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“I'm going to teach you something I've never taught anyone,” John Kreese began, trailing his steps behind Tory as she stood frozen on the spot, arms pressed tight to her side. Rounding her, he came to stand by her side, hand rising to her side where he pressed softly as he met her eye. Then, he pressed harder, harder still until Tory hissed. “That is the spot you're going to want to hit, and hard. If you aim right between the ribs, here,” he pressed the side of his flat hand between her two ribs, he went on: “she's going to be doubled over and, if you're quick, floored in no time.” Bringing his hand up to her elbow, he pushed his finger into the spot, waiting and waiting until her whole arm jerked with an electric shock from her shock bone. “You're going to bring your elbow up like this,” pushing his elbow into the back of hers, he then moved on, his forearm striking her under the chin which caused her to stumble back, attempting to regain her footing whilst also bringing her hand up to her chin, rubbing at the spot as she came to stand stable once again. “And then you go in for the kill.” Rolling his fingers up to right above his palm, he held it sharply by his side before sending it forward, driving it into her chest, right into the sternum, and finally she fell back, crashing into the ground with a weak gasp for air, her entire body curling up as she attempted to regain her ability to breathe. “Johnny may have been my prodigy, but you… you are my champion, and you will win.”
Nodding as she panted, Tory pushed herself up to her feet, vision clearing up as she looked at Kreese. “You have fought your whole life… you were born for it. Made for it, made to win. Everyone has looked down on you, now is the time to make them look up. Don't give up, don't show mercy. It does not matter whether you have been friends, enemies or perhaps a little third thing we'll call friend-enemies, frenemies, if you will… but in your fight, this time, you will show no mercy. They don't deserve your mercy. They deserve your anger. Everything they've done over the years, you'll let out on them.”
“Yes, Sens—”
“That is not an order, Tory. It's an observation. I've seen your anger, I know what it can do. I know what it will do.” Then: “have any of them called to check up on you?”
“Oh, they're… busy.”
“Are they?” Kreese tilted his head. “Think about that, sweetheart.”
⍟
The moment she was on the mat and locking eyes with Sam, she'd held her chin high, even when she turned to look at Robby, at Johnny… then, standing in front of Sam with the whole crowd watching, she bounced a little on her feet, eyes cold and dangerous. Sam, on her own side, was frowning, eyes searching Tory's but she seemed to find nothing but anger.
“Have any of them called to check up on you?”
“Oh, they're… busy.”
“Are they?”
“Think about that, sweetheart.”
“Tory—”
Fighting positions!” She heard the ref’s loud call, startling her into action. Bringing her fists up, she rolled her shoulders, “Ready?”
“Tory, you don't have to do this.”
“Fight!” Her feet carried her forward before the man had even brought his hand down. One, two, three steps before she jumped up, pushing her knee into Sam's chest to force her backwards as Tory landed, bringing her fist to Sam’s shoulder, though the girl managed to block her just in time.
“I don't want to hurt you.”
“That's too bad,” Tory strained out with the twist of her hand, causing Sam to hiss as her wrist was twisted, before Tory drove her fist into Sam’s side, scoring her a point as Sam twisted herself free of Tory’s grip.
“Johnny may have been my prodigy, but you… you are my champion, and you will win.”
You will win.
Turning to look at Sensei Kreese, Tory watched him nod, his lips pressed tightly together. She nodded back, mirroring his move before facing Sam, and for the first time, their fight was fair. No ref was paid off, no weapons involved, just their fists, feet and their anger.
Tory's body was like a marionette, and her anger was the puppeteer. “Fighting positions!” Breathing in through her nose, Tory slowly let it out through her mouth, eyes focused only on the prize. Her entire life, she'd been told that winning wasn't everything, but she'd also learned that, when you stand lower than someone else, they will never consider you their equal so, in this moment, winning was everything. “Ready?” The ref turned to look at both fighters before bringing his hand down with a loud: “fight!”
Tory was quick, strong, too, she moved like a cat but struck like a bear, moving with grace and striking with rage. She was crafted in Kreese’s perfect image, and finally, he had something to be proud of. Someone to be proud of. Hit after hit was blocked by both parties, knees, feet, hands, elbows, they moved around each other, sizing each other up. Tory had spent weeks, months, learning Sam's techniques by Robby's teachings, but did Sam truly know her techniques? “Why didn't you call Robby after you left?”
“Why didn't he call me?” Countered Tory as she pushed Sam's hand away from where she'd held it up to block Tory’s fist.
“I guess he wanted to give you your distance.” Sam said with a shrug before her eyes snapped up to Tory’s. “It seems that was the wrong move because you went right back to Cobra Kai anyway.” The fist, she hadn't seen coming, the words though, had been expected. With her eyes blurring with tears and her heart hammering against her ribcage, Tory reached up to her nose, and through her blurred vision, she could see Sam's fearful eyes. Tory could feel that she was bleeding, felt it trickle into her palm, but why Sam looked so scared, she didn't know. She'd hit Tory's nose.
“Illegal contact! No point,” the ref called out. “That is a warning. Go kneel on the mat.” He ordered as the medic came to look at Tory, the pain radiating through her face all the way from her nose had her releasing a small whine, pushing the medic away to move to her Sensei, instead, attempting to blink past the pain and the stickiness of the blood on her face.
“Tory,” she could hear from a few feet away. A voice she could never forget, and, much to her credit, she did glance up, but as Kreese began to speak, she tore her eyes away from Robby to look at her Sensei. “Tory!”
“A hit to the nose… it's always painful,” he began. “Don't think about it. Don't clean the blood yet, it'll throw her off. Save the best for last, but don't hold back. Use whatever you need. If she's playing dirty, get down in the mud and get even dirtier.” Laying his hand on her shoulder, he gave it a quick squeeze before letting her turn back to the mat.
“Up!” The ref called out to Sam who was quick to jump up. “Are you ready to fight?”
“Ready as ever.” Tory nodded, the blood painting her chin a sickening red, some of it even dripping onto the mat.
“You should let the medic check—”
“Are we going to fight or have a tea party, Larusso?”
“Fighting positions!” Taking her place, she set her feet carefully on the mat, slightly raised on her toes, her fists positioned perfectly in front of her. Even with blood on her face, on her lips, Tory was the picture of pure beauty. She was a lioness, and today, she'd get her prey. “Ready? Fight!”
Bouncing on her feet, Tory waited for Sam to approach, and the moment she did, Tory jumped up, swinging her legs to bring her higher before driving Sam back with, once again, her knee. The moment she landed, she brought her fist back, back, back even more before, with about 75% of her strength, she sent it into Sam's stomach. It seemed Sam was holding back.
“Point, Nichols!” The ref’s call had Tory releasing a relieved sigh, moving back into her position to shake her hands out, forcing the stinging pain into the back of her mind to deal with later.
“Come on, Sam!” Tory heard the call of Sam's father, followed by clapping from the others.
“Fighting positions!” Shaking her head to rid it of its haziness, Tory simply breathed as she'd been taught. In through the nose and out through the mouth. “Ready? Fight!”
Rushing forward, Tory's first fist was blocked by Sam's hand, her other by Sam's forearm, and even her kick was blocked and caught, but she managed to rip her foot free from Sam's grip before the girl could bring her to the ground, moving back and back whilst Sam started trailing after her in a slow circle.
Jumping up as she'd done previous times, Tory found herself caught by arms wrapping around her middle, and before she knew it, she laid flat on the mat with Sam Larusso hovering over her, a fist driving into Tory's chest in a quick jab. “Point, Larusso!”
Groaning out in frustration, Tory slapped the hand offered to her away, pushing herself up to her feet whilst the drying blood on her face was flaking off with every mouth movement.
“Your body is the puppet, but this here,” Kreese had reached up to tap her temple. “This is what controls it. Think of your brain as the hands pulling the strings. Your body is a puppet, and you, my dear champion, are playing with it.”
“I'm the puppeteer.” She whispered to herself, to which Sam frowned. She couldn't quite hear Tory, but she'd also never seen the girl whisper to herself. “My body is a puppet, and I am pulling its strings.” She reminded herself. She needed this. This win, this fight with Sam, it all took her mind away from—
“Good morning, sweetie.” Her mother had once hummed. “How did you sleep?”
Tory, then, had only been seven. She'd been exhausted, and maybe just a little hungry, so she grumbled to which her mother had only chuckled warmly.
She'd chuckled.
Tory hadn't even heard the call for the fight to start, she'd already been in her position, but the moment Sam charged at her, she stumbled back, back, jerking out of Sam's way before her foot could touch the line. “Don't you remember what Cobra Kai did to you?”
“You don't know half of it.” Tory huffed, swiping her arm up to block Sam's fist.
“So they aren't the reason you broke your hand?”
“I said you,” thrusting her elbow to the side, she damn near made contact with Sam's face, had it not been for Sam's arm pushing her away. “Don’t know half of it.”
“Oh really?” Sam hummed, and before Tory knew it, a fist was jabbed into her side, and a point for Sam was called.
After a break was requested, Sam made her way over to her father, and Tory made her way over to Kreese who held out a water bottle she eagerly took. “Thank you.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Robby, always watching her. Finally turning, she looked at him, her eyes neutral but curious.
«You okay?» he mouthed, to which she nodded, swallowing a few gulps of the cold water before twisting the cap back on the bottle. Tossing said bottle back to Sensei Kreese, she found her way back to the mat, nodding to the ref as Sam followed suit. Tory had lost a lot of things in her life. Hell, the last few months, even. If she lost this, she had nothing left to fight for. She'd have nothing.
“Fighting positions,” the ref called out. “You're two-to-two, you're competing for the winning point.” He explained before looking to both of them, and when he got the confirmation that they were ready he, for the last time, raised his hand and let it fall with a loudly called: “fight!”
Bouncing in circles on the mat, her eyes held Sam's who was walking to follow her, eyes never leaving Tory's. They were tracing circles, circles, circles, then, after over fifteen seconds of just that, Tory charged forward, her fist unfurling from where it had been balled up, she thrust it into Sam's side, right between the ribs, who was just a little too late with blocking the hit. Twisting out of the way at Sam's retaliating kick, Tory puffed out a breath of air that had the loose strands of her hair moving out of her eyes. “I'm sorry about your mother, Tory, but this isn't the way to deal with it.”
“What are you suggesting, a biscuit and a therapy session? I'll pass.” Just as Sam twisted out of her way, Tory drove her elbow into the tender spot behind Sam's, causing the girl to hiss as her whole arm locked up whilst a shock of energy surged through her. Tory understood why it was called a funny bone because it was, indeed, quite funny. Rubbing her arm, Sam attempted to get the feeling back into it, and Tory took that window to her advantage, pushing her forearm up and under Sam's chin, the girl’s neck craning as her head was forced to tilt back. Rolling her fingers up to right above her palm, Tory did as Sensei Kreese had shown her, summoning all the strength she knew was allowed into her hand, she drew it back before, with a cry, she drove it into Sam's chest, watching fearful eyes before the girl crashed bodily into the ground with a gasp for air.
“Point, Nichols!” The ref called out as he made his way over to her, gripping her wrist to hoist her arm up in the air. “May I announce the first female winner of the Sekai Taikai!” With sweat lining her forehead, and crusty dried blood on her face, Tory looked down at Sam, the outcry of the crowd getting to her head as she turned to look over her shoulder. Mr. Larusso seemed disappointed but, ever the mystery, Johnny seemed proud, even if his student had lost. Then, her eyes fell on Robby, and her whole world seemed to stop. Although he'd been initially shocked, and hurt that she'd rejoined Cobra Kai, he was smiling at her now, and for a moment, all was well in Tory's world. Before the realisation of all that had happened crashed back into her mind like a tidal wave, her face falling as the blurriness in her vision and pain in her head seemed to catch up to her.