╔.𖥸. .════════════════╗

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬

chapter forty-nine
family

╚════════════════. .❀.╝

trigger warning: implied / referenced sexual assault

"YOU DON'T HAVE to walk me back to my room, you know," Eli voiced. "It's crazy early, and I know you're tired."

Alyssa yawned, wrapping her arms around Eli's and resting her head on his shoulder as she walked towards his room, still in her pajamas. That was true — it was early, and she wasn't fully woken up yet. But tired? No, she wasn't tired. Not this time. She had gotten the best sleep since she had arrived in Barcelona last night, and Alyssa had a very strong feeling it was because of the boy next to her.

"I'm good," Alyssa replied, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside even though the hallway was cold. "I'll go wherever you go . . . even if it is literally just down the hallway."

Eli chucked lightly before clearing his throat. "Lys, um . . . about last night—"

"Hey." She stopped, conveniently in front of the door of the boys' room, and picked her head up. Alyssa then reached up, taking his face in her hands and looking up into his eyes. "I know last night was a bit . . . rough. But we're okay. Sure, I'm still a little upset, but everything you said made up for it."

"I meant it," Eli told her. "All of it."

She smiled softly at him. "I know you did."

Alyssa then pulled his face down to hers, connecting their lips in a soft kiss. Eli's hands instantly found her waist, and even through the fabric of her shirt, her skin still felt absolutely on fire. Alyssa would've wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer, continuing to kiss him in the middle of the hallway like nobody else existed, but she didn't, because they were completely interrupted.

The hotel room door flew open, and the light from inside spilled out into the hallway. Alyssa and Eli (unfortunately) broke apart, their hands dropping from each other. Demetri was standing there, looking very angry . . . at one specific person, though.

Demetri glared at Alyssa. "You."

Alyssa blinked. "Me. Yes, hello, good morning."

"No, do not good morning me. You sent a picture of me dancing with that girl to Yasmine. Why would I do that?"

"You're asking me why I would send a picture of you practically cheating on your girlfriend instead of asking yourself why you practically cheated on your girlfriend?" Alyssa asked, squinting at him. "Are you really that stupid?"

"Ally, she broke up with me because of you!" Demetri exclaimed.

"No, she broke up with you because of you." Alyssa crossed her arms across her chest. "You were being a complete dick, and Yas deserved to know. Next time, try being a better boyfriend." She looked over at Eli for a second. "I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you more," Eli responded, leaning forwards and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Yeah, leave," Demetri encouraged. "I'm going to stay as far away as possible from you."

"Promise?" Alyssa questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tempt me with a good time."

Alyssa then turned around and walked away, rolling her eyes as she did so. Demetri, blaming her for their breakup? Oh, please. Give her a break.

However, just as she turned the corner to head back to her room, she saw Robby walking towards her, and he didn't look good. Like, at all. He was staring at the ground, his eyes devoid of anything, and he looked like an absolute mess. Alyssa slowed to a stop in front of him, her heart twisting in concern.

"Robby?" Alyssa questioned.

He looked up, but he still seemed so extremely out of it. "Ally."

"Hey. Everything okay? Rough night?"

"Night," Robby repeated blankly. "I — I guess."

Alyssa tilted her head slightly. "Wait a second. If you weren't in the boys' room last night, where have you been?"

He rubbed his forehead, as if it was painful for him to try and remember. "Zara's room."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Zara? As in Iron Dragons Zara? What were you doing there?"

"I . . ." Robby started to say, staring at the floor. "I don't know."

"You don't know," Alyssa repeated slowly, her stomach churning slightly as a very, very bad thought popped to her head. "So you went back with her, and after that . . ."

Robby squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't — I don't remember. I don't know how I got there."

Her heart immediately sank to her stomach. She knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions, but all of the signs were pointing back to one thing — that Zara took complete advantage of Robby. There was only one explanation as to why he woke up in her room, and considering how bad he looked now, he was probably shit-faced drunk and couldn't consent to anything. Even worse that everything that happened after the bar in his mind was blank.

"I'm sorry," Robby whispered.

"No," Alyssa protested, shaking her head. She took his face in her hands, staring at the empty look in his eyes. "No, you don't have to apologize for anything. None of this was your fault."

He nodded. "Okay."

"We're going to figure it out. Like I said, captains have to stick together, and friends have to stick together more. We're all in this together, right?"

"High School Musical," Robby repeated, leaning slightly into her touch.

"Exactly," Alyssa approved. She then wrapped an arm around his shoulders, steering him in the direction of the boys' room again. "Come on. Let's go get you some Advil and water."

She wanted to comfort Robby as much as possible, she really did. However, her compassion could only stretch so far right now. Her anger towards Zara was bubbling underneath her skin, turning her gaze red and making her feel absolutely sick to her stomach. Zara was a good fighter, sure, but she hadn't faced an angry Alyssa Liu.

And Alyssa? Well. If she faced Zara on the mat, she was going to absolutely make her pay.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

AS IF THINGS couldn't get any worse, Terry Silver was back.

It seemed like life was one cruel joke to Alyssa. No matter how hard she fought, no matter how much she won, it would never be good enough. She remembered the relief she felt watching as the man who single-handedly made the Valley a living hell with Cobra Kai get put in the back of a cop car, yet now, all she felt was sadness and anger. Ever since she came to Barcelona that was all she was feeling.

All of them were gathered in the girls' room this time. The room was stuck in a tense silence, none of them really knowing what to say. What could they say, anyways? Alyssa sat next to Eli on one of the beds, her fingers intertwined with his. Like always, the only thing bringing her comfort.

"We're back, bitches, eager to kick ass," Sensei Lawrence announced, walking through the door. "Who's ready to win this thing?"

Alyssa looked up, only to see him, Miguel, and Kenny walking through the door. Kenny was now replacing Devon, who had admitted she cheated to get the spot in the Sekai Taikai. However, even the sight of them, and the news that Carmen and the baby was okay, wasn't enough to brighten her mood.

Sensei Lawrence looked around at their solemn faces. "What crawled up everyone's butts?"

He was then brought out into the hallway by Sensei LaRusso and Sensei Toguchi to explain what happened. Meanwhile, Alyssa stood up from her bed, going over to the laundry basket that she had placed on the ground. She picked up a pile of clothes in her arms, faintly overhearing how Devon started to apologize for Kenny for what she did. Alyssa then walked back over to the bed, putting down her clothes and starting to fold them. Eli, as if on instinct, took the clothes she had already folded and started to place them into drawers. She smiled lightly at the domesticity of it all.

"Psst, hey," Demetri stated, tapping Alyssa's shoulder to get her attention. "If Miguel's back, why is Kenny here?"

"Oh, 'cause he's taking Devon's spot," Eli answered.

"Wait, so he just forgave her all of a sudden? After what she did?" Demetri scoffed. "I don't buy it." He stood up from the bed. "Ally, as our only captain without a soft spot for Kenny, I feel obligated to inform you that we may have a potential traitor in our midst."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you're talking to me now? Thought you said you stay away from me."

He rolled his eyes. "This is more important than what happened earlier. Come on, think about it."

Alyssa glanced back at Kenny for a moment, who was now sitting on the table engaged in a conversation with Devon. "I don't think we should be getting ahead of ourselves, Dem."

"I'm not saying it's happened yet," Demetri said. "All I'm saying is we know that Silver's gonna cheat. The only question is, how?"

She looked back at Kenny, fully, this time, sighing slightly. Silver was manipulative — as cunning as a snake hiding in a patch of grass. There was no doubt about that. However, she had another feeling that Kenny was stronger than what he used to be. She had seen first-hand how someone so deep into Cobra Kai could break out, and how they didn't go back.

All Alyssa had to do was have faith.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

SO THERE ALYSSA stood, back in the convention hall in her gi, with her hands locked behind her back and her red hair tied back into French braids, matching with Sam. It was the first event after they had won, and she had a feeling it definitely wasn't going to be easy, as if it was already.

"Top eight dojos," Gunther began from his place up on the stage. "Welcome to our final group event. Over the course of the tournament, you have each proven yourselves worthy of our place atop the leaderboard. And after today, only the best of the best will gain entry into our tournament of champions. Now, here are the rules for this round. Each team will face three opponents, determined by random draw, in an all dojo tag team competition. Two fighters inside the ring. One from each dojo at a time. The other twelve fighters remain outside, waiting to be tagged in by their teammate. Fighting will be continuous. No stoppages, no timeouts. So use your teammates wisely. The first dojo to score three points wins the match. By the end of today, your captains will either be fighting in the tournament of champions or be eliminated, watching from the sidelines."

Well. If Alyssa didn't feel under pressure before, that feeling just grew exponentially.

"May the best dojos win."

The Iron Dragons and Cobra Kai had already won their competitions — with flying colors, might Alyssa add. She watched from the sidelines, her mind slightly spinning with nerves. They could fight well, she knew that, but she wasn't so sure about their synergy. Miaygi-Do had been off balance since the beginning, and in another team game like this, that could make them fall.

And as it turned out . . . she was right. Of course she was.

They were going up against Furia de Pantera, one of the Spanish teams. Alyssa stood in the circle surrounding the mat, watching nervously as Demetri stepped forwards into the middle of the circle along with someone from the other team. Demetri bowed, but the guy didn't bow back. The ref gave them the all clear to start fighting, and so they did. Demetri kicked three times, which the guy blocked. Both of them took turns hitting, but nothing landed.

"Demetri," Eli called, holding out his hand. "Hey, tag me in."

"No, I got it," Demetri insisted.

So he continued on fighting, blocking another hit sent his way.

Eli stretched out his hand farther. "Demetri, tag me in."

"No!" Demetri exclaimed.

However, while Demetri was distracted, the guy from the other team spun himself around in the air, kicking Demetri right across the face and scoring their team a point. Alyssa watched with wide eyes as Demetri fell to the ground right in front of her. Demetri looked up at her, nothing but anger and annoyance in his eyes, especially at the sight of her. However, he begrudgingly held out his hand.

Alyssa slapped her hand against his and entered the circle, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She instantly lowered herself to the ground, sweeping her leg, which he dodged. Alyssa pressed her hands to the ground and kicked, which he backed off from as well. She then bent down and swept her leg again, once again another dodge. Alyssa stood back up straight and raised her fists. She kicked herself and dodged one of his kicks, along with the amount of jabs he sent her way. Alyssa then spun herself around and kicked hard, which barely missed him by an inch. She watched as he completely backed away, going back into the circle.

The guy tagged in one of his teammates, the girl captain on his team. She came at Alyssa with alarming speed, but Alyssa used her Miyagi-Do defense and blocked every single kick. Alyssa caught the girl's leg on one of her elbows and kicked her leg, sending her down to the ground. The girl quickly recovered and got back up. She punched, but Alyssa caught her arm on her forearm, leaving her entire middle exposed. With that, she punched her side, successfully scoring Miyagi-Do the point.

"Let's go!" Miguel shouted in encouragement.

Alyssa smiled slightly to herself. She turned around, walking up to Eli and hitting her hand against his to tag him in. Eli entered the circle, along with another member from the other team. The guy easily blocked Eli's kick, causing him to stumble backwards. He then blocked all of Eli's punches before knocking their shoulders together, making him stumble back even more. The guy let out a yell and advanced quickly, which Eli all managed to dodge. Eli continued to dodge everything, and in the end, a kick from him while catching a leg made the guy fall to the ground. The guy regained his senses, rolling backwards, and yelled in rage.

"Hawk, tag me in," Kenny encouraged.

"Hawk, tag in Kenny," Sam added.

He wasn't listening. All he was doing was standing there.

"Hawk, what are you doing?" Robby asked. "Tag Kenny."

"Come on!" Kenny yelled.

"E," Alyssa warned. "Do it."

He seemed to wake up from the sound of her voice. However, he didn't tag in Kenny — he ran over to Robby and slapped his hand, tagging him in. Alyssa closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a breath of frustration. Synergy — how did she know?

Robby stumbled in, looking totally confused. "What are you doing?"

While he was distracted, the guy from the other team swept his leg against Robby's, and Robby fell to the ground. He then spun himself around in the air and punched Robby's stomach, successfully scoring them the point. As Robby got up, another member from the other team got tagged in. Robby, still obviously trying to regain his senses, shakily dodged everything.

"Robby," Miguel voiced, holding out his hand.

Just as Robby went to tag him in, one of the guys from the other team kicked Robby's forearm, preventing him from doing so. Robby walked backwards, dodging everything the guy sent their way, but in doing so, he left his chest open. The guy punched Robby in the chest, completely ending the fight . . . which meant that Miyagi-Do was one step closer to being eliminated.

Alyssa shared a glance with Sam, the two of them communicating with their eyes. One thing was clear — this was so not good.

"Eli, why didn't you tag in Kenny when you had the chance?" Miguel demanded.

"He just got here," Eli answered. "You expect us to trust him already?"

"Trust me to what?" Kenny questioned. "Not get my ass kicked like you and Demetri?"

"Oh, like you'd do any better against Spanish Hawk," Demetri argued. "You completely disappeared after the Shittening, and then you coincidentally come back the same time as Silver." He looked to Miguel. "You really want to tag in a mole?"

"Demetri—" Alyssa began.

"Are you serious?" Kenny continued. "I fly all the way out here to help us win, and you won't even give me a chance? Now, everybody laughed at me in the woods, but now somehow, I'm the bad guy, right?"

"You see, he's still pissed," Eli stated. "It makes sense why he'd want revenge."

Alyssa looked at him incredulously. "E?"

Kenny stepped towards him. "Say something, you—"

Robby instantly got between them, pushing them apart. "Hey! This isn't about Kenny. I'm the one who lost the match. Me."

He then completely walked off. Alyssa watched him go for a moment, her heart sinking to her stomach again. They were falling apart, but Alyssa wasn't sure what their glue was. How were they supposed to fix themselves when they couldn't even diagnose what was wrong?

"Robby," Miguel protested quietly. He followed after him, only to get completely shoulder-checked by Axel. "What the hell was that?"

Sam stared after Axel. "Uh, I — I don't know."

Alyssa raised her eyebrows at that. It seemed like Sam did know. She slid up to Sam, grabbing onto her gi to gain her attention. Sam glanced up at her, a knowing glint settling into her eyes once she saw who it was. Alyssa pulled her off to the side, in a pocket away from everyone else.

"What was that all about?" Alyssa inquired.

Sam sighed. "Last night, when I left the bar to get some air, I took a walk on the beach . . . and Axel was there. Training. He ended up joining me for a walk, which was really nice, but . . . then he tried to kiss me. I instantly stopped him and told him I had a boyfriend."

Alyssa raised her eyebrows. "Oh, shit." She glanced over at Miguel. "So Axel's having imaginary beef with Miguel just because he's your boyfriend?"

"Guess so." Sam then nodded to her. "What about you? Something's been bothering you. I can tell."

There were really only two people in the world Alyssa could never keep her thoughts about her feelings from — one was Eli, and the other was Sam. Sam knew Alyssa like the back of her hand, and there was no point really lying to her.

Alyssa sighed. "What kind of captain am I if I can't even keep our group together? I mean, look at us. We can't even get it together for one fight. This entire time, I feel like I've been doing nothing but fail over and over again." She shook her head. "You should've been captain."

"What?" Sam inquired in exasperation. "No way. You're doing incredible."

"Am I? Sure as hell doesn't feel like it."

"You are," Sam confirmed. "Ally, you're a natural born leader. I mean, you're the girl that got us here in the first place. None of us would be in Barcelona right now if it wasn't for you. You were made captain for a reason. Don't sell yourself short."

She let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, E said the same thing. It just . . . I still feel so undeserving."

Sam gave her a look. "You deserve it. More than anyone. All of us believe in you, Als. I know that when it comes down to it, you'll lead us with excellence and grace." She reached out, grabbing her hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "And I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, as always."

Alyssa gave her hand a squeeze back, a small smile on her face. "Thanks, Sammy."

"Any time. Now, come on. Let's go stretch."

After matches between other dojos and keeping themselves warm in between, it was time for their next fight. All of them gathered in a circle off to the side, their gazes on their Sensei's. Alyssa locked her hands behind her back, and Sam reached over, linking their pinkies together. She smiled slightly to herself from it.

"So, we need to win this one to stay in the tournament," Sensei LaRusso announced. "We know it's hard with Silver here, but we are not fighting his team right now."

"We've heard all this garbage going around about loyalty," Sensei Lawrence continued. "Almost all of us have trained somewhere else at some point. What matters is where our asses are now. We're Miyagi-Do. Got it?"

"Come on, y'all, let's go!" Miguel shouted.

This time, they were up against Redentores, a Portuguese team. Alyssa slotted into place in the circle, absentmindedly tightening her headband around her head. First up was Miguel, going against a guy from the other team. The ref told them to fight, and Miguel advanced first with kicks and jabs that the other guy blocked. Both of them kept dodging each other until they broke apart, the two of them slightly backing off from each other.

Miguel turned to Robby. "It's time." He hit Robby's hand. "Okay. You got this."

Robby went into the circle. He held back for a moment before rushing forwards with a kick. The guy blocked it, and kept blocking Robby's moves. However, while doing so, he left his middle open. Robby took the chance and kicked him in the chest, scoring them the point. Alyssa smiled widely at that — they were doing good so far. Another guy from the other team quickly got in. Robby managed to block all of their kicks and advances. There was a stall for a moment.

"Robby, tag me," Kenny encouraged.

"No, over here," Eli called. "Tag me, tag me!"

"Tag Kenny!" Miguel voiced.

"Do not tag Kenny," Demetri insisted. "Do not tag him!"

Robby caught Alyssa's eye. Deep down, she knew what he was thinking — captainship synergy, or something. Alyssa gave him a small nod. She had faith that Robby would do what he thought was right. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he lifted his fists up. As the guy advanced on him again, Robby blocked everything before running up to Kenny and hitting his hand.

"Finally," Kenny said as he ran into the circle.

"Come on, Kenny, go," Robby told him.

Demetri looked completely annoyed. "No, no!"

Kenny paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. Alyssa could see the fire in his eyes, the desire to prove something. That was good, they needed that. He punched numerous times and kicked, which the guy all blocked and dodged. The guy spun himself around in the air and kicked. Kenny ducked under it, but he completely got the right time. He also spun himself around in the air, and just as the other guy landed in a vulnerable position, Kenny punched him in the face.

Alyssa gasped happily — they were up two now. "Yes, Kenny!"

Kenny tucked himself into a roll and got back up. The guy didn't have a chance to tag in another teammate, because Kenny got to him first. Just as he stood up from the ground, Kenny punched the guy with an uppercut. Another point for Miyagi-Do, and it was three to win — they didn't even let the other team get a chance.

"Yes!" Robby screamed.

Kenny jumped up and down. "Let's go!"

Alyssa giggled a bit, stepping onto the mat with her friends. She slung an arm around Sam's shoulders, bringing her in for a side hug as Miguel and Robby lifted Kenny up onto their shoulders, all while the announcer said Miyagi-Do just needed one more win to get to the tournament of champions. Her laugh only got a bit louder when Kenny wound up his middle finger like a crank, directed right at Silver.

Their celebration was very short-lived. Since they won, their next match was against Cobra Kai — how fitting. Somehow, Alyssa felt like it always led back to this. It was like they never got a fucking break.

The locker room was stuck in a tense silence, nervous energy fizzling in the air. Alyssa sat on one of the benches next to Eli, their shoulders pressed into each other's. Her captain's headband was off, and it was in her hands. She stared down at the symbol for maybe the millionth time of this trip. This match, more than any others, was the most important. It was the one that would keep them in this competition, and the one against their sworn enemies.

"Come on, guys," Robby began, breaking the silence. "We beat Cobra Kai before. We can do it again."

"One more time," Miguel said. "Let's send our captains into the finals."

"One last time," Sam added, sounding a bit choked up. "Win or lose, this is the last time we'll ever fight together as a team."

Alyssa's eyes immediately filled with tears, and one managed to sneak out, dripping against her cheek. She had met her best friends, her family, through karate, and here they were. About to head out for the final time. It was crazy that the past couple of years and everything she'd been through had led Alyssa right to this very moment.

"Oh, damn," Miguel let out. "I guess I never thought about it like that. After everything we've been through, this is . . . this is it."

"So?" Robby asked. "How do we want to go out?"

Demetri looked across the way. "Eli?"

Eli stood up from the bench. "Dude." He reached out and pulled Demetri into a hug. "I'm really sorry. I — I didn't mean to hurt you."

Demetri pulled away. "Oh, I — I know you didn't. I . . . I'm just scared of losing my best friend. I'm gonna miss you so much, man."

"Yeah. But you're always gonna be my brother."

Alyssa wiped away another tear that had managed to fall as she watched them hug again. "God, fucking finally. You two were pissing me off so much."

Demetri looked over at her from Eli's shoulder. "Ally, I forgive you, by the way. You gave me a much needed reality check."

"Hell yeah, I did." She chuckled a bit. "You'll always be my annoying brother, Dem. I'll always give you reality checks, don't you worry."

"Oh, great."

Devon laughed loudly, wiping her teary eyes. "Okay, that's enough. There's no crying in karate."

Miguel then stood up, extending his arms to Demetri and Eli. "Come on. Come in here, boys. You guys are always gonna be my brothers, too." He then looked over at Alyssa, extending his arm out to her. "You, c'mere."

Alyssa smiled softly, standing up. She walked over to them, accepting their group hug. Alyssa leaned her head against Miguel's for a moment, closing her eyes in content at the comfort. It started with the four of them — it seemed fitting that it was ending with the four of them.

"Ally," Miguel called, and she picked her head back up, looking at him. "I wouldn't be friends with any of these people if it weren't for you. You allowed me to sit at that table, and it honestly changed my life. Thank you for being my sister."

She gave him a watery smile, her eyes filling with more tears as she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "It's been an honor. And speaking of sisters . . ." Alyssa turned to Sam, laughing slightly and extending her hand out to her. "Hey, you."

Sam stood up, taking Alyssa's hand and sniffling as she cried as well. "You're never getting rid of me, I hope you know that."

"Oh, I do. And I'm so glad." She squeezed Sam's hand tightly. "I wouldn't be half the person I am today without you. It's you and me forever, Sammy."

Miguel looked at all of them. "We're a family. All of us."

Robby stood up from the bench as well. "Who are we?"

"Miyagi-Do," all of them chorused.

"Who are we?"

"Miyagi-Do," they repeated, louder this time.

"Who are we?"

"Miyagi-Do!"

"I said who are we?"

"Miyagi-Do!"

They all cheered for a moment before the sound of the door opening was heard. Alyssa turned towards the door, only to see Sensei LaRusso and Sensei Lawrence walking in.

"You know, we did have one real doozy of an inspirational speech planned," Sensei LaRusso told them.

"But it looks like you guys beat us to it," Sensei Lawrence stated.

Sam stepped up to her dad. "Our Sensei's taught us well."

"All right. Enough of this kumbaya crap. It's time to get out there and kick some Cobra Kai ass!"

"Yeah!" they all shouted in agreement.

They all filtered out into the hallway. Alyssa let go of Sam's hand and started to tie her headband on again. This time, that headband didn't feel so scary to wear — not after what she had just experienced in that locker room. Their synergy didn't feel so off anymore.

Robby slid up beside her, elbowing her side quickly. "What if I told you I got inspiration to do that from the High School Musical Wildcats chant?"

Alyssa tied off her headband and patted his shoulder. "Oh, it was obvious to me. Don't you worry."

He laughed for a moment before extending his fist out to her. "Let's do this thing."

She bumped her fist with his. "Fuck yeah."

They walked out, straightening themselves into a line on the side of the mat. Alyssa picked her chin up, staring at Cobra Kai on the other side. This fight was going to be tough — God, did she know it. But they could do this. They had to. After the announcer finished, they all gathered in a circle.

"All right, remember," Sensei LaRusso announced. "Trust, tag, teamwork."

"You got this," Sensei Lawrence encouraged. "Who's in first?"

They all glanced at each other, communicating with their eyes. All of them knew. They got into their positions in the circle, and Robby stepped out first. Kwon, cocky as ever, went to step out as well. However, Tory instantly pushed him out of the way and went into the circle. Alyssa blinked in shock. Well, this was interesting and unexpected.

"What are you doing?" Robby asked.

"Don't act like you don't know," Tory replied. "You and Zara."

Alyssa's eyes widened. Oh no. Tory had seen something — but she had gotten it all wrong.

The ref announced they could fight, but Robby was clearly still in shock and off his game. He managed to block Tory's kick and jabs, but Alyssa could see it in his face that he was still reeling from that news. Tory managed to kick Robby down on the ground without actually hitting him, and he landed right next to Alyssa.

Alyssa held out her hand, her eyes kind and understanding as she looked down at him. "Let me go. Come on."

Robby hit his hand against hers. Alyssa walked out onto the mat, raising her fists and her eyes narrowing at Tory. Tory advanced first with a kick that Alyssa easily blocked. She seemed surprised by Alyssa's quick movement and backed off a bit. The two of them stood there for a moment, their eyes locking.

But the second you and me meet on that mat, which we're going to at some point, I'm not holding back.

Tory advanced again, with punches and kicks that Alyssa all managed to block. Alyssa kicked back, sending Tory down onto the mat. She was totally exposed, but before Alyssa could do anything, Tory tagged in her teammate. And . . . it was Kwon. Figures.

Alyssa's eyes narrowed once more — not out of concentration this time, but out of anger, because Kwon really made her mad. Kwon ran at her, and Alyssa managed to block a lot of things. However, he spun himself around in the air and kicked, and the height and speed was so alarming that it stunned her for a moment. Kwon's foot made contact with her chest, securing Cobra Kai the point. Alyssa backed off slightly, feeling defeated.

Miguel extended his hand out from his place next to her. "Come on, tag me in."

Alyssa hit her hand against his. Miguel stepped onto the mat, and Kwon tagged in another member. He started to punch, which the guy all blocked. They continued to fight until Miguel launched himself around and kicked him in the chest. He fell back onto the mat, and Miyagi-Do gained a point.

Miguel rushed up to Demetri and hit his hand. "You got this."

Demetri ran out onto the mat while Yoon got tagged in for Cobra Kai. He kicked numerous times, which Yoon all blocked and dodged. Yoon also threw numerous punches, which Demetri blocked with punches of his own.

Eli extended out his hand. "Demetri, tag me in."

Demetri kicked Yoon back and hit his hand against Eli's. Eli ran forwards and jumped into the air, with a kick. Yoon blocked it, and Eli and him took turns of blocking each other's advances.

"Now, hurry, tag Ally in!" Demetri yelled.

"Hm?" Alyssa hummed, blinking slightly as Eli ran at her, since the three of them were standing right next to each other. "Oh, shit."

Eli hit her hand. Alyssa ran out and jumped up with a kick. Yoon did too, and their legs hit each other before they both landed back on the mat. He spun himself around with a kick, with Alyssa backed off to dodge. Yoon then started to kick and spin around with alarming speed as well.

"Hey, Lys, Lys!" Eli shouted.

Alyssa ran slightly around Yoon to move past his kicks and hit her hand back against Eli's, tagging him back in. She could see what they were doing, and how they didn't even need to communicate to agree with each other. If the three of them took turns fighting Yoon in small increments, he would slowly get more tired and confused. Seemed fitting that the three of them, the original trio, were the ones to do this. Binary Brothers featuring Alyssa, as always.

Eli leaned down and swept his legs. Yoon managed to dodge both of them, but Alyssa could see in his movements that fighting this many people at once was taking a toll on him. She smirked a little to herself. It was working.

"Hawk, he's slowing down," Demetri stated. "Don't let him tag out!"

Just as Yoon tried to tag somebody else in, Eli kicked his arm down, preventing him from doing so.

"Okay, now tag me back in."

Eli kicked, which Yoon blocked. However, he stumbled back slightly, seeming a little dazed.

"Dude, it's working!" Eli exclaimed.

He hit his hand against Demetri's. Demetri ran at him, and Yoon seemed even more dazed, not really knowing what to do. He kicked Yoon away, and Yoon barely had time to recover before Demetri extended his hand out to Alyssa.

"Go get him," Demetri said, bending over slightly.

Alyssa's smirk widened and she hit his hand. She tucked herself in, rolling across Demetri's back before landing on her feet. Alyssa punched, which Yoon blocked, then turned herself around and elbowed twice. Yoon ducked underneath her to dodge, but his movements were even slower now. She turned herself around and kicked, sending him even more backwards.

She ran up to Eli. "Finish him off, baby."

Eli nodded to her once. Just as Yoon tried to tag in somebody else, Eli kicked his hand back. Yoon, not having much fight left in him, just kind of let Eli grab both of wrists and extend his arms out. Eli then jumped up, both of his feet making contact with Yoon's chest. The two of them landed on the ground, but Miyagi-Do was victorious. Alyssa's smile grew, her heart beating fast in anticipation. They were up. They could do this. She watched as Yoon tagged in Kwon and Eli tagged in Miguel.

"Okay, let's go, number two," Kwon taunted.

Both of them raised their fists. It was all really fast, and Alyssa was honestly getting a little dizzy from it. There were a lot of punches and kicks. Miguel put up a really good fight, but in the end, Kwon managed to kick Miguel right in the middle of his chest. Alyssa's heart raced even faster at that. They were even now. The next point determined everything. Miguel then hit his hand against Robby's, sending him in for the final point.

"Come on, Robby," Alyssa voiced. "You got this."

Kwon laughed as Robby blocked his kick. "It's about time. Let's see what you got."

The two of them raised their fists. Robby ran forwards with a kick that Kwon blocked. He spun himself around in the air and kicked, which Kwon dodged. Robby jumped and managed to hit Kwon in the shoulder, sending him stumbling to the side. Kwon also blocked all of Robby's advancements before advancing himself. Robby dodged everything and easily blocked Kwon's kick as well.

It seemed like the more they fought, the more that Kwon seemed . . . unnerved. Alyssa guessed he probably underestimated Robby's ability to fight. Robby kicked multiple times, sending Kwon backwards. Kwon ignored his teammate's hand, walking further into the circle. Robby managed to catch Kwon and bring him down onto the mat. Kwon quickly regained his senses and pushed away Robby's hand. He kip-upped back onto his feet and kicked, which Robby blocked with his arm. Robby caught Kwon's leg in his arm and brought him right back down onto the mat. He slid in between Kwon's legs as he rolled him onto his stomach. Robby then went back over to the other side and caught Kwon's head, forcing him to look back up at the ceiling.

Alyssa's eyebrows raised as she watched all of this, sharing a glance with Sam. He was really making Kwon feel it — which, good for him, honestly. Kwon deserved to be humbled.

Kwon angrily pushed away Robby's hand. Robby grabbed Kwon's gi in his hands and rolled backwards, completely flipping kwon over him. Both of them instantly got back up from the mat and turned to face each other again, nothing but anger written all over their expressions. They circled each other for a moment before putting their fists back up.

He ran right at Robby with kicks that Robby blocked. Kwon impressively spun himself in the air while kicking, which sent Robby stumbling back . . . right into Tory. Robby moved to the side to avoid Kwon's kicks, which caused Tory to lean back to avoid it as well. He yelled out before kicking himself, a kick that hit Kwon's arm and moved him a bit to the side. Robby ran forwards and punched, which Kwon blocked. He caught Kwon's arm and kicked his arm. Kwon stumbled backwards again and barely had time to block Robby's other kick to his face with his arm, which made him double over.

Kwon yelled out angrily, hitting the mat before standing up straight. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as both Robby and Kwon raised their fists again. They ran at each other at the same time, both of their legs raising. However, right in the middle of the air, Robby got their first. His foot made contact with Kwon's chest, and Kwon fell, along with Cobra Kai.

And . . . relief. They fucking won.

Alyssa screamed in excitement, running out onto the mat with everyone else. She was the first to reach Robby, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Robby instantly wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her right back. She only hugged him for a moment to allow the others to greet him. Alyssa then wrapped her arms around Sam, the two of them giggling together for a second. She let go of Sam soon after so she could hug her dad.

"Tournament of champions," Eli said, sliding into place next to her. "Look at you go." He tapped her forehead, right on her headband. "I told you you were meant to be captain."

Alyssa then threw her arms around his neck, leaning up and kissing him softly for a moment before pulling away. "As long as you're by my side, I'm entirely convinced anything's possible." She then paused for a second, her eyebrows knitting in thought. "Was that too cheesy?"

"Oh, incredibly. But I think it's allowed. We're in love, after all."

She laughed a little. "So true." Alyssa let him go, reaching out and tapping Robby's shoulder a couple of times from his place next to Miguel and Sam. "Dude, that kick was awesome. You fucking flew."

Robby laughed slightly at her. "Thanks."

As they were talking, however, a very defeated looking Cobra Kai walked past them. Alyssa's eyes caught on one person's in particular — the very same person who was trailing behind the others, nothing but sadness on her face.

"Tory," Alyssa called, and she stopped. "I wish this celebration included you, too."

Miguel patted her back. "She'll come around, Als."

Alyssa sighed. "God, I sure hope so." She then straightened up, smiling brightly at all of them. "But, right now, it's time to celebrate. High School Musical, anyone?"

"Yes," Sam immediately agreed.

Miguel rolled his eyes. "God, no."

"What?" Robby questioned. "I think it'd be funny to hear Ally sing all of the songs."

"Yes, thank you, Robby," Alyssa said. "God, Miguel, you're such a hater."

"I'm trying to preserve my eardrums, thank you very much," Miguel responded.

"I fucking hate you."

"No, you don't."

"God, it sucks when you're right."

•─•°•❀•°•─•

if zara has no haters I'm dead

this is me actually acknowledging what happened instead of the own fucking cobra kai writer like be so for real dude

also what do you MEAN there's only one more chapter after this and then ANOTHER break oh kill me now