"MAZE, WHY'D YOU COME TO EARLY TODAY?" Hawk asks. Everyone except Sam, Demetri and the senseis are in the locker room, preparing for the first event, the former pair on a water bottle run.

"I couldn't sleep." Maisie responds simply as she braids Devon's hair, having done Sam's prior.

Even though Sam doesn't necessarily seem to find joy in being around Maisie, she'll still ask nicely for Maisie to braid her hair because she's really good at it.

"You responded to me at 5. What have you been doing for 2 hours?"

Maisie lets out a puff of air as she ties off Devon's braid, giving it a small tug to show that she's done. "I did some school work... did some warm up."

"You were sweating when you got to the locker room." Hawk deadpans.

She rolls her eyes at him before motioning for Robby to sit on the floor in front of the bench she's sitting crossed-legged on.

He glares at her, "I can do it myself."

"No you can't." Maisie responds, "And then I have to listen to you complain when hair gets in your eyes."

The 2 stare at each other like they're in a standoff before Hawk smacks his shoulder, "Sit down. We've got more important stuff to talk about."

Robby shows his reluctance as he sits on the ground, making a show of wincing when Maisie uses the brush to move his hair back. She huffs, "Stop being a baby."

"So Maisie," Hawk starts again, "Were you alone this morning?"

She slowly looks up at him before looking back at Robby's hair, "What are you suggesting Moskowitz?"

"That you using his last name means you're hiding something." Miguel says as he stands up, taking the bottles from Sam as she and Demetri walk into the room.

Robby looks up at her, just for her to push his head back down, "What are you hiding?"

"We all have secrets on this team—"

Hawk and Miguel gasp while Devon lets out an 'oooooh'. Sam looks at them all with confusion, "What am I missing?"

Maisie ties Robby's ponytail extra tight before looking at Sam, "I have a friend on another team—"

"A friend?!" Hawk yells, "He's been upgraded since last night!"

"What team?"

Before Maisie can come up with some kind of response, Miguel turns to his girlfriend, "Male captain of the Iron Dragons."

Sam looks at Maisie with wide eyes, "Really?"

"We are not talking about this right now— or ever!" Maisie says, "We need to focus."

They all stay silent, and for a hopeful moment, Maisie actually thinks they are going to listen to her.

"So were you with him this morning or not?"

Maisie groans, glaring at Miguel. "If I answer... will all of you leave me alone?"

"Uh—"

"We can't make that promise."

Hawk and Devon speak at the same time, the pair looking at Maisie with their brows raised from where they sit next to each other on the bench.

Thankfully, Maisie's saviour comes in the form of Daniel and Johnny walking into the locker room, the latter handing Maisie a paper.

"Alright, you little shits—"

"Johnny!" Daniel scolds before turning to his students, "We just got back from the sensei meeting. First round today is a bit more in our comfort zone. Everyone is doing 2 1v1 spars, 4 people are doing 2 different 2v2 spars and everyone has a bo-staff fight. It's first to 3 points on the spars, the 2v2s are last man standing and the bo-staff is first point wins."

"Who is fighting in the 2v2s?" Miguel asks.

"It was randomly chosen. Bear's got the list." Johnny says when Daniel turns to him with an expecting look.

Everyone turns to Maisie who looks down at the sheet she holds with everyone's pairings. "Miguel and Robby against Tiger Strike— which is Russia. Then Demetri and I against Polarslaget— which is Sweden."

Maisie then finds her name on the list for her solo fights. Her spars are against a fighter from the West End Warriors and the other female Iron Dragon, not Zara. Her bo-staff fight is against the Irish female captain. She hands the sheet off to Robby, everyone crowding around to see their fights.

"Obviously we are going to be spread thin between all the fights but Johnny and I will make sure one of us is at all of your fights." Daniel says.

"Anyone speak any other languages so you can talk shit?" Johnny asks as he sits down on the bench beside Maisie.

"I speak French." She says, not looking up from where she fixes her pant leg. Even though the Miyagi-Do gis typically come with high-water pants, Maisie asked Daniel to get her full length ones like the ones Johnny got. She can't stand the short pants because they make her look weird. If she's honest, she needs it to be as identical to her Cobra Kai gi as possible in order for her to feel comfortable. She's still getting used to seeing herself in white.

"And Croatian... apparently." Devon adds.

Daniel turns to Maisie, "You speak Croatian?"

She nods softly, "Doesn't matter though. That won't be any help to us."

Hawk lets out a noise of disagreement from across the room but Maisie ignores him.

She turns to her senseis, "Where's Chozen? Shouldn't he be here?"

"He's in our room." Daniel says.

"Been sleeping off a badass hangover for like 2 days."

Maisie grimaces. She really likes Chozen. He is the perfect balance between Johnny and Daniel and he was the first person at Cobra Kai to help her, even though he technically wasn't himself. He would insist on taking over her training sessions instead of Silver. They were still incredibly tough but he never hurt her. When she reached Miyagi-Do and got the full story, she learned that he was actually trying to keep her safe from Silver. It didn't always work but Maisie appreciated the thought.

Johnny glances over at Maisie who watches everyone else fidget around the room. Her eyes tell him that she's nervous and if he had to guess, he would say her hands are shaking as well. "You ready, Bear?"

Her head snaps to look at him, "Yeah. All good."

———

Maisie wins her first fight 3-0. Her opponent was younger and less experienced. She reminded her of Devon. Maisie thinks she will be a force to be reckoned with in about 2 years.

Her second fight is the 2 against 2 with Demetri. They got to watch the horror show of Robby and Miguel's fight before going, which didn't exactly instill confidence. Walking into the ring against 2 tall, beautiful, blond, Swedish men with only Demetri at her side was definitely scary but it was a good fight. Demetri, surprisingly, followed her lead completely. He distracted one of the fighters while Maisie took down the other, then set up his fighter perfectly for Maisie to deliver a perfect roundhouse kick to his face. She thinks that's genuinely the first time her and Demetri have ever smiled at each other. It was nice. As she walked off the mat, Axel caught her eye from where he was watching his teammate fight one spar over. He gave her a nod and a tiny smile and her entire stomach flipped.

Maisie's first 2 fights were back to back at the start, meaning she spent the next 45 minutes going between her teammates' fights. She's running out of encouraging smiles. It seems that now everyone is fighting on their own, any sense of training or preparation has been forgotten. Demetri and Devon are a bit in over their heads and whenever they start losing, they start thinking too much. When they're thinking too much, they're practically handing the win to their opponent. Hawk is fighting too ambitious, not protecting his back, meaning most points against him are counter-attacks. Sam is trying her best but having both Johnny and her dad yelling at her is clearly throwing her off. And Robby, she doesn't know what's going on with Robby. But everytime Tory or another Cobra Kai is within 50 metres of him– which is always– he's completely off his game.

Only Miguel and Maisie are managing to get points for their teams, mostly because they are good at zoning out. It doesn't matter what Johnny is yelling at them about or if the fight beside them is loud and distracting, they are able to adapt.

When the time comes for Maisie's fight against the Iron Dragon, the team is already split between 2 other fights. Daniel and Sam are locked into Demetri's fight while Johnny, Hawk, Robby and Miguel are watching Devon. Maisie doesn't really want to show up to her fight alone, just for every Iron Dragon to be staring at her from the other side of the mat so she recruits Miguel to come with her. Though he isn't quite as scary as the other dojo, she's glad to at least have someone in her corner. She knows everyone will make their way over once the other fights are done.

"Last against first, Maze. You ready?" Maisie can't help but laugh at Miguel's words as they stop at the edge of the mat, the fight before hers on their last round. She looks up at the board with a sigh. It's not looking good. All of Miyagi-Do's points are whatever she and Miguel have been able to come up with during their fights. Everyone else on the team has lost their fights. Maisie continues scanning the board while Miguel looks around at their opponents. His eyes land on a particular Iron Dragon, "He's staring."

Maisie turns so she can see what he's looking at. The edges of her lips curve when she sees Axel looking at her and Miguel. When he meets her eyes, they visibly soften. She sends him a smile. Though they both know he rarely smiles while on the mat, for the second time today, the corner of his lips lift in a way that shows he isn't able to stop it. He raises his eyebrows, silently asking if she's ready. She isn't. Her hands are trembling more than normal. But she can't explain that to him in a look so she just nods and smiles again.

She looks back at Miguel when he starts laughing, "You might be in love– Look! You're blushi– Oh my God!"

"Shut up!" Maisie says strongly. Was she really blushing?

"Hey, I'm here, Bear." Maisie turns to see Johnny stopping beside her, Hawk and Robby behind him.

"Devon?"

Johnny shakes his head, "3-1."

"What about Demetri?" Miguel asks.

"He was losing 2-0 the last time I checked." Hawk replies.

Maisie sighs, running a hand down her face. Johnny puts his hands on both of her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Forget it, alright? This is your fight and you're on fire. Channel your namesake, okay?"

A puff of laughter leaves her lips as she turns to see it's her turn. Robby, Miguel and Hawk pat her back, saying words of encouragement that don't fully reach her ears. It's already been a long day and it's only just past 9 in the morning.

The first 2 rounds of the fight are slow, Maisie and her opponent drawing out the clock. The first point went to the Iron Dragon but Maisie got one back not even 30 seconds later. Her competitor is completely calm under the pressure. Even with her sensei shouting orders at her, she manages to stay unaffected. Maisie can respect that because it's taking everything in her to not tell Johnny to stop yelling.

The fight for the third point is long and tiring. Maisie is having to switch between her Miyagi-Do training and her Cobra Kai training because if she stuck to only one of them, she would get demolished. After nearly a minute of fighting straight, the Iron Dragon manages to send her fist into Maisie's rib. She winces as she walks it off, preparing to even the score.

When the Iron Dragon charges at her, heading to kick her hip, Maisie's instinct kicks in. Axel did this move on her this morning. She swerves out of the way in time, her right foot tripping up the other fighter. She gets sent face-first to the mat. Sensei Wolf starts mumbling lowly in rage. It's clear that he is trying to control his reaction but Maisie predicting his fighter's move has pissed him off.

Before the Iron Dragon can pull herself up, Maisie punches her stomach, earning a point. She steps back so her competitor can stand up. Maisie's realizing that she's starting to lose her calm. In the break between rounds, Maisie steals a glance at Axel who stands behind his team. He looks like he's running his fingers over his upper lip but she quickly realizes that he's purposely covering his mouth with his hand. He's laughing.

As Maisie finds her place back on the mat, Wolf starts talking loudly to his fighter in Chinese. Though Maisie has 3 languages in her locker, Chinese is not one of them, meaning she has no idea what Wolf is ordering his fighter to do. It must be major, based on the way Axel's head snaps to look at them. He then turns his head to look back at Maisie, a conflicted expression on her face. His next movement is so subtle that Maisie almost misses it. He crosses his arms before slowly pointing up to his shoulder. He drops his arms when he sees the realization cross Maisie's eyes. Wolf is telling his fighter to attack her shoulder. He's somehow figured out that her unbalance isn't from her simply favouring her right side, it's because she's injured. When a fighter prefers a certain side, they still protect their other one just as much. But Maisie's preference is actually a limitation.

When the fight for the final point starts, the Iron Dragon goes right for Maisie's shoulder. Because she had a warning, Maisie ducks out of the way in time. Due to the missed kick, the Iron Dragon loses balance. Maisie twists their legs together, trying to make her drop. However, her opponent uses this against her, pushing Maisie so she rolls onto the ground. She tries to land a kick on her chest but Maisie rolls out of the way just in time, pushing herself to her feet again. Though Maisie is a fast and strong fighter, she isn't invincible. The Iron Dragon comes flying at her at full speed. She manages to block or dodge all the attacks except for the last one. Her opponent slams her heel into Maisie's rib, making her audibly wince in pain. She's broken that rib before. Correction. Silver has broken that rib before.

As the referee announces her competitor as the winner, Maisie forces herself to not look in pain. She bows to her opponent before walking towards her team, everyone now standing on her side of the mat. Maisie rolls her shoulder out, ignoring their looks of hesitance. Daniel puts his hand on her uninjured shoulder, "Are you alright, Maisie? That last kick could have bruised your rib."

She sends them all her best smile, "All good."

Both Daniel and Johnny look unconvinced but they eventually nod, following Hawk to his next fight. The rest of the team follow except for Devon who hangs back to walk a bit slower with Maisie. "You did really well Maisie. I thought you had her."

Maisie lets out a small laugh, "Thanks, Dev."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh, I'm not. That really hurt. But Daniel will make me sit down if I tell him that and if I sit down, I'll crash. We still have the bo-staff section."

Devon looks at her up and down, "Your resilience is inspiring."

Maisie tilts her head to the side, both girls laughing softly. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Devon sends her a smile before following after the rest of the team. Maisie keeps walking after her but she glances back towards where she just fought. Axel is watching her and she has a feeling he won't look away until she assures him that she's okay. Maisie sends him a thumbs up and a smile before following after her team. Axel still watches as she goes.

———

It's well known amongst Miyagi-Do that Maisie doesn't like trash talk. Especially before a fight. If your opponent is running their mouth then goes on to lose, mock them as much as you want. But if there's a possibility that you will not win your fight, why the hell would you just purposely wind up your opponent. This is all to say, the captain of Dublin Thunder is Maisie's worst nightmare.

( "You think yer scary, bitch? The wind could knock you over." )

Like do you hear yourself? Maisie wants to get this fight over with quick.

Maisie steps onto the main mat, ignoring the Irish captain who is heckling her, challenging Maisie to meet her eye. Maisie just minds her own business. Everyone is watching this fight as it's the second last one, meaning all dojos are surrounding the mat, reacting audibly to the girl's words as if they're a paid crowd. The blonde's confidence keeps growing as she jumps side to side. Maisie just waits in her spot for the referee to start the match. The bo-staff is her weapon of choice.

When the referee finally lifts his hand, signalling the start of the match, Maisie wastes no time. She charges forward, swinging her staff towards her opponent's neck. She gets her arm up just in time to block it. Maisie swings it up over her head, slamming the staff into her opponent's thigh. She forces the Irish fighter to stay on defence. Though she would never admit it, she chooses to draw out the fight in the slightest. She's got her confidence back now, meaning all her movements are smooth and sure. Maisie continues to attack her opponent until she hears Johnny telling her to end it. She sighs but obliges. In one swift movement, she catches her competitors' staff, using all her force to send the Irish's staff out of her hands and into the air. Maisie catches her opponent's staff in one hand, dropping her own behind her. With no weapon, the mouthy Irish has to accept the losing hit committed by her own staff.

The referee points at Maisie, "Point, winner!"

Wordlessly, Maisie tosses the Irish her staff back, picking up her own before walking back to her team. She can't help but smirk at the way Devon, Hawk and Johnny are all silently giggling, the first 2 leaning on each other as they laugh. When she finds her place between them all, Maisie finds Tory, who stands on the other side of the mat. The blonde sends her a prideful expression. Maisie sends her a mock salute. It was a good morning.

———

"Everyone, listen up."

The Miyagi-Do fighters reluctantly huddle around their senseis. Vibes are low because they're near the bottom of the standings. A lot of the fighters are now realising that they might be a bit in over their heads here.

"This morning's event was tough, but let's not get discouraged yet. We have 2 more events today. And the eliminations don't begin until the second one."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Demetri cuts off Daniel, "If that wasn't the elimination round, what is? Getting our heads cut off with swords?"

Maisie can't help but laugh at his words. It's kinda true. That's the most tense fighting some of them have faced and it was just for points. What the hell are they going to come up with when it actually matters?

"We knew this wasn't going to be easy." Daniel says, "We're going up against the best dojos in the world, but don't forget, you guys are one of them too."

"Yeah, so you better start fighting like it!" Johnny cuts off his partner, looking between his fighters.

"Johnny, come on, man." Daniel slaps his shoulder before turning back to the kids, "The best thing you can do right now is just clear your minds, get some rest, you know, put this behind you. You got this, all right? I believe in you."

None of his students respond. They all just walk off towards the elevators. The boys rush to make the elevator that's closing but the girls show no urgency so when the door shuts, Maisie clicks the button again. She looks between Sam and Devon, both of them looking dejected. Maisie wants to say something but she's worried it'll come off as condescending as she won 3 out of her 4 fights. Everyone else barely managed 1 win.

When the elevator doors open again, Maisie follows her teammates in, clicking both of their floors. Devon slumps against the wall, "Well, I totally sucked out there."

"We all did terribly." Sam replies.

Maisie scratches the back of her head but doesn't say anything.

Devon whirls to look at Sam, "Yeah, but I landed flat on my ass. God! I can't believe I'm making such an embarrassment of myself."

"Dev, you've only been doing karate for like half a year. Cut yourself some slack." Maisie says softly. Devon only huffs in response.

"It would help if our senseis got on the same page." Sam says, "Johnny needs to start working with my dad better."

Devon sends her a look, "Well, I mean, I don't think it was all Sensei Lawrence's fault."

Maisie drops her head back to lean against the back wall as the door chimes, opening to reveal Zara who is talking passionately to her phone.

"What's up, everyone? It's your queen of karate here." Zara walks in, pressing the button for 2 floors up, "Just finished our second Sekai Taikai event, where the Dragons absolutely slayed!"

Maisie pinches the bridge of her nose. Maybe she would find Zara's words a bit more funny if her ribs stopped aching so badly.

"Although, it was awesome to see other badass girls of karate fighting out there." Zara turns to look at the 3 other girls in the elevator. "Like her! She disarmed her opponent in the bo-staff competition and used her competitor's weapon to win the point. So cool!" Zara clears her throat, making Maisie's head snap up, "Remind me of your name?"

She says it in a way that doesn't leave room for disagreement. Maisie sighs, "Maisie Cade."

"Maisie Cade," Recognition crosses Zara's face as she repeats the words. She looks shocked for the briefest second before turning back to her phone, a fake smile on her face, "Anyway! Let's see if any of these other dojos there try to dethrone us. And to all my fans, I'm here to win for you! So stay tuned. I'll post again after the next event. Zara, out!"

She blows a kiss to the camera before shutting off her phone. Immediately, her smile drops. She turns to Sam and Devon, who hides behind Maisie. "Sorry, I only do intros on my stories for fighters who win their events. It's a brand thing, so don't take it personally."

Maisie can only imagine the face Devon is pulling behind her.

As the elevator dings and the doors start to open, Zara turns to Maisie as she goes to walk out, "He keeps a picture of you in his wallet after all those years. It's cute, really. Did you know?"

"I did." Maisie responds simply.

Zara hums before walking out, staring back down at her phone as the doors shut behind her.

Devon scoffs loudly, while Sam mumbles a 'wow' in disbelief. Maisie lets out a puff of air that resembles something close to laughter.

"'It's a brand thing'." Sam quotes in annoyance. The 3 girls look at each other in silence for a beat before they burst out laughing.

———

For the next hour, Maisie stays in her room with Tory, both girls craving a bit of normalcy. They don't talk about Robby or Cobra Kai or karate. They just put it aside for a bit. Tory interrogates Maisie on her conversation with Axel that morning, the blonde finding the whole situation hilarious.

"He wants more than just friendship." Tory deadpans.

Maisie turns her head to look at her. She lays tucked into her bed, an ice pack on her ribs. Tory is strewn over the other bed, flipping through the channels on the TV. "What?"

"I was watching you guys today between events—"

"What?" Maisie repeats, sitting up slightly, "You should've been watching your teammates."

Tory stares at her, silently asking if she's serious, "Kwon? Yoon?"

Maisie thinks about it for a second before sighing, falling back onto her pillows, "Go on."

"I was watching you guys today between events," Tory says again, "And he watched all of your fights. And not like... casually. Also don't act like you weren't watching his."

"I was." She mumbles. "It's just... something's different. Like when the awkward tension lifted... there was something else there."

"Your crush is back." Tory says firmly.

"No, no." Maisie pulls herself up, turning so she's looking at Tory, "It's not like that."

"It is."

Maisie thinks about it for a second, then something in her head clicks. "Oh my god, it is."

Tory starts laughing, sitting up in her bed as well. "I told you!"

"I find him... attractive now." Maisie blurts out, "He's always been like... gorgeous but now..."

"You think he's hot." Tory fills in the blanks, looking at Maisie in amusement.

Maisie face plants forward onto the mattress, whining, "He's so hot."

Tory's laughter echoes through the room as Maisie gets out of bed, running her hands through her hair. She's never had a boyfriend before. The last time she had a crush was... Axel, 4 years ago. The truth is, she never searched for a boyfriend because she craves independence over most things and she hasn't met a guy she would give that up for. But Axel, he doesn't feel forced. He doesn't feel rushed. She knows he wouldn't be relying on her for everything. He's competent and responsible and has no issue leaving her be if needed. Because he... what? Gets her? Understands where she's coming from? Knows what she's thinking before it even comes to her mind?

"He's never made me feel... trapped." Maisie says, "I spent every moment with him for like 6 years because I wanted to. Not because I had to."

"Some of the best relationships are built off friendships first."

Maisie shakes her head, sitting back down, "Relationship? No. I only just forgave him this morning. That's moving too fast. Also, no way he feels that way."

Tory rolls her eyes. "He'd be stupid not to feel that way about you."

"If he likes me... he likes who I was. I'm not— I'm different from how I was when I was 13. I'm not as hopeful or optimistic or upbeat. I... what if he gets to know the now me and decides that the me he wanted has been gone for 4 years. What if... I'm not enough for him."

Tory stays silent. She doesn't know what to say.

Maisie shakes her head and sighs, pushing away the topic. She looks down at the time on her phone, "I should probably go get some food from the buffet. Do you wanna come?"

"I should get going." Tory replies after a beat of silence, looking at Maisie as she stands up, "We aren't done talking about this."

"Yes we are." Maisie says simply as she grabs her stuff, sliding on her shoes. Tory copies her actions, going to open the door. They ride the elevator in silence before they bid each other goodbye, both of them getting off on their respective floors.

Before she can even look at the food being offered at the buffet, she sees Sensei Wolf approach Johnny, the blond immediately sizing him up. Maisie audibly sighs before walking over to them, standing so Johnny is on her left and Wolf is on her right.

"What did you just call me?" Johnny asks.

Wolf laughs, glancing at the girl who tugs on Johnny's sleeve like she's a little kid. "It's what you're eating."

He then turns to the server, speaking in Catalan. Maisie opens her mouth to tell Johnny that they have to go but he turns back to their opponent, "Hey, you know what? You're not the only one who speaks Spanish around here. Yo también (me too)."

Wolf chuckles again, "Actually, it's Catalan. That's what they speak here in Barcelona."

"It's 'Barss-elona,' dipshi–"

"Johnny... Robby is looking for you." Maisie cuts him off, trying to stop him from angering this very scary, very tall sensei.

"Of course it is." Wolf just nods firmly.

Johnny continues to ignore Maisie's attempts to get him to leave, meaning he turns to Wolf again, "Why you gotta be such a pain in the ass at every buffet?"

"Well, because how we fuel our bodies matter. I teach my students by example, to eat nutrients rich in protein and antioxidants so they perform at their peak. Maybe where you're from, they only eat crap like this." Wolf responds, every single one of his words calculated, he turns to look at Maisie who continues to grab onto Johnny's sleeve, "At least your star student doesn't take after your habits."

"Don't talk to or about her." Johnny replies, taking a step forward, ignoring the way Maisie whispers his name, telling him to leave it while nervously looking at Wolf.

Wolf's eyes prowl every section of Maisie's face. Maisie doesn't flinch. She has a lot of experience staring into the eyes of a corrupted sensei. The corner of his lips quirk up, "What's your name, dear?"

Maisie's blood runs cold. Johnny takes another step forward but Maisie grabs his arm, more forcibly this time, telling him to step back. "Maisie."

Maisie is sure he knows her name. After all, she got 2 points on one of his untouchable Iron Dragons.

"You look... familiar."

Before she can ask him if he spends a lot of time looking in Axel's wallet like Zara, a hand ghosts over her hip. She instantly relaxes as Axel appears at her side, standing beside Maisie, blocking her from Wolf. "Is everything okay here?"

The tips of his fingers continue to brush over her back. Due to the group's proximity, neither sensei can see it.

Wolf sends his student a smile before looking back at Maisie who has to resist the urge to hide behind Axel in order to escape his eyes. "Everything is just fine. I was only explaining to Sensei Lawrence and Maisie the difference between Catalan and Spanish."

Axel goes rigid when Wolf says Maisie's name. He turns his head to look at Maisie, as if asking if he's telling the truth. He trusts Maisie more than he trusts Wolf. The girl nods while inwardly shaking off the chills that Wolf's presence gives her. She grabs Johnny's sleeve one more time, this time he listens and backs up just a bit.

Before any of them can excuse themselves from the situation, a voice comes on over the hotel announcement system. "Attention all Sekai Taikai participants. The next event will begin in 90 minutes."

Wolf smiles at the news, turning back to Johnny. "The good news is, your dojo won't be around much longer to waste everyone's time, as you'll be eliminated tonight."

"Bullshit." Johnny practically spits, "You just better hope you don't run into us out there. We'll show you a thing or 2 about where we come from."

Axel watches from the corner of his eye as Maisie runs a hand down her face.

"I won't hold my breath." Wolf grins in amusement before turning to Axel, his amused expression dampening, "After you, Kovačević."

Axel glances at Maisie one more time before taking a step back, turning to walk out of the room, his sensei on his tail.

As soon as they're out of earshot, Maisie turns to Johnny, hitting his arm, "Can you stop adding senseis to the already long list of senseis who hate you?"

"Over my dead body."

———

AUTHOR'S NOTE—

this is such a simple chapter but the axel shoulder thing is so important because it's the first sign of him breaking from the abuse :(((

also i HAD to point out that maisie is a hater of the high water pants cause they KILL ME!!

the next 2 chapters are a lot of karate stuff then THE NIGHT OUT WOOOOOOO

i'm so excited to write that

BAIIIIII <333