Revamped!
Chapter 43: Pym Particles Part Two
Thirty-Three Years Ago - Pym Technologies - 17:15 PM
Hank stands in his office behind his overflowing desk. His office. After avenging Vernon van Dyne, Hank and Janet got their lawyers to work up contracts for the company transfer. They debated for hours on end about if it was a gift versus selling, signing agreements on where the money goes. All that fun stuff. Since they started dating, they signed a prenuptial agreement once it became serious. They figured that if they really loved together, it's not an issue. If they were to get married and stay married forever, all that matters is signing the marriage licence.
Hank's arms rest on the edges of his desk as Janet sits on a couch that is against the wall. Her legs are crossed on the leather cushions as her hands are folded up, elbows resting on her knees as she watches Hank.
"You'll crack under all this pressure you're putting on yourself," Janet tells him.
She stands up, unsure if Hank even heard her. She takes a few steps closer and jumps in fright as he knocks some paperwork to the floor. Once he's finished, Hank runs a worried hand through his hair and Janet stands close to him.
"I'll help you," Janet says to him. "Let me take something off of your to-do list."
"How?" Hank responds. "You don't like this life and I'm not the one to force you into it."
Janet takes his arm with both her hands and looks up at him with the utmost love and adoration in her eyes and a small smile.
"I will marry you," she tells him.
Hank is taken aback by her statement. "How did you know I would propose?"
Janet laughs a little. "I do now."
They both laugh a little at their spontaneous proposal as Janet squeals with excitement. Hank steps over the papers on the floor to get to his jacket. He searches through his pocket and pulls out the velvet box with the ring in it.
-o-
Present Day - El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico - 10:42 AM
Janet and her team continue walking through the jungle, Xavier taking the lead with the extremely vague directions on his tablet. Xavier, Angela, and Merida all hold their weapons, ready to fire at what might be in the deep nooks and crannies of this jungle (in most scenarios, it ended up being only harmless wildlife) while Janet walks with a little skip in her step (it's her natural pace).
Xavier looks down at his tablet and sees flashing red lights ahead of them. "There are upcoming signs of life and military equipment where the lab is supposed to be."
"Maybe it's the Puerto Rican army," Angela guesses.
"But it would've picked up on it being the Puerto Rican army. It's unknown."
Janet frowns. "I can't believe people trespassed on my property and are now going to loot Hank for whatever he left in there, and that man leaves a lot."
Merida suddenly perks up. "If we can detect them then they can surely detect us."
Everyone is silent as they hear the sound of weapons being loaded. They look at Xavier for a plan and his face is blank.
-o-
Present Day - Stark Towers - 10:46 AM
"How bad is it?" Daniel asks.
"Not too bad," James says with hope in his voice.
"There are too many unstable particles loose in this room. It's nearly impossible to predict their effects, locations, anything!" Hank exclaims.
"Never mind," James whispers to Daniel, "it's bad."
"The warmer the colour, the easier they are to spot," Hank points out.
"Jarvis," Emily calls, "turn the lights to 200 kelvin."
The lights change and suddenly they're all able to see the room littered with small multicoloured dots that can only be seen in this new light and grouped by the thousands and millions. They look around and they're everywhere, rendering them all immobile without contacting one.
"Jarvis," Emily calls again, "seal the room shut."
Jarvis does so and everyone turns their eyes to Hank for a plan. His face is strict, not because he's mad (although he is) but because he's thinking. He quickly gets an idea.
"The particles are much too small to catch ourselves and too dangerous," Hank says. "I have some qualified assistants to help out."
Hank sends out a call using an EMP communication device and the lab fills up with ants. Emily's eyes widen in fear and disgust at the sight of this minuscule army crawling on her floor, especially since she sealed the room shut meaning that Hank had them with him this whole time without telling her.
"Great," Emily states dryly as she squirms on her toes, careful not to squish any of the ants. "Not only do I have a drywall problem but now I'll have an ant infestation."
"You're never going to forgive us for this, are you?" Daniel asks.
"I'll forgive you," James replies although Daniel wasn't asking him.
"I won't," Hank says as he begins to instruct his ants on what to do. Nobody's sure if he's serious or not but he likely is.
-o-
Present Day - El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico - 10:53 AM
An army of men piles into the section of the jungle where their scans picked up on some unwanted visitors. Expecting to see them, the army only holds their weapons up to emptiness. Trees are slightly broken, the grass is tattered and not in their tufts. To their surprise, the ground is littered with ammunition, stray arrows, and a single combat boot meaning that a fight has taken place here. Orders are being yelled in Spanish and that is when the trees start rustling.
Xavier is the first one to leap out of the trees. The army reacts as one soldier grabs his shield. Xavier lowers it from his hands and decks him right across the face. Angela drops out next and lands right in front of a soldier who seems to take a fancy to her.
"Where did you come from?" The soldier asks in a broken English accent.
Angela smirks, about to use this to her advantage. "I was dropped out of heaven."
A used line but a good one. She instantly kicks him in the face. Angela jumps in the air, spinning around whilst kicking over two more. She dives onto the ground, putting the combat boot on the ground, which belonged to her, back on. Before a soldier could pounce on her, Xavier bashes him over with the shield.
Merida jumps out next, using a soldier as her landing pad. She uses her bow as a battering ram for the first few hits before resorting to using her arrows. That's when Janet flies in, shooting down the rest of them.
Once that's dealt with, Janet grows back to her normal size, Merida picks up her stray arrows as Xavier and Angela gather the ammunition.
"I know where the lab is from here," Janet says, leading the way by shrinking and flying.
