BACK TO THE FUTURE ; cobra kai/the karate kid

━ 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙣; 𝙬𝙞𝙣, 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

MIGUEL STOOD IN the sports arena, waiting for the tournament to start. He couldn't sleep at all the night before. He was too nervous to even think straight. Miguel couldn't stop thinking about how the tournament was going to turn out. He was shaking as he stood in between Ali and Mr. Miyagi while Daniel was getting changed in the locker rooms and he couldn't seem to stop. If Daniel didn't win like he was supposed to, then there was no telling how different the future would be. He needed Daniel to win. Daniel had to win. He needed to make sure Daniel knew how important it was that he won. He had already told him earlier that morning that he needed to win, but Daniel assured him that he would try his best.

Miguel sighed as he walked off towards the locker room. He walked in, seeing Daniel sitting on one of the benches. He looked nervous and Miguel couldn't say that he blamed him. Daniel was still under the assumption that there was no way he could beat Johnny. All the practice and learning he had done with Mr. Miyagi just didn't seem like enough, but Miguel was going to make sure he knew that wasn't true. He had learned everything he needed to in order to beat Johnny. He just needed a little confidence boost and a reminder that he could do it.

Miguel took a seat next to him and placed his hand of Daniel shoulder. "Daniel, don't worry, okay? You've got this."

"I know, but I'm just nervous," Daniel said. "There's a lot riding on this. I mean, like you said the future depends on me winning. What if I screw that up?"

Miguel shook his head. "You won't. Trust me. You're going to go out there and win. No matter what happens, you keep on fighting."

"But what if I don't?" Daniel asked. "What if I don't win and then everything's ruined?"

"Listen to me," Miguel said. "You won't ruin anything. If anything is ruined it's because of me. I mean, I shouldn't even be here right now. I've ruined enough already."

"You don't think things will be the same when you go back?" Daniel asked.

Miguel shook his head. "If I go back, and no. I don't think they will. Now, come on. The tournament is about to start."

Daniel nodded and stood up. Miguel stood up after him and patted him on the back. The two of them walked out of the locker rooms and where Mr. Miyagi and Ali stood, nervously waiting. Daniel ran up to them and Ali began to put the black belt Mr. Miyagi had gotten around his waist. Miguel took a deep breath as the announcer said Daniel's name.

"Daniel LaRusso, please report to ring three immediately."

"Where's ring three?" Daniel asked.

"Over there," Mr. Miyagi responded.

"Hold it!" a man from behind them said. "Only teachers and students on the competition floor. I'm sorry."

"Oh, well, he doesn't speak English and I can't understand his instruction without her," Daniel said referring to Mr. Miyagi. "She's—she's his, uh, translator."

Mr. Miyagi said something in Japanese, and the guy asked Ali what he said.

"Oh, he says you remind him of an uncle he has back in Tokyo," Ali said.

"I guess it's okay," the guy said before turning to Miguel. "What about you?"

Miguel looked towards Daniel, unsure of what to say. Daniel looked back at him and shrugged his shoulder discretely. Miguel looked back to the man.

"I'm, uh, another one of the students," Miguel said. "I can't fight unfortunately. I got into a pretty bad bike accident the other day and totally messed up my shoulder."

The guy gave him a strange look as if he were suspicious for a second, but then nodded his head. Miguel wanted to breathe a sigh of relief as Ali pretended to translate what Mr. Miyagi was saying to the man. The four of them walked off again and mad their way towards ring three.