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THE ROOM WAS FILLED WITH A TENSE SILENCE WHEN A VOICE SUDDENLY ECHOED THROUGH THE SPEAKERS, jittery and uncertain. "Oh... hi! Hi! Is anyone home?!"
Aanya's brows furrowed, and she immediately rose from her seat. She wasn't alone-Steve and Natasha were already up, their eyes fixed on the source of the sound. A holographic image flickered to life in the centre of the room, and all three of them stared at it with identical expressions of confusion and suspicion. There was no mistaking the seriousness that etched itself onto their faces.
Projected before them stood a man with dishevelled brown hair, waving his hands frantically in front of a rusty brown van. "This is Scott Lang!" he called out, his voice laced with urgency. He glanced up at the camera. "We met a few years ago? At an airport in... in Germany? I was the guy who got really big. I had my mask on! You wouldn't recognise me!" His words tumbled out in a nervous rush, and he looked as though he was desperately trying to explain himself to an invisible jury.
Aanya and Steve exchanged a glance, both frowning. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinised the jittery holographic image. "Is this an old message?" Steve asked, turning to Natasha, who was already focused on the controls, her brow furrowed.
Before Natasha could answer, Scott's voice broke through again, more frantic this time. "Right-Ant-Man! I am Ant-Man! I really need to talk to you guys!"
Natasha exhaled slowly, almost in relief. "It's the front gate," she confirmed, the tension visibly easing from her shoulders.
A wave of relief washed over both Aanya and Steve. Aanya let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and stretched her arms above her head, her muscles relaxing. "Well, let's get the dude inside," she said, a slight grin tugging at her lips. "Sounds like he's been through enough already."
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THE TRIO EXCHANGED SCEPTICAL LOOKS AS THEY WATCHED SCOTT LANG, the Ant-Man, pace back and forth across the room. His face was etched with a kind of intense panic that made him look like a... well, an idiot.
Steve cleared his throat, raising his brows as if urging Scott to come back to his senses. Scott immediately looked at the blonde, his eyes wide, as Steve asked, "Scott, are you okay?"
Scott nodded vigorously, almost as if on autopilot. Inside, he was spiralling. Natasha's brow furrowed as she observed his erratic behaviour. "This is... weird," she muttered, her tone laced with concern.
Aanya, her hair a striking gradient of blueberry and dark grape, raised an eyebrow. She made a calming gesture, holding her palms out. "My dude, you need to take a deep breath and calm down."
Scott glanced at her and then laughed nervously. "Uh... Lady, you kicked my shins back at the airport..."
Aanya threw him a nonchalant grin, flashing him a thumbs-up as if to say, 'No hard feelings.'
A moment of awkward silence stretched between them before Scott began wringing his hands. His voice came out in a rush, almost a plea, "Have either of you guys ever studied quantum physics?"
"Only to make conversation," Natasha replied dryly, her eyes never leaving his jittery form.
Scott raised his hands, gesturing vaguely in the air, trying to find the right words. "Uh... all right, so... five years ago-five years ago, right before... Thanos. I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. It's like its own microscopic universe."
Aanya leaned against the desk, folding her arms across her chest, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She studied him intently, sensing there was more to his story than his babbling suggested.
Scott continued, rambling about Hope and Hank, how they were supposed to pull him out but couldn't. He barely seemed to notice if anyone was keeping up with him. He was just getting it all out, every jumbled thought.
"I'm sorry, that must have been a very long five years for you," Natasha said gently, her empathy cutting through his rambling.
Scott shook his head vehemently. "No, no. For me, it was five hours." He glanced between Natasha, Aanya, and Steve. "See, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable." His eyes landed on the peanut butter sandwich sitting on a plate nearby. "Is that anyone's sandwich? I'm starving."
Without waiting for an answer, Scott darted over to the table, snatching up Natasha's peanut butter and jelly sandwich and taking a massive bite. He sighed, closing his eyes in bliss as if the sandwich had somehow brought him back to Earth.
Steve crossed his arms, his voice firm but curious. "Scott, what exactly are you talking about?"
They all turned to face him, Aanya moving to Steve's side, her brows knitted in confusion.
"So," Scott said around a mouthful of sandwich, "what I'm saying is, time works differently in the Quantum Realm. The only problem is, we don't have a way to navigate it. But what if we did? I can't stop thinking about it."
Aanya listened carefully, her face thoughtful. His idea wasn't entirely off the mark... Was it?
Scott's gaze shifted to Aanya, sensing her interest. "What if there's a way we could control the chaos? What if we could navigate it? Enter the Quantum Realm at one point in time and then exit at another-like... before Thanos."
"Wait," Steve interjected, holding up his hand to stop him. "Are you talking about a time machine?"
"No-no-of course not-" Scott stammered, glancing around nervously at their faces before throwing his hands up in frustration. "I know it sounds crazy! But I can't stop thinking about it. There's got to be some way..."
He trailed off, staring down at the half-eaten sandwich in his hand. "It's crazy..."
Natasha leaned in, her voice calm but firm. "Scott. I get emails from a raccoon. Nothing sounds crazy anymore."
Aanya snickered. "So, you do know he's a raccoon?"
Natasha shot her a weary yet amused smile, shaking her head slightly. Before Scott could spiral any further, he asked with wide eyes, "So, who do we talk to about this?"
The trio glanced at each other knowingly. They all had the same thought. If anyone could help them navigate the chaos of the Quantum Realm, they knew exactly who to call.
