!!!WARNING!!! COBRA KAI SEASON 4 AND 5 SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Read at your own risk. ALSO THIS IS LONG!! THE LONGEST I'VE EVER WRITTEN!!

"It's karate time!" Daryl, the announcer boomed out to the cheering audience. The screams only got louder, ready to see the spectacle, especially with the new categories this year. 

Mari was bouncing on her toes, Eli grabbing her hand to keep her calm. She wasn't nervous, per say, mostly just extra energy she couldn't wait to let out. 

Daniel motions for his students to come together. "Miyagi-Do's, bring it in. Some of you have been here before and for some of you, it's your first karate tournament. I still remember my first All Valley, where I stood here proudly with my sensei." The memories of Mr. Miyagi flew through his brain before he continued. 

"And where I faced down the bullies of  Cobra Kai. Now getting here hasn't been easy. There've been some bumps in the road, to put it mildly. We have Miyagi-Do. Let's get out there and show Cobra Kai what we're made of. Are you ready?" 

They quickly responded. "Yes, Sensei." 

Dayrl gets the rooms attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to begin our skills competition. Up first, Demetri Alexopoulos from Miyagi-Do Karate, who'll be showcasing the kamas." 

Demetri did just that. And he killed the skills competition. For having just started with these not too long ago, he was amazing. "Hi-yah!" 

A few more people went through their routines, Robby, Miguel, Sam, even Tori. 

"Are you kidding me? What a way to start the skills competition. Clearly, Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang came to play. But with such a tight spread, it's still anyone's game." Daryl was hyping up the crowd. 

Mari absolutely crushed her bo-staff routine. Reyna was loudly cheering for her sister and even Malina had to keep her own celebration on the down low, as to not show favoritism. (She totally let a loud 'woo' out by accident.) 

The rest of the competitors made it through their individual routines, ending with Kyler. 

Unfortunately for most of the dojos, Cobra Kai held first place. "And just like that, Miyagi-Do has been snake bit as  Cobra Kai takes the lead, with our qualifier rounds up next." 

Miyagi-Do regroups on the sidelines. Demetri already looks slightly defeated. "I can't believe Cobra Kai beat us in skills. I thought we had that in the bag." 

Eli sighed. "It's my fault. I couldn't break the last board. Sorry." Mari shook her head, grabbing his hand. "Hey, no. You did the best you could. That last board was way high." He nodded along with her, but it was clear he still didn't believe her. 

Daniel could see that moral was down. "Okay. Forget that, okay? You all did great. We're on their heels. This is far from over." 

That's what they needed to get their heads back in the game. But an announcement changed all of that.  

"Ladies and gentlemen, the male and female division qualifiers are about to begin. And with them, we enter a new era! That's why we need a very special guest to kick things off. Let's give a big All Valley welcome to multi-Grammy-award winning, international superstar, Carrie Underwood!" 

Malina, Reyna and Mari all locked eyes before they simultaneously let out screams. Favoritism be damned, the three women ran to each other and sang their hearts out with Carrie herself. (Everyone was looking at them like they were crazy, Sam was shaking her head and Eli had never looked more in love.) 

And after Carrie finished her song, Daryl came to the main mat. "Before we get started, I've got one more announcement to give. And I need some help to give it. Miss Malina Floyd, please join me up here." 

The crowd was confused, especially because Malina was a new name and face for most of them. But it became clear she was a photographer when she walked up with a camera around her neck. 

She took the microphone from Daryl. "Hi there. I'm sure you're all ready to get the show on the road, but if I could have a minute of your time. Could Maribel Gonzales of Miyagi-Do Karate join me please?" 

Mari was confused, as was Reyna. Mal hadn't told them anything about this. The rest of Miyagi-Do, as well as Eagle Fang and Cobra Kai were just as confused. 

Maline continued, once Mari was next to her. "So I met Mari here recently, but she quickly became someone near to me. By a happy coincidence, I was asked to photograph this event, having no idea we would be reuniting today. But I'm here for a different reunion. You see, we met because my husband was tasked with the same mission Mari's brother-in-law was on for the Navy." 

A few Navy vets in the audience let out some whoops. 

"And I would like you all the help me welcome Lieutenant Jake Seresin home safely from that mission!" 

Jake walked out into the hall, khaki uniform on and a smile nearly breaking his face. 

Mari doesn't waste a moment, bolting from the stage and into his arms. Reyna practically flew from stands, people helping her down. 

Jake unwrapped an arm from Mari to hold his fiancé. Mari finally let go to allow her sister a proper hello. 

Everyone in the room had been cheering nonstop since Jake walked into the room, but when Reyna pulled him in for a kiss, it got even louder. 

They got a few more moments before Daryl got back on the mic. "What a way to start the day. And let me be the first to say, thank you for your service Lieutenant. But now, it's time to start the main event." 

"Let the fights begin!" 

It was absolute chaos. Fights were happening all over the floor. Photos were being snapped, students were eliminated and the battle between three dojos went into high gear. 

Sam walked up to her father. "Great news, Demetri won! That puts him in the quarterfinals with me and Hawk." 

"Great," Daniel cheered. "How are we doing here?" 

Sam sighed. "We're still in second overall. But we have three fighters still alive. We need one to advance, and we can take the lead." 

Unfortunately Chris was fighting a kid from Cobra Kai. And Cobra Kai was fighting Miyagi-Do with their own moves. 

Eli was the first to notice. "They know our moves. I wonder how," he mutters sarcastically, glaring across the arena at Robby. 

In the blink of an eye, the qualifying fights were over. "All right, folks," Daryl begins. "We've witnessed some great fighting today. But you ain't seen nothing yet. Because we have arrived at the quarterfinals!" 

The crowd goes wild with excitement. 

"Which means things are about to get intense. Of the eight boys and eight girls on this stage, one of each will be named All Valley champion. And then we'll tally all the points to determine which dojo has earned the title of Grand Champion. And since the points get higher in each round..." he chuckles. "...it's still any dojo's game! So you keep your eyes on this here blue mat, because we are just getting started!" 

But then came a final blow. "Point! Winner!" And just like that, Devon lost. 

Daryl is the one to deliver the news. "And with that, Eagle Fang's hopes of winning Girls All Valley Champ have gone up in smoke." 

Demetri was up in his quarterfinal match, as Mari and Eli cheered him on. "You've got this Dem, woo!" From the stands, Reyna was yelling out her support as well. Jake had to keep her sitting down before she threw herself down the stands by accident. 

But Kyler being the asshole he is, had to say something. "Your friend's lucky he didn't face  Cobra Kai. Can't say the same for you though, Lip. Gonna make you kiss that mat." 

Mari almost punched him herself before Eli grabbed her waist. "Ignore him. He's always been a bully, but that's not who you are." 

He shrugs. "I don't know who I am these days." 

Mari rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "You idiot. You're not defined by your haircut, you know. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved it." They laughed, knowing just how much she loved the hawk. "I was really digging the purple actually. But I liked you for your energy, your confidence. Hell, I liked you before that. You just didn't want to see it." 

"Yeah, well, I, uh, lost my confidence. So..." 

Mari smacks him on the head. "I just told you I liked you before your confidence, why wouldn't I like you now? Hmm?" 

And knowing he needed just a little extra boost, Mari gripped the front of his gi and pulled him into a hard kiss. Eli was not expecting that, but he didn't question it, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

Reyna clocked the kiss and did everything in her power to keep Jake from looking their way. He was well aware of Mari's boyfriend, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to rip Eli's head off for kissing her like that. 

Luckily, it was Daryl to the rescue. "Next up in the quarterfinals, it's Kyler Park of  Cobra Kai versus Eli Moskowitz of Miyagi-Do." 

Mari pulled away. "Looks like you've got a fight to win." 

Before he moved towards the mat, Eli pulled her into another kiss, this one much gentler, sweeter, and much more chaste. "Thank you, Belle. For everything." 

Mari smiled at him, the nickname igniting butterflies in her stomach. Eli had always been the only person to call her Belle. It had become his thing, and it had been a while since he had called her that. 

But Eli had to get on the mat. He walked over to his dojo, Mari right next to him. "Everything good?" Daniel asks the boy. 

"Never better," he replies. "I know who I am now." 

Daniel cocks an eyebrow. "And who's that?" 

Eli smirks, the hawk starting to come out. "The guy who's gonna win this fսcking thing." 

And he proceeds to absolutely destroy Kyler, getting three points in a row and not giving him any chance to respond. 

Mari cheers from the sidelines. "Yes Eli! Let's go!" He can also hear Reyna cheering for him from the stands. 

Mari was up next, and unfortunately for her and Miyagi-Do, she was facing Sam. On the bright side, at least one of them was moving on to the semifinals. 

Walking onto the mat, the girls face each other, before slapping their hands in their handshake. 

"No hard feelings?" Sam smirks at her best friend. "No matter what." 

The referee sets them up and "go!" 

The match is so even, no one is sure who's going to come out on top. The girls have trained together since the beginning, they know each other's moves like the back of their own hands. 

But Mari manages to land the first point. "Point, Gonzalez!" 

The reset, Sam in game mode. "Go!" the referee yells. This time, Sam strikes first, using some Eagle Fang techniques Johnny had taught her. And it gets her the point. 

"Point, Larusso!" 

It goes on for another two rounds, each girl getting another point. It all came down to the final point. May the best girl win. 

"Go!" 

It comes down to the wire. Only seconds left on the clock when Sam comes in with a kick from underneath, scoring the final point. 

"Point! Winner, Larusso!" 

Sam helps Mari up, before the two girls hug and Mari hypes her up. They leave the mat, Mari heading towards Eli and Demetri as Sam stops in front of her father. 

"What was that out there?" Daniel questions, already knowing the answer but needing confirmation. Sam shrugs, no longer caring. "Eagle Fang." 

Daniel sighs, slightly disappointed. "That's what I thought. How'd you pick up so much?" 

Sam almost glares at her father. "Why does it matter? I won." 

"You didn't win the right way." (Wow Daniel was really not getting it.) 

Now Sam really was glaring at her father. "Maybe my right way is different than yours. Don't I get a choice?" 

He didn't have a chance to reply as it was time for the first round of semifinal matches. 

"And now, our first semifinal match will be Miguel Diaz of Eagle Fang versus Eli Moskowitz of Miyagi-Do." 

Daniel refocused on his other students. "All right. Don't forget to breathe out there. How you feeling?" 

Eli shrugs, holding Mari's hand for some last minute comfort. "I'm okay. Not exactly thrilled to be fighting my friend." 

Demitri, being the oblivious idiot he is, says something he shouldn't. "It doesn't help that nobody's ever beaten Miguel either." Mari quickly slaps his shoulder as Eli becomes more stressed. "Sorry, shouldn't have said that out loud." 

Daniel tries to keep him calm. "At least you know how he'll fight. Because Johnny taught you too." 

Reyna can see how much Eli is stressing from the stands. She shouts down to the boy. "You've got this Eli! Keep calm. You know what to do." He sends the woman a smile, grateful for the support. 

The friends walk onto the mat, setting up for their match. "Finally, a worthy opponent. Not gonna hold back, right?" Eli says to Miguel. "Also, keep my face pretty, or Mari might kill you." 

Miguel laughs at that. "I'll do my best. But you're right. No holding back." 

The boys fist bump, promising each other nothing would change after the fight. They had been through so much in the past year, this wasn't going to break them again. 

The referee gets them set. "On your marks. Face me. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready? Ais!"  

It's quickly evident that both boys were evenly matched. Eli blocked a move from Miguel before he decided to try something. 

Unfortunately, Miguel's back wasn't back to full strength yet. And in a move that terrified everyone in that area, his back snapped before Miguel collapsed to the mat. 

"Sensei!" 

Miguel was taken to the back and evaluated, but as his match with Eli was put on hold, the other semi final matches went on. Robby versus Demetri had started and Demetri wasn't fairing well. 

After a confidence boost using Star Wars metaphors, Demetri went back to the mat, but Robby was just too good. "Point. Winner." The referee lifted Robby's hand. 

In no time at all, the girls' semifinals took place, securing the final match to be Tori and Sam. It was safe to say that Mari, Reyna, Amanda, hell anyone who knew their history, was worried about this match up. 

The PA came to life. "The remaining boys' semifinal match will resume in five minutes." 

Daryl hyped up the crowd. "Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do are neck-and-neck on the leaderboard. But there's a dark horse... Or should I say a dark bird? ...that still has a chance. Will Eagle Fang Karate stay alive in our dojo race? We're about to find out. Miguel Diaz has one minute to return to the mat! Countdown clock? Kind of dramatic, isn't it? Yeah, it's the All Valley." 

As the timer counted down to zero and Miguel didn't appear it became apparent that Eli would be moving forward to the finals. 

And boy, if people were worried about the Sam/Tori fight, they were even more terrified for the Eli/Robby fight. 

Eli was itching for this match. "My chance to get back at Robby for what he did to me." Mari agreed with him, although she didn't want him to lose because he was so focused on revenge. 

Daniel knew this as well. "This fight is not about him. The biggest battle is always the one within. Okay, concentrate, defense, focus, power. You find your balance, and those points will come. All right?" 

The referee called out to the finalists. "Competitors." 

Daniel gave Eli some last minute tips before one final thing. "Go out there. Go get him." 

Mari looked her boyfriend in the eyes. "Kick his ass babe!" He only smirked at her. 

The referee set up the final match. "Face this way. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready and fight!" 

In almost no time, Robby scored against Eli. "Point! One-zero, Keene." 

He was way too amped up about it, too. "Let's go, baby!" Mari rolled her eyes. It was one point, not the match. 

The ref tried to get them set for the next round, but Eli called a time out.  "He knows all my moves. He trained at Miyagi-Do way longer than me." 

Daniel knew he needed to accept his students had more skills than just Miyagi-Do. If Robby had proved anything, it's that more than one style was key. "And you were in  Cobra Kai longer than him. You each know each other's karate better than anyone. Put him on defense."  

"Let the Hawk fly, Eli. You've got this!" Mari yelled up as she and Demetri held hands out of nerves. 

"Ready? And fight!" And they were off.

Eli is quick to attack, using just as much offense as Robby. And it pays off. "Point, Miyagi-Do! On your marks." 

"Score, one-one. Ready? And fight!"  they went at it for a while, each blocking moves from the other. Robby was sure he was about to connect but, Eli blocked it at the last second. And suddenly, the buzzer sounded. 

The referee stopped the fight. "Back to your sides." 

Daryl came to the mic. "Unbelievable! These two amazing competitors have reached their three-minute time limit in a one-one tie! Which means their championship match will be decided, for the first time since 1985, by sudden-death overtime! Let's go!" 

The crowd cheered at that, although Reyna was practically cutting off the circulation in Jake's hand with how hard she was gripping it. 

Before the boys could go their separate ways, Robby bowed to Eli, who did the same. This was the beginning of a new understanding between the boys. Silver wasn't happy about it, but Robby was finally regaining parts of himself. He wasn't about to let go. 

Daniel was praising Eli. "That was incredible!" 

Eli was breathing heavily. "Any advice on the last point?" 

Mari smiled at him. "Give him all you got." 

"Competitors, to the mat." Robby keeps trying to tie his gi together, but it won't cooperate and he gets too frustrated. Robby rips his gi top off and Eli looks to the ref. He shrugs, before Eli takes his own top off. 

He tosses it to Mari, who barely catches it, too busy staring at her now shirtless boyfriend. Demetri snaps his fingers in front of her eyes, bringing her back to the present. 

Eli turns around, his hawk tattoo visible to the crowd. Let's just say, Jake wasn't expecting that. "What the hell is that? And he's Mari's boyfriend? I need to have a discussion with him."   

Reyna smacks his arm. "You will do no such thing." 

"Next point wins," the referee tells then. "Good luck, gentlemen. Ready?" 

They nod. "And... fight!" 

It's non stop, the boys fighting with speed and technique that most of the crowd hadn't seen. Blocking, punching, kicking. At one point, Eli goes to tackle Robby, but ends up on his back. Robby hesitates, for some reason, before Eli is able to regain control. And because of that pause, he kicks Robby and wins the match. 

"Point! Winner!" The ref grabs Eli's hand, lifting it into the air. 

Daryl announces it for all. "Your boys' champion, Eli Moskowitz!" 

Eli yells out as Miyagi-Do storms the mat. Mari is quick to kiss him, overjoyed! That leads the crowd to cheer louder. 

"And with that, Miyagi-Do vaults into the overall lead! It all comes down to the girls' final, coming up next." 

After a few minutes to regroup, Daryl gets back on the mic. "What better way to cap off this exciting exhibition of karate than with a final match for the ages? Representing  Cobra Kai, the Queen Cobra herself, Tory Nichols!" The crowd cheers for her. "Coached by her senseis John Kreese and Terry Silver." 

"And representing Miyagi-Do Karate, the Bonsai Badass, Samantha LaRusso! Coached by her father and sensei, two-time All Valley champion Daniel LaRusso, who I've just been informed will be joined by Sensei Johnny Lawrence. So wait...," Daniel whispers to him. "Oh, I stand corrected. Fellow two-time All Valley champion, Sensei Johnny Lawrence! Let's go!" 

Johnny makes his way to Sam. "All right. Ready to kick some ass?" 

Sam nods. "Yes, Sensei. If that's okay with my other sensei?" She looks to her father. 

Daniel, realizing he had been too hard on her. "I want you to win more than anyone. Whether it's defense or offense, Miyagi-Do or Eagle Fang. I want you to be you. Just make sure you keep your anger in check..." he's interrupted by Sam hugging him suddenly. 

She pulls back. "Uh, s-sorry. You were saying?" 

Daniel smiles at his daughter. "Go kick some Cobra Kai ass." 

"Competitors," the referee calls to the girls. "Take your positions." 

Cheers came from the sidelines. "Come on, Sam." "Let's go, Larusso!" "You've got this Sam!" 

"Ladies, good luck," the ref looks to both of them. "Face this way. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready?" There are nods. "And fight!" 

Sam wastes no time. She goes right in, attacking first and catching Tori off guard. "Point!" Johnny yells out. "Yes! Larusso."

"Score, one-zero." 

Daniel can't believe his eyes. "Holy shit! What was that?" Johnny smirks, proud of his student. "A flying tornado kick." 

The referee gets them set for the next round. Unfortunately, the next two rounds go to Tori and Cobra Kai. "Two-one, Nichols." 

The girls go to their senseis. "Damn it! I'm attacking but it's not working. What style should I use?" She was so confused, having both Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang in her head. 

Daniel can see that. "Yours. Trust your instincts. Use everything you've learned from me and Sensei Lawrence. All of it." 

Johnny nods along with him. "Your dad's right. Every now and then." 

"Ready? And fight!" The fourth round begins. "Out of bounds!" 

"What?" Johnny yells out. "Come on, Ref! She went out after she got hit!" 

It doesn't matter. "Ready? And fight!" It goes OK for a few more seconds but Sam ultimately gets the score. "Point, Larusso. Score's two to two. Next point wins. Ready? Fight!"

Suddenly, just as Sam's about to get the point and win it all, Tori elbows her eye. 

"Warning. Elbow to the face. Go to your senseis." The ref tells both girls. 

Johnny won't take that. "Warning? Should be a point deduction!" 

Tori, having talked with Amanda and determined to win the right way, tries to make amends. "I didn't mean to. No, it was an accident." 

Daniel is the first to Sam. "Are you all right?" She nods. "She got me good, but I can still fight." 

The get back to the mat match and tournament point on the line. They go back and forth, the match going either way until Tori gets the upper hand. With a well placed kick to Sam's abdomen, she secures the score. "Point. Winner!" 

For a moment, Tori only cares about making sure Sam is okay. "Hey. You all right?" But Sam can't tell if she's being genuine and doesn't have time to answer before the ref grabs Tori's hand and raises it as the Cobra Kai students rush the mat. 

Daryl calls out to the cheering crowd. "What a match! What a match! Give it up for your first female champion, Tory Nichols! And the winner of the Grand Champion trophy and still the baddest dojo in the Valley, Cobra Kai!" 

As Silver makes a speech, Daniel is trying to keep his daughter calm. "You alright?" 

But Sam is not okay. "We did the right thing and we still didn't win. I'm sorry." Before she goes running off, Mari quickly catching her and not letting her wallow. 

"It's okay. It's okay. You did amazing. It's not your fault." And as much as she tries, Mari just can't soothe Sam's sadness at losing the match and ultimately the tournament. 

But this story is far from over. 

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

It was finally over. After nonstop fighting and a rematch decades in the making, Cobra Kai was finished. 

Correction, Terry Silver was finished. 

Daniel had finished the fight by kicking him right into the trophy case and momentarily knocking him out. 

With Amanda Larusso calling the police, all anyone needed to do was wait until they got there. Along with a few ambulances for all the teens. 

But someone else arrived just before the police could. And let's just say, no one was expecting to see an FBI agent show up to Cobra Kai in the middle of the night. 

Unfortunately for Silver, he was just starting to regain consciousness when he was hauled to his feet and handcuffed. 

"Wha.. what is this? Who are you?" Silver tries to fight off whoever is restraining him, to no avail. 

The man behind him only tightens his grip. "FBI, Special Agent Carter Callahan. And you, sir, are under arrest." 

Every single person in that dojo felt their jaws drop. Well, all except one. 

Silver began to struggle more. "On what charges?" The man had gotten out of trouble for the past few decades, he was sure he could get out of this. How, he wasn't sure yet. 

Just then, police began showing up. Carter took out his badge and made sure it was visible to the officers entering the dojo. 

"Well let's see, we've got child endangerment, child abuse, assualt and battery, coercion, blackmail. I could keep going but you'll get your formal charges down at the station." For once, Carter wasn't even close to smiling. This man had hurt Mari. 

An officer had taken over for Carter, making sure Silver was secure. But before he could walk Silver out to the car, Carter had the man stopped. 

"I've been investigating you for months now. You won't be getting out of this one, Mr. Silver." Now, Carter grinned. He grinned like a madman. "This is what happens when you mess with my family." 

He turned to the teens of Miyagi-Fang, locking eyes with a girl, who was also smiling ear to ear. "You okay kid?" 

Mari couldn't keep a slight laugh from coming out. "Been better, been worse." And then she walks straight to the man before giving him the biggest hug of her life. 

(But that doesn't stop her from looking around Carter to Silver and smirking. She had won. Not Silver. Her.) 

Silver wasn't the only one surprised by this revelation. Many of the teens were looking at each other, quite a few scared because of what had just transpired that night. The police were one thing, but having an FBI agent here made it worse. 

Daniel, Amanda, and Carmen were also surprised, as Carter had not once been mentioned to any of them. Although this man was apparently the best thing for Mari at the moment because she hadn't left his side yet. 

Carter noticed the looks the two were getting. "Don't worry. I'm not here for any of you. What happened here tonight was stupid and unfortunate. But technically, none of you broke the law. So just go on out to the paramedics, so they can take a look at you. You all will need to give statements on what happened here tonight. However, those will be done with a parent or guardian present if you are under 18." 

The teens nodded before most of them began moving to the door. Paramedics had just arrived and a few more officers pulled up to the scene. 

But Carter needed to stop one specific person before she went to get checked. "It's Tori, right? Mari's told me about you." 

Tori was mildly terrified when he called her out. First of all, he's FBI and she can't afford anything else on her record. Not with the care her mom needed. Second, Mari had spoken about her. They weren't exactly what you would call 'friends', so she can only imagine what he had been told. Nothing good, she assumed. 

"I promise, nothing to worry about," he begins trying to ease the nerves the teenager was clearly feeling. He also noticed the boy known as Robby Keene hanging back to wait for her. "Mari texted me about your hand as soon as she saw you. I wasn't kidding when I told Silver he was being charged with child endangerment and abuse. What he and the other sensis made you do falls under both of those categories. I would like to get your official statement on the matter, if you're okay with that. Again, since you're under 18, we won't do anything without a parent or guardian present. But having your statement and an xray of your hand will go a long way in getting Silver behind bars." 

Tori couldn't even begin to comprehend what she had just been told. So much had happened in the past 48 hours alone. But she nodded anyway. "Yea, okay. Um, does tomorrow work? But, um, my mom isn't really, uh, capable of being my guardian representative right now. She's sick and is bedridden. She doesn't even know what's been going on here. I don't want to worry her." 

Carter understood more than Tori would ever know. "That's okay. I can talk to my boss, see what she thinks would be the best solution. But we should still get your hand x-rayed and properly treated." 

Tori thanked the agent before heading to the paramedics to do just that. Robby followed behind her. 

Mari finally detached herself from the man, looking up at him. "You know, I'm kinda digging the beard. It looks good on you." 

Carter started to stroke his chin, imagining it much longer than it actually was. "You think so? It makes me look distinguished, right?" 

Mari gave him a flat look. "I take it back. You look ridiculous and should shave immediately. Actually, I'll shave it for you, where's a razor?" 

He simply laughed, wrapping her back up into a hug. 

"By the way, I called your sister on my way here. You've got," he checked his watch. "About 5 minutes before she and Jake arrive, breathing fire." 

Mari looks at the man with wide eyes, betrayal clearly showing. "Why would you do that?! She's gonna kill me!" 

Carter looked at her like she just asked the most ridiculous question, which she did. "What and have her find out that I knew you were in trouble and potentially hurt and didn't tell her? I like living, thank you very much!" 

Mari groaned before throwing herself into her boyfriend's arms. 

"At least I got to take Silver down before I died. Goodbye sweet world, you've been great." 

✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈ 

Word count: 5,113

I promised the full tournament, didn't I??!! But seriously, this was slightly difficult for me, it took me some time to work out. This is my first time writing anything from a long form tv show and not a short movie. Hope I did well. Which is mainly why I didn't have it in the main story chapters. 

Also, I've had this idea for Carter helping take down Silver since I first conceived the man. I just thought Mari would use all her resources and since she happens to know someone in the FBI, she brought up the man that is Terry Silver. 

And as a disclaimer, I am NOT a criminal justice professional. I have NO BACKGROUND in criminal justice. I just watch way too many crime shows and have many family and friends in the Criminal Justice / Law system. 

Hope you enjoyed a more in-depth snapshot of our Cobra Kai connection and context of our girls Mari and Reyna!