Ivy awoke to the sound of her toaster. It took her a moment to register the sound in her sleepy state, but when she did, she flew out of bed, anxious to see who had set her toaster off. She opened her door slowly and tip-toed cautiously to her kitchen, her fists raised and ready to knock out whoever had broken in. Crouching slightly, she peeked carefully between the cupboards and the bar to see a familiar figure with a fiery red mohawk. With a loud sigh of relief and agitation, she dropped her fists and relaxed her body.
"Eli! What the fuck?"
"Jesus!" Eli gasped, startled, and dropped the utensil he was holding, "You scared the shit outta me!"
"Me? I thought you were an intruder!" she groaned, "I was about to attack you!"
"Sorry. I just wanted to wake you up nicely since I felt bad about not staying over last night so I came to make you breakfast." Eli explained shyly, moving to reveal a plate of eggs and toast.
"Well thank you." Ivy moved to him, "But how did you get in?"
"You didn't lock your door...did you mean to?" he asked as he handed her the plate of food.
"I wasn't in the best mindset last night..." she mumbled and pushed the eggs around the plate with her fork, "I guess I forgot..."
"Is everything alright?" he frowned, placing a hand on her hip as she ate.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just been stressed out from the merger I guess." She nodded and swallowed, eager to change the subject, "So your little project, is it done?"
"My planning for the little project is done, yes, but now the plan needs to be put into action." He gave her a teasing smirk, "Will you help me?"
"I don't like that look." She shook her head suspiciously and placed her empty plate on the counter, "What does it entail?"
"A little determination and a lot of elbow grease. No biggie." He shrugged with a grin.
"You're recruiting me for free manual labor?" she furrowed her brows, unimpressed.
"Not for free..." Eli murmured, his fingers sliding under her shirt and tickling along her waist, "I fully intend to compensate you."
Her skin felt hot where his fingers had danced, and she felt a shiver crawl up her spine. This wasn't fair, she craved his touch so badly she'd probably do anything for it at this point, and part of her wondered if he knew that. She looked to him longingly and bit her lip as his eyes lusted for her, and she found it hard not to give in.
"Alright, alright, I'll help." She took a breath and a step back, "Just let me get dressed."
"Thank you." He smiled, "Everything we need is in my car, ride with me?"
"Yeah." Ivy nodded and walked away, "Clean up and I'll meet you out there."
"Will do, gorgeous." He winked and went to cleaning up breakfast.
As she changed in her room, she was reminded of when Johnny had made them all churn concrete and then jump into the mixer. Just thinking about it made her sweat, and she dressed accordingly. It was probably below zero back home, but even in the winter you could get heat stroke here. It may have been nearly two years since she moved here, but her body still hadn't adjusted to it. She slipped into a pair of thin, black yoga pants, a black tank top, and a pair of her more worn-out tennis shoes. As she moved to the mirror to put up her hair, she got a glimpse of the bruise on her chest in her reflection. It had gotten smaller since the fight with Kreese, but it was still there, purple and kind of veiny, still touching her tattoo. It made her self conscious as she put up her hair into a messy bun, and she quickly found her red Eagle Fang hoodie and pulled it over her head to hide it. Satisfied but ashamed, she left her apartment to meet Eli outside, making sure to lock the door this time.
He was waiting patiently for her by the passenger door of the Sentra, and when she closed the gap between them, he opened the door all gentleman like.
"After you." He motioned to the seat with a loving smile.
"Thank you." She pecked a kiss on his lips and sat down.
He closed the door behind her, and as he moved to get in the driver's side, her eyes caught something unsettling in the back seat.
"Is that a sledgehammer?" she gaped as he started up the car.
"Yes." He nodded casually as he backed out of the spot, "I need you to trust me."
"I'm really trying..." she gave him a look that was more concerned than annoyed.
"That's all I'm asking." He smiled, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
He put the car into drive and then laced his fingers with hers over the center console before they left the complex for Miyagi-Do, Ivy watching him cautiously the entire time.
At the Miyagi-Do Dojo, Eli parked near the back and cut the engine. It was still pretty early, and it didn't look like anyone else was there yet, which only made Ivy more nervous. Eli had had some wild ideas as Hawk, and if this was anything like that, she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop him on her own.
"Can you grab my tablet please?" Eli brought her out of her thoughts, "It's in the case in the back seat."
"Next to the sledgehammer, right?" she gave him a look.
"You're very smart." He grinned teasingly and poked her cheek.
They got out and grabbed what he needed out of the back. In one swift movement, Eli slung the handle of the hammer over his shoulders to carry it, and for a moment Ivy was impressed, her body aching for his. She quickly shook it off as he motioned towards the outside Dojo, and she followed him, tablet in hand.
"Hey!" someone shouted just as they were about to round the corner to the back.
Eli didn't flinch, but Ivy looked over her shoulder to see Miguel and Sam sitting in one of the classic cars. Her heart jumped in surprise, but she didn't stop moving for fear of chickening out.
"Good morning, Migi! Nice to see you!" she called out, quickening her pace to catch up with Eli.
He took big strides through the outside Dojo, and Ivy had to scramble to keep up with him. He stopped a few steps away from the fence and brought the sledgehammer off of his shoulders before gripping it tightly and strengthening his stance.
"Eli, what are you-"
She didn't get to finish her sentence, as he swung the hammer forward like a baseball bat and slammed it into the fence. The sound of cracking wood echoed through the outside Dojo, and Eli wound up to swing again.
"Stop!" Miguel howled from behind them.
He and Sam joined them just as Eli hit the fence again, this time taking out a plank or two.
"What are you doing?" Sam screeched.
Eli rolled his eyes and dropped the sledge into the dirt to rest his arms on the handle. He looked to Sam and Miguel, irritated, as he held out his free hand to Ivy.
"Tablet please, gorgeous." He let out an annoyed sigh and Ivy obeyed, taking the tablet out of the case and placing it into his expectant hand.
He tapped away on the tablet as the rest of the teens waited for an explanation, Ivy more anxious than the others to find out what the hell was really going on. Finally, he found what he was looking for, and he turned the tablet to reveal what looked like blueprints for something. Ivy rose her brow with the other two, not understanding.
"Dimitri showed me a painting in the Dojo of the Okinawan Sparring Deck yesterday and it got me thinking. So I did some research and designed one myself." Eli started and pointed to the other side of the fence, "If there's anything we've learned since we merged, it's that we don't have enough space to train. But if we open up this area and clean it out, we could build the sparring deck and have more room than we know what to do with. Then maybe our Sensei's can stop fighting and we can move on to more important problems."
"Eli, that's brilliant!" Ivy gasped in amazement.
"You know, he may be onto something." Miguel glanced at Sam.
"It's a great idea, but I don't know if we should break down the fence..." Sam mumbled, and it was clear she worried about the wrath of her dad.
"Hey, you told me yesterday that we need to do whatever it takes to make this work." Miguel nudged her affectionately, "And I think this deck is a huge step in that direction."
Sam glanced uncertainly between Miguel, Ivy and Eli, the sledge and the fence for a few moments, and Ivy could see the wheels turning in her head. She understood, as Daniel would probably be pretty upset if anything happened to the Dojo his mentor started, but at the same time, the old ways weren't working, and they needed to move forward and try new ideas if they wanted things to work. Eventually, Sam's body laxed and she let out a huff.
"You're right, let's do it." She nodded firmly before turning to Eli, "But if my dad comes down on us, you're taking the fall."
"Deal." Eli grinned, handing the tablet back to Ivy before he lifted the sledge again.
"Come on, I know where some gloves are." Sam motioned to Ivy and Miguel, "We can clear out the brush while Hawk works on the fence."
The two moved to follow Sam as the outside Dojo filled with the sound of splitting wood again.
They found some gloves in the Dojo's storage shed and then went back to start pulling out brush and weeds as Eli hacked away at the fence. Eventually, the rest of Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang showed up for class, and after a long explanation and a lot of convincing, they hopped on board with the idea and agreed to help. Everyone worked to clear the area of the yard except Dimitri, who was given the tablet and told to supervise, as he wasn't able to handle manual labor. He went around with the tablet to check out the area as they all pulled out weeds and branches, determined to get the deck built today.
"Alright, stand back! It's coming down!" Eli warned as he hit the fence with a grunt.
Those nearby moved, and they all watched amused as a whole fence panel fell down into the new area.
"Hey! What are you doing?" someone bellowed, and everyone's heads snapped over to see a furious Daniel and Johnny.
Eli dropped the sledge timidly as the two stomped over to him, and Ivy shuffled over, ready to defend him.
"You both were right, talk is cheap. So I'm...building a bridge." Eli explained as Dimitri joined Ivy's side.
"More specifically, an Okinawan Sparring Deck." Dimitri smiled proudly and showed them the blueprints on the tablet, "Eli's a design wiz! I looked it over, and the physics checked out."
"Mr. Miyagi just used this area for extra storage, but a new deck would mean a lot more room for training." Sam pointed out from behind them.
"And we're all gonna help build it." Miguel backed her up, "Assuming our Sensei's approve?"
Johnny and Daniel watched the teens working together in awe before they looked to each other questionably. Ivy worried for a moment that they were all about to get their asses chewed, as she could see in their eyes that something was troubling them, but she couldn't pinpoint what.
"Sounds good to me." Daniel suddenly nodded to Johnny.
"Yeah." Johnny nodded back before turning to the teens, "Sound's awesome!"
The Sensei's moved to help their students with proud smiles, only for Dimitri to stop them in their tracks with that demanding voice of his.
"I know you guys just got here, but we've been here for a while." Dimitri rose his finger, "As supervisor, might I suggest a snack break?"
"Please!" Ivy groaned, taking off her gloves and throwing them to the ground. Some of the other kids followed.
"Alright, alright." Daniel let out a laugh, "Twenty minutes, and then we're back at it!"
The students separated to find snacks and water as Ivy trudged away towards the Sentra, eager to get her Eagle Fang sweater off.
"Ivy! Wait up!" Sam jogged to catch up behind her, "Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah, sure." Ivy nodded, "I'm just going to put my hoodie away. I'm sweating my ass off out here."
Sam walked beside her to the Sentra, and Ivy chucked the hoodie in the back before grabbing a bottle of water and a smoke. She lit up and then cracked off the cap, leaning up against the car for support.
"So, what's up?" she asked and took a sip.
"Ivy...what happened to your chest?" Sam asked, her whole demeaner changing, causing Ivy to flinch in embarrassment.
"Fuck..." Ivy grumbled, her hand flying up to cover the bruise, though she knew there was no point in trying to hide it anymore, "This...is my parting gift from fighting Kreese..."
"You fought Kreese?" Sam's eyes widened.
"Yes, before you and your dad got to Cobra Kai that night of the big fight. Kreese tried to kill Johnny...I had to do something...it was horrible, and I don't want to talk about it anymore." Ivy explained quickly, bringing the water bottle back to her lips, "What did you want to talk about?"
"Oh, well...I went to talk to Robby yesterday..." Sam barely whispered, and Ivy nearly choked on her water.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" Ivy snapped, wiping water from her chin before chuffing on her smoke.
"Because we need him to make this merger work. My dad hasn't been himself since Robby joined Cobra Kai, and I think that's why he's been such a pain during training." Sam shrugged, starting to get frustrated, "He wants to prove to Robby that Miyagi-Do is better."
"First of all, we don't need Robby, he's an idiot." Ivy growled, "And second, I doubt that's the main reason why your dad and Johnny aren't getting along. They have a rivalry that's been going on for thirty something years. Bringing Robby back isn't going to fix that."
"Well it doesn't matter anyway." Sam crossed her arms with a huff, "Robby refused to come back."
"Of course he did!" Ivy threw her hands out, getting frustrated herself.
"How did you know he would?" Sam gave her a look.
"Let alone the fact that if he came back he'd have to watch you and Miguel together again, I know Robby." Ivy crossed her arms as Sam shifted her weight uncomfortably, "He didn't join Cobra Kai because Kreese convinced him to, he joined to piss off daddy, and he's not going to come back until he's nailed that point home and then some."
"What makes you so sure?" Sam asked weakly.
"He was my boyfriend first, remember? I don't know what he told you, but I've witnessed a lot of disfunction between him, his mom and Johnny, a lot of which I know he didn't want me to see. For Christ's sake, he only started working for your dad because he knew Johnny would be pissed if he found out!" Ivy took one last drag of her smoke and then stomped it into the ground, "Robby is permanently hurt and damaged from Johnny walking out on him, and though I completely understand and even empathize with him, this makes Robby a wild card. We can't bank anything on him, we have to fix our problems ourselves. Then who knows, maybe Robby will wake up."
"YOUR TWENTY MINUTES IS OVER!" Johnny suddenly bellowed from the outside Dojo, "EVERYONE, FALL IN!"
Sam looked to Ivy sadly, her shoulders slumping in defeat, and Ivy reached out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, we're going to get through this. We have the best from Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang." Ivy said gently, "We'll figure out how to work together somehow, and when we do, we're going to give Cobra Kai a fight they'll never forget."
"I'm just so worried about Robby. It's like I don't even know him anymore, and that really scares me." Sam confessed, "Please don't tell Miguel."
"I won't, and I understand, but we have to concentrate on what we can control right now, and Robby isn't one of them." Ivy removed her hand and turned, "But the deck is, so how about we work out our frustrations on that?"
Sam gave her a feeble nod and moved with her, and they both walked back to the outside Dojo together, hoping that the sparring deck would be the miracle of all miracles that would fix all of their problems. It was a long shot, but as long as they worked together, Ivy had faith. She may have doubted their efforts before, but now she understood that this affected more than just her, and she was determined to fight for her friends and the friends that had become family.