𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘅 / ❛  movies❜

[ episode eight, molting ]

Johnny stood on top of a van in the junkyard, cracking open a beer can as he looked down at the group of students standing below him, all waiting for his words.

"You've trained hard. You've gotten stronger, tougher, faster," Johnny's voice boomed, "Am I right?"

"Yes, sensei!" The group shouted in unison.

Johnny grinned, shaking his head. "Wrong!" He tossed the empty beer can between Miguel and Marlee's feet with a sharp thud. "Your best ain't shit!" he yelled. "If you wanna win, you gotta give me better than your best."

Marlee raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic smile tugging at her lips. "Inspirational, sensei," she teased.

Johnny shot her a middle finger without missing a beat, his grin wide. "Which is why, from now on, you're gonna get my worst. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sensei!" they all responded with renewed energy.

"Are you losers?" Johnny called out, his voice growing louder.

"No, sensei!" they all shouted back.

"Are you nerds?" Johnny pressed, scanning the group with a sharp look.

"No, sensei!" came the resounding reply.

"Are you sure?"

"No, sensei!" they yelled, louder this time.

Johnny put his head in his hands, letting out a dramatic sigh, and Marlee couldn't help but laugh when she realized what had just happened. She shook her head in amusement, trying to stifle her grin as she looked at the others.

"Move those feet! Go, go, go!" Johnny yelled, his voice echoing through the junkyard. The group scrambled, sprinting over tires and trying their best to keep from slipping. Obstacles were scattered all over the junkyard—piles of scrap metal, glass shards, and uneven terrain that made every step a challenge. Marlee's legs burned as she pushed herself harder, barely able to keep up with the others.

Ahead of her, Aisha led the way, jumping from tire to tire with ease. But then, out of nowhere, Aisha lost her footing and fell forward. In an instant, Miguel was on top of her, tumbling awkwardly, and Marlee wasn't far behind. She tripped over the pile of bodies, and before she knew it, Hawk had crashed into her, followed by Bert and the rest of the group. A heap of flailing limbs and groans of frustration.

Johnny stood at the edge of the chaos, arms crossed, watching them struggle to untangle themselves. "Get up! You're all embarrassing yourselves!" he shouted, his voice stern but with a hint of amusement.

They scrambled to their feet, brushing dirt and dust off their clothes, then rushed forward as Johnny waved them on. They were handed sticks—long, heavy wooden poles—and immediately thrust into the next part of the challenge. "Smash anything you can," Johnny ordered. "Cars, glass, metal, I don't care! Destroy it all!"

Marlee gripped the stick tightly, her arms aching as she swung it at an old car, shattering the windshield with a loud crack. She felt a strange thrill as the glass shattered, the sound echoing around the junkyard. A few other students were right alongside her, taking out their frustration on the vehicles, their sticks pounding against the rusted metal.

"Keep moving!" Johnny barked. "You're not done yet!"

Then, they were led to the next obstacle: a giant beam stretched high above the ground, made of rusted metal and broken glass. The beam was narrow, barely wide enough for their feet, and the glass shards along the edge glinted like deadly traps.

His eyes flicked to the group, noticing the hesitation in their eyes. The beam looked like a balancing act straight from a nightmare, and everyone was suddenly acutely aware of the drop beneath them.

Marlee stared at the beam, swallowing hard. The height made her stomach twist in knots, but she couldn't show weakness. She took a deep breath and placed one foot in front of the other, carefully stepping onto the beam. The others were moving quickly, some more cautious than others. Hawk was already halfway across, and Marlee felt a surge of determination to not let him outpace her.

Miguel followed closely behind her, the faint sound of his breathing audible as he moved with focused precision. "Come on, Mars," he called out encouragingly, his voice clear amidst the tension.

With one last deep breath, Marlee managed to cross the beam, her legs shaking slightly as she reached the other side. She looked back to see everyone else making it, some with more ease than others, but they all crossed it in the end.

"Good job," Johnny said, his tone softer than before, a rare approval. "But you're still not there yet. This is just the beginning."

"You wanna win? You guys gotta be hungry. Are you hungry?" Johnny shouted, his voice carrying across the junkyard. He tossed each of them a piece of beef jerky, smirking.

The group chewed silently for a moment before Johnny pulled out a dog whistle, his eyes gleaming. "Good. Cause so are they."

The sound of barking echoed from behind them, and Marlee's eyes widened as the pack of dogs came into view, their teeth flashing in the sun.

"Shit!" Jace shouted, his voice laced with panic and the group overlapping in screams. Without thinking, he grabbed Marlee's wrist and yanked her toward the side. They began to run to the side of the junkyard. Her feet barely touched the ground before Jace lifted her over the back of a ute, scrambling up after her.

Marlee glanced back, seeing the dogs closing in fast. She felt a brief moment of panic, but it was fleeting. The next thing she knew, she saw Hawk standing a few meters away, frozen in place, his jaw clenched, staring at her and Jace.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Marlee yelled, her voice sharp as she waved her hand to get his attention.

Hawk snapped out of his trance, finally sprinting toward them. Marlee and Jace grabbed him in unison, pulling him up onto the ute just as the dogs lunged, their snarls echoing in the air.

"That was too close," Jace panted, sweat beading on his fmoviesorehead. Hawk looked back, wide-eyed, his chest heaving with adrenaline.

Marlee couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, her heart still racing. "You should've moved faster," she spoke, her grin matching the intensity of the moment.

Hawk shot her a look but smirked in return. "Not my fault, I was admiring the scenery," he joked, motioning vaguely at the junkyard.

Marlee rolled her eyes, but she was secretly relieved that they had made it out of there in one piece.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

"What the hell are you doing?" Marlee asked as she walked into Ryder's room, her face scrunching up at the sight in front of her. Clothes were strewn everywhere, his game controller rested precariously on a pizza box, and his TV was blaring some chaotic action game. Ryder was sitting on the floor in his usual spot, completely zoned out as he mashed buttons on the controller.

He barely glanced up. "Winning."

"Winning what? The title of messiest human alive?" she shot back, stepping over a pile of socks to grab the game controller out of his hand.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Jace said, rolling his eyes. "Shouldn't you be off doing karate or hanging out with Hawk or something?"

Sam: Hey, I'm grabbing smoothies at the mall. Want to come?

Marlee smiled faintly. It had been a while since she hung out with 

Marlee typed back quickly: Sure, I'm in.

Another message popped up almost immediately. "Leaving in 15. I'll pick you up."

"Who was that?" Ryder asked, craning his neck to see her phone.

"No one," Marlee replied, tossing the controller back at him. "Guess you'll have to clean your disaster zone without me."

"Don't forget to tell your little boyfriend I said hi," Ryder teased, throwing a pillow at her as she walked away.

"Shut up!" Marlee shot back with a laugh, dodging the pillow and heading down the hall to grab her bag.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

Sam and Marlee had hung out earlier that day, clearing the air between them. It was surprisingly easy—just the two of them, no drama or tension. Marlee felt lighter afterward, realizing just how much she'd missed her friend.

Later that night, Marlee found herself at the movies with Hawk, Miguel, Aisha, and Demetri. The five of them had commandeered an entire row, popcorn buckets and candy scattered between them.

"This better not suck," Hawk muttered, leaning toward Marlee.

Marlee smirked, tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "If it does, I'm blaming Miguel. He's the one who picked it."

"Don't put that pressure on me!" Miguel protested from the other side of Aisha.

"Guys, the trailers are starting!" Aisha hissed, already engrossed in the screen.

As the lights dimmed and the movie began, Marlee leaned back in her seat, glancing at Hawk out of the corner of her eye. His trademark smirk lingered even as he pretended to focus on the screen, and she couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face.

About a quarter into the movie, though, Marlee realized it was kind of boring. Hawk, clearly bored as well, had taken to throwing popcorn at random people a few rows in front of them.

"I can't stop thinking about what Sensei told me about Sam's dad," Miguel whispered, breaking the quiet.

"So Sensei and Sam's dad had some beef. What's that got to do with you?" Aisha asked, throwing an M&M into her mouth.

"Yeah, plus it was, like, 70 years ago. He's probably over it," Marlee added, glancing briefly at Hawk just as he tossed another piece of popcorn at a girl a few seats away. When she turned her head, he quickly looked away, smirking to himself.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Sam's dad hates Cobra Kai, I'm part of Cobra Kai, so by the transitive property, Sam's dad's gonna hate me," Miguel said, glancing around like they were missing something obvious.

"Jesus Christ, you're such a nerd," Hawk shot back, shaking his head.

"I'm telling you, it's not just on my mind. Sam was acting weird the other day when her dad walked by," Miguel insisted, sinking into his seat with a sigh.

"Man, at least you have a girl," Marlee muttered, shaking her head as she reached over to steal an M&M from Aisha. "No one's gonna get with me after all the crap Kyler spread around."

Hawk's gaze shifted to her, his mouth opening like he was about to say something. Then, just as quickly, he hesitated, looking back toward the screen instead.

"Listen," Aisha cut in. "I've known Mr. LaRusso since the third grade. He's a nice guy. You just have to talk to him."

"I haven't even been invited over yet. She's probably too afraid to introduce me," Miguel groaned.

"Dude, just go over there. It's an alpha move," Hawk said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

"Imagine they call the cops," Marlee giggled, her laugh quiet but genuine. None of the others laughed, but Hawk caught her reaction, chuckling softly himself.

He lobbed one more piece of popcorn forward, this time hitting the back of a guy's head. The man stood up abruptly, turning around with a glare.

"Who the hell did that?" he barked, scanning the row.

Hawk's eyes darted away instantly, his expression feigning innocence. Marlee bit her lip, trying to stifle her laughter as she leaned away from the commotion.