A Flower in War

Chapter Forty-Five: Destruction at the Dojo

Author's Note: I know it's a short one! I'm so sorry! I'll get back to the longer ones like the last one. My apologies.

-

"Oh the boys are gonna kill us, we're already late." Sam laughs from the passenger side, holding the cup carrier with their coffees in her lap.
"How late?"
"Going on ten minutes."
"Eh, they'll be fine. Besides we come bearing gifts!" Cal smiles.

The dulcet sound of her phone breaks the jovial mood. Cat answers when she realises it's Robby calling her, preparing to be reprimanded for their tardiness.
"Hey babe, we're on our way with coffee and danishes!"
"Cal, the dojo... it's... it's ruined." Cal and Sam turn to each other nervously.
"What do you mean it's ruined?"
"I mean... some people came through and trashed it. The backyard, the building, even the damn sign!"
"We'll be there soon." Cal steps on the gas as she hangs up.

"You're going to go scorched earth aren't you?" Sam questions worriedly.
"Your dad and I both."

As they come up to Miyagi-Do they head straight to the backyard. Cal and Sam leave the coffee and danishes in the car, not knowing how bad it was going to be. But neither of them were prepared for the carnage. Toilet paper thrown over all the trees and bushes. The bonsais on the pond deck tipped over, the punching bag spray painted and torn from its hook. The planters were shattered, trash just strewn about the grounds. The large stone tipped over into the dirt. It was complete chaos.

"The cars..." Sam whispers before running back out to the front of the dojo. Cal quickly follows, finding her stood in front of the banana boat nearly catatonic.
"Oh my god..." Cal whispers, her hand going over her mouth.
"Dad!" Sam calls shakily.
Both Daniel and Robby come up to the two girls, now spotting what those assholes did. In red spray paint "Cobra Kai Never Dies!!" was etched into the driver's side door. Daniel looks to the car despondently, tearing up. Cal felt Robby's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. But she can't take the comfort right now. Right now, she's just filled with rage. She knew how much that car meant to Daniel, to Mr. Miyagi. So when Daniel opened the car door she jumped into the passenger seat.

"Mr. LaRusso? Cal?"
"Dad, where are you two going?" Sam asks worriedly. Daniel doesn't reply, but Cal does, "To the snake's den." Sam and Robby look at each other worriedly as the two drive off like a bat out of hell.
"I have a feeling they'll come back with bruises..." Sam says nervously.
"No doubt."

-

When Cal and Daniel make it to the dojo they bolt out of the car and walk inside. Miguel and Eli are on the mat but at the intrusion they both stand to face the two newcomers.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Johnny asks as he ventures closer.
"Like you don't know." Daniel sasses.
"Take your shoes off the mat. You're disrespecting my dojo."
"You're going to talk to us about disrespecting dojos after what you just did to ours?!" Daniel yells as he advances towards Johnny with Cal in tow.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to your dojo." Johnny states confused.
"Just like you didn't slug one of my employees, huh?" Now that makes Cal do a double take before she returns to her steely expression. She wasn't aware someone got hurt and that only angers her more.

She steps closer to Johnny, purposefully dragging her dirty shoes on the mat, "You know, a part of me actually felt bad for you at one point. You were taught to be cruel, taught to hurt others like you were hurt. But instead of taking that and using it to better yourself, to change - You chose to squander it. Instead you invite back all the things that hurt you! Kreese hurt you. Cobra Kai hurt you. And now you're letting them be a part of you again. You are actively and purposefully reverting back to high school asshole Johnny who beat my father so badly that he was in the hospital for two weeks. You don't deserve students. You don't deserve a dojo. You don't deserve your son. I wanted you to change. I believed you could. Now? Now I see how foolish that was." Cal spits, shaking her head.

"You make it so easy to remember who the bad guy is in all of this." Daniel takes over, stepping in front of Cal who is still shaking in anger.
"You call yourself a sensei? You don't even know what a sensei is! A sensei mentors. A sensei elevates. He doesn't teach destruction and disrespect!" Daniel states firmly, as he steps closer to Johnny.
"I already said I don't know what you're talking about, LaRusso. And you two don't know what you're talking about either." Johnny seethes as he steps closer so he's face-to-face with Daniel.
"Yeah, well, I know you don't..." Daniel takes a shaky breath, "You don't earn a Medal of Honor by stealing it." Johnny looks confused at this, something Cal takes notice to as she also is confused. Medal of Honor? Who has... oh... OH! OH FUCK NO!

"Let me tell you something about your sensei. He might teach you how to fight, but he doesn't know a thing about what it takes to truly win at life, think Cal gave you enough proof of that. If you wanna help yourselves before it's too late, the doors of Miyagi-Do are wide open."
"You think you can come in here and poach my students?"
"And what're you gonna do about it?" Daniel asks holding out his arms. The two men stare at each other for a few beats before Daniel speaks again, "You know I'm not gonna strike first."
"I'm gonna be a bigger man." Johnny states tersely, stepping away.
"Yeah. We'll see about that." Daniel pants, turning and walking outside.

"Whichever of you stole Mr. Miyagi's Medal of Honor - just know you're a coward. A true despicable coward and a disgusting human being. He fought for this country. He fought for you all. You want to know who was a true mentor for a sensei? That was Mr. Miyagi. He didn't have to start a dojo. He didn't have to help my father or Mr. LaRusso, he chose to because he was a good man. He protected people. He didn't admonish them for things out of their control or change them to fit some antiquated ideal. He would love you no matter what race, religion... or scar." Cal looks to Eli, who can't meet her eyes.
"Your sensei's mentor? Your sensei's mentor tried to kill him when he was a teenager! He choked him out! He's a bully... and sadly because you are all impressionable, you've become bullies now too. You've become the very thing you hated. I hope you're pleased with yourselves." Cal spits, leaving the dojo.

She finds Daniel sitting in the car, staring straight ahead. When she slams her door, he seemingly comes out of it, looking at her with tears streaming down his face.
"Get in the passenger side." Cal says softly, watching him nod. They trade places in the car and Cal peels out of the lot, driving back to Miyagi-Do. When they arrive she turns off the ignition and turns to him.
"I'm sorry Uncle Danny. What they did... I can't even fathom the pain you must be in. I'm sorry. Maybe if we hadn't of fought-"
"No, no. You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. You all did the right thing. You protected, you didn't attack." Cal nods.
"What are we going to do?" Daniel asks softly, his voice cracking.
"What we always do: survive."