CHAPTER 22: THE DEVIL RETURNS
POV: Ivyn Mikaelson
Evening class. Twenty students working through combinations. Johnny demonstrating a counter to the cross. Everything normal.
Then the door opens.
And John Kreese walks into Cobra Kai like he owns the place.
Because once, he did.
The students don't recognize him. Just another adult observing. But Johnny freezes mid-instruction. Every line of his body going rigid.
Traumatic recognition.
"Hello, Johnny."
Two words that carry decades. Abuse. Manipulation. Unresolved trauma compressed into a greeting.
Johnny recovers. Voice carefully neutral. "What are you doing here, Kreese?"
"I saw the tournament." Kreese's smile is snake-like. Charming and dangerous. "You did good. Brought Cobra Kai back. Thought I'd offer congratulations."
"Students, locker room. Now."
They file out. Confusion evident. I linger at the back.
Kreese notices. "This one doesn't follow orders well. I like that."
His eyes meet mine. I see calculation. Predatory intelligence assessing weakness. Finding leverage.
"This is it. The devil himself. Everything I've been dreading."
"He's learning," Johnny says. Voice hard. "Now get out, Sensei. You're not welcome here."
The title drips with poison.
Kreese acts wounded. Performance art in gaslighting. "I made mistakes. I know that. But I'm here to make amends. Help you rebuild properly."
"I rebuilt just fine without you."
"Did you?" Kreese looks around. "New students. Championship trophy. Success." His gaze returns to Johnny. "But something's missing. The edge. The hunger. You've gone soft, Johnny."
"I've gone sane."
"Same thing, from where I stand."
Johnny's certainty wavers. Just fractionally. But enough.
"No. Don't let him in. Don't let him plant doubt."
I step forward. "You should leave."
Kreese studies me. "And you are?"
"Ivyn Mikaelson. Assistant instructor."
"Mikaelson." He tastes the name. "Bronze medal at All Valley. Fourth place. Close but not quite championship material."
The dig lands. Intentional. Testing my reaction.
"I made my choices at the tournament. No regrets."
"Choices." Kreese smiles. "Interesting word. Suggests you could have done better but chose not to. Why would someone do that?"
"That's between me and my sensei."
"Loyalty. I respect that." He turns back to Johnny. "You've trained them well. Better than I expected. But there's another level, Johnny. A level you've forgotten."
"I remember your level. It destroys people."
"It creates champions."
"It created monsters."
The accusation hangs in the air. Kreese doesn't flinch.
"Then maybe the world needs monsters. Maybe soft doesn't survive anymore."
Johnny's jaw clenches. "Get out, John. I won't ask again."
Kreese holds his gaze for a long moment. Then nods. Turns. Walks to the door.
Pauses at the threshold.
"I'll be around, Johnny. When you realize you need what I can teach, you know where to find me."
He leaves. The door closes with finality that feels temporary.
Johnny stands motionless. Staring at where Kreese was. The weight of history visible in his shoulders.
"Sensei?"
He blinks. Focuses on me. "You should go home."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just... old ghosts. Go."
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: JOHN KREESE]
[Danger level: EXTREME]
[Manipulation capability: Master level]
[Johnny's vulnerability: High]
[NEW QUEST: PREVENT KREESE TAKEOVER]
[Difficulty: EXTREME]
I don't go home. I wait outside. Make sure Johnny locks up. Drives away safe.
Then I sit in my car thinking about monsters and men and the difference between them.
Next day after class, I approach Johnny carefully.
"That man yesterday. Kreese. He's dangerous."
Johnny's expression hardens. "You don't know him."
"I know predators. I've been in enough bad situations to recognize them." I pause. "And I saw how you reacted. He hurt you."
Johnny wants to dismiss it. Can't quite.
"He was my sensei. He taught me everything."
"He taught you technique. You became a good teacher despite him, not because of him. The tournament proved that."
The words land. Johnny nods slowly. But doubt is already planted.
"He made me who I am."
"He made you survive. You made yourself into someone worth respecting."
Johnny studies me. "When did you get so wise?"
"Foster care. You learn to read people or you don't survive."
[JOHNNY'S RESOLVE: 45/100]
[Vulnerable to manipulation]
[Counter-messaging: Partially effective]
[Kreese influence: Growing]
A week later, Kreese finds me outside the dojo. After everyone else has left.
"Walk with me, Ivyn."
Not a request. A command dressed as invitation.
We walk. He doesn't speak immediately. Strategic silence creating pressure.
Finally: "You're the smart one. I can tell. Johnny's teaching you to be tough. But I could teach you to be unstoppable."
The pitch is seductive. Promises of advanced techniques. Real Cobra Kai philosophy. The difference between Johnny's "soft modern version" and the original hardcore training.
"What makes you think I want that?"
"Because I see ambition. You took bronze at All Valley but you're hungry for more." His eyes bore into mine. "Johnny's holding you back with his newfound conscience."
"Careful. He's testing. Probing for weakness."
"I'll think about it."
"Do that." He smiles. "Potential is wasted on the timid. Don't let Johnny's fear make you less than you could be."
He walks away. Leaving poison in his wake.
I report the conversation to Johnny immediately.
"He's targeting you because you're important to me." Johnny's voice is tight. "Classic Kreese. Finds what you love and threatens it."
"I'm not going to work with him."
"Good. But Ivyn?" He meets my eyes. "If he offers again, tell me immediately. Don't try to handle Kreese alone."
"Yes, Sensei."
[KREESE MANIPULATION: ACTIVE]
[Target: Ivyn (primary), Johnny (secondary), vulnerable students (ongoing)]
[Dojo Stability: 75 → 70/100]
[Kreese Influence: 25/100 and rising]
[WARNING: Critical threshold at 60/100]
Kreese's presence becomes corrosive.
He shows up at random times. Offers unsolicited advice. Compliments students in ways that undermine Johnny's teaching.
"Good aggression. But you pulled that punch. In my day, we didn't pull punches."
"Solid technique. Johnny's teaching you well. Though there are... advanced applications he's not showing you."
Hawk is particularly susceptible. Drawn to Kreese's uncompromising aggression like moth to flame.
I find myself in exhausting vigilance. Countering Kreese's influence wherever it appears.
But it's like fighting fog. Pervasive. Impossible to fully contain.
[KREESE INFLUENCE: 35/100]
[Rate of increase: Accelerating]
[Johnny's resistance: Eroding]
[Student vulnerability: High]
[WARNING: Takeover becoming likely unless intervention succeeds]
That night, I train until my body gives out. Fall asleep on my apartment floor. Wake to Sam's worried text.
"Are you okay? You seemed distant at school."
How do I explain? That I'm fighting a psychological war against a master manipulator. That I'm trying to save my sensei from his own demons. That I know exactly how this ends if I fail.
"I'm fine. Just tired. Dojo stuff."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not yet. But soon. Promise."
I stare at the ceiling. System displaying warnings I don't need.
The devil has returned.
And I'm running out of time to stop him.
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