500 MILES OF SILENCE.

They didn't speak to each other for five hundred miles straight.

Hayden and Robby were both stubborn, and they knew it. She refused to apologize for switching sides, for betraying him. And he refused to admit how much it hurt.

The car was heavy with unspoken words, filled only with the sound of tires against pavement and Johnny's occasional hums as he scrolled through radio stations. Every so often, Johnny would glance in the rearview mirror, sighing at the tension sitting thick between them, but he didn't comment on it.

Hayden kept her gaze locked out the window, arms crossed over her chest, while Robby sat with his leg bouncing, arms folded just as tight. Neither of them moved. Neither of them looked at each other.

Just then, Johnny pulled the car into a small local market. "Okay, I'll be right back. Just gonna grab the necessities," he announced, snapping finger guns at them before hopping out of the car.

Hayden finally flickered her gaze toward Robby, a quick, assessing glance. Seeing if there was any chance at reconciliation. If his walls had cracked even a little.

They hadn't.

His jaw was tight, his eyes unreadable. He kept staring straight ahead, posture rigid.

She swallowed, looking away, her throat tightening.

"I'll come with," she muttered, unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing the car door open before he could say anything.

Even if she didn't see it, it stung.

The door slammed behind her, leaving Robby alone in the car, jaw clenching as he stared at the dashboard. He told himself he didn't care. That it was fine. But it wasn't.

Inside the store, the scent of fresh tortillas and dried spices filled the air. Hayden walked a step behind Johnny, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket, grateful for the space, for the escape.

Johnny grabbed a few water bottles and some snacks off the shelves before glancing at her. "So... you wanna talk about it?"

She knew what he meant.

"No," she said immediately, shaking her head.

Johnny sighed. "Look, kid, I know losing sucks. But that match wasn't on you. You should've won. Everyone knows it."

Hayden let out a quiet scoff. "Doesn't matter. I didn't."

"You didn't because they cheated you out of it."

She knew that. She knew it wasn't fair. But that didn't change the outcome.

Johnny grabbed a bag of chips off the shelf, tossing it into the basket. "Silver rigged the whole damn thing. You got robbed."

Hayden clenched her jaw because, even though the words were supposed to be comforting, it just reminded her that Tory was in fact the better fighter. "Can we not talk about it?"

Johnny studied her for a second, then nodded. "Alright."

They walked in silence for a moment, weaving through the aisles.

"So," Johnny started again, a little gentler this time. "Why do you think he left?"

Hayden glanced up, knowing exactly who he meant.

Miguel.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. Maybe... maybe he needed answers. Maybe he felt like something was missing."

Johnny frowned, grabbing a pack of gum. "Yeah, well, his dad isn't exactly the guy you wanna go looking for."

Hayden nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. She knew Miguel had been struggling with something lately. She just hadn't realized how deep it went.

"You think he'll be okay?" she asked quietly.

Johnny exhaled. "I don't know, kid. But we're gonna find him."

Hayden nodded, gripping the strap of her bag a little tighter.

Because they had to.

As Johnny paid for the snacks, Hayden leaned against the counter, arms crossed. The conversation about Miguel lingered in her mind, but another thought gnawed at the back of her head.

"So," she started, glancing at Johnny. "Why did you bring Robby?"

Johnny didn't look up as he pulled a few bills from his wallet. "What do you mean?"

She raised a brow. "I mean, does he even know why we're here?"

Johnny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not exactly."

Hayden narrowed her eyes. "Not exactly?"

"He thinks it's father-son bonding time. Plus, y'know, you."

She stared at him, lips pressing into a thin line. "Johnny..."

He shrugged. "What? It's not like I could just leave him behind. Figured this could be a good chance for us to, I don't know, actually talk. Work some shit out."

Hayden let out a breath, shaking her head. "This is not gonna go over well when he finds out why we're really here."

Johnny waved a dismissive hand, grabbing the bag of snacks. "Just leave it to me."

Hayden scoffed. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

Johnny shot her a look as they stepped out of the store, heading back to the car where Robby was still sitting, arms crossed, completely unaware of what was coming.

—

"You've got to be kidding me!" Robby's voice was sharp, frustration laced in every word. He turned in his seat, eyes darting between Johnny and Hayden. "Did you know about this?"

From the backseat, she exhaled through her nose, locking eyes with him. "Oh, now you're talking to me?" Her tone was dry, unimpressed, but there was something else under it— something tired.

Robby let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

"You have every right to be upset," Johnny started, hands gripping the wheel, trying to play peacemaker.

"Upset?" Robby scoffed. "You dragged me to Mexico under the impression this was a father-son bonding trip. Come on, Robby, let's go down to Mexico together, come back with some stories. And you—" he turned to Hayden now, voice edged with something more personal, something sharper. "You sat in this car with me for five hundred miles and didn't say a word?"

"Neither of us said a word!"

Johnny sighed, sensing the fight brewing between them. "I wasn't bullshitting you Robby. I wanna fix our relationship. But when I heard Miguel was in trouble I had to do something. I just couldn't leave home without you. I'm done doing that."

Robby clenched his fists, staring out of the window, jaw tight.

Hayden watched his reflection in the rearview mirror, trying to gauge what he was thinking.

Silence settled over them until Robby finally muttered, "Do we even have a plan?"

"Yeah," Johnny said, nodding confidently. "Miguel's looking for Hector Salazar. I know where the kid got off the bus. That's our first stop."

Robby shook his head, laughing humorlessly. "Great. And when we get there, what's the plan?"

"I'll ask around," Johnny nodded. "See if anyone saw Miguel."

Hayden and Robby exchanged a look.

"That's the big plan?" Robby repeated, deadpan.

"Of course not," Johnny scoffed. "If we come up dry, I'll check the Mexican phone book."

Hayden groaned, slumping against the seat. "Oh my God."

"You drove us over a thousand miles to check a phone book?" Robby looked at him in disbelief. "Might as well put Miguel's face on a milk carton."

"Wait, they still do that?" Johnny asked curiously then looked at Robby like he expected an answer.

Robby exhaled sharply, sinking into his seat. "I should be home right now." His gaze flickered toward Hayden in the rearview mirror again, and she frowned. "Coming with you was a mistake."

Hayden's stomach twisted again, but she forced herself to look out the window, ignoring the sudden heaviness in the car.

Johnny sighed. "All right. I'm sorry, okay? I thought this trip would help you and Miguel get over your shit." Johnny glanced at him before turning his eyes back to the road. "Look, when we get to the bus station, if you wanna buy a ticket home, you can go home. All right? I don't want you to go, but—"

"Johnny! The road!" Hayden cut in, eyes widening.

Robby snapped his head up just in time to see the massive truck ahead.

"Dad, watch out!"

Johnny cursed, yanking the wheel, but it was too late. The car swerved violently. Hayden's head slammed against the window, and before she could react, they crashed.

The impact sent her lurching forward, pain erupting in her skull. The world blurred for a moment before settling in harsh, aching clarity.

She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead, and when she pulled it back, crimson coated her fingers.

"Awesome," she muttered. "This trip just keeps getting better."

—

Hayden's eyes fluttered open to the soft sting of antiseptic against her forehead. The dim streetlights cast an orange glow over Robby, his brows furrowed in concentration as he pressed a piece of gauze against her cut.

For a moment, she didn't move. Just watched.

His hands were steady, his touch careful despite the tension between them. He didn't say anything—just kept his focus on patching her up, his jaw tight.

She could've said something snarky. Could've teased him about playing nurse even though they weren't on speaking terms. But instead, she just let him do it.

She was too tired to fight.

When he finished, he finally met her eyes. "You good?"

Hayden swallowed, nodding. "Yeah."

Robby held her gaze for a beat longer, as if making sure, then pulled away, tossing the used gauze aside. "Come on. My dad's probably made things worse by now."

She nodded, pushing herself up from where she sat.

They found Johnny at the rear end of the car, muttering under his breath as he searched through the trunk.

"Something wrong?" Hayden drawled, arms crossed.

Johnny grunted. "Yeah, I can't find the damn lug wrench. I know LaRusso has one in here somewhere." He rummaged through the mess, clearly having no real system.

Robby sighed, stepping forward. He pushed past Johnny, reaching into the depths of the trunk with practiced ease, and within seconds, pulled out the missing tool.

Johnny blinked. "How the hell—"

"I lived in here, remember?" Robby muttered, pressing the wrench to his chest.

"Of course I remember." He took the wrench and went around the car, crouching down.

There was a pause.

Robby leaned against the car, arms crossed. "How the hell'd you get this car anyway?"

Johnny exhaled. "I went looking for you." He admitted, glancing at him. "After you went missing, me and LaRusso tried to find you. We found this hunk of junk instead. We found some pissant driving it instead of you. Chased him down to a chop shop. Ended up fighting the douchebags that stole it."

Robby didn't say anything right away, just stared at the ground. "I had no idea."

Hayden didn't like how heavy the conversation was getting, eyes focusing on the lug wrench. She rolled her eyes. "You're taking the tire off wrong."

Both Johnny and Robby turned to her.

"What?" Johnny blinked.

Hayden stepped forward, swiping the lug wrench from Johnny's hands. "You're loosening them in the wrong order." She crouched beside the car, effortlessly adjusting the wrench, using her foot to apply more pressure. The bolts gave way easily.

Johnny frowned. "I knew that."

Hayden snorted, glancing up. "Sure you did. I got it."

Johnny watched as she continued working, then shook his head before looking back at Robby. "I know I haven't been there for you, Robby. More times than I can count. But I've also failed Miguel. Hell, I'm the reason he ran off in the first place. I'm out here trying to fix my mistakes so I don't have to live with the regret of making them."

Hayden scoffed quietly under her breath. "Some of us should take notes." She muttered, and she didn't have to look to know Robby threw her a look.

Johnny continued. "If you're serious about making things right, you can start by helping Miguel. I know you have your fair share of regrets when it comes to him. And maybe, you can fix other things too." He gestured toward Hayden with his eyes, who had tuned the conversation out entirely by this point.

Robby looked at him, something softer flickering in his expression before he could mask it. "...We'll see."

That was probably the closest thing to an olive branch Johnny was going to get.

Before Johnny could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. He slowly began walking off to the side so he could answer it privately.

Johnny's words lingered in Robby's head as he glanced down at Hayden who was unscrewing the tire quietly, and he wondered what she was thinking at the moment.

"You need help?" This was his version of extending an olive branch.

"No, I got it." She muttered back, not even sparing him a glance.

Olive branch denied.

—

Hayden kicked the tire effortlessly, huffing. "Yeah, it'll take me a while to fix this old ass car. But it's doable." She said to no one in particular, glancing over at Johnny who was talking to the ticket man.

Robby glanced at her but didn't say anything.

"Alright, the next bus leaves in a few hours. This'll buy your ticket and this is for some drinks and snacks." He gave Robby money from his wallet. "Sorry I dragged you into this, Robby."

Hayden tucked her hands into her pockets, pursing her lips.

"You want a ticket, too, Hayden?" Johnny glanced at her, and Robby turned to her, almost as if he were willing her to say yes and go back home with him.

Robby shifted beside her, turning his head, watching her. She barely had time to think before she felt Robby's stare. His gaze wasn't just watching her—it was waiting.

There was something in his eyes, something quiet but pleading. Like he was willing her to say yes. To go back with him. To choose him.

She searched his face—tried to find something familiar. Some part of the boy she knew before everything fell apart.

But maybe that boy didn't exist anymore. Maybe neither of them did.

"No," she said finally, voice steady. "I wanna find Miguel."

Robby didn't react right away. Didn't flinch, didn't speak, didn't even let his expression crack.

But she knew him. Knew the subtle ways he shut down when he was hurt. And right now, his shoulders were too tense, his jaw too tight, his fists flexing at his sides like he was barely holding something in.

It wasn't just anger that flickered in his eyes—it was something deeper, something bitter and exhausted and resentful.

Of course.

Of course, it was Miguel.

Again.

It seemed like Miguel was always there. In the way. Always the one people ran to. The one people chose.

Johnny. Sam.

And now Hayden.

Robby didn't react right away. He just stood there, letting her words sink in like a slow, twisting knife.

Johnny slowly nodded before walking backwards, he knew they probably needed to have words out. "Ticket guy thinks he saw Miguel talking to these surfers. I'm gonna go ask around. Sorry I dragged you into this, Robby."

They didn't respond, didn't break eye contact even as Johnny spoke.

When his footsteps got further, Robby was the one to break the silence.

When Johnny's footsteps faded, Robby finally spoke.

"You'd rather be here for him than go home with me." His voice was quiet, but not soft.

Hayden's stomach twisted, letting out breathless scoff. "This isn't about you. It's not about us."

Robby scoffed, shaking his head. "When is it ever?"

She clenched her jaw. "He could be in trouble. I'm not just gonna leave."

"And what about me?" His voice sharpened, stepping closer. "You didn't think I was in trouble? When you just— left?"

"That's not fair," she snapped.

Robby let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah? Well, neither is this."

They stared each other down, both too stubborn to back down, too hurt to say the right things.

Finally, Hayden exhaled, looking away first. "I don't wanna fight." She looked down, "And I don't want you to go. But if you think it's that hard to put aside your Cobra Kai dignity than you should."

It wasn't just about Cobra Kai, though.

It was about all of it. The way Miguel always seemed to be a step ahead. The way people gravitated toward him.

The way she did.

Robby swallowed hard, looking away.

After a long pause, Hayden turned, walking away.

Robby watched her go, feeling something inside him crack, splinter.

When Hayden found Johnny, he'd already been talking to the surfer dudes from earlier.

She stood slightly behind Johnny as he spoke, arms crossed, eyes scanning the group of surfers with sharp calculation.

"English?"

"Australian." The tall blonde smirked.

"Good enough. I'm looking for a kid. Seventeen, Ecuadorian, slight build—but we're working on that." Johnny added, throwing in the last bit like an afterthought.

Hayden rolled her eyes. "He's about this tall," she lifted a hand just above her head. "Brown eyes. Fluffy brown hair. Too nice for his own good." She snapped her mouth shut when Johnny shot her a look.

The surfer tilted his head, thinking. "Ah, yeah. Gave him directions. Sweet kid. Even offered to pay me."

Hayden's spine straightened. "Where?"

He stared at her a little longer than necessary, a slow smirk creeping onto his face. "I think I recognize you."

Her brows knitted. "I'm not from here."

"No, no. I saw your picture in his wallet. When he paid me." His grin widened. "You his girlfriend or something, mate?"

The words sent a jolt through her chest. She didn't react, didn't answer—just looked away, jaw tight.

Johnny, sensing the shift, cut in. "So do you know where he went or not?"

The surfer finally pulled out a map, motioning for one of his buddies to hold it against his back. "Here." He marked an 'X' over a district. "X marks the spot."

Hayden barely registered his words, her attention shifting as movement caught her eye—a man creeping up behind Johnny, fingers slipping into his back pocket.

"Johnny," she said, voice low, controlled.

Johnny turned just in time, grabbing the guy's wrist and yanking his wallet free. He shoved the man back, shaking his head. "Really? Give me some bum address and then steal my wallet?"

The blonde surfer didn't flinch. "Nah, the address is real. As for your money, I'm gonna end up with it either way, mate. So we can do this the easy way, or—" His smirk sharpened. "The fun way."

Johnny scoffed. "Listen, asshole, you've got five seconds to tell me exactly where that kid went, or I'm gonna take that surfboard and shove it so far up your ass your friends are gonna be surfing you."

Hayden exhaled through her nose, unimpressed.

The surfer only chuckled. "So the fun way?"

"Yeah." Johnny rolled his shoulders back. "The fun way."

It happened fast.

Arms wrapped around Hayden's throat from behind, yanking her back before she could react. She didn't panic. She didn't scream. She just moved.

She twisted her body, slamming her heel down onto the attacker's foot, driving her elbow into his ribs. His grip loosened. Big mistake. Hayden ripped free, grabbing the back of his head and slamming it forward against her knee. He crumpled.

She barely had a second to breathe before another lunged for her.

Johnny was already throwing punches, bodies crashing around them. A man rushed at him with rope, ready to strangle him, but then—

Robby.

He appeared from nowhere, launching himself into a kick that sent the guy flying, taking the one going for Hayden down with him.

Hayden's chest heaved, eyes sharp, tracking every move. She didn't step in. Didn't need to. Robby and Johnny had it under control.

And maybe—deep down—some small, bitter part of her wasn't sure if she would have won anyway. She'd already proven she was a liability like everyone thought she was.

Silver won. He had gotten to her.

She clenched her fists, shaking the thought off.

Johnny wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, breathing hard as the last guy groaned on the ground. "Adios, dickheads."

Robby cracked his knuckles, glancing down before shaking his head and walking off.

Hayden fell in step beside them, silent, her fingers still tingling from the fight.

"You good?" Johnny asked the two.

Robby nodded.

She nodded once. "You?"

Johnny smirked. "Better than them."

She huffed a quiet breath—maybe almost a laugh.

They kept walking, and after a moment, she flicked a glance at Robby, who was still scowling, tension sitting in his shoulders.

She didn't say anything. Didn't tease or try to break the silence.

But when Johnny glanced between them and shook his head, muttering "Jesus, you two are impossible," she caught the way Robby's lips twitched—like maybe, for a second, he almost smiled.

—

The hood of the van was popped open, but none of them were making an effort to fix it. Not yet. Instead, Hayden sat in the back of the car, her feet dangling, the cool night air brushing against her skin. Robby and Johnny leaned against the side of the van, drinks in hand, the distant crash of waves filling the silence.

Johnny took a sip of his beer. "This trip was a disaster from the jump." He sighed, shaking his head before looking over at Robby. "You're right. It was a mistake to bring you here."

Robby let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, well. Technically, you kidnapped and transported two minors across the border." He flicked his gaze to Hayden, who smirked against the rim of her Coke bottle before taking a slow sip.

"Felony bonding," she muttered.

Robby huffed a quiet laugh before shaking his head. "But we got a good story out of it."

A reluctant smile crept onto Johnny's face. "Yeah, we did."

For a moment, they just drank in silence. The ocean stretched endlessly before them, the moonlight reflecting off the waves. Hayden was still staring at it, a small, permanent smile etched onto her lips.

Robby realized it had been a while since he'd seen Hayden like this— unguarded, content.

It wasn't until this moment he realized that Cobra Kai had drained her more than he ever realized. He, too, had been too focused on winning. And maybe that was the start of their downfall.

Johnny exhaled, breaking the quiet. "Your bus'll be here soon. You should go." He stared at the ground before taking another swig of his beer. "This is my mess to clean up."

Hayden didn't react, still lost in the waves. But Robby hesitated.

Johnny was right. He could go home, let all this be Johnny's problem. Let Miguel be her problem.

But something in his chest tightened at the thought.

He glanced at Hayden again, at the way the ocean breeze lifted strands of her hair, at the peace she didn't usually let herself have.

He knew the real reason he was staying. And it had nothing to do with Miguel.

"I'm gonna stay," Robby said finally, his voice steady.

Hayden turned then, brows raising slightly, surprised.

Johnny narrowed his eyes at him. "You sure?"

Robby nodded. "You're trying to make things right. I wanna help you." He shrugged, playing it off. "At least now we know where we're going." He held up the crumpled map with a grin. "X marks the spot, right?"

Johnny stared at him for a beat before nodding. "Alright."

And then, in typical Johnny fashion, he threw an arm around Robby's shoulders and pulled him in roughly—squishing Hayden in the middle as he did so.

She made a disgruntled noise, attempting to squirm out of the hold, but Johnny was stronger than both of them combined.

"Jesus, Johnny," she muttered, pressing her palm against Robby's stomach to push herself free.

Robby's stomach tensed under her touch, and he immediately regretted the way his breath hitched. He knew she didn't mean anything by it. But damn.

Hayden finally freed herself from Johnny's hold, shaking her head as she stretched her arms.

Robby watched her out of the corner of his eye.

He knew what staying meant.

It meant watching over her.

Making sure she didn't get herself into some reckless shit for Miguel Diaz.

It meant making sure she got home safe.

Because if anyone was getting her home in one piece, it sure as hell wasn't gonna be Johnny Lawrence.

—

The road stretched endlessly ahead of them, but for now, they weren't moving.

Johnny had finally pulled over at some random spot off the highway, muttering something about needing at least four hours of sleep before he crashed the van into a ditch. He'd barely reclined his seat before he started snoring.

Now, it was just them.

Robby sat on the van's floor, leaning back against the seat, legs stretched out in front of him. Hayden sat in the open doorway, her legs pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped loosely around them as she stared up at the sky.

It was clear tonight. The stars spread across the vast darkness, brighter than they ever were in the Valley.

"Orion's Belt," she murmured.

Robby turned his head slightly. "What?"

She lifted her hand, pointing toward three stars aligned in a perfect row. "Right there. That's Orion's Belt."

Robby followed her gaze, squinting up at the sky. "You into that astrology stuff?"

"Astronomy," she corrected, and despite everything—despite all the fights, all the anger—there was still something familiar in the way she said it.

Robby huffed a quiet laugh. "Right. My bad."

She let out a small breath, barely a laugh. "Miguel and I used to stargaze sometimes."

Robby's stomach twisted.

He knew he shouldn't react. He knew it wasn't about that. But the way she said it—soft, distant, reminiscent—made something tighten in his chest.

Hayden didn't notice. Or maybe she did, but she didn't care.

"He didn't know any constellations," she continued. "So I taught him. Orion's Belt was the first one he learned."

Somewhere else, miles and miles away, Miguel was standing on a balcony, staring at that same constellation.

Hayden sighed, shaking her head. "Kinda weird, right? The sky is different here, but those stars are always there."

Robby didn't know if she was actually talking about the sky anymore.

He looked at her then, really looked at her. The way her face softened under the glow of the stars. The way her guard was down, just for a moment.

"Did you ever think about it?" he asked suddenly.

She blinked, tilting her head. "Think about what?"

"Us." His voice was quieter now. "What Cobra Kai was doing to us."

Hayden exhaled, resting her chin on her knees. "Not until it was too late."

Robby nodded slowly. "Yeah." He hesitated before adding, "I didn't either."

They sat in silence, the weight of everything settling between them.

"I should've seen it," Robby admitted, staring down at his hands. "How it was changing me. Changing you."

Hayden didn't answer right away.

Because she wasn't sure she could.

She had spent so long convincing herself that Cobra Kai was everything—her future, her redemption, her way to win. But when she looked back, all she could see was her loss.

And Robby had been part of that loss.

"We were different," she finally said. "Before all of it."

Robby nodded, glancing at her again. "We still can be."

She turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze.

And for a second, it felt like they were back in time. Before Cobra Kai. Before Miyagi-Do. Before all of it.

It felt like them.

The moment stretched, something unspoken lingering in the space between them.

Hayden was the first to break it, exhaling as she pulled her legs down and leaned back against the doorway. "We should get some sleep."

Robby swallowed, nodding. "Yeah. Probably."

Neither of them moved.

Eventually, Hayden shifted, curling onto her side, her arm tucked under her head. Robby leaned his head back against the seat, his fingers idly tapping against his knee.

Neither of them said goodnight.

But as the stars glowed above them, it was understood.

authors note.
hiiiii this is season five episode oneee we have some tension and everything yesss im so determined to write all ten episodes of season five and ten episodes of season six in thirteen days and i feel like it could be done if i dedicate some hours of sleep and homework time LMAO PLS but ok im gonna start the second episode BYE