Defeat Does Not Exist (Cobra Kai SI)

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[FTR2017]

He's feeling guilty at the fact that he played Daniel to learn his legacy for selfish purposes, after realizing that he respected the man just as much as he does Kreese now.

Still, Miyagi-Do isn't a real fit for who Lucas is, so it is a reasonable excuse to break the commitment.

Well, that is, until it becomes known that he was also Kreese's student.

Then the salt will flow.

 

[Avercrucicus]

This too is growth

 

[vanomzero]

He's feeling guilty at the fact that he played Daniel to learn his legacy for selfish purposes, after realizing that he respected the man just as much as he does Kreese now.

Still, Miyagi-Do isn't a real fit for who Lucas is, so it is a reasonable excuse to break the commitment.

Well, that is, until it becomes known that he was also Kreese's student.

Then the salt will flow.

Click to shrink...

let also keep in mind that it might seem to Daniel that Kreese swooped in at Lucas most vulnerable moment to corrupt him and teach him Evil Karate, at least at first until either Kreese or Lucas tells him the whole truth but until then Lucas will have a Fallen Student thing going on maybe a "A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil" trope

 

[Lillie Jones]

I concede to your point on the fallen student trope , because the Larousso parent's couldn't think he was smart enough to do on it own by that level of manipulation by John Kresse, but John also think will probably spare him some face, if they think John Kresse found him instead instead of the other way around and I think John won't mind either way , He's Cobra Kai after all and teacher always protects his student of Cobra Kai .At least until the whole thing come out in the future.

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Chapter Sixteen: No Way But the Classic Way

…

A/N: These are actually the last few chapters of the entire fanfic. So the OSTs really, and I mean really really start to become crucial. So please, if you can, listen to the music I chose to add atmosphere which I used to write and frame the scenes in my head too.

A huge thanks to Anon and all the other reviewers who gave feedback. It's been much appreciated as we head in the third act and finale of this book as the tournament is right around the corner.

Also while Young Hearts Beat Fast by Commuter is the song everyone remembers, Feel the Night was the original song they used during Ali's first date with Daniel.

…

…

One day at Robby's house shortly before winter break started I was playing Atari with him and his dad walked out of his bedroom on the phone.

"The name of my dojo?" said Johnny. "Steel Eagle Karate. That's right. Steel Eagle Karate. No, this isn't a prank call, I just want to sign up for the tournament. I've competed in these things for years back in the day, I even know some of the old officials."

Robby and I smiled and laughed quietly on the couch.

"My name? Johnny Lawrence. Uh, I just got one student now. His full name's Robert Swayze Keene, he's my son, I'm his personal Sensei."

The person on the phone with him seemed to be talking for a bit. "Uh huh. Uh huh. Great. Great thank you."

Johnny hung up. "We just got Steel Eagle underway for official competition. All that's left to do is train."

"Steel Eagle?" I laughed.

"Because American Eagle and Iron Eagle were both already taken." said Robby.

I looked at him.

"I know. I had the same reaction but you know. I don't care though, it works."

I looked at Johnny. "Why not just call it Cobra Kai?"

"Because Cobra Kai was a mistake, I realize it now looking back on all of it. A violent dojo making violent people. We might be tough, okay." Johnny pointed to Robby and I. "Tough, but not assholes."

"I don't get it," I said. "I thought the point of you training Robby was so you could fix the mistakes Cobra Kai made in the past."

"Sort of, but not really. Not that it matters anyway. The one guy who taught me Cobra Kai, I'm completely sure he's dead or something." Johnny shrugged. "Why pretend I need to pass on whatever sick lessons he taught me?"

I wouldn't call him dead necessarily, as a matter of fact John Kreese was very alive.

"For our symbol or icon or whatever. I'm thinking of a bald eagle made of pure shiny stainless steel in front of the American flag," said Johnny. "It'll be awesome. You could join too, you'd do well."

I sighed. "I already have a dojo."

"Yeah yeah Miyagi-Do. But are you competing in the All Valley in May?" asked Johnny.

"Not affiliated with Miyagi-Do. No."

"And how does LaRusso feel about that?" Johnny asked.

I took a deep breath. "I. Haven't told him yet. Wanted to make it a surprise."

In the same way your son, the person sitting next to me would make it for Daniel as well during his own All Valley next year.

"So then join my dojo and compete with us. You and Robby already spend enough time skateboarding or playing video games." he threw a hand towards his old TV set. "Why not actually do something useful?"

I looked at Johnny. "You make a fair point. I just don't want to cause any needless tension between you and Mr. LaRusso."

"Look he's your Sensei. Not your father, and you could learn a lot from me."

"I still have a lot to learn over at Miyagi-Do too." I said respectfully.

Johnny raised a hand slightly. "Fine." he said quietly before leaving.

The front door to the apartment closed behind us.

I looked at Robby again for a second. "I don't get his problem," said Robby. "We both already said we were cool with it."

"I still don't think either him or Mr. LaRusso would be cool with me in particular training with the other person no matter how reasonable they could be about it. My mom was the reason they even fought in the first place even if it was decades ago."

Robby nodded. "But still. Competing at the All Valley without a dojo at all? That's gotta be rough for you."

"That doesn't mean I'll be untrained."

"Still, that feels like you're basically making a decision without your Sensei. Not my place. But you should probably go over it with him."

"Easier said than done," I said picking up my soda on the coffee table nearby and sipping from it. "He doesn't really believe in tournaments."

"Didn't he become famous for a bit for winning two in a row? Isn't that how he sells cars?" asked Robby.

"It is. My style of karate is very pacifistic." One of the two was actually. "It's very patient and precise. It's. It's great. And your way is too man." Because I only trained in a more brutal version of it. "When we compete against each other, if we end up facing each other. We'll do it the right way. As people competing against each other. But still friends."

Someone with a white GI against someone with a likely red GI, Eli Moskowitz facing Miguel Diaz in the semis of the fifty first All Valley Tournament was what I envisioned for a few months from now as the closest match.

I checked my phone, it would be sun down soon.

"I gotta go. See ya man."

"See ya at school. Got end of semester tests to finish."

"Yup." I said, not worried in the slightest for them.

…

I rode on my bicycle over to Daniel's house and rang the doorbell.

Luckily, it wasn't Sam, it was the person I wanted to talk to.

"Hey Lucas. We were in the middle of dinner I-"

"All those messy and weird feelings of feeling out of place with Miyagi-Do karate. They're gone for me." I said honestly. "I need balance. And you're part of that. So, I'd like to train with you as much as you can when winter break starts next week and for as long as you'll allow."

Daniel smiled, laughing in surprise. "Definitely. Definitely, I'm am totally in."

"Mr. Miyagi's way." I said with pride.

He held my shoulders. "Yes. Mr. Miyagi's way. The right way."

Right.

…

OST: The Comeback Kid - The Midnight

…

The bell rang to West Valley High School and everyone broke out for winter break.

Yasmine said her farewells and muttered to Sam and Moon.

"See you at Moon's right?" asked Yasmine.

"Yeah. Yeah for sure." said Sam.

Robby and Lucas brushed past, laughing loudly as Sam and Yasmine looked at them in disgust and annoyance as they walked towards the front of the school.

Demetri, Eli, and Aisha approached them after leaning off a few nearby cement barriers leading to the entrance of the school.

They all talked excitedly and for a moment Aisha could've sworn Sam was looking longingly at Lucas again during her summer crush days on him.

But Sam wasn't looking at Lucas.

It was Eli.

The typically shy and very reserved freshman was usually very somber and mellow, but had started to come out of his shell after not being bullied for a semester and spending time with friends like Lucas and Robby.

Eli laughed loudly with both of them as Demetri grinned a tiny bit.

"Dude yeah. Yeahhhh!" Eli stuck his tongue out of his mouth gripping his backpack for a second, pretending guts were flowing out of his stomach as Lucas imitated stabbing him with a sword. "Blahhh!"

Robby laughed too as Lucas spoke. "We gotta have a Game of Thrones watch party at my place." Eli said.

"Yes dude. Yes!" Robby gripped hands with Eli.

"That's right. Gimme that, gimme that. Mm!" Lucas gripped hands too with Eli and they bumped shoulders and snapped. "Mm!" he repeated proudly and loudly.

Sam looked over from Eli to Aisha from the front of the school. She often wondered why she spent so much time hanging out with and being friends with very loud and rambunctious boys instead of fellow freshman girls like her and the friend group she was forming.

Aisha saw Sam walking towards her and spoke. "Peace out guys. I gotta go." she said before leaving in a hurry. "About that Thrones watch party. I am down."

"Let's gooo! See ya Aisha!" Lucas waved as the four boys all said their goodbyes.

He wasn't as cheerful to wake up at the same time every morning despite being on winter break.

At six thirty in the morning every day, Lucas had to get up, ride his bicycle to the nearest bus station and need to go all the way over to the nearest beach well over a half hour away.

There, he jogged up and down an entire beach that was well over a mile long.

Seagulls flew by behind him in the early December morning sun just during sunrise as he jogged. Lucas was wearing a sweatshirt and track pants, he threw jabs and hook punches as he ran, making footprints in the sand as he ran.

Occasionally, Lucas would spin into a perfect hook kick and then keep jogging.

He would run for well over an hour and then he started to do kata. He did hook kicks, the spinning hands kata, and punches and blocks on a raised, thin, but stable cement bench near the beach.

Lucas always maintained perfect balance during every technique he did. The best form, the best execution, speed, and power.

When he went home he had a very hearty breakfast cooked by a personal chef the Mills family had and then worked on strategies for the All Valley.

He watched footage from previous All Valley finals he found online. Watched as many point fighting strategy videos as he could on the computer in his room while working out his arm with a dumbbell from as many different sources as he could.

From kickboxing, karate, and even Taekwondo videos. Anything that was point sparring at all Lucas researched on and worked around his 'five combo strategy.'

After relaxing for a bit, he went downstairs and started to practice his five combos.

In the event Lucas felt the need to score during the All Valley tournament, he decided to develop and train five 'blitz' or rush attacks with multiple forward strikes.

Most were two or three attack combinations, some even four. He hit a punching bag to practice these exact scenarios, then pumped iron using the dumbbells and weight lifting set his grandfather had stopped using decades prior but Lucas had more than wiped the dust off of.

It was about two thirty in the afternoon by the time Lucas spent some time working on Warhammer Forty Thousand or Magic the Gathering games with Demetri and Eli or built some Lego sets with them.

Just for fun, they would build computers from scratch and then code entire systems from scratch. Lucas more than anything observed and occasionally took notes, coding was not his thing but on the computer they had built in Lucas' garage, he more than enjoyed watching the Binary Brothers go to work.

Lucas had to be on time during his regular five o'clock classes in Pacoima with Kreese.

They lasted two hours and sometimes two and a half hours as Kreese was making sure Lucas was as prepared as remotely possible for his first All Valley tournament.

He made him practice his five combo set he completely approved off and helped develop on mitts. Then Kreese made Lucas practice both the very basics of Cobra Kai Karate and the newer lessons.

Kreese made Lucas do pushups on one hand on choppy cement, then made him continue to hit wooden pallets and crates as hard as he could despite how much it could hurt him. Because it simply didn't.

Lucas had gotten so used to the very intense training demands of Kreese's training that his striking form, technique, speed, and power didn't let hardwood or anything Kreese throw at him hurt him. It all just made him stronger.

Lucas practiced the two punch combo finished off with an outside crescent kick and Kreese shook his head, taking the spot next to him and showing the proper application.

Kreese made a pushing motion with his hand and then a lowering motion with his hand to indicate Lucas had to stay lower to the ground as he moved as he explained.

After an entire hour of pure karate training in Cobra Kai, Kreese took Lucas to a public indoor swimming pool and spoke.

"For a three minute title fight. You have to train for three thousand minutes. And in a match like the kind you'll have at this All Valley. All of it is based on fast twitch muscles and how much speed you can put into one blow." said Kreese as Lucas was wearing specialized competitive swimming trunks and goggles. "You will never find a better place to train those kinds of muscles all over your entire body than sprint style swimming. I need you running these laps like you have a shark chasing after you. Because you do kid."

Lucas listened. "That shark is the 49th All Valley tournament in May. So don't let it catch you. It catches you, you lose. And Cobra Kais, do not lose."

And Lucas didn't let it catch him for a second. Not for the entire winter break or even the months that followed it.

Lucas did sprint laps in freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke for an entire hour and a half every day for all of winter break.

During his single lap and double lap runs, Kreese used a stopwatch and it was never good enough. Despite how fast and how much effort Lucas was putting into his laps.

Kreese spun a finger around in the air, shaking his head. "You gotta shave a half second off. Run it again."

Water splashed as Lucas flew through his laps.

"Run it again!"

He flew through the water again.

"Again!"

Lucas grunted back in his garage that night, not letting his muscles in his shoulders and arms cool off by pulling weights around.

"Again!"

Lucas flew through the water.

"Again!"

He did kata on the beach with Daniel this time nearing sunset.

"Again!"

Nearing the end of his winter break, Lucas was breaking apart thick and strong wooden blocks with his bare fists and elbows in the abandoned supermarket loading dock with Kreese.

"Again!"

Lucas was laughing and enjoying himself as Daniel had lent him his old Japanese sanders he had in a box stored in the home dojo. They were practicing sand the floor the same way Daniel had learned.

"Again!"

Lucas was getting in such good shape and training so hard with both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do and combining them so well he felt better than he ever did.

During the Game of Thrones watch party at Eli's he watched intently with his friends, eating popcorn and staying quiet always.

Sam had joined quietly as Demetri had invited her.

Aisha and Lucas looked uncomfortable, and the watch party continued awkwardly as Robby broke the ice with a quick joke everyone gave a light chuckle at.

Through the darkness of Eli's living room, Sam and Eli made eye contact for a moment. Eli could've sworn Sam was smiling at him, but the next time he looked she was laughing with Demetri and Aisha quietly.

As school began, Lucas had to reduce his training by a bit, but he still was extremely busy balancing both school and his months long preparation for the All Valley.

One morning for school, Lucas realized how hard it was for him to fit into his old clothes he had started the fall semester with months prior now that it was the start of his spring semester at West Valley.

He looked at himself in the mirror in his bedroom. Kreese had helped him grow muscles over his entire body and was in excellent shape.

Lucas sighed, needing to pick out the largest clothes he had and then left.

The following weeks wearing clothes now better suited for him, he started to spend more time at school with all his friends.

Robby, Eli, Aisha, Demetri, and even Charlotte. We spent a decent bit of time about once or twice a week discussing stuff for English and other classes in the West Valley High School library.

He trained daily in Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai with Daniel and Kreese. He studied school work and as many fight tip videos as he could apply to his training for the All Valley.

By around February of 2017 Lucas was passing the apex of his training in both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate.

After nearly nine months of training as much as he could under Kreese and Daniel, combining both their methods on his own as well, Lucas was seriously impressing both Daniel and Kreese with his degree of skill.

He could do almost any one of the five strike combinations with a single code word given under Kreese.

Any of the basic blocks or attacks from the multitude Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do had given him, Lucas could do at the drop of a hat with highly advanced form for someone who was barely even reaching his fifteenth birthday.

He had a degree of technique, speed, and strength that made Kreese surprised at how quickly he progressed. And Daniel had found the same in Lucas.

And it was because he combined their styles, he developed his own methods and his own confidence from them both and always respected them both every chance he got.

All of March he focused entirely on cardio, fundamentals, and kata. And then it was already April.

Lucas turned over the page on his calendar, and several dozen red X marks were cleared off as he had since the day he began to train during the summer of the previous year.

All Lucas could do was start to focus on his regular training and a bit more fight strategy on his own.

His hand curled into a fist and Lucas looked over at the nearby posted on his wall.

In the same classic style posters the All Valley had in the eighties, a Forty Ninth All Valley Under 18 Karate Championships poster hung on the wall of his bedroom.

Lucas smiled.

He was finally ready. All that was left, was to wait and train one final month.

…

I got off the electronic scale.

Kreese looked at it, and then he chuckled for a second.

"What?"

"You've gained. About twenty six pounds worth of muscle since you started training with me. And you've grown about an inch and a half taller. So you weigh about one hundred and thirty eight pounds, and are five feet and eight and a half inches tall. Your arms and legs are naturally long for your age too."

"And?"

"And. That's adding to the fact you've trained as much as you have been for almost eleven months. You have an entire month left before the All Valley, and that would mark the entire year you began your training with Cobra Kai. You're at least guaranteed a spot in the semi finals by this rate kid is what I'm saying."

I nodded. "Yeah well. I think my competition is still pretty decent."

"And who is your competition?"

"Phineas Morrison, last year's champion from All Star Karate. And Xander Stone, I started checking online he really stepped up his game from last year and I think beat Cutting Edge Karate's top fighter in a friendly spar. And."

"Who else?"

I explained. "Robby Keene. He's trained with his dad, Johnny Lawrence, this whole time remember?"

"Right. You did mention it before. That um, Eagle dojo."

"Yeah."

"I expect he'll give you a really good match. Similar ages, level of experience. A fight between you two would come down mostly to skill and level of physical conditioning. I think you'd win."

"But you've never met him."

And Robby was always a great fighter, even in his first months of training fighting against Trey and Cruz to defend car parts for the LaRussos.

"Still. I think you're going to beat him. You've done well tonight Schwarber. Go home, I'll see you tomorrow."

I bowed. "Yes Sensei."

…

I hopped off my bicycle approaching the LaRusso's house. "What's the occasion?"

"You dressed appropriately. Good." Daniel said as Amanda fixed his tie.

"Yeah it's my best suit and tie. But what's happening?"

"A cousin of mine is getting married. I thought, since you've been training so hard for. Months and months on end. You deserved a reward. You're coming with us."

"It's not Louie is it?"

Amanda laughed at this as Daniel smiled. "No. It's not Louie. It's someone you haven't met yet. Vanessa."

I was surprised. "Yeah, you guys mentioned her a few times. Isn't she only in her twenties?"

"She's." Amanda sighed. "Only twenty four. But. Her job and life are stable and she's known the guy for ages so. No place for us to judge."

"Where are we driving?" I asked.

"Mission Viejo." answered Daniel.

I already knew the entire Los Angeles area very well after getting to know it so well this past year.

"An hour long drive." I said quietly. "In the same car with Sam."

Amanda and Daniel smiled at each other. "We know how you two get along. Which is why Sam has brung a guest."

"Really. Who?"

I expected Aisha or Demetri but.

"Daaang!" I laughed in pride and gripped hands and bumped shoulders with Eli. "You look sharp as a sword!"

"Thanks man you too," he said quietly. "Are we gonna get going?"

Daniel nodded. "Soon as Anthony finally gets done getting dressed." he muttered before leaving through the garage.

I laid my bicycle down in their garage and looked at two people I knew would at one point be Miyagi-Dos, again in Sam's case. "So. You two are going to this wedding together."

Sam nodded wearing a simple yellow dress. "Yup."

"Good. Awesome. I, I mean a bit of a surprise. But an awesome one for sure."

I wasn't jealous at all, I just wasn't expecting this.

…

After a very cheerful car ride where I talked with Anthony the whole time, Eli with Sam, and Amanda with Daniel, we reached Vanessa LaRusso's wedding celebration.

…

I walked in. "Huh. Nice music."

The band was playing a spiritful and bright tune as we walked into the wedding.

Still in her wedding dress Vanessa walked over and kissed Daniel on the cheek. "Daaanny! You came!"

"Who would miss their favorite cousin's most special day?"

This was a pretty big wedding taking place in a very large social hall.

The dinner was rather short and followed by loads of dancing.

I sat down at a rather secluded part of the celebration and checked something on my phone before Eli sat down next to me.

"Feeling out of place too?"

"Sort of." I said. "I needed to explain something to you."

"Sure, what is it?" asked Eli.

The bouncy music kept playing and the wedding continued to dance nearby as I spoke. "You do know that Sam's dad was famous for karate right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, my mom was part of that. She was the reason why he even needed karate at all. About thirty three years ago, in nineteen eighty four my mother went to our school."

Eli laughed. "Awesome! I knew you already had family here in LA, but still."

I smiled lightly. "I wouldn't call it so awesome yet. My mother used to date a local karate champ named Johnny Lawrence for two years. They broke up right around the time Sam's dad moved here from New Jersey and got to know my mom."

"So?"

"So Lawrence got jealous, they started to scrap. Beat the crap outta Mr. LaRusso a few times. And that's how he ended up winning that tournament."

Eli nodded a bit. "So that karate. Is your karate?"

I nodded back.

"Why tell me this?"

"Because that's my family Eli. That's not me. I don't want you thinking I like starting petty rivalries or nonsense like that. Sam's family, or, Mr. LaRusso in particular was incredibly involved with a man named Mr. Miyagi. A karate teacher, known as a Sensei."

"Was he a good teacher?"

I remembered everything he did in the original trilogy of films.

"The best apparently." I said before looking at Eli. "Sam thinks I might be doing things I shouldn't with this karate. Hurting people. But the truth is man, that I only wanted to help you. To protect you from them, from Sam's friends."

Eli nodded and he left the table.

…

Eli Moskowitz danced slowly with Samantha LaRusso on the dance floor of the wedding celebration.

"Lucas told me you've been judging him lately."

Sam shrugged. "And?"

"Does he deserve that?" asked Eli.

"You came here as my guest Eli. We have something nice going right?"

"I don't know," Eli said simply. "If it wasn't for Lucas I would still be bullied. By your friends no less."

Sam shifted, looking down at her shoes for a moment. "So it's true then."

"Look I. I like you. You're smart and really pretty, and I've liked you for a while. But what you did just wasn't cool. Vouching for them for so long."

"Put yourself in my shoes for a moment," said Sam. "Luke's trained with my dad since May of last year. That's a really long time Eli."

"So?"

"So reasonably it'd be pretty hard for someone without any training to hold their own against him in a fight. The next thing I know, friends I've had for just as long he's been training are beaten up by him."

"It was four against one Sam. I don't think that was a fair fight the other way around of what you're saying."

"My point is," Sam said. "That I only heard of Yas and Kyler doing all that through rumor. Not from first hand experiences. So, I'm sorry."

Sam held herself close to Eli and they danced together in each other's embrace.

Lucas watched on from afar and Eli smiled as Lucas raised a glass for him.

…

Daniel sat down next to me. "Everything got along rather well now didn't it?"

"Yeah." I said.

"Your second semester of high school is wrapping up. How'd it go?"

"Better than I thought. Besides that fight with Kyler last year, not much else really happened."

Daniel spoke. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For training so well in Miyagi-Do for so long. At first I would've guessed you might've quit after the first month. What with all the chores and just kata. But you stuck through it."

I smiled. "To be fair. You taught me much more than that. You taught me some counters, the reverse punch." I tapped the knuckles on my right hand. "The power of my whole body, whole body always. Here."

"Mr. Miyagi's lessons are making you a more mature. Calm. And rational person. Technically you've trained much more than I have before my first tournament. And learned more."

"I wouldn't say I'm a better Miyagi-Do than you were Mr. LaRusso please."

"No that's for me to say," said Daniel. "And I'm saying exactly that."

"And why? What have I done that's so right?"

Daniel pointed to his own daughter dancing with Eli. "That."

"What's that exactly?"

"Sam was wronging Eli in a way with her friends were doing. You helped them reconcile by making sure those bullies weren't going to bother anyone at your school. You've done well with that. Even if it took violence to get there. The results speak for themselves."

"Thank you Mr. LaRusso. But I wouldn't say I'm a better Miyagi-Do than you were. I would actually never say that."

"And why's that?"

"Because you trained with Mr. Miyagi himself. Made him proud, followed his teachings personally. I'm just. Not like that."

Daniel sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I often considered myself the same. Not like Miyagi-Do at all. I had a temper, and was impatient and in a way, I created my own problems back then. You are not like that at all. I mean, your nature. You're not angry or spiteful, you don't go seeking trouble. You fix it and help it for others like how you did with Eli."

Every time he praised me I remembered that I trained daily just as much as I did with him with one of his worst enemies.

"Thank you Mr. LaRusso."

Daniel smiled and nodded, patting my shoulder before he left.

I realized that Robby was put in a very similar situation to me in the first season of the show. At first, he joined as part of a revenge plan on his father, Johnny Lawrence, but actually started to enjoy Miyagi-Do.

I wanted to tell him the truth, but I just couldn't. Because it was far worse than keeping Johnny Lawrence being Robby's father as a secret.

The same thing happened to me with Cobra Kai under Kreese as well. Except I wasn't trying to get revenge on anyone, I was just using both him and Daniel.

And it still really made me guilty about all of it.

A few older women muttered in Italian and practically pushed me on the dance floor from my seat to get me to dance with their daughters and soon I did.

I had a fun time despite some of them not being the most pleasant people to be around. It was a great night. One of the last few I think I'd have before either Kreese or Daniel would get mad at me greatly for my decision.

Before that though, I really wanted to get in the best training with both Kreese and Daniel. Before the tournament.

Before I decided which one of them I'd follow for the next three years.

…

OST: Training Hard - Bill Conti

…

Lucas was balancing on one of the wooden stumps by the ocean.

Instead of doing the crane kick, he was balancing on a single hand in a one handed hand stand, lowering his body forward and pretending to kick an invisible person in front of him with both feet.

Daniel saw this from afar near his car and smiled. Surprised.

They did kata together on the beach as seagulls fluttered around.

Daniel's hands swirled around and so did Lucas', they turned and faced the ocean in horse stance.

They continued to practice kata. Then they did hook kicks and blocks in unison in the sand.

Daniel was wearing a catcher's mask and armor. "Make a kiai. Force it through."

"Hiya!" Lucas' fist hit Daniel in the target he had painted on his chest.

"Once more. Hut!"

"Hiya!"

With Kreese, Lucas spun around throwing spinning back fists and then hook kicks right onto mitts he held.

He made him dodge attacks and do plenty of knuckle pushups now with very heavy full wooden boxes on his back.

Kreese yelled at him and walked around him like he was training his original Cobra Kais from his old Lankershim dojo in the eighties as Lucas broke wooden crates apart with his feet, the side of his hands in chops and knife hands, and fists.

Lucas dodged a round kick from Kreese and proceeded to miss a back kick on his chest before scoring a hit on the mitt Kreese raised just in time with a perfectly timed reverse punch.

"Jab out! Jab out! Jab out, come on." said Kreese as Lucas was throwing constant, fast, and strong hook, straight, and uppercut punches on mitts wearing boxing gloves.

On a boat by the water where he trained with Daniel, as the setting sun shimmered as it was reflected, Lucas practiced his kata. His hands swiveled around in a circle, he did punches, low blocks, and high blocks.

A side block transitioning into two punches, a low block transitioning into another two direct punches to the chest.

Constantly flowing blocks and punches in different directions, all in a circle as he balanced on the boat.

He had trained exactly like Daniel LaRusso did under Mr. Miyagi and Johnny Lawrence did under John Kreese for an entire year.

As the sun had set and Lucas walked back with a towel over his shoulders.

He was as ready as ever to take on the 49th All Valley Under 18 Karate tournament.

…

At school the next day I practiced my Queen Mab speech for English class with Demetri in the hallway.

Everyone, Robby, Aisha, and Eli thought it was funny how in character I got as Demetri read Romeo's lines.

"That dreamers often lie!" I said with glee.

Demetri sighed. "In bed asleep while they do dream things true."

"Oh. Then. I see Queen Mab hath been with you."

"Queen Mab, what's she?" asked Robby.

"She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes. In shape no bigger than an agate stone. On the forefinger of an alderman. Drawn with a team of little atomi. Over men's noses as they lie asleep."

Aisha and Eli laughed as I ran up a nearby wall for a second and then squatted with both feet widely apart as I continued my lines. "Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs. The cover of the wings of grasshoppers! Her traces of the smallest spider's web. Her collars of the moonshine's watery beams! Her whip-"

I stopped, everyone stopped laughing.

"What?" I asked.

Charlotte was standing between Robby and I. "Luke. Can we talk?"

"Sure. Sure, sure. Um, we'll practice later in the cafeteria guys." I said.

I picked up my backpack from the ground as Robby looked at Charlotte and I and then laughed with Eli as he muttered to him.

"You make a really great Mercutio," said Charlotte brightly with a smile. "Really great!"

"Uh thank you. So what's up?"

"I was wondering what you were doing this Friday night."

"Just the usual. Why?"

Charlotte shrugged, crossing her arms over a notebook she was carrying. "I don't know. Maybe we could do something."

"You asking me out Everston?"

"Maybe I am. Schwarber."

I laughed quietly as she smiled with a small hint of embarrassment. "Okay. Okay um. How about we go to Golf 'N Stuff?"

"Where's that?"

"Over between the highway and the old waterpark near Fifth and Johnston. It'll be fun."

"See ya then. Five thirty?"

"Yeah. Yeah that sounds great."

I had had a crush on her since we met really. I was happy. I was excited.

Which was why I didn't say a word about it to anyone.

…

OST: Feel the Night - Baxter Robinson

…

I had no idea what the hell to wear to my first ever date with anyone ever, so I just went with some nice jeans and a decent open button up shirt and my Lannister Lion and Stark Direwolf Game of Thrones shirt underneath.

Charlotte had an old photo camera, a simple digital silver rectangular camera, slung around her shoulders waiting for me outside the front entrance to Golf 'N Stuff. She was wearing a simple red jacket, didn't know why I found her outfit so nice.

It was just a simple long white skirt and a matching white bandanna holding her clean blonde hair back.

This was the cutest girl I knew.

She stopped checking the shots of the old camera she had and nodded to me when I walked up to her. "Hey." she said lightly.

"Hi Char."

"Shall we get going?" she asked.

To the same place where Chris would one day possibly work and my mom went out with my karate teacher?

"Yeah." I said with a tiny smile.

It ended up being the most fun I had had since I moved to the Valley last summer.

Charlotte and I tried racing go karts, which I completely beat her at because I had raced go karts in my previous life.

She still enjoyed it and took a picture on her old camera of the race results.

"You didn't even do that well." Char muttered.

"Now hold on. Hey!-"

Before I could react she held me by the wrist and we walked inside Golf 'N Stuff itself.

Playing Skeeball Charlotte was again losing to me. I wasn't trying to beat her at every game we played I was just having fun just trying it, but it was Charlotte who was having fun being competitive.

I was winning a whole lot and then Charlotte sighed. "I thought you'd go easy on me."

"Well. I mean, watch. No peeking."

I covered my eyes with my hand and then threw the ball randomly up the Skeeball machine.

Char then laughed at the top of her lungs.

I uncovered my eyes and I had sunk the Skeeball into the highest point hole.

"I swear I was-"

"No. You're fine." she smiled. "I wasn't expecting to win this anyway."

"Look. Why don't we try another game?"

Basketball, even old arcade machines like Galaga. I was trying to let her win and I still won.

Finally, after several tries, we found something she was better than me at. Stick hockey, she annihilated me.

She put more tokens into the machine. "Let's go again."

"Wait-"

"No, no no no. Just one more." she insisted.

"You said that twenty minutes ago!"

Charlotte proceeded to absolutely embarrass me soundly nineteen to zero.

"Everston scoooores!" she hollered loudly.

I muttered dryly. "Yeah you got me." I said. "Can we try another game now?"

I did end up doing pretty well at mini golf but so did Char. She beat me by only one par.

"What's that. Four to two for you?"

"This isn't a competition Charlotte come on."

"Says who?" she shrugged and said slyly before turning around to grab a few more golf balls.

She went over to try another round of mini golf and looking at her I realized something. This was the best date I think I'd ever been on, even if it was the only one.

I was really enjoying myself with a girl I considered to be really funny and quirky. And awesome.

This was all awesome.

We went back into the Golf 'N Stuff arcade area and soon found ourselves in the photo booth. The same one where both my mother and Miyagi-Do Sensei Daniel LaRusso could've sat in over thirty years ago.

On the first few we made some goofy poses, some serious.

And then on the third to last one I decided to just go for it. I pecked her quickly on the cheek.

Charlotte looked at me strangely and I thought I had really messed up. On the next picture she covered my face as a joke, I was still confused and it was probably caught on the picture how completely and utterly bewildered I was.

And on the last one Char kissed me strongly on the lips.

I was even more astounded. "Whoa whoa whoa what the-"

Charlotte grabbed the pictures the booth printed out for us and practically ran out of it.

I protested. "Hold on."

"Oh my god. That second to last picture."

"Charlotte come on please-"

"You bet I'm keeping this."

"But-"

Charlotte already tucked it into her pocket. "If you want it you're going to have to beat me for once at mini golf."

"But that's not fair! What is with you tonight?"

Outside I was surprised again as she interlocked fingers with mine. This was something I never expected really.

…

We bought a few slushies and used a straw and a plastic spoon they gave us to sit down and drink them.

"Don't you feel this is moving a little fast is all?" I asked her.

Charlotte shrugged, tapping her spoon on the edge of the slushie cup. "Why? It's moving as fast as I think I want it to. And that means it's moving as fast as it should."

I laughed quietly.

That was very Cobra Kai. She saw an opportunity, even if it wasn't there. And she made it happen.

Just like in a fight, she made her opening. I just didn't want to admit I liked her because I honestly didn't know anything about her from what I had seen.

"No but I mean. We've known each other for months. And I never got any vibes that you liked me."

"Well I got vibes you liked me. I didn't mind on the contrary really. And I said. You know, why not take a chance?"

We listened to and watched people splash around in the water by the nearby water slide.

"I wasn't expecting that at all. But I think that's really cool." I said quietly.

This girl was very very sweet and funny and incredibly beautiful. What did she see in me?

"We just kissed on our first date."

Charlotte scoffed. "We didn't." she said.

"You have photographic proof that says otherwise."

"I thought you wanted to get rid of those pictures."

"At first, because. You've been messing with me since I got here. And I still can't figure out why?"

"Better drop the kiss buddy otherwise it might not happen again."

I nodded. "Oh. Really?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Tonight was amazing but that may or may not have happened."

"Okay. Okay sure."

Charlotte looked at me. "You had fun right?"

"More than I had since I got here," I admitted. "But there's been something on my mind. It's. Stupid."

"Just tell me."

"My mom dated these two guys back in high school. They had rival karate dojos. Blah blah blah. It doesn't matter it's ancient history. They still hate each other. Or at least. They can't even talk to each other decades later."

"Who are these two guys?"

"Robby's dad and Sam's dad. But they're not the only ones. The karate teacher, or Sensei, of Sam's dad passed. Robby's dad thinks his Sensei passed too. He didn't."

Charlotte blinked, staying quiet.

"He trains me every day for this tournament in about two weeks. He trains me, in an indoor swimming pool, at kickboxing tournaments and even a few tiny karate dojos for sparring every day. As well as, an abandoned supermarket loading dock." It sounded even weirder when I said it out loud. "His name is John Kreese. And everyone thinks he's a monster because he choked out Robby's dad back in the eighties for losing a karate tournament."

Charlotte muttered. "And is he a monster?"

"He's not exactly kind. At all really. But he's honest, and real. More real than several people I've met in my life. But he's just been scarred, and it's not his fault."

I chuckled. "He's been more of a father to me than my real one back home in Denver ever was."

Charlotte stayed quiet and looked completely blank.

"I'm sorry. This is, really personal for a first date and."

"No. I never met either of my parents. I was adopted when I was pretty young. I get what you're going through."

I finished my slushie. "Well. There's more. Sam's dad teaches me his karate taught too, he's taught me it just as long as Sensei Kreese has. These two guys don't realize. That both their ways, are the right way. But because they can't let go of the past. I can only choose one of them."

"Choose neither," said Charlotte.

"What?"

"Choose neither," Charlotte repeated. "I'm sure they've been good to you. But if they can't let go of something that happened thirty years ago. That's on them Lucas. Not you."

"Some of this was very violent and messed up."

"Well did anybody die?"

"No."

Char sighed. "Do you think this Kreese guy would try to hurt anybody again? Like really badly?"

"Probably not honestly. He's very high strung and intense. But I think I've helped him."

"Go with what you think is best. I might not know anything about karate," said Charlotte. "But I know you. You're a really cool guy, whatever you think is best. Is best."

A familiar senior citizen began walking towards the bench where we sat.

"Who's that?"

"The guy I just mentioned. Sensei Kreese." I stood up off the bench. "Sensei. I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Evidently not. You missed class today. For the first time since we met." Kreese said.

I sighed. Wow. I can't believe I forgot.

Charlotte threw away her empty slushie cup and walked towards him. "Sir, it's my fault. I asked Lucas to be here."

I just realized I had introduced Charlotte to the man who would be her Cobra Kai Sensei during the fourth season of the show.

"I trained you to be responsible." Kreese said to me. "You should've told me."

"I just wanted tonight to be the one night I got away from literally everything we've been training for."

"You know the importance of Master Kim Sun-Yung's legacy. Of Cobra Kai. Of everything."

I nodded shamefully. "I do Sensei. But I'm sorry I just needed to get away from everything. Just for one night."

Kreese couldn't say anything.

"How'd you even find me here?"

"The VA's office is nearby I was stopping for a late visit. I planned on maybe stopping by your home before I didn't see you again until next week, I needed to talk to you."

"But my grandparents could recognize you, they-"

"This is about you Lucas," Kreese said. "Not them. I don't care about LaRusso at this point. You have no reason to miss class with the tournament so near."

"I'm sorry Sensei."

He walked off shaking his head without a word and Charlotte checked her phone. "My mom," she said slowly. "Is picking me up. Right now."

"Thanks Charlotte. I'll see you at school next week."

She smiled and hugged me a bit, pecking me on the cheek.

"Bye."

"Bye." I repeated.

…

At the nearby mini golf course on one of their first dates, Eli watched as Sam had snapped a picture on her phone of Kreese talking to Lucas.

"Who's that?" wondered Eli.

"I have no idea." Sam said. "But I heard Lucas call him Sensei. Whatever that is, that's not good."

…

I needed to come clean that night. I had had enough of the sneaking around and lying.

I owed to Daniel. To Mr. Miyagi's memory.

I had regular kata practice with Daniel at seven thirty, I rode my bicycle towards his house to fess up.

I opened the wooden door right next to Daniel's home dojo. It was supposed to be locked but he always left it unlocked.

I entered the home dojo and saw Daniel staring at Mr. Miyagi's picture with his back turned to the dojo door.

"Mr. LaRusso. God, what a crazy day. I was asked out on a date earlier this week. It actually went pretty well until. I have to. I have tell you something."

Daniel stayed quiet for a moment.

Before he spoke over his shoulder.

"I think it's a little late for that."

I froze.

He knew.

"I-I-I I meant for you to find out soon."

"How soon?" Daniel turned around and looked completely calm. "Hm? How soon before you told me you sided with the man dedicated more than anyone to the shaming and destruction of my best friend and mentor?"

"He's not that bad anymore. In the same way your karate works, his does too. He's not, that, bad."

"You don't. Know him. And frankly, I don't know you either." said Daniel. "Lying to me."

He started to look very upset.

"Lying to me!" he repeated. "To my family. It would've been one thing if you had been with Johnny this whole time. I was suspecting that for a while. And I would've been mad, but not as mad as this!"

"Mr. LaRusso I swear-"

"Swear what? That Sam was right about you this entire time? I listened to you, instead of my own daughter. I can't believe this. I can't believe you could ever do something this strange. And still. Why?"

"I'll tell you why." I heard Kreese say.

We both turned around and Kreese stepped into the home dojo.

He had walked in through the very close by open side door to the LaRusso's backyard.

John Kreese and Daniel LaRusso looked right at each other, completely ignoring me.

"How many years has it been?" Kreese said quietly.

"Far too few." Daniel admitted. "Do you?" Daniel squinted at me and then Kreese. "Do you know anything about this? What am I saying, of course you do."

"It doesn't matter if I do or don't, you're still going to blame me instead of the kid."

"Then the hell is going on!?" asked Daniel.

Kreese spoke quietly. "I asked myself the same question for some time. Why in the world would a fourteen year old kid appear out of the blue asking to learn karate? Maybe he had selfish reasons. But. Maybe, he didn't care all along. What my karate meant to me. By that point I assumed he had no limits. Just the same lack of limits he could have with anyone else's."

"It's not like that." I said. "It's not like that at all."

"Quiet. The adults are talking." Kreese muttered, looking over slowly to Daniel. "You really want to know what's going on?"

"Why would I ever trust you? And you're standing on my property right now I can call the police."

"This will only take a second. And, you don't have to trust me. To know a pretty blatant truth. We both got played. We got played." Kreese gave a very painful smile for a second as he walked forward. "By a barely fifteen year old highschool freshman."

"Played for what?"

"For what Johnny should've had. It took me a while but it hit me the moment I talked to him tonight. Schwarber wants the All Valley golden trophy. More specifically. He wants three."

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked, blown away that he figured out my plan.

Kreese sighed. "No one's ever cross trained in karate styles, because as I'm sure you've figured out, karate Senseis are rather traditional and always have some sort of rivalry and are very peculiar about how they teach their styles of karate. Especially not ones that have as many championship titles under their belts as Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai. You do that. And you can more than make history. You can become a living legend, except with the added benefit of never needing either LaRusso or myself after your second title or so."

Kreese was a lot more intelligent than I gave him credit for.

Kreese chuckled quietly as both Daniel and I stayed quiet. "I'll admit it. It's bold. Incredibly ambitious for someone as young as you. But if you can't respect me enough to look me in the eye and tell me you never appreciated what I taught you. There's no point in talking about it."

"It's not like that at all a few months in, I respected you both more than anyone else in my whole life. Both of you." I pointed to Kreese. "He is not a monster." and I looked towards Daniel. "And you are not a weakling. You both don't understand this because you don't care how much the past thirty years have changed both of you! For the better!"

Daniel put his hands on his hips. "Which is why you decided to show us this. By betraying us? Lying to us for about a year. And then planning to have used us for maybe three years?"

"It wasn't supposed to be like this I promise."

"The thing is. How else was this supposed to happen?" asked Kreese. "Let's suppose by some miracle you prove LaRusso and I have fought over nothing and are holding onto nothing this entire time. What then? What was your plan after one of us realized what you did? At some point one of us would see you were part of the other's karate. More importantly, that you were its only student for an entire year."

I sighed. "I understand."

"Good luck at the tournament. You'll need it." Kreese said quietly before he left the dojo.

Daniel took a deep breath about a minute after he left. He was mostly speechless.

"Maybe he lied to you about what he was. But I never lied to you about what Mr. Miyagi was. Even if Kreese had changed, and even if you were trying to help him. You couldn't repay me with the same honesty."

I couldn't say anything.

"This. Was what you were guilty about all this time huh?" Daniel said with calm fury. "The All Valley board will know I trained you should I try to ban you from entering the tournament. You're smart enough to stop me I know you are. I'm furious Lucas. But not at you. I'm just disappointed you could never be honest with me from the start."

"I could've told you I wanted Miyagi-Do Karate to help me become a champion. But not to the extent of success I needed to have."

"And for that you had to lie to me? For no reason but ambition and a hunger for glory. It's hard to believe you're Ali's son of all people."

"Mr. LaRusso-"

"Get out." Daniel said quietly. "Get out. And never come near me, or my family ever again. At least if you had sided with only him." he pointed toward the door Kreese had walked out of. "You could've at least had the honesty of telling me you never pretended you cared about Mr. Miyagi, or what he taught."

I nodded.

I picked up my bicycle, and went home.

…

I sat in Johnny's apartment the next day and had told him everything. Everything, from top to bottom and left to right.

He was shocked.

"Hold on, Kreese. Is alive?"

"Yeah."

Johnny was silent for a bit. "I don't, I don't know what to say."

"He's changed Johnny. He wanted to help me. He wants! To help me. Until I stabbed him in the back."

"In my experience kid, people like that can't change," Johnny sighed deeply and loudly. "Sure. But I would never have dropped you on the spot like that. You're barely fifteen. You're a good person Lucas."

"Then why did I do that?"

"Because you make really dumb mistakes when you're young. Just like I did."

"You never hatched a conspiracy to lie to two people for an entire year to make martial arts history. How could I have done that to them?"

Johnny put a hand on my shoulder. "You still have a chance to make things right though. You gotta remember that, always."

It was then where I realized Johnny Lawrence's mentality was the same I remembered something he might've said.

"We all get shit wrong sometimes. But if you own up to your mistakes, you always have a shot of making things right."

I stopped myself from saying Eagle-Fang Karate. "I'm not joining Steel Eagle."

"I'm not saying you have to. I'll be right back."

He walked out from his bedroom holding an old black headband.

"Your mom gave me this when I was about your age. It's only right you wear it when you compete against Robby and everyone else at the All Valley the weekend after the next. You made a really, really cruel, and selfish mistake. But what they don't realize is you actually respected what they did for you pretty soon didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then it's on them then." Johnny said.

He was right. I had changed from the person I was when I first stepped off that plane from Denver.

I wrapped the new headband around my head. "Thank you Johnny."

"Hey. There was no such thing as a bad student, ever. You just had teachers you happened to lie to. Your fourteen, you didn't know the kind of people they were before you trained with them. Even if you're still fighting unaffiliated with any dojo in the Valley. I'll be rooting for you. Until, you might face Robby."

I smiled. "Thanks."

I shook his hand and prepared mentally for the competition.

For the 49th All Valley Karate Championships.

...

...

...

A/N: The next chapter will actually be the very last of this book of whole fanfiction, edit: there are more incoming already finished, I have other chapters already written as a continuation. If you've liked my work and follow it or review it, there are some great Cobra Kai fics I have to recommend. I've checked some profiles and highly recommend you all branch out beyond just Defeat Does Not Exist into other fics. For example, Dontatme420's fanfics: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13829890/Dontatme420

The MC in this story has seen the trailer for Season 5, that's why he knew that line from Johnny.

Thank you all for reading and I'll see you all soon in the next and final chapter of Book 1 of this series of my Cobra Kai fanfiction.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[FTR2017]

Lmao, Kreese figured him out and called him out in front of Daniel while at it, and Eli backstabbed Lucas by following him around with Sam and letting her take a picture.

I wonder, what will Lucas's plan be for the future after he's done and won the three tournaments? How will he improve himself, now that he's essentially persona non grata for his two first teachers?

I am surprised about the consequences happening this fast, but they were indeed coming home to roost indeed.

 

[Avercrucicus]

there are some great Cobra Kai fics I have to recommend. I've checked some profiles and highly recommend you all branch out beyond just Defeat Does Not Exist into other fics.

Click to shrink...

Gib reccomendations

 

[Elia]

I've been playing too much Street Fighter lately, it's making me imagine Lucas somehow tapping into the Kyoi no Hado or the Satsui no Hado, or both at some point in the story.

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Gib reccomendations

Click to shrink...

This man's fics: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13829890/Dontatme420

 

[RadFoxUK]

These are actually the last few chapters of the entire fanfic.

Click to shrink...

You said this was nearing the end, and frankly, that is literally the only bad thing about this fic, I'm really invested and would love to read even more, I could easily read 300k words of this, if you can't do it that's fine, I fully understand if this is complete on your end.

If you do add another arc, or even a sequel fic, please put a threadmarked notice here so myself and other fans can be notified.

Nonetheless this was amazing fun, really hoping for like a time skip or something at the end, even just something like those old movies where they play 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds and do a little montage thing with aa sentence or two telling the audience what happened to characters after the credits rolled. Examples From TV Tropes

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

You said this was nearing the end, and frankly, that is literally the only bad thing about this fic, I'm really invested and would love to read even more, I could easily read 300k words of this, if you can't do it that's fine, I fully understand if this is complete on your end.

If you do add another arc, or even a sequel fic, please put a threadmarked notice here so myself and other fans can be notified.

Nonetheless this was amazing fun, really hoping for like a time skip or something at the end, even just something like those old movies where they play 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds and do a little montage thing with aa sentence or two telling the audience what happened to characters after the credits rolled. Examples From TV Tropes

Click to shrink...

There is plenty more for this fanfic. This is only the first book in Lucas' story, thank you very much for your kind words.

 

[RadFoxUK]

There is plenty more for this fanfic. This is only the first book in Lucas' story, thank you very much for your kind words.

Click to shrink...

I cannot put into words the level of relief I feel knowing that such a good fic is planned to be continued.

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Chapter Seventeen: The Choice Is Made

…

When I woke up, I started getting dressed and ready.

Today was the day.

Today was the day where the entire past year worth of effort paid off or I failed at becoming a legend.

I had spent the last two weeks training with Johnny and Robby lightly just to stay prepared, and now it was the day.

Saturday May 13th, 2017. The 49th All Valley Karate Tournament.

I had bought my uniform online, a simple sleeved white GI, exactly how Robby wore in his first tournament. No logos, nothing like it.

Unlike in Daniel's first tournament, I didn't have to steal a black belt, it actually came with the uniform. Huh. Really made me think.

I smiled nodding to myself.

My grandparents were nowhere to be found. Fine, I didn't need them there when I took my chance at making history.

At trying to become a legend.

…

OST: Photograph - Def Leppard

…

The preparations for the All Valley tournament were a very momentous occasion for the staff.

There had been talk of changing the color of the mats due to dwindling attendance, so it was possibly the last time they'd ever place down the classic red mats with the white fists.

They went to every part of the All Valley Sports Arena's main floor and spread out mats everywhere. They were arranged like puzzle pieces so they fit together perfectly.

There were a dozen in a large square around the main one used for semi finals and final matches.

After they were done putting them down, staff members of the tournament had to brush them down and make sure they were clean.

The large canvas covering the tournament brackets were thrown off revealing the blank boxes that would hold the names of the quarter finalists, semi finalists, and finalists of the tournament.

Snack stations were set up. Churros, hot dogs, nachos, pizza, and all sorts of food were prepared.

Karate merch including hand wraps, punching mitts and dummies were sold at a specially marked area of the arena lobby.

Locker room areas for each dojo were prepared.

White signs holding names for 'Topanga Karate' or 'Krunch Karate' were spread out through each part of the locker rooms.

The smallest area of the entire locker rooms had a sign labeled 'Unaffiliated' outside it.

Tickets and metal boxes to hold cash were placed on plastic white tables.

Black and red shirts commemorating the forty ninth All Valley Under 18 Karate tournament were placed on merchandise tables.

Check in and registration sheets were placed on separate tables. Posters rolled down from the ceiling, one of them including a picture of Daniel in his crane kick stance as Johnny Lawrence was on another during the same tournament.

Each official put on red 'Referee' shirts and wore black karate trousers, competitors tied their black belts on, and the tournament was now ready.

And the doors to the tournament were opened.

The All Valley tournament committee was surprised to see the crowd wasn't tiny this year. With talk of the mats changing and a few new dojos joining, attendance was significantly higher.

Above all, because word had spread that tournament legends Johnny Lawrence was competing and Daniel LaRusso and his family were attending, attendance of the tournament was much higher.

Karatekas various dojos all stretched and warmed up with their Senseis. They stretched on the mats, they hit punching mitts, and they jumped and stretched their legs with high kicks.

They stretched their legs, arms, necks, and shoulders.

Officials cleaned the lines and lines of trophies and made them all look all as shiny as possible, especially the largest All Valley Champion trophy.

A single person stood in front of the entire arena next to the very long lines of people waiting to spectate the tournament.

He wasn't in his simple white uniform yet, he was still wearing regular clothing.

He was holding a sports duffel bag over his shoulder and looking up at the arena.

Lucas Schwarber balled his fists ready to compete on his own.

…

I walked up to the registration table and sighed when I recognized who it was.

It was the same girl from last year who didn't want to let Kreese get a veteran discount. She was wearing a black 'Official' shirt instead of a few of the red referee ones I saw.

"Hi." I said quietly.

"Hi." she appeared to not remember me or was too polite to say anything. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah I'm here to um. Compete?"

"Do you have a signed waiver from your Sensei?"

"I don't have a Sensei this year. I'm competing unaffiliated with any, is that okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "That's fine. We just have to make sure a staff member swings by your locker room and gives you the rules." She then handed me a clipboard with two different pieces of paper attached.

"The first form is a safety form you have to fill out. The second is a rules and regulations form you have to sign too."

I filled out both forms in about five minutes.

When she was finished talking with two other people, another All Valley tournament staff member and a competitor who looked like he had a question, I walked over to her and handed the clipboard with the finished papers.

She quickly stacked them into a box filled with other papers and spoke. "You're free to go get ready in the locker room. All dojos have a designated area so you basically get your own this year. A staff member will go over the tournament rules with you and then you'll be called onto the mat when the tournament's ready to begin."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." she said politely with a slight smile and a nod.

Before I walked towards the locker rooms I saw Aisha, Demetri, and Charlotte talking in the lobby with Aisha's parents nearby.

"Hey guys you came!" I said in surprise.

"Of course, we came. Both you and Robby are competing," said Demetri. "You'd support us too if you were in our shoes."

Aisha sighed. "I was just hoping this tournament would be a great way to get away from all the drama for once."

I watched her look over towards Sam talking to Eli nearby who were clearly thinking Aisha, Demetri, and Charlotte had wronged either them or at least Sam for coming to the tournament for supporting me.

"Did I miss something or are they dating now?" I asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "I think you got more important things to worry about. Like you know. An entire tournament to compete in."

"Right. I gotta get going to the locker rooms. Next time you see me I'll be out on the mats."

"Good luck." Charlotte smiled and said before I left and Aisha and Demetri waved.

…

I got done being dressed as the only person in the unaffiliated area of the locker rooms.

Across the hall, I saw Robby and Johnny both wearing uniforms very similar to the Eagle-Fang GIs I remember from the fourth season of Cobra Kai's tournament. They were a light red with black outlines and the same went for their belts.

On their backs, I saw the same logo Johnny had talked about wanting. A huge steel and shiny eagle had its wings outstretched on an American flag as a field.

Before I could say anything to them a referee with a goatee walked into my part of the locker rooms.

"Lucas Schwarber?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Okay. First tournament right?"

"Yup."

He cleared his throat. "Rules are pretty simple. No elbow strikes, no knee strikes either. You can't strike your opponents when outside of combat. Any hit that lands clean above the belt to the torso or head area, except to the back of the head and is decisively first and struck properly will be a point. Three points win the match. You may use both hand and foot strikes to score only, and the only punches to the body that are allowed to score are your rear hand only."

I already knew all this but still listened.

"You have to watch the level of contact out there. These are in fact matches but you're all still underage so you're not allowed too much contact and will be warned or possibly disqualified if needed. Any illegal strikes or techniques, such as wrist or arm locks, or any strikes to the groin, knees, or ankles are not permitted at all. Above all, obey any and all instructions from all referees or any officials."

"You are also not allowed to grab your opponent or their uniform for longer than about one to two seconds. And you're certainly not allowed to grab them and pin them down to start hitting them. Basic things I know, but you do have to be careful out there." He nodded. "Alright, are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Good luck out there son." he offered a hand to shake which I did.

I walked over across the hall of the locker room to Johnny and Robby. "Passing on the torch huh?"

Johnny smiled, nodding to the headband he gave me that I wore around my forehead. "Robby's not the only one getting it passed to."

"Yeah, I know." I looked at Robby. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah yeah. Um. Apparently, the first few rounds are always the easiest," he said. "So. No worries."

"Easiest. But I didn't say easy," said Johnny.

"Aisha and all the others are in the stands with her parents. Demetri, Charlotte's there too."

Robby cleared his throat. "Is um. Sam there?"

Johnny gave him a quick look after hearing this.

"So's Eli," I said which changed the look on his face the moment he heard it. "With Sam's entire family."

A voice was heard over the intercom. "All dojos report to staging for introduction. All dojos, report to staging for introduction."

I began to feel a little nervous. "Wow already?"

"I know. We're out last cause we're the smallest dojos. Or, in your case. You know what I meant." said Johnny.

…

Daryl walked out onto the red mat. "So folks. It's that time of year once more!"

He smiled and spoke into his mic. "It's the forty ninth All Valley Under 18 Karate Championships!"

The crowd cheered.

"From Granada Hills. The defending champions! All Star Karate!"

He began to introduce the dojos one by one and they began to exit the locker rooms.

Daniel muttered to Amanda as he ignored what Daryl was saying. "Johnny and Kreese returning to official competition. What a joke!" he scoffed.

"Honey you're the reason we're here and it looks like you're hating this already. Is there a problem?" wondered Amanda.

"No. There's not." Daniel said quietly.

Eli looked at Daniel. "Um Mr. LaRusso. I thought Lucas was competing unaffiliated. I really doubt that guy we saw at Golf 'N Stuff is his teacher anymore. They looked pretty mad at each other."

"You don't know Kreese like I do. He'll be in his corner whether he wants him there or not."

"And! Every year like always, new dojos appear to try to make their mark on this momentous yearly competition! Fighting out of Reseda. Steel Eagle Karate! Led by two time All Valley Champion, Sensei Johnny Lawrence, coaching his son Robby Keene!"

Sam and Eli applauded for him as they walked out but Daniel was still upset.

"A bully pretending to be a champion. Wow." Daniel scowled.

"And lastly. Competing unaffiliated this year out of Encino Hills. Mister Lucas Schwarber!"

Jogging lightly out of the locker rooms, the crowd cheered slightly for him as he joined his spot next to Robby and Johnny right in front of the tournament brackets. Demetri, Aisha, and Charlotte were the only people really cheering for him at all besides a few other polite and kind spectators.

"Wait a minute what's he wearing?" Daniel asked quietly. "That thing on his head."

"Looks like it's just a headband dad," said Sam.

Daniel quickly noticed how Johnny wasn't wearing one. "No. It's not. Noo. Iiit's not."

"And those are all our competitors fighting this year! And now! It's karate tiiime! Let's gooo!"

The crowd cheered again and the tournament's first matches began.

…

Lucas was bouncing in place as Robby and Johnny and a few other Xtreme Martial Artists stood nearby on his side of the mat.

"You got this." said Johnny as Robby nodded.

Lucas was staring down his opponent from the Locust Valley Karate club.

"Okay gentlemen. Three points win, listen to my instructions at all times." the referee walked out and spoke.

They both bowed onto the mat walking towards their lines.

"Face me. Bow. Face off. Bow. En garde!"

Lucas got into a very stable but relaxed fighting stance. He wasn't stiff, but he wasn't loose enough to be knocked over in an instant.

"Ready?"

Lucas didn't so much as twitch as his opponent bounced.

"Fight!"

The moment they began to circle each other, Lucas stayed perfectly calm, not moving at all.

Johnny was confused, until the second the Locust Valley fighter began to attack he got countered instantly.

It had happened so fast Johnny was surprised.

His opponent had thrown two straight punches to the jaw and before he could throw a round kick he had been sent reeling back slightly with a perfectly controlled reverse punch directly to the face.

"Aiya!" roared Lucas.

After his kiai, the crowd cheered.

"Did you see how fast he did that?" chuckled Robby in surprise.

Johnny muttered. "Guess Miyagi-Do still knows its counters."

White flags had already risen from each of the corner judges as Lucas walked back to his line.

"One point Schwarber! Ready!"

Lucas stayed calm.

"Ait!"

Lucas countered his opponent's next attack so fast Johnny was still rather surprised. He moved forward just slightly without attacking to invite the Locust Valley fighter's attack when in range, moved just out of range to make it miss, and the second before his opponent could reset his guard after overextending Lucas had hit him squarely in the chest with a front kick.

"Wow." Johnny muttered silently as the crowd in the stands nearby cheered.

The speed and decisiveness Lucas possessed was seriously impressing him. He could measure distance and take advantage of it very quickly, it was an adaptation of Miyagi-Do Daniel couldn't believe he could see.

He wasn't even using any Cobra Kai at all, he was just being very creative with how he applied Miyagi-Do.

"He's fighting aggressively. This is Kreese messing with his head and bastardizing Mr. Miyagi's teachings." growled Daniel.

Amanda again gave him a look. "Would you mind how you use your language around our children?"

"I'm sorry honey I just can't stand to-"

Lucas had sprung off the ground into a front snap kick directly to the head. It barely missed, and as his opponent tried to counter Lucas had already round kicked him in the head.

…

OST: Thunder in Your Heart - John Farnham

…

"Point three! Schwarber! Winner!"

"That's what I'm talking about! Yeah!" cheered Robby as Lucas had his hand raised by the ref and he bowed to his opponent and stepped off the mat.

Both Robby and Johnny patted Lucas on the shoulder and congratulated him.

In the proceeding rounds, it became increasingly clear to Lucas which fighters would likely be the semi finalists and which wouldn't.

Phineas Morrison from All Star Karate was making his best attempt to reach the quarters as quickly as he could and retain his title. Xander Stone had improved so much he was a completely different fighter, and Robby too was breaking ground in his first tournament.

As Morrison made easy work of Cutting Edge Karate fighters and Xtreme Martial Artists three to nothing each time, Lucas, Robby, and Johnny watched.

Against an Xtreme Martial Arts student Morrison blocked a round kick and a punch to the body, moving around the ring.

As he dodged a punch to the head Morrison tripped his opponent and sent a controlled kick to his temple.

Red flags rose, unimpressed, Lucas shook his head and muttered to Johnny as Robby nodded in agreement that he could be trouble but not impossible to deal with.

Daniel watched as Robby was fighting so similar to Bobby Brown it was eerie.

The style and finesse he used moving around the ring was just like him. The way he bounced and moved around the ring, his spinning back kicks, the crab scissor throw onto the mat followed by a chop.

Scowling and shaking his head, Daniel watched as his old highschool bully was helping his son win another easy match.

Facing a Yoshukai Karate student Robby jabbed, blocked and dodged two counters and landed a round kick to the body as his opponent started to attack again.

"That's the third point! Winner Keene!" the ref said raising a hand towards Robby.

The crowd cheered and Lucas and Robby hit their forearms together holding tight fists and laughed.

Topanga Karate's new top fighter was using very flashy but still very effective kicks against opponents from nearly every dojo.

Xander Stone continued to wow the crowd. He had completely evolved from the prior year and Lucas paid very close attention to every match he had, studying his technique and fighting style carefully.

As Lucas walked onto the mat to face his next opponent, he saw Xander doing a stack fist bump with one of his Topanga Karate friends before he got onto the mat.

The Topanga fighter smiled at Lucas, and the fellow teen did not appreciate this but didn't show it.

"Bow to me. Bow to each other. Readyyy! Fight!"

Lucas still refused to use any Cobra Kai karate, he still merely used very peculiar applications of Miyagi-Do, and he picked apart his Topanga opponent in seconds.

His speed and precision with his strikes was on a completely different level than what anyone watching would've expected from a fourteen year old during his very first tournament.

Each of his counters were perfectly timed and scored. A chop to the shoulder, a round kick to the head while changing angles, and a punch to the chest.

There was no aggression to his technique, he was just being very unique in how he fought.

"Stop! Point!" Lucas' hand was raised by the referee. "Winner!"

Nearby officials were counting on the stopwatches just how fast Lucas was beating his opponents. He got the strange feeling he was setting some sort of record for how many three to nothing matches he was having from how quickly he could defeat his opponents in the first few rounds of the tournament.

Lucas smiled, smirking Daniel and Sam's way before Johnny and Robby again patted his shoulder walking off the mat.

Robby was driving his Krunch Karate opponent around the ring easily. When he was cornered, he threw a wild jab and a hook kick as Robby dodged both and then back kicked him so hard he went out of the ring.

"Alriiiight!" proudly roared Lucas. "Let's goooo!"

Xander was blocking kicks from one of Locust Valley Karate's top fighters. Moving around the ring, Xander quickly stopped moving the moment he expected to invited a jab, which he dodged and countered simultaneously by spinning into a back kick.

Red flags rose for him, and he bowed as the bald referee waved a hand in his direction. "Winner, Stone!"

Now entering the quarter finals, Lucas had his next match against Reid, a Yoshukai student familiar to him.

Flipping around the mat with very random and erratic acrobatic kicks, Lucas had a bit of trouble landing on Reid.

However, the moment Lucas found his rhythm and read his opponent's attacks it was over.

Lucas timed a leg sweep as his opponent landed and started to throw a front kick. As Reid landed almost face first on the mat, Lucas scored a chop. A knife hand quickly hit Reid in his now exposed ribs and red flags rose up.

As Lucas looked around the crowd that seemed to grow larger and larger by the hour and cheer more and more for him the more he won completely, he could've sworn he saw Kreese in the stands for a moment.

However, when he looked again, he wasn't there.

The referee had to remind Lucas to step off the mat as his match was over and he had won.

Lucas' name was the first to be put on the brackets for the semi finals as SCHWARBER was placed on the board with an empty logo next to his name as he was fighting unaffiliated.

Robby now had to face Garcia from Locust Valley Karate, the prior year's runner up champion. Despite almost getting scored on a few times, Robby found his footing and scored a round kick to the jaw while stepping back and expecting his opponent to throw a reverse punch over the top towards his head.

Garcia stumbled for a second, was checked on and cleared by a ref and Robby was awarded a point. "Winner!"

Lucas applauded quickly and cheered. "That's just another one Keene!"

KEENE was placed in the adjacent empty bracket above SCHWARBER and the two would not face each other in the semi final round.

Morrison was throwing fast round kicks and leg trips towards his opponent from Yoshukai Karate, nothing landed.

Lucas watched quietly as Morrison countered a punch to the face with a back kick that landed on his opponent's elbow and staggered him back.

Morrison then caught his opponent as he jabbed with a front kick and quickly made it to the semi finals.

…

"Alriiiight!" said Daryl. "We've seen some great matches today. But there are still three left."

Daryl, two corner judges, the main referee standing behind him, and Johnny, the Senseis of All Star and Topanga Karate, Robby, Xander, Lucas, and Morrison were all standing on the main mat.

"Who. Will be, our forty ninth Under 18 All Valley Karate champion!? Will it be, Robby Keene fighting for Steel Eagle Karate? Hoping to recapture his father's title from over thirty years prior?"

"Will it be, Topanga Karate's PC Patriot!? The one, the only, Xander Stone!? Making his third attempt at the All Valley golden trophy?"

"Or will it be Lucas Schwarber? The invisible and invincible fighter!?"

More people than Lucas ever expected to were cheering for him. The crowd had swelled greatly in number, he strongly suspected that had heard of his record pace and skill in the tournament so far.

"Or Phineas Morrison, looking to reclaim his title as last year's winner?"

The crowd cheered and Daryl chuckled.

"Good matches right?' the crowd roared louder before Daryl went on. "So first up! Morrison versus Schwarber! Let's go!"

Lucas was facing someone with several times more tournament experience with him, an All Valley Championship title, and a two year age advantage and significantly more reach. Even still, he wasn't worried at all when he bumped fists with both Robby and Johnny and walked over to his line.

To him, fear did not exist.

…

Cobra Kai OST: Stone vs. Diaz

…

Lucas and Morrison were trading very fast and powerful kicks.

"Ais! Ais, aiiis!" kiai'd Lucas as he struck.

Morrison dodged, Lucas switched angles, starting to jab.

Lucas missed his shots and barely dodged two spinning kicks to the head and body.

Lucas dodged another pair of round kicks but managed to counter in time. Using Miyagi-Do, Lucas used the spinning hands kata and froze Morrison in place to grapple him at close range.

Lucas quickly pinned Morrison to the mat and chopped him on the chest.

"Yeah!" roared Johnny and Robby cheered and applauded in approval.

"That is. So amazing." sighed out Charlotte from the stands.

"How. Does this work?" Demetri muttered.

Lucas got back on his line. "Score's one to nothing! Ready! Aits!"

Morrison went on offense and Lucas slipped away quickly.

Lucas closed the distance between him and Morrison with a back kick that missed, at close range, Lucas threw a back fist and a pair of punches. Morrison blocked all, and on the last strike he managed to block Lucas' punch with a crescent kick, and almost connected on Lucas' chin with a hook kick.

Lucas dodged just in time and started to circle Morrison, again preparing to use Miyagi-Do.

He invited an attack by feinting a jab and moving into range of Morrison's strikes.

His own counter meant to counter Morrison's missing counters missed, and they traded punches and kicks at close range and nothing landed from either of them.

Still in a stable yet relaxed stance, Lucas' Miyagi-Do was stopping everything Morrison threw at him.

On the last exchange, before they moved away and started to circle each other again, Lucas scored decisively with very unique application of Miyagi-Do karate.

He dodged before catching his opponent's fist and slipped Morrison's leg out from under him.

As Morrison fell, Lucas did not give him the chance to slip away in time as he struck. Lucas scored directly on the chest with a quick punch.

"Aiii!" Lucas roared as he scored.

The crowd was off their feet.

Morrison and Lucas moved back onto their lines.

"Score's two nothing, Schwarber! Ready!"

Lucas took a deep breath, tightened Johnny's headband around his forehead, and his hands balled into fists.

"And fight!"

Lucas and Morrison started circling each other right off the line. Having been trained in Miyagi-Do for over a year, Lucas was best at circling and countering from long range he could do it all match.

But instead, he just went for the point in a blitz attack.

He threw a jab to raise Morrison's guard, threw a round kick that missed as Morrison countered and missed his own shot too.

Then Lucas spun around and landed a back fist that scored as Morrison's punch was too late.

White flags rose and the crowd cheered.

"Three points Schwarber! Winner!"

Lucas bowed to Morrison as he rubbed his nose and he bowed back.

"Lucas Schwarber just earned his spot in the finals! Now, it's Keene! Versus Stone!"

…

Robby and Xander were tied up one to one in a very tight match.

"Come on Robby get 'im!" said Johnny.

"Get him dude so we can face off in the finals! Just you and me, let's go!"

Robby landed a leg sweep on Xander, and he had the reflexes to dodge the follow up attack and start to strike back against Robby.

Xander used multiple crescent kicks and more acrobatics to push Robby back and then Johnny spoke. "You don't have anything to worry about just go for it!"

Robby threw a reverse punch to the body leading into a round kick that split Xander's guard and still scored on his head despite him blocking.

"That's it!" said Johnny. "You gotta stay on offense!"

"Two one! Keene! Ready! Fight!"

Xander got the better footing right off the line and started trading shots with Robby.

As Robby missed two snap front kicks and threw a jab punch they grappled at close range.

Xander managed to successfully use a hip throw on Robby and he was spun onto the mat.

As Robby caught Xander's foot on the ground he pushed him away, bouncing where he stood after he got up quickly.

Xander circled Robby for a bit and they started to trade kicks again.

Robby threw a round kick, Xander blocked it and returned his own right to the body, Robby blocked and threw one back and Xander did the same.

Now Xander stayed as far from Robby as he could. With a spinning leg sweep, Robby missed as Xander timed a back kick spinning into a head kick to stagger Robby first and then score before he had the chance to recover.

Lucas groaned and punched his palm as Johnny winced.

"That's two to two, the next point wins! Readyyy! And fight!"

Johnny watched as his son gave a top class fighter a real run for his money. They went back and forth, both of them taking their time before fighting very aggressively.

And then Xander scored a round kick to the body as Robby missed a reverse punch to the body and then head.

"Point!"

"Ach." growled Johnny quietly as Lucas shook his head.

"Point! Winner!" the referee said raising Xander's hand.

"Good fight." Xander said respectfully.

Robby nodded, shaking Xander's hand and bowing to each other.

"We have our finalists! We'll be right back, after this quick break," said Daryl.

…

In the locker rooms, Johnny knelt in front of Robby as he sat on a bench. "Hey. You did good kid. You made it to the semis and nearly won. In your first tournament. He's been on that mat competing for way longer than you."

"I know." Robby said. "Thank you."

"I agree. He did do well."

Johnny turned around, seeing John Kreese.

They were both silent.

"Give us a second Robby."

"But dad who's that-"

"Please."

Robby left them alone.

Johnny cleared his throat. "I have to coach Schwarber on his final match I-"

"This'll only take a second. I know we have a lot to talk about." Kreese said.

"I don't want to talk to you." Johnny said.

Kreese sighed. "I know. And I know why. I understand what defeat means now. And what you meant to me."

"Bullshit. If I meant so much to you, you never would've tried to kill me."

"I realize now what that cost me with you. But Cobra Kai was the only family I had-"

"Then why weren't you coaching Schwarber today? He's a good kid.-"

"Who's wearing your headband." Daniel said, entering the locker room. "I remember that thing. You wore it almost every day of senior year."

Kreese and Johnny turned to look at Daniel.

Daniel sighed. "Hey Johnny."

He nodded slightly. "LaRusso. Been a while."

"Yup." Daniel shifted where he stood. "This has all gotten a little out of hand don't you think? These kids getting mixed up in nonsense we all failed to settle thirty years ago?"

"No," Kreese said. "They're making a legacy for themselves. We're just there to guide them."

"Is that why both of you turned your backs on Luke huh?" asked Johnny spitefully. "Now that he's on the verge of breaking almost every All Valley record in the book. You both show up for him? You should be disgusted with yourselves."

"No. This is about him. Not us." Kreese muttered. "Which is why I stepped away when LaRusso got involved. No need to needlessly toss his head around before this tournament."

"Is that why you tried to choke me out and kill me? Huh?" asked Johnny. "Real compassionate and necessary."

Kreese's lips tightened. "That's ancient history, Johnny. Not who I am anymore."

"Maybe. But it's not my problem."

Johnny quickly left the locker room before Daniel did so as well.

Leaving Kreese to his own thoughts.

Kreese looked over at a familiar duffel bag that he knew was Lucas' as it contained sparring gear they trained with.

Kreese walked to the open side pocket of the duffel bag and saw a familiar picture. Lucas had taken a picture of Kim Sun-Yung from his bedroom at the homeless shelter and printed it out into a polaroid.

For the first time in months, Kreese smiled widely and happily as he picked up the picture.

Then he frowned when the woman on the intercom spoke. "Both competitors have five more minutes before the final match. Five minutes until the finals."

Kreese put the picture back in Lucas' duffel bag.

…

Johnny was speaking to Lucas. "Hey kid. Um. I wanted to wish you good luck out there."

"Thanks."

"After all the final matches Ali was cheering on during. I never would've imagined her son would one day be getting ready for his own."

"I could imagine." Lucas said.

"Look uh. This match is probably yours. But you need to know that there's more to life than winning and trophies."

Lucas was very surprised. "Really?"

"These dumb rivalries started over trophies and sometimes girls. They don't end well. For anyone. I figured that out the hard way, so I didn't want to pass that on to Robby. So whatever happens out there. Make this yours. This other kid you're about to face. He never stole your girlfriend or dumped water on your head at a Halloween dance."

Lucas smiled.

"He's just another fighter. Another guy in a GI. Win or lose. It's literally just a tournament. And you've done incredibly well."

Lucas knew it was time to go. "I'm a bit nervous but. You're right. Considering how well I've done up until now. Yeah."

"See you out there." Johnny left him alone with a nod.

…

I realized who my biggest opponent out there was.

This world, or rather this world without me in it.

Xander Stone was supposed to win this tournament. He was the champion Miguel faced a year from today in the first season of the Cobra Kai show.

Robby and I were not supposed to be out there competing today. Kreese was not supposed to have interacted with Daniel or Johnny this early on. And I was not supposed to be in the finals.

So whatever was about to happen. Was going to change the events of this world so much it would be completely different to what I was used to.

My knowledge of everything, could only get me so far.

But I knew I would win this match and all the records that came with it so long as I went all out in the first thirty seconds. The first thirty seconds, and I didn't let Stone score one point on me.

And I would become the most famous karate fighter who ever lived in the history of the Valley.

…

Daryl spoke. "This! Is it folks. The final match, of the entire tournament."

The crowd cheered.

"We have quite the battle here folks! Lucas Schwarber, fighting unaffiliated, at only fourteen! Is the first person to do so reaching the finals since 1993. And! The first person to reach the finals without being scored on a single time, since 1987. Not to mention!"

Daryl said. "He completed all of his matches so far except for one in under an average thirty nine seconds! An All Valley all time record! Should he complete this match without conceding a single point, and win in at least under a minute! He will have broken almost every record in All Valley history there is to beat but one."

"Which is, the all time record for All Valley championship titles. At two! So gentlemen, let's go!"

Xander and Lucas bowed as they stepped onto the mat and approached each other by walking towards their lines.

White faced off against blue as a hundreds cheered.

The referee fixed his red shirt and walked towards both of them as they stared off. "This might be the final match. But you must still obey all the rules and my orders. Watch the control gentlemen, and do not strike outside of the clash."

"Face me! Bow. Face each other! Bow. En garde!"

Xander and Lucas got into their stances.

For the first time in the entire tournament, Lucas started to bounce in his stance.

He bounced forward and backward, not up and down.

"Fight!"

Lucas fought aggressively for the first time since he stepped onto the mat and had his first match.

He didn't fight with Miyagi-Do or Cobra Kai, he fought with an explosive combination of both.

He drove Xander backward, almost connecting on his chin with the first kick, a front kick to the jaw.

Xander dodged, starting to counter with leg sweeps and spinning roundhouses, but suddenly, Lucas used the catch and sweep technique combined with spinning hands kata.

He tied up Xander while he threw a side kick and threw him to the mat, instantly scoring a point with his fist on Xander's chest.

Xander was slightly used to Cobra Kai having beaten Robby a few minutes earlier but combined so creatively with Miyagi-Do and Lucas' own style, Xander had no reference for the kind of karate he was facing.

"Point Schwarber!" the referee announced.

Red flags were in the air for each corner judge and Demetri and Charlotte cheered.

"That's it! That's right!" cheered Robby as Johnny nodded and applauded.

"Lucas Schwarber with the first point!" announced Daryl.

"One zero, Schwarber! Back on your lines!"

Lucas was back on his line as Xander rubbed his chest and walked back over to his spot.

"Ready! And fight!"

Lucas moved away blocking easily as Xander tried to get an easy point with a jab punch the moment combat resumed.

Xander telegraphed a front kick and Lucas easily blocked. On the next attack, Lucas struck first and interrupted Xander's attempt at a grab on his front arm by throwing a jab and a reverse punch towards Xander's chin first.

Xander raised his arms and blocked both, but Lucas didn't give him a second to react a split second later.

He instantly dove in and kicked Xander as quickly as he could in the stomach, but he blocked just in time.

Xander and Lucas circled each other for a bit and then Lucas had struck first and lunged perfectly into a reverse punch right on Xander's chest as his rear leg had started to rise off the ground to throw a kick. The speed, power, and technique Lucas had, hadn't changed, he had just started to fight more aggressively.

Xander staggered back for a second under the power of the blow, and red flags rose again once more.

They walked back to their lines and the referee spoke. "Schwarber two! Stone nothing! Ready? And fight!"

The referee's hand had barely moved away as Lucas had already lowered himself onto one hand and used the two legged kick to score on Xander.

Lucas had kicked Xander on the chest and face at the exact same time and he fell to the ground.

"Point! Winner!" the referee said raising a right hand quickly towards Lucas.

Daniel sighed, groaning quietly and kicking the ground in silent frustration.

"Winner!? Oh my god!" Charlotte yelled in surprise and cheered as Aisha and the crowd roared.

The crowd was off their feet in a tornado of cheers.

Lucas rubbed his nose for a second in awed silence as hundreds cheered for him as dozens of karatekas flooded the mat.

Fighters from almost every dojo except Topanga Karate had started to hoist Lucas into the air like he was Daniel LaRusso a moment after beating Johnny Lawrence.

"Let's gooo!" roared Robby, his arm muscles flexing beneath his red GI as he and Cutting Edge Karate fighters lifted Lucas into the air.

"Your winner! And the new! Youngest All Valley Under 18 Karate Champion in history! Lucas, the Flash Schwarber!"

The crowd cheered and cheered as the All Valley golden trophy was handed to him by Daryl.

Lucas was laughing and smiling lifting the trophy into the air.

"That's right!" Robby was bouncing up and down as Lucas was hoisted up. "That's right let's go! That's right! There we go baby! There we go!"

Johnny was speechless but still smiled. Daniel was hanging his head in shame.

And Kreese was watching from a corner of the stands far away from all the other spectators.

He smiled, shaking his head in amazement.

When Lucas was let back down onto the mat, Daryl spoke. "You have anything you want to say son?"

Gripping his new first place trophy, Lucas spoke into the mic Daryl had used all tournament.

"I know what my victory means! And it's something I need to share with all of you today. That there is no greater step to take than the next step forward! And the future is bright for karate! Let me tell you!"

The crowd cheered for this. Only Daniel and his family seemed confused or quiet at all.

Lucas smiled as he continued to speak. "All of you are wondering how I got here today. Who trained me!? What karate I used!? Well let me tell you, all these questions and more will be answered soon! Because what comes next is better than anything any of you could ever imagine!"

"Whatever it may be. Keep your eyes peeled. Cause it will be huge! And it's happening very very soon! It's time for karate to move into a new age! A better age! The classic ways! The ways of either Johnny Lawrence or Daniel LaRusso, the All Valley's greatest champions!"

Lucas smiled and raised a fist into the air. "Thank you all so much! Thank you all! Thank you!"

The crowd couldn't stop applauding and cheering.

The several Senseis were watching Johnny curiously. He had to have an instructor, Lucas' technique couldn't be self taught. And if Johnny wasn't teaching him technically. Then, who could be his teacher? They could ask him right?

Regardless, Lucas couldn't focus on that, merely basking in the glory of being the first person to win the All Valley in ages without needing a formal dojo.

...

I had lied during my short acceptance speech of the 49th All Valley Under 18 Karate Championships golden trophy.

I had no idea what I was going to do next.

I carpooled with Johnny and Robby back to my home in Encino. It was a bit surreal to be honest, holding it in the seats of Johnny's Pontiac firebird. This car didn't feel like it was going to scrapped very soon at all actually, despite what I knew Sam and her friends did to it.

It was odd too seeing Robby with a third place trophy, he was better than Xander Stone, for sure. It made me wonder if Robby just happened to have a bad day when I happened to have a very good one. It happened in tournaments all the time.

I smiled, remembering who taught me that. John Kreese.

I frowned, realizing what had happened now.

"Tell your grandparents I said hey." Johnny smiled through the window at me.

Robby was wearing a white tanktop and still in his red Steel Eagle GI pants. "We should train together sometime this summer! Tournament or not, we can kick ass together."

It was odd, again, seeing Robby Keene as a much more cheerful, Johnny Lawrence-esque, version of his original snarky, brooding, and closed off self I knew him otherwise. Even now after all that happened.

Johnny grinned at this, looking back slightly at his son in the passenger seat next to him.

...

For all the respect I wanted to gain, for all the glory I expected to win in a tournament like this:

Barely anyone cared.

My grandparents when I told them were glad to hear Johnny said hi, but ultimately just saw my achievement at the All Valley, all the records I had broken as just another soccer medal or writing trophy basically. At school, I didn't get showered in adoration during the last weeks of class.

Charlotte actually started kind of ghosting me after how awkwardly our last date had ended. I think she just wanted to be friends despite her being at the tournament to support me.

No other girls showed up with romantic potential after the All Valley.

Right now, despite the trophy in my hand, and knowing Robby and Johnny supported me all the way, it felt like I had nothing else.

Daniel LaRusso wouldn't speak to me, nor his family, even if I knew Anthony liked me. John Kreese wouldn't either, after all we'd been through.

I had made friends, Eli, Aisha, Demetri, and a few others, but ultimately I was awaiting for a groundbreaking, Instagram famous pop off that never came. Being on the cover of Black Belt magazine, having banners at the All Valley arena. All of it.

But the truth was, I understood why practically none of that happened now:

Until the events of the Second Season of the Netflix show, no one outside of the small and tightly-nit karate community knew jack about karate. Much less cared. As odd as this world was sometimes, it at least had that in common with the real world.

It was 7th of June, 2017. Technically speaking, Miguel would be moving in from Riverside to meet Johnny Lawrence any day now.

He would be disconnected from Robby, leading to conflict with his old rival Daniel LaRusso, and Miguel would follow a dark path leading to the revival of John Kreese from the grave.

But...none of that could ever happen I realized now.

Johnny and Robby were actually getting along fine. The only way I could jeopardize that would be furthering this karate conflict until potentially, there could inevitable disagreement between Robby and Johnny. As for John Kreese.

I looked at the trophy I'd gotten, the 49th All Valley golden trophy sitting at the foot of my bedroom.

I saw something of myself in John, someone lost without purpose. Mr. Miyagi, but deciding to project his emotions outward instead of holding them in. In a way, his philosophy worked, for me, combined with Miyagi-Do, I reached a level of balance, skill, and strength that outshined kids as old as 17 going on 18 with years of experience competing in the Valley, when I was 14 barely turning 15 competing in my first tournament ever.

I reviewed some of my footage collected by my friends throughout the tournament, they only caught my very first rounds and my last.

It was clear in the earlier and later parts of the tournament as Charlotte had recorded, I was applying both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, just, blending it into the same thing. I was applying the precise blocks and counters of Miyagi-Do in a very aggressive fashion, and allowing parts of the leg sweeps and round kick combinations of Cobra Kai to come out in ideal countering moments.

This...had never been done before.

But there was something more important to me now than this trophy.

The people around me.

Daniel and his family would never view mine the same again, and that was a connection my mother, Ali Mills, and Daniel had shared for decades. If I wasn't careful, that could only be the beginning.

I knew a truth others didn't, that left unchecked, Cobra Kai could change the fate of the Valley forever. Combined, Terry Silver and John Kreese offered teenagers pretty much free reign to do whatever they wanted at the cost of the suffering and pain of their enemies.

John Kreese had helped build all of my insecurities, about my over achieving family, my lack of identity and friendship and connection to anything around me when I arrived here. All of it. And he helped me develop it into my greatest strength:

My karate.

And for it, while my peers didn't really view me any differently, that wasn't the point. It was about how I viewed myself differently.

John Kreese didn't understand forgiveness, it was as foreign to him as mercy. I learned the hard way what it meant to come to him weak, my bones cracked, and my muscles damn near broke. I had learned the way of the fist from him, at least as much one can at their greatest dedication to it for a year.

And for it, I didn't feel like I was this Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy sort of guy. I didn't want to hurt anyone.

'And there's the problem.' Kreese would say.

You're supposed to want to hurt people even if that's not the point. You're supposed to view the entire world as a stable place, until the second someone wrongs you. When that happens, you're supposed to use your karate, all of your anger, to just make them regret that moment for the rest of their lives.

And for that simple fact, Daniel LaRusso suffered. For basically an entire year during the events of the Karate Kid. And what I realized now too.

The entire Valley would suffer. He left the fates of everyone in the hands of someone like Terry Silver, otherwise his best friend until he betrayed him.

The true victory I learned from his trophy was that I had made a mistake.

There was such a thing as good and evil, the simple fact was, that John Kreese was evil. He taught me to abuse my power if it brought me more respect, while the issue with Kyler blew over easily due to my at the time, friendship with Daniel and the other parents of the school. Kreese's message was supposed to apply to my entire life:

There was no such thing as mercy. By extension, good and evil didn't mean shit. You were either weak or strong, and weakness did not exist at Cobra Kai.

I remembered how intense how some of Kreese's lessons were. How hard he made me hit all those damn pallets and shit, I think there might've even been a brick at some point. Not that surprising considering what they made Daniel and Mike Barnes go through in the third film.

All of that pain, I had to lie about it. I had to deny what the purpose of it was.

John Kreese never went easy on me because I was fourteen, because he knew my mother from the past, because I came to him looking for help. Going easy on anyone, in any aspect of your life, was wrong, it was weakness.

I was stronger for it, but I had to leave a peace of myself with him: My mercy.

The roles reversed during the first scenes of Karate Kid Part Two, and Kreese wouldn't have quoted Miyagi back to himself and jokingly honked him on the nose. It was very damn likely he would've just killed him. And if not, he would've passed the same lessons on to his students you didn't forgive nor forget anything.

If I wasn't careful, the entire Valley would suffer.

I deeply regretted seeking John Kreese, if enough time passed. I could become like him.

I decided to go on my laptop and submit an application to get my internship at LaRusso auto reinstated. As much as I wanted to remove myself from this karate rivalry, before it spiraled out of control to the point a ponytailed Bond Villain held the fate of the world in his Cobra Kai hands, I wanted one more thing before I left the Valley or stopped practicing karate for good. Or at least, prevented this from getting any worse:

Daniel's forgiveness.

I wasn't going to the LaRusso house begging, he needed to come to me on fair terms. If he never realized I made a mistake and I was sorry for it, that was on him.

Personally, I wasn't going to stay in the Valley much longer waiting for the shit storm of love triangle, square, whatever drama to unfold. Miguel almost died, Robby could've gone to jail for a very long time for manslaughter if that was the case. Johnny and Daniel had even set their shit aside and that still happened. About a year later, Terry Silver might as well have said 'fuck you' to everyone who struggled before him because he swooped in and won.

He was worse than Kreese, as I realized just now, somehow.

However, I did in fact make friends here. I would enjoy seeing their highschool experience grow alongside mine.

But it all started with forgiveness. And I wasn't going to smile if Mr. LaRusso came around.

...

John Kreese didn't have two pennies to scratch together.

He had spent his days going back and forth between a homeless shelter as a spot he was narrowly losing, and living on the street itself. Then, he realized that even for a moment, something of value had returned to his life.

One evening, he walked to Encino, remembering Lucas' address for where the Mills lived and Ali's girlhood home from the 80s. There, he began to walk up the steps towards his house, and prepared to knock on the door.

He even considered ringing the doorbell.

After a moment's hesitation, he relented.

Kreese shook his head and trudged off. Having no idea what to do next, or where he'd go.

By the Greyhound pamphlets Kreese had in his hands, looking them over as he walked aimlessly through the streets of the Valley, he was considering leaving by going out east. By the look on his face, probably forever.

...

Johnny saw his old enemy, Daniel LaRusso sitting at the bar by himself at a place in the middle of Van Nuys.

He pulled up a stool with snark. "Coors Banquet for me, Shirley Temple for the lady."

"I'm good with my Fresca, thanks." Daniel grinned painfully at the middle aged bartender who then walked off.

"You had something you wanted to say to me? Could've written me a letter instead of sending my co-workers whatever the hell an email is."

Daniel snorted. "Never heard of text?"

"Not sure that part of my phone works anymore. Robby tried to get me figure out smartphones but, I couldn't."

"Let me see it."

Johnny proceeded to pull a early 2000s flip phone from his pocket and showed it to him.

"What?"

Daniel hid the look unsurprise from his face. "Nothing."

"Spit it out Danielle, the hell did you invite me for a drink for?"

He ignored the slight and spoke calmly. "Just, wanted to catch up with you." he muttered the next part while sipping from a green glass bottle. "And to know if you've heard anything from Lucas."

"I'm not a damn messenger bird, you want to see him talk to him yourself."

"I can't do that."

"And why not?"

Daniel sighed. "Because I wanted to know the truth first."

"Ask him yourself," Johnny looked around the bar. "I don't have time for this."

"You and I have never gotten along, but right now I trust your word over his."

Johnny didn't feel praised nor happy, but instead he was just curious. "Really? Why's that?"

"Because he was the one who trudged up your old Sensei, brought back Kreese from the local cementery."

"Yeah he told me."

Daniel shook his head. "Did he mention why he did any of what he did?"

"Shouldn't you know? You were his Sensei for this entire past year."

"Yeah but-" Daniel tutted. "You were the only one he seemed to trust at the All Valley Johnny."

"Because I was the only one in his corner." said Johnny. "I know you two just fought, but you couldn't have put that bullshit aside just to stick up for him?"

"He became a friend of the family, specifically under the guise of Kreese, just for the sake of gainining more fame in karate. I've seen that before, so it's very hard to forgive."

Johnny nodded his thanks to the bartender who passed him his Coors Banquet. "Wait really?'

"Doesn't matter." Daniel swallowed his drink and put the bottle back down on the bar's counter. "Point is, I need to know what you knew. Has he mentioned anything about what happened between him and Kreese?"

"All I know is he and Robby haven't talked that much since the tournament. Other than that, the most he mentioned was that he wanted to combined Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do so he could win the All Valley like no one ever did."

"That's not much more than I could gather at this point." admitted Daniel. "This begs the question, if he wanted that so badly, why didn't he train with you the whole time? Would've made some sense since there's no way he didn't realize Kreese was responsible for everything back in the day."

Johnny almost looked offended. "Are you saying I'm easier to manipulate?" he snapped his fingers together to spike the beer cap into a nearby trashcan.

"Well no, all I'm saying is that you would've been a better teacher than he was."

"Low bar to set," Johnny grinned and spoke sarcastically. "Wow I'm dying of thanks over here LaRusso, what a compliment."

"Look we have to admit our faults Johnny. But acting so oddly and dangerously at that age? Where were his parents? What was going on?"

"It doesn't matter." Johnny took a deep sip of his Coors. "Point is, he sought you as a teacher."

"And Kreese!"

"So did I."

Johnny lowered his voice, seeing the look on Daniel's face. "The fact that he's a kid who didn't know better doesn't matter. What does, is that he figured his shit out."

"How?" Daniel was incredulous.

"He spent a year managing all the history and bad blood between all three of us just to develop his own style. And then not only that, he went out and did it. He won. You can do whatever you like, it's not my place to get involved. But as a father, and a Sensei. There's no such thing as a bad student, even though he lied, that wasn't Luke."

Daniel almost seemed to smile at this. "But he knew what a bad teacher Kreese was, I told him. I'm sure Ali told him."

"I'm not saying we should applaud how manipulative it was. But he definitely wasn't the same person I met when he flew in from Denver last summer. Any other kid in his shoes would've been scared shitless, and he went out and confronted the bastard. He found the baddest man in the Valley, made him his teacher, and cut him off."

"For all I knew, they could still be in this together."

"Then you don't know the same person I do." muttered Johnny.

"But why would he do that?"

"Because he wasn't afraid!"

The bartender raised an eyebrow from nearby.

"You and I have been at each other's throats since highschool," Johnny said, quieter. "A part of me probably wishes we'd never have to see each other ever again."

"Same here." Daniel finished his fresca.

"The way I see it. This wasn't a keep your enemies closer type of deal, he wanted to know what Kreese's style was."

"And he learned it."

"He did," admitted Johnny. "But that's over now, he's smart enough to want nothing to do with Kreese or any of this shit. As long as you and I have fought, these kids are just learning. They're like fifteen. The hell is it our place to tell them what to do and what to learn, if we're not their Senseis?"

"It is our place, at least when Kreese is involved. You know firsthand how dangerous he is."

"Was."

Daniel was surprised. "Excuse me?"

"I get you and the memory of your teacher were hurt by what he did." Johnny said calmly. "But you gotta move on man, we all do. Either go and talk to him yourself and find the whole story, or don't and just move on."

"You weren't bothered by any of this?"

Johnny shrugged. "Not really. Robby's living half and half between me and Shannon. The kid's in school and doing karate, staying out of trouble. Considering where he was when we started talking again, I can lead well enough alone. And you should too before your own family gets more messed up by this old history, you have standards you have morals. Kreese has neither."

"Maybe you should worry about your own family."

Johnny finished his beer. "Yeah well, maybe I should."

He tossed some cash on the counter and left, Daniel was in deep thought when Johnny left.

The man had genuinely no idea what to do next in regards to Miyagi-Do.

...

"Dad, are you okay?"

He was putting dishes away after dinner with his family.

"Just fine, thanks for asking."

Sam didn't appear to be convinced. "You don't seem like it."

"Well I'm not fine." Daniel sighed and closed the cabinet door, turning around to speak to his daughter. "What happened this past year with Lucas, was just."

He trailed.

"But what's on your mind? All of that's over now, I haven't seen him want to train anywhere. In fact, since the tournament, no one I knew has even mentioned karate until you. Just now."

"Karate or not. I was trying to make a difference in his life. The same way I'd want to make a difference in yours, what Mr. Miyagi taught, it went beyond fighting or martial arts. It was about balance."

"But, you brought balance."

Daniel was confused. "What're you talking about?"

"I know things got messed up because of that other guy he was learning from but." Sam shrugged. "He won, he got what he wanted. No one got hurt, not even anyone at the tournament. Are you afraid he'll hurt people, himself? Us?"

"No I'm just-" he put his hands on the table leaning on to them. "I spoke to Johnny lately."

"Robby's dad? I think I saw him help Robby compete at the All Valley."

Daniel snorted, realizing that was probably the fullest extent of Sam's knowledge of him. "Yes. He said I should forget everything, or at least move on. When I started karate again, it was to pass on Mr. Miyagi's lessons. And after an entire year of teaching Luke the physical aspects of karate. I'm not sure he grasped the mental aspects at all."

"Who cares?"

Daniel was surprised. "What?"

"Who cares what he learned or not? It's over. Stop feeling so guilty about it. If Luke was a better person, if he didn't lie to you about what he was doing. About how he only respected what you taught this whole time, then yeah. Maybe should feel guilty."

"Wait- Sam."

She had stormed off towards her room and out of the kitchen.

...

"Still upset you lost your mini me?"

Daniel was sitting in bed with his wife. "He was never my mini me." he scoffed.

He saw the smug look on Amanda's face as she wore a nightgown and read a book.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just find it funny seeing a grown man get so upset over karate he taught to a teenager."

"It goes beyond that. You met him he was just, he was becoming a friend of the family. Anthony started to look up to him and he had to go off and-"

Amanda turned to him. "Seeing you at the tournament, it was like unveiling a whole different side of you. You were mad about what a highschool kid was doing competing on a mat. It's fine if you get upset but. Maybe realize not all of what you're hurting over is completely worth it."

"Sam is upset with him. She's even upset with me over him."

"What did she say?"

"That if he lied, then feeling guilty is wrong."

Amanda put her book down on the nightstand. "Look, I know nothing about this karate nonsense but I know our kids. You were there for a new friend both of our children made, you both fought because of this tournament. And then you're acting like a compeltely different person. If you're so distressed over what happened between you and Lucas go and talk to him. I've never seen you like this, clueless and helpless over what to do."

"I don't." Daniel trailed.

"Are you confused because of what Mr. Miyagi would want you to do?"

"Partially. I'm just, truthfully wondering what would be best for me. For this family, if I decided to talk to him again."

"Well whatever you decide. Know, I'm behind you, a hundred percent."

The two kissed. Amanda shut off the lights, and Daniel turned over to rest.

...

...

...

Author's Note:

That concludes Book 1. The next book would cover everything that happened in what would be Season 1 of the Cobra Kai Netflix series in the scenario I created. Needless to say, but the plot and character dynamics are of course completely different.

It will lightly follow the structure of the first Season but barely in plot points. The way each person learns their karate, develops it, and or passes it on will be completely different. Everyone has students they otherwise wouldn't.

Johnny has Robby for the first season, and I won't spoil who ends up with Daniel or Kreese if they still decide to teach after Luke.

Thank you all for reading and supporting!

 

[Garbage_Truck]

I liked the story so far
But I do want more scenes of our protagonist with his girlfriend (I'm not entirely clear if they really had a thing for each other or not, it's kind of suspicious that the girl didn't appear again after their date and he didn't mention her in the tournament or at least I didn't find her)

I think they really like each other but I thought it was strange that she didn't go to the tournament to support the boy.
It would be interesting if she had appeared more or maybe we need an extra or a next chapter to know about her, I don't know (it would be interesting if our main character taught her his mystical fusion karate miyagi kobra)
By the way, whatever she will call her new karate, it is neither miyagi nor kobra so it deserves a new name (something like a mix of Chinese/Japanese miyagi and kobra which would be American) and I don't remember but are there international tournaments or would you do one if the opportunity arises
Like they are going to fight in another country in an international karate tournament

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

I liked the story so far
But I do want more scenes of our protagonist with his girlfriend (I'm not entirely clear if they really had a thing for each other or not, it's kind of suspicious that the girl didn't appear again after their date and he didn't mention her in the tournament or at least I didn't find her)

I think they really like each other but I thought it was strange that she didn't go to the tournament to support the boy.
It would be interesting if she had appeared more or maybe we need an extra or a next chapter to know about her, I don't know (it would be interesting if our main character taught her his mystical fusion karate miyagi kobra)
By the way, whatever she will call her new karate, it is neither miyagi nor kobra so it deserves a new name (something like a mix of Chinese/Japanese miyagi and kobra which would be American) and I don't remember but are there international tournaments or would you do one if the opportunity arises
Like they are going to fight in another country in an international karate tournament

Click to shrink...

If you're referring to one of the extras from the original show I decided to flesh out into a real character, Charlotte, she showed up at the tournament.

 

[Garbage_Truck]

If you're referring to one of the extras from the original show I decided to flesh out into a real character, Charlotte, she showed up at the tournament.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, it slipped my mind, so what do you think about international tournaments that could be held?

 

[Avercrucicus]

Thanks for writing
I'm glad to see Luke growing as a person

That concludes Book 1. The next book would cover everything that happened in what would be Season 1 of the Cobra Kai Netflix series in the scenario I created. Needless to say, but the plot and character dynamics are of course completely different.

Click to shrink...

Are you going to continue in this thread or make a new one and link it when you do?

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Thanks, it slipped my mind, so what do you think about international tournaments that could be held?

Click to shrink...

Not to spoil anything, but this fanfiction follows Cobra Kai, it's a great show on Netflix that is a sequel to the Karate Kid trilogy. There is a world tournament by the middle of the fifth season that is introduced, I won't say much more than that. I recommend you watch that show, Cobra Kai is amazing.

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Thanks for writing
I'm glad to see Luke growing as a person

Are you going to continue in this thread or make a new one and link it when you do?

Click to shrink...

Not sure yet, I think it will still be on this thread though.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[FTR2017]

Well, Lucas grew up and found out just how empty his goal was.

Kreese might have been somewhat diverted from his canon fate had he gotten the guts to talk things out with Lucas instead of jumping to conclusions out of pride. He was a harsh taskmasker, but his style? It is the ideal one for a soldier.

It is the civilian style of things where he's going to run into issues, and will suffer for it by trusting the wrong guy.

Daniel is salty and is now feeling guilty about not letting Luke explain himself after Sam poisoned the well.

I do hope to see how Sam backstabs Eli in the future, have him learn that he threw away a friend for pussy and did not even get it in the end ... .

See you at the next chapter!

 

[Papi Chulo]

Wait so Kreese is done ? Damn I really hoped they could fix this , the movie really only showed him as this harsh taskmaster but didnt discuss how his life and probable ptsd affected him, I was hoping Lucas making him better would be good for him but well .... Also damn Eli's a bitch betraying his friend for pussy

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Wait so Kreese is done ? Damn I really hoped they could fix this , the movie really only showed him as this harsh taskmaster but didnt discuss how his life and probable ptsd affected him, I was hoping Lucas making him better would be good for him but well .... Also damn Eli's a bitch betraying his friend for pussy

Click to shrink...

We'll see if Kreese is done...the man proved in the show and movies he pretty much never gives up.

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Wait so Kreese is done ? Damn I really hoped they could fix this , the movie really only showed him as this harsh taskmaster but didnt discuss how his life and probable ptsd affected him, I was hoping Lucas making him better would be good for him but well .... Also damn Eli's a bitch betraying his friend for pussy

Click to shrink...

As for the PTSD, yes, the show covered it. He refused help from psychiatrists thinking they were wrong because they weren't there in Vietnam and probably other wars. It's what denied him re-entry into the army.

 

[Papi Chulo]

As for the PTSD, yes, the show covered it. He refused help from psychiatrists thinking they were wrong because they weren't there in Vietnam and probably other wars. It's what denied him re-entry into the army.

Click to shrink...

Ah rip then been a while since I watched cobra kai, tho do you plan on having lucas recover his relationship with his senseis or did you not plan that far ahead ? The story is great btw loved your writing

Edit : Ninja'ed

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Ah rip then been a while since I watched cobra kai, tho do you plan on having lucas recover his relationship with his senseis or did you not plan that far ahead ? The story is great btw loved your writing

Edit : Ninja'ed

Click to shrink...

You'll have to wait and see. I don't want to spoil anything. Also thank you man! Cobra Kai deserves all the appreciation it gets, especially its fanfics. Edit: I have the next several chapters already written, might edit in between here and there for a few more details but still.

 

[RadFoxUK]

Not sure yet, I think it will still be on this thread though.

Click to shrink...

Could keep it on same thread but have a couple short filler chapters to make the distinction of ARC 1 and ARC 2.

Maybe a bit of Lucas and Robby skateboarding, Lucas setting up that PC he spoke about a few chapters ago, just a couple slice of life chappies to bleed off the pressure and tension the competition and drama created.

Hell, could have Lucas and Anthony play FIFA online together in secret, stay in touch that way?

 

[MiyazakiFan18]

Could keep it on same thread but have a couple short filler chapters to make the distinction of ARC 1 and ARC 2.

Maybe a bit of Lucas and Robby skateboarding, Lucas setting up that PC he spoke about a few chapters ago, just a couple slice of life chappies to bleed off the pressure and tension the competition and drama created.

Hell, could have Lucas and Anthony play FIFA online together in secret, stay in touch that way?

Click to shrink...

That actually sounds like a really really good idea. Pacing wise it makes the most sense, not to mention slice of life stuff really works well for the setting and characters. Consider the request you've made granted!