Chapter 3
The police were thorough in their questioning of Tony and the few witnesses that had stuck around after the fight. Tony's story was that she was being mugged and about to be raped when he came along and chased her attacker off was taken a little more seriously than the other witnesses' story of the woman starting a fight with some blond man and the energy blast that came from his fist. Tony had inquired as to what hospital Maki was being taken to so he could bring her some flowers (like the good Samaritan he was playing at) when the police let him go after getting his home phone number in case they needed anymore information.
While thorough in the question and answer phase, the police had cut a few corners though, and later, when Tony came back, he was able to recover Maki's tonfa stick. The next morning, Tony called Terry on the cell phone he had given him and told him to go to Mercy General Hospital in midtown where he would meet with him. At about one o'clock in the afternoon, Terry walked up to Tony and greeted him: "Hey there Tony, how you been?" Tony smiled and said: "Just living you know. My mom and I are doing fine. I helped her take some night courses that helped her get a decent job. In fact, I think she's thinking about getting married again. One of the teachers from her night school has been around lately. I'm getting good grades in school and there are some colleges that might be looking at me as a recruit for their martial arts teams."
Terry's face dropped a moment when Tony said 'martial arts teams'. Tony saw the expression on Terry's face and said: "Martial Arts teams, not street fighting like you do. I mean, I know you're powerful and all and I'm still your biggest fan, but I like the philosophy behind a lot of the martial arts I've been studying. Besides, I still remember what you said to me that day . . ."
Flashback to the castle of Wolfgang Krauser
Terry stood there with his shirt slightly torn, bruises starting to show and blood still dripping off the hand that he had finished Krauser with. His eyes were shadowed under the brim of his hat and his voice sounded hollow as he said: "You see Tony? Fighting leaves only emptiness . . . it's time to leave now."
Back to present day.
Terry looked at Tony again and said: "I'm glad you're looking to the martial arts as a guide instead of me now. How is she?" Terry asked to change the subject. Tony said: "She's doing fine. They kept her overnight for observation and I think they'll release her later today. Here, I think you should be the one to give this back to her." Tony said as he handed the tonfa to Terry. He took it and stuck it in his bag.
The two men entered the hospital and made their way to an elevator and from there up to the third floor where Maki's room was. As Terry entered the room, something about it seemed familiar and then it hit him, he had been in this room before. The color on the walls was different but there still clung to it a sliver of Master Tung's presence. This was the hospital room that Terry, Joe, and Andy had brought the injured Master in the hopes of saving him, the hospital where Lily was pronounced dead.
Terry's step faltered at the door as Tony noticed and said: "What's wrong Terry?" The "Lone Wolf" shivered involuntarily as the memories assaulted him. The episode passed quickly as Terry said: "It's nothing Tony, bad memories is all. I don't like being in hospitals." Tony nodded his head in understanding as he remembered how his father had died, in a hospital after a street fight went bad.
Terry walked in behind Tony and saw Maki lying in bed sound asleep. She didn't seem any the worse for wear for running headlong into Terry's Power Geyser. "She looks like an angel lying there" Terry thought to himself. When he realized what he had just been thinking he crushed the impulse mercilessly. "No, never again. I will never let myself care for any woman again; they always die and leave me alone with the pain." Terry thought to himself.
Terry took her tonfa out of his bag and placing it into her right hand he gently squeezed her fingers around the handle. Before he could take his hand away, Maki's eyes snapped open as her left hand whipped up and grabbed Terry's hand quicker than he could see and said: "Why did you come back? Are you here to finish me off?" Terry stood there as he felt her smooth hand in his rough one and said: "No, I'm not here to hurt you again. I just wanted to return your weapon to you. That's all."
Maki let go of Terry's hand and pointed at the closet. "Your vest is in there. Thanks for letting me keep my modesty since you took my fighter'shonor." Terry walked over to the closet and got his jacket. As he put it back on he said: "I don't know where you got the impression that I'm some kind of mad dog killer type but your welcome anyway. You can keep your fighter'shonor; I don't want or need you chasing after me for a rematch to regain it. I freely return it to you." Maki noticed the pain in Terry's voice but before she could apologize, he left the room with a purposeful stride the only clue that she had hurt his feelings when all he wanted to do was look in on her.
Tony caught up with Terry outside again as he called out: "Terry, what's the matter with you? I don't know what was going on in there but she tried to apologize as you left." Terry kept on walking as Tony grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around to face him and said: "Talk to me man. What is going on?" Terry stopped and said: "I don't need anyone else's honor on my conscience. She had to have been trained by a truly dedicated Japanese ninja to speak of losing her fighters' honor like that. I've got enough things on my plate without some kind of old school honor debt following me around."
Tony took a step back at the venom in Terry's voice as he spoke and said: "Don't take it out on me. Tell her that. You might feel better if you did." Terry took a deep breath and letting it out said: "You're right Tony. I'm sorry I snapped at you like that." Tony shrugged it off and said: "No worries man. By the way, do you remember how you said you owed me one for covering you back there after the fight?" Terry's voice went hollow as he said: "Yea. What did you have in mind?" Tony said with a smile: "Teach me how to fight. I like the philosophy of the martial arts and I like the moving meditation of the kata and all but only the fighting aspect is looked on as important at the college level. I don't need to be able to pound my opponent into the mat but I do need to be able to beat them quickly."
Terry thought about it for a few minutes but once he realized that he was in his own way honor bound to repay Tony, he relented and said: "Okay Tony. I do owe you that much at least. I won't teach you how to draw up the ki of the earth for several years yet, but I will teach you in the Hakkyokuseiken School of martial arts." Before he could stop himself, Tony reached up, grabbed Terry's hat off his head and threw it up in the air and said out loud: "Okay!"