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[Antman]

The robotics development laboratory normally occupied by one Doctor Henry Pym stands empty. The high tech laboratory equipment is spread through out the room, except for one lab table, which seems to have piled the machinery around and in front of the table so that nothing can be seen from behind it.

Almost as if out of nowhere Hank Pym appears in the center of the room in his full Antman costume. Holding out his hand he uses the translating device on his helmet to send a command to the ant crawling up his finger. Obeying Antman’s command the little insect crawls over to Hank’s thumb and moved inside the small plastic tube he is holding with his other hand. Once the and is fully inside Antman secures the tube then attaches his little ant friend into a specific slot on the belt around his waste.

Antman moves over to behind the blocked table. He stops and looks in front of it at the security camera watching over the room. As far as he could tell it looked like his micro sized rewiring had done its job. The security feed would run on a continuous loop for the next twenty-four hours.
Hank did not really like messing with the security of Stark Industries, it was there for a reason and he understood that. However there were some things he felt were none of the company’s business. His identity as Antman being one of them and the examination of his secret Pym Particles was another. As long as Miss Van Dyne wasn’t trying to steal any secrets from Stark Industry, which Hank found highly doubtful, then it did not really matter to them as far as he was concerned.

Removing the helmet from his head Hank pushed a button on the rim of the headgear causing it to shrink down to the size fitting his shrunken state. He carefully put the helmet into its slot on his belt. He then followed by putting his gloves and boots away. After that Hank reached down on the floor behind the table gathering up his regular clothing. He put his brown slacks and red button up shirt on over his adventuring Antman costume. Before fully covering up his utility belt with his clothing Hank pushed down on the buckle making one of the Pym Particle holding capsules pop out into his hand.

That little capsule was the reason for all this secrecy and the reason for the little appointment. Every time Hank thought back to that conversation and this arrangement he had made he wanted to kick himself. For years now he had done everything he possible could to keep the Pym Particles a secret. Now the daughter of an old friend shows up asking to see it and he willingly just forks it over. Of course there had been a lot of factors that contributed to his relenting of the secret to her but as he thought it over Hank came to realize that the most overwhelming factor had been his own curiosity. It was obvious that there was more to Janet then she was letting him know and Hank could curse himself for it but he just had to learn what that was. So to learn her secret he would sacrifice his own, well one of them at least.

Stuffing the capsule in the front left pocket of his pants Hank Pym picked his white lab coat up from the floor putting it on as he walked across the room over to the door. He unlocked the door to the room. Hank checked the time on his wristwatch. He still had about fifteen minutes before Janet Van Dyne was due to arrive. Hank said a silent thanks to the stars that she was not ahead of schedule. He had plenty of time left to make sure all the equipment she would likely use in her examination of the Pym Particles were set up. So Hank Pym set about to that task as he waited for her to arrive.

[Janet Van Dyne]

Why did it always take longer to get somewhere than leave it? Arriving back home usually took no time at all, but getting to an appointment, especially one as awaited as this, took forever. Jan could feel her impatience creep into the back of her neck and funnel into her fingertips as she tapped the top of her pants quietly, a light grip on her briefcase that matched her coat. The cab driver seemed nonplussed, as if he had no idea that all the answers she’d been waiting for for the past six years were just within her grasp and he was taking his sweet old time, driving within the speed limits. The nerve!

A snail moves faster than downtown traffic! I should’ve just shrunk down and flown. Grumble, grumble. Of course, she’d need her suit to do that since flying in the buff was never a pleasing experience. Well, most of the time.

Checking the small digital clock on the cab driver’s dashboard, Jan leaned forward, "Is there a faster route to Stark Industries? I’ve got an appointment at two."

The cabbie cast a wary eye at her through the rearview mirror, the jut of his scruffy chin nodding towards the street. "Nope. Fastest way is straight til we get through downtown."

Letting out a silent impatient huff, Jan pressed her lips together and glanced outside the window at the slowly moving New York City traffic. Just had to happen, on today of all days!

To keep herself preoccupied, her mind drifted back to the Baxter Building and her encounter with Michael Morbius and Peter Parker. If you told her this morning she was going to run into the latter and he’d be nothing like before, she would’ve rolled her eyes and insisted otherwise. But lo and behold, Peter hadn’t tried to look down her shirt or hit on her again. Not that she knew of, anyway. In fact, he seemed rather awkward and shy at first, which didn’t fit the mold she’d placed him in at all. A welcome surprise, at least. And turns out he actually knew what he was talking about when it came to their line of work, which was something she’d been curious about ever since they met. Helped raise the bar in his favor.

But the klutziness, if it weren’t so crucial an experiment he tipped over, would’ve been endearing. Unfortunately Michael’s hard work had to suffer for it, but at least they were able to make up for some lost time, right?

Even with this outburst, the bilingual man had a proper air about him that alluded to him being raised in a socioeconomic setting a bit higher than middle class. Either that or he was extremely good at faking it. Somehow, Jan doubted that. But her heart went out to him nonetheless for his medical situation. To not be able to produce blood cells at a regular rate (amongst other complications, he'd said), leading to a potential early death.. There were times she forgot how fortunate she was to simply have her health about her. Never mind the abilities or the wealth. At least she was reasonably healthy in that she didn’t have to search for a cure to keep her alive every day.

Features falling, the scenery passed by without her seeing it. If anything, she’d try to do what she could to help Michael if he needed it and was looking forward to encountering both men again.

Only when the sight of the extremely illustrious Stark Towers came into view did Jan realize they’d arrived. Checking the cab’s dashboard again, Jan could see that she had three minutes to spare. Not late, but not as early as she would’ve liked, either.

Handing over the cab fare to the driver with gratuity included, Jan offered a rushed thanks before striding straight into Stark Industries. They were beginning to recognize her as being one of the newly appointed Avengers so with a quick smile she breezed past security on each level, only stopping when the elevator finally reached her appointed destination: the robotics development laboratory. It was here she’d first encountered Dr. Hank Pym a few days ago. It was here she’d get the answers she’d been seeking about her abilities and possibly, about her father’s demise, no matter what the doctor said. Anything was possible.

All other thoughts of this morning flew out of her head as she opened the laboratory door, small comfortable heels clicking silently on the hard floor. Dressed comfortably in dark brown pants and a fashionable bright blue blouse beneath her coat, she glanced around the lab, finally spotting the man she’d waited what seemed like forever to see.

"Dr. Pym, it’s nice to see you again," Smiling as she managed to contain most of her excitement, setting down her briefcase and shrugging off her coat. "I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long."

[Antman]

The sound of the door opening pulled Dr. Pym’s attention from the lab station. This time he was expecting the intrusion so Janet’s entrance did not catch him as off guard as he had last week when she entered the room and he smacked himself in the face with his equipment. He turned to see her as she walked over towards him.

"Dr. Pym, it’s nice to see you again,"

“Likewise Miss Van Dyne.” He greeted returning her smile. That was good to hear he though. He was a bit worried that their first meeting had started them off on the wrong foot for working together. The amount of obvious lies and half-truths they both had in their last discussion did not exactly build a great bond of trust. Trust that for the kind of secrets they were requiring each other to share, Hank with his Pym Particles and Janet with what ever secret she had for wanting that information, would be crucial.

"I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long."

“Well I was going to count you tardy but then I realized you’re not my student so I guess I’ll just have to give you the warning.” He joked with his very dull sense of humor. “No actually it’s fine I was just checking over the spectral analyzer incase you would need to use it.”

Hank stood next to the young woman and allowed her to put her briefcase and coat to the side. Taking a small breath he prepared to plunge right into this research work that they would be doing.
“I assume you wish to jump right into this then. You should find everything you should need to analyze the Pym Particles in here.” Hank reached his hand into his pocket.

“Now before we do this I just want to make sure we are clear and understand each other. What I’m about to let you see is something I have kept secret for six years now and I would very much like to keep it that way. Because of our conversation I feel this is knowledge that you do need and deserve to know. So for you, for the sake of your father and in return for knowing exactly why you do need this information I am willing to share it with you. But I think we can both agree that what ever is learned here today does not leave this room and stays just between the two of us.”

Hank pulled his hand out of his pocket. He held his hand out to her his palm flat. The round white capsule the contained the Pym Particles inside rested on his hand offered out to Janet.

“Are we agreed?”

[Janet Van Dyne]

Finally, it was happening. She’d have actual information that would serve to tell her what had happened to her (and possibly the lab) so long ago. The excitement she felt overshadowed any doubt she had about Dr. Pym and his willingness to participate honestly, since for now she didn’t have any concrete reason to not believe he didn’t have access to his Pym Particle formula. Whether it would be the same as the ones he’d made years ago, that had yet to be seen. But she was willing to take the chance, even if it turned out all the information he supplied was bogus.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. To say she’d be none too pleased would be an understatement.

But for now, she took off her coat and as she set down her briefcase, greeted him. "I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long."

“Well I was going to count you tardy but then I realized you’re not my student so I guess I’ll just have to give you the warning.”

"Oh, good. Wouldn't want it to go on my permanent record." Jan’s lips twitched into a light smile.

“No actually it’s fine I was just checking over the spectral analyzer incase you would need to use it.”

Looking over to the piece of equipment, Jan nodded as she put on one of the spare lab coats hanging on a rack near the door. She just might need the analyzer, depending on what she found in the Pym Particles. Or rather, what she didn’t. But it’d be good to have on hand, just in case.

“I assume you wish to jump right into this then.”

"Yes," Agreeing as she came back to the lab table. Another understatement.

“You should find everything you should need to analyze the Pym Particles in here.” Eyes focused they traveled to his pocket, watching attentively.

But Dr. Pym paused, not taking anything out of his coat before he began talking. Jan’s eyes went back up to his, part of her impatient while the other knew to wait and hear what he had to say. “Now before we do this I just want to make sure we are clear and understand each other.” Okay, she could see the need to clarify. “What I’m about to let you see is something I have kept secret for six years now and I would very much like to keep it that way. Because of our conversation I feel this is knowledge that you do need and deserve to know. So for you, for the sake of your father and in return for knowing exactly why you do need this information I am willing to share it with you.” The anticipation she’d felt earlier wavered. “But I think we can both agree that what ever is learned here today does not leave this room and stays just between the two of us.”

Before she could speak, Dr. Pym took a small white capsule out of his pocket, holding it out to her. Very enticing, to say the least. She’d waited a long time for this. So many answers sat waiting for her in the palm of his hand.

“Are we agreed?”

Jan had already mentioned the affects she believed the particles had had on her, but hadn’t gone in depth. Did she really need to? Probably not. But what she told him, had yet to be seen. But for now, she could agree.

"Yes," A simple nod, taking the white capsule from his open palm. Examining it, it looked exactly like your every day, ordinary pill. "Discretion would be most appreciated," Murmuring as an afterthought as she looked at the capsule. While her identity as the Wasp was somewhat well-known, it wasn’t as visible as say, Iron Man. She’d like to keep the nature of her abilities under wraps, if at all possible. Once the public knew even a thread of information about you, they ran wild with it. Jan liked to keep her personal life just that—personal.

"The container you had the particles in at my father’s lab—was the formula in capsules like this or in a more raw form?" Asking as she opened up her briefcase and took out the folders containing her personal data as she began setting up what she’d need to examine the particles, capsule still in her cupped hand.

[Antman]

"Yes,"

Janet consented to his terms and quickly took the Pym Particle capsule he had offered. Hank watched her as she immediately began scrutinizing the capsule.

"Discretion would be most appreciated,"

“Agreed.” Hank concurred with her statement giving a slight nod of his head. As Janet was focused on the capsule Hank was focused on her. He wanted to see just what she intended to do to learn about the Pym Particles.

He wished he had the time to research Janet a little more before this meaning. Between his two jobs and preparing the equipment and to shut down security for this meeting he just had not had the time. What Hank did know was that she was a capable scientific mind probably even on equal par with himself. And from his past relationship to her father and that last encounter with her he felt that he could at least trust her not to misuse anything she learned here. That would have to be enough for now.

Hank watched her remove the folders from her briefcase. As she removed the papers inside he tried to glimpse over just what information was written on them.

"The container you had the particles in at my father’s lab—was the formula in capsules like this or in a more raw form?"

Hank looked away from her papers and turned his attention to Janet to answer her question.
“In a more raw form sort of speak. It is the exact same formula just before it was contained in a large quantity in a larger container. Best analogy is that the container I had used in the lab was like an air tank and that capsule is a balloon filled by that tank. The capsule form just obviously takes up smaller space and makes for easier use.”

[Janet Van Dyne]

OOC: So sorry for the suck and wait! RL/school issues. Please bare with me as I get back into the muse mindset.

For a second, Jan thought she had to pinch herself. She’d been waiting to get a hold of the answer to what had caused the altercation to her abilities after the explosion for a long time and now, here it sat, literally in the palm of her hand.

Dr. Pym’s request to know exactly why she wanted to know of his Pym Particles bothered her a little, but not enough to not agree to his terms. She’d tell him enough. But for now, she wanted to dissect this capsule and the Pym Particles down to the last nucleus and farthest iota. Whatever it took to understand it.

Taking out her folder of prior information she made sure to keep it closed and nearby. Not that she didn’t trust Dr. Pym, per se.. Well, not enough to disclose any information just yet.

But the questions began forming. "The container you had the particles in at my father’s lab—was the formula in capsules like this or in a more raw form?"

She caught him glancing at her folder but kept her eyes on him. “In a more raw form sort of speak. It is the exact same formula just before it was contained in a large quantity in a larger container. Best analogy is that the container I had used in the lab was like an air tank and that capsule is a balloon filled by that tank. The capsule form just obviously takes up smaller space and makes for easier use.”

Jan nodded. "And how exactly do you use it? For just experimental purposes or?" Placing the capsule in an empty Petri dish on the lab table so it wouldn’t roll away. As she reached over to begin setting up the equipment she’d be using to dissect the capsule’s contents, she glanced back over at Dr. Pym. "How long have you been using them?" Curious as to any longterm exposure he had, if any. Suddenly she wondered if Dr. Pym had been affected in any way similar to how she had been.

[Antman]

(ooc: its ok no worry. and sorry for the smaller wait for this one, no email notice/busy weekend)


"And how exactly do you use it? For just experimental purposes or?"
Hank scratched his finger to his temple trying to think of how to answer this one. He had admitted to some degree that the Pym Particles did work but he still had every intention of keeping his use of them his secret. Janet was a smart girl and if the little adventures as Antman ever got to her he imagined it wouldn’t take her long at all to put the pieces together. On the other hand he had promised to be truthful with her and he did not want to hinder her investigation. So he would just have to see how well he could dance with the truth.

“As I had told you before I’ve tried to keep this as close a secret as possible because of how dangerous the use of them could be. But yes I have done my own experiments with them on and off over the past few years. It is fascinating science and I frankly just can not help myself in exploring the possibilities.”

Hank watched Janet as she began her set up. He was anxious to see the young woman work. Over the years since her father’s death Hank had made sure to keep his ears out about her. He had heard her name mentioned a hand full of times in discussion of up and coming scientific minds. Hank knew that Vernon van Dyne would be proud to see his progeny achieve in such fields as he had.

"How long have you been using them?"

Hank made one of his forced coughs this time more out of pure surprise then out of an attempt to buy himself time to think. His first interpretation to that question was that she wanted to know how long he had been using them on himself. As he finished his cough and the worried shock wore off he realized she had not specifically mentioned any self-use and was mentally crossing his fingers that she had not thought of such. This was getting just a bit to close.

“Ahem, like I said I’ve been experimenting on and off for the past few years.” He answered quickly wondering just how many more questions she would have.
“So what is it you are looking for in this examination?”

[Janet Van Dyne]

Part of understanding the Pym Particles would be to find out Dr. Pym’s reasoning for creating them in the first place. Or at least, how he used them. Jan realized he might not even be putting them into practice, given how dangerous he claimed them to be, but something told her otherwise. Underneath his bumbling had been an underlying film of secrecy she couldn’t fully figure out yet.

Yet.

Scratching the side of his head, Dr. Pym thought about her questioning. Surely he knew how he used the Pym Particles? Or maybe he just didn’t want to say. “As I had told you before I’ve tried to keep this as close a secret as possible because of how dangerous the use of them could be. But yes I have done my own experiments with them on and off over the past few years. It is fascinating science and I frankly just can not help myself in exploring the possibilities.”

Jan cast him a slightly knowing glance from where she worked. "I can definitely understand that." Anyone dedicated to a scientific field would. But he still hadn’t answered her question. Not fully.

"How long have you been using them?"

Which for some reason threw Dr. Pym into a panicked coughing fit. Jan paused from her set up and frowned slightly. "Are you alright?" Was it something she’d said? The wheels turned.

Finally able to speak, he cleared his throat. “Ahem, like I said I’ve been experimenting on and off for the past few years.”

Interesting. So he had.

“So what is it you are looking for in this examination?”

Jan kept her folder closed, opting to simply begin preparing the supraspliceosome to begin examining the Pym Particles. She was going to strip them down to their very last iota. “For now I’m simply interested in how your Pym Particles work,” she explained. Truthful enough. Gaining an understanding of their functions would give her a greater grasp on how they affected her DNA.

Taking a seat she got to work. Dr. Pym would most likely be staying and for now, she was fine with it. Though when she wanted to research the particles correlation to her own bloodstream, it might get tricky..

Not focusing on it, she prepped the machine and concentrated at the task at hand. Only after a few moments did she ask, head bowed as she worked, “How did you come up with the idea for the particles? Was it accidental or intentional?”

[OOC: Fudging some since I’m not so scientific! Feel free to fast forward or not, whichever!]

[Antman]

“For now I’m simply interested in how your Pym Particles work,”

Hank nodded his head in an unneeded consent to her plans. As long as she had no intentions of trying to replicate how they worked on her own he could not object to her interest in that knowledge. And he felt he could trust Janet not to be so deceiving.

Hank watched her begin work on analyzing the Pym Particle sample. Silently relived he had pulled the discussion away from his own use of them.

“How did you come up with the idea for the particles? Was it accidental or intentional?”

“It was a little of both actually. I had been doing researching on some specialized molecular patterns when I discovered these particles which had the ability of mass transfer. I analyzed them in a similar fashion to what you are doing now. I realized that these particles could be harnessed for use in altering the mass structure of other substances. After a lot of sleepless nights working on the proper formula I figured out how to synthesize them into my Pym Particles which would allow for the controlled mass displacement affecting size proportion change effectively referred to as shrinking.”
Hank explained of the simple origin to his work on his discovering the Pym Particles.

Hank watched as Janet studied the Pym Particles running them through the spectral analyzer, the micro scanner, and other assorted tests that were available in the lab. Hank helped her with the research the best he could explaining some of the unique results the test on his Pym Particles had. He surprised himself with just how lose lipped he became about the inner workings of the Particles with her. Truth was Hank had been waiting years to have someone, anyone who he could discuss his greatest discovery with. Sharing some of his own tests and experiences working on the Pym Particles with someone who could understand the same scientific processes that he had gone through was a long over due experience. Talking about it with Janet was surprisingly easy. It reminded Hank of the long scientific discussions he once shared with her father Professor Van Dyne. Hank had to keep himself in check with just how much he said but it crossed his mind more then once that perhaps Janet was someone he could tell all of his secrets to.

Yet he could also tell she was hiding something from him as well. She kept her folder out of his site. As they ran more and more test it was becoming clear that Janet was looking for something more then how the Pym Particles worked that she was not telling him.

Hank brought over the computer print out of the results from another test handing them to Janet. His curiosity was getting the better of him. Hank decided to just call her on her secrecy as Janet had been unafraid to question him on his own poorly hidden deceptions.
“Perhaps if you told me what it is exactly you are looking for in the Pym Particles I can help you find it?”


(OOC: As you can see I only know pseudo comic/tv science myself so fast forward offer accepted, hope its ok.)

[Janet Van Dyne]

“How did you come up with the idea for the particles? Was it accidental or intentional?” Jan asked as she before she became too absorbed in her work. As far as she was concerned, anything she could find out about these Pym Particles, the better.

“It was a little of both actually. I had been doing researching on some specialized molecular patterns when I discovered these particles which had the ability of mass transfer.” Jan wondered about what specialized molecular patterns he’d been researching but didn’t dwell on it for the moment. “I analyzed them in a similar fashion to what you are doing now. I realized that these particles could be harnessed for use in altering the mass structure of other substances. After a lot of sleepless nights working on the proper formula I figured out how to synthesize them into my Pym Particles which would allow for the controlled mass displacement affecting size proportion change effectively referred to as shrinking.”

“So basically you stumbled onto it,” She commented, slight smile. Which really, was how a lot of scientific breakthroughs occurred, no matter what anyone said. Research into one area may bear no fruit but inadvertently advance another. Sometimes it was like that. But Dr. Pym did the legwork afterwards. She just wished she’d been more aware of it back before the accident.

Setting up the spectral analyzer, Jan ran through an assortment of tests, one right after the other. Sometimes making a ‘hn,’ of recognition, others with a hint of surprise. She didn’t know what time it was, nor did she care. In fact, she almost forgot Dr. Pym was even there unless she needed to ask him a question or two. For the most part, he simply let her work, which was the best thing to do.

Bringing over a computer print-out to her, it registered that he’d handed it to her and she accepted, though her eyes were focused on the readings on the micro scanner. “Perhaps if you told me what it is exactly you are looking for in the Pym Particles I can help you find it?”

Jan finally focused on Dr. Pym, mind registering what he’d said. Mm-hmm. Right. She’d been subconsciously guarding any materials she’d brought with her, not letting him anywhere near it. Unnoticeably, of course, but it wasn’t as if she’d said anything in depth about her real purpose yet.

Head tilting slightly, Jan asked, "Have you ever used the Pym Particles on a living creature? Say a plant or animal? Or even a human?" The Pym Particles affected mass, he said, right? And mass applied to everything and everyone.

[Antman]

"Have you ever used the Pym Particles on a living creature? Say a plant or animal? Or even a human?"

Hank Pym could feel that nervous uncertainty rise in him again. He had to bite his lip to keep from blabbering in a poor excuse to lie in response. He had to think about how to answer this. Hank wanted to be honest in helping Janet with what she was searching for but it seemed like doing that and keeping his big secret to himself would becoming more and more difficult. Still he would try to keep from telling her the fact that he had and still often did shrink down to the size of ant for as long as humanly possible. So Hank tried to half truth things with Janet once again.

“Yes my first experiments involved coating inanimate objects with specialized particles. I found if I set certain light bio energy waves over them afterwards it would cause them to shrink and grow by a certain ration dependent on the size of the object, the amount of particles, and the amount of energy. The same occurred with plant life I coated. Unfortunately after that I ran out of funding. The men in charge of the lab would not allow me to continue my personal research there so I could not even get a lab rat to test it on. I had actually gone on that trip when the accident occurred to search for funding. With all my previous research gone in the explosion I had no choice but to move on to other primary research, recreating the Pym Particles in my spare time.”

Hank told his story purposely stopping at the fact that afterwards he was left with no option but to experiment with the Pym Particles on himself. When he thought back on it he realized just how mad and possible clinically insane he was at that point in his obsession with his research. It was all he had after his wife’s death. His research was his life and without any hesitation he was willing to give himself to it regardless of the consequences, nothing like such rash actions almost getting you killed by an army of ants to snap you to your senses.

Looking at Janet and her work though Hank felt a bit guilty not being able to tell her more. He did not know exactly what she was looking for but he could tell by he own focus and determination in her searching that it meant a lot to her. The information he knew could be vital to what she was looking for.

“But ahem after I recreated the Pym Particles on my own I was able to do another experiment on a uhmmm on a…a mouse. A mouse I had uhh bought at the store. Anyway to not go into to many details about the experiments I discovered that it could not work if the peanimal was coated in the particles but if ingested into the blood stream the uhh subject would shrink until the particles would eventually burn out and evaporate. I also discovered that living things with higher brain functions could control the Pym Particles by focusing thoughts. The brain wave energy would activate the particles to react in the similar way to the bio energy waves I had put on the inanimate objects through. Giving control of the shrinking ability to me…mouse.”
This is why Hank kept to himself; lies and subterfuge were not his strength.