Scott Lang was back at Luis's place for the night — a cramped but lively apartment that smelled faintly of old takeout and engine oil. Two of Luis's usual partners were already there: Kurt, the quiet tech guy with a hacker's mind, and Dave, who looked like trouble wrapped in a hoodie.
Scott rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Lock, I've gotta say, thanks for believing in me. So what's the big gig you've got lined up?"
Lock smiled lightly. "Before I came to find you, Luis already had something in motion. Since you're brothers, why not help him finish it?"
"Really? Luis, man, why didn't you say so?"
Luis shifted awkwardly, which for a guy who never stopped talking, was the loudest silence imaginable.
Scott frowned. "Come on, bro, just spit it out. You know I hate suspense."
Luis groaned. "I didn't wanna say it, man. 'Cause if I tell you, you'll either think I'm being disloyal or I'll ruin your fancy new life. I mean, you've got a real job now — working for Mr. Lock, who's, like, stupid rich. But the thing is... I can't pull this one off without you."
Scott sighed. "Luis, I promised Casey I'd be her superhero. So as long as this isn't a burglary job, I'm in."
Luis winced. "Yeah... about that. I kinda need you for... a burglary."
"...You're kidding me." Scott turned toward Lock. "You knew this was a heist, didn't you? What's your angle here?"
Luis waved his hands defensively. "Hey, I didn't tell him anything!"
Lock chuckled. "Oh, I knew. And I also know your target — an old man, lives alone, keeps a ridiculous vault in his basement."
Luis's eyes went wide. "What—how do you even—? Were you spying on me?"
He'd gone through half the city to find that target, passing through multiple contacts and channels. For someone to recite every detail so casually was… terrifying.
Lock just smiled. "You'll understand my reason soon enough — once this job is done."
Scott rubbed his temples. "Man, this is insane. Why do I get the feeling you're setting me up for something way bigger than breaking into some old guy's house?"
But when he thought about Casey — her future secured, the scholarship fund Lock had created, the way she looked up to him — he sighed. "Fine. I don't know what you're planning, Lock, but I guess I'm already on your pirate ship. Might as well sail."
Lock grinned. "Pirate ship? Don't slander me. I promised Casey I'd turn you into a superhero, remember?"
Scott smirked. "Yeah, yeah. She's not here — you don't have to keep acting like some cosmic king."
Once the deal was sealed, the crew gathered around the table to plan.
Their plan was… simplistic, to put it mildly. Scott would sneak into the house in the middle of the night. The others would "stand guard" — which really meant sit in the van, snack, and hope nothing went wrong.
Lock resisted the urge to facepalm. No wonder these idiots were broke until "Ant-Man and the Wasp."
Still, he let them continue.
The night was cool and silent. Luis drove the old van into a quiet suburban neighborhood, the headlights off.
"There it is," he whispered. "The old man's house. Looks empty — jackpot."
Lock said nothing.
Inside the house, Dr. Hank Pym sat in his hidden lab, watching them through the camera mounted on a tiny ant. His eyes narrowed. So, the new candidate had arrived.
Scott slipped through a window, his movements quick and quiet. He was rusty but still skilled — a professional at what he did. He bypassed the security with ease, using his usual tricks: fingerprint transfers, homemade molds, even a blast of liquid nitrogen to shatter the lock.
When the vault door finally cracked open, he couldn't help but grin. "Still got it."
But inside, there was no gold, no cash, no jewels. Just a single brown suit on a display table, sealed behind glass.
Scott frowned. "Seriously? A vault for… dry-cleaned clothes?"
The suit didn't even look special. He picked it up — lightweight, dusty, maybe worth a few hundred bucks on a good day.
From afar, both Pym and Lock were watching.
Pym smiled faintly. Perfect. Just the kind of hands-on thief I need.
Lock, meanwhile, watched in silence, sensing the turning point ahead.
Then his calm voice echoed in Scott's mind. "Put the suit on."
Scott froze, eyes darting around. "Lock? How—are you—? Oh, forget it." He hesitated, then sighed. "Alright, fine. But if this thing smells, I'm blaming you."
He slipped into the suit.
The material clung comfortably, almost like it was alive.
"Now," Lock said, "press the red button on your right hand."
Scott squinted at it. "This one? Ah—!"
Before he could finish, the world exploded around him.
His body shrank instantly — the room expanding into a colossal landscape. The carpet fibers rose like tall grass, the air thick with the hum of distant vibrations. A droplet of water hit the floor beside him like a cannonball.
"What the—what's happening?!" Scott screamed, stumbling backward as the giant furniture loomed above him like skyscrapers.
The world of giants had opened before him — and the age of the Ant-Man had begun.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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