"What is this?"
"master, these are images taken by the satellite last night. According to data comparison, it is an object shaped like a hammer."
"A hammer? Mjolnir? Thor's Hammer!"
Thinking of a certain plotline closest to the current timeline, and connecting it to the fact that she just heard it was a hammer, she understood that Thor had been cast down to Earth.
"Landing site?"
"The edge of the New Mexico desert. The exact location cannot be determined due to magnetic field and lightning interference, master."
As she spoke, Saturday's electronic female voice seemed to carry a hint of helplessness, which gave Artoria a start. Was she evolving? When did this happen? Although surprised by Saturday's change, Artoria was very happy about it.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. should have already mobilized. Should I go and stir things up? That's an idea!"
Acting on impulse was Artoria's style. With a use of the Clone Technique, she dispatched three clones this time, transforming into the three little brats of Team 7. The Team 7 from another world appeared in the Marvel Universe. The three clones looked at each other and smiled, then boarded the private jet prepared by Saturday to head to New Mexico. Mjolnir sounded pretty good, but her Noble Phantasms weren't lacking either; many could rival Odin's gungnir. With Projection Magecraft and her Reality Marble, she looked down on the Mjolnir even more.
"The things Odin left for his son—whoever touches them is asking for trouble."
Artoria didn't believe for a second that Odin would leave the hammer behind without any protection. Don't forget the two ravens that serve as Odin's eyes; they are quite powerful characters. No one can claim the Mjolnir for themselves unless the hammer itself is willing. Artoria had ways to pick up the Mjolnir if she wanted to, such as using 'Knight Does Not Die of Empty Handedness' to directly ignore the weapon's will and forcibly seize it, pushing'skill' to its absolute limit.
"master, a call from Dr. Pym."
"...Put it through."
Hearing this name, Artoria hesitated for a moment before letting Saturday connect the call. She had no idea why Dr. Pym would be calling her at this time. He wasn't calling his own daughter, but her. After Artoria finished the call and hung up, she hesitated for a moment, then arranged with Saturday to head out alone.
Driving a limited-edition luxury car and guided by Saturday's navigation, Artoria arrived at Dr. Pym's secret Base. After observing and finding that no one followed her, Artoria stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"What's the matter? Why the urgent call to have me come over, Dr. Pym?"
A crude machine opened the door for Artoria and led her to Dr. Pym. Looking at the doctor, who appeared as if he had suffered a major illness, Artoria inquired curiously. Even if he was about to kick the bucket, he should have his daughter here to see him off, not an outsider like her.
"Artoria, you're a good child, so I won't hide it from you. You might not know of my former glory. Back then, I was one of those people in the hidden world. Using the Pym Particles I discovered in the Quantum Realm, I created the Ant-Man suit. I was called Ant-Man, and my partner, the Wasp, was Hope's mother. Recently, I found a man who is a perfect match for this Ant-Man suit. I plan to find an opportunity to test him, train him into a superhero, and hand the suit over to him. Then, I'm going to find Hope's mother."
"I want to ask you to help me keep this prototype and these core materials safe, and hand them over to Hope at the right time. Also, please keep this a secret for me."
From beginning to end, Artoria didn't say a word, listening to this white-haired old man speak. Dr. Pym's mouth was like a rented machine gun in a hurry to be returned. As he spoke, he placed a heavy stack of books in front of Artoria, along with a small box containing an unfinished half-body suit that looked like a model.
"Dr. Pym, listen to me first. I think you should have a proper talk with Hope, okay? No matter what, she's your daughter. She has the right to know your plans. After all, you two are the closest family. I'm just an outsider."
"I think she'll understand me."
Slap!
With a dark expression, Artoria slapped the man. Dr. Pym was instantly dazed. He had basically watched Artoria grow up, and he never expected to be slapped by the child today, especially without knowing why.
"Why are you adults so arrogant? Can you stop being so self-righteous and saying 'it's for your own good'?'She'll understand you'? Even if she understands, aren't you still leaving her? You know the pain of this kind of emotional loss yourself, so why make her experience the pain of losing a loved one again? And to leave without a word like this—your 'missing' status will only bring her more longing and a slow, long-lasting pain. Even a painful face-to-face goodbye is much better than leaving without saying anything."
"Furthermore, why? Why are you adults so selfish? Just because we're younger than you, do you negate all our rights to choose? You're her father, her only family left. Can't you think of her for once? Do you know how much pain she'll be in after losing you, Uncle Pym?"
Artoria was truly enraged by Dr. Pym's words. This man was so irresponsible! Where did he put the family members who worry about him? Especially since she had already 'lost' her beloved mother, and he was her only support, yet he was leaving her world without a word. Please! People aren't that strong, especially emotionally. You're preparing to cut another wound right over a scar in her heart.
Artoria knew that Howard and Maria did what they did to protect her and Tony, and she had even facilitated it. That's why she wasn't that sad; instead, she was happy that her parents' lives were saved and the current separation was only temporary.
But if Artoria weren't a transmigrator but a normal person from another parallel world who had no idea what the plot was, who knows how much trauma her young soul would have suffered? You, Dr. Pym, just pat your butt and leave, but what about Hope? She's forced to accept her mother's 'Death' and her father's 'disappearance.' And you say she'll understand you? Bah! I've never seen such a thick-skinned, shameless person.
"...I'm sorry, it was my oversight!"
Dr. Pym, who missed his wife too much and hadn't stepped out of his own world, was being called out like this for the first time. This slap pulled him back into reality. He looked at Artoria's furious expression and spoke apologetically.
"Hey! Hope, get over here. It's an emergency, very urgent! The address is XXXX, come quickly."
After calling Hope, Artoria's anger dissipated by more than half. Seeing Dr. Pym's half-swollen face, she felt a bit awkward.
"This time, please don't run away again. You father and daughter must have a proper talk."
"Alright."
Under Artoria's reprimand, Dr. Pym nodded and pulled out a cigarette to light it. He felt very guilty now. Even facing the greatest enemy didn't feel like this, but now, because he was about to see his daughter, his heart was a bit restless. He sighed inwardly; it really was as Artoria said—he was a selfish person.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.