A/N: This is more than likely going to be the last chapter before I officially jump into Season 1 of Cobra Kai (specifically "Ace Degenerate") unless I change my mind. There are going to be some familiar faces as well as someone who's newer. It's also Jason's first time at an All Valley, but he's a spectator this time. Not a participant.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Karate Kid movies, Cobra Kai or anything else that I might reference.
The All Valley
It had been a few weeks since his fifteenth birthday.
During those weeks, Jason had started working for Silver. The work that Silver asked him to do varied from simple extortion to actively shaking people down for money. And Jason was good at it, much to his surprise. Silver had told him that he had a job for the next few months, but he was still free to spend the summer however he wanted outside of that.
Plus, Silver had gotten him enrolled in West Valley High School. But he wouldn't have to start going to school right away. And that suited him fine.
He kind of kept in contact with Kreese as well. The old man wanted him to go and see the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament because he thought it would be good for his training. Or something to that effect.
Which was why Jason had gotten up early on a Saturday. Well, earlier than usual.
The All Valley was a big deal back in the 1980s, and it was still a big deal to some people.
Jason had time to get breakfast somewhere and then attend the All Valley as a spectator.
It was too early for him to compete, after all.
Besides, Cobra Kai had been banned from the All Valley ever since 1985 so it wasn't as if he would have been able to compete in it even if he wanted to.
…
Jason had managed to find the All Valley Sports Arena and was able to find somewhere to park.
There was a crowd of people gathered outside the building.
He got out of the Dodge Viper and locked it before walking to the front of the building and tried to blend in with the crowd.
Kreese told him that he was there to observe the All Valley and not draw attention to himself.
Which would be easy because he didn't recognise anybody in the crowd.
The building was open, so he walked in along with the crowd of people who were waiting outside.
He was about to find where the seats were when a pretty brunette around his age notices him and walks over to him.
"Do I know you from somewhere? Or are you here for the All Valley? Did you come with anyone? Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Claire. Claire Brown. Pleased to meet you!" Claire extends a hand of friendship out to him.
Jason looks at her hand and shakes it awkwardly, "Hi? I'm Jason. Jason Kreese. And, no, I didn't come here with anyone. It's also my first All Valley."
"Oh. Well, I kind of talked my parents into taking me here about two or three years ago and we've been going ever since. Maybe I should introduce you to my parents, seeing as you didn't come with anybody." Claire suggests.
This suggestion sounds a lot like a command. And Claire doesn't look like she'd take no for an answer.
Jason shrugs his shoulders. "Fine."
"Great!" Claire exclaims.
Jason smiles. "Hopefully I'm not going to regret this."
"You won't. They're very nice." Claire says.
He follows Claire to where a bald man and a brunette are standing.
Jason looks at them. "So, you must be Claire's parents? Right?"
"I'm Bobby. And this is Violet." Bobby extends a hand to Jason, who shakes it.
Jason isn't quite sure if he should shake Violet's hand or not, so he doesn't.
He notices that Bobby is looking at him like he might know him from somewhere. But he wasn't quite sure.
Jason looks at Bobby. "Are you okay?"
"I feel like I might know you from somewhere. What did you say your name was? If you haven't given us your name already?" Bobby asks.
Jason thinks about whether or not it would be worth telling Bobby who he was.
He took a deep breath before answering. "I'm Jason. Jason Kreese."
"I thought he was dead. Which would mean that you're his grandson?" Bobby asks.
Jason nods. "Yeah. I'm his grandson."
"Uh, Dad? You don't have to interrogate him. I don't think who or what his family is matters all that much." Claire interjects.
Jason watches as Bobby, Violet and Claire walk a short distance away to have a private conversation.
He resists the urge to eavesdrop.
A couple of minutes pass before Bobby, Violet and Claire walk back over to where he's standing.
Jason speaks up. "So, what did you guys decide?"
"You seem like a good person. And I might have overreacted." Bobby answers.
Violet nods. "It happens. And, I apologise."
"Great. So, are we going to get some seats now or what?" Claire asks.
Bobby looks at all the people filing into the main part of the All Valley Sports Arena. "I think that would be a good idea."
They walk into the main part of the All Valley Sports Arena, joining the crowd of people making their way in.
Jason noticed people in karate gear milling around.
He guessed that those people were going to be competing in the tournament.
Jason followed Bobby, Violet and Claire to find seats.
He checked to be sure that people wouldn't recognise him before catching up to them.
It was going to be an interesting day, for sure.
….
It would be difficult for Daniel to explain just how much the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament meant to him.
But if he could, he would have said that winning the All Valley twice had changed his life for the better. And he had built up some good memories, and not so good memories, of competing in the All Valley.
He joined the All Valley board because he wanted to give something back to an institution that had been so good to him.
The drive to the All Valley Sports Arena was smooth.
Mainly because they had been making that drive for the last few years. Especially after Daniel had gotten onto the All Valley board and LaRusso Auto became one of the sponsors of the tournament.
"There he is! The two-time champion!" Ron exclaims.
Daniel shakes Ron's hand with a smile. "I wasn't going to miss it."
"It's good to see you. George and Sue are somewhere around here. And Darryl has decided that he's going to be the announcer for the tournament." Ron says.
Daniel nods. "Oh. Well. It's good to see you too."
"Thank you." Ron answers.
Daniel smiles slightly. "You're welcome."
"Well, I guess I'll let you and your family get seated." Ron says.
Daniel watches as Ron walks away.
He notices Amanda walking behind him along with Sam and Anthony.
Daniel slowly turns around. "Well, that was Ron."
"I know. So, what were you two talking about?" Amanda asks.
Daniel sort of shrugs. "We were talking about the tournament."
"Oh. So, it's the same conversation you've been having for the last two years?" Amanda wonders.
Daniel nods. "Kind of."
Amanda is about to say something, but is interrupted by Sam and Anthony.
"Hey, dad. I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to sit with Aisha?" Sam asks.
Daniel nods. "Sure. Just keep your phone on, so we know where to find you."
"Great. Thanks, dad!" Sam says.
Daniel watches as Sam walks off to find Aisha.
Daniel and Amanda walk in to where the tournament is happening and sit down near the front along with Anthony.
They had time before the tournament started, so Anthony went to go and get food.
When Anthony got back, Darryl was about to start announcing the different dojos that would be competing in the All Valley.
….
Jason watched as the different dojos and their students were introduced along with all the other spectators.
While he had learned some Cobra Kai before Kreese had pivoted to teaching him self-defence and what was essentially street fighting, he wasn't entirely sure that he'd be able to take on any of the people who were participating in the All Valley. At least not yet.
"So, what do you think?" Claire asks.
Jason gives her a look. "Honestly? I'm surprised that this is such a big deal. I guess that having an announcer or whatever helps, though."
"It does, actually. I think this might be the second or third year that guy has announced the dojos." Claire replies.
Jason looks down as the different dojos make their way onto the mat. "So, what are the rules?"
"Well, all the participants are split into different divisions and are separated based on what dojo they're in. Everybody in each division fights and then whoever wins all their matches goes into the quarter finals. That's the simplest explanation I could give." Claire answers.
Jason understands. "Cool."
He doesn't tell her that Kreese had kind of told him how fights in tournaments went at the start of his training.
And he certainly wouldn't tell her that Kreese trained him at all. Or that the old man was alive, just in case Bobby overheard him.
"Did you have any training yourself?" Bobby leans over and asks Jason that question directly.
Jason nods. "Well. Yeah. Kind of. I've just picked things up."
"Dad! I thought I said that you didn't need to keep interrogating him?" Claire interjects.
Bobby sighs. "I know you did. I just want to be sure that he's trustworthy. That's all."
"Well, he seems trustworthy. Maybe that's enough." Violet remarks.
Jason looks over at them. "I think you might be missing the tournament. I might just go and get some food or something. You want anything?"
Bobby, Violet and Claire each shake their heads.
"Are you sure? You might miss the tournament." Claire says.
Jason is about to stand up, but he sits down again. "I think you might be right. I'd probably be better off just waiting."
They watch the fights continue.
The crowd claps and cheers whenever they see someone doing well.
Jason couldn't help but join in.
The fights, or matches, continue until people have won all three fights.
When the matches end, the announcer says something before gesturing to a large board covered by a tarp.
Two guys pull the tarp back so everybody can see the board.
There was also a little break before the quarterfinals, so Jason gets up to go and get some food.
He wonders if he'll run into anybody else.
But it was probably better not to think about it.
….
Jason walks past people who are walking, or more accurately running, to the bathroom.
He contemplated asking them if it was something that they ate, but he decided against it.
Mainly because it would be an awkward question.
Jason found where there were different vendors selling food.
He decided against buying a corndog, mainly because he didn't really care for them.
What he did like was churros.
He paid for his churros and was just about to walk back to where Claire and her family were sitting when he almost bumped into two girls around his age.
One of the girls was a brunette and the other girl was kind of overweight.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" The brunette exclaimed.
Jason successfully managed to avoid dropping the churros.
He smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it. Honestly. It was kind of my fault. I should have watched where I was going."
"You don't need to apologise. Besides, we were the ones who almost bumped into you." The brunette replies.
Jason looks at the brunette and the overweight girl. "So, do you two have names?"
"Obviously. I'm Aisha and she's Samantha. But most people call her Sam." Aisha speaks up.
Jason smiles. "I'm Jason. And most people call me Jason."
"I'm guessing that this is your first All Valley. My family's been going to the All Valley for as long as I can remember. And, my dad won it twice in the 1980s. So, it's kind of a big deal." Sam says.
Jason takes in this information. "Is your dad Daniel LaRusso?"
"Yeah." Sam answers.
Jason looks at Aisha almost in recognition. "Your dad's Isaiah Robinson, right?"
"Yep. And, before you ask, I'm not really a sporty person. In case you couldn't tell." Aisha replies.
Jason sort of shrugs. "Oh."
"So, where do you go to high school?" Sam asks.
Jason looks over at Sam. "I'm kind of between high schools at the moment. It's a bit of a long story. And I'm not entirely sure if you want to hear it."
"Well, we're both students at West Valley High School." Sam says, referring to herself and Aisha.
Jason's eyes light up. "Really? I might be transferring to West Valley High School at the end of summer."
"I'll be sure to give you a warm welcome in that case. Also, if you need help blending in or whatever then you can just ask us." Sam suggests.
Jason thinks about it. "I think I might just do that."
"Well, it was nice meeting you. I think that Aisha and I should give you our numbers just in case. Enjoy the rest of the All Valley." Sam remarks.
Jason hands Sam his phone and watches as she puts her number on it before handing it over to Aisha, who does the same.
Aisha hands Jason's phone back to him.
Jason watches as Sam and Aisha walk off.
He makes his way back to where Claire and her family were sitting.
Hopefully he didn't miss too much of the tournament.
….
The quarterfinals had gone by fairly quickly.
Darryl was standing in the middle of mat along with the four All Valley semi-finalists and their respective Senseis.
Some of the spectators hadn't returned to their seats or they were still in the bathroom.
Maybe there was a bug going around or something sold by the food vendors in the All Valley Sports Arena had turned.
There was a distinct possibility that the corndogs had turned, but nobody on the All Valley board felt like saying it.
"Alright! Let's hear it for our competitors! As great as you all have been, there can only be one winner! And he's standing on the mat right now!" Darryl exclaims.
Daniel and Amanda look at each other and exchange glances before looking back to Darryl.
Darryl continues. "Will it be Xander Stone from Topanga Karate?"
"Will it be Andrew Braithwaite from Locust Valley Karate?" Darryl names another semi-finalist.
Darryl looks at the third semi-finalist. "Will it be Calvin Yeung from All Star Karate?"
"Will it be Oliver Maitland from Crunch Karate?" Darryl introduces the fourth and final semi-finalist.
Everybody claps when Darryl has finished introducing all the semi-finalists.
Darryl waits for the applause to die down. "First up, Stone VS Braithwaite! Let's go!"
Yeung and Maitland walk off the mat along with the Senseis of the different dojos that the semi-finalists were in.
Stone is quicker than Braithwaite is and has more reach, but Braithwaite has more power behind his strikes.
Braithwaite lands a particularly heavy kick on Stone that staggers him.
The referee awards Braithwaite a point, raising a white flag as he does so.
Braithwaite tried to go for a quick point, but Stone side stepped him and landed a kick on Braithwaite's chin that practically knocks him flat.
The referee awards Stone a point before going to check on Braithwaite.
Braithwaite practically shoves the referee away before standing up.
The referee raises a red flag.
Stone tries to land a punch on Braithwaite's midsection only for the other teenager to block the punch.
Braithwaite throws punches at Stone that he blocks before attempting to sweep Stone's leg.
Stone moves out of the way of Braithwaite and practically flips over an attempted front kick.
He then sweeps Braithwaite's leg and lands a punch on Braithwaite's chest.
The referee awards another point to Stone, raising the red flag again.
"The score is 2 – 1, Stone! Ready!" The referee exclaims.
Stone goes on offence and tries to end the match quickly.
Braithwaite blocks a kick and punch from Stone before aiming a kick at Stone.
Stone tries to hit Braithwaite with a crescent kick only for Braithwaite to block the kick and counter with a spinning backfist that catches Stone on the temple, staggering him.
The referee checks on Stone, but Stone is okay to continue.
Braithwaite lands a hook kick on Stone.
The referee raises a white flag. "The score is 2 – 2, Braithwaite! The next point wins! Ready! And fight!"
Stone and Braithwaite trade punches and kicks, with neither teenager wanting to concede ground or momentum.
Braithwaite attempts a hip throw on Stone, only for Stone to reverse it and throw Braithwaite to the ground.
Stone punches Braithwaite in the midsection before rising back to his feet.
The referee raises the red flag. "Point! The score is 3 – 2! Stone wins!"
Stone and Braithwaite shake hands and bow to each other.
Braithwaite walks off the mat and stands next to his Sensei.
Stone walks off the mat and stands next to his Sensei as well.
"Xander Stone has earned his spot in the finals! Now it's Yeung VS Maitland!" Darryl practically shouts over the cheering crowd.
Yeung and Maitland walk onto the centre of the mat and bow to each other before getting into a fighting stance.
They circle around each other looking for an opening.
Neither of them seems willing to make the first move.
Until Maitland lunges forward.
He aims a front kick at Yeung that's quickly blocked.
Maitland launches kicks at Yeung, who blocks or sidesteps the attempted kicks.
Yeung rallies with kicks and punches.
The two teenagers don't want to back down and are trading punches and kicks.
Yeung ducks underneath a kick and aims a crescent kick at Maitland's midsection.
The kick connects and Maitland staggers backwards.
"The score is 1 – 0, Yeung!" The referee raises a white flag.
Maitland and Yeung move back to their lines.
Yeung goes on the offensive this time.
He throws a flurry of punches that Maitland blocks.
Maitland catches Yeung on the counterattack with a punch to the midsection.
The referee raises a red flag. "The score is 1 – 1, Maitland!"
Yeung and Maitland go back to their lines.
They circle around each other looking for an opening.
This time, Maitland goes on the offensive.
He aims a punch for Yeung's chest, only for it to be blocked.
Yeung throws punches at Maitland, but Maitland blocks each punch.
Maitland tries to land a kick on Yeung.
Yeung sidesteps the kick and hits a spinning backfist on Maitland's chest.
"The score is 2 – 1, Yeung!" The referee raises a white flag.
Maitland and Yeung both get back on their lines.
Yeung starts to bounce in his stance.
Maitland starts to become more aggressive in terms of how he fights.
He starts launching kicks and punches at Yeung, who either dodges or blocks them.
Maitland tries to land a front kick on Yeung, who blocks it.
Yeung tries to land a kick on Maitland's chest only for it to be blocked.
Maitland ducks under another kick from Yeung and lands a rising roundhouse kick on him.
The referee raises a red flag. "The score is 2 – 2, Maitland!"
Yeung and Maitland both go back to their lines.
The referee motions for them to continue.
Maitland and Yeung start to circle around each other again.
Neither of them wants to make a mistake that could prove to be costly.
Maitland moves in with a kick, but Yeung blocks the kick.
The referee doesn't award a point.
Yeung throws a punch, only for Maitland to block it.
Maitland counters with a punch of his own.
Yeung blocks the punch and counterpunches.
Maitland blocks the attempted punch and aims a kick at Yeung that misses completely.
Yeung does manage to catch Maitland on the counterattack with a punch to the chest.
"The score is 3 – 2, Yeung! Winner!" The referee raises a white flag.
Maitland and Yeung bow to each other and shake hands before walking back to their respective Senseis.
The crowd are cheering and applauding.
Darryl looks at the crowd. "We have our finalists! We'll be right back after this quick break!"
Jason is just one of the people watching the tournament.
"There's usually a fifteen-to-twenty-minute break between the semi-finals and the finals of the All Valley." Claire says.
Jason nods. "Oh. I thought they just had the finals right after the semi-finals."
"But they don't." Claire replies.
Jason understands. "Because they don't want someone to have an unfair advantage? Right?"
"Exactly." Claire answers.
Jason stands up. "I'm going to get some more food."
"I think that might be a good idea." Claire stands up.
They leave their seats and walk to where the food vendors were.
People have the same idea that they do and are also walking to where the food vendors were.
Some other people were walking, or running, to the bathroom.
Jason and Claire ignore them as they walk to where the food vendors were.
They get churros and pay for them before walking back to their seats.
Fortunately, they still had a bit of time before the final match started.
….
Jason and Claire made it back to their seats just in time.
Darryl was about to introduce the finalists.
"This is going to be the last match of the tournament!" Darryl started.
The crowd cheers, and Jason can't help but cheer as well.
Darryl continues. "Our two finalists have fought well, but there can only be one champion! Will it be Topanga's PC Patriot, Xander Stone? Or will it be All Star Karate's Rising Star, Calvin Yeung?"
"There's only one way to find out! Let's get to it!" Darryl finishes.
Xander Stone and Calvin Yeung step on to the mats and walk until they are facing each other.
The referee motions for them to bow to each other as a sign of respect.
The crowd watches in anticipation as the final match of the All Valley begins.
….
Xander Stone and Calvin Yeung get into a fighting stance.
They circle around each other looking for an opening.
The crowd watches as Calvin throws punches at Xander that are all blocked.
Xander throws punches at Calvin that are all blocked.
They go back to their lines before circling around each other again.
Calvin goes back on the offensive.
Xander uses his reach to put distance between himself and Calvin before he does a spinning kick that catches Calvin on the chin.
"Point, Stone! 1 – 0!" The referee exclaims, raising a red flag.
Calvin rises to his feet.
Xander and Calvin walk back to their spots.
Calvin tries to get an easy point with a jab punch, but Xander blocks it.
He also blocks multiple punches and kicks from Calvin.
Xander ducks down and punches Calvin in the stomach.
The referee raises the red flag again. "Point, Stone! The score is 2 – 0!"
Calvin is becoming increasingly frustrated and starts getting sloppy as a result.
Xander manages to kick Calvin in the chest.
"Point! Winner! 3 – 0! Stone!" The referee raises the red flag for the third and last time.
The crowd cheer, even if the match had been slightly underwhelming compared to the semi-finals.
Everybody from Topanga Karate floods the mat and lifts Xander up into the air.
Darryl hands the All Valley trophy to Xander after the people from Topanga Karate put him down. "Your winner and new All Valley Champion! Topanga's PC Patriot, Xander Stone!"
"Is there anything that you'd like to say to the crowd?" Darryl asks.
Xander shakes his head. "As much as I would like to say something, I think winning the All Valley speaks for itself."
"Well, there you have it, folks! Get home safely and hopefully you'll all be here next year!" Darryl wraps up MCing the tournament with aplomb.
The crowd starts to filter out of the All Valley Sports Arena.
Jason is just about to leave when Claire stops him.
He looks a little confused. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. It's just that, well…." Claire starts.
Jason can sort of guess what she's going to say. "I don't have any friends?"
"Yeah. If you want to blend in, you've got to at least look like you have friends." Claire continues.
Jason scratches his head. "You think so? Did I make it obvious?"
"Well, yeah. Look. You don't have to rush into anything. Here's my number if you want to hang out or whatever. I'm sure my friends won't mind." Claire replies.
Jason raises an eyebrow at this statement. "Your friends?"
"Demetri and Eli. They're really nice when you get to know them." Claire answers.
Jason hands her his phone and watches as Claire puts her number on it.
She hands the phone back to him.
Jason has an idea. "So, I should probably give you my number, too? Right?"
"If you want." Claire sort of shrugs.
Claire hands Jason her phone and Jason puts his number on it before handing it back.
Jason is about to say something when he hears Bobby calling for Claire. "Claire? I know you've made a friend, but we kind of need to get going. I want to beat the traffic that always ensues at these things."
"I guess I'll see you around." Claire walks off.
Jason watches as Claire catches up to Bobby and Violent.
His plan to see the All Valley without anybody noticing him had kind of failed.
Then again, he did kind of stick out.
Having some semblance of a friend group, or peer group, would help him blend in a little better.
Besides, he needed things to do outside of training and working for Silver the entire summer.
He walked through the crowd of people filtering out of the All Valley Sports Arena.
Jason managed to get to the exit without being noticed further and got to where his Dodge Viper was parked.
He unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat.
There was quite a bit of traffic leaving the All Valley Sports Arena, so he had time to start planning how he would spend his summer while also trying to blend in.
And it wasn't like he didn't have any options.