I arrive as quickly as possible to an old train yard where Dr. Zero has asked me to meet him. It was a rather urgent message, stating the immediate need to meet in person and discuss urgent matters. Something about this seemed odd to me but I had very successful dealings with Dr. Zero in the first round of the tournament, so I wasn't about to question his methods this round. The train yard is void of life and there are weeds and grass growing high above most of the tracks. Some old freight cars are lined up, partially covered in a combination of graffiti and plant life. "Where is he," I say aloud as I walk along the line of freight cars and explore the area.

"Greetings! Such a pleasure to see you again. I humbly apologize for my tardiness. There was an unexpected matter to attend to."

The voice of Dr. Zero surprises me and I quickly spin around to see him standing where I was just looking a few moments ago. "Ah, there you are; I came as soon as I received your message. What is th–" but I am unable to finish that sentence as something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye, just over Dr. Zero's left shoulder. Far in the distance is a vehicle making its way down the path between the tracks. Nobody else should be here...

That split second of confusion... realizing that something foul is afoot.

Then... as the vehicle gets closer and I recognize it...

I experience a moment of infuriating clarity.

"Get down!" I slam my hands into Dr. Zero's suit jacket, balling up my fists and yanking his entire body down with me as we crash into the high grass with me dropping beside him. Dirt billows up into the air above us as I grab Dr. Zero's head and press it down into the dirt. "Stay down; this is a set up and somebody already knows we're both here," I say as quickly as possible while pulling a dagger from the sheath on my right thigh. I slowly release my hand from Dr. Zero's head and he stays down beside me as I ask, "Are you armed?" He quickly reaches into his inside breast pocket to produce a rectangular device that has a few buttons on it and looks as though it might open up on one side.

"Surrender you mad fuck wads!" — that voice... Detective Lieutenant James Boulder! Sure enough the raging lunatic himself comes rushing up with a shotgun pointed in my face. One of Boulder's men kicks that mysterious device away from Dr. Zero before he has a chance to activate it. The device goes tumbling a few feet away as Boulder's men yank Dr. Zero and myself up and throw us against the nearest train car to start frisking us.

"You pieces of fucking shit really aren't too smart, eh?" Boulder shouts in his usual, enraged tone as his men finish frisking the two of us. Even though these men all appear to be in law enforcement, they still haven't handcuffed either of us or read us any rights. Instead, Boulder's men are literally holding Dr. Zero and myself against the train car by our throats with guns drawn point blank to our faces. One of Boulder's men scans the immediate area and comes across the device that was kicked out of Dr. Zero's hand earlier. The man slowly kneels down to examine it for a few seconds before slowly picking it up. He looks over toward Boulder as if he's about to say something but he sees Dr. Zero and I being worked over by Boulder with punches to the gut, kicks to the shins, and other various strikes while he verbally berates us.

"Ya like that? Eh? Here's another!" He blasts Zero in the side of the head with a stiff forearm and it causes Zero's mask to spin on his head so it's now on backwards. "You fucking idiot," yells Boulder right at Zero. "Why don't you take that fucking thing off???" He starts to tug at the mask but it won't budge. "What the fuck!" He pulls harder and Zero's body is pulled forward along with the mask. Boulder just shoves Zero back against the train car and screams, "I don't have time for this shit! Keep the fucking thing on for all I care then!" One of Boulder's men laughs and straightens Dr. Zero's mask for him so it's facing forward again.

"How did you find us," I ask in a perfectly calm voice. No hint of emotion escapes me as I look Boulder in his eyes and await his response. I appear completely calm through all of this as Boulder looks at me and laughs...

"How did I find you? Your dip shit feather fucker here sent a god damn broadcast for all to hear," shouts Boulder right in my face. He is about to say something more when a new voice joins in.

"Well Detective Boulder here did have some help in intercepting that message."

Approaching the group is an unrecognized man. Boulder looks at him and nods, "Ah yes, I couldn't have done it without Lenny Johnson here."

This man, Lenny, seems to be fixated on Dr. Zero and vice versa. A few awkward moments of silence pass before the white-haired Mr. Johnson cracks a semi-smile and says directly to Dr. Zero... "We were always going to get you, kid. You really thought you could hide? We know who you are under that little get-up of yours. You've gotten lucky more than a few times, but there ain't nobody to save you this time."

It's unclear what is going through Zero's mind as his emotionless eyes just stare at this man until...

"Holy shit!" — Nobody could have expected to turn and see one of Boulder's men being choked by a massive, veiny, arm that's coming out of... coming out of that device??? "Help meee!" He's shaken back and forth wildly like he's nothing more than a rag doll.

"Excellent, he's activated the device for me!" Proclaims Dr. Zero as this tiny box somehow produces a vile, demonic beast that stands taller than anyone else there! The demon rips the throat out of Boulder's team member and crams the fleshy, dangling, dripping heap of gore into its mouth. It chews on the mouthful, whipping the dead body off to the side and it flies about 100 yards. More heads begin sprouting from the shoulders and neck of this hellish creature as the skies begin to darken and the winds pick up. More demonic beings rise up from the depths of that device as Boulder can't believe his eyes.


"What the hell is this horse shit!" Boulder opens fire on the repulsive demons with his automatic shotgun and his men begin unloading with their guns as well. The closest monster grunts as he swats back and forth, sending bullets bouncing back and instantly killing two of Boulder's men with their own bullets! "Fucking shit! Let's get the fuck out of here," shouts Boulder to his remaining men and Lenny Johnson as the hideous abominations are in hot pursuit. This distraction has given Dr. Zero just enough time to already have contacted Nurse X on his wrist communicator and had the two of us teleported out of there. Whatever happens to Boulder and the rest of them is of no concern to me, but I doubt I'd be fortunate enough to be rid of them this easily...

I'll deal with them if and when the time comes but they are of little concern to me right now — for I have returned with Dr. Zero to Parts Unknown.