COBRA KAI: The Way of the Fist (Prequel to "COBRA KAI: Clash of the Five Dojos")

CHAPTER 19: "1968/69: Vietnam War."

(1968…)

In Vietnam, the US soldiers gathered around a jeep, waiting to receive their mail letters. Finally, John Kreese got his letter from his girlfriend, Betsy and saw that there was a note and a picture of her. He smiled at the photo and suddenly, it was taken out of his hand by Ponytail. “Johnny, Johnny. Man you weren't kidding man. She's a beaut." Ponytail teased. “Alright, alright. Come on, give it back.” John Kreese said, seriously. “Hey Twig, Paul, come look at this!”Ponytail called. Terry Silver and Paul Dugan came up to the two. “Do you have to keep calling me that?” Terry Silver asked, with a light chuckle. “Well, once you get a little muscles on those tree branches, then we’ll talk.” Ponytail responded in a joking manner. “He’s got a point, Twig.” John Kreese smirked at Terry Silver.

“Oh, who’s that?” Terry Silver asked. “That’s Johnny’s girlfriend back home.” Ponytail smelled the photo. “Smell that perfume?” he asked, making Terry Silver smell it too. “Oooh.” Terry Silver smirked. “That’s the smell of America. Hey, tell her to send me one of those. Will ya?” Paul Dugan smirked. “Yeah. In your dreams, pal.” Johnny laughed. “Kreese!” a man shouted. “Yes, sergeant.” John Kreese responded. “Command tent. Captain Turner’s asking for you.” The sergeant said. Terry Silver, Paul Dugan and Ponytail all pretended like he got sent to the principal’s office and wished him luck. John Kreese walked over to the Command Tent and saw his captain slash sensei, George Turner. He was practicing on a martial arts dummy. 

Once he was done, he turned to John Kreese who was in the still solute stance. “At ease.” George Turner said. He wipes off his sweat and walks up to his student. “What is it that you need, Captain?” John Kreese asked. “I’m forming a team. We’ll work out of CCN. Direct action missions in North Vietnam. This is the real war. The team will be you, me and a few recruits.” George Turner said. “Silver, Dugan and Ponytail will accept the mission, sir.” John Kreese said. “That’s good. After this mission, Master Kim Sung-Yung has informed me that he would like to train you four again soon. Are you really ready for this, Kreese?” George Turner asked his best student. “Yes sir.” John Kreese replied.

George Turner spent the next few hours training his four students the best way to defeat the Vietnam soldiers. After noticing John Kreese hesitating to show no mercy, he spoke to all of them. “You all don’t think. The enemy here wants you dead so you have two choices: kill or be killed. No hesitation. No second thoughts. And no mercy.” George Turner said, seriously. “And what if they surrender?” John Kreese asked. 

“Never trust your enemy. Now we have a mission tomorrow so go get some rest.” George Turner ordered. “Captain!” The sergeant from before came up and gave a letter to George Turner. He opens it and reads through it , then looks back at John Kreese who wasn’t paying any attention. “Jesus. Not a word of this to Kreese, understood. Distraction like this can get him killed.” With that, the sergeant left and George Turner looked back at his best student. “See you soon, doll face.” John Kreese said to the photo of Betsy, his girlfriend. 

(On the mission…)

“I have eyes on the target.” John Kreese said through the walkie talkie. “What’s the status on that air support?” George Turner asked on the other side. “No response.” Terry Silver answered in a whisper. “Goddammit. If this goes south, and they don’t know where we are, this is on you.” George Turner said, seriously. John Kreese looks up and sees Ponytail plant a bomb. “Ponytail’s in position.” John Kreese said. “Alright, we’re live. When he clears, you blow it up.” George Turner said. Suddenly, the static on Terry Silver’s walkie talkie went off and he tried so hard to turn it off. 

“Blow it! Blow it now!” George Turner yelled. “He’s still in there, Captain.” John Kreese said. “Then he’s dead! Blow it!” George Turner ordered again. John Kreese didn’t follow that order and waited for his friend to get out of there. Ponytail almost made it but a Vietnam soldier knocked him to the ground with the end of his rifle hitting him in the face. Suddenly, a rifle was pointed at John Kreese and Terry Silver’s heads. George Turner, John Kreese, Terry Silver, Paul Dugan, Ponytail and a bunch of other US soldiers were held in a circle, on their knees.