MAISIE— LIKE NORMAL— FINDS HERSELF SEEKING COMFORT IN THE MIYAGI-DO LOCKER ROOM. She knows someone from the team is going to come looking for her soon. And she knows she needs to get back to the arena because Robby and Axel's fight starts in 10 minutes, but she can't move herself from her spot on the bench. She sits completely folded over, her chest on top of her thighs, her arms hanging limply by her legs. This is the only position where she feels like she isn't going to faint.

"Maisie?"

The girl feels thankful at the sound of Daniel's voice over anyone else's. He's not going to ask her why she's still crying even though the fight has been done for 10 minutes.

She lets out a huff of air, not looking up, "Yeah?"

"How are you feeling?"

Very slowly, Maisie sits up to look at her sensei who stands at the door. Everything hurts. Her shoulder is killing her, she still can't see much out of her left eye, her face is aching and every breath she takes feels like an elephant stomping on her chest. "I'm fine."

Daniel looks at her sceptically, "Do you want ibuprofen?"

She nods silently. Daniel walks into the room, stopping at his locker. He pulls out a pill bottle from his first-aid kit, handing her 2 pills and one of the team water bottles. "You can double up with paracetamol in a couple hours and I'll give you more ibuprofen when we get back to the hotel in a couple hours. For now, I want you to drink that entire bottle, okay?"

Maisie nods as she swallows the pills.

Daniel takes a seat on the bench across from her, "You've been doing really well this tournament, Maisie. Even with everything happening. Running into Axel, then Silver and your dad showing up... it couldn't have been easy. The way you have handled it all is very impressive."

She bites her lip as she nods, blinking away her tears as much as possible. It feels nice to be acknowledged like this. For the past 5 days, she's been doing absolutely everything in her power to stay strong, to be a leader. And having someone— especially Daniel— recognize that makes her feel seen.

"And you've taken well to Miyagi-Do, though I know you were hesitant with it at first."

Maisie laughs with him slightly, "I've got some good teachers."

Daniel smiles at her with a nod. They sit in silence for a beat before Daniel goes to stand up, "Take your time, okay?"

She nods softly before saying, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

He bids her goodbye, shutting the door of the room behind him.

She sits there for a few more minutes, her head leaning against the locker behind her. By the time she stands up, it's safe to say her adrenaline is gone. She finds her way into the bathroom, looking in the mirror. The bruise on her left cheekbone has now spread into her eye and over the bridge of her nose. Daniel wasn't lying when he said she burst a few blood vessels because most of her left eye is a bloody red instead of white. Her eyes are teary and her cheeks are red from the fight. Bits of her hair have escaped her braids, brown strands framing her face. She looks devastating.

Maisie unties her captain's headband, hanging it around her neck before downing the rest of her water bottle. She feels like sobbing, like breaking down on the floor. But she can't because she's got to go stand in the spot Robby was in 15 minutes prior, watching the person you love fight your fellow captain.

The walk back to the arena is slow, mostly because Maisie is a bit nervous to face her team. Just as she reaches the doors, they open to reveal a frantic looking Axel Kovačević. Immediately, his worry turns to concern when he sees her. He shuts the door behind her before rushing up to her, his eyes scanning over her entire body.

"That hurt me to watch."

She laughs lightly, ignoring the pain in her ribs at the movement. "I'm okay."

His eyes cover every inch of her face before he shakes his head, "No you are not."

Maisie rolls her eyes with a smile, "Maybe not. But I will be."

Maisie blinks and all of a sudden she's being scooped into his arms. She laughs while rushing out her words, "Ax, nježan, nježan (gentle, gentle)!"

He swears, releasing his hold on her while she giggles in front of him. She moves at her own speed, wrapping her arms around his waist. Slowly, he reciprocates, tenderly wrapping his arms around her, not squeezing her nearly as tight as he wants to. He rests his chin on the top of her head, her face hidden in his chest.

"Well done, Maze."

"Thank you." She whispers her words with a twinge of guilt.

Axel can hear it, making him take a deep breath, an internal conflict in his head, "Do you want to watch Tangled tonight?"

Maisie immediately gasps, pulling her head back to look at him in surprise, "Did you just volunteer to watch Tangled with me?"

He sighs, "I regret my words."

"No!" She grins, dropping her head back onto his chest. She can hear the echo of his heartbeat syncing with hers, "We're definitely watching Tangled tonight."

He sighs again. It's not that he dislikes Tangled, it's just that he probably watched it 500+ times during their 6 year friendship. Maisie loves that movie. He finds it slightly crazy. Why can the horse and chameleon understand humans? Why doesn't Rapunzel wear shoes?

"You've gotta go fight." She mumbles into his chest.

Axel huffs— channeling his inner dramatic dog like normal as he rests his cheek on the top of her head, "I would rather stay here."

She scoffs, trying to pull back but he tightens his hold on her a bit. She's not necessarily in the best state to fight him on it, and even if she was, he's still much stronger than her. "Wolf's gonna start looking for you."

He takes a long, deep breath before groaning, "Fine."

Maisie smiles as she pulls back, looking up at him, "Just... don't hurt him, okay?"

"I doubt I will have to."

She rolls her eyes at his tiny smirk, jabbing her finger into his chest, "And don't underestimate him. He's a good fighter."

"Okay." He says softly before his smirk starts to grow, "Are you rooting for me or him?"

Maisie laughs, shoving his chest, "You've gotta go."

"Hajde (come on)!" His smirk grows into a grin as he follows Maisie towards the door, "It is me, right?"

She sends him a look over her shoulder before shrugging casually, "Maybe."

Axel's hand darts forward, pinching her side.

Maisie giggles as she twists away from him, "Hey! Injured!"

He scoffs, a smile hiding underneath. "Not fair."

"Very fair." She replies simply, opening the door, "Sretno (good luck), Axel."

Axel grins, mumbling a goodbye before walking into the arena. Maisie takes a breath, waiting for a beat before following. She finds her way to her team quickly, all of which greet her with big grins, slow clapping as she walks up to them. She scoffs out a laugh, "Save it."

Johnny pulls her into his side, bringing her into his conversation with Robby, "Badass, Bear!"

Maisie just smiles at him before turning to Robby. He looks confident and ready, making her nod firmly, "You've got it, Robby."

Robby rolls his eyes sarcastically, throwing up his hand with an over-dramatic scoff, "Fake fan."

"Tough luck of the draw." Maisie says, "I'm supporting both because either way I will be both happy and sad."

"Thanks for your honesty." He replies with a laugh.

Maisie rolls her eyes, patting his shoulder before finding her spot between Devon and Sam, across from Miguel. The boy looks at her in concern, "You feeling okay?"

She shrugs, "I'll be fine. Just sore."

Devon slowly reaches out to poke her bruise, interest on her face. Sam slaps her hand away, "Why does everyone keep trying to do that?"

Both girls laugh, Maisie's a bit more forced. They can all see it in her eyes. The uncomfort in the whole situation. The semi-finals in general, her fight with Tory, her other fight with Tory, Robby and Axel facing off, all of it. It's just a tough day all around with multiple unfortunate circumstances.

There's 5 or so more minutes in the stoppage. During that time, Devon shows Maisie a text she got from Marion, congratulating the girl while also asking if she's okay. Maisie types back a response before handing Devon her phone back to shove into her pocket.

"Up next, our second boys' semi-final: Axel Kovačević of Iron Dragons versus Robby Keene of Miyagi-Do."

Maisie feels the nerves rush back, only in a slightly different context this time. She slides into the spot Hawk makes for her in between himself and Miguel as Robby circles to face the group.

"This is everything you've been working for." Johnny says, "You earned it."

"Breathe, focus, stay centered. Give him everything you got." Daniel nods.

"And then," Chozen leans forward, "You give him more!"

The team all shout words of encouragement, clapping as Robby walks onto the mat. As Axel takes his place across from Robby, Hawk nudges Maisie's side, "How are you really feeling about this?"

She winces, "Either way, I'm going to be dealing with a very grumpy boy tonight."

Both Hawk and Miguel snort as they turn their attention to the mat.

Maisie watches as Robby and Axel bow to each other. She bites the inside of her cheek. She'd really love to watch a fight that she's not overly emotionally invested in one day.

"Ready?" The referee raises his hand, "Fight!"

Robby runs at Axel, throwing multiple kicks and punches— all of which Axel side-steps. Every single kick, Axel blocks. Every single punch, Axel swerves. He doesn't even try to get points, instead staying on defense as Robby circles him, desperate for a slip up that he can optimize. Axel doesn't give him an opportunity.

After over 30 seconds of fruitless attempts, Johnny swears, "Shit!"

"His defense is on point." Daniel says, "Robby can't get through."

Just as he says that, Robby sends a side kick towards Axel. The Iron Dragon doesn't even flinch. He raises his arms so Robby's kick hits his forearms. He holds strong, meaning Robby gets sent off balance.

"Maze." Johnny says, "Word of advice to stop your god-like boyfriend?"

Maisie sighs, choosing not to correct him on the boyfriend front. She's never seen someone beat Axel before. Even when they were like 9— Axel was undefeated. He has always been the tallest, the strongest and the sharpest. The girl winces, "Pray?"

"What if we held you at gunpoint or something?"

"That'll just make him angry." She responds, "And that's not the direction you want to go in, trust me."

"Axel!" Wolf's voice cuts through the arena, "攻击 (attack)!"

Hawk glances at Maisie nervously, "What do you think he said?"

Maisie doesn't take her eyes off of Axel who changes stances, "Nothing good."

Pretty much every Miyagi-Do fighter flinches as Axel's effort starts to shift. He starts matching Robby's offence, catching his arm, punching him in the stomach.

"Point!"

"Shit." Johnny mumbles, "His offense is even better."

Axel punches both of Robby's shoulders, then his face, making blood fly out of Robby's mouth.

Maisie anxiously shifts side to side. Robby deserves to win. Winning this would be huge for him, it could open doors for hundreds of opportunities. But Maisie would be lying if she said she was supporting him 100%. She wants Axel to win, and deep down, she's sure he will. But Axel winning would mean Silver and her dad winning, and she doesn't want that. Somehow the best option for a male champion is... Kwon. Maisie shudders, Eugh.

"Defence, Robby!"

The boy listens to Daniel's words, straightening up to start blocking Axel's attacks. He manages to hold his own for a while but Axel— who has a much longer wingspan than Robby— manages to get his arms trapped. Axel looks down at him as they stand chest to chest, saying something that doesn't reach Maisie's ears.

As he finishes speaking, he shoves Robby into the line of Cobra Kai fighters before backing up. Kwon and one of the other fighters catch Robby, Kwon aggressively elbowing him in the stomach. Immediately, all of Miyagi-Do start shouting at the referee, Miguel charging onto the mat. Maisie tries to grab him but he yanks his arm from her grasp.

He tries to push through Axel to get to Kwon but instead, he finds himself on the floor at the hands of the Iron Dragon. In an instant, Miguel is on his feet, sizing up to Axel. Miguel is a decent height but Axel towers over him with ease. The boys push each other back and forth, making Maisie sigh and rush forward, pushing them apart. She inserts herself in between them, knowing that they won't keep pushing each other with her in the line of fire.

"Knock it off. Both of you!" She scoffs, looking between the 2 boys. She has to raise her voice to be heard over all the other commotion in the room— Robby arguing with Kwon, the rest of the Iron Dragon fighters yelling at Miyagi-Do, everyone else muttering in anticipation while Gunther tries to get everyone to quiet down.

Miguel and Axel continue to glare at each other above Maisie's head. Miguel pushes forward despite Maisie's hand on his chest trying to send him in the opposite direction, "Bring it, Romeo."

"Oh my god." Maisie mumbles under her breath. She knows she isn't going to get through to Miguel, so she turns to face Axel, yanking on his black belt to get him to look at her, "Axel! Prestani molim te (stop it please)!"

For a second, his aggression lifts. She can see it in his face, the way he falters at her words. Just when she thinks she's gotten through to him, it all falls down.

"Everyone off the mat now! Or this competition—" Gunther gets cut off by the Russian male sensei absolutely decking him in the face.

Instantly, everyone stops. Maisie's jaw drops as the man collapses to the floor. Maisie turns her head to look at Axel. He has his regular stoic expression but Maisie has spent so long looking at him, that the tiny raise in his eyebrows tells her that he's just as shocked as her. Suddenly, Ivanov turns to the crowd, letting out something remotely close to a war cry. Then... chaos.

All of the eliminated teams run onto the mat, lead by Tiger Strike, picking opponents at random. Maisie sees Robby run at Kwon and from behind her, Miguel shouts, "Kovačević!"

Maisie's first instinct is to yell at him not to encourage a brawl breaking out— especially after last time, but before she can, 2 hands grab her by the wrists. Devon and Kenny yank her from the spot between Miguel and Axel. She turns to see that if they didn't, Miguel would've pummled her when charging at Axel. Maisie looks around frantically, "What the fuck?!"

Everyone is fighting. The competitors, the senseis, the sponsors, the officials. Every person in this room has somehow been dragged into the brawl, attacking every person who may have done them wrong in the last 5 days.

Her, Devon and Kenny stand in the middle of the mat, the 2 younger teens staring at her in disbelief. Maisie forgets that they weren't there for the school fight sometimes. Devon's eyes are wide, "What do we do?"

"Keep an eye out for the team." Maisie starts speaking before thinking, "Do not start anything with anyone! But— protect yourself if needed. And do not— for the life of you— go up on that fucking balcony!"

The 2 teens look at where she's pointing. She's referring to the viewers balcony where some of the eliminated teams have started scraps with each other. The balcony where her grandparents are.

"Just stick together, okay? Watch your back and stay away from the 'roided Russians."

Maisie turns, going to run off, but Kenny calls out to her, "Where are you going?"

"To get my grandparents."

Devon looks at her in disbelief, "Who are on said balcony?!"

Maisie points at them as she shuffles away, "You guys got it. Don't worry!"

She doesn't wait for them to stop her. As she runs towards the stairs, she gets— quite literally— bodychecked to the ground. Maisie groans in pain as she looks at her attacker, seeing the Irish female captain— Cara. Cara stands up, putting her hands on her knees to tower over Maisie who is collapsed on her back, "Miyagi-Do captain? You think you're worthy of that spot?"

Before Maisie can respond, someone sidekicks Cara, sending her stumbling to the side. Maisie thanks Sam as she pulls herself up. Sam nods, "I got it. Go find your grandparents."

"Gonna pussy out?" Cara shouts at Maisie.

Maisie rolls her eyes, pulling the headband from her neck, tossing it to Sam who dangles it in front of Cara before tying it to her wrist to keep it safe. Maisie points to her, "You want a Miyagi-Do captain? Knock yourself out."

Cara snarls but before she can catch Maisie, the brunette is already gone, darting up the stairs. As soon as she gets to the second level, she sees her grandparents. They stand right in front of the emergency exit doors, showing no sign of leaving. Marion is filming the whole ordeal with a massive grin on her face while Toby stands beside her with his arms crossed, a matching smile on his face. Maisie runs up to them in disbelief, "What are you doing?"

Somehow, Marion's smile grows, "Watching!"

Toby turns to his granddaughter, "We knew we were going to see some karate but this is crazy!"

"Oh my god." Maisie scoffs in disbelief. She pushes past her grandparents, opening the door behind them. She grabs Marion by the arm, tugging her out of the room. Then she grabs Toby by the back of his collar, "Both of you need to leave! Someone might come after you."

Toby looks at her in amusement, "Are you coming with us?"

"No?"

"Why? I wanna stay too."

Maisie looks at him, genuinely gobsmacked. "I'm a black belt in karate? I'm at least in the top 2 female competitors in this tournament?"

"Congrats on that, by the way, Doll. We're so proud of you." Marion pats her shoulder.

Toby nods, "We know it must've been tough fighting—"

"You guys need to go!" Maisie cuts him off, "Seriously!"

"Okay, okay!" Marion sighs, stepping back into the stairwell, "Stay safe."

Maisie starts to back up towards the stairs, "Don't worry, it's not my first brawl."

Both of them send her an over-enthusiastic thumbs up before heading down the emergency stairs. Maisie doesn't turn around until she sees the doors shut, meaning they can't come back.

She jogs to the edge of the balcony, looking down over the rest of the fight, trying to spot the Miyagi-Do gis amongst the crowd. Axel is fighting Miguel and multiple West-End Warriors who try to run at him— all of which hit the mat in an instant. Sam is still fighting Cara. Robby is fighting most of Cobra Kai, though it seems Tory is giving him a hand— Nope— Zara charged her. Demetri and Hawk are both fighting the 'roided Russians. Maisie sighs, deciding that Robby needs her help the most.

She runs to the stairs, slipping past Devon and Kenny who fight 2 Irish fighters and 2 Brazilian fighters. Maisie kicks one of Devon's Irishmen down the stairs on her way past, "Thought I told you not to go up the stairs!"

"Limited options!" Devon grunts, "But go! We got this."

God, Maisie thinks, I hope they don't get traumatized by this.

Nonetheless, she listens to Devon, booking it down the rest of the stairs. Her eyes land on Robby who is being passed between Kwon and Yoon. She swears, bolting forward, having no care who she knocks into on her way. Just when she gets on the mat, a hand clasps around her wrist, yanking her back to them. Maisie's entire body goes rigid when she sees her dad standing there, watching her with a malice grin, "Oh, May. I've missed you."

Maisie tries to tug her wrist from his hand, but he just tightens his grip, pulling her closer to him. She looks up at him, fear encroaching on her, "Let me go."

"No, dear." He sighs, "Don't you want to hit me back for once?"

"I'm not going to fight you."

"Afraid you'll hurt me?"

"I've let you go." She says, her eyes turning glossy, "You don't haunt me anymore."

Andrew laughs, lowering his head so his face is closer to hers, "You were always proficient in the art of dishonesty."

Maisie knows exactly what he's doing. He's pushing her to the edge, waiting for a reaction. He wants to set fire to the pile of matches and gasoline of his own creation and watch as it burns. If it was 5 days ago, Maisie would've been able to walk away. She would've been able to push him and his words aside and continue on with few demons. But at this point, Maisie has been depleted of her resilience, drained of her patience, exhausted of her strength. She's tired of being the bigger person, withdrawing from the battle. She's painted as the weak one, the stupid runt of the litter, the idiotic kicked puppy.

She's never seen herself as overly strong or resilient. She doesn't think she is, really. Surviving is what she does. It isn't some profound quality worthy of praise. It's expected. It's required. If she wasn't just surviving, she doesn't know what she would be.

"I don't want to fight you." She changes her words, "I want you to walk away. Now."

Andrew tilts his head to the side, a sickening smile coming across his face, "Wishful thinking, Doll."

Maisie takes a tiny step back, shoving him as far away from her as possible. Her anger and desperation shows in the movement. He barely flinches, instead throwing 2 punches and a kick that Maisie blocks using Miyagi-Do. She stares at him in disbelief. He knows karate.

"And— uh— I've learned a few things since I saw you last. You're not the only Cade with a black belt, Bear."

She rips her wrist from his grip, taking a few steps back so there's 6 feet between them. The only reason she was so confident in her ability to fight him was the fact that she knows karate and he doesn't. She was supposed to have the advantage in the same way he did for her entire childhood. But he can fight. He's stronger than when she was a child. He can still hurt her.

All courage flees as Maisie looks into her father's eyes. Suddenly, she's 12 years old. Suddenly, she's within his grasp.

She could run. She could turn on her foot and bolt. Or she could call out for Axel, or Johnny. Either one of them would escape their fights and come help her at the sound of her voice. But she can't find it in herself to open her mouth.

She's so tired. She's tired of running, of fighting. She's done with the bloodshed, the battle, the conflict, the war. He could hurt her, and she doesn't think she would feel it anymore. It would just be a bit more pain on top of the already vast pile. He could break a rib, punch a bruise, dislocate a shoulder and she wouldn't even realize.

Andrew drops into a fighting stance but Maisie doesn't move. She just stands there, arms at her side, utterly dejected. Eliza would be so angry if she saw what came of them. Her husband— abusive and invalidating. And her daughter— a willing lamb, awaiting her slaughter.

For just a second, Andrew hesitates. Maisie knows that in this brief silence, he sees Eliza standing in front of him. Maisie knows that she represents her mother for him. Only now, he can't catch her. She's free from his grasp. Everywhere he looks, he sees her face, he sees her name, he sees her silhouette. He sees the love of his life who couldn't find it in herself to love him back. But she isn't his. Not anymore.

"Are you going to fight me?" Maisie throws her arms up as her voice breaks. Her tone is nearing desperation as tears shine in her eyes, "Are you going to hit me, dad? Punish me for your mistakes? You were never supposed to have kids. We both know that."

Andrew's hands fall. He straightens out, meeting his daughter's eyes. He remembers her crying, more than smiling. Every time he opened his mouth, it was like she would break. No strength, no resolve. Not a fighter. Not a Cade. Not his daughter.

"No?" She scoffs, "Then leave."

With that, she turns, heading towards Sam and Robby who fight Cobra Kai. For once, she doesn't look back to see her father's reaction. She doesn't care if he's disappointed, she doesn't care if he looks at her with anger, she doesn't care if she is letting him down. He can rot in hell for all she cares.

"Maze!"

"I'm here!" She exclaims, running forward to throw the guy who pins Sam down across the mat.

Maisie pulls Sam up, just for her to be grabbed by one of the Irish fighters, pulling her in the opposite direction. Maisie contemplates running to help, but when her eyes land on Robby, her priorities get redirected. He's practically getting stomped on by Kwon repeatedly. She runs forward, pushing Kwon to the side with as much force as possible. He stumbles enough that he's off Robby, but Maisie wasn't strong enough to heavily deter him.

Before she can twist to raise her fists or deliver a kick to keep him away, Kwon slams his foot into her ribs with as much force as he can manage. Maisie swears as she gets sent flying back, her body crashing onto the mat. She looks up to see Kwon staring at her, an amused expression on her face. In the blink of an eye, Axel appears behind him, a mix of fury and possessiveness on his face. That's when Maisie knows that Kwon's smirk won't last much longer.

She watches as Axel practically picks up Kwon, hurling him across the mat. As soon as that's done, he's at Maisie's side, lifting her off the mat, placing her on her feet. With his arm still around her waist, keeping her tucked into his side, his eyes scanning over her face, he asks, "Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

"I'm fine," She rushes out her words, trying to provide an end to his limitless worry, "Dobro sam (I'm okay)."

Before Axel can ask anything else, Kwon roars from behind him. Axel rolls his eyes so hard Maisie thinks he may have seen his brain, "Don't move."

Axel turns around to face Kwon who looks furious. Axel raises his arms briefly, as if to say 'let's go'. Kwon barely manages to duck from Axel's first punch, and his second and third are hardly blocked. Kwon swerves, trying to find an advantage. Any offence that he throws, Axel blocks with ease. And when Kwon tries to kick Axel, the Iron Dragon catches his ankle in one hand, throwing his leg back around.

Maisie finds herself having to swerve around people in order to keep an eye on Axel, meaning she finds herself closer to them than where Axel probably wants her. At first, he doesn't realize, instead kicking Kwon in the sternum, sending him flying back into one of the cameras.

In the brief absence of Kwon, Yoon and one other Cobra Kai fighter rushes Axel. Maisie is certain he can handle both, but still, she steps forward, taking Yoon off his hands. Though this is only the second time she's fought him, she can anticipate his moves quickly. He prefers jabs over kicks, meaning Maisie's defense helps her keep up. She's exhausted, her entire body is in pain, but if she slows down, Yoon will dispose of her and move on to Axel. She doesn't want that.

Yoon throws a punch at Maisie's face that she catches. Before she can twist to catch him in a shoulder throw, he contorts his arm, his fist escaping her grasp. Maisie moves before he can block, kneeing his side with as much force as possible. He stumbles back, and into Axel's fight. Axel manages to push his own fighter away enough to kick Yoon in the opposite direction of Maisie.

She doesn't protest, instead turning her head in anticipation for Kwon's return. She sees him running at her with full-speed but instead of just his hands slicing through the air, she sees something metal glint in the light. Immediately, her entire body freezes. He isn't supposed to have a weapon. That's not right. This is a karate tournament. Her blood runs cold as he sprints at her. There's only one second between Maisie realizing he has a knife, and Kwon reaching her. That's hardly enough time.

Maisie's entire life, she's been taught to hide. The thought of fighting back to her dad, to Silver, was incogitable. Truthfully, she thinks that's why her difficulties with Miyagi-Do karate were fairly limited. Her first instinct is to defend herself, not fight back.

One second isn't nearly as long as she thought it was. When you're watching a stopwatch, it feels slow. But in this moment, one second flies past her in a flash. In one last pathetic attempt to protect herself, and her person behind her, she raises her left arm. She can feel the knife slice through her arm. She can feel it break apart the skin. She can feel it rip apart the material of her sleeve. The feeling sends a shiver down her body. She doesn't just feel the pain, she feels the cool metal of the knife on her skin.

As she cries out in pain, Kwon shoves her to the side. She tries to scramble to stand up, but she's already too far from the fight. No one will hear her if she screams, no one will see her if she waves. And she won't be able to get there in time to stop Kwon from hurting Axel.

Axel— who doesn't see the knife— only Kwon throwing Maisie to the side, runs at him in rage. Only when both him and Kwon jump into the air to kick each other, does he hear Maisie yelling at him in Croatian, "Nož! Ima nož (knife! He has a knife)!"

Axel swears time starts to move in slow motion. By the time Maisie's words register in his mind, Axel has already knocked Kwon's foot, sending him uncontrollably spinning to the ground. The boy's sharp scream echoes through the arena. In an instant, all fighting and yelling stops. Maisie pushes through the crowd, finding Axel immediately. The second she's at his side, she slides her hand into his.

She looks over at Kwon who lays flat on his front, completely motionless, a dangerous amount of blood seeping from his body, onto the mat. Daniel pushes through the crowd, "Kwon?"

Maisie can hear her heart pound in her ears as she watches Daniel crouch down beside the boy. She can feel every drop of blood drip off her fingertips onto the mat below her. She can sense every person crowding around Kwon's body. And she can feel every Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do fighter move their gaze to her and Axel.

Slowly, Daniel flips over Kwon's body. Everyone gasps, starting to mutter or cry to anyone standing near them.

Axel's hold on Maisie's hand tightens and instantly, she's moving. She knows exactly what Axel is thinking and she needs to stop it now. Maisie forces Axel to turn his back to Kwon and face her. Everyone around her is too deep in shock to focus on the pair as Maisie pulls him closer to her with their interlocked hands, "That wasn't your fault, Axel—"

"But—"

"No." She cuts him off, her words so firm that he has no choice but to believe her, "To nije bila tvoja krivnja (that was not your fault)."

When he goes to protest again, she shakes her head, moving her finger to either side of his jaw so he has no choice but to look at her. The expression on his face is devastating. His eyes are brimming with tears, his cheeks are red, and all of his features are alert and distressed. She's never seen him like this. So... destroyed. "You didn't know. To nije bila tvoja krivnja (that was not your fault)."

Only when she sees the tiniest bit of understanding and acceptance does she break eye contact. Her hand slides to the back of his head as he drops his head to hide in the crook between her shoulder and her neck. His arms find their way around her waist as he takes deep breaths, relaxing with every stroke of her hand along his neck.

When she finally knows that Axel isn't going to follow her eyes, she glances over at Kwon. He looks so young. Before she can stop herself, her eyes shift down to the knife embedded in his chest. She recognizes it. It's Kreese's. The same one he was going to use on Silver in the spa before Kim stopped him.

Maisie realizes then that it doesn't matter how cocky or arrogant Kwon was, he was a kid, just like the rest of them. Just a kid, corrupted by this sport like many before him. Corrupted enough to think that running at his competitor with a knife was a rational idea.

"Cut the feed."

Maisie gets shaken out of her thoughts when Gunther speaks. She glances at the cameras. They were streaming for all of that?

Gunther grows more frantic as his head snaps to look at one of the cameras, "Cut the feed!"

———

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

Maisie sighs softly, turning to her grandparents, "I'm fine. I'm gonna shower then go see Axel."

Marion frowns, "How's he doing?"

"He was with Wolf and his team for the first while." Maisie replies quietly, watching as the floors tick past on the elevator wall, "He wants to sleep but is waiting for me."

It's nearing 9:30 now and Maisie is exhausted. After not sleeping much the past few days, then her fight, then the brawl, then 6 hours in a Barcelona emergency room, she's more than ready to sleep. Turns out the cut on her arm was a bit worse than she thought— if you were to base it off on everyone's reactions when they saw it.

The wound spans from her elbow all the way down to the base of her thumb. It took 47 stitches to get it closed properly. The doctors also wanted to do x-rays on her face and ribs. Her 3 souvenirs from Barcelona are nearly 50 stitches, 1 broken rib, and a fractured cheekbone. She guesses Silver and Tory both pack an insane punch.

The 7 other Miyagi-Do fighters are huddled in the boys' room, watching a movie to distract themselves. They had asked her if she wanted to come by upon returning to the hospital but she politely declined, stating she was going to head right to bed. She's sure they've figured out where she's actually going by this point.

As the doors open to Maisie's floor, she turns to her grandparents who insisted on riding all the way up with her, "I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

Marion nods while Toby sends her a reassuring smile, "We leave for the airport tomorrow evening at 5, okay?"

She nods, stepping out of the elevator. She sends her grandparents one last glance before heading down the hall. Her entire body is in immense pain and all she wants is to see Axel. Her shoulder is like a constant ache, her ribs make it hurt to move and breathe and her face kills her even when she keeps it still. She over-exerted herself in the final round of her fight with Tory then following that with a brawl just made things worse.

Maisie takes the quickest shower, changing into comfortable clothes. She grabs only her phone, water bottle and keycard before heading across the hall, knocking on Axel's door. Within a second, he opens the door and pulls her into his arms. Suddenly, she feels like she can breathe.

"47 stitches?" He mumbles in disbelief as he kicks his door shut, leading her into his room.

She nods with a shrug, "It's alright. I'm okay."

"You say that too much when you do not mean it."

Maisie huffs out a laugh as she detaches from his side, crawling into his bed. She turns her head to look at him, seeing him standing at the end of his bed, his hands on his hips with his eyebrows raised. His hair is wet from a shower and he only wears shorts, meaning Maisie can see the bruise on his shoulder and the cuts along his chest from Wolf. "Fine. Everything hurts. Is that what you want to hear?"

Axel shrugs, his eyes softening as she relaxes into his bed, "It's better."

She sends him a look, which makes a small smile come across his face.

"Do you need anything?"

Maisie reaches over to lift the sheets on the other side of the bed, mumbling, "You."

Immediately, he slides into the space beside her. All of her injuries are somehow only on one side, so she rolls onto her right side in order to face him. He turns his head, shuffling closer to her.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She whispers, her eyes scanning his face.

"Not yet." Axel shakes his head, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She mumbles. She stays silent for a moment before realization crosses her face, "Was that your first brawl?"

Axel's body starts shaking with laughter as he looks to the ceiling, "Unlike you, I don't have brawl experience."

"One brawl!" She smiles, "I have participated in one brawl."

"How was it compared to this one?"

She huffs, "Somehow ended worse than the last one."

A sigh falls past Axel's lips, tiny bits of guilt tracing his expression.

Maisie props herself up on her good elbow to look at him, "It's not your fault, remember?"

He turns his head to look at her as he nods slowly, "I know. Freak accident."

She nods at his words, feeling slightly exposed at the way his eyes trail over her face, observing every curve in the low light. Maisie usually doesn't like people looking at her. But she likes it when he looks at her. She feels special under his gaze. He makes her feel special.

Slowly, Axel reaches his hand out, his thumb brushing over the bruise on her cheekbone. Concern settles on his face, his eyes softening when they meet hers.

Maisie finds it insane how she can understand exactly what he's saying through one look. She thinks because their verbal communication was so limited at the start of their friendship, that they learned how to read the other person. Maisie could always tell when he was confused or struggling just off the look on his face. Axel has always been able to pick up when she's withholding something or hesitant to break her silence based on how she looks at him.

He knows communication is important for Maisie. She likes to know exactly what's going on and she fears misinterpreting something. Her habit for constant communication is how he's learned to say what he's feeling and how he's learned to tell her exactly what he wants. And right now, he wants her to stay with him.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Maisie whispers with a tiny smile.

"It looks pretty bad."

She raises her eyebrows, a smirk coming across her face, "Are you saying I look bad—"

"No!"

Maisie starts laughing, dropping her head onto his shoulder.

Axel sighs, "Not what I was saying."

"I know." Maisie replies with a smile. She lays back down beside him. Axel turns his head once again to look at her.

The exhaustion is evident on her face and the way her blinks slowly start to get longer. She looks so peaceful next to him, like she's free to finally let her guard down.

"How are your ribs?" He asks quietly, "It's the same side you broke when you were 12, right?"

Maisie opens her eyes again, "You remembered that?"

His breath gets caught in his throat, "I remember everything."

She meets his eyes and both of their hearts stop in sync. They didn't have moments like this before. When they were kids, time was always moving quickly. Those emotional, devoted words were only ever said in passing with a smile or a laugh. From the start, Maisie has known that he's always meant it. But now, it feels different. Now, all of his words feel like a promise.

Things feel uncertain. By this time tomorrow, they aren't even going to be on the same continent. But if Axel keeps talking to her like that, Maisie swears she'll never be able to disconnect herself from him. She will lay in this bed with him until winter rolls around, having no regrets about missing the life passing by outside the windows.

"How do you feel?"

Maisie struggles for a logical answer. She feels everything. She can feel every inch between them. "Cold."

A smile graces Axel's lips, "I can fix that."

In one easy movement, Axel lifts Maisie onto him, placing her gently on top of his body. She rests her head on his collarbone, her nose nudging his neck. Her legs get tangled with his as he wraps his arms around her. One arm goes around her waist as his other hand combs her hair over her shoulder. She completely melts into him, taking a deep breath. As soon as she relaxes, it's like the heat of Axel's body has completely dissipated her pain.

His smile grows as her muscles loosen and she curls closer to him, "How is the pain?"

"Better now." Maisie whispers back. She can hear his heart thump in his rib cage as her hand rests on his chest, her fingers grazing the skin.

Friends don't have physical contact like this. Both Maisie and Axel know that. But they also both know that 'friends' is an understatement when describing them. There is no world where they are just friends, just platonic. They're in that weird grey stage where they both know it, they can both acknowledge their love for the other, but aren't ready to face it yet. And Axel knows that until Maisie is ready to face it, he's happy to hold on to her.

"I don't want you to leave." Maisie's voice is small, sleepy and shy but Axel can hear every word.

"I'm not leaving." He says confidently, "It is just some space. You can call me whenever you want."

"What if you're sleeping?"

He laughs, the sound making Maisie's smile grow. The edge of her shirt has risen, meaning he allows his fingers to glide over the skin of her back as he rubs his hand back and forth, "I will pick up."

She frowns playfully, "You're a heavy sleeper."

"Phone under pillow." He responds, "Always works."

He feels her smile press against his chest, making a prideful expression grow on his face.

They lay in silence for a while, Axel's hand eventually reaching the bruised skin of her ribs. The pads of his fingers graze the wound before slowly stopping, his hand resting on it gently like he can protect it from any more harm.

After 5 minutes of quiet, Maisie mumbles, "I'm tired."

He chuckles, being able to hear it in her voice. "Sleep."

Maisie takes a deep breath and in an instant, she's dreaming. Dreaming of him.

———

AUTHOR'S NOTE—

pt 2 is done :'(( IM SO SAD IM NOT READY FOR THIS TO BE OVER

i listened to "speak too soon" by bebe stockwell and hans williams while writing that final scene if you wanna feel the vibe i was working for

can everyone drop their favourite maxel moment so far?? axel comforting maisie after her interaction with silver and the elevator scene will always hold special places in my heart

i wanna say the reason i brought in andrew, even though he's a small character, is cause i wanted to show the 2 different stages of healing for maisie. like her dad messed her up but she properly moved on from it and him but with silver, she went right back into karate, didn't talk about it with anyone or heal at all so that's why he's such an open wound, instead of scar tissue, like andrew

also i want to thank everyone who comments because i read every comment and im genuinely jumping for joy every time i get a new one so thank you for taking the time to comment hehe

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!! I APPRECIATE YOU AND ILL SEE YOU IN PT3