I yawned and turned on my futon to glance at the clock on my nightstand. I had woken up at midnight. Ah well, perfect time to check my email. I grabbed my glasses off of the nightstand and silently slid off my bed. Before heading for my computer, I made a beeline to the kitchen. I happened to glance at my reflection in the mirror in the hallway, I looked a mess. Well, what did one expect from spending hours at a time in front of a monitor, at least I was thin, not anemic, but still skinny. My green eyes were slightly red from eye fatigue and I still had bed head, my black hair sticking out at all different angles.

I grabbed a few boxes of pockys and two bottles of ramune and headed back to my room. I sat on my cushion and got myself comfortable before plugging in my computer and hitting the power button. My family had taught me to be very conservant of energy, so I always unplugged my computer after using it.

It only took a few seconds for it to boot up, in which I opened a box of pockys and stuck one in my mouth. 'Welcome Miss Honoo Hinote' my computer chimed after I signed on. I smiled with the pocky in the corner of my mouth. The one thing I enjoyed about my job, had to be picking out a new alias every time my family went somewhere new. It was sort of like a game, the name choosing, not the weekly training sessions I had to go through, and deciphering codes in multiple languages. I unconsciously rubbed the scar on my right arm, a reminder of what could happen in my line of work.

When the desktop fully loaded, I scanned through my files. Let's see. Work, Halo, Final Fantasy, Portal, ah, internet. I clicked my browser icon and waited the two seconds it took to load the internet. My email popped up and I checked over all my messages. What do we have today? Hm, more files from HQ to decipher, alerts from my games, reviews for my fanfictions, new volume of 'Koi Kaze'... Hey, Howaito-sama is available to chat. I clicked the chat request and waited until she accepted my request. I smiled as her face popped on the screen

"Hello. How's it going in your new job Howaito-sama?" I asked with a smile. She shrugged and ran a comb through her snow-white hair. It made me self-conscious with my bed-head. I took a sip of ramune and she spoke.

"On zis job, my aliaz iz Albina." I frowned at her business-like way. When she was here in Japan she always spoke so much more freely and carelessly. But when she was here, she had only a few things she had to do. Now she had a job, and she was serious.

"So, how goes the new job?" I had a habit of trying to clear up awkward conversations, especially with one of my friends.

"Alright. Did ju rezearch ze Clarks like I azked?" She relaxed in her chair and sipped from a bottle of water next to her mouse.

"Yes I did. In fact, I'm sending you the files as we speak." I tapped the keys with my fingers, and with a click of my mouse, the files were on their way. While I waited for her to receive them, I leaned to the right to grab a few pieces of mochi ice cream from the mini freezer-fridge next to my computer. Why did I even go to the kitchen to get food? I wondered as I stuck a toothpick into the ice cream and brought it to my mouth to nibble on the mochi around it. "The files should be there by now."

"Jes, zey are. Zank you. Zo, how are your muzzer und fazzer?"

I finished chewing the bit of mochi in my mouth and swallowed before answering. "They're fine. How's the pest?"

"Zame az ever. Anoyhink. Zpeaking of vhich" she stopped and turned to her door. "Ubiraĭsya iz moyeĭ komnaty, prezhde chem ya korki kozhu ot vashyeĭ neschastnoĭ nazad! Ty pozvolyaya holodno! " I heard a door slam and feet hitting carpet. "Zorry about zat. I must remember to have fazzer zpeak to hem about zneaking into my room."

"I know the feeling. Like how I constantly beg my mom and dad to get the baby to stop sneaking in." As I said this, I glanced at the photo of my family and smiled slightly as I saw my sleeping baby sister in my mother's arms. I stuck the toothpick into another piece of mochi ice-cream and held it in my mouth as I shrunk the web-conversation to check my e-mail. My eyes widened as I saw the new message from HQ. Albina must have seen my expression, even I felt my eyes get wider with each word I read.

"Vhy do you have zat expression on jour face?" I snapped myself out of my stupor and a huge smile filled my face.

"Albina, prepare to have some help because I've just been assigned to help you on your mission!" I smiled as I watched the gleam in her eye as I said that.

"Very good. I shall avait your arrival. Have a safe trip." She saluted me as she signed off. I smiled as I finished my piece of ice-cream. Well, better get packing then tell mom and dad. I put the remaining ice-cream back in the freezer-fridge and wiped my mouth with a napkin. Before I shut off the computer, I did another quick check-over of the Clark's file. I payed particular attention to the twin's file. Hmm, Megan and Marc Clark, fraternal twins, the female is the elder. Both seem to be very close to each other, possible cause is their close attachment as twins. We could use this. I looked over their pictures and smiled as I looked at each one. Looks like I've already found us a possible weak-point.