Chapter Text
December 19, 1984.
It all happened so fast, that Johnny couldn’t even properly process what just happened. It was all like in a strange dream, everything was in a blur…
He heard muffled voices, yells and cheering, but all he could feel after standing up on the mat again was his face. It felt like the kick broke all of his bones, like he couldn’t move a muscle anymore.
Eventually he felt his body moving on pilot mode, pulling the first place trophy that should be ‘his’ from the announcers hands and handing it over to his biggest rival in the world. But he couldn’t reach Daniel that easily because of all that people that surrounded him, cheered Larusso’s name and were laughing. It kinda stained in his heart, but nothing could make his heart sink more than that look on sensei Kreeses face when he left the hall, without any warning or saying anything to Johnny after his match.
He felt bad that he lost. Ashamed even, embarrassed.
****
Daniel and Mr. Miyagi came out of the arena, with Daniel talking about something and smiling from ear to ear, cheeks flushed from excitement. He talked so much that he even started to stutter, then his mentor reminded him to breathe.
Breathe.
The boy felt even famous for a moment when two kids came up to him and asked for an autograph, and of course he signed it for them, and then had even a small conversation while his sensei waited patiently, but couldn’t help but remind Daniel for the 3th time that he can’t let Ali and his mother wait at the restaurant, that wouldn’t be so nice.
Walking down the parking lot Larusso couldn’t help but feel proud of himself, not taking his eyes of the trophy in his hands because well, he is the champion. He is the one who beat Cobra Kai’s asses. He showed Johnny that he is something, someone. A strong person, not someone you can push down the hill or beat up again.
They arrived at the boy's car that Miyagi gave him for his birthday, a yellow Ford super Deluxe build in 1947. They were about to get into the car and enjoy the rest of the evening with the ladies, celebrating the big win.
But their attention suddenly got caught by the strange growl from the other side of the parking lot. Both of them exchanged confused glances and headed over to where the sound came. The picture in front of them made Daniel’s hands and feet cold and a chill run down his spine, it was terrifying, and also disturbing.
***
On the other side of the parking lot, between all these old cars and crowds of people was Johnny with his cobra fellows on his side, and on the opposite to him was the dark man himself, John Kreese. His face could tell that he clearly wasn’t happy about Lawrence’s “achievements”.
“That sucks, I did my best!”
The blonde yells, confused and still looking so defeated. He tightens his grip on his ‘consolation prize’, the second place trophy. His knuckles whitened as he did.
“What did you say?”
The Man in front of him says in a low tone, just a bit more and his anger will drive him over the edge. His face is rough, jaw clenched. He stares at the blonde boy and his eyes literally staring into his soul, like an animal about to catch his prey. And unlike Kreese, Johnny is to prey in this case, the helpless white bunny in the forest.
“I said I did my best!”
Johnny took a step closer to Kreese, still not thinking about what he’s doing or what’s about to happen, but he knows that he is done. Done with this bullshit. Done with Cobra Kai.
His expression was just frustration and anger with a slight hint of panic, but still he tried his best to hide that, he needed to show the man that he isn’t afraid of him. Although deep down he knew that it would be the best choice not to trigger his sensei, the man’s tense body giving him that warning.
“You’re nothing, you’ve lost, you’re a loser!”
Kreese was on his breaking point but still tried to compose himself, his gaze sharp like a blade, and expression full of disappointment and selfishness. The man couldn’t leave his top student without a lesson for his loss.
Johnny was tired of his sensei’s humiliation, why doesn’t he just accept second place? He already did everything he could, he did his best! But he’s only human, how could he see the crane kick coming? Would he be able to stop Daniel before this? Why is it his fault?
Lawrence gritted his teeth and clenched his fists harder than before, carefully breathing in so that he won’t say anything unnecessary and make the situation worse, but he already knew that he is off the team. It was in his nature to be like that, stubborn and determined to get what he wanted. He is also short-tempered and easy to piss off, but it wasn’t always like that… Not every bully is like that since the beginning, it’s always something that changes them.
And so was Johnny. He was nothing before he joined cobra Kai, a skinny little white boy, too scared to talk to other people, and yet it was hard to make friends for him. Most of the time he spent alone riding on his bike or listening to his Walkman while playing with his figures, still he was so lonely. He missed his father that left him and his mother for the reason that he never knew, and was left there with his shitty stepfather who didn’t even care about him. The only thing that he could do to him was giving him money, but that not what a child needs. It needs attention. It needs to be loved by someone, not money. And he got love only from harsh words and humiliation from Sid, so that’s just how he is, he’s a hard shell to crack. He’s harsh, arrogant with attitude and is always trying to prove himself and be the best, trying to get the appreciation and respect from people like his friends and oh, especially from Kresse.
Kreese in his eyes was like a father figure to him, he respected him, his words, his action and everything he taught him. He wanted his attention, his praises, so he knows that he did something good. So that he felt loved. He doesn’t want to disappoint him and would do anything for his mentor, maybe even kill if that would satisfy the man.
And now here they are.
Johnny realized that everything what Kreese ever did was push him, making him his weapon and everything to show that his lessons worked, so that Cobra Kai would be on top. But that never included him as a person, right? Everything he was ever taught of was to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy. And what did it do to him? He lost his girlfriend, made his mother worried and worst of all, he beat up an innocent new kid that just moved into this town.
Johnny felt sick. All he ever wanted is to be like the other people, cool and tuff… But cobra Kai was only an excuse to run away from his problems, to hide his anger in his fists and then strike.
All it ever did was making him an angry person, that everyone would be scared of and sooner or later turn their backs on him.
Now, what does he have left to lose?
“No, you are the loser man.”
The blonde growls trough still gritted teeth, he starts to sweat, and his body runs cold with a headache threatening to appear. He isn’t scared, just upset; He looks at the man that he was ready to worship with an empty look, the fire dying away in his eyes. Cobra Kai is all about ‘striking first’ but can’t all of this work out with words?
“Oh, I’m the loser, huh?”
He replies with a smirk. Not a friendly one, more like an evil or insane one. He takes a step closer to the boy, being only inches away.
“Yeah.”
Johnny knows, god he knows how bad this will end if he won’t stop to arguing with Kreese, but he still takes the risk, walking on thin ice.
Suddenly, he feels that the trophy was ripped out of his hands and then the sound of something break. He couldn’t even process what just happened but realizes that his mentor snapped the second place trophy in half like a pencil, and threw it far away while looking at him with wide open eyes and an evil grin. Johnny’s bottom lip was trembling from shock and the light breeze of the late evening.
Kreese gives him a last push into his chest, not too hard for him to fall down but at least to feel the aggressive contact.
“Now who’s the loser?”
“You know you’re really sick, man!”
Was the only thing Johnny could squeeze out of himself right now.
Kreese grabbed his leather jacket and pulled him towards himself, then wrapped his elbow around his throat and began to choke him. Johnny didn’t have time to react, but his reflexes took over, and he tries desperately to free himself from the grip of his sensei. He tries to shout and gasps for air, but then there was a loud ringing in his ears and the voices and sounds of other people were becoming quieter, his vision was blurring, and his body was weakening, no karate techniques would help here.
He was too weak. He’s the loser.
“How does second place feel now?!”
Kreese is burning with anger. He is not going to become softer, no, he needs him to be afraid of him. But Johnny's friends are desperately trying to stop it, they take his hands and try to stop Kreese, to which he twitches and shoves them with his free elbow to the side.
“Please sensei, He can’t breathe! He said he was sorry!”
Tommy shouted, him and his other friends want to help their friend, but they can’t. They are all too afraid to act, too shocked from what’s happening.
“Don’t.”
The ex-soldier growls at them, as he managed to intimidate them so that they would no longer interfere with him and Johnny.
The boy makes various sounds, he sobs and pats his sensei on the shoulder for the last time. All to no success. It feels like he was falling asleep, but he’s in fact losing consciousness and the voices are getting quieter and quieter…
When suddenly he feels himself falling to the floor, and although he doesn’t feel pain from the hard ground. The damage has already been done, and he no longer has the strength to open his eyes even an inch to find out why Kreese didn’t do it. Why haven’t he killed him? Did he really spare him, although he himself lives by the principles of ‘no mercy’?
Johnny wasn’t able to think anymore, all strength leaving his body.
****
Daniel looks at the whole scene but notices that Mr. Miyagi is heading towards them. Although the guy did not receive any command, he slowly followed him, even if it would be better if he wouldn’t. When they arrived to the scene, His legs became weak and breath disappeared from his lungs from what he saw, he never thought that the person who always mocked him, tormented and disgraced him in front of everyone, was himself a victim of such humiliation, or more like abuse. Maybe somewhere deep inside of himself he could be happy because now he will receive what he deserved for everything he did, but this is not who Daniel is. He doesn’t wish this on anyone, especially not from his own sensei. In some way he feels sorry for him. After all, he kept the agreement that before the tournament he would not touch Larusso, and even after the match he did not make some kind of scene, but instead he even congratulated him. Maybe Johnny Lawrence is not as bad as he may seem?
Daniel comes back to reality and sees Johnny falling to the ground while Mr. Miyagi was pushing Kreese away from the hurt boy.
Larusso was captivated for so long by the sight of his sensei dodging the ex-soldier's blows, and Kreese hitting the car window shattering it into pieces, his fists covered in blood. But then Daniel realizes and quickly heads towards Lawrence who’s lying on the asphalt unconsciousness.
“Johnny!”
He panics and kneels down in front of him checking his pulse, and then sighs with relief that he still has one. Somehow Daniel is even proud that he took first aid courses and now is trying to at least somehow help his rival, and while he was watching him from head to toe, the whole world suddenly stopped. He did not hear how kreese growled out of anger, or how the glass broke, or how Johnny’s friends shamefully ran away, instead of helping the unconsciousness boy. His throat became dry, his eyes began to hurt from what he sees, but then suddenly Mr. Miyagi came up to him and everything becomes easier.
It always does.
Miyagi looks at Johnny and then moves closer to Daniel, softly patting him on his shoulder.
And after that, Larusso immediately knows what to do. He helps his mentor to pick up the blonde boy and take him to their car without hesitation, and after that they both also get in and drive to Mr Miyagi’s house.