章 74: Chapter 074: The Wasp's Early Emergence
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"I've come to realize now that power can never truly be destroyed," Hank Pym said with a tone of deep reflection. "The only thing we can do is ensure it doesn't fall into the hands of the wrong people. People like Darren Cross."
Hank motioned for Hope to follow him, leading her to the eastern wall of the warehouse. With a press of buttons on a hidden switch, Hope didn't even know existed, a secret compartment was revealed behind the sliding wall.
*Clang!*
The wall slid upward, revealing a hidden chamber behind it. Inside the chamber stood another suit. This one, however, was unmistakably designed for a woman.
Hope stood in stunned silence, utterly confused. 'There was another Ant-Man suit in their house? And it was made for a woman?'
"Hank, what is this? What's going on?" she asked, her eyes searching Hank's face for answers.
"Hope," Hank began, his voice heavy with emotion. "You've been asking me for years how your mother died." He sighed, a deep, sorrowful sound, as he prepared to explain something he had kept secret for far too long.
Hope's body tensed, her breath catching in her throat. 'Was he finally going to tell her the truth after all this time?' Her heart raced as she waited for him to continue.
"It was 1987," Hank began, his voice heavy with the weight of the memory. "A group of separatists hijacked a Soviet missile silo in Kursk and launched an intercontinental ballistic missile toward America. The only way to disable the missile was to enter its internal structure through solid titanium. I knew the only way to do that was to shrink down to the molecular level. But my regulator was badly damaged."
"But your mother..." Hank's voice faltered. "She didn't hesitate. She turned off her regulator and went subatomic. She was able to disable the missile... but she never came back." Hank's eyes welled up with tears as he relived the pain of that loss.
Hope, her own tears flowing freely now, felt a deep sorrow wash over her. 'So this was the truth of Mom's death? Was this why Hank had never wanted me to take up the mantle of the Ant-Man or Wasp?'
The weight of all the years of misunderstanding, resentment, and misplaced anger toward Hank hit her at once. At that moment, she realized how wrong she had been.
"She died a hero," Hank continued, forcing himself not to cry at the thought.
"I've been studying the quantum realm for the last decade," Hank continued, his voice breaking. "I hoped... maybe I could bring her back."
"You're trying to rescue her," Hope said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"But the more I learned, the more I realized how little I truly know."
"This wasn't your fault," Hope reassured him. "But why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I wanted to protect you," Hank said, his voice filled with regret. "I lost your mother. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you too."
Hope stepped forward and embraced her father. "Dad, I'm sorry for all the things I said. I understand now," she whispered, her voice soft yet filled with emotion.
They embraced, their years of estrangement melting away in a single, heartfelt moment. The pain of the past was replaced by a deeper understanding between them.
When they pulled apart, Hope's eyes fell on the sleek suit. "So, this is Mom's suit?" she asked, her voice a mix of awe and sadness.
"This is an improved version of the suit your mother and I worked on," Hank explained. "She never got the chance to wear it, but now I realize we made it for you."
"This is amazing," Hope said, her voice trembling with anticipation and emotion as she stared at the sleek, winged suit.
The Wasp, who wasn't supposed to debut among the heroes until after the Civil War, was now stepping into the spotlight much earlier than expected.
But she quickly shifted her thoughts to her father. "But what about you?" she asked. "Your body can't handle the strain of the suit anymore."
Hope knew Hank was too old to withstand the physical and mental strain that came with using the Ant-Man technology. While she could take on the role, she couldn't always be by his side.
But before Hank could respond, Hope's face lit up as she remembered something. "Wait a second! Dad, I can't eat another Devil Fruit, but you can."
Hank raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What are you suggesting?"
"Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Devil Fruit shop!" Hope exclaimed. "There are all kinds of amazing fruits there. Trust me, you're going to be blown away."
Hank's eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. "With the way you're talking it up, I'm starting to get excited about it."
"You should be, Dad. It's incredible," Hope said, grinning.
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The Next Day.
A well-dressed man in a suit and tie scoffed at the Devil Fruit shop as he stormed out, muttering to himself. "A few million for a piece of fruit? And it gives you superpowers? What a scam! I'm not falling for this nonsense."
Rosh, the shopkeeper, didn't even look up from his game. He had seen this type of customer before—one who couldn't afford the fruits but had to vent out by calling them fake. It wasn't worth his time to acknowledge the man's complaints.
"Poor guy," came a familiar voice.
Then Hope entered the shop, a small smile on her face. "He has no idea what he just missed out on."
She was accompanied by an older man with silver hair and glasses, exuding a quiet, intellectual air—Hank Pym himself, the first Ant-Man and a renowned scientist.
Rosh greeted her with a warm smile. "Hope! Back so soon to support my humble shop?"
"How could I not? Devil Fruits are far too incredible to keep to myself," Hope replied. She then introduced her father. "Rosh, this is my dad, Hank Pym. Dad, this is Rosh, the owner of this amazing shop."
"Rosh, Hope's liquid-based powers from the Liquid-Liquid Fruit have been... mind-blowing," Hank admitted, impressed. "I never imagined something so extraordinary could exist."
Rosh smiled modestly. "Well, you haven't seen the half of it, Dr. Pym."
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Next Chapter: The Mini-Mini Fruit
Next Next Chapter: Elektra Returns
Next Next Next Chapter: The Slow-Slow Fruit and the Grow-Grow Fruit
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