"Hey, Johnny! You got a call."

Johnny left his stationary and entered the office where they kept the construction's equipment.

"Thanks, Frank."

"No problem."

After his companion left, he picked up the phone to see who was at the other end.

"Hello?"

"Johnny! How's it going?"

A smile spread across the face of the banished cobra. "Hi, Bobby. Nothing much."

"Ha! Knowing you, I'm sure you must be bored over there."

Johnny chuckled at his friend's comment. "Sure. Tell Jimmy that I'm grateful for helping me find this job."

"Why don't you tell him in person? We'll be glad to see you, buddy!"

Johnny hesitated while rubbing his chin. "I don't know, Bobby. I don't think I'll be coming back any time soon."

His friend sighed knowing that this would be the kind of respond he would get from his pal. "Look, just know that I'm here whenever you need to speak about anything, alright?"

"Yeah, thanks Bobby." There was a question that was burning his throat which was kept inside by his fear. Still, he managed to overcome it and let it out. "Hey, Bobby… have you… talked to…?"

His friend took a breath. "I visited him yesterday, but he didn't receive me."

"Oh… alright. Sorry to bother you with this."

"It's okay. But, Johnny…"

"Yeah?"

"You need to see Robby."

.

.

.

The room was illuminated by a white lightbulb that irradiated a depressing atmosphere. A thick glass divided the space in half so as to prevent anyone from reaching out for the other individual located at the other side and avoid the offering of the comfortless of human touch.

The blonde man kept still and ignored the people at his sides who where present for the same purpose. Yet, he couldn't help but think that the kid he was waiting for was now labeled with a term that the man never wanted to relate to the youngster… a criminal.

His sight spotted a the movement of a figure coming in. He raised his head to look upon his son. His heart ached once he saw Robby dressed in a grey jumpsuit that had some printed numbers at the left side of his chest. His golden brown mane was gone, and now he was bearing a military haircut. The vibrant spark that once lived in his personality was now filled with a ghost of emptiness.

"Robby…", Johnny whispered. He stood up as his son was being placed in front of him. The guard told them how much time they had and went to the corner of the room to join a fellow that was supervising the prisoners and their visitors.

The elder fighter couldn't believe that two days ago he was dropping his child at the front of his high school and now they were in a reformatory. He noticed some bruises and cuts all over the boy which reminded him of the fight that happened at the school. At that moment, the image of his best student being taken into surgery had invaded his thoughts. Johnny had to shake his head in order to concentrate. He needed to stay focused for the sake of Robby.

He grabbed the inter phone that would allow him to speak to his son, who mimicked his father's action.

"Robby, how are you?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."

The teenager raised his shoulders as a sign of resignation.

"Does it hurt?"

"What?"

Johnny pointed at the scar that tattooed Robby's forehead. He touched it as if it had burned him by the pure mention of it.

"Oh… no. I'm fine."

Johnny knew that Robby was actually thinking of the accident, but he kept this remark to himself.

"I didn't mean to do it", said Robby.

"Of course you didn't." Johnny wanted to embrace his son and tell him that everything would be okay, but he cursed at the window that stopped him from doing it.

"I just hope that Mr. Larusso doesn't hate me."

"Larusso?" What the fuck did he had to do with any of this?

It seemed as if Robby had read Johnny's mind. "After everything he has done for me… and how do I repay him? By doing exactly the opposite of what he taught me…".

Johnny had to exhale in order to keep his nerves in check. "Forget about Larusso, kid."

A fire ignited inside Robby's spirit for now he raised abruptly, making his chair stumble and attracting the attention of the people who where there. That included the guard who had brought him in there, who had to be calmed by Johnny by assuring him that everything was fine, and that it was Johnny's fault.

Once his seat was put back in it's place, Robby replied to his father. "Don't try to make me turn my back on Mr. Larusso. I would never do that to him!".

"No, Robby, that's not what I meant…".

"Much less after he decided to stop by and check on me."

"Wait, he did what? What are you talking about?"

"The day I was arrested, Mr. Larusso came here to see me… but I was to ashamed to confront him…".

"Oh, I see…".

An uncomfortable silence filled the air.

"Where were you?", whispered Robby.

Johnny stared at him a bit confused. "I'm sorry?"

"The day the police took me… Why didn't you show up?"

"Oh…", Johnny now understood what his son was saying. "I was down at the hospital where… where Miguel was being attended."

A tear betrayed Robby's emotions. "So you're telling me that it took you more than a day to visit me because you were so busy looking out for someone who isn't even your family?"

Johnny was speechless. He didn't know what to say.

Robby nodded his head. "Of course…".

"Robby…"

"You want to know why I became so fond of the Larusso's?"

Johnny had always asked himself that question ever since he spotted his son at Daniel's house.

"My mom had told me that you had offered her to take care of me, that I could live with you. I couldn't believe her at first. But then I started to feel excited. To think that I could finally start a bond with my dad after all these years… So I packed my things and went down to your dojo. And what did I find? The father who didn't even bother to be at my mother's side the day I was born was hugging a guy and laughing with him."

"Wait, you were there? Robby, I…"

"It broke me to see you so happy with someone who wasn't your son. So I thought 'what better way to get back at you than to work for your enemy'?"

"So that's why…"

"Yes. And you know what's funny? I ended up with someone who acted more like the father figure that I always looked for than what you ever were."

Robby's bitter words made Johnny preferred being punched in the gut rather than bearing the pain that he was experiencing at that moment.

"I guess karma is a bitch, huh?", said Robby. "Now I have to pay the price of my actions." He stood up and turned his back on Johnny.

"Robby, wait!"

"Don't even bother to show up again."

Johnny wanted to follow his son, but an invisible force pulled him down as his callings were drowned by a familiar voice. "You let them down when they needed you the most…".

The light was gone and everything became black.