It was never supposed to go like this. It was supposed to be organised chaos. Not this. Never this. Nobody will believe him when he tells them, and why should they? Everybody thinks he is capable of actual murder. But he hasn't. Not outside of wartime, anyway. He's always been careful to avoid operating his business in areas where corporate manslaughter is a thing, and if he doesn't know about it, it didn't happen, right? This is different than some guy getting beat up on CCTV. This was aired live internationally. The way Terry intended it to be. But not like this. Never like this. He feels sick, sick, sick.

Kwon, that cocky captain from the Cobra Kai team is lying there, a knife sticking out of his chest. Danny-boy has rushed over and is leaning over him, but Kwon isn't moving and there's blood. So much blood. Like that time. And that one. Disconnected images flash by in Terry's mind's eye.

There's a hushed silence among the crowd. He has the sudden dramatic urge to scream into it. But he shouldn't. He mustn't. This isn't about him and he had nothing to do with this, right? Right?

He has to get out of there, quickly, and without anyone noticing. His eyes darting around the crowd, suddenly he's little Twig again, too scared to go alone. He's doesn't know where Dennis is. Sensei Wolf stares at the dead boy, ignoring Terry's attempts to catch his eye. Can he trust them not to rat him out to the cops anyway?

There's a movement in the crowd and everyone else is too focused on Kwon to notice John Kreese walking away. It's not his usual saunter, he's walking fast, with purpose. It sets alarm bells ringing in Terry's head. He follows. John's not heading towards the exit, and somehow Terry knew this all along. There's a finality to this.

Terry wants to run after him, but he doesn't want to cause a scene, so he walks, and follows John all the way to the hotel lobby. The elevator doors shut behind him. Another elevator arrives a moment later, and Terry stabs the button for the floor John's room is on, he had it memorised just in case. Terry paces in the elevator, impatient.

The doors open and there is no sign of John. Terry dashes down the corridor and bangs on the door to John's room. There's no answer. And no sound of movement when Terry pauses and presses his ear to the door.

Then he realises he made a mistake. His heart pounds. He dashes back to the elevators and goes up.

The reinforced door to the roof has been kicked open. John stands close to the edge of the building, but behind the low wall, not standing on top of it. No, no, Johnny wouldn't be dramatic like that. Up here there is a moderate breeze in the warm air, but John is unbothered, standing still and firm, the silhouette of a perfect warrior.

Terry strides towards him. "Johnny!" he calls.

"Oh, it's you." John's voice sounds cold, unsurprised. He turns around slowly.

Terry spreads his arms in exasperation. "Who were you hoping for?"

"I was hoping to be left alone." John drops his head into his hands. "It's… it's over. There's no coming back from this one. I'm a dead man."

"Look, I didn't know this thing was going to get so out of hand! Do you think this is what I wanted? I'm in trouble here too." Terry's aware of his voice going thin. He can barely breathe. Barely focus on John's face. "Just… just come with me. We'll get out of here."

John shakes his head. "I don't know what you're doing up here. I was going to kill you, you know. Someone must have taken my eunjangdo from me, or, or, dislodged it on accident."

"That doesn't matter," Terry says, approaching John with his palms up. "Sure, everyone knows it's yours, but you were with me and Johnny Lawrence. Even if he won't vouch for you, I will."

"It's covered in my prints. They'll make it my fault. And hell, Terry, even if I get away with it, I still killed one of my students! You think I wanna live with that?" John's voice is hoarse, close to breaking.

Terry gives him a little smile. "You were going to kill me. What's the difference?"

"There's a world of difference!" John throws a hand out to stop Terry. His body and his voice are shaking. "Look if you come any closer I'm gonna drag you over the side of this building with me!"

Terry drops his hands to his sides, looks down at his feet. His shoulders shake as he lets out a sharp breath. "Then let's go, Captain." He throws John a salute, then steps towards him, holding his hands up as if in surrender. It feels unreal, like walking in a dream.

John gapes at him. "You can't be serious."

Terry moves closer to John so he can look over the edge. It's a long way down. He bumps John's shoulder with his own. "I lost the will to live a long time ago, Johnny," he says quietly. "We should never have survived the war. The world is cruel and not made for men like us. I don't blame you for anything. We cheated death and paid for it ever since."

John looks at him. From this close he can see his lips shaking, the horror and pain in his eyes. Terry wants to take all that pain away from him, one way or another.

"Tell you what, Johnny. How about we have one last hug, for old time's sake? Then we jump. Together." Terry speaks with the same gusto as if he was inviting John to dinner. It is the same to him. He's always been happy to do anything with his Johnny by his side. They should have come home from Vietnam in matching coffins, side by side in identical military graves forever. They are only putting things right.

There's a crack in John's despair. He struggles to take a breath. "It hasn't been all bad, has it?"

Terry shakes his head wordlessly. He forms the word no with his lips, but no sound comes out.

"You really think we have a chance of getting out of here?"

Terry reaches up and pulls the band out of his hair, then launches it over the side of the building. The wind whips his loose hair into his face. "Oh, don't change your mind, Johnny. We'll make a beautiful mess on the sidewalk."

John laughs. It's a manic laugh, yet some of the tension has dissipated from his shoulders. "Screw this. I wanna live. And you're gonna live too, d'ya hear? You said you'd be there for me my whole life?" He looks at Terry in utter bewilderment. "And you're still here despite everything?" He shakes his head. "Christ! My life isn't over yet, and neither is yours! We'll find a way to make up for what we did. Tell me your plan."

Terry laughs hysterically and doesn't realise how close he wavers to the edge until John grabs his arm and drags him back. "That's the spirit Johnny, that's the spirit!" He can't stop laughing. This is just like old times. He's vaguely aware of John pulling at him. But never mind that, everything is perfect now and nothing can touch them.

The edge of the low wall hits Terry in the knee, and John wrenches him backwards, then

strikes him across the face with the back of his hand. "What's the plan, Lieutenant?" he demands.

Terry blinks. His cheek stings. He's kinda impressed by the strength of John's blow. Didn't hold back this time, not like he did backstage ten minutes ago. He takes a breath. "The plan! Okay. Yes." Terry rubs his hands together. Tosses his head back and puts on a smile. "Okay, yes, party time! All right! Plan! Got your passport?" He pats his breast pocket where he always keeps his while travelling. Paranoia would save him some day, he always knew it.

John shakes his head. "It's in my room," he mumbles.

Terry claps his hands. "Right. We'll go to your room and get it. Then downstairs." Yes this is good. This will work. He starts to giggle while he speaks. "Oh are you sure you're up for this John? We might have to kill some more people to get outta here!"

Terry is vaguely aware of John getting all up in his face for some reason, saying his name over and over again. It's a while before he realises he's hyperventilating.

"Let's try not to, huh?" John says, but his voice sounds far away. Terry reaches out for him but can't quite get there.

Terry realises he's shaking. The world goes sideways. His heart is pounding too fast like it's gonna explode out of his chest.

"Hey! Hey! Look at me, look at me!" John is shaking him.

Terry tries his best to meet John's eyes. But he can't. He can't.

John pulls him into a hug and curls one hand around his neck, rubbing his back with the other one, like he always used to do… like he always used to do. "Hey, hey, it's okay now Twig, It's okay, I've got you."

Terry's still shaking. His head pounding, the world spinning. But John's strong arms around him take the edge off.

Terry just looks at him when John lets him go, and then he impulsively drags him in for another hug, harder this time. John lets him. He needs this. He needs this to put his broken pieces back together. "Okay. Okay. I'm okay now," he gasps, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "Let's go!"

John grabs hold of his arm and digs his fingers into it tightly, he's unsteady and shaking too.

They reach the fire escape door and Terry stops. He lets out a laugh. "You sure you don't want to jump?"

"No," John says sternly. "Nobody else dies here today."

"You saved my life again," Terry realises suddenly.

"I guess I did."

"I owe you."

"Just stop trying to make my life a living hell and we'll call it even."

"That was," Terry laughs, "never my intention. I thought you were enjoying it as much as I was."

John smirks, and that's his entire response.

"From now on, it's us against the world, Johnny!"

"It better be."