The party going on at the Reseda was booming. The Diaz and Lawrence apartments were open, making it spill out into the courtyard. Miguel was going around his place picking up empty cans to try and make the cleanup easier for tomorrow. Robby was sitting on the room divider and Eli was leaning on it next to him. "So, what happened to the green?" He pointed at the hair.
"Uh, it didn't work for me. I'm still trying to figure it out." Eli shrugged.
"And why silver?" He figured with what was going on he stayed away from that color.
"It's for Lee. Her favorite anime character has this hair color. She has been bugging me to try it." He figured since it was part of the variety pack he bought, he would give her a thrill for the night.
"Dude, this is insane. How did everyone find out about this?" Miguel wanders over to them.
"Lee invited all the friends she made with Moon and they invited their friends." He explained why the party was overflowing with people.
"That explains why people keep asking for her. Where is she?" He realized he hadn't seen her yet.
"Getting ready with the girls." He had been waiting for her.
"She and the girls have arrived." Robby nudges him to nod at the door.
Lee leads a group of hot girls into the apartment. She had on a black and white plaid tied shoulder dress with a gray sweater underneath and a pair of black heeled ankle boots. She did her hair in curls and kept her makeup light. They made their way to the keg when Mitch approached them. "Hey. Did you come to party with us 'cause we got into the Sekai Taikai?" He put his hands on his hips with his chest puffed out in a hero pose.
"I have no idea what you just said. We came because Lee said there were free drinks." She looks over at the girl who brought them. "And cute boys." The look clearly said she wasn't impressed so far. Lee nudged her head over to Miguel. She gave him a long look before sharing a smile with her friends.
"The Sekai Taikai is…." Mitch tried to explain making Lee search for Eli so he could get rid of him, but her eyes widened when she found him. A dopey smile appeared on her face.
He smirks, ego inflated by her reaction to him. "Penis Breath, grab the girls a cup." He looked defeated before doing what he was told. He wraps an arm around Miguel's shoulders. "Anyways, let me introduce you to the baddest badass at the party."
"This is Miguel, the guy I told you about. Miguel, this is Monica." She introduced them first before everyone else. "Girl, this is Eli and Robby. Guys, this is Holly and Natashia."
"I got the drinks." Mitch came back over to hand out the cups.
"So, you're the guy that Lee was seeing in the hospital, right?" She nods to Miguel.
"Yeah." He blushed at her lustful gaze.
"In a few months, you went from no feeling in your legs to doing karate. That must be quite a story. I wouldn't mind hearing it." She reached out her hand to him. He took it to lead her over to the couch.
Eli let out a string of curses as he gripped his girlfriend's clothed hips. "Come on, you wanted to be on top so you wouldn't ruin your hair and makeup. You gotta move those hips." He took one hand off her hip to reach under her dress to rub her clit. He was sitting against the headboard watching her whine on his lap.
She put her hands on his chest to give her leverage so she could ride him easier. "Fuck, Eli." She moans when she hits a spot that makes her eyes roll back in her head. She gushed around him, making him lift his hips, spilling himself inside of her. After catching her breath, she climbed off him. She fixed her underwear and slid her dress down.
"How mad do you think Miguel will be when he finds out we did it in his bed?" Eli smirks while tucking himself back in and zipping his pants up.
"He doesn't have to find out." She grabs his hand to help him up.
"He will when I tell him." He wraps his arm around her waist to pull her out of the room and back to the roaring party. They got to the living room to see him making out with Monica on the couch. "I guess I'll wait to tell him."
"You're so dumb." She laughed. They walk out to the courtyard. "Let's play beer pong." She nods to the table where a game just ended.
"Okay, let's make it interesting." Eli took the empty cups to fill them up.
"What's the bet?" She asked.
"Whoever loses gets to tell Miguel what happened in his bedroom." He smirks.
"But, I don't want to tell him." She tilts her head.
"That's why it's funny." She gave him an unimpressed look. "Okay, how about whoever wins gets to control the vibrator when we get home."
"Oh, I like that." She grabbed the ping-pong ball.
"Have you seen Sam?" Miguel walked up to the table.
"No…" He threw the ball and cheered when he got one win. He waited until Lee tips the cup back before looking at Miguel. "Why do you care? Don't tell me you left Monica to chase after your ex who flirted constantly with her ex in front of you."
"She was crying." He couldn't make out with Monica knowing Sam was breaking down.
"Fight. Fight. Fight." The crowd chanted. They abandon the table to run to the parking lot to see Sam attacking Tory while she dodges.
"My entire family has suffered because of you!" Sam screamed over the cheers.
Robby and Miguel jumped in to break up the fight. "No! Sam, that's enough!" Miguel put his arms up to block her.
"She's been working with Kreese this whole time." Sam points at her. Everyone looked at her in shock. "Why did you only come forward now? Huh? Because you're a coward."
"Screw you, LaRusso. I knew this was a mistake." Tory ran off. The guys yelled after their exes they still had feelings for.
"Did you know about any of this?" Miguel asked.
"No, I had no idea." Robby shook his head.
"Well, I had a theory, Silver paid the ref to make Tory win." Lee stepped up to the guys.
"What?" They turn to her.
"You didn't find it odd that she had the same referee for all her fights." She crosses her arms.
"I didn't notice." Miguel shook his head.
"I didn't either. I was getting ready for my fight." Robby looks at Lee. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"I wasn't sure until I threw the accusation at Tory at the water park. That didn't seem like the right time. Other things kept coming up." She honestly forgot about it.
"Well, we got a party going on. I say we enjoy the rest of our night and regroup tomorrow." Eli suggested. Miguel and Robby looked at him in disbelief. "Come on, look at everyone else in the dojo. We can't ruin the night for them." He pointed out the guys in the crowd. Even Mitch was flirting with a girl.
"Alright, we will regroup tomorrow." Robby nods.
"I'm going to try and find Sam." Miguel ran off.
"Shit, someone took over the table." Eli took off to try and get it back. Lee rolled her eyes.
"Do you think Tory knew the whole time?" Robby asked.
"Doesn't matter." She shrugged.
"It matters to me." He looks in the direction she disappears in.
"I don't think so. Tory's pride is that she's earned everything she has. I don't see her wanting to win that way." She did have fond memories of Tory. "Maybe it's too much to hope that she comes to our side.."
"I don't think so." He looks back at her to smile. "I'm happy that someone else is rooting for Tory."
"Tory's a good ally to have." She grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's party." She pulled him back into the crowd.
They meet at the dojo the next morning. "Wait. Okay, so Sensei Targaryen paid off the ref at the All Valley and framed Kreese for a crime he didn't commit?" Demetri took a second to process everything. "Never let me miss a house party again." He turns to Eli and Lee.
"We need to tell the senseis." Miguel thought the adults should be involved.
"What are they going to do? We saw what happened to my dad when he confronted Silver. I don't want him getting hurt again." Sam looks at the ground.
"Normally, I like to bring Johnny into dangerous situations because it makes me feel safer but we are dealing with Silver. This is going to need finesse and stealth. Two things he does not have." She pointed out.
"Okay, no sensei." Miguel nods.
"If this ref and Stingray are on Silver's payroll, they'll never admit anything." Demetri points out.
"That might not be true," Bert spoke up, making the older teens look at him. "I know he's in Cobra Kai and I'm in Eagle Fang, but Stingray's still my friend. He wouldn't lie to me. At least I hope he won't."
"You think you can get him to talk?" Eli asked. Bert nods.
"Find out where he lives." Sam orders.
Bert knocked on the door while they were waiting out of view. They know he would slam the door on them if he saw them right away. "Bert! What's up, dude?" Stingray was happy to see him. "Want to play some D&D. There they are… these noobs were entering the light and exiting the night." They walk into the frame when his friends walk out. "Miyagi-Fangs. Oh, this is a trap. Oh, you Admiral Ackbar-ed me. Et tu, Bert-tay?" He only kept eye contact with Bert.
"Knock it off. We know Kreese never hurt you." Eli was never fond of the older male's Peter Pan syndrome.
"According to the testimony in the court of law, he did." He looks up at the ceiling. "So read the transcript." He went to close the door.
Sam put her hand on the door to stop it. "You lied to the court, you lied to my dad, but you won't lie to us." She walked in next.
"You're just going to let her walk in." He flinches under Eli's glare when he walks past. "Okay, you're all coming in." He watched the rest of them enter the apartment.
"Sit down at the table." Lee orders. He was going to tell her not to boss him around in his home but shut his mouth when he saw Eli standing behind her. He sat down at the table. Bert, Demetri, and Lee took a seat at the table, while Miguel, Sam, and Eli stood behind their chairs. "What happened that night?" She asked.
"Kreese came in with a mad rage like he is known for and beat me to the ground." He looks at the table. "My last memory was him standing over me, stomping the crap out of me."
"How about you look us in the eyes while you tell your story." Sam scoffed.
He looked up. "Alright, let's try this again. What happened that night? Who hurt you?" Demetri got them to start over.
"Hey, Bert. How does it feel…" Stingray tried to turn it on one of them.
"Look at me. Look at me." Demerit points at himself, wanting to get the interrogation back on track.
"...to stab a grown man in the back between his shoulder blades and stare at the blood as it trickles down his back?" He went on.
"God, enough." Eli hovered over his girlfriend to slam his hands down on the table. "No more games."
Lee put a hand over her heart to help it to calm down. She had to remind herself she couldn't get excited right now. She cleared her throat. "Kreese made you Cobra Kai. Johnny didn't want you to join, but Kreese convinced him. You owe everything to him and you put him in jail for a fancy apartment."
"Silver bought me this because I'm a top cobra not for any other reason." He looks at the ceiling.
"My dad went through a lot of pain because of you and Silver. Now a lot of other people will too if you just sit back and do nothing." Sam was getting frustrated. How could he be so selfish?
"But, if I tell you what happened, he'll find out. I can't. It's not easy, you guys." He focuses on the D&D board. "There… um, wait, okay so oh, I've been working on this new D&D campaign." He reached for the pieces.
"I don't think we have time for this." Miguel wasn't going to pretend to be his friend when he was dicking them around.
"Wait a minute. What happens in the campaign, Stingray?" Eli nods for him to go on.
"Okay, so once upon a time, there was a Dwarven monk," He held up a piece that looked like him in a gi. "And he was a member of the most badass guild in all the land. He was banished for a time. You know typical PC crap. But, um, once he paid his penance, he returned." He put the piece on the board. "Only by then, the guild was under new leadership." He put on a piece that was an evil-looking elf wizard with gray hair, who looked oddly like Kreese. "And the monk was denied reentry into the guild and quite unceremoniously might I add. What did the monk do? The monk made a pact with a Silver-haired king, who would usurp the leader." He used a tall armored piece with a high silver ponytail to knock over Kreese's piece and set it down. "And it was early one morning, before any of the warriors had arrived that the king struck the monk down, again, and again, and again." He took the king to knock over the monk and slam down on it. "It was then that they framed the leader for the assault, and the leader was put in chains, and the Silver-haired king took over the guild."
"And you…. The Dwarven monk was let back into the guild?" He wondered if he even got what he wanted.
"Yeah with benefits." Eli looked around.
"Aye, with benefits, yeah." He was filled with shame whenever he had to step into the apartment.
"So, why can't he tell everyone what happened?" Miguel asked.
"Because he doesn't want to lose his benefit." Sam grips the back of Demetri's chair.
"No! No, I would… the monk would give it all back if he could, but the Silver-haired king almost killed the monk. He could have killed him. And why? To get power, so yeah, the monk fears what that king would do to keep that power. The monk just wanted reentry into the guild because he thought he could be like a proud and noble warrior, just like you Hawk, Samantha, all of you guys. But, he's neither proud nor noble. Not a warrior. He just sits around playing with them all day. The monk was just scared. I just can't. I'm sorry." He tears up at having to speak the ugly truth to the people he most admired.
"That's great. Thanks for nothing." Sam walked out and Miguel followed her.
"Hey, Stingray. Thank you for being honest with us. I understand. I wouldn't want you to put your life on the line." Lee picked up a fairy piece. "Is this me?" She stares at the toy that has her features.
"Oh yeah, I haven't been going to practice. It's different. Bad. So, I've been making figures. Look, there is one of all of you." He took out the toys.
Lee knocked on LaRusso's door and was glad when Sam answered. "Lee? Did you guys come up with another possibility?" She was shocked to see her. "None of the guys are with you?" She had never been alone with Lee before, she felt a little awkward.
"No, I'm going to talk to Tory and I think you should come with me." She told her.
"What? Why? We can't be in the same room without fighting." She didn't know if she had self-control.
"I called all of the places Tory used to work and she is no longer employed at any of them. This means that Silver must be bankrolling her like Stingray, but she came to you to tell you the truth. With your guys' history, you know how hard that had to be for her." She knew that Tory must be serious about wanting to get Silver out.
"That would take a lot of courage." She admits.
"Besides, Stingray is a dead end. She's the only option. Maybe she can wear a wire and get him to admit to it." She thought of an idea.
"Alright, let's go." She closed the front door.
Lee knocked on Tory's door. "What are you two doing here?" She opens the door with a glare.
"Holy shit!" She cursed when she saw Tory's bloody hand.
"What happened?" Sam gasps.
"Don't pretend to care." She huffs.
"I don't want to be here but if you have problems with Cobra Kai, then I'm willing to listen." Sam knew Lee was right, this was the only lead they had on Silver.
Tory nods and walks away from the open door. She took a seat on the couch to continue icing her hand. Lee walked into the apartment and took a seat on the recliner. Sam walks in and closes the door. She took in the messy apartment with take-out containers everywhere. There was a bedroom door half open, she saw the hospital bed. She took a deep breath, not wanting the pity to show on her face. She stood in front of the couch. "I wanted to win the All Valley more than anything. When they handed me that trophy, that was the best moment of my life. But, then I saw Silver and that ref, and it just killed me. I felt like a fraud. I wanted to get back at Silver so bad. That's why I listened to Kreese but then I got caught up in more lies. And, now my life is a living hell." She let out a bitter laugh.
"I didn't know what you were going through, but I do now, maybe we can help each other. We tried to talk to Stingray. He admits it was Silver who assaulted him in the old dojo. He's afraid to go to the police." Sam informed her.
"I knew Silver was involved but I had no idea he did it with his own hands." Tory hissed at the pain in her hand.
"The problem is we can't prove it." Sam sighs.
"When Silver took over, he put in a new security system so I don't have access to the film," Lee explained when Tory looked at her.
"Well, we know there is a film of it. Silver loves a security system so he can keep an eye on everything." Tory reminds them that the film did exist.
"You think he kept that." She would get rid of it.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he liked watching it, that sick fuck." Tory didn't think the cocky bastard felt a need to delete.
"It's a good option." She nods.
"Our only option." Sam reminds them.