FORTY THREE.
( but she never really quit, she just said she did. )

"LaRusso."

Emmy let out a large breath as she walked into the large building, eyes looking around. "Damn. Guess you guys really upgraded, huh?"

Silver looked at her curiously. "Class. Water break."

Everyone immediately dispersed, and he walked up to her. "You're here."

"I am," Emmy nodded. "It's kinda hard to leave a place like this."

Silver hummed. "Well? What do you think of the new dojo?"

"It's definitely new," she said in amusement. "Will for sure have to get used to such a spacious area but I think I'll adjust fine."

"I have no doubt about that," Silver seemed like a child with how much pride he was feeling. "What changed your mind?"

"Well one, Kreese isn't here. And two, I lost the one good thing in my life and I need something that I can control and hold onto."

Silver smirked. "Cobra Kai will happily give you that. Welcome back, Ms. LaRusso."

She smirked back. "It's good to be back."

✸

"I miss Robby so much!"

Tory rolled her eyes as Emmy finished another box of tissues, wiping her glob of tears and snot from her consistent crying. "I don't have anymore tissues to give you."

Emmy blew her nose into the final tissue, tossing it into the full trash can. "I can use toilet paper."

Tory huffed, standing up from the bed. "Wait here."

"Okay," Emmy said, feeling more tears form as she thought of the boy she cared for more than anything in the world. Tory came back shortly, tossing her a new roll.

"That's all you're getting. Use it well," Tory sighed and flopped back down onto her stomach on her bed, Emmy sitting on the bed while leaning against the wall.

Emmy let out another sob. "I miss him so much!"

"Yeah, you've been saying that for the past 20 minutes," Tory turned over onto her back.

"He said I was worth everything to him! He's a fucking liar!" Emmy loudly cried into the toilet paper roll, not bothering to pull out a single sheet.

Tory snatched it away from her, pulling multiple sheets out for her. "I know. Which is why you need to calm down and get over it. I can easily tell you that he's not reacting how you are. And that just shows that he never really cared in the first place."

"Don't say that," Emmy pouted. "You're gonna make me even more sad."

Tory pressed her lips together tightly, sitting up and scooted back to sit next to her best friend. "Look, I don't wanna make you even more sad, but you chose your side and he chose his side. You just have to show him that you don't care. Even if you do."

Emmy turned to face her, her eyes puffy and red and her nose flushed from how many times she wiped it. "Is that what you did with Miguel?"

"Yeah," Tory quietly answered. "You did that with Miguel too."

"Yeah," Emmy breathed out, her voice still nasally from her stuffy nose. "I just can't believe that I ruined our relationship before it could even bloom."

"Hey," Tory grabbed her hand. "You didn't ruin anything. He gave you a choice and you chose. Don't blame yourself because you chose what felt right for you. Sometimes things take sacrifices."

Emmy felt her eyes water again. "You won't ever leave me. Right?"

Tory almost teared up at her question. Everyone in Emmy's life had abandoned her, and she would be damned if she did the same. "Never ever."

✸

Emmy felt like a complete and utter idiot.

Her leg bounced up and down as her hands started to sweat at every new person that walked through the door, and she felt absolutely stupid. Her nails had been chewed through from how nervous she was, and when she heard that door open again, her head immediately snapped up and she froze.

He sat down in front of her with a knowing smirk. "I told you you would visit."

She couldn't even find it in her to give a snarky reply, only licking her lips and looked down at the table. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Kreese raised his eyebrows. "What are you asking for?"

Emmy hesitated. "I need... I need you to tell me what to do."

Kreese looked almost surprised.

"And I know that I said I would never listen to a thing you had to say ever again, but I need to know what to do. I only knew what to do when you told me what to do."

The man hummed, leaning back in his seat. "You've join Cobra Kai again."

"Yeah, I did," she gulped. "And I didn't regret it earlier but I'm starting to now. I'm back to being Silver's most devoted student, and me and Robby broke up because of Cobra Kai."

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with Cobra Kai."

"I thought so too but... Cobra Kai was there for me when no one else was. And I thought I could feel that way again but ⎯ "

"It's not my Cobra Kai," he looked at almost smugly. "I have to say, Ms. LaRusso. I admire your loyalty to the true Cobra Kai. You are, by far, my proudest achievement."

Emmy swallowed thickly. "Then tell me what to do. Tell me what I can do to feel better. Because ever since the All Valley, everything has gone to shit and nothing has gone right."

Kreese straightened his back, holding his hands together on the table. "I'll tell you your best option. You stay low. You're on the inside, Emmy. You have to make sure that Silver believes you're in it. Really in it. Even if it means listening to what he says. And when he has complete faith in you, you attack. You show him what Cobra Kai really is. And don't worry about how you do it, just do it."

Emmy let out a breath and just wordlessly nodded, letting his words sink in.

Kreese leaned in closer. "You don't have to believe a word I say. In fact, you can walk out of here and be Silver's new star student. But you really are what I am most proud of, Ms. LaRusso. You turned into exactly who I wanted you to be."

"I won't let you down," she firmly said.

"I know you won't," he smirked. "And, maybe a little help from Ms. Nichols wouldn't be so terrible, would it?"

✸

"So watch that aggression. Okay?"

"I thought she fought perfectly."

Silver, along with Tory, Emmy, and the new senseis he brought all stood in the Topanga Karate building. Emmy had told Tory about her recent visit with Kreese, and the two made a pact to stick together through this and come up with a plan on how to beat Silver. But for now, they had to play dumb.

Which also meant shutting off any type of emotion while in Cobra Kai.

Emmy mindlessly let her eyes wander around the room, before landing on a familiar face. Her eyes narrowed, and she knew that the girl recognized her too.

"Is that..." Tory trailed off as she whispered.

"Yeah. It is," Emmy whispered back, feeling the judgy look from Devon. "Someone's not happy."

"Class, gather round, please," the Topanga Karate sensei announced. "I have a bittersweet announcement to make. Sensei Terry Silver has made me a very generous offer, and I'm proud to say Topanga Karate is now under new management. We're thrilled to be part of the Cobra Kai family."

"Thank you, Sensei Rosenthal," Silver said. "I'm sure you're all wondering what this means for the future of your dojo. Yes, there will be some changes. All for the better. And I hope you don't mind your dues getting cheaper. You'll be given a new sensei. For today, Sensei Kim and Sensei Hyan-woo."

Sensei Rosenthal stepped closer to Silver. "You're replacing me, Terry? This wasn't the deal we made at Shabbat services."

Silver didn't respond to that, merely glancing back at Emmy and Tory, who both nodded. "Topanga Karate has spent the last few years taking losses left and right. That ends today. My new senseis will be molding you all into winners, just like two of our own All Valley Tournament Champions, Tory Nichols and Emmy LaRusso."

The two girls glanced at each other and stepped forward. "If you wanna be taught by the best of the best, step up and take a gi from Sensei Odell. If you wanna quit, then at least take a complimentary thermos from Sensei Bacaria, as my gift to you."

And almost immediately, every single student of Topanga Karate headed for the gis. "Well, looks like your students made their decision. Shalom, Sensei. Class is yours. Nichols, LaRusso, you're with me."

Both girls made a move to follow after him but then, "No. Your champions stay here."

"What for?" Tory couldn't help but ask.

The Asian woman came up in front of them. "I need to see who the best fighters are in this dojo. You two will help me test them."

Emmy looked over the woman's shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Silver who merely shrugged and walked away. She clenched her jaw, turning back to Sensei Kim. "Yes, Sensei."

Tory and Emmy bowed, linking their pinkies together in comfort.

✸

"Pair up. Show me knife strike, palm strike, back fist. Five up, five down. Begin."

Emmy had her hands clenched so tightly together behind her back that she thought she might pop a finger soon. She watched around the room as everyone paired up, beginning to practice the new moves they've learned.

Her and Tory began to slowly walk around, checking everyone's form and making sure that they were executing the moves correctly.

Emmy kicked a boy's foot to correct his form, and he muttered a quick thanks before going back to his training. Her and Tory then were about to come up to Devon, who was still dressed in her Topanga Karate gi and didn't have a human partner.

"Keep walking," Devon said, not taking her eyes off of the dummy.

"Fine," Tory shrugged. "But you'll break your hand if you hit someone like that."

"I know what I'm doing," Devon looked her up and down and went back to what she was doing.

"Then hit me," Emmy spoke up, and Devon paused. The latter sighed, turning to her and got into a fighting position. She then went to strike her, but Emmy caught her hand with such ease that it looked as if Devon wasn't even trying. "Wrong. Terrible even."

"Here," Devon stepped aside as Tory stood in front of the dummy. The blonde got into a brief fighting position before doing the move flawlessly. "See? Keep the side of your hand sharp, like a knife. Go."

Devon took a deep breath, doing the move again.

"Better," Emmy hummed. "But could be better."

Devon looked at her before subconsciously adjusting the bottom of her gi. Tory looked at her once over. "Why are you in that gi? Don't think you have what it takes to join Cobra Kai?"

"I'm still deciding whether your dojo has what it takes to earn me as a student," Devon countered.

Emmy couldn't help but scoff. "Says the one who got her ass kicked at the tournament."

Devon spun around to face her. "Please. That ref was blind. He gave you a point when I was out of bounds."

"Then why don't you leave?" Emmy stepped closer to her, the sudden mention of the rigged ref heightening her emotions.

"My mom always said..." Devon paused. "The only way you really lose is by giving up."

"Sounds like a smart woman," Tory commented.

Devon looked away. "She was."

Emmy was immediately plagued with guilt. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't do anything. I'd love to kick cancer's ass though."

Emmy immediately looked over at Tory, who began to nod. "Yeah. I know how you feel. But you have to take all that anger and you have to put it into your fist."

"Basically, be one with your anger," Emmy summarized and Devon nodded.

The girl took a deep breath, before doing the move two more times, with even more fire.

"Stop! I have seen enough. You have used your strength to train each other. Now you will use your strength against each other. Nichols, LaRusso, get them ready."

✸

"Back in Korea, our students would climb Chiri-san, the tallest mountain on the mainland, with heavy packs filled with nothing but water. We would train at the peak long after the sun has set and the night's turned cold. I would train among them, wearing two heavy packs. My students are determined. I will see how determined you are. You two. Up."

Emmy and Devon glanced at each other before pushing themselves up onto their feet. Emmy felt Tory briefly squeeze her ankle as a sign of support before she and Devon walked over to the table, standing on opposite ends.

"I must say, I am intrigued by you, LaRusso," Sensei Kim smirked. "A student who has gained such high respect from John Kreese is rare. Can you live up to that?"

Emmy sighed, cracking her neck side to side. "I'll do you one better."

Sensei Hyan-woo then held out a stick, pointing it at Devon. "Pick this up." He then turned to Emmy. "Stop her. Use any means necessary. You have one minute. Begin!"

Devon made the first move to grab the stick, but Emmy didn't hesitate to slam the heel of her foot into her face, causing Devon to stumble back.

Sensei Kim hummed. "I want more. I need to see more from the first female All Valley champion."

Emmy sighed but nodded. Devon got back to her place, clearly a bit shaken up.

"Begin!"

Devon tried to grab the stick with her right hand, but Emmy caught it, she then used her left hand, and Emmy caught that one, holding them wide apart and kicked her in the chest. Devon breathed heavily as she stepped back.

"Harder," Sensei Kim told her.

Devon came back, dodging all of Emmy's swings and punches before bending down and placed her hand on the stick, but Emmy slammed her foot down onto her hand, making Devon shout in pain. Emmy then kicked her on the side of the face, and Devon clutched it.

"I said harder!" Emmy yelped as she felt a sharp and stinging pain on the back of her thigh, turning around and saw that Sensei Kim had struck her with the stick in her hand.

Her eyes widened and she immediately turned to Tory who looked concerned. She briefly clutched the back of her leg to try and sooth the pain, but Devon quickly came back and she had to ignore it.

She mustered all of her anger as she stopped every single one of Devon's advances towards the stick, hearing Sensei Kim's words.

"We do not accept defeat."

"We do not accept surrender."

"Fight as if today is your last."

Emmy ducked out of the way as Devon went to kick her over the table and successfully grabbed the stick, but for some reason, Emmy didn't care. She kicked the stick out of Devon's hand and spun a kick into her chest. Emmy breathed heavily as Devon fell to the floor, and she felt her eyes widen.

"Good," Sensei Kim praised her. "Strength, determination. That is the Way of the Fist. Nothing less. Remember that. Class dismissed."

Tory immediately got to her feet, rushing to Emmy and placed a hand on her shoulder. They both watched as Devon rushed out of the class, and Emmy felt overwhelmed.

"Oh, man," she muttered.

AUTHOR'S NOTE !

missing my babies but at least we get more tory and emmy