Chapter 94: Under Control Yet Powerless
After escorting the Lang family to their assigned residence and giving them a tour, they gathered in the living room.
Scott hesitated before saying, "Cassie, I need to speak with Ryan privately."
Though confused, Cassie nodded and left to give them privacy.
The moment Cassie was out of earshot, Scott's expression turned furious. "What the hell are you playing at?"
Ryan feigned innocence. "Playing at? I simply invited you to participate in an experiment. What exactly were you expecting?"
"I'm expecting you to stay away from my daughter."
Ryan chuckled coldly. "It's my freedom to contact whoever I want, and it's Cassie's freedom too. Even as her father, you have no right to interfere. And let's not forget—your entire family is now under my custody. You're in no position to make demands."
Scott was momentarily stunned into silence.
His anger had clouded his judgment, but Ryan's words brought reality crashing down.
Ryan held all the cards, and Scott had no leverage to negotiate. But as Cassie's father, he would protect her, even if it cost him everything.
He growled, "Even if you kill me, I won't let you hurt Cassie."
Ryan looked genuinely bewildered. "Why would you assume I want to hurt Cassie? If anyone's hurt her, it's you."
Scott froze.
Ryan was right. He'd vanished for five years during the most crucial period of Cassie's life—trapped in the Quantum Realm while she grew up without him. He'd failed her as a father, and that knowledge cut deep.
Ryan placed a hand on Scott's shoulder in mock sympathy. "Look, just stay here and make the best of it. That way you can keep an eye on both Cassie and me. Isn't that ideal?"
Scott wanted to curse. First, he hadn't come to Celestial Island voluntarily. Second, with Cassie here, even if Ryan tried to force him out, he wouldn't leave.
Human behavior is driven by emotion—nobody can maintain pure rationality.
The private conversation ended, and the entire group reconvened.
Ryan got straight to business. "Dr. Pym, my reason for bringing you here is simple: I want to open a stable pathway through time and space."
Hank Pym was silent for several seconds before shaking his head. "That's impossible. Time can't be controlled, unless..."
"Unless you have this?" Ryan produced a time-travel GPS device and placed it on the coffee table.
Hank stared at it in shock. "Where did you get that?"
The quantum GPS could only be created by Tony Stark. After Tony's death, all the devices had supposedly been destroyed or lost, yet Ryan somehow possessed one.
Ryan explained casually, "I time-traveled with the Avengers once, but we had a... philosophical disagreement and parted ways."
Time travel required three components: the GPS device, Pym Particles, and a quantum tunnel.
Having already experienced time travel, Ryan had no intention of being trapped in a single timeline. That's why he'd brought Hank Pym here—to conduct controlled time-space research.
Hank carefully picked up the device, examining it closely. "This would indeed meet the requirements for time travel, but I'd need to study Stark's positioning technology first."
"Of course. The lab is ready whenever you are."
"I'll need Janet's help."
Janet van Dyne was the original Wasp and Hank's longtime partner.
While Hank lacked Tony Stark's genius in multiple scientific fields, Janet had spent decades in the Quantum Realm and possessed unique knowledge about its deepest mysteries. Her insights would be invaluable.
Ryan snapped his fingers. "Fine. Does she come here voluntarily, or do I send my people to bring her in?"
Hank grimaced but said nothing.
After further discussion, Ryan left the Lang residence.
Once certain Ryan was gone, Scott leaned in and whispered urgently, "So what's our play here?"
Cassie looked confused. "Play? Didn't we all agree to work on this research project?"
The others exchanged glances, silently agreeing to keep the truth from her.
After a long pause, Hank said carefully, "From what I've observed, Ryan doesn't seem intent on harming us. And honestly... I'm genuinely interested in this research."
Hope added pragmatically, "What choice do we have? Either you fight Ryan and probably die, or we run and spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. Pick one."
Through their investigation, Scott and Hope had pieced together Ryan's position in the world.
Ryan was responsible for forcing S.H.I.E.L.D. and the remaining Avengers into international exile. He'd cultivated relationships with powerful government officials, commanded military resources at will, created an army of enhanced soldiers, declared himself ruler of Celestial Island, and established a sovereign base controlling some of the world's most valuable mineral deposits.
Everything pointed to one conclusion: Ryan was far beyond what Ant-Man and his allies could challenge.
Cassie spoke up. "Ryan's been really nice to me. Why are you all so hostile toward him? Besides, didn't you come here because you accepted his invitation?"
The other three fell silent. Finally, Scott tried a different approach. "Sweetheart, we haven't actually finalized all the details of this project yet. I'm just worried you'll get bored stuck here for an extended period."
Cassie shook her head firmly. "Bored? How could I be bored doing what I love?"
The other three exchanged knowing looks.
Judging by Cassie's enthusiasm, they had no choice but to stay.
After leaving the Lang residence, Ryan headed to Maya Hansen's quarters.
Maya appeared relaxed on the surface, but internally she was wound tight with anxiety.
She'd never met Ryan before and had no idea why he'd brought her here.
Ryan glanced around, noting that Maya hadn't touched anything in the room—she remained on high alert.
"Hello, Dr. Hansen. I'm the administrator of Celestial Island. You can call me Ryan, or Dr. Ryan if you prefer."
Maya asked bluntly, "What do you want from me?"
"Relax, have a seat." Ryan gestured to the furniture.
Once they were both seated, he continued, "You're a scientist. I don't think you should waste your life and talents. Have you given any thought to your future?"
Maya Hansen was technically a biochemist with specialization in virology.
She and Aldrich Killian had jointly developed the Extremis virus, which had later caused significant problems for Tony Stark.
Maya was quiet for a moment before asking, "You want me to work for you? Can we discuss terms?"
"Absolutely." Ryan leaned back comfortably. "I'm a geneticist myself. There's probably no one on this planet more accomplished in the field of biological genetics and enhancement."
Ryan looked barely in his mid-twenties, yet he had the audacity to claim supreme authority in his field. Maya couldn't tell if it was confidence or delusion.
Seeing her skepticism, Ryan didn't bother defending himself. "But my time and energy are limited. I need a qualified assistant. That's why I brought you here."
Maya immediately asked, "How long would I be working for you? When can I leave?"
Ryan smiled knowingly. "Even if I gave you a specific timeline, you wouldn't believe it. Let's skip the pointless probing."
Maya's question wasn't really about knowing when she could leave—it was about whether Ryan intended to kill her when she was no longer useful.
Satisfied that Ryan wouldn't dispose of her casually, Maya relaxed slightly.
"I can be your assistant, but—"
"No buts. You'll learn your specific duties when you come to the lab tomorrow. Get some rest. I don't want you operating at half capacity."
With that, he stood, straightened his jacket, and left Maya's residence with a slight smirk.
The next morning,
Ryan didn't disturb the Lang family, but instead brought Maya Hansen to his laboratory.
"This is genetic test data from my recent work. I need comprehensive analysis of all comparison parameters. Complete the data analysis and provide me with a feasibility report."
Maya took the tablet, glanced at the preliminary data, and her eyes widened in shock.
"You created all of this?"
Ryan nodded matter-of-factly.
"This is incredible! You actually cracked the genetic enhancement sequence. So those super-soldiers the government's been using—you created them?"
As an expert in genetic enhancement herself, Maya could identify enhanced individuals at a glance—like a master chef recognizing quality ingredients instantly.
"Alright, get to work. Your workstation is over there. You're not permitted to enter the restricted areas without my authorization, and you're not allowed to remove anything from this lab. If I catch you trying, death will be the least of your concerns."
Being an expert in any field requires deep, almost obsessive interest.
Maya Hansen was no exception.
Within minutes, she was completely absorbed in the data, Ryan's threats apparently forgotten.
Two days passed quickly.
The Lang family, having resigned themselves to staying, had already begun their work. Scott and Hope helped Hank set up the quantum laboratory.
Cassie was engrossed in her own experiments, taking breaks when tired, occasionally visiting her father and occasionally stopping by Ryan's lab.
Everyone was being treated fairly and kept reasonably comfortable.
Maya Hansen was practically living in the lab, working around the clock and refusing to leave.
That afternoon, a private aircraft and two cargo ships arrived at Celestial Island simultaneously.
The Lang family went to greet Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, while Ryan headed to the docks.
Also arriving on the ships was Corvus, who approached Ryan with a tablet. "Boss, the first batch of workers we recruited consists of 726 people. They'll be at the mining facility within the hour."
"All the equipment and supplies you requested have arrived. They'll be transported to the settlement after inspection."
"Also, we haven't had any volunteers for your enhancement trials recently, so I've arranged for 30 enhanced combat suits from Hammer Industries' surplus inventory for testing purposes."
Ryan hadn't used human test subjects for enhancement experiments in some time. This was partly because his genetic research had hit a plateau and didn't require live testing currently. He also wanted to avoid creating uncontrollable enhanced individuals who might pose problems—primarily to avoid giving the federal government or remnant S.H.I.E.L.D. forces any advantages.
End of Chapter 94
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