five

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𝑰𝑻 𝑻𝑨𝑲𝑬𝑺 𝑻𝑾𝑶
-𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏
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"GUYS, IT'S not a good idea to be out in the open like this," Scott whispered as they walked through the entrance of a university campus. They all wore baseball caps and dark sunglasses.

Hank shrugged. "Relax, no one's gonna recognize us."

"Yeah, really seems like a baseball cap and sunglasses are the new Superman disguise," Christina commented, scoffing.

"We look like ourselves at a baseball game," Scott quickly added afterwards.







"IN AN isolated system, particles co-exist in a stable phase relationship. If the system is interfered with, that stability becomes chaos." Bill lectured to a roomful of students. There were multiple figures and graphs projected behind him on a screen. "Unpredictable. Dangerous. Beautiful."

"Isolated completely, a quantum system would revert back to separate states of matter. Each entangled with a distinct state of its environment." The three adults entered the classroom, standing at the very back.

Bill noticed them, focusing his eyes on Hank. He paused before quickly covering it up with a smile. "In other words...The object in question would be both in and out of phase with multiple parallel realities."

He moved back to his podium. "Speaking of being out of phase with reality... I am noticing an unusually high number of glazed eyes out there among you." The students laughed, "So, why don't we call it a few minutes early. That will be enough for today, thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You may go."







"IT'S AMAZING. You're linked to Janet." Bill observed, staring right at Scott. Scott sat awkwardly in Bill's office, not knowing how to react. He fidgeted with his sunglasses in his lap. "It's quantum entanglement between the quantum states of Posner molecules in your brains."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Do you guys just put the word quantum in front of everything?"

Before Bill had time to react, Hope leaned forward in her chair. "Doctor, we need to find our lab."

"Hope, I'd love to help you but I don't have anything like the equipment you're describing."

"I told you this was a waste of time." Hank quickly said after. "Come on, let's go."

"Don't condescend, Hank." Bill shot back at the man. "You're the one who's on the run from the FBI. All because you had to grow to a size that finally fit your ego."

"Uh, actually—" Christina attempted to butt in, but Hank cut her off.

"That wasn't me in Germany. It was this idiot."

"Really?" Bill questioned, eyeing him. Scott pursed his lips, confirming it. Bill leaned forward on his desk with interset. "Going that big must have been exhausting."

"I slept for three days straight. You have no idea."

"Actually, I do." Christina narrowed her eyes in question at Bill's words. He picked up on this, glancing at her. "Back in the day, I was Hank's partner on a project called Goliath."

"Excuse me? You were my partner?"

"The only thing more tiring than going that big is putting up with Hank's bullshit."

"Right—" Scott smiled before the two shared a quick laugh. When Scott looked up at Hank, he received a harsh stare, causing him to stop immediately. Scott cleared his throat, "How big did you get?"

"My record? Twenty-one feet."

"Not bad."

"You?"

Scott waved Bill off, shaking his head. Christina had heard how tall Scott got, making a burn of anger settle in her stomach again.

"No, really. I'm curious."

"Sixty-five feet—"

"Whoa..."

"Yeah."

Christina rolled her eyes, leaning her head back to groan. "Stop with comparing sizes, already. Please."

"If you two are finished, we need to figure out a way to track down the lab," Hope said.

"And the great Hank Pym hasn't figured that one out yet?" Bill asked, taking another shot at the scientist. Hope sighed, moving from her seat to stand beside Christina. "Strange. You had all the answers back in the day."

He glanced at Scott with a smirk. "That's why I left the project."

"Left?" Hank scoffed at Bill, "I fired you."

"Best decision I ever made." He continued, ignoring Hank. "Hank was a terrible partner. Temperamental...stubborn, impatient. Sooner or later, he just pushed everyone away."

"Just the mediocrities." Hank shot back.

"Janet was the only one who could endure him and chose to stick it out."

"Watch it, Bill." Hank glared at him.

"She paid the price, though, didn't she?"

"Oh...no," Christina whispered, giving Hope a warning glance.

"You son of a bitch!" Hank hissed, lunging for Bill. Both Christina and Hope jumped forward, being able to hold him back in time. Scott got up, helping them out.

"I didn't come here to listen to you two scabble! I'm trying to save my mother!" Hope looked at Bill just as Christina heard static from a radio outside the door.

She stepped away from them, staring out the fogged glass. Scott went up the window, peering out as well. He spotted a group of FBI workers talking to local security. Glancing at Chris, he touched her back, leading her to the window. "It's Woo."

"The guy who's keeping track of you?" Christina asked, looking up at him. He nodded, swallowing nervously. She then looked over her shoulder, noticing the hand on her back. He quickly took if off before stepping back.

"Someone must have seen me," he said, reaching for his sunglasses. Hank pulled out his phone.

"Relax. If this is about you, they'd be in your house by now."

Chris rounded on Hank, glancing down at his phone. It displayed the ant that was taking Scott's place. It was currently playing Rock Band with headphones on. Her face twisted, with a frown.

"What are you, fifteen?" Hank accused with the same disgust.

"Come on, we gotta go right now!" Hope ushered everyone out of the office.

"Wait," Bill said, stopping them. "You might be able to improvise that tracker if you modify the diffraction units on one of your regulators."

"That could work," Hope muttered to her father.

Scott twisted the handle, swinging open the door with attitude. "I don't know what that means."

"You don't have to, it's fine. Come on," Christina pushed him out the door as Hope thanked Bill.

They ran down one of the hallways, making sure to avoid being seen out the windows as they went for Bill's office.







"SO, I'M a terrible partner? Foster, he hasn't had one good idea in his unremarkable career." Hank vented to the three as he drove.

"But his idea about the diffractors could work, right?" Hope asked, bubbling themselves away from Christina and Scott.

"Fine, one decent idea. Except, I eliminated the diffractors when I upgraded the suits."

"So, if we had an old suit, we might be able to track down the lab?" Scott asked awkwardly.

"Yes, but we don't."

Scott looked up at Hank through the rearview mirror. "...What if we did?"

Hope turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Christina gave him a skeptical look. "You're not serious, right?"

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "I-I mean...life's funny."

"Oh my gosh, you didn't destroy the suit," Hope smirked. Hank shot Scott a wild look.

"What?!"

"Well, it was your life's work, Hank," Scott tried to reason. "I couldn't destroy that! Before I turned myself in, I shrunk it down and mailed it to Luis."

"At least he did something right." Christina chuckled, bumping shoulders. Scott offered a small smile.

"You sent my suit through the mail?!" Hank yelled. Christina stifled a laugh.

"Hey! The postal service is very reliable! You know, they do tracking numbers now. Like UPS."

"Where is it?"

"In a very safe place, all right? Don't worry."

Christina paused, "I bet you five bucks it isn't."

"Hey," Scott frowned at her, to which she smirked and shrugged playfully.

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