"Finished talking?"
Artoria didn't interfere in the conversation between father and daughter. She went outside and waited quietly. She could hear Hope's roaring anger clearly even without going in. Dr. Pym explained in a low voice, and finally, things seemed to calm down. Artoria's side was finally quiet. After a long wait, Hope walked out with red eyes and a pile of shrunken items.
Even without knowing what happened next, Artoria understood that Hope had failed to persuade him. It seemed no one could stop Dr. Pym's path to saving his wife.
"Don't be sad, you still have me, don't you?"
As close friends for so many years, this was the first time Artoria had seen Hope so depressed. Usually a woman with a tough, 'iron lady' style, this time she had clearly reached a point of true sorrow. Feeling a bit of heartache, Artoria hugged Hope and gently patted the strong woman's back. There was no heart-wrenching wailing, but Artoria could feel the moisture on her shoulder. Affected by Hope's emotions, the ahoge on Artoria's head drooped, as if it were feeling a bit down too.
What Artoria Stark didn't know was that Hope was now half elated, half worried: the worry came from her father's plans, the joy from finally earning his approval—including his acceptance of her feelings for Artoria. Did he really think she had nowhere else to go after quarrelling with him? The first thing she'd done was seek out the person she loved; only true love between women counted.
"My daughter's grown up and I can't keep her. I'll come for you soon, Janet."
Through the window Dr. Hank Pym watched the two embracing, memories of Janet bright in his mind. He resolved to find a worthy successor, teach the young well, then enter the Quantum Realm himself and search for Janet. The idea had haunted him for days; since losing her he'd been half-alive, a walking corpse. His daughter was grown, everything arranged. Whether he found Janet, returned alive, or lost himself in the Quantum Realm, he would not regret it.
"Don't you agree, Ultron 1?"
Sighing at the world's changes, Dr. Pym packed his things and greeted the robot he had created from his own brainwaves—treated like a child, perhaps a lonely father's whim. Ultron 1 had even opened the door for Artoria earlier.
"Beep! Beep!"
Ultron 1 looked no different from any robot, yet it had begun recording Pym's words, learning from him. When it didn't understand an instruction it simply stored it. It already sensed contradictions: protecting mankind versus protecting the world. War would harm Earth; if the world came first, mankind must perish.
Now Pym's every syllable was absorbed by Ultron. Its blue optic flickered red: mankind was warlike, worthless. The calculation flashed through its core code like a virus.
Standing beside Ultron 1, Dr. Pym noticed nothing. Artoria and Hope climbed into the car; Artoria glanced back, sensing vague malice, though not aimed at her.
"Just imagining things?"
She shrugged, tired from recent training, and decided to rest.
Artoria's three clones—wearing Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura faces—set off. None had strong Fire Release or Sharingan, but Sakura's Super Strength Punch and Naruto's Rasengan were present, though limited.
"Half-hearted cosplay!"
"Why did I get stuck as Sakura? Kakashi would've been cooler!"
"We're the Three Sannin facing Kaguya, just missing the frogs, snakes and slugs."
The trio strolled off, bickering, invisible to Marvel fans.
"Shut up and hide. Thor's hammer fried every satellite; S.H.I.E.L.D. will be here faster than us."
"Naruto" analysed coolly.
"Sakura" sighed.
"My Kusanagi blade's bent like an old lady's back—worth five cents at most."
"Naruto" ignored the bent prop, yawning.
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