"SO TELL ME SOMETHING,"

Hayden glanced at Robby as she packed up her gear, slinging her bag over her shoulder. His tone was casual, but there was something calculated in the way he asked the next question. "The limitations of your grounding... how flexible is it?"

Hayden arched a brow at Robby, tilting her head. "That depends. What'd you have in mind, Keene?"

"The mall. Food court? I'm starving."

Hayden opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a chipper voice chimed in. "That sounds like a great idea! We should all go."

Sam had appeared out of nowhere, her ponytail bouncing as she smiled. Demetri followed close behind, clutching his gear bag like it weighed a thousand pounds.

Hayden's smirk flattened. She didn't even need to turn around to confirm the source. Of course Sam would invite herself.

Robby's shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, his expression still relaxed, but Hayden could see through it. She raised a brow at him, her smirk deepening slightly.

Hayden blinked, glancing at Robby, who was now staring at the ground like he was reevaluating every decision that had led him to this moment. "So... the whole dojo's invited?" she asked dryly.

"Apparently," Robby muttered under his breath, loud enough for only her to hear.

"Looks like your quiet plans just got a group upgrade," she murmured under her breath.

Robby chuckled softly, low enough that only she could hear. "Yeah, lucky me."

Sam beamed, completely missing the edge in Hayden's voice. "It'll be fun. We can celebrate Demetri not tripping over himself for once during training."

"Hey!" Demetri protested, his indignation half-hearted as he adjusted his glasses. "For the record, I only tripped because someone," he pointed vaguely at Robby, "moved the sparring dummy at the last second."

"Sure, that's why," Hayden drawled, brushing past him with a shake of her head.

Robby fell into step beside her, his head low.

Hayden glanced sideways at him, her smirk softening into something almost sympathetic. "What's the matter, Keene? Not a fan of group plans?"

He chuckled under his breath, scratching the back of his neck. "Didn't think this would turn into a Miyagi-Do field trip, that's all."

"I'll drive," Sam chimed in, oblivious to their side conversations. She looked at Hayden, her demeanor changing just a bit. "Do you need a ride?"

Hayden looked at Robby, refusing to speak or even look at Sam after what she did the day before. "I'll meet you there."

"You're walking?"

"Skating," Hayden corrected, patting the deck strapped to her bag. "I'd rather skate than get in that car."

Robby chuckled and Sam blinked, clearly unimpressed. "Suit yourself."

As they climbed into the car, Robby hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder. Hayden had already thrown her board to the ground, rolling off effortlessly, her movements smooth and practiced. She didn't look back once.

Demetri watched her through the window, his face practically glowing. "I think I might be in love."

Robby flinched, startled by how close Demetri's voice was to his ear. He groaned lightly before climbing into the car. "Join the club."

—

The initial awkwardness lingered, the lively noise of the food court filling the gaps in their silence. Hayden chewed on a fry, occasionally sneaking glances at Robby, only to catch him already looking at her. They exchanged small, amused smiles, like they were sharing an unspoken joke no one else was in on.

Eventually, the ice began to thaw— mostly thanks to Demetri's relentless stream of nerdy quips, paired with Hayden's sarcastic deadpans. The table found its rhythm. Well, most of it.

Sam sat slumped in her seat, arms crossed and a faint scowl tugging at her lips. Every now and then, she'd attempt to steer the conversation toward Robby, but his attention would inevitably drift back to Hayden. After a few failed attempts, she seemed to give up, picking at her food in silence. Hayden noticed, of course, but didn't care enough to make an effort to include her.

"Robert 'Swayze' Keene?" Hayden asked suddenly, her voice tinged with amusement as she held Robby's ID between her pointer and middle finger, inspecting it like a museum artifact. A breathless laugh escaped her lips. "Your mom is officially my hero."

"She was obsessed with Patrick Swayze," Robby said, chuckling as he gently took the ID back.

"Me and her both," Hayden snorted, popping another fry into her mouth.

"I'm more partial to his performance in Donnie Darko," Demetri chimed in, drawing everyone's attention. "Interesting movie. Time travel logic left a lot to be desired."

Robby smirked, shaking his head. "You would overthink Donnie Darko."

"Classic Demetri," Hayden muttered, smirking as she leaned back in her chair.

Demetri pointed a fry at her in mock defense. "Excuse me for wanting integrity in my time travel films! If we're just gonna throw causality out the window, where's the point?"

Hayden raised a brow, amused. "You're exhausting, you know that?"

"Maybe," Demetri retorted, his expression suddenly shifting like he'd just remembered something urgent. "Wait. Is today Wednesday?"

Hayden tilted her head, confused but curious. "Yeah?"

"The new issue of Dungeon Lord came out!" Demetri shot up from his seat so fast he nearly knocked over his tray. "Uh, do you guys want anything from the comic store?"

Hayden chuckled, shaking her head. "Nah, I'm good."

"Same," Robby said, watching Demetri dart off, clutching his wallet like it was a quest item. "Don't let anyone touch my tenders!" Demetri called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Yeah, we'll guard them with our lives," Hayden called back, waiting until he was completely out of sight before casually leaning over and swiping one of the tenders from his tray.

Robby raised an eyebrow at her. "You didn't even hesitate."

"I'm efficient," Hayden replied, biting into the tender like it was no big deal.

"Efficient," Robby echoed, smirking. "That what you're calling it?"

"Yup." She popped another fry into her mouth, her gaze briefly meeting his before darting away. "And hungry."

—

"You're staring," Hayden said suddenly, not looking up as she slid her food on her tray into the garbage.

"You're imagining things," Robby shot back, regardless of her statement being entirely true.

She snorted. "Yeah, okay. What's on your mind, Swayze?"

"Just trying to figure you out," he admitted, putting his tray on top of the trash can.

"Good luck with that," she replied dryly, turning her body to face him fully.

Robby stood straighter, studying her. "You don't make it easy, you know."

"Not my job to make anything easy for you." Her voice was sharp, but there was no malice in it— if anything, she seemed amused by his persistence.

"See, there it is again."

"There what is?"

"That wall you keep up."

Hayden paused, her eyes flicking up to meet his. For a second, something unspoken passed between them—like he'd seen right through her armor.

"You think you know me?" she asked, her voice quieter now, almost challenging.

"I think you'd like it if I didn't," Robby countered, his tone steady but soft.

Hayden blinked, caught off guard for half a second before she snorted, shaking her head. "You're reading too much into this, Keene. There is no wall I—" Her sentence cut short as her gaze drifted toward the commotion near the comic store. Cobra Kai was surrounding Demetri, their taunts echoing above the noise of the mall.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Hayden sighed, already striding toward the scene.

"Dude, back off." She inserted herself between Hawk and Demetri, squaring her shoulders to block Hawk's path. Her expression was calm, her tone sharp and matter-of-fact.

Hawk smirked, tilting his head. "Stay out of this, Hayden."

She stepped closer, cutting off any chance of him going around her. "What's your problem, Eli? Still mad you can't win a championship without fighting dirty?"

His jaw clenched. "This isn't any of your business."

"Well, I'm making it my business."

Hawk leaned in, his voice dropping. "I don't want to have to hit a girl."

For a moment, Hayden froze, the words hitting her harder than any punch could. After everything they'd been through, the idea that Hawk— Eli— would even suggest something like that.

Cobra Kai truly changes people.

She shook it off, forcing her mask of indifference back into place. "You wouldn't land a punch."

"Want to test that?" Hawk sneered, but before either could make a move, Robby's voice rang out behind her.

"She's right— you wouldn't." Robby stepped up, his calm confidence enough to pull Hawk's attention. Sam appeared at Hayden's side, her arms crossed, her glare fixed on Hawk.

Hawk's smirk returned as he glanced around. "Five against four? Feels uneven." His eyes flicked to Demetri. "More like three and a half."

Hayden felt the shift in the air, and one of her last thoughts before anything else went further was that it'd be a lot easier defending fighting to stick up for a friend than fighting for anything else to her mom had word gotten back to her.

Her instincts kicked in just as she felt hands clamp down on her shoulders from behind. Without hesitation, she stomped backward, driving her heel into her attacker's foot, and twisted her body to break free. She swung her elbow hard into his ribs, hearing him grunt as he stumbled back.

Another Cobra Kai member came charging at her. She sidestepped smoothly, catching his wrist and twisting it upward, exposing his ribs for a quick, brutal punch. He staggered back, winded.

From the corner of her eye, Hayden caught a kick aimed at her head. She ducked, sweeping her leg out to take her attacker down. As he hit the ground, she looked over her shoulder to see Robby handling two guys at once, his movements fluid and precise.

They moved like they'd rehearsed this. Exactly like the wheel technique. When Robby went left, she instinctively covered the right. Demetri, caught in the middle, was constantly being shifted out of harm's way by one of them.

"Demetri, duck!" Hayden barked as another fist flew toward him. She grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him aside. Robby stepped in immediately, blocking the strike and delivering a swift kick to send the guy flying into a table.

Hawk shoved Robby back, lifting his arm for a flying punch. "Robby, watch out!" Hayden shouted.

Timing it perfectly, Robby spun around, catching Hawk mid-attack with a high kick to the chest. Hawk staggered back, falling into a display stand.

The chaos finally stilled, Cobra Kai licking their wounds as they retreated. Hayden's breathing was steady, her sharp eyes scanning for any remaining threats before she relaxed slightly.

She glanced at Demetri, who was clutching his box of chicken tenders like it was a lifeline. "We saved your food," she said, brushing her hands off on her jeans. "But, uh..." She shrugged. "I did eat, like, half of it. Sorry."

Demetri stared at her, then burst into nervous laughter. "You know what? You earned it. I wasn't gonna finish it anyway."

Robby stepped up beside her, his grin wide, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "That was... something."

Hayden smirked, tilting her head at him. "What, didn't think I could hold my own?"

"Didn't say that," Robby replied, his voice low. "I just didn't think we'd work so well together."

She met his gaze, the tension thick between them for a moment before she broke it with a shrug. "Guess we make a pretty good team."

Robby's smile softened. "Yeah, guess we do."

—

"Hawk's an asshole." Hayden deadpanned as she opened the window for Miguel once again, for the second consecutive night in a row.

Miguel swung his legs inside, pulling the window shut behind him with a quiet laugh. "You know, for once, I'd like to be greeted with a 'hey, Miguel, how are you?' or, God forbid, a smile. But no, it's always about how much you hate the people I hang out with."

Hayden shrugged, "Yeah, well, you don't choose the people you spend your time with very wisely. That's not my fault." She crawled to her side of the bed, Miguel getting comfy on his side.

"What'd he do?" Miguel asked, his tone gentler now as he turned to face her.

"We fought," she said quietly, her voice uncharacteristically restrained.

Miguel's head snapped toward her, his brows furrowed in concern. "What?"

Hayden exhaled slowly, tilting her head back against the wall. "At the mall. He and the other Cobra Kais were giving Demetri a hard time. I stepped in, things got... heated." She trailed off, her fingers curling into the edge of her blanket.

Miguel sat up straighter, his jaw tightening. "Hayden, what does 'heated' mean?"

She hesitated, her eyes flicking toward him before quickly darting away. "It means punches were thrown. And, yeah, maybe it was stupid, but I don't regret it."

Miguel frowned. "Hayden, I swear, if he laid a hand on you—"

"He didn't," she cut him off, sitting up straighter. "Not really, anyway. I can handle myself."

"Yeah, I know you can." Miguel's voice softened, but his eyes didn't lose their intensity.

She stared at him, caught off guard by the intensity in his voice. For a moment, the stoic mask she always wore faltered. "I didn't have a choice," she muttered, suddenly feeling the need to defend her choices to fight. "Someone had to stand up to him."

"And it had to be you, huh?" Miguel countered, his tone softening but still firm. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I get it. Hawk's a piece of crap sometimes, and I'm not defending him. But I don't want to see you get hurt, Hayden. Not by him, not by anyone."

She blinked, her sharp tongue momentarily failing her. "Why do you care so much?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

Miguel hesitated for a moment, his expression softening. "Because I care about you."

Hayden's lips parted slightly, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't have a quick-witted reply. The words lingered in the air between them, heavy and unspoken.

Finally, she looked away, shaking her head with a small, almost self-conscious laugh. "Don't get sappy on me, Diaz."

Miguel didn't press, but his gaze didn't waver. "Just... promise me you'll be careful next time, okay?"

Hayden rolled her eyes, but there was a flicker of something softer beneath the bravado. "Fine."

They let a comfortable silence linger in the air before Miguel spoke up. "Can I ask you something random?"

"Sure,"

"What quality is most important to you?"

Hayden didn't miss a beat. Without thinking, her response was instant, her voice steady, almost like she'd said it a thousand times before. "Honor."

Miguel's brow furrowed, clearly intrigued by her response. "Honor?" he repeated, a bit surprised. "I thought you'd say something, I don't know, less... serious."

Hayden leaned back slightly, crossing her arms, her gaze focused on the window for a moment. "I don't know. It's always been about honor for me. It's what keeps people grounded. Keeps them from crossing lines they can't come back from." She glanced at him then, her usual guarded expression slipping just a little. "I've seen what happens when people forget that."

Miguel nodded slowly, taking in her words. "That makes sense."

Hayden looked away, almost as if she was uncomfortable with the openness of the conversation. She hated being vulnerable, even in the smallest ways. "What about you?" she asked, shifting the focus back onto him. "What's most important to you?"

Miguel thought for a moment, then gave her a small, sincere smile. "I guess... loyalty." He shrugged, as if the answer was simple, yet there was something deeper in his tone. "It's not just about sticking around when things are good. It's about showing up when it's hard. When it matters the most."

Hayden was quiet for a moment, processing his answer. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it was weighted, like there were things unsaid. Things they were both still figuring out.

"Loyalty," Hayden repeated, as if testing the word on her tongue. She nodded. "Yeah. I can respect that."

Miguel looked at her for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. "So, I guess we're not so different, huh?"

Hayden smirked, the sharpness in her voice returning, though it held no bite. "I guess not."

For a second, it felt like something shifted between them. The tension wasn't gone, but there was an understanding now, something that hadn't been there before. It was like they were speaking the same language, even if they weren't saying everything.

But for the first time, it felt like maybe they didn't need to.

—

Hayden stood in the middle of Miyagi-Do, her jaw clenched as her eyes scanned the wreckage. Splintered wood, toilet paper-covered trees, shattered glass, and upturned mats littered the once-pristine dojo. She gripped her phone tightly, already having called both Daniel and Robby. Her hand shook slightly, but her expression was stoic as ever.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence, but she didn't turn. She didn't need to.

"They destroyed everything," she said flatly, her voice low and controlled.

When she finally turned, Robby was standing there, his expression a mix of anger and disbelief. But as his gaze landed on her, and the faint traces of vulnerability in her otherwise impassive face, his frustration softened.

"I saw the outside," Robby muttered, stepping closer. "But this..." He gestured to the wreckage around them, his fists clenching at his sides.

Hayden shook her head sharply, brushing past him and heading into the dojo. She found Daniel kneeling on the floor, staring at something in his hands. She stopped short as her eyes adjusted. A cracked photo frame lay on the floor beside him, the image inside depicting a smiling Mr. Miyagi.

"They even took Mr. Miyagi's Medal of Honor," Daniel said hoarsely, rubbing a hand over his mouth as though to steady himself.

Hayden hesitated, then stepped forward, placing a firm yet gentle hand on his shoulder. She wasn't great at comfort, but this was different. This was sacred ground to Mr. LaRusso, and the destruction felt personal, even to her.

"Mr. LaRusso—" she started, but Sam's voice rang out from the back, cutting her off.

"Dad!"

Hayden's head snapped in the direction of Sam's shout, and she exchanged a look with Robby before following the others outside.

The group stopped short, frozen at the sight in front of them.

COBRA KAI NEVER DIES.

The words were painted in bold, dripping red across the hood of Mr. Miyagi's classic car, the same car he had gifted to Daniel.

For a moment, Daniel didn't move, staring at the vandalism as if trying to process it. The others stood in silence, waiting, holding their collective breath. Then, without a word, Daniel yanked the car door open and climbed inside, his jaw set in grim determination.

"Mr. LaRusso?" Hayden called, her tone sharper than before, tinged with both confusion and concern.

"Dad, where are you going?" Sam asked, hurrying after him.

The engine roared to life, but Daniel didn't answer. He drove off without so much as a glance back, leaving them standing there, the dojo in ruins around them.

The silence that followed felt heavier than the destruction itself.

authors note.
I'm on a roll with these chapters don't even liee but this chapter was easy to write, I fear I'll hit writers block for these next couple of chapters though anyways enjoy lovers