Natasha sat in front of a large curved monitor trying to relay as much information as he could to Nick Fury. Despite everything he had been through and all his training, becoming a man was bothering him more than he would have ever expected. It didn't help that Nick Fury, who was now a woman, was wearing black. It made it easier for Black Widow to catch glimpses of his reflection in the monitor from time to time.
"Romanoff!" Nick snaps, realizing that Natasha is not fully paying attention.
"Yes, sir." Natasha replies. "I will relay the message to the others. I'm pretty sure they're not going anywhere anytime soon."
'They'd better not be." Fury responds. "If they want to get those ships off the ground, they're probably going to need my help."
"Right sir, I'll let them know." Natasha responds. Despite appearances, Nick Fury's demeanor and attitude help Black Widow feel a little more confident. "And sir." Natasha adds.
"What?" Fury asks, somewhat grumpy.
"It's good to have you back." Black Widow tells her.
"I wish I could say it was good to be back." Nick Fury responds. "I'll see you soon." Nick Fury turns toward the controls for her camera muttering to herself. "Not even on Earth for one day, and..." the line hangs up.
The screen goes black and Black Widow is confronted with his reflection again. He reflects on his new look. His dyed hair does not go well with his masculine jawline. Despite changing genders, he noticed his hair grew a little and now his roots were clearly showing. There are more than a handful of wispy long beard hairs protruding from his lower chin. He turns his head back and forth, noticing the thin lines of a developing mustache.
It has been nearly thirty-six hours and he still hasn't slept. It is so rare for Natasha to be this wound up. He tried talking to the others, but everyone seems to be handling it in their own way, or too busy to distract. He felt like a mass barrage of emotions and couldn't get his head on straight. He just needed someone to talk to.
Natasha sat in front of the computer for a while trying to think of a distraction, before it dawned on him. He logged onto the net and started clicking on links.
"I don't know what operating system this is, but I hope it runs." He says to himself. To his surprise the program installed fine, and allowed him to log in. "I really hope you still use Skype, Barton."
Natasha clicks the "Hawkeye" call button and he is greeted by the old and nostalgic sound of Skype trying to make a call. Despite ringing for only a few seconds, it feels like an eternity. He was certain it crashed or hung up for a moment as the screen went blank, but after a moment of flashing lights, the camera adjusted and Clint Barton appeared on screen.
Natasha could hear screaming in the background, and Clint shouted to unseen people behind himself. "Stop fighting!" Hawkeye then turns to the camera and says, "Hello?"
"Hello Clint." Black Widow answers. It occurred to him, he hadn't thought about what to say. It also hadn't occurred to him that Clint would be impacted also. Yet, there he was, still male.
"Oh my God, Natasha. Hawkeye stares at the image of Black Widow in utter surprise. They both share a moment of awkward silence as neither knows what else to say. Natasha feels his own blood rushing, but doesn't know what he feels. He could cry or shout at any moment. The wait for a response is almost completely unbearable.
Clint is the first one to break the silence. First his eyes start to glisten. Then his lips begin to curl a little. His cheeks raise, and a low chuckle starts to bubble up.
Black Widow can't help it, he starts to smile and chuckle as well. After a few seconds, they are both laughing loudly, and this goes on for nearly a whole minute.
"Oh my God, Natasha." Clint says, after they both seem to be done laughing. "I should have called you hours ago. It has been utter chaos over here."
Natasha wipes a handful of laughter tears from his face as he responds. "I take it, it got some of the kids?" he asks.
"Some of the kids?" Clint responds. "It got all of the kids and Laura."
"Laura, too?" Natasha starts laughing. "That's rough."
"Yes! I was freaking out. We were having a barbeque and suddenly everyone keels over. I thought they were dying."
"That must have been scary." Natasha laughs.
"Next thing I know, my sons are girls, everyone else is a boy, and I am just freaking out." Hawkey explains through laughter. "Lila and Cooper keep thinking a mutant did this, and accusing each other."
"No, it's not a mutant." Natasha reassures him with a smile.
"It's not?" Clint asks. "Sounds like you've got a lead."
"Yeah, it's a long story." Natasha responds. "Have you got time?
"Yes. Lately, that's all I have, and I could use a break." Clint responds. "Wanna say hi to the kids?"
Natasha thinks about it for a moment then agrees. "Yeah, why not?"
"Kids!" Clint shouts behind himself. "Come say hi to Natasha!" He's about to turn back to the phone before adding, "It got to her, too." Clint looks back to the camera and winks at Black Widow. "Hopefully this'll get them to stop fighting.
Natasha watches as the kids all come rushing to the phone, with surprised expressions. Due to their ages he can tell who is who. Laura joins them as well, and it seems to help him feel better also. They exchange greetings and light chat before Natasha takes the time to tell Clint exactly what happened. They talk for hours.
***36 hours earlier in San Francisco, California***
Scott Lang is casually floating in the quantum realm carrying a canister. He twists the top and it pops open to reveal several power cells. Almost instantly the canister begins to glow as the power cells absorb quantum energy from all around him. After a couple of seconds he slams it down, sealing the canister.
"Ok." He says into his helmet. "Healing particles secure for our new ghost friend."
"Great." Hope responds. "Preparing for reentry in five... four... three.." *static*
Ant-Man startles for a moment, and feels a slight rush of concern.
"Hello?" He calls, but gets no answer.
"Ha ha, very funny. Hank, quit screwing around." There is still no answer. "You told me, yourself, not to screw around. Hank!" Still no answer. "Hope? Janet? Guys. Guys! Okay, seriously, don't joke around, bring me up, let's go! GUYS?!"
Feeling a little concerned, Scott pushes the enlarge buttons on his suit, but nothing happens. He looks down to his belt and taps it a couple of times when he suddenly begins to enlarge again.
It doesn't take long for Scott to reach full size as he is shot out of the quantum tunnel.
As Scott stands there confused for a moment he notices Janet with a couple of strangers standing at the control units. A short elderly lady comes rushing up to him and waves an angry finger in Scott's face.
"I told you not to go screwing around in there!" The woman shouts. "What the hell did you do?"
"I, uh!" Scott responds in confusion, not knowing what is going on.
"Hank," Janet interrupts the woman. "I told you, it wasn't him. It couldn't have been him."
"Then who else could it have been?" The angry woman shouts. "Who else could have been capable of changing DNA on a molecular level?"
"Hank," Janet interrupts again. "I was in there for thirty years, and I have never been able to alter anything bigger than a tardigrade."
"If anyone could find a way to screw up this bad," The woman replies. "He could." She points at Scott.
"Uh, What's going on?" Scott asks, finally finding his words.
Before anyone can get another word in, a young man with long hair rushes in and hugs Scott Lang. "I thought I lost you."
Scott is now completely confused and trying to decide whether he should return the man's hug or not.
"Great Hank!" Janet responds. "Look what you did. You freaked her out."
"Honey, I'm sorry." The angry woman says and begins patting the young man on the back.
Ant-Man removes his helmet and looks directly at Janet. "I'm confused." He tells her.
Janet walks up to all three and addresses Ant-Man. "Scott, this is Hope." She says, patting the young man. "And this angry little fireball is Hank." She says patting Hank on the shoulder as well. "You've been in the quantum realm for over twenty-four hours, and a lot has happened while you were gone."
Scott Lang looks at hope with confusion, then toward Hank Pym. "Twenty-four hours?" He responds, looking back to Janet. "That was literally less than ten seconds for me."
"Sometimes, that's how time works in the quantum realm." Janet responded. "Be glad you didn't jump any further."
"So, I just time traveled?" Scott asks. "But how did this happen?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out." Janet responds. "Hank here, seems to think you did something."
"All I did was what you told me to." Scott answers, shaking the energy canister at Hank.
Hank looks at Scott angrily. "Somehow I find that hard to believe." She says as she yanks the canister away from Scott.
Scott points to Hank who is now walking away. "Is he alright? He seems a bit angrier than usual."
"He'll be ok." Janet answers. "It seems the changes have fast tracked him straight to menopause."
"I'm not having menopause!" Hank shouts angrily over her shoulder.
"He's having menopause." Janet silently mouths toward Scott as she approaches him and Hope.
"Are you OK, Honey?" she asks her daughter, now son.
"Yea, I think I'm OK, now." Hope releases Scott and hugs his mother.
"Hope?" Scott addresses him. "Wow! You look so different."
"I know." Hope responds, red with embarassment. "It's been crazy since you got stuck in there."
"I really don't feel like any time has passed." Scott replies, before looking toward Janet. "And how come you aren't different?"
"We don't know." Janet responds. "It seems to have only affected certain people. Early estimates are at half the population."
"Half the population?" Scott asks. "I changed half of San Francisco into something else?"
"See!" Hank shouts from the quantum tunnel's controls. "He admits it was his fault also."
"It wasn't his fault, Hank!" Janet shouts back over her shoulder. The mischievous smile she has on her face clearly reveals that she is enjoying the current events.
"No, Scott." Janet says as she looks back toward him. "You didn't change half of San Francisco's gender."
"I didn't?" Ant-Man asks, somewhat relieved.
"No," Janet continues. "Early estimates are that half the entire world has now changed into the opposite gender."
"Half?" Scott asks in utter shock. Janet continues to watch him and slowly knod. "Half of all people on the planet?" He asks now, looking at Hope.
Hope looks back continuing to hold an embarrassed face. "Half of all life..." He tells Scott. "All the animals, too."
"Half of all life." Scott repeats to himself as the scale of everything hits him. "Animals? People? Plants? No, not plants." He shakes his head as he tries to concentrate.
"What about my daughter?" Scott asks.
"We don't know yet." Janet answers casually.
"I have to sit down!" Ant-Man responds as he partially falls to his knees. Janet and Hope have to catch him by the arms.
"It's OK." Janet tells him.
"How could I have done this?" Scott says out loud. "I have to go back! I have to fix things!"
"It wasn't you, Scott." Janet tries to reassure him. She looks to Hope for help, but Hope looks like he believes Scott did this as well.
"The particles!" Scott says pointing at Hank Pym. "That must be it! We just have to return them."
Hank glares at Scott and clutches the canister like a personal treasure. She clearly doesn't want to give them up.
"It can't be the particles." Janet answers. "Otherwise something would have happened when I left the quantum realm."
"But what else could it be?" Scott asks.
"We don't know." Janet replies. "But we'll figure it out together."
Scott looks up to her and after a moment nods. "OK."
Janet reaches out a hand which he takes, and she helps him get back onto his feet.
"Let's get out of this dirty parking lot." Janet tells him.
Janet and Hope both start walking back to the quantum tunnel's control unit while Ant-Man tries to get a handle on his thoughts. Janet places a hand on Hope's shoulder and asks if she is alright. It is clear, Hope is having the most trouble dealing with the changes.
"Half the world, huh?" Scott Lang asks out loud to himself. He starts hopping up and down and shaking his hands to try to ease some of the tension he was feeling only moments earlier.
"Hey guys!" He shouts to the others. "I'm wondering. Do you think whatever happened didn't affect me because I was in the quantum realm?"
Hank Pym doesn't answer but gives him a glare. Janet turns back slightly and only says, "It's possible."
"Because that would make sense." Scott adds. "I mean, I did skip forward in time. I wasn't on Earth. Technically not even the same universe. "
"Scott!" Hank interrupts him. "Shut up."
"Right." Scott answers. He starts jogging toward the others, but doesn't even make it halfway before falling forward onto the concrete.
Hank rolls her eyes in annoyance. "You'd better not damage the suit."
Scott begins to groan in pain and the other two look toward him with concern.
"I think he's really hurt." Janet says, while her and Hope rush back to his side.
Scott rolls over and he is clutching his chest. He starts wailing loudly, in pain.
"Oh hell!" Hand exclaims, setting down the canister and rushing to Scott also.
Janet and hope are already leaning next to him trying to comfort him. "I think he's changing, too." Janet says as she turns to look toward Hank.
"Scott, it's OK." Hope starts telling him. "We're here. It's gonna be OK."
"I can't breathe." Scott manages to get out before turning on his side and continuing to moan in pain. This goes on for another minute or so before he finally quiets down.
"Well, did he change?" Hank asks, annoyed.
"I think so." Janet responds.
"Scott?" Hope calls out.
Scott looks up out of breath. "I can't breathe. I think it's my chest."
Hank pushes past Janet. "Oh, for the love of God." She grabs Ant-Man's arm and pulls it to the side. "Turn around!" Hank unzips the back of the suit allowing Scott to take a large breath.
After a few heavy breaths, Ant-Man turns to Hank and says, "Thank you, Hank. That's better... What's wrong with my voice?"
"Honey," Janet addresses Scott. "You might want to stay seated."
Scott starts feeling her chest and it is abundantly clear, she's now supporting a pair of freshly sprouted breasts. "No. No. NO!" She complains.
"Yes.." Hope interrupts. Janet looks up toward hope and is surprised to see a somewhat elated expression on his face. Hope even reaches out and pulls at the top of the suit to look at Ant-Man's chest. She seems eager to verify the changes are real.
Due to the new shape of her body, Scotts suit now begins to slide off somewhat easily when Hope pulls at it. Moments before it can fully expose her breasts, she grabs onto the top and uses it to conceal herself, with a feminine squeal.
Scott grabs her throat, shocked at the sound she just made. "Oh, come on!" She shouts frustratedly.
Hank Pym stands up, shaking her head, and begins to walk away. "Idiot!" Is all she says.