Chapter 29: Aftermath
James's POV:
The ambulance ride was the worst. I felt like I wanted to die right then and there. The first responders kept telling me that everything was going to be okay. Are you kidding me? My goddam arm is broken. I can't believe I'm already going back to the hospital.
Third Person POV:
"I know this is hard for you, but I need you to answer my questions." Detective Alfonso says.
"My boyfriend was beaten half to death by Steve. What else do you want me to say?" Emma says.
"You need to tell me exactly what happened. I only saw the ending of the fight. If you want the charges on Steve to stick, then you need to tell me everything he did. Even the small details help." Detective Alfonso says.
"Steve and James have had a rivalry even before Chase and I knew them. When James beat Steve during the tournament, he snapped. He attacked James because he wanted revenge. After Steve broke his arm, Chase attacked him. Steve easily overpowered him." Emma says while tears form in her eyes.
"It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna make sure Steve gets locked up." Detective Alfonso says.
"I just wish I could have done more. I just stood there and watched as my boyfriend got beat up. I wish I did more to help." Emma says.
Later…
Steve was in the back of a police car. He couldn't bear to look outside and see everyone enjoying their freedom. Did it feel good to get revenge on James? Of course. But was it worth it?
"I don't regret what I did." Steve says to himself.
"What was that?" The officer in the passenger seat asks.
"I don't regret what I did." Steve says with a smile on his face. He truly meant that. The pain on James's face made him feel good about himself. It felt good to beat the shit out of that Chase. He deserved it after betraying Cobra Kai.
"Good to know." The officer responds.
Later…
The first championship match was about to begin. Eli v.s. Robby. Before the match could begin, a police officer entered the building and approached James's parents. After talking to them for a bit, James's mom burst out crying while James's dad looked like he wanted to kill someone. The two were escorted out of the building quickly.
"Wait, what was that all about?" Demetri asks.
"I'm sure everything is okay." Daniel says. Suddenly, Nate comes running up to the Miyagi-Dos.
"Nate? Where were you?" Eli asks.
"I went to get a drink of water, and I overheard what the police officer said. Someone attacked James and broke his arm!" Nate says. All the Miyagi-Dos stare at Nate in shock.
"You're joking right?" Sam asks.
"No! Why would I joke about that?" Nate asks.
"Guys, I don't see Steve with Cobra Kai." Demetri points out.
"Son of a bitch! How did we miss him leaving?" Chris asks in anger.
"Everyone calm down. I'm sure James is going to be alright." Daniel says.
"We're going to get payback by winning this thing." Sam says. Eli nods and gets ready for his match.
Later…
Eli and Robby had entered sudden death. This fight could determine the future of the valley. After a tense standoff, Eli manages to get Robby on the ground and kick him in the chest to win the match.
"Point! Winner!" The referee shouts. After a quick celebration the Miyagi-Do kids step off the mat.
"I can't wait to see James's face when I tell him I beat Robby." Eli says.
Later…
That happiness didn't last long. Tory scored the winning point on Sam, leading her and Cobra Kai to victory.
"We did the right thing and we still didn't win. Cobra Kai is going to get away with what they did to James." Sam says.
"It's not your fault." Daniel says before Sam walks away.
James's POV:
I open my eyes and see a familiar sight. The hospital ceiling. It feels so weird being back here. My left arm was all wrapped up. Eventually, both my parents come in to see me.
"Thank god you're okay." My mom says.
"How's Chase?" I ask. My mom hesitates before answering.
"It's pretty bad. He's gonna have to get surgery done on his knee. He won't be the same." My mom answers honestly.
"This is all my fault." I say.
"No. Don't blame yourself for this." My dad says.
"I can. If I didn't show mercy to Steve, none of this would have happened. It's my fault Chase got hurt." I say.
"Steve's the one who chose to attack you guys." My dad says. I didn't want to talk about the attack anymore, so I changed the subject.
"Well, what about the tournament? Did Miyagi-Do win?" I ask. My parents both look at each other.
"We heard that Cobra Kai won." My mom says. It takes a while for me to process those words.
"Excuse me?" I say, not wanting to believe it.
"Cobra Kai won overall. We heard some people talking about it." My dad confirms. I don't say anything after that. How could this be happening? They're supposed to be the villains. Why do they deserve to win? Even after what Steve did, they still win.
"James, are you okay?" My mom asks.
"No…I…I don't feel good." I say.
Third Person POV:
James's parents were in the hospital lobby. James seemed to be out of it ever since he heard that Cobra Kai won the tournament. Soon, two boys enter the lobby and approach James's parents.
"We came as soon as possible. How's James?" Eli asks.
"He's doing fine. He seems more upset about the All Valley than what happened to his arm." James's mom says.
"The police aren't telling anyone who did it. I'm guessing it was Steve?" Demetri asks. James's parents nod. "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Miyagi-Do will be here to support James for as long as it takes for him to recover.
"That means a lot. Thank you for being such good friends." James's mom says.
James's POV:
No matter what I tried to do, I could not get Cobra Kai and Steve out of my head. They successfully hurt me and won the tournament. How's that possible? The good guys are supposed to win. I stare at my arm and a scowl comes over my face. I don't care how long it takes for my arm to heal, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get stronger. I'm done showing mercy to Cobra Kai. If I see a Cobra Kai kid who even looks at me funny, I won't hesitate to strike first. Cobra Kai doesn't have any honor, so why should I? Steve may think this event has weakened me, but it's done the exact opposite. I can't wait to get out of the hospital and beat some Cobra Kai ass.
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading the Season 4 storyline for Cobra Kai: James's Story. Season 5 of Cobra Kai is out now and I can't wait to write for it. You'll get to see a new side of James, something much darker.