IRON FISTS || Axel Kovacevic

I - Brewing storm

chapter 1: brewing storm
warnings: foul language, mentions of violence.

Barcelona unfurled itself before them, its streets alive with a rhythm that mirrored the anticipation of the Sekai Taikai. The city's beauty was undeniable—sunlit avenues stretched endlessly, the distant sea shimmered like molten silver—but Jisoo barely noticed. Her focus was sharp, tuned to the weight of the moment, the electric tension that crackled with each step she took.

The Cobra Kai team swept into the hotel lobby like a storm front, all black jackets and cutting edges. The coiled cobra emblem on their backs gleamed under the sterile lights, bold and unapologetic. Jisoo led them, her posture sharp, movements deliberate, with Kwon beside her, his presence looming and stoic. Together, they were the embodiment of the dojo's philosophy: strike first, strike hard, no mercy.

Her bruised eye was unhidden, a stark badge of defiance painted in deep hues of purple and blue. It dared anyone to look closer, to test the resolve that it symbolized. She wore it like armor, each glance it drew only adding to her unshakable confidence.

Kwon walked in lockstep with her, his silence a language of its own. There was no camaraderie in their shared stride—only the tense, brittle harmony of two warriors who had fought on the same side for too long. Every step they took radiated unspoken animosity, a taut thread waiting to snap.

The lobby buzzed with life. Other teams lingered in clusters, their eyes sharp, their whispers sharper. Jisoo could feel the weight of their attention, the way it followed Cobra Kai's every movement. The whispers didn't bother her; they never did. In fact, she fed on them, a predator thriving in the uneasy silence her presence left in its wake.

As they passed the elevators, another team stepped into view. The Iron Dragons entered like a well-rehearsed performance, their movements precise and deliberate. Their jackets shimmered in polished silver, each step calculated to command respect. At the helm were Zara and Axel, their presences distinct but equally magnetic.

Zara's smirk struck first, a sharp curve of amusement aimed directly at Jisoo. Axel stood beside her, quieter but no less commanding, his gaze steady and unnervingly calm.

"Nice bruise," Zara said casually, her tone light but cutting. "Guess Cobra Kai isn't so untouchable after all."

Jisoo stopped. Her steps came to an abrupt halt, and the rest of Cobra Kai followed suit, their movements synced like soldiers in formation. Slowly, she turned to face Zara, the faintest of smirks tugging at her lips.

"You'll have to try harder than that," Jisoo said, her voice steady, her face neutral. "Is this what you do? Whisper cheap shots and hope someone flinches?"

Zara raised an eyebrow, her confidence faltering for a split second as Jisoo stepped closer. The air between them thickened, a taut wire ready to snap.

"Good luck keeping up, bitch." Jisoo added, her tone cool, her smirk deepening just enough to twist the knife.

Zara's retort never came. The words lingered in her throat as Jisoo turned on her heel and walked away, the faint hum of dismissal in her movements.

Axel's eyes lingered on Jisoo as she passed, his expression unreadable, though there was something unspoken in the way he looked at her—curiosity, maybe, or recognition. But he said nothing, his presence as still and heavy as ever.

"Let it go," Axel said finally, his voice low and measured, as Zara bristled beside him.

But Zara couldn't let it go. Her jaw tightened as she watched Jisoo retreat, her silver-clad team parting around her like a tide breaking against a rock.

The tension didn't dissipate as Cobra Kai moved toward the check-in desk. If anything, it deepened, simmering between Jisoo and Kwon as they walked side by side.

"You let her get to you," Kwon said after a long silence, his voice low and needling.

Jisoo didn't look at him, her pace unbroken. "You think I care what she says?"

"Looks like it to me," Kwon said, his smirk audible even if she couldn't see it.

Jisoo stopped abruptly, forcing Kwon to stumble slightly to avoid colliding with her. She turned, her bruised eye narrowing as her voice dropped into a whisper laced with venom.

"Get out of my way, asshole," she hissed in Korean, her words precise and cutting.

Without waiting for a response, she shoved past him, her shoulder brushing his as she walked away. Kwon's nostrils flared, his jaw tightening as he stared after her, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

At the check-in desk, the hum of activity dulled to an ambient buzz. Room cards were handed out one by one, the mundane rhythm of the process contrasting sharply with the tension that hung in the air. Jisoo took hers without a word, slipping the small keycard into her pocket as she turned to rejoin the group.

As she scanned the lobby, a flash of movement caught her eye. Tory Nichols brushed past their team, her pace brisk and her expression set. The new girl's presence still carried an air of mystery—raw, unpredictable, and unapologetically volatile.

"What's with the new girl?" Jisoo asked, her voice low, her curiosity faintly amused.

The team shrugged in varying degrees of disinterest. Kwon ignored her entirely, his attention elsewhere, while others exchanged glances but offered no real insight.

"She's a wildcard," one of them muttered finally, his tone indifferent.

Jisoo's lips curved into a faint smirk as she watched Tory disappear into the crowd. "Interesting."

The moment passed, and the group began to move toward the elevators. Jisoo fell into step with the others, her mind already shifting gears. The Iron Dragons, the whispers, the new girl—it was all noise, distractions she refused to let unsettle her focus.

For Jisoo, the storm wasn't coming anymore. It was here, swirling around her, electric and alive. And she welcomed it.

a/n:
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i plan this book to be about 15/20 chapters, and  i'll try to update daily!!

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