"Bubblegum? I like that, actually,"

Arizona parked her car outside of the Cobra Kai dojo, immediately noticing Daniel LaRusso storming out, his face red with anger. She furrowed her eyebrows and pressed the lock button on her key fob, the car emitting a loud beep that made Daniel turn and glare at her.

"Arizona, did you have anything to do with destroying my dojo?" he asked angrily, his voice sharp and accusatory.

Arizona looked at him, genuinely taken aback. "No?" she replied, confusion evident in her voice.

Daniel didn't respond, his expression hardening before he turned on his heel and marched to his car, slamming the door shut and driving off in a huff. Arizona stood there, frozen in bewilderment, watching as a few kids exited the Cobra Kai dojo. She pushed open the dojo doors, the bell above jingling softly.

"What the fuck just happened?" Arizona questioned loudly, her eyes scanning the room. All eyes turned to her, the atmosphere tense.

"Arizona? Where have you been?" Miguel asked, worry etched on his face as he stepped forward.

Arizona rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. She made her way over to Hawk, who stood with a guilty look, avoiding her gaze. She grabbed his wrist, pulling him aside.

"What happened? I've been MIA for a day because my dad grounded me to my room. What did you do?" she whispered urgently, her eyes narrowing as she pointed to his bruised eye.

Hawk hesitated, then whispered back, "Demetri left a Yelp review on Cobra Kai, and me and a few others went to the mall to beat him up... we lost, and Kreese told me not to let the enemies win, so I went to their dojo and trashed it."

Arizona flicked him on the forehead, making him wince. "Dumbbutt," she stated firmly, her tone scolding.

Hawk frowned, rubbing his forehead. "Dumbbutt? Who even says that?" he retorted, incredulous.

Arizona gave him a blank stare, shaking her head in disappointment. She turned and walked over to Johnny, pulling a check from her pocket and holding it out to him. "I have a check for you. I'm joining," she said confidently.

Johnny took the check, a grin spreading across his face. "Yes! Finally, you won't be loitering around my dojo. Welcome, Bubblegum," he said, giving her a new nickname.

Arizona couldn't help but grin back. "Bubblegum? I like that, actually," she replied with a shrug. She started walking towards the locker room to change into a gi, but Miguel followed her, grabbing her wrist. She pulled her wrist back quickly, glaring at him.

"Leave me alone," she seethed, her voice low and angry. She turned and walked into the girls' locker room, closing the door behind her with a resolute thud.

Inside the locker room, Arizona took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and quickly changed into her gi. The mirror reflected her determined expression, a mixture of frustration and resolve. She couldn't believe the mess Hawk had gotten himself into, and now, by extension, her.

As she stepped out of the locker room, she saw Johnny waiting for her. "Ready to train, Bubblegum?" he asked, his tone encouraging.

Arizona nodded, her jaw set in determination. "Yeah, let's do this," she replied, ready to channel her anger and confusion into her training.

Everyone was being punished except for Arizona. Johnny knew that Arizona didn't have it in her to trash Miyagi-Do. Johnny had left for a family matter, leaving Kreese in charge. So, she was punching and kicking a dummy while everyone else did push-ups, sit-ups, and other grueling exercises, waiting for someone to confess. Although she was tempted to reveal that it was Hawk, she kept quiet, not wanting to betray her friend or get further involved.

Arizona punched the dummy angrily, and Tory, who was holding a rope for strength training, sniffled a laugh at her.

Arizona stopped and glared at her. "Fuck off, Tory. I know what you said about me to Aisha," she said confidently, her voice laced with anger.

Tory dropped the rope she was holding and loomed over her. "Just because you changed your looks and are trying to act tough now doesn't mean you're all that. You're still a weak little girl obsessed with weird essential oils," she taunted, her tone dripping with disdain.

Arizona clenched her fist, her eyes narrowing. "I bet it was you who trashed Miyagi-Do. You're the one who's jealous of Sam anyway," Tory retorted, her voice rising.

Arizona smirked. "Jealous of Sam? That's rich coming from you."

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Arizona swung her clenched fist at Tory. Miguel, who had been watching the escalating confrontation, quickly grabbed Arizona's waist and pulled her back. Tory laughed, clearly enjoying the chaos she had stirred.

"Let me go, Miguel!" Arizona shouted, her voice filled with fury and frustration.

Miguel, shocked by her outburst, tightened his grip. Arizona was usually calm and collected, always trying to be nice to everyone. This sudden aggression was unlike her. "No, you need to calm down," he said firmly, holding her tightly.

Arizona stopped struggling, her breath coming in quick, angry gasps. Kreese, observing the scene with a smirk, stepped forward. "Stop!" he yelled, his voice commanding attention. "Would you really like to know who did it?" he asked, his tone dripping with mock seriousness.

Miguel let go of Arizona, who went to stand beside Hawk, sharing a worried look with him. Kreese began, "It was Hawk," and everyone turned to give Hawk a disbelieving look. "And it was Alvarez," Kreese continued, causing Arizona to frown in confusion. "And Diaz, Robinson. And it was Nichols, Chubs, Red. When one of you makes a move, you all make a move. You live and die with the consequences and the spoils. Because you are all Cobra Kai."

Arizona stared at him in disbelief. Kreese's words seemed to carry a twisted logic that made sense in the world of Cobra Kai, but it felt wrong to her. "Main dojo, five minutes. Alvarez, Nichols, come here," Kreese ordered, waving her over. She walked over hesitantly, with Tory joining her.

"Yes, Sensei?" Arizona said, her voice uncertain, trying to mask her fear.

Kreese crossed his arms, his eyes cold and calculating. "I need you two to stop being enemies and start being friends. I can tell you two would be a good match," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Arizona and Tory exchanged confused looks, neither fully understanding Kreese's intentions. Tory, despite her usual bravado, seemed equally unsettled. "You want us to be friends?" Tory asked, her voice skeptical.

"Yes," Kreese said firmly. "You two are strong fighters, and together, you can be even stronger. Learn to trust each other. This dojo needs unity, not division."

Arizona nodded slowly, still processing Kreese's words. "Okay, Sensei," she agreed reluctantly.

Tory gave a small nod as well. "Fine," she muttered.

Kreese dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "Good. Now get back to training. We have a lot of work to do."

As Arizona and Tory walked back to the main dojo, Arizona glanced at Tory. "Look, I know we don't get along, but maybe we can try to make this work," she said, her voice softer now.

Tory sighed, her tough exterior momentarily cracking. "Yeah, maybe," she replied. "But don't think for a second that I'm going to go easy on you."

Arizona managed a small smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less," she said.

Later that evening, Daniella was cooking dinner for the family, which surprised Arizona. She hadn't seen her mom cook in a long time, and it felt surreal. Arizona sat at the dinner table, scrolling through her phone, trying to distract herself from the brewing tension. Her dad, Alexander, sat across from her, and her brother, Diego, sat beside her.

Alexander reached across the table and snatched Arizona's phone from her hand, causing her to gasp in shock.

"Hey!" she protested, reaching out for it, but Alexander placed the phone on the counter behind him, out of her reach.

"You'll get this back after dinner. We're going to sit here together as a family and eat dinner," Alexander told her with a stern tone, his eyes leaving no room for argument.

Arizona scoffed lightly, her frustration bubbling over. "Seriously? You waltz back into our lives, get her out of rehab—which she needed, by the way—because of you! She drank the last ten years of her life away and married a man who was a piece of shit! All because you couldn't be around us anymore. That's so rich of you," she snapped, her voice filled with years of pent-up frustration and anger.

Alexander slammed his fist on the table, his face turning red with anger. Just as he was about to respond, the doorbell rang, and Diego immediately hopped up to answer it, happy for the distraction.

"Arizona, it's for you! It's Miguel!" Diego called out from the doorway, his voice echoing through the house. Arizona felt a wave of relief wash over her and perked up, but Daniella looked over from the kitchen, her expression stern.

"Tell him to call Arizona later. Dinner's about done," Daniella said firmly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Arizona sank back down in her seat, feeling trapped. Alexander shook his head. "No! Tell her that she will see him at karate practice. Her phone is being taken away for two weeks. She can't hang out with friends. Only karate and home," Alexander said, his voice unyielding.

"That's such bullshit!" Arizona cursed, her frustration boiling over.

Alexander's glare hardened. "This is what happens when you talk back to me, dye your hair without asking, and don't tell us where you've been going off to," he said, his tone final.

Arizona scoffed again, her anger reaching its peak. She pushed back her chair and stormed up to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. She flopped onto her bed and screamed into her pillow, the sound muffled but still raw with emotion. After a moment, she heard a tapping sound at her window. She looked over and saw Miguel standing outside. She got up, opened her window, and let him in.

"What do you want?" she retorted, her voice still sharp with anger.

Miguel grabbed her hands, his expression pleading. "Can you give me a chance, please? I know I messed up badly," he asked, his eyes searching hers for forgiveness.

Arizona crossed her arms, her body language defensive but willing to listen.

"I'm so sorry. Hawk told me to tell you that to see what you would do. I really like you, Ari. I have since I met you. I was just blinded by Sam," Miguel admitted, his voice sincere and remorseful.

Arizona's mouth fell open in shock. "What?" she whispered, her mind racing to process his words.

Miguel cupped her face gently, his touch soft and reassuring. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She fluttered her eyes shut, feeling butterflies swarm in her stomach, especially when he placed his hand on her waist. She melted into the kiss, her anger momentarily forgotten as she allowed herself to feel the warmth and sincerity of Miguel's affection. The kiss was tender, filled with unspoken apologies and promises. When they finally pulled apart, Arizona looked into Miguel's eyes, seeing the genuine regret and longing there.

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I've been so angry and confused. I didn't know how to deal with everything."

Miguel nodded, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. "I know. But we'll figure it out together, okay? I'm here for you, no matter what."

Arizona felt a tear slip down her cheek, but for the first time in a long time, it wasn't a tear of frustration or sadness. It was a tear of hope. She leaned in and kissed Miguel again, this time with more certainty, knowing that they would face whatever came their way together.

A knock at the door pulled them apart, and Arizona quickly pushed Miguel into her closet, gesturing for him to stay quiet. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Arizona, please open the door. I want to talk. I'm sorry," Alexander's voice came from the other side, filled with a mix of regret and determination.

"Come in!" Arizona called out, trying to sound composed.

Alexander opened the door and stepped into her room, his expression softened but still troubled. He glanced around, noting the slight disarray from Arizona's earlier outburst.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Alexander began, his voice gentle. "I know things have been hard, and I haven't been around as much as I should have. But I'm trying to make things right."

Arizona crossed her arms, her guard still up. "You think taking my phone away and grounding me is making things right?" she retorted, her tone sharp.

Alexander sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know it seems unfair, but I'm trying to set boundaries. I don't want you to make the same mistakes your mother and I made."

Arizona felt a pang of guilt at the mention of her mother. She glanced towards the closet, hoping Miguel was staying silent. "It's just... you weren't here. And now you are, and it's like you're trying to control everything," she said, her voice wavering.

"I'm not trying to control you, Arizona. I'm trying to protect you. I know I've made mistakes, and I'm sorry for that. But I need you to trust me. Can we start over?" Alexander's eyes were earnest, filled with a plea for understanding.

Arizona hesitated, the anger and hurt warring with the desire to mend things. She took a deep breath. "Okay. But you have to understand that I'm not a little kid anymore. I need some space too."

Alexander nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I understand. We'll find a balance, I promise."

Just then, they heard a muffled thud from the closet. Arizona's eyes widened, and she quickly turned to the closet door, her heart racing.

"What was that?" Alexander asked, frowning.

"Uh, nothing! Just, uh, my shoes fell," Arizona stammered, her face flushing.

Alexander raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Alright. Let's go down and finish dinner. We can talk more later."

As he turned to leave, Arizona let out a sigh of relief. She waited until he was out of the room before rushing to the closet and opening the door. Miguel stumbled out, looking a bit sheepish.

"That was close," he whispered, his eyes wide.

Arizona nodded, her heart still pounding. "Yeah. Thanks for staying quiet."

Miguel smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Anything for you, Ari."

She felt her cheeks warm at his touch, the tension from the evening slowly melting away. "I should go downstairs," she said reluctantly. "We'll talk more later?"

Miguel nodded. "Yeah. I'll text you. Well, once you get your phone back."

Arizona chuckled softly. "Right. Thanks, Miguel."

He gave her one last smile before slipping out the window. Arizona watched him go, feeling a mix of relief and nervousness. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation with her family downstairs, and then headed out of her room to join them.

ASH SPEAKS!

THEYRE TOGETHER!!!!!!!

ALSO COBRA KAI S6 T-MINUS TWO DAYS!!!!