Chapter One: Prologue

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This scene can be considered deleted if this was an actual Netflix adaptation like Cobra Kai was as a show.

The Proposal:

Scene: A former karate Sensei tries to enlist the help of a local karate champion to help reinvigorate his interest in karate. Changing his investment in Cobra Kai karate from merely financial, to personal.

Characters:

Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith): Terry Silver is well into his 70s, with a loving fiancee Cheyenne running a multi million dollar business he inherited from his father. Despite his recent interest in helping his old friend John Kreese re-open the Cobra Kai dojo, he hopes welcoming Lucas back as a student will allow him to have both return as karatekas in Cobra Kai through a business proposal.

Frank Mills (Ed Begley Jr.): Frank is the father of Ali Mills, mother of Lucas and a retired doctor well into his 80s. He gave Lucas an ultimatum, to quit karate and allowing him to stay in his home, or forcing him to return home to Denver with Ali. This recent business proposal Mr. Silver gave him however, has changed his mind.

Lucas Gregory Mills-Schwarber (Dylan Minnette): Sixteen. Someone trying to avoid being a spoiled Valley kid coasting by on the popularity of his recent karate tournament wins is met with a proposal and a man he never expected.

Background: The kitchen and living room of the Mills Manor, the girlhood home of Ali Mills portrayed through only the exterior in the original 1984 Karate Kid Film.

…

…

Lucas walked into his kitchen starting his summer break like normal.

His dog, a golden retriever with a leash and a badge named 'Donnie Jr.' ran up to him, the boy rubbed the pup's head and then began to walk to the kitchen.

"Hey gramps, was just at Demetri's." he looked around, putting his backpack down. "Just got done building his new Lego-"

Lucas freezes, shocked at the scene despite how relaxed the other two men were.

Terry Silver wasn't wearing a ponytail, but rather a plaid button up and pair of jeans, his grandfather Frank was sitting on the kitchen counter sipping some wine while Terry was in the kitchen pouring a glass of wine and washing a pair of dinner plates with a sponge and rag, clearly, he and Frank were just finished eating some supper.

"Who-" Lucas gulped. "Who's this?"

"Oh this is a friend of John Kreese, a recent business partner of mine. Good friend I recently made, made a huge donation when he joined the Encino Oaks Country Club a few months ago." Frank smiled towards Lucas.

Lucas blinked. "Then, how come Mr. LaRusso never mentioned anything?"

"Oh I join many social circles." Terry waved a hand, shrugging. "Sometimes with the intention of staying secret."

Terry smiled blankly towards Lucas. The teen looked like Terry was stabbing his grandfather, instead of having just finished a nice meal with him.

"You look white as a ghost!" chuckled Frank. "Sit down Luke, what's going on?"

"Nothing, it's not often strangers come into our home." Lucas admitted, slowly drawing up a chair on the kitchen table as Terry put the last dish away. "Where's Nana?"

"Olivia's with her book club today." Frank explained, sipping his wine.

"My name's Terry Silver, sorry if my introduction was a bit out of the blue." he said. "I served with your old Sensei, John and I are war buddies from Vietnam."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I take it you did karate too?"

"Yes." Frank smiled. "As a matter of fact he did. We were just talking about that."

Lucas, as if Terry Silver was still capable of stabbing either of them at any moment, slowly spoke to his grandfather. "How did you two become friends?"

"Should I tell him?"

Terry merely shrugged, drying his hands with a nearby towel. "Go ahead."

Frank explained carefully. "When John Kreese attacked one of your classmates, Kyler Park, outside a convenience store last summer, I decided to bail him out of jail. I was listed on Mr. Kreese's file after a small incident in the eighties when your mother's old boyfriend Johnny had a small quandary with the police."

"Okay." Lucas squinted slightly.

"I immediately motioned that the appeal to overturn John's suspended sentence for the assault be revoked when I heard John's students had attacked you at the arcade. I messaged a local councilman, and that, appeared to be that."

Frank went on, and Terry meanwhile, began to pour himself a glass of wine.

"Later that night, Mr. Silver reaches out to me. Apologizes for the whole ordeal, he agrees to settle the debt John started when I bailed him out. By agreeing to fund the new renovations for the beach club we still frequent." Frank continues, resting his wine glass on the kitchen counter.

"So you were fine with me being beaten up, so long as Mr. Silver paid for Kreese's mistakes?"

"On the contrary," Frank said calmly. "Terry went on to explain that if he were to become involved at Cobra Kai. Such incidents would become a thing of the past, when he further explained everything going on between you and Robby Keene and the boys at Cobra Kai, it made more sense. We had dinner together at the Encino Oaks country club two months ago, and we've become friends ever since."

"How did you two bond?" Lucas was curious.

"I explained Cobra Kai's history." Terry said, having just poured himself some chardonnay. "I apologized as well for all the trouble Johnny gave Daniel and your mother during their senior year of highschool. And promised that if we could make a deal, Cobra Kai would never bother your family again."

"Almost like you seem to apologize for Kreese's mistakes no matter what decade he makes them in." sneered Lucas.

Terry actually chuckled at this while Frank grimaced. "No need to be rude, the man wasn't involved with any of that, promised to change things."

"It's quite alright, he has a point." Terry sighed. "John has a very up front way of dealing with things. With my supervision, Cobra Kai can take a much more." He shrugged yet again. "Subtle vibe."

"Gramps you trusted this total stranger? Just because he had money and stuff?"

"No, plenty of my good friends at the Encino Oaks Country Club told me nothing but good things about Mr. Silver. And his work with several charitable organizations."

Terry explained. "I made sure to fully explain the actions of John's students. To try to clear up all this for good."

"Why? You're not involved in karate anymore? What does any of this have to do with you?"

Frank's tone changed. "Luke. Watch, your, tone. As I said, Mr. Silver fully explained everything already. Him and I worked out a deal."

"What deal?" Lucas glanced at Terry. "How come you never asked Mr. LaRusso about him? Odd how he was left out despite possibly knowing him."

"I assumed his bias related to karate might've influenced things. After all the trouble Daniel's gotten you into, I thought a third voice in all this karate business could help."

Terry smiled thankfully as Frank fixed his glasses and Lucas exasperated.

"Really wished you'd never kept this a secret. And, what deal?"

"You can go ahead and tell him Terry."

Terry swished his wine around in his glass. "Again, I'm sorry if this was all abrupt. But I have your best intentions in mind."

"Do you?"

Frank cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry." Lucas tried to say it nicer. "Do you?"

Terry took a quick breath. "After your fight at the school with Robby Keene, and the tournament. Frank said he'd have to send you back with your mother if you didn't quit karate. We worked out a deal, you can continue training in karate."

Lucas' entire posture changed. His face went from alert and still mistrusting, to a tinge of interested.

"So long as you and Robby make amends. And you both are allowed to train at Cobra Kai under my help."

Lucas squinted at him now. "And this was after Kreese made it clear Cobra Kai is anything but a safe place to learn karate?"

"The boys who attacked you at Golf 'N Stuff will be expelled from John's school as punishment for attacking you in public. He and Terry have made it clear you and Robby alone are quality enough students to replace them." said Frank lightly.

Lucas was silent for a moment.

"And despite Cobra Kai being allowed to remain open," said Lucas. "It'll be a safe place. The valley, will be a safe place?"

"Absolutely," Terry said. "I promised your grandfather no harm will be done to you. You can become the future of Cobra Kai."

"And Kreese was on board with this?"

"Let me worry about him." Terry said slyly.

"I don't want to hear anymore about this." Lucas said without looking at either senior citizen.

"Lucas!" Frank was astounded, Terry didn't blink an eye.

"Get out, of my house." Lucas looked up at Terry with a stone cold glare.

Frank shook his head. "This isn't your house, it's-"

"Frank." his attention shot to Terry's. "Give me a moment with him. It's getting dark, why don't you let us talk?"

"Yeah." Lucas' tone changed, he sounded far angrier. "Let's talk."

…

As the sun had already set, Terry started a fire in the fireplace.

"It's the beginning of summer." Lucas said with his arms crossed in a nearby sofa chair.

Terry shrugged. "I was getting cold."

Donnie Junior walked up, stretched, and curled up next to it.

"See? Even your dog likes the fire."

Lucas saw how the golden retriever lied down close to the sofa Terry was sitting in.

"Don, cm'here boy."

He instantly listened, sitting and panting by Lucas' side.

"So." Lucas still sounded like his voice was painted with cold fury, right down to his bones. "You want to talk?"

"Yes."

Terry finished his wine glass.

He rubbed his hands, the fire being the only bit of light between the two of them as the sun had gone down.

"I want to hear why. Why you came to the Valley? Why you sought John Kreese. All of it." Terry asked.

"That's pretty personal, and we just met."

Terry's voice was smooth as butter, but sunken with poison. "Do you want to talk?" he tilted his head slightly. "Or not?"

Lucas needed a moment to think.

"When I turned fourteen, I found mom's highschool yearbook in an old box with all her things from highschool. I knew she was keeping secret all the karate stuff and boyfriends she had."

Lucas turned from the fireplace towards Terry. "With good reason, all of it was crazy."

Terry nodded slightly, saying nothing with a slightly pushed outward bottom lip.

"I wanted to learn just whatever it was she was hiding. Mom never lied to me about anything, except." Lucas paused. "About this. I asked for a plane ticket and stay here in LA."

He shrugged. "I found out John Kreese ran so-Cal's most successful karate team back in the day. But was nowhere to be found recently. Turns out he was running odd jobs, mostly homeless around the Valley."

Lucas was silent, the fire crackling lightly, a log turned over and fell in the fireplace.

"That fireplace has been there for years. Never seen gramps use it once."

"Vietnam taught me many things. I can teach you too if you like, all you have to do is join."

Lucas shook his head. "Those same skills were what I sought from John Kreese. A karate style not just built for competition. But to dominate. In fights, in the street."

He blinked. "In life."

"My whole life, Ava was a ballet star, then started a huge rock band. Mom and Dad were the most respected doctors Denver seemed to know. And I always felt like I was a step behind, that's why I got into writing and soccer. I wanted karate to be something I was good at, something I excelled at."

Lucas chuckled. "And that first year I started doing it, I didn't just excel. I felt like I had found my calling."

Terry kept listening. "I saw something of myself in John Kreese. A broken man, whose only purpose in life was teaching karate. I pitied the life he lived and the state of his dreams, how little anyone cared about him or his story. And I saw the value of what he taught."

Lucas looked at Terry and spoke with so much calm fury that it almost impressed the man a teenager could fluidly change from reminiscent to angry. "But I also knew that deep down, in his very core. He never cared about anything more than winning. That if there was an ounce of mercy left in his heart, it was for the people whose lives he'd ruined."

"Which is why I turned my back on Cobra Kai. And I'll never come back man, don't even waste your goddamn time."

Terry nodded for a second.

"Have you seen Kill Bill?"

"Yeah." Lucas was a bit surprised by the question but otherwise shrugged. "Yeah, yeah I've seen both."

"You remember the last scene where Bill gives a monologue about who the Bride really is? That technically speaking, he won. In order to reunite with her daughter, she had to slaughter almost a hundred people just to get to him?"

Lucas pressed his lips together. "Sure."

"I love those kinds of movies." Terry rubbed his hands. "The villain technically won. In the end, she managed to kill Bill. But it cost her everything to get there."

"So you're trying to say that deep down, I'm a Cobra Kai?"

"Lucas I've trained in martial arts since the Vietnam war. I saw footage of your sparring at the last All Valley. No one, no one, and I mean no one. Has the degree of talent they should at your age."

"Except Robby Keene."

"Yes." Terry admitted. "He came close. But not close enough."

Terry took a deep breath. "You used Cobra Kai to defeat Cobra Kai."

"Robby isn't Cobra Kai. Neither am I."

"Yet." Terry said calmly. "Or, anymore in your case."

"Kreese would make me do pushups on hard concrete until my knuckles bled. I had splinters up and down my shins and feet from kicking old boxes and wood. And for all of it, he sent Diaz and all of his friends after me."

"Look how strong you've become because of it. Look how respected you've become. Do you really think you belong at Miyagi-Do?"

"Yes." Lucas said instantly.

"I don't see it." Terry admitted. "Cobra Kai is on its last legs. John's old. I'm old. And all of its students are entirely new recruits well through high school from the same class. I don't see most of you continuing to train after you all go to college. I see my financial stake in John's school as purely an investment, but when I saw your performance online at this recent All Valley."

Terry snapped his fingers. "I changed my mind."

"Did you now?"

"Lucas karate goes beyond competition, you've done more than enough of it already to know that styles and rules go beyond how well you can do in the ring. What you can bring of it into your personal life, to improve your life and others, lies at the core of karate."

"Is that what Cobra Kai is about?"

Terry explained. "It's about taking your weaknesses and creating them into your strengths. John was so broke he didn't even have a dojo to train you in. I think he uh," he scoffed. "Trained you in some run down pallet dock or something."

Lucas said nothing.

"And look what he did. Just like you said, you came to him an empty, aimless, and lost kid, feeling like he never could live up to his family's standards. And in just a year, you became a champion. Twice."

"Daniel LaRusso is my Sensei. Not him."

"Do you really believe he'd be the one responsible for where you are today and not John?"

Lucas sighed. "But you make it seem like you're going to transform Cobra Kai into a completely different place."

"It will be. With your help."

"Really." deadpanned Lucas.

"Of course. I can move it into a new flagship dojo in Encino as soon as Robby Keene agrees to join too. Could you imagine how karate could change in the Valley? How much respect you could gain as our top student?"

"Flagship dojo?"

Terry sighed. "Cobra Kai has the potential to be so much more than just a strip mall dojo without a single trophy from this decade to its name. Why? Because the real fighters, you and Robby, found better prospects. Without my help, John would be nowhere. But with the right people involved, you and Robby can become better than you can ever imagine."

"Why keep mentioning Robby? We're not friends anymore."

"He hungers for victory. In the same way you do, the same way you've shown me and everyone else."

Lucas leaned forward and seemed to say a great deal of words but instead had only one:

"No."

Terry Silver laughed calmly. "You spent these past two years kicking the shit out of everyone your age you could find. On the mat and off it. And you really expect me to believe you sympathize with the memory of some old man you never even met? That his teachings, his way of life, his belief that karate existed only out of competition, perhaps for self defense as a last resort. Was all one should do with their fullest potential?"

"I do. And because you simply don't know me."

"You can keep lying to me and everyone else kid, but lying to yourself." Terry tutted. "That only hurts one person." He pointed exactly at Lucas. "And we both know Miyagi-Do only exists to hold said person back. If Miyagi-Do karate was truly meant to be, how come karate here in the Valley degenerated to the point that two newcomers were so ahead of everyone else?"

Lucas said nothing.

"Thank your grandfather for the hospitality. The offer still stands, but without you joining Cobra Kai again. I can't promise I'll be involved anytime soon. Leaving you to decide your own future in karate well and truly on your own."

Terry walked off and out of the Mills manor without another word.

Leaving Lucas to his dog, fireplace, and his thoughts, and in complete silence aside from the odd crackle in the fireplace.

...

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A/N:

Hello everybody, VaporwaveFan01 here. I recently got back into writing fics for Cobra Kai after season 6 has been officially been renewed to be released soon in July. Given that I still think this was the way my original series of Defeat Does not Exist should have ended I will continue to write it, even after Season 6 and Cobra Kai officially concludes.

This scene will act as a short entry into the new AU of Cobra Kai's second season. The second season is tricky because the teenage characters were written at their worst. The degree of psychoticism Tory showed made no sense and the level of violence shown during the school fight was too over the top for me. John Kreese and Tommy's storylines by far were the best parts of the season, so I will be focusing on them as well as Robby for this subsequent season.

As for this chapter, this can be considered a fun "deleted scene" because I don't think Terry Silver would've been included despite his cameo in my prior fic. It is still my objective to create fanfictions loyal and true to the original quality and spirit of the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai series given that it is ending soon and still holds up so well.

Thank you all so much and I'll see you all soon in the next, and really, first chapter.