, and he looked pitiful doing it. Then he paused, squinting at Ted. "Wait a sec… didn't you start working out too? How come you're fine?"
"Uh…" Ted froze, but then he spotted Adam walking in and waved him over quick. "Adam! Over here!" He pivoted fast. "Get him to check you out!"
"Adam…" Matthew's focus shifted smoothly, and he turned his head—slowly, painfully—toward Adam. This 6'3" giant looked like he was about to bawl.
"What's going on?" Adam asked, startled.
"It's all Tracy's fault!" Matthew spat out the name through gritted teeth.
"His fitness coach. A total beast of a woman," Lily said with a shrug.
"Beast? She's the devil!" Matthew yelped. "Adam, listen—my first day, she told me to do 100 push-ups. I thought it was a figure of speech, but nope! I hesitated for a second, and she sniffed the air like a creep and goes, 'You smell that? I think a little bitch just walked into my gym!' Then her tiny frame just exploded—screaming at me like a drill sergeant. I pushed myself to 70, and she—she—" He choked up and started crying.
Adam's lip twitched. Yep, nicknames don't lie. Marshmallow Judge? Soft as a pillow, apparently. 😂
"She only counted 10," Lily said, patting Matthew's back sympathetically while filling Adam in. "And she'd already made him cry once at the gym before that."
"I didn't mean to!" Matthew sobbed, totally wronged. "She's too much! I did 100 sit-ups, and she's like, 'Good job, Matthew, just one more set.' So I dug deep, used every ounce of strength I had left, and did it. Then she goes, 'One more.' I asked, 'Is this the last one?' She said yes. So I killed myself to do it—and then she pulled it again! She lied to my face!!" He flailed, then winced hard. "Ow! Everything hurts!"
"Why'd you even start working out?" Adam asked, chuckling as he checked him over.
"It's all Ted's fault!" Matthew glared at him. "He ordered takeout, jogged to the bedroom for cash, and that little sprint left him panting. Too wiped to grab a coupon, the delivery guy's look crushed him, so he roped us all into this fitness kick."
"I bet it wasn't the delivery guy's look that got him," Adam teased.
"Not me," Anna piped up. Since marrying Ted and surviving that hell-town fiasco, she'd gotten comfy with Adam. Mimicking his tone, she deadpanned, "I didn't do it. Don't make stuff up."
"Hahaha!"
"Haha—oww!"
"Ha, ha."
Lily cackled the loudest. Matthew laughed until his sore muscles kicked in, turning it into a wail. Ted forced a dry chuckle, shooting Anna a mock-annoyed glance—but then he pulled her close, half-hugging her, and genuinely laughed. Her poking fun at him, even at his expense, was the kind of happiness they cherished these days.
"You're fine, Matthew," Adam said after the check-up, grinning. "Just rest up."
"You all heard that!" Matthew seized the moment. "Doctor's orders! I need rest! I'm never stepping foot in that cursed gym again!"
"You don't have to—you're acting like it's a tragedy," Adam said, amused.
"He'd love to quit, but he's too scared," Lily said, seeing right through her husband's bluster. She smirked at him. "Want me to make the call?"
"Thanks, babe—her number's in my phone under 'Devil,'" Matthew caved instantly, gazing at Lily with gratitude.
"Hey, Tracy!" Lily rolled her eyes, grabbed the phone, and shot the group a confident wink before dialing. "I'm Matthew's wife. Listen up—we've got a problem, and that problem's you. I don't know who you think you are, but from now on, you don't tell Matthew what to do. We hired you. You do what we say. And guess what? You're fired, bitch!"
Adam and the gang gave Lily a big thumbs-up. 👏
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, cool, bye!" Lily barked back at whatever Tracy said, keeping it fierce and casual—then hung up, turned to Matthew (who was staring at her in awe), and panicked. "Babe, you better get over there quick—she's pissed! I'm scared she's gonna storm in here!"
"…" Everyone just stared at Lily's instant flip. Matthew looked ready to cry again, but this time from fear, not pain.
"Alright, hand me the phone," Adam said, laughing despite himself. "I'll get her to come talk it out face-to-face. You're not going back—big deal."
"Please!" Lily, the coward, thrust the phone at him. She'd just called Tracy a bitch—she wasn't facing her alone without Adam there to fix it. No way she was stepping back into that gym otherwise!
Adam made the call, kept it short, then hung up. Smiling at Matthew and Lily's hopeful puppy eyes, he said, "Relax, it's fine. She'll come by, we'll clear it up. She's just one person, no matter how tough she acts…"
His words trailed off as his gaze sharpened.
There, in the corner of his eye—a familiar figure. Not Magic Amy's savage doppelgänger, Marla Grayson, but who else could it be?
(End of Chapter)