Terry Lee's lips quivered. Tears streaked down his face. He couldn't believe what he had seen. His father never lost a fight. Now he had fallen to what had to be his death.
Terry was unable to move. He sobbed as he looked at Dan Hirono celebrating. He tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, but they refused to stop. He saw Hiro Date confronting Hirono before storming off.
Terry couldn't understand what had just happened. He was surprised when he saw Phillip Johnson walking up to Hirono. Phillip was holding a rifle. Dan Hirono shook his hand and Terry finally realized that his father had been betrayed by his partner.
Terry screamed. Power erupted from his body. The windows exploded around him. The lights flickered before exploding into a million shards. Terry collapsed as he passed out.
Terry could feel a powerful aura of wickedness as someone picked him up. When he awoke he was in a hospital bed. Karen was holding one of his hands. She embraced him tearfully. She told him that he'd been unconscious for several days. She told him that his father had disappeared and was believed to be dead.
Terry couldn't believe what he was hearing. It wasn't a dream. He had actually witnessed his father being betrayed and killed. It was too much and Terry retreated within his mind.
Karen was concerned about Terry's catatonic state. He became mute and seemed to be in a trance most of the time. The doctors couldn't find any physical problems with him. The consensus was that his father's death had broken his mind. Karen knew that Terry was still alert, but she couldn't reach him with their psychic bond.
Karen knew that she had to remain strong for her family. She had two sons to raise. She wasn't sure what she could do for Terry's mental condition besides letting him know that she was there for him. She also needed to ensure that Jerry didn't feel lost in the shuffle. He was trying to be the man of the family.
Karen asked Lily to take over as head instructor for the Blackdragon Dojo. Lily Kwan had been John's first student when he opened the dojo. She had blossomed from a timid, abused woman into a fierce combatant. She had earned the nickname Flower Dragon for her love of flowers and her immense strength.
Lily accepted the position. She set out to increase the prestige of the dojo by dominating every martial arts tournament she entered. This put her at odds with Dan Hirono and his dojo. The Blackdragon Dojo continued to remain a premier place to learn karate.
Karen homeschooled and trained Terry while waiting for him to regain his voice. Lily continued Jerry's training when he wasn't at school. This became the new normal for the next 2 years. Finally, there was a change.
Phillip hadn't been around since Terry had been released from the hospital. He stopped by the Blackdragon Dojo to watch a black belt test. Terry was sparring with another student when he saw Phillip.
Karen noticed the change in Terry's demeanor when Phillip arrived. Terry became unfocused in his defense and his opponent rapidly scored several points. Lily looked concerned with the change in Terry's performance, but she remained impartial. Jerry cheered for his brother.
Terry regained some focus and improved his defense. Karen and Lily noticed that he was distracted by Phillip and a look passed between them. Terry's opponent caught him with a kick to the head.
Terry rolled to his feet. He growled as he sprang towards his opponent. It seemed like Terry's aura flashed visibly before he struck his opponent. The guy flew through the air from the impact and crashed into a wall. Lily hastily checked on him before declaring Terry the winner.
Terry walked off while Karen was talking to Phillip. Jerry found him on the roof of the dojo later. Karen and Lily joined them after everyone left the dojo. Terry was sitting in the center of the roof staring at nothing. Karen sat down beside him. Jerry and Lily watched quietly.
"Terry are you okay? I noticed that you seemed to be distracted when Phillip came," Karen said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He shot dad."
"What do you mean," Jerry shouted as Lily gasped.
Karen held up a hand to silence Jerry. Lily and Jerry moved closer but remained quiet. Karen rubbed on Terry's back. He was quiet for a moment. He looked as if he was reliving something horrible.
"I was there. Dad was fighting in a tournament on the roof of the Hirono building. He fought against this one guy who did Blackdragon Karate as good as him. After that he fought against that Hirono guy."
"Go ahead," Karen gently urged.
"Dad was tired and hurt, but he was still beating him. Then Dad was shot and Hirono kicked him off the roof. That evil Blackdragon guy fussed at Hirono, then left. Then dad's partner shook Hirono's hand while holding a rifle," Terry wiped tears from his face as he finished.
"I had a feeling that Phillip knew more than he was saying," Karen said.
"Who was the evil Blackdragon guy," Jerry asked.
"That might have been Hiro Date. He was your father's rival when he was learning Blackdragon Karate."
"I believe that he mentioned him once. Wasn't he responsible for killing their master," Lily asked.
"That's what John always believed and he seems like someone that Hirono would use against him. Terry how did you end up there?"
"I don't know. I just woke up and I was in that building."
"Was he sleepwalking again, mama?"
"Possibly," Karen responded.
"Sleepwalking," Lily asked.
"Terry has an uncanny ability to move in his sleep. We still aren't sure how he winds up some of the places that he's been."
Everyone was quiet for a while. They were thinking different things, but everyone knew that Phillip couldn't be allowed to get away with his part in John Lee's death. Karen and Lily shared a look. Karen rubbed Terry's head and looked into his eyes.
"I'm sorry that you've been carrying this around with you for 2 years, but now that we know we can do something about it."
"It will be hard to prove," Lily said.
"We'll find a way. If we can get Phillip, then he could help us get to Hirono," Karen mused.
"I need to get stronger. I'll beat Hirono," Jerry said.
"I agree and I can help you with that," Lily replied.
"It won't matter unless you can dodge bullets," Terry said. "Dad lost because he couldn't."
"Terry, we will find a way," Karen said as she rubbed his head.
Everyone began to form a plan. Karen was going to work on getting Phillip to come around so that he would lower his guard. Lily was planning on crushing Hirono's dojos and putting them out of business. Jerry was planning to fight Hirono and avenge his father. Terry waited a couple of weeks before running away from home to learn what he needed to avenge his father.