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As Pym entered the room, he made sure to glare at Peter, showing his annoyance at his interference.

But rather than complaining, Pym turned to Scott and smiled.

"I told you I'd be in touch, Scott." He sat across from Peter, leaving Scott to stand in confusion.

"Oh, sh*t..." Scott instantly realized why this old man's voice sounded so familiar. "You're the guy from the helmet."

Pym merely nodded as he settled into the couch, resting his old tired body.

"Look, I'm sorry that I stole the suit. I won't ask any questions, so let's just go our separate ways, okay?" Scott offers as he eyes the exit, hoping to get the hell out of this place.

Looking at him for a moment, Pym shook his head in disappointment. "You know, you're ex-wife was right about you."

Scott froze as his eyes went wide. "...How do you know about that?"

'Did he have ants watching Scott earlier as well?' Peter wondered as his impression of Pym changed a bit. 'This guy is one hell of a spy...'

As he thought this, Peter couldn't help but wonder whether the old man had ordered some ants to spy on him as well...

'I need to be careful on my way home.' He thought as he eyed his body, looking for any stowaway insects.

"I understand why she's trying to keep you away from Cassie. After all, the moment things get tough, you turn right back to crime." Pym's correct assessment hit Scott right where it hurt. "The way I see it, you have two choices. You can either waste the rest of your life as a criminal, watching your daughter grow from a distance, or you can take this opportunity."

"What opportunity?" Scott needed some time to process everything. "I don't understand..."

"No, I don't expect you to. But you don't have many options right now. And quite frankly, neither do I. Why do you think I let you steal that suit in the first place?" Pym revealed.

"What?" Scott asked in shock as he realized that all of this might have been a complete set up.

"Scott, we need a new Ant-Man. And we think you're the man for the job." Peter said, confusing him even more.

"What the hell is an Ant-Man?" Scott asks skeptically. "I've never heard of it."

Although Ant-Man was a well-known legend among spies and those with enough power and money to acquire the information, the normal population have never heard this name before.

Hank sighed, knowing this wouldn't be easy. "Well, Ant-Man was the alias I'd use back in the day."

A reminiscent smile formed on Pym's face.

"I created a suit that allowed me to shrink down to the size of an ant while maintaining my full strength. With this suit, I was able to fight crime, serve the country, and perform miracles." He explained.

"So you're saying you were like an old version of him?" Scott raised a brow as he turned to Peter.

Hank nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't just about stopping crime or stopping war. My work as Ant-Man allowed me to do something even more important."

Scott looked intrigued as he inched forward in interest.

Pym continued. "It allowed me to help people on a microscopic level. I was able to explore the world of atoms and molecules, and I discovered things that no one else had ever seen before. I used this knowledge to help develop new technologies and medicines that could save lives."

Scott looked impressed. "So what happened? Why aren't you still Ant-Man?"

Pym's expression darkened. "I don't know if you've noticed, Scott, but I'm a bit past my prime these days."

Of course, that wasn't the real reason.

Whenever Pym even looked at his suit, let alone wore it, he couldn't help but think of his beautiful wife.

His wife, Janet van Dyne, disappeared during a mission in the 1980s. Her husband was the Ant-Man, making her the Wasp, a team that battled everything together on a miniature scale.

During a mission to disarm a Soviet missile, Janet had to shrink down to a subatomic level to disable the missile's trigger mechanism.

However, in the process, she became trapped in the Quantum Realm, a dimension that exists at a subatomic level, and was presumed dead.

Hank was devastated by Janet's loss and blamed himself for not being able to save her, leading him to subsequently retired from his superhero duties and refused to let anyone else take up the mantle of Ant-Man or Wasp, out of fear of losing them as well.

'Maybe I should drop some hints about her survival?' Peter wondered.

Scott nodded, understanding now. "So that's where I come in. You want me to take your place as Ant-Man?"

Hank smiled. "Yes, exactly. I believe that you have what it takes to be a great Ant-Man, and I want to train you to use the suit safely and effectively."

Scott blinked. "But, I'm just a petty thief."

"Exactly," Hank said, his eyes twinkling. "You have the skills we need. And we're willing to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime."

Scott looked at them skeptically. "Why me? Why not someone else?"

Hank leaned forward. "Because I think you're the only one who can handle it."

"And I'm willing to sweeten the deal." Peter cut into the conversation, piquing Scott and Pym's interest. "As I said, if you impress me enough, I'll hire you as an official Avenger. And let me tell you, the pay and perks that every Avenger enjoys are very generous."

Scott seemed interested, as he needed a job and no one else was hiring ex-cons, but most of all, this was a very well-respected legal job that he wouldn't be ashamed of.

"And secondly, I can help with getting joint custody of your daughter, Cassie." Peter threw out the real bait.

Instantly, Scott's heart skipped a beat. This was everything that he ever wanted.

"H-How?" he stammered.

Peter grinned. "Let's just say I have some connections, but most of all, the Avengers have some very good lawyers on retainer."

With Nelson and Murdock on the case, Scott can rest assured.

Though, he would probably have to call in a few favors as well. After all, with Scott's record it'll be an uphill custody battle.

Scott stared at Peter, unable to believe what he was hearing, his eyes slightly misty. "I... I don't know what to say."

Hank smiled. "Say yes."

Scott hesitated. He didn't know what it meant to be a superhero or the responsibilities that came with it.

He wasn't sure if he had what it took. But then he recalled the perks of the deal, and thought of his daughter, knowing that he had to take this chance.

"Yes," he said, looking between Hank and Peter. "I'll do it."

Hank grinned. "Excellent. Welcome to the team, Scott."

Peter stood up and clapped him on the back. "We're gonna have some fun, you and me."

Scott smiled, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Maybe things were finally starting to look up for him.

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In a very expensive restaurant, Cross and Hope sat across from one another, enjoying their meal in silence.

Though, that silence didn't last long.

Cross looked up from his plate. "You know I've been thinking a lot about gratitude lately, and today during my morning meditation, an interesting thought occurred to me and I think it might apply to you as well."

"How's that?" Hope asked, hoping that this dinner would end quickly.

Although she didn't want to be here, it was necessary in order to keep her cover as Cross' loyal supporter.

If she had things her way, Hope would already be wearing her father's suit, thwarting Cross' plans and sending him to prison.

But sadly, her father refused her request over and over.

"Gratitude can be forgiveness." Cross says as if he were some Buddhist monk. "I spent years carrying around my anger for Hank Pym. I devoted my genius to him. I could've worked anywhere and I chose my mentor poorly..."

He turns a sympathetic look toward Hope, though she couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"You, on the other hand, didn't even have a choice. He never believed in you. It's a shame what we had to do, but he forced us to do it, didn't he? But we shouldn't be angry. Instead, we should be grateful. Because of his failures as a mentor and a father, Pym forced us to spread our wings on our own."

Although his words were meant to be comforting, Hope couldn't help but feel an odd air to them, as if she were talking to a sociopath, who only spoke what he thought others wanted to hear.

"You deserve everything coming your way, Darren." Hope said with a smile, a hidden meaning hidden behind her words.

A/N: 1502 words :)

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