RORY SAT awkwardly sat in the chair as the interview was about to begin. She didn't really know why she was here as she wasn't competition in the Seikai Taikai in the first place and they didn't have to use her name to get viewership.

Rory quipped her lip to the side as crossed her legs over the other. Her hands rested in her lap as she looked down brick red nails as the interviewer sat down in front of her, his arm outstretched towards her as he gave her a smile.

"Thank you for meeting with us so last minute, Ms. Brewer."

Rory gently shook his hand, a small smile on her face as she nodded. "No problem."

"We won't have you here for long. Just a couple of questions about the event."

Rory nodded. She glanced over at her parents who stood side-by-side. Her mother, arms crossed over her chest as their publicist stood next to them.

Rory sighed heavily, she forgot that her mother was... her mother. This model that could be jet-setting across the world and yet, she stood here with Rory because this interview could go haywire at any given moment.

Rory wasn't like her sister. Belle had trained for interviews while Rory had to be given a speech on the car ride there about what she could and couldn't say.

"And we welcome Aurora Brewer, daughter of Jack and Layla Brewer." The man spoke. "One of the best karate couples out there who have passed their dreams down to their daughter who has national titles under her belt." He spoke softly, turning his head towards Rory before continuing. "I know you know about Zara Malik and her livestream that you happened to be in. You said, and I quote, "Your Queen of Karate is a two-faced bitch who isn't the girls girl she claims to be." and "She'll do anything she can to win even if that means taking advantage of people's boyfriends when they can't—" What did that mean?"

Rory exhaled heavily before glancing over at her parents, her mother already stepping forward to end the interview then and there, but Rory raised her hand slightly, causing Layla to stop.

"Zara and I spoke prior to that livestream and... I wish I would've done things that day differently, but it happened and I can hope that Zara... and I can learn from this situation."

The man nodded. "And what exactly is that situation?"

"As much as I would like to speak on it, it's not my place to. It's Zara's and the part apart of it."

"Do you wish you were competing to try and settle a score with her?"

"There's no score to settle." Rory said bluntly. "I like to think I who I am and who's on my side. My friend Samatha LaRusso earned her spot as captain and couldn't be prouder."

"Your male captain is your boyfriend, Robby Keene, prior to the incident with Kwon Jae-Sung, Robby seemed to be off his game. Do you think this time will be any different."

Rory blinked. "First of, what happened Kwon is a tragedy and I hope his friends and family are doing well considering what did happened and I think anyone stepping onto that mat compete or to even support their dojo when we were in Barcelona will be slightly shaken up but I think the best thing we can do is honor him the best we can." She sighed, her hands clasped together in front of her. "As for Robby, I- I love him dearly and I've seen him train hard for every thing that he does. I believe that he will put his best foot forward and try his best and that's all that I could ever ask and the same goes Sam."

"One final question, if that's okay?"

Rory nodded.

"What's next? What's for next for Aurora Brewer?"

Rory softly chuckled. "I want to go to college. I'm still passionate about karate and I hope that I can still do it from time to time."

"Does that mean it's over? Karate?"

Rory hadn't truly thought about giving up karate... not fully anyway. She knew she still wanted to, but maybe she didn't want to compete anymore. All her life she'd been on that mat fighting, winning, lose, bloodshed. Maybe she needed a little break. It wouldn't kill her.

"I wouldn't say over. I would say things are changing and I'm growing and I think own person." She said softly. "I love karate and it will always have a place in my heart. The future isn't easy to see but I know I will never forget where I've come from and karate has shaped me as a person."

"Thank you, Aurora." The man stood, gesturing to cut the cameras and gave Rory one last shake of the hand before stepping off the set.

Rory sighed, finally leaning back into her seat with her eyes shut slightly.

This was going to be a hell of a week.

"OF THE world's 16 best dojos, it's all come down to our final three. The Iron Dragons, Miyagi-Do Karate, and Cobra Kai." Mr. Braun announced.

Rory stood next to Miguel with her white gi and black belt tied around her waist. She stood with a stoned look on her face as the gymnasium roared with cheers and offbeat boo's. Her mind was elsewhere as she glanced up, seeing Tory alone with no sensei, no team. Just her.

She felt bad for her, truly. Tory had worked her ass off of a lot of the things in her life. Something that Rory had the privilege to not endure.

"The rules are simple." Mr. Braun continued. "Each dojo will retain the points they've earned in their Barcelona competitions. Our unfinished boys' semifinal will reset to zero-zero, and the remaining girls' semifinal will be taking place tomorrow. Eyes on your opponent. Each match will consist
of three two-minute rounds with unlimited scoring. One point for a hit, ten for a knockdown, and twenty for a knockout. The finals will determine
our individual champions, and the dojo
with the most cumulative points will be crowned grand champion. Now. Will everyone please stand and join me in a moment of silence for our fallen competitor, Kwon Jae-Sung."

Rory bowed her head slightly, her eyes locked onto her feet... but she couldn't focus, not like she should've in this moment. She looked over, her brows slightly furrowed as she heard crunching from the crowd. She looked back down as she heard "Penis Breath" come from Johnny.

"Thank you." Mr. Braun nodded. "For our first match, or should I say rematch, Axel Kovačević versus Robby Keene."

The teams broke from the mat and after talking to the senseis, Robby approached Rory with a small smile.

"I'm proud of you." She smiled. "Whatever happens... I'm proud of you."

Robby gave her a curt nod, smiling softly towards her as he spun around, meeting Axel across the mat.

"Fighters, face me. Bow." The referee, Darryl Vidal spoke. "Each other. Bow. Fighting stance. Fight!"

Axel was the first to strike but was still unable to get a point on Robby. Though his taller stature helped him greatly, Robby was the first to gain a point on him.

"Okay, yeah, maybe he can do this." Demetri cheered from the side.

After that, Axel changed his stance. His seemed angrier than before as he held a tight lip. He moved quickly and was able to gain two points for the Iron Dragons.

"Dude, he's using moves we've never seen before." Eli quipped.

And even though that shouldn't be a surprise... it was. It was the way Axel moved and how fast he moved.

"We did not program that." Demetri muttered.

But how could you? How could really predict or "program" something or in this case, someone who could be unpredictable? Each moved caught Robby off guard.

Point!

Point!

Point!

The horn finally blew and the match was over.

6-1.

Robby let out a deep breath as he returned to the Miygai-Do side of the mat.

"He's a machine." Robby sighed, his hands resting on his knees. "It's like he reprogrammed himself."

"He adapted." Johnny said. "Now you adapt."

"I don't know if I can." Robby muttered.

"Robby Keene not knowing how to adapt?" Daniel questioned. "That's a first. You've never had things easy, Robby. You've been knocked down every which way more times than anyone I've ever known. But you've also gotten back up more times too. You stood up to Kreese. To Silver. Whenever you knew something was wrong, you stood up. Even when you had to do it alone. You turned your rival into your best friend. You and Aurora worked things out during what you thought was the impossible. You patched things up with your dad. No one has adapted more than you. So tell me. Can you do it again?"

Robby smiled, nodding towards Daniel. He bowed towards his senseis before returning to the mat, standing before Axel as Darryl shouted "fight".

This round moved faster, quicker, angier. Axel gaining points just as easily as Robby.

With each punch or kick to the chest from Axel, Robby moved faster, gaining points as he moved across the mat.

11-6.

"That's great. You got give point." Daniel smiled as Robby approached.

"Yeah, but so did he."

"Yeah. So what?" Johnny asked. "Now you see he's not a machine. He's human. But if you wanna catch up, you have to get a knockdown."

"Oi." Chozen quipped. "Knock him on his ass."

Robby smiled, returning to the mat as he waited for Axel to approach.

Axel moved slowly as he made his way over. The referee letting the two know that this was their final round. This round could make or break one of them.

And that's when Axel grabbed Robby's leg, flipping the two of them and then—

Crack.

It was blood curdling. Like something Rory had heard before but in a very long time. Her mind moved quicker than her feet as she rushed over to the mat.

Everything sounded like it was in a high pitched squeal. One that you heard when you were zoning out the point that nothing felt real.

She kneeled down towards Robby as Johnny approached them. Robby shouting out about his knee.

The medics rushed out, helping Robby to his feet as he grunted in pain. Rory followed behind quickly, not hearing much of anything from anyone as they made their way towards the locker rooms.

"I'll let the judges know." The medic spoke.

He couldn't compete. He physically couldn't.

It scared Rory how it easy it was for Axel to do it. To break his leg like that.

The medic smiled. "You did well out there young man."

Robby's mother, Shannon stood above him as he laid on the wooden, makeshift table.

"Damn it." She muttered.

"Just like that." Daniel sighed. "Ch- Chozen, so you know how to...?"

"Heat massage not magic, Daniel-san. Broken bone needs time to heal."

"I just can't believe Silver's gonna get away with this."

"Hey," Shannon softly spoke. "you were awesome. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom." Robby smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Do you guys mind if I can have a minute to myself?"

"Take all the time you need, Robby-san."

Johnny walked off to the opposite side of the locker room. Daniel, Shannon, and Chozen all leaving the locker room.

Rory looked down at Robby, a small smile painted on her face as she rested her hand against his cheek. She could see his eyes growing reddish.

"I'm proud of you." She whispered. "He took a cheap shot and-"

"It's okay." Robby smiled softly. "I'm okay."

     RORY WANTED nothing more than to not be here in the Valley when she first moved. She dreaded every second of it. But now? Now she didn't want to leave. She couldn't imagine a better place for herself and though it took her awhile to get there, she found it. She found people who cared about her, who loved her for who she was.

And as she stood outside the Diaz-Keene-Lawerence apartment, she didn't know what to do.

A lot had happened today alone and she struggled to figure out the right thing to do.

She could stay in the valley until she found something to do with herself or she could leave and go to Rhode Island.

"Aurora?"

Rory looked up from her letter, a small smile on her face as she looked at Mrs. Diaz.

"Hi, I'm sorry for coming announced, but I was wondering if Robby was up?" She asked quickly. "I know I could've called but— I- I didn't want bother him if he was especially after today and-"

"Rory?"

She inhaled quickly as Robby held himself up with his crutches.

Mrs. Diaz gave the two a soft smile before disappearing into the apartment.

"Why didn't you say you were coming over?" Robby asked. "I would've—"

"I got into Brown."

Robby blinked, a slow smile creeping onto his face. "Wh- What?"

"I found out when I got home." She spoke quickly. "The letter was in the mailbox."

Robby's expression shifted from shock to pure excitement in a matter of seconds. His eyes lit up, and despite the weight of the day and the crutches holding him back, he grinned. "Rory, that's amazing!"

Before she could say anything else, he moved forward—well, as much as he could—and pulled her into a hug, his free arm wrapping around her waist. Rory let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, sinking into the embrace. She had been holding this in, letting it twist and turn inside her, but hearing the happiness in his voice—feeling the warmth of him against her—made it feel real.

When he pulled back just enough to look at her, his smile softened. "Why do you sound like you're about to tell me bad news?"

Rory sighed, stepping back slightly, holding onto the letter with both hands. "Because... I don't know if I want to go."

Robby's brows furrowed. "Rory, this is what you've been working for. Why wouldn't you want to go?"

She exhaled sharply, her fingers curling around the edges of the letter. "Because everything is here now. You, my family, my friends. I spent so much time hating this place, wanting to leave, and now? Now I can't picture not being here."

Robby studied her for a moment, then reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're scared."

She huffed. "Yeah. Obviously."

He let out a soft chuckle before tilting his head. "Rory, this isn't like when you first moved here. This is your choice. And no matter what, I'm not going anywhere."

Rory swallowed, something in his voice making her chest tighten. "So you think I should go?"

"I think you should do what's best for you," he said simply. "And if that's Brown, then you go. If it's here, you stay. Either way, I'm with you."

She looked at him, really looked at him, and something settled in her. The doubt, the anxiety—it was still there, but so was Robby.

"Okay," she murmured.

He smirked slightly. "Okay?"

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, okay."

Robby's grin returned, and before she could overthink it, he leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't rushed or urgent, just warm and steady—the way he always was for her.

When they pulled apart, she rested her forehead against his, exhaling softly.

"I'm proud of you."

Before Rory could speak her phone went off. She backed slowly before pulling the phone from her pocket, her brows furrowing as she pressed it to her ear.

"Hi?"

Robby watched carefully, propped
himself against his crutches. Rory turned, facing him.

"Um, I- I gotta go, but thank you and love you." She smiled, using her head to rest against his shoulder and kissing him quickly.

"Everything okay?" He asked quickly.

"Yeah... yeah." She nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, she was off.

"ARE YOU sure about this?"

"Let's call... something you deserve." Tory muttered. "An apology. A way to show people who you are."

"What about showing people who you are?"

"I have. I will." She answered. "But I think you need to kick Zara's ass more than I do. Plus, I think you can repay me someday. I don't know how... but you will."

Rory nodded, a small smile growing on her face as she wore the black gi.

Sam had dropped the Seikai Taikai for herself and Rory couldn't blame her for doing so. However, Tory giving Rory the chance to fighting for Cobra Kai along side Miguel and Johnny wasn't something she was expecting. She was more shocked that she said yes.

When Rory first walked into Cobra Kai, Johnny was an asshole and didn't want her there and now, here she was, about to go out there as a Cobra Kai member. She didn't think she'd live to see the day.

"You go out there and kick ass." Tory said. "Don't make me regret this, Brewer." She teased.

"Cobra Kai not naming a replacement for their fallen captain means that Axel Kovačević automatically becomes our new male champion."

"You ready?" Miguel asked, gently nudging Rory's shoulder.

She looked up at him. "I think have no choice."

"However, Cobra Kai has named a replacement. Joining Cobra Kai will be Miguel Diaz and Aurora Brewer! Coached by their two-time All Valley champion and their new sensei, Johnny Lawrence!"

Coming out of that tunnel was scary, looking out there at that audience was scarier. Losing? It wasn't a question.

Rory held her hands behind her back as she stood next to Miguel. Her hair braided into two as she looked over to her right.

Zara looked over in disbelief, but stoned as ever.

Rory needed to do this... She wanted to do this. Not just for herself.

For Cobra Kai.

— lucy has something to say !!

i'm sorry for the long wait :( just know im TRYING

anyways... two more chapters me thinks???

i say "i hate writing" but really im saying "i hate writing the fight scenes in cobra kai even though it the most important part of said show"

i somehow missed there part where gunther introduced the man ref or whatever the fuck is name was and i'm not about to go back and add that dialogue so...

"You turned your rival into your best friend" alright daniel are we watching the same fucking show??? i do not think those two are best friends???? my opinion though

my grandma goes "i didn't want them to die that way" LMAO OKAY ?????

bye :))))