Chapter 68: Ant-Man
2023-05-02 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"Welcome to Baskin-Robbins, would you like to try our mango smoothie?"
New York, Second Avenue, a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop.
"So, this is the guy you said could help?"
Sitting in the taxi, Colin adjusted his glasses, a surprised expression forming as he spoke to Nick.
Once the target location was confirmed, The Resistants moved swiftly.
Howard was in charge of the arrangements for Peenemünde, while Colin volunteered to go with Nick to find their supposed helper.
"Without a doubt."
In the driver's seat, Nick Fury withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror and said in a low voice.
"Breaking and entering, grand larceny... our helper here is not as simple as he looks."
Listening to Nick's description, Colin turned his head to look at Scott Lang inside the ice cream shop, who was wearing a pink uniform with a numb expression on his face. "He certainly doesn't look simple," he said.
"$28."
At that moment, Nick's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Are you serious?"
Colin stared at the dead-serious Nick Fury in the driver's seat, a speechless expression on his face.
"It's just business."
Nick calmly met Colin's stare and replied with a placid expression.
"We may be on a mission, but this is still part of my job. I can't just make a trip for nothing, can I?"
"But we're teammates."
"The most I can do is not charge you a tip."
"You were planning on charging me a tip?!"
*There's a reason you're blind in one eye!*
With a look of utter resignation, Colin paid his fare and was about to get out of the car.
"Wait."
From the driver's seat, Nick tossed him a micro-earpiece and added, "I want a strawberry smoothie."
*I have a feeling your other eye is going to have problems sooner or later.*
Shaking his head, Colin placed the micro-earpiece just below his ear, took a deep breath, and tried to forget everything that had just happened in the taxi.
He pushed the door open and walked towards the ice cream shop.
...
"Welcome to Baskin-Robbins, would you like to try our mango smoothie?"
Inside the Baskin-Robbins, Scott Lang, dressed in a pink uniform, forced a smile and spoke to the customer before him.
"No, thank you."
Entering the shop, Colin's eyes scanned the price list above, pausing for a moment on the strawberry smoothie before he shook his head and replied.
"I'll have a hamburger."
"Uh, sorry, sir... we don't sell those..."
Hearing Colin's order, Scott, behind the service counter, was visibly taken aback. He glanced at the price list behind him and explained with a troubled look.
"A bagel, a hot bagel, and mustard. I prefer yellow mustard, if you have it."
Faced with this obviously unreasonable customer, Scott took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his expression amiable, and said, "This is Baskin-Robbins, sir. We sell ice cream."
"Then just give me something piping hot."
"This is an ice cream shop, sir!" Hearing Colin's repeated unreasonable requests, even Scott, who had been trying to keep his cool, finally lost his composure. He leaned out from behind the counter, getting close to Colin, and said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Look, buddy, I don't know what your problem is, or if you just got a wild idea to come here and mess with me, but if you don't stop, I wouldn't mind planting my fist on your nose..."
[Contact with a Twisted Time Node. Collected a small amount of Time Shards x2]
His gaze swept over the text that flickered in and out of his vision. Facing Scott's threat, Colin smiled at him and said.
"Just like you did in San Quentin?"
Hearing the name Colin uttered, the expression on Scott's face instantly froze.
He glanced around nervously, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he lowered his voice and questioned Colin, "How do you know that? What do you want!"
"I've turned over a new leaf. I've been working an honest job ever since I got out."
For someone with a criminal record, finding a suitable job again was no easy task. Even though Scott had been an electronics expert before his imprisonment, he could now only work in an ice cream shop—and that was after he had painstakingly hidden his criminal history.
"Calm down, Scott."
Seeing Scott getting more and more agitated, Colin had to reach out a hand to calm him down.
"I'm not here to expose your identity."
Colin's persuasion, or rather, the [Super Strength] he applied to Scott's shoulder, made the other man calm down quickly.
Scott twisted his shoulder, trying to shake off the arm Colin had placed on him, but no matter how much force he used, he couldn't break free in the slightest.
[Super Strength], even just a Black Iron level [Super Strength], was not something the Scott before him could resist.
"You?!"
Glancing at the hand on his shoulder, Scott then looked back at Colin's relaxed expression, his face a mixture of surprise and understanding.
"Scott, what's going on?"
Inside the Baskin-Robbins, a coworker who had noticed the situation at the counter called out.
"It's nothing!"
Hearing his coworker's concern, Scott quickly stopped him from approaching. He turned, forced a smile, and placed his own hand on top of Colin's, saying with a laugh, "I just ran into a friend. I didn't expect him to come see me here."
If his coworkers found out about his past in San Quentin prison, the job he had worked so hard to get would instantly go up in smoke. He had gone to great lengths to get this job at the ice cream shop; he had already tried almost every convenience store and chain fast-food restaurant in the area.
As he spoke, Scott's hands didn't stop moving, trying his best to pry Colin's hand off his shoulder.
However, even using all his strength, the hand on his shoulder didn't budge an inch.
"I give up..."
Panting, Scott stopped struggling and waved his hand in defeat. "I'm completely calm now."
"You can let go."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm one hundred percent sure."
(end of chapter)