CHAPTER 37

The next day, Miguel woke up, new life running through his veins. He had new purpose, new reason to get out of bed. He practically ran to the shower in his haste to get ready for school that day and after he was done, he walked back into his bedroom and stood before his mirror, just like he had the day after his grandmother had died. With only a towel around his waist and his grandmother's gold cross necklace around his neck, he was able to once again truly see inside him, see into his soul. And as he looked into it, the heart that he previously saw pumping black sludge through his veins was finally pumping crimson blood again. He could still see the black sludge all over his body, but his pure blood was fighting it, trying to push it completely out of his system. He was far from perfect, but it was progress.

After getting dressed into his clothes for school, Miguel walked downstairs, grabbing a bite to eat and preparing to go to school. As Miguel walked into the living room, he looked around at the Christmas decorations his family had put up at the beginning of the month. It was 3 weeks from Christmas and the Valley were all buzzing, desperately ready for the holidays after a long couple of months, Miguel included. He definitely needed a holiday, a break from everything so he could truly process everything that was going on in his life. Lately, it had felt like he had been desperately trying to tread water, keep his head above the sea line as waves of new events crashed over him, trying to pull him under. He needed that break to be able to recharge and go into the next 6 months of the year with full vitality.

Miguel sat at the table, eating a banana. He knew his mom had already gone to work so the apartment was empty. Double checking she was gone, after he was sure she had left, Miguel opened his school backpack and pulled out something he knew he could only look at alone: college brochures. It was shameful. Miguel was a straight A student halfway into his senior year of high school, and he still hadn't yet looked at colleges. All of his friends had, some of them already getting into various places all over the country, but not Miguel. He had been up to his neck with everything that had gone on with his recovery, then Cobra Kai, and then his yaya dying that he hadn't even looked at any colleges. And that was a really stupid move on his part. Because unlike a lot of his friends, Miguel and his family didn't have the money to send him to college. Despite Kreese paying for Miguel's hospital bills, Miguel's family were still living paycheck to paycheck, so the only hope Miguel had for college was by either scholarships or student loans. And given that most scholarship applications were long submitted, that really just left Miguel with that one other option.

Miguel sighed as he flipped through a leaflet for a community college. With every passing day, he felt the prospect of him making it out of Reseda and having a bright future get dimmer and dimmer, but he couldn't give up. Suddenly, just as he was about to put everything in his bag and head for school, he heard the doorbell ring. Miguel stood up, assuming it was George as George normally swung by and picked him up on the way to school. However, the person who answered George. It was instead one of the last people Miguel expected and wanted to see.

"Hello, Miguel."

"Oh, um… Hi Sensei Kreese…"

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"Can I come in?" Kreese asked as he stood in the doorway. Miguel looked at him, forcing himself to stay calm, despite staring eye to eye with the man who had spent the past 4 months manipulating him, breaking him down to pieces mentally to rebuild them into the soulless, heartless machine he wanted for his dojo.

"Um… I was actually just about to head to school. Can I help you with something?" Miguel asked.

"I heard about what happened with your grandmother. I'm sorry." Kreese said. Miguel nodded, keeping his face straight, He knew that this wasn't why Kreese had come all the way out here. He knew exactly why Kreese had come, and he was just waiting for the elderly sensei to say it.

"Thank you." Miguel murmured.

"You know, in my experience, losing a loved one gives you the motivation and energy to fight even harder, get even stronger." Kreese stated. "You should come back to training soon, Miguel. Trust me, it will help you."

And there it was. The reason why Kreese had shown up on his doorstep that morning. He didn't give a rat's ass about Miguel's grandmother. He didn't give a rat's ass about Miguel at all. All he cared about was his strongest warrior returning to the barracks. It had taken 4 months, but Miguel could finally see through Kreese's charade and realise how little the man cared about his people. Miguel could probably die, and as long as he had taken out a Miyagi-Do with him, Kreese wouldn't bat an eye.

"Um… listen, Sensei Kreese. I'm really sorry but I don't think I'm coming back to Cobra Kai." Miguel murmured. Anger flashed through Kreese's face for several moments, before he wiped it clean and forced himself to remain calm if he wanted to keep his star pupil.

"I'm sorry?" Kreese stammered.

"Look, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. And don't worry, I'm not joining Miyagi-Do or anything. But recently, I've realised that the person I am when I'm around Cobra Kai isn't the person I want to be."

"Miguel… you are one of us. Part of our family. We paid for your physical therapy and everything."

Miguel winced. He knew that Kreese would try and play this card, but it still hit him with a sharp pang to the chest. In a way, Kreese was right. They had paid for Miguel's therapy and although Kreese hadn't explicitly said this, he owed them one. That's why it was going to be extra hard for Miguel to leave.

"I know. And I really, really appreciate it. It saved not only me, but my whole family. And that's why I'm always going to feel an allegiance to Cobra Kai. The dojo has done so much for me. But right now, I know that my top priority needs to be becoming a better, more balanced person and I can't do that while I'm in Cobra Kai."

Kreese forced the frustration that was rising within him away from his face at what he was hearing from Miguel.

"You are going to regret this, Miguel. You know we're planning to take over, conquer and dominate the Valley. We don't want to have to go through you." Kreese warned him. Miguel sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm out…"

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Kreese had left shortly after that, thankfully without violence, and George had picked him up for school. As the two boys sat in George's car, Miguel was still silently smoldering. A part of him was still feeling guilty about turning his back on Cobra Kai, and another part was feeling furious at himself for feeling guilty. However, above all of that, Miguel still had a high level of excitement bubbling on the surface about the creation of his and Johnny's new dojo. Johnny had dubbed it "Eagle-Fang Karate" much to Miguel's reproach, and while Johnny would spend the day looking for locations for the dojo, Miguel would spend it in school trying to recruit students. They had already recruited two: him and George, but they knew that if they wanted to be able to take the fight to both Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai at the All-Valley, they would need more.

After they had arrived at school, the morning went pretty uneventfully. Their morning classes were so boring Miguel almost fell asleep, but he managed to stay awake and last until lunch break. Him and George walked into the cafeteria and almost as soon as they did, they saw the unmistakable sight of a red mohawk pushing through the sea of students and storming towards them. Miguel took a deep breath, gearing up for an inevitable confrontation, as he saw a fuming expression on Hawk's face.

"Just got a message from Kreese and heard the news. What the hell?!" Hawk snapped. Miguel shrugged.

"Sorry. I'm out." Miguel replied shortly.

"After everything Sensei Kreese did for you you betray him?!" Hawk bellowed, causing most of the dining hall to quiet down and face them, curiously listening into their conversation, amongst them several Miyagi-Dos, namely Demetri, Nate, Sam and Chris. They watched, interested, as the events in front of them unfolded between the two Cobras and former best friends.

"Everything he's done for me? Hawk, he's turned all of us into assholes, can't you see? Remember Eli? That innocent kid who wouldn't hurt a fly? That's who you truly are, and some muscles and a dumbass haircut have blocked him from seeing the sun but he's still there deep inside."

"Eli's dead, and for good reason." Hawk growled. "So what are you going to do now? Join Miyagi-Do with all of those pussies and join their hippie, let's all be friends karate?"

"No. But I'm not sticking with Cobra Kai and becoming even more of a knob. We're starting a new dojo. Sensei Lawrence and I. You should join too. If you join, other Cobra Kais will follow."

"When hell freezes over." Hawk spat, squaring up to Miguel, preparing to fight him. Miguel also didn't back down, standing closer and closer until their noses were almost touching.

"Go on, hit me. I dare you." Miguel remarked as he saw Hawk's hand balling tightly into a fist. Miguel pointed at his own cheek. "Come on, I'll even give you one free shot right here. But I know you won't do it. Because you know that if you lay a finger on me, you'll be drinking out of a straw, asking mommy and daddy to push you around in a wheelchair for the rest of your life."

Hawk and Miguel scowled at each other, their facial expressions burning heatrays at each other in fury. Eventually, Hawk took a step back, his facial expression not at all brightening and if anything getting even more dark. Miguel chuckled.

"Thought so." He remarked, before turning to the rest of the cafeteria and standing on a table to address them, all of them looking at him extremely curiously. "Attention eavesdropping students. I have an announcement. I know a lot of you probably want to start learning Karate because let's face it, it's awesome and badass and frankly a lot of you people aren't. The problem is you don't know which dojo to join, right? Cobra Kai are a bunch of dickheads and assholes and Miyagi-Dos are a bunch of pussies. Don't worry, there's a solution to that. For any of you wanting to become a badass but not an asshole, Eagle-Fang Karate is the place for all of you. You join us, I personally guarantee that you will become an absolute badass. If any of you want to consider strapping on a pair and joining us, come see me whenever. Thank you for listening. You may now return to your pointless, Eagle-Fangless lifes."

Miguel then stepped off the table and found himself once again facing Hawk.

"You're going to regret this, Miguel." Hawk growled. Miguel chuckled as he watched his deep-down soft former friend attempting to sound threatening but to someone who knew him so well, wasn't threatening at all.

"Jee, I'm terrified." Miguel commented sarcastically before walking past him and down the hall…