Inktober day 10: So weird

Fandom: MCU (post CA:CW)

Notes: Darcy tried to make another reappearance for this one, but a 3.5 mile walk later and we ended up with this.

.

"What were you thinking?"

I stopped drying my hair, draping the towel around my neck and met the steely-eyed glare of Dr. Pym.

"Uh, about what, exactly?" I asked since there could be more than a few subjects the question could pertain to.

Hank rotated the laptop to reveal footage of me in Leipzig. Bad security footage, but still cool to see. "We needed a distraction."

"Indeed. And what made you think doing that," he pointed to the giant form on the screen, "was the best move?"

I shrugged. "It worked. They got away. Saved the day. Etcetera, etcetera." I tossed the towel over the back of a chair and ran my hands through my hair. "And I didn't rip in two."

Hank sighed heavily. "Except for the fact the whole world got to see it."

"I doubt that. Fair bet Ross and Stark scrubbed it from the 'net as much as possible. Wouldn't want to show the world how badly they fucked up, after all."

Hank gestured at the screen. "And where did this come from?"

"Someone always saves a copy. Unless they used a virus to trace every version downloaded to phones and home computers it'll always pop back up." It wouldn't take all that much effort in truth, but given a government had become involved I doubted they'd bother to put in the effort. I leaned down to watch the video as it replayed and had to admit it looked pretty damn amazing when I went from ant to giant sized.

"Scott, you got caught."

Hank sounded so disappointed in me that I actually felt an instant of guilt.

"And I got out. With the suit, so what's the problem." Granted I'd had help with both of those things, but I knew we'd get out. No way Cap would leave anyone behind. Least that's what the others had assured me. And I believed them. Sam especially. Though I'd thoroughly disagreed with him trusting Stark, though in some ways it had worked out. That base had been found, those Hydra Soldiers had been eliminated, and Barnes had been cleared of all charges.

Didn't keep all of us from being branded war criminals by Ross.

"They're going to come after you." Hope entered the room on those words, two mugs in her hands. She handed one to me, which I took and then sipped from her own.

"I think they'll be too busy looking for the Captain and won't give a damn about some unknown." Just a white lie. I know they'd gone digging into my family, so, aside from letting them know I'd gotten free, I had stayed away. Oh, I dropped in to visit Cassie every few days, making use of the suit to do so, but otherwise stayed away, waiting for the hunt to die down.

Hank snapped the laptop shut. "You can't be certain about that."

"You're right, I can't, but I also can't run. I won't leave my family. Or either of you." I looked from one to the other, Hank pinching the bridge of his nose, while Hope just met my gaze with narrowed eyes. We'd been slowly moving forward with a relationship, the time at the Raft making the reunion an interesting one, to say the least. She'd seemed to be torn between angry and proud.

"Scott, I just don't understand why? Why would you even think about doing this?"

I flung my free hand up in frustration. "Captain America asked me... me for help. Was I supposed to say no."

Hank growled, "Yes."

Hope responded, "No."

Father and daughter spent several moments staring at each other as if both were shocked at the what the other had said.

"This is so weird."

"What is?" Hank asked, exasperated.

"Hope agreeing with me. Doesn't happen often."

She shifted closer and bumped my shoulder. "That's because you don't deserve it often."

I grinned and raised my mug in a toast.