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Duncan Apartments.
2:30 AM.
Juno pushed open the master bedroom door.
Adam was holding Sandra's wrist, checking her pulse. When he caught Juno's teasing glance, he gave an awkward little smile 😅.
Juno crossed her arms and stood there, smirking as she watched Adam feed some water to the deeply sleeping, totally out-of-it Sandra.
"Let's talk outside," Adam said with a quick look her way.
Even though he could "talk" to Juno with just his eyes for the usual stuff, this convo was gonna need some fancy new vocab—better to use actual words.
Juno nodded and stepped out of the master bedroom. Then, under Adam's startled gaze, she swung open the guest room door and said a few words to Karen, who was also still awake.
Karen, in her pajamas, shot Adam a glare 👀, got up, and marched into the master bedroom.
"With Karen keeping an eye on things, I feel better," Juno quipped with a sly double meaning. "So, how's it feel? A witch's charm really hits different, huh? 😉"
"Let's stick to business, alright?" Adam said with a sheepish grin.
Juno's move had two purposes: one, to avoid some soap-opera nonsense where Sandra might overhear their chat; and two, to prevent any other awkward soap-opera disasters.
Karen's a nurse—super pro at this stuff.
As for Juno quoting Emperor Roselle from Lord of Mysteries… well, Adam had let that exact exclamation slip earlier, totally caught up in the moment.
He didn't think Juno had eavesdropped or anything. It's just that the line fit too perfectly.
No surprise Juno guessed it—he'd be more shocked if she'd also figured out he was thinking of Howard at the time. That'd be wild! 😳
Emmm. Just a little wild, though.
Why Howard, you ask? Well, duh—Howard's a freaking genius when it comes to "mecha-bugs."
MIT grad, total pro in robotic hands, robotic mouths, full-on robots, robot girlfriends, robo-ladies—you name it. The guy's inspired countless ideas for Japan's robotics scene and movies alike.
And get this: the Sandra that Adam's dealing with? She's a multidimensional counterpart of Black Widow. And another version of Black Widow just happens to be Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell.
You could basically say Motoko's the ultimate dream of Howard's robotics obsession.
Adam said it himself!
Well, the original timeline's Howard, anyway. In this timeline, Adam's not so sure anymore. He has no clue how much Lord of Mysteries might've messed with Howard's head.
Compared to superheroes, Emperor Roselle from Lord of Mysteries might actually be Howard's new idol. They're cut from the same cloth—total gearheads and shameless flirts! 😏
If this butterfly effect's real, then Motoko might not be Howard's endgame dream anymore.
Nope—it'd be Roselle's first wife, Matilda Gustav! Why? Well, there's reason to suspect Empress Matilda might just be the God of Steam and Machinery.
Picture this: Matilda's body is a mechanical girl crafted by Roselle under the guidance of the Steam and Machinery God—a vessel for divine descent.
A mechanical wife with a goddess's soul at home.
A tempting witch with a killer vibe on the side.
穿越异世界 (穿越异世界 = crossing into another world), inventing steam power, upgrading sailboats, kicking off the Industrial Revolution, conquering north and south, calling himself Caesar.
Chestnut curls, blue eyes, sharp nose, thin lips, and a perfectly groomed mustache.
Boom—there's your mental image!
Looks, hobbies, personality—everything screams Howard Wolowitz. If he'd crossed over, he'd be doing the exact same stuff as Roselle, no question.
Adam's kinda hyped to meet Howard someday and ask what his ultimate dream is now.
---
In the study:
"So, what's she really after?" Juno asked.
"Nothing much," Adam said, shaking his head with a sigh. "She thinks since I wrote Lord of Mysteries and now there's a Tarot Club serial killer popping up in England, maybe there's a real secret Tarot Club out there.
You know how the West is—secret societies everywhere!"
"So she's digging for clues about the real Tarot Club killer from you," Juno said, stifling a laugh. "Or maybe she thinks you're the evil mastermind behind it all?"
"Even if I'm not, she's convinced I'm some big shot in a mystery group," Adam said with a shrug. "Find proof, and she's got a scoop way juicier than 'baron's son turns copycat killer.'"
He glanced at Juno and grumbled, "Damn it, in a way, she's kinda stumbled onto the truth!"
Juno's Little Red Riding Hood crew was slowly turning into a full-on Little Red Riding Hood army.
Adam had never straight-up talked it out with her, but if Juno's squad ever got into trouble, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
So yeah, technically, he is part of a mystery group.
"Heh," Juno chuckled, clearly pleased with his subtle nod to that fact.
She's cool with being the shadow behind Adam's sunshine, shielding him from the dark stuff. He's her best friend, her light—and she'd do it quietly even if he didn't notice or want it.
But getting a little positive vibe back? That's a bonus she'll happily take! 😊
"So, what's your plan?" Juno asked, grinning at him.
"She's got some messed-up values and a total lack of balance," Adam said after a pause. "She needs a serious reality check."
"Same vibe here," Juno agreed, nodding. "You're way better at handling her than I am, though. Just… don't get yourself tangled up in her mess, okay? Think of Robin—another news gal. She's nothing like Heather or MAX."
"I get it," Adam said with a nod. "I know who's on my team."
News folks, especially the ambitious ones, love a big, splashy exclusive. Sometimes they don't even care if it's their own crew they're exposing.
"Don't get cocky yet," Juno warned, shaking her head. "Your heart's too soft."
"…" Adam blinked.
Too soft?
Me?
Since when?
But Juno's dead-serious look made him relax. She's the expert here—if she says it, it's probably true.
"No worries, you'll keep me in check," he said with a laugh.
They locked eyes and shared a grin.
---
The next day:
Late morning.
Sandra groaned as she forced her eyes open.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I even doing?
The classic soul-searching trio echoed in her foggy brain.
"You're up?"
A gentle voice cut through the haze, and a familiar face popped into view.
Sandra vaguely recalled her—the plain girl from last night who somehow made Adam immune to her charm.
"Bet you're thirsty. Here, have some water," Juno said with a warm smile, handing her a glass.
"…Th-thanks," Sandra mumbled, still dazed but parched as heck. She struggled to sit up against the headboard, took the glass, and chugged it down.
With each gulp, bits of last night started flashing back—and then she let out a mortified yelp: "Ugh, so annoying! ~" 😖
---