INT. OLD-FASHIONED BAR

The bar room is dark, smoky, and quite run-down. The bar runs three quarters of the length of the room. The occasional patron hunches over the bar, nursing a drink. A group of men are shooting pool on a real pool table in one corner. A few tables are scattered about in no particular pattern, groups of two and three sitting around them. The noise level is moderate, each group keeping their dealings quiet.

Slow zoom on man sitting on a stool at the bar. Pan around from his back to his side. He wears a plain brown knee-length coat, the hood pulled over his head. His face remains hidden, only the tip of his nose and chin are visible. He’s leaned over his drink, slowly swishing the nearly empty glass.

The weathered bartender steps up in front of the man, wiping his hands off.

BARTENDER - Care for another, partner?

The man sets his glass down and slides it forward a couple inches. The bartender shrugs, produces a bottle and fills the glass nearly to the brim. The man nods slightly and the barkeep turns away.

A yell arises from the pool table area. All heads turn in that direction except for the Hooded Man. Player One is a large, burly man. Player Two is younger and smaller, almost squirrelly-looking, bad posture and all. Other men near the pool table back away, grinning malevolently.

PLAYER ONE (squaring off with Player Two) - You tryin’ to cheat me, boy?

PLAYER TWO (hands up) - Hey, man. I just came in here to play. (backs away) Ain’t no hijinks afoot...

Player One takes a long wide swing at Player Two. The smaller man ducks away, bumping into a nearby table. The two men occupying the table jerk to their feet, their chairs tipping over behind them. One of the men, Talin, grabs Player Two by his jacket front and shoves him back at Player One.

TALIN - You got a game to finish, boy.

Player One gets a hold of Player Two this time and throws him against the nearest wall. The man bounces off, landing with agility in a crouch, one hand on the floor.

PLAYER ONE (advancing) - Cute. Now I’m gonna ram this pool stick right up yer...

Player Two leaps through the air and punches Player One directly on the nose.

(The reverse-punch is precise, perfectly executed)

The man stumbles backward and cries out, cradling his now-bleeding face. The bar goes silent. This turn of events clearly wasn’t expected.

Player Two stands before One, hands at his sides. He no longer appears squirrelly, but confident, almost dangerous.

PLAYER TWO (all business) - I don’t cheat. (eyes Talin and his friend who still stand nearby) And I don’t care for brawlin’ in public. In fact... (holds up some folded bills) Here’s your money back. If you can’t lose like a man, well, you do the math.

Player One stares at him over his bloody finger tips, his eyes angry and perplexed. Player Two lays the bills on the pool table, never quite turning his back on Player One or the other two men. He heads toward the bar, the men watching his every step.

Player Two steps up to the bar a couple feet to the right of the Hooded Man. The noise returns to its previous level.

PLAYER TWO [chinese] - Tall cold ale, please.

The hooded man doesn’t acknowledge him, sipping at his drink. The ale is set down before Player Two who promptly picks it up and tosses back a third.

PLAYER TWO - That was close. Thought there might be some trouble brewin’.

HOODED MAN (not looking up) - I wouldn’t let go of that thought just yet.

Heavy footsteps can be heard behind Player Two. He glances over his right shoulder to see Player One stomping toward him, his face still bloody. Player One steps to within arm’s length and slams a hand down on the bar. He raises the hand, revealing a couple of folded bills.

PLAYER ONE (gruffly) - That one’s on me.

Player Two looks up at him, a look of mild perplexity on his face.

PLAYER TWO - Um, shi-shi.

The Hooded Man’s head turns to his left a fraction of an inch. His hands slip down from the bar and disappear beneath his long brown coat. The motion is almost imperceptible.

In a flash, the Hooded Man is back-flipping from the seat of his stool. (he’s pulled his legs up to his chest while supporting his weight on his hands, all beneath his long coat) He rams both feet into Talin’s chest, who is approaching Player Two from his blind side. The long knife he’s holding falls from his hand as he lands hard on his back. The Hooded Man lands next to him, head down, face still out of sight. He cocks back a hand and strikes Talin on the side of the neck, knocking him out.

In the second it takes for the attack to transpire, Player One joins the fracas, swinging a bottle at Player Two. Player Two ducks the swing and rams an uppercut into the man’s solar plexus.

PLAYER TWO - And this one’s on ME.

Player One’s wind leaves him in a huff. He doubles over and catches Player Two’s knee to his face. He drops like a sack of potatoes.

Talin’s table mate steps over Player One’s body, rushing clumsily at Player Two. Player Two allows him to get close, then sidesteps and trips his attacker, shoving him into the bar head-first. A sickening THWACK resounds when the man’s head bounces off the hard wood.

Player Two turns to look at the Hooded Man. Several other patrons have stood up and are moving toward the fight.

PLAYER TWO - My sincerest thanks, friend.

HOODED MAN (face still hidden) - Still some angry folk between us and the door. But... you’re welcome.

PLAYER TWO (not taking his eyes off the approaching mob) - Something tells me you’re the fella I was supposed to meet. We get outta here alive, I might have a job for you.

HOODED MAN - That was the original notion for coming in here.

A wall of angry-looking men has formed around the two men. The Hooded Man reaches subtly into his pocked for a moment (the wall of men tenses almost in unison) and extracts... nothing.

PLAYER TWO - Any ideas?

HOODED MAN - Walk out the front door.

PLAYER TWO (nodding incredulously) - Naturally.

The Hooded Man begins to walk directly toward the men blocking the door. Two of the men tense up, fists raised. Player Two puts his back to the Hooded Man’s keeping a close eye on the rest of the patrons.

As the man to the Hooded Man’s left draws a fist back, the Hooded Man snaps a back fist to his temple, following up with a knife hand to the other man’s throat. He then kicks the first man’s legs from beneath him as the other man gasps for breath.

The attack is a blur, creating an opening in the human wall for an instant. Player Two and the Hooded Man dart through the opening as hands reach out to grab them. A back-kick from the Hooded Man keeps one attacker at bay long enough from them to reach the door.

As they crash through the door into...

EXT. OLD-FASHIONED BAR - DAY

...the Hooded Man kicks the door closed, then leaps straight up, grabbing the edge of the roof and flipping himself up on top. Player Two jumps up and grabs the hand offered to him, clambering onto the roof as well. The two men race up the angled, snow-covered roof and over the peak.

The mob of angry men burst from the door, jamming to a halt and gawking around.

SLOW PAN - MOB POV - the terrain is empty, save for fresh-fallen snow and on-going flurries. A chorus of grumbles arises. A couple of men step forward and glance up at the roof. It appears empty.

A chorus of disappointed profanity arises as the men retreat back inside.

A loud screaming roar halts them in their tracks as a plume of dust and snow envelopes the bar.

EXT. BAR - ROOF

The cloud of snow and dust is dense as fog, but we are able to see the two men shake hands. The Hooded Man then jumps up into the air, stretching his arm straight up...

...and grabs hold of a cable dangling from the ship above. Player Two simultaneously jumps off the roof, landing behind the bar. He jumps into a small, sleek vehicle and roars off into the distance, quickly disappearing into the snowfall.

The cable hauls the Hooded Man up into the ship’s belly, the doors closing beneath his feet.

Some members of the mob throw glasses and bottles at the ship, none coming close.

Player One stumbles out, pushing his way through the mob. He looks around, half-dazed.

PLAYER ONE - Gorram Browncoats!

Click to go to Ch. 1