A/n~ Sorry for the delay in releasing chapters, I've had a busy and rough couple of months but I'm back now. Anyways, I've skipped the episode King Cobra because I couldn't fit Theo into it.

As Theo walked into school alongside Taise, he looked nervous. He had poured his every waking moment into physiotherapy over the past few weeks, and now he was back on his feet, feeling like a new person.

"There he is," a girl exclaimed, her voice cutting through the chatter.

"No way!" another girl chimed in, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The atmosphere shifted as students began to applaud. Theo felt a rush of warmth wash over him.

"King Cobra!" Hawk shouted, striding over with his signature swagger. He clapped hands with Theo.

"What's up?" Theo replied, grinning widely.

"Welcome back, man," Hawk said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"Feels good to be back," Theo replied, as he looked around.

Hawk glanced at him with a playful smirk. "They give you bionic legs or some shit?"

Theo chuckled, shaking his head. "No, same old boring human legs."

"Oh, yeah? Can you throw down? Gotta defend that title," Hawk said, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Gotta get through me first. Dude, Cobra Kai is crushing it."

"I know, I'll be back after school today," Theo assured him, the thrill of returning to the dojo stirring within him.

"My man," Hawk replied, clapping him on the shoulder.

—————

Theo, Taise, Hawk, and the rest of the Cobra Kai stood in the hallway discussing training after school when Johnny emerged from down the hallway.

"OK, listen up!" Johnny's voice cut through the noise, firm yet tinged with an uncertainty as he looked at Theo. "I screwed up. And I'm sorry. I made it about me. And that's not what a sensei does. I took the easy way out. I gave up. What happened here at this school... it rocked me to my core. I couldn't look myself in the eye, let alone face all of you."

Theo crossed his arms, a bitter snark in his tone. "Yeah. I guess it makes it easier to tell yourself that." His words dripped with anger, the hurt evident in his eyes. "But the truth is, you bailed on us long before that fight happened. You got soft," he added, his voice rising slightly, his legs tingling as he remembered the fall.

Hawk, standing beside Theo, chimed in, "Yeah. And we paid the price." His brow furrowed, a mix of anger and hurt etched across his face.

Johnny stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He poked Hawk in the chest. "You listen up. When you came to my dojo, you were softer than a baby's ass. I made you what you are, not Kreese. He and Elise don't give a shit about you. About any of you, except maybe you two." His eyes flicked to Theo and Taise.

"If you wanna whine about the past like a bunch of pussies, fine. We can play that game. Wanna stick with the Kreeses? Go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you when your life ends up in the shitter. Or you could sack up and join my dojo. Havenhurst and Magnolia, tomorrow at 4:00. If you wanna save yourselves, train the right way... you better be there. And don't be late!" His voice rose, echoing in the hallway.

With that, Johnny turned, shoving a kid who had been lingering too close into the lockers. "Sorry, kid. Old habit," he muttered, not bothering to look back.

Taise turned to Theo, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Who was that?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Theo's gaze followed Johnny. "An asshole," he replied.

—————

Theo sat on the weathered bench outside the elementary school. He scanned the crowd of children spilling out of the building, laughter filling the air. His heart swelled as he spotted Brandon being escorted out by his teacher, the little boy's face lighting up when he caught sight of Theo.

As soon as the teacher released him, Brandon bolted over, arms outstretched, and wrapped himself around Theo's middle, squeezing tightly.

"Hey, bud. How was school?" Theo asked, ruffling Brandon's hair affectionately.

"Good," Brandon mumbled, his voice muffled against Theo's shirt.

Theo smiled, feeling a rush of warmth towards the young boy. Just then, he noticed Dakota walking towards him with her little brother, Evan, trailing behind. A knot of tension formed in his stomach as he prepared for the inevitable confrontation.

"Can we help you?" Theo asked, trying to keep his tone neutral as Brandon instinctively hid behind his leg, sensing the tension.

Dakota stopped a few feet away, arms crossed, her expression a mix of annoyance and determination. She held up a brown envelope. "This is a lawsuit. Your band wrote a song about me, and I didn't consent."

Theo raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched across his face. "I don't remember you actually being mentioned in that song."

"No, but I know it's about me. 'When you see my face, hope it gives you Hell?' Please, it can only be about me." Dakota's voice was insistent, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to deny it.

Theo shrugged, a smug smirk creeping onto his face as he folded his arms. "Could be about one of Cami's exes."

Dakota scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Cami and Freddie only ever had hookups, and Kai hasn't dated anyone."

"Look," Theo said, leaning in slightly as if sharing a secret. "Your name wasn't mentioned in the song, but if you're so confident, Social Scum and its lawyers will see you in court. You can really say goodbye to your picket fence and shiny car. We'll drain your father for all his money, and he'll have to sell his shares in LaRusso Auto and any other company he has."

Dakota's eyes widened, a flicker of fear crossing her face. "You can't do that!"

"Should've thought about that before you decided to sue us," Theo shot back, his voice steady and unwavering.

Brandon peeked out from behind Theo, eyes wide with concern. Theo felt a pang of guilt for dragging the young boy into this. He knelt down, placing a reassuring hand on Brandon's shoulder. "Let's just go, okay?" he said softly, hoping to shield him from the tension that hung in the air.

As Dakota huffed in frustration, Theo stood, ready to walk away from the confrontation. He had enough on his plate, and this wasn't the kind of drama he wanted in his life—or in Brandon's. With one last glance at Dakota, he turned, guiding Brandon away.

—————

Theo and Tory strolled hand-in-hand through the park at Havenhurst and Magnolia a day later. They walked around a bush, coming face to face with Johnny and his new dojo. The tension was palpable as the other Cobra Kai students followed closely behind Theo and Tory.

"All right. Looks like our class just got bigger. Make room," Johnny declared, a grin on his face which quickly dropped.

Theo couldn't help but smirk silently, his eyes glinting with amusement as he watched his mother, Elise, walk confidently through the parted crowd.

"I told you this when we first started, Johnny-Boy, Cobra Kai for life," Theo said, a hint of mischief in his voice.

"Enough, Theo," Elise warned, but a small smirk played on her lips. "Don't worry, John. I'm not here for a fight," she added, her tone light but firm.

"Yeah? Then why the hell are you here?" Johnny shot back, crossing his arms defensively.

"Despite my wishes, my father would like to make you an offer to come back to Cobra Kai 'where you belong,'" Elise replied, emphasising the last part with a sarcastic smile that drew a few chuckles from the Cobras.

Johnny's expression hardened. "You're crazy if you think I'm ever teaming up with you again."

"Don't worry, I know you have some working brain cells in that head of yours," Elise interjected before he could continue, her confidence unwavering.

Johnny took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger inside him. "The garbage you're feeding them, the shit they're pulling, it's messed up. Your old man is to blame for that."

Elise raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "I have to disagree with you there. My father and I care about our students. They're strong and they're true fighters, unlike your sorry bunch of shitheads."

At that, Miguel, who had been standing nearby, stormed toward Elise, anger flashing in his eyes. Theo instinctively let go of Tory's hand and moved towards Miguel, ready to back his mother up. But before they could clash, their respective senseis stepped in, holding them back.

"This is it, Johnny. There's not gonna be another chance," Elise declared, her voice steady and resolute.

"Good," Johnny shot back, his tone defiant.

"You made your choice. And you are gonna regret it," Elise warned, her gaze unwavering as she locked eyes with him.