The Cut That Always Bleeds | Cobra Kai

Chapter 41

 The dojo was packed, the air humming with energy and the faint scent of sweat. Rows of students stood at attention, eyes fixed on Sensei Silver, who stood at the front with his usual commanding presence.

The door creaked open, and all heads turned as Tory walked in. She kept her eyes forward, her expression unreadable as she moved to take her place in the lineup.

Silver's gaze landed on her, and a wide, charismatic smile spread across his face. "Let's give it up! The champ is in the house," he said, clapping his hands together. A smattering of applause rippled through the room. "She's allowed to be late...today."

Tory didn't respond, her jaw tightening as she lined up beside Kenny, who was practically vibrating with excitement. He turned to her, grinning from ear to ear. "When are you going to bring the trophy in?" he whispered eagerly.

Tory shot him a glare. "Not today," she said curtly, her voice low and clipped. Kenny blinked, his grin faltering as he turned his attention back to the front.

Silver continued his speech, his words washing over her like static. Tory felt the weight of the room's eyes on her, the unspoken pressure of being the champion. She didn't feel like a winner. She felt like an imposter.

"And now," Silver announced, his voice cutting through her thoughts, "it's time to introduce some new additions to the Cobra Kai family. These Senseis have come from across the globe to help elevate Cobra Kai to even greater heights. Each of them represents the best in their discipline."

Four new Senseis stepped forward, their movements precise and disciplined. One of them, a lean man with an aura of quiet intensity, stepped toward Tory. His movements were deliberate, his eyes sharp as they locked onto hers. He stopped in front of her, studying her for a moment before speaking.

"You are the champion, correct?" he asked in a thick Japanese accent, his voice low but firm.

Tory nodded, her body tense. "Yeah," she said simply.

The Sensei tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Good," he said. "Then I will not take it easy on you."

~

Robby sighed heavily, ignoring the argument his dad was having with a Mexican man about the van. He focused on lining up the crumpled map with his phone, trying to get a sense of direction. It was only now, after a day and a night of chaos, that he remembered Isabelle's location was still shared on his phone. Typical.

He was about to pull it up when Johny's voice caught his attention.

"Do you know anything about Hector Salazar?" Johny asked the man, his tone loud and insistent. Robby's head snapped up just in time to see the guy glare at his dad, mutter something under his breath, and storm off.

Johny turned back to Robby, looking defensive. "What?"

Robby gave him a look of utter disbelief, arms raised as he said, dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, sure. Casually dropping the name of a dangerous guy in the middle of nowhere. That's definitely how we want to play this."

"We gotta shake the tree to get the apples," Johny replied smugly, crossing his arms like he'd just said something profound.

Robby groaned, rolling his eyes. "Or, you know, we could just climb the tree ourselves."

Johny frowned, confused. "What does that even mean? What tree?"

Robby stared at him, exasperated. "The apple tree! You just said—"

Before he could finish, Johny suddenly spun around, shouting, "Wait!"

Robby followed his gaze and saw a tow truck driving off...with their van. For a split second, they just stood there, stunned. Then, without a word, they exchanged a glance before bolting after the truck.