Dr. Robert Yates had settled into his chair for the night, Brandy in hand and a lit cigarette in the other.

His small yet robust home was dimly illuminated by peppered ceiling lights as Yates was subject to migraines and light sensitivity.

He had just celebrated his fiftieth year at Oxford University as a professor of mathematics and statistics along with several academic awards for his prestigious proofs of his booleon ring.

Now his career was eyeing the Fields Medal which it was speculated he would be a front-runner.

A soft meowing cooed the professor from his thoughts as a tabby cat jumped on his armrest. Yates extended his arm, rubbing down the feline's fur.

"Newton…" He mimicked the purr of the cat, "Have a good day?"

Newton head-butted Yates slightly, giving an affirmative answer. The professor leaned back in his armchair as his eyes started to close.

However, a noise startled him. Thinking nothing of it, Yates went back to sleep. Perhaps some students were playing a prank on him.

That is, until a hand shot out and grabbed him. Before Yates could scream, blackness overcame him. Orders were being shouted at. Stampeding of boots. Newton yowling like a beast.

When Yates came to, blackness covered his eyes. A voice, cheery, made him flinch.

"Hello, Professor! Glad you woke up!"

"Yao. Give him some room." A mature voice said as a blindfold was ripped from his head. Yates blinked, feeling queasy from the sudden light.

"Where...am I?" The doctor gasped, feeling a prick on his neck, "My cat...where is…?"

"Your furry friend is fine. We left him at the home." The man said, "Please, take your time. I understand this is very discouraging to you."

Yates finally analyzed the men around him. Soldiers. Not the good kind.

"You're...you're soldiers...I have nothing you want, I only…"

"Yes, Professor. My name is Ashida." The soldier politely greeted him, "You're here at an undisclosed base of my Lord."

This couldn't be happening. Yates felt dizzy as the light burned him. Was he kidnapped by terrorists? Foreign governments?

"Please...I have nothing to offer…" The frail man plead, his voice quivering, "I beg of you."

"Professor, I assure you that nothing will happen to you if you remain calm and listen to instructions." Ashida said, his voice calm, "My master stated to keep you alive and well until your services are no longer needed. Then you will be returned."

Nodding slightly, the Oxford man was dragged into a separate room. It was bare except a plain whiteboard and a few tables.

Two people, a man and a woman, were squabbling.

"You're just insensitive!" The woman exclaimed, "All this at the crack of dawn! Let it go!"

"We're going to see about that." The man snapped, his jaw clenched. The squad bowed before him, making Yates understand that this man was the Lord that Ashida was referring to.

The lady was quite a looker, with bun-styled hair and brown eyes. Her lacy nightgown, covered by a silk kimono robe, plastered her beauty on display.

The man appeared to be middle-aged with dark hair and a bold jawline, wearing a red silk robe and loose sleep pants. His broad chest shimmered slightly under the lighting as he stood, arms crossed.

Striking though, were his pupiless eyes. Did he wear contacts to be more frightening? Yates could not tell.

"Is this Professor Yates of Oxford?" The man rumbled to the soldiers. Ashida bowed before him.

"Yes, my Lord." The words were slightly stiff.

"Good. Let's put this to rest once and for all." A heel turn to the young lady behind him, "You're going to regret this, Detective."

Yates cowered before the infuriated and grumpy master, fearing for his life. However, the shirtless man seemed to take zero notice.

The young lady had crossed her arms, pouting.

"You dragged a professor here? Are you serious?" She shot at her companion, "You just can't stand being wrong! Take him back home!"

"Not until I show you that you have no idea what you're talking about." The older man jerked a dry-erase marker from a nearby table, shoving it into Yates's hands, "Here you are, Professor. Please prove to my darling wife that the answer is 9."

Yates stared at the market, trembling, "I... don't understand…"

"Bison, you scared him!" The now-labeled wife cawed at her lover, "Ugh. This is ridiculous. It's 2 in the morning and you're kidnapping Oxford professors to prove a stupid point."

Bison, the one that Yates finally had a name to, whirled around to his scowling mate and stuck a finger in her face.

"Admit that you're wrong then so we can all get some fucking sleep!" His voice bellowed, making everyone but his intended recipient flinch.

Her lips barely moved, "It's 3."

The man in charge blinked in astonishment, hurriedly rubbing his forehead in anguish before exhaling sharply.

"I'm losing my fucking mind." Yates could hear the tightness of Bison's throat, "I'm a world class genius. I figured out the weight of a supermassive black hole that NASA found in a galaxy 500 million light-years away. I could send someone to the goddamn moon and bring back a rock bigger than your head. And you're telling me the answer is 3?!"

The stubborn wife tapped her foot, "You can also make mistakes."

The very statement seemed to skyrocket this Bison's temper, making him reach out towards her and wiggle his fingers in frustration. The commander, Ashida, gently pulled Yates to the side.

"Once we're done, Professor, we'll take you back home." Ashida assured the elderly doctor, "Just let them work it out."

Yates felt he could canvas some information from this man, considering all other obstacles, "This couple...who are they?"

"I am afraid I can't tell you much," Ashida's words were soft but dulcet, "But that is Lord M. Bison with his wife, Mistress Chun Li Bison. It was his request that we bring you in for... clarification."

"What clarification?" The professor could only imagine. Ashida nudged him slightly to the whiteboard.

A linear equation wrote cleanly and simply in the middle:

2(x+5)-7 = 3(x-2)

"That's it?" Yates seemed incredulous, "All this ruckus for?!"

"I am sorry, Professor." Ashida bowed, "It was at Lord Bison's urgent command. You will be compensated for your troubles. Please. Once you clarify the answer, we can all go back to sleep."

The married couple was still fighting like cats and dogs, pointing angrily at the whiteboard. Veins were bulging, red faces were burning, and insults were tossed around.

Yates had seen some infighting with his colleagues but nothing like this.

"If you would just listen, I would show you how it's 3!" Chun Li shrilled.

"Do not show me those fucking number groups again or so help me God, I will blow my brains out." Bison retorted with venom.

This girl knew how to push the beast's buttons and the mathematical genius appreciated that a little. She must wield considerable power over her husband...

"What started this?" Yates asked curiously, now utterly fascinated.

"We think it was a brain teaser game that the young mistress downloaded on her cellphone and the game had a glitch in it. She downloaded the game without permission and things led to another…" Ashida answered, his brow furrowed, "Commander Sigu says that he thinks the game was from China."

A servant returned with a bottle of brandy and Bison snatched it, uncorking the bottle and drinking a swig. Ashida stepped forward, his knees slightly trembling.

"Sir, please remember you have an early morning meeting with the Mexican cartel…"

"Shut up." Bison growled, tossing back another drink, "Professor, solve the problem. Detective, I am about to school your ass from M.I.T to Oxford."

Ashida stepped back and gestured to Yates. Feeling sweat down his neck, the elderly professor began making scribbles on the board. His brain felt evaporated; everything he knew from decades of experience vanished in a single second.

After five minutes and double checking, Yates circled the answer at the bottom.

X = 9

The expressions on the married couple's faces couldn't be more different. Chun Li's face was of abject horror while Bison's was triumphant.

"But…" Her small, defeated whimper, "How…?"

Bison could only laugh as his sanity had melted away in mere moments. He seemed to relish the win as if he really was the first conquerer of the moon landing.

"I was right, Detective." His voice was deliciously gleeful, "I was right and you were wrong. Oh. I think I could cry right now. Alright. Take the professor back home. He served his purpose. Oh, Detective!"

Chun Li remained sullen, turning away from her husband. It was clear she was embarrassed but Bison danced around like a monkey.

"Rub it in, why don't you?" She mumbled.

"You bet your ass I will. Why don't you do those number groups for me again?" He mocked her, "How does subtraction work, darling? Oh! I forgot. You carry the numbers! Silly me."

Her eyes were icy as she leveled on him, "I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom. Goodnight."

With that, she left and Bison's gleeful demeanor vanished. His face dropped into a scowl, his temper now worse than before.

Yates knew one thing that this Bison could not solve: always apologize to the wife.

Ashida took Yates by the arm as the master of household rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Sir? Your meeting starts in an hour." The commander reminded his boss. Bison ran his hand through his hair, clearly kicked in the ribs like a dog.

"Just kill them. I don't care. I am getting some sleep." His orders were short before he headed out after his wife.

Yates felt the blindfold again over his eyes but in a snap of his fingers, he was awoken in his bed.

He wondered, in his sleepy mind, if that was all a fantastic dream from brandy and cigarettes.

However, Yates caught a fat stack of cash on his bedside table. Newton jumped on his bed, purring as the professor petted him.

"What a night…"