A/N: Chapter Five is ready. This one, well I think it's my favorite so far besides the first, and the longest so far. ;) You'll see why. As usual nothing is mine. Except my plot.

Chapter Five: Mercy?

Daniel did the first thing he could think of, and honestly he knew the last thing he should. He should be out searching, but he needed to think. He needed a clear head. He sat down on the center of the floor pushing the box aside and clasped his hands together taking in a breath of air as he moved them out with the breath in. He thought he was doing the right thing. In with the breath out. He wasn't sure why he thought he'd be able to do this. Up with the breath in. He had other priorities now, and he'd lost sight of that so fast. But were they really that different? He had known, he had known for a while who he was dealing with. And he'd still kept helping. Why should he have given up now?

Sam.

He knew his family was the main reason he'd made the decision. Sam, Amanda, Anthony. But was it the right one? He'd gotten so angry that day when he'd realized Sam was in Johnny's apartment. He'd overreacted, kicked the damn door down. They probably could have killed each other then and there. If it wasn't for Sam and Robby. He never remembered Mr. Miyagi angry, not to the point that Daniel himself had reached that day, and he'd given the man a run for his money. His anger, if there was any, was quiet. You knew, you felt awful, but there was never lashing out. How could he teach anyone, how could he keep teaching Robby, if he'd reacted that way? He wasn't doing them any favors. That was the last thing Sam and Robby had seen him do before leaving for school. Was it any wonder Robby had kicked Miguel? Was it any wonder Sam had needed to go to the hospital? Any wonder Miguel Diaz ended up in a coma?

No.

He opened his eyes and got to his feet. He was at a complete loss of what to do. So he took out his phone and called Amanda. They needed to talk, really talk.

He went to the car as the phone was ringing and placed it on speaker. He needed to find out if he could track down Robby too.

"Daniel," Amanda answered on the third or fourth ring.

"Hey," Daniel said as he got into the car and buckled his seatbelt. "So Robby ran off. I'm going to see if I can find him." He sighed.

"Johnny's not with you?" It was a genuine question, Daniel could tell.

"He left to try to find him," Daniel replied.

"So let him, Daniel," Amanda said, her voice shaking. "Look, I know you guys were close, but you're not Robby's father. Johnny is. This, whatever it is, it has to stop. A boy got put into the hospital, in a coma. Sam was in the hospital." Daniel could hear that Amanda was holding back tears. "We need you here...all here."

"I know," Daniel sighed, rubbing his temple. "And I am, I promise, but I can't just give up on him. Dojo or no dojo." He had been more than Robby's sensei. He'd been a guardian. He'd taken him into his home, and it wasn't something he took lightly, even with what happened, even with Johnny helping him out now by all appearances. Even if he couldn't teach him karate anymore, he could make sure he didn't get himself in trouble. It was the very least he could do considering the mistakes he'd made, kept making.

"Okay...just, be safe."

"I will," Daniel said. "I love you,"

Robby was down the block and across the street from the Larussos. He walked down the block as though he were heading for the corner, and saw out of the corner of his eye, Sam coming out the back gate. He crossed the street, but stayed several houses down. He didn't want Mrs. Larusso to catch him. He wasn't ready to talk to her yet. She didn't seem ready to listen, would Sam be?

He could see the confusion on her face as she had looked around the yard, but surprisingly, she didn't pull out her phone to send a text to him. A feeling of dread crawled up the back of his neck. Sam was inseparable from her phone, so why didn't she have it now? But he had to do this.

Sam looked left then right and began walking. When she got close enough, he reached for her hand and pulled her over.

She tensed and he could see her entering a fighting stance. He released. "Robby?" She sighed as she let her guard down, or at least her fists. "What the hell are you trying to pull? You said you were outside." She shoved him.

"Sorry, I would've come to the door, or waited by the gate, but your mom already slammed it in our faces." He said. "Your Dad's too almost." Robby sighed. "How, I mean...you okay?" He moved his gaze to her arm with the bandage. He wished there was a way he could comfort her, but he didn't dare. Not now. Not here. Not after...

"Fine," Sam said. She crossed both arms over her chest and straightened as if she could read what he was thinking. "Mom's been a total warden," She rolled her eyes. "So what did you want to talk about? Can we get it over with? I had to bribe Anthony just to get out here, and I don't want to have to pay interest."

Robby blinked and backed up slightly. She was pissed. No surprise. And probably less than he was at himself.

"Did you know your Dad's shutting down Miyagi-Do?" It wasn't the order he'd wanted to take things, but the rest could come later and he knew this probably had the better chance of avoiding a sparring round when Sam had stitches.

And Robby saw the mask crumble, her arms dropped the slightest bit, so rather than a shield, it became a self-embrace. She began walking, giving Robby no choice but to follow if he wanted to continue the conversation. He had a nagging, lingering bad feeling about this, about going any further than the half block radius, but Sam hadn't clocked him one yet. So he would take it. And he would do what he could to make sure she stayed okay. "When I was in the hospital, I heard Mom and Dad talking. They didn't know. The sedative, well it wore off. So at first, I didn't really know what I was hearing. But, Mom said no more karate."

"Mr. Larusso, what did he say?" Robby wondered.

"Nothing." Sam said. "He said okay, and then nothing. But, why would he shut down Miyagi Do? I mean, Mom and Dad didn't tell me yet. But I can tell. Mom doesn't want me doing it anymore. But shutting down the dojo that's ridiculous! And I mean, it saved us." Sam said. "Right, didn't it?"

Robby wasn't sure what to say to that. It had saved Sam. Tory would probably have killed her. She would be in a room with Miguel or the morgue if Tory had been able to finish the job. But him…? Had it really done any good? He knew he was upset, angry about this news, about Mr. Larusso just giving up, but if he had gone that far with Miguel, accident or not...what's to say it made any difference? If one mistake caused all this...was it even worth it? Was he? "Yeah," He said quietly.

"Sam!" The hair on Robby's neck stood on end as another voice could be heard. He glanced up to see Aisha Robinson heading their way.

"Aisha," Sam smiled. "Hey,"

Aisha's gaze moved and locked onto Robby, her expression darkening. "What's he doing here?"

Robby returned her stare assuming a casual defensive stance, his hands open at his sides. "We're just talking that's all."

"Mmm…" Aisha nodded slowly, but her gaze was no less wary. She turned back to Sam. "Are you okay?"

"I guess so," Sam shrugged. "Are you? How's um…?" Sam trailed off.

"My parents pulled me out." Aisha replied.

"Oh, um I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Aisha said. "After that shit show, well, that's not what I signed up for." Seeing Miguel hurt like that, not moving, it had been terrifying. "Got any explanation?" Now Aisha looked back to Robby. He had two pairs of eyes on him.

"I just got angry," Robby said. "I messed up."

"Yeah, you did," Aisha spat.

"Big time," Sam agreed.

"I know, I…" He trailed off nodding not able to finish. He needed to gather his thoughts to face his Mr. Larusso and his father, because this...well this was child's play. And he was sucking at it. "I was trying to stop it. Get Tory to cool off, but I guess Miguel must have… not that it's an excuse." It wasn't by a long shot. He sighed. "I think he still has feelings for you," Robby said looking to Sam.

"So...you kicked him because you were jealous…?" Aisha scoffed.

"No," Robby shook his head.

"Then what?" Sam demanded.

"We were in the middle and I...well I didn't..." Robby said, realizing as he thought back He hadn't thought, he just fought back. He didn't think why Miguel had just pinned him down, and wasn't lashing out. Miguel wasn't that type of fighter to just...stop... like that without his wheels turning, to stop for very long as long as he had. Their final match had gone long enough that Robby realized that. He'd fought him enough. And Robby, he just wanted to get him off. He'd been pissed, straight up at the mention of Sam. Assuming Miguel backing off was foul play, a cheap shot, a trick like the last time. Angry about how Miguel had treated Sam and then saying she still loved him. Had it been the same as the tournament? When he'd tried to help Miguel up?

"Didn't what?" Aisha broke in.

"Show mercy…"

Amanda decided to go check on Sam. She knew things had been tough lately, and they needed to talk. But she couldn't find Sam in the house. And when she asked Anthony, well he just waved the game console in her face. He wouldn't know. She checked the yard, front and back, nothing.

She went back inside, upstairs to Sam's room and knocked on the half open door wondering if maybe she'd just fallen asleep. There was no answer.

She felt her heart enter her throat pulling out her cell phone and dialing Sam's number as she entered the bedroom. And she heard Sam's ringtone. She followed the sound and found Sam's iPhone in the back of the closet. Oh no...oh no...

A/N: Ah, parental and teen angst. Regarding Aisha, well, despite hearing that the actress is not returning, I wanted to include her when Robby talked to Sam, because well, Aisha is/was Sam's best girlfriend at one point, and she has a bond with Miguel because of Cobra Kai. It seemed right that she be involved. And this is fanfiction and an AU so why not?

Next chapter, we get Sam's thoughts and reaction, Amanda calls Daniel and Daniel finds Johnny. And there may or may not be some trouble brewing with the Cobras. Stay tuned.