"Mom?"

The brief, unspoken conversation between Thomas and Davina was swiftly interrupted as their attention was drawn to the white glass tiles below. The suitcases, sprawled carelessly across the immaculate surface, marred the otherwise flawless expanse with their chaotic disarray.

"What are you doing here?" Thomas looked around, his face showing clear confusion. Seeing their mother in the house, something that rarely happened, left him feeling bewildered and unsure. "I thought you had an important conference in New York."

For Natalie, her career has always been the foremost priority, to the extent that her workplace has become akin to a second home. The twins were left to manage everything on their own, and the absence of both their parents made a big impact.

Their dad's absence was understandable, but Natalie's way of dealing with her children was to provide financial support instead of spending time with them. She preferred to throw money at them as long as they didn't disturb her, showing little interest in being involved in their lives.

She placed her glass of water on the table beside her with, a sardonic smile flickering just beneath her breath. With a fluid motion, she rose from the sofa, smoothing the slight wrinkles of her skirt, her poised demeanor setting the stage for her forthcoming words.

"I was on my way to the airport, but imagine my surprise when I received a call from Amanda LaRusso, shouting in my ear that my children had broken into her house and started a fight." Natalie's voice grew sharper with every word, her escalating fury evident as each sentence underlined her mounting anger.

"What?" With a theatrical gasp, Thomas feigned shock and indignation. "That's crazy," his voice rolled out slowly, dragging each syllable with a measured pace, giving his words an almost mocking drawl.

Natalie hummed. "That's what I said. But then I remembered someone doing a similar thing five months ago and decided to go all Rambo on Sam LaRusso."

Her blue eyes settled with a sharp intensity on her daughter, whose own eyes narrowed into slits, her arms crossed over her chest. "So?"

"So?!" Natalie asked, her voice rising in pitch, filled with incredulity, as though the words she heard defied belief. "Please tell me there's another Davina and Thomas Cassidy that I don't know about, because from what I remember we had an agreement that you would take it down a notch."

"No, you said I would do it and I just nodded. I never agreed to anything." Davina shot back, her words clipped and filled with a pointed intensity.

Natalie's expression shifted to one of defiance, a challenging glint appearing in her eyes, and Thomas winced, fully aware of where this was heading.

He found himself consistently positioned in the crossfire of their arguments, but he always sided with his sister, aware that their mother tended to deliver the cruelest and most below-the-belt insults.

"I didn't stick my neck out for you at school for you to ruin everything now."

Davina scoffed. "Mr. Lopez said he wouldn't let me back into the school anyway."

This, however, was not the complete truth. Mr. Lopez needed to be assured that Davina was getting the right kind of help she needed.

His concern was to confirm that the help she was getting would effectively address her issues and keep her from posing any danger to the other students.

After a reasonable amount of time has passed, they will reassess the situation to decide if she should be allowed to go back to school.

To Davina, it felt as though they were purposefully trying to paint her as insane, and she was adamantly certain that she would not be pushed into undergoing therapy again.

"Is that why you decided to burn every bridge?" In a tone laced with disbelief, Natalie asked, her brows furrowing as if questioning the very fabric of what she had just heard. "And you brought your brother into this?"

"Yeah, because he can't think for himself." Davina responded in defense, her words sharpened by a sense of righteous anger.

This was the pattern that defined Davina's life. Ever since she was a child, it didn't matter if she was innocent or if Thomas had caused the trouble. She was the one who was always blamed.

In Natalie's eyes, Thomas could do no wrong, making Davina the scapegoat for every mishap and mistake.

"Mom, she didn't make me do anything." Thomas stood up for Davina, his voice taking on an edge of frustration. "It was literally my idea."

"Thomas, please don't lie for her." Davina scoffed at the sudden change in their mother's tone when she turned her attention to Thomas.

The difference was striking; the harshness reserved for Davina melted away, replaced by a warmth reserved only for her brother, leaving no question about Natalie's clear favoritism.

"I'm not lying." He shot back at once, his reply dripping with irritation, a clear sign that his patience was running thin.

Davina rolled her eyes in exasperation, clearly unimpressed and tired of the ongoing conversation.

"Come on, don't sweat it. She, as always, knows better," she said with a hint of irony in her voice, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"You have no right to have an attitude with me after what you did." Natalie said with unwavering firmness. "Do you really want to end up like your father and throw your life away? If so, you're on the right track."

This was the precise moment when Natalie targeted the most painful aspect of Davina's life, striking a chord that caused the deepest hurt.

Davina clenched her jaw in a tight grip, her face set in a mask of defiance, determined not to reveal that Natalie's words had struck a painful chord.

"Mom!" His voice growing louder, Thomas' expression showed clear disbelief. "Seriously?"

"At least he doesn't have to put up with you." Davina said grimly, her voice a low murmur. "Sounds like a pretty good life if you ask me."

She turned on her heel and strode toward the door, ignoring how Natalie called out after her.

Thomas winced at the sound of the door slamming shut with a resounding bang.

He turned to his mother, hands thrown up in exasperation, as if to say, "Would it kill you to be a little nicer to her?"

"To be nice for what?" Natalie responded with a nearly audible scoff, dismissing her son's words as her face twisted with the sheer contempt she bore toward his viewpoint. "For acting like a lunatic? She must know that her actions have consequences."

"She's not a lunatic, she's hurt." Thomas, with a tone as cold as marble, pointed out the subtle nuances between the two things. "Whoever, but you should know how it feels. Or have you already forgotten?"

Now, filled with a sense of suspense, he had turned on his heel and was making his way toward the door.

✸

          "Yo, I'm telling you, man, when I get to ASU, honeys be lining up for this snack, know what I mean?" As Kyler's joke reverberated through the room, the Cobra Kai boys erupted in unrestrained laughter. "Anyways, my dad, he wants me to go to Harvard, but ASU's like the Harvard of the west coat."

Tory, her anger palpable, stormed away from the punching bag and made her way decisively towards them, each step resonating with her frustration.

"You guys are pathetic," Tory's voice crackled with anger as she spoke, and her charged words elicited immediate attention from them. "If you'd handled your business, we would have won that fight."

"Okay, whatever." Kyler scoffed at her words. "Hawk, he switched sides!"

Davina's eyes darted towards Kyler with a sharp, discerning look, her expression hardened by a clear sense of irritation and judgment that left no room for ambiguity. "Yeah, and you literally got your shit rocked by Miguel, who just got out of a wheelchair, by the way."

"You know what?" His voice crackled with irritation, the sudden flare of his temper evident in the heated tone he used. "At least I'm still here. Half the squad quit!"

"Maybe it's because the shit you tell them is catastrophic. I'd quit too if I had to listen to it for a millisecond." Thomas said.

"Why don't you say it a little closer?" Kyler stepped forward in a way that clearly showed he was ready to challenge or intimidate.

But Thomas did not even flinch.

          "No, thanks. I'm not lining up for this snack." Thomas' comment was edged with an ironic smile, his expression revealing a layer of subtle mockery beneath his seemingly casual words.

As the door to the dojo swung ajar, a delicate bell mounted above it rang with a gentle tinkle, heralding the entrance of someone new.

         "Well, look who finally decided to show up." Davina called out.

          Robby hesitated at the dojo's entrance, his gaze sweeping the room, feeling the weight of each disapproving glare like a knife's edge. He found Davina's eyes amidst the crowd, green meeting blue. Her silent shake of the head cut through the air, her disapproval palpable and more piercing than any words she could have uttered.

          The Cassidy girl bit back her disappointment as her eyes were drawn to the office where Robby had disappeared.

"That fool doesn't even practice, but he gets to stay?" In a voice marked by evident skepticism, Kyler asked, the disbelief in his tone underscoring the extent of his incredulity. "I don't get it."

"Is there anything that you get it?" Thomas inquired with a hint of biting sarcasm.

✸

"You're supposed to have someone spot you, you know?" Davina's remark came as Robby was midway through lifting the barbell.

"I don't need a spotter." Without hesitation, Robby stood up and walked over to his training bag, pulling out a bottle of water.

Davina looked around the room where Robby had spent the entire day, "Nice hiding spot. Well, it's a little bare, but a touch of paint, pink fluffy pillows and call it home."

"I'm not hiding." Robby firmly denied, a trace of irritation evident in his tone as he spoke, his frustration subtly coloring his words.

"My mistake." Davina's arms shot out in a grandiose display of defensive posturing, a masterful act of subterfuge. "I must have missed the moment when I saw you at the fight."

"What were you even thinking?" Robby inquired with a tone of disbelief, his eyebrows raised and his voice tinged with incredulity as he struggled to comprehend what kind of processes were going through her head that night. "That you'd break into the LaRussos and hurt Sam and everything would be sunshine and roses? You're lucky the LaRussos didn't call the cops."

"At least I'm not beating around the bush!" With a tone marked by severity, Davina's voice carried an unmistakable sharpness, reflecting her utter frustration and the end of her forbearance. "You know, girls like Sam LaRusso have it good  ⎯ I mean, all she has to do to get what she wants is make a puppy dog face and say please."

A storm of anger brewed on Robby's face, visible in the tense muscles of his jaw and the fierce glare of his eyes.

Davina's fingers circled around the barbell as she continued. "Even after she dropped you, she's still got you on her leash."

"This is not true," he said, his tone more like he was trying to convince himself than actually reassuring Davina.

"No?" Davina questioned, tilting her head slightly to one side. "Then why are you so pressed?"

The girl, her auburn hair cascading over her shoulders, advanced toward him with an air of self-assuredness that was impossible to ignore. "If you are about to stick to your defense, this is not the right place for you."

Once she had said her piece, Davina turned on her heel with a decisive motion and walked past him.

✸

The moment Kyler kicked off his shoes, Davina's nose crinkled in distaste, "You don't wear socks?"

"What's the point if I have to take them off again?" Kyler asked with a rhetorical lilt, noticing how Davina raised her eyebrows, clearly at a loss for words.

"It explains why you have a new pair of shoes every day." Thomas chimed in, his voice dropping to a near whisper for the latter part of his statement, just enough for Davina to catch. "Because you stink 'em all up."

She let out a sudden laugh, unable to keep a straight face.

"Get a load of this chump." Kyler's voice crescendoed as the group entered the main dojo, the increase in volume making sure no one could ignore him. "What are you doing here?"

"Sensei Kreese isn't back yet, so I'm gonna get you guys warmed up." Robby acted like nothing had happened, talking to them as if he belonged there. He seemed to have forgotten how he had ignored them during the fight and denied being part of their team.

Thomas arched an eyebrow. "Is this a joke?"

"You've never been a part of this team and you think you're our Sensei?" The Park boy questioned with evident disbelief, his words dripping with skepticism, before a scoff escaped his lips, making his disdain crystal clear. "Get the hell outta here, man."

"Who says we even want you?" Tory added.

Robby glanced over at Davina, noticing the same cold indifference in her expression that he saw in the others. It was clear she didn't want him there.

"Okay, hit me." With an abruptness that startled everyone, Robby spoke, his words sowing confusion among the others as they tried to make sense of what he said.

Davina gave him a confused look. "Excuse me?"

"Any of you. If you land a hit, I'll go."

"Okay." Kyler's leg arched upward with intent to strike Robby's face, but the Keene boy quickly dodged and swept his opponent's leg out from under him.

Thomas glanced at the mat where Kyler had ended up, his expression unruffled and unimpressed. "You showed him."

"Who's next?" Robby asked, awaiting the next attack.

Davina and Tory, positioned at the edge, watched with keen interest as he engaged in a comprehensive fight with almost every member of the dojo. His skill was evident as he subdued each opponent with ease, his counterattacks both precise and formidable.

The Cassidy boy, undeterred, regained his footing and charged again, this time with a series of high strikes. Robby blocked and parried each attack, waiting for the perfect moment to counter. That moment arrived when Thomas, overcommitted to a high kick, left himself momentarily vulnerable.

He seized the opportunity, executing a counter-kick that connected with his opponent's ribs. The force of the blow was enough to knock Thomas off balance, sending him crashing to the mat.

Robby's eyes, having roamed across the room, now concentrated on Davina. "I thought you were going to put more into the fight with me."

Davina's jaw set firmly, the muscle working visibly beneath her skin. Her hands coalesced into tightly clenched fists, held near her torso.

It was a constant source of amusement for Robby how simple it was to get a reaction out of Davina. He could say something small or do something minor, and she would react almost immediately.

She launched the first attack with a roundhouse kick, her leg slicing through the air with remarkable speed. With a twist of his torso, Robby evaded the strike by a hair's breadth, the sheer force of Davina's kick creating a rush of air that barely missed him.

Davina launched a series of aggressive attacks; a rapid front kick aimed at Robby's midsection followed by a spinning backfist.

Robby responded with a combination of powerful strikes and evasive maneuvers.

He executed a well-timed low sweep that disrupted Davina's balance, followed by a precise sidekick that caught her off guard.

          Davina, displaying her own adeptness, absorbed the impact and countered with a low roundhouse kick.

Robby lifted his leg, his shin met Davina's incoming leg with a solid, defensive impact. The contact was firm but controlled, absorbing the force of her kick and redirecting it away from his body.

As Davina's fist arced through the air, her opponent's agile reflexes allowed him to catch her arm mid-flight. His grip was firm but controlled, his fingers closing around her wrist. With a swift pivot of his body, he leveraged her forward motion to throw her over his shoulder.

Davina's grunt punctuated the air as her back made contact with the mat, the sound escaping her as a reflexive response to the sudden impact.

"No hard feelings," he said teasingly, his voice laced with a light-hearted tone.

As Robby turned to return to his spot, Davina acted with startling speed.

She lunged forward, her hands gripping his ankles with a vice-like tenacity that caught him off guard. Utilizing the momentum from her grip, she pivoted her body with a swift rotation, her heel rising sharply in a calculated arc.

The heel of her foot made contact with Robby's nose with a resounding thud, a forceful impact that caused him to falter.

          Davina lay on the mat, breathing hard, her chest heaving. As she looked up, she saw Tory and Thomas standing over her, their hands outstretched. She grasped their hands, feeling their strength as they helped her back to her feet. 

         "Thanks." Davina said, dusting off her gi.

          As he steadied himself, Robby's eyes flicked towards them, and he spoke with a calm tone, "A deal's a deal. I'll go." 

          Though she sensed that his staying could tip the scales in their favor for the tournament, Davina's pride kept her from speaking. Her mistrust was a silent, stubborn companion.

          "No!" The twins' surprise was evident as they turned toward Tory, her sudden outburst catching them off guard. Robby, too, stopped in his tracks, curiosity drawing him back to look at her. "Stay."

          Thomas' face scrunched up, his brows knitting together and his mouth twisting into a displeased grimace as he tried to make sense of the situation. "What for?" 

          "You have heard Sensei Kreese say that our enemies make alliances. Why shouldn't we do the same?" Tory's question came wrapped in a knowing smirk. 

          Tory had never seen Robby fight, but after what she saw today, she was convinced that Sensei Kreese was right. Robby was truly what Cobra Kai was looking for and what they needed to win the tournament. 

          Robby's eyes flicked toward Davina, his look laden with expectation, as though he required her approval to continue being there.

          "Still don't trust you." Davina admitted, her voice betraying a sense of cautious reluctance. "But Tory's right. We are stronger in numbers." 

          It was her way of letting him know that they really needed his help.

         "You should stay." Davina said, and in that instant, Robby's expression visibly softened.

          Thomas caught the lingering way Robby's eyes stayed on Davina, and he could only roll his eyes in response.

████████████████████

Julia Chatter 

We normalise platonic Keenry on this page. Okay, thanks!!!