Johnny Lawrence drove down the highway, his brow furrowed and his knuckles white on the steering wheel. The city lights flickered in the rearview mirror, but his eyes were fixed on the road. The fight with Sensei Wolf had left him exhausted. Wolf was defeated, but the battle had left marksânot just physical ones, but also on his soul.
He couldnât stop. There was one last person he needed to see: John Kreese.
He had searched for him everywhere, but Kreese was like a shadowâalways one step ahead, always slipping away from the world.
The last lead had brought him to the coast, where the charred silhouette of a yacht still floated on the water, its metal frame smoldering against the morning light.
When he arrived, Johnny turned off the engine and stepped out of the truck. The rain fell softly, soaking the dusty ground.
The police had already sealed off the area, but Johnny didnât need to get too close to understand the truth. A few officers were talking amongst themselves, mentioning a body recovered from the burnt wreckage. There were no survivors.
The old sensei lay still, his skin pale, his eyes closed as if he were merely sleeping.
âShitâŚâ Johnny whispered, taking a step back.
He approached slowly, almost expecting Kreese to open his eyes and scold him for showing weakness. But he didnât.
Johnny stood on the shore, listening to the waves crash against the rocks.
This wasnât how it was supposed to end.
He could almost hear his voice:
All soldiers fall. Some in battle, others in darkness. I fought until the end, but even a warrior knows when itâs time to surrender. Donât mourn me. Cobra Kai never dies⌠though maybe, I do."
Johnny felt a lump in his throat. Kreese had been many things: a mentor, an enemy, a twisted father figure. But he never thought his story would end like thisâŚ
For years, he had hated Kreese, blamed him for everything. But now, standing there, he felt something different: sorrow.
âRest in peace, old bastard,â he muttered.
He stayed for a few more minutes, looking at the man who had taught him to fight, to be strong⌠and to make mistakes.
He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the first time he saw himâthe man who had made him the fighter he was. The same man who had manipulated him, betrayed him, and yet had always been a key figure in his life.
Today was John Kreeseâs funeral.
The man who gave his life for his student.
The man who had been almost a father to Johnny Lawrence.
Tory Nichols stood at the center of the tatami, fists clenched at her sides. She had never been good at expressing her feelings, but this time, the tightness in her chest was unbearable.
She had lost so much in her lifeâher childhood, the stability of a home, her trust in the worldâbut Kreese had been there, guiding her, giving her the strength she needed when no one else did. And now, he was gone too.
âI never thought Iâd be organizing something like this,â Johnny muttered beside her, his tone bitter.
He wasnât a sentimental guy either. He rarely showed emotions, but Kreeseâs death had hit him in an unexpected way. Despite all their differences, despite the betrayals and fights, Kreese had been his teacher. The man who had taught him what it meant to be strong.
âHe would have hated this,â she whispered with a sad smile. âHe always said compassion made us weak.â
Johnny let out a dry laugh.
âYeah⌠but he also said loyalty was the only thing that mattered.â
They looked at the altar. A photograph of Kreese in his younger years was at the center, his military uniform perfectly pressed, his cold gaze piercing into the soul. Beside it, a worn black belt and a Cobra Kai flag. In front of the picture, a single candle flickered in the wind.
One by one, former Cobra Kai students arrived. Hawk showed up with his hands in his pockets, accompanied by Miguel, who wore a serious expression. Some of the newer students didnât even know what to say. Kreese had been a controversial figure, feared and respected in equal measure. To some, he was a villain; to others, a mentor.
But to Johnny and Tory, Kreese had been more than that.
The silence stretched until Tory cleared her throat and took a step forward.
âI donât know what Iâm supposed to say in moments like this,â she admitted, her voice shaky. âBut what I do know is that John Kreese changed my life.â
She paused for a moment, searching for the right words.
âWhen I met him, I was at the worst point in my life. I had no money, no family, no future. I thought everything was lost⌠but he showed me that wasnât true. He taught me to fight, but more importantly, he taught me to never give up. He told me compassion wouldnât get me anywhere. That the world only respects the strong.â
She looked at Johnny for a brief second, as if seeking support.
âI know that not everyone here sees him as a hero. I know some people hated him. But he saved me. And even if I donât agree with everything he did, I will never forget what he taught me.â
Johnny sighed and crossed his arms.
âI met Kreese when I was just a punk kid looking for a purpose,â he began, his gaze lost in the photo of his former sensei. âAnd he gave it to me. He taught me how to fight, how to be strong, how to never let anyone step on me.â
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
âBut he also made mistakes. A lot of them. And it took me a long time to realize that sometimes, strength isnât everything. The war he saw in the world wasnât always there. But even if I didnât share his vision, I canât deny that without him, I wouldnât be who I am today.â
Everyone in the dojo had mixed feelings about Kreese. He hadnât been a good man in the traditional sense, but his impact was undeniable.
Johnny grabbed a beer and raised it.
âTo Kreese. To the man who never gave up.â
The others followed, some more enthusiastically than others.
âTo Kreese,â Tory echoed, feeling a lump in her throat.
The dojo fell silent again. The wind continued to blow, making the candle flame danceâas if Kreeseâs spirit was still there, watching them, judging them.
And maybe, in a way, he was.
Because Cobra Kai never dies⌠but sometimes, warriors do.
