─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"mr carter, please, we need to move on." the councilperson spoke out after slamming her gavel onto the block with frustration.

"and now i'm hearing the city wants to rename manholes "maintenance covers." the man continued. "do you know what we called a manhole back in my day? a manhole. and that's just the start."

"sensei, i respect you. a lot." tabitha told him as they sat side by side, in the front of the northridge city council hall. "but what you said about miguel? that i don't respect."

kreese looked over at her with bafflement. "what, the two of you are still together?"

"i mean... yes? i think so." she shook her head. "look, it doesn't matter. i care about him about him and you know what happened wasn't his fault. he was just doing what his sensei told him. like i am coming sitting here with you."

"you're here because you're the best cobra kai has to offer. and you know that." kreese said.

"okay, next we will hear appeals for the cancellation of the all valley under-18 karate tournament. who would like to speak first?" councilperson roberts questioned.

kreese stood to his feet and walked forward to the wooden podium stand. "ladies and gentlemen, i'm retired army captain john kreese."

it seemed that johnny and daniel larusso had tried to get to the podium, but missed their chance so they stepped back down.

councilperson roberts nodded. "thank you for your service."

"it was an honor to serve. and i continue to serve right here in our community, by teaching our children strength and discipline through karate." kreese voiced. "i was devastated to hear about the cancellation of the tournament because of the fight at the high school. why are my students being penalized because of the violence perpetrated by... dojos like miyagi-do?" he glanced back at daniel.

the man stepped forward to defend himself, "now, wait just a minute."

"mr larusso, please. it's not your turn to speak." councilperson roberts shook her head.

"i apologize, councilwoman roberts." daniel nodded. "but this man—"

"councilperson roberts." kreese corrected him.

"thank you, captain kreese." they smiled. "please, continue."

"i think my colleagues here would agree that all we want is the best for our students and our community. cobra kai's goal is to prepare the valley's youth for the unfortunate realities of the real world." kreese explained. "it's hard out there. i'm simply just preparing them to defend themselves."

"councilperson roberts, i'm sorry, but this guy is selling you a bad bill of goods." daniel scoffed, stepping forward. "just a few weeks ago, my students were injured by a bunch of his cobra kais in an abandoned recreation facility."

"and who started that fight?" kreese challenged. "if memory serves, your out-of-control daughter."

"hey!" amanda stood up from her place. tabitha turned around to look at her, glad that things were finally getting interested. "you leave my daughter out of this, you piece of shit!"

"mom!"

"ma'am, please restrain yourself." councilperson roberts warned her.

"it's funny that you should say that, because... i've had to file a restraining order against her for physically assaulting me." kreese revealed.

tabitha laughed out loud at his claim, her hand against her mouth in shock. but amanda didn't find it very amusing, "assault?" she scoffed, "are you kidding me?"

"maybe i should make a call to the authorities?" kreese suggested.

"that won't be necessary." councilperson roberts shook their head. they made a gesture with their finger and a security guard stepped over to amanda. "ma'am."

"hey, do not... do not touch me! okay? i'm leaving. i'm leaving!" she spoke. "okay? but that man is a lunatic!" amanda yelled out as she walked away. tabitha grinned, turning back to face the front of the room.

"councilperson roberts, i assure you that i am a positive influence to my students, and the hundreds of students before them." kreese explained. "like my student here—"

"horseshit!" johnny cried out, stepping forward. "your honor, john lawrence, eagle fang karate. this man has poisoned the minds of his students. and i should know, i was one of them."

"we're we competitive? sure. but it was all for good sport." kreese shrugged. he glanced back and pointed to tabitha. "i'm sure my current student would agree with me." the girl nodded and stood to her feet, ignoring the overwhelming amount of eyes on her. "yes, sensei. i agree."

daniel's face fell at her declaration. ever since the school fight, the larusso and the brooks family were not as close as they once were. she walked up to the podium and kreese stepped aside to give her space.

"cobra kai has taught me nothing but discipline. i've grown stronger not only physically but mentally." she explained, her eyes landing on daniel. "sensei kreese has taught me to stand up for myself and what i believe in. see, i've been doing karate since i was a kid, and since moving to town, cobra kai is the only place that i actually feel i belong."

tabitha was over exaggerating just a tad, but she was simply following kreese's orders. "competing in the all valley is all i've ever dreamed of and i do hope that you guys reconsider your choice." tabitha finished.

"thank you, miss brooks." kreese gave her a curt nod. "my best student here."

"this man is a thief and a liar!" johnny shouted out. tabitha frowned, "you don't think i'm the best student?" she questioned.

he was surprised that she was adressing him and shook his head. "no... no, i'm sure you are—" "he put a live cobra in my dealership!" daniel cut him off.

"enough! sit down. all of you." councilperson roberts ordered. tabitha smiled, turning back and sitting in her original seat. johnny was on her left, kreese on her right and daniel sat at the end.

"it is clear this karate tournament is causing division and rivalry in our community." councilperson roberts announced. "while miss brooks makes a convincing argument, you gentlemen... have made an excellent case today as to why this tournament should not continue."

"wait!" a voice yelled out. everyone looked back in confusion, only to see miguel making his way down the flight of stairs.

"who's that?"

tabitha watched as he stood in front of the podium. "my name is miguel. i was in the school fight. i was the one kicked off the second floor. you know, uh... i thought i was gonna be paralyzed. i relearned how to stand. i relearned how to walk. and i want the tournament to continue."

"we are very happy for your recovery, young man." councilperson roberts said to him. "but i'm afraid you don't understand—"

sam stood up from her seat. "yes, he does." tabitha groaned at the sound of her voice, slouching back in her seat. "we're the ones getting hurt. we're the ones fighting. our voices should matter the most. and we want a place where we can compete, fairly and safely."

miguel glanced at the girl who was now standing beside him and smiled. tabitha harshly gripped the arm of her chair as she watched the two interact.

"when i first moved here, i was bullied." miguel confessed. "i realized there's no escaping it. there's always gonna be some kid who will always want to steal your lunch money, give you a wedgie, or a swirlie."

councilperson roberts looked perplexed. "a swirlie?" they asked.

johnny practically jumped from his seat with excitement. "it's when you dunk someone's head in the toilet and flush it. pretty funny, actually." he chuckled.

"sensei." miguel hissed, forcing him to take his seat. he turned to face the judges and sighed. "instead of burying your heads in the sand, pretending that bullying doesn't exist, or that you could get rid of it, you need to teach kids how to defend themselves."

"physically and mentally." sam chimed in, her eyes on tabitha. "because sometimes the scars you can't see are the ones that hurt the most."

"karate is about discipline, but it's also about inner strength. it's about confidence. lessons you can use for the rest of your life. look, i don't know where i would be today, or who i would be today, if it wasn't for my sensei."

miguel glanced back at johnny to see him smiling pridefully at him. but when his eyes shifted onto tabitha, he saw she was wearing a dangerous scowl on her face.

"we-we don't need this tournament to do cool kicks or sell tickets, we need it to show the bullies of the world that we're not afraid." miguel said. "it's called the all valley because it's for everyone, to give everyone the chance to show what they can do, to fight, to become a champion. and we deserve that chance."

the members of the council shared glances with one another, silently making a decision. but tabitha didn't care anymore, she wanted to rush out and kick something, someone.

"to be honest, i don't get the valley's fascination with karate." councilperson roberts sighed. "but... if it means that much to all of you, and you're willing to sign waivers stating that the city is not liable, then... the all valley under-18 karate tournament is officially back on."

"yes!" sam exclaimed as she pulled miguel into an embrace. it was a few seconds before miguel pulled away. but it was too late. "and i thought you said you guys were together." kreese said to her.

that was her final straw. tabitha scoffed before getting to her feet, pushing past everyone and exiting the room. johnny had heard his words over everyone else's loud celebration and watched her leave. this was how kreese was getting in her head, he was using miguel against her.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

tabitha sat outside of the city council hall, waiting for her mom to pick her up. miguel had been looking everywhere for her and finally spotted her sat on a bench by the car park.

"hey, that was great, wasn't it?" he asked, perching beside her. tabitha didn't reply, she didn't even look at him. her face remained static as she took deep breaths to control her irritation. "what's up?"

"nothing." she mumbled.

"no, no." miguel shook his head. "i can tell something is up. honesty and communication, right?"

"honesty and communication." she scoffed, finally turning to look at him. "miguel, this is killing me."

"what is?"

"you and sam!"

"tabitha, we're just friends. i promise." miguel reassured her. "you're the one i want—"

"but the way you smiled at her when she came down to argue with you, it made me sick to my stomach." she said. miguel looked down in shame. he hadn't even realised that he was smiling at samantha, it wasn't intentional.

"you don't understand how hard it is for me, seeing you with her, wondering if you still have feelings for her." tabitha explained.

"i get it, okay? but nothing is going on between sam and me. i'm with you, tabby, because i want to be with you." miguel reassured her. "i care about you. can't you see that?"

"i don't know, miguel. it's hard to believe when your actions are saying something completely different." tabitha told him, "i don't want to be second best. i won't be second best."

"you're not second best, you never were." miguel shook his head, taking her hands in his. "look, i promise i'll try to make more time for us, but you have to believe me when i say that sam is just a friend."

"fine. but if i see one more thing that makes me doubt how you actually feel... i don't know if i can keep doing this." tabitha stated.

"i understand. i'll prove it to you." miguel said, he pressed a kiss onto her left hand. "just give me a chance."

"this is your last one." tabitha warned him, trying not to smile at his affection.

he nodded. "i'm glad you were honest and communicated how you felt." miguel told her. tabby looked at him, narrowing her eyes with suspicion. "now, can i be honest with you?"

"go on..."

"it's about you in cobra kai." miguel started. tabitha scoffed. "see, i knew you've been itching to bring it up."

"what do you mean?" he questioned.

"i saw the way you looked at me. when you were confronting me and hawk,
and then when johnny was trying to get us to join his eagle gang and when we showed up with kreese." tabitha told him. "you're disgusted."

"i'm not disgusted." miguel shook his head. "i just don't understand how you can still be in cobra kai after everything that's happened. i know how kreese is and i honestly feel bad for you, i just want to help you."

"miguel, i don't need your help. i just want your support." tabitha explained, letting her hands drop from his hold.

"how can i support you when your friends with those bullies?" miguel asked.

"friends?" she laughed at his wild accusations. "if you even bothered to ask before jumping to conclusions, you'd know i'm not friends with any of them but hawk and tory. they've been there for me, they understand what i'm going through."

"they understand? hawk broke demetri's arm—"

"and i wasn't there!" tabitha shouted. "i wasn't there. what happened with hawk and demetri is between them, it has nothing to do with me."

"okay, you weren't there. but that doesn't make what he did okay. and you defending him definitely isn't any better! kreese is just pushing you guys down a dark path... and you're following him blindly!" miguel spoke to her.

"i'm not blind, miguel." tabitha shook her head. "i know what i'm doing. cobra kai has made me stronger, sharpened my skills. and i think that you just can't handle that." she shrugged.

"it's not about handling it. it's about knowing the person i care about is going to become someone i don't recognize." miguel corrected her. "someone who thinks it's okay to hurt others just to prove a point."

she got to her feet with frustration, miguel mirroring her actions. "and what about you, miguel?!" she challenged, shoving his chest back. you think that you're so perfect? you were in cobra kai longer than i've been. you can't just switch sides and pretend you're better than me."

"i'm not pretending anything." miguel replied. "i've learned from my mistakes. i just want you to see what cobra kai is really doing to you."

"cobra kai isn't doing anything to me. this is who i am and you knew that when we started dating. i can't change the way my brain works." tabitha reminded him. "i've gone to therapy, i've taken medication, i've tried to change! and all for what? for you to tell me that the thing i love doing the most, is turning me into a terrible person?"

"but you're not a terrible person, you don't have to be!" miguel explained, his voice cracking. "you can leave now and you can focus on your therapy. you can be better, you know that." tabitha noticed that his eyes were glassing over with tears.

"so, what, you're giving me a choice?" she inquired. "either i leave cobra kai or we're done?"

"i just need you to see that cobra kai isn't what it used to be and how it's affecting us." miguel told her. "i care about you, but i can't support this.

"karate is what i love. i can't just walk away from that." tabby shook her head.

"and what about me?" miguel asked her. "can you walk away from me?"

tabitha looked up into his eyes, a frown forming on her face. "i don't want to." she whispered. miguel reached over again and held her hand. "you don't have to. we can to figure this out, tabby, because i don't want to lose you."

a familiar car drove into the parking lot of the city council hall, the bright lights catching their attention. tabitha glanced over to see her mom in the car and disconnected their hands. "i'll see you later, diaz."

miguel sighed deeply, watching her walk away from him and enter the vehicle. he stood in the same place as they drove away. once they had departed, he sat back onto the bench and placed his head in his hands with frustration.

⎯ ❃ jania speaks!
why are they kind of toxic? they need to just kiss make up and move on!

sorry miguel but tabby is NOT leaving cobra kai anytime soon. she loves you but she loves karate more (at the moment)