Chapter Text
“Ugh!”
Robby stopped in his tracks when he heard the muffled sound that came from the locker room. He wasn't sure what it was. It was so quick that he couldn't even name the sound, but something was telling him that it wasn't a good sign.
It definitely came out of a human, he was sure of that.
And it was followed by…growling? No, someone was silently talking to someone else in the room. It was a dark voice. Threatening.
Was someone fighting in there?
Robby went around the corner and glanced inside. The door was cracked open as the people inside obviously didn't care if they had any audience.
Robby immediately recognized Axel and his sensei. Axel was a tall, muscled boy that could take down anyone, but in front of his sensei he looked uncertain. Scared even.
Sensei Wolf was staring at him with flames in his eyes and with his fists clenched.
And then it happened again.
Axel let out another huff as the man hit him. They must have been arguing about something. Wolf was probably scolding him for not being brutal enough or something like that.
Robby didn't know the details, he just knew that he couldn't stand there and watch an older guy beat his own student.
He had gone through that back in Cobra Kai and he knew it was no fun to be terrorized by someone who was teaching you.
Just as Wolf was about to hit Axel again, Robby stormed into the room, not thinking about the consequences. “Hey!”
The both men turned to him as one, one of them shocked, the other one pissed.
Robby froze for a second, not really sure what his plan was. Axel was supposed to be his enemy, his opponent. The whole dojo was full of killing machines trained by their brutal sensei who despised Robby’s dad’s guts, apparently. At least that was what Johnny had told them. Robby hadn't bothered to ask what was the story behind their rivalry.
But despite the fact that Axel was Robby’s “enemy”, Robby had to admit that he knew nothing about the boy. Sure, they weren't friends either, but how can you hate someone you don't know? And Axel looked like he was being abused by his own sensei. That explained the fact that he acted like a real machine, programmed to beat the shit out of his opponents.
Robby’s face flushed when he realized that the men were still staring at him, waiting for him to say something.
Shit. He should have thought twice before storming in…
“Leave him alone.” That was the first thing that came to Robby’s mind. He frowned at Wolf and pointed at Axel. “He didn't do anything.”
Or he didn't do anything that would deserve beating.
Instead of replying to Robby, sensei Wolf turned back to Axel, slapping him across the face one more time. “So you’ve been making friends with the enemy, now, hm? You need that little Miyagi-do brat to defend you?”
“No!” Robby stepped forward. “We haven't…I’ve never even talked to Axel before, but… are you crazy? Why are you beating him?”
Wolf pushed Axel away and got dangerously close to Robby. The anger was still there, visible in his dark eyes, but the man smirked, examining the boy from head to toe.
“Get the hell out of here, boy. What happens between me and my student is none of your business.” Then he looked down for a second, smirking even wider. “Unless you want to be a part of it.”
“A sensei shouldn't beat their student,” Robby said. He hoped he sounded confident because his insides were twisting in fear.
Wolf chuckled at his words, but his smile was gone in a second.
Then-
The slap came out of nowhere. The man moved his hand so fast that Robby didn't have the slightest chance to block it. His head jerked to the side and his eyes welled up his tears. He didn't expect such force to hit him.
He pressed his palm to his burning cheek, looking at the sensei in pure shock.
Wolf looked satisfied. “It's a good thing that you’re not my student then, don't you think?”
This was a game to the man. Whatever Robby did, the man would turn it against him. Beat him to death or just mock him. Or make him watch as he punished Axel for some strange reason.
Robby couldn't win this fight.
But he wasn't giving up yet. Interacting with sensei Wolf was so far one of the most uncomfortable things he had done, but deep down he knew that he was doing a good thing for Axel. Although the boy didn’t look like he needed protecting. There was just something that was stopping him. Robby knew that feeling. Back when he’d been training with Kreese and Silver, he hadn't liked the way they had thought they’d “owned” him. But he couldn't have just attacked them back because they had been everything he’d got.. And he’d known that he couldn't have won anyway.
“Get out.” Wolf wasn't even smirking anymore. His voice was cold and steady. “I won't repeat myself.”
Robby glanced at Axel who was standing behind, looking at his feet, looking like he was praying for the ground to swallow him. He didn't look like the terrifying unbeatable fighter that no one could land a hit on. He was just…an innocent kid, being forced by his sensei.
He needed Robby’s help, no matter how well he could fight.
Robby removed his hand from his cheek, hoping it didn't look embarrassingly red, and glared daggers at Wolf. “No.”
He didn't even say the word out loud - the man had already seen it coming by the way Robby’s lips formed. So before any sound could leave Robby’s mouth, the man’s foot hit his chest and he slammed into the lockers with his whole body, falling to the floor like a house made of cards.
He saw black spots for a few seconds and he was pretty sure that even if he tried to stand up, he would fall back down.
He heard footsteps and the man’s shoe pressed on his middle section, crushing his ribs. “Guess you'll leave on a stretcher then.”
God, I hate his voice…
That was the first thing that came to his mind before Wolf increased the pressure. Robby screamed as pain exploded in his body.
“Sensei.”
Wolf didn't remove his foot, but he gave Robby a moment to breathe. The man looked at Axel who looked more uncertain than ever. Scared of interrupting his sensei.
“What?” Wolf sounded pissed again.
“I just… We don't want to get disqualified before the last match, right?” Axel asked, keeping his voice steady, although his fingers were shaking.
“Are you questioning me?”
Robby shivered at the question despite the fact that it wasn't even directed at him. He could only imagine how Axel must have felt - but the boy was probably already used to it.
“No, sensei.” Axel’s shoulders dropped and he took a step back, looking at his feet. It was understandable that he didn't want to see Robby’s pain.
There was absolutely no chance of Robby getting out of here on his own. He was pinned to the ground by a man who was twice his size and age, not to mention that he was a sensei of an unbeatable dojo.
But there was still something he could do.
“DAD!”
A hand was pressed on his mouth as soon as he let out the scream, but he kept mumbling as loudly as he could to draw someone’s attention. If dad came here, he would kick Wolf’s ass for sure, and if some of the others came, the man would get disqualified for assaulting a student and fighting off the mats. Wolf knew that.
“Axel, lock the door,” Wolf said calmly. Robby couldn't move his head, but he heard the footsteps and the click that followed.
He was trapped.
“Screaming for daddy, aren't we?” Wolf never stopped looking at him, a grin forming on his face again. “Should have thought of it before you came here like you owned the place. Like you know better than me. Why do you think no one landed a hit on Axel? Because his sensei, his training, and his dojo aren't weak. Unlike yours.”
Robby’s heart was pounding loudly and fast, almost like it was planning on jumping out of his chest.
He forgot that he had to breathe through his nose and he almost started choking.
The sensei looked him up and down. He was like a broken doll, lying on the floor, waiting for someone to play with him.
“What to do with you?” The man asked himself, his hand tracing Robby's body, exploring him, and sending chills down the boy's spine. Cold fingers wrapped around his wrist and his whole body jolted. “It would be so easy to get rid of you. And why wouldn't I? You're our enemy. One of the obstacles, standing in our way to get the trophy. Breaking the captain means breaking the team… And I can imagine the look on your father's face. Priceless. But I’ll be merciful.” Wolf let go of his wrist and pressed his hand on Robby's chest with a smile. “You can choose which bone we break first.”
Robby’s eyes opened wider, but before he could even try to start squirming, Axel spoke up again.
“Sensei, if he tells anyone, we’ll be…”
“He is not going to tell anyone,” Wolf shook his head, confident about his statement. “He knows no one would believe him. What reason would I have to hurt him, right? I have my reputation and I won't let some whiny bitch ruin it.” He looked at Robby. “But maybe if you mind your own business from now on, I’ll let you go without any damage, hm?”
Robby didn't want to give up. It wasn't in his nature. If he nodded now and promised that he would let Wolf beat up Axel for every little mistake, he wouldn't achieve anything. But what the fuck was he supposed to do? Let the man break his arm instead?
That didn’t seem like a great idea, but…but he was Robby Keene after all. As stubborn as his father.
So when Wolf removed his hand to let him speak, Robby spat on him and kicked him in the stomach.
The man was built like a truck - the kick didn't cause him any damage, but it gave Robby some time to escape from him. He crawled out of his reach and ran to the door. Sensei Wolf would have caught him already if it was his plan, but why would he do that? The door was still locked and Robby couldn't do anything about it because Axel took the key.
Robby kicked the door and when it didn't work, he started banging on it with his fists. Not really trying to open it, just to get someone’s attention from the outside.
When he heard footsteps behind him, he kicked back with his leg, aiming for the stomach. It was Wolf, of course. The man grabbed his leg by his ankle and twisted it so hard that Robby fell back to the floor, his head hitting the door.
No one heard his scream of pain.
His leg was on fire, but he could still move it so he assumed it wasn't broken. That didn't mean he could still use it to kick the man who approached him.
He didn't even have time to stand up before Wolf started kicking every inch of his sore body. His legs, arms, head, back, stomach, chest… When he was done, he pushed Robby’s ass down by his foot, pinning the boy down on his stomach.
Robby’s insides twisted uncomfortably as the sensei kept his foot on his butt. This definitely wasn't a convenient position for him.
“But would you look at that…” the man above him mumbled. Robby didn't see him, but he could hear the smirk in his voice.
“Get off me,” Robby huffed, feeling like a fish on land. Humiliating. “You think you’re so strong because you beat kids?”
That wasn't the smartest thing he could say in his state.
Wolf bent down next to him, his foot finally leaving Robby’s ass - only to be replaced by the man’s hand. Robby could feel the coldness of his palm through the fabric of his gi and underwear. “For your information,” Wolf started, “I was not beating Axel. I was teaching him. In your case…I would say you brought this upon yourself. Caring about other people’s business. Big mistake, right?”
Judging by his tone, Wolf was enjoying this situation way too much.
“Alright,” Robby let out a sigh. He could handle a few punches, but this was way too much for him. His senses were alerted and the only thing he wanted was to take a shower to wash the man’s touch. “I’ll let you teach him then.”
When Wolf squeezed his ass, he knew that it wouldn't be as easy as he thought.
“Oh no, naive boy,” the man said, grinning. “That offer’s off the table already.”
Robby pressed his cheek on the cold ground, watching Axel who was standing uncomfortably in the corner of the locker room, still staring at his feet.
He has too much respect for his sensei to help me.
Or he is too scared of him.
“What do you want?” Robby asked Wolf.
“Still figuring that out…” Wolf replied under his breath, his eyes examining Robby’s body. Robby tried to roll over onto his back, but the man’s hand on his ass wouldn't let him. This was way too embarrassing. And way too dangerous.
“Sensei, I think we should let him go,” Axel joined them once again. He was probably gaining courage to speak the whole time he’d been quietly standing in the corner. Robby was glad that at least someone was merciful. That didn't mean that sensei Wolf would listen to him though.
“You think?” Wolf turned to Axel. He sounded pissed and amused at the same time and Robby got scared for Axel for a second - although he had a bigger reason to be scared for himself.
“He didn't do anything,” Axel shrugged. “We can forget about this, right? Robby won't tell anyone.”
“Oh!” Wolf laughed, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. “Robby won't tell anyone! So you and Robby are friends now, right?”
Axel backed up. “No, sensei.”
Robby squirmed and rolled onto his side while Wolf was focusing on Axel. The man’s eyes landed on him again in a split second and before Robby could do anything, he was pinned to the floor again by his shoulders. And then Wolf sat on his middle section, crushing his bones.
Robby groaned, completely helpless.
As Wolf extended his hand towards his face, Robby tried to move out of his reach, but he was unable to do that in his position. The man’s fingers wrapped around his jaw, painfully pressing against his cheekbones. He held his head still, making him look at him. “You humiliated yourself multiple times on the mat,” Wolf started, making Robby’s heart sink.
The truth hurts.
“But I can see your potential,” the man continued, making Robby look at him with curiosity. “Your team is holding you back. You are weak because your senseis are. You can't win while you’re with them.” He lifted the corner of his mouth when he saw that Robby was listening. “A good fighter without support…you’ve already lost this tournament. But I could still work with you. Silver told me all about you. You can't compare yourself to my students because you’ve been training for a year. They’ve been fighting since they could walk. But your skills are still impressive. And I’m not easy to impress.”
He threw a look at Axel as if he wanted the tall boy to confirm that.
But Axel looked as shocked as Robby, not knowing what his sensei’s intentions were.
“Consider the tournament over. There is no trophy for you in the end,” Wolf told him. “But you could win many trophies in the future if you trained hard enough. You think your training is good? You think your senseis know what they are doing? They have no idea how to work with someone like you. Someone who can win only if they’re angry. I saw that when you beat Cobra Kai. With that rage…you could beat even Axel.”
Robby couldn't move his head, but his eyes laid on Axel who still didn't dare to react.
“I can bring that rage back,” Wolf kept talking. His voice was steady, quiet, and also…convincing. “You could fight like that all the time, not only when you have a reason to be angry. If I worked with that, I could make the best fighter out of you. One that the world has never seen before. The fact that you were brave enough to stand up to me, even that makes you better than Axel. Better than any of my students.” He looked him up and down again. “You are small.”
Before Robby could spit in his face again, the man laughed. “You look weak. And vulnerable. You are a child. But I see more than that. I see the power that needs to come to the surface.”
Was he seriously offering him a place at his dojo? The same man that wanted to break his hand a minute ago? Was he crazy?
“I may not be stronger than your students,” Robby said, frowning at the man. “But at least my senseis love me. And I have friends. People who care about me.”
“Yeah,” Wolf grinned. “You mean the people who didn't even want you as their captain?”
“They…”
“Believe what you want,” Wolf interrupted him and shrugged. “But do you really think that they don't talk about you behind your back? How could they be proud of their captain who won a single match? And let them down so many times… They are whispering. They want the other boy to be their leader. One must be blind not to see that.”
He is getting into your head… But what if he’s right?
“So what?” Robby scoffed, refusing to let the man see the battle in his mind. “You wanna teach me?”
The man offered another shrug. “I don't see why not. I can be very helpful when I want. Just ask Axel. And you seem to need my help more than anyone.”
Bullshit. Robby had everything he ever wanted. His friends (who wanted Miguel to be their captain), his dad (who also wanted Miguel to be their captain), his girlfriend (who broke up with him and joined the enemy…)
Crap.
“I will never train with you,” he said firmly. That was one thing he was sure of. Wolf might have been right about his team preferring Miguel, but that didn't mean that he was going to join the enemy.
Like Tory.
“You will,” Wolf insisted. “Sooner or later you will realize that you need me. Until then…you can leave.”
He got off of him and Robby could finally breathe. He sat up before the man could change his mind.
Wolf smiled. “Guess we won't be breaking any bones today, hm?” His face darkened after those words. “Get out. But know that the offer will always be on the table.”