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"𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀, I figured it out, I'm ready. I love you," Johnny muttered under his breath as he adjusted his suit in the hallway mirror. His hands were rough, calloused, but they trembled just slightly as he smoothed his lapel. For the first time in years, he was nervous—and it wasn't about a fight. It was about her. About Stella.

He stopped at her apartment door, inhaled deeply, then knocked.

The door opened, and there she was—his Stella. His girl. Only, instead of her smile, there was panic in her eyes. Her cheeks glistened with tears, her breath caught in her throat.

"Stella, I—" he started, voice softer than he ever let anyone else hear. But the words stuck in his throat when he saw her face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Stella stepped aside wordlessly, revealing the chaos inside.

August stood by the couch, face swollen and bloodied. Kara and Lori flanked him, ice packs pressed against his back, their designer sweaters pulled carelessly off one shoulder as if they hadn't had time to care. April knelt in front of him, her steady, soft hands cleaning cuts with a cloth, while Amy hovered close with quiet, anxious eyes. Carter stood behind the couch, jaw clenched, one hand on August's shoulder in silent support.

Johnny's gaze darkened like a storm. His fists curled at his sides, but his voice rumbled low and dangerous. "What happened?"

"Johnny—" Stella whispered, almost pleading.

But he was already striding inside, his Cobra Kai presence filling the room like heat from a wildfire. With a sharp tug, he threw his white jacket over a chair, the fabric snapping in the air. His blue eyes locked on August.

August explained, haltingly, what had gone down. Kreese. The Cobra Kais. The LaRusso house. A full-on ambush. Every word made Johnny's jaw tighten, the muscle ticking like a time bomb.

His eyes burned, not with recklessness, but with lethal clarity. He turned on his heel without another word, stormed out of the apartment, and disappeared into the night. A moment later, the roar of his Dodge Caravan echoed in the lot below, tires screeching as he gunned it toward Cobra Kai.

The apartment was silent for a beat—until Stella's chest caved with dread. She paced, her stomach twisted in knots, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her face. Johnny was all fight, all fire—but what if he lost himself tonight? What if he didn't come back?

She couldn't take it anymore.

Grabbing her keys, phone, and wallet from the counter, she marched to the door. She turned back once, her eyes flicking to August, who winced under the ice packs.

"I'll be back," she said firmly, her voice low but filled with steel. Then, softer, to Carter, "Lock the door."

And just like Johnny, she was gone.

In the parking lot, Stella gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her jeep roared down the road toward the dojo, her lips moving in a silent prayer. Please, let him be okay. Please, don't take Johnny from me. The idea of losing him tonight was unbearable—it clawed at her chest like something trying to tear her apart.

When she pulled into the Reseda strip mall, she spotted Daniel's car pulling up at the same time. Their eyes briefly met, both carrying the same fire, the same urgency. Without a word, Daniel rushed inside. Stella followed, her heart pounding with every step.

Inside the dojo, it was war. Broken glass glittered on the mat, fists flew, and groans echoed off the walls. Johnny was down, bloodied, his breath ragged. Robby was sprawled out cold nearby. And Kreese—ancient and venomous—had Johnny locked in a chokehold, the life being crushed out of him.

"Get off of him, you ancient piece of shit!" Stella roared, fury breaking through her fear. She kicked Kreese in the shoulder with everything she had. The old man staggered and let go of Johnny, who collapsed onto the mat.

"You sent them to my house?! You came after my daughter! You wanted a fight, you son of a bitch. Now you got one!" Daniel's voice thundered as he squared off with Kreese.

"I told you," Kreese growled, dark satisfaction in his tone. "This was inevitable."

But Stella's world shrank to the man on the mat. She dropped to her knees, cradling Johnny in her arms, brushing the damp hair from his forehead. His face was pale, battered, too still.

"Johnny, please, wake up," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Can you hear me? Johnny, please."

Daniel and Kreese crashed through the dojo window in a blur of fury, but Stella barely noticed. Her tears hit Johnny's chest as she shook him gently, her hand cupping his cheek. For a terrifying stretch of minutes, nothing. No movement. No sign of him. And her heart ripped apart at the thought. Not him. Not tonight. Not my Johnny.

Then—he stirred. His eyes fluttered open.

Stella gasped out a sob of relief, brushing her tears away quickly, her laugh shaky. "Well, look who finally decided to wake up," she teased through her tears. "You scared me."

"Hey, babe," Johnny rasped, a tired grin tugging at his bruised lips. His hand found her face, rough but tender, thumb brushing her cheek as if she were made of glass. "You look beautiful." And then he leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to hers, a kiss that told her he was still hers, still alive.

"Johnny... thank God you're okay," Stella whispered, pressing her forehead against his, closing her eyes to the warmth of him.

"I told you," he muttered with that familiar, stubborn Johnny smirk. "I'm good at surviving."

She helped him to his feet, steadying his arm around her shoulder. "Mr. LaRusso's outside with Kreese. Kreese tried to kill him. Don't let anything happen to him, Johnny. I know you two have your differences, but that's Sam and Anthony's father. They'd be devastated. Especially Sam."

Johnny nodded, his eyes flicking with something fierce and protective—for Stella, for the kids, for everything Kreese had threatened.

As they stepped out into the night, the sky broke open. Rain poured, slicking the pavement as the fight dragged outside. Daniel had Kreese down, using pressure points to cripple him, his rage ready to finish it. Johnny gave Daniel an approving nod—one warrior to another.

"Dad!" Sam's voice rang out, pulling Daniel back from the brink.

The storm fell heavier as August hurried to Stella's side, slipping under her arm for support. "You okay, sis? You okay, sensei?"

"Yeah," Johnny rasped.

"Yeah," Stella echoed, wrapping her arm protectively around her little brother.

Daniel's voice cut through the rain. "You keep your Cobra Kais away from our kids!"

"It's a free country," Kreese spat from the ground.

"Not for you," Johnny said, stepping forward, his voice gravelly but absolute. "Cobra Kai's gotta go. For good."

Kreese's lips twisted. "Why don't we settle this the old-fashioned way? Tournament. If we lose, I go. But if you lose—"

"They won't lose," Stella cut in, her voice ringing with steel as her eyes locked on Johnny and Daniel both. She believed in them—because she had to.

Kreese studied the rain-soaked group. Robby stumbled from the dojo, clutching his head. Johnny's heart twisted as he saw him. "Robby," he called, raw and pained.

But Robby's eyes, cold and hard, cut right through him. Standing beside Kreese, he growled, "Get out of here. All of you."

Silence. Only the rain filled the gap.

Then Kreese slid an arm around Robby's shoulders, pulling him close as he sneered. "Come on, son." They disappeared back into the dojo's shadows.

"C'mon, Johnny," Stella whispered, her hand warm and steady against his back as she guided him away. He leaned into her touch, battered but alive, and for the first time in years, Johnny Lawrence let himself be held.

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･

As the sun shone, Daniel slid open the doors to Miyagi-Do, his headband tied firmly around his brow. A hush fell over the students gathered—Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang side by side, reunited after everything that had torn them apart.

All eyes shifted to Daniel, who stood centered and steady. But his gaze wasn't on them—it was fixed on the gate.

Through it stepped Johnny Lawrence, his black headband tied tight, shoulders squared, that familiar fire in his stride. For a moment, the world seemed to still. He met Daniel's eyes, and the two men exchanged a single nod—an unspoken understanding. Not rivals. Not enemies. Equals.

Johnny moved forward, taking his place beside Daniel. Together, they turned toward the students and bowed. The kids bowed back, their faces alight with respect and anticipation.

Then Johnny and Daniel faced one another, bowing deeply—a gesture of acknowledgment, of hard-won respect. When they rose, they turned back to the class, united.

"You ready?" Daniel asked.

"Let's begin," Johnny instructed.

The words carried weight, heavier than any fight before. This was no longer about rivalry. It was about survival. About their dojos. About their students. About the Valley itself.

And it was only the beginning.

End of Season 3