Cold Hearted ⭒ Cobra Kai

5.8.9

"You kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing. And in plain sight you hid. But you are what you did. And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive the smallest man who ever lived."

~The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived by Taylor Swift~

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A/N: I feel like this chapter is a rollercoaster. I'm excited for you to read it:)

Also never have I ever done karate or know anything really about martial arts, so please forgive the awkward and possibly inaccurate wording. I did my best haha.

Warnings: abuse, addiction, anxiety, biphobia/homophobia, depression, domestic violence, gun violence, language, panic attacks, sexual harassment/assault/abuse, violence, weapons, and other mature themes

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Zion's POV

"Zion, wake up!" Miguel pounds on my door.

I sit up with a jolt. I check my phone, and to my surprise I did fall asleep on the floor for maybe two or three hours. 

"I'm up!" I groan as I lean on the bed to stand up.

"We have to be at Cobra Kai in half an hour. We can't be late," Miguel says before I hear his footsteps walk away.

I rub my eyes as I try to remember why we're going to Cobra Kai.

Oh. The Sekai Taikai qualifiers are today.

I try to suppress my anxiety as walk over to my closet. I guess I need to get dressed in a gi.

The question is: Eagle Fang or Miyagi-Do?

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"Whoa, this place is even bigger than in the commercials," Miguel says as we pull into the flagship dojo's parking lot.

I try to ignore that fact as I get out of the car and walk over to the rest of the dojo who's here. I know that Johnny, Daniel, Chozen, Robby, Sam, and Anthony got here early.

"Hey," Robby walks over to me with a smile on his face. "We match." I look down at my gi. "I'm glad you chose the Miyagi-Do one."

"Me too," I agree, "but we don't exactly look united." I look at the red and white gis among us.

Though Johnny was my first official sensei, I feel like I've really connected with Chozen and Daniel recently. And I think Miyagi-Do is the farthest from Cobra Kai. I have a lot to prove today.

"Are you ready?" he asks me.

"I have to be, right?" I reply in a more hostile tone than I anticipated.

"My dad told me how hard you were training last night," Robby says.

"And I still didn't get the suffocation down," I reply. He frowns. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well. I'm really stressed about today."

"Shawn won't know what hit him," he encourages me. "Just do your best."

"Aren't you nervous?" I ask him.

"I'm... I'm trying to be positive like my therapist suggested. Is it coming off as too positive?" 

"Maybe a little," I say with a teasing smile as I take his hand and lead us over to the group.

Chozen wears a greige gi as he stands with our senseis who wear their respective gis. As they address us, I put my hair up into a secure bun; I won't let my hair be down and risk Shawn grabbing it again, even if it is an illegal move.