My Cobra Guy

Episode Sixty-Five

"This is the last one. The last place," Kyler said.

"Okay, you distract them." Tory walked around, pretending interest in the new cars. Kyler moved closer to the showroom, ready to smile and ooze his charm all over any salesman that came out to speak to them. Keeping one eye on him, Tory found the first car, the first victim of their newest scheme. She grinned to herself as she carefully opened the trunk. Dumping a tiny bag from her purse inside, she then opened the door to the front seat and dumped another bag. Kyler played his part well and five cars later she was done. LaRusso will never know what hit him. He's going down! she thought. That rich prick didn't deserve everything he had. Ruining his business was justified in her mind. Wait until you see what we have in store for you. I just wish I could see the look on your stupid face!

* * * * *

Johnny walked through the ranks of the Miyagi-Do students. Training had ended, but most had stayed to train on their own time and spar with each other. The evening was warm in the idyllic yard, but the students had more determination than he'd ever seen from them. The All Valley mattered to them now; the stakes weren't simply a trophy. Did trophies even matter to kids these days?

He blinked when he saw Demetri land at Regina's feet, not so far away from the koi pond. Regina usually practiced on her own with a sandbag, not sparring like this.

"Nice work, Goldilocks!" Johnny clapped. "Demetri, you going easy on her?"

Demetri picked up his head, not getting up. "She's been practicing a lot."

Johnny glanced over his shoulder to where Daniel was giving instructions to Kendra and Nathaniel. Daniel looked away from the conversation to give Johnny a nod. This was the opportunity Johnny had been waiting for.

"Reg, walk with me." Johnny motioned for her to follow him. He saw Hawk take a blow to the cheek as he looked on after them.

Regina didn't huff or roll her eyes. She turned from Demetri and followed Johnny to the opposite side of the koi pond. "I can't believe I did that. Demetri's one of the original students, sooo..."

"Yeah, you've been practicing then?" Johnny met her eyes.

"Every chance I get," she replied. "If I'm going to be in the All Valley, I'm not losing."

"Just, keep your preparations for the All Valley to practicing," Johnny said, again feeling prickles of unease. "This truce cost me a lot. So, no prom decorations at Kreese's or any of the Cobra Kai kids' homes, or anything like that."

"Practicing is all I've been doing," Regina said. "I can use some of my cheerleading stuff, so it's not as difficult as I thought. I was head cheerleader, and not because I'm cute. Then I imagine I'm beating up Kreese. I hate him." Her blue eyes burned in the night. Such fury there. She was invested, as invested as Johnny and Daniel had been.

"Hey." Johnny squeezed her shoulder. "When I first met you, I was trying to pick up your mom and bring more money into Miyagi-Do. I didn't think you'd stick with us. And I didn't think you'd come this far."

"I knew exactly what you were trying to do," she said. "You were the fifth guy to try to pick up Mom that night, but the only one with a karate flier and the only one who didn't start with a line that we were sisters."

"I wondered why Kreese scouted you. It's been bothering me since," Johnny said. "Kreese doesn't accept anyone, no matter how much money they have, if he doesn't think they'll win."

"I mean, I'm me. Perfection." Regina laughed, probably trying to lighten the mood. Johnny knew Regina had plenty of her own regrets.

"I think you have a lot of anger," Johnny said. "A lot of disgust with other people, and maybe yourself."

Regina crossed her arms and looked away.

"Hey, so did I," Johnny said. "It can be really hard to forgive yourself. Kreese recognizes this kind of shit and feeds on it."

"I'm trying to make up for using my old friends," she admitted softly. "For terrorizing people who didn't deserve it. Now I try to use my powers for good."

"Are you plotting something else, Regina?" Johnny prodded.

"Not really. I'm only keeping an eye on Robby by having him stay with me. He can't play the sympathy card if he's at my mansion, eating Chilean sea bass," she said. "And I don't trust him staying with anyone else. No one can sniff out a scheme quicker than me. He's also tried giving me that dumb puppy dog look. It doesn't work. Mom gets him to and from school and I bring us here. It's fine."

"And that's it? That's all?" Johnny had to be sure. It was true; he felt less guilty with Robby being put up in a mansion. Johnny should be the one providing for him. But he couldn't have him here, wondering if Kreese would use him to hurt Daniel somehow.

"Well, the Morrises are going to visit to talk about the Cobra Kai problem," Regina said. "Really, I think Kelly wants to promote her wellness brand. Pretty sure it's an MLM scheme."

"What's an MLM— never mind," Johnny said. "Wait, your mom got the governor to look into this?"

"Seems like it," Regina said. "Zack isn't the most competent person and their kid is annoying. Expect to see a lot more of me at the—" Regina's words dropped off. "Oh. My. God!" Her eyes glinted, full of schemes.

"What?" Johnny asked warily.

"Maybe you should try to recruit Mack Morris. Their kid?" Regina said.

"Zack named his kid Mack?" Johnny was beginning to see what she meant by competence. But, the guy did somehow get elected. "Why would I recruit him?"

"Because, one, money, and two, he's the governor's son. If Kreese tries to do anything crazy, or if Silver has some other scheme, how bad would it look if Mack were caught up in it? Silver wasn't around the last time the truce was made. Now he is, and he didn't agree to it. That's a gaping loophole, Johnny. Mack might help us close it."

"Let me think about this," Johnny said slowly. He'd assumed Silver would be bound to the truce, but now that Regina mentioned it...

"You do that."