A/N: Another two part chapter here. The events just seemed better split, a bit of a cinematic rather than a practical choice I'll fully admit, but it might not be such a bad thing. Hope you enjoy this update. We get some insight from some different characters here. As usual, I do not own Cobra Kai. Just my plot and theories that keep this story moving.

Chapter Twelve: Head Games Part 1

It was a stalemate. Her father continued driving, but Sam could see his wheels turning. She knew he was going to try. The bus stop was on the way, so she knew she didn't have much time. "Sam, you don't...this isn't something that's going to be easy to fix. It's...too dangerous." Dad said.

"And giving up is going to help?" Sam asked. She didn't understand why her father was choosing this route. He had taught them for a reason hadn't he? And they had learned more than one way to fight back. "It's not just your fight anymore." Her friends had been hurt by this. They were still hurting. Physically and otherwise. They needed to do something to try. "They're our friends. We're not going to sit around and wait."

"It's either this or worrying about Miguel." Aisha said.

"Kid, you don't know what you're gonna be walking into." Mr. Lawrence said.

"I do," Aisha said.

"I think I do," Sam added. She had fought Tory in that hallway, and the girl clearly had no intention to leave her standing. She knew exactly what she was walking into and this time she would be prepared.

"This isn't going to end well either way," Demetri added. "The probability of them leaving us alone…"

"Okay, okay!" Johnny said. "Just...shut up," He didn't think he could handle the arguing on top of everything else.

Sam could register that her dad was shocked, but chose not to comment.

"I guess I'm outvoted here," Her dad said. "But we do this carefully,"

Sam nodded. "I think there might be a way to catch them off guard…" A variable they hadn't had when Robby had given his plan.

"What do you get out of this?" The question caught Tory off guard, as soft as it was, she wouldn't have heard it in any other circumstance. She was surprised to see that Keene had moved to the spot right beside her. Enemies close… well who knew at this point whether that was his logic or if it was the fact that he couldn't move much further.

"Fighting positions, ai!"

She saw him struggling into the position that Hawk was maintaining, conscious, or so it seemed of the eyes on him. So then...why was he trying to start a conversation? She couldn't figure it out.

"Ai!"

She moved in time with the warmups, keeping her expression neutral. "Isn't the more important thing staying on your feet?"

"You owe me an answer." Keene wobbled, but surprisingly enough, his arm snapped straight out, and his poker face, well she saw the cracks, but only because it seemed they were similar to hers, and magnified by the bruises.

"You put Miguel in the hospital, who owes who here again?" Tory retorted.

A thin laugh. "Whatever,"

She considered the question. Though she wasn't sure why she even was. This guy wasn't a friend, not even a fellow Cobra. He was an enemy. But something about that question, it made her stop. She'd put everything, everything into this training from the very beginning, and Miguel well she'd seen a reflection. He wanted to impress Sensei Lawrence. Who did she want to impress? A better question would be who didn't she have to impress? When Miguel had been hurt, because of the fight she had caused...well...it was easier to continue to put her energy into the training. She'd only been to the hospital once. She couldn't go back. And it was easier to blame Keene, easier to have a definitive target. Because she didn't know what would happen after…

She'd already lost her job. The roller rink had no interest in having her on staff after the media storm. Her parents...well, her mom was at a loss, and there was nothing to really be done. Cobra Kai was all she had left. And the first sign of weakness, she would lose that too. So what did she get out of this? A hell of a lot more than she had.

But instead of voicing it, she parried with a question of her own. "What about you?"

The warmups wound down in an uncomfortable silence.

Miguel was in surgery. The surgeon: Ali Mills-Schwarber, a pediatric surgeon who had just transferred recently from Denver. It was an incomplete spinal cord injury so now that he was awake and had been checked over and that condition confirmed, operating was vital in order to ensure a decent prognosis for the teen. While the operation was happening, Carmen Diaz was waiting to know whether her boy would be okay. She was surprised that the visitors were Daniel Larusso, his daughter and her friends. Of course, she had talked to Miguel's other friends, and his friend Demetri had been there before the Larussos arrived. His other friends from Cobra Kai had come by whenever they could, but that dojo, it kept them busy and she could see the toll it was taking. Carmen shuddered to think what Johnny was teaching them. No one had mentioned Johnny, so it seems she wasn't the only one hesitant. As a mother, it worried her to no end so she had made the decision to not allow Johnny to visit. Whether that was the right decision remained to be seen, but it felt right. Her priority was Miggy. He didn't need to see her anger, and it was easier to cover without Johnny here.

"Mrs. Diaz," The doctor came out. "I'm Dr. Mills-Schwarber, I have good news. The surgery went well, and we've inserted a halo to ensure that Miguel's injury heals properly. He'll have to wear the brace for six to twelve weeks. I'll provide instructions for care."

Carmen nodded. She was aware. Her work in the hospital gave her some insight.

"They're bringing him to recovery now. I'll take you."

"Thanks," Carmen said.

A/N: Next up, Head Games part 2 as Daniel and Johnny reach the dojo with their students, and the head games really begin in earnest and Miguel and Carmen have their first conversation post school fight.

As to the medical information, once again I've attempted research the best that I can, but I am not in the medical field so mistakes may happen, but I hope that I'm doing okay. Recovery will mostly be of the psychological variety for many characters besides Miguel and Robby to a certain extent but I really want to emphasize the physical recovery as well and do it justice.

I really want to give everybody a voice in this fic as that is one of the main themes of this story, redemption and really the insight into actions as well as a good amount of hurt/comfort and chosen and actual family relationships so most of the prominent players will be getting their voices heard. I mostly have it mapped out, but if there is anyone's perspective you are interested in seeing that hasn't been seen already, let me know and I can try to work it in with the plot. ;) This will be going completely AU soon I'm certain with season 3, but I will be seeing it to the end. I may or may not unintentionally place some elements from aspects of season 3 in as I did see the trailer and there are similarities to some of my ideas, but I am going to stick to my plot. Similarities are completely coincidental.