Can't Catch Me Now || Eli Moskowitz

004 Natural

The Eagle Fangs stood around their "dojo" while their Sensei got ready for the lesson ahead. That usually meant going over the plan with Miguel and letting him do all of the setup. The tension didn't come from there, though, because Miguel liked working with Sensei Lawrence. Instead, it came from the new presence among the group - Devon Lee.

Those who knew her didn't want to talk to her in fear of saying the wrong thing and those who didn't know her didn't know how to talk to her. Perhaps none of them knew how to talk to a girl at all and therefore kept their mouths shut, which seemed fine by her. So the boys stayed close to each other, talking about whatever was on their minds, while Devon kept to herself as they waited.

Then Sensei Lawrence called for their attention and everyone quieted down. "Listen up! I want you all to meet your new teammate who is going to crush the female competition at the All Valley!"

Everyone looked at Devon and gave small greetings awkwardly. It was as if they'd never had a female teammate, or as if they couldn't remember the times they did. Eagle Fang had been so exclusively a guy's thing that they were unsure of how to act around her. She was one of them but at the same time not. It made her roll her eyes.

"Now, she needs to be run through the basics, so we're gonna train her in some of the basics while building your resilience," Johnny went on to say. He looked at them all firmly, nodding as if he'd said something profound. "Cobra Kai likes to pull dirty tricks, so you have to be ready for anything. That's why I'm having you-"

He was cut off by a door opening and slamming shut. The noise echoed through the abandoned factory he'd chosen for his dojo and brought everyone's attention to the side. Footsteps followed and from around a corner, KT walked into the meeting point of the dojo members.

"KT," Miguel said, a little surprised by her presence, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to join, can't you tell?" she asked.

She was wearing a pair of tight workout leggings and a snug tank top, all black. Her hair was pulled back into a tight, high ponytail. She also wore a red headband to not only keep the stray baby hairs at bay but soak up sweat. It wasn't her clothes that made her appear ready though, but the fierce look in her eyes.

Johnny smirked and nodded. "Good timing because we're just about to give Devon here a quick run-through of the basics."

"I don't need a starting course," KT told him firmly. She wasn't about to be told what she needed. She knew what she needed.

Sensei Lawrence gave her a scrutinizing look. "Look, everyone has to start from the beginning, and that includes-"

"I've already got my basics," she told him, crossing her arms. She stared him down, lips forming a fine line as she stood her ground. "If you don't believe me, let me show you."

Miguel looked apprehensive about the situation, looking worriedly at KT. "Are you sure you want to do this? We've been training a lot longer than you and-"

"No offense, Miguel, but I can hold my own," she told him. She looked at him, feeling a little bad for cutting him off the way she had. However, she wasn't there to be treated like a girl in a karate dojo. She looked at Johnny pointedly. "Let me show you."

He stared at her for a moment. He stared into her fierce, motivated eyes. Then he nodded and turned to Miguel. "Grab the mats. Hurry up."

Miguel nodded and grabbed Bert to help him. They grabbed the training mats Johnny had gotten half-off and laid them up on the floor. It was oblivious they were a little worn but they'd get the job done. It was better than the factory concrete floors at the very least.