little bird // r.keene

xxiv. all or nothing.

Johnny did say why he had to leave but after getting a phone call, right after Daniel left, he left too. Kreese had all of the students in the back dojo, training non stop, some were doing, pull ups, press ups, bicep curls, squats and ropes. All at the same time. All without stopping until someone fessed up.

After Johnny left, Wren had told them all she had nothing to do with it. She didn't even know why Daniel thought she had but it didn't seem to mater to Kreese. He was waiting for someone to crack.

"Keep going!" Kreese ordered, "I have all day." He said, walking slowly behind Tory, Wren, Hawk and Miguel.

"You think it's okay if I puke in here?" Stingray asked Aisha, wincing as he kept moving the ropes.
"No."
"Navy SEALs puke all the time." He tried to reason but her answer was set.
"Do not puke."

"He's not going to let up." Miguel told Tory and Wren between raged breaths. "We gotta figure out who did it."

"Evans just fess up and stop making us suffer, we all know it was you, LaRusso said it himself." Mitch groaned from the floor where he was doing sit ups and Wren dropped her ropes.
"What the fuck did you say Penisbreath?" Wren yelled, striding towards him but Hawk got between them both, putting both his hands on her shoulders to stop her in her tracks.

"Stop!" Kreese shouted and they did, Wren kept her fists clenched by her sides. "Would you really like to know who did it?" He asked, no one answered, Hawk felt his hands fall to his sides.

"It was Hawk." Silence, every one looked at him, Wren felt a surge of rage.
"And it was Evans. And Diaz. And Robinson. Nichols, Chubs, Red." He listed their names one by one and they all looked around at each other, confused.

"When one of you makes a move, you all make a move." Kreese told them slowly, his thumbs hooked around his belt, "You live and you die with the consequences and the spoils because you are all Cobra Kai. He told them and the students looked around at each other, but Wren and Miguel kept their eyes trained on their sensei. "Main dojo, five minutes. You are about to begin your real training."

They all trailed into the main dojo, Kreese had seen how quickly Mitch had turned on Wren just now and seen first hand her fiery temper rise to the surface when someone questioned her honour... He only wondered how far she was willing to go.

"Wren. Mitch. On the mat." They did as they were told, "Diaz, score for us." Miguel went and retrieved a red flag to hold up when someone scored a point.

"Bow." They did as they were told. "Begin." Wren raised her fists and Mitch tried to side step to begin the match but Wren wasted no time. She kicked for his middle but he deflected. Her mind would stop turning. Thinking, twisting possible explanations until one made sense... She struck again, giving him no time to think and she hit his stomach, he groaned and fell to his knees at the sheer force of her contact.

Miguel took a step forward and held up the red flag, "Point." He stepped back, Wren looked down at Mitch and clenched her teeth. She was done being accused. She was done being judged. The only time she was willing to face consequences was if she was guilty. She was done showing mercy.

"Hit him again." Kreese told her and Wren looked over at him, her expression cold and unwavering. "Do you have a problem with that?" He asked her and Wren clenched her teeth, Kreese could see her chest move up and down with the rapidness of her breaths. Not from fatigue. From anger.

Wren looked down at Mitch, still on his knees and remembered:

Evans just fess up and stop making us suffer, we all know it was you, LaRusso said it himself.

"Stop looking at him Evans," She did, she looked at Kreese, her hands still raised in a fighting position, "A fight isn't over until your enemy is finished." Kreese paused to let his words sink in, "You show your enemy no merc-" Before he could finish, Wren took a step forward and kicked Mitch in the chest, sending his sprawling back on the floor. Wren was wordless as he groaned, pushing himself up slowly and taking his place back on the outside of the mat.

Wren didn't move, she waited for someone to say something. She could feel them all watching her. Wren could still feel her burning anger in her chest, still there and blazing. And the whole time she was thinking:

Something is not right with me.
Something is not right with me.
Something is not right with me.

And Wren was trying not to let it show, but everything she had just done... Proved she was right.

"Excellent, Evans. Well done." Kreese's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and Wren turned to face him, she bowed.
"Thank you sensei."

"Sensei Lawrence is right, of course." Kreese began and Wren returned to her place on the mat, tucking her hands behind her back and keeping her eyes forward. Hawk looked at her over his shoulder and saw the expression on her face. He knew this wasn't just about what Mitch had said.

Her dad. Will's extra three months in juvie. LaRusso accusing her.... It was all fresh and Mitch's comment was simply her last straw.

"In a tournament, the fighting stops when you land a point. But in the real world it's not about scoring points. It's about being a winner or a loser. And there are no losers in this dojo."

Nothing is wrong with me.