Chapter 169: Arc 5: Chapter 13: Request and Assistance

"You've never worked with Hank before, you never know how terrible a person that guy is."

In Professor Bill's laboratory, as the scan on Ava's body was still ongoing, Professor Bill needed enough data to confirm Ava's current situation, as well as how he should begin helping the daughter of his friend.

And while waiting for the scan results, Bill began talking to Merlin about Hank Pym.

Unsurprisingly, Professor Bill, who was once Professor Pym's assistant, also had a terrible experience working with his former colleague. It would seem that Professor Pym was the type of people others hated.

"Sounds like you have much against him."

Merlin sits on his seat and asks:

"I heard that Professor Pym was not just a scientist, that he was once a special agent who partook in some of the SSR's military operations?"

"Indeed, he invented the Pym Particles and even built a specialized combat suit for it, it allowed him to enlarge or minimize himself, even calling himself Antman while we called the project 'Project Goliath'."

After confirming Merlin's identity, Professor Bill spoke of his past experiences.

He holds the thermos cup, and while drinking on it, he complains to Merlin:

"But I highly suspect that the combat suit Hank had made was to show himself off. He is that kind of person, showing all his emotions on the surface, he needs to become large...like, very, very large to fit his sickly and ever-expanding ego."

 

"Speaking of Project Goliath."

Merlin suddenly recalls something Hill had told him about, he looks at the professor with a serious academic atmosphere and asks:

"I heard that you were one of the experimenters? You too had that...I mean, the experience of becoming very big?"

"Of course."

Speaking of that, a nostalgic smile appears on the serious professor's face, he strokes the short beard on his jaw and says:

"I wasn't just an experimenter, I partook in multiple missions along with Hank and Janet before. But even with the combat suit which Hank made back then, it was a tiring thing to enlarge yourself."

The professor says softly:

"The Pym Particles are peculiar, it changes the distance between the particles of the human body to achieve enlarging or minimizing the human body; at the same time, it would greatly enhance the user's strength, and we even called it the second Super Soldier Project. But I have serious doubts that not even Hank himself understood how the Pym Particles enhanced the user's strength."

"We can't explain the source of the Pym Particles...all we know is that it's useful, but we don't know how it ticks. Mmm...maybe Hank knows more about it than me, but he's like that, always keeping secrets."

The professor complains again:

"I feel that if there's one thing more tiring than extreme enlargement, it would be withstanding Hank's insufferable temper."

"Then what was your limit back then?"

Merlin asks curiously.

Professor Bill shrugs, he gestures at an exaggerating height with his fingers and says:

"My extent was 21 inches, which was nearly 7 meters. But Hank had once reached 60 inches during a mission, and that very adventure put him in the hospital for a full month."

"There is an extent to the enlargement of the human body."

Professor Bill continues:

"A larger size means more needed oxygen, more blood sugar supply for the circulation system, this is the limit of the human body. On the other hand, there's a limit to how small you can become, according to the fruits of our research all those years ago, if we keep minimizing ourselves using Pym Particles, then eventually, theoretically, you would enter the Quantum Realm."

"The Quantum Realm?"

A confused Merlin says:

"You mean, another world?"

"You can think of it like that since it's too troublesome to explain the Quantum Realm."

Professor Bill looks at the screen, the detection process has reached its final stage, he turns back and tells Merlin:

"The microscopic world is different from the macro world, it's vastly beyond the imagination of normal humans; even for us, we've no proof to prove that the quantum realm exists, it's but a theory. But if you want to save this child, then you must find a way into the quantum realm before she loses control."

"You mean that there's a way to save her there?"

Merlin looks at Bill, the latter nods:

"Quantum entanglement changed her, the energy from the quantum realm can also cure her particle misplacement, at least, stabilize her."

"So?"

Merlin asks:

"What should we do?"

Professor Bill glances at the opening metal chamber and sighs, saying unwillingly:

"We need to find Hank...when I left his lab, he's already begun designing the quantum tunnel. Now that it's been 10 years, he should've already finished it."

"Alright."

Merlin nods, he smiles at Ava, who got up from the metal chamber, then turns his head to Professor Bill, telling him:

"For now, stabilize Ava as best you can, I'll go look for the legendary Hank Pym."

"Agent Merlin, I have a question."

Professor Bill looks at the leaving Merlin and asks:

"All of this, including curing Ava, are these all part of your mission? It's an option to just leave her alone."

"You can think of it as my mission."

Merlin says:

"My conscience disallows me to watch an innocent girl disappear from the world like this. I will help her as best as I can, just as I received the help from those good people I met in the past."

"I'll bring back news soon, take good care of her, professor."

---

30 minutes later, Merlin's car stops outside of Miss Carter's manor, and this time, Miss Sharon did not come to welcome him.

He didn't say he was coming beforehand, after all.

Merlin opens the car door and comes to the manor gates, he waves his hand at the security camera, and shortly afterward, the shut metal gates open quietly.

Merlin walks into the manor and looks at the supposedly untidied garden, in his memories, Miss Carter didn't seem like the flower type of person.

But this time, surprisingly, the supposedly messy garden was well tidied, new seeds seem to have been planted and the weeds all plucked, it had even been lawnmower into a neat lawn.

This made Merlin curious.

Did Miss Carter hire a gardener?

With this in mind, Merlin walks to the manor and knocks on the door; a few seconds later, who appeared before Merlin was not Miss Sharon or Miss Carter herself.

Surprisingly, it was an elderly man with well-tidied hair, a khaki shirt, trousers, and an apron.

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Merlin had not seen this elderly man in Miss Carter's manor before, Merlin was confused when he saw the elderly man; the elderly man also looked at Merlin as he too did not know this young man.

A few seconds later, Merlin fake coughs and asks:

"Is this Miss Carter's home? Or am I at the wrong address?"

"Oh, you're looking for Peggy."

The elderly man then welcomes Merlin enthusiastically. He walks into the room, and moments later, he supports Miss Carter out of her room.

Compared to the last time they met, Miss Carter was much older, but she was still in high spirits.

There was a smile that could be called 'happiness' on her face, she pats the arm of the elderly man who supported her over, then waved at Merlin:

"Come sit, boy, I know you're here with trouble."

The spirited elderly man standing next to her gives a friendly smile to Merlin before returning to the kitchen, seemingly preparing lunch.

Merlin walks by Miss Carter and sits on the chair, he looks at Miss Carter for a while before lowering his voice:

"Miss, who is that?"

"Oh him."

Miss Carter smiles and says:

"He's my husband."

"???"

Merlin's eyes went wide, he'd never heard of Miss Carter having a husband, he'd always thought that Miss Carter was single.

"What? Can't a lonely old woman like me find accompany?"

A dissatisfied Miss Carter looks at Merlin's astonished expression and says:

"Don't speak this outwards, you came too suddenly, in fact, not even Fury knows of Steve's existence."

"Steve?"

Merlin becomes more surprised as he says:

"You mean that elderly man is Captain Steve Rogers, who has been missing for nearly 70 years?"

"No, he's not!"

Miss Carter shakes her head and denies it, saying:

"He just happens to be called Steve, he's a colleague I used to work with in the SSR, as the stories go, two lonely people eventually go together, don't think too much about it. So, what trouble do you have for me on this occasion?"

"Oh, so here's the case."

When speaking about official business, Merlin says with a serious expression:

"It's regarding the after affairs on Elihas Starr's lab explosion incident, the scientist's daughter was invaded and transformed by quantum energy, she's in pain right now. I need to find Professor Hank Pym to cure her. I read through some records and I believe that you may have his contact information."

"No, I do not."

Miss Carter picks up the cup of coffee on the table and says straightforwardly:

"After Hank left the SSR, he cut off all communications with us. I only know that he's currently alive, but in regards to his whereabouts and what he's doing, I've no clue."

"Then...can you help look for him?"

Merlin says hesitantly:

"An innocent life is in peril, and I do need Professor Pym's assistance."

"I can try to help you find him."

Miss Carter says:

"I'll pull some special connections, and perhaps I can find him, but it will take time. For someone like Hank, very few can find him once he's decided to hide from the world. Also, Merlin, since I helped you with this, you have to help me too."

"Yes."

Merlin nods and says to Miss Carter:

"As long as I can help."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you can."

Miss Carter smiles and tells Merlin:

"My niece, Sharon Carter, I'm sure you met her before. She became a SHIELD agent a few years ago, and I wished for her to do some non-military work; but recently, she's told me that she's sick of sitting in the office and handling boring affairs and that she wants to become a field agent."

"I spoke to Fury about this, and he recommended you. He said that your department needs some excellent field agents, so, I wish for you to help place Sharon into your SDOLD."

Miss Carter lowers her cup and tells Merlin:

"I can guarantee that my niece would become an excellent field agent."

"This..."

Merlin hesitates, it was not that he didn't want to help, after a few seconds of hesitation, he says directly:

"Miss, you should know the special case of my department. What we're facing and dealing with is different from that of standard field agents; in all honesty, our line of work is quite dangerous. Are you sure that you want your family members to join us?"

"Sigh, how could I not support what youngsters want to do?"

A worried Miss Carter says:

"But Sharon's stubbornness is much like the young me, she would do what she believes in. Rather than placing her in the dangerous European branch, I wish for her to stay near me, in New York."

"Then...alright."

Merlin nods and tells Miss Carter:

"I'll read through Miss Sharon's personnel file, and if she is suitable, then I'll put her into my department."

"Thank you, Merlin."

Miss Carter says with a smile:

"Do you want to stay for dinner? Steve's cooking is quite good, and I rarely treat people to it, so I hope that you stay."

Facing Miss Carter's invitation, the hungry Merlin did not hesitate for long and nods acceptingly.

"Mmm...alright."

 

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