AN1: Sorry for ending Keeping Their boys in Check like I did. I just realized that it was too big and confusing especially since Jessie stole the story. So I decided to focus on first Helen and Dutch's story first; then I'll continue on to the current Cobra's.

AN2: Being as this is set in the early 80s and I was only a baby in 84, please let me know if I goof up on slang, fashion, when music was released. I'd really appreciate it.

Rating T-M: just in case for cursing, violence, and mentions of near rape.

Disclaimer: I do not own Karate Kid.

September 1981

Helen Gordon pulled her raven hair up into a ponytail as she got ready for her first day at yet another new school. This was her 15th move in as many years. Her mom is a retired lieutenant in the Air Force. Before she retired she met Helen's impromptu sensei and decided to marry him.

"Helen breakfast is ready!" sensei called. With one last sneer in the mirror she made sure her ripped jeans and Black AC/DC shirt were in place. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen of the fancy house her new step father owned. She ignored the disappointed look her ever proper mom gave her as well as the amused one Terry gave her.

As quickly as she could she ate up the fried eggs and sausage, chugged down her orange juice; waved her mother good buy as she grabbed her black with white skull and crossbones school bag and headed out to the designated bus stop for this part of the Hills. She ignored the four blondes and one brunette boys already waiting there. If her memory of what her sensei told her is true then these were Cobra Kai rich punks trained by sensei's friend John Kreese. There was also a curly haired blonde who turned her nose up at her. She returned that look with a sneer of her own.

"Nice look!" the blonde with the cropped wavy hair with an almost too cruel to be handsome face sneered. His friends guffawed like it was the funniest thing they heard. The urge to punch the guy in the face was strong but she needed to exercise self control like her sensei advised her.

"Nice one Dutch!" the one with closer cropped hair with really chiseled features high fived Dutch.

"Is it dress like a complete ass day?" she countered with a sneer of her own. The blonde with the shaggy hair and really full lips smirked at her as he said. "Don't mind them, they haven't grown out of the hair pulling stage yet. I'm Bobby, this is Johnny." He pointed to the blonde with blue eyes and an air about him as if he was the leader. "Tommy." the chiseled boy with brown eyes smirked at her. "Jimmy." The brunette gave her a tiny smile. "This is Dutch." He glared at her, which she met with one of her own. "I'm Ali" The blonde girl introduced herself to not be left out.

"Helen." She introduced as the bus pulled up she got on first and picked the first empty seat in the front. She scooted down as low as her tall body would allow with her knees propped up against the seat in front of her. She plopped her bag down to discourage anyone from sitting next to her and pulled out her new walkman, pressed play and let AC/DC's 'Back in Black' album wash over her.

Dutch scowled at the raven haired girl who sat at the front of the bus with all the losers. He saw her a few days ago as she and her mom moved into the Silver residence. He ignored the small amount of sympathy he would've felt toward her if she wasn't so obviously stand offish. Yes contrary to what many would believe he was actually pretty damned intelligent. Anyway something about his sensei's friend always unnerved him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Dude quit staring at the Valkyrie!" Jimmy hissed from behind him. "Valkyrie?" Johnny asked from beside him. Jimmy had this weird habit of giving people nick names. "She clearly works out, and isn't easily intimidated. Perhaps she studies some form of Martial Arts as well. Anyway Valkyries are commonly known as warrior maidens of Valhalla." Jimmy explained. Jimmy always noticed and memorized the weirdest things.

"He's right Dutch, besides there are other girls to ogle over." Bobby spoke from right in front of him. That witch Susan was right beside him, she is a clear social climber through and through. Bobby, who is set to inherit his families hotel and resort company, is a good match for someone who doesn't want to work for a living. Dutch turned his scowl on one of his oldest friends before he conceded. Bobby was right on par with Johnny in skill, so it was best to do what the comparatively even tempered one in the group said.

"I wasn't ogling!" He protested. Tommy snickered from the other side of the aisle with the quiet blond… Barbara he remembered right next to him. "Your eyes were glued to her boobs". He had to admit he had a point. It wasn't his fault she was well endowed for a fifteen year old.

"I was admiring her shirt!" He further protested but his friends clearly didn't buy it. Soon though they arrived at West Valley High. She was one of the first off, he waited impatiently as the other plebeians got off the bus. Once they were off the bus they headed to their lockers and put their things up before heading to home room.

It wasn't a shock to him to see the new girl head in with that nerd Frankie Fernandes. The nerds always were the guides for new kids. "His name is Freddie" Jimmy helpfully supplied, If it wasn't for the fact that he'd known Jimmy his whole life he'd worry he was psychic. "No I just know my friends really well and have a sixth sense when they are being idiots." Jimmy chuckled as he took his usual seat flanked by Bobby and Tommy. For some reason he kept his eyes on ..Helen as she had a stilted conversation with Frankie.

Helen had the strange feeling that someone was staring at her as she conversed with ..Freddie Fernandes. He was obviously a nerd, but he was her guide and obviously appreciated her taste in music. Maybe he wouldn't be a bad choice of acquaintences. If she had to guess at who was glaring wholes into her back, she'd say it was that Dutch guy.

"I'm not going to get my ass kicked by the cobras for talking to you will I?" Freddie's hesitant tone shifted something in her.

"Have they been picking on you?" She hated bullies with the fire of a thousand suns.

"No..but they are like a pack of wolves.." Or a quiver of snakes; she cottoned on to what he was saying. "So since I apparently caught their notice they'll be possessive of me to an extent." He nodded his head.

"I am my own woman I'll decide on my own who I'll be friends with." With that said she ignored the stares as the homeroom teacher droned on about what they'll cover in Math this year. It turned out Freddie was tolerable to converse with, and they had mostly the same classes.

It wasn't until lunch time that things became interesting. As she got the rations loosely considered food, she went to the table he pointed to; the cobra's attacked. Her blood boiled as she watched Tommy and Johnny hold Freddie to the wall as Dutch punched him in the stomach and took his lunch money. She watched as they threw him to the floor and laughed.

Without thinking it through, she threw her lunch down on the table, chased after them, swept Dutch's legs out from under him, took back the lunch money he took from Freddie and kept her booted foot on his chest as she glared down at him.

"It's not nice to take what isn't ours!" She snarled as she pressed her foot down harder on his chest. He glared back at her.

"Who cares he's a nobody from Reseda!" Dutch snarled back.

"He maybe from the poor side of town but he is worth ten of you!" She snarled as a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Let him up!" Bobby gently commanded. She narrowed her eyes but did as told; she cautiously stepped back remembering what her sensei said about turning her back on the enemy.

"I don't care if you're a girl! If you ever lay a hand on me again you are dead meat!" Dutch's snarl as he got up sent shivers down her spine; but she'd never stand down from what she thought was right.

"And I don't like Bullies! Leave Freddie and anyone I choose to be friends with alone and we won't have problems!" She waited until the Cobra's went back to their table before she headed to a shocked Freddie.

"Sorry about that, I understand if you decide to not be my friend." she said as she handed Freddie back his lunch money. He let out a nervous chuckle as he held a hand out to her. "Are you kidding? I'd be happy to be friends with someone who isn't afraid of them!" With that said they sat down for lunch.

"You should take care of that!" Bobby pointed out with a snicker at his expense. Dutch didn't understand why he was so turned on. He was beat by a girl in less than a minute, he should be mortally embarrassed; not hard enough to pound nails.

"Leave him be!" Johnny said as they changed into their gym clothes. "Besides, It's not like he is into her!" Johnny snickered. Normally he'd chuckle along with his friend, but a tiny part of him was offended by that comment; sure she clearly wasn't like the other girls of their social classe. He shrugged it off as he thought of the most disgusting thing he could think of. His Grandmother naked; he shuddered as 'little Dutch' shrunk back down.

"Well she is kind of hot?" Bobby conceded. Dutch couldn't help the glare he sent at his friend. Bobby held his hands up in surrender. "Just saying man, she clearly isn't like the bitches we live around." the 'someone is bound to notice her' hung in the air. Well not if he had any say in it. Why it mattered to him was beyond him, but she wasn't for just anyone. Yeah he'll go with that excuse.

"Now that the'situation'" Tommy snickered at his own joke "is resolved so to speak, she'll be treated as an honorary cobra, and protected as one." Johnny, Jimmy and he nodded but Bobby shook his head. "Hold it guys, Helen is clearly an independent woman, so she won't take too kindly to us if we beat up every guy who isn't a Cobra." Dutch grudgingly had to admit he had a small point, not that he would ever tell him that.

"Let's just head to class!" Dutch told his friends with one last glare at Bobby. For some reason the thought of Bobby having any hints of attraction to Helen bothered him. Not that he was interested in the 'valkyrie' as Jimmy dubbed her.

The first day back they did the usual calisthenics, he glared at the few boys who leered at Helen. Then the Soccer and basketball coach, had them play Dodge ball. He didn't help the savage grin as he could let his savagery out in a school condoned way. It was perfect that Helen was on the team opposite him. Because he could get back at her for earlier.

As they whipped the multisized balls back and forth. He took savage pride in taking out most of the opposite team. He heard Tommy yelp as a ball hit him in the well...balls. The smirk on Helen's face told him who did it.

"She's lucky she's a girl!" Tommy hissed as he limped to the designated 'outzone' and sat next to Johnny who was holding an icepack to his head. Dutch glanced around and saw it was down to him and Helen.

"Dead meat!" She smirked at him as she held one of the balls that when caught would bring their entire team back in.

"Bring it!" He smirked back, as he held the other ball that would bring his entire team back in.

As one they aimed to knock each other out of the game but both caught them. Coach then announced the game was a tie and sent them back to their lockers.

"Welcome back!" Terry grinned at his old Vietnam buddy. He kept in touch with surviving members of their platoon as often as he could, but John was easily his best friend. John smirked at him as he came in and was goggle eyed at the wedding band on his finger.

"So the rumors are true! Never thought I'd see the day the biggest womanizer I ever met would settle down. With a teenage step daughter." Terry never thought it'd happen either, but the moment he found his future student being nearly gangraped outside of the condo on the base he was visiting. It set off a chain of events that led to him marrying her mother.

"Elaine is the best thing that ever happened to me." Elaine is a special woman who made him want to be a decent man. Plus he saw alot of himself in Helen, before he studied Karate, and joined the army.

John put an arm around his shoulder with a knowing look. "So tell me about your step daughter?" Terry spent the next two hours until Helen came home talking about his new family as he got dinner ready. Yeah that was another change Elaine put her foot down on as soon as she found out he could cook.

"I'm home!" Helen called as she came in through the front entrance. She stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of Kreese. He saw the way she froze up and was having a flashback. He held up a finger to forestall his friend's question. "Helen." He calmly said as he slowly approached her. "Help me!" She whimpered. "Helen you are safe here." He continued as he slowly put his hand on her shoulder. "Sensei?" she asked as she seemed to be coming back to the present. "Do you know where and when you are?" He softly asked putting his unused degree in psychology to use.

"Encino, 1981." Helen said as she finally shook off the flashback. "Sorry, you resemble one of the ones who…" She floundered still not able to use the word rape. "I understand completely." John softly said. He and John suffer from PTSD, he assumed the others in his platoon did as well but wouldn't admit to it. Two of them have already taken their own lives. He introduced his stepdaughter to his old friend.

"So how was school." Terry knew he had to change the subject so that she could fully recover from the flashback. That did the trick as Helen described her first day at School. When she got to the part where they played dodgeball John howled with laughter. "Serves them right!" John then looked at the time and smirked. "Well I have a class to prepare for." Terry had a feeling certain students are about to have a harsh lesson.

Dutch froze as he and his friends limped in. Well he wasn't the one limping but the others were. The cruel smirk on his senseis face told him clearly that this was going to be one of those grueling sessions. They were sensei's assistants, so they always had to arrive early to help prepare for the daily lessons.

"Boys go get changed, I have something I need to discuss with you five." In tandem they gulped cause he used his 'nice' tone, the one that fortold a grueling session was about to commence. They looked to Johnny who paled but then a stoic look crossed his face as he nodded.

"Yes sensei." They hurried to the changing room, knowing that it wouldn't do to prolong the hell they were about to be in for. They didn't waste time joking like they normally did either.

Once they were changed they headed out into the dojo proper.

"Push ups on your knuckles!" Sensei snarled, they didn't bother complaining either, because it'd just increase the punishment their sensei felt they needed for whatever transgression they made. For a while they did the grueling push ups as Sensei circled around them. Finally after the 100th push up he took pity on them. "Fall in!"

As soon as they were in formation Sensei addressed them. "When is it appropriate to threaten a woman?" He and his friends looked between each other not knowing why that particular question came up. They remained silent. That wasn't what Sensei wanted to hear apparently.

"Mr. Dutcherson!" He gulped as he had a feeling he knew what his sensei was on about. "Yes Sensei?" He wasn't going to be tricked into admitting something Sensei couldn't possibly know about.

"Did you or did you not threaten a Ms. Gordon at lunch time?" Sensei must've spoken to her somehow. "Yes Sensei but she attacked me first!" Sensei shook his head.

"Which leads to the second point of this lesson! Two cobras go into a jungle, one kills a lion, the other kills a crippled monkey! Which do you want to be?" Sensei addressed all five of them.

"The one that kills the lion Sensei." Johnny answered. "Why is that Mr. Lawrence?" Sensei addressed his favorite.

"Because he killed the stronger animal sensei!" Sensei nodded his head approvingly. "Do you all share his answer?" His friends agreed but he couldn't agree somehow because she clearly wasn't weak. "Correct!"

"Boys if you retain nothing else remember this. There is nothing to be gained by attacking the weak! This includes children, most women and nerds!" Dutch felt an angry flush creep up his neck at this lesson. "Mr. Dutcherson remain behind after class!" At this point the rest of their class came in.

John Kreese wanted a stiff drink by the end of the lesson. He glanced at the picture of his ex-wife and their baby girl on the desk in his office. Janine was a pain in the ass to live with, but his daughters (one honorary) needed him for some stability. The thought that either Kristin or Jessica will one day be teenagers petrified him, moreso Jessica, even at the age of one she is vibrant and energetic.

"You wanted to see me Sensei?" Eugene 'Dutch' Dutcherson asked from the doorway of his office. Dutch is one of his more aggressive students; he liked him a lot but one of the few ideals he held to and that he wanted his students to hold onto is that women, even the bitchiest, are not to be harmed...well children as well.

"Tell me about your interactions with Miss Gordon and leave nothing out!" He would know if his student held back, Dutch was with him the longest. He was the only relatively stable father figure his Cobra's had; Well Bobby has decent parents but the rest looked to him for guidance.

Slowly Dutch recanted his day, it matched what Miss Gordon said. It'd appear that Dutch has a crush but doesn't realize it yet. He'll leave it alone for now, his student's personal lives wasn't his problem unless it hindered their training.

"A word of advice: try to avoid Miss Gordon as much as possible." Even though he knew his student wouldn't listen to him. "Yes sensei" Dutch grudgingly spoke as he waited for dismissal. "Dismissed!" He told Dutch who nodded his head and left the office.

"Was sensei hard on you?" Bobby asked as they met outside the dojo. They tended to go back to Encino together. "Naw! He just asked about my interactions with Helen and advised me to avoid her." He snorted like hell was he going to let this grueling session go unpunished.

"So how do we get back at the bitch!" Tommy's voice still hadn't gone back to normal. He inwardly snickered, glad he wasn't injured earlier. Johnny and Bobby shared smirks. Bobby still rubbed at his shoulder that was Helen's target earlier. "We wait for now, she'll likely be expecting it soon." Jimmy suggested. "We need to come up with an epic prank that she won't see coming for the greatest impact." Jimmy continued. "So we wait, but for now lets do some recon on her." Bobby decided. Dutch shrugged off the sense of dread settling on his shoulders. It serves her right for what she did earlier.