Battle Wounds

seven.

"Thanks for helping," Sam said, though her smile disappeared as she took in the yard. It would get cleaned up but there would always be that reminder. "I just wish they didn't keep getting away with this. They always do, and it's really annoying."

Harper hadn't been here for long but she could easily see the pattern. Cobra Kai destroyed, caused chaos and walked away without a scratch. It was anything but fair. "We'll get them back," she said confidently, though how they would do that remained a mystery.

Robby nodded in agreement. "We'll figure something out. They can't keep getting away with it."

"And I'll just leave the planning up to you guys. And probably the fighting, too," Demetri said with a definite nod, earning him a laugh from them.

The cloudless sky mixed with California's unforgiving sun made the task of cleaning all the more exhausting. They worked with determination, with only a few water breaks here and there. Only an hour had passed, but the backyard was already looking cleaner. There was still so much to do, but progress had already been made, urging them to keep going.

Harper picked up trash, bits of broken flower pots, and toilet paper. All of which she stuffed into a large trash bag. She dragged it around the yard, keeping quiet as she focused on the cleanup. The work was repetitive but rewarding, especially when she stopped for a sip of water. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth at seeing the dojo go from a state of chaos to halfway clean. She hoped that with a few more hours, it would be like Cobra Kai had never stepped foot in here.

She wished she could confront them for what they'd done, exact some sort of revenge but knew it likely wouldn't end well. Sam said her dad had already paid them a visit, but no one had come forward. Harper wasn't surprised but was disappointed nonetheless. And angry. As those thoughts flitted across her mind, others pushed their way to the surface. Ones that she tried to keep away for the time being. But it was impossible as they trickled in one by one.

Against her wishes, the decision regarding her dad came to the forefront. It was a thought that wouldn't leave her mind though she tried to push it away for later. Harper knew she would have to make up her mind sooner or later. Ryan's offer to meet up surely wouldn't last forever, and she didn't want to miss her chance at getting answers, no matter how much they terrified her.

But was it the right decision? Harper didn't know, and it weighed heavily on her mind. She let out a frustrated sigh as her mind played a cruel game of tug and war.

In the short while that Harper lost herself to her thoughts, Robby had joined her. "Slacking off already?"

Harper smiled as she took a quick sip of water, rolling her eyes. "Definitely."

He nodded as if having expected that answer and returned the smile.

"You too?" She asked.

"Sam and Demetri look like they're handling everything okay," Robby joked, earning him a laugh. Shielding his eyes, he scanned the yard, which slowly started to resemble its old self. "We did good," he commented.

"Yeah, but we're not done yet," she said with an exhausted sigh as she skimmed the work that still needed to be done.

"We'll get there," he told her.

Harper agreed. The destruction was now minimal, but signs of Cobra Kai still remained as little reminders. She shook her head slowly, feeling herself getting angry all over again. "We'll never know who did this, huh?"

"I don't think so. They won't rat anyone out."

"So they're loyal assholes," Harper commented.

He laughed softly. "Unfortunately." He looked just as unhappy about not knowing as she did, but they couldn't do much about it. No one would come forward, and the best they could do was blame the entire dojo. While fitting, it wasn't nearly as rewarding. "We should get back to work."