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TORY'S HEART RACED AS SHE STOOD IN THE CENTER OF THE RING, facing none other than y/n fucking l/n. The world around her seemed muted, save for the memories pounding in her mind like a war drum. She blinked, but no amount of composure could push them away. Every ghost from her past seemed to rise in unison, clawing at her, demanding to be acknowledged.
"It's okay, sweetie... life dealt us a bad hand."
Her late-mother's voice came first, soft and full of the tenderness that Tory had clung to all her life. It wasn't a comfort, not anymore. It was a reminder of every burden, every unfair obstacle.
"But we can change that... because we're fighters now."
The tears that welled in her eyes weren't of sorrow. No, sadness had no place here. They burned, born of rage so fierce it clawed its way up from her chest and threatened to consume her. Her mother's words had always been her mantra. But now, they felt hollow, mocking. A bad hand? No. Life didn't deal Tory a bad hand—it threw her into the fire and dared her to survive.
"You're not a villain... she certainly has no right to treat you like one."
The words echoed louder, and Tory's fists clenched at her sides. Her gaze briefly darted to her opponent. Two years apart, but those words still stung. y/n l/n had seen her at her weakest, her rawest. She had been there, the one person who hadn't looked at Tory like she was just a ticking time bomb. And yet, she'd left. Disappeared like everyone else.
"Here, hold my dignity, I got a scene to make..."
A flicker of a memory. y/n, bold and unapologetic, striding back into the country club after Tory's fight with Sam. Tory had been spiraling, guilt gnawing at her for her outburst, but the y/h/c-haired girl had been so quick to take her side, to fight her corner. She'd made it into a joke, accusing Sam of stealing her hot dog, knowing it would strike a nerve in the crudest way possible. Tory had laughed despite herself, and for the first time in forever, she'd felt less... alone.
"Some people have it good... the rest of us have to fight for everything that is ours."
Another memory slammed into her. Training with y/n back at Reseda, the two of them equally aggressive, equally unrelenting. y/n had pushed her limits, and she'd pushed back, their sessions more like battles than practice. They had learned so much from each other, and at the time, Tory had thought it was loyalty.
"You look unapproachable..."
Her first meeting with y/n replayed in her mind. Valley Fest, Cobra Kai's demo. She'd been watching from the sidelines, unsure if she belonged, but the girl had approached her, their conversation as sharp as a knife's edge. y/n had seen something in her that day. Had pushed her to join, made her believe she could be just as dangerous, just as untouchable.
