So I'm John Lawrence's son

The sun had already set by the time Jack reached his small apartment in Reseda, the Impala's rumble echoing softly as he pulled into park. He tossed his keys on the makeshift table and flopped onto his mattress, staring at the cracked ceiling. The day had been a whirlwind—the fight with Sam at the mall, Moon trying to get closer, and the revelation at the dojo that Robby was Johnny's son. It all played out in his mind like a movie he couldn't pause.

He replayed the argument with Sam again. Her tears, the anger he'd thrown at her like a grenade, comparing her to Martha and those men who'd haunted his childhood nights. "You made me feel like I was nothing," he'd said, and the memory of those words made him squirm now. It wasn't just anger at Sam—it was fear of being betrayed again, of trusting and being left behind. But had he gone too far? Sam's eyes, broken and helpless, haunted him. He picked up the photo of Johnny Martha had given him and stared at it. "If you're as messed up as she is, why did I come after you?" he muttered, tossing the photo back into his backpack.

A light knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He stood hesitantly and opened it to find Moon standing there, holding a grocery bag with a shy smile. "Hey… I brought you some snacks. I thought you might need some company after today," she said, her light tone a contrast to the weight Jack was carrying.

"How did you know where I live?" Jack asked, frowning.

"Eli told me," Moon replied, walking in without waiting for an invitation. "He said you live near the dojo. It's not hard to find." She set the bag down on the table and turned to him. "Are you okay? You seemed pretty upset at the mall."

Jack crossed his arms, avoiding her eyes. "It was just… a fight. Nothing major."

Moon stepped closer, touching his arm gently. "It didn't seem like 'anything big'. What happened with you and Sam? You were screaming like the world was ending." Her tone was curious, but there was a hint of genuine concern.

"I don't want to talk about it," Jack snapped, his voice harsher than he intended. He walked away, grabbing a snack from the bag just so he had something in his hands.

Moon didn't give up. "Okay, but... she likes you, right? Like, a lot. I saw it in her eyes today. What about you? Do you like her or...?" She hesitated, biting her lip, as if she feared the answer.

Jack fell silent, the weight of the question pinning him in place. He thought about Sam all the time—the times in the park, the way she made him laugh—but the kiss with Robby still burned in his mind. "I don't know what I feel," he said finally, looking down at the ground. "With you, it's easier. You don't make me feel betrayed. But she…she messes everything up."

Moon smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So I'm the safe option, is that it?" She took a step closer, her fingers brushing his chest. "I like you, Jack. I'm not going to hurt you. Let me show you how simple it can be." She leaned in, but Jack drew back, shaking his head.

"I… need some time to think," he said, his voice hoarse. "I'm sorry."

Moon sighed, but nodded. "Okay. But I won't give up that easily. You deserve better than being stuck in the past." She picked up the bag and left, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts again.

At the LaRusso house, Sam sat in the backyard, her knees drawn up to her chest. The dark sky reflected the emptiness she'd felt since the mall. Jack's words—"You remind me of things I want to forget"—echoed in her head, each syllable like a knife. She'd cried in the car with Amanda, but now the tears had dried, leaving only a hole in their place.

Robby appeared at the back door, holding two cans of soda. "Hey… your mom said you were here," he said, sitting down next to her on the step. "Are you okay? Looks like someone stole your dog."

Sam gave a weak smile. "It's not a dog. Just… a bad day." She hesitated, then decided to spill the beans. "I had a fight with Jack today. He compared me to his mother, said I cheated on him. It was horrible."

Robby was quiet for a moment, processing. "Sam. But… he's wrong. You're not a traitor. He's just hurt." He took a sip of his soda, then looked at her. "I know how it feels. My dad and my mom… they've never been there when I needed them. I guess Jack and I have more in common than I thought."

Sam looked at him, surprised by his vulnerability. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"

"I don't know," Robby said honestly. "But if he can't see the real you, maybe he's the one missing out." He smiled gently, and Sam felt a warm glow in her chest. Robby was safe, solid—unlike the storm that Jack represented. But even so, she couldn't erase Jack from her mind.

At the Cobra Kai dojo, Jack arrived early the next morning, needing to work off the confusion that was consuming him. He punched the heavy bag hard, each blow an echo of the anger and doubt he felt. The sound of his fists against the leather was almost hypnotic, until Johnny called to him from across the mat.

"Sullivan!" Johnny shouted, approaching with a serious expression. "Come here for a second."

Jack stopped, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he walked over to him. "What's wrong, sensei?"

Johnny crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on Jack. "That name… Sullivan. It's been bothering me ever since you walked in here. Where are you from, kid? And don't give me that 'several places' thing. I want the truth."

Jack hesitated, his heart racing. "San Diego," he said, keeping his tone neutral. "But I live here now. Why?"

Johnny narrowed his eyes, as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle. "I knew a Martha Sullivan once, a long time ago. In the 2000s. She had a fire in her eyes, a woman who didn't take any nonsense. Any connection?"

Jack's world stopped for a second. He swallowed hard, but kept up the façade. "I don't know what you're talking about. Sullivan is a common name, right?" His voice was firm, but inside he was in pieces.

Johnny stared at him for a moment longer, then took a step back. "Maybe. But you fight like a man with a weight on his shoulders, kid. If you have anything to tell me, I'm here." He patted Jack lightly on the shoulder and walked back into the office, leaving Jack with a lump in his throat.

Later, Jack drove the Impala to the beach, the same refuge he had decided to move to after seeing Sam with Robby. He parked near the waves, the sound of the ocean filling the silence. Sitting on the hood, he thought about everything—the fight with Sam had taken him away from her forever; Moon wanted something he wasn't sure he could give; and Johnny was closer to finding out the truth. And Robby… "If he's my brother, what does that change?" Jack muttered, tossing a rock into the ocean. "I came to Reseda to find myself, not to find a family. Do I want that?"

As Jack pondered, at the Cobra Kai dojo, afternoon training began. Johnny shouted orders to his students, but a new figure walked through the door, catching everyone's attention. It was a blonde girl in a black jacket and a defiant posture, carrying a worn backpack. Tory Nichols.

"Hey, are you the sensei here?" she asked, her voice firm as she approached Johnny.

Johnny turned, assessing her with a curious look. "It depends. Who's asking?"

"Tory Nichols," she replied, throwing her backpack on the floor. "I heard this dojo turns losers into fighters. I'm not a loser, but I want to be better. Can I train here?"

Johnny raised an eyebrow, impressed by her attitude. "You've got balls, girl. Let's see if you can fight as well as you talk. Diaz!" He called Miguel. "Show her how we do it."

Tory smirked, taking off her jacket and positioning herself on the mat. "Don't worry, sensei. I'm a quick learner." As she traded blows with Miguel, her movements were precise and aggressive, a mix of brute strength and raw technique. Jack, who had gone back to the dojo to get something he'd forgotten, stopped at the entrance, recognizing her immediately—Tory

"She's here," he thought, a faint smile playing on his lips. Tory looked at him for a moment, her clear eyes sparkling with recognition, before she turned back to her training. Something told Jack that her arrival was going to change everything.