The atmosphere in the apartment hasn't been so tense since AJ and Maggie had their "moment of revelation" a week ago. Since then, neither of them has ever quarreled, lost their temper, or complained once. So, from Joe's point of view, things get relatively dull and monotonous. It may seem ungrateful and rightfully true that he is tired of the relaxed lifestyle, but it is not. He's just used to things going around every now and then. Feeling like he needed to make a change, he invited his best friends over for a chat and a drink, after which they would shout swear in front of the TV, as is a time-honored tradition.

As a result of this decision, Joe, Karen and Benny find themselves parked around the coffee table in the center of the living room. The host grimaced an uncomfortable face, while his two guests stared at him with an unusually intense gaze. The reason for this serious tension was a question Benny had just asked, and Cullen wanted to know the answer. However, Joe has reservations about revealing secrets. He was clearly uncomfortable discussing the topic, but he did not directly refuse to talk about it. He's hesitating, which Benny thinks means he's going to push a little harder.

"Come on, Joe. We have to know," he insisted.

"Why from me?" The man argued. "Can't you look it up online or look it on a message board?"

"You can't trust those trolls, man," Cullen retorted. "People make up the craziest lies to get attention. It's always been that way. Most of the time, even articles that seem legitimately are just elaborate advertisements for some weird cream or pointless gadgets. ”

"But you, we know you," Benny picked up. "You're not the kind of cunning guy who would lie to us about this."

"Yes, no, I understand. It's a very personal thing and it's awkward to talk about it. ”

"Don't make a fuss. When did you start worrying about making a fool of yourself?"

"It's not just me, Benny. Maggie is also part of it. ”

"Oh, she wouldn't mind. Maggs likes to share things, often without being asked to. ”

"Then why don't you ask her?"

"Because, well, then we're embarrassed."

"yes, yes, yes," Cullen interjected. "Besides, you owe us. What you did with her is something that a fool like Benny and I would never experience!"

"Ah, don't do that. I'm sure one day you'll be able to do the same. Joe tried to encourage him.

"No, we really can't. That's not true. You are the most cunning dodge on Big Ben's side. ”

"Wait, are you jealous?"

"Hit the ball. Cullen ignored the insinuation. "The word is 'jealousy,' man. That's who we are. Like, you won't believe how many. ”

"Don't get me wrong, we're happy for you and Maggs," Benny comforted Joe. "It's just, you know, you don't know where to start and get ahead of us. It hurts a little, man. At least you can tell us some details. ”

“…… You're not going to go around sharing that online, are you?"

"Of course not. Won't tell anyone, swear to me, Mom! Bald said.

"Me too. Swear to me, Mom," Karen parroted "Oath".

The two of them exaggerated. When they come to Maggie's house for a drink, they don't seem to intend to push Joe into a corner like this, but the alcohol exposes their ugly side. Peer pressure on Joe like this was rude and manipulative, but it worked. The man visibly hesitated, glanced around the room, and finally sighed and gave up. He leaned back and rubbed his eyes vigorously with his palms, no doubt admonishing himself for what he was about to say.

"Okay. I'll tell you, but you know, it's going to be a little disgusting. ”

"We don't care, man. Blame us on this," Cullen advised.

"Yes. How bad can it be?"

Joe sighed one last time and rolled his eyes as if to say, "Let's go," and finally let his thoughts gush out.

"Okay. Let's say you drink too much tea during the day and have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. However, it's cold outside your bed. You don't want to go, but the urge to urinate is getting stronger. Eventually, you'll make up your mind to leave. You run to the bathroom, stand in front of the toilet, and relax! You feel the release of happiness and everything is fine in the world. Then you realize that this is not a bathroom. You're still under the covers! A warm, moist sensation spreads between your thighs, but you don't stop. You can't stop! That's what I said! That's what it's like to own a real house! Got it?!"

Benny and Cullen nodded slowly, pensive expressions on their faces. They weren't making fun of Joe. Contrary. His colorful depictions and down-to-earth perspectives resonated with them on a deeper level. They all dream of living in a luxurious home with real rooms and furnishings, but only Joe knows what it really looks like. I was so inspired and inspired to hear him talk about it, and two of his friends suddenly wanted to do their best to become homeowners. They also want to experience that level of comfort and want to know what it's like to wet themselves because they don't want to leave the bed. This is something that only successful people do.

However, some people don't seem to think so.

"In the name of the Queen, you guys are disgusting."

The trio turned their heads and stared at the only entrance to the room, where they spotted a ginger-haired woman in a battle uniform shaking her head in extreme dissatisfaction. Just as Joe was beginning his little speech, Agent Johnson happened to walk past the open door. Curious about what was going on, she listened in the hallway. She regretted the decision a little, but the faint smile on her face showed that the ridiculous anecdote was funny despite this.

"Hey, AJ," Joe waved at her without hesitation. "Want to have a drink with us?"

"Hmm...... Of course, why not?" I can put aside my mission while the mystery man is away. ”

Her current task is to assemble a model of a spaceship in a bottle without having to use her hands, which requires some very accurate and very insistent telepsychic remote sensing. Considering that she usually uses her psychic abilities to defeat the bad guys and break through bulkheads, AJ struggles for a long time in this delicate task. Still, it is what Bijo humorously calls "Quest fo."

the Maggie Sto

e) is much better than that maddening, exhausting film. Moreover, this was the first task she received that was clearly aimed at improving her telepathic abilities. She's got a way to boost her yield, which means she just needs to tighten her fine control. While she is still far from complete, the progress she has made has boosted her mood and confidence.

"Wow. You're a lot less stressed than the last time we came," Benny said. "Uh, no offense."

"yes, tell me," Joe said with a soft chuckle. "I still think she needs to relax a little more, but at least she doesn't mess around and ruin the atmosphere."

"Oy, I'm right here, you know." The woman sat down while complaining.

"Haha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't mean anything else," he smiled happily and poured her a glass of wine.

"Then why are you still living here?" Cullen asked her suddenly. "Like, are you a tenant or a friend of a relative?"

Joe's friends had seen the female soldier before. They first met her a few weeks ago, when they were invited to see the man's new home at a makeshift housewarming party. At that time they were so overwhelmed by the place that they didn't bother to ask any questions at all. Since then, they have gone several times, which has made them more comfortable to inquire about the residents.

"Uh-huh..."

AJ hesitated, as she wasn't sure how much she could tell a group of civilians. She felt that as long as she remained silent about the affairs of the cosmic entity, it would be fine.

"I was sent to assist with Maggs' research. She's been doing some non-invasive experiments on me. ”

"Hmm...... That's cool. "Weird, but cool," the chunky guest nodded.

"Wait, so Maggs is a doctor or a scientist or something?" Benny screamed.

“…… Sort of?" To be honest, I'm not quite sure what her job is. ”

She had never seriously considered it before. Given the diplomatic status granted to her by the government, she is convinced that her official title is ambassador or similar. However, saying so would give the two men the wrong impression.

"I know exactly what you mean," Joe interjected. "I tried to look at her contract six times, but this stuff made me dizzy. Considering all the mental work she does, I think the title 'scientist' is appropriate. ”

Of course, he could have said more, but he was also reluctant to reveal Maggie's true nature to his companions. Unlike AJ, the reason why he wanted to remain silent had nothing to do with national security. "By the way, my girlfriend is an unfathomable cosmic entity from another world", this is not the kind of words he can casually throw at a man. There may never be a suitable time to reveal this, so he keeps a low profile and hopes he never says it. Maggie agrees with this sentiment and promises to keep silent about her origins in front of uninformed people. She doesn't lie, but she keeps it a secret when necessary.

"Ahh No wonder she's so smart. The bald man's eyes widened. I wonder how someone as stupid as you managed to catch such a clever bird. ”

"I bet they went out so Mags to study that brainless man, huh?" Karen said jokingly.

"Huh. Interestingly, you're not entirely wrong," Joe admitted.

"Alright, go ahead. So the date between the two of you is like an experiment?"

"Hmm...... A little. It started out as a problem, but lately it's getting quite serious. ”

"Voice. What about you, AJ?" Cullen abruptly changed the subject.

"What about me?" She raised an eyebrow.

"What experiment did Maggs have you do?" I mean, I don't see a lab or anything like that. ”

"Oh, there's no machinery or equipment involved. For example, chopping wood, writing poems, drawing monkeys blindfolded, and doing handstands for thirteen hours in a row......"

The topic brought back memories that she didn't want to recall, and her voice became less and less.

"What's the point?"

"I'm not sure ...... myself"

"I told you AJ," Joe interjected. "Maggie is completely hooked on you, just like in Karate Chicks."

"What? She asked bluntly.

"You know, that movie series about birds beating each other up with martial arts?"

The soldier had apparently never heard of it, but that didn't stop Cullen from holding on to the topic.

"By the way, have you seen the trailer for this new film?" He asked inexplicably.

"They're working on another one, aren't they?" Be

frowned. "What is this, the fourth?"

"Yes, man. It's called Karate Chick: Kung Fu Chick. ”

"Of course."

The endless bird pun is the only reason people have to watch this bland TV series, so it's no surprise that they're doubling down.

"Hey, you need to see the trailer. This is hype. They brought Liszt back and asked him to do this disgusting scissor foot move, like, Wow!"

Cullen made an overly enthusiastic gesture, ignoring what drink he was holding in his hand, and ended up throwing the cup to the other end of the room. It flew to a picture frame of the Milky Way, and there was no doubt that the picture would be smashed to pieces by heavy glass. Luckily, it didn't fly that far, as both the cup and the half-pint of beer that spilled out of it froze in mid-air. In a brief moment of panic and confusion, the three tipsy men remembered that there was a psionic energy among them.

"Be careful, you puppet," AJ reproached Karen. "It's only been an hour, and you've made a mess of it."

She pointed to the mess floating on the water with her finger and coaxed all the beer drops back into the container. The thick glass floated back into the owner's hand, and the owner just stared at it in amazement.

"It's disgusting!" Benny shouted. "Do it again!"

"Absolutely not. The next cup you eject is yours. ”

"yes, I'm sorry," Karen snapped back to his senses. "It's a little exciting to think about the trailer."

"No," she scoffed. "Are you really so angry about something so stupid?" What's next, are you going to brag about that strange stick you found in the park one time?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not smart enough to deserve this brainmelon princess," Cullen said with a sneer.

One could almost hear AJ's neck snap as her head jerked at Joe, who was quietly snickering.

"You promised not to tell anyone!"

"I'm sorry, but it's too much fun for me to keep it a secret."

"Anyway, I think it's cute."

Benny tried to de-escalate the situation. Unfortunately, Joe didn't notice this.

"That's for sure. Maybe I should get Maloney involved. I'm sure he'll have fun with it! He kept teasing her.

"You dare!" She warned him.

"Or what? With Maggie by your side, you can't do anything. ”

"But she's not here now, is she?" Her lips curled into a wicked smirk.

If he had been fully conscious, Joe might have realized a few seconds earlier that mocking the psyker wasn't a wise decision. In fact, the hostess of the house is currently resting, as she takes a 6-hour nap every two weeks. This meant that Joe couldn't hide behind her like a child. By the time he realizes the folly of the remark, AJ has pinned him to the couch while Benny and Cullen cheer him on. But I didn't have any malice or anger. The impromptu wrestling match was nothing more than a slightly drunken fight among the friends, and a few minutes later, they had another glass of wine and laughed it off.

However, there is something that does not laugh.

* SKHREEEEOKH *

A shrill whine resembling metal rubbing metal echoed throughout the apartment. Everyone in the room froze. No sooner had they pondered the source of the terrible sound than it exploded through the wall. This is a biomechanical monster, made up of part v

pod and part shoggoth. A disgusting, semi-organic tentacle emerged from its plastic shell, propelling itself forward like some kind of terrible crab. His eyes were fixed on AJ without blinking, and at that point in time, he was still locking Joe's head.

"Ah, damn it," he grumbled.

There are benefits to cultivating tolerance for these situations. Joe managed to stay calm and understood why the pod monster was so angry. It sensed that the person it was supposed to protect was "fighting" and came to "save" him. He couldn't let that thing hurt his friend because of a misunderstanding, and he knew exactly what to do. All he had to do was slip out of the hands of the unconscious soldier and block the monster's path and calm it down. While the idea may seem brave, silly, or both, it's actually neither. Joe simply believes that Maggie will make sure her "pet" knows not to stomp on the people it is supposed to protect. Whatever instruction directs it, once it is confirmed that there is no actual harm or malice, it will certainly cause it to stop.

Unfortunately, the woman holding his head didn't see it that way, and she didn't relax her hand in the slightest. She made a slapping gesture at the possessed pod and threw it out of the room through the hole it had dug, causing another horrible scream. AJ then violently shoves Joe in front of the stunned guest. The man looked at Agent Johnson suspiciously, when her plasma pistol flew in from somewhere and landed in her open hand.

"Come down! It's going to be messy!"

"Wait! Nope!"

Joe tries to stop the situation from escalating, but the soldiers can't hear him. She has gone into "work mode" and her entire attention is focused on an acquaintance who seems to be a hooligan. The monster burst into the room again, and three azure flashes appeared in its face. Overheated plasma splattered on it, melting metal, plastic, meat, and furniture. The creature's response is typical of shoggoth, shrugging its shoulders but rushing forward with murderous intent.

The elves were not at all surprised, nor were they alarmed. As it got closer, she fired a few more shots at it, then blasted it away with telepathy. The monster slammed into the wall, screaming in pain and rage. It then picked up the fragments of the armchair and threw them at the soldiers, showing an unnaturally high intelligence. The agent was forced to look down for cover, and nearly collided head-on with the weapon-equipped piece of furniture. She scrambled to her feet, controlling her will and anger, ready for the general's next attack.

It's just that it didn't come. The monster is frozen in place as if it were a statue. It was only then that Agent Johnson felt a strange and familiar spiritual presence. She knew exactly who it was and what it was, but she glanced at the original hole anyway, just in case. As she expected, it was indeed Maggie. Or, at least most of her. If the girl's baggy pajamas and barely open eyelids were anything to say, it was that she was still in the process of waking up. However, being half-asleep didn't stop her from flaunting her supernatural abilities. She floated into the room, as if an unseen hand was tugging at her collar, and her limbs dangled limply to the side. Her curly hair took on an unnaturally dark color, punctuated with several unfamiliar eyes that looked as tired as the two eyes on her yawning face.

"Woo-woo," she shouted. "You said you'd refrigerate your food."

"Oh. Sorry, Maggie. I was really bored and a little lonely, so I invited a couple of men over and things got a little ...... Noisy. ”

"Well, that's not going to work," she muttered. "I need to adjust Shogoth's program."

She gestured to the creature, motioning for it to obediently return to its place in the playroom. Then, lazily, she glanced around the half-ruined room, her gaze resting on each piece of destroyed furniture for a second before landing on the two stunned guests. She waved at them listlessly, and they instinctively stiffened back. Then, she looked back at Joe, screaming with an expression on her face, she was too tired to deal with the mess in front of her right away.

"I don't need to fix everything right now, do I?"

This is the first time that The Observer wants to postpone doing something because it doesn't feel like it.

"What? Oh no, it's okay, let's go to a bar or something. ”

"Agent Johnson, you're going to stay with Joe while I'm not there and make sure he's safe."

That killing pod has somehow lost its role as a bodyguard. Super City Dave-156 is much safer than her arrival suggests, especially after Maggie has received support from the government. Of course, the couple could still suffer a terrible disaster, but in reality, the biggest threat to Joe's happiness is Joe himself. Therefore, in terms of Maggie's obligations, AJ's protection was considered more than sufficient.

"You're right, hostess." The woman nodded.

"Good. I'm going back to sleep. ”

"You're right, Maggie. Apologies again for the chaos here. ”

"We should synchronize our sleep cycles. If it was just us at a time, there would be no point in having a bed that big......"

The girl floated out of the room, muttering to herself that made Joe's chest ach and couldn't believe how cute she was when she was sleepy. AJ touched him lightly while twisting his head to the side, subtly reminding him that they still had one more thing to work out. Benny and Cullen remained where they were, their faces filled with fear, confusion, and awe. Joe and AJ looked at each other, not knowing what to do. The soldier had several nasty solutions in mind, but he hesitated to implement them without an order. Simple-minded people, on the other hand, decide what to do almost immediately. He turned to his friends, shrugged, smiled, and said without hesitation:

"Did I forget to say that my girlfriend is an unfathomable cosmic entity from another world?"

It may never be a good time to drop a bombshell on them, but it's the best chance he can get