 ( chapter forty eight )
SEKAI TAIKAI.

Syd stood beside Tory as they worked with Sensei Odell on higher level movements. Sensei Silver had directed the other Sensei to begin teaching the two higher level moves, figuring it could only help the more they knew.

"Distinguished members of the Sekai Taikai, I thank you for gracing us with your presence." Sensei Silver spoke, bowing to the group of adults who stood before him. Syd turned her head slightly, curious as to who they were. Sensei Silver had made mention here or there of other competitions outside of the All Valley, but she wasn't sure what the Sekai Taikai was.

"Sensei Silver. I'm Gunther Braun. I speak for the Sekai Taikai. As you know, our admission process is quite rigorous. Despite your overtures, we cannot guarantee admission." The man in the blue suit, Gunther, spoke. Sensei Odell redirected both Tory and Syds attention away, having them both focus again on what he was showing.

"Understood. But I assure you, Cobra Kai is worthy of entry. As you can see, our dojo is state-of-the-art. And our Senseis are second to none." Sensei Silver showed, one of the Senseis showing off a flip he knew to a group of students. "Very impressive. But there are many impressive dojos in the world." Gunther replied.

"Which is why it's a shame more people haven't heard of them. But that's where we can help each other out. Corporate sponsorships. Broadcast rights. I have the resources and the connections to make the Sekai Taikai a household name all across America. It's a huge market. One you've never been able to tap. Until now." Sensei Silver explained. Syd had to admit as she listened in, he was a good business man.

Gunther chuckled, Sensei Silver continuing his pitch, "Karate gave my life structure, function, purpose, and it's doing the same for my students. I only want to spread its lessons further. Give every kid the chance to learn and grow through karate. Just like I did." Gunther nodded. "We thank you for your generosity, but this review is entirely about the quality of your students." Sensei Silver smiled. "That won't be a problem. Our dojo is the best in the Valley."

"That's not true." A new voice spoke, walking in. Syd turned her head again, surprised to see Mr. LaRusso walking into the dojo along with Johnny Lawrence, Mrs. LaRusso, and even one of the original Senseis Sensei Silver was looking into hiring.

"And who are you?" Gunther wondered. Syd and Tory both stopped what they were doing, as did the rest of the kids in the dojo as they all watched. "I'm Sensei Daniel LaRusso. Two-time All Valley champion."

"Sensei Johnny Lawrence. Also two-time champion." Johnny spoke. "Chozen Toguchi. Master Sensei." The old Sensei, Chozen, spoke. "Amanda LaRusso, karate adjacent." Mrs. LaRusso spoke.

"Cobra Kai isn't the only dojo in the Valley." Mr. LaRusso spoke. "Oh, so you represent another dojo?" Gunther confirmed, Mr. LaRusso nodding. "Not just any dojo. We have champions from the past two All Valleys." Johnny exposed.

Gunther turned to Sensei Silver. "You led us to believe that your dojo had all the titles." Sensei Silver looked between the two groups of people, almost tongue tied. Syd frowned, watching as her Sensei got caught in a lie he didn't need to tell.

"Honesty isn't exactly Cobra Kai's strong suit. Our dojo is truly unique. We've combined our different styles to train our students into the best fighters I've ever seen. And they deserve a shot at your tournament just as much as Cobra Kai." Mr. LaRusso explained. Gunther said something to a man beside him in Japanese, what it was Syd had no idea.

Another man spoke, nodding slightly. Sensei Silver chuckled. "My apologizes for this inappropriate yet entertaining disruption. But may I remind our guests that they haven't traveled all this way to consider anyone but the very best." Gunther nodded. "No, we have not. But now that we're here, we'll determine that for ourselves. We will see what your dojo has to offer. And yours. We expect a comprehensive exhibition of your training methods and your students' abilities. And then we will see if either dojo is worthy of the Sekai Taikai."

"Thank you very much. You won't be disappointed." Mr. LaRusso spoke. "Well, as they say, the more the merrier. May the best dojo win." Sensei Silver smiled, sending Mr. LaRusso and Johnny a look. "We will. And when we do, I'm gonna shove that ponytail straight up your ass. You can translate that." Johnny spoke.

Syd bit her lip, finding the whole altercation pretty funny. Though it made her sad at the same time, part of her missed the adults who stood against her Sensei. Mr. and Mrs. LaRusso had always been good to her, treated her like family since the moment they met her. She missed that. She even missed Johnny Lawrence and the insane stuff he'd say. But, she made her bed. She had to stick with those she'd given her trust and loyalty to. It's like Sensei Kreese had told her, loyalty was the most important thing. And as she had told him, as long as she could trust those she was loyal to she'd never waiver. Cobra Kai hadn't given her a reason to waiver.

"Okay. All right." Mr. LaRusso spoke, pulling Johnny away as the four left the dojo. "Continue with your trainings." Sensei Silver smiled, looking toward his students. Everyone went back to it, Sensei Odell ending the lesson as Tory and Syd moved to trade back and forth between holding the paddles to help each other with kicks.

Devon soon enough walked up, excitedly telling the girls all about the Sekai Taikai from what she'd found out from the internet. It seemed like a huge deal, something that could make Cobra Kai global in its influence. It was pretty cool.

"This thing's gonna be on TV. There's corporate sponsors. We're gonna make a fortune." Devon smiled, kicking the paddles Tory held for her as Syd watched. "I don't think we're getting paid." Tory replied. "I mean, not directly, but we're gonna be Insta-famous. Gonna get me one of those branded partnerships. You can put yourself through college with one of those." Devon smiled.

Tory stared forward for a moment, chuckling lightly. "I never even thought about college before." Devon stared at the blonde girl. "As long as we do everything we can to make sure Cobra Kai wins." Syd smiled, nodding. "Don't worry, we will."

"What's wrong?" Devon wondered, noticing Tory's change in expression. "Don't worry about it. Elevate your kicks. Aim higher." Tory replied, shaking her head as she lifted the paddle higher. Devon sent Syd a look, the older girl only nodding. "She's right."

Devon continued kicking, aiming higher as she did so. Syd just watched Tory, worried about the girl as she saw the nervous expression on her face. She just looked away, going back to watching Devon. She could find out what was up later, but right now they needed to be ready for the showcase.

———————

"At Cobra Kai, we don't believe in baby steps. We throw our students straight into the fire. Kenny Payne. Only stared training with us this year. Now look at him..." Sensei Silver showed, pointing the people of the Sekai Taikai to look at Kenny. "Begin!" Sensei Kim demanded, Kenny bowing forward before turning to each board held up by a Sensei, smashing each of them before finally moving to the last one, tripping a Sensei and smashing the board.

"Here at Cobra Kai we like to look to the future." Sensei Silver stated, holding up one of the iPads the dojo had for training. "Other dojos may be set in their ways. Cobra Kai is on the cutting edge. We use the latest technology for maximum performance." Everyone stood and watched as Kyler kicked a punching bag, Sensei Silver looking at his screen to see any needed improvements. "Very good. Keep your left foot planted."

"Yes, sir." Kyler nodded, taking the correction and maximizing the power he could get out of his kick.

Sensei Silver moved on, showing Gunther and the rest of his team Tory and Devon as they stood on the mat and went through motions perfectly in sync. Syd watched from the side, nodding as she noticed Devon's kick go higher than usual, the training from the day prior obviously helping.

Sensei Silver then moved on to Syd, having the girl jump and flip before kicking and punching around the mat. "Here at Cobra Kai we want students to harness skills they come to us with. Take Sydney McKinley, she's been here at Cobra Kai longer than anyone and came to us already flexible from years of ballet. But at Cobra Kai, we've been able to use that flexibility and technique to push her further than anyone would expect. You'd never know she had a broken foot only a month or so ago, Cobra Kai bringing her past where she had been before."

Syd ran forward, jumping up and spinning around with a kick, yelling out as she landed and bowed. Sensei Silver smirked, nodding to the girl as she made eye contact with him.

She moved to stand beside Tory as a group of them showed their dojos moves, showing off the work that went into every student looking the same through the slower process of building muscle memory.

Once the showcase was over, Syd stood between Devon and Tory anxiously while she waited for Sensei Kim and Sensei Silver to tell them what was going to happen.

When they returned from Sensei Silvers office, they didn't look too pleased. "They would like to see a fight tomorrow to determine which dojo is the best choice, if either. We have to prepare to fight. This is bigger than the All Valley. Much bigger. So we need our best." Sensei Silver explained. Syd and Tory gave each other a look, not knowing who he'd choose.

Tory may have won the All Valley, but they had no clue who would have won it if Syd had been able to finish competing. She had far more training than Tory did, but Tory had time Syd didn't as she was stuck on the side. It could go either way and truly depended on what Sensei Silver saw to be best.

"Nichols. Looks like you're gonna have a rematch against LaRusso. You ready?" Sensei Silver wondered, making his choice. He wanted to choose the fighter who was able to get into Samantha LaRussos head, knowing that Tory and Syd could both win or lose against the girl. But he also knew that sympathy was a better blinder than anger, and after the All Valley Sam would be easier to knock off her game if she thought Syd wasn't chosen because of her. It was all mind games, really.

"Yes, Sensei." Tory nodded. "Good." Sensei Silver replied, looking to Syd before speaking to her quietly, "I want you to be there as a reminder to LaRusso of what she caused. Nichols fighting keeps LaRusso from being able to fully forgive herself for what she did to you. If you fought she'd be able to move past the All Valley. Nichols fighting reminds her of what all happened last time." Syd nodded, she understood. She wasn't a fan of being used to look weak, but it made sense why Sensei Silver wanted to take that route. Whatever they had to do to win, he'd do it.

"Payne. You ready to take on whomever they pick as their top fighter?" Sensei Silver wondered, moving to Kenny. "Yes, Sensei." Kenny nodded. "You better be. Because the fate of this dojo rests in your fists." Sensei Silver finished, walking away from the boy.

It seemed that they had their competitors, and they wouldn't go down easily.

———————

Syd was anxious as she stood in Cobra Kai. Out of everything that was going on today, it was the first time she was seeing Eli in weeks. She didn't know if she was ready for it, at this point finding that not competing might have been the best choice as she felt she may loose focus while he was there.

She still cared for him, that wasn't going away anytime soon. And she knew she still loved him, hating that they only found it out when it was ending. But she knew that she had to stick with the choice she made, unable to go back on it now. Because now they were competitors, and Syd couldn't be distracted from what her team needed.

"How are you feeling?" Tory wondered, walking up to the girl. Syd chuckled lightly. "I think I should be asking you that question." Tory sighed, shaking her head. "Nervous, but ready. Uh, could we actually talk about something quickly?"

Syd nodded. "Yeah, of course. What is it?" Tory went to speak, only stopping as she noticed Syds gaze go past her. Syd felt her heart begin to race, frowning as she made eye contact with Eli. He frowned too, looking her way sadly as Demetri put a hand on his shoulder, immediately noticing the two.

Eli had told Demetri what had happened and said he wanted to get her out of there. Demetri thought he should just give up on it, but as Eli had decided to sport green in his smaller mohawk just because it was the girls favorite color, Demetri knew he wouldn't be giving up on her anytime soon.

Tory turned around, noticing the boy as well before her gaze fell on Sam. Both girls found themselves staring at someone else, both feeling so many different emotions as they did so.

Syd then pulled her gaze away from Eli, painfully looking away before she caught Sam's eye. Her frown just deepened as she looked at the girl who was once her best friend, both just sadly looking at the other. Syd was realizing just how much she'd lost as her friends stood against her while Sam thought about just how different it was to look at Syd again. Part of her wanted to try again with the girl, to remind her what was important. But another part of her had a hard time looking at Syd as she fully realized the girl wasn't fighting that day.

Syd turned away, walking to stand beside Devon as she kept her eyes off both Eli and Sam. She could feel Eli staring at her still, knowing she'd break if she met his eye again. "You okay?" Devon wondered, noticing Eli across the way staring at Syd. "Fine. Just, uh, lot of memories on that side of the mat." Syd replied.

She watched out of her peripherals as Eli began to warm up, obviously being the choice of Miyagi-Do to fight Kenny. This matchup was a long time coming and Syd was beginning to worry about someone getting seriously hurt as the boys looked at each other.

"Keene!" Kenny suddenly yelled, stomping toward Robby after seeing him with Anthony. Syd frowned, turning away as she looked at Tory beside Sensei Kim. She didn't think what went down between Robby and Kenny was any of her business.

Kenny walked back after a bit, standing beside Syd as he did so. She put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him worriedly. "You okay?" Kenny nodded, glaring toward Robby and Eli. "Keene tried to tell me to just be friends with LaRusso. As if he didn't make my life hell. Well, I may not be able to get my revenge on LaRusso or Keene but I'll get it on Hawk."

Syd frowned, sending a quick glance Eli's way as he already looked back at her. She had a bad feeling about the boys fight, feeling like it would go too far. She knew she had to be on Kenny's side, rooting for the boy and her dojo. But she didn't want to see either boy hurt.

"Time to begin." Gunther spoke, the rest of the Sekai Taikai group taking their seats behind a table. Syd moved to stand beside Tory, ready to watch the boys fight. "Eli Moskowitz and Kenny Payne, please take the mat." Gunther instructed. There was a small bit of applause from each side as the boys moved to the middle, the ref for the match standing between them. "Face me. Bow. Face each other. Bow. Ready? Fight!"

Kenny attacked immediately, kicking at Eli as the boy spun around him. Eli continued to dodge all the angry shots Kenny took, focusing on his arms before Kenny shot his leg up, hitting Eli in the stomach. "Point! 1-0, Payne." The ref yelled, Cobra Kai cheering for the boy.

Kenny and Eli moved past each other, going back to their sides. "Ready? Fight!" The ref yelled, Kenny once again attacking first before Eli moved to throw his own punches, blocking Kenny's punches and kicks as he jumped up, spinning around and kicking Kenny in the face.

Syd watched as Miyagi-Do began cheering before the ref spoke, "Out of bounds. No point." Syd scrunched her brows, looking forward confused. He'd obviously hit Kenny before the younger boys foot went out, but if the ref didn't see that he didn't see it. "What? What, are you serious?" Eli scoffed.

"Ref, that's horseshit. He made contact in bounds!" Johnny yelled, defending Eli. "No point. Back on the line." The ref replied, sending Johnny a look. "How did he not see that?" Syd wondered quietly to Tory, frowning. She liked watching good karate, the stuff that kept going because both sides were evenly matched, not the stuff that continued because refs couldn't see.

Tory frowned, sending Sensei Silver a quick look and watching as he nodded to the ref before turning back to the front. "I don't know." Syd sighed, biting her lip as she anxiously went back to watching. Eli caught her eye, sending the girl a confused look before he could even stop himself. It was like muscle memory to talk to her with his eyes, the boy frowning as he realized what he did. Syd looked away, watching Kenny instead.

She moved to begin playing with her necklace almost without thought, getting rudely awakened by its absence as she remembered all that she'd lost recently. It only made her feel worse as she fought herself to not meet Eli's eyes again.

"Ready? Fight!" The ref called again. Syd watched as Kenny once again attacked, Eli defending and throwing his own attacks right back Kenny's way. She watched anxiously, suddenly seeing as Eli kicked at Kenny, the younger boy grabbing his leg and slamming his elbow into Eli's knee. Eli groaned in pain, falling to the ground. "Illegal strike. That's a warning. Turn and kneel." The ref stated, looking at Kenny.

Syd frowned, watching Eli limp back toward Mr. LaRusso and Johnny painfully. "Warning? He should be disqualified." Mr. LaRusso frowned. Syd watched as Eli spoke to his Senseis, worriedly watching them until she watched the boy smooth his mohawk, facing Kenny again with a new fire in his eyes.

Syd watched Kenny stand back up, being forced to face Cobra Kai on the mat as Eli spoke to his Senseis. The young boy turned around again, angrily looking Eli's way. "Ready?" The ref wondered and Syd watched as Kenny began moving his arms in a way that frightened her. She knew the move he was about to do, remembering when Sensei Silver had promised to show it to the girl in detail. Syd felt her chest tighten, worriedly watching as she just hoped that maybe it wasn't the same move. She never got far enough with what move she was thinking to see it played out, only being promised to one day see what it could do. All Syd knew was that it wasn't exactly a move Sensei Silver made to use on his friends and Syd didn't know why Kenny seemed to know it.

"Fight!" The ref spoke, Eli going toward Kenny with a punch before Kenny send his own straight into Eli's chest, getting the point. "Point! 2-0, Payne."

Eli fell to the ground, panic flashing through his eyes. "Hawk!" Miguel gasped, worried as his friend didn't stand back up. Syd gasped slightly, ready to run before feeling Tory grab her hand, almost forcing her to stay where she was. Johnny moved down next to the boy, worriedly. Syd bit down hard on her lip as she watched, Tory being the only thing keeping her from sprinting to the boys side. "Don't." Tory whispered, noticing the way Sensei Silver and Sensei Kim watched Syd.

"I can't... Can't... Can't breathe." Eli gasped out. "Can you continue?" The ref wondered, staring at the boy. Syd didn't understand how this ref could be so horrible, not even trying to get anyone to help the boy and rather just watching him lay there in pain. Eli slowly tried to sit up, immediately falling right back down.

Tory pulled Syd into her, not caring what her Senseis thought as she watched the look on her best friend's face. Syd made eye contact with Demetri, panicking as she looked back down at Eli. Demetri just watched her, realizing in that moment how much of the old Syd was still there when it came to Eli. Maybe she wasn't the lost cause he thought she was.

"Where's the medic?" Johnny yelled, looking around. The medic came running to the boy. Syd sighed slightly before the ref spoke again. "That's a forfeit. Winner, Payne." He pulled Kenny's arm up, Cobra Kai erupting in cheers. Syd just stared forward shocked, never seeing that kind of call being made before.

Tory just stayed standing with Syd, not letting the girl go as she looked around at her cheering teammates. She knew something more was going on, thought only being confirmed as she watched Sensei Silver send the ref a nod again, one the man returned with a look.

Kenny stepped forward again, smirking at Eli who was still on the ground. "Looks like you got a new name. Faux-Hawk." Syd frowned, watching Johnny and Mr. LaRusso help Eli stand again before the boy limped off with their help.

"We need to talk." Tory decided, pulling Syd away with her as everyone focused on Kenny. Syd looked at her confused, not understanding as Torys fight was about to start. "Where are we going? You need to fight."

Tory shook her head. "I'm done fighting. And I'm done keeping secrets from you." Syd just looked at her even more confused, hearing Gunther calling out Torys name to fight. "Can't we talk about this later?" Tory shook her head. "No, because I didn't really win the All Valley."

Syd paused at that, staring at the girl before her. She heard as they called both her name and Torys from the main dojo, but just ignored it as she looked at Tory. "What?"

Robby looked around, leaning toward Miguel. "Neither Tory or Syd are here. Something happened." Miguel frowned, looking forward. They'd decided Syd would take Tory's spot when they couldn't find the blonde, only to realize the brunette had disappeared too. "Yeah, Syd wouldn't miss this. Somethings very wrong." Miguel agreed.

Tory frowned, taking in a breath. "After the All Valley when I went to grab my stuff, I overheard Sensei Silver talking with the ref. He was thanking him for sticking to their deal and I realized my win wasn't mine. Then I called him out on it and he just admitted it, saying he was willing to do whatever it took for Cobra Kai to win." Syd shook her head, walking in a circle. "I— I don't believe it. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because he's doing it again. I saw Sensei Silver nod to the ref during the out of bounds call and the forfeit call. He's doing everything to make sure Cobra Kai wins, even if we don't deserve it." Tory explained. Syd felt like her head was spinning, not understanding how this could be happening. "N—No." Syd frowned, shaking her head. She couldn't believe it, she wouldn't.

Tory frowned. "Syd, I wouldn't make this up. I know that you've noticed how off I've been lately and this is why. Sensei Silver is a cheat and he's not gonna stop till someone takes him down." Syd just stood there, taking it in. From the look in Torys eye she could tell the girl was dead serious, which only freaked Syd out even more. If she couldn't trust Cobra Kai then she'd stuck around for nothing. She'd lost everyone in her life because she trusted her Senseis to teach them to win and step back when it was time for them all to prove themselves.

She wasn't a cheat, and she didn't want to be seen as one. She wanted to win because her dojo won, not because they paid a ref off or made some deals. "What— what can we do?" Syd wondered. This wasn't the Cobra Kai Syd signed up for. It wasn't the dojo she lost all her friends and her boyfriend for anymore, it was something else. "We need to expose Silver. We need to stop Cobra Kai." Tory replied. She hoped Syd was on her side, finally seeing that Cobra Kai was only hurting them.

"I just... I don't want to lose this. After everything we've been through I don't want to go back to how scared I used to me." Syd frowned. She didn't know what to do. Cobra Kai had been her rock, something she could look to for help and strength. Without it, she didn't know who she was. "Syd, that strength you found was always in you. Cobra Kai didn't make us strong, we made ourselves strong. And the strongest thing we can do now is do the right thing and stop Cobra Kai before more people go through what we have. I don't want to be an asshole anymore, and I know you don't either." Tory spoke.

Syd nodded, Tory was right. She'd thought her change was her becoming stronger, but maybe it was truly her becoming worse. Even Eli and Sam were right, the things she once stood against were now what she let slide. Syd was beginning to realize she'd traded one bad group for another and she wanted to be better. She'd joined Cobra Kai to stand up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves, only to become the one pushing them down. It was time to flip the script.

"How do we do this?" Syd wondered, staring at Tory. "I don't know... but we're gonna need some help." Tory replied. "I need to talk to Sam." Tory decided. "Okay... I'll go with you." Syd agreed.

Tory wrapped her arms around the girl, thankful to have her on her side. "I want to get them all out of here. Every single one." Syd nodded, hugging back. "Then let's get to work."

———————

Syd stood beside Tory as they walked toward Miguel's home. Moon had told her about the celebration Miyagi-Do was having for getting into the Sekai Taikai. This was it, the moment Syd had to choose if she was going to change the direction her life was going or if she was going to stay on the path she'd formed. She knew what she wanted, now it was just about committing.

She was nervous, both girls fearing how this would turn out. Syd didn't expect Sam to jump for joy or anything, but she was hoping she'd at least listen to what Tory had to say. This was the hardest choice they could make and it was cementing their betrayal of their dojo, Syd only hopped it wouldn't all be for nothing.

"What do you thinks gonna happen when we step foot in the dojo again?" Syd wondered, frowning. "It may not be good, but no matter what it'll have to happen. I have a feeling whatever happens tonight isn't going to end everything tonight. We're going to have to play double agent for a while." Tory replied. She had experience with the task, but she didn't know if Syd would be able to.

Syd nodded. "Okay. I can do that." Tory smiled. "Good. Any experience?" Syd chuckled, staring forward. "More than you'd know."

Syd watched from afar, missing the days where she was apart of the celebration with her friends. Sure, she had people at Cobra Kai. But she was beginning to realize just how different it felt. She'd ignored it before, but the changes were staring her in the face now.

Tory then decided it was time, pulling Syd with her as they walked up to a crying Sam. Syd frowned, not knowing why the girl was upset. But that didn't matter at the moment. "LaRusso." Tory spoke, both girls watching as Sam looked between them angrily, getting into her fighting stance.

"What are you doing here?" Sam frowned, looking back and forth between the two. "We're not here to fight. We came to talk." Tory spoke. Sam looked to Syd, who just nodded, confirming Tory's statement. "About what?" Sam wondered.

"You didn't lose the All Valley." Tory spoke, looking at Sam. Sam just looked between the two again, utterly confused. There was no going back now.

AUTHORS NOTE!
syd and tory redemption season is afoot