Cobra Kai was getting stronger by the day. They were recruiting students willing to turn into monsters just for more power. They were growing in strength and numbers, and Harper was sitting back and doing absolutely nothing. But what was she supposed to do? What could she do?
Kreese's threats about the war just beginning echoed in her mind repeatedly. They weren't backing down even though they'd already done more than enough damage. They were just getting started, and it made her heart clench. She was terrified of what that meant, and of what else they had up their sleeve. But they would strike — hard and fast — before she even knew it was happening.
Someone would get hurt again, and it wouldn't be pretty. Perhaps it would be another broken arm or something worse. Maybe the attack would target everyone, and no one would be powerful enough or ready to stop them.
But it wasn't her problem.
It couldn't be. She was done with this — with Cobra Kai, Miyagi-Do, and karate. She'd lost everything the moment Hawk broke Demetri's arm, and she walked away just as broken.
And then she talked to Kreese, and suddenly she cared. Suddenly, she was scared of what he planned to do. Just because Sam and the others weren't training didn't mean they wouldn't be targeted again. They were still enemies, players on the opposite side of the table, and Kreese would make sure to knock them down either way.
Harper had foolishly told herself she didn't give a shit, and now she couldn't stop thinking about Kreese's words. His silent threat and what that meant for everyone — involved and not.
She had no idea what to do, but she knew that something had to be done. Kreese needed to be stopped, and Cobra Kai couldn't be allowed to do whatever the hell they wanted. Not anymore. They'd taken too much, broken too much, and it had to end. There had to be an ending to this war.
There wasn't anything she could do on her own. After all, she was done with this. She'd washed her hands clean of friendships, relationships, and karate. But she needed to put something into motion so when she did finally walk away, it would be without guilt on her conscience.
Harper hesitated outside of the apartment with her hand raised mid-knock. She wasn't sure what she was doing here. It was such a long shot that she felt stupid for even considering this idea, but something had to be done about Cobra Kai, and she didn't see any other options. She didn't see anyone else who would be up to taking on Cobra Kai in a brutal and deadly way.
Johnny Lawrence was her only option, and she hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake.
And if nothing came out of this, she'd at least have given it a shot. Then she could walk away guilt-free and carry on with her life.
Letting out a nervous breath, she knocked on the door and took half a step back. The seconds ticked by and… nothing. No footsteps or voices to acknowledge that someone was home. The hope she hadn't wanted to hold onto deflated because it looked like she'd come out here for nothing. And then, just as she'd been about to turn away, the door creaked open.
Johnny blinked at her in confusion as if she was a figment of his imagination. She didn't blame him for being shocked since they'd only had a few interactions. To be honest, she was just as surprised to be standing at his doorstep as he was to see her.
"Uh, hey, kid. What are you doing here?" Johnny asked, leaning against the doorframe. He looked past her as if the answer to his question was written in the air like a nicely timed subtitle.
"We need to talk," Harper said, the words spilling out as she nervously tugged at her bracelet. "It's about Cobra Kai. And I just — it's not good."
Johnny's expression hardened, but he ran a hand down his face as if he was already exhausted from the conversation. "There's nothing to talk about. They're not my problem anymore."
"Please. Just… hear me out, okay? I just need five minutes, and then you can kick me out if you want," Harper pleaded, the sincerity in her voice strong. She looked up at him, holding her breath as he debated whether or not to turn her away.
"Five minutes," Johnny said, stepping aside to let her in.
Harper let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and stepped around him into the dimly lit apartment. It was messy and sparse, but it felt like Johnny – if rooms could take on the personality of their inhabitants. Her eyes roamed around the small living room that bled into a smaller dining room attached to a kitchen.
But what really caught her attention was the boy sitting on the couch, watching them with curiosity. Her lips tugged up into a smile, a wave of relief washing over her as Miguel made his way towards her. He walked towards her. Harper knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. That risky surgery had actually worked, and he wasn't wheelchair-bound like he'd been worried he would be.
Harper felt a flicker of regret cross her features for not having visited Miguel after that one time. She'd wanted to. She'd had every intention to, but life kept her too busy. All that mattered was that he was okay and that he was walking.
"Hey," Miguel said, pulling her into an unexpected hug that she returned after a moment.
"You're walking," Harper said stupidly, her observation skills not missing anything. "That's amazing!"
Miguel laughed, the sound warm and soft. "Yeah, I am. It wasn't easy, but Johnny wouldn't let me give up," Miguel explained as he stood back with that easy smile of his.
"I'm glad you didn't give up," Harper told him and threw a grateful look Johnny's way.
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you would've kicked my butt if I did," Miguel said, to which she nodded with mock seriousness.
"I'm so glad you're okay, though. And I'm sorry I didn't visit again, I just… but you're walking, and that's pretty freaking amazing," Harper said.
"Thanks. And don't worry about it. I know you've been dealing with a lot, too," Miguel said, waving off her concern. He sat down on the arm of the couch, his arms crossed, and watched her with a knowing smile. "So, how are things with you and Hawk? It's kinda weird saying that — you and Hawk. I'm still trying to get used to that idea but, I kinda had a feeling something was up, you know."
Harper opened her mouth to answer, but the words died on her tongue. She should've expected this question and now she had no idea how to answer. It felt so final to say that they were done, yet there was nothing else she could say. She twisted the bracelet around her wrist, doing her best not to let this topic make her panic.
"We're… I mean, we're not exactly…," Harper trailed off with a frown, hating how difficult it was to say this aloud. Taking a breath, she let it out. "We broke up."
Miguel frowned, not understanding. "Wait — why? I thought… I mean, you guys seemed —"
"Yeah, we were," Harper said with a shrug. "But… he's not exactly who I thought he was."
"Because of Cobra Kai?" Miguel asked, sitting up straighter. "Look, I know he's changed, but he's not a bad guy. You know he's not because you wouldn't have even given him a chance in the first place. He just… he lost his way."
"Maybe," Harper said, shifting from one foot to the other. "But it doesn't mean it's okay for him to break his best friend's arm."
Miguel's entire demeanor changed in an instant. He furrowed his brows as if trying to grasp what she was telling him before glancing at Johnny, who wore a similar look of surprise. "What are you talking about?"
Harper took a deep breath, her grasp tightening on the bracelet. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room — like her news was tilting the world on its axis and making everyone fall down. It felt like that, though. It felt like nothing was right in the world anymore.
"Hawk, uhm… he broke Demetri's arm last Friday," Harper said slowly as if that would somehow lessen the blow. "He did it in front of everyone, Miguel. His friends were telling him to do it and he listened to them. He didn't care."
Stunned, Miguel ran a hand through his hair.
And for the second time, Harper realized she'd ruined the image someone had of Hawk. She'd turned someone who saw him as a friend and a good person into a villainous monster who didn't care who he hurt. She'd done it to Cole, and now she was doing it to Miguel.
"No way," Miguel said, his voice louder and tighter. "There's no way Hawk did that. Not to Demetri. I know they didn't exactly get along but… he wouldn't —"
"Except he did," Harper interrupted with an apologetic smile. "I was there. I was begging him not to listen to Tory and the others but he didn't care. He did it anyway, and that's why I… I couldn't be with someone like that."
"But Hawk's not…," Miguel trailed off, his expression hardening into one of anger and frustration. He looked absolutely shattered at hearing what his friend was capable of, and she felt bad for being the bearer of bad news. Again.
"Shit," Johnny muttered from behind her. "I always knew he was a little out of control but he screwed up. Big time. What the hell was he even thinking?"
That question hung in the air — loud and heavy. Everyone was surprised by what Hawk had done, except maybe they shouldn't be. Maybe they were all blind in a way that they wanted to view him as a troubled kid with violent tendencies, not a kid who would let himself get brainwashed and do something terrible just to get respect.
He'd tried. Harper knew he'd tried to be better and not go down the dark side of Cobra Kai. She'd watched as he backed off when she asked him to, but that hadn't been enough. It was never enough, and it was never going to be enough. Kreese was in his head too much and so were his friends. And perhaps he'd been lost to them long before they'd met. Perhaps this was always who Hawk was.
She glanced over at Johnny, taking in his silent anger as a confirmation that she was right to be there. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself to talk — to hope that she could somehow get through to him and get him to take action. It wouldn't be easy, she already knew that. But with his new knowledge of Hawk and how he'd been coerced into breaking Demetri's arm, she hoped she wouldn't need to do much else to convince him to fight back.
"That's kinda why I'm here," Harper said slowly. Her voice was quiet, yet it sounded as if she was shouting. She turned so that she faced both of them and gathered enough courage to continue on with a plan that was just short of unhinged. "Cobra Kai's getting out of control, and Kreese is turning them into bigger bullies than before."
"That's not my problem anymore," Johnny spoke up, and those five words felt like a slap. "I'm not part of that. They chose Kreese, and I'm out. Look, this whole thing sucks. I get that, but there's nothing I can do about it."
Harper let out a frustrated breath, realizing this would be harder than she expected it to be. All she needed was to get him to agree to do something and then she'd be on her way. Only then would she be able to leave this whole mess behind her.
"But maybe there is. I mean, it's worth a shot if it's as bad as Harper says it is," Miguel said quietly, surprising them both.
Johnny glanced at him, a look of regret in his eyes as he continued. "There's nothing I can do," he repeated, his voice more resolute than before — as if he'd already made up his mind. "I started this. I reopened Cobra Kai and it got you thrown off the second-story floor. You could've… you're damn lucky you're walking again, kid. But I'm not about to —"
"Not about to, what, Johnny? Care?" Harper asked, crossing her arms as she blew out a frustrated breath. "You said it yourself, you started this. But now Kreese is finishing it, and you're just going to sit back and do nothing because you're scared? By acting like you don't give a shit? Because you don't get to just walk away from this."
"I'm not scared!" Johnny said, his voice rising. "You don't know shit about any of this, Harper, so don't start giving me lectures."
Harper snorted, rolling her eyes. "I don't know shit about this? Are you freaking kidding me? I've watched my friends get hurt because of what Kreese is teaching them. And I've watched Hawk let himself get brainwashed by them and turn into a monster. So, no, you're absolutely right, Johnny. I don't know what I'm talking about."
"This isn't helping anything, you guys," Miguel mumbled while Harper and Johnny were locked in a stare-down.
"I'm not saying you don't know, but you don't know," Johnny said.
Harper blinked before glancing towards Miguel, who shrugged. "What does that even mean?"
"It means that… Things are just complicated, okay?" Johnny said, running a hand through his hair.
"When are things not complicated, though?" Harper asked, refusing to back down. She was here for one reason, and one reason only. And she wouldn't leave until she got through to him. "I always knew that Cobra Kai was just a bunch of bullies. Even when you trained them, they pushed people around because they thought they could. But… at least you knew when to stop things from going too far and getting out of hand. But Kreese isn't doing that. He's expecting everything to go off the rails. I mean, he's already been at the school recruiting more people to join him. He's not just gonna stop, and I know that he's planning something."
"I can't do anything! I'm not… I'm not a sensei anymore. No one's gonna listen to me anyway," Johnny argued.
"I think they will," Miguel said before she could argue back. "But we won't know if we don't try."
"We? Who the hell is 'we'?" Johnny asked.
Miguel gestured vaguely to the three of them. "Us. I think we can do this. And Harper's right. We need to try before things get worse, Johnny."
Harper froze at Miguel's explanation, her eyes widening because she had never meant to include herself in this. She was only here to light the fire and then walk away, leaving Johnny to handle everything else. This wasn't her fight – not anymore. As much as she wanted Cobra Kai defeated, she had no intention of participating in this. Of fighting a war that wasn't hers to fight.
"So that's not exactly what —" Harper started to object but was cut off.
Johnny shook his head before the words were even spoken. "No. There's no way in hell I'm letting you train again. Your mom would kill me if she so much as heard that you were training right after you started walking again."
"I can't just sit back and do nothing. They're my friends, too, you know. And if we don't stop them from doing something stupid, who will?" Miguel asked, desperation coating his words as he looked at them. "We have to stop Kreese. He can't just keep getting away with this. More people are gonna get hurt."
Harper felt a flare of hope at his words. Maybe she was doing a terrible job of convincing Johnny to do the right thing, but he listened to Miguel. She only hoped that he would stop acting like he didn't care long enough to let their words sink in.
And as for Miguel labeling her as part of the 'we' mindset… it was something she'd worry about later. Right now, she needed to get Johnny on board and the rest could wait. There was no way she was going to get dragged back into this mess when all she wanted was to walk away and wipe her hands clean of this world.
"Kreese kicked me out, or are you forgetting that?" Johnny muttered angrily.
"Yeah, he kicked you out, but it didn't mean you had to walk away," Harper said.
Johnny sent a glare her way, his jaw tightening as her words hit.
"She's right," Miguel said quietly, almost cautiously. "You left everyone in the hands of a psychopath. They needed you after everything and you bailed because you were scared because of what happened to me. The old Johnny wouldn't have done that. He would've fought — not just for me, but for everyone else."
The words floated around the room, draping over them like an invisible and weighted force. There was no telling what was going on in Johnny's mind, but they could only hope that he was seeing things for what they were — dire. Miyagi-Do was on hiatus from what she learned from Hunter, and Cobra Kai was doing whatever the hell they wanted. Maybe if they kept to themselves instead of causing damage everywhere they went, Harper could've ignored this.
But Kreese had openly threatened them.
The battle may have been lost, but the war was just beginning.
And they needed fighters. People who were on the right side. People who weren't scared to get their hands dirty and willing to fight.
They needed to be on the offensive for once.
So as the seconds passed by, the room held its breath.
"Shit," Johnny said, his voice barely audible as he ran a hand down his face. "We're really gonna do this, aren't we?"
Harper could barely keep the smile off her face, and Miguel didn't even bother to hide it. The air was filled with anticipation as well as excitement for what was to come. They were no longer going to sit on the sidelines and wait for the fight to come to them. They were going to fight back and hit Cobra Kai where it hurt. It was what they deserved for the hell they'd put them through.
And Kreese…. Well, he could pretend to be in control for the time being.
"Are you sure?" Johnny asked Miguel.
"Yeah. Hell, yeah," he answered with a smile.
For a moment, Harper felt guilty for dragging Miguel into this. He was barely out of the wheelchair and already she was pulling him into a fight they didn't know they could win. It would be dangerous as Cobra Kai wasn't known to play by the rules. And if he got hurt again… well, she tried not to think about that.
Johnny nodded once and stood up. He walked to the fridge and the clinking of glass filled the air before he returned with three Banquet beers in hand. "Let's take that son of a bitch down," he said, holding the bottles out to them.
"Uhm, you do know we're, like, sixteen, right?" Harper asked with an amused smile.
"Like you two have never drunk before," Johnny muttered and rolled his eyes, placing the drinks on the coffee table. He opened one of them and took a long drink from it, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "But, whatever. More for me. So, where the hell do we start?"
Harper's plan had actually worked, and she couldn't be more shocked by it. By tag-teaming with Miguel, they'd convinced Johnny to fight back. And perhaps they now had a chance to fight back. It was a start, and that was enough.
Now that her work here was done, she started towards the front door. "I'm glad you're not giving up. Good luck," she said, reaching for the doorknob.
"Uh, where the hell do you think you're going, Cain?" Johnny asked, his voice sharper as he pierced her with a glare.
Her hand stilled, and she looked over her shoulder to find them both watching her. "Home," she said, though it came out more as a question.
"Wait — I thought you were helping us," Miguel said, confusion crossing his face.
"I did," Harper insisted, turning back to face them. "I only came here to warn you about Kreese and convince Johnny to fight back. But I'm not — I'm done with this. With everything."
"So you came here to lecture me about walking away and you're doing the same thing?" Johnny asked with a dry laugh. "That's not how this works. You're in this whether you like it or not so sit your ass back down."
Harper frowned, masking her expression so they didn't see how close to home that had hit. He was right, but no part of her was willing to put herself through this again.
"But I don't —" she started.
"Bullshit. You don't get to walk away," Johnny said.
"You wouldn't be here if you didn't care," Miguel added.
Harper opened her mouth and closed it. She had no idea how to even reply to that. She'd told herself she was done once Johnny agreed to fight, and now she was getting pulled back into the middle of this war. It was the very last thing she wanted. After Miguel got injured, she'd quit karate — not just because she and Hawk were over, but because she saw how dangerous it was. And now they weren't about to let her walk away.
She'd been so close. So close to leaving all of this behind her.
But as she stood there staring at them, she felt that familiar tug. There was no walking away. By coming here, she'd only cemented her place in this fight.
"Shit," Harper said with a sigh.
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Thanks so much for reading! Looks like Harper's back in the fight whether she likes it or not.