This is my mass-update extraordinaire! MAN I hate my net connection when it doesn't work properly. Anyway, hoping that you actually remember this story, I'll keep on posting it. Enjoy!

She was now sitting at the hotel's bench, tapping away at her computer with an ever-increasing frown forming on her face.

I can't go back to Donovan and ask him for another Kasumi clone. He won't be happy with me, to put it mildly… I wonder what else is in the files about Ryu? Maybe I can find something that would be of use, unlike that damn clone…

She typed some more, as the information DOATEC had regarding Ryu scrolled across the screen.

Code A067: Ryu Hayabusa

Nationality: Japanese

Age: 23

Threat posed: Extreme

Ryu Hayabusa is known around Japan as the solitary super ninja, defeating the feared Tengu in the second Dead or Alive tournament. He is also believed to be a notorious assassin, although this has not been confirmed as of yet. His skills, although often masked are deadly. He stands in the way for the latest project to be successfully completed and therefore needs to be eliminated as soon as possible. A useful target for penetrating a weakness would be his long-term fiancée, Irene Lew, formerly of the CIA. Mission for his elimination currently being addressed.

He has a girlfriend? This should make things interesting. It seemed odd to her that an assassin would have such an obvious weakness when people were obviously going to want him dead.

A mirthless chuckle escaped her lips. "Probably that little domestic side of him," she murmured to the computer screen, typing in something else.

More words scrolled across the screen. She scanned them, pursing her lips slightly as she digested the information.

Code H319: Irene Lew

Nationality: American

Age: 22

Threat posed: Low to moderate

Not much is known about Irene Lew at this stage, except that she is Ryu Hayabusa's long-term fiancée and an ideal target for getting through to him. She is a former CIA agent and at one stage worked for the CIA's chief head, Foster until her resignation. Her permanent location at this stage is believed to be the same residence as Ryu Hayabusa, although this has not been confirmed. However, it has been confirmed that she is not in the country currently, but will be returning to Japan on the 27th of August.

So… she lives at Ryu's house? I have the address for that. So I can just waltz in dressed up like her and bring a gun, of course… the twenty-seventh... that's in three days or something. I can just say that she came back early or something like that. I detest playing dress-ups, but what else can I do? I have to kill him. I refuse to fail again.

Pushing the chair away from the desk, she got to her feet.

Okay. Mission: To snoop around Ryu Hayabusa's house without being caught. This should be very, very interesting. He better be out…

She had no idea where Ryu was, but nobody was home. She really was quite amused. Super ninja, seen by DOATEC as an extreme threat, yet left the window open. Almost as if he was asking for her to break in. Damn. I hope that was Irene, not the ninja.

Anyway. She looked around. Nice apartment, if nothing else. The only word that she could think of was 'safe'. Nothing overly extravagant, in colour or style. Not plain, but extremely safe. Nobody could be offended by the furniture or colour scheme, that was for sure.

On top of a mahogany mantelpiece, there was a single photo in a simple wooden frame. She picked it up and examined the photo carefully. A smiling woman, with blonde hair cut to a bob around jaw-line had her arms around Ryu's waist.

She barely recognised him. He looked so… different, from when she had seen him, either in the previous tournament or as of late. His very air seemed more relaxed and carefree.

Her eyes were drawn back to the bubbly blonde. Sapphire blue eyes, just visible in the photo. Damn. Contact lenses… again… The clothing was nothing out of the ordinary, at least. Even better, Irene looked to be the same height as Ryu, at least in that photo. Which meant that she was the same height as Irene, which meant her plan would work perfectly.

Replacing the photo on the mantle, she climbed out the window, not noticing a single piece of paper flutter out of her pocket and land on the floor.