Warnings: Abusive themes, homophobia, animal cruelty, violence, rape mentioned.
❝𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮.❞
𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 door to my parents house, "What do you want girl? We kicked your ass out." Dad sneered cigarette hanging from his mouth, he stank- clearly not showered for a couple of days and smelled of cheap beer. "Came to collect the rest of my stuff. I left a couple of things I couldn't take everything all at once." I admitted. "Fair enough. Come in." He grumbled as I walked inside, the house was messier than my apartment.
"Carl here?" I asked. "No your brothers not here sweetie." My mom said as I rolled my eyes. "Good he can fuck off." I stated. "He been staying at that faggots house. God knows what they're doing but he won't respect it, won't respect you either muff muncher ." Dad stated as I walked through the hall. "Because God respects abusive assholes?" I raised a brow.
"Amelia, get your ass upstairs." Dad told her. "But Lewis... Isabelle is here. We haven't seen her-" She tried to say. "I said get your mother fucking ass upstairs! Now girl!" He barked smacking my mother's ass like she was a piece of meat, she quietly walked along, I was disgusted by his view of women.
"How the hell do you think that is okay? You're disgraceful." I told my father looking disgusted at him. "What the fuck has my dad been teaching you?" He sneered. "Cobra Kai." I stated. "Don't give me that bullshit! Give me what he's been teaching you." He stated.
"What do you care? He's a better person than you'll ever be." I spat as he shoved me against the wall. "He left! I stayed did I not? Did I fucking stay!" He yelled. "Yeah you did and I wished every fucking day you left!" I screamed in his face. "I'd look at my bruises and scars wishing I could die, I looked at Mom it tore me apart, I thought about the words You'd say to me and id cry." I sneered.
"Did you know when I was born and my mother died he'd left! He still had gone to fight." He glared, yet little did I know he was telling the truth. But also John wasn't aware that Betsy was pregnant until after she gave birth then passed... "Not surprised." I glowered.
"As far as I'm concerned, John Kreese is my father. My sensei, my guardian, my family. I'm not surprised he left you, you're a piece of shit." I snarled to him as he slapped me. In retaliation I front kicked him in the balls knocking him over, I pushed him flat on the floor and pulled his arm back.
"Tell me why I shouldn't break your arm." I sneered in his ear, "Gwon tell me dad... who has the power now." I snarled. "Because God'll judge you, because you'll tear this family apart again and you haven't got the guts." He chuckled. "Go on little girl amuse me. I got some stuff to do with your mother so I'd hurry." He smirked. "Raping her is not stuff, she doesn't have consent because she's scared, because you scare her." I stated to him before letting him go.
"I know she cares about me even if you and Carl do not, his karate is for pussies. My karate is for Cobras, for strong people and for people who know how to kick ass which is what I'll do to you if you lay a hand on me again." I growled before going to get my stuff. "Nice try Isabelle, a seventeen year old does not scare me. Not even a juvenile piece of crap like you." He chuckled. "Maybe a whole dojo might." I glared before walking off...
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"𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫. Sometimes the world can be cruel, and that is why you have to learn to be cruel yourselves. Weakness is unacceptable. The fight at the school was an embarrassment, you lost soldiers and you lost the battle. But you will not lose again." Sensei Kreese began to say as we hung our heads in shame, I didn't. Dwelling can be another sign of weakness yet I couldn't help but do so.
The world is cruel, my father is cruel. He was cruel to me and he is cruel to my mother, I threatened to break his arm but I was weak and never did it. Knowing he forces himself upon my mother who is to weak to say otherwise, but they disowned me and I shouldn't worry right?
"Diaz was one of our own. What they did to him, they did to all of us. And it will not go unanswered, we will show no mercy. We will show no weakness. We will strike back and we will strike hard! Is that clear?" My grandfather asked loudly. "Yes Sensei!" We shouted back, I was stood near Hawk who nodded with me, my issue was that my girl wasn't the other side of me, Kanis was stood next to me yet I wished it was Tory, Kanis, Hawk and I in a row like a family like our group.
"I can't hear you!" He shouted. "Yes Sensei!" We yelled.
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𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 to many things, many people. Tory, I know how our landlord is and how she's strapped for cash I wanna help but even I am struggling, Miguel. Miguel's only just woken up yet I cannot bare to see him, I cannot face it, face him. Robby, I wonder where the hell he is and if he's doing okay. Aisha, she's gone to private school what if she gets bullied again and she's currently friendless. Kanis, she's going through a lot right now and what if Morgan causes her grief. And Hawk I worry too often than too little.
I have a idea, I'm gonna report my dad, it protects my mom and my brother even though I don't care about him. Sensei was in his office, "Dude come on you gotta tell me if your girl's joining Cobra Kai!" I told Kanis as we sparred. "Yeah duh, she said it looks sick and as soon as she scrapes the money she's in." Kanis beamed. "I gotta meet this bitch." I chuckled.
"Speaking of, when's Tory coming back?" She wondered. "Fuck knows." I sighed. "Class. You worked hard today, so before you're dismissed I got a little treat for ya. I wanna introduce you to a little friend of mine." My grandfather spoke as we all looked to him, he revealed a hamster.
When I was younger Carl and I had a hamster names Skittle yet we had a pet snake, M&M. M&M ate Skittle, then we cried. "Cool! What's its name?" Bert asked enthusiastically. "I don't know, what should it be?" Grandfather asked with an aspect of innocence, I wasn't buying it something was going to happen to the hamster. I love my grandfather but I'm not a fool. "Hawk Junior." Hawk smirked as he chuckled in response.
"Isabelle, who should name our friend?" He asked me, "Bert." I answered. "Okay, Bert what do you think?" Sensei asked Bert. "Um, Clarence?" He suggested. "Clarence, here take him." Sensei handed Clarence to Bert. "Aww he's so cute you guys." Bert beamed as we chuckled. "You know it's almost lunch time." Sensei pointed out. "Really? I'm starving." Kanis smirked. "For the animals K." I told her as we smirked.
"Oo can I feed him?" Bert asked. "No, but you can feed him." Grandfather lifted a black cloth to reveal a black scaled snake, the snake hissed in response. "God that snakes so cool." Hawk whispered to me. "I know right man." I replied. "Do you guys think he'll do it?" I whispered to my best friends. "Five bucks says no." Kanis whispered. "Five bucks says yes." Hawk whispered. "Ten bucks says no." I winked. "The bets have been placed." Doug mocked.
"What does he like to eat?" Bert asked Sensei who responded, "He likes to eat, Clarence. It's okay, come on. There you go it's okay." He softly spoke. I looked at Clarence, he looked so sad, I despised animal cruelty but clearly this is the process of being weak or strong. "I can't do it." Bert confessed.
"Yes ten bucks!" I smirked under my breath. "It's okay, I understand. Clarence is your friend, you can object. Who else objects?" John asked holding Clarence, I looked around seeing a few hands rise up yet Kanis, Hawk and I kept our hands down, "You're off the team, get out!" He shouted. "But I-" Bert tried to say. "I said get out!" He yelled as the few did so. Sensei dropped Clarence into the tank, "Just like M&M and Skittle, only one makes it out alive... The stronger animal." I stated with a sigh.
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"𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐳 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 gonna need a new champion." I overheard my grandfather say as I stood next to Hawk, "Pardon to interrupt, you said you wanted to talk with me." I spoke. "One moment." My grandfather replied. "Now, that champion needs to be someone with no fear and no mercy." He smirked as Hawk nodded walking off. Hawk thought it was him? He clearly meant me, I am a Kreese plus I got more guts.
"Thank you for waiting." My grandfather replied pointing to the seat for me to sit which I did so. "Seems like you have quite a queue, is he being a problem?" I asked referring to Hawk's questions. "Not at all child, everyone has questions. I'm glad you proved your strength, we don't need weak people in the dojo affected by a hamster." He spoke. "I'm not going to cry over it if that's what you're referring to. I had a snake that ate my hamster ages ago. What did you care to talk with me over?" I wondered.
"You're dating Nichols right?" He asked. "Uhm yes..." I warily answered. "Don't be so worried Isabelle, there's no problem with that or who you care to like or love. Why isn't she back at the dojo?" The other Kreese wondered. "She's got a lot on her plate right now. Our landlords a prick, It's a whole thing." I replied being heavily vague.
"I keep telling her to come back here but she always finds an excuse, a rightful one of course but still. Trust me, I know how important Cobra Kai is to me and to her. Can I smoke in here?" I asked him. "Knock yourself out." He shrugged as I lit up a cigarette. "I'll get her back child, it'll be okay. I understand after the fight it's hard. How's home life?" He wondered as I took a puff of my cigarette.
"I live alone so it's great. I'm concerned for my mother at home though." I confessed. "What's Lewis done now?" He sighed. "Just being him, I want my mom to see it and realize it's not right." I confessed. "It'll work out Izzy trust me." John smiled. "Good." I smiled before stubbing my cigarette out in an ashtray and getting up.
"Thank you." I told him. "For what?" He asked. "For looking out for me, for teaching me true karate, for giving me advice and for making sure I know the correct life rules." I smiled to him as he did back. "You're my granddaughter, what else would I do?" He smiled as I walked off.
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 roller rink had let me go, but I got a job at McDonalds and I was about to get another job at this sushi place. I was currently only able to work at the front, taking orders and handing them out but I was okay with that. "Hi welcome to McDonalds how may I help?" I asked the person before turning around to see Carl. "Hi Izzy." He sighed. "You don't get to call me Izzy." I coldly stated. "What's your order?" I wondered. "Can we talk?" Carl wondered.
"Are you stalking me brother? Just tell me your order." I huffed. "The usual." He replied as I put the order in, Chicken nuggets, fries and a coke. "How's Cobra Kai?" My twin asked. "As if I'd tell you, how's Miyagi shit?" I wondered. "It's good, Demetri and I are official now." He replied. "That'll be six dollars." I told him (A/N: The price may not be accurate, I'm not from America XD)
"Now fuck off." I smirked. "Can't we be how we were, Carlino and Izzandra." Carl asked. "I have a shift to finish." I hissed. "Just remember I fought for us, you didn't." He spoke seriously to me. "You let me get disowned, have no money, have hardly any family, got my best friend in a coma and you're walking around acting as if it's all my fault. You're insane." I snarled to him as he sighed sadly, "Sorry you feel that way." Then walked off.
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𝐌𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 to tell me he was off to Tory's, I said I'd come with right after my shift. "This is the place you both live." He sighed. "Yep my place is across from Tory's." I told him as he knocked on her door. "How'd you find me?" She asked Kreese as I went to show myself when he spoke again. "I could say I did recon in 'Nam, special forces training, 18 months of covert ops, but Izzy told me you lived across from her and your address is on the paperwork."
"Surprise?" I smiled to her. "Tory who is it?" Tory's mom called out. "Nobody mom, just Izzy!" She shouted closing the door. "Why did you do that Iz you know I have a lot to do? And I'm not going back to the dojo." Tory refused. "Tor come on, I wouldn't persuade you if I didn't think it was worthwhile." I told her. "Why's that?" My grandfather asked.
"Community service hours, probation, trying to get my GED, taking care of my little brother and my mom, seeing my girlfriend, working and I gotta pay my rent on time this month." Tory listed. "He's on your ass too? Fucking touched me up the pervert, saying I can pay him other ways instead, that was last month." I grimaced. "Life's kinda kicking my ass right now, our asses." Tory sighed.
"You both can always kick back." My grandfather told her. "That's what got me into this in the first place. You know Miguel, it's my fault what happened to him. I schemed with Kanis but I started it. I just gotta stay out of trouble, I can't go to juvie." Tory confessed. "It's not your fault Tory, I feel guilt too but I repress that guilt. You won't got to Juvie, I've been they can't send you for the shit you're doing." I assured her.
"Your mother she's sick?" Grandfather asked as my girlfriend nodded, I held her hand- rubbing it softly in reassurance. "Mine too, once. We lived in an even less charming place than this. If you can believe it." He confessed. "I didn't know that." I softly said. "Trust me, this place isn't charming." Tory refused as we made eyes at our landlord.
"Did she get better?" I asked him softly. "No, she didn't. It was a different kind of sickness, I didn't understand it at the time." He confessed as I looked to the floor yet squeezed my girlfriends hand, I couldn't think of what she was going through. I mean sure I was on super thin ice with school and super close to going back to Juvie and nearly homeless but she's got it bad too.
"Look, if I could go back to the dojo I would. But I don't have the money for rent let alone karate." Tory confessed. "To be honest granddad, I'm kinda low too." I confessed with a sigh. "I can't make next weeks payment." I admitted. "What if both of your dues were on me? Those other students, they weren't born fighters like the pair of you." My grandfather stated as I noticed the landlord was mending a pipe, Tory broke it...
"Thanks, I have to get ready for work, I need every hour I can get. Or else..." My girlfriend trailed off. "I'll drive you baby, let me just change out of my work clothes I stink like a fryer." I told her. "Or else what?" Sensei asked. "Babe he's not gonna get you is he? Get us?" I whispered to her, John didn't hear. "Don't worry about it. I'll meet you in ten." She told me walking off. "I'll uh see you soon." I spoke. "Bye child. Sorry you're struggling." He replied.
"It's not your fault, it's my own. I just want my mom to be safe." I sighed before walking over to Rodney.
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"𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐩𝐚𝐲 my rent in a week my paycheck isn't coming in until then." I admitted. "No can do you've been late for two months prior." He stated continuing to fix the pipe. "Please man, I'll even contribute to my girlfriend's rent." I suggested not noticing my grandfather was still there. "Come on pretty girl... What do you say one night of me and you then your rent goes away for the month and I'll take some off your girls too." He flirted. "Highly unprofessional." I sighed as he stroked my cheek.
"You need a man not a little girl..." Rodney smirked. "You gonna be my daddy? Spank me?" I frowned. "I can do anything I want to... If that's what you want for your rent to be gone, you'd be helping out your girlfriend too." He softly spoke and licked his lips as I clicked the tongue to the roof of my mouth. "And I need a teenager who loves me, which I have, not an old pervert." I scowled. "I know you tried this with Tory, and you can fuck off." I spat punching him in the jaw.
"Keep going bitch you'll get back into Juvie like your girlfriend..." He taunted as I realized he was right and I sighed. "Please leave us alone, we go through enough without having pricks like you on our backs." I snarled before walking off to get changed.
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"𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 thing happened, Rodney all of a sudden stopped being a dick and let us off with our rent." I was speaking to Kanis on the phone as I tied my laces. "No effing way! Honestly he sounds like such a twat. I'd have let you all stay here if I had the room, but uh Morgs stayed here last night." She smiled. "Oh my god! I hear wedding bells!" I mocked before going towards my bike. "Shut up! See you at the dojo!" She spoke before hanging up.
"You ready to go?" I asked Tory with a smirk. "I've never been more ready." She smiled kissing me softly, "I'm sorry if I pushed you." I softly spoke. "Pushed me? No you helped me." She assured me, hopping onto my bike as I drove us toward Cobra Kai.
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𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐨 Hawk in the dojo, Tory had something to sort out first. "We are only as strong as our weakest links. When we remove these links, this is what's left. We are one unit, with one united purpose." Sensei began as the door opened and I knew it was my baby girl. "Nichols." He nodded as she joined the back of the class.
Kanis smiled nodding at me, She hoped Morgan would join cobra Kai some day it's a deal breaker for her. "Welcome back." My grandfather spoke as I smiled to her. "Thanks. That issue I was having got worked out." She said to my grandfather as I nodded to him as if to say "mine too."
"That right?" He asked as we both nodded in response. "Fall in, we've got some work to do. Forward Strike, ready?" He spoke.
"Ai!"
"Kyo!"
"Ai!"
"Kyo!"
"Ai!"
"Kyo!"
We all chanted giving the fiercest forward strike we could. I certainly did, I am Cobra Kai for life. One person I never knew about though was my grandmother, John never spoke about her neither did dad. Sensei began to explain to us again as I continued my forward strike.
"Your whole life you've been told to be good. But good is only perspective. Always remember that your enemies think that what they're doing is right. They think their the hero and you're the villain. But now you know the truth; there is no good, there is no bad. Only weak or strong. And now we've shed our weakness, it's time to show our strength..." Sensei explained.
Carl and Nancy do think I'm a villain, but I'm just strong and they're weak. "And if you do that... I promise you, you will be unstoppable." Sensei told us, I wanna be unstoppable and I wanna win the all valley. I looked over to Tory, whatever it takes I'm gonna win... Even if I have to stand out more, I'll do whatever I can and save Tory in the process....
A/N: I loved writing this as Tory forms a bond with John and I just enjoy this episode! Thank you for all the votes and reads recently it means a lot to me!