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Robby was tired of being used as a pawn in other people’s problems. His dad had been hell bent on warning him about Kreese, Mr. LaRusso warned him about Silver, and deep down he knew that they were both right. However, Robby didn’t trust anyone.
He didn’t trust anyone because nobody cared enough to earn it. His dad was absent the entirety of his life, popping in here and there, but never staying. His mom left him alone while she went out with random guys, getting high from who knows what, and bringing the party back to their place. Robby made friends who weren’t his friends, got his heart broken, and was living in the back of a Dojo. That Dojo belonging to the man who slithered in and took it from his dad, which for Robby, he couldn’t care less.
Or maybe he could and siding with Cobra Kai was a way to get back at the adults who had failed him. Teaching Cobra Kai the Miyagi Do technique was a bad move on his part, he’d admit that, but he acted without thinking of redemption. When Mr. LaRusso had confronted him at the All Valley and wormed his way back into his head, passion over principle, he couldn’t shake the words from echoing in his head. It wasn’t until he had witnessed Kenny beating on the youngest LaRusso that it truly clicked.
“You’re giving him respect.” Silver was under the assumption that Robby cared what he thought, news flash, he didn’t. Robby would fight how he saw fit.
“Do you want to fight him?” In hindsight, he probably shouldn’t have said that the Silver, he knew that LaRusso had told him he wasn’t stable, but he was his father’s son. The death glare the Sensei bore into him was quickly forgotten, though, and he returned to the mat.
He never thought that they would make it to a sudden death match, especially for it being the first since ’84, and the pressure he felt was enormous. One miscalculated move and it was over. Losing to Hawk hadn’t been his intention, but neither was fighting dirty, and he didn’t want to win if it meant resorting to the way he was treated in the finals last year.
When Tory took the mat, he was hopeful for a victory, but at what cost? If one Dojo won, then the other would have to quit teaching, and when Sam took the mat to face Tory, Robby felt guilty for betraying Miyagi Do secrets. That guilt was quickly replaced, though, and he didn’t know if it was respect or a sense of pride when he saw Sam’s technique change. Tory’s elbow catching Sam in the eye should have resulted in a penalty, his heart skipped a beat when it happened, but the ref never called it.
“Of course, Cobra Kai would chat.” He thought.
Robby skipped out on the celebration, and he left The All Valley before anyone could notice. He didn’t know what to do, but the moment he emerged from the double doors, he saw his dad leaving, too. Without thinking about it, he followed him. He hoped that they could talk and that his dad would care enough to listen.
“I don’t want to blame you anymore, Dad.” The teen broke down the moment Johnny wrapped him in a hug. They stood there, for the first time in what felt like forever, embracing in a hug. Robby had almost forgotten how warm his dad felt, how comforting his hugs were, and how needed it was.
“Touching, really.” Silver crept in from the back, catching them off guard. The smile that turned the corners of his mouth upward made Robby uneasy, the man always seemed off, and from the stance his father took, he felt the same way.
“What do you want Silver?” Robby asked, unafraid, and almost daring.
“No Sensei?” Silver gave him the same glare he shared with him back at The All Valley and frowned.
“I’m done with Cobra Kai.” Robby stated proudly, not letting the eerie presence in the room cause him to falter.
“You don’t just lea-” Silver stops short when Johnny cuts him off.
“He said he was done.” Johnny broadened his shoulders, he knew this guy was crazy, and he was prepared to fight if it came to it. “Let’s go, Robby.”
“I didn’t say you could leave, Mr. Keene.” The doors jingled and two men appeared.
“What is this?” Johnny asked, placing himself between the goons, Silver, and Robby. “Your idea was to ambush a kid? Like you ambushed me?”
“You came on your own will, Mr. Lawrence.” Silver answered and Robby shifted uncomfortably.
“Dad, what are you talking about?” he asked, concern and anger behind his eyes.
Johnny didn’t take his eyes off Silver. “Silver thought that he could lure me out and catch me off guard,” he said flatly. “The All Valley is over, you won, and we’re leaving.”
Silver laughed, “We’ll see about that.”
The two men who had recently entered the abandoned Dojo lunged forward attacking Johnny. They plowed into him from behind, Johnny taken by surprise. Robby jumped in to help, sending a kick to one of the men’s sides, and then being knocked backwards himself. Johnny recovered and bounced back to his feet.
He fought with the two brutes while Silver approached his former student. Robby stiffened but didn’t cower. Silver loomed over him, a look of hatred etched into his face, and for the first time, Robby could see the crazy.
“I always wondered what it would be like to fight you, Keene.” He snickered.
Those words snapped Johnny out of focus, his head snapping to stare straight at Silver, “your fight isn’t with him.” Johnny said, venom in his voice, a right hook knocked him to his knees, distracting him.
Robby took a defensive stance. “They tried to warn me about you, about Kreese, and I should have listened sooner.”
The grin that twisted Silver’s face was an unsettling look. Robby took the first opening he got to strike, landing a jab successfully, but then he was thrown to the ground harshly. Silver let him get back up, toying with his mind, before sending a kick into the teen’s abdomen. He knew that Robby was a fighter, he had enjoyed watching him spar with his classmates, but he never quite liked his attitude. He knew that the kid never had what it took to be a true Cobra Kai.
“Do you remember the lesson about weakness, everyone has one.” Silver looked over at Johnny who was fighting and winning. “Your heart, kid, it bleeds for your friends. It bleeds for your family.” He sent another kick into his side and a knee into his face.
Robby collapsed to the floor but rolled away trying to regain his stance. Silver had other plans. He grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him from the ground. He knocked him into the wall and then flung him back to the floor.
“Your dad has a weakness, too.” He laughed and Robby stubbornly got back up. “You don’t know when to quit.” Silver chuckled as the stance he took. “Good, it’ll give an even better show.”
Robby landed a kick to the man’s chest, knocking him backwards, and shutting him up. Silver teetered before balancing himself again, enraged that the teen was able to get a hit like that on him, and he released his anger without holding back. A fist connected with fury, then a kick, another kick, then a fist. He didn’t let up, the hits rained down on Robby without mercy the true Cobra Kai way.
“Robby!” He heard the faint voice of his dad yelling his name before Silver landed another hit.
Silver stared down at the teen, he struggled to get onto his hands and knees, swaying with the movement. “Mr. Lawrence,” he addressed, “The All Valley may be over, but the fight isn’t.” He didn’t take his eyes off Robby. “Make sure he's watching.”
Silver closed his hand making a fist. The knuckle of his pointer finger stuck out past the rest, unnoticed by everyone in the room, and he sent it straight into Robby’s chest. The teen crumpled to the floor, grasping at his chest, unable to breath.
“You son of a bitch!” Johnny yelled. “What did you do?! Robby!” He struggled against the men holding him in place, sending a fist into one of their knees, but receiving an elbow to the back of his shoulder as consequence.
Silver laughed as he turned to walk away. The two men let go of Johnny, following their boss out the back of the former Dojo. Johnny wanted to go after them, he wanted to beat them to a bloody pulp for what they had done, but his priority lay in front of him. Robby was on the floor, still struggling to suck in air, and struggling to stay conscious.
“Robby?” Johnny rushed over to him, “Robby, c’mon, breath.” He stared into his son’s half lidded eyes, dazed, and filled with pain. He rubbed circles onto Robby’s chest, attempting to soothe the discomfort, and help the oxygen return.
“I-” Robby gasped between breaths, “I’m sor-sorry.”
Johnny’s heart flopped in his chest. “Don’t apologize, that bastard will get what he deserves.” Panic set in when his eyes closed, his body going slack like a tossed aside toy. “Robby?”
Johnny stopped rubbing circles and began gently shaking him. “Kid, I need you to wake up. Robby.” The panic hardened his voice. “Robby, please. I need you to open your eyes. Robby. Robby!” Johnny cradled his son in his arms, he didn’t know what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of, he called LaRusso.
***
Daniel stood inside Miyagi Do looking around at the legacy Mr. Miyagi had left behind. He brushed his fingers across the picture of his mentor that hung on the wall, guilt setting in that be had let him down, “I’m sorry, Mr. Miyagi.”
Daniel turned away from the photo and looked around more, eyes falling on different things around the Dojo that brought back memories from when he was a teen. “I’m proud of my students. They fought hard and with honor, but it wasn’t enough. Cobra Kai, they’re invasive, and they’re taking over the valley. I want to stop them, I need to stop them, I just don’t know how.”
He walked over and took a seat on the threshold of the doorway. He stared out at the Dojo, he didn’t want to lose his students, but a deal was a deal. “When will I ever learn to not let my temper get the best of me?” Daniel shook his head and sighed.
“Am I interrupting?” Sam asked hesitantly. She didn’t know why she felt drawn there, but she was at peace when she was in the Dojo.
“No, you’re not interrupting.” Daniel smiled softly and motioned for her to join him. “I was just thinking.”
Sam nodded, “I’ve not been able to shake the All Valley. What happens now, Dad? I failed Miyagi Do.”
Daniel shook his head, “No, Sam, you didn’t. You fought with honor, you followed your instincts, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. The All Valley doesn’t define you as a person or as a fighter. Cobra Kai-” His phone began to vibrate in his pocket pulling him from their conversation. “Johnny?” He answered the call quizzically. “He did what?! I’m on my way.” Daniel jumped to his feet and looked down at Sam as he hit the call end button.
“Dad? What’s wrong? What happened?” She could tell by the worry in his expression that it was something bad.
“It’s Robby. Silver attacked them at the old Cobra Kai building. They need my help, Sam, and I need you to go tell your mom where I went.”
“Robby?” She breathed, confusion evident in her voice. She shook her head, “No, I’m coming with you. I can call mom on the way, but dad, please let me help.”
Daniel huffed, unsure of what to do. “Ok, ok, yeah. The more help the better.” He agreed to let her go before hurrying out the door and locking up.
***
Johnny cradled an unconscious Robby in his arms. He breathed alongside him, the reassurance that his son was breathing was the only thing holding him together. He wanted to track Terry Silver down and kill him. He attacked Robby unprovoked knowing damn well that the kid wouldn’t be able to defend himself. “Help is on the way, kid.”
Headlights flashing the window put Johnny on edge. He tensed his body protectively over Robby and waited to see who had arrived. The door jingled and two figures stepped into the dark room, a tall slender one, and a shorter one with long hair.
“Omg.” Sam’s petite voice was loud in the empty room. She covered her mouth with her fingers and stood back while her dad ran forward.
“Robby!” He stopped in his tracks once he was in front of them. Cuts and bruises littered their faces but Robby was worse off. He looked at Johnny and made eye contact. He could see the pain, not physical but emotional, hidden behind his eyes. “Johnny, what happened? Silver attacked you?”
“No, he’s too much of a coward to attack me. He had two pieces of shit blindside me while he attacked Robby unprovoked. He kicked the shit out if him and then nailed him in the chest.” Johnny had to stop talking to clear his throat. “He couldn’t breathe, LaRusso. He was starting to breath again but he lost consciousness.”
“That son of a bitch.” Daniel seethed. “A long time ago, when he tricked me into becoming my mentor, he told me about his go to fighting method. There were three rules: If he can’t stand, he can’t fight. If he can’t see, he can’t fight. If he can’t breath, he can’t fight.”
Sam approached slowly, hearing what Johnny had to say. She cringed at the cuts and deep hues that covered the skin that was visible. She could only imagine what his shirt was covering. She knelt down next to him and cleared the hair from his face. “He can’t get away with this.” She whispered.
“I’m going to kill him.” Johnny spat.
“I know how you feel, Johnny, but right now Robby needs you. We will take him down and this assault won’t go unpunished.” Daniel was trying to remain level headed.
“He almost killed him,” Johnny shook with anger and guilt, “and for what? To prove a point?”
“Silver is crazy.” Daniel said, his voice low, but heard. “He’s unpredictable and dangerous. He’s not getting away with this.”
“Robby?” Sam interrupted, her eyes locked on him. “I think he’s waking up!”
Daniel’s eyes darted to the teen and Johnny started to shake him gently again. “Robby?” He said softly.
He watched as his eyes slowly blinked open; pain still dazed them. “Dad?” Robby was quiet, his voice lower than a whisper, and Johnny felt a small bit of relief wash over him.
“Robby?” Sam sniffled beside him. “Robby are you ok?”
He turned his head in her direction, confused on how she had got there, and then he saw Mr. LaRusso and figured she came with him. He looked back at her, guilt filling him when he saw her blackened eye. “Yeah,” he winced as he spoke, “I’ve been better. A lot better.”
Sam smiled through the tears, “you look awful.”
“Hey Robby.” Daniel greeted, happy that he was showing signs of life again.
“Mr. LaRusso, I’m sorry I showed Cobra Kai Miyagi Do secrets. That was really stupid and I shouldn’t have betrayed you like that.” Robby wheezed when he finished talking.
“Robby, we all make mistakes.” Daniel assured him. He didn’t mention how the wheeze concerned him. “Johnny, I think he would benefit from a trip to the hospital.”
“What? No, really” His chest was still on fire but he wouldn’t admit that, “I’m ok.”
“Kid, take a deep breath for me.” Johnny suggested and Robby looked at him with pleading eyes.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital.” Robby stated stubbornly along with a slight cough. He grabbed his chest again which worried Johnny more.
“I’ll sit with you.” Sam offered kindly. “Hospitals aren’t my thing either.” She confessed and looked down the floor.
Robby stared at her blankly. “You don’t have to-”
“I want to.” She didn’t give him room to argue. “Besides, I want to know you’re ok, too.”
Before he could object anymore, Johnny got them both to their feet. Robby felt the rush of pain across his body and limbs. The room spun, his dad had to balance him, but then his world went dark again. Johnny caught Robby as he fell into him, not showing the worry that caused his heart to pound. He didn’t think, he wrapped Robby’s arm around his neck, and slid an arm beneath his knees, picking him up with ease.
“Yeah, he needs a hospital.” Daniel said and ran to get the door. “Sam, help Johnny.”
***
A pitiful groan broke the silence of the hospital room. Robby slowly fluttered his eyes open. The bright light hurt his eyes causing them the slam shut again. “Who started the solar flare?” His voice squeaked a few octaves higher than usual and Johnny couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his mouth.
He proceeded to stand up so that he could dim the light and return to the bedside. “Hey, Robby.” Robby dared to open his eyes again. He was greeted by a dim room this time and was able to keep them open. “How you feeling?”
Robby stared at him, confused as to why he was in the hospital in the first place, but then it all came back to him. He tried to move his right arm to grab his chest, but felt a tug against the movement, and he looked down to see tangles wires hanging off of him. “I got my ass kicked by an old man.”
Johnny frowned, “Silver may be old but he’s strong and outsized you by a lot. He’s a coward but a rich coward. We reported him to the authorities and it was a waste of time. Paid off an alibi to his whereabouts that night.”
Robby caught the frown, “Dad, I’ll be ok.” He assured him, but the kid wasn’t convincing. Black and blue littered hid face. Johnny had witnessed the hue of purple and yellow that covered his chest and side, but he still smiled. “That night? How long have I been here?”
“A day and a half.” Robby looked around his dad and at the person sitting in his shadow.
“Sam?” Anxiety grabbed at his chest a little. “What’re you doing here?”
“I promised I’d sit with you.” She told him and he vaguely remembered her being there.
“I’m going to take a piss.” Johnny excused himself happily, leaving the two teens in an awkward silence.
Sam was the first one to speak, “Robby, I’m sorry I didn’t try harder. I hid behind messages thinking it would be enough but I didn’t realize how much trauma I had from the fight at the school. I should’ve been there and I’m sorry.” Her lip quivered, ever so slightly holding back the tears that wanted to fall.
Robby looked at her with emotionless eyes, he considered it a special talent to hide his feeling behind a façade. “I’m sorry, too.” He said, pausing to not pose the façade. “I was an asshole and no matter how much I want to justify it, I’ll always be an asshole.”
She got up from where she was sitting and walked towards the bed until she was next to it. “It doesn’t define you, y’know? The life you were born into, it’s not ideal, but it doesn’t define you. We choose who we want to be.” Sam looked at the stitches above his brow. “I don’t want to fight anymore.” Her lip began trembling harder, the tears breaking their threshold. “I just want to be friends again.”
Robby bit his lip when it began to betray him. “I don’t want to fight anymore either.” Tears burned his eyes but he forced a smile anyway.
A knock at the door interrupted their heart to heart and Robby was thankful for the distraction. He couldn’t cry in front of Sam. “Hi, Robby.” The nurse greeted cheerfully.