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Chapter 17 - Deals and Demons

⚠️ Disclaimer: This chapter contains strong language, violence, substance use, and dark themes. Reader discretion advised.

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The Miyagi-Do dojo was quiet, only the faint creak of bamboo in the wind breaking the silence. Daniel paced, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. Chozen stood near the wall, arms folded, watching him with calm intensity.

"Johnny's dojo is out of control," Daniel said, his voice sharp. "Andrea. Hawk. Tory. Even Kenny. They're not just kids anymore, they're soldiers."

Chozen's eyes narrowed. "You want war. But you must understand—war always has a price."

"I don't care about the price," Daniel snapped. "They hurt my daughter. They're tearing this city apart. Johnny doesn't get to win again."

The dojo doors slammed open. Johnny Lawrence stood there, a storm in his eyes.

"You wanted to talk?" he growled.

Daniel straightened, his chest rising with fury. "Yeah. This ends, Johnny. Cobra Kai is poison. You know it. I know it. You're not teaching kids karate anymore—you're training killers."

Johnny's jaw ticked. "They're learning to survive. The world doesn't play fair, LaRusso. Never has. Never will."

Chozen stepped forward, his tone icy. "What you do now is not survival. It is cruelty. You have become Kreese."

Johnny's face twisted, but instead of denying it, he smirked. "Maybe that's what it takes."

Chozen's hand twitched like he might strike him, but Daniel raised his palm. His eyes, burning with restrained fury, locked on Johnny's.

Daniel said coldly. "You'll regret every word."

Later that night — Kenny's house

Music blasted from the speakers, bass shaking the walls. The air was thick with smoke and the sharp bite of alcohol. Kenny stood on a table, grinning wildly, holding his phone up for a live stream.

"Ten million, baby!" he shouted. "Ten million followers on PornHub! None of you knew, but guess what—Kenny Payne's running the game now!"

The room roared with laughter and cheers. Kyler slapped his back. "Yo, my man Kenny's rich and famous, and he didn't tell us?! What the hell, bro?"

Bert choked on his drink. "Wait—you're telling me this whole time you were running a PornHub? Ten million followers?!"

"Hell yeah," Kenny said proudly. "And tonight, we celebrate. Cobra Kai style!"

The table was littered with bottles. Hawk had a joint in his hand, exhaling smoke toward the ceiling, Moon curled against him. Tory snatched a drink from Mitch and downed it. Kyler grabbed two more bottles, shoving one into Andrea's hands.

Andrea stared at it for a moment, her eyes dark, before drinking hard. The burn didn't even make her flinch.

"Damn, Johnson," Hawk said, raising a brow. "Didn't think you had it in you."

Andrea laughed bitterly. "You don't know the half of it." She took another swig, then another, like each gulp drowned something deeper.

Kyler leaned in, smirking. "She's a real Cobra Kai now."

Bert lit up another joint, coughing through the smoke. "This is insane. I feel like we're… untouchable, you know?"

Tory's grin was sharp. "We are untouchable. No one can stop us."

The room echoed with shouts and laughter, the walls shaking with Cobra Kai's reckless energy. But Robby stood in the doorway, watching. His eyes locked on Andrea—her glassy eyes, the way she laughed too hard, the bottle dangling loosely in her hand.

He crossed the room, pushing past Mitch and Bert. "Andrea," he said quietly.

She turned, her cheeks flushed, her smile crooked. "Robby. Didn't think you'd show up."

"You shouldn't be doing this," he said, his voice firm.

Andrea rolled her eyes, tipping the bottle back again. "Oh, what are you now, my babysitter?"

He grabbed the bottle from her hand, setting it down hard on the table. "No. But I'm not watching you destroy yourself either."

The tension between them crackled, heavy and undeniable. Andrea smirked, stepping closer. "What are you gonna do? Save me?"

Robby's jaw tightened. "Maybe I already am."

The silence stretched, thick with smoke and noise around them. Andrea leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. "Then prove it."

And before Robby could stop himself, his mouth was on hers. The kiss was heated, reckless, tasting of liquor and desperation. Andrea's hands slid up his chest, his arms gripping her waist tight.

"Damn," Hawk muttered from across the room, nudging Kyler. "Guess Johnson's not so cold after all."

But Andrea and Robby didn't hear. The world blurred away—the music, the smoke, the chaos. There was only them, hidden in plain sight, feeding a fire they couldn't control.

Meanwhile — Miyagi-Do

Amanda slammed the news report onto the counter. "Cobra Kai linked to violent street altercation — teen hospitalized."

"Daniel, this is insane!" Amanda shouted. "Kids are getting hurt, people are scared, and you're making deals with Johnny?!"

Daniel's face was grim. "If I don't, this never ends. He won't stop. Not unless I force him to."

Chozen nodded in agreement. "The dragon must be cut off at its head."

Amanda's voice cracked. "And what if you lose? What if Cobra Kai wins? He said he'd take our family, Daniel!"

Daniel's fists clenched. "Then I'll die before that happens."

At the hospital — Miguel's release

The automatic doors slid open. Miguel stepped outside, pale but smiling faintly, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

Sam was waiting by her car, relief flooding her face. She ran to him, hugging him tight.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too," Miguel said, his voice soft. "Feels like I've been gone forever."

They sat in the car, the engine humming quietly. Sam's eyes darted to him, heavy with worry.

"Miguel… Cobra Kai's getting worse. Andrea. Hawk. All of them. It's not just karate anymore—it's dangerous. I need you to see that."

Miguel stared out the window, conflicted. "I know what they are, Sam. But Andrea's still there. I can't just leave her."

Sam's throat tightened. "She's not the same person anymore."

"Neither am I," Miguel admitted. His hand tightened into a fist. "But if Cobra Kai's going down… I need to be there. For her. For all of them."

Sam's eyes glistened, but she didn't argue. The car rolled forward into the night, carrying them toward a storm neither of them could stop.

Final Scene — Cobra Kai party still raging

The smoke curled, the laughter louder, the night darker. Andrea leaned into Robby's chest, her eyes half-closed, her hand gripping his shirt. Hawk and Moon kissed in the corner. Kenny shouted into his phone about hitting 11 million. Tory smirked, her arm slung around Kyler.

Cobra Kai was more than a dojo now. It was a beast. Wild. Hungry. Unstoppable.

And outside, Daniel, Chozen, and Johnny's deal lingered like a shadow, promising a war that would destroy everything in its path.

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