•~3rd person P.O.V~•
Ellie didn't really enjoy learning Miyagi Do, she liked learning different ways to do something but Miyagi Do was just so boring to learn. Even with Robby teaching her and everyone else. She enjoyed learning Cobra Kai's techniques because they were much more eventful, and she could always put pent-up emotions behind her moves. Miyagi Do was always about blocking moves and then striking. Ellie enjoyed striking first, not second.
"Mr. Keene. You have a visitor." Kreese announced, everyone, stopping their movements to look at the frightened boy standing next to their Sensei. Ellie felt herself smile. The boy reminded her of Eli, not Hawk, Eli. A sweet boy seeking refuge. Ellie looked at Robby, his face etched with confusion.
"Do you know him?" Ellie asked, glancing at the boy. Robby shook his head, looking at the boy as well.
"I-I-I'm Kenny. My brother, Shawn Payne, said you could help me." The boy was adorable, but Ellie didn't know who Shawn Payne was. Despite that, she wanted to help Kenny, and when Johnny was their Sensei then he may have helped Kenny but not Kreese. Kreese wanted people who were already fighters, for the All Valley. Johnny would've helped, no matter how close the All Valley was.
"I didn't know Shawn had a brother. Is he out?" Ellie understood. Shawn Payne must've been someone Robby was in juvie with.
"No. That's why I'm here. These a-holes keep hassling me. One of them knows karate, so-" Kenny tried to explain, but Kreese quickly interrupted him.
"This is a dojo. You are interrupting my class." Ellie frowned, wishing Kreese would shut up for once.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Kenny apologized quickly, his voice quivering with nervousness.
"Sensei. Shawn Payne was one of the toughest guys in juvie. Kicked my ass a few times." Kreese chuckled, but Ellie didn't find it funny. She remembered his bruised face, and worrying about if he was okay during the night. How much she loathed the unnamed, at the time, guy for beating up Robby for no reason.
"You know, in the real world, we have to fight our own battles. Cobra Kai can teach you how. But you have to prove that you're worthy." Ellie drew in a large breath, knowing that Kenny wouldn't prove anything. He just said kids were "hassling" him, and that he needed help. If he knew how to stick up for himself, he wouldn't have come to the dojo.
"How do I do that?" He asked, clutching the straps of his backpack tightly.
"Take your shoes off and get on the mat," Kreese ordered. Ellie grabbed Robby's arm, pulling him away from Kreese's sight.
"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, looking her over.
"He's not gonna prove himself! He just said he needed help because people were bullying him, and if he doesn't prove himself then Kreese won't help him or teach him." Ellie whisper-shouted. Robby glanced at Kenny and then back at Ellie, a small sigh falling from his mouth.
"Maybe he will." He lied. He knew, as well as everyone else, that he wouldn't prove himself.
Ellie wished Kreese would've chosen her to fight against Kenny. She would've taken it easy on him, she would've let him prove himself. Kyler didn't. Kyler and everyone else thought it was hilarious. Maybe it was different for Ellie because she watched her brother do the same thing for years. Back then she was defenseless, now she wasn't, but she didn't do a thing.
As soon as Kenny ran out of the dojo, Ellie stood and ran back to the dressing rooms. Why she suddenly remembered every time she and Hawk ran away from bullies, at home and at school, Ellie didn't know but she remembered everything. Every little detail. From the burning in her legs to the fear pumping from her heart and into her veins.
~
"I don't know what's up with me, I thought I was over all that," Ellie admitted to Robby as the two walked up the steps to Kenny's house. He'd left his bag at the dojo, his address was written on the strap of it, so they thought they'd return it.
"I don't understand why you like the kid so much." Ellie didn't know either, she just wanted Kenny to be different than Hawk. She wanted Kenny to stick up for himself in high school because it only got worse when they left middle school.
"You don't understand what it's like. Being so scared, not being able to defend yourself." Ellie rang the doorbell, feeling Robby's eyes bore holes into her skin. He understood. In a way, she saw Hawk in Kenny and, in another way, she saw herself in him. Although she didn't seem to realize it. When Kenny opened the door, Robby held up his bag.
"How'd you know where I lived?" He asked, Robby lifted the strap to show that his address was written on it. "Thanks." He muttered, taking his bag from Robby.
"So how's Shawn? Is he still getting out this summer?" Robby asked, folding his arms.
"They gave him an extra month because he spit in a guard's face," Kenny muttered, shifting uncomfortably as Robby chuckled.
"Okay. Yeah, sounds like him. Hope it was the guard in the computer lab." Ellie glared at him, it was obvious that Kenny was upset about it.
"It's my fault."
"What do you mean?" Robby asked, his eyebrows furrowed. Robby hadn't ever figured out why Shawn was in jail but he didn't think it would have anything to do with his unmentioned brother.
"Shawn had some bad friends at school. I caught one of them stealing from my parents. Guy came at me, but Shawn got between us. Beat him pretty badly. He was just defending me. With him gone, I've got no one. That's why I was hoping you-" Robby cut him off.
"Look. I can't be your tutor. I have to focus on the All Valley." Suddenly, Kenny's phone pinged and Ellie could hear a video playing when he pulled it out. "What?"
"It's nothing." Ellie rolled her eyes, Kenny was a terrible liar.
"Give it." Kenny looked at the girl, who he guessed to be Robby's girlfriend. "Come on." Kenny hesitantly placed his phone in her hands as she clicked play on the video. Her lips immediately curved into a frown. As she handed the phone back to Kenny, she gave Robby a look. A look she knew that he knew the meaning of. A look that always got her what she wanted from him. He sighed.
"We can show you a couple of moves."
~
Ellie had never seen a more embarrassing fight, if you could even call it that, besides the school fight between Tory and Sam. She sucked in a breath as she saw how defeated Robby was. He wanted to help, but Kenny was being difficult. He was backing away, never staying in the fight.
"I'm not sure I buy that you're Shawn's brother." Robby huffed.
"Robby!" Ellie exclaimed, her arms crossed in disappointment.
"Well, Shawn was always big and strong, okay? All I can do is run." Kenny admitted. Ellie felt as if a lightbulb appeared above her head. Walked up to Kenny, placing a careful hand on his shoulder.
"Then use that. Instead of using your speed to run away from your enemies, use it to run at them. Okay?" Kenny nodded, as Ellie pulled away from him.
"Come on, let's try it again. Let's go. Let's go, come on." Robby urged him, as the two got back into their fighting stances.
~
Ellie hated admitting that she still went to LaRusso Auto's to fix cars. Amanda promised not to tell Daniel, since Ellie couldn't bring herself to face him after everything. Amanda usually told her when he was there, but she must've forgotten. Because she heard his voice as she worked on a car. Maybe he won't recognize me; Ellie thought, but she was quickly proved wrong.
"Ellie?" Daniel and Miguel asked, Ellie wondered what Miguel was doing there but she simply looked up and gave them a small, awkward smile. "Ellie, c'mere." Ellie took a deep breath as she did so, wiping her hands on her jeans. She had pants that she wore every time she worked on a car, pants that she didn't mind getting dirty.
"Mr. LaRusso." Ellie greeted, looking at the car in front of them. She recognized it. It was Miguel's mom's car.
"Miguel, Ellie is one of the best repair workers I've ever had in the dealership and I don't even pay her. Ellie's eyes stuck on the car, making a list of things that needed to be fixed.
"Really? Ellie," Ellie looked at Miguel, "you like cars?" Ellie felt like she'd shrunk inside of her skin. She'd been quiet about her interests, just like her mom had ordered.
"Yeah, I love them. I know tons of things about them. How everything works, why different parts were created, and how they were created and I know this car needs a new serpentine belt." Daniel smiled.
"See?"
~
Watching Kyler fight was highly embarrassing. He was so self-absorbed, he practically stroked his own dick after he pinned someone to the ground. He thought he was the best, better than everyone else.
"I want another shot." Ellie's head perked up as she heard Kenny's voice. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at him, she could tell he had a sliver of confidence and hope within him, confidence Ellie and Robby had given him.
"I'm sorry, I don't have the time to teach weaklings." Kreese chuckled bitterly.
"Give him another chance, Sensei. Maybe he'll surprise you." Ellie suggested, her eyes glancing at Kenny. Kenny was glad Ellie had so much faith in him.
"All right, on the mat. Mr. Park, make this quick." Kyler smirked.
"You got it, Sensei." He smiled, getting into his fighting stance. Ellie sighed when Kenny ran away from Kyler again, her shoulders falling in despair. "Look at him, running to mommy. Bye, you little bitch." Ellie saw aggravation fill Kenny's body at hearing Kyler's words and his obnoxious laugh.
She then watched happily as Kenny punched Kyler in the face, quicker than Kyler could block or expect. Kenny was fast, faster than Ellie ever saw anyone. She wanted to clap, she wanted to chant "go Kenny!" at the top of her lungs, but she simply smiled at him. But Kenny could tell she was proud. Even with her small reaction.
"What the hell? He hit me when I wasn't looking. That's some bullshit." Kyler whined.
"Looks like someone's a sore loser is what I'm hearing," Ellie smirked, Kyler didn't say a word back. Kreese had recently let her go up against him, for training reasons, and she inflicted enough fear into him that he respected her. Or at least pretended to.
"You're right. He didn't line up. So that won't count as a point." Kreese said, Kenny's smile falling.
"Sorry, I didn't know the rules," Kenny admitted hesitantly, he desperately wanted to be in Cobra Kai.
"That was your one chance." Kenny sighed, his shoulders falling.
"Okay." He mumbled.
"Where you going, Mr. Payne?" Kreese glanced at Ellie. He could tell he'd taught him some moves, maybe even Robby taught him as well. If Ellie could see potential in Kenny, then so could Kreese. "Take your spot." Kenny smiled again, doing just that.
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A/n: are y'all liking all these updates?😜
Word Count:1,926