DATE: APRIL, 27, 2015, LOUD TOWER, NEW YORK, 14H08M
A SHIELD helicopter lands on the top of the Lout Tower, then shuts off the engine. As soon as the propellers stop, the door opens, and the passengers begin to exit one by one.
The Loud couple leaves first, the husband somewhat apprehensive while the wife has a sparkling smile on her face. Soon after, the Santiago couple, who despite being equally uncomfortable with the situation, try to maintain a stoic and inflexible stance. Finally, two young people of different ages leave, the children of the Santiago couple. Bobby seems a bit lost, while Ronnie Anne looks totally terrified.
As the Loud patriarch approached the door, he placed his hand on a palm scanner, which, recognizing the identity of the tower's owner, opened the door. The six entered quietly into the tower, preparing for what would happen when they met the Loud siblings.
After descending the stairs, they arrived in the living room, witnessing a scene that left them immediately stunned.
Leni and Lincoln were wearing their superhero costumes at opposite sides of the room, with Leni firing light blue energy beams from her armor and Lincoln firing his orange energy blasts against the beams, all that while Lisa watched Lynn's suit closely, with much interest.
The other siblings watched the scene with excitement, as if they were watching some surprising spectacle. In addition, there were debris in the corner of the living room that belonged to the destroyed coffee table and an armchair that seemed to have been partially destroyed by an explosion.
Lynn Sr., Roberto, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne were surprised by what they saw, while the mothers immediately became deeply disturbed by what they saw.
Rita, in particular, was furious.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
At this time, the siblings realized that they were no longer alone, and when Lincoln turned, he was hit right in the face by one of Leni's repulsor beams, falling to the ground.
"Lincoln!" Everyone said at the same time, running to help the boy.
Despite the initial shock, everyone felt better when he sat down, apparently with not even a scratch.
"I am fine." He rubbed his forehead, feeling a very weak pain. "The fall hurt more than the beam."
Everyone was impressed by the boy's resistance, but Rita did not forget what she was about to do.
"Honey, I'm glad you're okay, but that does not change the fact that you were doing something dangerous right in the middle of the living room. What were you thinking?"
The Loud siblings bowed their heads, deeply ashamed. After discovering that their own mother was involved in some kind of conspiracy, they sought a way to ease the tension, and Lisa eventually suggested that the three young heroes should demonstrate their abilities in their special suits.
"Sorry, Mom." The three siblings said at the same time, with deep regret. "It will not happen again."
Rita was pleased with the apology, but then she remembered she had a purpose. She turned to the other parents, and they nodded. Lynn Sr. stood facing the kids, and after taking a deep breath, prepared to give a speech.
"Kids, I know you all must be confused by what is happening, but we have something to say to you."
The siblings looked at each other worryingly, arousing some suspicion of the parents and the Santiago siblings. Although Rita already had a suspicion, the other parents were curious about the reaction of the young Louds.
Maria approached them, looking at the them with concern."
"Kids, what happened?"
The siblings looked at each other again until Lori stepped forward, blushing slightly when looking at the mother of her boyfriend.
" Well... Where do I begin?"
.
Meanwhile, in the Watcher...
"And that's all for now, Secretary Talbot." Pym ended his account pleased with himself. "I'll send the transcript of the detailed report in a few hours, but I hope that's enough for now."
"I can't believe I'm going to say that, but... good work, Pym." Talbot swallowed his pride, saluting the Avenger. "Thanks to your team, the entire operation of Spector was dismantled before it got out of control."
"As for that, I would not be sure." Pym assumed a serious expression, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What you mean?"
"Although they are a mercenary group, this is the third time I have met Hellfire soldiers in a short time. I think someone on their client list is doing something great."
"This may just be a coincidence. As you may know, this group has fixed prices for the missions they accept, and many people have made use of their services." Talbot tried to be skeptical, until a thought occurred to him. "Even so..."
"Even so?"
"Well, technically, this is just a rumor, but there are those who believe there is a secret organization on the rise. In fact, the SHIELD believes the Black Knight is involved, and they are seeking evidence to support this hypothesis."
"Are they still in that part of the investigation?" Pym could not contain a chuckle. "I'm already in the process of looking for them."
Talbot was surprised that the scientist confirmed the suspicions of the SHIELD, but more impressed by the way he spoke, as if he had everything under control. Although he did not like the hero, he could not deny that he was competent, apart from the fact that his help was a great benefit. Thanks to the hero's help, he became secretary of defense, just as his superior became the president. Except for the incident at Simon Kirby-Lieber School, Pym had an undeniable ability to conduct stealthy missions
Perhaps...
"(Sigh) I can't believe I'm about to do this, but... I think I know about something that you might find interesting."
"Are you serious?" The Ant-Man was surprised. He did not expect Talbot to give him any secret intel. "And what would it be?"
"Our analysts are having difficulty identifying a hacker who acts in a specific area. Although limited to only a few square miles, they can not find the exact location."
Although not something that would normally arouse the attention of the tactician, he could not avoid a certain curiosity about the subject.
"And what did this hacker do to get the Pentagon's attention?"
"So far, he seems to be creating fake bank accounts at banks that do not even exist, and with that he is financing an online game."
"What?" Pym stared at the screen in disbelief, thinking it was a joke. "You can not be serious."
"I know it sounds strange, but you have to understand our long-term concern. Now it's just an online game, but if he can trick the encryption of bank accounts, he can soon cause an error that breaks the global economy."
"You do not think you're exaggerating? I mean, it's not difficult to do such a thing. All it takes is a brilliant mind, top-notch equipment, and a hideout that keeps the operation safe. Depending on the hacker's ability, it should take a few minutes to make these transactions. "
"If that were the case we would be able to catch him." Talbot took a worried tone, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. "This hacker can do complex operations almost undetectable, and in less than five seconds."
Pym was speechless. Even a skilled human should not be able to do something so remarkable.
The only explanation would be...
"And where do you guys think this hacker is?"
.
In the Loud Tower...
"He said what?" Lynn Sr. shouted angrily.
As Lori told about the conversation with the Ant-Man, Lynn Sr. got deeply offended, while the other parents looked surprised . Although Lori had omitted the issue of the security video, they now knew that Pym was able to predict what they would do, and apparently did so without difficulty.
The children looked at them with concern, fearing that something might happen. Still, Lori and Bobby tried to maintain a positive attitude, in an effort to help the younger ones.
"Dad, I know it sounds bad, but you do not have to be so angry." Lori tried to be the voice of reason, though she was worried about the situation. "It's not like he's right, is he?"
At that moment, both parents looked at each other in shame. This did not go unnoticed by the children, who were immediately astonished.
"Wait, so he was right? Will you let us be Avengers?" Lynn was euphoric, ready to run and take a trip around the world at full speed.
Then the other siblings looked at the adults with deep interest, eagerly awaiting an answer with pleading eyes.
The parents looked at each other, remembering the purpose they had. Although Pym had already told the children what they were going to do, they had not yet made the official announcement. The eyes of the others turned to Rita, who realized what she should do.
"(Sigh) Children, please, sit down. I have something important to say."
Immediately, the young superhumans, both Louds and Santiagos, sat on either the couches or the carpet, looking closely at the Loud matriarch. As soon as Rita realized that they were ready to listen intently, she began to speak.
"I want you to know that the four of us care very much about all of you. We have been great friends since our times as heroes, and since you kids were born, we have all acted as one big family. So we had to discuss what we are going to do next, and we have come to a consensus."
She looked back, seeing as Lynn Sr., Maria and Roberto looked at her with apprehension, but still determined.
"Well, as you all know, I've been working with Dr. Pym for a few years, and we had plan to keep Lincoln's powers a secret as much as possible. Unfortunately, we had certain complications, and we had to change the plans." She looked at her husband and Roberto, who were slightly embarrassed by the device they had implanted in Lynn Jr. earlier. "Because of this, Leni, Lynn Jr., Lincoln and Ronnie may continue to be Avengers, but only if the four of you and Dr. Pym agree with our conditions."
"And what conditions would these be?" Lincoln asked, a little unsure.
At that moment, Lynn Sr. took a step forward, taking a firm tone.
"You are free to be superheroes as long as this does not affect your performance at school. You can go out with Dr. Pym on missions, but we should always know where you are going and how long you will be gone."
"That seems reasonable."
At that moment, everyone was surprised to hear a familiar voice coming out of nowhere. They looked everywhere, but could not find the origin of the voice.
"There's no use in looking for me. I'm not even there."
At that moment, the living room screen clicked on, surprising everyone. On the screen, they could see the scientist, wearing a robe and a towel wrapped around his head, eating a small pot of chocolate ice cream, smiling nonchalantly.
They all stared at the scientist in amazement, until Lynn Sr. realized what was happening.
"Pym! How are you doing this?"
"I could spend considerable time explaining, but I think it's obvious that I want to join in the conversation." Pym ate another spoonful of ice cream, then set the pot aside, out of the camera's reach. "But let's get back to business. Besides the conditions for the kids, you sure have some for me."
The alien put his arms behind his head, leaning back in his chair. The parents looked at each other, not knowing how to react. Not even Rita didn't expected that, and she was the one who knew the Ant-Man.
Seeing that it was no use starting a discussion, Maria decided to stand in front of the screen, with a serious expression on her face.
"Well, since you want to get to the point, then I'll do it. Although we fully trust Rita, we do not trust you, so we want to keep an eye on you."
"And how exactly do you intend to do that?" Pym looked at her with false curiosity, knowing what they would do.
"We want a SHIELD agent to keep an eye on your team all the time." Roberto tried to sound intimidating, but it had no effect. "Someone who has my full confidence, and who will make sure the children are well."
Pym looked at him with some disbelief, which made the parents think they would have trouble with him.
However...
"Ok. I can not imagine anyone who has your full confidence, but if such a person exists, it will be a pleasure to work with this agent. If you want, I can even separate a room in my helicarrier."
Roberto was a bit shocked, but he did not let it shake his determined stance. After a moment's reflection, he stared at the screen sternly, trying to act as if he was in control of the situation.
"That would be very appropriate. When could he move in?"
"Director Santiago, even though the Watcher has been designed for a different purpose, I have some quarters, just like in the other helicarriers and aircraft carriers. Since all that is empty, you can send my nanny today if you want."
Not only the parents but also the young superhumans were astonished. It seemed that the avenger did not mind the risk of having a spy of the SHIELD's director watching over his moves.
While most viewed it as a sign of immaturity and perhaps even madness, Lynn Sr. saw it as a challenge, as if Pym were declaring himself too good to be caught, while Rita was happy to see that everything was going well.
The reason for the delay in arriving at a consensus was precisely to choose a SHIELD agent to watch over the team, and the four had some trouble choosing one to please both. After a while, they saw that there was only one agent they could have their full confidence in, and that could protect the children if something went wrong.
"Then I'd better introduce you to your 'nanny'." Maria approached their children, making them a little nervous. She stood behind her son, placing her hands on his shoulders. "This is Agent Santiago, who from tomorrow will be officially designated to ensure that your team is safe." She looked at him tenderly, smiling lovingly. "If he accepts this assignment, of course."
The other kids were amazed at the revelation, while the parents looked anxiously at the young man. Bobby was taken by surprise, but he felt responsible for his little sister and the others, so he did not have to think too hard to give her an answer.
"You can count on me." Standing up from the couch, he looked straight at his father, saluting. "It will be my pleasure to accept such a mission, sir."
Bobby was proud of his attitude and looked around, and saw how the younger ones looked at him. However, when he focused on Lori, he saw that she was staring at him wide-eyed as she forced a false smile.
He had noticed that she was behaving strangely lately, but due to the current situation, he expected her to at least get worried. Instead, she acted as if she were an actress that forgot the script, totally lost in the act, not knowing how to react.
However, he did not have time to think about it.
"If that's what you want, then fine." Pym took a bored expression, pouting. "Still, there is still my conditions."
"What? "The four parents said, totally taken aback.
"You guys didn't thought that only you would dictate the terms, did you? After all, we are talking about the future of your children."
The parents looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. Not even Rita knew that Pym would make his own terms, and that made her worried. If Pym pushed hard, he could ruin everything.
"And what would your conditions be?" Maria took an uncompromising stance, proving to be more intimidating than her husband.
"Actually, it's more like an opportunity than a condition. I want you all to spend a weekend with my team, for two reasons. First of all, I want you to tour my ship to see that it is totally safe. Other than that, I want you to accompany us on a mission, to see that we have everything under control."
All were taken by surprise, but Lynn and Roberto were the ones who got most affected. The thing they wanted most was to know what was going on inside the Avengers helicarrier, especially now that they know about the time machine. The opportunity to at least know the place where such a thing was was a unique chance.
"Well, that sounds reasonable." The Loud patriarch tried to sound neutral, but it was possible to see the excitement in his voice. "And when do you intend to do that?"
I've just begun to investigate something for Secretary Talbot, but as soon as I have an exact location, we can go there, and on the way we could make the tour at my ship."
"We already have another mission?!" Lincoln was totally stunned, doubting the words of the leader of his team. "We just completed our first mission!"
The Loud sisters looked at the white-haired boy, a little surprised by his reaction. After what happened, they expected him to get excited about it.
"Well, it is not an official mission, but Secretary Talbot thought it would be in my interest to find a supposed hacker operation that the government analysts could not find." Pym scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Normally, I would handle such a situation on my own, but I believe the location of this mission would be in the interest of the whole team."
The four young heroes looked at each other in confusion.
"And where was this supposed organization supposed to be?" Ronnie asked, taking a serious stance.
Pym smiled.
He knew this would be interesting, and he was eager to see everyone's reaction.
"Royal Woods, Michigan."
TO BE CONTINUED ...
Yes, that's right. The siblings will go to Royal Woods, the place where most of them were born before the family moved to New York.
Except, of course, for the fact that I'm going to put an intermission before the new arc.
But one thing is certain: they are not prepared for what they will find.
