Mercy In My Heart // Hawk x OC x Miguel

Chapter Fifty

Training had finally begun. The All Valley Karate Tournament was only a few months away and now it matter more than ever. If we lost, we lost everything. Losing wasn't an option. Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do met up at the Miyagi-Do Dojo for our first training together. Everyone had healed up from the Christmas fight and it was time to get back into business like usual.

"Ready?" Mr. LaRusso asked.

My father added, "Let's begin!"

I stood between Hawk and Miguel and they both looked at me in confusion. I'm pretty sure we were all confused as to how this training was going to work. Demitri raised his hand to ask, "Uh, begin what exactly?"

Mr. LaRusso took a moment before explaining, "Begin a new era. Many of us used to be enemies. But rivalries don't need to last forever. The All Valley Tournament is just a few months away, and this year, the stakes are higher than they've ever been. We know that Cobra Kai is gonna use every dirty trick in the book. There's only one way we'er gonna be able to beat them..."

My dad cut him off. "...By kicking their asses so hard they shit themselves." I shook my head in disappointment. "We gotta take things to the next level. Gonna teach you an aggression stronger than anything Cobra Kai can throw at us. They strike first? We'll pre-strike!"

Thankfully, Mr. LaRusso stopped his bullshit speech. "Okay, we're getting ahead of ourselves. We are going to respond to what they do."

"Eagles do not respond. They swoop down and take whatever they want. That's what we're gonna do. Take back the Valley."

"Take it back in a measured and organized approach."

"We bite first!" Their speeches kept going back and forth.

Mr. LaRusso sighed. "Okay, let's just warm up with some simple exercises-"

"All right, line up!"

I sighed. This was going to be an interesting few months.

Let's just say that Miyagi-Fang training did not go as planned. The teaching were polar opposite of each other and we ended up destroying a lot of property. I kept telling myself that will time, things would get easier, but I was struggling to see the reality in that.

Later that night, my dad and I made dinner for Miguel's family. As he brought the last plate over to the table, he said "Dinner is served. All right, tonight's main course is fajitas and frilled vegetables. I have pico de gallo and corn and flour tortillas."

"Wow. This looks delicious, Johnny." Miguel's mother complimented.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. Blair has been excelling in the kitchen lately."

I laughed at the praise. I never was a great cook, but I slowly began to pick up new tricks from random cooking shows that would show up on TV from time to time. It didn't take long for multiple conversations to spark throughout the table. Eventually, my dad started to talk about the Tournament.

"We're not gonna lose. Not when we have these two on the team." He hinted at Miguel and I. I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach though. It wasn't that food tasted horrible, it's the fact of the Tournament and Robby. The pressure was on Miguel, Hawk, and I to win. If one of us didn't and Cobra Kai won, it was going to throw my dad back to square one all over again. I can't have that happen. Not when he's finally been happy for the first time in years.

-

The next morning, we returned to training and it turned out to be more of a nightmare than I had anticipated as Mr. LaRusso and my dad began to explain how we would run things from now on. "Sensei Lawrence and I have the same goal of preparing you for the tournament. But we have different ways of getting you there. We realize that teaching you opposing viewpoints at the same time can be a little confusing. So we've discussed it and come up with a solution. We're gonna divide and conquer."

"Eagle Fang trains out front."

"And I'll be back here with the Miyagi-Dos."

Miguel spoke up. "I thought we were stronger working together."

Mr. LaRusso explained, "We're still working together...just separately."

"All right. Eagles, follow me." My dad ordered.

"Miyagi-Dos, come over here."

My heart was racing faster than ever. As everyone made their way over to their sensei's, I was left with my feet glued to the ground. Where was I supposed to go? Last time I hadn't chosen a dojo. I was working with both. Whatever I decided, I was going to be letting someone down. With only a few seconds to think, I made the most logical decision.

As my dad turned around to say, "Blair, c'mon" I was already at the Miyagi-Do side. I really hope I made the right decision. Miguel shot me an angered, but also confused look when he saw me on the "wrong side."

Mr. LaRusso looked thrilled to have me on his team and we made our way inside the dojo to start off with a bit of meditating. I took my spot next to Sam as Mr. LaRusso began to instruct us. "We all have anger inside. But I want you to let it go. Don't let your emotions control you. You have to be the one in control. Right? Now, everyone close your eyes and relax."

Not even two seconds later, we could hear my dad yelling at the Eagle Fangs from outside. "Stop whinin' like a little bitch. Get up."

Mr. LaRusso tried to ignore it. "Stay focused. Eyes closed. Breathe in. Breathe out."

"Don't be a pussy. Punch him in the face." My dad yelled, causing a few kids in the class to snicker and laugh.

"Try not to be distracted. Stay focused..."

"You punched him in the balls? What the hell is wrong with you?"

More kids started to giggle and Mr. LaRusso couldn't take it anymore. "Wait right here." He made his way outside to talk to my dad. We all took this as a little break time. I went to go grab my water bottle from my backpack. It seemed like Eli had the same idea.

"Your training sounds intense." I laughed as I grabbed my water bottle and he grabbed his.

"Something like that." He laughed before taking notice to one of the paintings on the wall.

Demitri then interrupted by explaining it. "You know. That's the sparring deck where Mr. Miyagi's great-grandfather taught karate on the Okinawan waterfront."

Eli caressed the frame of the painting before Chris and a few other students from Miyagi joined us. "Yo, be careful with that." Chris ordered.

"Why, you think I'm gonna break it?" He defended.

Christ explained, "You already broke a door. And you stole Mr. Miyagi's medal."

"And you beat the shit out of me." Nate added as he joined the conversation.

"Hey, look, I'm really sorry about all that." Eli tried.

"Go back to your little Eagle gang. You're not wanted here." Chris laughed.

Eli left the room feeling smaller than ever.

"What the fuck, Chris?" I shook my head and ran after him, but by the time I caught up to him, he was trying to talk to an angry Mr. LaRusso.

"I don't know where I fit in here."

"What did you expect?" Mr. LaRusso said and only crushed Eli's spirit even more. "You've burned bridges with pretty much everyone here." As Eli started to walk away, Mr. LaRusso tried to rephrase himself, but it was no use. His words cut him pretty deep and soon enough he started fighting with my dad again.

Things were not looking good for us.