chapter twenty-seven:
❛ dylan's revenge ❜

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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

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Arizona sat on the edge of the couch in Miguel's apartment, her whole body shaking. Tears streamed down her face, her breath coming out in shallow gasps. Her arm throbbed with searing pain, the letters "TRAITOR" crudely tattooed into her skin. The ink was inflamed, red and swollen, already showing signs of infection. Her mind couldn't process it all-the betrayal, the pain, the shock.

Miguel knelt in front of her, his arms wrapped around her protectively as she sobbed into his chest. He held her tightly, whispering softly, "It's gonna be okay, Arizona. We're here, okay? We're here." But his words did little to soothe the agony ripping through her.

Carmen was beside them, her hands moving with gentle precision as she carefully cleaned Arizona's arm. She winced when she saw how bad the infection was starting to get, her face tight with concern. "I'm going to clean this as best I can," Carmen murmured in her soothing, motherly voice. "But Arizona, this is serious. If it gets worse, we'll need to go to the hospital. I don't want you to get sick from this, okay?"

Arizona barely registered her words. She was too deep in her own pain, too lost in the disbelief of what had happened. She glanced down at the tattoo, the harsh, ugly letters burning into her skin. Her best friend. Tory had done this to her. Tory.

"My own best friend did this to me?" she choked out between sobs, her voice raw and trembling. "Just... why? For leaving Cobra Kai? How could she do this?" The words were thick with disbelief, confusion, and heartache. Her whole body shook as she crumpled against Miguel, the sobs wracking her chest uncontrollably.

Miguel tightened his grip around her, his hand gently running through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Arizona," he whispered, his heart breaking at the sight of her in so much pain. "She had no right to do this. No right."

Across the room, Johnny paced like a caged animal, his face red with fury. He slammed his fist against the kitchen counter, muttering a string of curses under his breath. "Goddamn Cobra Kai... I swear, if I get my hands on them... on Tory-" He stopped himself, fists clenched tightly at his sides. His protective instincts were on overdrive, and seeing Arizona hurt like this, betrayed and brutalized, made him want to tear the dojo apart brick by brick.

"This is messed up, so messed up!" Johnny raged, his eyes blazing. He ran his hand through his hair roughly, trying to calm the storm of anger boiling inside him. "She's your friend? This is what friends do? What the hell is going on in that place? No loyalty, no honor, just cruelty."

Carmen shot Johnny a sharp look. "Johnny, calm down," she said softly but firmly. "Right now, Arizona needs to be taken care of, not more yelling."

Johnny exhaled sharply, trying to tamp down his anger, but it was written all over his face. He stood behind the couch, his hand resting gently on Arizona's shoulder, a silent promise of protection. "We're gonna fix this," he muttered, his voice low and fierce. "You're never going back to that place. I swear, they'll pay for this."

Arizona blinked through her tears, still overwhelmed. "Why would she do this?" she whispered again, more to herself than anyone else, her voice barely audible. "We were supposed to be friends..."

Carmen carefully finished cleaning the wound and gently wrapped a bandage around Arizona's arm. "I know this is hard, mija," she said, her voice filled with compassion. "But this isn't your fault. What Tory did... it was cruel. But this infection, this pain-it will pass. And you'll heal."

Arizona nodded weakly, her tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I just... I thought she cared about me. I thought..." She broke down again, her sobs growing louder as she clutched Miguel tighter, burying her face in his chest.

Miguel held her close, rocking her gently. "We're gonna get through this, Arizona. I promise." His voice cracked slightly, the pain of seeing her like this written all over his face. He kissed the top of her head, whispering soothing words that felt like they weren't enough but were all he could offer right now.

Carmen stood up slowly, wiping her hands on a towel, her face etched with worry. She glanced at Johnny, her eyes meeting his. They exchanged a look, one that said so much without words. Carmen then moved over to the couch, sitting beside Arizona and wrapping an arm around her, holding her like a mother would hold a child after a nightmare. "You're safe now," Carmen whispered softly, brushing a strand of Arizona's hair away from her tear-streaked face. "No one's going to hurt you anymore."

Arizona's sobs eventually started to slow, her body still trembling as the shock and heartbreak settled deep inside her. She looked down at her arm, at the bandage now covering the hateful mark, and for a moment, all she could feel was the heavy weight of betrayal. "I just want it to stop hurting," she whispered, her voice small.

Miguel kissed her forehead. "It will. I promise. It'll get better."

Johnny, still standing behind them, crossed his arms tightly, his jaw clenched. "You've got us," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We're not letting anything like this happen again."

Arizona closed her eyes, trying to believe them, trying to let their words sink in. But all she could feel was the sting of the needle, the cruelty in Tory's eyes, and the burning question of why her friend had turned on her so viciously. The pain wasn't just in her arm-it was in her heart, twisting and turning with every breath.

The night air was thick with tension as Dylan stood outside Cobra Kai, his breath coming in short bursts. The parking lot was nearly empty, save for a few scattered cars under flickering streetlights. His hands shook with adrenaline, anger coursing through his veins. Arizona's tear-streaked face kept flashing in his mind-the way she had broken down at Miguel's, her arm still raw from Tory's cruel tattoo. He had never felt so helpless before, and now, the only thing he knew was that Robby needed to be held accountable.

Taking a deep breath, Dylan yanked open the door to Cobra Kai, the bell above the door chiming loudly in the near-empty gym. The dim lights of the dojo cast eerie shadows across the mats, and the room smelled faintly of sweat and leather, a reminder of all the fights and bloodshed that had gone down here. It was quiet, too quiet, but Dylan could feel the weight of everything building inside him. He wasn't one for fights, but tonight was different.

"Robby Keene!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the gym, bouncing off the walls like a gunshot.

For a moment, nothing happened. The silence stretched out, thick and heavy, almost suffocating. Dylan's heart raced in his chest, pounding so loud he thought Robby might be able to hear it from wherever he was hiding.

Then, from the back of the dojo, Robby emerged, his movements slow and casual, as if he had been expecting this. His Cobra Kai gi was still on, loose and relaxed around his frame, but his eyes were sharp, predatory, locking onto Dylan with a knowing smirk.

"Well, well, well," Robby said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he leaned against the doorframe. "Arizona's best friend, huh? The one who's been crushing on her since forever. You come here to fight her battles for her?"

Dylan's jaw clenched. He could feel his fists tightening by his sides, knuckles white. "She didn't send me," he spat out, taking a step forward, his chest heaving with anger. "Right now, she's at Miguel's place, crying her eyes out because of what you and Tory did to her. What happened to you, Robby? From what I've heard, you weren't like this before. You were better than this."

Robby's smirk faltered just slightly, his eyes narrowing. "You don't know a damn thing about me," he shot back, his voice hardening. "You weren't here. You don't know what I've been through. You don't understand how things work now."

Dylan shook his head, anger bubbling over. "I don't need to know your sob story, Robby. All I know is that you hurt her. You hurt Hawk. And for what? To prove something to these Cobra Kai assholes?"

Robby's smirk twisted into something darker, colder. "You're in over your head, man. This isn't your fight."

Without thinking, without a plan, Dylan swung his fist, putting every ounce of anger into the punch. His knuckles connected with Robby's jaw, the impact sharp and jarring. But almost immediately, pain shot through Dylan's hand, a burning, stinging sensation radiating through his knuckles. He stumbled back, clutching his hand in pain. "Shit!" he muttered, wincing. "I've never done that before!"

Robby laughed, though there was no humor in it. He rubbed his jaw, stepping forward with a cold glint in his eyes. "Big mistake, man."

Before Dylan could react, Robby lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. They hit the mats with a thud, and suddenly they were grappling, a messy, uncoordinated fight as Dylan tried to shove Robby off him. Robby was faster, more trained, landing quick punches to Dylan's ribs, knocking the breath out of him.

But Dylan wasn't about to give up. He twisted, throwing a wild punch that glanced off Robby's shoulder, barely slowing him down. Robby pinned him down, his knee digging into Dylan's chest. "You don't know what you're messing with," Robby hissed through gritted teeth.

Dylan's vision blurred, but through sheer determination, he managed to shove Robby off balance, rolling out from under him. Scrambling to his feet, Dylan swung again, this time connecting with Robby's stomach. Robby grunted, doubling over in pain.

Panting heavily, Dylan stood over him, his chest heaving as he wiped the sweat from his brow. His fists were still shaking, his knuckles raw and bleeding, but he didn't care. "You ever touch Hawk or Arizona again," Dylan spat, his voice rough with exhaustion and anger, "and you'll regret it."

Robby staggered back, clutching his side, but his eyes still burned with defiance. He straightened, glaring at Dylan, but before he could say anything, Dylan turned on his heel and stormed out of the dojo, his heart racing as he pushed open the door.

The night air hit him like a slap in the face, cold and crisp, as the door slammed shut behind him. His mind was still reeling, his body aching from the fight, but all he could think about was Arizona, and the pain they had caused her.

As Dylan walked away, he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of victory and unease. He wasn't a fighter, but for once, he had stood up for something-someone-that mattered. And he wasn't going to let Robby, or anyone else, hurt the people he cared about again.

The dingy apartment complex loomed before Dylan as he clenched his fists, each step toward Tory's door feeling heavier than the last. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from this confrontation-some kind of explanation, maybe, or even a shred of guilt-but the image of Arizona's tear-streaked face wouldn't leave his mind. It had been haunting him since he'd left Cobra Kai, her arm still raw from the tattoo, her sobs echoing in his ears. The anger that had been simmering inside him was about to boil over.

He stormed up the metal stairs, his footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet night. The apartment complex smelled of mildew and stale air, the buzzing of a distant TV the only sound. Reaching Tory's door, he raised his fist and banged on it, hard. "Tory! Open up!"

The door creaked open, revealing Tory standing in the doorway, her expression immediately hardening when she saw Dylan. Her eyes flickered with something between annoyance and exhaustion, but she didn't say anything at first.

Dylan didn't waste time. "What the hell were you thinking?" he spat, stepping forward. "You tattooed 'traitor' on Arizona-your best friend-because she left Cobra Kai? What is wrong with you?"

Tory's jaw clenched, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms. "She's not my best friend anymore," she shot back, her voice cold. "She left me. She left Cobra Kai. I was the one who stuck around, and she abandoned me."

Dylan's disbelief was palpable. He shook his head, his voice rising. "She didn't abandon you! She wanted out of this whole toxic mess and you know it! How could you do something so vicious to her after everything?"

Tory's gaze darkened, but there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. "She left me alone, Dylan," she snapped, stepping forward. "She was my friend, and when things got tough, she bailed. Do you know what it's like to have everyone turn their backs on you? To be left with nothing?"

Dylan's anger surged. "You think that justifies what you did?" he shouted. "You think that makes it okay to permanently scar her? You're not the only one who's had it tough, Tory! But that doesn't give you a free pass to destroy people!"

Tory's face twisted in anger, her hands balling into fists. Dylan, still fuming, lost control of his emotions. He swung at her, his punch wild and fueled by frustration. But Tory was quicker-she blocked it easily, shoving him back with a fierce push. Dylan stumbled, falling hard onto the concrete floor, his breath knocked out of him for a moment.

"I regret it, okay?!" Tory yelled, her voice cracking slightly. She stood over him, her eyes blazing with fury but something softer hidden beneath. "I didn't want to hurt her like that. But you don't understand-none of you do! You don't know what it's like to be stuck in this hellhole with no one to count on!"

Dylan pushed himself up from the ground, staring at her in disbelief. Her words hung in the air, and for the first time, he saw more than just the anger in her eyes-he saw the fear, the desperation. But it didn't make sense. She still did it. She still hurt Arizona.

"Tory..." he began, his voice quieter now, still laced with frustration. "If you regret it, then why? Why didn't you stop?"

Tory turned away, running a hand through her hair as she took a deep breath, her shoulders trembling. "Because I was angry," she muttered, her voice barely audible. "Because I felt like she was leaving me behind. Everyone leaves, Dylan. Everyone. I didn't want her to, but I couldn't stop it."

Dylan stood up, rubbing his sore knuckles, trying to process what she was saying. Part of him wanted to scream at her again, to make her understand just how much damage she'd caused. But another part of him could see the cracks in her armor-the regret she clearly didn't want to admit.

"You don't have to keep pushing people away, Tory," Dylan said quietly. "Arizona didn't leave because she didn't care about you. She left because she couldn't handle what Cobra Kai was turning into. You don't have to keep holding onto this anger."

Tory shook her head, her eyes fixed on the ground. "It's not that easy."

Dylan sighed, taking a step back. "It's never easy, but what you did-it doesn't have to define you. You can make things right."

For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of their argument hanging between them. Tory didn't respond, but the look on her face was enough for Dylan to know that his words had hit her, even if she didn't want to admit it.

Finally, he turned and walked away, leaving Tory standing alone in the doorway, staring after him as the weight of her actions finally started to sink in.

ASH SPEAKS!

dylan defending arizona>>>

i cant wait for the prom chapter... sam & dylan and miguel & arizona

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
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