IT TAKES TWO ▹ SCOTT LANG ⁶

eight

╔════════════╗
𝑰𝑻 𝑻𝑨𝑲𝑬𝑺 𝑻𝑾𝑶
-𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏
╚════════════╝

"THAT'S MY daughter, I need to text her back." Scott craned his neck, trying to see the screen of his phone.

"No, that's not happening." Bill shook his head, lowering it.

"It's 911. That means it's an emergency." Scott argued back

"You're not making demands here, Lang. You're not appreciating the gravity of the—" The phone in his hand started ringing.

"Okay, look. She's trying to video chat me now! Something might be wrong. Let me talk to her. Please!"

Bill sighed, accepting the call before lifting it to face Scott. Scott nodded at his daughter. "Cassie, are you okay? What's the emergency?"

"I can't find my soccer shoes," she replied.

From the angle Christina was at, she softly gasped at how big Cassie had grown. She smiled at her, although no one else saw it.

Scott frowned at her. "What?"

"I have a game tomorrow," Cassie added before Maggie; his ex-wife suddenly took the phone from her.

"Hey, Scott. I know that they're there. Can you just walk the phone around the house?"

"N-No, I can't do that right now."

"Why not?"

"Cause I'm sick."

Behind the phone, Bill motioned for him to hurry up.

"Hey, um, can you just maybe look around later than and then call me back? Please? Thank you." Maggie handed the phone back to Cassie.

"Bye, Daddy!" She called to the phone, holding it close to her face.

"Bye, peanut!"

"Feel better!" Cassie leaned into Pax's side and he smiled at him.

"Feel better, buddy!"

Bill ended the call and Scott frowned. "I'm sorry. It said emergency."

Hank sighed, shifting in his chair. "Ava. I want to help you."

"She doesn't need your help. I know how to save her." Bill snapped once he set down the device.

"Oh, really? How?"

"Janet," Ava replied, causing a look to flash over Hank's face. Christina turned her head, trying to gauge Hank's mood.

"For the last thirty years, she's been down there absorbing quantum energy. We can extract that energy. We can use it to repair Ava's molecular structure,"

"Extract it?" Hank snapped at Bill. When Bill agreed, Hank seethed at him, "Are you insane?! That would rip Janet apart."

"You don't know that. I'm gonna fire up your tunnel. When Janet's head pops up into Lang's head, he's gonna give it to me or I'm gonna turn him over to the FBI."

"What?" Scott asked in disbelief.

"Don't touch him, you bastard." Christina hissed at Bill, only being able to glare at him. She moved her wrists, suppressing a wince when the rope started to dig into her flesh.

"You..." Bill approached the table where all their valuables are. Picking up a blue shrinking disk, he tossed it at Ava's chamber. "are gonna stay here just in case I need your help."

"Like hell I would help you!" Hank yelled at Bill.

"You'll do whatever I say." Ava replied back with a glare.

"You're gonna kill Janet!"

"I'd be more worried about yourself, Hank."

"Goddamn it, Bill!" Hank strained as his face started turning red.

Hope and Christina glanced at him as Bill lifted the lab's handle on top. "Calm down, Hank."

"So help me God..." Hank continued, his voice now weak. He turned his head towards his daughter. "The pills..."

"It's his heart!" Hope called out before Bill could leave. "He needs his pills."

"Please," Christina spoke up next, getting their attention. "I was his caretaker for a while, and it's true. They're in the tin, please. Doctor Foster."

When Bill and Ava shared a look, Hope scoffed. "He could die! For Chr—Come on!"

"Help him!" Scott added, face ridden with worry.

"Just hang in there, dad. Breathe, all right?" she turned her head to Bill, jutting her chin at their things. "The Altoid tin."

"Come on!" Scott barked after Hope.

Bill grabbed it, trying to open it as he approached Hank. Ava gasped, shooting out her hand. "Wait—!"

Bill and Ava both fell back as seven ants sudden jumped out, jumbo-sized. One moved around the four, clipping their bindings off. Scott stood, turning to Hank, he called his name before throwing him the communication device.

As Hope checked on her father, Christina disappeared before reappearing in front of Ava. Raising her fist, she blasted Ava down. Hank commanded the ants to surround Bill.

Hope grabbed the lab, running outside the room. Scott took Ava's chamber before the rest followed suit.

"BILL IS filling that girl's head with lies," Hank spoke aloud, now back in their lab. "Elihas Starr was a traitor. He stole my plans—Now, bring it down. All right, lock it in!"

Christina craned her neck up, watching the ants do as such to the tunnel.

"No, no, no. The bolt is on the other side! Tighten that one down, then bring it down one notch."

When the ants locked the part in place, Hank praised them. She laughed, shaking her head before joining Scott's side.

Hope glanced at the computer. "It'll work."

"Foster, he could have fried the entire system."

"Look, Christina and Scott will adjust the relays while you and I go reprogram the settings, all right? It's gonna be fine." Hope nodded at her father, before leading him away. She gave a look over her shoulder at Christina, cocking a brow.

Rolling her eyes, Chris waved her off before turning to Scott. He handed her the contraption she stole before inserting it into the machine. Giving it a twist, it flashed green.

"So, this is it."

"Yeah, you think one would be ready with so much time, right?" She replied in a gentle tone, smiling at Scott.

"Oh, going subatomic isn't something you can prepare for." Scott shook his head, leaning it on his hand. "It kind of...melts your mind."

Chris turned her head, furrowing her brows. "I'm sorry...melts your mind?"

"Well," Scott started to sputter like he usually did. "Not literally, but more figuratively."

Christina blinked in confusion, glancing away from him before nodding slowly. "I'll...keep that in mind." Sighing quietly, Christina rubbed her clammy palms over her thighs. "I wonder what it'll be like seeing Mrs. Pym. Do you think she's forgotten about Hope or Hank?"

Scott offered a soft smile to her, "When I was in prison, the only thing that got me through was Cassie." He noticed her expression lighten, and her lips tugged into a smile as well. "I could've been locked up for 100 years...I never would've forgotten her."

"That's really sweet, Scott."

Scott's smile only stretched wider, causing her's too as well. After a few moments in silence, his phone began to ring, causing Scott to sigh and turn away to answer.