Chapter Ten: Diaz's Challenge

…

I could tell right away at school everyone in Steel Eagle karate knew it was us who were responsible. Not me, but Nichols, Hawk, all of them.

They were my friends, they were more than just fellow classmates at Cobra Kais. They were like family, at least Rickenberger, Hawk, and the others in my group certainly were.

I ignored Robby's scathingly reproachful gaze as I walked past him, made out for a bit with Moon on my locker and left for classes.

…

Following my Physics class, I walked around school for a bit before someone familiar spoke nearby.

"We need to talk."

I turned around and saw Miguel Diaz standing there silently.

"I heard what you guys did to Sam."

I sighed. "Wasn't me."

"Sure was Lucas. You know your Sensei enables that type of shit, and put you all up to that."

"Actually it was Hawk's idea, and they'd been planning such a thing for months."

Miguel shrugged. "So? That makes it all better?"

"Okay look-"

"We'll sign the paper Blatt wants everyone to sign in order to stop taking detentions."

I nodded, getting his tone. "And in exchange?"

Miguel crossed his arms, looking around the hallway as if to make sure no one was listening. "On one condition. December 19th is a big Christmas event at your country club right?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Sam told me about it. I also know Encino Oaks has an entire building dedicated to Music and Arts they keep locked up during the holidays. Meet me there at 8 PM sharp, where we settle this. You, and me. Your Sensei gave mine a deadline, let's set our one to finish this."

I was astonished by the degree of calm courage Miguel said this all with. He looked me directly in the eye, did not look away, did not ball his fists, just purely and calmly challenged me to a fight.

"Has it really come to this? You and I were the ones trying to be reasonable about this."

"That ship sailed when Hawk gave Demetri shoulder trouble for the next month," Miguel began to growl quietly. "It sailed when you helped Kreese rise to power as the Sensei with the most skilled karate students in the Valley. And it sailed when you refused to see the fact that what you're doing is wrong."

Before I could say anything else Miguel spoke. "Are you in?"

I truly had no choice, it wasn't fair to let anyone else suffer for a beef that at its core was between Miguel and I. I failed to act on the beach when Hawk beat him up, and I was the only reason why Miyagi-Do wasn't the top dojo now.

"Yup." I said calmly.

"Be there. I'll tell everyone you and I reached an agreement, tell your friends the same. I'll let Counselor Blatt know there's no need for any more detentions." Miguel said over his shoulder.

Man, I knew he hated me now, but I really didn't feel the same way in return.

…

Everyone at the lunch table had the same question.

"How?"

Moon smiled. "Luke has a way with words."

"Babe wait-" she shoved another vegan mochi ice cream she brought with her in my mouth, smiling.

I had to chew as Hawk complained loudly. "Can you let us talk to him?"

"Yeah! Gross." said Mikey.

Moon pouted, running her hands over my neck. "But my Lulu's just so hungry." she raked her fingers through the side of my head and through my hair.

I had to swallow the ice cream and smiled. "I am pretty hungry I'll explain it to you all later." I said as Moon cuddled up to my side.

"Now. Explain it now dude." Hawk said firmly.

I sighed looking around the table. "M can you head out for a sec?"

She nodded pecking me on the lips before she walked off to the cheerleader's table.

I saw both Yasmine and Tory glaring at me for a second, one out of anger, and the other clearly pretending she wasn't.

"Luke focus man, why are you refusing to talk to us?" asked Shawn.

I glanced at them. "Steel Eagle wasn't happy over the fight at the mini golf course."

"How do you know?" asked Rickenberger, stuffing his mouth full of Cheetos.

"Look at them." everyone in my squad looked over at Robby's table. "They want to do something. My guess is if they won't strike back or try to ally with Miyagi-Do soon, they won't do it at all."

"Ally with Miyagi-Do?" Hawk snorted. "Yeah please, they've dipped their toe in that in the past and that never worked. Besides, you're getting off topic. How the hell did you get Diaz and the Miyagi-Dos to sign Blatt's paper?"

"Nevermind that, the important thing is-"

Hawk snorted. "Nevermind that!? Luke-"

"Dude! Listen." I said loudly, the table's attention to me changed. They looked at each other and drew their chairs closer.

I sighed again. "Diaz and I have agreed it's in the interest of everyone to arrive at a truce for the time being."

"A truce?" asked Mikey.

"Yeah Mikey a truce. So for the time being, just leave Miyagi-Do alone. No fighting, don't mess with them anymore. Just leave them alone, and they'll leave us alone."

Everyone protested.

"So we're supposed to forget about them making a viral post about you nutting macaroni cheese on Yas' face?"

Come on Doug, you were among the people who found that funny.

I answered Rick's question easily. "That was Aisha and Charlotte, not the Miyagi-Dos."

"But then Sam LaRusso helped them fight all our friends," Hawk said as the guys nodded.

"You guys made them pay for it right? If that fight was a tie, you all won the next one at Golf 'N Stuff."

Hawk knew I was making sense.

"But they're not finished, you said it yourself." he retorted.

"Dude. There's just a month until finals, one month. One goddamn month." I said. "Sign the paper. Spend a solid month with the Miyagi-Dos out of sight and out of mind. And we can start next semester however you damn well please. Okay? Sound good."

Shawn nodded. "Cool. But I'm not off the hook even if I sign that paper. I got put in detention for what you had me say to Mackenzie. Remember man?"

"Oh yeah. Here I'll go apologize to her."

I walked over to the table Moon was sitting at, luckily she had gone elsewhere for a quick moment. And I apologized to Mackenzie Chu in the best Korean I could speak.

She responded promptly, and I walked back to the table with the other Cobra Kais.

"What'd she say?" asked Shawn. "Am I off the hook?"

"Well she said something alright."

"What did she say man?" Shawn asked.

"She told me to go fuck myself in Korean." I looked over at him as I said this.

…

"Well Korean is the language of beauty. Wouldn't you agree Johnny?"

John Kreese leaned over one of the wooden railings in the monastery as Terry Silver spoke to him.

"No."

Terry chuckled. "Come on. You can't tell me learning another language doesn't make you appreciate the world more."

"I still don't get why you like this goddamn place so much."

"You're Master Kim's best student Johnny, for once can you-"

"You are Master Sun-Yung's best student." corrected John.

Terry frowned. "Right."

John said nothing, looking out over the Korean mountainside and the sprawling country for miles and miles as far as the eye could see as the sun just began to rise.

"Johnny these will be the best years of our lives so far. And they'll only get better."

"Aren't you forgetting we're in the middle of a war? We're learning this to make the war easier for our boys back in 'Nam?"

Terry looked at John. "You remember the night Cap Turner died? The pit?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

Terry looked around the monastery railing, even if their conversation was solely in English, he didn't want any monks or anyone else nearby.

"I saw you kill him. I saw you kill the Captain John."

John Kreese didn't know how to react. "What're you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb." Terry said. "He was clinging to the edge of that bridge over the snake pit. We were free, he had no reason to die. And you killed him, made him fall off. There were bombs going off and the Congs were running around everywhere, so no one paid any attention to you two but I saw, I know I did."

John said nothing.

"And you know what? I can't blame you for it."

John turned to his friend as Terry spoke.

"I can't blame you for it at all." Terry repeated. "In life, some people truly want you dead. He tortured you, Cap Turner would've left you for dead for all he cared. He wanted no mercy for you at all Johnny. He deserved to rot in that pit."

"What are you trying to tell us?"

"That he's dead and we're not. So we're meant to actually enjoy the opportunities we're given. Think about what this monastery can give you John. A better life, skills, tools, more than just karate. It can shape you into a better person. And it starts with letting go of war, letting its lessons teach you what it needed to and moving on. To help yourself."

John nodded. "Thanks Ter."

He patted John's shoulder and began to walk off and then he spoke out. "Hey Terry."

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"How come it doesn't bother you? Knowing, what you know."

Terry shrugged after a moment of thought. "You know the first day on patrol I was walking point with Bill Vickers. You remember him, everyone used to call him Moldy Willy?"

John smiled. "Yeah, I remember Willy."

"Well, Willy almost got shot by a Cong who was camouflaged rather well. And after I gutted him, of course, with a bayonet. Nothing like that bothered me like it should've ever again."

John nodded silently. It took Terry a moment to say something after that too.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to normal after this is all done. If we go back home, we won't be what we were." Terry said. "But as long as everyone in our unit sticks together and stays in touch, I promise you we'll be fine."

"Yeah Ter, I'm sure we will."

John smiled. "Yeah I'm sure."

"Besides. Sensei says we're all ready to compete in the new tournament in a few months. Everyone in the entire army's going." Terry pointed at John. "I'll make sure to take a picture."

"Thanks."

…

John Kreese crossed his arms looking at the old picture of him wearing his green beret uniform in the frame of the 1970-1972 US Army Karate champion.

Those words echoed in Kreese's mind decades later.

"As long as everyone in our unit sticks together and stays in touch, I promise you we'll be fine."

Kreese frowned.

…

At West Valley High as the days towards the end of the semester and the start of finals and then winter break drew near, Tory Nichols had had enough mere days after she heard what happened.

Rumor turned into fact. There was a truce settled between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, which completely took the wind out of the sails for Steel Eagle karate to suddenly join with Miyagi-Do. Robby just didn't know how to react if Cobra Kai seemed done with being on offense.

The school was oddly quiet. There was no more bullying, no more name calling and jokes between the dojos, whatever Lucas and Miguel had agreed to, had worked.

She found Lucas quietly studying in the library of West Valley High School and spoke to him.

"You didn't think to ask me first what I thought?"

"About what?" he barely looked up from his notes for Chemistry.

"About this bullshit truce."

Lucas scoffed. "Lower your voice Nichols, this is a library."

Tory gripped Lucas by his shoulder and almost picked him up out of his chair. He could easily resist but was more surprised than anything.

"Hey-"

Tory opened the door to a nearby closet and shoved Lucas inside.

Then she pinned him against the wall.

"Whoa Nichols listen-"

"Shut the fuck up." Tory hissed. "You listen," Tory said driving her elbow against his chest to pin him against the wall.

"Nichols. I have a girlfriend."

"First off, you think I give a shit what that ditzy hippy bitch thinks?"

Lucas' tone changed. "Don't diss Moon if you want this conversation to go well."

"I know you only like talking to girls who are all flowers and rainbows or happen to be as rich as you, but for crying out Luke, listen to me."

Tory did not possess the upper body strength to stop Lucas from pushing her off of him.

"Fine. I'll listen."

"Off the back of our greatest win over Miyagi-Do yet, you throw in the towel."

"Greatest win? Did you forget the tournament?"

"Oh, you mean the tournament that happened months ago?" Lucas scoffed as Tory kept speaking. "Who told you it was okay to give up?"

"Who told you I was giving up?"

Tory looked at Lucas up and down in the slight darkness of the library supply and storage room. "Maybe the fact that you called us off."

"You act like Sam LaRusso murdered your cat or something. Why do you hate her so much?"

"She's stuck up and annoying."

"Never shoved me inside a closet."

Tory looked at Lucas reproachfully. "Watch it."

"Or what? Diaz and I reached an equitable agreement. It's over, it's off and we've figured it out."

"That's just the thing. How? No one in the whole school seems to know but you two and you won't say anything. All it looks like is that you decided to quit and now we don't have detentions anymore."

Lucas smirked walking past Tory raising his eyebrows. "You don't need to thank me in this way Nichols I promise."

"Who said you could go?"

Tory grabbed Lucas' wrist but he easily slipped out of her grasp. He began to leave, and was so fed up with Tory grabbing him he tried to shove her away.

Tory expertly grabbed Lucas' arm as he reached forward and put him in a wrist lock, one that Lucas was trained in very well to escape from by throwing Tory over his back in a hip throw.

"Stop it!"

"No you stop!"

Tory landed on the ground still gripping his arm and the two grappled for a bit, Lucas did not possess a strong advantage being physically stronger than Tory, she was technically Kreese's better grappler in class as Lucas focused far more on striking. It even was the only part of his training when he began classes in secret with Kreese as a Cobra Kai.

Demetri Alexopolous then opened the door to the supply closet to find Tory and Lucas rolling over each other furiously, wrestling with technique or rather rolling, panting quietly.

Demetri's eyes widened and Lucas panted out. "What are you doing?"

"Volunteering after school what does it look like I'm doing?" wearing gloves, Demetri pointed to the books he was holding. "What are you two doing?"

Tory brushed herself off before walking by Demetri. "You tell anyone this was what it looked like, and I'll break your other shoulder. Got it?"

"Sure I'll-" Demetri gasped loudly in pain when Tory nudged him strongly in the shoulder, his left and very injured shoulder when she walked past.

Demetri was surprised by the amount of speed Lucas possessed when he exited the closet. They were unable to even share a glance, let alone a word.

…

"Everyone's favorite teachers are the ones that lie to them," said Kim Sun Yung decades prior.

He gave his speech in Korean and Terry, John, and the other Tang Soo Do students at the monastery listened quietly.

"They'll tell you you're strong. That your form is good, that you don't need to try harder. The truth is that-"

…

"Perfection is ideal." Kreese crossed his arms over the lapels of his GI. "But not realistic." Everyone in Cobra Kai practiced forward strikes in unison. "But it's fine if it's only a goal. And your only goal should be to-"

"Seek perfection of your character," said Daniel to the Miyagi-Dos.

Demetri practiced kata in a cast over his shoulder.

Miguel and Sam practiced as well next to him wearing white GIs with bonsais on their backs like the rest of the class.

"Don't let your emotions be your drive. Let clarity, and balance, and peace, and-"

"Badassery lead who you are!" yelled Johnny in his dojo in Reseda.

Robby led forward strikes as his father continued to yell. "They kicked the asses of a few of your friends? I'm going back on what I said. You have to kick ass too! You go over there, and show you're not afraid. Cobra Kai are all assholes, so you gotta be tough too, beat their asses too! Because-"

"Fear does not exist." Kreese said. "Never fear who you can be."

"That's why we do karate here." said Johnny. "To be cool! To be badass! To be tough! To be-"

"Winners. Champions. That's all a Cobra Kai has to be, pure and simple." said Kreese.

"The best possible versions of yourselves. Winning is one thing." Daniel said. "But the real victory lies in being a good person. And having good morals."

"You follow this creed." Kreese said to his students as they kiai'd and struck in lines. "And you'll be unstoppable."

"You'll find real balance. I promise you." said Daniel to his own students.

"I promise you you'll be a badass bunch of Eagles!" said Johnny. "Is that clear?"

"You all got that?" asked Daniel kindly.

"Is that understood!?" barked Kreese.

"Yes Sensei!" students from Steel Eagle, Miyagi-Do, and Cobra Kai karate shouted in unison.

…

I was done bench pressing in the back room of the dojo. I sipped some water from a water bottle and wiped the sweat off my forehead with a towel.

"You know what I think?"

Tory was really getting on my nerves.

"You're chickenshit."

"Am I?"

Tory nodded. "Yup. You're scared of Miyagi-Do, of Diaz. You don't want us escalating things for you two to inevitably fight, so that's why you called us off."

If only she knew I accepted a challenge to fight Miguel one on one.

"Because, the last time I fought him I lost?"

"Yup. And now you're letting Sensei Kreese down, it's like you don't even believe in our fight. Almost like you still have LaRusso's dojo as part of you."

"Hm. Tory I don't want you to take what I'm about to do next personally okay?"

Tory was confused. "What?"

I swept her leg out from under her with a spinning heel sweep, classic Cobra Kai style sweep like how Bobby Brown used to sweep legs at the tournament in 1984.

Tory fell hard onto the backroom floor and I spoke over her. "Listen here. You can say whatever you want to me alright. But never doubt my loyalty to this dojo, is that clear?"

Tory didn't stand up yet. "Yes."

"Is that clear?"

"Yeah." she said louder.

"Because you're a girl. And because of, something we've done in the past I'll forgive what you've said. But I won't do it again okay?"

Tory nodded. "Yeah." she said again.

"Good. Thanks." I said before I walked out.

…

After Lucas left, Tory wasn't embarrassed nor angry.

She was smiling oddly.

…

"You have no idea how much Tory's gotten on my nerves lately."

I was snuggling with Moon on her bed in her room.

She shrugged, running her fingers through my hair. "What did she do?"

"She started shoving me around, claiming I didn't care about Cobra Kai."

"Didn't care about it? Weren't you the one who helped start the dojo?"

I sighed. "I know right? She's such a pain."

"Maybe she's jealous."

"Jealous, of what?"

"Of us," Moon said calmly.

"I think it's more likely that she just doesn't like the fact that I told everyone to back off from Miyagi-Do. It still doesn't make any sense to anyone why and how I did what I did."

"Well you know what does make sense? This."

Moon kissed me strongly on the lips.

I kissed her back and could hear her hum as we made out. "Mm."

"Yeah that does make sense."

"Since we've been doing it for such a long time too, it only seems to get better too." Moon shrugged.

I nodded. "Yup."

I helped Moon out of her clothes and she helped me out of mine and we actually talked for a bit while Moon laid flat against her bed in nothing but her underwear.

"We haven't really had the time to be as intimate with each other as we should've," said Moon.

"Yeah finals are in just two weeks and I really need to stay in shape for the tournament in only a few months. Plus I promised the guys that with Miyagi-Do no longer something we need to worry about at school anymore I'd spend more time with them."

Moon sighed out happily as I rubbed around her bare legs, shoulder, and beautiful rear end.

"How's that?" I asked.

"Amazing," she muttered. "Cheer practice has been getting harder, ever since I made Captain I have to train extra."

"Then just pass it along to someone else."

"I tried doing that but it didn't work," said Moon. "Now I'm sore all over."

It still fascinated me even after months of regularly having sex and cuddling together that Moon could be tanned so well so perfectly all over her entire body with such perfectly smooth skin and curves.

"Your body is just incredible babe," I muttered against her lips.

"Not too shabby yourself either." Moon smiled back at me as I finished rubbing down her naked back.

I kissed just above the fabric of her light blue panties above her hip and gave her ass a light spank. Then I brushed aside her gorgeous light brown hair and kissed her on the shoulder, and then the neck.

She moaned, chuckling as I drew her up with both hands and kissed her all over from behind her. "Well what are you waiting for? You know it's been weeks for both of us. Almost well over two months."

"You've been keeping track?"

"Despite dating so frequently we don't do much more in private than make out," Moon muttered against my lips. "Almost made me wonder why besides both of us being so busy."

"Too busy for sex. Yeah."

"Did you get bored of me? Or is it because your mom and both your grandparents don't approve of me?" she asked lightly.

"What? No, I just." I sighed. "Moon I really really like you, that'd never happen."

"So you promise you just want me? No other girls?"

"Yeah I promise."

"What about Tory? She's very busty, and blond, beautiful." Moon said. "I know guys like that."

I muttered against the bare skin of her shoulder. "Most guys don't have what we have. Most people don't, period."

"Luke," she said flatly almost moving my hands away from her hips lightly.

"I promise I'd never mess around with Tory behind your back. Why are you worried about that?"

"Because things are getting crazy. I know no one listens to me about ending all this fighting but you, you managed to put a stop to it. Maybe with all the talk of some sort of karate turf war you and Tory, because of the stress and craziness, you two do more than just practice karate together."

I said nothing, just shook my head.

"You don't get worried I might cheat on you with some football player or something?" she asked shyly.

Some girls on the cheer squad might've, but I wasn't dating them.

I shook my head. "No. Because I trust you Moon, I trust you more than basically anyone. I know you'd never do that to me."

Moon frowned. "I'm really sorry for getting jealous."

"Don't be. I'm your first boyfriend and I've barely dated anyone either. It's fine."

Moon turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Can we please just have sex like we used to?"

I shook my head. "We'll never do it like that again."

"Why not?"

"Because it's only gotten way better since then. Would you agree?"

Moon moaned softly when I raised her up in my arms and kissed her beneath her chin and right on the throat.

"Yes!"

"Moon, would you agree babe?"

"Yeah!"

…

After we were finished I laid in her bed with her beneath the covers.

"I missed that." Moon smiled, rubbing her head against my chest.

"I missed that too, but everything else has been great though."

Moon shrugged, looking up at me and tucking some hair of mine behind my ear. "The dates are fine, but I like it when we just talk. Just relax together, it's like before but better."

"Not just cause I know it'll only be you and me, right?" she nodded as I spoke. "It's like it's special now, does that sound dumb?"

She shook her head.

"Can you stay?"

I nodded. "Yeah my mom's still in town until after New Year's, but I told her I was rewatching the Rocky series over at Hawk's house with the squad."

"I was so excited to finally meet her," said Moon in my arms. "And then she turned out to not approve of me."

"Well I wouldn't say that but-"

"Then what would you say?"

I frowned. "That she just, thinks my attraction to you is only physical."

"And she can't know we've only barely had sex lately."

"Well she is a doctor but I can't tell her that, do you want me to tell her that?"

Moon laughed. "No, but let her know that's not the case."

"I told her but she doesn't get it. My whole family doesn't get it."

"Well why not?"

"Because they're all super old, rich, and stuck up. You don't get more WASP-y than my family, I'm basically the last male Mills alive after Pops passes." I muttered. "Bigger deal than it actually needs to be."

Moon smiled. "We're very happy together, and they just don't get that."

"Honestly they won't be able to do more than disapprove of us. I won't stop what we have, it's special to me, more special than anything else I have going on."

Moon smiled, kissing me. "Mf. Glad to hear it."

Our legs were crossed together beneath the covers and Moon shifted a little, rubbing her knee against my thigh for a moment. I looked around her room, I enjoyed this snug little love nest we made for each other since this summer.

We fooled around here and there since we started dating officially but I missed more than just sleeping with Moon for the sake of it, I missed being with her, resting my forehead against hers like I was doing right now, being with her with her.

And it was amazing, and I think I fell asleep better than I ever did because of that.

…

…

…

A/N: To Jack, no I have never found nor even heard of a fanfic like that, sorry.

On a slightly unrelated note, I will be cutting this fic shorter than the other ones. There will only be a chapter or two before the very last one. The Season 4 fanfic is the one that I think offers the most potential for intrigue and character development as most of what I have planned is rather new and the same characters and in a way plotlines and drama has been sorta the same for a few books now.

Other than that new chap soon, see you all next time.