"I care about my students. They're strong and they're true fighters. And they don't make the mistake of showing mercy and ending up in a coma!"
Miguel couldn't stand there and let Kreese insult his Sensei anymore. He treaded forward to back up Sensei Lawrence, prepared to defend him if things came down to blows. It didn't matter that he was far from fighting shape.
But his eyes widened when Hawk stepped up to defend Kreese in return. No hesitation. No second thoughts. His friend showed he was ready to fight him, even as Kreese himself put a steadying hand on his shoulder to hold him back.
Miguel stared at Hawk, who leveled his own harsh gaze on him. How had it come to this, he wondered? How had they drawn lines in the sand and ended up on opposing sides? What the hell had happened in the months he'd been recovering from his fall? What had happened to his friend that had him siding against Sensei Lawrence?
You should thank me for getting revenge on Miyagi-Do….
Sure, Hawk had shown anger issues before and had made bad choices because of it, but there were leagues between vandalizing a dojo and breaking Demetri's arm. And Hawk had told him he should thank him for doing it. There was an implicit message behind his words: I did it for you.
I never asked you to, had been the nonverbal retort Miguel had given him in return. Was that why Hawk looked at him the way he did now, betraying hurt behind that stony expression of his? But how else did he really expect him to respond to such outrageous actions, to learn he'd been terrorizing Miyagi-Do for months in his name? They weren't bullies. They'd both joined Cobra Kai to learn to stand up to bullies, not become them.
Hawk had drunk the kool-aid. He was one of Kreese's soldiers. He was his champion.
But despite all that, a smile had come over Miguel's face when Hawk had first shown up at the park. His heart had thumped in his ribcage wildly with excitement at seeing him there. Because he thought he'd gotten through to him, that Hawk was going to join them at Eagle Fang. Because Hawk had been his friend long before becoming Kreese's champion.
And for a brief moment, Miguel hoped things were going back to the way they were. It would be the two of them again, friends for life. He'd hoped….
Kreese's voice cut in. "This is it, Johnny. There's not gonna be another chance."
Sensei Lawrence got in the old man's face and shot him down with one word. "Good."
"You made your choice," replied Kreese with an air of finality, putting on his sunglasses. "And you're gonna regret it." With that threat, Kreese's students parted for their teacher to walk away.
Miguel locked eyes with Hawk, meeting his glare one more time, noting the malicious smirk that had curled around the corners of his mouth. And he wanted to ask his friend, had he made his choice, too?
Hawk answered his silent question when he followed behind Kreese. Then the others followed him, as Miguel knew they would.
Miguel's stomach sank. He thought about yelling out to Hawk, telling him he was better than that. He was back, they didn't need to fight this senseless war. He didn't want a fight at all. He just wanted Hawk at his side. Would Hawk rather keep the company of people like Kyler than rejoin him at Eagle Fang? The same Hawk who'd visited him in the hospital, who'd told him repeatedly he couldn't wait to see him back at the dojo?
Was he going to be Hawk's enemy now?
His hands clenched into fists by his sides and Miguel masked his hurt behind an open scowl. To Bert and Mitch and the other guys standing there beside him, they would see nothing but anger bared so openly on his face.
And he was angry. But more than that, he was sad. Heartbroken, even. Because Hawk had made his choice, and now he had to make his own.
He'd lost months of his life to his recovery. He'd lost his dojo to Kreese. And now he'd lost his best friend. How couldn't he feel heartbroken over that? How couldn't his insides feel like they'd been twisted in knots knowing it was now only a matter of time before he would have to face Hawk in a fight?