The dojo was buzzing with excitement. A few days ago, the sensei told them that they had a tryout to be in the highest competition of karate, Sekai Taikai. After they researched the subject, it was all some could think about. "Did you watch the video I sent you of last year's Sekai Taikai?" Eli was a part of that some. He was excited for another chance to prove himself.

"Who knew people could kick that high?" Miguel nods.

"Or that's hard." Robby slaps Eli's shoulder.

"That's why it's the biggest competition in the world." Sam joined them.

"Last year's winner did a car commercial in Taiwan." Eli smiles.

"Imagine being in a commercial. What would you do with all that money?" Mitch put his hands in his pocket.

"Buy a yacht with a hot tub. Fill it up with Smarties and hotties." Chris did a dance making everyone laugh.

"I hate doing car commercials. It's hours and hours of the same minute and a half while being viciously critiqued. The number of times you have to change clothes." Lee grumbled as she sat down to redo her laces. Yesterday, she had to shoot a video for Cole's car company. "Smile sweetly, lean against the car. Be inviting. You have to be a naive seductress. We want both your peers and their parents to want to get a car here, so take the turn safely but look like you're having fun. We want people to come to the lot hoping to see you, so show a little personality but don't be obnoxious… You can fuck right off, Kathy." She pulled her laces tightly making her feet suffer. She looks up to see everyone staring at her.

"You alright, babe?" Eli raises his eyebrows.

"All I'm saying is there is an easier way to have a hot tub orgie." She took his hand to help her stand up.

"Alright, alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Daniel came into the backyard with Johnny. "Remember, Cobra Kai is gonna do everything they can to get a spot. And if they win this time, kids all over the world are going to have to deal with the same crap you guys have gone through."

"But if we win, we can show the world how to stop them." Sam was in it for more than commercials.

"First you must prove you can compete with the best." Chozen reminds them they weren't in the competition yet.

"To do that, you have to be better than the best, which is why we're going to kick your asses into high gear," Johnny yelled.

"Sensei Lawrence, Sensei Toguchi, and I are going to get you ready for the presentation. So come on, let's get warmed up." Daniel claps his hands. They looked around at each other in excitement.

"Go! Move those asses." Johnny pushed Lee.

"I'm moving. I'm moving!" She threw her duffle bag to the side.

Everyone got into the motions as the judges arrived. Daniel was giving them a tour. "Our students start with basic movements. We use chores to create muscle memory." He gestures to Bert and Anthony sanding the deck. "Once they have that down they can master their defense." He led them over to Chozen.

"Show me sand the floor." He orders Mitch and Chris. They were able to block his kicks with the movements.

"Only after they master their defense, do they learn offense." He led them over to Johnny.

"With a badass twist. Show me a screaming eagle. Ready?" Johnny nods to their three top students. Eli, Miguel, and Robby screamed as they did some kicks.


"No fancy crap here." Johnny walks them into the warehouse. Sam kicks a watermelon that was hanging from a chain making it explode. "Our dojo is old school. We won't spoil our students. We make them earn things the hard way." Lee kicks her watermelon but it barely moves. "You call that a kick? Harder." She pouts while looking at him. "Come on, you heard me." She glares at the fruit before giving it a hard sidekick, making it burst. The flesh of the watermelon lands all over one of the judges. Making the boys gasp and oh. Sam hissed in second-hand embarrassment.

"I can pay for the dry cleaning. I know the best guy in town." Lee put a hand on the back of her neck.

When all she got was silence, Johnny tried to save them. "Hey, look man, I'm sure this probably all seems weird to you, but sometimes you have to train outside of the box to get to another level. Some people use the latest high-tech junk to get there, and some people need to run up a mountain in the snow and yell."

"Drago!" He let out a scream making Lee run to hide behind Eli. "Rocky Balboa is my hero."

"No shit! Mine too." He smiled. Lee peeked around to see that the man wasn't mad at her.

"His victory over Russia effectively restored my fractured homeland." He put a hand over his heart.

"You get it." Johnny was relieved.

"I do." He nods. "Show me more."

"Yes sir." He smiles. Daniel let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.


"Thank you for your presentation. Your style is unique. Not to mention your facilities, they are certainly one of a kind. Having reviewed both dojos, one could not be more different than the other, yet both are equally impressive. So the only way to determine which dojo can gain entry into the Sekai Taikai is to see how your students fare in direct competition. Each dojo will select two fighters. One male, one female. Each will fight tomorrow afternoon in separate three-point matches. After those fights, the organizers will decide which dojo, if any, shall take the world stage. Good luck to all. Auf Wiedersehen." He bows along with the rest of the council. They bow back to them before they take their leave.

"Well, it could've been worse." Daniel couldn't be mad at the outcome.

"At least we still have a shot." Johnny agrees.

"Only one thing to do now, we have to prepare to fight." Chozen looks at the students that seem to have a new determination.

Eli started laughing. "What?" Lee looks at him confused.

"I can't believe that you kicked watermelon all over that guy." He snickers.

"Fuck off, Eli." She rolled her eyes and walked to the koi pond to take a seat.

"Eli? I'll have you know my name is Babe to me." He sat next to her by the pond. He pulled her against him to pepper her face in kisses while tickling her sides.

"Stop Eli! Stop! Okay…. Okay… babe, stop!" She screamed when it got painful.

"There you go." He let her go for her to catch her breath.

"Hello." The couple look at Sam who was waiting for a time she could cut in.

"Hey Sam," Eli nods to her.

"So, one female gets to fight and…" She was thinking of a way to go about this without insulting her.

"You don't have to walk around eggshells with me. It should be you, Sam." She smiles.

"I don't think it should be an absolute thing because I've been doing it longer. You are very talented." She wanted to do it but she thinks it should be a discussion.

"Maybe, but experience is something to take into consideration. You made it to the semi-finals and… Look, you deserve a rematch with Tory. I think, no… I know you can beat her." She almost let it slip that she thought she got cheated.

"Thanks. I'm going to try my hardest." She nods.

"That's a little suspicious," Mitch mutters.

"What is?" Anthony didn't see anything wrong with that conversation.

"I think it is strange that Lee doesn't want to fight. And her dad is friends with Silver. We know he likes to do underhanded things. How do we know she's not a spy?" He tilts his head.

It got a burst of outrage. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" Bert glares.

"Assface, I will knock your jaws off its hinges." Eli jumped to his feet.

"Penis Breath, don't make me kick your ass." Johnny crosses his arms.

"Johnny." Daniel sighs.

"Okay. Calm down. Silver is making us paranoid." Chris tries to bring the tension down. "There is no spy amongst us."

"I was just saying, she got a connection." He wasn't letting it go. "She is not saying anything."

"I don't need to speak against ridiculous rumors." She crosses her legs.

"Mitch, it doesn't make sense. If she was a spy wouldn't she argue for the spot so she could throw the fight?" Miguel thought the stress was getting to him.

"See jackass, you're an idiot. Now apologize." Eli points at Lee. Mitch didn't want to submit to him. It was already enough that he wasn't going to be considered for the fight.

"Do it now." Johnny hisses. She smiles smugly.

"I'm sorry, Lee. It was a stupid thought that popped into my head. Chris is right, I'm being paranoid." He was getting freaked out by the glares. Even Sam was throwing daggers at him.

"It's alright, PB. You are an idiot." She pops up. "Thank you for making him apologize, Sensei." She hugged Johnny. He pats her head.

"Hey, I made the demand first." Eli tries to pry her off to hug her, but it was a struggle with her clinging on to Johnny.


"Okay, who's ready for round two?" Mrs. LaRusso put down a sausage pizza making the boys attack it. The dojo went to LaRusso's house to celebrate earning a chance to be in Taikai.

"Oh my god, have some manners. I'm sorry." Lee apologized to her.

"It's fine. You should see Daniel's cousins." She laughed.

"It was an impressive takedown." Ms. Diaz's stare was more of disgust.

"The babies love a man that can eat." Chris took a big bite.

"What honey? Our dojo has more sausage than this pizza." Mitch rolled his eyes.

"We're not enough for you, Penis Breath?" Bert snorts. Nate laughs at the joke.

"Definitely not." He snorted.

"Like you would get any if you were the only sausage in the dojo." Lee rolled her eyes. "It's not like girls are crawling all over you at school."

"Burn!" Bert snickers.

"I already said I'm sorry." He sighs.

"Because Eli and Johnny made you." She narrowed her eyes.

"It's better to be quiet." Chris pats his shoulder in sympathy.


"Stop pouting." Eli watches her from the mirror.

"Why green?" She was putting temporary dye into his hair.

"Just trying out different colors." He bought a variety pack of temp colors.

"Then why not silver." She sings the color.

"It's in the pack so maybe one day." He hummed.

"So exciting." She beams.

"But, I'm not doing any roleplay." He didn't like the thought of her thinking of someone else while they were being intimate.

"Of course, of course. I'm going to order you a Fukurodani jersey." She giggled when he swatted at her hip. "Come on, do it with me: Hey! Hey! Hey!" She threw her hands which were covered in dye green gloves in the air.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" He mockingly waves his hands around.

She took off her gloves and hugged him from behind. "You feel good for today." She kisses his neck.

"Yeah, I can beat whoever they put in front of me. It's like Chozen says they got quantity not quality." He wasn't nervous.

"Let's have victory sex after." She bit his ear lobe.

"Stop it. We don't have time for a quickie." He willed away his hard-on.

"I'm trying to provide motivation." She teased.


"Look at this place." Daniel scoffs. The students were following him, looking around in amazement.

"Whoa, it's like a cobra kai starship." Bert was surprised by how high-tech everything looked.

"They got a smoothie bar. No fair!" Mitch gave a small smile to the girls that were by it getting a slap from Chris.

"Eli, look, this is where my favorite smoothie maker went." She pulled on his sleeve.

"I see him." He rolled his eyes. She waves at him. He nods to her before starting to make the smoothie she likes. "Are you going to drink a Cobra Kai smoothie?"

"If it has dragon fruit, apple juice, mango, and a lot of other good shit I would." She went to grab the large cup along with the medium. He was her favorite because he always gave her the extra. He made sure there was a lot of extra.

"Here Bert." She hands him the medium.

"What are you two doing?" Johnny looks at them sipping the drinks.

"It's free. Shouldn't I want to cost the enemy's money?" She drinks.

"Don't take it outside. We don't want to promote this place." He nodded to the cup with the Cobra Kai logo on it.

"I hate that it is good." He sips.

"Freaking fantastic." She nods. They watch Kenny explode when he sees that Robby was with them. "Someone in love with their idol." Bert and Lee snicker. Robby rolled his eyes at them.


"Thank you, Sensei Silver, for offering to host these matches in your dojo on such short notice." Gunther thanks him.

"Offered or demanded?" Daniel scoffed.

"We do have tournament regulation mats here, so it was the only option." He was the king of pretending to play nice.

"We'll begin with the boys. We have invited a local referee to ensure impartiality." The sensei bowed to the man that was pointed to. "First to three points wins."

"Time to begin." The referee took his spot.

"Eli Moskowitz and Kenny Payne, please take the mat." Gunther introduces them.

After making them bow to the referee and then to each other, the fight started. They were able to block each other for a few exchanges until Kenny landed a kick. "Point to Kenny."

The second round started, and Eli went in more aggressively making Kenny back up. He lands a kick to the chest pushing him off the mat. "Out of bounds, no point."

"What? Are you serious?" Eli yelled.

"Come on, ref. That's horse shit. He made contact in bounds." Johnny was annoyed too.

"No point. Back on the line." He wasn't going to take back his call. "Ready. Fight." Kenny did a spinning kick but was blocked. It was an even back and forth until Kenny was able to grab Eli's leg and strike it with his elbow.

"Illegal strike. That's a warning." He told him.

Eli limped over. "Warning! He should be disqualified!" Daniel yelled.

"He tried to break his fucking leg!" Lee cursed.

"It's fine. He caught me off guard." Eli told him.

"Are you sure, Eli?" He was ready to push the matter.

"No more, Eli. It's time to uncage the Hawk." He slicked up his hair as he walked back to the mat. Johnny put his fist up.

They took their places for the next round. Kenny hit Hawk in his solar plex. "Eli." "Hawk." Lee and Johnny drop by his side.

"Point. 2-0." He called.

"Hawk, what's wrong?" He asks.

"I can't breathe." He held his chest.

"Can you continue?" The referee asked.

"Why don't you fuck off?" Lee snapped at the man. He held no compassion for Eli being on the ground gasping for air. "Where is the medic? I'm getting ready to sue this damn place." She screams. With a nod from Silver, the medic attended to him.

"That's a forfeit. Winner, Payne." Cobra Kai cheered.

"It was for Piper," Kenny smirks at Lee. If she wasn't so concerned about Eli, she would go over there to break his arm.

"Can you breathe?" He rubs his chest. Eli gave a weak nod. It was painful, but he could. "I think he's okay. Just got the wind knocked out of him."

"Look like you got a new name, Faux-Hawk." Kenny snickers. Johnny and Daniel helped Eli off the mat.

"The referee is clearly in Silver's pocket. You are going to have to leave no room for error. You have to make every point undeniable. Don't let her get to the edge of the mat. Make every hit a body shot." She advises Sam.

"Our girls' fight is next. Samantha LaRusso and Tory Nichols, please take the mat." Gunther announced the next fight.

"I got this." She nods that she understood the assignment. "Go take care of Eli."

"Good luck." She pats Sam's shoulder before taking the empty spot by Eli. She rubs his back while Johnny hands him a cold bottle of water.

"Where is she?" They saw that Tory was nowhere to be found. They ended up putting Devon on the mat.

"The little fucking traitor." Lee sneers. The fight started. The referee was being more reckless. He didn't give Sam a point when she hit below the shoulder and gave a point to Devon when Sam blocked it. Sam called for a time-out. "Come on, Sam, don't give this dumbass referee a reason!" She yelled from her spot. Chozen pointed at her while talking to Sam. He must agree with her.

Sam went on to dominate the next three rounds. After getting congratulated by her teachers, the team gathers around to cheer for her.

They waited while the judges talked to each other. "We reached an agreement. As expected we were impressed with the skills and precision and discipline of the new taikai qualifier, Cobra Kai." They cheered while the others hung their heads. It felt like they couldn't catch a break. Did the girl's fight mean nothing? Devon showed hardly any skill set. "As for our other dojo, we admire your unusual mix of styles and underdog spirit and we think you could be a unique addition to the competition. Therefore, we've decided that your dojo has also qualified."

"Yes!" Lee went around hugging everyone, even Mitch.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" He hugs her.

"Yes, suggested I'm a traitor again I'll kick you in the balls." She patted his back hard.

"Welcome to Sekai Taikai." Gunther bows to them. They bow back for the judges to take their leave.

"Maybe one day we'll both win," Eli told Sam. She smiles while giving him a soft punch to the shoulder.

"We all earned this." Daniel put a stop to that kind of talk. "Each and everyone one of you brought your A game. Not just today, but to every practice."

"I could not be more proud." Chozen nods.

"With this tournament in our future, we've got a lot of work to do. But tonight… Tonight, go celebrate." Daniel yelled.