The door creaked open.
Scott Lang, dressed in his red-and-black combat suit, stepped into the room with a slightly sheepish grin.
"Doctor, I'm here!" His voice bounced with nervous energy.
His eyes swept the room and landed on the roster of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Tony Stark, and the others, his grin widened.
"Whoa. Okay. Lotta legends in one room."
Soren chuckled and gestured him forward.
"Everyone, meet Ant-Man, Scott Lang. He'll be joining us for the Greenwich operation."
The Avengers exchanged curious looks. Not everyone was familiar with Scott's reputation, but the fact that Soren had brought him meant he was no ordinary ally.
One by one, they greeted him with nods or casual welcomes, warm but subtly appraising.
"Ant-Man, huh?" Black Widow raised an eyebrow.
"Mind giving us a quick demo of your... specialty? It'd help us plan for coordination during the fight."
Scott scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, sure, yeah. No pressure or anything..."
Stepping into an open section of the room, Scott activated the button on his glove and instantly vanished.
"He disappeared!" Natasha scanning the space where he once stood. A ripple of surprise swept across the group as they all began looking around.
"Hey! Down here!"
A small voice called up from the floor. They all looked down.
On the tiled surface stood a tiny black speck, no bigger than a fingernail but clearly humanoid.
Under closer scrutiny, they realized it was Scott, reduced to the size of an ant.
Amazement passed through the group.
"He shrunk... that's incredible." Steve Rogers knelt to get a closer look, eyes narrowing in fascination.
With a soft buzz of energy, Scott returned to normal size, brushing off his shoulders.
"Takes some getting used to, but yeah, pretty handy in a fight."
"You don't say." Thor said, stroking his beard with a rare look of admiration.
"You can shift your form like the frost giants, but in a... subtler way. Impressive."
Scott grinned, Did Thor just compliment me?
He reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small case filled with red and blue disk-shaped projectiles.
"I brought some toys to share." He held up a few of the flying darts.
"Red shrinks things, blue enlarges them. Could come in handy mid-fight, I've used them to disarm, distract, or even take out threats without getting too close."
"I'll stick with Mjolnir." Thor glanced at one with mild disinterest.
Scott just smirked. "Suit yourself. But let me show you something."
He led the team outside into the hospital's rear courtyard. The early evening light glinted off the rooftops, casting long shadows.
Scott pulled out a small toy model of a van, clearly no bigger than a child's plaything. He tossed it into the air and immediately flicked a red dart at it.
As it ascended, the dart struck and the toy expanded midair, transforming into a full-sized armored vehicle that came crashing down with a thud, shaking the ground and sending a few startled birds into the sky.
The Avengers stared, dumbfounded.
"...Okay, that's cool." Clint said, eyes wide.
"Heh." Scott handed a few of the darts to Natasha and Clint. "Told ya."
Tony was examining one of the darts with interest.
"Quantum expansion tech. Interesting. Mass seems to scale proportionally..." He glanced at the now-oversized model van.
"Reminds me of someone... Pim? Pym? Wasn't there a Dr. Hank Pym, particle physicist, borderline genius, but with an antisocial streak?"
Scott's grin faltered the moment Tony mentioned Hank Pym.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, his voice lowering just a notch. "Yeah... Pym's a genius, alright. Bit of a complicated guy.
"Not really a fan of Stark tech or Stark anything, really." He gave a half-laugh, trying not to dwell on it. "But hey, water under the bridge, right?"
Tony raised a smirk. "Sure, as long as he doesn't try anything."
"Alright, alright, enough shop talk." Soren interrupted with a chuckle, stepping between them with his hands raised.
He turned to Scott.
"Let's put that thing away before it turns into a parking hazard."
Nodding, Scott flicked one of his blue Pym Discs toward the oversized model van. With a soft pulse of blue light, the vehicle shrank instantly, returning to its toy-sized form and landing with a soft tap on the ground.
Inconspicuous once again.
As the team was turning to head back inside, a warm golden light flared in the courtyard. A circular portal shimmered open in the air, rippling with mystic runes.
"Another guest arrives."
From the portal emerged the Ancient One, clad in a minimalist yet elegant saffron-and-earth-toned robe. Her presence exuded timeless, composed, and almost serene.
Behind her, a group of Kamar-Taj magi followed in silence, their expressions disciplined.
"Ancient One." Soren greeted with a slight bow.
"Welcome. These are Earth's defenders and your new comrades in the battle against Malekith."
The Ancient One returned the bow, her palms pressed gently together in a traditional magician's salute. "It's a rare thing to see such minds gathered in one place."
"I greet you all in peace."
The Avengers, unused to mystics, responded with curious, cautious nods, save for Tony, who was already pacing a bit.
"Wait a second." Tony raised a hand.
"We're calling in... actual magicians now? Like wand-waving, spell-casting magicians?"
"Magic is merely science you haven't understood yet." Ancient One replied with a cryptic smile.
"But yes, the kind that bends time and space, not pulls rabbits out of hats."
Tony blinked.
"Great. First aliens, now wizards. My worldview is hanging on by a thread."
Amused, Soren turned back to the Ancient One.
"How's Jean?"
At the mention of Jean Grey, the Ancient One's expression changed… subtly, but enough for those watching closely to notice.
"She's extraordinary."
"Her innate magical capacity eclipses even Kaecilius. But that's not all."
She looked at Soren intently.
"There's another force within her… deeply volatile. It responds to her emotions, her will. Even I... felt its presence. And I felt fear."
Soren's expression tightened slightly. He knew what it was.
Phoenix Force.
He gave a small nod. "So, you've sensed it too."
The Ancient One's voice lowered, though it still carried.
"It's not a curse, Doctor. What astonishes me is how... in sync it is with her magic. The power enhances her spells exponentially, far beyond anything we've documented."
She paused, then added with quiet awe.
"And her mind, her mental discipline, is formidable. She wields that power with almost... intuitive mastery."
The rest of the group listened intently, some wide-eyed. Thor tilted his head, intrigued.
"Sounds like she's destined for greatness." Natasha muttered.
The Ancient One smiled softly.
"She is."
"In fact, if she continues on this path... I would like to make her the next protector of Kamar-Taj."
"The one who watches over Earth from interdimensional threats when I am gone."
The announcement stunned even Soren.
Kamar-Taj's Guardian?
That was more than a title, it was a mantle of unimaginable responsibility, one passed down through centuries. For the Ancient One to offer it so soon...
"That's... a huge responsibility. And not one I can accept on her behalf. Jean's future is hers to shape."
"Of course." the Ancient One nodded respectfully.
"I only hope she walks that path freely. She is a light, a brilliant one. But as with all great lights, they cast long shadows."
Soren nodded, understanding the unspoken warning.
"Thank you." He said quietly. "For guiding her. For believing in her."
The Ancient One smiled again.
"She is easy to believe in. As are you."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream