Lock said calmly, "That's something you should ask your father."
Dr. Hank Pym sighed deeply, the kind of sigh that carried decades of regret. He finally began to explain.
He and Janet had once been heroes — the original Ant-Man and the Wasp — partners in both marriage and missions. Together, they saved countless lives, maintaining the fragile balance of peace in a chaotic world.
Whenever they told their young daughter they were going on a "business trip," it was really another secret mission. With their Pym suits and particle technology, they were unstoppable — until the day they faced a threat they couldn't overcome.
A titanium-alloy intercontinental missile — the kind designed to survive anything. Its outer shell was too dense, its seams too tight. No conventional approach could disarm it.
So Janet made the impossible choice.
She shrank past the atomic scale, diving into the missile through the gaps between molecules. Hank remembered the last thing she said before disappearing into the subatomic haze: "Tell Hope I love her."
Then she was gone — lost to the quantum realm.
Forever, Hank thought.
When he finished, Hope's eyes were already glistening. "So… those two weeks — you weren't ignoring me. You were trying to save Mom, weren't you? I misunderstood you for so long. Why didn't you just tell me?"
"I wanted to protect you," Hank said quietly. "Janet was in danger because of me. I couldn't risk losing you, too."
The years of resentment melted away. Hope stepped forward and threw her arms around her father. He froze for a heartbeat — then hugged her back just as tightly.
For the first time in decades, father and daughter finally understood each other.
But their moment was cut short by a familiar voice drawling from the doorway.
"Uh… wow, touching family moment. Hey, Lock, buddy — great time for you to, y'know… join in for a group hug maybe?"
They all turned.
Scott Lang stood there in the doorway, barefoot, wearing ridiculous pajamas printed with tiny ants. He froze as three pairs of eyes locked on him.
He chuckled nervously. "Heh. Okay, maybe I should've knocked."
Hope rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible.
Lock smirked faintly. "Timing impeccable as always, Scott."
Scott scratched the back of his head. "Uh, so… about all that 'your mom's still alive' stuff — was that for real?"
Hope turned back to Lock, her expression sharp. "Yeah. You said my mother's alive. Explain."
Lock folded his arms. "She's not dead. She's trapped in the quantum realm — alive, but unreachable by normal means."
Dr. Pym's face darkened. "And how exactly would you know that? No scientist on Earth understands the quantum field. I've spent ten years on it and barely scratched the surface."
"Why should we believe you?" he demanded. "What's your angle in all this?"
Lock only smiled. "Let's just say I have… other sources. Whether you believe me or not, you'll see soon enough."
Hope leaned forward eagerly. "Then tell me — how do we bring her back?"
Lock pointed at Scott. "He's the key."
"Me?" Scott blinked, pointing to himself.
Dr. Pym frowned. "You're joking. This man's barely out of graduate school. He's clever, sure, but his field experience is nonexistent. Hope is ten times more qualified."
Scott crossed his arms. "Hey, come on! I've been training! Sort of!"
Pym arched an eyebrow. "You've been punched in the face repeatedly by my daughter. That's not training."
"Touché," Scott muttered.
Lock interrupted with a calm certainty. "Scott, listen carefully. When the time comes, make sure you always have a blue disc with you."
Scott squinted. "A… blue disc? You mean like a coaster? You've gotta start explaining this stuff, man."
But both Hank and Hope froze.
Dr. Pym turned sharply toward Lock. "How do you know about that? Those discs are classified as prototypes — red for shrinking, blue for enlarging. No one outside this lab has ever seen them."
Lock only shrugged. "Let's just say I'm well-informed."
Neither father nor daughter pressed further, though the unease in Hank's eyes deepened.
In truth, Lock knew exactly what he was doing. In the original timeline, Scott would one day use that blue Pym disc — the enlarging ring — to escape from the quantum realm and survive. Without it, he'd have been trapped there forever, just like Janet.
And Lock wasn't about to let that happen.
Hope stepped forward again. "So you're saying Scott has to enter the quantum realm — find Mom, or at least make contact — and then Dad can pull her back?"
Lock nodded. "Exactly."
Hope's mind was already racing. "That's… theoretically possible. Dad, we should start the preparations immediately."
But Hank shook his head. "No. Not yet."
Hope's voice rose. "Why not? Don't you want to save her?"
"Of course I do!" he snapped. "More than anything. But charging in blind won't bring her back. It'll just get someone else lost."
He took a steadying breath. "Hope, think. You and I have spent years studying the quantum field. We barely understand a fraction of it. How does this man claim to know what even I couldn't? I'm not saying he's lying — but rushing in now could cost us everything."
He looked at both of them — at his daughter's trembling hands and Scott's uncertain eyes. "Your mother gave her life to save millions. She wouldn't want us risking the same disaster just to undo her sacrifice."
The room fell silent.
Hope bit her lip, tears threatening again. She knew her father was right — but it didn't make the waiting any easier.
Finally, she exhaled and turned toward Scott. "Fine. Go suit up. We'll resume training right now."
Scott's jaw dropped. "Wait, what? Now? It's midnight! I'm literally in my pajamas!"
"Go," Hope ordered, eyes narrowing.
Scott groaned and dragged himself toward the training room, muttering under his breath.
"Unbelievable. Guy saves the world once and can't even get a bedtime pass."
As he disappeared down the hallway, Hope turned back to Lock. Her expression was cold and unreadable.
"You'd better not be lying to me," she said quietly. "If you are…"
Lock smiled, just a little too calmly. "If I am, I'll take whatever punishment you think I deserve. But if I'm not — if we really bring your mother home — tell me, Hope… how will you reward me?"
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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