Work Text:
Earth-616
Do insects dream? We know men do. We know Hank Pym does. In the dream that recurs most often, he is with his wife, Maria. Walking along the banks of the Danube, through Budapest’s oldest neighbourhood. He’s thinking how stupid he’d been to worry about coming to Hungary for their honeymoon. Yes, Maria and her father had political enemies, but that was years ago. He’s thinking what the quickest route back to their hotel might be when the car screeches to a halt in front of them.
“This is what happens to those who attempt to escape us!”
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
It’s a dream, so Hank can do nothing.
It’s a memory, and Hank did nothing.
He wakes up, drenched in sweat and panting with fear. No more sleep for Hank tonight. Besides, it was almost dawn, and he had some equations and formulas to give Tony Stark. No, he didn’t know he was Ant-Man, but he was very aware of Pym’s reputation in the scientific community. Hank, dressed in a grey suit, got into the car and began his drive to the factory. He had bags under his eyes and a pale complexion, as the memory of the tragic day haunted his mind. The gunshots, followed by the pistol whip. He remembers waking up in the hospital, with bandages around his head. Hank remembers seeing his wife in the hospital bed, barely clinging to life. Until eventually, she passed away. Hank remembers shouting at the doctors, misplacing his rage.
Hank met with Tony Stark, and gave him some advice about certain projects and a few classified documents. Tony could tell Hank was different.
“Doctor Pym… I meant to ask… Are you still working alone?” Tony asked.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just me in the lab.” Hank nodded.
“Y’know, there’s a scientist I’ve got a pretty good relationship with. Vernon Van Dyne?” Tony suggested.
“I know Vernon, Stark. He’s a good man. But I just prefer to work alone.” Hank told him.
“Right. Well, his daughter’s also expressed interest in working for you.” Tony mentioned.
“Janet? No, Tony. That’s… That’s not a good idea.” Hank shook his head.
“But-”
“Look, I know what you’re trying to do. But… I’m not ready to move on, yet.” Hank insisted.
“Okay. Okay, I won’t push… Starting now.” Tony said, awkwardly.
“Starting now-? What did you do?”
Hank left Stark Industries and found out exactly what Tony did. There was Janet Van Dyne, sitting on a bench outside by the grass. She was a beautiful woman. Long, black and wavy hair with a crimson shirt that fitted her perfectly. She wore a black skirt and a pair of matching high heels. In her hand was the Catch-22 book, which she closed when she spotted Hank coming over.
“Hey. Hank, right? I’m Janet.”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. I know your Father.” Hank sighed, uncomfortably.
“Listen, he’s developing a Gamma-Ray beam. Tony said you’d be able to help?” Janet started.
“Of course he did.” Hank said with a sarcastic smile.
“He’s trying to pierce space and detect extraterrestrial life on other planets… Or something like that.” Janet told him.
“Why? We already know there’s life out there. The Fantastic Four are fighting aliens like every other week.” Hank scoffed, dismissively.
“Well, we could discuss it further. Maybe over dinner tonight ?” Janet offered.
“Dinner?” Hank repeated. His heart ached. He felt guilty even contemplating the possibility. Hank closed his eyes, forcing the words out of his throat.
“I-I’m sorry, Miss Van Dyne. But I’m working this evening.” Hank told her, before quickly walking away.
“You’ll change the world with your particles, Hank. You’ll save lives, I know it.” Maria’s voice said in the back of his mind as he drove home.
A week had passed. Hank was still doing his little adventures. He fought a man whose voice could hypnotise crowds, saved a bunch of scientists from a kidnapping maniac, and even stopped a hijacker from stealing armoured trucks. Being a superhero kept him busy, and more importantly, kept his mind busy. One mid-afternoon, he was chatting to his ants, asking if they had seen any suspicious activity so he could go save the day again. It was like he was making up for every minute he failed to save Maria. However, his conversation with his six-legged besties was cut short, when there was a knock on his door. Begrudgingly, Hank left his lab - making sure to lock it shut behind him, before walking through the messy hallway to his front door. After unbolting 4 different locks, he opened it to see Janet standing there. Again, she looked stunning. Wearing a navy blue dress and red lipstick that popped.
“Dr. Pym. Hi, it’s me again.” She smiled.
“Miss Van Dyne? H-How did you get my address?” Hank stammered in disbelief.
“I looked in a phonebook.” Janet scoffed. “Listen, in the risk of
alienating
you, I thought I’d try to ask you to dinner again.”
“Janet, I’m flattered, but I’m really not interested in-”
“My Father will be there, too.” Janet said, making him pause. “It’s not a date, it's a
meeting.”
She clarified. Hank pondered. A meeting? Sounds innocent enough.
“Alright. Alright, fine. Dinner. Where?”
Do insects have a destiny?
Do men?
Dinner with the Van Dynes. They were nice people, although very different from each other. Vernon was very logical, and timid and spoke with a soft, quiet voice. Janet, on the other hand, was very extroverted. Chatty, flirty and emotive. Unlike her Father, she didn't have a lot of interest in science - only its results. Janet was a fashion designer. She was very artsy and creative, often zoning out whenever her Father talked numbers.
“Up until this point, I've specialised in molecular cell transitioning and cell specialisation.” Hank was saying.
“When you say ‘up until this point,’ does that suggest you're branching out?” Vernon asked.
“Oh, Dad, let the man relax.” Janet chuckled.
“Actually, Janet… I have been thinking about it. Like recently, I've started contemplating entomology.” Hank admitted.
“Entomology? Like… bugs?” Janet asked, surprised.
“You’d be surprised by how exciting it is.” Hank defended.
“Speaking of excitement… Hank. I could really use your help.” Vernon told him. “Janet told you that I’ve been working on a Gamma-Ray beam to pierce space and detect signals from other planets. We can make contact. ” He explained.
“Yes. Mr Van Dyne, I can’t help but wonder if that’s a great idea…” Hank said, concerned.
“Oh, Doctor Pym. If we assume all aliens are evil, then we’re no better than the Phillip Barnetts that walk among us.” Vernon reasoned. “There could be more Thors out there.”
“Are we even sure Thor’s an alien?” Hank asked.
“Isn’t it more likely that he’s extraterrestrial, and not a God?” Vernon pointed out. Hank could just shrug.
“I’m sorry, Vernon. I just… This project doesn’t fit well into my schedule. I’ve been rather busy.” Hank told him.
“Alright, Doctor Pym. I’ll admit defeat. But don’t expect Janet to do the same.”
A month had passed, and Hank was at a bar with Janet. She was wearing a slim-fitting dress and black high heels, holding a glass of white wine in her delicate fingers. Hank was wearing a black, button-up shirt and a pair of dark grey pants, with a black jacket that hadn’t seen the light of day for almost 11 months. They were both sitting at the bar, on high stools.
“A night at the museum, then dinner, and now cocktails? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to butter me up.” Hank chuckled.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, Hank. I don’t care if you work with my Dad or not. I just enjoy your company.” Janet assured him.
“I must admit, I feel the same. It’s been a long time since I felt like I could breathe comfortably with another person.” Hank confessed.
“And that calls for celebration.” Janet said, leaning in closer.
“How about I get another drink?” Hank said, awkwardly, leaning away
“Hank… Let me in. ” Janet said, softly.
“Janet…”
“Contrary to popular belief, I’m
not
ditsy. I know you’ve been keeping me at arm’s length all these weeks.
Why?
” Janet asked. “You just said you feel comfortable around me, but the minute I start showing affection you freeze up. Is it ever going to change?” She asked, genuinely concerned.
“No.” Hank whispered.
“Of course not. Stupid me.” Janet said, frustratedly. She slipped off the barstool and picked up her white shawl and wrapped it around her back, then picked up her burgundy handbag.
“No, Janet! Wait!” Hank blurted out, quickly standing up. “Listen to me… I had a wife. She was killed. ” He confessed. The words shattered around Janet like falling glass, suddenly making everything make sense.
“Oh… Oh, Hank. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” Janet gasped, feeling a wave of guilt rush over her.
“It’s okay, Janet… I just… I need more time.” Hank told her.
“Of course. I-Ill give you all the time you need. I just wish you had told me.” Janet said.
“Saying it always makes it feel more real.”
A few days later, Hank was working in his laboratory. He was playing around with some ideas that really tested the boundaries of genetics.
“What do you think, Faithful?” Hank asked the tiny ant that watched him peering into a microscope. “Using the cells of a wasp, I think I can genetically manipulate an organism into growing legs, wings - even antennae. But only a life form that’s been miniaturised could support the strain of transformation.” Hank explained - as if his ant could understand him without the helmet. “Nod if you agree.”
Meanwhile, back at the Van Dyne residence, Janet had just stepped through the front door. She wore a purple scarf, and a posh, navy coat. She also wore a blue ankle-length skirt and a pair of black heels. In her arms was a set of books, as requested by Vernon.
“Dad? I’m back from the library. Dad? Are you still working?” Janet called out, but there was no response. A chill ran up her spine. She could hear something weird. A gurgling, accompanied by the sound of thick, gooey dripping. Janet followed the noise to her Dad’s lab. The door had green stains around the edges. She nervously opened the door with a loud creak.
“ DAD?!! Oh, God, NO!”
Janet turned to the one person she could trust. The only person she could think of: Hank Pym. When Hank opened the door, he was faced with tears and anguish. He took her to his couch and held her as she sobbed until she was finally able to speak.
“Take deep breaths. Tell me what happened.” Hank said, calmly.
“Okay… Okay… T-There was a strange, otherworldly mist in his office. All my Father’s equipment had been smashed to pieces, and… and… He was dead, Hank. I think my Father made contact with something and followed his beam back down to Earth… And it killed him!” Janet cried.
While Janet rested in Hank’s lab, he went to investigate the scene of the crime. Hank was wearing a dark blue coat over a brown sweater and a pair of jeans. He walked through their home and soon found Vernon’s lab - due to the murky, green mist that poured out of the open door. He stepped inside the dark laboratory and found Vernon’s corpse lying on the dark tiles. Hank crouched down and closed his eyes.
“Poor guy. Looks like he died of a heart attack.” Hank whispered. All the machinery had indeed been smashed and destroyed - with green, gooey slime dripping off the mechanisms and edges. It stunk of something Hank recognised.
“Hmmm…”
When Hank returned to his home, he found Janet lying on the couch surrounded by tissues. When he came through the door, she perked up - curious to see what he had to say.
“Whatever killed your Father wasn’t a carbon-based creature like us, but
acid-
based. Specifically,
formic
acid-based.” Hank began. “Bizarrely, the same kind bees and ants produce in their venom. I can mix a solution that
neutralises
that acid, but Janet… That means finding and confronting whatever this thing is.” Hank explained. Janet wiped her eyes and stood up with a sniffle. She went from sadness to rage.
“I loved my Father, Hank. Anything I can do to
avenge
his death, I will.” Janet stated. She reminded Hank of himself when he lost Maria.
“Okay. Janet, I need to tell you something. Something no one else in the world knows.” Hank began after taking a deep breath.
“Hank. I know. You’re Ant-Man.” Janet said.
“What?!” Hank blurted out, taken by surprise. “Urr- I mean… How-?”
“Oh, come on, Hank. Your sudden interest in entomology, your ‘projects’ that keep you busy for days at a time. That lab of yours that’s always locked up.” Janet reasoned. Hank suddenly felt incredibly stupid, going pink in the cheeks. He needed to get better at keeping secrets.
“ Help me, Hank. Help me by letting me help you. ” Janet told him.
“Alright. Okay, Janet. Come into my lab.” Hank said, leading her out of the lounge.
They went inside and Janet’s eyes widened as they darted around. She saw some ant farms displayed on the walls, the bank of machines which displayed information being received from the ants. The Ant-Man helmet was on a desk, along with the costume.
“Wow.” Janet said, impressed.
“Listen, Janet. I can make you small as well. As small as Ant-Man… It’s going to be a weird experience-”
“What’s this?” Janet asked, referring to a canister filled with a yellow liquid. It was being held in a stand, surrounded by schematics and diagrams of wasps and his theory of genetic mutation.
“Oh. It’s… Well, it was just an idea I had.” Hank said. Janet looked at him, waiting for more information.
“I think I can give people wings and antennae, while they’re miniaturised. I can, in effect, make a person a human wasp. It would negate the need for my helmet and a flying ant.” Hank explained. “Not that I’d ever get rid of you, Faithful.” He said, loudly, to assure his favourite ant.
“Ummm… I’m gonna ignore what just happened there, and ask you to give me wings.” Janet told him.
“What? No, Janet, it’s not tested, and-”
“Hank, it’s
you.
It works. I’m going to need all the help I can get to face off against this monster.” Janet reasoned. Hank let out a concerned sigh.
“I need your explicit consent, Janet. I need you to understand that this could go wrong.” Hank warned her.
“I understand, Hank. I really do.” Janet assured him.
In just 30 minutes, Janet was lying on her front, on the desk, with her head on a pillow. There were multiple tubes connected to her arms and upper back.
“Ready, Janet?”
“Ready.” She nodded. Hank gulped, before switching a lever. The yellow liquid poured through the transparent tubes and into her blood.
“I’m implanting synthetic, specialised cells below your epidermis. When you reduce to Wasp-size, wings and antennae will sprout.” Hank told her.
“It… It feels like acupuncture needles.” Janet admitted.
The next day, Janet had already recovered from her upgrade. It was time to test Janet’s powers, by jumping straight into the field. She joined Hank in the lounge, wearing her suit.
“Not something I would have designed, but not bad either.” Janet admitted. She wore a red, leather one-piece over a black jumpsuit that covered almost every inch of skin. It had a hood that fit snuggly around her hair and scalp. She also wore a pair of red, shimmery gloves and a matching set of boots. Janet also wore a black belt, like Hank’s, that had Pym Particles attached to it.
“Well, if this becomes a regular thing, you’re welcome to design your own.” Hank chuckled. “I’ve finished a solution that’ll neutralise the formic acid. And my ant scouts are sending me a message via electronic impulses - there’s something attacking the George Washington bridge.” Hank told her. “Something big and scary. ”
“Then what’re we waiting for?” Janet said, coldly. They both released the rest mist and in just seconds, they shrank down to the size of bugs. But while it was normal for Hank, it was a bizarre experience for Janet. Wings pushed through her skin, sprouting aggressively. They were beautiful, but to Janet, it felt like her back was spasming. Not only that, but a pair of antennas grew out of her scalp, reaching into the air above her. The antennae felt like a second pair of eyebrows - twitching and quivering.
“Unnngrrggghh!! Oh! Oh my God! Fuck!” Janet cried out in horror.
“Oh my God, Janet?! Are you okay?!” Hank asked, helping her to stay on her feet.
“I… I think so… Holy shit…” Janet panted, looking over her shoulder to see the pretty, nearly transparent wings. They twinkled in the light. She was both horrified and excited.
“Can’t turn back now.”
It has no name, but it comes from some faraway planet. It has no true consciousness, this horror from the stars, and its only discernible impulses are to conquer and destroy. Conventional weaponry has no effect on its ever-shifting form. It absorbs bullets and shells, trapping them in its shimmering mass. The alien monster was on the George Washington Bridge - a huge form of green, slimy mess that was about as big as an office building. It had about 8 large eyes and huge tentacles - some wrapping around the bridge - and others simply dangling off its body and face. It wasn’t clear if it had a mouth, but there were a bunch of ‘fins’, which looked like mushrooms, where you’d expect a mouth to be. At the base of the bridge, a tiny Hank and Janet watched amongst a herd of ants.
“Holy shit. Even if I were to
enlarge
the vial of neutralising agents, I’d need to score a direct hit to have
any hope
of stopping it. We-We need to go back to the lab. Think of a better way to-”
“Hank, I have the enlarging Pym Particles too, don’t I?” Janet asked, gesturing to the blue vial attached to her belt.
“What? Of course.” Hank nodded.
“Then I’ll take the neutraliser as well.” She said, snatching the vial from Hank’s hand. It was a small, glass tube filled with an emerald-green liquid.
“What-?!”
“And I’ll get you your direct hit! ” Janet said before flying upwards.
“Janet!! Stop!” Hank blurted out, scared. “What are you doing?!”
“That horrible thing killed my Father. And I’m not afraid. I’m not letting it hurt anyone else!” Janet declared, flying towards the massive, disgusting alien that was crushing the abandoned cars on the road with its tentacles.
All her life, Janet Van Dyne had been a woman, in search of adventure. How ironic, she thinks, to have found it and the man of her dreams, in the wake of a killing, shapeless monster from outer space.
“Janet, listen to me carefully…” Hank said, making contact with her antennae.
“Are you in my head?” Janet asked, unsettled.
“Using my helmet, yes. Listen to me: Don’t let that thing touch you. Get above it. Fly as fast as you can.” Hank warned her.
“And here I was, thinking I’d give it a hug.” Janet teased him, all the while she was zipping around the gunky creature - making sure to avoid its acidic tentacles. Hank couldn’t quite believe how well she was doing. In his first adventure, he was almost killed by a Rhino beetle.
“Okay, you’re doing great. Now take the vial of anti-acid and a vial of your enlarging serum…” Hank instructed.
“I-I have it, Hank.” Janet said, fluttering around the wretched being’s head.
“Good. Now smash them together over that thing.” Hank commanded her. Janet did as he asked and smashed the two vials together. Blue mist immediately engulfed the anti-acid, making the serum grow into a large falling river. Janet made sure to quickly fly away before she could get hit by the plummeting potion.
“Oh my God, I did it! Hank! I did it!” Janet laughed, victoriously, doing twirls in the air. The anti-acid burned through the monster’s flesh, eating through its mass and dissolving it. As easy as pouring salt on a garden slug. Her Father was avenged.
“I’m not saying you weren’t great, Jan, but do you realise how close you came to dying?! For God’s sake, it was our first mission and you were already going off-script!” Hank was rambling. They were back in his apartment, still in their costumes but back to regular size. Janet was on the couch, while Hank was pacing back and forth.
“Hank, please.” Janet said, rolling her eyes.
“I brought you into this to help you, Janet. But please, I can’t have your blood on my hands.” Hank told her.
“Hank!” Janet snapped, standing up. “I make my own choices. If I died, that blood would be on the monster’s hands. I chose to help you avenge my Father. I chose to be injected with your bug serum. I chose to use the anti-acid. Do you understand?” Janet told him, sternly.
“I understand. But if this is going to work… if you’re going to help me, we have to be on the same page.” Hank told her.
“Hank… My Father’s gone.” Janet said, with tears in her eyes. Hank’s demeanour immediately shifted. She was emotional. Like he was when Maria died. Janet didn’t need to be scolded. She needed to be held.
“I’m sorry, Janet.” Hank whispered, before wrapping his arms around her - embracing her. Finally letting her in.
What do ants and wasps have in common?
What do this ant and this wasp have in common?
An emptiness? Loneliness? An unbearable sense of loss?
Yes. But they also share a need to be there for each other.
To help one another.
To love one another.