All he could hear was her voice in his ear: "We're going to give you a chance to fix it."


The sushi restaurant appeared small, but in reality was the opposite. It seemed like they had been walking hallways and turning corners for an eternity. The waiter in front of them was more flustered than they were. Eventually, they reached a dimly lit hallway. Tomas and Kuai Liang glanced at each other. The two Shirai men behind them gently prodded them forward, with Hideo shooting Kuai Liang a warning look. Tomas looked around them before whispering, "I forgot I don't like sushi." He was frowning slightly and looked anxious. He was in a black Yukata robe that was a size too big and had been fiddling with his hands inside the sleeves. Scorpion wanted to laugh but this wasn't the time. "If it comes to that, I'll switch our plates." Smoke gave his brother a weary smile.

"Here you are, sirs!" The brothers noticed that the waiter seemed to be relieved. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Kneeling slightly, he slid open the sliding doors. "They are here, Mr. Imagawa."

In the room, five men were sitting on the floor, the three low tables centered in the middle. There were several connecting large sliding doors at the entrance and back of the room. Upon the Shirai's arrival, Mr. Imagawa stood up leisurely. He was a stout man, but a bit tall, around Smoke's height. The room was burning hot, but for some reason, there were no windows. Kuai Liang and Tomas were pushed to the center, and the other three men stood in straight formation at their sides. In the air, there was a thick feeling of uncertainty between both parties.

Mr. Imagawa walked up to the center where Hideo, Kuai, and Tomas stood. Unconsciously, Tomas flexed his bicep as he placed his arms firmly by his sides. One of Imagawa's men stood up abruptly, walking up behind Tokata. Mr. Imagawa held up his hand, halting his approach.

"I see. Which one of you is responsible for my brother's death?" Kuai Liang's eyebrows furrowed deeply. Does he truly plan to unleash vengeance upon us? Besides them, the two other men, as well as Hideo, bowed their heads slightly before striding backward in unison. Tomas and Kuai Liang were left alone in the middle of the room. Instantly bewildered Scorpion turned his head slightly, but Hideo offered no answers. Tomas could hear the fists of the Shirai men tightening. By now, Tomas was quickly scheming. His eyes shifted left to right as he counted the men present, calculating the distance between them and the back exits. Mr. Imagawa, who had been quietly watching the two, mistook Tomas' shifting eyes for nervousness. Ironically, he turned his full attention, and body, towards Kuai Liang.

Smoke stopped analyzing, following the man with his eyes. "If you consider yourself an honorable man - " he stepped forward so that he and Scorpion were now eye level - "you ought to perform a dogeza before me." Imagawa smiled at him, but it appeared more like a snarl. Kuai Liang audaciously held his head up high. Indeed, he was the reason the plan had failed. But in retrospect, what did they owe this man? What did they owe his brother? A worthless fool who threw away Shirai lives, abused women and money, and encouraged the local gangs to oppress others when it benefitted him? Scorpion calmly stoked and then cooled the anger rising within him.

"A traitor lives as a traitor dies."

Mr. Imagawa's face grew eerily calm, and the goon behind him squinted his eyes into daggers. There was a split second of bated breath, and then, almost instantaneously, Imagawa raised his hand and slapped Kuai Liang ferociously across the face. Kuai Liang had stubbornly kept his neck taut, causing the momentum to leave an angry red mark on his cheek. Tomas was engulfed with fiery indignation. "How dare you -!" Imagawa's right-hand man grabbed Smoke by the hair, shoving his head downwards. "Know your place." Tomas' arm lunged forward and caught the man's throat with the strength of ten men. His jaw clenched tight, he began squeezing relentlessly. "TOMAS," Kuai Liang scolded. Then his gaze softened, and he shook his head tersely. Ugh.

Smoke let go without a sound, snapping back into position as the man fell to the ground. After coughing viciously, the man growled in embarrassment and kicked Tomas violently in the shin. He fell wordlessly into a kneeling position, his hands clenched tight. Scorpion's gaze shifted back to Mr. Imagawa. Kuai Liang's eyes were blazing, his arms were tightly crossed behind his back, and a sore imprint was forming around his left wrist as he squeezed it in his right hand. I can't do it. Not here. His time will come. He let out a steady breath. Kuai Liang's defiance and self-control made Mr. Imagawa all the more furious. He circled him, pondering.

"One has to wonder...how audacious that bitch has become. Now even her newest recruits dare to defy me." Scorpion took in a sharp breath. This time it was his turn to clench his eyes shut. The young warrior dropped to his knees, his arms now on his thighs in front of him. The Shirai men clenched their jaws, their teeth grinding in self-control and concentration. Mr. Imagawa laughed uproariously before returning to his mat on the floor. "I'll give you some time to re-evaluate your position." His men still seemed wary, but when nothing happened they became comfortable again.

The waiter entered, shaking anxiously as he pushed the cart of food. Three men were standing stiff near the entrance, with two men kneeling in front of them. There was a strange tension in the air. On the other side of the room, Mr. Imagawa and his guests seemed merry. God, this is terrifying. I shouldn't have come in today!


"How are we sure this will be a clean extraction?" The man asked, his gun facing downwards. It was held diagonally to his body, but he seemed ready to pull it forward at any moment. Kenshi Takahashi looked at him carefully. "I understand your concern. But we have to proceed as planned." Behind him, two other FBI agents were trying unsuccessfully to convince the Japanese police to bring more vehicles. Even the translator seemed fed up. The cop sighed heavily, his monotone voice decreasing in pitch as he switched to Japanese. "This restaurant is packed with people, if Imagawa feels threatened, we will have a hostage situation."

Truthfully, Kenshi did not agree with this plan. But he had his orders - they had to catch that bastard today. Imagawa had been under the C.I.A and F.B.I's watch not only because of Japan's interest in finding him but also because they were tipped off. For some reason, despite fleeing Japan almost penniless, he was able to amass support and hide effectively within the United States. It was unprecedented, but he had also met with several Senators and politicians, most notably Senator Hristen. Imagawa had remained elusive, to the United States' irritation, until he was spotted at an airport moments before departure. Kenshi had long heard of the Imagawa brothers, with Takato being the brains behind their family wealth retention. It was a strange twist of corrupt inner politics that allowed Imagawa's investigation and charges to be thrown out. However, now that Toshiki was dead, Takato was bound to be spiteful and unhinged. He'd definitely slip up and make mistakes. Once he was in their hands, they could interrogate him about his actions abroad before handing him back to domestic authority.

"We need to remove as many people as possible without alerting his attention," Kenshi reminded him. The policeman realized that there was no use arguing at this point. He waved a hand and one of his men came forward. "Go inside and find a waiter, preferably the owners. We need as many of the customers to leave as possible." The man nodded before attempting to jog toward the entrance. Kenshi was aghast. "Are you crazy?" he hissed. "Don't send a cop in there right away!" The policeman frowned and shrugged. The other squads shared his sentiment. They did not want to be here and were still hoping everything would be called off.

"? Are they just giving up?"

"Dishonorable"

"This is their town. They want as little ruckus as possible"

"Damn. This is bad"

"Macchiato macchiato ~ "

"You scoundrel. HAVE YOU NO SHAME -?"

"QUIET. Takahashi, we need to get those people outside!"

Despite his and Sento's chaotic thoughts, Kenshi stepped forward confidently. He was still in business casual clothing and would blend in naturally. "I'll go first. First, we need to find out what room he's staying in." After signaling for another agent, Kenshi began striding to the front of the sushi restaurant.

Tomas' shin was still throbbing, but the pain was bearable. It was nothing compared to the rage and shame he now felt. It felt like he was choking. He wanted to crawl into a hole. Next to him, the gears in Kuai Liang's mind were turning. Is this what they subject themselves to? Why? How long would it take to break from this bondage? To repay the debt? Does Harumi really not have any leverage? How long will it take to melt down and re-purpose the gold? Stop. He had to remain calm. If he killed Imagawa here, the consequences would descend upon Harumi and the Shirai ten-fold. He resolved to bide his time.

In front of them, Imagawa and his cronies were indulging themselves in the feast. Every so often Mr. Imagawa would glance at the men in front of him, still biding his anger. Neither of the fools was begging for his mercy. Yet. They would pay for his brother's death one way or another. It had seemed that Harumi Shirai had some sort of control over all of them. What an enchantress, such strong loyalty was unheard of in the underworld. He grinned toothily. Well, the Shirai were not a part of the 'underworld' yet. He would be the one to send them there. He'd use and dispose of them once he had achieved that.

Suddenly, a waiter burst into the room.

"MR. IMAGAWA- ahem, Mr. Imagawa, there are police outside. It seems they are looking for you!" Takato's face sagged with weariness. "When will this rubbish end? Well. Let's deal with it once and for all." Imagawa stood up wobbling, the drinks from the night going straight to his head. Those around him abruptly stopped eating as well. They sprung up and created a pathway for Imagawa as he left the room. The group walked through the brothers and the Shirai men as if they were invisible. Once at the entrance of the room, Takato threw a look backward. "I still haven't received an apology. Tell that little whore to come give it to me herself." It appeared to everyone in the room that the veins in Kuai Liang's neck and temple were fighting to break through the surface. It's inevitable. He must fall by my hand.