"You kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing. And in plain sight you hid. But you are what you did. And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive the smallest man who ever lived."

~The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived by Taylor Swift~

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A/N: I feel like this chapter is a rollercoaster. I'm excited for you to read it:)

Also never have I ever done karate or know anything really about martial arts, so please forgive the awkward and possibly inaccurate wording. I did my best haha.

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

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Zion's POV

"Zion, wake up!" Miguel pounds on my door.

I sit up with a jolt. I check my phone, and to my surprise I did fall asleep on the floor for maybe two or three hours. 

"I'm up!" I groan as I lean on the bed to stand up.

"We have to be at Cobra Kai in half an hour. We can't be late," Miguel says before I hear his footsteps walk away.

I rub my eyes as I try to remember why we're going to Cobra Kai.

Oh. The Sekai Taikai qualifiers are today.

I try to suppress my anxiety as walk over to my closet. I guess I need to get dressed in a gi.

The question is: Eagle Fang or Miyagi-Do?

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"Whoa, this place is even bigger than in the commercials," Miguel says as we pull into the flagship dojo's parking lot.

I try to ignore that fact as I get out of the car and walk over to the rest of the dojo who's here. I know that Johnny, Daniel, Chozen, Robby, Sam, and Anthony got here early.

"Hey," Robby walks over to me with a smile on his face. "We match." I look down at my gi. "I'm glad you chose the Miyagi-Do one."

"Me too," I agree, "but we don't exactly look united." I look at the red and white gis among us.

Though Johnny was my first official sensei, I feel like I've really connected with Chozen and Daniel recently. And I think Miyagi-Do is the farthest from Cobra Kai. I have a lot to prove today.

"Are you ready?" he asks me.

"I have to be, right?" I reply in a more hostile tone than I anticipated.

"My dad told me how hard you were training last night," Robby says.

"And I still didn't get the suffocation down," I reply. He frowns. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well. I'm really stressed about today."

"Shawn won't know what hit him," he encourages me. "Just do your best."

"Aren't you nervous?" I ask him.

"I'm... I'm trying to be positive like my therapist suggested. Is it coming off as too positive?" 

"Maybe a little," I say with a teasing smile as I take his hand and lead us over to the group.

Chozen wears a greige gi as he stands with our senseis who wear their respective gis. As they address us, I put my hair up into a secure bun; I won't let my hair be down and risk Shawn grabbing it again, even if it is an illegal move.

"Good luck to Sam, Eli, and Zion today. We will all go in together as a team and have each other's backs for whatever may come from these qualifier matches," Daniel says diplomatically.

"Are we ready to go in?" Johnny asks us.

"Yes, sensei!" some of us yell.

"Let's go!"

Eli and Sam step to the front just behind our senseis as I stand with Robby in the second row. Miguel smiles as he steps up beside me, too. We leave our shoes at the door, something you're supposed to do out of respect. How weird when I don't respect anything about this place.

When we make it inside, I stare in awe. There's a golden snake in the entryway, which is a long hallway arch made of expensive looking wood. The main part of the dojo is furnished with blue, red, and black, and it's somehow even bigger. It's so... beautiful and new and luxurious. 

It has Silver written all over it.

The devil is standing with a couple other Cobra Kai senseis, the Sekai Taikai judges, and my senseis now. My eyes meet his for a second, and I fight the urge to run away now before anything can happen.

Instead, I steady myself and move to the side with the rest of the students. Robby's attention is now on Anthony, while mine is directed across the mat.

Tory and Piper stand together as they look at my dojo in disdain. Tory looks at me and then away. Piper doesn't even turn to me. 

Then I look at Shawn as he talks to Kyler and Walker. He's so big; I hope what I've learned is enough to take him down.

"Keene!" a voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I see Kenny crossing the mat to me and my boyfriend angrily. I also see that Anthony is gone, thankfully.

"That's some messed up shit. You training the kid who bullied me," Kenny stares at Robby while only slightly acknowledging my presence.

"Heard you're the one doing the bullying now," Robby says bluntly.

"Oh, he deserves everything that comes to him."

"I don't actually think you believe that," Robby tells him. Kenny frowns and looks at me. I nod in agreement with Robby. "Look, I know how things can start out from nothing and get bigger and bigger until all you feel is hate. I've been there."

He turns to look at Miguel. They nod to each other. Kenny looks confused and unconvinced. I don't even know what to say. I'm thankful that Robby is taking the lead.

"But I'm telling you, it is so much better to let that hate go. You and Anthony might actually get along if you got to know each other. You just gotta hash things out."

"Yeah, right. He made my life a living hell," Kenny argues.

"He's young. He's just trying to find his place at school just like you were," I speak up. "Was it right? No, but-"

"He's the reason I came to you both in the first place, and now you're defending him?" Kenny asks with a mix of anger and disappintment in his tone.

He's hurting, and I don't know how to help him.

I feel eyes on me, and I look over at Cobra Kai's side to see Shawn glaring a hole through me. He's obviously still protective of Kenny, but his brother was the one who sought us out just now. Shawn has to know that and not hold it against me. Besides, Kenny should be able to make his own decisions free of his brother and free of Silver. 

"You know what? You're lucky you're not on the mat today," he tells Robby. "Guess Hawk will have to do."

Kenny smirks slyly then turns to me. My heart pounds.

"As for you, good luck with Shawn. He's been waiting for this one," the boy says before turning back to his team.

I failed him by losing at the All Valley and not taking him away from Cobra Kai immediately. Now he thinks this is the only way, and so does his brother. So does everyone here. 

Robby takes my hand, and I pull it away in embarrassment, "Not here. Please." Everyone's already judging me as the girl who got beat up by Shawn and is dumb enough to try again. Embracing Robby now would only make that worse.

"Don't worry," Eli walks over to us. "I'll shut him up."

"Don't go too hard on him. You remember what it's like to be in Cobra Kai. It's not Kenny talking. It's Silver," Robby tells Eli.

He nods, "Yeah."

I interrupt, "That's true, but now is not the time to be nice." They look at me in surprise. "Everything is at stake. I want to prove there's another way, but I've been where Kenny is. He won't listen to reason. You have to give him all you have - safely - to ensure our win."

"I can do that," Eli agrees.

"Are you sure, Zion?" Robby asks me.

"I think she has a point," Eli says. "Nobody was able to get through to me until the house fight. Kenny isn't exactly primed to change his whole belief system today."

"Okay. Then do all you can," Robby nods. I smile a little when I see that they're genuinely getting along. 

"We should get into position, I guess," Eli turns to me.

I leave Robby with a small smile before joining Eli and Sam at the front of our lineup.

"Thank you, Sensei Silver, for offering to host these matches in your dojo on such short notice," Gunther speaks up and begins the competition.

"Offering or demanding?" Daniel says in response. I press my lips together in a tight smile.

"Well, we do have actual tournament regulation mats here, so it really was the only option," Silver responds. His voice is enough to make my skin crawl.

The new woman sensei beside him smiles proudly at that comment. I've never seen her before, but she seems important.

"We will begin with the boys fight. Then the girls and then the 18-20 age division fight," Gunther continues. I'm last. "We have invited a local referee to ensure impartiality."

A middle-aged white man in a grey shirt walks over and bows to us. I recognize him from the All Valley.

"First to three points wins."

The senseis move back to their respective sides, and the organizers all sit behind a table.

"Time to begin."

My heart pounds. I see Eli and Robby fist bump in my peripheral vision. I really hope this goes well.

"Eli Moskowitz and Kenny Payne, please take the mat."

They do so. Kenny looks ready to kill. Silver looks ready to win. 

Everyone begins to clap, and I hear Demetri whisper-yell, "Go, Eli!" from behind me.

The ref takes the mat with them, "Face me. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready?"

They get into their fighting stances. 

"Fight!" 

Kenny immediately does a flying side kick. Eli jumps away, and Kenny swiftly turns around to throw a combination of punches at him. Eli blocks all of them, but then Kenny kicks Eli's torso when it's exposed. 

"Point! 1-0 Payne."

My heart drops into my stomach. It's okay. Eli's got this. We won't lose.

"Ready? Fight!"

Kenny goes in with a double turning kick. He's fast and striking first like I anticipated. Eli blocks then kicks and is blocked. They punch and block so quickly that it's hard to keep up. Kenny goes for a back kick, but Eli blocks it.

With his back turned, Eli advances, and Kenny rushes away in fear. I see the boy I first met in that moment, and it makes me so nervous.

Eli kicks Kenny in the torso now for the point. Everyone around me cheers. That's good, right?

"Out of bounds. No point," the referee calls it. I try to keep my breathing steady.

"What? What, are you serious?" Eli replies angrily.

"What?" Robby mutters under his breath.

"Come on, ref, that's horseshit!" Johnny yells out. "He made contact in-bounds!"

"No point. Back on the line," the ref aggressively scolds Johnny and Eli.

I turn back to Kenny who looks more confident than ever. I don't understand the call, but I try to trust the ref despite my concern.

"Ready? Fight!"

Kenny side kicks, and Eli blocks. Kenny keeps kicking, and he's so fast that he doesn't leave himself time to be vulnerable. All Eli can do is block. Then he begins punching back at Kenny. Then he kicks.

I wait for Eli to get this point. They keep blocking each other until Eli kicks, and Kenny grabs onto his ankle then elbows his knee. Hard.

I gasp as Eli falls to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Illegal strike. That's a warning."

A warning?!

I can't even look at the ref in shock. Instead I'm focused on Kenny's look of aggression and then... on Silver's sadistic one. He's obviously enjoying this.

"Turn and kneel," the ref tells Kenny.

"A warning? He should be disqualified," Daniel calls out.

I frown as I watch it all go down. Our senseis are making us look like sore losers. They're entirely right, but this isn't the way to win.

Eli walks over to us as he limps. He has to pull it together. He has to.

"It's fine. He just caught me off-guard," Eli assures Daniel.

"Are you sure, Eli?"

"No more Eli. It's time to uncage the Hawk," he says as he puts his hands in his hair and pushes up his new mohawk that I didn't notice before. It's tiny and green and kind of looks silly. 

Still, I'll go with anything as long as he wins this match. Our chances don't look good right now, though. 

Eli limps back onto the mat.

"Get back on the line."

Kenny stands up from his kneeling position. 

Eli puts on his game face as he gets into a more aggressive stance for this one. 

"Come on," I whisper.

I watch as Kenny finds his own unique stance.

"Fight!"

And before Eli can do much more than throw a punch, Kenny goes in and punches Hawk's chest for the point. I feel the panic sink in as everyone around me groans. 

"Point. 2-0 Payne."

One more point and Cobra Kai wins the boy's match.

Then I realize that Eli still hasn't gotten up. He's curled up on the ground and groaning in pain.

"Hawk?" Miguel draws everyone's attention to him.

Our senseis rush over, and I hope more than anything that he's okay and can continue and can win.

"Hawk, what's wrong?" Johnny asks him.

"Can't... can't... breathe..." Eli manages to get out.

"Rule number two: A man can't breathe, he can't fight." 

I look at Silver in horror. The white-haired man gives me a sick smile. 

He taught Kenny whatever that move was. And Kenny chose to use it. 

"Can you continue?" I hear the ref ask.

Eli tries to stand up and fails. He collapses back on the ground.

"Rule number one: A man can't stand, he can't fight." 

I look between Kenny and Eli worriedly. This is so much worse than I thought.

"Where's the medic?" Johnny calls out.

The medic appears on the mat, but before he can even be examined-

"That's a forfeit. Winner, Payne," the referee holds Kenny's hand up.

"What? No!" I say softly when he calls it.

Cobra Kai cheers, Eli stays down, and the people around me argue in frustration and disappointment. 

Kenny is happily greeted by his team for his unfair win. 

I breathe in and out way too fast as I try not to have a panic attack here. 

Shawn and Kenny do some kind of celebratory handshake.

The mat is red. My gi is white. Robby's hand is warm as he holds mine.

"I have to win now," I whisper as I accept his touch this time. "Even if Sam can beat Tory... it's not enough."

I blink back tears as I stand tall and try to keep a neutral expression. My mind is processing everything at a mile a minute.

"I think he's okay. Just got the wind knocked out of him," the medic evaluates.

"Looks like you got a new name," Kenny walks back over to Eli with a big smile. "Faux-Hawk."

I'm so angry and scared that I feel like I might cry. Not here, not in front of Silver. I can do this. I can. I will. I want my sensory slug.

I watch as Kyler and Walker laugh with the rest of Cobra Kai. Now Kenny is bullying Eli. This has to stop. 

Daniel and Johnny help Eli up and over to a staircase near the back of the room to sit. Cobra Kai keeps cheering at the insult.

I know that I have to win now more than anything. I was so stupid to even think that I could make it out of this without actually having to fight.

Shawn is looking at me again, this time with a smile of his own. 

I take in a deep breath and squeeze Robby's hand. He squeezes it in response.

"We begin our girls' fight," Gunther suddenly stands up, wasting no time. "Samantha LaRusso and Tory Nichols, please take the mat."

Sam steps up, and her dad calls after her, "Sam, hey, they're fighting dirty. This is dangerous. You really don't have to do this." I try not to panic and say that she does. She has to fight for us to even have a chance.

"I know, but I can handle it," Sam tells Daniel. "This is for all of us." I relax slightly at her reply. Still, I don't want to see her get hurt. This is so messed up.

She bows to Daniel and Chozen. Johnny is still with Eli off to the side.

Sam then steps up to the mat. If she loses, it's game over. If she wins, then I still have to fight Shawn.

"Where's Nichols?" I hear Silver ask from across the mat. 

I watch as the Cobra Kai students look for her frantically. I don't see her?

"Tory Nichols?" Gunther calls while Sam stands alone on the mat.

I instantly worry that something happened to her. Or her mom. I see everyone pestering Piper for an answer, but she looks just as confused. 

"Tory isn't over there," I tell Robby. "Something must have happened. I really hope she's okay."

Sam looks back at me in confusion. I don't know what to say. What do we do if she doesn't show up? Do they forfeit?

Silver walks back in without her. I didn't even notice he left. He talks to the woman sensei in a hushed tone. 

I'm so worried that Silver did something to her.

"She'll be okay," Miguel walks over to me. "Silver wouldn't have done something to her before the fight, right?"

It does help calm my nerves, "Right." But it is weird that Tory left without telling Piper. 

Devon suddenly steps onto the mat. I stare in surprise as she hesitantly stands opposite of Sam.

And I hate to say it, but I feel better about this fight now. Devon has only ever fought with honor, and she's a brand new fighter while Sam has been training since she was small.

I allow a little bit of hope to build in my chest as the referee has them bow.

"Fight!"

It takes a second for Devon to realize that Sam isn't going to strike first. Then the girl moves in with a few jab punches that Sam easily dodges. 

They make it to the edge of the mat where Sam executes a side kick on Devon's torso. I smile in relief.

"No point. That's shoulder. No point."

"What?" Sam and I whisper at the same time.

What does he mean "no point?" She obviously just got Devon; we were all watching.

"Keep fighting."

They move back center, and Sam kicks at Devon a couple of times before Devon returns them. Sam blocks the first and second kick. Then Devon kicks a third time.

"Point. 1-0, Lee." 

I stare in shock. There's no way. I didn't even see Devon hit Sam; it looked like a block.

"There was no contact," Daniel defends her.

Sam calls a timeout and rushes over to me, Chozen, and Daniel. "I blocked that, and I swear I just got her below the shoulder," Sam tells us.

"I thought so, too," I assure her nervously. 

I glance at Devon high-fiving her team while Daniel says, "All right, look, not every point is gonna go our way."

"Those calls put me down a point when I should be up by one," she argues. "If I lose the match because of it-"

"Sam," Miguel walks over to his girlfriend, "You're the better fighter out there. Everyone knows it. The ref might not be doing you any favors, but you've got us in your corner. All of us."

I look back at Piper as she stands alone with a slight frown on her face. I want to talk to her. I don't understand where Tory is. I don't understand these fights. I can only think that Silver has something to do with it. I have to take him down. I have to. I have to.

"Referee is moron," Chozen tells Sam. "Must not leave room for error."

"He's right. You make every point undeniable," Daniel agrees. 

I don't understand how that can work. I believe in Sam, but I also believe that Silver isn't going to let Devon lose this match. I'm so worried.

Sam walks back to the mat with Devon. 

"Ready? Fight!" 

Devon advances first. Sam blocks a couple of moves before sweeping Devon to the ground and scoring a point.

I smile in disbelief, "Yes!"

"Point, LaRusso. 1-1."

"Ready? Fight!"

I watch as Devon attempts a similar combination of kicks again. Sam evades and follows the pattern. She kicks Devon in the middle of the torso for an undeniable point.

Now something rises in my chest. It's not anxiety; it's hope. And it only grows more when I see the worry on Cobra Kai's female sensei's face.

"Point. 2-1, LaRusso."

 "Ready? Fight!"

Sam defends everything Devon throws at her. Sam's calm in comparison to Devon's aggression. She realizes when they're almost off the mat and rolls away before standing back up and protecting herself. 

They move back center, and Sam tries a few different kicks before Devon counters. She blocks. Devon punches. Block. Punch. Kick.

She kicks Devon in the torso, and the girl falls back.

A weight is lifted off of my shoulders as Robby cheers, "Yes, Sam!" 

I actually clap, but I stop short when I realize that the ref never called the point.

Then, "Point. Winner, LaRusso." He holds her hand up in the air.

"Yeah!" Miguel cheers above the rest of us.

My heart swells with hope when she wins. I didn't even think this was possible, but technique and experience put Sam over the edge. And that's what it will have to do for me. 

Sam rushes over to us. I see Silver looking down unhappily, and I can't help feeling a little bit happy. I want him to feel immeasurable pain after what he did to me and so many others.

I glance back at Eli as he sits alone with his water bottle. He gives me a small smile, either in support or reassurance I'm not sure.

I walk back to the front of the team as Sam turns to me and holds out her fist, "You've got this. We can win, okay?"

"Okay," I agree and fistbump her.

"Z," Johnny calls me over to my senseis. "You're also a better fighter. I haven't even seen this guy fight, but he's only been with Silver for less than two months. You've been practicing for two years. You can do this. Rely on your kicks. That was always your strong suit." I nod in agreement.

"And don't forget about your defense. You know how aggressive Cobra Kai will be out there. Don't forget the fundamentals," Daniel adds in.

"We believe in you," Chozen says, "but you should believe in yourself, too."

"I do," I tell Chozen and try to make it true. "And I will try to do all of that out there." It's a lot of pressure.

"Next up we have Zion Ambrose and Shawn Payne," Gunther announces.

Suddenly all my nerves are back. Suddenly my heart is pounding. I turn over my shoulder to look at Shawn as he steps up to the mat. Suddenly I find my courage, which I know I can only have through fear. I'm strong. I've got this. I step onto the mat.

"Bow to me." We do. "Bow to each other."

I try to block out the world as I bow to Shawn. I know that my first move has to be quick and precise to catch him off-guard.

"Fighting positions."

I back up and lean into a lower fighting position.

"Ready? Fight!"

I run forward, jump, and kick him in the face.

It takes me a moment to realize that I really just did that. 

"Point, Ambrose. 1-0."

I feel power coarsing through my veins as I remember how good this feels, and I smile when I hear my team cheering behind me.

Shawn is turned away, clutching his jaw for a moment.

I take the chance to say to him, "That's how you strike first."

The cheers from Miyagi-Fang become even louder as the ref ushers us back into position.

Shawn stands up straight again, and he looks at me with a death glare. My eyes drift over to Silver before I even realize it and see a slight frown on his face. It only pushes me further.

"Ready? Fight!"

Shawn punches and closes the gap, so I duck and step out of the way. It's not enough because he turns around and tries a combination of punches. Wax on, wax off, sand the floor, fuck. 

He doesn't kick at all, and it keeps him grounded. A sweep at this point wouldn't do anything.

I know I'm faster, so I try to get behind him. Instead, Shawn finally tries out a kick and hits me in the stomach. I breathe heavily from the impact as he smiles down at me.

"Point, Payne. 1-1."

The Cobras cheer. I walk back to my starting position nervously. I don't look at my team or Silver in order to keep my head in the game. This time I'm going to try a new tactic. I'll stay low and really focus on my defense and his weaknesses.

"Fight!"

I breathe through each move in the moment. Jab punch. Block. Right hook. Block. It becomes easier to block and anticipate his moves; I think I'm finally understanding Miyagi-Do. 

I try not to lead with aggression but rather determination. Punch. Block. Punch. Block. Kick. Block. Shawn gets frustrated. 

I roll on the ground and execute the two-legged kick Robby used in my first tournament. When I make contact, I stand back up excitedly. 

"Too close to the groin. No point," the referee says.

"What?" I ask in confusion. I notice for a second that even Shawn looks slightly surprised. Did I actually hit him there?

"Keep going."

And before I can do anything else, Shawn punches me in the face. 

"Point, Payne. 2-1."

The world gets blurry for a second from the impact. I groan and try to shake out the pain.

"You didn't even give her a second to know what you called!" Johnny yells out.

I shake my head, "I'm fine."

Even though I know I'm not. The panic is setting in that with one more point Cobra Kai will win it all. Silver will have it all.

"Looks like that first point was just luck for you," Shawn taunts. 

I try to remember what Robby and Eli told me last night. I have to find when he's off-balance or when his back is turned. I just don't think I can do the suffocation. I'm down by one and away from the win by two. I can do this.

"Back on the line. Ready? Fight."

I stay fast and keep him on his toes as I rush to the opposite side of the mat to avoid his close-range punches. I hope it will give me an advantage point, despite how it feels like I'm just running away. I need a safe way to grab just below his neck for this to work.

Shawn does a push kick and closes the gap. I punch twice, he blocks twice, and then I move away to change up the pattern.

For just a second, I find myself behind him. I take the chance to rush over and-

Suddenly Shawn turns around, grabs my waist, lifts me into the air, and throttles me onto the ground.

I hit the mat. Hard.

Pain washes over me before I even know what happened. It takes me a second to realize that I've landed on my side. I can hear the gasps around me.

"Oh my God," I think I hear Sam whisper.

"Get back. No point. That's a warning!" the ref calls it.

"A warning?!" Miguel's voice carries through the room. 

"Timeout," I manage to say, desperate to not let what happened to Eli happen to me. I sit up slowly.

Robby and Daniel are the first to my side as Johnny calls the medic back over. 

"Go to your senseis," the referee tells Shawn.

"Are you okay?" Robby grabs my hand worriedly.

"Yeah," I say despite the burning pain on the left side of my body, the side that I landed on.

"Hang on, let me look at her," the medic tells him. "Where does it hurt?"

"Here," I press just under my left boob near my ribs, "I guess."

"Okay, can you stand up and go over to the stairs with me?" he asks. "I'll be able to get a better look."

I nod hesitantly. The medic helps me up, and I can see Robby's look of concern and helplessness.

I glance over my shoulder at Silver as he grins. How does nobody see this?! All of the organizers are focused on me, Shawn, or the paperwork in front of them. It's so frustrating that nobody can see how sadistic Silver is.

Daniel sticks close by as we walk past my other senseis. Once I'm on the stairs, they walk over to me worriedly.

I want to scream in frustration. I hate being hurt and pitied. I can go back out there and do this despite the pain, I think. 

The medic presses on the injury again, and I wince. "It's possible you have a bruised rib," he examines.

"Again?" Johnny asks, recalling the night Shawn and the other Cobras jumped me. "Can she fight?"

"I'd say that's up to her."

They all look at me. I look back at Shawn as he kneels on the mat in the other direction. Realistically, I don't know how to beat him. 

"You don't have to fight. Don't push yourself. That's a lesson I've learned," Johnny tells me.

Daniel speaks up, clearly meaning well, "Silver winning is okay if it means that we're all safe."

Safe?

Silver going unchecked might be the worst thing. After what he did to Daniel. After what he did to me. After what Kreese said he did to Stingray.

He will only create more Cobras like Shawn and Kyler and Kenny. They will never know anything different. And I'll never be able to show them another way if I don't do it right now.

"I want to do this," I tell them. "I want to do the suffocation." I look at Chozen, and he nods.

"The move you couldn't get down last night?" Johnny asks skeptically.

"Johnny," Daniel scolds him in a whisper.

"I want to do this and end it right," I stand up. "Or at least I have to try."

Robby nods, "Okay. Okay. Be careful. I'm right behind you, always." I nod at him thankfully.

I stand up again and walk back over to the mat as I try to mentally prepare for this. It hurts a little to breathe, but I try to help it by breathing in and out slowly. 

I dare to look at Silver. He looks shocked that I'm back and so does the woman sensei and so do the rest of Cobra Kai.

"I'm fighting," I tell the referee.

"Okay. Stand up," the referee tells Shawn, who was kneeling for the penalty. "Fighting positions."

I take in a deep breath as I find my favorite kata stance. One foot firmly planted on the ground, the other on my knee, and my arms rest just above my shoulders in a combat-ready position.

I close my eyes to center myself. When he calls it, I'll strike, and all I will focus on is going up, around, and down.

Up, around, down.

"Ready?"

Up, around, down.

"Fight!"

I open my eyes. Shawn front kicks. I react.

My arms reach over the leg and for his waist now. He reacts by grabbing onto me, but I use my momentum to propel me up. 

My legs wrap around his neck. He panics and tries to get me off; I know I'm in control despite being upside down for the moment. The momentum swings me to his backside. Shawn loses his balance. I flip and let my feet land down on the ground, and I use the rest of my body weight and the momentum to push on his back. 

Now he's the one falling forward into the mat.

I can feel my confidence grow and give me the power to rush over and kick his stomach for the point. I just did that!

It's silent in the dojo. Then, I hear my teammates cheering. 

"Get back. Illegal contact. No p-"

"Wait," Gunther stands up and walks onto the mat. "Fighters, back to your sides."

I'm alert and confused. Shawn is now standing and looks ready for blood, but I have to admit that I'm not scared anymore.

Gunther steps between me and Shawn, "Back to your sides."

I step away distrustfully. I make sure to walk backwards so I don't turn my back on any of them. Kenny looks just as angry as Shawn, and Silver looks admittedly worried. I don't know what any of this means.

I stand with my team, but I can't focus on them. My eyes are fixed on Gunther and what he might say next. I can't help feeling like I did something wrong.

But I also can't help feeling powerful.

"To prevent any more injuries today, we are stopping the matches here," Gunther informs us.

I stare in surprise; we won't get to finish this?

My eyes shift to Shawn who stands with his team just past Gunther. He looks confused, slightly angry, and also worried. His hand is rubbing his neck as if he really did get hurt. 

And right beside him is Walker. Maybe I'm crazy, but I feel good about what I did.

I just proved to myself that I could do that despite what everyone said. I will no longer allow myself to be manipulated or hurt by Silver or Cobra Kai. And I don't care. That's the win for me. 

"All we wanted to see today were three matches in direct competition. I believe myself and the Sekai Taikai panel have seen enough. Please give us a few minutes to deliberate," Gunther finishes his announcement before walking back to the others.

Okay, so I do care if we win. This is really important, and I may have just screwed it up. But I can't help acting on impulse. I can't help wanting Silver to suffer for what he did to me. I'm only human.

"That was amazing! You were amazing," Robby turns to me excitedly. "I guess I didn't realize what the suffocation even was, but I'm really proud of you for doing it. That is some next level stuff."

"Yeah, that move was really cool!" Eli comes over. "I just hope it didn't cost us everything." I frown.

"Hey, you also had an injury and that cost you the whole fight," Robby defends me.

"And who taught Kenny to fight like that?" Eli argues.

"Please don't argue," I tell them.

"Yeah. It isn't about winning or losing," Miguel steps up. "It's about seeing what we're made of. The Sekai Taikai organizers have to see that they're fighting dirty."

"Unless what I did just ruined it all," I say as the reality seeps in.

"Chozen told you to use that move for a reason," Miguel assures me. 

"We went over the rulebook. It looked legal," Robby nods. I try to believe that.

"I didn't mean to get all angry," Eli apologizes. "I'm just worried. Cobra Kai keeps corrupting people."

"It's okay. I get it," Robby says.

"It's happened to all of us," Miguel chimes in.

Suddenly, all of the organizers stand up at once. I grab Robby's hand nervously.

"We have reached an agreement," Gunther says. "As expected, we were impressed with the skills, prowess, and discipline of the new Sekai Taikai qualifier..."

I hold my breath as he looks at us. Then he looks away. My heart stops.

"Cobra Kai."

And I almost lose my mind. The room echoes with deafening cheers from the Cobras. I feel my grip tightening on Robby's hand, but I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to stop the panic that sets in.

I watch Silver nod contently as if he isn't ecstatic. The Cobras cheer. Kenny. Piper. Devon. Shawn. Kyler.

He won. And I lost. Again.

The mat is red. My gi is white. Miguel's gi is red. The mat is red. My gi is white. The mat is red. The mat is red. The mat is red.

"As for our other dojo," I think Gunther continues to talk, and I try to tune back in, "we admired your unusual mix of styles, technique, and underdog spirit. And we think you could be a unique addition to the competition."

I look up in surprise and blink away the tears from my eyes before they can fall. 

"Therefore, we've decided that your dojo has also qualified."

My friends erupt into cheers around me. My eyes focus on Silver as drops his relatively neutral expression and now wears one of shock and disappointment. And that becomes enough for me to trust this ruling.

I turn to Robby as pulls me into a hug, "You did it!"

"We did it!" I tell him. I pull away and turn to the others to celebrate. 

"Ahhhh!" Miguel screams as he gives me a big hug. 

Sam hugs me excitedly. I hug her back in slight surprise. I'm not really into all of these hugs.

"You guys killed it out there!" Demetri rushes over. "The odds - and that ref - were against us, and we still pulled it off. Well, you guys pulled it off." I can't help smiling.

Eli comes over, "I'm glad someone did."

"That fight with Shawn Payne was insane, too," Demetri says. "I didn't know you could do that?"

"Neither did she," Sam says. 

"Sometimes it comes to you in the moment," I say, a bit overwhelmed. 

"Congratulations, everyone," Gunther announces, "and welcome to the Sekai Taikai." 

He bows to us, and we bow to him in response. I actually can't belive this.

"Hey," Daniel turns back to us with Johnny and Chozen. "We've all earned this. Each and every one of you brought your A-game."

"Could not be more proud," Chozen nods, and I notice his smile linger on me. I smile, too.

"With this tournament in our future, we've got a lot of work to do," Daniel says honestly, "but tonight... tonight go celebrate!"

"YEAH!" Miguel and Eli cheer together and it makes the rest of us cheer, too.

I find Robby again, "I... I don't even know what to say right now."

"Can I say something?" he asks with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Yeah."

He pulls me in for a kiss. It's not even a good kiss, though, because he's smiling too much. He's so cheesy.

I cup his face in my hands, "I love seeing you happy."

"Okay, let's get out of here," Daniel tells us as we leave the Cobra Kai dojo for the parking lot and put back on our shoes.

"Hey, listen," Johnny walks over with Miguel, "I told Carmen I'd take her and Rosa out to dinner and a late night movie, so you guys are on your own if you wanna host that celebration?"

Miguel and Robby smile excitedly. I know I'm excited but also hesitant.

"Shit," Johnny says when he looks at me, "I forgot. Okay, um, a lowkey hang. No alcohol, no drugs, no sex-"

"Johnny," I stop him, "I think I'll be okay."

"Really?" him and Robby ask me at the same time.

"Yeah," I say. "I won't drink, but I think I'll be okay with it around me. It's going to take a lot to ruin tonight now that we've won."

"Okay!" Miguel cheers. "House party! I'll spread the word." He walks around the parking lot to find people and tell them.

⭒⭒⭒

A little while later, I walk out to the living room and see that Miyagi-Fang is already here to pre-game. Tonight I'm wearing a tight black crop top that shows off my tits and black jean shorts.I feel really confident after the fight earlier, so I've showered, put on makeup, and curled my hair. I feel almost invincible, actually.

Robby smiles when he sees me, and I sit with him on the kitchen bar. He hands me a water.

I notice that everyone else is already drinking out of red Solo cups.

"We should be good to go out there," Miguel walks back in. "The lights, keg, and cups are set up."

"All right!" Eli does a handshake with Miguel.

"Now we just wait on the people," Miguel states.

"Yeah, who is coming to a Wednesday night house party?" Demetri asks skeptically.

"It's summer," I remind him. "You'd be surprised."

"I can't wait for the parties when senior year really starts," Mitch speaks up. "All the babes want a senior guy."

"As long as you're not creepy," Aisha keeps him straight. Mitch frowns. "Right?"

He nods in agreement despite being scolded, "Right."

"I'm just hoping they'll let me back in once Miguel and his mom sign off on it," Robby admits. I'm surprised at his honest vulneribility with the group.

"Having you in school with us will be so cool," Demetri nods. "Finally."

"Can we stop talking about school? It's summer," Miguel wonders.

"Sorry, we're nerds," Aisha reminds him.

"Yo, is this where the party at?" a group of five white boys our age dressed like frat boys show up.

Eli turns up the volume on the speakers as more and more people join the party.

Robby and I have kind of stayed sitting in the kitchen for the majority of the party since we're both not drinking. We're sitting with the Jello shots and making sure nobody breaks into the fridge.

I texted the feminicons to come to the party, but Eva is on vacation in Oregon and Liv and Jai are working tonight. I also know that Yasmine won't come to a party that Demetri is at. So, it's just me, Aisha, and Sam.

It's loud and crazy in here, and it's a bit difficult to be sober right now.

I'll be honest and say that the smell of alcohol really didn't bother me when it was ten of us with cups, but now there are fifty people here. Everyone has beer breath and is spilling everything everywhere.

And I also kind of miss this life - not the addictive part, of course - but I see the fun that people are having. I see the way they're letting loose and letting their inhibitions go. I'm only eighteen; I can't believe I've ended up here already.

Miguel cleans up after people. I've tried to tell him that it's no use, but he doesn't listen. We can do it later no problem.

"You guys have the Jello shots?" Eli walks over to us.

"Yeah," I nod as I turn over my shoulder and grab two green ones.

Robby looks at them then at Eli, "What, uh, happened to the green?" He points to Eli's hair.

Eli takes the shots from me, and I realize that the green that he had in earlier is now gone. He hesitates, "Uh, didn't really work for me, so, uh, still figuring it out."

"Are you feeling better?" I ask him.

"Yeah. Chest kind of hurts, but I have pain relief right here," he smiles and downs a shot. I look down in dismay. He raises his eyebrows in surprise and sets down the second shot, "No, no, I'm sorry. I... That was a stupid thing for me to say."

"I get it," I tell him. "Just don't abuse it. Please."

"I won't, swear," Eli nods.

"How's your bruise?" Robby asks me. I told him my ribs were bruising in the car after the competition.

"Bruise?" Eli wonders.

"Well, my shirt kind of covers it," I say as I lift the fabric slightly and show the big bruise forming, "but it's there and it's sensitive. I put medicine on it that should help."

"Dude," Miguel wanders over to us, "this is insane. Sam told me she told Moon, but holy shit."

"Yeah, she must have invited everyone from East and West Valley," Eli states.

I think about the guy from my last party and the group of guys from the party before last school year started. I hope they won't show up. I just want tonight to be fun.

Miguel and Eli step closer to Mitch as he talks to some girls. A whiff of marjuana hits my nose, and it immediately sends me back to the last time I used it.

"You okay?" Robby whispers in my ear.

"Yeah," I nod as I try to breathe through it. It's not working.

"Overwhelmed?"

"Maybe a little," I say softly. "I think I might go outside for some fresh air."

When Robby realizes, he nods, "Okay."

"I'm going to find Sam or Moon maybe," I state.

I push my way through the crowd and eventually make it outside. I see a couple games of beer pong set up and a second keg.

I can't find Sam, Moon, or even Aisha anywhere. I walk closer to Johnny's side of the complex to avoid the crazy people already beginning to strip or do stupid dares.

I'm surprised when I see Demetri is already over here. He greets me, "Hi, welcome to the wall."

"Hey," I say as I decide to lean on the wall with him for lack of a better option.

"I take it this isn't as fun sober?" Demetri wonders.

"No, it isn't," I reply, despite not really wanting to talk right now.

"I have an extra Dr. Pepper," he leans down and picks a soda bottle off of the ground. "Do you want it?" He holds it out to me.

I take the peace offering, "Sure. I'm actually sick of water anyway."

"Me, too. This is my go-to. Or Mr. Pibb if they have Coke products," Demetri explains.

I go along with his nerdiness as I take a sip of it. "Wow, I haven't had a Dr. Pepper in a while. This is good."

"Cheers," he grabs his.

I clink my plastic bottle with his, a small smile forming on my face. He really isn't all that bad.

"It must have felt pretty good to do that to Shawn today, right?" Demetri wonders.

"Yeah," I say. "It was freeing to say the least."

"I'd like one chance to do that to Kyler," he reveals. "I want to get him back for everything. I mean, Eli had his revenge on Brucks. You had yours on Walker and now Shawn. I'm not even a very violent, aggressive person, but I'm sick of his crap."

I look at him in surprise, "Honestly, I hope you get to." I think about Silver's face of shock today. "It feels great to show someone that they can't hurt you anymore." I think about Janice. I take a swig of Dr. Pepper.

"Okay, everyone!" Aisha comes out to the fountain and stands on it with a speaker. The music is turned down slightly as everyone looks at her now. "You can party again in a second, but for one minute I want to give it up for the women of karate this evening: Samantha LaRusso and Zion Ambrose!"

I smile as everyone from our dojo comes outside and cheers. The other partygoers look so confused.

I give into the energy and rush over to the fountain and hold up my Dr. Pepper, "To Sam LaRusso, the biggest winner of the night!"

I feel proud to lift up Sam now rather than cheer for her downfall. There is life outside of the karate war. I was just too brainwashed before to realize it.

"To Zion, for helping prove that women can have a space in karate!"

"To women!" Aisha cheers.

"To women!" I cheer with everyone else, possibly too enthusiastically.

I even see some visibly queer women at the party cheering despite being blissfully unaware of why. It makes me laugh.

"Okay, that's all," Aisha puts the music back on and steps down.

Sam comes over to me, "Hey, thank you for that."

"Yeah, you're all right, LaRusso," I tease her.

"You, too... Ambrose," she says unnaturally then laughs. "It's really nice to hang out as friends."

"Speaking of, can we get a picture to remember this forever?" Aisha comes over to us excitedly.

We take a quick selfie on her phone. "Send that to me," I say.

"I can Airdrop it," Aisha says.

"I... don't have my phone," I feel my pockets. "It's inside, I guess. I'll be right back."

I walk back inside the apartment, pushing past people to get to the kitchen. It really smells like weed and alcohol in here.

I try to silence the thoughts that say I made a mistake by being here tonight.

"Watch it," some person on my left shoves me away.

I bump into somebody else, and suddenly someone on my right almost spills their beer on me. They turn away obliviously.

But I smell it. It burns my nose and provides comfort at the same time. No. It doesn't smell good. It can't. It means bad things...

I can smell the weed and cigarette smoke. I can feel the panic on my skin. I look back up to where I was going and see Robby.

"Robby..." I whisper to myself as I head back to the kitchen. I can make it. I'm okay.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Robby meets me halfway.

"Yeah, the um..." I turn back to the crowd with a frown.

I don't understand. I've been sober. I've been good. I've been so careful.

A gentle hand takes mine. A familiar hand. A safe hand. "Let's get out of here." I follow Robby down the hallway. "Um, where's the key to your room?" he asks me softly.

"Uh..." I reach into my pockets and pull it out.

He takes it and opens the closet room for me.

"Thank you. I'm sorry... I panicked," I sit on my bed in embarrassment.

"Don't apologize for that. You're safe in here. I'm glad you were able to find me," Robby says as he sits next to me.

"I hate it," I admit, "because I remember. I remember the smell almost as much as the taste. And that terrifies me. Now I'm in here and not out there. I'm scared, actually, because I thought I was ready. All those times my mom... that Janice tried to quit and failed. I can't be like that."

"You aren't," he tells me. "It's been almost a whole month. You've been great."

"I can't even enjoy one night as a normal teenager," I frown.

"Give me ten minutes," Robby decides. "If you're interested, you can go back out and experience the party without the smell, drinks, or people."

"Really? How?" I ask him skeptically.

"Give me ten," he smiles and steps out of the room. I'm left to wonder what he's doing.

Ten minutes later, Robby is walking with me through the crowd of people and then behind the building. It looks like nobody even noticed I panicked or left, thankfully.

"Going up," Robby smiles as we stop at a ladder hidden on the back of Johnny's apartment building.

I smile, "The roof?"

"Yeah, I used to come up here after we broke up. It gave me a space to think away from my dad," Robby admits.

I look up. It's two stories high. I'm glad I like heights.

"Okay," I smile and climb the ladder. Is it weird that this kind of feels like it's our thing? Sneaking onto roofs?

When I make it up there, I can see across other apartment complexes in Reseda, too. They're a lot more calm tonight.

I follow Robby to the other edge and look down at the people partying.

"I figured this would be a good spot to laugh at drunk people," Robby admits. "And be away from the other stuff."

"I love you so much," I turn to him. "Thank you for doing this for me."

"I love you, too," he sits, lets his feets dangle over the edge, and grabs a backpack that he must have placed up here. "And I brought snacks: Oreos, Cheetos, and Takis."

"Did you steal these from Miguel?" I sit by him with a knowing smile. These are Miguel's favorite snacks.

"Yeah," Robby laughs. "My dad doesn't really keep food in the apartment, unless you want expired eggs or a can of Spam."

"Oreos it is," I decide as I take the pack from him. I eat one and look down at the people below.

"That one guy is swimming in the fountain," Robby points. I smile as some tall boy wades in the fountain water like an idiot.

"There's a girl over there who looks ready to puke," I observe.

"Fountain guy has a friend who is likely to fall from balancing there," he says.

I watch as some other dude stands on one foot on the narrow fountain ledge. We laugh as he actually falls into the fountain on top of the other guy. And they look so drunk that they're able to laugh it off and the crowd around them cheers.

"I usually do this at parties," Robby tells me. "Not on the roof necessarily but to the side since I'm not drinking."

"I was surprised you said yes to a big party," I admit.

"Well, Miguel was so happy. Things are finally in a good place with us, too. I figured if you were okay with it then I would be, too," he says.

"You're so sweet. And selfless. I wish you did what you wanted more, though," I tell him. Robby nods. I add, "Or that other people cared about what you want more."

"It's not so bad. It prevents confrontation," he counters.

"I just hate to think that you might settle for less," I say.

"Not when you give me more than I need," Robby flirts.

I roll my eyes, "Robby, I'm being serious!"

"And I'm serious, too. With you, it all makes sense."

I adjust how I'm sitting and back away from the ledge before pulling Robby close for a kiss.

"You're so cheesy, Swayze," I tell him, remembering how that's what made me fall for him in the first place.

He smiles and eats an Oreo.

"Will we get in trouble for being up here? Are there cameras?" I suddenly wonder as I think about his probation.

"No, I checked that app I used Trey and Cruz, and there's nothing up here. We're good," he assures me.

"Okay," I relax and swing my legs back over the ledge to watch people.

Then I see someone get dropped off in front of the complex, which is odd for this late into the party. I stand up to get a better look because whoever it is is walking around the building quickly.

"What is it?" Robby stands up with me curiously.

I panic, "Tory."

I walk to the back of the roof to climb back down the ladder, wondering what she's doing here. Is she here to fight? To talk to me, maybe? Maybe it's about her mom or something? Why would Tory be here? Does she know there's a party?

"I'm coming, too," Robby climbs down after me.

When I hit the ground safely, I rush around the building to stop whatever Tory is planning on doing. She was walking really fast, like she was determined to do something.

I make it to the front of the complex through the back way and see Tory and Sam.

"You knew all along that Silver cheated at the All Valley and did nothing?!" Sam yells at Tory.

My blood runs cold at that statement. Tory doesn't object.

"You don't know what it's like in there, what I've had to deal with," Tory argues.

My eyes dart between them. Silver cheated? Tory's here to tell us? What?

Sam attacks Tory, and I rush over, "Wait!"

"Zion, you don't want to get in my way right now," Sam says with venom in her voice.

Tory blocks Sam's aggressive punches and kicks. I pull Sam away from Tory by her waist like I had at prom. Tory looks terrified, actually. I've never seen Sam this aggressive, sure, but there's something else in Tory's eyes.

"What are you talking about, we didn't lose?" I ask Tory directly. Robby rushes up behind us.

Tory admits, "You didn't lose the All Valley, not really-"

"Silver paid off the referee," Sam interrupts her. "He made fake calls to have her win."

I look at Tory in shock as she shakes her head, "I would have come sooner, but I-"

"What's going on?" Miguel comes over. I see a crowd gathering to watch the fight go down.

Sam kicks my leg to make me let go of her, and she attacks Tory again, "My entire family has suffered because of you!"

Suddenly Miguel jumps in and pulls her back now just as Robby steps in and holds out his hand to keep Tory back. I'm still so confused and betrayed. This can't be real.

"Sam, that's enough!" Miguel exclaims.

"She's also been working with Kreese this whole time," Sam says to me.

I turn to Tory in shock. "What?" Robby asks.

"Why did you only come forward now, huh? Because you're a coward!" Sam keeps yelling at Tory who looks more upset than I've seen her in a long time.

"Screw you, LaRusso," Tory says, her voice soft as if she's holding in tears. "I knew this was a mistake."

Tory turns and leaves. I panic, needing more answers and for her to not leave like this.

"Tory, wait!" I take off after her.

"Forget it, Z," Tory says when I catch up to her. "I shouldn't have come."

"What do you mean that he cheated? Really?" I ask, terrified of the answer.

"I saw him. The night of the All Valley paying off the ref."

I feel nauseous. No, no, this can't be real.

"I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know what to do. I thought maybe Sensei Kreese would help me take down Silver. I haven't trusted him in so long. you and Robby left, and I felt like I had to stay for Piper, my mom, Brandon. I... I tried to do something from the inside, but Kreese let me down. It's so awful at Cobra Kai now. Silver paid off the ref earlier, too," Tory explains.

"That's why you left," I realize.

"I'm sorry... I should really go," Tory says as she looks past me.

I turn around and see Robby, Miguel, and Sam catching up to us slowly. Then I turn back and see that Tory's gone.

I let the truth wash over me. Tears fall inexplicably. I can't control it.

"Where'd she go?" Miguel walks up with Robby and Sam.

I turn to him, "It was all a lie." I try to breathe through it and control my emotions. "A... A manipulation."

Robby looks at me sadly. Miguel hesitates, "She was telling the truth?"

I ignore him. "This whole time..." I swallow hard. Terrified. "I thought that even though Cobra Kai won the All Valley I was free of him. Carmen told me he wasn't coming after me again because he was done with me. And Daniel told me he couldn't come after me again because of the world tournament. But it turns out he had me and the whole Valley tricked for months. He's been in my head all along."

I try to work through the panic by speaking it all aloud and pacing back and forth. My chest burns, and I can barely see through the tears.

"I was never free of him or the pain he inflicts. I was never really safe. All because he cheated to win. And if he hadn't... maybe nothing in the last two months would have happened to me."

My voice cracks. I try to breathe normally, but my breathing is shallow as I become consumed by the panic.

"Us breaking up, the addiction, the assault, none of it. It all could have been different. I could have been better. I could have been a winner. I could have been stronger. I could have... I could have... And now I can't. Because he ruined it all just like he ruins everything else, and so the win today didn't mean anything, and he's just going to keep coming after us over and over again, and we're just going to have to take it-"

"Zion, Zion, calm down," Robby takes my hands as tears stream down my face.

"No, I can't," I tell him and push him away. "I can't break free. I was so stupid. He has the power, the money, the privilege to do all of this." My hands are in my hair to grab onto something. I feel like I'm going insane. "He's going to get away with it. He already did."

"She's right," Sam says. "My family went through hell because of Silver. My dad got really hurt, my parents' marriage got strained, Anthony has been bullied, and I beat myself up for not winning in that tournament. Maybe one of us would have if Silver hadn't rigged it."

Hearing her confirm my feeling only makes me cry harder. Robby pulls me into a hug. I can feel my body shaking. I'll never be free.

"You're just like Sensei Kreese," Sensei Silver laughs. "You have a weakness for someone and it's going to get you into trouble. That's why you need Cobra Kai the right way."

"I'm going home. I'm calling an Uber," I hear Sam say through her sobs then I hear her walk away.

"No," I turn to walk out, but Sensei Silver steps on my dress and holds me in place.

Robby holds me close. Is this what a nervous breakdown feels like? Or a heart attack?

"Here's a new lesson. A man can't stand," Silver kicks my stomach and knocks me back into the glass, "he can't fight."

"I'll go clear everyone out of the house," Miguel says.

I yelp in pain and jump off the tiny glass shards. I feel my tears starting again as Silver continues to walk towards me. My body shakes and threatens to collapse just like it had with Janice.

"There's no time. I'll drive her to my mom's to crash." Robby's voice soothes me as he holds me and gently rocks us back and forth. "I need her keys."

"A man can't breathe," he kicks me again and knocks me back into the wall, "he can't fight."

"Her purse and phone were inside," Miguel says. "I'll go grab them."

I groan as the air is pushed out of me and Silver comes over closer. His hands wrap around my neck. I try to push him off, but the man is so skilled that he can see every defense I have coming from a mile away. I claw desperately as my vision begins to get blurry and I gasp for oxygen.

"Shhh, it's okay," Robby holds me, though I'm not sure he doesn't feel like collapsing in failure himself right now.

"You try to turn your back on Cobra Kai? Cobra Kai turns its back on you," Silver laughs and I can smell the whiskey on his breath.

I'm such a burden. A stupid girl, thinking she could be tough. Nothing matters anymore.

Tears definitely escape my eyes that feel like they're popping out of my head. Eventually, I feel them wanting to roll back in my head. I try to fight it. I try in every way possible.

The car ride is a blur. I physically can't stop crying. Eventually Robby gave up.

"A man can't see, he can't fight," Silver takes me to the point of almost blacking out.

I lay in bed with him at his mom's and cry myself to sleep. My lungs hurt. My ribs hurt. All evidence of Silver's impact from today alone.

I gasp in his grasp worriedly because I'd never been quite this overpowered by anyone: Adam or Janice. I had always found a way out, but now there's no escape. I'm powerless.

I'll never be free.

"And apparently, neither can little girls who don't know their place," Silver slams my head into the wall.

I'll never be free.

⭒⭒⭒

A/N: Poor Zion :(

And here we are, close to the end of season 5.

Thank you for your votes and comments <3