Chapter 1: The New Neighbor

Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter trudged up the stairs of their apartment building, visibly dejected. 

As holders of PhDs in theoretical and experimental physics, the two had always prided themselves on their intellect. Hoping to contribute to humanity's pool of high-IQ offspring, they had gone to a sperm bank for geniuses to donate—only to hesitate at the last moment while filling out the forms. 

Sheldon lost all confidence the moment he remembered his sister, who was still working as a waitress. 

Back at their apartment, Leonard was about to unlock his door when he noticed the door across the hall was open. Inside, a stunning blonde woman was unpacking. 

"New neighbor?" Leonard's eyes widened. 

Sheldon shrugged. "Obviously." 

"A *significant* upgrade from the last one." 

Staring at the woman in her shorts and fitted T-shirt, Leonard's hormones kicked into overdrive as he unintentionally moved towards her.

"Hi! I'm Leonard, and this is Sheldon. We're your neighbors!" 

Sheldon, however, felt nothing. To him, women couldn't compete with *Star Wars* or the Flash. 

"Hey! I'm Penny, just moved in." 

The woman greeted them cheerfully while silently sizing up her new neighbors. *…They look like socially awkward nerds and harmless.* 

Just then, the door to another apartment opened, and a young man stepped out. 

He had the slicked-back hair of a corporate elite, sharp facial features, and a lean build. Most notably, he wore an expensive-looking British-tailored three-piece suit that clashed with the $1,200-a-month apartment's shabby vibe. 

The man glanced at them, puzzled. "Sheldon, Leonard—weren't you two supposed to be donating…" 

"Aaaaah!" Leonard hurriedly cut him off. "Martin, why aren't you gone yet? Don't you have court today?" 

"I'm on my way now," Martin replied, confused until he noticed Penny staring at him, slack-jawed. He chuckled. "New neighbor? Hi, I'm Martin Scott." 

It took Penny a moment to snap out of it. Beaming, she grabbed his hand, shaking and fondling it unabashedly. "Hi… I'm Penny!" 

Leonard slumped, whispering to Sheldon, "With this guy around, we'll never get girlfriends." 

Sheldon shrugged. "While I don't endorse law as a 'humanities discipline,' biologically speaking, Martin *does* have superior mating rights." 

After some small talk, Martin checked his Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Tourbillon watch. "Sorry, Penny—I've got a trial starting soon. Gotta run." 

"Trial?" Penny blinked. "You're a lawyer?" 

"Just graduated," Martin said modestly, glancing awkwardly at her hands creeping toward his chest. 

"Oh! Right!" Penny yanked her hands back, feigning composure. 

"Apologies." Martin straightened his tie. "Leonard, Sheldon—see you later." 

As he hurried downstairs, Penny turned to the duo. "He's your *roommate*?" 

Leonard nodded glumly. 

"But… why would a lawyer live *here*? And share an apartment?" 

In the U.S., lawyers earned hefty salaries. Even fresh graduates (First-Year Associate)made $180k a year, with $20k annual raises. Licensed attorneys earned far more. With that income, he could afford a nice flat. Why live in a rundown building with broken elevators? 

While Leonard sulked, Sheldon explained flatly, "Martin claims he works 80-hour weeks, so 'location is irrelevant.' He also wants 'scientific exposure' from PhDs like us." 

"PhDs?" Penny's eyes widened. "You're *doctors*?" 

Leonard's bruised ego healed slightly. "I'm an experimental physics PhD from Princeton. Sheldon has PhDs in philosophy and theoretical physics." 

"Plus two master's degrees in science and one in literature," Sheldon added. "Please be thorough." 

Penny—a high school graduate—gawked at them as if they were lab mutants. 

After a pause, she pointed down the empty hallway. "What about Martin?" 

"JSD from Harvard Law," Sheldon said matter-of-factly. "That's why he's 'qualified' to room with us. Not that law contributes to scientific progress, but it's… *marginally* relevant to modern society." 

--- 

Meanwhile, Martin Scott stepped onto the street outside the apartment and whistled sharply—a survival skill in New York. 

A yellow cab pulled up. "County courthouse," he told the driver, gazing out the window as he replayed the encounter with the bombshell neighbor. 

*Is this where the story begins?* 

Ever since reincarnating here 23 years ago, Martin had noticed oddities. Childhood neighbors named Cooper with a genius son, Sheldon… A high school classmate named Juno who got pregnant… A chemistry teacher named Walter White… This wasn't reality—it was a mashup of American TV and movies! 

The revelation had terrified him. Not only was his mortgage back home forever out of reach, but he was stuck as an ordinary person in a world teeming with fictional chaos. Relief came only after confirming no "Stark Industries" or "Umbrella Corporation" existed. At least it wasn't a superhero or zombie apocalypse. 

But deviations nagged him. The *Big Bang Theory* crew hadn't gone to Caltech—they were physicists at Columbia in New York. He'd worried Penny, the aspiring actress, might never appear. Now, with her arrival, the pieces fell into place. 

Imagining the chaotic days ahead, Martin smirked. 

"Courthouse, sir." 

The driver eyed the sharply dressed young man in the rearview mirror. Martin paid with a $50 bill and strode toward the courthouse, briefcase in hand. 

At the entrance, a polished middle-aged man glared at him. 

"Scott! As a junior attorney, you shouldn't arrive after the senior partner!" 

Martin flashed his watch. "8:21. We agreed on 8:30." 

"A lawyer arrives ten minutes early," the man snapped. 

"Fine, Your house your rules." 

Shrugging, Martin walked into the courthouse beside him. 

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