"He put Miguel in the hospital. He's the enemy."
Hawk clenched his jaw tight. His skin was still hot as his blood continued to boil under it, knowing the enemy, Robby Keene, was still waiting outside that door, in his dojo.
How was he supposed to accept that? In what universe was it okay for Robby to muddy the sanctity of Cobra Kai? Why in the world had his Sensei dragged him into his office to argue about this? He should have been out there that moment, dishing back to Robby what he'd delivered to Miguel, with interest.
As calm as he ever was, Sensei Kreese sat on the edge of his desk, holding a cup of coffee in his hands. Hawk couldn't shake the feeling he was being patronized, for some reason. "You know, when I was overseas," Sensei said, "it was hard to tell who was the enemy. A defenseless local one minute would pull a knife on your throat the next. But you know what I learned?"
Hawk tried his hardest to understand what his Sensei was trying to tell him, to try and make sense of why his teacher was doing what he was doing. Because there had to be a reason for it.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Hawk could only mutter back, "What's that?"
Sensei Kreese glared at him. "The enemy of the enemy…is your friend."
Hawk's insides froze. He could barely move where he was standing there in Sensei Kreese's office, watching him take a sip of his coffee after telling him that. What Sensei was saying still didn't make sense. Miguel was Cobra Kai. Or at least he used to be. Robby wasn't. Miguel wasn't supposed to be the enemy. Robby was. He was the one who'd almost killed Miguel.
Cobra Kai is not a hobby, it's not a club. Cobra Kai is your brothers and your sisters. You are all Cobra Kai for life because Cobra Kai never dies.
It was all wrong.
It was because of what happened to Miguel that Hawk had put all his trust in the old man sitting in front of him, the one who'd taught them that Cobra Kai was for life. Because Sensei Kreese had promised he would make Cobra Kai strong like it used to be, so nothing like that would happen to them again. He would make him strong so he could avenge Miguel. It was what he dreamed of for months. It was what he'd trained for.
Yet here was Hawk's chance to finally make Robby pay, and Sensei Kreese was telling him no. Worse, he was telling him that he should look at Robby as his friend.
Friend.
What did that word even mean anymore to someone like Hawk?
He'd burned the bridge with Demetri when he snapped his arm. He'd listened to Sensei Kreese and dumped Bert and Mitch when he declared they weren't Cobra Kai material. He'd even sucked it up and tolerated Kyler's presence in the group. All against his better inclinations. All against the feeling deep inside himself telling him not to. All under the assumption that if he could just wait it out for Miguel to come back, it would be worth it, things would finally start going back to the way they used to be.
It could be like before….
That was what Miguel had told him, before he bailed on Cobra Kai to join Sensei Lawrence's new dojo. Before he became…his enemy. That was what he was now, right? That was what Sensei Kreese was telling him. Even Tory didn't seem to have anything to say about having Robby in the dojo. So why was he having these reservations?
Sensei Kreese continued to level his hard eyes on him. "Do you understand?" he asked.
"Yes, Sensei," Hawk mumbled, more on reflex than true comprehension. But he figured he didn't have to really understand it yet. He only had to continue to trust Sensei Kreese. Because what other choice he did have at this point?
Sensei Kreese dismissed him from his office, and when Hawk walked outside, he spotted Robby in the back room of the dojo. He and Tory were talking. About what, Hawk couldn't make out. But for a second, Robby spotted him staring, and the two of them locked eyes again.
At that moment, Hawk could only see Miguel lying on those stairs.
Frowning, Hawk turned and stormed back to the main dojo, away from this new friend.