"Ladies and Gentleman, you've been waiting a long time but we are finally here. Dojos from all across the Valley have been training for a year for their shot at glory. Are you ready to meet them? You? You? You?" Daryl, the host of the All Valley was hyping up the crowd. Lee stood behind Miguel with a red gi on. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was bouncing in anticipation. She couldn't wait to get out there and test her talent. He introduced a bunch of dojo, some she heard of, others she hadn't.

"This sensei and dojo need no introduction. He took the All Valley by storm in 1984 and 85 and quickly became the greatest underdogs in the history of the sport. Last year this dojo came out of nowhere and made it to the finals. They've got some new fighters and they're ready to show the world that they're the best around. Give it up for Miyagi-Do Karate, led by two-time All Valley champion, Daniel LaRusso!" He introduced them.

Johnny rolled his eyes. "I don't even know why they're going before us." He found it annoying how they mention Daniel's winning years but never his. He looked back and was happy to see the hungry look in his students' eyes.

"The best go last." Miguel reminds his sensei. Johnny nods with a smirk.

"This next dojo took last year's title but they are under new management. Can they reign supreme once more? And last year's runner-up, he may be wearing a new gi but one thing is for sure Robby Keene and his team are ready to strike! Hailing for Reseda, defending Champions, and still the most badass name for a dojo, here comes Cobra Kai." He introduced the next dojo.

"Defending Champs? They don't even have the champ anymore." Bert watches a tense Miguel.

"You alright?" Lee noticed he seemed off his game lately. In practice he was letting his mind wander, resulting in his ass being handed to him or letting his emotions take over and using more force than necessary.

"I'm fine." He stared ahead, not meeting her gaze. He had been trying to force the memory out of his mind and going on like nothing happened. Like, he didn't tell Sensei he loved him and he said it back for Robby. Before Johnny, he was content with his mom and grandma. Now that he knew how great it was to have a fatherly figure, he was wondering about his dad. Did he regret not wanting to be in his life? It might have been a mistake a young man made. Johnny made it with Robby. He now wanted to be in his life. It might be the same with his dad.

"And finally, this dojo is making its All Valley Debut, though you'll recognize a few familiar faces. Every year, a new dojo rises in the ranks. Does this newcomer have what it takes to win it all? Please welcome Eagle Fang Karate, led by Sensei Johnny Lawerence and defending Champion Miguel Diaz." They walk out, take a jog around the mat, and line up next to Miyagi-Do. "At the end of the day, only one of these dojos can be crowned grand champion. Welcome to the 51st annual All Valley under-18 Karate Tournament." The crowd jumps to their feet, cheering. The host let out a deep chuckle, "It's Karate time."


Lee was looking up at the girls' brackets. "So, I have to win my first match to get to Piper." She smirks.

"You know it's about winning it all, right?" Bert was worried about her motives.

"Yeah, yeah," She waves it all.

"Eagle Fangs, listen up." Johnny walks over to the group. "Some of you have been here before, some of you it's your first time." He glanced at Lee. "I remember my first All Valley where I pummeled the ever-loving crap out of my opponents as the crowd cheered. They tried to soften you up, but that bullshit is behind us. Remember the deal with Cobra Kai, we have to win or no more Eagle Fang. We're not going to let that happen are we?"

"No Sensei!" They yelled.

"I'm not worried because we got our reigning champion and the rest of you have been training hard. Are we ready?" Johnny hypes them up.

"Yes, Sensei!" They shouted.

"Alright, warm up. Diaz a word." Johnny nods for him to come over to the side.

Lee was doing her stretch with an energetic teammate beside her. "I am so pumped." Devon bounced on the side of her. "I can't wait to win it all, no offense."

Lee let out a small laugh."Non taken. Hey, if we have to face each other, we go all out."

"It's what eagles do." She nods.


Miyagi-Do was doing their warm-up like everyone else. Demetri noticed Eli kept glancing to the side at Lee. "She's going to be fine. She is kind of scary when she gets in her karate mode."

"Have you noticed the aggression is getting worse?" He looks over at his friend.

"Lately, she's been taking longer to get out of that mode after practice. It's only aimed at Piper, who has been making her life a living hell. She deserves to kick her ass." He was looking forward to seeing that fight.

"But, what if it doesn't go away after this? I don't want her to end up like me and be this angry troll who explodes at everything. It takes a lot to get rewired after being programmed." He felt like he was getting a taste of what Demetri went through with him. He had an ugly feeling in his gut that something was going to go wrong with her.

"That was when Johnny was being a mini Kreese without realizing it. He changes now, right?" He thought Johnny was a tamer. He still had dangerous training lessons but the verbal abuse and caveman brainwashing was taken down a few notches.

"Johnny only knows how to make spitting cobras." He looks over at Johnny who was reminding her how to put all her weight into a punch.

"It's hard, man, but sometimes you gotta let people go through their shit," Demetri advised. "Now, come on, we got a tournament to win."

Eli nods, remembering what the point of today was. "Yeah, we got a dojo to get rid of."


"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to begin our skill competition. Up first is Demetri Alexopoulos from Miyagi-Do karate, who'll be showcasing the kamas." He had an excellent showing. He strikes as if he was fighting an opponent.

Devon and Kenny broke a few boards. Chris did the same along with a brick. Miguel did some work with a Bo but it was mostly shadow fighting like a lot of others. Piper did a floor routine with more kicks. Sam did a showcase of sais. Tory used a sword. Robby did a shadow fight that ended with him breaking bricks. Kyler broke a stack of bricks with his head. Some didn't do so well. Eli wasn't able to kick high enough to break a board. Mitch threw the stick at the judges' table who luckily was able to dodge it. He ran off the stage in embarrassment.

"Jeez." Johnny sneers.

"Last but not least is Presley Cole, she's showcasing shurikens and kunai. Can she help pull her dojo to the top?" Daryl announced.

Johnny tilts his head as she walks to the center of the mat. "I didn't teach her to use those." He looked at Miguel.

"I know, she has been practicing with Demetri and the cheerleaders." He was curious as to what she was going to do.

"The Cheerleaders?" He wondered what she could get out of that.

She had pouches strapped to her hips and a holster wrapped around her thighs that had kunai in them. Posts that had a bunch of bull eyes of various sizes were brought out. She had her eyes closed waiting for the music to start. When she heard The Raising Fighting Spirit start to play, she opened them. Moon and Yasmine help her choreograph a routine. It started with a toe touch while in the air she threw two shurikens hitting the targets. It was filled with all types of handsprings and hurdlers, all while throwing her weapons of choice. It ends with her doing a round-off that ends in a split and she throws her last two kunai at the smallest targets. The song came to an end and the crowd jumped to their feet, cheering.

"Calm down, Anthony." Amanda put a hand on her son's shoulder who was wolf-whistling.

"I'm supporting a friend." He laughed. His mother followed his lead, giggling.

Lee jumped to her feet and blew Moon a kiss for helping her with the routine. She caught it and put it in her pocket.

Daryl steps onto the mat. "Alright Uzumaki, I see you." He high-fives Lee as she walks off the platform. "An amazing start and finish to the skills competition."

As Lee walks past Cobra Kai, she winks at Piper. "You like that floor routine." She went that route because she knew with Piper's gymnastic background she would do something similar. She wanted to beat her at it.

She lunged at her, but Tory put a stiff arm out. "You want to get thrown out before you can have a match against her."

"You're right." She nods, using all her strength to step back. It bothered her that Lee didn't flinch, she kept on walking like she had nothing to worry about.

She walks past Kreese and Silver. "I see Johnny finally wised up and made you a dangerous weapon," Kreese noted.

"Yeah, so be scared old man." She threw him a smirk from over her shoulder.

"Presley!" Johnny yelled for her when he noticed who she was talking to. She skipped over to him singing, Yes Sensei.

"Are you planning on requiting her, because I am good friends with her father?" Silver wonders.

"It would take a lot of work, her loyalty to Johnny is unbreakable. We'll see how she does today and if it'll be worth the effort." He was interested in seeing her progress.

"Straight 10s from all the judges for Cole, that put Eagle Fang in third place after Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do. We got our qualifier round coming up next." Daryl points at the big screen to show the results.

"Good job, Moneypenny." He patted her head.

"I see what you mean." Silver watches her beam while getting praise and affection from her sensei.


"How are we in third place? Lee was the most entertaining. She was the only one with all tens. We only had one fuck up." He glanced at Mitch who hung his head in shame.

"The skill events are weighted differently. Gold medals are ten, silver…" Devon was going to explain to him.

"I don't give a shit about math. What do we need to beat Cobra Kai?" He stopped her long rant.

"Math…" She glances at Lee, remembering what she said about having to dumb it down and never show the work for Johnny. "To catch up on points we need to win as many matches as possible in the qualifying rounds. The further we get as a team, the tighter the vice around Cobra Kai's metaphorical balls."

"Okay, good, now you're speaking my language." Johnny points at her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the male and female qualifiers are about to begin. And with them, we enter a new era. That's why we have a very special guest to kick things off. Let's give a big All Valley welcome to multi-grammy winning, international superstar, Carrie Underwood." Ron, the president of this community, introduced her.

"Holy crap." Lee clapped.

"Who is that?" Johnny was confused about why everyone was excited.

"She's a country singer. She won American Idol. She has so many hits: Before He Cheats, Two Black Cadillacs, and Drinking Alone. " She told him.

"Ew, who is listening to that crap." The man did only listen to 80s rock.

"Hello, All Valley." She walks out in a red snake leather skirt and jacket with a black shirt.

"She got our colors on." She smiles.

"I am so honored to be here. I didn't see a lot of karate growing up in Oklahoma but you guys know I love to compete just like this wonderful young man and young woman." She claps for that. "One thing I have learned is that everyone gets their shot, their chance in the spotlight, and everyone gets their moment. This one is yours." She sang, The Moment of Truth.

"Oh, I like this song." Johnny recognized the 80s song.


Lee's first opponent was from Cutting Edge Karate. "Let's see how you do with no weapons." The girl smirks.

"Yeah, let's see." Lee nods. She had watched a few videos of this girl's matches on youtube. She was going to end this fast.

The referee called for this match to start. Lee let the girl run at her. She went to throw a punch leaving the left side of her ribs open. Lee went that way to dodge and delivered a hard kick to the rib cage. The girl dropped gasping for air as she sobbed. "A kick to the ribs that Novak broke at another smaller tournament a month ago."

Her sensei and referee went to check on her. She got to her feet holding her ribs. When they saw that she couldn't stand up straight, the referee called the match. "The winner is Presley Lee." He put her hand up in the air.

"How would she know that?" Piper wonders. "Those tournaments aren't televised."

"No, but someone always got their phone out." Tory looks at the crowd to see people taping the matches.

"She was watching karate matches in class." Kyler had seen her phone screen.

"You're still stalking her." She gave him an unimpressed look.

"She sat in front of me in English." He rolled his eyes.

"That sounds like Lee." Red nods. They turn to look at the large boy who hardly talks. "She likes to be over-prepared. It wouldn't surprise me if she went to that tournament."

"Anything else you can tell us?" Silver asks.

"She is observant. Anytime I had her in my corner I was able to beat any opponent in record time, three moves tops." He thought she would be a big win if they got her back on their side.

"You'll have a better chance at beating her." Kreese looks at Piper. "It's personal, she's going to want to draw it out."

"Use those emotions against her." Silver advises.

"With pleasure." She smirks.


Blood was pumping through Lee's veins. She stared at Piper with blissed-out eyes. Piper was just as excited to get this match going. Once the referee gave them a go. Lee went in for a swing but Piper was able to dodge and swipe her feet. She dropped to punch her chest. The referee called a point for her. "On your back like you're used to." She stood over her.

She growled as she got to her feet and got in Piper's face. "Lee," Johnny called her over to the corner. She kept a glare on her as she went over. "What the hell are you doing out there?"

"It's one point." She wanted to get back to the match.

"No, you're being emotional. You're my fighting robot. You observed, see a weak point, and go in for the kill. Don't let her change your technique." He reminds her why she was able to get good fast.

"Yes, Sensei." She took a deep breath as she walked to the center of the match. The referee started the next round.

They circle each other. "How did you get him to teach you? Let me guess, open your legs." Piper taunts.

"God, you want me badly, huh?" Lee used her shock to her advantage to deliver a kick to her kidney and got a point.

The referee set them up again. Piper started to flip around her. Lee had to dodge a few kicks. "Fucking stupid windmill." She sneers.

"Lee, stop dodging like a pussy. You had how many openings." Johnny screams. She sighs because he was right.

"Tell me, are you still mad about Moon or is it about Kyler? I saw you trying to take his attention from his date at prom. You're mad because he hollers at me every time I walk past him." She knew she hit a weak spot when she narrowly dodged a kick to the head. With that, she was able to hit the back of her knee with a karate chop making her fall over.

"Elswith," Silver called her over. He whispered something to her before she came back to the center of the mat. The referee gave them the green light.

They circle each other, able to dodge the other's strikes. "You're a whore like your mother." Piper snickers at the new information she gathered.

"Watch your fucking mouth." She hissed.

"I'm calling it like it is. She hops from country to country fucking anyone who will let her. Such a whore that she abandoned her daugh…" She didn't get to finish when Lee jammed her fingers into her solar plexus. Piper let out a silent scream as pain shot through her lungs. Lee sent a knee to her kidney which was already sore from her last hit. She fell to the ground in the fetal position. Lee jumped onto her to pin her on her back and treated her face like a speed bag. The referee waved for security to jump in but Johnny ran on the mat.

"Presley, stop. Presley." He wraps his arms around her waist and carries her off.

She spat on Piper, screaming, "Don't talk about my fucking mom!"

The crowd cheered for the violence. People that knew her were shocked that she was so out of control. She was normally the one talking them down. What do you do when your stability is crumbling? Johnny took her to the back and dropped her on the bench. "Calm down. This isn't you." He grabbed her face. "Breath."

She took deep breaths until her breathing was at a normal pace. She looked down at her hands which were dripping blood. "What did I do?"

"You beat the living crap out of that girl. What did she say about your mom?" He let go of her face to take a seat next to her on the bench.

"Called her a whore." She bit the side of her cheek.

"She deserves it then." He nods.

"I'm sorry, sensei. I got disqualified. So now my points mean nothing and we're in fifth place." She calculated the points that she lost.

"It's alright. We just have to win both divisions and we're good." He patted her shoulder. "It's partly my fault. I shouldn't have encouraged that rage you had for her."

"Can I still be on the mat to help the others?" She wanted to help.

"Yeah, let's get back out there." He got back up.

"I'll see you out there, I'm going to wash my hands." She looks at them.

"Alright." He walks away.

She went into the bathroom and when she got out she saw Eli waiting for her. "I can't believe that. I lost control."

"I get it." He pulled her into a hug.

"How did you go for so long with all that rage? I feel so gross." She cried while hiding her face on his shoulder.

"I don't know." He rested his head on hers.

"When's your next match?" She asks.

"I have two more matches before mine, so we can stay like this for a while." He rocks her.

"I'd like that." She hummed.


"Alright folks, we witnessed some great fighting today, but you ain't seen nothing yet because we have arrived at the quarterfinals which means things are about to get intense. Of the eight boys and eight girls on stage, one of each will be named All-Valley champion and then we'll tally up all the points to determine which dojo earns the title of grand-champion since the points get higher with each round it's still any dojo game. So keep your eyes on these blue mats because we are just getting started." Daryl got them hyped up for the semi-finals.

Miguel was able to win his round. Devon and Tory were in the middle of theirs. Devon was out of bounds when Tory kicked her in the face but the referee still gave it to her. "Come on, referee, she was out of bounds. Where are your eyes?" Johnny yelled. Lee tilts her head at Silver's smug expression. Her eyes glanced at Piper: her forehead had a big lump, her lips were busted and fat, a broken nose, a butterfly bandage over a cut on her cheek, and black eyes. It made her feel like a monster.

In the next round Tory was able to take her to the ground and hit her chest. "And like that the chance of Eagle Fang winning the girls' division went up in smoke," Daryl announced.

"It's alright, you did great out there," Johnny told his frustrated student.

"I let her shut me out! I should've focused on my low game." She berated herself.

"She's been at this longer than you. There is no reason to feel bad." He reasoned.

"I don't feel bad. I only trained for six weeks and I made it this far. I'm going to stomp all these weak bitches next year." She was back to her cocky self.

"So with you out do we even have a chance of winning?" He asked.

"If the right female fighters get eliminated, and Miguel makes it to the finals and wins then there's a chance." She told him.

"Good chance." He nods at Miguel.


Lee was standing with Eli while they watched Demetri win his fight. "Your little friend was lucky he didn't have to face Cobra Kai. You aren't so lucky, Lip." He smirks.

"Why don't you go kiss your girlfriend's fat lip." She matches his smug look.

"How about we make a bet for your girl? Huh, after I make you kiss the mat, I can kiss her lips." He smacks his lips as he walks away, snickering with his friends.

"He's such a fucking idiot." She glares at him. She looked to see that Eli had a petrified look on his face. "What's going on?"

"I've been barely winning my fight. I feel like shit. Now, I have to go up against this guy who knows how to get in my head." He hated this helpless feeling he was getting.

She grabs the back of his neck to pull him into a heated kiss. Eli reacted to her, feeling his body crave her. She slid her tongue along his lips. He opened his mouth but didn't let her take control. She pulled back just enough to talk. "Kyler is all smoke and mirrors. He can't keep a girlfriend because he doesn't know how to treat a woman. His friends are mindless drones. You are substance. You are so marvelous that once you get into someone's life they don't want to let you go. Why do you think I sunk my hooks in so deep?" She gave him a peck when she heard Daniel calling for him. "Go show him what real power is about." She gave him a push toward the mat.

With a smile and strut in his step, he walks to his sensei. "You good?" He asked his student who had a dazed look on his face.

"Never better." He walks onto the mat. It was his shortest match yet. It took three rounds with him taking Kyler down in a matter of minutes. It got easier with each round because of how frustrated he was getting. The referee raised his hand in the air declaring him the winner while Kyler had a tantrum on the ground.

"Yes, Eli." His girlfriend cheered on the side filling him up with more pride.

Sam had to go up against another Cobra Kai girl who was getting the better of her while she was using her dad's style. Once she switched to Johnny, she dominated. Daniel didn't look happy about it. After Robby won his match they were taking a break before the semi-finals.

"Hey Lee, can I ask you a question? It's kind of personal." Miguel walks next to her as they go to get a drink.

"Sure." She shrugged.

"Did you ever have a conversation with your mom about why she is not here?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course. It was hard on both ends but she was honest, a little too honest." She nods.

"And?" He requested for her to go on.

"It was hurtful to hear about how she didn't want to be a mother. She felt such dread when she was pregnant. She didn't feel a connection when she held me as a baby. She felt lost and miserable with me." She had cried for days after that conservation.

"But don't you visit her every summer?" He thought they were good.

"It took a lot of therapy sessions, but we got to a good place. She still doesn't see herself as a mother, more of a friend." She hated that about her parents sometimes. There were moments when she needed a parent, someone to guide her, and not a buddy.

"Are you happy that you had the conversation?" He needs to know.

"Yeah, it wasn't what I wanted. But, I came to realize that it wasn't me, it was her. She didn't have it in her to be a mom. Before that, I had this lost and broken feeling like something was wrong with me." She wondered why no one could fill the roles in her life like how she wanted them to. Why couldn't her mom help her with homework and take her to watch plays? Why couldn't her dad be protective and teach her to throw a softball? Why couldn't her grandma bake cookies and love on her? "I need the conversation to open my eyes that I didn't need the traditional family."

"Thank you." He walks off to think about what she said. He knew that feeling well, wondering your worth. He thought he had Johnny but he wasn't so sure anymore. He hated feeling like if he didn't win then he would lose him. He wanted something concrete. He wanted his dad.

"What's up?" Eli asks when she saw her looking at Miguel worried.

"I don't know. He has been off lately." She tried to understand the conversation they just had.

"He's feeling the pressure. It gets more intense as the rounds go on." Eli let out a shaky breath.

"Are you looking for another kiss?" She teased.

"I wouldn't turn one down." He laughed. "Come here, my good luck charm." He pulled her against him.


To try and stay neutral, Lee was watching in the stands with Moon. "Eli and Miguel. This is interesting." She didn't like seeing friends fight.

"Yeah." She let out a shaky breath. "I hope it can stay clean so there are no hurt feelings." She had first-hand experience with how you can get caught up in a fight.

The match started, it was a bit of a dance with them being able to block each other's moves. "You can tell they spared a lot," Moon noted.

Miguel jumped into the air to do a spinning kick when his spine twisted too much one way. It made him slam to the ground. He held his back while groaning. Eli dropped to his side to ask him if he was alright but he wasn't responding because he was too forced on the pain. Moon grabbed Lee's hand in comfort. A referee, medic, and Johnny came to kneel around him. "Sensei." He screamed in pain, making a chill run down everyone's back.