The hospital smelled of disinfectant and something too clean to be comforting. Andrea sat stiffly in the chair by her mother's bed, her hands trembling against her jeans.
Her mom looked smaller than ever, her skin pale, her breathing shallow.
Andrea swallowed the lump in her throat. "Mom… hey. It's me." Her voice cracked. She tried to smile, but it faltered. "I'm here."
Her mother's lips curved weakly. "Andrea… my strong girl."
Andrea grabbed her hand. It was cold. Too cold. "Don't say that. You're gonna get through this. The doctors—"
"The doctors can't fix everything." Her mother's voice was faint, yet steady. "But you… you have to keep living. Don't let this world break you."
Andrea's chest tightened. Her throat burned. She wanted to scream, to fight, to punch the sickness stealing her mom's strength — but she couldn't. "I can't do this without you," Andrea whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"You can. You have to." Her mother coughed, her breath rattling. "Promise me, Andrea. No matter what happens, you stay strong. You don't let pain turn you into something you're not."
Andrea's lips trembled. She wanted to promise, but the words caught in her throat. She nodded instead, gripping her mom's hand tighter.
Moments later, the beeping slowed. One long, piercing tone filled the room. Nurses rushed in, voices sharp and panicked, but Andrea already knew.
Her mom was gone.
Andrea stood frozen, her heart ripped apart, the world spinning. She couldn't breathe. The machine screamed in her ears, but all she could hear was silence.
Hours later, Andrea sat outside the hospital, staring blankly at the parking lot lights. The rain had started again, soft droplets pattering against her jacket.
A familiar voice cut through the haze. "Andrea?"
Her head jerked up. Robby stood a few feet away, hands shoved into his pockets, eyes wide with something close to guilt.
"What are you doing here?" Andrea asked, her voice hollow.
"I heard. About your mom." He shifted awkwardly, then stepped closer. "I… thought you shouldn't be alone."
Andrea let out a bitter laugh. "Funny. Even my own dad didn't show up."
Robby's jaw tightened. "Johnny doesn't know how to be there for people. Believe me, I'd know."
Something in his voice cracked. For once, Andrea saw past the walls — the anger, the bravado. He was broken too.
Andrea's lip trembled. "I don't… I don't know how to do this."
Robby hesitated, then reached for her hand. She didn't pull away. His touch was steady, grounding.
"You don't have to do it alone," he said softly.
Her eyes blurred with tears. For the first time in days, she let herself lean into someone. Robby wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as she broke down against his chest. His shirt grew damp from her tears, but he didn't move, didn't let go.
"Robby…" Her voice cracked against him.
"Yeah?"
Her lips parted, but no words came. Instead, she kissed him — raw, desperate, filled with grief and longing. He kissed her back, just as fiercely, their pain colliding into something neither of them could stop.
When they finally pulled apart, Andrea's breath shook. "You weren't supposed to be the one here for me."
Robby brushed her cheek gently. "Maybe I was."
Later that night, Andrea stepped outside the hospital again. She found Tory leaning against the wall, her hood pulled up, cigarette dangling between her fingers.
Andrea froze. "What are you doing here?"
Tory exhaled smoke, her eyes sharp but softer than usual. "Heard about your mom."
Andrea blinked, startled. "You… cared enough to come?"
Tory's jaw clenched. "My mom's sick too, remember? Different disease, same hell. You think I don't get it?"
For a moment, Andrea couldn't speak. She expected rivalry, maybe even cruelty — not understanding.
Tory flicked the cigarette away. "Look… I know we fight. But this?" Her voice broke slightly. "This is different."
Andrea's eyes filled again. "She's gone, Tory. She's just… gone."
Without hesitation, Tory pulled her into a hug. Andrea stiffened at first, then melted into it. Two broken daughters clinging to each other in the rain.
When they pulled back, Tory's expression hardened. "We don't get moms forever. But we can get payback. We can make sure nobody ever makes us weak again."
Andrea stared at her, grief twisting into something darker. She nodded. "Then we fight together."
Tory's lips curved in a dangerous smile. "Sisters in blood."
Meanwhile, in Johnny's apartment, Robby stood in the doorway. Johnny was half-drunk, half-hyped, punching the air as if fighting invisible opponents.
"You're really gonna keep training kids like this?" Robby asked bitterly.
Johnny turned, blinking. "Robby. Hey. You here to train too?"
Robby's fists clenched. "No. I'm here because Andrea just lost her mom. She's at the hospital right now, and you're here—"
Johnny's smile faded. "Andrea… lost her mom?"
"Yes." Robby's voice cracked. "And you weren't there for her. Just like you were never there for me."
Johnny flinched. "Robby, that's not—"
"Don't." Robby's voice cut like a blade. "I used to think maybe you could change. That maybe one day you'd actually give a damn about me. But all you care about is Cobra Kai. Training. Fighting. Winning."
Johnny's eyes watered, his chest heaving. "That's not true. I do care. About you—"
"Then prove it," Robby snapped. "Show up. Stop running away."
The silence between them was unbearable. Johnny opened his mouth, then closed it. Robby shook his head in disgust and walked out, leaving Johnny standing in the ruins of his own failures.
Across town, Daniel LaRusso stood in his dojo, pacing. Amanda watched him with concern.
"You're spiraling, Daniel," she said softly. "This isn't like you."
Daniel slammed his fist against the wall. "Cobra Kai is destroying everything. Andrea's mom just died, Tory's mom is still sick, Miguel is caught in the middle, and Johnny… Johnny's feeding the fire."
A voice spoke from the shadows. "You cannot fight fire with fire."
Daniel turned sharply. "Chozen."
The Okinawan stepped forward, his presence calm yet intimidating. "You called. I came."
Daniel exhaled shakily. "I don't know what else to do. I've tried to reason with Johnny. I've tried to keep the kids safe. But they're slipping further into the darkness."
Chozen's gaze was piercing. "Then you must remind them what true strength is. Not revenge. Not hatred. Discipline. Honor."
Daniel's shoulders slumped. "I don't know if it's enough anymore."
Chozen placed a hand on his shoulder. "It must be. Or else, you will lose not only the fight… but yourself."
Later, at Cobra Kai, Andrea threw herself into training like a possessed fighter. Every punch hit harder, every kick landed sharper. Sweat and blood mixed on her skin, but she didn't stop.
Hawk watched her from across the mat, frowning. She looked unhinged, her movements fueled by something dangerous.
"Hey," Hawk called, stepping closer. "You okay?"
Andrea didn't answer. She just slammed her fist into the bag again, knuckles bleeding.
Robby stood nearby, his expression unreadable. He'd seen grief turn into rage before. Now he saw it happening to her. And God help him — a part of him wanted to follow her into that darkness.
The pack was forming. The blood was thickening. And somewhere far away, Daniel LaRusso and Chozen prepared to strike back.
The storm was only beginning.