Chapter 19: The Apartment Dilemma and The Chemical Quandary
"It's the ghost of a thousand tiny hammers!" Marshall Eriksen declared, his eyes wide with sleep deprivation. He was pacing his apartment living room, while Lily, equally exhausted, sat on the couch, clutching a pillow. "Every night, at precisely 3:17 AM, there's this faint, rhythmic thumping! It's driving us insane! We've checked the pipes, the walls, the ceiling! There's nothing!"
Lily groaned. "We've tried everything! Earplugs, white noise, even singing lullabies to the walls! It won't stop! And with Marvin coming, we need sleep!"
Ted looked sympathetic. Barney, naturally, offered a ridiculous theory involving mole people.
Adam, sipping his coffee, surveyed the apartment. "The mysterious thumping. A classic apartment dilemma. Usually, it's something incredibly mundane and easily overlooked. The [Knowledge & Insight Module] is hinting at a loose pipe, or a vibrating appliance. Something simple, something that's not a ghost."
"Alright, alright, calm down, you two," Adam said, cutting through their frantic energy. "It's rarely a ghost, Marshall. More often, it's something boring. Like physics. Or poor insulation. Have you checked the building's main water heater? Or the HVAC unit on the roof? Sometimes, a loose pipe or a worn-out fan motor can create a resonance that travels through the building's structure, sounding like a thumping in your apartment."
Marshall and Lily looked at each other, bewildered. "The water heater? The roof?"
"Yeah," Adam confirmed. "It's usually the most inconvenient, least exciting answer. But it's usually the right one. Ask the super to check the main utility rooms. My money's on a loose pipe clamp or a slightly off-kilter motor. It's not a ghost, it's just a very persistent vibration."
They called the super. An hour later, a sheepish super confirmed Adam's theory: a loose pipe clamp in the building's old water heater had been vibrating, sending a faint thrumming sound through the building's ancient pipes, directly into their apartment. The thumping stopped.
Marshall hugged Adam fiercely. "You're a miracle worker, Adam! You saved our sleep! You saved our sanity! You saved our future baby from a lifetime of phantom thumps!"
Lily gave him a grateful smile. "You're surprisingly practical for a sarcastic genius, Adam."
[Knowledge & Insight Module: Apartment Dilemma Solved. Provided Practical Solution.]
The peace of the apartment building was soon replaced by the tension of the 99th Precinct. A crime scene had been discovered, and with it, a terrifying mystery: a strange, glowing, viscous substance coating the victim and the immediate area. It was unknown, potentially dangerous, and baffling the preliminary forensic team.
"It's... it's like radioactive slime!" Jake exclaimed, peering through the glass of the lab, where Adam was already suiting up in a full hazmat suit. "Is it alien goo? Is it a new kind of super-poison? Is it Boyle's experimental cheese gone wrong?!"
Charles Boyle, standing next to Jake, looked a mix of terrified and morbidly fascinated. "It's so... viscous! And the color! Is it edible? No, wait, don't answer that! I'm scared!"
Terry Jeffords, his face grim, watched Adam. "Mr. Stiels, we need an identification. Fast. This substance is highly volatile, and we don't know its effects. The area is quarantined, but we need to know what we're dealing with to ensure the safety of the squad and the public."
Adam, encased in the bulky hazmat suit, gave a thumbs up. "A mysterious chemical. High pressure. Potentially dangerous. This is where the fun begins. The [Knowledge & Insight Module] is already sifting through chemical compounds, looking for matches. I need to identify it, its properties, and its hazards. Pronto."
He entered the contained lab, the glowing substance shimmering ominously. He took samples, running them through a battery of tests: mass spectrometry, chromatography, pH analysis. He observed its reactions to various reagents, its viscosity, its faint, acrid smell. His mind raced, cross-referencing known chemical structures with the data he was collecting.
He quickly identified it: a rare, highly unstable synthetic compound, a byproduct of an experimental industrial process. It wasn't radioactive, but it was a potent neurotoxin, designed to rapidly break down organic matter on contact, then quickly dissipate into harmless byproducts. The glowing was due to a temporary bioluminescent reaction during its breakdown.
"Captain," Adam's voice crackled over the comms, slightly muffled by his mask. "It's a synthetic neurotoxin. Highly dangerous on contact, but it degrades rapidly. The glowing is a temporary bioluminescent effect. The good news: the immediate danger is contained, as it dissipates quickly. The bad news: the victim's cellular structure was rapidly dissolved. The killer used a highly specialized, industrial-grade neurotoxin. We're looking for someone with access to experimental chemical manufacturing, or a very specific industrial background."
Terry sighed in relief. "Neurotoxin. At least we know what we're dealing with. Thank you, Adam. You just saved us from a potential bio-hazard."
Charles Boyle's POV: "Adam in a hazmat suit! He looked like a superhero! A very smart, very sarcastic superhero who knows all about glowing goo! I wonder if he has a secret lair filled with beakers and test tubes. I bet he makes his own artisanal hazmat suits."
[Status Log: Professional Skill Refined: Chemical Hazard Assessment. Adam's Chemical Expertise Validated.]
Later, after the scene was cleared and the danger neutralized, Adam was back in his normal clothes, sipping a well-deserved coffee.
"Another day, another crisis averted," Jake said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You're like a walking, talking, sarcastic encyclopedia of weird science, Adam. It's awesome."
Adam merely smiled. "Just trying to keep the city safe from glowing goo, Jake. It's a niche market, but someone's gotta do it."
[Relationship Status: Committed to Emma Watson. Duration: 393 days.][System Status: Adam's practical problem-solving and chemical expertise are highly valued. Marshall and Lily are grateful for his help. Emma relationship stable.]
A Special Message to My Amazing Readers!
To keep B99/HIMYM: I M here growing and deliver more chapters faster, I've launched a Patreon! Join today for 5$ unlock 20+ additional chapters and become a vital part of this story's journey. Your support means the world!
you can read also 20+ chapters of "In Marvel With Auction System" " IN MARVEL WITH MISCHIEF SYSTEM" "MCU/ARROWVERSE : With Trading System" "In Marvel With Guild System" "Marvel : Please Kill Me" "Sitcomverse: TBBT, HIMYM, B99, & Modern family" "The Boys: I'm the New Hue, I Need More Power" and "legends of tomorrow : Im a Legend Now"+"Arrowverse: I'm a Hero"+"The Flash : Please Kill Me" "Arrowverse: I m A Fifth Dimension Being"
Click here to dive deeper: [patreon.com/TheFinex5]