Chapter Fourteen: A Man's Job

Robby and Hawk didn't know what to say to each other at first.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hawk slowly.

"Training. And you?"

"The same."

The silence was a bit eerie, considering how large the entire forest was.

"We haven't talked since the uh."

Robby cleared his throat. "The Ride yeah."

"So you're still at Miyagi-Do?"

Robby nodded. "Still with Kreese I take it?"

"Nothing wrong with him the way I see it."

"There's everything wrong with him," Robby said. "He's a psycho, manipulative, and a liar. He's violent and dangerous. But I guess I don't know him like you do."

"Don't you think it's a bit stupid at this point. To let karate get in the way of our friendship?"

"That's the main problem with your Senseis dude." Robby explained. "They lost a war so they projected it onto their teaching. They take karate too personally. That's why you'll never truly win."

"My guy, all this shit started cause people wouldn't trust me for once."

"You mean how Sam wouldn't?" Robby asked.

Hawk fell quiet.

"You and Sam dated for two weeks tops, that's mostly in the past for now though. Besides all the petty shit with Miguel, this has no reason to keep going."

"So why keep doing karate?" asked Hawk.

"Because I agree with Mr. LaRusso. Silver is genuinely dangerous."

John Kreese was able to track and find Hawk in a matter of minutes.

He heard his argument with Robby nearby and soon found both boys quieting as Kreese approached.

"What's going on here?"

Robby turned to him.

"Mr. Keene." said Kreese. "Haven't seen you back at the dojo for a long time."

"My Sensei had a disagreement with you." Robby said plainly.

Kreese chuckled. "You're always welcome at Cobra Kai. We don't forget who chose the way of the fist first."

"If the tournament was supposed to change things. How come it seems like they've gotten worse?" asked Robby.

"Have they?" Hawk was confused. "Could've sworn no one's gotten hurt since then."

"But what you all want is dangerous," Robby said. "Being merciless, dangerous, and violent. That's no code."

Kreese squinted at Robby. "I tried to teach your father the right way of doing things. He didn't listen. And it cost him."

"Is that why you tried to kill him?"

Kreese frowned. "That never bothered you when I trained you."

"Because it seemed like he forgave you for that. Or that you changed."

Hawk scoffed. "Man you can shut your damn mouth."

Robby crossed his arms, shifting where he stood on the forest floor.

"No need." Kreese blinked. "You act differently Robby, but I know the truth. Deep down you miss being at the dojo."

Robby was quiet.

"Deep down you may not want to be part of Cobra Kai, or want to learn the way of the fist. But you miss the friends you made there."

Robby couldn't make eye contact with Kreese. "And why's that?"

"Johnny was that way for one. But you never would keep doing karate with LaRusso to spite them for it if it wasn't the case."

Robby frowned and then spoke calmly, looking at Kreese right in the eyes. "Say I move back in with my mom. Go to Lankershim instead of Miyagi-Do. What could you promise me? A trophy? A first place medal?"

"Cobra Kai promises much more than trophies." said Kreese. "It promises true strength. You become the best version of yourself. You live up to your full potential."

Robby looked between Kreese and Hawk and then he spoke.

"Terry Silver, is no one's fullest potential." Robby said quietly.

"He can be." Kreese replied.

"Is that why you made a separate dojo from his with the same name?"

Before Kreese could respond, someone else did.

Chozen appeared, and Kreese, Hawk, and Robby all turned to him.

"He's of true and noble character." said Chozen to Kreese. "I suggest you stop trying to sway him."

"You must be Sensei Toguchi from Okinawa."

"And you must be the man responsible for all of this."

Kreese barely nodded. "So you're as blind as LaRusso I take it."

"In all honesty, I suggest you close the doors to your dojo. You have nothing valuable to teach at all."

"Right." Robby agreed.

Kreese held Hawk back.

"And I suggest you take that back." Kreese said coldly. "Now."

Chozen glanced at Robby. "It's not right to let children do a man's job. We should settle this between us. Leave the boys out of this."

"Agreed."

Hawk nodded slowly. "I'll be back at camp Sensei."

Robby muttered to Chozen before he left. "Are you sure about this?"

"Never more sure of anything." Chozen said calmly.

Robby accepted and left the two men alone.

Kreese and Chozen began to circle each other.

"I win fight. You leave forest, allow me and the boy to train."

"I win this fight. Robby Keene leaves Miyagi-Do, or at least, isn't your student anymore."

Chozen scoffed. "What makes you so sure he wishes to train with you?"

"Never been more sure of anything." Kreese echoed Chozen seconds earlier.

Chozen nodded smiling.

Before Chozen could get into his fighting stance, Kreese had already attacked him.

Chozen narrowly dodged a jab, a front kick, and a spinning backfist.

Suddenly pinned to a tree, Chozen grunted angrily. "You must have been trained by Kim Sun-Yung!"

"More or less."

Kreese kiai'd before kicking the tree he pinned Chozen to so hard bark flew off his shoe as Chozen barely dodged in time.

Kreese realized very quickly how well Chozen had been trained in moments.

After one exchange of strikes, Kreese realized Chozen was quicker than him.

Chozen could close the distance between them much easier than Kreese could. Chozen's reverse punch to the body could blow the hinges off a door and Kreese was just tough enough to withstand it right to the liver.

Kreese lacked the flexibility anymore to round kick any higher than Chozen's ribs, so he stuck heavily to straight punches to the face as well as elbow attacks.

Chozen began to combo Kreese before he walked directly into a palm heel strike to the face.

Chozen staggered and then resumed his strong stance.

Both men stayed rooted close to the ground, hands high, focused utterly on each other.

They lacked the ability to knock each other out in one blow despite having studied karate almost their entire lives.

However, Chozen's consistent training outmatched Kreese's, as well as being decades younger, but Kreese remained in the fight with sheer toughness and striking power.

Kreese's jab and especially his random knee and elbow attacks kept Chozen mostly at bay for a few exchanges.

But where Chozen was heavily outmatched was when they clinched.

Chozen rushed forward with several forward strikes, and as Kreese dodged and drew himself closer, Chozen was almost swung clean off his feet.

Kreese was far better at grappling than Chozen, but Chozen was no novice either when at close range.

Chozen struggled to escape the clinch but was successful in avoiding knee attacks. He dodged an elbow from Kreese while separating from the clinch by the skin of his teeth.

Kreese hid how tired he was, Chozen was barely winded after not even a minute of fighting.

Chozen lowered Kreese's front hand to throw a reverse punch to Kreese's jaw but he dodged in time, clinching once more.

Kreese used the momentum of Chozen rushing forward to strike to trip him and send him flying away, sending leaves flying off the forest floor.

Chozen spun right onto his feet and into a wheel kick.

Kreese watched as Chozen's shoe flew past his jaw fast enough to make his hair move.

They exchanged a few more strikes, and after a minute of bobbing and weaving, throwing punch, counter punch, round kicks to the body, along with a variety of elbows, knees, and backfists, Kreese was finished.

Chozen was more than skilled and far more consistent in his training over his whole life compared to Kreese as well as younger to keep up with Kreese. Neither Kreese nor Chozen landed anything significant on each other to end the fight, however they were even in which either of them was landing more.

Kreese showed a significant advantage in grappling Chozen, while Chozen held a slight but noticeable edge in striking.

Eventually, Kreese was so tired he could barely keep his hands up.

Chozen took advantage of this and ignored a weak jab as he rushed forward with a thrust kick with his front leg, his left.

It landed flush right above Kreese's belt and he went flying back, landing hard on his shoulder and smacking against a tree.

Kreese resisted the urge to hiss in pain, but he knew his shoulder was injured.

"Miyagi-Do my ass." Kreese chuckled, rubbing some blood off his lip.

Panting slightly, Chozen spoke. "Honor does not mean weakness."

"You'd get along well with my best student." Kreese nodded, raising his fists.

Chozen saw this and knew if they continued it was more likely Kreese would pass out from exhaustion than Chozen doing anything to him to end the fight.

Chozen nodded back and gave a slight bow of his head. "I'll keep my student to my half of the woods. And you'll keep yours to your own."

"What?" asked Kreese. "You're giving up?"

"It is clear unless I take your life you will not be. And boys who are not our sons aren't worth this much trouble."

"You're saying Robby isn't worth all this?"

"He's not worth me murdering someone no, at least not here." Chozen glanced at Kreese up and down. "But the mania and violence your partner inflicts certainly might be."

"You're talking about a seventeen year old kid?"

"No." Chozen said. "I'm talking about Terry Silver."

Kreese nodded again. "I don't think we're partners anymore."

"Same dojo name with the same logo. Almost the same students, and the same methods." Chozen began to leave the clearing containing a small portion of his own blood as well as Kreese's on the forest floor. "I wish you good luck in the National competition, despite your complete lack of character, I expect you can train good competitors."

Hawk was slightly shocked when Kreese returned to the camp injured.

"Pack up. We're leaving."

"Wait what happened? Who won?"

"No one did," said Kreese.

"That's not what you taught me," Hawk said. "There's always a winner. Defeat does not exist."

"Listen. And do what I tell you."

Hawk froze.

"Yes Sensei," Hawk said quietly.

Chozen spoke to Robby quickly.

Robby frowned at the sight of Chozen. "You hurt?"

He shook his head. "We can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust that man at all."

"Hawk might be an asshole but he's not like. A psychopathic asshole."

Chozen merely looked at Robby as if he wanted him to go on.

"Could've shot me with a bow and arrow in the middle of the woods without anyone around. And he didn't."

Chozen sighed. "It's not him, it's his Sensei I'm worried about."

Robby shrugged and nodded, looking aside.

"The woods aren't safe with him around. We have to leave."

"You think he'll break into our camp and try to hurt us or something?"

Chozen shook his head. "I have no idea what he can do. I wish to explain something to you."

On the drive back from Big Bear to Los Angeles, Chozen wrapped gauze tape over his bruised knuckles while Robby drove.

"There was a man my uncle rarely spoke of. By the name of Kim Sun-Yung." Chozen said. "Very cruel, very dangerous."

"What did he teach?"

"A merciless and desperate fighting style," said Chozen. "He was already an elderly man by the time my uncle spoke of him to me. But even gone now, his legacy makes him even more dangerous."

"Why?"

"From what I understand, Terry Silver aims to grow Cobra Kai, Sun-Yung's teachings, across the entire world."

Robby was confused. "What, like some sort of super villain?"

"I was able to discern this the more Daniel-san told me about him." Chozen finished tending to his own wounds. "Silver wished to take over the entire Valley with his victory at the All Valley. And has done so. If he wins at the Korea Open."

Chozen trailed.

Robby understood. "The entire world will know he's the best in karate."

"I'm afraid even the victory of teenagers at the global competitive level would be enough for what he wants." sighed Chozen. "I couldn't stay remotely close to a man who trusts him. So I'm sorry we had to go."

"No I totally get it." Robby said. "I'm actually glad we got out of there,"

Robby spoke slowly. "I always knew Kreese was wrong but. I had no idea what he and Silver wanted was so evil. It almost doesn't even feel real."

"It would feel comical yes. But I once took karate so personally, I nearly murdered someone over it."

"What?"

Chozen explained. "Long story. But that someone was Daniel-san."

"What!?" Robby repeated, louder.

Chozen chuckled. "Think of the fights you had with all those from your school. Only with knives and honor involved."

"So like. Crazier?"

"If that could be possible."

Robby sighed. "The sooner we wrap up this rivalry nonsense, the better."

"Mm." Chozen hummed while nodding.

Hawk drove an injured Kreese back towards the Valley in silence.

The one to break it was the Sensei.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

Kreese sighed. "I'm sorry we had to go in such a hurry."

"I know you lost Sensei. You wanted to get it all out of your head as fast as possible."

Kreese wasn't angry. "Defeat tastes most bitter when you know it was earned."

Hawk nodded.

"One time. I took Johnny and a few others up to a regional karate championship up near Northridge. Terrible judges, clearly biased against him."

Hawk kept listening.

"It was the first fight Johnny ever lost in competition."

"I thought Vidal was the first to beat him."

Kreese shook his head. "No, it was in that Northridge tournament. Johnny was only thirteen years old, he'd only been training for about a year. Barely a blue belt. He was so scared when he stepped off the mat and walked my way."

"Why?"

"Because he was so sure I'd be mad that he lost." Kreese shrugged. "But I told him instead. Focus on your training, the only loss I saw, was in the judging."

Hawk smiled slightly.

Kreese sighed. "That's the thing about tournaments at the end of the day. It's three or more people deciding if you fought better than another person instead of who's standing, and who's not."

"So why bring it up now? Our next tournament isn't until December."

"Because today's fight, was the first fight in my entire life I lost where judges weren't remotely involved."

Hawk didn't say a word.

Kreese muttered calmly. "I've never run from a fight. Never backed down even when I faced more people than myself, or bigger people. But I can saw without a doubt that man, Toguchi, beat me today."

Hawk listened quietly.

"I want you to understand this very clearly. I believe in your ability very much Eli." Kreese said. "Just because Keene's Sensei beat me. That doesn't mean you can't beat Keene."

"Are you sure I can?"

"There's no one else competing at Nationals I think will be more able to than you. I know it for a fact."

Kreese turned over to take a nap in his seat after a few more minutes, which was lucky for Hawk as he was able to hide a few joyful and prideful tears.

I thought it appropriate for Moon to tell me the truth, she always did.

Tory had sought Sam for a fight. The girls had brawled in the street again.

The results were very similar to last time according to what Moon told me, so I'm sure the fight itself was similar.

All Moon knew was that 'everyone was pretty hurt but no one had to go to the hospital i think'

The news killed any sexy vibes between Moon and I, and Yasmine and I by proxy, and I didn't mind, I decided to spend the evening with the garage squad instead.

Hawk cracked open a beer.

"So how was the camping trip with Sensei? He teach you any special moves?" asked Rickenberger.

"Not really."

"Anything interesting happen?"

"Nope." Hawk said. "So what's new around here?"

I noticed how quickly Hawk changed the topic but didn't say anything.

"Catfight two, electric boogaloo." Edwin chuckled.

"Man shut the fuck up." Big Red punched Edwin's shoulder. "You know any of them could kick your ass."

Mikey looked over at me. "You think we should do something?"

"No," I said quietly.

"You have quite a way with girls. One text and you could probably have them all declaring a pretty solid truce." Hawk added.

"Have you forgotten how pissed Tory is at me?"

"Right." Rick sighed, standing up off the cooler he was sitting on to draw a soda from it. "Bitches will be bitches."

Hawk muttered. "Dude. Hard to believe we're more logical about this than all the chicks."

"Not that hard to believe." Mikey burped while eating a pizza so sloppily he got pepperoni oil all over his sleeve.

"Weren't we all about to fight them at the drive in theatre?" asked Shawn.

"That was different. Kenny was threatened," said Hawk. "Tory just straight up walked up to Sam and wanted to fight them again."

"You'd think LaRusso would learn her lesson for once." Shawn sighed.

Mitch shrugged. "Luke you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Doesn't look that way, what's up?"

"Just thinking about LaRusso and Diaz. Could affect Nationals maybe if we're still attacking them before the tournament."

Mitch scoffed. "Diaz isn't even competing."

"What?" I asked.

"There are literally just two people competing in Nationals from their dojo," Mitch said. "Aisha and Robby."

"How the fuck do you know that?" asked Rickenberger.

Mitch looked down at his feet. "Just, heard it around and stuff."

"Cool it, man." I glanced at Rick. "If Diaz isn't competing, that must mean something came up."

"Maybe he doesn't wanna go cause you're not fighting." Hawk suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe." I said.

Miguel and Sam were in a cafe speaking quietly despite their angry words.

"How could you get in a fight with Tory again?"

Sam rubbed her black eye. "You're one to talk. You broke into a country club just to fight someone."

"That was different," said Miguel. "That was before, before-"

"Before what?"

Miguel sighed. "Before Chozen decided Robby was more important and not me."

"How could you take a camping trip so personally?"

"Gee I don't know," Miguel said. "Maybe because I've been Cobra Kai's punching bag while Robby was still one of them? Or maybe it's because your dad knows that I'm actually the best fighter in the dojo."

"Since when do you care about that?"

"Since I've taken two losses in a row from Luke Schwarber. You know how it feels too, trust me."

Sam frowned, crossing her arms on the cafe table.

There was silence between the two for a moment as the muted chatter of the cafe around them continued.

"Do you feel like things have been off between us since the tournament?" asked Sam.

Miguel nodded. "Yeah."

"I haven't liked your mood at all lately. You're all judgy, and irritable."

Miguel sighed. "I'm sorry. Got a lot on my mind right now, with school and college to come, forget about karate."

"Why can't you trust everything will be alright?"

"Because I'm not ri-" Miguel stopped himself. "Because I don't think they will be."

"Rich. That's what you were about to say."

Miguel sighed. "No. No it's not."

"It is. Miguel do you not trust me?"

"Of course I do!" Miguel laughed nervously. "I just. Shit, I didn't mean that, I only meant."

"You know what? Can I just, have a minute?"

Miguel was confused. "You mean-"

"A minute from you Miguel. Just, I'll talk to you tommorow, just go. Please."

Miguel understood, quickly exiting their booth at the cafe table.

Sam tapped on her phone for a little bit, watching the late summer skyline of Los Angeles nearby, and then someone spoke to her.

"Everything alright Ms. LaRusso?"

Terry Silver appeared nearby, a pair of lattes in his hands.

Sam recognized him and began to leave before Silver spoke. "Please. Your father and I go way back, sit, talk with me."

"And why should I do that?" asked Sam.

Silver sighed, sitting across the booth from Sam with a shrug of his shoulders. "Consider it a token of good faith from me."

"Tory's already given me plenty of that good faith."

"That's also what I wanted to talk about."

Sam looked genuinely intrigued.

Silver spoke, pushing an ignored latte towards Sam before sipping from his own.

"Tory's always been known for having a temper. I understand she's hit you and Ms. Robinson on more than one occasion."

"More than hit. Beaten us to a pulp."

"Have you returned the favor? Or at least tried?"

Sam shrugged. "What does it matter?"

Silver smiled. "The reason why it matters is because I can offer you a way out."

"Can't you just tell Tory to stop?"

"Oh, I think she's more than learned her lesson. Without the boys to rely on anymore, she'll have a tough time thinking she's won anything related to street fights. Or in general maybe." Silver muttered.

Sam frowned. "What are you saying?"

"Tory might need some extra help. Cobra Kai offers things Miyagi-Do simply can't, opportunities to succeed. It's an avenue your father once took, because he knew the same."

Sam shook her head. "I won't join your dojo."

"Well." Silver eyed the cafe door. "It seems yours is a bit unreliable at the moment. You have actual talent Ms. LaRusso, don't let failures squander it."

"My dad is not a failure."

"Really? How come Lucas Schwarber was only his student for a year? How come-"

"He's not yours anymore." Sam crossed her arms.

Silver chuckled. "We're both Cobra Kai Senseis now. Regardless of where he teaches, point being. Your father hasn't won an actual karate championship since 1985. And Johnny Lawrence and their new pal Toguchi, not any better are they?"

"And how many championships have you won since the 80s?"

"Just one." Silver said. "But we both know I plan to win far more than that."

Sam looked away as Silver tiled his head and smiled. "The Korea Open. Otherwise known as the Sekai Taikai. Imagine global karate fame Samantha. I wanted that for your father but he refused. He wanted to." Silver scoffed, shrugging. "Trim bonsai and do kata for the rest of his life. You can let history repeat itself, or, take your own path."

Silver nodded, lifting his latte cup. "Just something to think about." he said before he sipped from it.

"I have something for you to think about."

"Really?"

Sam stood up out of the booth and uncapped the latte Silver gave her.

Silver didn't even flinch or move as he saw Sam splash the latte all over his face, causing gasps of surprise from nearby cafe patrons.

"Think about this. Stay away from me."

Sam then left and Silver chuckled to himself.

"Guess all LaRussos are still hotheads."

Sam was on her phone on the couch of the LaRusso's living room.

Daniel sat next to her. "Hey."

"Hey dad."

Daniel spoke. "What's wrong, you've been quiet at dinner. What happened?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "What hasn't happened?"

"Sam."

"Dad is it true that you were Silver's student?"

Daniel was silent for a moment. "I've already told you that I was."

Sam took her knees off the couch, looking at Daniel. "It's like everything Silver touches spins out of control. Miguel and I are fighting, I'm having doubts about Miyagi-Do."

Daniel was worried and Sam sighed. "It's like everything's just crazy now."

Daniel touched the bruise on Sam's cheek. "Hey."

She looked at him and he put a hand on her shoulder. "He hasn't changed Sam. He did the same thing to me."

"Really?"

"Used Barnes instead of Nichols. I had trouble with, a friend, because of him too. Doubted Mr. Miyagi instead of myself. My point is, this is what he wants Sam, he wants you to feel terrible so you come looking to him for help."

"But the thing is I." Sam sighed. "I can't help but feel like I want something he offers."

"Well why's that?"

"Dad I've never liked Lucas since what he did at the end of freshman year. But he's a world karate champion, everyone likes him, and everyone respects him. How wrong can he really be to trust Kreese and Silver?"

"Still completely wrong," said Daniel. "He is that successful because despite how wrong Cobra Kai is. He has fulfilled everything it truly offers. Respect, power, fame, glory. Mr. Miyagi was against trophies because karate wasn't about the trophy. It was about learning."

Sam was still upset as Daniel put a hand on her shoulder and spoke. "Look. Wanting to win is a feeling everyone gets. But karate shouldn't be strictly about that, otherwise, it ruins the whole experience."

Daniel sighed deeply.

"I get why both you and Miguel are upset. But winning a trophy won't fix your problems. Winning at Nationals or the Sekai Taikai doesn't mean you'll be more mature of a person. You know what I realized a little bit after I got first place at my first All Valley?"

"What?"

"It's just a trophy. Or in the case of these tournaments. It's just a medal. Mr. Miyagi knew this, he taught it all to me. He cared more about me being focused on the fight, focused on what was truly in front of me than everything else."

Daniel looked away for a moment as Sam kept looking at him. "He was truly special."

"Did Lucas know that?"

Daniel raised a slight eyebrow. "Why do you keep asking about him?"

"Because dad, he's all Miguel seems to think about. He's lost twice to him, and he can't stop beating himself up over it."

Daniel sighed again. "Think it's time for a talk with him."

"I've never seen him like this. He's mad at me, he's mad at you, he's mad at everything and everyone."

"So then?" Daniel asked.

"I'm genuinely worried he might accept an offer from Silver if he asks?"

Daniel chuckled. "Well first, he doesn't train boys anymore. At least, the best male students left his dojo."

Sam smiled at this.

"And secondly. Miguel might be going through something." Daniel smiled. "But he'll never lose who he is."

"Really?"

"That's why I had Chozen take just Robby to Big Bear Lake."

Sam was surprised. "What?"

"Mr. Miyagi would trick me sometimes just to teach me humility. Thought I'd try it."

"So you knew Miguel would be this upset because of it?"

Daniel shook his head instantly. "No, but it was a test."

Sam kept looking at Daniel but he spoke. "I'll talk to him."

"Great." Sam and Daniel then hugged.

...

...

A/N:

Okay guys. So maybe a few more chaps of these 'summer vibes', by which I mean just random stuff and the finale will be Nationals.

Technically it takes place in December and this fic is nearing the end of what would be July time wise. Nationals and the aftermath will take up a few chapters on their own, so specifically the build up will be the two months leading up to it.

Thanks everyone, see ya soon!