Unknowingly, Hank arrived at a retro-style bar. He needed a few drinks to calm his nerves.
The bartender was an old man with a cane, appearing to be about the same age as Hank. Unlike Hank, who looked weathered and distraught, the bartender was neatly dressed and full of vigor.
After a few drinks, Hank's eyes became unfocused. In a daze, he heard the bartender say something to him.
"Hank, I have a way to revive your daughter. However, there's a condition."
"As long as I can... hiccup... revive Hope, any condition is fine."
The bartender's eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips. "Good, then let's sign the contract."
With that, the bartender handed him a parchment scroll and a pen.
Hank took it casually, trying to open his eyes wide enough to read the words on the scroll.
"As long as Mephisto revives Hank Pym's daughter Hope van Dyne, Hank Pym accepts one condition."
"Hiccup! You're really funny, old man, making it seem so real."
Hank didn't take it seriously, casually signing his name on it. He then slumped onto the bar, falling asleep.
He kept muttering Janet and Hope.
"Hahahahaha!"
Mephisto laughed loudly, putting away the scroll.
He was very pleased.
For a demon, a perfect transaction is the ultimate pleasure.
The full content on the parchment was:
"Mephisto promises Hank Pym to revive his daughter Hope van Dyne, and Hank Pym unconditionally accepts any condition from Mephisto."
Things promised don't necessarily have to be done.
An 'any condition' can be countless 'any conditions'.
In other words, Mephisto paid no price this time and exchanged it for Hank's entire fortune, including his life and soul.
Well, he did pay a small price—a few drinks.
"Hank, bring Tony Stark and the sorcerer Lucas to the Quantum Realm. I, ruler of Hell, Mephisto will revive your daughter for you."
The voice entered Hank's ears, then echoed in his mind repeatedly.
Although he wouldn't fulfill the promise, Mephisto wouldn't skimp on any grand promises.
Otherwise, how could he fully motivate the contractors' subjective initiative to make them work themselves to death for him?
This was a lesson Mephisto learned from a certain Ghost Rider—if you want a horse to run, you have to let it see the grass.
The next morning, Hank slowly woke up.
First, he remembered the scene of his family reunion in his dream, a smile appearing on his lips.
Then, remembering the strange contract he signed, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly.
'Alas, it seems I miss Janet and Hope too much. I even had hallucinations after getting drunk. There's no such thing as a demon in this world.'
Without warning, Mephisto's voice rang in Hank's mind.
"Hank, bring Tony Stark and the sorcerer Lucas to the Quantum Realm. I, ruler of Hell, Mephisto, will revive your daughter for you."
As the words ended, Mephisto's form slowly materialized before Hank's eyes. Mephisto extended his hand, palm up, slowly opening it.
Bang!
A phantom flame appeared, and within the flame was a figure.
It was Hank's beloved daughter—Hope van Dyne.
"Hank, do you want your daughter or not?"
"Give her back to me!"
Hank couldn't control himself, stumbling towards Mephisto, reaching out his hand towards the figure in the flame.
"Bring Tony Stark and the sorcerer Lucas to the Quantum Realm, and I will revive your daughter for you." Mephisto repeated again, his calm tone filled with temptation.
Hank took a deep breath, calmed himself, and slowly said, "Tony Stark is dead."
Mephisto said nothing, just smiling as he looked at Hank.
Seeing this, Hank asked, "Stark isn't dead?"
Mephisto nodded. "Not too stupid yet."
Hank gasped in disbelief, "How is that possible? I clearly scrambled his brain."
A flash of inspiration struck Hank, and he secretly suppressed the excitement in his heart, continuing to ask, "Did someone revive him?"
Mephisto nodded. "After you killed Tony Stark, Lucas revived him."
He was deliberately guiding the conversation to gain Hank's trust.
You see, even a sorcerer can revive Tony Stark, whom you killed.
How could I, the mighty ruler of Hell, not be able to revive your daughter with ease?
Hank rubbed his hands, pacing back and forth excitedly.
If Tony could be revived, Hope definitely could too.
The mission is to bring Tony and Lucas.
As soon as he thought of Lucas, Hank's face immediately turned pale, and he broke out in a sweat. After a night, the fear Lucas had left him with only deepened.
He couldn't forget that gaze, which seemed to kill.
No, that had already killed him once.
After a moment of daze, Hank decided to negotiate with Mephisto.
"One for one, Tony Stark for Hope."
Mephisto raised an eyebrow.
Negotiate with a demon?
"Good, I await your good news." Mephisto agreed.
Then his figure dissipated, along with the illusory image of Hope in his hand, disappearing together.
'It seems this sorcerer's strength is greater than I anticipated.'
He knew Hank had tried to assassinate Lucas last night, but he couldn't spy on it and didn't know what had happened.
Hank's bargaining, in his own view, was a successful negotiation. But in Mephisto's view, it was a small matter.
It's time to change the plan, besiege the point to strike at reinforcements.
Trap Tony in the Quantum Realm, then find a way to leak the coordinates to Lucas, luring him into the Quantum Realm as well.
Then capture them all in one fell swoop!
In the Quantum Realm, even Vishanti wouldn't know what had happened.
—
Yao's Clinic.
A man and a woman sat side by side on the sofa, watching TV.
The characters on the TV were Mephisto and Hank.
However, the plot was slightly delayed.
The two were Lucas and the Ancient One.
Of course, they couldn't directly spy on Mephisto without being discovered but they could retrieve recordings.
This was the wondrous use of the Time Stone, this was the Sorcerer Supreme.
On the TV screen.
Hank looked at his daughter's disappearing figure with reluctance. He quickly cheered up, gathered his spirits, donned his Ant-Man suit, and took the Pym Particles, setting off for Stark Tower.
He admitted he didn't have the courage to face Lucas again.
But Tony?
Just a playboy.
Today, he would once again infiltrate Stark Tower.
He would use Pym Particles to send Tony to the Quantum Realm, in exchange for his daughter.
Thinking of this, Hank's face was beaming with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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