BURNING PILE » MIGUEL DIAZ

𝟬𝟬𝟱 a taste of the past

She took in the dojo, realizing that it looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Granted, it technically hadn't, but you'd think it would've looked somewhat more modern because of its reopening.

Johnny stared at his student with an incredulous look, then at Nadia. "Girls can't do karate."

Her face dropped into a scowl immediately, unable to process the misogynistic trash that had come from his mouth. "Why not?"

"Their bones are fragile, and-"

"Sensei, I invited her," Miguel shouted, eager to get his words out before Johnny could make the situation worse. "Can we talk for a second?"

Without saying anything else, the Diaz boy practically dragged his sensei to his office, shutting the door louder than intended.

Nadia began to walk around the dojo, scanning the area for any idea of what the place possibly could've been like. She noticed the words painted in black in the back of the dojo, reading them aloud. "Strike first, Strike hard. No mercy."

Yikes.

Those words alone were enough to rise an uneasy feeling in her chest. The entire vibe of Johnny's dojo was the complete opposite of the way that Daniel described the one he was taught in. Maybe that was the reason he had beat Johnny. After reading the sign, she had finally made up her mind on whether or not to accept Daniel's offer. If a place like Cobra Kai would be opening up again, it'd be wise to spread the more peaceful version of it. Even if it meant going against Miguel's wishes.

Just seconds later, Miguel and Johnny exited the office, the younger boy with an excited expression, and the older one with an unhappy one.

"I'm not going easy on you, all right? On the mat. You too, Diaz. Use all your strength."

The boy gawked at him. "Are you sure, sensei? That's kind of brutal."

"What, you think I can't handle your full strength?" Nadia raised an eyebrow at him, already pulling off her jacket. She had a blue tank top on, as well as black leggings to go with it.

"Well...yeah."

The two teenagers stared at each other in silence, as if some sort of staring contest, and at the moment, Nadia was winning. Miguel looked like he was on the verge of breaking eye contact.

Johnny scowled at them. "Well, what are you two just standing there for? One of you gonna hit each other or what?"

"I can't hit a girl."

"Don't be a pussy," Johnny shot back, trying to light a fire in the boy. "Fight!"

"Yeah, Diaz. Don't be a pussy," Nadia repeated, using the very same method Johnny was. It did the trick too, because only seconds later the boy had given her a kick straight to the stomach, making her double over in pain and dramatically fall.

Miguel's competitive glare immediately became apologetic as he raced over to the girl, extending a hand. "I'm so sorry!"

Instead of grabbing it, she used her leg that was closest to him and slid it right under him, sweeping him off his feet within seconds and sending him straight to the floor with a grunt. Nadia pushed herself up from her previous position using just her arms, moving quickly to the Diaz to ensure that he wouldn't try anything again. She bent down, sending one final punch to his gut, earning a loud groan from him.