𝑩𝑨𝑫 𝑯𝑨𝑩𝑰𝑻 . ¨. ☄︎ ͎۪۫
𝟎𝟎𝟐. deal with the devil
──────────────

𓆩 ♡ 𓆪

𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄 screen, rapid footsteps carrying her around a crowd of teenagers she had never seen until that morning. Her first day at West Valley High School had finally ended, but the only thing she could think of was whether or not her sister was okay at her new school, and if perhaps some miracle would finally allow her to enjoy the experience she deserved.

Vienna knew that she should have been content, or at the very least calm. Classes had gone by smoothly thanks to the knowledge she acquired from the online lessons that West Valley had allowed her to take when she was still in Colorado, trying to find a cheap enough place to move to The Valley. After all, changing schools had stopped being difficult ever since she understood that people would always treat her differently—most of her classmates simply thought that she was too boring, too focused on studying to even consider her a real person—, and she didn't mind to wander alone through the hallways; plus, she only enjoyed talking to people when they actually didn't know her.

But she wasn't content, and nor was she calm.

Instead, Vienna was filled with concern, stalked by an anxious feeling that seemed set on putting her down. That was supposed to be the last school she would ever step in, the last chance she had to improve her academic record and guarantee herself a free ticket to college, but she hadn't been able to focus on her goal. Her mind was lost on one thing and one thing only: she still didn't know how to defend Charlotte from the stupid bullies that were probably targeting her at the moment, and Vienna was starting to believe that she wouldn't be able to protect her as she had promised.

She would fail, and her sister was bound to pay the price.

Vi kept walking, and walking, and dodging teens through the hallways while she waited for a call—or at least a single message—from Charlie. She too was supposed to be out of class by that time, but the girl still hadn't contacted her. Paranoia began crawling over Vienna's mind, making her pulse go crazy as imaginary scenarios played in her head; she could only bite her lip as she tried to keep her composure, telling herself that everything was alright, that her sister wasn't caught in another accident, and that Charlotte would eventually tell her that she was ready to be picked up from school.

"C'mon... just give me a call, brat," she muttered to herself, holding the phone a little tighter.

The girl finally exited the building, not even noticing where she was stepping on, and just when she started to consider that texting her sister first would be a fair decision after more than ten minutes of waiting, her shoulder collided against another body.

The phone crashed to the floor, her knees wobbled as she tried not to fall, and all the stress she had been storing in the back of her throat almost made her curse at the stranger who had knocked into her.

She took a deep breath, kept her chin held high. It was just an accident; she could apologize and then move on without looking back, avoiding any kind of unnecessary conversation.

"Watch where you're going."

Well, she hadn't expected that.

Vienna frowned at the spat words, stopping her attempt to pick up the phone so she could glare at the culprit. However, she was taken aback when she met a menacing sight: a red mohawk, a defensive look, and a pair of piercing blue eyes.

Still, she was in a bad mood, and she really would have kept quiet and moved on in any other situation, but her mouth decided to give control up.

She simply couldn't bite her tongue any longer.

"Thanks for the advice." Sarcasm unwillingly dripped from her voice. The boy looked stunned for a moment, but then resumed his intimidating frown. She sighed tiredly, knowing that confrontation wasn't the smartest choice at the moment, "Look, I'm not in the mood for this so... I'm sorry, okay? It won't happen again."

Wanting to leave as soon as possible, Vi didn't wait for an answer and instead proceeded to reach once again for her phone.

But then a hand landed on her shoulder, making her stop on her way down.

"Um, I think my friend made you drop this..."

The phone wasn't on the floor anymore.

It was, however, the first thing Vienna saw once she turned her head towards the person who had touched her arm. Thankfully, the old thing wasn't cracked—she had spent five years of her life with that same mobile, and she certainly didn't have the money to buy a new one. Nevertheless, the girl's attention was soon caught by the tan, masculine hand that was nudging the object in her direction.

Slowly, and with a strange feeling running through her blood—like some kind of uncanny anticipation—, she raised her gaze towards the source of the voice.

And, just like that, the quiet 'thanks' that she had intended to mumble got stuck in the base of her throat.

Chocolate eyes framing a familiar gaze, a gentle spark of remembrance igniting his features. His hair was a little longer than the last time she'd seen him, forming soft curls on the top of his head, and, although Vi didn't remember all of the details from that night, she still could recognize the knowing smile that replaced his astonished expression after the first couple of seconds.

Miguel Diaz stretched the corners of his lips. His smirk only got bigger, combined with a tiny bit of mischief that let Vienna know that he was more than likely amused by her sudden lack of words.

Because yes, she didn't know what to say.

She just swallowed, carefully taking the phone from his hand.

"Yeah, it's mine." She gave him one of those quick and tight smiles, the kind that could show how badly a person wanted to escape from an embarrassing situation without being ridiculously impolite. "Thank you," she barely let out.

After that, Vienna's mind went blank.

They just stood there, silent and unsure.

Was she supposed to acknowledge him? Did he even remember what had happened? Of course he did... he still had that look on his face, the one she had witnessed so many times while cleaning his wounds: the boy wanted to talk, and he definitely would, but he was trying to measure his words first.

They didn't even know each other, and still... she had allowed him to see a piece of herself. A part she kept hidden under iron mountains and steel armors—a side of her one could only meet when she was caught slipping, being vulnerable. The fact that Miguel had seen her losing her composure over the memories of her sister's accident made her uneasy. And perhaps he had forgotten about that little detail, but Vienna hadn't.

How could she, after all?

How could she not recall it when she hadn't opened up to anybody in years? It wasn't like her, and she knew damn well that sharing was merely a way to expose weakness to any possible threat, but she had simply believed that the odds of meeting that boy again were lower than zero, and she had found him—or he had found her—in a very delicate moment. Sharing hadn't felt so risky then, not in a time and place where her defenses were unstable and healing strangers seemed normal.

And then Vienna thought about the first aid kit that was still intact, stored inside her bathroom's cabinet, and she wondered if she should have blamed him for it.

However, before she could decide, the boy with the mohawk appeared next to Miguel.

Without an ounce of discretion, he pointed his chin towards Vienna, "Do you know her?"

The tan boy looked at the girl. "Something like that, yeah," he muttered, hiding his smile with a click of his tongue.

"What about Sam?"

Miguel glared at his friend, "Dude—"

"You know what? I won't even ask."

Vienna's frown deepened as she watched the exchange. Quickly, she decided to take their hushed conversation as a way out: while they were distracted, talking about that so-called Sam Miguel's friend had mentioned, Vi moved a couple of steps away from the chaos. Her mistake, however, was the impromptu look she gave Miguel when she thought he wasn't watching her.

He was watching her.

And he didn't hesitate to follow after her, leaving his friend behind. The other boy even called him back, but it was already too late: Miguel seemed determined to get to Vienna, and so he did.

"Hey, I... wanted to apologize for my friend," he started, sending her an apologetic grin. "He's been having a rough couple of days. And that doesn't excuse anything, I know, but—"

"But that's not what you actually wanted to say."

Miguel's mouth closed in a flash. Vienna raised her eyebrows as she waited for an answer; a tiny hint of satisfaction swam through her veins at his dumbfounded reaction.

She ignored it, though.

The boy feigned defeat by letting out a heavy sigh; his eyes, however, were still crinkling at the corners, "Fine, I just needed an excuse to talk to you. Happy now?"

A discrete and unconscious smile grew on Vi's face, "Kind of, yeah."

"I thought I'd never see you again." Miguel let out a breathy laugh, looking at the girl as if he still didn't believe she was there. "Do you go here? It's just that I've never seen you at West Valley, and you said you were new in town so..."

"I am." Vienna hadn't intended to say more than that, but something told her that he wouldn't stop until he got the full answer, "I've been enrolled here since the beginning of junior year. I... had the opportunity to take some online classes before we moved to The Valley."

"Oh, right. I guess that makes sense."

An awkward pause, loud silence. Stolen glances, tentative movements.

That was all it took for her to remember where she was, what she was doing, and that she was supposed to be gone by then—that she shouldn't have stopped for that stranger, that she had to follow her daily plan: go to school, pick her sister up, avoid any possible distraction.

And he would become a distraction, Vi could tell that.

"I should go," she croaked out, clinging her hands to the straps of her backpack.

She had to concentrate, and that was exactly what she was going to do. No more strangers with bruises on their faces, no more boys with curly hair and gentle eyes.

Miguel, however, had another idea.

"You don't have to—"

But his attempt at stopping her was cut short by a new presence. This time, it was a lanky and pale boy who stepped by his side; the guy with the mohawk came next.

"Well, you sure don't waste a second." The first one patted Miguel's back, "We were supposed to talk about training this evening and you just left. Good job, champ."

Vienna's lips parted in confusion. Training? What were they talking about?

A memory then popped up in her head.

She remembered one thing Miguel had told her that night, back in December. 'Karate war', he had said, and she couldn't help but wonder if that training had something to do with it.

Miguel sighed, looking somehow annoyed by the interruption, "I was just... caught up on something."

"And I was just leaving." Vi raised her eyebrows at Miguel, silently telling him that he would not be able to stop her once again. "Right?" she urged the boy, buttering her voice with a hint of false innocence.

He shook his head in disbelief, though his eyes glinted in amusement, "Right."

"Wait," spoke the taller one. "At least let this asshole apologize to you. Eli, do your thing."

She frowned, not knowing what he was talking about, but then noticed that the boy with the mohawk had lowered his head, as if he were swallowing his pride before speaking.

"It's Hawk," he huffed, but Vienna thought that she'd heard his voice waver at the nickname, as if he weren't sure he preferred it. However, he kept going, directing his gaze towards her, "Sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have talked to you like that."

"See? That wasn't so difficult!" The lanky boy exclaimed with sarcasm. "I'm Demetri, by the way. And his real name is Eli," he pointed at the other boy, "Hawk is just his douchey nickname. He's not an idiot anymore, but he still sticks with it."

Vienna couldn't contain the tiny chuckle that escaped from her mouth at Demetri's comment. She soon lowered her head, trying to hide her reaction.

When she looked up, Miguel was watching her with a smile of his own.

She cleared her throat, avoiding his eyes by bringing her attention to Eli. Yes, she did wish to run away, but she still wanted to make up for being impolite at the beginning of their encounter, "It's okay. I wasn't a sweetheart, either, so... we're even."

Hawk's shoulders seemed to relax at her comment, "We're cool, then."

Just as he finished talking, the girl felt her phone vibrate against the palm of her hand. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly checked the screen.

It was a text from Charlie.

'Can you come now? Please.'

And Vienna didn't like that, not one bit.

Charlotte's messages were usually short and sweet, but this one seemed way too direct, way too urgent. A tiny voice in her head—one that she usually tended to silence—told Vienna that she was probably blowing the whole thing out of proportion, yet her instincts were trained to always expect the worst from any situation. With that simple text, her whole body got tense, preparing itself for what she would find when she finally reached Charlotte.

Vi struggled to get her next words out, but finally managed to mask her worry with a serious expression—a hard facade that would get her out of there as fast as possible. "See you in class, I guess," she muttered curtly.

She just had to fake a smile and leave with a steady pace. Experience had taught her that strangers usually didn't bother on asking questions, especially when you seem absolutely determined to leave.

"Do you need a ride? Y'know, if you want to..."

Vienna froze.

She hadn't anticipated that question.

And she hadn't anticipated for Miguel to stop her once again, either.

After blinking a couple of times, she finally reacted, perhaps a little harsher than what she intended to, "I don't need anything, but thanks."

Vi turned around, disregarding the fact that a ride to Charlotte's school would be a great way to skip the fifteen-minute walk that separated her from her sister. Her pride would not allow her to take that favor; plus, she had decided to get away from any diversion that stood in her way, and that was exactly what she was set on doing.

Her feet started to drag her along the pavement, but Miguel had other plans.

He grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her a couple of feet away from Hawk and Demetri. She felt her pulse piercing the insides of her skin—the sudden wave of surprise that climbed up and down her arm, starting from the place his hand was holding.

It felt like years had passed by the time he let her go, and yet her wrist kept tingling, burning with an unknown sensation that left her static for a brief moment. She supposed the urge to get to her sister, mixed with the memories of the time she cleaned that stranger's cuts, were the ones wreaking havoc in her system.

Miguel cleared his throat, licked his lips as his eyes fluttered open and shut, though never leaving hers.

Vienna could only wonder if that meant he felt it, too.

"C'mon, it's obvious that you're in a hurry," he finally spoke, low and sincere. At first, she was amazed at the fact that he had noticed her urgency, but then remembered that she hadn't been exactly subtle at leaving. The little dimple on his cheek shone brightly as his lips curved upwards, "You helped me once; now let me help you."

Her phone dinged once again.

She stole a glance at the screen. Another text from Charlotte, asking where she was and if she was arriving soon.

And she could arrive soon.

She only had to accept Miguel's offer. Just for once, she could bare to swallow her stubbornness and receive the help she needed. It was a win-win situation: she would reach Charlotte faster, and Miguel would probably leave her alone after paying his debt.

No, she didn't need 'payment', but she could tell that he wouldn't stop until she accepted something—anything—from him.

"Okay," she finally gave in, giving him a curt nod. "Sounds... fair. But I, um, was supposed to pick my sister up from school."

"Don't worry about that," Miguel's smile got bigger, "we'll take you there first."

𓆩 ♡ 𓆪

It was safe to say that Vienna didn't think she would be accepting a ride from a black minivan, with a blonde man on the wheel and Miguel Diaz accompanying her in the backseat.

She saw a couple of empty beer cans scattered on the floor; a few forgotten pennies joining the mix. Vienna was a perfectionist, and she liked things to be as neat as possible, but, when she entered the minivan, she found herself remembering her mother's car. The same kind of messiness, the faint smell of cigarettes, the loud music Vienna knew her mom blared on the speakers as she drove to another one of her long shifts as a hostess at a far-off restaurant. That was a kind of disorder she didn't mind, one she understood, and so it never bothered her.

And yes, perhaps Vi sneaked out at midnight from time to time just to tidy the insides of the car, though always leaving a couple of things behind so her mom wouldn't notice that she had been there; after all, Verona Hoffman was just like her daughter—the type of woman who loathed asking for help—, and Vienna knew that more than anyone. Nevertheless, that blonde man's minivan felt somehow familiar, like... like something she was used to.

Despite that fact, her walls were still up.

She was there because she needed to reach Charlie fast—and because that seemed like the only way to finally close her little chapter with the Diaz boy.

However, as soon as she fastened her seatbelt, and just after Miguel explained to the rider that he had offered Vienna a ride to her sister's school, the man spoke, "And who the hell is this girl, Diaz?"

Miguel gave Vienna a tight and apologetic smile before answering. Still, he looked used to the man's extreme forwardness.

Comfortable, even.

"Um, this is Vienna. And Vienna... this is Johnny."

"Miguel's sensei."

The boy chuckled softly at the man's comment, "My sensei, yeah."

"Right," Vienna muttered, raising her eyebrows in slight amusement. "Karate stuff."

Miguel rolled her eyes at her, but didn't bother to hide his smile.

"And what about LaRusso's daughter?"

That question, however, managed to change the boy's relaxed expression.

"You know that Sam's not my girlfriend anymore, Sensei." Vi's ears caught that name, the same one Hawk had mentioned before, and she grew curious as she witnessed the way his smile faded. Finally, Miguel cleared his throat, quickly changing the topic, "Vienna's the girl I told you about... The one who helped me after the fight, remember?"

"She is?"

Johnny looked at her through the rearview mirror. Despite the distance, Vienna could see a slight change in his expression—something softer, something like gratitude, shone in his eyes as he watched her.

For the first time since she entered that car, she felt like she had to say something.

"I... I just did what any sane person would do."

"Most people don't care, kid; not anyone would." His tone got deeper, and Vienna had the impression that he actually knew what he was talking about. Nevertheless, his carefree—and perhaps a little aggressive—demeanor came back with his next comment, which was directed to Miguel, "So she's your girlfriend now?"

The boy brought a palm to his forehead, letting out a tired groan. Vienna just turned her head to the window, trying to focus on the streets instead of the way her muscles grew stiff at the question.

The rest of the ride was filled with silence on the girl's part. On the other hand, Johnny filled the tension with loud rock music, sometimes talking to Miguel about some weird and unknown stuff that she could only assume was karate-related.

Five minutes later, Johnny had carelessly parked his car outside of Charlotte's school.

Vienna almost busted the door open as she walked as quickly as possible to the place Charlie had told her she was at. After scanning her sister up and down, looking for injuries that luckily weren't real, she gave her a tight hug and vaguely explained that, for once, they would have a ride home.

She also told Charlotte that the rider was a little... peculiar, just in case he decided to say something out of proportion.

He seemed like the type of man who would, after all.

After a quick introduction and a polite greeting from Charlie, the silence was once again resumed. Now, Vienna's right side was pressed against Miguel's, for she had ended up trapped in the middle, between her sister and the boy.

No matter how hard the girl tried to stay as far away from him as possible, the fabric of their jeans kept grazing, leaving her in a constant state of edge. She bounced her leg up and down as a way of coping—fast and anxious movements that had always managed to maintain her mind occupied, but they didn't seem to be working correctly, for she could still feel the heat of Miguel's presence lingering on the places he accidentally brushed.

That was when she felt a shaky hand gripping the sleeve of her sweater, calling her attention.

And she knew that tremor very well; it was Charlotte's, after all.

"My hands are shaking again," the younger girl uttered her words under the sound of another rock song. She then proceeded to hide both of her hands inside the pocket of her sweatshirt, but Vienna could still see them trembling.

Like every time it happened, Vienna's heart clenched painfully. However, she kept a calm expression, trying to comfort her sister, "You know what to do, okay? Don't worry."

Charlie barely nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the back of the passenger seat as she started to take deep breaths. She looked so used to it... and she seemed older than she was, more mature in the worst way possible.

And just as she thought about that, Vienna noticed that Miguel's eyes were lingering over them. Nevertheless, the boy averted his gaze so quickly that she thought she had just imagined it.

Once Charlotte regained control of her body, she continued, "I made a friend." Her voice was low, but not enough to go unnoticed by the other people in the car. "His name is Kenny."

Vienna smiled sweetly, "That's great, Charls."

"But..." Vi's lips immediately tightened at that damn word. "There's this guy, Anthony, who started bothering Kenny, and I tried to defend him so..." Charlie sighed heavily, "I guess I have another bully now."

"Don't let him get to your head—"

"Bullshit."

Johnny's voice interrupted Vienna's with avid conviction. She was stunned for a second, instantly closing her mouth, but her guts then bubbled in anger, lighting her tongue on fire.

That man didn't even know what they were talking about. He didn't comprehend; he was just sticking his nose into something that didn't concern him.

"Sorry, sir, but I don't think you know what we're talking about." Her words could seem polite, serious, but the way she delivered them created a cloud of tension around the minivan.  Still, she continued, "I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself."

She could feel everyone's eyes on her: Charlotte's timid gaze, Johnny's surprised expression, even the strange glint on Miguel's pupils as he carefully watched her. Like a weight on her shoulders, a pressure that clawed at her skin.

Still, she didn't back out. She would not do that, not when she had always been the one in charge of protecting Charlotte—the one responsible for giving her advice and trying to make her life a little easier.

Truth was, in the back of her mind... there was a reason why she had gotten so wary. Something hidden, a thought she avoided like the plague: the feeling that she wasn't doing it right, and that her efforts to take care of Charlie had never—and would never—be enough.

"Strong temper, I see." It was Johnny who broke the silence, but he didn't look offended by Vienna's behavior; the girl even saw a tiny smirk reflected in the rearview mirror, leaving her confused. "But you should know that what your sister has to do is shut that bully up with a punch. Ask Diaz, he knows all about it."

With those words, Vienna's head instantly turned towards the boy. "You were bullied?"

She knew the answer—it had clearly been implied by the blonde man—, but she just...

She just didn't expect it.

"Yeah, until last year." The boy scratched the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture, "Then I joined karate and everything kind of... stopped."

"He beat the hell out of those bullies, that's what he did," Johnny added, raising one of his fists in a proud gesture.

"I just did it to defend myself."

Miguel looked directly at Vienna, as if he was trying to justify his acts.

You don't have to do that, she thought. She didn't utter the words, but they still shone in her eyes.

Because it was admirable, in a way.

Sure, Vienna had never wielded physical strength to solve a problem, and she was too focused on using her mind to come up with ways to help Charlotte solve her own issues to even worry about hers. Still, she liked to judge things from a grey and neutral perspective.

She had never been bullied—at least not directly, for people usually talked shit behind her back instead of saying it to her face—, but Charlotte's accident had taught her how difficult it could feel: how tiresome and draining, like an invisible cage that you simply couldn't run away from.

And yes, perhaps Miguel had used his fists, but he had won at the end of the day. He had escaped from that fucking cage, and the combination of modesty and empathy that reflected on his face told her that he didn't even feel the need to show it off.

He just did what had to be done, and most people... most people couldn't.

"That doesn't seem like you," she barely mumbled, too busy pondering about the new information she had learned.

"Well, not to brag but..." Miguel showed her a cheeky smirk. He got a little closer, as if he were going to tell her a secret, "I won a pretty important tournament last year."

"You did, huh?"

"What? You don't believe me?"

"I do." Her lips quirked in an almost imperceptible smile. "You don't look like the violent type," she said playfully, "but... something tells me that you just never quit."

She saw him biting the inside of his cheek, the way he crossed his arms over his chest after puffing it in joking pride. At the same time, a ray of sunshine flew through the car's window; even when he turned his head back to the front, his eyes looked a little brighter.

"Maybe," he then muttered.

Vienna could only let out a quiet laugh, but then she met Charlotte's eyes, who she now noticed had been watching the entire exchange with a pair of raised eyebrows.

She knew that stare—the one Charlie made when she was plotting something—, so she shook her head at her sister, as a way of telling her to let it go.

Nothing had happened, after all.

And still... the anxious feeling that suddenly started climbing up her spine made her uneasy for the rest of the ride.

During the next couple of minutes, she only talked to give Johnny her address; the man even commented that Charlie and she lived pretty close to Miguel and him, whose apartment complex was also in Reseda, but Vienna could only respond with an awkward nod. Soon after that, she spotted the neglected building where she spent her nights: the messy vines that climbed up the walls, the slightly broken front door, the single bench where she had found Miguel that December night.

She got out of the car as fast as she could.

"Hey, Vi?" Charlie's voice made her stop on her way to the building. She showed her an excited grin, "I think he wants to tell you something."

And then Charlotte looked behind her, where Miguel had opened one of the minivan's windows, resting his arms over the door frame while looking at Vienna.

The younger girl said a quick goodbye before limping straight to the building, leaving the other two partially alone. As her feet forcefully moved her close to the car, Vienna promised herself that she would find a way to make her sister pay for leaving her once again stuck with the same boy she had been trying to escape from. However, she seemed to forget about it as soon as Miguel showcased a timid expression.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

Evade the question.

She told herself that was what she had to do.

She didn't need to 'see him tomorrow'. She couldn't afford to lose her focus again, just like she had done that evening.

And so she simply cleared her throat, giving him a display of the most indifferent expression she could muster.

"Thanks for the ride."

She turned around, took a deep breath as she followed the same path Charlotte had taken to enter the building.

"Join my dojo, kid! I can make you more badass than you already are!"

Johnny's voice echoed down the street, just as she was taking her keys out of her bag.

And those words kept trapped inside her head for the rest of the evening, throughout the night, and even during the next morning.

𓆩 ♡ 𓆪

A couple of weeks later, Vienna Hoffman found herself on the verge of committing to something that her past self would have never even thought of.

She looked at the establishment that stood in front of her, taking her gaze from the front door to the entry sign that was located next to a snake's silhouette: a black, red, and yellow logo that stared straight into her eyes, silently daring her to go inside.

She felt restless, unable to control the rampant rhythm of her heart as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to be there, but she still knew it was something she needed to do. As seconds passed and she tried to collect enough courage to finally start her new journey, Vi kept reminding herself that she was there for her sister.

After all—and even against her own logic—, joining a karate dojo seemed like the easiest way to defend Charlotte from the bullying. She couldn't do it by herself, not with an injured leg and a nasty limp, and so Vienna was prepared to take the matter into her own hands.

With that conviction scarred deeply into her bones, she had spent the past few days replaying Johnny's words inside her head, as well as the things Miguel had told her back in December. At first, she didn't take it seriously: she thought karate wasn't exactly useful, for it probably wouldn't give her any extra points for her college essay, and she could learn some defense tricks on YouTube. But three days after Miguel and his sensei took her home, and during one of her study breaks, she couldn't control her fingers as they rapidly typed on her phone screen.

It only took her a couple of minutes to find out how important karate seemed to be in The Valley.

From elaborated tournaments back in the eighties to a fairly recent 'karate accident' that had taken place at a school—which she chose not to look into, for the headline reminded her too much of Charlotte's injury—, she learned that said discipline had practically built its own kingdom among the city. She browsed through different dojos, different teams... and then her eyes stumbled upon a particular site, which was gushing about one specific dojo.

Cobra Kai, an old name resurrected from the ashes.

Maybe it was the cobra that represented said dojo, or the fact that she always liked to look for the best of the best—either way, Vienna entered an endless loop, spending at least an hour looking for information about Cobra Kai. She learned that it had opened the previous year, that it was probably the most popular dojo in the city, and that one of its students had recently won the All Valley Karate Tournament; she even came across a picture of Johnny Lawrence, on which he was described as the sensei that brought the dojo back to life after its closure back in the eighties. It all clicked after that: Johnny was a sensei, Cobra Kai was his dojo, so that meant Miguel...

Miguel was the one who won the All Valley last year.

And, somehow, she ended up looking through the boy's Instagram profile, where she found a very peculiar picture. A younger Miguel wearing a black gi, shorter hair, and braces; a roar coming out of his mouth as he raised a big trophy in the air. He looked menacing, in a way—different from the boy she had met, but still the same.

For some reason, and even though she wanted to deny it, it was that picture what gave her the last push to pay a visit to Cobra Kai.

And sure, perhaps she had been avoiding Miguel at school as if he were the plague, and perhaps he had stopped trying to approach her after she practically ran away from him and his friends after one of their English classes, but keeping her distance didn't mean she had to stay away from every single thing that was connected to him; she could find a way to bear with him, even if they ended up training at the same dojo. If Cobra Kai had allowed the Diaz boy to stop his bullies, teaching him the best fighting techniques... then that meant it had to be great.

And Vienna always looked for greatness.

So she took a final breath, straightening her back in order to make a good impression, and entered the place.

The first thing she thought was that it looked like a military camp.

Students were lined up, perfectly dressed in a white gi. It seemed like their heads had all turned at the same time, fixing their eyes on her. The mat was red and black, the walls were grey and, for some odd reason, she felt even colder than outside. As she did her best to ignore the stares, she moved her head towards the front of the room, where two older men were analyzing her with an intimidating stance.

They definitely weren't Johnny Lawrence.

And Miguel Diaz was definitely not in that room.

She kind of hoped he was, actually.

"Can we help you?"

The taller one of the two approached her first, followed by the other one. Vienna had to tilt her head up in order to look him in the eye, and she couldn't help but feel like a tiny speck of dust under those men's gelid gazes.

"You're interrupting class, so be quick," the other one butted in, pushing her to talk.

She didn't know which one of them looked scarier, but she did notice that they were both evaluating her, searching for weaknesses.

It was clearly a test. And she had to ace it.

"I'm looking for Johnny Lawrence," she spoke, keeping a neutral tone. "Is he—"

Both men snickered slightly, cutting her words off.

Vienna frowned.

They were mocking her.

Her insides exclaimed in anger, her skin itched in that horrible way that she felt whenever someone wasn't taking her seriously.

Vi had been there before, like when she confronted her father years after he left for good. By the time she found him, he already had a new family in some rich neighborhood Vienna tried her best to forget. The man simply pretended that she was mistaken, said she wasn't his kid, and closed the door in her face. She had felt so bad back then, so pathetic and useless... and she promised herself that she would never go through that again.

And so she wasn't able to hold it any longer.

"What's so funny?"

Vienna immediately caught their attention with those words.

They looked at each other as if they were communicating in silence. Vi, on the other hand, started to think that she had messed up, that she had lost her opportunity to be in that place. However, her mind got filled with confusion when she noticed that the tallest one looked... interested, in a way.

"Mister Lawrence doesn't have a place here anymore. Cobra Kai is under new management now; better management," the taller one emphasized. "I'm Sensei Terry Silver."

"And I'm Sensei John Kreese," his companion went on. "Still, you've come here in the middle of class. We don't accept any distractions."

"No need to worry, John. Mister Keene can guide the rest of the students while we talk with..." he made a pause, waiting for the girl to say her name.

"Vienna... Vienna Hoffman."

Her words were now lower, sloppier. The fact that Johnny Lawrence wasn't there anymore wasn't adding up. The students kept hearing the conversation, and their stares felt heavier over her shoulders.

Nevertheless, she didn't pull her eyes away.

"Miss Hoffman, then," smiled sensei Silver. He then looked at one of the students who were standing in the front row: a boy with brown hair and light eyes. "You know what to do, Mister Keene."

"Yes, Sensei."

The boy proceeded to walk to the front of the classroom, so precisely that he almost looked like a robot. However, as students resumed their training, he focused his eyes on her.

They were filled with suspicion, also surrounded by something else—something like distrust, perhaps.

That only increased her confusion.

"So, I'm guessing you want to join us?"

Vienna nodded to Silver's question, "I... need to learn some defense."

"We don't teach defense here. Offense will be your defense." Kreese threw her a threatening glare, and she could only clench her hands into fists to avoid stepping back. "Now, tell me why you were looking for Johnny Lawrence."

"You know what, John? Let me handle this." The taller man patted Kreese's back. After a couple of seconds, he finally nodded, going back to the front of the class while Silver stayed with Vienna, although still a bit hesitant. "Let's go to my office."

"No," she denied bluntly. "I don't need to go to an office. I just want to know how to join this place."

Silver only smirked, pleased by her answer.

"That temper will probably give you what you want, but you also have to follow orders. I won't tell you twice, Miss Hoffman."

Not even one minute later, Vienna was sat at Terry Silver's desk with him on the other side.

She scanned him carefully while he fixed some of the things that were over the table. The man took his time, as if he was purposely trying to torture her, to put her on edge. Vienna, however, remained as still as a rock.

"So, you implied that you want to defend something," he started. "What is it?"

"I believe it's none of your business—"

"If you don't want to look weak," he interrupted her harshly, "then you don't get defensive. Say what you deem necessary, but never deny a question." He made a pause, waiting for her to nod. It took her some time, but she finally managed to take control of her rigid muscles. Only after that, Silver continued, "So, I'll ask you again. Why are you here?"

Don't get defensive.

But that sounded so incredibly hard.

She was always on the lookout for threats, always ready to shoot her poisonous thorns if she had to. Vienna had been defensive all her life; that was simply the person she raised herself to be.

Still, she had to try.

He was clearly the boss around there—even though there was another sensei, and even if Kreese himself didn't know it, Terry Silver just looked like one of those people who naturally got the lead role, the people who made the important decisions. She needed to look good under that man's eyes if she wanted to join his dojo; it was a little change of plans, for she had expected to find Johnny Lawrence instead, but she could adapt.

"I'm learning karate to protect my sister," she admitted, trying hard to ignore the lump that had suddenly found a home inside her throat.

"I take it she can't defend herself."

"No, sir." Vienna cleared her throat, hiding her pain with a heavy sigh. "She can't."

"I see." The man nodded slowly as he analyzed her expression. She couldn't even see a change in his; she couldn't read what he was thinking behind those cold eyes. "What happened to her?"

"Some bullies broke her leg last year, when we lived in Colorado." Words were spilling, her palms were getting sweaty as her mind started to fog, going back to the day of Charlotte's accident. "She hasn't... she hasn't recovered her mobility yet."

"But she will, won't she?"

"Um, we..." Vienna paused, pursing her lips when she felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Tearing her eyes away from Silver, she continued, "We don't have the money to pay for therapy."

Terry arched one of his thin eyebrows, "You do know you're supposed to pay for these classes, right?"

Of course, she huffed mentally. Money.

Money was always a fucking problem.

"I... I didn't think about that," she muttered, concealing her anger with a fake smile. Silver kept looking at her, not saying anything, and that was when she finally broke down; desperation got the best of Vienna, taking control of her mouth, "Look, I just need to learn the basics... a-and I can do something in exchange if you want me to... I don't want to be a professional, I don't even have—"

"Time?"

And that was it.

That was the word.

She didn't have time for anything for anything other than school, cleaning the house, doing chores...

She didn't even have time for herself, and Vienna had never complained about it. After all, she didn't really need it, right?

"Exactly."

"You'll make time for this, believe me." Silver got up from his chair, going around the desk to stand by Vienna's side. He rested his palms over the table, adopting a casual stance, but it was still cleared that he was the one in control. "Once people like you start... they never go back."

"People like me?"

"People who are angry," he asserted, absolutely convinced of his answer. "People who haven't let that anger out, people who store it inside until they finally explode."

Vienna recoiled, feeling herself grow cold as Silver's answer made her think about some of the words that Miguel Diaz had told her a month ago, on December nineteenth: that karate could help her control her rage, as if he too had sensed that was exactly what she needed.

And she had never taken the time to reflect on how she truly felt beneath all those fucking barriers she maintained every day, nor had she questioned why she sometimes got the notion that she was suffocating in thin air. Perhaps, she thought for a second, she was simply angry.

Maybe she just had to let it all out.

"Someone told me that before," she whispered; Miguel's face coming to the forefront of her mind.

"Then I think you already have your answer," the man mused, tapping his fingers over the wooden surface. For his next words, his expression turned more serious, "Cobra Kai it's not a playground, it's a dojo; once you enter, you give it all you've got."

"I understand, sir, but I said I didn't have the time for—"

"And what if I paid for your sister's physical therapy?"

Everything stopped.

Her heart, her lungs, time, the whole world.

Flashbacks of her sister's sobbing once she got the news that she wouldn't be able to walk normally ever again, imaginary scenarios of Charlie receiving the right treatments to heal her injury. Each image created different contrasts, different feelings, and Vienna's mind could not even process it.

She licked her lips, trying to get rid of the sudden dryness that took over her mouth, "If this is a joke, I swear I'll—"

"I could give you the money for her first session tomorrow morning," Silver stated confidently, leaving her at a loss for words. "You just have to come here, train six days a week and try harder than anyone. There's a tournament coming up in a few months and we need as many good fighters as possible," his eyes stayed focused on hers, showing nothing but absolute conviction, "I believe you can be one of them."

Nervously, Vienna shook her head; pressure growing like a bomb inside her chest, "I've never thrown a punch in my life. I-I was on my old school's track team, yes, but it's not the same..."

"And I understand that, but I can tell you have the spirit we're looking for." Silver showed her one of those cat-like, charming smiles, so similar to the ones she had seen countless times on every single TV commercial in which a brand was trying to sell something, or even on politicians' faces. For some reason, that grin made her feel even more anxious. "So, do we have a deal?"

He extended his arm towards her, inviting her to shake his hand.

But she couldn't.

She just couldn't.

It seemed so easy... too easy to be real.

"No." The girl crossed her arms, getting away from Silver's hand. She squinted her eyes, looking at his face in search of a clue, anything that would tell her that she was getting into a tramp, "There has to be something else."

"Intelligence is important in this place, Miss Hoffman. I'm guessing you have that, too." The man chuckled; a deep and menacing sound that made her clench her jaw. He carried on as if he hadn't noticed her reaction, "I've already told you everything, miss Hoffman. But," he paused briefly, "you just have to do me one more little favor."

She nodded her head, urging him to go on.

"Let's just say there are two dojos that are being a handful these days, and we need to secure our victory," explained the man. "From what you've told me, I supposed you're new to The Valley; their students won't even know you, so I have the perfect role for you." He lowered his voice, getting a little closer to her, "I need you to spy on the competition."

Vienna opened her mouth, trying to find her next words, but they didn't come immediately. Finally, she got her voice back, "Sir, I'm not sure—"

"How much money do you need?"

She swallowed hard.

But then she told her the exact amount—the same damn numbers that had been appearing in her nightmares ever since Charlotte's accident.

"Come here tomorrow, fifteen minutes before class, and I'll give it to you. All cash." Silver didn't hesitate, didn't even avert his gaze, and Vienna could tell that he wasn't lying, that he would bring the money if she just gave in. "But if you don't comply... you have to pay me back."

She didn't even listen to the last part.

The girl just told herself that it was okay, that it was fair. Her sister would finally get what she needed, and she didn't even have to sign a contract in order to get it.

And she knew that it still sounded like a fantasy, but Vienna didn't have anything to lose anymore.

"It's a deal, then."

𓆩 ♡ 𓆪

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oo. ▇  ‧‧ . ༉‧₊˚  𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆  ... ❜

so here starts the tragedy, folks. 🤪

i know, i know... this chapter is way too long! i really tried to shorten it, but i'm used to making this kind of chapter on my spanish stories; plus, it's just the way i write. please tell me if you want me to make some changes to the length, i really don't know what to do about that.

anywayyy, i hope you're liking this fic so far! let's just say that these first two chapters helped me set the story, so be ready for Vienna and Miguel. y'know, Vi is in Cobra Kai and Miggy is in Eagle Fang, and Vienna has to spy on the competition so... i think you can figure out where the plot is going. (;

thank you so much for all the support you've given this story. i really appreciate it, especially since my account is focused on spanish projects. your comments mean a lot to me. ♡

last but not least, i just wanted to remind you that i have a tiktok account on which i post edits for this and other stories. my user is ohmonamour.wp!

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