Increased Powerstones Requirents for Bonus Chapter 100 Ps —> 200 Ps
I can't keep up with you guys so a little adjustnt! Sorry~
----
"Welco aboard, Dr. Pym."
Nolan's voice was calm and confident. There was no grand ceremony, just a nod because he didn't need Hank's company or his fa.
Just his mind.
"I'm in," Hank said, "but Pym Technologies stays with my daughter. She'll be running it, not ."
"Perfect. I want the man, not the brand."
To Nolan, intellectual capital was king. Hank's quantum research alone was enough to unlock doors, especially doors into ti. Because in the realm of physics, quantum theory was the only legitimate way to touch ti itself.
After all, it was the Quantum Realm that spared Ant-Man from Thanos' purge. And it was through quantum tunneling that the Avengers bent ti in Endga.
Sure, it didn't alter the past but it led to alternate presents. And for Nolan, that was good enough.
He had a very specific mont in mind. The rise of mutants... and Sebastian Shaw.
With a flick of his finger, the bindings on Hank and Hope disintegrated. Scott Lang, however, remained tied to his chair, eyebrows raised in betrayal.
"Uh... hello? Still here!" Scott called out hopefully.
Nolan didn't even look at him. "Captain can pay your bail."
Scott paled. "No, no. No need for that. I'm sure he's busy."
He rembered too well how Nick Fury had to pull strings to spring him last ti. And with no suit now, he wasn't even Ant-Man just so guy with bad luck and worse timing.
He looked to Hope for support. She looked away.
"You should've thought about consequences before you lied," Nolan said coolly, resting his hands in his lab coat pockets. "You dragged two brilliant minds into your ss. Twice."
Hank crossed his arms, eyes narrowing.
"Dr. Nolan," he said, hesitating, "would you consider letting him go? I promise he won't be touching the Pym Particles again. Ever. Let him go back to being... ordinary."
Nolan raised an eyebrow. "That's unlike you. You sure you don't want him dead?"
Hank sighed. "I'm not doing it for him. I'm doing it to close the book. He once helped ... so this will be the last ti I return the favor."
He turned to Scott. His voice was cold.
"I once thought of passing the Ant-Man mantle to you. But after everything you've done... you lack what it takes to be a hero."
Scott's smile froze. His eyes dimd.
It hit harder than any punch.
He staggered out, shoulders slumped, face hollow like the world had finally reminded him who he really was.
Just a regular guy.
---
Nolan watched him leave, then turned back to Hank. "You were testing him."
Hank didn't deny it. "I've tried dozens of tis to reach Janet using my shrinking tech. But Scott is the only person who's ever returned from the Quantum Realm."
He paused. "One day, he might still be useful. If he ever grows up."
Nolan shrugged. "As long as he stays out of my way, I don't care."
In truth, he figured Nick Fury had dangled the Space Stone fragnt last ti to lure him into Civil War. But he wasn't sure Fury would offer such a generous bargain again. And Steve Rogers? He was just another soldier in soone else's war.
---
A few days later.
At the Osborn Industries front desk, three figures arrived early in the morning.
One of them, confident, cocky, stepped forward. "Hi. I'm Johnny. I've got an appointnt with Dr. Nolan. Can you confirm?"
The receptionist offered a warm smile... until she got a good look at his face.
It vanished instantly.
She stiffened, her voice colder now. "One mont, please."
Johnny blinked. "Did I forget to wash my face this morning or sothing? Am I hideous?"
Susan Storm chuckled. "No... but people are definitely staring. You'd think we were wearing our suits or sothing."
She wasn't wrong. The atmosphere in the lobby was frosty.
Maybe it was paranoia toward supers.
Maybe it was just him.
The receptionist made a call. "Boss, Captain Arica's here to see Dr. Nolan."
Johnny nearly choked. "What?! I'm not Cap! Tell him it's the Human Torch. From the Fantastic Four!"
There was a pause on the line. Then:
"...Sorry, Boss. My mistake. It's not Rogers. It's the Fantastic Four."
She checked her screen, eyes flicking between the real Johnny Storm and the old archived photos online.
"...Though I have to admit, you do look like him."
Johnny groaned. "Seriously? This again?"
Behind him, Reed and Susan exchanged glances. The Fantastic Four hadn't exactly been in the spotlight lately but they were about to step into a world that was much bigger than Baxter Tower.
And sowhere inside this skyscraper...
Nolan was already waiting.
----
[Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
For early access to advanced Chapters on p@treon:
P@treon/iamxeno
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!q
Reviews
All reviews (0)