Chapter 973: Plan
Actually, if there wasn’t any real conflict between Dr. Hank Pym and Tony Stark then the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD) would have been informed about this situation beforehand.
This would have prevented Darren Cross from quickly gaining the upper hand and taking control before he could fully research the Ant-Man suit.
By keeping SHIELD in the loop, the organization could have been able to intervene and stop CCross from pursuing his dangerous intentions.
However, Dr. Pym had valid concerns as in the past, some of the old members of SHIELD had potentially tried using his Pym Particle and Ant-Man suit technology for military purposes.
For Dr. Pym, it’s essential to ensure that the current leaders of SHIELD do not have similar intentions.
So informing SHIELD about their actions against Darren Cross in order to stop him might not be a favorable solution for Dr. Pym, as it would also increase the risk of SHIELD acquiring the technology and using it for their own purposes.
Of course, these are Dr. Pym’s own ideas, but the present-day SHIELD is vastly different from the past. If Captain Rogers and Tony Stark learn of Pym Particles and the Ant-Man suit’s existence then they’ll likely show interest.
However, they wouldn’t align with someone like Darren CCross or force Dr. Pym to surrender the technology. In any case, Tony and his allies already have an abundance of advanced technology to study, and while the Ant-Man suit isn’t too shabby, it wouldn’t interest them that much.
“Hm…” Scott was at a loss for words upon hearing Dr. Pym’s explanation.
“The PymParticle and Ant-Man suit technology is not just focused on looks like the Iron Man suit, it has the ability to alter reality,” Dr. Pym added while downplaying Tony’s technology.
“Scott, I need you to carry out this plan,” Dr. Pym stated firmly, fixing his gaze on Scott.
“Then why not send your ants?” Scott asked.
“They’re just ants, Scott. They can accomplish much, but they still require a leader, someone like you,” Dr. Pym replied.
“Uh… but I’m just a thief,” Scott retorted.
“Hank, I stated months ago that I should complete this plan. I am familiar with the suit’s operation and understand Cross’s intentions. I am the best suited for this task,” Hope, who was sitting across from Scott, interjected, using Dr. Pym’s name directly.
“No! When we make our plan, you must stay close to Cross,” Dr. Pym firmly rejected Hope’s proposal.
“But…” started Hope.
“Quiet! Scott, come with me,” Dr. Pym interrupted, standing up from his chair.
“Oh,” Scott, sensing the tension between Dr. Pym and Hope, quickly rose to his feet and followed Dr. Pym.
Dr. Pym led Scott to the villa’s underground secret room where Scott saw some of Dr. Pym’s secretive experiments over the years, including an ant farm designed for nurturing ants.
“Scott, you have seen that Hope is disappointed with me, but you are different. You have a chance to choose a new path and become a hero in your daughter’s eyes. A hero dad,” Dr. Pym spoke seriously while taking a can of red Pym Particles from the safe.
Scott’s eyes lit up at Dr. Pym’s words. The reason his ex-wife wouldn’t let him see his daughter was that he was not a good role model. If he could stop Darren Cross and save the world, his daughter would surely admire him. This thought filled Scott with pa.s.sion.
“We’re not just saving our world, we’re saving theirs,” Dr. Pym continued, sensing a change in Scott’s demeanor.
“d.a.m.n it!! What do I need to do?” Scott exclaimed.
“Scott, I need you to become Antman.” Dr. Pym persisted.
…
Two days later, after mastering the basic control of the suit and the ability to command various ants, Scott was ready for the final stage of his Antman training. He needed to retrieve a signal camouflage prototype from a Stark warehouse in northern New York that Dr. Pym had invented while he was still with SHIELD.
Early one morning, Scott boarded a plane to New York with his three ant teams. Meanwhile, Lin Rui, who had been searching for Scott for the past two days, had also discovered his location.
“What’s going on? Why did Scott suddenly move to that location?” Lin Rui whispered, observing Scott’s position on the confederate armband on his arm while watching a movie with Bucky.
However, Lin Rui soon realized where Scott was headed. If Lin Rui’s memory serves him right, the location Dr. Pym sent Scott to is no longer an almost abandoned warehouse. Instead, it has been refurbished by Tony Stark and transformed into a secret base for the development of E-grade aeros.p.a.ce fighters. This means that the level of defense there is now much stronger than it used to be.
“Would you like to say h.e.l.lo to JARVIS?” Lin Rui wondered silently as he gazed at the light spot representing Scott on the ally armband that was moving swiftly.
Due to Lin Rui’s involvement, the security level at the location Scott needs to infiltrate is several notches higher than in the original movie. As the most pivotal E-grade aeros.p.a.ce fighter that marked the era of the great voyages in outer s.p.a.ce, Tony’s protection of this secret base is the highest, and even ants cannot penetrate it.
Hence, Lin Rui is deeply concerned that Scott’s mission may fail this time. And since Tony and others are unaware of Antman’s existence, they might view Scott as a hostile intruder. In that case, Scott’s actions as a newly minted Antman could be highly dangerous.
“Let’s see what Scott can do first. Maybe he’ll succeed? It could be viewed as a trial of Tony’s base. If Scott really infiltrates successfully, it means Tony needs to upgrade his security again,” Lin Rui concluded, choosing to let Stark take the first step.
The mission that Scott is undertaking is not only a challenge for him but also a test of the security measures in place. If Scott, who is still in the process of learning how to be Antman, can easily infiltrate Stark’s heavily defended base, then it would mean that the base needs to be strengthened.
With this thought in mind, Lin Rui quickly typed on his ally armband. He had already set up a message on Scott’s communicator. In the event that Scott is unable to complete the mission and is in peril, the message will be instantly triggered to ensure his safety.