Battle Wounds

seven.

Harper let her eyes roam around the backyard, her frown growing with every second that passed. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, and she shook her head at the devastation all around. While she knew what Cobra Kai had done, this was her first time seeing the destruction. Her heart broke for the LaRussos, Robby, and Demetri, who trained here almost daily. The dojo was in a state of chaos; toilet paper hung from all surfaces, bonsai trees were overturned, and spray paint covered the fence. But the harm didn't stop there; it continued on into the house. From where she stood, she could see just a fraction of the mess inside.

It was hard to wrap her mind around this despite seeing it with her own eyes. Rivalry was one thing, but this was just pure evil.

The gentle wind blew her hair around her face, and she pulled a hair tie from around her wrist. Once her hair was tied in a low, messy ponytail, she felt ready to get to work. To help her friends return the dojo to the peaceful state it'd been in just a few short nights ago. A few feet away, Harper spotted them as they worked diligently to clean up Cobra Kai's mess. It would take a while before the dojo was restored, but it shouldn't take too long between the four of them.

"I can't believe they did this," Harper said quietly, stopping beside them. She reigned in her anger, knowing it would do little at that moment as their main priority was cleaning.

Her friends turned as one, small smiles on their faces upon seeing her.

"Hey." Sam wiped the dirt off her hands. "I didn't think you would be here today."

Harper nodded to her words, then shrugged as she looked around. "Yeah, well. I wanted to see it for myself." While she knew of the break-in, she hadn't expected this level of damage. The longer she looked, the more destruction that she noticed.

"Grim, isn't it?" Demetri sighed and reached for his water bottle. He wiped his mouth, taking his time screwing the cap on. "This is all my fault." He waved his arm around the backyard, a frown tugging down the corners of his mouth.

"What are you talking about?" Harper asked.

"It's that stupid review I wrote. First, I got us attacked at the mall, and now this," he stared down at the ground, averting their eyes. "I'm sorry, guys. Maybe I should've listened to Eli and taken it down when I had the chance."

Harper shook her head long before the words left his mouth. "It's not your fault, Demetri. They would've done this or something equally as bad no matter what."

"You know we don't blame you," Robby added, gently nudging Demetri with his arm.

Sighing, Demetri smiled tentatively. He likely still felt guilty, but he needed to know he wasn't to blame. That they didn't hold him at fault. "Thanks. I guess I just, I don't know, feel like I only brought trouble when I came here."

"You didn't," Sam reassured him with a kind smile.

Demetri seemed to accept their reassurances for now. As the conversation died down, they were reminded of the mess they had yet to clean up.

"So, what can I do to help?" Harper tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and waited to be given a task. While she wasn't a member of Miyagi-Do, she wouldn't let her friends do this alone.

Tilting her head, Sam fixed her with a look. "Harper, you don't have -"

"No, I know. But I want to," she interrupted. "The sooner we get this place cleaned up, the sooner you guys can train and kick Cobra Kai's butt. Again."

Robby chuckled. "She's right, you know."

Sam smiled her thanks before finding something for her to do. Any little bit would help, and Harper was determined to do whatever it took. She picked up a couple trash bags, ready to tackle the wreckage.