THE WAY WE BREAK || cobra kai

"You're late." Kreese said from the doorway, his voice calm, like this was just another normal day.

"I'm not here for practice." Robby muttered, not looking at him.

"Well, if you wanna be Cobra Kai—"

"I never said I was joining," Robby snapped, zipping the bag shut. "I just needed a place to crash."

Kreese didn't flinch. "Well, you can crash here as long as you want."

Robby paused, his shoulders tense. Slowly, he stood. "Look, this was a bad idea," he said quietly. "I know Cobra Kai helped when I was getting jumped in juvie, but I'm not gonna be a pawn in this bet you've made with my Dad and Mr. LaRusso."

"I don't think of you as a pawn," Kreese replied, stepping closer. "I think of you as a king."

Robby's brows drew together, confused.

"Your father had all the talent in the world, but he squandered it. I gave him every opportunity to come back, but he chose Diaz. He left you behind—with that mark on your head." Kreese gestured to the cut above Robby's eyebrow. "You've got even more talent than he ever did. You just need to show the world."

Robby exhaled. "After everything that happened... do you really think I care about some stupid trophy?"

"It's not about the trophy," Kreese said quickly. "It's about being a champion. About who you become. A role model—to your sister."

That made Robby freeze.

"She looks up to you, doesn't she?" Kreese asked, voice low and deliberate. "Thinks you're strong. Thinks you're good. You wanna throw that away too? Let her believe everyone else was right about you?"

"Leave her out of this." Robby warned, but it lacked conviction.

Kreese leaned in, his voice smooth, almost coaxing. "You want to fix this? Then stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something. Show her the brother she remembers. The one who'd fight for her." He paused, watching as Robby's expression faltered. "She's more than welcome here, Robby," Kreese continued, low and deliberate. "You think I wouldn't protect her? You two walk through those doors together, and you're not just students—you're family. That's more than your father ever offered either of you." He let that sink in before adding, quieter now, almost sincere, "The two of you? Fighting side by side? There'd be no stopping you. You'd be stronger than anyone else out there. Stronger than your father ever dreamed of being. But that doesn't happen if you keep standing still."

Robby looked away, jaw clenched.

"Win or lose," Kreese added, "what you do next—who you are now—that's what she'll remember. That's what the world will remember. Ask your father and LaRusso—reputation follows you."

Robby ran a hand through his hair, the weight of everything heavy on his shoulders. "Yeah, well," he mumbled, "they've got a pretty good chance of winning now that they've teamed up."

"They're not the only ones teaming up," Kreese said over his shoulder, already walking away.

Robby's head was spinning, each of the old man's words digging deeper and deeper into him. "You want to fix this? Stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something." He replayed it over and over in his mind, like a broken record, each repetition of Kreese's voice a hammer hitting his chest.

"Do something."

Robby ran a hand through his hair, replaying everything he should have done differently. He had let it all slip through his fingers, his own insecurities, his pain, the anger. He should have been there for Tessa when she asked, when she needed him most.