11:38, same day...

Across the lawn behind the Makai, two furry blurs weaved between palms, shrubs and patrons alike in a mad pursuit. The squirrel spun now and then to chunk a random nut at the cat, who managed to dodge only half the time. Fighters who happened to be lounging under the shade of the palm trees, training or simply having drinks were run over, around, and under as Freckle batted and swatted at the squirrel's tail. Maru bristled and chittered each time the claws caught in his fur.

This cat was entirely too fast...

Dan lay in one of the lounge chairs, oblivious to the small bit of chaos as he dozed in the pleasant breeze. Unaware, that is, until the squirrel sought refuge within his Hawaiian shirt. Running up his arm and into the loose sleeve, Maru's hope was that the cat would not follow. The hope was dashed, for the feline plowed in right behind him, heedless of the now screaming fighter. Dan leaped up from the chair and tried in vain to grab one of the two fuzz-balls tunnelling like frenzied moles under his shirt. Finally, he ripped it open, sending buttons, cat and squirrel flying. Other patrons mostly laughed, a couple of women screamed for whatever reason, and the pursuit continued. Until Maru saw what he hoped would be his savior.

Mien was walking across the area, headed for the hotel doors when the commotion caught her attention and she turned her head just in time to see Maru's small body sailing straight for her face, terror writ plainly on his fuzzy little features. She caught him just before he could hit her, but he wiggled free and scrambled over her head to dig his paws into her long hair, chittering frantically. Wide blue eyes looked down in time to see Baka-neko about to make the same flying leap, stopped only by her harsh command.

"Freckle, STOP!"

The cat skidded to a halt, gold eyes wide and studying her, ears flat against his head. Natalie could hear the rapid panting of Maru on the back of her head. She narrowed her eyes. "Maru, you should be in Iwa-san's room. As for you..." she looked pointedly at the sulking cat. "You're in trouble, mister..."

A low, feline growl was the only protest she received as she picked up the cat, toting him towards the hotel with the tired little squirrel still riding on the back of her head.

*~*~*~*

Former crime lord Shing Venom stood on the balcony of his suite at the hotel. He was feeling rather tired, annoyed and irritated by the last few days of his futile search for the one called Bison.

Bah! He said mentally as he sipped his wine. Weeks around this resort and city, yet all I managed to find was a small research facility. Most likely all I probably did annoy him by destroying those valuable goods stored within. Shing took another sip. It seems I wasted enough time here, but finding that lead about a fighting tournament from that operative was all I had to go on and those files Chun-Li gave me weren't enough either. Not only that, I learned from the files she gave me that Li herself is the daughter of the late great Interpol detective Dorai Xiang, the same man who stripped me of my recent empire all those years ago...

After taking a third sip of his beverage, he swirled the remaining contents around in the wine glass almost absentmindedly, before he then spoke.

"Well, enough of this," he began. "I'll return to my home in Hong Kong for now, but I have learned something valuable from this experience. I've stayed hidden from the world of men long enough. I will rework my way back into the criminal underworld, until the day that this Shadowlaw comes across my doorstep. And when they do..."

The hand holding Shing's wine glass glowed a bright red until the glass shattered into a million pieces and shards.

"...I SHALL DESTROY THEM UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT! And the world will once again know that the viper of VENOM has returned!"

Shing then packed his bags, and took a taxi to the local airport, leaving Hawaii to return to the place from whence he came.

The evil shadow of Shing Venom had left for now, but little did Ryu, Chun-Li or any of the other fighters knew that they would someday face him, and sooner than they would expect.

*~*~*~*

It was several minutes until noon, Jin observes, as he walks into his hotel room. To the courier's mild surprise, the familiar sound of pattering feet, courtesy of the feline known as Freckle, isn't present; neither does the cat turn up upon being called as it usually does. Weird, he thinks, but dwells no further on the matter. Only after Jin retrieves his iPod from the bedside table and heads back towards the door does he notice it: the balcony to the room, with the door slightly ajar when it should've been closed, wide enough for a cat to easily slip through.

Don't tell me the Baka-neko... Jin finishes off his thought with a small groan. Oh sh-

Fortunately for Jin, he isn't given much time to contemplate on the possibility of his day being wasted searching for the cat, as he hears the sound of the door knob turning and opening to reveal Natalie, the third surprise of his day, firmly carrying the grumpy Freckle under one arm. Upon seeing Jin she flops onto the bed, but not before letting the cat go and throwing a tired smile, pleasantly surprised at catching him at this time of the day. "Fancy catching you awake," she says. "Did you make it to the meeting over the next matches?"

"Yeah" Jin responds. "Me and Fei thought we'd be late but it didn't even start until minutes after we arrived." The courier walks over to the small fridge, retrieving a new bottle of sake. He doesn't pour himself a new glass though, opting to take a straight swig from the bottle instead. "Turns out you weren't the only one to not show up either."

By this point Natalie had risen again and already taken out some clean work clothes with the intent on having a shower soon, and was currently checking up on her pets. "Oh? Interesting... who else wasn't there?"

"Uh, from what I could tell..." A pause. "Ken that Enrique guy and the Essence Honda had to fight the other day." After taking another generous swig, Kushina adds nonchalantly, "By the way, we'll be facing each other in a couple days."

Natalie's reaction isn't exactly what Jin expects. In fact, she seems to remain attentive towards the cages, as if having not heard him. Eventually, she glances over her shoulder at him briefly. "Do you think your match was set up with the knowledge that we're together?" she asks. "Stupid question, Wynshire, seeing as you share a room, and they'd obviously know that," her mind instantly criticizes.

"Maybe, maybe not," Jin offers with a simple shrug. Why'd she describe our match as "your match"? A part of him wonders critically, which he dismisses just as quickly. I've probably drunk too much, thinking too much into things like that, he jokes to himself as he proceeds to down another mouthful of alcohol. "It's not like we can do anything about it, we're not exactly in control of how the matches are made."

Natalie turns back around, forcing a small smile as she sighs inwardly. "Yeah, well, in either case, it's not a big deal. I'm just going to sit this one out..."

"Hmm? You're what?" He hadn't heard what he thought he did, had he?

Wynshire takes a deep breath, already sensing that things could possibly turn ugly. "I'm not going to be there for the match."

"I see." Jin finishes off the remains of his drink and places the empty bottle next to the other one. "So you came this far just to throw it away? That's... so unlike you." So very unlike her, as far as he was concerned. Golden-coloured eyes narrow slightly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing... it's just..." At Kushina's gaze, Natalie finds herself turning her head away from him for a moment but manages to look back before continuing. "Well, I didn't really come here for the tournament itself anyway, and now that Honda doesn't need me to advance anymore there's no point in me continuing..."

Jin lets out a smile, yet Natalie already surmises that the courier is far from willing to accept her answer. His next words soon prove this, "There's no point if one sees things Parker's way, right?"

"No, I mean..." Natalie reacts defensively, but completely stops in mid-thought and sighs again with frustration. "What does it matter, anyway? If I quit, you automatically advance and we don't have to beat the s--t out of each other. I'm drained enough without having to heal all the time. It's a win-win situation, right?"

"That's not the point."

"So what is the point then?"

"Maybe it's to do with you having no problems being his b-" Although Jin stops himself from completing that sentence, it does nothing to quell the narrow glare Natalie hurls at him in reaction, backed up by a much sharper tone of voice.

"Bitch? Go on and say it, if that's how you see it. Whether I am one or not, I'm not his. I'm only doing my damn job, and you of all people should know how that goes."

"Yeah, I know exactly how that goes," Jin responds. "Except things have changed since what we went through back then."

It was hard to believe he had been dwelling on the issue a few hours ago, for it to now unfold as a very possible reality before his eyes. The match itself didn't entirely matter to him, but it was a matter of principle. For example, how much would she cast aside just to simply fulfill someone like Parker's objectives, no matter the risk?

"Look, I don't want to keep arguing with you, Jin, Natalie says. I'm just not interested in the fight, that's all. You should just accept that and take your win."

"Fine. It's not like I have a choice anyway, since you've made yours." Kushina briskly walks past Wynshire, not meeting her gaze as he opens the hotel room door to leave. With his back to Natalie, he lets out a final parting comment, "Be sure to give him my regards, since you'll be spending plenty of time together now, yes?"

He doesn't wait around to hear her reply, placing his headphones into his ears whilst closing the hotel room door behind him.

*******

Luke ran through the local streets in his usual exercise routine.

Man, my last match helped me get to the next stage of the tourney, he thought. But after losing to that cigar chomper Riq, I'd better stay on my toes no matter what! It's also a pity I had to beat that Volpe guy. He was such a nice yet strange guy, and to think after we sparred in the courtyard a few days ago... He had potential, but not quite enough. I sure hope he finds what he's looking for - donuts or otherwise.

Suddenly, Luke spotted Riq himself walking out of an exit and was about to roll out a cigar.

Him again...? thought Luke, his eyes narrowing. Man, speak of the devil...

He then spotted the stogie he was about to light.

Oh no ya don't! he thought with a sly grin.

Luke picked up the pace he was running at and ran right past Riq, snatching his cigar from his hand.

"HEY, what the hell?!" said Riq in surprise.

"Looking for this, old man?" said Luke as he twirled the stogie between his fingertips.

"Oh, you?" Riq replied. "Luke Blaze, right?" The kid he'd beaten recently, he remembered. "Alright, hand it over..."

"Not a chance, pal," said Luke. "I got one whiff of your smoke on my last jog. I like to breathe fresh air you know."

"You did?" Riq responded, unable to recount such an incident. "Well, don't take it personal, kid. It's just one of those things."

"Well, I usually don't hold grudges, but you'd better watch out next time, man!" Luke warned. "Cause we'll see who's the better man in the ring. Besides, I don't want you using this as an excuse when I beat you."

With a small grin, Luke snapped the stogie between his fingers and then threw it into a nearby waste can.

"Hey, that was my last -- and very expensive -- cigar!" Riq reacted, his face showing a hint of visible annoyance.

"I just did you a little favor, hombre," said Luke, still grinning. "A little exercise never hurt anyone. Think about it. Otherwise, see ya at the match."

Luke then ran off as fast as his muscular limbs could carry him, leaving Riq to stare forlornly at the cigar in the trash can, one of his few escapes from an other wise hectic and rather busy life...

"Damn pretty boys."

****

Makai's lounge, evening...

He can be a real jerk sometimes...

Wynshire mulled over her drink, the events from earlier playing in her mind and making her wonder if maybe she should have ordered something with alcohol in it.

It wasn't as if she enjoyed her job, wasn't like it was something she just up and volunteered for. Maybe being an agent was more dangerous than being a courier, as he was, but at least she'd never been nearly killed by it. Of course, that was due to the fact that she wore body armor on almost every mission.

But it's not that... she told herself. The danger and risks probably played only a very minor role in his feelings towards her profession. Wait, profession? When had she come to call it that? She didn't intend to stay in the field, not longer than necessary. But then, how long would that be? That was her second biggest concern. Her first was doing a good enough job and maintaining her end of the forced bargain, keeping Jin's name off any "wanted" lists and her own butt out of jail.

She didn't doubt he could take care of himself, that wasn't the issue. The problem was, that no matter how good one is they could only hide or fight so long before being taken down by overwhelming forces, such as those at Parker's disposal. She was trying to keep him safe, but that probably didn't matter to Jin. His problem, so far as she could tell, was mainly with Kyle Parker.

It was understandable, her boss was a world-class d*ck.

Idiots like that Jin could handle easily, what seemed to rub him the wrong way was her willingness to cooperate. What the hell did he expect her to do?

Her thoughts on the matter didn't have the chance to continue further.

"Can I buy you a drink?" The voice was unfamiliar, male, and an unwelcome nuisance in what would be the first real lull in Natalie's entire week. Sitting alone at a table in the Makai's lounge, the agent wanted nothing more than to enjoy her watermelon spritzer in peace. She would have liked to sleep, but with no more than two hours until her next briefing, she knew that any sort of nap would only tease her body into lethargy. Normally, she'd have tried to catch up with Jin, but after earlier... well, that just wasn't an option either.

Hoping the dark circles under her blue eyes would be a clear sign to "leave me the hell alone" Natalie looked up to stare at the man who addressed her. Supposedly handsome by most standards, well dressed, with a confident look about him, he smiled at her and waited patiently for her to answer. When staring obviously wasn't going to work, Natalie pointed to the watermelon spritzer. "Got one."

The man chuckled softly, "That's not the point."

A sigh, a roll of turquoise eyes, and then her snipped reply. "Look, I hate to break it to ya..." she held up her left hand to show the engagement ring that adorned it. "I'm not interested, in either the drink or you."

To her annoyance, the man sat down and seemed to make himself comfortable, his easy smile never wavering. He leaned in close and Natalie was tempted to stomp all over those nice designer shoes... before she heard his next words. "Agent Wynshire, for the sake of my cover, let me buy you a drink." His tone was barely over a whisper, spoken with all the look of a man attempting to acquire a female companion for the evening.

Natalie knew better than to look surprised. They were being watched, though by whom she couldn't tell. Instead she maintained her annoyed look and leaned back, sipping on her drink. "Fine. And then you can tell me who you are and who you work for."

Then man hailed a waitress, ordering the drinks while she appeared to be the reluctant recipient of his generosity. Then, leaning back in a relaxed position, a little too close for Natalie's liking, the man finally introduced himself. Sort of. "You can call me Jack."

Raising both brows in an expecting manner, Natalie waited for him to add more. And waited.

"Jack what?"

"Just Jack."

"I'll assign you the last name of 'Ass' then."

He chuckled, indomitable to her ire, "Have it your way. Carter is the name I'm going by right now."

"So we're being watched. What about our conversation?"

"There's an audio scrambler in my pocket."

This guy was smarter than the average informant. Speaking of, what was he, exactly?

"Obviously you know who and what I am. Who are you working for?"

He smirked slightly. "Right now? I'm contracted with Umbrella."

Natalie bristled immediately. He continued. "I had to doctor my application a bit, but yes, I work in their security department. Lower level, as would be my luck."

So he was a mole. Nice...

"So you're like me, then?"

"Not quite. Same basic goals, different methods and different branch."

The conversation stopped when the drinks were delivered, and picked back up as soon as the waitress was out of earshot.

"We haven't had any communications recently with other branches, aside from the military."

"This one is off the record, even to your fellow agents and superiors."

Natalie lifted one slender brow, just as Jack turned to her with that same self-assured smile. "Wynshire, we have a proposition for you."

****

Vega's room...

Sitting at his computer, the Spanish ninja was typing away at a customizing catalogue of web sites by the name www.sdolls.com. A few clicks of preferred heads, bodies, and face-ups later he was led to a page that asked him to enter his username and password.

During the verification process he glanced at the window when Iwa climbed in, she was still bruised from an earlier fight.

A page popped up on screen and there in stood a bevy of action dolls customized in the likeness of 12 dolls of Shadowlaw and a certain blonde user. He ignored the look Iwa gave him. An instant messaging box pops up. Out of habit the duo saluted. Someone on the other end started the conversation.

The_Master: The clone project was a failure. You have your orders.

A popup screen overtook the messaging box and in it was a list of links. Clicking the first one showed a certain male customized doll and a short profile with more links for reference. Below that are similar profiles.

HB1 - The Serious One

HB Compatibility - Extremely high.

Collection State - Ensure minimum damage, avoid SnH state.

HB2 - The 2nd Fiddle

HB Compatibility - High

Collection State - HB1 preferred but collectible as backup.

HB5 - Toy Soldier

HB Compatibility - Mid to high

Collection State: Has the ability to pack a lot of firepower in limited space, coupled with good instincts and reaction time. Has potential but needs refining and re-facing to remove scars. Ability to adapt to social situation requires refining.

HB7 - Goldeneyes

HB Compatibility - Mid to high

Collection State: Potential to be remade into Male Doll if HB compatibility fails, to be partnered with One-eyed Giant for further refining.

HB11 - Sub Boss

HB Compatibility - Low

Collection State: Neglectable, but caution advised if ventured too close to collector

Doll 1 - The Matriarch

Doll potential - 98%

Collection State: Has HB potential to catch HB1's power overflow. The challenge to operate two HB's at the same time is intriguing. Beware of thunder thighs.

Doll2 - The Empath

Doll potential - 75% - 98%

Collection State: Psionics considered an advantage to Doll factor, potential to serve as lead doll Caution advised on collecting.

Doll3 - The Escape Doll

Doll potential - 100%

Collection State: Collectible if encountered, resistance is expected.

Doll4 - The Other Half

Doll potential - 100%

Collection State: Annoying effect on serving Doll factor. Caution is advised to lose Doll to the other half.

Doll5 - Vincent-chan

Doll potential - 60% - 80%

Collection State: Not enough data. Potential for threatening Goldeneyes into submission.

The-Master: Collect them.

Iwa saluted and left via the balcony, leaving Vega to finish reporting to the master.

The-Master: Report.

Perfect_body: She is a bit unstable. Listless without orders but once you give them she dives into it without much regard for her own safety.

The_Master: The programming is an old one. I would have to strengthen it when she gets back.

Perfect_Body: They want her back

The_Master: Keep her out of their hands. She is supposed to lure them. I have no wish to lose this one.

Perfect_Body: I understand.

The instant messaging box then showed that The_Master had signed off. Closing the box he returned to the page to read up the bio of one who has the next scheduled match with Iwa.

****

Chun-Li and Ryu were alone in their hotel room discussing what had happened.

"So she came back again just to fight Ken?" said Ryu. "She keeps popping up when we least expect it."

"She must have been following orders under Bison again or something," said Li. "Oh, I fear so much for her on this. I have faith that she'll carry the plan out. But even Bison can't be fooled for long."

"She'll know what to do if caught," said Ryu. "She was trained by the best, don't forget."

"I know," said Li smiling. "Well, I need a drink after all that, you want anything?"

"Just some coconut milk if they got any," said Ryu. "I need to meditate further."

***

Ken was alone in the courtyard. A sandbag hung down from a tree limb in front of him.

He was still reeling a bit from the harrowing experience of fighting Iwa and getting his son back.

Eliza tried to get him to rest for a bit, but he insisted to get some real training time after what happened.

He was relieved that Mel was all right, but he knew that the time for rest was not needed after what happened several hours ago.

"I'm not gonna let some traitor wench like Iwa or any Shadowloo scum get the better of me on this trip!" he said as he clenched both his fists.

"I'm going to be ready... for anything!"

He then began to slam all forms of punches and kicks against the sandbag.

Luke then came back to the hotel and heard some loud fight noises.

Peering past the corner wall, he saw his intended target, Ken Masters, once again.

Ken...? He thought.

The American Shotokan master pummelled the bag really hard with Shoryukens, Shoryureppas and super spin kick attacks. Until at last, he finished it off with a Fiery...

"SHINRYUKEN!"

The bag exploded into a spray of sand where it hung and Ken stood, his arm smoking from the blow, his chest heaving in and out, his body completely covered with sweat.

"Man!" said Luke in surprise.

"Huh?" said Ken as he turned around.

He saw Luke standing there momentarily, only to see him run off.

"Wasn't that... Luke Blaze?" he thought. "What was he doing there?"

Luke ran back to his room and sat down on the bed to catch his breath.

"Man, I can't believe what I just saw! I've seen Masters do his famed karate moves before but something like that! Man, he must be a lot more powerful than I heard. Well... that's not gonna discourage me from getting to the top. If Ken can make his fight moves that much more powerful, then so will I! And I'll beat anyone else who tries to stop me -- NO MATTER WHAT!"

*~*~*~*

Elsewhere...

Bison sat at his throne and viewed the data that Iwa had retrieved for him.

This is most excellent, he thought. Ken's power may prove to be most useful to my plan as well as the others.

He scanned the photo scans of the various fighters that were left in the contest.

"Just look at them all," he said, grinning. "All players and pawns in my newest game. Some of them may suspect me of being involved but none of them know what is in store for them, and when they do it will be too late." He pressed a button, ridding himself of the images before him.

"You have your orders. Go," he finished, seemingly to nobody in particular.

Behind Bison in the back hallway Iwa stood. Back into the shadows she slipped, on her way to her next target.

*~*~*~*~*

Victoria took one last sip of her frosty lemon iced tea, emptying the clear glass in the process. She looked at her wristwatch, then around the outdoor cafe she sat at, finally catching a glance of whom she had been waiting for. Ken Masters waved at the young woman, before approaching her table and pulling up a chair.

"Thanks for meeting up with me at the last minute." He smiled an easy smile, which she promptly returned.

"No problem. I haven't been doing much."

"Been waiting long?" The blonde fighter asked, noticing her empty glass.

"Fifteen minutes or so." She replied with a shrug and a quick glance at her empty drink. A waiter, drink menu in hand, that approached their table was waved off by Ken with a polite, "No thanks."

So what's up? Victoria curiously began the conversation. After an uneventful day, a conversation with the Shotokan master was an exciting affair, even more so, if it had anything to do with tournament news, Masters was definitely one of the people high up and close to tourney gossip.

"Your fight scheduled in a couple of days is with Iwa." Ken's light smile faded as he tapped his strong fingers on the table thrice. His tone stated a fact more than asked a question.

"Yeah... She trailed off then continued. "I haven't had a chance to catch up with her, but she seems different now. Something's wrong isn't it?" Victoria felt a slight tugging on the back of her subconscious, a dreaded feeling she had ignored since she had arrived to Hawaii.

"Victoria, the reason you stopped hearing from Iwa," He paused, looking for the right words. "Iwa is undercover in this tournament. She's working for Shadowlaw." Those last few words were a faint whisper, avoiding any eavesdropping from those around them.

The Hispanic woman's mouth dropped open as she stared back at the senior fighter sitting across from her. "B-But Shadowlaw's not... Him... that man is dead..." she said in awe, not able to mention the name of Shadowlaw's dark master.

Ken shook his head. "I wish I knew how and I wish I knew what they were up to. The fact that Iwa and her partner are here only proves that their interest in this tournament is more than mere competition."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Victoria's voice rose, somewhat accusingly. "We can help her! Hasn't Ryu..."

"They have been able to do nothing and your attempts would have also been in vain." He placed both fists on the table, leaning in closer to the young woman. "Listen kid, I only tell you this now because I want you to watch your back over the next few days and during your match."

As Victoria began to mutter a reply, Master's cell phone rang from inside his trouser pocket.

"Yeah? Hey baby! Yea. Don't worry about that. No. I'll be there in a few." Victoria's eyes glimmered with rage as she watched Ken put away his phone.

"I gotta go kid. Call me if you need anything, and watch your back." With that he rose from his seat, placing a hand on Victoria's shoulder before heading off.

Why did it all start to make sense now? And why had she been stupid enough to not notice this before? No wonder Riq had been so secretive more than usual at least. Tossing the tip on the table she too left, mediating further on Ken's words and on the situation.