Kane mused, "Even Geoffrey's clued in about the Reaper's Stamp?" "The Reaper's Stamp was actually Geoffrey's gift to Skyler. There were two of them, and Skyler passed one on to me," explained William.
Kane stroked his chin thoughtfully, and after a moment, his eyes lit up with realization, "I've got it. There never was a Superman, and it was Geoffrey all along. After Skyler marked the baddies with the stamp, Geoffrey would swoop in pretending to be Superman, doling out justice from the shadows." William felt Kane's analysis was spot-on.
Truth be told, he harbored a certain desire for the existence of a Superman. Despite his soaring intellect, beneath it all he was still a child, brimming with the same whimsical fantasies as any other. And he hoped, maybe, just maybe, those fantasies could come true.
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"It'd be awesome if Superman were real." Kane's lips curled into a half smile, "Who says we can't be superheroes? There's Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man..." William pouted, "But we don't have superpowers." "Batman doesn't have superpowers either. He relies on high-tech gear, something | can invent," Kane stated confidently.
"I could help," William grinned. If his hunch was right, Geoffrey must have hypnotized those people into suicides or accidental deaths. Once he mastered the art of hypnosis, he could also put the bad guys under a spell, anytime, anywhere.
In the other room, Leopold poured two glasses of apple juice, handing one to Aurelia, "Megan won't be causing trouble for a while." Aurelia was less certain, "Best not to count our chickens before they hatch." Knowing Megan's track record, even if she was ill, she'd still cling to him.
"Can | ask you something?" "What's on your mind?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I was supposed to have my last dose of antibiotics, but the doctor suddenly extended the treatment. Now I've got three more months of shots. Do you know why?" She asked casually as if the question was an afterthought.
Leopold smoothed her hair, maintaining a veneer of calm, "The doctor must have his reasons. Trust the professionals, and they won't steer you wrong." Aurelia gazed at him unblinkingly, her eyes sharp and probing, "Can you just be straight with me? Is there a shortage of bacteriophages, so they reduced the dosage?" Leopold wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "No worries, the lab's about to cultivate new bacteriophages." Aurelia's brow furrowed slightly, "Are the bacteriophages really cultivated at the lab?" If the lab had the means to cultivate bacteriophages, why had he inquired about them with Skyler? A sharp pang hit Leopold's heart. Could she suspect something? "What else?" He strove to sound calmer than he felt, not letting her detect the slightest irregularity.
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But Aurelia couldn't shake a nagging unease like dark clouds spreading over her heart.
"Leopold, you're not lying to me, are you?" Leopold pulled her close, his heart twisting, "Don't worry yourself with wild thoughts. It's no good for your health." Aurelia sighed lightly, "Maybe I'm overthinking it. You wouldn't make a deal with Megan. You wouldn't divorce me to marry her just to get the bacteriophages to save me. I'm flattering myself. When would | be so important that you'd sacrifice your marriage?" Leopold choked back a retort, initially tense on hearing her words but now finding them almost comical.
"Right, | wouldn't. Am | that foolish?" "No, you're not. You're way smarter than me," she said, her eyes casting a sorrowful shadow.
"If only | hadn't been careless, | wouldn't be poisoned, hanging by a thread, and needing those bacteriophage injections every month."