GATE: Task Force Guillotine

Chapter 1: Fateful Encounter in Ginza (Rewritten)

Ginza, Japan

February 18, 2028 – 09:21

It was a quiet morning in Ginza, Japan—at least, that's what the men of Delta Force's Bravo 1 team thought as they sat together in a cozy bar tucked into one of the side streets. Compared to deployments in Europe, Africa, Syria, or even the Philippines, the bustling streets of Tokyo seemed like a peaceful haven. After months of intensive joint training with the Japanese Special Forces Group (SFG), they finally had a chance to relax, enjoying what was supposed to be an ordinary day.

Adam leaned back in his seat, nursing his drink. "Man, these past few months have been nice. Quiet, you know?"

Andrew gave him a warning look. "Don't jinx it, man. The last thing we need is a call-out."

Hill, grinned. "Yeah, boss. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that Murphy's Law is a real bitch."

Perez chuckled as he reached for his beer. "Come on, guys. This is Japan. The worst that can happen is an earthquake, and even that's a stretch. Ain't no terrorists here, no sir."

Hill raised a brow. "Not wrong. Last big terror attack they had here was, what... the '90s?"

Perez scoffed. "The '90s? Man, the Global War on Terror hadn't even started back then!"

Adam leaned forward, giving them all a stern look. "Alright, guys, keep it down. We don't want to get kicked out. We're guests here, so let's act like it."

Andrew nodded. "He's right. This isn't some dive bar in Texas where we can shoot the breeze all night. This is Japan—we gotta respect the place."

Perez held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, Mister Uptight." He smirked. "Anyway, what do you guys think of our 'partner forces'?"

Adam leaned back, considering his words carefully. "They're well-trained, I'll give them that. Their movements are on par with some of the Green Berets I know." He paused. "But they lack experience."

Andrew shrugged. "Not surprising. JSDF hasn't had a foreign deployment, like... ever."

Perez nodded in agreement. "Yup. Most action these guys have seen is during VBSS missions."

Hill took a sip of his beer, chuckling. "Well, not everyone gets to fight a war every decade."

Perez grinned. "True that. If there's one thing Uncle Sam gave us with twenty years of war, it's experience."

Andrew raised his glass. "Amen to that."

Adam gave a slight nod. "They're disciplined, though. Motivated."

Andrew smirked. "Not all of them, sir."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. That was one guy. Every unit's got its bad apples. Besides, he was squared away during PT."

Andrew leaned in with a grin. "What a character. Guy was a walking contradiction."

Their conversation was cut short as a waitress approached their table, balancing plates of food on a tray. "Here you are, gentlemen," she said with a polite smile, setting down their orders with care.

The team exchanged glances, their mouths watering at seeing the dishes before them. The aroma was intoxicating, and the presentation far exceeded anything they had seen on deployment.

Perez whistled in appreciation. "Damn, these look amazing."

Andrew grinned. "Well, anything's better than an MRE, but yeah, these look pretty damn good."