"This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right."

~State of Grace (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift~

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A/N: SEASON 5 AHHHHHH!!!

Tell me here what you're hoping to see this season>>>

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

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Miguel's POV

It's early, early morning the next day when I get to the border. I pull out my passport as we all are inspected while passing customs.

I tense when an officer rudely takes my passport and looks over it. I notice all the security around me, like smuggling through the border would have me shot on site. I'm probably not too far off, if I were coming into America from Mexico.

I'm cleared at bag check. Then, I find another bus. This one will take me into the heart of Tijuana.

I sit near the window and wait for the bus to move. As tired as I am, I feel a bit of regret in my chest at the thought of leaving everyone behind. I just want to make an impact on my life by meeting my father. We both deserve to know each other and not be strangers.

I miss Mom and Yaya and Sam and Zion and everybody, but I can't keep living in a karate box when there's the whole world to see.

I know what the dangers here are, but I've convinced myself it's worth it to meet the man who shares half of my DNA.

⭒⭒⭒

Zion's POV

"Long day," Robby sighs as I settle beside him in bed.

"And not quite over," I respond, still sitting up straight against the bed's headboard.

He looks at me wearily, "What does that mean?"

"Um, so, we have some things to discuss," I say softly.

"What things?" he sits up attentively.

"Well, I went to Kenny's tonight."

"You went without me?" he wonders.

"I'm sorry. I was just... I wanted to try to talk some sense into him... but his mom is threatened by us and Kenny basically banished us from his house. They both think we're evil," I look down guiltily.

"Banished?"

"Mhm. Kyler is buddy-buddy with him now, too." Robby sighs in devastation. "That's still not all."

Robby stares at me expectantly.

"Okay, well, Miguel is... he's, well... Miguel is headed to Mexico. Right now. As we speak."

He tilts his head to the side, "Why?"

"Because of your dad," I shrug. "He wants to find his real dad."

"Oh," Robby doesn't look at me.

"And I understand him, I do, but he went alone and his dad doesn't know Carmen was ever even pregnant with Miguel and apparently he's an all-around bad guy," I explain.

"Like, what? A drug boss?" I can't tell if Robby is joking for being serious.

I shrug, "I don't know. I wouldn't be too surprised."

"Shit," he says. "Well, his mom is going to get him, then?"

I shake my head. Robby's face falls at the realization.

"My dad's going to find him and didn't tell me."

"He hasn't left yet," I say as if that's better. "And, he didn't know until just an hour ago."

"I actually thought things went well with him tonight. I'm done being so angry at him and pushing him away. After seventeen years of shit, I realize now that all I ever wanted was my dad," Robby admits. His voice cracks slightly.

"I understand. Miguel probably felt that way, too. But, Johnny isn't trying to hurt you, Robby... and neither am I."

"You?" He stands up this time. "No, no way I am letting you go to Mexico to find Miguel at the hands of a vicious criminal."

"You and your dad seem to agree on that, but it's not up for debate. What I did want to ask-"

"This isn't a karate tournament, Zion! People get shot. Do you see the news? I can't let you go out there and risk your life-"

"I can't let Miguel die out there when I could have gone after him and helped!"

"Or, you could both die and it be of no help to anyone!"

"That's why I want you to go with me."

Robby stops and stares at me. He processes this. "Huh?"

"I want you to come with me and Johnny. I mean, we always talked about getting out of Reseda, like you promised. This could be how, but with even more purpose behind it. And, it could be bonding for you and your dad and it can work you up to apologizing to Miguel...?" I explain.

"You're not serious," Robby runs his hand through his hair.

"All that's left here is the reign of Cobra Kai under Silver and Kreese. We're not allowed to train anywhere else but there and I won't be caught dead under that roof again," I remind him. "You know how much Miguel means to me and how much you mean to me. This way is the best for both of you."

"It's not safe," he frowns. "I don't want to see you get killed... or anything else those lowlifes could do to you."

I push down the awful thought. "If we stick together, they can't lay a hand on us. Even your dad seems ready to kick some ass."

"My dad is always ready to kick some ass," Robby rolls his eyes.

"So?" I ask.

"I'll sleep on it," he shrugs.

"The response of the night," I groan and flop to lay on the bed. "I just want to get out of here. I still can't believe we lost. After everything. We worked so hard. We saw through the lies. We became better people and it still wasn't enough."

My eyes begin to water as I look at my lap and the tears fall slowly.

"I'm so emotional tonight. I'm so sorry," I say as I wipe the tears.

"Don't be sorry," Robby sits on my side of the bed beside me.

"I have something else to tell you," I grab his hands and pull them into my lap. Our hands stack on top of each other. I can feel how hesitant he is to hear more bad news. "I saw my mom tonight."

"Shit."

I shake my head, "It was Silver's doing. It was so obvious that he set it up for when we were separated and my friend group left. Daniel was the only one there when she approached me. She said she was sorry and I forgave her and then banished her from my life forever, but I can't shake the lingering feeling of wanting a hug from my mom. I just want her to tell me that, even after everything today, it's all going to be okay."

"Sometimes there's nothing like your own mom or dad," Robby agrees.

"And so... so now I'm missing my dad more than ever," I sob. "I can't stop crying."

"You don't need to," he scoots closer. My head tilts to rest on his shoulder. "You can't solve everything in the world to make it perfect. Nobody can."

"Not true. Silver has everything figured out," I tense. "Everything he does is calculated fifty steps ahead of us. I pulled everything I could today and he still won in the end. Well, Tory won. But, she's never going to forgive me for leaving. Just another thing that was lost." I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry I'm making this all about me. After everything today, how are you feeling? You can talk it out with me."

"I cried a lot with my dad," he admits. "It felt good, but it was more about Kenny or him than about losing. I guess it doesn't feel real yet. I'll let you know when it hits me."

"When it hits you, it hurts. Fair warning," I hold his torso tightly.

"Thank you for the warning," he mumbles into my hair as I blink away tears.

⭒⭒⭒

Third Person POV

"How much will it take for you to come over here?" Silver smiles as he relaxes by the outside fire with champagne and his phone. "Oh, I swear, it'll be worth your while. The Valley is full of surprises and none of them can take down the Cobras. What do you say?"

The fire crackles as a response comes through..

"Good," Silver nods in approval. "I need you guys to help carry on the Cobra Kai legacy since John Kreese is... serving his time for a gruesome crime."

The conversation slowly comes to a close and the old man ends the call. A dark laugh is heard in the back of his mansion.

"Everything is falling into place perfectly. My loose ends will soon be of no mind and all California, all of America will remember is Silver's Cobra Kai Karate."

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Zion's POV

Body of Woman Found Near Tijuana River Valley.

Body of Young Man Abducted in Tijuana Recovered.

Revenants of Arellano Felix Cartel responsible for Tijuana Journalist Killings, Mexico Says.

"What are you doing?" Robby groans and I jolt in surprise.

"Nothing," I shut off my phone.

"You're supposed to be asleep," he sits up in bed and I crawl out from under the shitty blanket fort I created on the floor. "Why are you awake?"

"I was, uh..." my tired brain falters with a good lie.

"Let me see it," Robby sighs and rolls over to where I am to peer down at me.

I hand him my phone in regret.

"You can't read this stuff," he scrolls through the news articles I've searched up. "Nighttime is the worst time to research Tijuana."

"I'm sorry," I sigh and stand up, "but I can't stop worrying about Miguel. Tijuana is a dangerous place; what if he's anywhere near there? I'm scared he's going to get killed out there and his deformed body will resurface from the ocean."

"No more of this," Robby sets it under his pillow. I frown. "Now you see why I don't want you going there."

"Not alone," I nod.

"No, Zion. We are not going to Mexico to die."

"I can't live with myself knowing that I could help Miguel and do nothing and then he become a news article as if an afterthought. I can't do it, Robby! I can't let him get away from us that easily. I can't leave him to be alone and in such a dangerous space!" I spiral as my body slowly begins to shake.

Something soft is shoved into my arms: my pillow. I hold it close to my chest as Robby sits on the bed across from where I stand. My breathing slowly evens out.

Robby stares at me in concern when I open my eyes.

"Sorry."

"It's not something you can control," he shrugs. "The panic, I mean. The article reading you can."

"I figured that confronting it psychologically beforehand will make it less scary in the moment," I shrug.

"That's a bad idea, love," he says as I lean back on the wall and grip the pillow harder. "Do you think you may need to, uh, talk to someone?"

"I have you," I evade his glance and walk around the room to pace.

"A professional, I mean... Not that I don't love talking things out with you. I always am here for that," Robby offers. "My mom went to see someone while in rehab. I think it helped. You should be able to talk out whatever is bothering you."

"Why do that when I can punch my way out?" I bite on the back of my index finger to suppress my anxiety as my mind wanders off to where Miguel may be right now.

"I know losing Ella and Kenny and now Miguel is hard on you, but you need to confront those fears-"

"Why?" I ask. "Why do I need to confront what scares me most, Robby? You know me better than anyone and do you honestly expect me to believe that talking about what... what... what A- what that man did to me will do any good?"

Robby looks down at his hands instead of responding as I smush my face into the pillow.

"I don't want to relive it, but every time I tell someone, I do. I practically did right after with Kreese, and again with Sam, and the last time with you. I'm not strong enough to put it out into the world anymore," I sit down on the edge of the bed and sob. "I'm so sick of being strong for everyone and fighting for everyone. I thought I'd win the tournament and that would be it, but now Miguel is gone and Kenny is still with the Cobras and Ella is still... you know... And, I can't help Kenny and chase after Miguel at the same time. I don't... I don't know what to do."

Robby stands up and grabs my keys off the dresser. I frown at his actions.

"What are you doing?" I question as he puts on his sneakers.

"Late night milkshakes or coffee?" he turns to me with a small smile.

"What? I don't... I don't know," I respond to his absurd question.

"We aren't getting any sleep tonight. So, the diner or that 24 hour coffee shop in Encino?"

I crack a small smile at his gesture, "Coffee."

"Let's go," he puts on a shirt.

I grab his sweatshirt and slip on sandals before walking out with him.

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Robby's POV

"How on Earth you drink it black I will never understand," I chuckle as we sit together and she finishes her coffee.

I grab my latte cup and stand up to set it on the tray they have for dirty dishes. The barista gives me a nod of appreciation before I head back over to Zion.

"Ready to head out?"

She doesn't budge when I ask my question because she's flopped over and passed out on the wooden table. I smile when I see that she's drooling.

"Let's go," I whisper and lift her out of the seat very awkwardly.

She groans as I pick her up and she shifts to cling to my neck and pull me down with her.

I hold her close before realizing that I left the cup on the table. I shimmy to the side to grab it.

"No worries. I'll get it for you," the barista comes from behind me and grabs the cup.

"Thanks," I tell them.

"You're a good boyfriend," they tell me. "My ex would not have been so understanding."

I smirk at the compliment, "Well, in a relationship, there's always something to work on. But, yeah, communication is key."

They nod at me awkwardly. "Make sure she gets home safe. Take care." They wander away from me.

"Have a good night," I say.

"A good morning," they correct me.

I nod and then haul Zion out to the car; it's funny how light she truly is. I set her in the seat, but she clings to me still. I peel her arm off of me, but she puts it right back.

"Let go," I sigh and push her off. I close the door quickly and then rush over to the driver's side and turn on the car.

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Sam's POV

I wake the next morning to see my dad rushing around downstairs to rearrange things like a maniac.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Your father has lost his mind," Mom comes beside me.

"I have not!" Dad yells from the other room.

"We're having a visitor," Mom sighs as she walks into the kitchen to refill her coffee mug.

"A visitor?" I follow her. "Is now a good time for that?"

"He's from Okinawa," Mom sits down. "He's another, old karate rival."

"Another one?" I ask. I thought Johnny was enough.

"This one is well-versed in Miyagi-Do karate," Dad walks in. "He can take down Silver with the moves he knows."

"We're not allowed to train anymore," I remind him.

"I'm not allowed to train you anymore," he corrects me. "Chozen was never a part of the conversation."

"Chozen?" I ask. "His name is 'Chozen?'"

"Yep," Dad takes the bowl of fruit and moves it into the pantry.

"Daniel, you have to stop rearranging things," Mom groans.

"It has to be perfect for him," Dad insists before rushing out of the room again.

Mom looks at me and rolls her eyes with a smile before following him.

I check to see if Miguel is awake to text me. I assume he went to sleep early last night and that's why he didn't respond. I didn't see him after the tournament, either. I wonder if he knows we lost? He must.

The doorbell rings and I stand up to get it, "Is that Chozen already?"

"No," Dad comes out. He's in his business attire now; he beats me to the door and opens it.

"Why the hell did I need to come out here at six am, LaRusso?" Johnny asks.

"Come in here. I have a great plan to tell you about," Dad smiles and places his hand on Johnny's back to usher him into the living room.

"What's going on?" Johnny turns to me.

"We are starting a new era," Dad sits all of us down. His smile is creepily big. "My dear friend, Chozen, is coming from Okinawa."

"What's an Okinawa?" Johnny asks, dumbfounded.

"Japan," I whisper.

"He taught me a new side of Miyagi-Do karate I didn't know existed. It was a type that Mr. Miyagi never showed me," Dad says in excitement. "He's revolutionized the whole sport and he's going to take down Silver."

"Take down Silver?" Johnny questions. "There are so many reasons that's not gonna work out. We aren't allowed to teach anymore, remember?"

"Our dojo will no longer be Miyagi-Do or Eagle Fang, due to the bet, but Chozen can be just what we need to infiltrate Silver's whole business. He's the loophole in this mess."

"I don't want to challenge Silver after everything. We lost and there are new challenges to face," Johnny shakes his head.

"We can't honor an agreement made with no honor. We all know that Silver and Kreese are relentless and that something was weird that we lost yesterday," my dad states. "Zion had better technique and a better chance at winning." I note that he nods and thinks so, too.

"Or, maybe we just lost and should lay low and take it for now?" Johnny suggests.

"How is that helping anyone?" I interject. "Tory won, Cobra Kai is on the loose, and we're unprotected."

"You have karate within you, Sam. You're a natural. And, the house's security is ramped up. We're not unprotected," Dad argues with me.

"And, what about Demetri or Chris or Bert? They don't have the luxuries we do. And, sure, I've been training since I could walk, but I took a break and Tory learned in a year and just won as the champion," I remind him. "We can't underestimate anyone. And, the champ from the year before is Miguel and he's not fully recovered from his injury."

"Um, about Miguel-"

"Sam, we will figure it out. Johnny, I need you to be all in on this Chozen thing. Make him feel welcome here in California. You can provide him the encouragement to be a great sensei like we've been," Dad turns to the blond man.

"I can't help you," Johnny stands up in defeat.

"Why not?" Dad wonders.

"I'm not a great sensei and right now there are other things on my plate."

"You are, Johnny. I couldn't have gotten as far as I did yesterday without you believing in my ability to switch styles," I begin.

"Do you know why Miguel left the arena?" Johnny frowns.

"Not really, no. I'm just waiting for him to text me back," I state. "Why?"

"My priority is Miguel. I fuc- messed," he looks at my dad, "up. I messed up. Miguel doesn't believe in me anymore; he doesn't trust me. So, he's looking for... his birth dad."

"How?" Dad wonders.

"Miguel never really mentioned his father, except that he's in Mexico," I recall.

"Yeah," Johnny sighs. "That's where he is."

"He went to Mexico?!" I exclaim. "What? How? Why?" My heart rate increases drastically.

"I didn't know he was planning on leaving the way he did," Johnny defends. "Or, at all. I pushed him too far at the tournament because he wasn't entirely healed."

"What's your plan to get him back?" Dad asks him.

"Please, say you have a plan," I plead.

"I'm going to Mexico later today," Johnny assures us.

"Do you think he'll be easy to find?" I ask.

"But, Chozen is coming," my dad adds at the same time.

"And, Zion wants her and Robby to come with me."

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Tory's POV

I serve toast and jelly to Brandon as a knock comes on our front door.

"Eat. I'll get it," I assure him.

I walk over to the door and turn the handle to push it open.

"Hey," Piper smiles.

"Tory, who's there?" Mom wonders.

"Uh, a door-to-door salesman. Hold on," I lie and close the door behind me as I step out with her. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought Panera," she holds up a drink tray and a brown paper bag.

"You brought- Is that a Madagascar Vanilla Almond Cold Brew?" I realize when I look at the drinks.

"Your favorite," Piper nods.

"No, no," I stop myself, "you can't be here."

"Why not? I figured you'd like to see me after ditching the party last night. I missed you," she frowns.

"You can't just... show up here," I shrug. "I gave you my address for emergencies only."

"It's a coffee-mergency," she giggles. I don't smile. "What?"

"I'm handling some family shit right now, Piper."

"You always are. I'm here to help."

"You can take your fancy food and go somewhere else."

She stares at me in surprise and a bit of hurt, "Did I do something wrong? Why are you being like this?"

"Okay," I sigh, "that was more harsh than I intended. I'm just so over the karate thing right now and my mom," I lower my voice, "isn't doing too hot and my brother needs some help and my Aunt Kandice is on my back and all I ask is for some time to myself."

"O-Okay," Piper nods glumly. "Call me..."

She sets the stuff on the bench out in the commons and grabs her drink and a straw.

"I bought it for your family, regardless," she shrugs. "I know you hate charity and it's not. It's just to pay you back for when you bought Wendy's last week." Piper looks down. "Um, bye."

I feel my limbs become heavy again as I watch her leave. I have to remember that it can't always be sunshine and rainbows. People cheat, whether on each other or at karate. People die. People betray you. Time goes on and so will I.

I take the food inside and Brandon sets his toast down, "Is that for us?"

"Yeah, here's your lemonade," I say as I read the label. I set it down. "Surprise."

Brandon jumps up and takes it from me with a big smile, "Awesome! Thanks!"

I feel really badly because Piper should have been here to see his cheer, but instead I pushed her away. I just think sometimes I don't deserve the good things. I'm a provider for my family and that should always be my focus.

Plus, I have another secret that I'm not proud of: My family has no idea I'm dating Piper, let alone that I'm a lesbian. I can't put something like this on their plate when they have so much already - metaphorically speaking.

I take the green tea out of the drink tray and look into the bag. Two bagels, one cinnamon roll, and two quiches. Piper brought enough for her to eat with us. I frown.

I grab a quiche and a fork before walking down to my mom's room.

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Third Person POV

"It's a little early for drinks, don't you think?" Daniel follows Johnny into a bar. "It's only," he checks his watch, "seven a.m."

"It's five o'clock somewhere," Johnny shrugs and takes a seat.

"Are you serious?" Daniel mutters under his breath and sits beside him. "When you agreed to going somewhere for a conversation where my family wouldn't be, I thought maybe your place or a coffee shop."

"This is the perfect place for you to tell me what the deal is with this Chozen guy when it's not in front of your daughter," the blond shrugs.

"Sam was only bothered by you saying that her boyfriend went to Mexico and abandoned her," the Italian argues. "Okay, you know what? Ask me what you want to know."

"You think he can actually do us justice?"

"He's one of the greatest people you will ever meet," Daniel smiles.

Johnny looks at him skeptically. "Sooo... no more Miyagi-Fang? Well, that sucks because your dojo was finally becoming badass."

"Anyway, I want to tell you about Chozen and our... unlikely alliance."

"Are you going to go on a long-winded story again about some other rival ruining your life? Hate to break it to you, LaRusso, but your life isn't a movie saga," Johnny complains. "You hyped Silver up just right, but you only spooked yourself, not me."

"Spooked? I wasn't spooked. You- You looked spooked," Daniel argues.

"Whatever, man. Tell me about this Chinese dude."

"Japanese."

"Fine, okay. Japan. Captivate me," Johnny waves down a bartender. "Hey, Coors Banquet."

"Coors Lite okay?" he asks.

"Eh," Johnny shrugs.

"Just a water is fine," Daniel waves as well. "Okay, Johnny, prepare to be captivated."

"Coors," the bartender brings Johnny's over.

"See, Mr. Miyagi took me with him to Okinawa during the summer after our fight-"

"Water," he hands another.

"Thank you," Daniel smiles. "So, as I was saying about Chozen. He was a pretty bad guy when I first met him. I think he was worse than you."

"Not by the way you talk about him," Johnny mumbles into his beer.

"It went down like this. Mr. Miyagi's father got sick the summer after our tournament," Daniel begins. "I convinced him to let me go to Okinawa with him and I found out that he had a rival there that was his best friend because Mr. Miyagi fell in love with the woman he was arranged to. They both learned karate from Mr. Miyagi's father and that was the only reason Sato, his rival, gave him any grace."

"Sounds like some sort of Greek myth," Johnny comments.

"Anyway," Daniel continues, "I first met Chozen as we got off the plane. He was a real douchebag that gave even you a run for your money. I mean, this guy was loaded and walked around thinking he owned everything because his uncle kind of did."

"Sato?" the blond pieces it together.

"Right," he nods. "we got bamboozled by these guys so many times. Chozen constantly threatened my life and Sato was trying to get Mr. Miyagi to fight him over the girl that had driven Mr. Miyagi to run away so many years prior. Come to find out, Yukie had never married because she didn't have Mr. Miyagi in her life."

"You're making this up," Johnny flags the bartender for another.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. This thing was nuts. So, basically I was able to beat Chozen in a bet that I could karate chop six ice blocks set up in a gambling scene. I made six hundred bucks because Sato honored it, but Chozen tried to take it from me and-"

"Hold on," Johnny stops him, "what's so impressive about six ice blocks? I've chopped cinder blocks that I've lit on fire in half."

"I remember that from when you took over my Valley Fest presentation," Daniel remarks.

"There wasn't much to take over."

"Oh, please. We were doing great until you hijacked us."

"The crowd deserved some real entertainment and we gave it to them."

"All right, you know what? Let me just finish the story."

"By all means," Johnny rolls his eyes.

"Like I was saying, Chozen hated me for being affiliated with Mr. Miyagi. I ended up pulling the girl I liked at the time, Kumiko, into the fights. She was a dancer and so peaceful about things, but Chozen didn't care. He said I had 'ruined his honor.' Mr. Miyagi eventually was forced into agreeing to fight Soto after his father died because Sato would've demolished the village, otherwise."

"He doesn't sound too different from Silver or Kreese."

"He wasn't at that point," he agrees. "A storm came through Okinawa and the house collapsed on Chozen and Sato. Chozen swore Sato was dead, but Mr. Miyagi pulled me through the storm to save him and we did. We got him to safety until one little girl was stuck at the top of some ladder thing and was screaming for help. I went up to go get her and the storm broke half of the ladder-"

"Why was she on the top of a ladder in the middle of a storm?" Johnny asks.

"I don't know. She just was. So, anyway, Chozen-"

"No, but who would be that stupid?"

"She's not stupid. She needed help and I went to help her and Chozen was asked to go, too-"

"I'm just saying that if I saw a storm coming in, I would have gotten to lower ground for safety," Johnny mumbles.

"Are you even going to listen to my story?" Daniel questions in frustration.

"You're taking forever to tell it," Johnny sighs.

"Chozen didn't help me save the girl," he continues, "so his uncle disowned him. Then, Chozen ran off and we didn't see him again."

"The end."

"No," the Italian sighs, "not the end." Johnny groans. "We had a ball and Kumiko was dancing until Chozen slid down a line of decorations like a zipline and held a knife to her neck until I agreed to a fight to the death."

"Okay," Johnny perks up, "it stills seems fake, but at least it's interesting."

"It's not fake," he argues. "Essentially, I was isolated with just Chozen and Kumiko until I beat him and asked if he wanted to live or die."

"And you killed him?" Johnny asks excitedly.

"No!" Daniel exclaims. "I spared him. Then, he grew up to be the Chozen that helped me learn pressure points and helped me deal with Kreese that one time he was trying to kill you. 'If an opponent insists on war, you must take away their ability to wager.'"

"So, that's the end?"

"Yes."

"Thank God."

"And that's who is coming into town today."

⭒⭒⭒

Robby's POV

"Do you think I'll get held back for skipping finals while I was away?" Zion asks as she does the dishes from breakfast.

"You can try to appeal it with Counselor Blatt. You said she likes you, right?" I suggest as I set a plate in the dishwasher.

"Feminism is one thing. A karate war and sociopathic billionaire interfering with my grades is another."

"I always lied to my admin," I recall. "It wasn't a good idea, but it worked. My old school was stupid. Online classes are even stupider."

"I thought maybe you could come back to West Valley next year," she shrugs, "if we're still here."

"Maybe." I don't want to go back to public school, especially not that one after everything. "I guess I don't have much to do since I can't train for the tournament anymore... not that it helped since I lost anyway."

"We lost," Zion corrects me. "I really thought we had a shot. But, I'm not any less proud of you, Robby."

I smile over at her softly, "Thanks." I don't know if she knows how much that means to me or how proud I am of her, too.

"I'm sorry again for leaving with no explanation," she stops cleaning dishes. I remember how much it hurt. "It wasn't my best moment. I just knew I had to get out of here the second Silver hit me."

"I still can't believe he'd do that to you after all you've been through," I tell her.

"You know he knows everything?" she tells me.

"Everything about Janice?" I grab a handful of silverware from the counter.

"Everything." I look at her in concern. "That night?" Adam and his daughter cross my mind.

"Wait, he knows all of that?" I ask in a panic.

"I guess he thought I'd be compliant," she shrugs. "That's why he brought Janice there." I clench my jaw. Then, she continues cleaning the dishes. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

She distracts herself from all of it. My mind spins with outcomes of Silver knowing Zion's biggest weakness. Maybe it isn't so bad for us to get out of here.

"I wish we could go after Miguel right now. How long does Johnny need to think about it?" Zion questions impatiently. She's sure to quickly change the subject.

I keep my tone light-hearted, "Don't sound so eager." I take some cups and put them away.

She leans on the counter as I finish loading the dishwasher. "I keep getting sent straight to voicemail. I can't help being worried."

This is typical of Miguel; he always starts drama. Even in his absence, he's stressing everyone he's known out. I'm not really that stressed about him, but Zion needs my support and that's a stressor.

"He probably did it on purpose," I shrug. "If he doesn't want us coming after him, he'll turn off his phone. That's what I did when I ran away. It's easier."

"Easier to get killed," she mutters.

"You need a good distraction," I tell her.

"Well, I don't think I have a job anymore, either," she frowns. "Leaving without an explanation for two weeks fucks everything up."

"Yeah, it does," I admit. "I mean, uh, I checked to see if you were at your job while you were gone and your boss basically fired you to my face."

"Great. I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to survive if I don't even have money for food. Sure, I have savings, but-"

"You know me and my mom are always here for you," I offer.

"I thought we were leaving everything here behind us. I mean, uh, is your mom coming with us?" she wonders.

I take a moment to process this, "I don't know. I'm torn about leaving permanently. Aren't you?"

"I don't know," she says. "I just know that Kreese and Silver have a target on my back and probably on yours, too."

"Hey," I move closer to her and put my hands gently on her waist to trap her between me and the counter, "I know this is stressful for both of us."

She nods as the light catches her eyes and I see tears forming. I take my thumb and wipe them away. She smiles softly.

"I have a good idea for some stress relief." I give her a mischievous grin.

"Oh?" she looks up at me and bites her lip.

"Come here, pretty girl," I whisper into her ear. She closes the gap between our lips.

My phone rings and stops us from doing anything more. Damnit.

"Hello?" I answer in dismay and Zion sits on the counter beside me now.

"Hey," my dad says, "I'm picking you up in an hour or so. That enough time?"

He called earlier to tell me himself about Mexico being a chance to get Miguel back and to be a "bonding experience." I'm still not sold on it, but it means so much to him and Zion that it's hard to refuse.

"Um..." I look over at Zion looks at me in confusion. "Can it... wait an hour and a half?" My hand rests on Zion's leg as I plead for the time to be flexible.

"No, I need you guys soon. It's a long ass trip."

I sigh in frustration, "Fine. An hour. Um, I'll see you then?"

"See you," he says and I can hear the slight smile in his voice as I hang up.

"What was that?" Zion questions.

"My dad is coming in an hour. Apparently," I frown, "it can't wait."

"Damn." She tilts her head to the side and her longing eyes meet mine, "There are a lot of things we can do in less than an hour."

⭒⭒⭒

Eli's POV

"How are you and Yasmine, anyway?" I decide to ask as we watch Doctor Strange together.

"I mean," he shrugs, "the long distance has been hard. I didn't think it would be because we make everything seem effortless, but uh... it is. Hard, I mean. We can't do anything physical, so that's why I jumped on the chance at prom until that fight ruined everything."

"There's always a fight," I nod.

"I don't know what we'll do with our senseis being MIA. We can't learn anything new unless it's from YouTube," Demetri frowns.

"Maybe it's for the best to get away from karate and focus on grades," I suggest.

"And when the Cobra Kai bullies come for us again? Do I need to remind you what happened to your hair?" Demetri says.

"We'll figure it out," I decide. "I don't know. I'm just not eager to get back to fighting after the loss yesterday."

"You should have beaten Zion. She didn't deserve to come that close to winning."

"Hey," I stop him, "she won against me fair and square."

"Doesn't mean she should've won," he argues. "I hate her for everything she's done to us. She broke us apart and then she broke your heart over and over again."

"I guess she's trying to be better, though," I say. "At least she seems loyal to Robby, even if it isn't me."

"But, for how long? She doesn't stay put in one place ever. She loves to bounce around guys."

"No, she doesn't. I think we're on the same team now," I offer.

"Whatever. She's one Cobra that will never shed her skin."

"What?" I ask.

"I don't know. The analogy didn't work in my favor," he rolls his eyes. "You know what I mean. She's always going to be a bitch."

"Don't call her that, Demetri," I tense.

"Oh, God. You still like her even after the rejection?" he wonders.

"No," I lie. "I just think that she doesn't deserve that after she fought for Miyagi-Fang yesterday."

"She fought for herself. That's all she ever fights for, Eli. She's selfish and works only for her best interests. Get that through your head," Demetri says.

He's right. I should move on somehow, someway. I'm just not ready to face it yet.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Demetri exclaims as he looks at his phone.

"What?" I scoot closer to him.

"John Kreese was arrested for attempted murder," he shoves the phone in my face.

I grab the phone from him, "What the hell?"

⭒⭒⭒

A/N: ZION IS BACK, BITCHES!

Fun fact: I already had this chapter written months ago and only had to go through and edit it before sharing it with you.

I'm in college right now, though, so updates will be slower than they were previously. I hope you understand!

Also, this isn't the end of the chapter because below is a little bit of smut, if you want to continue reading through that. If not, you can just skip ahead to the next one once it's out.

I love you all so much. Thank you for the continued support for this book:))

⭒⭒⭒

Zion's POV

"That made up for the time we lost earlier," I sigh happily as I roll off of him.

Robby smirks over at me mischievously after eating me out. "You feel less stressed?"

"Hell yeah," I giggle. "Your mouth is magical." I kiss him. "Now, time to give you some relief."

I lay Robby on his back and slide off the remaining clothes. He looks up at me with a big smile as I tangle my fingers in his hair and straddle him.

My hips immediately sink into the feeling of him; no teasing tonight. I see his eyes roll back in his head as my hips rock back and forth. He lets out little submissive moans as I slowly increase the pace.

"You like when I ride you, hm?" I whisper in a lustful tone.

"Mhm." He's falling apart.

"You look so good," I brush the hair off his sweaty forehead, "and sound so good."

I capture his lips in a kiss as I stop moving and stay still. He bucks his hips and grunts into my mouth.

"You taste good, too."

Robby's arm becomes free and I let him bring it up to cup my chin. I pull my whole body up and away from him playfully so it's just out of his reach.

"What is it you want, darling?" I look from his lips to his eyes multiple times as he breathes heavily.

"More," he pleads as I bring myself down on his length a bit.

I oblige by letting his other arm roam free. Both hands grab my waist and I sink down onto him. We both let out moans and groans of pleasure.

"So good for me," I groan.

Robby's hand trails up from my hips to over my breasts to my collarbone. I relish the goosebumps that appear as he explores my body with his touch. Then, his fingers lightly touch my neck.

"Is this okay?" he checks in with me.

"Yeah," I smile down at him softly.

That's when he takes my neck into his grasp and squeezes. I let out a whimper as I lean down for him to have better access to my neck. It feels heavenly to trust him so much with something so intimate yet intense.

"Ohh," Robby moans as I clench around him from the stimulation.

His hand trails up until his thumb traces my jawline. His chest is sweaty as it rises and falls under me and I feel his cock twitching below.

"Are you close, darling?" I begin to rock faster and the bed makes creaking noises with my movement.

"Yeah," he pants. His free hand moves to my ass and squeezes.

"Let's do it together?" I suggest as the warm feeling fills my stomach and makes me hot all over.

"Ah," Robby jerks his legs as the feeling takes over him.

"Now," I insist.

We come at the same time and my inner thighs instantly feel gross in the best way.

Robby's body deflates into the mattress as I climb off him and roll to the side. I grab one of the washcloths we set in here from the nightstand and wipe myself down. Robby takes a breather before he peels the condom off and disposes of it.

He lets out a sigh of relief. "I love it when you take control."

"I love that you love it," I pull his head into my chest and he relaxes into me.

"We- We need to do that more often."

I check my phone and sit up, "Oh, shit. Your dad is going to be here in five minutes."

⭒⭒⭒

A/N: Now it's really the end;)