season one, episode five
( counterbalance )
Suddenly, a few nights after Maggie and Eli had gone to the movies Miguel had texted her. It was sudden, she had just heard the news from him about Cobra Kai being shut down and now it was back open.
She smiled in her bed. Going to sleep happily that night, Maggie couldn't wait to join the dojo. She would finally be able to stand up for herself and others that've been bullied by Kyler and his friends.
Maggie finally slept like a baby that night, not thinking of anything to worry about. She heard her phone go off a few times, probably thinking it was Eli asking when to hang out again, or Miguel asking when she was going to join Cobra Kai with him.
But thankfully it was the weekend, and the date had gone well since it was on a Wednesday, now it was finally the weekend where Maggie could go wherever she wanted. Damn, she could go out to East LA if she wanted to.
She woke up that weekend to find a text from a friend. She grabbed her phone and stood up examining the text. It was from Aisha asking if they wanted to stop by Cobra Kai to see if they could join. Maggie smiled at the text before she hearted it and typed in all caps: YES!!!!
After she sent it, Aisha replied: Pick you up in 5! Maggie smiled as she went to her bathroom doing everything she did daily, and she found a good outfit to go with Aisha.
She walked down the stairs, Kyler furrowing his brows wondering why Maggie looked like she was going to hang out.
"Where the fuck are you going?" Kyler asked as she reached the last step. She sighed before she turned her back to Kyler, who was upstairs looking down on her.
"I'm going to go hang out with my friends for the rest of the day," She explained as she pointed to her phone, it now buzzing hinting that Aisha was outside. Kyler rolled his eyes.
"If I can't go out, you can't." Kyler blurted out. "I wasn't the one who tried to... y'know with a girl in a movie theater!" She snapped, "So, you're lucky I didn't tell Mom or Dad," She shrugged before she walked away walking out the door.
Kyler scoffed, walking back up to his room. Maggie smiled as she saw Aisha sitting in her nice white car with a big smile on her face.
"Ready to get your karate on?" Aisha asked as Maggie opened the passenger's door. She nodded, "Heck yeah I am." She paused, clicking her seatbelt on. "I can finally get the revenge on anyone who's done me dirty before,"
Aisha laughed. She pulled out of the short driveway and asked Maggie to put in the directions to the dojo in her phone. Maggie agreed, typing in, 'Cobra Kai' and it was the first location to pop up.
She placed it on the phone stand Aisha had, as Aisha looked at the phone and followed the directions. They had talked throughout the car ride. Explaining what they think they're gonna learn at Cobra Kai to the boys they liked.
"Pretty much the whole school knows you kissed Eli." Aisha laughed out, leaving Maggie with a jaw dropped. "Y'know... Weirdly, it was Kyler that made me kiss Eli. My own brother..."
"Did he get weirded out?" Aisha asked, glancing at Maggie and then back to the road. Maggie nodded instantly. "Yeah! And then he was like, "Okay! Okay! I don't need to see you two kissing!"" Maggie mocked Kyler as Aisha laughed.
Aisha and Maggie soon continued to talk, talking about how excited they were to learn karate. Aisha pulled into the driveway of the mini strip mall and parked in front of Cobra Kai's dojo.
"Are you ready?" Aisha asked as she shut off her car and placed her keys in her jacket pocket. Maggie nodded as she grabbed all of her hair and tossed it into a high ponytail. "I'm a bit nervous, actually..." Maggie confessed she was excited but also nervous to join Cobra Kai.
She heard many great things from Miguel, but she was confused about how well it was going to go. They had reached the door before Maggie had pulled the door handle to the dojo.
In the room, Maggie and Aisha had seen Johnny and Miguel practicing and Johnny asking Miguel each rule of The Way of the Fist.
Johnny soon sees the two girls standing there, Johnny first talks to Aisha, "No yoga 'til five," He spoke. "No matter how bad you need it." He added.
Aisha sighed before she stepped closer to them, leaving Maggie behind her. Maggie's eyes go wide as Johnny soon tells her something. "Uhm, we're actually here for karate," Aisha spoke up.
Maggie decided to step closer to Aisha speaking up for her as a payback. "Uhm..." She gulped. Maggie was never the one to speak up to an adult, but Johnny had scared her.
"My mom showed me your All Valley video..." Maggie stated as Johnny groaned. "and she told me about your dojo and Aisha told me that there was a session today, so we thought it'd be cool for us to join it." Maggie explained.
Johnny nodded his head before he replied, "I appreciate both of you girls coming, but there are no girls in Cobra Kai." Miguel looked to Maggie and Aisha who both turned their head to each other.
"Uh, Sensei, I know these girls," Miguel commented. "But first I need to show you something in the office first." They both bow to the girls before they go into the office.
The two could both hear what Miguel had been saying about both of them. Saying that both of their families are loaded with money, and Aisha's dad was a famous football player. While Maggie's mother was the owner of a record company.
Maggie soon sighed as she took off her shoes before she decided to walk around. Aisha furrowed her brows. "Maggie!" Aisha whispered. "What are you doing?"
Maggie stepped closer to the wood on the stand as Johnny came back out. "Hey!" Johnny spoke out. Maggie turned her head as she walked closer to him. "OK, after further review, I've decided to allow female students."
"Take off your shoes, Aisha," Maggie whispered. Aisha took off her shoes as she stepped closer to Maggie. "If you two want to be in Cobra Kai, you can't act like little girls."
Johnny pauses for a minute pacing back and forth before he speaks up. "My student tells me both of you have been harassed at school."
Maggie nodded, "Yeah." Aisha replied. He stood in front of Maggie. "You've been harassed by your own brother?" He asked. "Yeah..." She looks at Miguel, furrowing her brows as he shrugs.
"Damn." Johnny started. "Must suck to be you." He laughed leaving Maggie with a blank expression showing no emotion. He looked at Miguel and then back to Maggie. His smile faded as he sighed and placed his beer on the floor. "Alright, put your hair up." He pointed to her hair almost touching her buttocks.
She grabbed a rubber band from her pocket, tying her hair up in a quick ponytail. Some front strands poking out of her face. "They're a bunch of pussies for doing that," Johnny announced, trying to make himself look better. It only made it worse. "Back in my day, if you wanted to tease someone, you did it to their face," said Johnny, looking at the two girls dead in the eyes while walking back and forth.
"There was honor, respect." He continued. Maggie let out a breath while pushing her long sleeve up her elbows. " These geeks hugging behind their computers, what a bunch of spineless losers." He steps back a little, a few feet in front of the two girls, "You're not afraid of these losers, are you?" asked Johnny. "No," replied Maggie and Aisha.
"You gonna take shit from these losers?" He asked again. "No." They replied in union once more. Johnny nodded his head slowly as he stepped back, "Good, because when I'm done with you two, you're gonna be sending a message back." He paused for a split second. "Only it's not gonna be with your keyboards," claimed Johnny. He brought up his hands and placed them in a fist.
"It's gonna be with your guys' fists." Maggie and Aisha both smile at him.
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After a while, Maggie and Aisha were now going to go against Miguel. Maggie decided to go first and fight her friend. Miguel was nervous because he'd never hit a girl but Maggie had seemed highly interested in joining Cobra Kai.
"Okay, Miss Park, let's see what you got." Johnny pitched up. She looked at Johnny and then back to Miguel. Her lips felt chapped from her nervousness. "Face me. Bow." Johnny asked.
Maggie placed her arms to her side as she faced Johnny and bowed to him. She let out a soft sigh, her jeans touching the floor, and her feet as she turned back straight, looking forward at Miguel.
"Face each other. Bow." Johnny asked once more. They did a small bow and Johnny looked between them before Maggie looked at Johnny and then Miguel. "Mr. Diaz, show Miss Park everything you've learned."
Miguel furrowed his brows, lost at his words, he gently raised his arm a few inches from his body, wondering if he should do what Johnny had told him. A few seconds afterward, he asked, "Wait, wait. I don't think this is right, Sensei."
Johnny dropped his shoulders, one brow going up. "You don't think what's right?" His voice filled with confusion. Miguel let out a small chuckle, and he looked back at Maggie who now had her arms crossed, waiting for Miguel to throw a punch or a matter of fact, anything.
"She's a girl... I'm not gonna..." Miguel trailed off. Maggie rolled her eyes looking back at Aisha who threw out a little laugh. "I joined Cobra Kai to defend myself." Maggie decided to speak up. She grabbed the attention of the two of them, both of them focusing on the words she was going to say.
"I'd say if I didn't want to join just because I was scared a boy would hit me, what's even the whole point of joining?" Maggie explained as she shrugged and her shoulders went up. Johnny clapped his hands together.
"See that? That's badass." Johnny pointed to Maggie as he soon looked at Maggie. "Cobra's pray on weakness." He walked toward Miguel. "She has no weaknesses. Give her all you got, Diaz."
Miguel and Maggie stand before one another, Johnny lets out the words, Fight! telling them that it was time to show Johnny what Maggie had been storing.
Maggie and Miguel both put their fists up. Maggie closed her eyes as she prayed to the gods that all was going well. Miguel tries to kick Maggie to the floor but fails as Maggie quickly moves out of the way and dodges his kick. From behind her, she could hear Johnny give a small chuckle. Miguel looked back at her as Maggie moved closer to Miguel and she successfully landed her kick to Miguel.
Miguel falls on his back, the mat keeping his back from being injured. Miguel looked up at Maggie who naturally laughed and stepped back a few steps away from Miguel giving him space to get up. She looked to Aisha who smiled and nodded her head before Maggie looked back at Miguel to see him trying to charge himself at her.
Maggie noticed his arm, and as she grabbed it and flipped him over onto the floor she finally hit his stomach with her hand sideways leaving him on the floor. Miguel groaned as Maggie stood up looking at Miguel and then at Johnny.
"Girl's a natural Cobra," Johnny claimed as they all heard arguing from the building next door. "All right stay here. Miss Robinson, we'll get to you when I get back. Mr. Diaz, you're in charge." Johnny leaves the building as Maggie helps Miguel up.
She lifted him as Aisha brought him a water bottle from his backpack. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go that hard on you. I just followed Sensei Lawrence's All Valley tournament." Maggie explained, Miguel shook his head as he drank from his bottle.
"It's fine Mags," Miguel replied. "You did good." Maggie smiled as she looked at Aisha. Aisha looked nervous and didn't feel like going anymore. Now what she saw was what Maggie had got, she was afraid she couldn't compete with that. Maggie grabbed Aisha's hand and said, "If I could beat Miguel," She looked to Miguel who had been on his phone. "you can too." Aisha nodded.
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School had come early the next two days. The day had surprisingly gone fast. Maggie had blinked and boom it was lunch. She had been sitting with Aisha waiting for Eli, Miguel, and Demetri to finish whatever they were doing.
Maggie had been reading her favorite book for the 100th time already before she heard Aisha speak up. "Oh, don't even think about it," Aisha said to Sam. Maggie looked up to see Sam with worried eyes and her words stuck.
"Come on, I need a place to sit." She replied, looking at Aisha and Maggie, "Magnolia." She softly said to her. Maggie closed her book before she was going to say something but, Aisha interrupted her. "You can go sit with Kyler. I hear he doesn't mind that you suck." Sam now had a tense look on her face leaving her plate there on the table as she went to approach Kyler.
"What the hell, Aisha?" Maggie exclaimed, Aisha looked at Maggie before shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing happened at the movie theater, whatever Kyler is saying is a lie," Maggie explained. Aisha crossed her arms before replying, "How would you know, though?"
"I was there!" Maggie explained as Eli, Miguel, and Demetri approached the table. "Hey guys!" Kyler shouted out. Maggie groaned. "You know that billboard with a big-ass dick on it?" Kyler said. His arms flew in the air. "I guess Sam takes after her dad." Kyler finishes.
Maggie stood up from her chair, Miguel stopped her before she could do anything. "Let me handle it," Miguel looked to Maggie. "Please. Maggie looked from Kyler to Sam and then to Miguel before she slowly sat in her chair.
"Hey, Kyler!" Miguel shouted out, handing Maggie his tray. He walked toward him, before speaking what everyone wished to say to him. "Why don't you shut the hell up and stop being such an asshole?"
Kyler smirks a bit, "Want another beat down 'Rhea?" He shoves Miguel onto the table. "I'm ready for your lame-ass karate this time." Kyler began getting close to Miguel. He shoves him again. Eli pulls Maggie out of her chair before anything can happen to her.
"It's not lame-ass karate," Miguel replied as people started pulling out their phones to record the fight. Miguel blocks a punch from Kyler. He strains for a bit before Miguel finally states, "It's Cobra Kai."
He punches Kyler in the face and bloodies his nose. Kyler tackles Miguel and throws him on the lunch table. He clamps a chokehold on Miguel and keeps throwing him from table to table. Maggie places her hand into Eli's before their hands both clench together and tighter.
Miguel elbows Kyler and soon twists his arm and punches his face sending him to the table. Aisha decided to yell out, "No mercy!" Miguel's fists are together while he looks back at Aisha and then at Maggie.
Maggie nods as Miguel remembers teaching Maggie and Aisha all the stuff he learned from Johnny. Briggs shoots himself at Miguel before Miguel sweeps him with his leg. Two other boys try to attack Miguel but he drops them to the floor with his kicks. Maggie looks around and sees many students filming Miguel.
Miguel soon runs away and picks up a tray as Briggs tries to catch him but Miguel slides over a table and kicks a chair knocking a friend from Kyler's group over. Miguel hits another kid to the floor before keening Briggs and hitting him with the tray on the floor as well.
Miguel looks around him before Maggie shouts out, "Miguel!" He turns his head to her, looking at where she pointing seeing it p's Kyler rushing to get up and tackle Miguel. He runs up to the table kicks Kyler in the face and soon hits him with the lunch tray knocking him out for good.
People clap for him as Maggie and Eli smile at each other. He looks at Samantha who seems to be smiling at him. The guidance counselor comes into the lunch room dragging Miguel down.
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People had been surrounding the whole dojo as they all waited for Johnny to arrive, Miguel and Maggie had been standing outside while they waited.
Aisha had been running a bit late, but Johnny had soon arrived he pulled up and got out of his car walking to the two current students.
"Looks like we're in business," Miguel stated as Maggie smiled and walked with Miguel and Johnny to the door.
hiii, everyone! hope you liked this chapter, struggled a bit with mags fighting miggy but i feel like i got it down :)
can't wait to get onto the later chapters!