Chapter Text
“Hey…” Johnny says nervously. “Thanks for coming…”
Daniel LaRusso nods as he enters the door that Johnny holds open for him. If he has any comments about the state of Johnny’s place… the place he still hasn’t cleaned up from two days ago… he keeps it to himself. He doesn’t even give Johnny his usual condescending look, that’s how tired the guy is.
And he looks it. Dark circles around his eyes, the red-tinged whites, sagging, pale skin… Daniel looks like he aged ten years overnight.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” He asks Johnny, noting his similarly disheveled state.
Johnny had caught a glimpse in the mirror earlier and he can’t deny the obvious.
Wordlessly, he gestures to the couch and follows behind. Normally, he’d offer the guy a beer but he has no patience for any niceties right now. And it doesn’t look like LaRusso would want one either.
“It’s not over Johnny.” Daniel tells him, the moment they both take their seats. “We’ll still figure out a way to stop Cobra Kai. I-I… think I might have a way to keep Miyagi-Do going - ”
“You want to go back on the deal?” Johnny asks, disbelieving.
“No!” Daniel replies right away. “But… there are ways around it. I got in touch with an old friend… well, not friend but… I think he can help.”
That’s LaRusso alright. Johnny wonders why he expected anything less from the guy. Not even a day since their loss and he is already trying to think of ways to cheat Kreese on the deal. Daniel always thinks he knows what’s best and goes ahead and does he wants anyway… and to hell with what anyone else says.
Well, far be it for Johnny to stand in his way. He has more important things to focus on right now.
“This guy is Miyagi-Do. And he knows how to fight.” Daniel rambles on. “The deal was that we have to stop teaching but if - ”
“Miguel’s gone.” Johnny interrupts him. “He ran away last night.”
“What?” Finally, Daniel LaRusso seems as loss for words. “Did Silver…?”
Johnny shakes his head. At least this is something he can’t blame on Silver or Kreese. This was his fault, though he still has no idea how or why.
I shouldn’t have pushed him. He was scared of getting hurt and I told him to ignore and keep fighting…
But that’s what Johnny always did. That’s what he thought Miguel wanted from him. To push him past his limits and make him the best fighter he could be. Why did it go so wrong this time?
“He left a note.” Johnny explains. “Said he was feeling lost and confused. So… he said he was going to find out where he came from. Find his dad.”
“He ran away to Mexico?” Daniel squints his eyes in disbelief. “Can he even do that?”
“Mexico?” Johnny’s eyes dart back up. “How the hell do you know that?”
“That’s where his dad is, right?” Daniel replies, shrugging. “He said he looked the guy up a while back. He said he never told Carmen because he didn’t want to upset her…”
Never told me either… but he told Daniel…
Johnny shakes his head firmly. Now is not the time to focus on that.
“Did he say anything else?” He asks. “Like which city or address…”
Daniel is already shaking his head. “He only mentioned it in passing.”
Not good enough… but it is better than before.
Carmen had them looking in the wrong place. The cops were trying to figure out how Miguel could be headed to Ecuador… but he was headed to Mexico instead. And he had looked his dad up… which meant you could look him up and they could do the same. All Johnny needs to do was follow the same trail.
“I need to go look for him.” Johnny tells him. “And I need your help with something.”
“Of course.” Daniel nods right away. For once, the guy has his priorities straight. “Whatever you need - ”
As if on cue, there is a knock on the door. Despite anticipating it, Johnny was only half certain that it’d come. Sighing in relief, he gets up and heads to the door, ignoring Daniel’s curious looks.
Robby is there on the other side, just like he promised.
“I’m here.” The smile on his face is as lost and sad as ever.
When Robby was younger, he used to look at Johnny differently. He’s not sure when it changed, but at some point, that look became a painful mixture of hope and fear. And slowly, over time, that look dimmed as well and was replaced by an ever present anger. But now it’s back again… the same hope and fear that he hasn’t seen in a while.
You are making the right decision, Johnny tells himself.
Things with Robby are not going to be fixed in a day. There are way too many failures he has to make up for. He knows he has let his son down too many times to truly earn his trust with just a few moments of comfort. He’s simply not equipped to deal with it right now… not with everything else going on.
But LaRusso is. If he can get on board with helping Robby… and he should. After all the crap about forgiveness and second chances, if he doesn’t do this for his son…
“Robby…” Daniel inclines his head, his expression a mixture of skepticism and curiosity.
“Mr. LaRusso?” Robby frowns back with a similar look. And then he looks at Johnny in concern.
Johnny smiles encouragingly as he lets his son inside and closes the door behind him. He can’t fix his son’s problems for him, but at least he can get him started. Especially since he’s the one who messed it up in the first place.
Daniel keeps throwing covert glances at his former student while Robby stares steadfastly at his knees. And the tension between the three of them lasts for a seemingly interminable amount of time.
And Johnny gets it. Robby is a proud kid. God only knows what it must have taken for him to come to him last night, all raw and vulnerable like that. For him to do it again so soon…
And of course, he has also learned how stubborn Daniel can be…
But Robby already took his first step and it’s their turn now.
“Daniel… remember what you told me about your time in Cobra Kai?” Johnny starts off. “How it made you feel like you belonged there… how it made you feel powerful and… confident?”
Daniel looks at him and gives him a slow, thoughtful nod. And there is a sudden hope in his eyes as they dart towards Robby.
“You also remember how you told me that you were lucky you had Mr. Miyagi to help you find your way back?” Johnny continues. “And how you wouldn’t have made it back without his help?”
“I do.” Daniel nods again.
This is good. This can work. As much as Johnny hates not being the one capable of giving Robby what he needs, this has to be about what Robby needs first. And judging by the growing hope in Daniel’s eyes as he looks at Robby, he seems more than willing to take up the charge.
“I’ll do whatever I need to to help you, Robby.” Daniel tells him solemnly.
“I thought you were going to help me.” Robby says, glancing at his dad.
“I am… I will.” Johnny assures him. “You have a lot of people on your side, kid. And we’re gonna show you that.”
Robby nods hesitantly, still studying his hands.
“And with you back on our side, we’ll put an end to Cobra Kai in no time.” Daniel adds, smiling in earnest now.
Johnny can feel a familiar flash of irritation growing inside him. This is supposed to be about helping Robby, not recruiting him into their dojo war. Hasn’t the kid given enough to this feud? Can’t LaRusso let it go for one minute?
On the other hand, it might be exactly what Robby needs. Based on their conversation last night, he seems to understand how dangerous Cobra Kai is… so if this can be something he can focus on while trying to figure things out… it could work.
“But… Cobra Kai won.” Robby points out, frowning at the both of them. “You two can’t teach karate anymore.”
“We won’t.” Daniel nods assuringly. “But… we can find ways around it.”
“So…” Robby says thoughtfully. “Not even a day after the tournament and you are already plotting about reneging on the deal? And you wonder why Cobra Kai has it out for you guys.”
That’s what I wanted to say!
Maybe his kid is actually better than him. Because Johnny is almost sure that if not for the mess with Miguel, he’d be right there plotting with LaRusso.
“We can’t give up!” Daniel says with a hint of indignation. “Robby, I thought you understood how dangerous Cobra Kai can be.”
“I do.” Robby says, clenching his fists nervously. “I get it. But… you’ve been fighting Cobra Kai for almost two years now and it has only made things worse. How is fighting even more going to change anything?”
“What other choice do we have?” Daniel asks, spreading his hand.
Robby looks at Johnny, almost desperate for help. He looks like a cornered animal searching for a way out.
“I… I don’t…” He stutters, blinking rapidly.
No, this is all wrong. This isn’t what it should be about. This is exactly how they lost Robby in the first place - they kept putting him in the middle of their feuding bullshit and kept messing things up for him.
“Daniel, c’mon!” Johnny snaps, finally letting his irritation show. “This shit has nothing to do with Robby.”
Daniel blinks at him, momentarily surprised. And then his eyes clear. Thankfully he seems to get the message without Johnny having to spell it out.
“You’re right.” He purses his lips in regret. “Robby, I’m sorry. This isn’t on you, okay? You don’t have to worry about it. I guess… I was just excited at the thought of you coming back to Miyagi-Do.”
Well done, LaRusso, Johnny thinks with an approving smile. Robby needs to see that they want him back. That they’re not just taking him in out of a sense of obligation, but they’re actually happy to have him back.
“I’m not coming back to Miyagi-Do.” Robby replies softly, still staring at his hands.
There is a moment of silence that stretches long as Daniel looks at Robby and then him in concern.
Don’t screw this up, please. Johnny begs with his eyes. Step carefully…
Robby wants to fix things, that much Johnny is sure of. Not only with him and Daniel, but his friends as well. But at the same time, he’s afraid of what it might take to fix it as well. The thought of putting himself at their mercy, facing their rejection… Johnny knows he certainly wouldn’t be able to do it.
Hell he wasn’t able to do it. All those years he stayed away from his own kid, that was one of the big reasons why.
“Yeah… that’s okay too.” Daniel wets his lips and nods, finally breaking the silence. “You don’t want to fight anymore and… I respect you more for that.”
Robby nods, almost to himself and Johnny lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. A part of him - the Sensei part - still wants to tell his son to stop being a pussy and take his licks like a man. But he is smart enough now to know what a huge mistake it’d be to try and push Robby into anything.
Things are going good so far. Robby isn’t saying much, but at least he is listening without throwing their intentions back in their faces. And so far they haven’t said or done anything to really piss him off.
So far…
“It’ll take some time, but we’ll figure it out, okay?” Johnny assures him. “Once I handle things with Miguel…”
“Miguel?” Robby looks up in dull surprise.
Tread carefully… tread very carefully. You know Miguel is a sore spot for him…
“He… ran away from home last night.” Johnny tells him carefully. “Went to Mexico. And… that was kind of my screwup too. I have to go find him.”
Say something. Give me a hint. Are you getting angry again? But Robby keeps staring at him blankly.
“I-I don’t want you to think that I’m choosing him over you.” Johnny tries to assure him. “But… he ran away. And he could be in some real trouble. His mom’s going crazy with worry. And… well, if a kid’s in a position like that, you have to find them. You just have to.”
There is a flash of something in Robby’s eyes… almost like pain… but it’s gone as soon as it came.
“Yeah… you should do that.” Robby says with a tepid nod.
He says it like he means it. There isn’t a single hint of jealousy or resentment in his tone. Apparently, when he said last night that he wants to stop blaming Miguel too, he meant it.
“You can… come with me.” Johnny suggests in a flash of brilliance. “It could be like a break from all this crap… just the two of us. Well, three when coming back, but - ”
But Robby is already shaking his head.
This was probably too much to ask a little too soon. It’s one thing for Robby to want to put his rivalry aside, but for him to be okay with ditching everything and putting himself in Miguel’s mess is too much to expect.
Carefully, Johnny gives Daniel a measured glance, hoping that he has gotten the message by now.
Despite what he said, he can’t be here to help Robby. Not right away. Which is why he needs Daniel to step up. For him to take care of Robby and get him started while Johnny is gone.
The only question is how to get Robby on board without making it sound like he’s being pawned off. Like Johnny can’t wait to make him someone else’s problem while he goes and deals with “more important” stuff.
“Hey Robby… how about we go get some breakfast? Just the two of us.” Daniel suggests, reading Johnny’s intention. “Have you had anything yet? Because trust me, you don’t want the ham your dad keeps in his freezer.”
That draws a half-smile out of the kid… and Johnny can almost feel himself sinking with relief.
“It’s gonna be fine, Robby. I promise.” LaRusso says, clapping his student on the shoulder. “The important thing is, you quit Cobra-Kai and that’s a step in the right direction.”
Robby’s head snaps up and he stares at his former mentor. And then he turns to his father and Johnny can see the sudden trepidation there. And then he goes back to staring at his hands.
“I never said I was going to quit Cobra-Kai.”
Johnny could practically hear his heart pounding in his ears. And Daniel is staring at Robby open-mouthed. You could hear the pin drop in the room after Robby dropped that little bombshell.
Was he messing with them all along? Dangling the notion of his return in front of them, only to yank it away like some cruel joke?
No… that wasn’t possible. The way Robby was last night… and the way he is now, nervous and uncertain…
“I have friends there.” Robby explains, still unable to meet their eyes. “I tried talking to them, but they’re not gonna quit. They’re in too deep. And… they need me.”
Friends? This is about his friends? Those other crazy Cobras and Robby is actually friends with them?
“By friends you mean bullies?” Daniel says what Johnny is thinking. “Like Tory?”
“Yeah - and victims too. Like Kenny.” Robby replies, finally looking them straight in the eye. “You know… the kid that your son bullied?”
Johnny is clearly missing some context here and whatever it is, it shuts Daniel right up. Judging by the sudden, stricken look on the man’s face, it looks like Robby really landed a solid hit.
There is this kid that Hawk and your students are coming after…
I took him under my wing… tried to be a mentor I wish I had…
Was Robby talking about the same kid? The one he felt so guilty about?
“It’s like my dad said… they’re on a bad path and they’re gonna need some help getting off it.” Robby tells them with pleading eyes. “I can’t just leave them behind.”
Dammit… this is so much worse than I thought.
He thought that helping Robby figure out his life is going to be hard enough… but if Robby himself was more focused on helping others.
“You have to.” Johnny tells him. “Listen, kid - you gotta look out for yourself first.”
“Johnny’s right.” Daniel agrees. “You can’t help them if they don’t want your help.”
That trapped look is back again. Robby stares between them, desperately searching for some understanding.
“I have to try.” He says, pleading. “I can’t just give up.”
The shittiest thing about this situation is that Johnny gets it. He understands where Robby is coming from. He left students behind under Kreese’s care and that made them so much worse. Hell he left Robby under his care… and he knows he should’ve tried harder to reach out.
So the fact that this is what Robby wants… Johnny can’t really fault him for that. But it’s not the right choice for Robby and so Johnny can’t condone it. No matter how much his son pleads with his eyes.
“This was a mistake.” Robby shakes his head, standing up. “I don’t know what I was thinking…”
No, not again…
Johnny is up blocking Robby’s way to the door before his son can take one step. And on the other side, Daniel has the same idea with his hand on Robby’s shoulder.
“Can we just talk about this before you give up?” Johnny asks. “Give us a chance to figure this out.”
“Figure what out, dad?” Robby asks, sounding incredibly tired all of sudden. “Mr. LaRusso wants to shut down Cobra Kai. You… want to go after Miguel. And I just want to help my friends. We all have different priorities.”
Not all different. They all want to help Robby too… at least he and Daniel do. And if helping his friends is the only way to help him, then they’d simply have to get on board this time.
“Look… we’re not gonna fix this in a day.” Daniel suggests. “We need to… take a pause. Reassess the right way to approach it. Maybe… you getting out of town for a bit isn’t such a bad idea. Get away from this all… get a fresh perspective…”
And Robby is stubbornly shaking his head again.
“Those problems aren’t just gonna stay on pause because we leave it like that.”
He’s probably right about that too.
“So do you have a plan?” Johnny asks, finally thinking of the right thing.
Robby wasn’t wrong before. He is better than Johnny… smarter too. He has figured out a lot of things in life a lot sooner than Johnny ever did. So maybe it’s time they start giving him the benefit of the doubt.
“All I can think of is… stay at Cobra Kai and keep trying to talk to them.” Robby replies.
“Right under Silver’s nose?” Daniel raises his eyebrows. “Robby, if they find out - ”
“I know…” Robby nods. “But… that’s the best I can think of…”
And I can’t think of anything better either…
Robby is looking at them for guidance, for another direction… and they can’t give him any.
“If you guys can think of anything, I’m all ears.” Robby tells them, shrugging tiredly. “Until then… I just gotta do what I can.”
He’s walking away. Not storming away like he usually does, but simply walking away with a sad, disappointed look at the both of them. And Johnny feels like he is failing his kid all over again. He promised his kid that he’d help him figure it out, but so far, he has given him nothing.
“Robby…”
Robby stops and half turns around with his hand on the doorknob.
“Keep your head down…” Johnny tells him worriedly. “Don’t try to handle this on your own. Wait for me to come back and we’ll… figure this out.”
His son nods at him slowly before leaving.
Did I screw up again? Tell me I didn’t screw up again…
It sure feels like it. Even Robby is willing to accept his help, Johnny still can’t figure out a way to help him.
“We need to get him away from Cobra Kai.” Daniel says, staring at the closed door and still rooted to the spot.
Johnny can’t help but nod in agreement. But even as he does, he knows it won’t be easy. He saw the stubborn look Robby got when he told them he wasn’t quitting without his friends and he knew there would be no changing his mind over it.
“He’s a good kid.” He replies. “He won’t leave his friends behind.”
Was he always like this, though? Why can’t think of himself first for once?
“Yeah…” Daniel agrees. “He’s a really good kid.”
Robby pushes the ground harder as he speeds along the sidewalk on his skateboard, doing his best to try and calm the turmoil in his head.
Finding a lost, runaway kind in trouble… that’s just what you have to do, right? But only when that kid’s name is Diaz. Robby was lost too… alone and scared… and his dad didn’t even…
Don’t do this… He forces himself to think. You just decided to be better than this. Don’t go down this road again… it doesn’t lead anywhere good.
Abruptly, he comes to a skidding halt and flips his skateboard back up. He leans against the wall next to him and closes his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing.
Maybe… it’s not such a bad idea, getting out of town for a while. It’d give him a chance to clear his head… focus… get some perspective…
Fresh perspective on how much dad cares about Diaz!
No! Stop it!
Why is this so hard? Why can’t he just accept this? His dad is always going to care about Miguel more, so Robby will just have to settle for whatever he gets. It’s probably more than he deserves anyway. He has to figure out a better way to get a handle on his emotions. He can’t keep putting himself in situations that make him feel this way. He has to be smarter than that.
Not going with his dad is the right decision. He already knows he won’t be able to handle watching him… watching them …
Better to focus on his mistakes. Things that led him to the realization he came to last night.
Kenny… where did I go wrong with him? I did my best to teach him not to start fights… to be smarter…
He leans his head against the concrete and squeezes his eyes shut.
Why is everything so messed up? Why can’t anyone help me? They all say they want to help, so why are they all so fucking useless? Why can’t they understand that I can’t quit now?
Tory needs him and he understands why. With her shitty home situation, she needs someone to keep her grounded and sane. She has been doing so much better recently… but if he abandons her now, who’d help her keep her self-destructive tendencies in check?
And Kenny…
If there is one thing Robby has learned from his dad’s and Mr. LaRusso’s mistakes, it’s that you can’t fix them without being there. Whatever else you do, you have to be there first. You have to build on the trust you earned instead of…
Doing what dad always does?
Don’t!
His dad sounded sincere about wanting to help and so did Mr. LaRusso but… they always sound sincere. How long will it take for them to figure things out? How much worse things would get in the meantime? And… is he supposed to just sit on his hands in the meantime?
That’s not an option.
If someone had figured out a way to stop him when he was going down this road, none of this mess would’ve happened. He can’t blame them but… he also can’t rely on them.
Swallowing and nodding to himself, Robby puts his skateboard of the ground and pushes off.
I’ll figure a way out…