Theo was out for a jog around the park, blasting 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor in his AirPods as his feet hit the gravel. As he rounded a corner, he noticed a something up ahead—three older boys surrounding a younger boy, who looked to be around thirteen.

Theo's instincts kicked in as he slowed down. The older boys were taunting the younger one, laughing cruelly as they made hurtful comments.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Theo called out, his voice firm as he approached.

The older boys turned to face him, their smirks faltering slightly. "Oh, look, it's King Cobra," one of them sneered, trying to regain their bravado. "What's up, man? Can we get an autograph?"

Theo didn't miss a beat. He stepped closer, his expression serious. "You want to know what's up? Bullying a kid doesn't make you tough. It makes you pathetic." His tone was steady.

The older boys exchanged uncertain glances. "Whatever, man," another one muttered, clearly intimidated. "Let's bounce."

With that, they backed off, their laughter fading as they retreated. Theo turned his attention to the boy, who was visibly shaken but trying to look tough.

"Hey, you okay?" Theo asked, offering a hand to help him up.

The boy looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," he replied, brushing off his clothes.

"I'm Theo," he introduced himself with a reassuring smile. "What's your name?"

"Lorenzo Carter," the boy said, a hint of pride breaking through his nervousness. "People call me Enzo."

"Nice to meet you," Theo grinned. "Look, they're not worth your time. I was bullied growing up too, but if you want to learn to defend yourself, stop by Cobra Kai later."

"I'll be there," Enzo grinned, clapping hands with Theo before they went in different directions.

—————

Tory stepped out of the Probation Officer's office, sighing tiredly, the weight heavy on her shoulders. She spotted Robby sat nearby, his posture tense as he squared up to her, fists clenched at his sides.

"Yeah, go ahead. They'll send you straight back to juvie," she taunted, crossing her arms defiantly.

Robby slowly unclenched his fists, the fire in his eyes dimming slightly. "We're in the same boat."

"Thanks to you starting the fight," he shot back, frustration evident in his voice.

"And you finishing it," Tory countered, her tone sharp.

There was a brief pause. Tory's expression softened slightly as she continued, "It's not fair, you know. Everyone else got to go back to normal, but Theo's still getting pains and we're eating shit while your girlfri—"

"Don't talk about Dakota," Robby interrupted, his voice low and defensive.

"Why not? She cheated on you. If it wasn't for Theo actually being a decent human being, then who knows how far it would've gone," Tory pressed, her frustration boiling over.

"She made a mistake. Dakota's a good person," Robby insisted.

"Yeah, she sure acts like it," Tory said bitterly. "Just wait; she'll turn on you, just like she did to Theo."

"You don't know that," Robby shot back, his tone rising with anger.

Tory took a step closer, her eyes locked onto his. "Theo had a panic attack when he saw her at the party. Wanna know why?"

Robby hesitated, the tension between them thick. Finally, he nodded.

"Dakota used to mentally and emotionally abuse him. His confidence was shaken; it took him eight months to work up the courage to ask me out," Tory explained, her voice steady but filled with emotion.

The silence that followed was heavy. Robby's expression shifted, Tory's words sinking in. He opened his mouth but found no words to respond.

Tory sensed the shift and prepared to leave, the conversation weighing heavily on her. "On the section about home life, just check off 'stable.' They don't care. They never come check," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness as she turned away.

She walked out of the offices and onto the street, seeing Theo, freshly showered and changed after his jog, leaning against a 1967 Chevy Impala.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Theo... and you're gorgeous," Tory laughed at the reference and the dorky smile on Theo's face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Nice car," Tory said when she pulled away, her arms still wrapped around his neck.

"Well, I was going to get a Range, but I saw this beauty in the lot and couldn't resist," Theo grinned boyishly. "Brandon is going to be coolest kid in Middle School when they see me drop him off."

Tory's heart swelled with adoration at her brother's and boyfriend's relationship.

"You do know they think he's cool already because a rockstar drops him off, right?" She teased.

"What can I say? I'm a man of many redeeming qualities," they both laughed as Theo opened the passenger side door for her.

—————

"Diaz has switched sides," Kreese spoke up when the Cobra's formed up in rows in front of him. Theo stood front and centre with Tory and Hawk on either side of him. "Like the golden boy he is, he jumped ship."

"Him and LaRusso's daughter made a compelling statement in front of the governors," Elise spoke up, jabbing a student in the back with a bo staff to straighten his posture. "They made sure the All Valley is back on, which means now is the time to train harder than ever."

Suddenly, the bell above the door chimed. Theo kept his head forward while the rest of the class looked towards.

"The dojo is currently closed to new students," Elise said, eyeing the nervous boy who stood playing with his hands.

"U-um, T-Theo said I-I-" Enzo cut himself off, looking down at the floor.

Theo turned around at the sound of Enzo's voice.

"Senseis, can I talk to you for a moment?" Theo asked. Elise and Kreese shared a look before nodding, the three bowing off the mat and stepping into the office.

Tory looked closer at the boy. He looked to be around thirteen, he was a scrawny kid with little to no muscle on his body. She didn't see what Theo saw in him, but she trusted her boyfriend.

It was five minutes later when the trio of the grandfather, mother and son walked out of the office, Theo falling back in beside Tory and both Sensei's walking towards Enzo.

"If you want to be here, you're going to have to earn it," Kreese said. Enzo wouldn't admit, but Kreese made him more nervous than Elise. "Everyone circle around, Warren, up."

Warren was a good fighter, he was tall and fast, but he made rash decisions that often led to him losing in sparring.

He towered over Enzo, who looked scared as he looked towards Theo nervously.

"Don't panic," Theo whispered when Enzo stepped closer to him. "Don't run off the mat. You're shorter than him, he tires easily, wear him down and then strike when you think it's the right time."

Theo stood at the edge, his heart racing as he watched Enzo face off against Warren. The taller boy exuded confidence, his stance wide and imposing, while Enzo appeared small and uncertain, but Theo's earlier words echoed in Enzo's mind.

"Fight!" Kreese barked, and the match began.

Warren lunged forward, throwing a quick jab aimed at Enzo's face. The younger boy instinctively ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. The crowd murmured, surprised by Enzo's quick reflexes.

"Kid's fast," Tory whispered to Theo.

Warren, undeterred, followed up with a series of rapid punches, each one more aggressive than the last. Enzo dodged and weaved, managing to evade most of them, but a couple of punches grazed his shoulder, forcing him to retreat.

"Don't back up! Keep moving forward!" Elise urged from the sidelines.

Taking a deep breath, Enzo focused in. He remembered Theo's advice about wearing Warren down. He began to circle the larger boy, looking for an opening. Warren, sensing Enzo's hesitation, charged in again, this time trying to grapple him.

Enzo sidestepped at the last moment, using Warren's momentum against him. The taller boy stumbled forward, and in that split second, Enzo saw his chance. He pivoted and threw a quick roundhouse kick, catching Warren off balance and landing a solid hit to his side.

"Damn, not bad for a rookie," Theo murmured. Enzo's balance was a little shaky, but it was a good kick. Warren staggered back, momentarily stunned. Warren quickly recovered, his expression shifting from shock to determination. He lunged at Enzo again, this time with more aggression. Enzo, feeling the adrenaline surge, stood his ground. He remembered to keep moving—he had to outlast Warren.

Warren, frustrated by Enzo's resilience, decided to go all out. He charged at Enzo, throwing wild punches in an attempt to overwhelm him. Enzo ducked and dodged, narrowly avoiding a powerful right hook that could have knocked him out.

"Stay focused! Use your footwork!" Kreese shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Just as Warren was about to throw another punch, Enzo feigned to the right and then quickly moved to the left, catching Warren off guard. He delivered a swift kick to Warren's knee, causing the taller boy to falter. Enzo followed up with a spinning backfist that landed squarely on Warren's jaw.

The impact echoed through the dojo, and Warren stumbled to the mat, clearly shaken.

"Finish him" Kreese demanded.

With one last kick to Warren's midsection, Enzo was declared the winner.

"Nice find," Elise praised Theo, patting his shoulder.