𝖫𝗈𝗏౿ᑲ𝗈ოᑲ -𝖤ᥣꪱᜒ 𝖬𝗈ડƙ𝗈⍵ꪱᜒ𝗍ʑ

2.6

Kreese rambled on about things only Eli and Aisha seemed to be paying attention to. The twins exchanged eye rolls, annoyed by his tangent.

"We were outgunned. We were outmanned. I tell ya, Rwanda was no joke," Kreese said. Hazel frowned, puzzled by his reference to Rwanda. She glanced at her brother, who stood behind the man.

"Don't you mean Somalia? Mogadishu is in Somalia. Rwanda is a whole different country," Miguel corrected Kreese. Turning around, Kreese chuckled. "Of course, Somalia," he corrected himself before returning his focus to Eli and Aisha. "I was in the sandbox so much, it all just kinda bleeds together, you know?"

There was something suspicious about Kreese, and now Hazel was determined to uncover who he really was.

"Alright, listen up!" Johnny's voice cut through the chatter as he emerged from the back room. "I see we've got new recruits. Everyone, fall in! In neat rows and lines," he instructed. The students began to reposition themselves. As always, Hazel stood between Eli and Miguel.

"Princess," Eli whispered, his familiar voice making her turn. "Me, Demetri, and your brother are hanging out later. Wanna come?" he asked, his smile warm and inviting.

Hazel glanced at Johnny, who was busy chastising a student who seemed far older than the typical dojo recruit. "Sorry, I can't. I'm going out with Aisha," Hazel replied apologetically, shooting Eli a regretful look. Eli glanced at Aisha, who stood beside him. Realizing there was no way around it, he sighed and nodded. "Where?" he asked.

"At the mall, probably. No boys allowed," Aisha shrugged, prompting a laugh from Hazel as she noticed Eli's disappointed expression. She was going to miss him for a few hours.

"I think you can survive a day without my sister," Miguel chimed in, laughing.

"You think?" Eli furrowed his eyebrows, contemplating.

The four of them fell silent as Johnny approached. His blue eyes scanned the crowd. "But that means you have to fight. So, who has the balls to take on the champ?" he challenged. Aisha glanced at Miguel and Hazel.

"Uh..." a man from Home Depot started to raise his hand but was interrupted. "I'll take him on," a female voice announced. Turning to look back, they saw a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes stepping forward.

"She's really pretty," Hazel thought, relieved to see another girl joining Cobra Kai.

"You will, huh?" Johnny raised an eyebrow. "I saw your little demo at the Valley Fest. You can put on a good show, but can you actually fight?" the girl questioned, glancing around.

Walking forward, Johnny stood in front of her. "That sounds like a challenge," he remarked. She looked up at him. "I like a challenge," she declared.

"Mr. Diaz, show Miss Hotshot here what Cobra Kai's all about," Johnny ordered as he returned to the front. Miguel bowed to Johnny. Everyone stepped back, clearing the mat. Miguel looked at the girl. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, concerned. Before he could react, she kicked him in the stomach, causing him to stumble back, though he didn't fall.

"Okay," he said with a smile, his competitive spirit ignited. "Game on." The smile quickly faded as the fight commenced, with her attacking and him blocking. "Close the gap," he advised, using his legs to sweep her. She hit the ground but quickly flipped back up.

"You're telegraphing. Don't let me see it coming," Miguel coached. She tackled him to the ground. "Did you see that coming?" she taunted, standing up. Miguel swiftly countered, taking her to the ground with a leg sweep. "Maybe," he replied, a bit out of breath. Extending his hand to help her up, he introduced himself. "My name's Miguel."