Chapter 18: New Alliances

Third Person POV:

Chase was wobbling down the sidewalk. He had received a severe beating from Cobra Kai. They threatened to do it again if Chase revealed that all of James's posts were actually from Steve. As Chase was moving, he bumped into Johnny.

"Jesus, what the hell happened to you." Johnny asks.

"These assholes beat me up, call themselves Cobra Kai." Chase says. Johnny immediately starts paying more attention.

"Cobra Kai did this?" Johnny asks. Chase nods. "Well, how about you join my dojo so you can get back at those pricks." Johnny says.

"No way, I'm done with karate. All it leads too is pain and suffering." Chase says. Chase moves around Johnny and tries to walk away.

"Well my dojo isn't about that. It's about being a badass without being an asshole. It's made up of former Cobra Kai students who have changed their ways." Johnny says. This makes Chase stop and think.

"I…I don't know." Chase says.

"Trust me, we'll get you to fight back the right way." Johnny says.

"Fine…I'll check it out." Chase says.

James's POV:

I spent hours yesterday trying to perfect the pressure point technique. It's a lot harder than you think. Your hits have to be absolutely perfect for this move to work. I got frustrated more than a few times, but Mr. LaRusso was able to calm me down. I think it all paid off though, I might be able to do it on my own. I doubt it though. It's cool to see the more aggressive side of Miyagi-Do. Despite learning this new skill, I still feel like something is missing. I don't think I'm aggressive enough. Mr. LaRusso already told me not to use this new technique to attack people. However, If I want to truly beat Steve, I need to fight back. I still miss Sensei Lawrence's teachings. If our dojos were still together then we could learn so much more offensive techniques. That's why, after I leave the dojo, I'm gonna pay a visit to Eagle Fang. Hopefully, Sensei Lawrence will let me train with him.

Later…

I arrive at what appears to be an abandoned warehouse? Why would Eagle Fang be training here? When I enter, I see only Sensei Lawrence in the room.

"Uh, welcome to Eagle Fang. Class has already finished but you can come by tomorrow." Sensei Lawrence says.

"I'm actually here to talk to you." I say. Suddenly, a look of recognition appears on Sensei Lawrence's face.

"Wait…aren't you that kid from Miyagi-Do?" Sensei Lawrence asks.

"Yeah. My name's James." I say.

"Oh! You're that kid that got his ribs broken. So, why are you here? Did LaRusso send you over?" Sensei Lawrence asks.

"Uh, no. I actually came here to train." I say.

"Train? What are you talking about?" Sensei Lawrence asks.

"A few days ago, I beat up a kid who was bullying me. He was the one who broke my ribs. The thing is, I used Eagle Fang to beat him, not Miyagi-Do. I feel like I can learn to be stronger if you teach me some stuff." I say.

"Does Daniel know about this?" Sensei Lawrence asks.

"No…I don't think he would approve." I confess.

"Okay, if you truly wanna learn how to be a badass, then you're gonna have to commit to this. Do you commit to coming here every day after class to train?" Sensei Lawrence asks. I smile.

"Yeah." I say.

"Then let's get started." He says.

Later…

It's been a few days since I started training with Sensei Lawrence. I honestly feel better. As I walk down the halls of my school, I notice Miguel.

"Hey man, what's up?" I ask.

"Nothing much." He says while we fist bump. I notice that he seems to be more…sad? I don't know what it is.

"So, how's training going?" I ask.

"It's fine. We got a girl to join so she can compete in the girls division." Miguel says.

"That's cool. Eli joined our dojo, so that's awesome. It feels like he's a completely different person now." I say.

"Oh, speaking of new recruits, we did get a new kid to join our dojo. He's pretty strong. I think he plays basketball here." Miguel says. My eyes go wide.

"What's his name?" I say in shock.

"Hm?" Miguel asks in confusion.

"What's his name?" I say more aggressively.

"Uh, I think it's Chase." Miguel says.

"God dammit!" I say rather loudly.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Miguel asks. I pause before speaking.

"Chase is the guy who broke my ribs." I say.

Later…

I don't show up to train at Miyagi-Do. I go straight to Eagle Fang with Miguel. As soon as we get there, I march straight on in. I enter and see him.

"James? What are you doing here at this time?" Sensei Lawrence asks. I say nothing. I just lock eyes with Chase.