T/N: My phone's screen is busted, so I can't type or read anything on it. The only thing I can do is receive calls, and that's because I had it set up to use the volume button to answer them a while back.
I had to beg and bribe my little sister to lend me her phone for a bit today so ya'll can get this chapter. Unfortunately though, until I get mine fixed, or until I get a new one, it means I won't be writing, reading, and translating anything for a while.
Yes, I started writing my own sh*t, but this little accident happened midway through the first arc of my fic, which I had yet to post, and which I also can't access now...}
...
When Scott Lang opened his eyes and sat up in bed, he was met with a stern, wrinkled face. Instinctively, he threw back the covers to confirm his clothes were intact and his virtue remained unspoiled, then breathed a sigh of relief...
This series of actions darkened Hank's expression. He began to doubt whether choosing this rather unreliable thief was the right decision.
"Paraponera clavata, the giant tropical bullet ant. These rank first on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. Don't even think about running or playing tricks. I'll be waiting for you downstairs." After tersely delivering this message, Hank turned and left without another word.
Scott stared at the dense swarm of ants covering the floor, feeling a shiver of apprehension, and cautiously slipped out of bed.
He still hadn't quite processed what was happening. As a prisoner recently released from San Quentin after serving time for grand larceny, Scott had been busy looking for a new job.
The truth was, even with a master's degree in electrical engineering, no company was willing to hire an ex-con... not even for a server position at an ice cream chain.
In the United States, most companies conduct background checks during hiring, even spawning an entire industry of employment screening firms dedicated to this task. If an applicant had a criminal record, they were almost certainly disqualified.
Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had repeatedly stated that if an employer rejects someone due to a criminal record, they must provide a legitimate business reason, i.e., a connection between the current job and the past offense. The reality was that this implicit discrimination was pervasive.
Even though Scott's crime wasn't violent, he still struggled to find legitimate work.
To secure visitation rights for his daughter from his ex-wife, he needed a stable job, a decent living environment, and the ability to pay monthly child support. In short, he needed money.
So, Scott ultimately decided to take a risk. Teaming up with his former cellmate, Luis, he planned one big job; targeting a retired billionaire, Hank Pym.
"Scott Lang, I presume you know who I am. This is my daughter, Hope." Hank sat in the living room, setting aside his newspaper.
He looked at Scott, who still seemed bewildered by the situation, and said with a smile, "I went to great lengths to let you steal my suit, but Hope... well, she got you thrown in jail."
"Now that you're here, I need to brief you on the mission ahead. After all, not everyone can breach my security system. The frozen metal trick was particularly clever."
"You were watching me?" Scott frowned.
Hank leaned back in his chair and stated bluntly, "I've been observing you for a while, ever since you robbed Vistacorp. Sorry, perhaps 'embezzled' is the better word. Vistacorp's security system was state-of-the-art, virtually impenetrable. Yet you cracked it, siphoned off millions, and even drove the CEO's Bentley into a swimming pool. Legality aside, it was a brilliantly executed crime. If only you hadn't gotten carried away and posted the transaction records online, allowing the FBI to track you down."
Scott remained silent. At heart, he wasn't a bad person. Vistacorp had used financial schemes to illegally siphon millions from its clients. After discovering this, Scott reported it to his superiors, only to be fired.
As a technician, he couldn't swallow this injustice. In a moment of impulse, he played the modern-day Robin Hood, hacking into the company's security system to return the stolen millions to the cheated clients. This was a move that sparked widespread debate at the time.
But wrongdoing demands punishment. Scott was arrested by the FBI for unlawful entry and grand larceny. His wife divorced him, and he lost custody of his daughter. It was a heavy price to pay.
"Dr. Pym, whatever you want from me, whatever this plan is, I don't want any part of it." Scott shook his head.
He finally understood that the old man before him had deliberately set a trap, leaking information through various channels to lure Luis into targeting the massive safe in his basement.
And he, like a fish dutifully biting the hook, had broken into Hank's home and stolen the suit.
Hank Pym had orchestrated it all.
"With all due respect, you don't have a choice." Hank was no pushover.
In fact, his personality was even more abrasive than Tony Stark's. Almost no one could work with him long-term.
Overly stubborn, self-centered, emotionally volatile... These traits kept others at a distance from Hank Pym.
"First, you broke into my home and stole a critical item containing cutting-edge technology. If I don't drop the charges, you'll be sent back to prison, this time for a much longer sentence." The old man spoke leisurely, taking a sip of tea before continuing, "Second, if you complete this mission for me, I can guarantee you'll be reunited with your daughter."
Hank laid out his terms, targeting Scott's greatest weakness; his beloved daughter.
"As a father, if you can't even attend your daughter's birthday party or give her gifts, that's a pretty pathetic failure, don't you think?" Hank said.
Those words made Scott sink back into his chair. He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I'll do anything, as long as you don't make me break into someone's house to steal something."
"I actually need you to break into someone's house to steal something." Hank shrugged helplessly.
His student, Darren Cross, was straining every resource to replicate Pym Particles. In fact, he was close to succeeding. He also planned to sell this cutting-edge technology to Stark Industries.
Whether it was selling Pym Particles or collaborating with the Stark family, both were unacceptable to Hank. Moreover, if this advanced technology were leaked and applied to military use or weapon development, it could cause immense harm.
So Hank needed someone to steal the completed 'Yellowjacket Suit' and destroy the servers containing the core data.
"Sorry, I have a question about this mission. How do you plan to bypass the Ultron program to access Cross Technologies' servers?" Scott raised his hand like a student, asking dutifully, "As much as I hate to admit it, no one has managed to infiltrate the Ultron program developed by Mr. Tony Stark so far. Stark Industries offered a $10 million bounty. Anyone who can hack Ultron not only gets a jaw-dropping reward, but also a lucrative high-level management job in information engineering... Honestly, I was tempted, but I didn't succeed."
"Tony Stark... a playboy who only knows how to make flashy iron suits. I'll handle that problem." Hank curled his lip dismissively.
He had once been a greater genius than Howard Stark. If he could outshine that mercenary businessman back then, he wouldn't lose to his son now.