Interlude Ends

Watching the two argue, Wanda truly did not understand the twists and turns involved, nor the relationship between the two men.

"Hey, those two are..." Wanda asked softly, looking at Li Nian's profile beside her. He had returned to his human appearance and looked no different from an ordinary person.

"None of that matters. We just need to follow him." Li Nian pointed at Scott as he told Wanda.

The girl nodded and gently took hold of Li Nian's arm.

Over there, the two men's argument seemed to have ended, and they had reached some sort of agreement.

"Come on, Scott. This time, I'll make you give up." Paxton dismissed his colleague, then got into the police car with Scott and headed home.

Just as he was about to close the car door, a hand caught it and stopped him from shutting it.

Li Nian's face appeared before him. "Mind giving us a ride? I think we can help."

Scott and Paxton exchanged a glance and silently agreed to let them into the car. With two Avengers involved, they would surely succeed.

The group rode in silence, and the atmosphere was exceedingly awkward.

They soon arrived at their destination.

"So many police cars!" Wanda said in surprise.

"Maggie!" Paxton shouted.

"That guy—a freak took Cassie!"

Scott immediately burst into the house upon hearing that.

Wanda made to enter as well, but Li Nian caught her and shook his head. "He can handle it."

Wanda hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust Li Nian.

Inside the house, Cassie faced the yellow-suited freak before her and asked fearfully, "Are you a monster?"

"Do I look like a freak?" Darren said softly. He stepped forward and grabbed the little girl in his arms. It was hard to tell whether he had some kind of pedophilic obsession.

"Let her go!"

Darren turned around and looked at Scott, who had arrived. Cassie, in his arms, asked, "Daddy, is that you?"

"Hey, Peanut!" Scott answered with a smile, then said to Darren, "You should pick on someone your own size."

Scott instantly threw a shrink disc at Darren, shrinking him down. Peanut seized the opportunity to escape from the room.

Scott immediately shrank down as well and began fighting Darren atop a toy train.

Even with an army of ants helping him, Darren's equipment was more advanced. He had lasers mounted on his suit, which he fired at Scott.

The two traded blows, constantly hurling toys at each other, but toys were still just toys and could not hurt either of them. With a light toss, Thomas the Tank Engine was flung far away.

Scott kept throwing enlarging discs at Darren, but they were easily knocked aside. One hit an ant, and another struck the toy train, punching straight through the roof.

Paxton could no longer stand by. Though he was only her stepfather, he loved his wife and daughter just as much. That was a father's duty.

"I'm coming to save you, Cassie!" he shouted. Suddenly, an ant larger than a dog appeared before him, frightening him so badly that he slid down the stairs.

The ant charged out through the window, startling Maggie and the police officers outside. Pointing at it, they said, "Your dog sure has a wild look!"

Wanda stared uncertainly at the ant, now enlarged countless times over, and grabbed Li Nian's hand. "That is...?"

"Quantum technology. Impressive, right?" Li Nian said, a faint smile crossing his face. Perhaps he could use Pym Particles to return to his original world. The hope was slim, but it was not impossible.

Wanda nodded, though it was unclear whether she understood.

Darren fired wildly at Scott's position, turning the room into a complete mess.

"Stop! I'm a police officer!" As Paxton shouted that worn-out television line, Darren shot the gun from his hand without even turning around. He failed to notice that Scott had taken the chance to climb onto his back.

"No, I need to get even smaller!"

Scott could not get inside Darren's suit.

"It's made of titanium alloy!" Darren flung Scott away, and the two continued fighting in the cramped room.

Bang! Scott was slammed heavily into the wall and shrank down.

"Where do you think you're going?" Darren blocked Paxton and Cassie. The lasers behind him had already locked onto them.

Paxton shielded Cassie behind him and stared solemnly at Darren. He had to protect his daughter, even if it meant using his own body.

Just as Darren was about to strike, his equipment suddenly malfunctioned. His body flickered between solid and transparent, while different parts of him began shrinking.

"I love you, Cassie!"

Scott shrank himself down to a molecular state and continuously destroyed Darren's suit from within.

Until... he became smaller than molecules...

Darren exploded. No one knew where he went, whether he was dead or otherwise. No one would ever know.

"There's no movement..." Wanda looked at the silent house and asked Li Nian.

"Wait a little longer..."

Li Nian's eyes seemed to see through the walls, taking in the scene inside.

In the Quantum Realm, Scott seemed to hear a woman's voice, but it was too faint for him to make out.

"Peanut!"

Scott suddenly woke up. He placed an enlarging disc into his suit and pressed the switch. In an instant, a tremendous storm swept through the entire room, like a miniature black hole.

Scott emerged from it and pulled Cassie into his arms, holding his daughter's adorable smiling face close with deep affection.

"All right, all right. A family reunion is always beautiful, Scott." Li Nian finally entered the house. He had chosen not to interfere with Ant-Man's storyline. After all, this was a crucial part of time travel. Who knew which mistake might destroy their only chance to undo everything?

"Who are you? Are you a bad guy?" Little Peanut Cassie timidly hid behind Scott, blinking her big sparkling eyes as she asked innocently.

The moment Wanda saw Cassie, something inexplicably struck her heart. Her gaze instantly softened. "She's so adorable. How can there be such an adorable little girl in the world?"

Clearly, Wanda's maternal aura had already appeared. She stared tenderly at Peanut's face with a gentle smile, unwilling to look away.

Li Nian did not notice Wanda's maternal aura. He simply smiled at Scott and said, "I already reported your existence to Captain America. The Captain thinks highly of you and hopes you can join the Avengers and contribute to world peace."

"Captain? Captain America?" Scott was so shocked that his mouth hung open, and he began stammering.

"I... I can join... the Avengers? I can only... grow and shrink... I'm practically useless..."

"Don't say that, Scott. You're the key man!"

Li Nian patted Scott on the shoulder and spoke meaningfully. Scott took it as proof that he truly possessed great potential, becoming so excited that he could barely contain himself.

Li Nian drifted away from the scene. Some things were better left unsaid. It was better to let the plot develop naturally.

"Let's go, Wanda. Wanda? Wanda?"

Li Nian called Wanda's name twice, only to find that her gaze remained fixed on Scott's daughter. He could not help crying out inwardly, This is bad!

Did all women naturally come with a maternal filter?

Li Nian called out a few more times before finally pulling Wanda's attention back.

Taking Wanda's soft, boneless little hand, he left with her in complete satisfaction.