Chapter Eighty-Two: Deja Vu

"So, I won't let you close enough to hurt me, no, I won't rescue you to just desert me. I can't give you what you think you gave me. It's time to say goodbye to turning tables."

~Turning Tables by Adele~

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Revised: July 6, 2024

Warnings: abuse, addiction, anxiety, biphobia/homophobia, depression, domestic violence, slight eating disorder, language, panic attacks, sexual harassment/assault/abuse, violence, and other mature themes

A/N: Sorry for being MIA!

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Zion's POV

The break before the semifinals feels like it lasts an eternity. Robby told me Tory probably isn't even allowed near us to talk. Kreese had been trying to keep them distant from me. I need to talk to her and explain everything, but there's no time. 

We stay off to the side on our own. Both of us stand together, unsure of the future. What we do know is that we can face everything together.

Johnny approaches us and Robby pulls me to his side protectively. The blond man wears an awkward smile, "You two... still weird me out."

"I'm here to stay," I glance at Robby fondly.

"And, you left Cobra Kai for her?" he turns to his son.

"Yeah," Robby smirks confidently.

"Damn."

"What do you need from us?" I ask him, knowing that he didn't intend to make any small talk.

"I um... I was actually just headed to the bathroom," he smiles sheepishly.

"Of course," Robby rolls his eyes and we step aside. 

I can still feel the tension between these two. Even I'm weary with Johnny after what happened in the medical room, though things seem better between us.

"And, um, where's Miguel?" Johnny asks me. 

Robby looks down at the mention of the boy he's most jealous of as I respond, "I don't know anything more than you do, except that he was hesitant and he made his choice. I accepted it and now it's time for you to, too. You have to respect his choice."

"It's my fault," he admits. "I pushed him too far and ruined things. I, um, do that a lot."

His eyes drift over me and Robby for a moment. Neither of us say anything, though, because we aren't at the point where we say, "No, it's not your fault," yet.

"Well, I'm proud of you both for breaking free of those clowns," he gestures to the senseis of the Cobras. "Um, bye."

Johnny heads to the bathroom and I pull Robby into a hug. I tilt his head down and kiss his forehead. He pulls me in closer and I hear him sniffle.

"Don't cry. I'll cry, too," I giggle in his grasp.

"I want to forgive him so damn bad, but every time I see him I just think about the failures," he mumbles into my hair.

"Someone gave me a piece of advice a little while ago. I wasn't expecting it to ever make sense, but each day it becomes more and more relevant. It went something like: For someone with no forgiveness in their heart, living is an even worse punishment than death," I recall.

Robby nods before letting out a sigh of relief, "That's pretty wise. Who told you that one?"

I glance over at Miyagi-Do, "Mr. Miyagi."

Robby takes a step back in surprise, "Wait, wait, when did you meet Mr. Miyagi?"

"I didn't, silly," I smile. "Daniel told me."

"When did you talk to Mr. LaRusso?" he asks in even more confusion.

"He's not the devil, you know," I push his hair out of his face.

"Yeah," Robby agrees, "it's just hard to think about how it was before he sent me to juvie."

"We have to move forward," I tell him, "because otherwise we end up stuck like cement."

"I think leaving Cobra Kai is enough movement for today," Robby says as he misses my callback to training with Johnny. "After you win, karate will be out of this place for good and life will be normal for all of us again. We can finally get away from all of this."

I glance over at Kenny. Robby told me that he found Kenny ruthlessly beating up Anthony LaRusso. That's not the kid I met or how I trained him to be. I'm so stupid because I messed up with him like I did with Ella. 

Next to him is Tory. She stands away from Piper as she prepares for her fight against Sam. I want them to see the truth because if they leave, Cobra Kai goes down in flames. 

I consider this dream fondly. "I hope so. I really hope so."

Robby tenses and pulls me to the side by my waist. I resist only a moment before I realize Silver is there.

"What do you want?" Robby asks protectively.

"I'm here to apologize," Silver says as he looks down on us.

"Save it. I've switched-"

"I meant, to Z."

"You can stick your speeches up your asses," I step towards him. "You must think I'm an idiot if you believe I'll even consider coming back to you."

"You are a natural Cobra, Z. Everybody knows it. Even when you compete unaffiliated today, your power shines through. This is who you are, Star."

"My name," I stop him, "is Zion Ambrose. 'Z' died the night of the prom. And you are not my father, not even close. My dad is dead, but he has more of a soul than you. And, if he was here, he would be ashamed of what I became because of you. It was never about what's truly best for me or Robby or any of your students; all along it was only to benefit both of you."

"You're being irrational," Silver raises his hands in defense.

"No, I'm being sane for the first time in a long time. You used my history with Robby to get him on your side. And why? So he could be a champion like his dad? So you could get Johnny back? So you could spread your manipulations all over California? Because it was never in your plans for me to actually win. I was just a puppet on a string in your narrative. When I broke free, you tried to kill me!"

Silver looks unbothered. "All of what you're saying would be so interesting, if only you were telling the truth."

"I am," I say in frustration.

"And, what's your proof?" Silver cocks his head to the side. 

"The bruise on my neck, for one," I decide.

"I was wondering where that came from," Silver nods. "I figured it was from your psychotic mother."

"No, it's not-"

"You're playing a dangerous game," Silver looms closer to me, "and you're going to lose. Pick your battles wisely, Zion. Defamation of name is no joke," he laughs. Silver's face turns to an innocent smile in the blink of an eye. I look at Robby worriedly.

"Why would she make something like that up?" Robby joins.

"Because she wants this win all to herself. That's all she's ever wanted," Silver notes. "She'd never let anything get in her way, so she defected to compete under her own name. It's an ego trip, just like the protest and the co-ed tournament speech and the countless little fights from the past year that she started just to prove her dominance. It's a power play for her."

My eyes narrow, "That's not what this is! You and Kreese are the most narcissistic sociopaths I've ever met and your downfall is your arrogance. You think the world revolves around you because you're rich, white men who climb over others to get to the top. And, right now, you're threatened because you were arrogant enough to not look over your shoulder and see the biggest threat right behind you."

I step closer to Silver and feel my face turning red from pure anger and frustration. I feel powerful because I know I've gotten under his skin. I can't let him get away with this.

"You manipulate and you take and you take and you take. All you ever did was gain from my pain and from what you knew about me: my mom, my dad, my breakup, what happened at the Hansen house. All of it was lies and you didn't mean anything you said!" 

My voice cracks as I step back and take in a breath. I continue, though, before he can even counter.

"But, your arrogance led you here. Your arrogance had you forgetting what brought me to Cobra Kai in the first place: a narcissist, my mother. She taught me how to break free and how to be strong on my own because I've done it before and will do it again. Once I win, you're finished and your dojo will be a memory."

I feel my dad's virtues and my mom's vices surging inside of me in the best possible way. I feel confidence that exceeds anything I've ever known before. I can't even find time to doubt myself or the threats I'm making.

It's silent a moment. Finally, the old man responds.

"Zion, think about what you're doing here. You're making a fool of yourself. This is your last chance to come back and do the right thing. Because, going against us alone, trust me, will make you lose," Silver looms over me.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. This is the right thing. For the longest time, I thought what mattered was if I won and if I got all the glory in the world. It's not true. I was selfish and I didn't think about other people. I was blinded until I saw what a negative influence I was on everyone."

I think about how I treated Miguel, how I influenced Robby, and how I drug Kenny into this mess.

"Now, I see that getting you out of The Valley is what matters most. You say I'll lose everything, but that's a risk I'm willing to take since there isn't much left to lose. You already took away my morals and my friends. It's funny- almost- because you have everything... but not for long." 

"The semifinal matches will begin in two minutes!"

I feel multiple pairs of eyes on me. I can feel my body shaking from passion and anxiety as I stare at the men I trusted too easily.

Silver tilts his head down with a sly smile. I don't like that smile. The taller man walks away. I turn away before anybody can see me cry. Robby pulls me into his chest and we sway back and forth for a couple of seconds before I pull it together.

"I have to win. I just have to," I whisper to myself.

"You deserve to win, love," Robby assures me.

"I don't deserve it, not after all I've done. Cobra Kai needs to be stopped, though," I take deep breaths.

"I agree." I turn to Daniel LaRusso. "Forgive me for eavesdropping. What you just did was brave. You've shown good judgment so far today. I was impressed with your fight against Demetri."

I shrug as Robby still holds me close from behind. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that Silver is trying every trick on you and you're not falling for it," Daniel says almost proudly." And, Robby," he addresses the boy, "I'm glad you're free of them. I'm proud of you for fighting with honor. Mr. Miyagi would be proud."

"Thanks."

"We can agree now that the goal is to take down Cobra Kai, right?" Daniel adds.

"That's my intention," I nod.

"Good. Well, us at Miyagi... Miyagi-Fang will be cheering you on," he says tensely.

"Miyagi-Fang?" Robby asks skeptically.

"Johnny and I are, um, trying to combine styles again for Sam's sake."

"That's good for her," I nod when I recall what she told me she has gone through this year in the bathroom. "I appreciate your support."

"We're here if you'd like some more," Mr. LaRusso offers.

"I'll pass, but thank you," I respond.

"I'm sorry you had to find out about Terry Silver the wrong way," he continues.

"I wish I had listened to you because then we would have been safe," Robby agrees.

"I know now what he's capable of. Well, him and Kreese. I still can't believe it, though," I frown. 

"I don't even think you know the half of it," Daniel says, "but, uh, that's for another time."

"All right, folks!"

Daniel stares in surprise before excusing himself to join his daughter at the side of the mat.

"Representing Cobra Kai, The Queen Cobra herself, Tory Nichols, coached by her senseis, John Kreese and Terry Silver. And, representing Miyagi-Do karate, The Bonsai Badass, Samantha LaRusso, coached by her father and sensei, two-time All-Valley champion Daniel LaRusso who I've just been informed will be joined by Sensei Johnny Lawrence."

Daniel rushes onto the mat and whispers something to Daryl.

"Oh, I stand corrected. Fellow two-time All Valley champion Sensei Johnny Lawrence! Let's go!"

I share a look with Robby. He stands up straight, "Can you believe this?"

"At this point, as long as Cobra Kai goes down, I don't care who else wins," I sigh.

"Competitors, take your positions."

Sam walks up to where Tory already stands. I can see the anger in both of their faces as they reluctantly bow to each other.

Tory moves towards Sam, but her leg blocks Tory's. They exchange a series of kicks and Tory is on defense. Sam jumps over Tory's leg sweep and that's when Sam jumps and kicks Tory square in the face.

"LaRusso. Score: one-zero."

I stare in shock when Tory clutches her jaw and stands back up. 

"She'll be okay," Robby assures me as he takes my hand lovingly.

Tory moves in once again with kicks and punches backed up with pure aggression. Sam's levelheaded thinking gives her a slight upper hand. Sam is backed up by Tory and she jumps for another win, but Tory strikes her open torso first.

"Point, Nichols. Score: one-one."

I see Silver and Kreese exchange a smile. Sam lowers her head in frustration. 

The next thing Samantha does is aim a hook kick at Tory. She backs away and then blocks. Sam roundhouse kicks while Tory uses a crescent kick and they just barely miss each other. A side kick comes from Sam, but Tory uses a front kick quicker and pushes Sam back.

"Point. Two-one. Nichols."

Sam turns away and rushes over to Johnny and Daniel for help. Tory glances at me and then rolls her eyes and looks away. My hands shake anxiously and Robby senses this, so his hands wrap around mine for comfort.

"I don't want Sam to win, honestly, but if it gets rid of Silver and Kreese, then I guess we have to settle, right?" Robby whispers in my ear.

"I don't want Tory to lose. I wish she'd just compete unaffiliated and see how wrong they are," I squeeze Robby's hands tighter. "Silver's manipulations are too strong and it reminds me way too much of my mom."

Sam returns to the mat and begins to use random hand and arm movements across from Tory. I stare in confusion as Tory studies her movements. It psychs her out and I get a feeling that Sam may win this point. 

Tory uses a front kick. Sam blocks and Tory spins around to kick Sam's side. She blocks it and they exchange a combination of punches and blocks.

"This is the Miyagi-Do technique, when it's taught the right way," Robby shrugs. 

"You didn't teach us this," I note.

The LaRusso girl aims her leg too high as Tory ducks. The blonde continues to rush around Sam, but Sam's defense is very strong.

"I hated Mr. LaRusso, but Mr. Miyagi always seemed like a decent guy. I didn't want to ruin his legacy too much."

"You're a big softie at heart," I tease. 

Sam punches Tory as she falls back. I tense and stand on my own again. That's when I see her score the point.

"Out of bounds. No point."

"What?" I ask in confusion when I realize Tory's foot is off the mat. It makes me confused because I could have sworn she was on the mat when she got hit.

"Fight!"

Sam gets into some yoga position before jumping towards Tory. Sam is offensive automatically. She kicks and punches Tory's way, but it seems that Tory's confidence is high enough that she brings them to a stalemate and they begin again.

Tory kicks. Sam blocks. Sam kicks. Tory blocks. Sam punches Tory's torso with both fists.

"Point, LaRusso. Score's two-two. Next point wins. Ready?"

Sam blocks Tory over and over again. Tory blocks Sam's kick to her torso that sends her back considerably far. 

"That's a block no point." Block. Attack. Block. Attack. Block. They're on even fighting ground.

Sam kicks again and that's when Tory grabs Sam's leg, lifts her off the ground, and slams her to the mats.

Sam recovers well before wrapping her body around Tory and pulling her down to the floor now. Tory uses a back thrust kick and it lands on Sam's chest. 

"Point. Winner!" the ref holds up Tory's arm in celebration.

Sam lays on the mat in shame as Tory glances down at Sam with a blank expression. Some of the Cobras join her on the mat in celebration. Piper gives her a quick kiss and then they jump together excitedly.

Seeing Tory happy makes me happy, but I can't help worrying about the outcome of this tournament. Cobra Kai winning makes me furious. I feel Robby tense now.

"What a match that was!" Daryl rushes onto the mat. "Tory Nichols is moving onto the finals after this last semifinal fight. Get ready for Ambrose versus Moskowitz."

My anxiety rushes through my body as he says those words. I look over at Eli worriedly; does he still hate me? Of course he does. After everything, of course he does. 

"Hey, don't let him get in your head," Robby turns me to face him. "You've trained so hard for this. You can take him down."

I nod worriedly. He's good at calming me, but so much rides on these two last matches. Plus, Robby just lost to Eli. Everything is riding on these last two matches.

The mat is blue. The fist is yellow. That person is wearing pink. The ref is wearing blue. Eli is in white.

I'm going to fight Eli. He just beat my boyfriend after we kissed right in front of him. Eli despises me because I lied. I manipulated just like my mom. He said he'd never forgive me and now is his chance to get back at me. I'm preparing to fight fair, but who knows if he will? In the last tournament he hurt Robby's shoulder and I tried to make excuses for it. Every action I made has lead us here-

"Competitors to the mat."

"Don't let him get in your head. Don't let anybody throw you off. You can win this. I know you have it in you," Robby whispers. 

"Okay, thank you," I say. I'm even more nervous now. I turn to jump on the mat. The weight of the world is on my shoulders, especially now that everyone I care about is in this building together.

"I'll be cheering you on from right here. I'm here if you need anything," Robby assures me. His eyes look at my shaking hands, "If all goes well, there will be no reason to fight ever again."

"That's the goal," I smirk and try to mask my nerves.

"Ambrose," the ref mutters.

My eyes widen and I rush away from Robby and onto the mat to face an angry Eli. We bow to him and then to each other.

"Fight."

A side kick is aggressively in my face first. I jump back in surprise as Eli tries a series of kicks to knock me off balance. I swipe under his legs, but he jumps and I roll out of the way before he gets a point while I'm down.

I stare at him in confusion because I figured that with a common enemy we'd be okay. Instead, he punches really close to me and I back up once more.

"Out of bounds. Back to your spots."

I see that my footing is very over the line and right where Silver and Kreese stand. I practically jump away from them as I move to the spot again.

"Fight."

Eli moves forward as I crescent kick as a distraction. He blocks it with his arm, which is the Miyagi-Do technique I know all too well. I recover from the block surprisingly quickly and front kick his chest.

"Point. Ambrose!"

It happens so fast as Eli stands in shock and the crowd cheers for me. Robby's cheer stands out to me as he claps supportively.

"I need to talk to you," he states.

"We're kind of in the middle of something," I tell him as I refuse to let down my guard.

"Aisha and Miguel have been saying the weirdest things."

"And, fight."

Eli and I end up circling each other wearily as I wait for him to continue.

Eli kicks. I block. I jump and front kick, but Eli does a backwards roll on the mat away from me.

"Did you really cheat? Because I'm beginning to think it was all in my head."

I stare at him in astonishment. He finally gets it. "Of course it was all in your head. I'm a lot of things, Eli, but I'm not unfaithful-"

He sweeps my legs and brings his foot down on my stomach.

"Point. Moskowitz."

"Sorry. That just worked out very well for me. I meant what I said, but it also worked in my favor," Eli shrugs as he moves off of me. 

I get back up as my gi belt slides off. I can feel the sweat coming down and sigh before taking off the top part of my gi to reveal my sports bra. I toss my gi to Robby and he smiles.

"Whew!" someone screams. I glance to the stands and see Jai, Liv, and Eva sitting and reacting. I giggle happily that they're here.

"That's not legal," I hear Demetri mutter behind Eli. Sam elbows him in the ribs.

"Um, okay," the ref shrugs at my change. "Fight."

I jump to gain leverage and realize that he's actually watching my chest bouncing, despite everything. He's not overly distracted, but I can see his eyes occasionally look down.

I use it to my advantage. Eli blocks my arm and spins me around to collide into his chest.

He holds me from behind and I feel his deep breathing as he holds me close.

"Oh, I could beat your ass any day," he says, his Hawk attitude showing.

"Then do it."

"All right." He throws the first punch. I block it and spin into him, my back to his chest. 

I take his arm and flip him on the mat. He lands with a groan and I squat down before punching his chest lightly to emphasize my win.

His angry face returns as he stands up in embarrassment. "Point. Ambrose."

"Sorry," I shrug, "that just worked out too well for me." His face falls and we move back to our spots.

"You didn't cheat on me?" he asks again. 

"You're still on that?" I ask.

"Well, it kind of ruined my life, so yeah."

I frown guiltily, "You breaking up with me ruined my life, too. I didn't know what to do without you by my side, but I found my way. You did, too. Turns out we were more than only karate or a relationship."

I crescent kick and he front kicks. He hits my leg and it hurts, but I step back and regain balance.

"I feel so stupid for thinking all that bad stuff and about the rumors," he admits.

His leg just barely misses my face. I do a cartwheel and he runs backwards and around me.

"That was the problem," I pant. "You only ever thought about how others perceived you and not how we felt about each other."

"I was caught up in being the best at Cobra Kai. I wanted everything to go right for me. When I thought you might be cheating, I pushed you away. Then, my worst self fulfilled prophecy came true. It's my biggest regret."

I blink in surprise, "Well, I... I'm glad you realized it. Finally."

My hook kick is grabbed and he pulls my leg down. I fall to the mat and he leans over me.

"Tell me: Do I even have a chance anymore?" He doesn't move to strike me as he asks this question in his distractions.

I stare up at him in confusion, "What?"

"You were waiting for me to change and I did. I mean, we both did. We found the best in ourselves. You're my first love, Zion," he looks down at me. "Tell me I have a fighting chance."

I smile up at the boy I loved for a year, the boy who was there for a moment in time when I needed him.

"No, Eli."

I knee his chest and wrap my leg around his torso. He falls back on the mats as it's called.

"Point. Ambrose. Winner!"

I smile as the ref grabs my arm and holds it up. Robby tackles me from behind in a hug and lifts. me in the air for a spin. I giggle as he kisses me quickly.

"I knew you had it in you," Robby says.

I see Eli's confidence diminish as the ref ushers him away. I frown before taking a step away from Robby for privacy with Eli. Everything is happening so fast that I feel like my head is spinning with information.

"That was harsh, I'm sorry," I tell him. He turns back to me in surprise. "I shouldn't have rubbed me and Robby in your face."

"I can take it," Eli tries to act brave.

"I have to tell you something, because it's unfair if I don't. You were great when I needed you," I assure him, "but I can't get caught up with you again. I've moved on. Haven't you?"

He shrugs, "You mean Moon? She broke up with me. She said, uh, she never saw me look at her the way I looked at you."

I look down, "I'm sorry. That sucks and it hurts, I know. But with us? It's over, Eli."

"I respect it," he looks down and to the side to avoid my gaze. "I don't like it, but I... I see there's no other way."

"No hard feelings?" I suggest as I try to forgive and be the bigger person like Daniel said.

"I'm not there yet." He walks off the mat and to the locker rooms. I stare in disdain as Robby comes up behind me.

"What was that?" Robby asks me.

"That was closure," I say. "You're stuck with me, Swayze."

He scrunches his nose, "I hate when you call me that."

"This is a goddamn soap opera," a voice says. I turn and see Demetri turn away from us and rush after Eli.

"Okay, okay, okay," Daryl steps through. "This is one dramatic tournament, am I right?"

Everyone cheers as I duck my head and pull Robby off the mats with me.

"Tonight, everyone, we have made All Valley history!"

I look around in confusion as Silver smirks as he talks to Tory.

"For the first time ever, the competitors in our finals will be two young ladies battling it out for the championship title!"

The stands jump up and cheer.

"Our finals round will be up after a short break. Get ready for Tory Nichols versus Zion Ambrose!"

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Third Person POV

"Do you see that?" Silver steps close to Tory.

"That I have to fight Zion?" she asks glumly as she watches Eli rush off the mats.

"No, her vulnerability, her weakness, her emotions. She has this boy drama going on and it give us an advantage. You could win the championship title, if you still want it."

Silver gives the sly eye to Tory as she debates her options. Tory glances at the trophy and back at her loyal Cobras.

"I want it, Sensei."

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A/N: I'M BAAAACK.