MAISIE WAKES UP EARLY ON SATURDAY MORNING DUE TO TIME CHANGE. She had landed at LAX late the night before, Marion and Toby picking her up from the airport. She's overly reluctant for her plans today, knowing that it'll result in disappointment for many parties, and immense anxiety for her.

She starts driving to the Larusso house just after 11 for breakfast with some of the team. Daniel and Sam proposed it as a discussion, but it feels a bit like Maisie is entering an intervention. An intervention against her... karate intervention.

Maisie sits in her car outside the Larusso house, preparing her excuses in her head. My dad will be there. Silver will be there. Last time I did karate, a guy— you know— ran at me... with a knife. She needs it to be justifiable because the excuse that she feels the strongest is one she doubts they'll understand. She wants it. She wants to win. She wants to beat Zara. And she is terrified of wanting something. Last time she wanted a win so desperately, there was a fight that led to her not speaking to her best friend for a month.

She grabs her keys and phone from the passenger seat, the object weighing heavy in her hands. Her key chain has an unreasonable amount of keys for an unemployed teenage girl. A few to her house, a key to Tory's apartment, a key to the Miyagi-Do dojo that Daniel gave to all the Sekai Taikai fighters, her car keys and a spare key to Ana's house that she had cut and waiting for Maisie when she arrived in Croatia. Apart from keys, the keyring also has a small stuffed bear that Tory had gotten for her a few months prior. It practically burns Maisie's palm.

Her phone, however, feels light, like a lifeline. Her spotify pop up is still present on her home screen from the drive and her background is a picture of Axel diving off the boat and into the ocean. His form is loose but his muscles look great. Looking at hers makes her think of the picture he set as his home screen, the image being Maisie befriending a cat in an alleyway in Cavtat. The memory briefly makes her smile.

Maisie climbs out of the car with shaking hands. Almost immediately, someone calls out her name. Her head whips around to see Miguel, Robby, Johnny and Carmen walking down the sidewalk towards her. A large smile makes its way onto her face as the family reaches her. Miguel and Robby both crash into her at the same time, giving her a tight hug. Johnny finds her next, crushing her in an even tighter hug than his sons. She forgets that they haven't seen each other in a month, only catching glances in passing. He goes to ask her a question but immediately shuts up when he sees Maisie's eyes land on Carmen who was patiently awaiting her turn.

"Hi!" Maisie grins, looking down at her pregnant belly with a grin, "Any day now, right?"

"Any day!" Carmen says, pulling the girl into a gentle hug.

"Let's just hope it's not in the next hour," Maisie laughs nervously, only half joking, "Childbirth scares me."

Carmen nods kindly, putting her hand on the teen's shoulder, "I will make sure she waits until at least this evening."

"You're amazing," The girl replies with a chuckle, following the boys who are walking towards the front door.

Johnny doesn't wait at the door, choosing to knock briefly before opening the door and walking in, "We're here!"

Amanda's voice calls out from the kitchen, "Come in!"

Maisie follows the family in, greeting the Larussos and Chozen who are already in the kitchen. She takes a seat in between Anthony and Sam, directly across from Johnny and Daniel. She contemplates switching with Miguel who sits on Sam's other side, across from his mom and Amanda, a much less karate focused duo, but by the time she has the thought, it's too late.

Carmen asks Maisie about Croatia, silencing all the side conversations throughout the table. Maisie tells them about the trip, mentioning the party and such. She doesn't say Axel's name, but they all know who she was there with. Especially when Johnny scoffs, his tone joking but his words hurting, "Can't believe you went vacationing with the enemy."

Almost as soon as the words leave his mouth, he jerks his leg as if someone kicked him. From where he's sitting, it was either Daniel or Carmen, and both feel like realistic possibilities.

Maisie is good at reading situations and people. That's why she excelled so much in psychology and sociology. And if she was assigned to analyze this situation, her conclusions would be blaring. They're trying to be nice, they're trying to win her over. The idea of breakfast instead of dinner to make it seem casual. Inviting the whole family instead of just Robby and the senseis to try and kill the tension. Small talk, asking about her trip, everyone listening to her answer. She feels like she's on the outside of some pre-made plan to get her to give in.

"I went vacationing with my best friend," Maisie says, not flinching at Johnny's words, "He was my friend long before he became the enemy."

Johnny nods, unaffected by Daniel's glare but conceding under Robby's. "Right."

Conversation picks up again from there, talk of the dealership and school. Somehow, they make it 30 minutes before karate is even brought up. When it's brought up, it's not focused towards Maisie. It's just Robby talking about getting back into training. Then, it all falls down.

"Silver and your dad visited us."

Maisie raises her head to look at Daniel, his voice— which was purposefully soft and gentle— feeling like knives on her skin. "What?"

Maisie knew Daniel talked to Silver, but she didn't know he was here. Him and Andrew are here, in her city, in her community, and she didn't know.

"Gunther called." Johnny says calmly, "Said the competition would be back on if all the senseis unanimously agreed. Everyone was in except... someone."

Daniel rolls his eyes, "Like you," He motions to Maisie, "I didn't think it was a good idea."

"What made you change your mind?" She asks, not looking up from her plate.

"Silver is dying." Johnny says, "Months at most."

Maisie's head snaps up. She knows the whole breakfast thing was an attempt to make the situation feel less uncomfortable, but right now, all it feels like is a humiliation ritual. Everyone is looking at her, waiting for her reaction. What are they expecting? A smile, a laugh, for her to say he deserves it? And her dad? Why does he want this? What could Silver possibly have said to get him so invested in children's karate? And it can't be her. It can't just be her. The only reason he'd put in effort like this is for his career. So the real question is, what does Silver have on him that puts his career at risk?

"One final win," Maisie mumbles, nodding.

She doesn't know how she's supposed to feel. Happy that her ex abuser is dying? It doesn't matter if it means because he's still here. It doesn't matter if she's going to force herself back into his orbit.

"We picked the venue— our Sports Arena. We'll pick the refs. 3 weeks of training, one more fight, one more win, then you'll be done." Daniel speaks slowly, as if he's talking to a skittish animal that'll bolt when he raises his voice.

Maisie glances over at Robby, "You agreed... obviously?"

He simply nods.

"Sam can take my spot. Or Tory. I don't care." Maisie says firmly, "I don't want to go back to that building. I don't want to stand across from Silver or my dad. And I don't want to fight Zara."

The room is silent. Maisie can feel their eyes burning into her skin. She feels a weight settle on her chest.

"You're lying."

She doesn't look up at Johnny's words. She just stares at her half-empty plate, gritting her jaw. The tension builds in the room. Daniel looks at Sam, silently asking her to say something.

The girl takes a deep breath before saying, "I'm not going to take your spot, Maisie. Neither is Tory. If you don't want to fight, then no one is. You can withdraw and Robby will represent Miyagi-Do."

Maisie finds herself scoffing before she can stop herself. She feels misunderstood. She knows she's making it difficult for them. She knows she's causing stress amongst them. But why are they wasting their time on her? Why are they pushing her towards the edge, reassuring her that they'll be there to catch her when they've only let her fall in the past?

"Why wouldn't you want my spot?" Maisie asks, her tone turning a little sharp. It's unfair. It's not Sam's fault. But Maisie can feel herself dwindling back into that pile of matches covered in gasoline, watching as the deafening fire inches closer and closer to her and she's scared of what will happen when it reaches her this time. "I did the worst part. I beat Tory and knocked out Cobra Kai. You can do the hard part and— for once— fight with no strings attached."

Sam's mouth falls open, like she thinks she should say something but no words fall past her lips and for the first time in a long time, Maisie is scared. She doesn't want to open that can of worms. She doesn't want to put herself at risk again. She doesn't want to take down the protective, healing, safe walls that she has built in the last month. Why doesn't anyone get that? And why can't she breathe?

"So that's it?" Johnny scoffs. Maisie raises her head to look at him, a hard glare on her face. She feels like a jester. Like she was brought here to put on a show. She looks him in his eyes and she can see it. She can see the way he needs this. And somehow that kills her more than anything.

"You guys go ahead." She says, "You go and win it. But— but it can't be me."

Daniel straightens. There. There's the crack. There's the inconsistency in her story. It's not because she doesn't want to do it, it's because she doesn't think she should do it. Her head and her heart are fighting, and Maisie— ever the rational thinker— is using logic over how she feels.

Only Johnny doesn't see it. Not in the way Daniel does.

All Daniel sees is a 17 year old girl, so desperate for an escape that she's willing to give up the biggest opportunity of her life in order to breathe fresh air.

"You're just gonna quit?" Johnny asks, leaning forward, "After everything you've gone through, after everything we've trained for? You're done? Just like that?"

"It's not 'just like that'!" She exclaims, her head snapping up. Fire. That's all she feels. "You know— better than anyone at this table— exactly what happened with Silver. This isn't about karate. This isn't just a fight. If I lose, I will never be free."

She takes a deep breath, briefly glancing around the table only to see horror on everyone's faces. But she doesn't stop. She can't stop.

"That fight with Tory was paralyzing. I didn't care what happened. As long as I won. I hadn't felt that angry since I was with Silver. I hadn't felt that scary since I was Cobra Kai!" She breathes out. "It shouldn't be me. At any moment, I could lose it. I am unstable. If either of them corner me, I will not be able to stop myself."

Daniel takes a breath, "That won't happ—"

"Yes it will!" Maisie says, tears brimming in her eyes. "They always find me. And they always destroy me. I am always in their grasp."

Maisie doesn't know if Johnny is stressed. He must be. He must not be feeling himself. Because the Johnny that she knows— the Johnny that he is, is not like this. Her sensei, her dad, would never look at her like this. And he would never say, "You're letting them win by walking away. You're letting some guy control your life—"

"'Some guy'?" Maisie repeats, practically spitting out the words, "Silver is not 'some guy'. My dad is not 'some guy'. They have broken my bones. They have attacked me. They have destroyed every good thing in my life. So yes, maybe they control my life. But maybe that's because I keep returning to the scene of the fucking crime, expecting a different outcome. I'm not doing that to myself again!"

Maisie runs a hand through her hair as she pushes her seat back, standing up. She grabs her phone and keys, glancing at Amanda. She apologizes quietly, asking them to excuse her, then she walks out the front door. She doesn't look back at the mess she caused. She doesn't have to. Everyone's expected expressions are burned into her mind. Shocked, uncomfortable, confused. Maybe they're angry— at her, at Johnny. She doesn't care. She doesn't care about anything right now.

She can't really recall her drive home. She's sure she broke some laws. Maybe if she gets arrested, she'll have what they deem as a justifiable excuse and they'll finally leave her alone.

Tears stream down her face as she pulls into her driveway, getting out and slamming the door behind her. She feels like a child. Like a dramatic, overly emotional child who can't regulate her emotions or get people to listen to her but can still fight in a world championship and be expected to win.

Did they expect Maisie to agree? They watched what happened in Barcelona— Johnny especially. They practically had front row seats to her abuse, to Silver's downfall. She's sure they can see it when she fights, the way she's determined on the mat like Silver but still light and smiling like her dad, as if she isn't stomping over opponents with every kick. As if she isn't destroying others with every movement.

And what Maisie thinks is the worst part of it— she wants to do it. She wants to fight. She wants to feel the rush of her anger be directed into her fists. She wants to feel the release of knuckles hitting flesh. But she doesn't want it for the right reasons. She wants to see them lose, she doesn't want to see herself win.

Anger and annoyance and traces of fear course through Maisie's body as she storms into her house, running up the stairs to her room, rubbing her face harshly as her bedroom door slams behind her. Her phone starts ringing in her hand but she doesn't even look to see who it is, her anger moving her body before her mind can catch up. She whips her phone across the room, the device smashing into the wall. The ringing instantly stops. But it doesn't release her.

She's pacing, she's pulling at her hair. Her teeth grind against each other as hot tears stream down her face, her nails digging into her palms. She wants to be aggressive, she wants to punch a wall or herself. She furiously wipes her tears, slamming her foot onto the floor like it'll shatter her tibia or dislocate her knee or force any form of pain that will take away from the agony in her head.

She wants it. She wants it. She wants it. She wants it. But she shouldn't. It'll destroy everything. Going back to that arena, putting herself in front of her dad and Silver. She's made progress in the last month. Tiny, minuscule steps. But by doing this, she's taking a huge step back. A step back into where she was a year prior. On the same mat, in the same building, feeling the same desperation to be perfect and to perform for the man not standing far away.

( "You're letting some guy control your life." )

She can't breathe. Her hands are clawing at her neck like that'll open up her airway and allow oxygen to rush into her lungs. She thinks she's bleeding. But she doesn't know for sure.

Maisie's sobbing now, gasping for air, silently pleading for it to save her. Her vision's blurry. The bruise on her cheek, the one that's nearly nonexistent, is pounding at the same pace as her pulse. The cut on her arm stings. What would it feel like if she stepped on the mat? Would she see Kwon running at her again? Would she fear for her life? For her friends'? For Axel's?

She doesn't register another voice. She's fallen to her knees now. All she can feel is nausea and her forming headache. Frantically, she crawls for her trash can, throwing up the little bit of breakfast she was able to stomach. Someone's rubbing her back, telling her she'll be okay. How is she going to be okay after this? How is she supposed to sleep knowing that they are in her city?

"Maisie— doll, you need to breathe." Marion says gently, her hand rubbing the teen's back.

Maisie's breathing is erratic, her entire body shaking. This isn't fair. "I— I can't... I can't breathe— Fuck... I want my— my mom."

"I know, baby," Marion replies, pulling the sobbing teen into her, "And I'm so sorry I'm not her."

Maisie can practically feel it all come falling down. That dinner party, her dad's voice, the car crash, the phone call to her grandparents, the move. Then karate, Kreese, Silver, the All-Valley, the Flagship dojo, his stupid office, her escape. Followed by her entrance to Miyagi-Do, the whispers and stares, going to Barcelona, her painful past slapping her in the face. The spa, Silver, her dad. Silver's punch, his words. Her dad, his words. The brawl. That evening in the hospital. It all hits her in the chest at once.

Why her? Why did it have to be her? Did she deserve it, was she picked randomly? Does the universe find this funny? She doesn't.

"I— I'm sorry." Maisie stumbles out, a sob cutting through her words, "I smashed my phone."

Marion raises her head, glancing at her phone that lays destroyed on her carpet. She only nods, "It happens. We'll get you a new one. It's okay."

"No, I shouldn't— I shouldn't have thrown it." She cries, "That's what... my dad would've done— Fuck."

Marion doesn't even know what to say. She's never seen Maisie like this. Even at her worst, she held it together. Even at her worst, she was still smiling. And if that was her worst, what is this? She didn't know Maisie could go downhill like this.

Marion flattens the girl's hair, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, "I'm going to take care of you, Maze."

Maisie doesn't hear her words. She just keeps crying.

———

Nobody hears from Maisie for the next 2 days. Her phone got replaced immediately, Toby picking up an identical phone within the hour. Thankfully, her SIM card survived, meaning unless you witnessed it, you would have no idea her breakdown happened.

For the rest of the weekend, Maisie practically fell into a trance. She stayed in bed mostly, some show playing on her TV in an attempt to drown out her thoughts. She's only checked her notifications once and she thinks she's received a text from every person that she knows, asking if she's okay.

Axel was the only person who heard from her, Maisie simply saying that she got into a bad fight with Johnny, that she isn't feeling well, her phone is broken and to not expect to hear from her much the next few days. Axel tried to prod but he was met with radio silence. With a bad feeling in his gut, he called Marion who explained what happened, saying she had a bad breakdown and was sleeping it off. It took everything in him not to get on a flight to LA.

On Sunday night, he managed to get her on a call for a few minutes. She assured him that she was okay, just not ready to talk yet. He offered to come to her, but she told him that it was fine before joking that Wolf would kill him. He could hear the strain in her laugh and somehow that hurt the most. He doesn't want her to force herself to be okay in front of him.

Now, it's Monday afternoon and Maisie is exhausted. Despite spending the entire weekend in bed, she didn't sleep once. She's spent the entire time chastising herself— for over reacting, for shouting, for crying, for losing it. She's doubting herself, she's doubting how she's feeling. Maybe it isn't that serious? Should she just suck it up and fight?

Both Marion and Toby took shifts sitting with her, trying to help her talk through her feelings but Maisie just keeps feeling like she's hitting a brick wall. They don't get it. They don't understand how it feels to have that weight on her chest and those hands around her neck. It's suffocating.

As the sun begins to set in LA, Maisie finds herself laying on her side on her carpet, her legs up to her chest. Her room is dark and she can hear the muffled clanging of dishes in the distance. She has her phone open for the first time in a while, staring at Axel's contact. It's 10 am in Hong Kong right now, and even though Wolf has him training extra hours, his location says that he's at home. 

Out of everyone, she knows that he'll get it the most. He knows her dad and he witnessed what her life was like with him. He knows abuse from a sensei, something you feel you can't escape. He's met Silver, knows how he functions. And most of all, he knows her. He knows her better than anyone.

Maisie presses the facetime button before she can talk herself out of it. She knows she needs to talk about it, even if she doesn't want to.

Axel picks up after one ring. "Hey, Maze. How are you doing?"

It takes Maisie a second to realize that she needs to respond to his question. "I'm okay. I just— Are you free for a few minutes?"

She watches as the— already present— concern deepens on his face. He's sitting at his desk, presumably doing school work. It looks like he shuts his laptop off to the side while nodding. "Yes, of course. What— what happened the other day?"

"I went to Daniel's and everyone was there— Johnny, his family, Chozen and the rest of the Larussos." She explains quietly. Her phone is propped up against the base of her bed, meaning Axel can see her face that's illuminated by her screen— only she doesn't look at the camera, she just lays on her back, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. "They didn't even bring up karate for the first 30 minutes. Then, Daniel told me that Silver and my dad visited him, convinced him to agree." She pauses, "Did you know Silver was dying?"

Axel's face twists in confusion, "No. I knew something was wrong. They have all been acting weird but... he's dying?"

"Johnny told me he has months." She mumbles, "He needs one last win."

"It is all Wolf has been talking about." Axel replies, "Silver must have some kind of leverage on him. I have never seen him like this before."

Maisie nods, "Same with my dad. Silver, he— he has people everywhere. In his office at Cobra Kai, he had files on everyone. He isn't afraid to play dirty. I mean, he literally beat someone up then got Kreese sent to jail for it."

Axel is silent for a moment, "Everytime you bring up something that happened, I never know if you are joking or not."

That gets a laugh out of Maisie. Small, barely audible, but there. Axel hears it, a tiny bit of relief flooding his body. "None of it felt real. Kreese— literally broke out of jail... then went to Korea?"

A small smile graces his lips at the way Maisie's tone is the tiniest bit lighter. But he also knows this conversation isn't done. She hasn't gotten to what she needs to talk about yet. After a few beats of silence, Axel speaks, his tone gentle, "What happened after?"

Maisie wants to think that he's asking what happened after Kreese escaped jail, but she knows that's not what he's referencing. "I said that Sam or Tory could take my spot and that I didn't want to fight. Johnny said I was lying and Sam said that she wasn't going to take my spot and neither was Tory."

Axel's eyes examine her expression. He wishes he was actually with her. He isn't the best with words as he has used actions to express how he feels since he was young. But he can't hold her through the call, he can't take her hand. All he can do is reassure her, and he's scared his words won't do that.

"I just got so angry." Maisie says quietly, "I don't understand why Sam wouldn't want to fight. I got us to the finals."

"You got yourself to the finals." He replies, keeping his tone steady despite his concern, "You beat Sam for the captain's spot. You beat Tory in the semi-finals. It's your spot."

Maisie shakes her head, pushing down his suggestion, moving on. "I told them to go on without me, but Johnny was just so upset. He was in disbelief that I was just going to quit after everything we trained for. He didn't understand what I was trying to say— that I didn't think it was a good idea for me to be the one to fight."

A bit of clarity clears Axel's mind as he gains his own grasp of what Maisie is trying to say. He knows that she wants to fight, and that she's definitely capable of beating Zara, but she's just scared of what will happen if she goes all in. She's scared she's going to lose control.

"I lost it." Maisie mumbles, sounding briefly embarrassed, "I said that I was unstable, that I felt like how I did when I was at Cobra kai and if I stepped on the mat again, I knew the feeling would return. Johnny said that I was letting Silver and my dad win by walking away and that I was letting some guys control my life."

Axel mumbles something that sounds remotely close to 'asshole' under his breath, but Maisie doesn't focus on that, instead choosing to force herself through the rest of the memory.

"I was shouting. Said that they aren't 'some guys', that they destroyed me completely. And that part of it's my fault because I keep finding my way back to them— back to karate— and practically walking into their trap."

"None of this is your fault." Axel speaks so firmly that it leaves no room for Maisie to question it.

"I'm just worried that I'm doing it to myself at this point."

Axel is quiet for a second before nodding, "I understand."

For the first time since the call started, Maisie turns to her screen to look at him. "I know you do."

Axel's mind is reeling as he tries to find the exact words to express to her. "You do not have to fight. And no one should be pressuring you into feeling like you have to. But if you want to... you can. Don't listen to what your senseis say, don't listen to your team. This is not their decision."

Maisie bites the inside of her cheek, looking back up at the ceiling. "I just feel like I'm letting them down."

"Don't think about them." He says gently, his voice full of patience, "You do not owe them anything. You need to decide what you want, not them."

A single tear falls from her eye, slipping into her hairline. He's right. After everything that happened, she doesn't need to do this for them. The things they've all said, the way they acted— it was mean. She then pushes them out of her head, thinking about it without her team in the equation.

Axel takes a breath, "I know what Silver did to you. I could see it in your eyes before you even told me. If you decide to walk away... I'll walk with you. No questions, no judgement, no shame." He pauses, her expression of pain and conflict feeling like a physical pain in his chest, "But if you want to fight, if you want to do it for yourself... I promise you this— neither of them will ever own a single piece of you again. This could be for you. Not them."

Maisie turns her head back to him, her entire body easing with his voice and words. She finally feels like someone is coming down to her level instead of expecting her to reach theirs. He's speaking in a tone she knows, a tone that brings comfort and he's saying words that make sense. Maisie feels her confusion unfold into straight thoughts that are bearable and understandable.

"If you fight, after all of this is over, we can be done." Axel says, "We will walk away and never see any of them again."

Maisie knows she can do it. She knows she's strong and will survive this. She doesn't have to interact with them, she doesn't have to be near them, she doesn't even have to look at them. She could just go, and win. That's it. No politics, no drama. At the end of the day, it's karate. It's something she can shake off and move on from.

Even with her newfound clarity, there's still traces of doubt in her mind. "What if I lose control on the mat? What if he does that dumb fucking whistle?"

Axel doesn't even hesitate, moving to act out his words. "I will elbow him in the face, kick him in the dick, then personally body check you onto the mat if you don't snap out of it."

Maisie breaks out into giggles, rolling onto her side towards her phone. With a smile on her face, she says, "You won't let me take down Zara first?"

He looks up at the ceiling for a beat, as if he's thinking, before saying, "I will wait until she is knocked out. You deserve to do that."

Maisie keeps shaking with gentle laughter, the noise lifting the weight off Axel's chest. After a little while, she settles, looking at him through her phone with a soft smile on her face. "Am I crazy for doing this? Especially after the scene I caused?"

"You deserved to lose it." Axel replies, his head tilting to the side slightly, "You have stayed calm and level headed through all of this."

"Except for the locker room." She jokes.

Axel shrugs, "That was valid too."

Maisie wipes her eyes, taking a deep breath. "This could be a horrible idea."

"It could be." He nods, "But no matter what happens, I'll be there when it's all over. That is not changing."

A grin breaks out on her face, the idea of her future with him lightening her entire mood. She nods, taking a few deep breaths, her mood unexplainably lighter than even an hour earlier. She lets out a tiny laugh, "I haven't trained in a month. What if I forgot how to do everything?"

Axel chuckles, leaning back in his chair, "Maybe you should test that."

She nods, "Soon."

———

Maisie arrives at the Miyagi-Do dojo an hour later. She texted Daniel, asking if he would be willing to meet her there. She wants to explain her concerns and she feels he's the only one who will listen, and truly understand what she's saying.

She arrives just after the sun dips under the horizon. She unlocks the gate, finding her way into the yard and onto the spar deck. She doesn't look around much, instead sitting on the spar deck, patiently awaiting his arrival.

Not even 5 minutes later, Daniel walks into the yard with his hands in his pockets, approaching the girl who doesn't move. "Everything okay, Maisie?"

She fumbles with her sleeve as she shrugs, "Been thinking a lot."

"I'm sorry for how things went down." He says, climbing onto the deck, sitting down across from her. "I just wanted to talk. I didn't expect Johnny to..."

"Be Johnny?" She laughs quietly.

"Yeah." Daniel nods, "We've all been worried. Especially when Sam told us you weren't at school today."

Maisie shrugs, looking down at the deck. She takes a few breaths, suddenly wishing she thought out what she wanted to say beforehand. "I'm scared. I'm scared of what I'm capable of becoming. I'm scared of my dad. I'm scared of Silver. And most of all... I'm scared I'm gonna let myself down."

Daniel's head snaps up at her words. He opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. He shuts it when he sees Maisie go to speak again.

"I was raised to be perfect. To never let my dad down. It was always about him, then it was always about Silver." She pauses, raising her head to look at him, "I've never done anything for the right reason."

Maisie looks around at the dojo she's learned to call home in the last 4 months. "I'm doing this for myself. I'm going to fight, and I'm going to win. I'm not doing this to prove them wrong, or to prove you guys right. I'm doing this because I want to. And I need you guys to understand that this isn't vengeance to me. I'm not fighting this fight to make them lose— not anymore. I'm fighting this fight so I can win and so I can be free."

Daniel's face softens as he nods. "I understand."

The tension in Maisie's shoulders deflate as she nods, relaxing in the slightest.

"I hate that you felt pressured. I would've been fine with whatever your decision was." He says, "We just needed you to know that we believe in you. We know you can do this. And we want to help you do this the right way— the way you want."

She presses her lips into a thin line as she nods. It's silent for a bit before her voice breaks through the quiet, "I think it's best if Johnny and I have a week or so apart. I just— I can't afford to lose it like that again."

Daniel lets out a small, pathetic laugh as he nods. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea."

Maisie nods again, running a hand through her hair. She's still hesitant. She's still sure this could be the worst idea of her life. Walking into that arena, going into a final fight— she doesn't know what it's going to do to her. But she wants to do it. And that's the most important part.

After taking a deep breath, looking over at Daniel. "So... when do we start, Sensei?"

He laughs, more hearty this time. "How about right now?"

Maisie nods, moving to take off her jacket. "Let's go."

———

AUTHOR'S NOTE—

THANK YOU FOR 40K???????? that's literally insane

just imagining maisie getting into her car, mid breakdown, and her phone connects to spotify and suddenly we hug now is playing on full blast

and our baby is— somehow— back on her feet!!

i will say that andrew and silver are NOT buddy-buddy and (though he's a HORRIBLE person and deserves it) andrew IS being blackmailed by silver. usually i'd never spoil like this but i'm dying to know if anyone has any theories as to what silver has on him and i feel you smarties will have some crazy good guesses

THANK YOU FOR READING MWAH <33