Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

110 - Radici Forti

"So a certain someone told me that you don't want to fight anymore," Mr Lawrence says as I walk to pick up my laundry. I sigh. Robby must've said something...

"I want to protect the people I love, but in case you haven't noticed, last time I tried to do that, my hand got fractured," I say. Learning to do everything with my left hand has been hell. Writing sucks. Using my phone sucks. Driving sucks. Opening doors, cooking, brushing my teeth, doing my hair, showering, putting on makeup- it all sucks. I can't risk it happening again.

"Maybe. But you also broke solid stone. You protected the people you care about and also probably did what a lot of us can't: you intimidated Silver,"

"Yeah. I'm sure he was real intimidated by me sitting on the ground shaking and crying holding my bleeding hand was super intimidating," I say sarcastically. That being said, I still remember the look on Silver's face when I thanked him for telling me his strategy. It was subtle, but for him, and considering the fact that I was the one reading him, it was incredibly noticeable. Regret, first and foremost. A little anger and plenty of shock. But also... fear...

"Look kid... we're trying to convince LaRusso that this fight is still worth fighting. All of us are gonna meet up at the Miyagi-Do dojo and I think we can sway him. He's still got fight left in him. And so do you. Silver is the biggest threat we've ever faced and you've managed to scare him," Mr Lawrence says, "but more importantly... LaRusso isn't gonna come back if you don't..."

Wait... what..?

"I'm sure he will, he's stubborn, he'll always go back to the fight eventually," I dismiss, shaking my head a little. Mr Lawrence laughs lightly.

"Y'know, you two aren't even technically related, but you're so similar," he says. I see his point, but I want him to elaborate. I cock my head at him, intrigued.

"You're both Miyagi-Do for one, okay don't look at me like that, I know it was obvious. You're both Italian. You both tried to give up karate at some point and got right back into it. Both of you care a lot about your loved ones. You're both stubborn as hell. You're both hella good fighters- don't you ever tell him I said that. And right now? You're both Terry Silver's biggest concern, which is why both of you are hurt and why neither of you want to fight. I know neither of you can stand to see that guy win. And neither of you can stand to just sit on your asses and watch the people you love get hurt. Other than Sam, you're one his very first students. You're the one who's stood up to him. And you're the one who's been there for him," Mr Lawrence elaborates, 

"you don't give up. Hell, I watched you fight Hawk and Miguel with a basically dislocated knee. You took Hawk to the ground when he messed with you, and had the balls to confront me about it. After your dojo got trashed, you came and yelled at me and Kreese. You fought against Cobra Kai after the big school fight even though you were still hurt. You taught Miguel all that school shit even though you were still working a job, doing karate and taekwondo, and going to school yourself. You didn't give up on Robby. You jumped off the rooftop and landed on the other side. You did all of my lessons. You put up with LaRusso when he was being a dick to you... and you put up with me too. You put up with all of us. You did everything you could to try and keep Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang together. And now, we have to work together again. We can't do it without Daniel... and we can't do it without you. You two are like a little... karate package deal. I get it. Neither of you want to put yourselves or other people in danger anymore. But the danger is just gonna keep coming. So you can keep moping around here, or, you can come with me to Miyagi-Do and we can mail in the package deal that will take down bitch-ass Terry Silver."