I'm sure you have been pleased by my absence. Some of you, in fact, are no doubt congratulating yourselves on driving away a menace you all despised. The O.S.O has not left you though. We have been collaborating on a new piece of work, one we think you'll, he he, enjoy.

Tokyo, Japan

Cars inched by on the crowded road, packed barely inches away from each other. The air was filled with the honk of horns, the humming of engines and the varied sounds of the pedestrians on the sidewalk. Even the sidewalk was packed, teenagers on their way to school rubbing shoulders with salarymen and exotically dressed punks. One man seemed to be unhindered by the crowd, moving through the masses of people as if they were nothing more than phantoms. He was a tall man, with pale skin, nearly pure white. A black baseball cap adorned his head, and attention was called away from his angular features by the round, completely black sunglasses he wore. Tan, new cargo pants, a red and black jacket and a crimson backpack completed his ensemble. Despite this strange man's imposing presence, not one of the pedestrians around him seemed to notice his presence.

He stopped in front of a massive office building, a sleek, reflective tower. The edifice bore not identifying marks, and most of the pedestrians paid no attention to it, too caught up in their own little lives to focus on something out of their direct sphere of influence. The man, his face expressionless, stepped inside the tower. Inside was a large foyer with Greco columns lining the approach. The floor was completely reflective, and the light shimmered and jumped across it as the man walked to the single desk at the far wall of the room. A guard, dressed in a crisp blue uniform with his cap shading his eyes nodded to the approaching visitor. The guard pressed an unseen button, and a section of the wall to his right slid away, revealing an elevator. The man nodded and stepped up to the elevator, the doors opening silently as he approached. The ride was short and smooth, belying the great distance the conveyance traveled. Finally it stopped, and the doors slide open yet again.

Another long room greeted the man as he stepped out of the elevator. This room was dark, and the shadowy lighting made it difficult to tell the true size of the office. It could be a single long corridor or it could take up the entire floor. A single beam of light shone down on a desk at the end of the corridor, casting uneven light across the face of the individual behind the desk. The first man walked calmly and slowly to the desk. The individual behind it leaned forward, his face becoming just a little more visible. Then he began to speak.

"Our efforts have been less effective than I have hoped. You have experienced this personally of course, we all have. I have been considering alternative methods to strike at our unpleasantly stubborn opponents. After much consideration, I have set in motion certain operations that should strike at our enemies where it will hurt them the most. You will have to do extensive traveling, but I presume that will not be a problem?"

"i tHinK I haVe an IdEa of WHAt yOu haVe in MinD. I WiLL LEavE at ONCe."

"Excellent, my good Doctor. I wish you the best of luck.