Can't Have Both

Pain

They arrived. Again. The same tension. 

She's there. Was all Tory thought. In her gi. Prepared to fight. Tory turned away. So was Robby. He was there. Why? Why did people she cared about, possibly the only ones she had left, have to harm themselves. She should've went up to them. She should've warned them. She should've told them she cared about them. 

But she didn't. She stayed with Kreese, Kim, Kwon. She just watched. Hoping the people she cared about didn't get hurt. But she knew they would. It wasn't a guarantee. 

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Devon looked nervous. Robby could tell. He would be lying if he didn't say he was nervous either. 

This would determine who gets into the next round. Today was about eliminating a bunch of people. 

The first Round Robby was against some boy. He was on the German team. Miyagi Do's were all fighting someone from this team. 

Robby bowed with this other boy. 

"Fight." The ref said. 

The other boy struck first. Robby dodged and hit him dead in the stomach.

" Point Keene"

They got ready for the next. Robby got to him first. The other boy blocked, but Robby pinned him and got him. 

" 2-0 Keene." 

The boy charged after him, but Robby wasn't messing around. He landed a point and advanced.

Robby won easily. This team was a joke. How did they qualify? He looked over. . Miguel was doing fine. Sam was already finished and moved on. The others? They were doing ok. Not the best, but well enough. He looked over. Tory had just stared her fight.

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This team was trash. Devon knew it. She knew when she saw Robby win. Miguel advanced. Sam passed. So why was she still fighting. 0-2. She was losing. It had to be nerves. Hawk passed. She saw. 

Fuck. Demetri advanced. Shit.

She had to get this. 

" Ready? Fight." What did she remember? What had she been taught? She had forgotten. How long had she trained in Miyagi Do? No clue. No mercy? No. That was Cobra Kai. 

But deep down, as she looked at Tory, who just won her fight, then back to her opponent who was coming at her, she knew she had to use no mercy or she would get killed. Was she on the wrong side? No. Stop.

Se dodged. She remembered Tory telling her how to strike. She shouldn't. Daniel would be so upset. But she was losing. She had to win, right? If she showed mercy, fought nice, she would lose or get hurt. 

So she used what she remembered of Cobra Kai. No mercy. 

She came after him, striking first. That caught Sensei Lawrences attention. It also caught Daniels. But she didn't care. The one she knew she caught was Tory. 

She landed a point on the boy, breathing hard. He crumpled down. 

" Point. 1-2 " The ref said. The boy wasn't too hurt, but it was painful. The hit Tory had taught her. She turned and looked at Tory. They made eye contact. She had her. Tory was watching. Judging her for using Cobra Kai. 

But all Tory did was nod. She gave a if-you-must look and nodded. Devon  looked away as the ref said, 

" Ready? Fight." Tory had approved. But her sensei's wouldn't. She would be in so much trouble. But she knew Tory trusted her. She had remembered. And to Tory? That was everything. It meant she could handle herself. Maybe not later on, but for now, she would be ok.

Robby didn't need to strike first. Neither did the rest of them. They were always trained by Miyagi-Do. Robby was the original with Sam, Miguel, Hawk, and Demetri all came in before her. 

She was a fast learner sure, but when it came to experience? She used Cobra Kai.

She landed the point.

" 2-2. Next point wins." She looked. Tory was still watching. 

" Ready? Fight." Oh, Devon wasn't ready. She hadn't been. She had seen the competition and knew this was only the beginning. But she would try. She had to, right?

As she landed the point she kept thinking about how Tory had gone back. Using the anger to land the point. She missed her. She needed her. 

" Winner, Lee." The ref raised her hand, but Devon didn't feel like she won. She didn't play fair, she cheated just to get here, and now she wasn't even using her sensei's way. 

Tory looked away relieved. 

" Lee, what was that?" Johnny asked walking up to her.

" Yeah, I thought we taught you not to strike first." Daniel said slowly.

" I was losing. I'm sorry it won't happen again." Devon said, not looking at them. Daniel was about to say something but Johnny stopped him.

" Don't let it happen again Lee." Johnny said. Daniel just sighed and walked over to Demetri to congratulate him.

" Sensei, I'm sorry, I-"

" Oh no I was lying." He said. " Yeah, you got your ass kicked, but whatever you did worked. Striking first isn't always a bad thing." He said eyeing Daniel. " Just advance. That's all you have to do. Play fair, but you can use some Cobra Kai techniques. " He said. She nodded. They headed over to the Miyagi-Do's getting ready for the next part.

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Tory had watched the fight. She had used her moves. Devon had listened, taken it in, and used it in a fight. 

Tory couldn't express how relieved she was. Tory had won her fight easily. The U.K. wasn't a great team. She could have beaten most of those teams with the way she had been practicing. And she knew. She would have to fight one of the Miyagi-Do captains if they won. She didn't want to. But she might have to if they made it. They might not even .She didn't know. What she did know was Devon was safe. So was Robby. But she wasn't worried about him. She would later, but right now, it would be fine. 

Daniel would be mad, but if Devon kept fighting that way she could make it past a few rounds. Maybe the whole first part. She was just grateful she was ok. It would be hard. But pain was the best teacher, right? Pain wasn't physical. It could be mental too. And watching Devon, hoping she would be alright was painful. Not being with Robby was even more painful.