The two crimes of fanfiction: Short chapters and cliché-isms, and I've done them both. If Mask is here still, I'm sorry! Well, at least there's no random Mary-Sue OC. It's a start.

Anyway, yeah, I did write the FAQ at gamefaqs. Spread the Ryu goodness!

Hmm, luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), the next chapter will be longer. Hope you enjoy this… paragraph!

Geez, has this site stopped underscores from being in chapters? Next thing you know they'll start banning letters, too... >.>;

The flails were readied in his hands as the ninja slowly circled around him, sword out.

"You could have had this so much easier. But you chose to make it harder for yourself… and us. Prepare to die,"

He pulled the chain of the flails tightly. "Never."

A sudden chuckle from above him. He instinctively spun, eyes darting from Foster to the ninja. The ninja stepped forward, hoping to attack while his attention seemed to be trained elsewhere. He spun the flails warningly. The ninja stopped.

"You weren't content, were you, Ryu?" Foster's voice was soft, almost gently so. "You could never be satisfied with peace,"

"That isn't true," In contrast, his voice was tight, forced. Because he knew, deep down, that Foster was right, at least to some extent. But if Foster was partially right, then that meant that Foster had partially won. "Peace is the only thing I fight for,"

"I never said it wasn't," Now Foster was addressing him as you would address a child who had to be taught a life lesson. Condescendingly, but almost… affectionately. That scared him. He had to be honest there; it scared him. "But once peace has been achieved, what do you have left?"

"What does one have after one of life's doors has closed? Nothing but the remainder of the doors, to begin another journey."

"You certainly have matured since our first meeting, Ryu," Foster looked almost wistful as he glanced away, through the trees, before eyeing him again, that solid gaze returning to him once more. "Seems a shame that this will be your end,"

With that, Foster pulled out a gun and shot. One single bullet, directly aimed at his head.

He deflected it easily with the Vigoorian Flails. "You don't have to do it this way, Foster,"

"No, you're right," Foster holstered his gun deftly. "Why should I kill you, when I can make you suffer instead?"

"What…"

He broke off abruptly as he saw the former CIA leader pull out a bow.

Foster aimed. Spoke.

"Let it be known, that this arrow was not aimed for you."

Fired.

Kasumi stood there with wide eyes, having successfully defeated the other ninja. She looked too stunned to react as the arrow hurtled towards her, directly at her chest.

Foster simply stood there, smiling.

He could knock her out of the way, and they would both remain unscathed.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had pushed the young girl away, sent her sprawling into the dirt. Now… it was him staring down into that arrow.

Instinct told him he should move out of the way. Kasumi was safe and he had nothing to prove. Not to him, not to her… not to anybody.

Or did he…?

Did he…

…too late.

Searing pain as the arrow imbedded into his side, before dizziness and sweet nothingness.