𝙅𝙐𝙉𝙀 2018, eli moskowitz/hawk

04

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 / ❛ mars ❜

[ episode seven, all valley ]

Marlee never expected to be here. She had walked into Cobra Kai thinking it would be some sort of nightmare — all rigid rules, aggressive workouts, and constant yelling. But, as it turned out, she was actually kind of good at it. The moves came naturally to her, the balance, the strikes. There was something freeing about it. She didn't have to overthink, just react, just go with the flow of it all.

The nickname Johnny gave her had taken a little getting used to. "Mars," he'd started calling her one day in class, and it stuck. It wasn't as bad as she expected. In fact, it felt kind of normal. There was something about the way Johnny said it, like he actually believed in her. And, in a weird way, that made her want to show up.

Of course, then there was Hawk. Or Eli, or whatever he was calling himself now. He had completely transformed, not just physically with that mohawk and the tattoo but in his attitude, too. He'd gone from the quiet, awkward guy she knew to a cocky, confident figure who was always in the front of the pack. It wasn't just his new look. It was how he held himself now.

Some part of Marlee couldn't help but notice that change. There was something magnetic about the way Hawk carried himself, like he owned the place, and it made her both annoyed and impressed. He wasn't the same Eli she remembered, but she couldn't deny that there was something about him now that drew her in.

"Fighting positions!" Johnny yelled, and everyone in the dojo snapped into stance. Marlee could feel the energy shifting in the room, everyone trying to focus, the air thick with tension.

Johnny walked past them, scrutinizing each of them as he went. He stopped in front of Hawk, his eyes sharp. "Hawk," he said, kicking the kid's foot forward. Hawk grunted in response. "Stabilize your base. Keep your balance. Full rotation when you strike." Johnny demonstrated, his voice firm.

"Yes, sensei," Hawk replied, his tone sharp, striking the air in front of him with more precision than before.

Marlee stood in her position, watching Hawk for a moment. It still felt a bit unnatural for her—this whole concept of Cobra Kai, the fighting, the focus—but something about it clicked. She liked it more than she expected.

Johnny moved to another kid, who flinched back slightly as Johnny got too close. "Did you just flinch, virgin?" he barked.

Marlee raised an eyebrow as the kid nervously straightened up. Johnny wasn't holding back today.

"Holy shit, we got a room full of flinchers," Johnny muttered, shaking his head. He walked toward Marlee, who stood firm, giving him an unamused look.

"Alright, we got one," Johnny said, his eyes scanning the room. "Raise your hand if you've never been punched in the face."

The room fell silent. Everyone except Miguel and Aisha sheepishly raised their hands. Marlee kept her hand by her side, uninterested in playing along.

Johnny's smile twisted into a more serious look. "Put your hands down," he commanded. "All your lives, you've been avoiding fights, worried about breaking a nose or losing a tooth. This concussion nonsense." He paused for effect, staring each of them down. "So there's only one solution, and that's before you leave this dojo, each and every one of you is gonna take a punch. A very hard punch. To the face."