Thanos and Little Annie (1) (*?▽?*) (Revised)

Pym Particles,

They were an incredibly miraculous substance, practically a man-made marvel created by humanity so far—and there was nothing else like them!

They had originally been invented by Dr. Pym. With the aid of special instruments, they could miraculously enlarge or shrink a person countless times over, even making someone small enough to explore the Quantum Realm and investigate the mysteries of time and space, among other things.

On a somewhat out-of-the-way little street in Midtown Manhattan, New York, a neighborhood renowned for its delicious food, most of the shops finally began to fill up when lunchtime arrived and the employees at nearby companies started finishing work and taking their breaks.

All kinds of restaurants, dessert shops, fast-food joints, and coffee shops entered the busiest part of their day. Even the simple wooden benches along the street were packed with white-collar workers eating lunchboxes and fast food, or drinking alcoholic beverages, coffee, cola, and all sorts of other drinks.

They could finally step away from their busy, high-pressure work and take a moment to enjoy some leisure time after a morning on the job.

But...

Strangely, unlike the busy, packed shops around it, one little street-side ice cream shop seemed rather unusual.

Because...

In that little shop, which had enough room for several tables, there was only one customer: a little girl in a red dress, with beautiful golden hair, big blue-green eyes, and a chubby, rosy-cheeked face. She looked sweet and adorable as she sat by herself, happily eating away.

Every now and then, a passerby would try to go in for a rest, order some dessert or ice cream, and enjoy a little summer coolness. Some of them were clearly white-collar workers, judging by their clothes. Yet the seemingly honest shopkeeper would simply wave them away,