Harper let her eyes roam around the backyard, her frown growing with every second that passed. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, and she shook her head at the devastation all around. While she knew what Cobra Kai had done, this was her first time seeing the destruction. Her heart broke for the LaRussos, Robby, and Demetri, who trained here almost daily. The dojo was in a state of chaos; toilet paper hung from all surfaces, bonsai trees were overturned, and spray paint covered the fence. But the harm didn't stop there; it continued on into the house. From where she stood, she could see just a fraction of the mess inside.
It was hard to wrap her mind around this despite seeing it with her own eyes. Rivalry was one thing, but this was just pure evil.
The gentle wind blew her hair around her face, and she pulled a hair tie from around her wrist. Once her hair was tied in a low, messy ponytail, she felt ready to get to work. To help her friends return the dojo to the peaceful state it'd been in just a few short nights ago. A few feet away, Harper spotted them as they worked diligently to clean up Cobra Kai's mess. It would take a while before the dojo was restored, but it shouldn't take too long between the four of them.
"I can't believe they did this," Harper said quietly, stopping beside them. She reigned in her anger, knowing it would do little at that moment as their main priority was cleaning.
Her friends turned as one, small smiles on their faces upon seeing her.
"Hey." Sam wiped the dirt off her hands. "I didn't think you would be here today."
Harper nodded to her words, then shrugged as she looked around. "Yeah, well. I wanted to see it for myself." While she knew of the break-in, she hadn't expected this level of damage. The longer she looked, the more destruction that she noticed.
"Grim, isn't it?" Demetri sighed and reached for his water bottle. He wiped his mouth, taking his time screwing the cap on. "This is all my fault." He waved his arm around the backyard, a frown tugging down the corners of his mouth.
"What are you talking about?" Harper asked.
"It's that stupid review I wrote. First, I got us attacked at the mall, and now this," he stared down at the ground, averting their eyes. "I'm sorry, guys. Maybe I should've listened to Eli and taken it down when I had the chance."
Harper shook her head long before the words left his mouth. "It's not your fault, Demetri. They would've done this or something equally as bad no matter what."
"You know we don't blame you," Robby added, gently nudging Demetri with his arm.
Sighing, Demetri smiled tentatively. He likely still felt guilty, but he needed to know he wasn't to blame. That they didn't hold him at fault. "Thanks. I guess I just, I don't know, feel like I only brought trouble when I came here."
"You didn't," Sam reassured him with a kind smile.
Demetri seemed to accept their reassurances for now. As the conversation died down, they were reminded of the mess they had yet to clean up.
"So, what can I do to help?" Harper tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and waited to be given a task. While she wasn't a member of Miyagi-Do, she wouldn't let her friends do this alone.
Tilting her head, Sam fixed her with a look. "Harper, you don't have -"
"No, I know. But I want to," she interrupted. "The sooner we get this place cleaned up, the sooner you guys can train and kick Cobra Kai's butt. Again."
Robby chuckled. "She's right, you know."
Sam smiled her thanks before finding something for her to do. Any little bit would help, and Harper was determined to do whatever it took. She picked up a couple trash bags, ready to tackle the wreckage.
"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."
"Yeah," Harper said and bent to pick up the trash bags. A thought popped into her mind, and she acted on it before she could fully think it through. "Hey, uhm, can I ask you a question?"
Robby stopped mid-step and turned back to her. He nodded before saying, "Yeah. What's up?"
Now was the part where Harper mentally kicked herself. She struggled against the thoughts that threatened to spill out. "I was just wondering," she started slowly, uneasily. She needed to phrase the question just right without revealing any information. "Would you - I mean, if your dad wanted to meet up and explain why he's been such a shit dad, would you? Hear him out, I mean."
Robby looked just as stunned by her question as Harper was by having asked it. But she needed to know even if she wasn't revealing the reason behind her question. Robby was the closest person she could talk to about this as both of their pasts were complicated. If anyone would understand, it would be him.
"No. I don't need to hear any of his bullshit excuses. It's not like it would change anything."
Harper nodded to his quick answer. As much as she expected this, she couldn't help but be disappointed.
"Why?" He asked.
"No reason. It's just.... When you're in the system, you kinda wonder about this stuff, you know? About kids who have parents but don't have the best relationship with them."
"Okay, but -" Robby started.
"It's not important," Harper told him with a reassuring smile. Now that the topic was in the air, she wanted to avoid it at all costs. She didn't need him asking questions that she didn't want to answer. Instead, she picked up the trash bags and returned to work, leaving a very confused Robby behind.
The sliding doors to the house opened. Mr. LaRusso stepped out and took a moment to take in the four of them working. His smile was tinged with sadness though there was no denying how much he appreciated their help.
"Thank you. To all of you," he said, his soft voice projecting over the backyard. "I have - I can't thank you enough for cleaning up."
"Of course, Dad. We'll get this cleaned up," Sam said, to which they nodded in agreement.
Harper placed the last of the toilet paper into the garbage bag and sighed contentedly at the trees. It was looking better. She dumped the full bag into the garbage can and reached for her water bottle. She sipped the now lukewarm water, which did wonders for her dry throat.
"What else can we do?" Harper asked, now that her task was finished. She was sure they would find bits and pieces of trash that had been missed later on but the yard looked good right now. Much better than when she first stepped through that gate just under two hours ago.
Mr. LaRusso let his eyes roam around the yard. A thoughtful look graced his face as he tried to find an answer to her question. His eyes gleamed as they landed on a large rock that had been tipped over. "See that rock?" He nodded towards it, and everyone turned their attention to where he pointed. "See if you guys can pick that up. I'll be inside cleaning, but I'll check in soon."
Harper frowned at the rock Mr. LaRusso had been referring to. It was almost, if not bigger, than them in height and probably weighed a ton. Her eagerness to help deflated at the sight of it. "He's kidding, right? Please tell me he's kidding."
Much to her dismay, Sam shook her head. "Knowing my dad, this is probably one of his lessons. To get us to work together or -"
"Break our backs trying," Robby added with a grin. Catching sight of Harper's worried expression, he quickly added. "I'm kidding."
Harper blew out a breath. "Alright, let's go pick up a rock."
But now that they stood beside it, the rock was much bigger than it first appeared. She looked at it dubiously and noticed the Japanese characters engraved into it, not that Harper could decipher it. Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes and wondered how on earth they would lift it up. It didn't seem possible but anything was worth a try.
A few minutes passed as the four of them tried and failed to lift the rock. They weren't giving up, but defeat slowly crept in on them. The hot sun and the work hours they'd already put in only added to their exhaustion.
"This is impossible," Harper sighed, dropping hold of her side of the rock. Her arms ached from the constant pulling, and her back protested as she bent down for her water bottle. If this is what training at Miyagi-Do consisted of, then she was happy she'd passed on the opportunity. She took a sip of water and frowned at the few inches that remained in the bottle.
Demetri continued to strain against the weight of the rock, not wanting to give up just yet. But after a few more tugs and nothing to show for it, he threw a frustrated look toward Sam and Robby. "Are you two lifting up? Because I feel like we're doing nothing." He rubbed his raw palms on his pants, wincing at the scrapes that were a casualty of the lifting.
Robby sighed and then stood back, wiping a hand against his forehead. "Just forget it. It's too heavy. We're going to need a forklift."
"Or maybe we're really meant to break our backs," Harper commented, earning a laugh from Robby.
"I feel like I'm already there," Robby said, stretching his back with a wince.
Sam shook her head with a disapproving eye roll but a shadow of a smile appeared on her face. "There has to be some way to do this. I mean, how'd they even knock it over anyway?"
"It's much easier to knock something down than it is to lift it up," Mr. LaRusso said, appearing behind them. Harper jumped at his voice, and he smiled apologetically. "Didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't," Harper said, though her rapid heartbeat said otherwise.
"Don't worry. We'll get it up again," Mr. LaRusso told them confidently.
"And will that be with a forklift or..." Harper trailed off at the sound of voices entering the backyard. She shielded her eyes from the bright sun, focusing her sight on the three boys who entered through the gate. She recognized the taller of the three from the mall.
Sam followed her line of sight. A look of surprise quickly turned to one of worry. "What are they doing here?"
"I have no idea," Harper murmured, watching them apprehensively. She shared a curious look with Robby, whose anger bubbled at the surface. At least she wasn't the only one who wasn't happy to see Cobra Kai in the yard. "But they have some nerve coming here."
"Uhm, excuse me? Is this Miyagi-Do?" The taller one asked.
Mr. LaRusso smiled widely and strolled towards them as he said, "Yeah."
"This is bullshit," Robby said, storming off toward the three intruders.
Sam reached out to stop him, but her fingers just brushed against his arm. Sighing, she looked at Harper only to find that she was following his lead.
"What? Come back for another beating?" Robby asked.
"What the hell are you doing here ," Harper asked them, tightening her fists until her nails dug into her skin.
Mr. LaRusso frowned at the teenagers that walked past him, a look of worry edging onto his face. "Hey, Robby! Harper!" He called after them, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"This is one of the guys who was beating on Demetri and Harper. Probably helped trash the dojo."
"Maybe you're back to trash this place some more." With a glare, Harper crossed her arms. She wanted them gone and didn't care what their reasoning for showing up was.
The boy hung his head. "No. We had nothing to do with that. But I am sorry with what happened at the mall." His tone was sincere, and a remorseful look crossed his face as he took them in, deepening when he saw Demetri. "I just want to learn Miyagi-Do Karate."
Harper scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure you do," she muttered sarcastically. She was happy to see that Sam and Demetri looked just as skeptical about their sudden desire to join Miyagi-Do. Mr. LaRusso, however, couldn't be more pleased to have new recruits willing to join.
Demetri hesitantly looked at the new arrivals, a flash of a memory showing on his face. "I'd be careful about that, Mr. L, letting Cobra Kai into Miyagi-Do. It's like letting the wildings behind the wall."
Mr. LaRusso tilted his head with a patient smile as he regarded him. "Didn't the wildlings help Jon Snow win the Battle of the Bastards?"
Demetri looked away in thought. "Should've picked a different analogy."
"It doesn't matter. We just can't -" Harper started, only to be cut off.
"We are happy to have you," Mr. LaRusso told them with a welcoming smile.
Harper blinked in confusion. Crossing and uncrossing her arms, she turned to her friends for help but they stayed silent. Even Robby, whose face expressed his dislike for the situation. She shook her head in disbelief at the lack of reactions from them. She knew it wasn't her place to say anything but she couldn't stand back and let Cobra Kai infiltrate Miyagi-Do. "You guys, we can't - Are you seriously letting them join after everything they've done?"
Mr. LaRusso looked at her kindly, patiently. "Give them a chance, Harper. People can surprise you."
The only kind of surprises that crossed her mind weren't pleasant ones. She knew all too well from past experience that people hardly ever changed. They couldn't change. She frowned unhappily, a scowl on her face as she tried to keep her thoughts to herself. She bit her tongue, both literally and figuratively.
The boy looked at her nervously and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Uhm, I'm Chris. And this is -"
"I don't care," Harper interrupted, shaking her head. "Make one wrong move, and I'll kick your ass myself."
So much for keeping my thoughts to myself, she thought.
Harper walked past her friends, eagerly distancing herself from Cobra Kai. Her mind reeled with them being here after everything that happened. At least everything that she was aware of because Cobra Kai existed long before she came here. Who knows what kind of messed up shit they'd done before that. None of this made any sense to her, but it wouldn't be long before they slipped up. Did something to prove to Mr. LaRusso that people don't, in fact, change.
She lowered herself onto the grass and stared at the shards of broken pottery. An ironic representation of what her life looked like. Preoccupied with her thoughts, Harper picked up one of the sharp pieces. She twirled it around in her hand before dropping it onto the grass. The plants needed repotting. Another gift from Cobra Kai, possibly Chris and his friends.
A few minutes passed silently as Harper stewed in her anger when two shadows fell over her. Sam and Robby lowered themselves to the ground beside her, watching her warily. She felt their eyes on her but Harper was still upset that they hadn't so much as spoken up.
"You guys are seriously okay with them joining?" Harper tried to keep the anger out of her voice.
"No, of course not," Sam answered.
Arching an eyebrow, Harper fixed them with a look. Deep down, she knew Sam was telling the truth, but that neither of them spoke up before still stung. "So, why didn't either of you say anything? Your dad knew what they did to us and let them join anyway."
Sighing, Sam bit her lip. She stayed silent as she glanced towards where her dad stood outside the house with his arms behind his back. Mr. LaRusso looked content and happy as everyone worked to get the rest of the yard cleaned.
"Honestly, I'm kinda wondering the same thing," Robby said.
While a couple minutes too late, Harper was happy to have someone see things her way. To agree with her.
They looked to Sam, who appeared troubled but deep in thought. "I think he just wants to help them change."
Harper looked at her incredulously, as if the words were alien to her ears. "Change? People like that don't change, Sam."
Sam looked to where the boys worked, struggling not to frown. Whether she believed her dad made the right choice or not, she didn't say. But her expression alone showed the doubt. "Demetri did. He was in Cobra Kai long before he came here."
Harper tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. "Demetri never hurt anyone. We both know that he was never really one of them. He only joined because of his friends." She paused for a moment, hoping that Sam could see things her way. "He was a victim the whole time, unlike him," she said, gesturing towards where Chris stood with Demetri.
"My dads just trying to do the right thing," Sam said, her tone turning slightly defensive.
"Maybe. But this isn't it." Harper shrugged, refusing to believe they could change.
"I'm with Harper on this one. They won't change. Can't change what you feel." Disgust clouded his features as Robby glanced at Chris and his friends over the plant.
Harper followed his line of sight. She was momentarily surprised that they were helping with the cleanup but quickly told herself they were just trying to make a good impression. They most likely sensed that they weren't welcome despite Mr. LaRusso's acceptance of them. Knowing how people truly were, Harper knew they would slip up sooner or later.
"I'm not okay with this," Sam started after a couple minutes. When Harper glanced towards her with a questioning look, she continued. "I don't want them here but maybe they want to change. Maybe they're just as tired of Cobra Kai's bullshit as we are."
Harper shrugged at her words. While it was possible, she doubted it all the same. In her experience, people didn't change. What frustrated her was how Sam had all this faith in her dad. Just because he meant well didn't mean he was right. "I don't know. I mean, I hope you guys are right, but... I don't trust them."
Sam nodded understandingly but stayed quiet. They wouldn't see eye to eye on this, and that was fine. Harper worried about being right because she didn't want to see them disappointed. She was used to being let down, which explained why she was so wary so much of the time. But Sam had this wholesome view of the world that she'd hate to see be crushed.
The sound of raised voices directed their attention away from their own disagreement. They glanced towards where Demetri and Chris stood by the pond, a heated conversation taking place between them. A few more angry words were exchanged before Chris shoved Demetri hard enough for him to fall.
"Still think people can change?" Harper asked, quickly standing up to intervene.
"I knew we couldn't trust them," Robby said with a shake of his head.
They raced over to where Demetri lay on the grass, dumbfounded. Sam hurried to help him up, but Harper stepped towards Chris, ignoring the stunned look on his face. It hadn't taken long for them to slip up.
"Are you serious right now? So much for just wanting to learn Miyagi-Do." Harper glared at Chris while trying to reign in her anger though it proved difficult.
Chris put his hands up defensively, looking from Harper to Robby. "I didn't want to hurt him. He just got in my face and I -"
"You what? You thought you'd strike first, just like you were taught?" Harper asked incredulously. "Well, you don't have to be in Cobra Kai to do that," she said, shoving him backward.
Chris only stumbled back a couple of steps before he regained his footing. He blinked in surprise at Harper.
"Hey! Hey!" Mr. LaRusso yelled as he rushed over, getting between them before a fight could break out. "Calm down. We're on the same team now!"
"I don't think so. Once a Cobra Kai, always a Cobra Kai," Robby said, glaring at Chris.
"That's not true," Mr. LaRusso said.
Harper tilted her head, tired of him defending them. "Yeah, it is. I told you -" she started but was interrupted by Mr. LaRusso putting his hand up to stop her.
"I know that's not true because..." he trailed off, forcing them to look at him. "Because I used to be in Cobra Kai."
Harper and Robby shared a stunned look, unsure if they had heard correctly.
"Really?" Harper asked in disbelief, reluctant to believe him. "You were in Cobra Kai?"
Mr. LaRusso nodded. "For a little bit, yeah. Cobra Kai sells power, it sells strength. And when I joined... I was weak," he explained with a sigh. He motioned for everyone to follow him into the house, where he stood in front of a wall of pictures. "It was 1985. I had just won my first All Valley, and Mr. Miyagi didn't want me to compete anymore. He never liked the idea of fighting for trophies anyway. So he and I got into this big argument. So what did I do? I joined Cobra Kai. I learned to strike first, strike hard, no mercy. It turned me into an angry and violent kid. It changed me."
Harper stood off to the side and intently listened to Mr. LaRusso as he relayed his past. While it was a fascinating story, she wasn't sure what to make of it. It didn't seem relevant to their situation at all. Mr. LaRusso might have joined Cobra Kai, but he returned to Miyagi-Do where he'd started. When it came to Chris and his friends, it was the opposite.
"You never told me any of this." Sam looked at her dad, hurt that he had kept this from her.
Mr. LaRusso looked over at his daughter with a frown. "It's not something I'm proud of, Sam. My point is anyone can be seduced by Cobra Kai, even me. I'll admit it does make you feel stronger, tougher, but it will also get you into trouble. And that's what happened to me. I was just lucky Mr. Miyagi was willing to take me back." He glanced at the photo on the wall with a sentimental look. "So remember, it doesn't matter who anyone was before they stepped into this dojo cause all that matters is right now, today, we are all Miyagi-Do."
Harper took Mr. LaRusso's account with a grain of salt. While everyone else seemed compelled to believe that people could change, she didn't. Seeing was believing, and Harper wouldn't let herself get blindsided. There'd been too much of that in her life, and she wasn't willing to let her guard down. Even if she wasn't in Miyagi-Do, she would be damned if her friends got tricked or hurt.
"What do you think about all this?" Harper's question was directed at Sam and Robby as she cautiously watched Chris and Demetri walk in front of her. Her trust for the former Cobra Kai's was still nonexistent but she bit her tongue despite the uneasiness she felt. If Mr. LaRusso trusted them, then nothing she said or did would dispel it.
Sam shrugged, keeping her eyes down. "I don't know. I'm still shocked that my dad was one of them."
"I know what you mean. It's crazy to think," Robby said.
Harper nodded understandably as she followed everyone outside. They walked back towards the pond, where the rock was still knocked over. Mr. LaRusso had asked the boys to put their differences aside and work together to lift it up. "We'll keep an eye on them and hope for the best," she said, earning her a nod from them both.
"Okay, let's both try this fulcrum thing," Chris said, nodding toward Demetri. They each got a bamboo stick and seemed determined to make this work. But whether it would was still a question.
"Together on three. One, two, three," Demetri counted before they pushed down on the sticks.
The rock lifted off of the ground little by little. Chris moved first to grab it and was joined by Demetri momentarily. After a few moments of struggling, they managed to get the rock upright. And work as one.
"Good job, guys. You see, as a team, anything is possible," Mr. LaRusso told them, a look of pride on his face. He looked towards Harper, but she looked away. Perhaps she'd been wrong, but it didn't mean she agreed with his thinking.
Besides, there was still time for them to screw up. To a how their true colors.
Demetri high-fived Chris for the teamwork and his idea having worked. It was an accomplishment, but it would take more than lifting a rock to make them a team. Or at least that's how Harper viewed the situation.
"That was great!" Sam exclaimed happily.
Harper nodded with a small smile though she regarded Chris with uncertainty. One team effort didn't cancel out who he was and surely didn't get her to trust him.