"You can't go around saying that here. This is Japan not that filthy sty in Thailand."

Snake ignored the man behind him as he shoved the door open and stepped into the bar. Snake surveyed it shaking some of the water from his coat. The bar hung heavy with smoke.

"Why?" Snake turned on the man behind him who was still fumbling at the door.

"I don't give a fuck about the Jade Tiger. They can fucking suck my dick if they think I'm going to let them walk all over me. I'd've stayed in the states if I wanted that bullshit to go on."

Snake made his move not caring if his companion kept up. In the back of his mind Plissken was hoping he'd lose him in the smoke and crowd.

"Snake you can't say that not here." The man's voice was nervous and quiet but Snake's keen ears heard every word.

Plissken shrugged watching the bartender make the Mai Tai he'd just ordered.

"They'll kill you." The exasperation was apparent in both men. Snake for the annoyance and the other for a fear Snake didn't care about. Plissken took his glass cocking a brow curiously at the arrangement of skewered fruit poking from the top.

"Let them try." Snake pushed past heading for a large semicircular booth hugging the wall near a door. It was his kind of seat. Plissken slid into the plush booth trying to ignore his companion. If he didn't need this guy for a job in the following week he would have shot him, hours ago. No, days ago.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up?" Snake glowered at the man now sitting across from him. This was supposed to be relaxing but his companion seemed all too eager to wind him to the breaking point. The words sputtered to a silence. It was brief and started again before Snake had a chance to take a drink from his glass.

"Everyone's working for the Jade Tiger out here."

Plissken shook his head laughing. If this guy ever shut up he might have to buy him a drink. Snake pulled one of the yellow swords from the glass looking at the cherries over before plucking one off. Fresh fruit was a rarity that Snake appreciated. He chewed the red fruit slowly and absently nodded to his companion. In comparison to the cherry this man's droning hardly registered in his senses.

The key to the situation was hardly. Despite the outward appearance of oblivion Snake was hyper-aware. He'd seen the woman in green silk come in with a man in blue. He had seen the man walk by the table and nod. Something was up but until he knew what Snake played the game.

Pineapple was next. Snake slid it off with his teeth while making eye contact with the man on the opposite side of the table. Sweat was forming on his forehead and dampening the armpits of his white shirt. His eyes were what caught the most attention from Snake's gaze. They were shifty and had a quality that Snake had seen in the eyes of people who believed he was about to kill them.

Plissken toyed with the plastic sword while he sipped his drink. His eye hadn't moved. Finally it trailed away to take in the reflections in the mirrors scattered through the bar. An audible sigh of relief came from his companion. Plissken forced himself to relax occupying his thoughts with the question of why this man was so terrified of the "Jade Tiger".

Another sip of his drink and the air seemed to change. Plissken felt the pressure change in the room. The throb in his eye was unmistakable. A large door had been opened and shifted the pressure to the same as the rain maintained outside in the constant storm.

His companion was looking off to somewhere over Snake's left shoulder. Instinct pulled Plissken's curiosity to look. The man in blue stood by the bar. His lips curved into a dangerous smile that caused Plissken's skin to crawl. He was in on it. Whatever was happening that man knew. Snake brought his attention back just in time to see the gun.

The hammer was cocking. Plissken's guns were still buckled firmly in the holsters. Overdrive set in, burning hot as the hate Snake instantly felt for being double crossed. Snake had one option and made good of it. With a quick flick of the wrist he threw the little, yellow sword. It hit its mark allowing Snake a glimpse of it vibrating where it stuck in the eye. Plissken's gut wrenched at the sight of the injured eye before hands removed it from his sight.

The scream that followed brought everyone's attention. A cacophony of Japanese started, none of which Plissken understood. Snake swept his foot under the table as he stood. The heavy gun collided with his boot sliding it out on the floor. Plissken had it in his hand and was up taking in the crowd like a startled animal. "Come on you've got to find them." He encouraged himself as his eye darted among the patrons. The man in blue was gone.

Snake's free hand worked the holster snap. The revolver pulled free as Plissken turned to see the two men approaching from the direction of the pressure change. They both wore blue.

"She wants to see you." The smaller of the two men stated out of arms reach. Snake didn't budge guns still at the ready. Slowly both men brought their hands out in front, palm up. It was the Asian equivalent to raising them up in the air, a show of being unarmed or unwilling to fight. Plissken relaxed but the guns remained unholstered as his eye roved the room.

"She has something you want and is looking for a deal."

Plissken could think of a lot of things he wanted. The question was what did this woman think he wanted.

"Where?" Snake tucked the extra gun behind his back still watching for hostility.

"We will take you there."

Plissken didn't care much for the tone and in reality he still hadn't worked out what role these people played in him almost getting shot. Did they know? Were they in on it? Was it a test? Snake glanced back at his previous companion. He was still squirming in the seat screaming about his eye and cursing Snake. Plissken found it amusing and cracked a smile. Whatever was going down, the man in the booth was either not involved or these blue clad Japanese were the most ruthless men on the face of the Earth. At least the bastard would finally be quiet for awhile once his throat went raw from the screaming.

Snake nodded watching them turn and cautiously trailed a good distance behind. Plissken was led through the bar, past a curtain and into a hall. The pressure increased pushing his pain to run tandem with the rain he could hear in torrents. Finally he saw the bay door that was open. A jade green limousine was parked in the bay, door already open and waiting. Plissken got in the back and was unsure if being alone was a relief or a worry. The vehicle started moving and Snake decided out of the rain was a good thing no matter what else could be said. The windows were blackened. Even the neon he knew lined the streets was blotted out. They didn't want him to know where he was going.

Plissken leaned back in the seat chuckling. It wasn't as if getting him lost would be difficult. This was the first night he spent in Japan and now he was without a guide. It didn't matter much. Another could be bought for next to nothing. Snake got comfortable and let his eye close. He focused on the movement of the limo and the pounding rain. He needed to collect his thoughts before his nerves were pushed farther by entering someone else's territory.