24: Promise

  The meeting sted a little longer before it ended. After all, it wasn't a meeting to decide or vote on something; John was in charge and was merely getting the whole team on the same page. Everyoheo do what they o do because they would soon be flying back to Europe.

  SWORD's temporary base would serve as a aer in this part of the world and help unicate betweeernational agend the Uates. I-too-distant future, they would likely opt for a more ideal location and the stru of a proper headquarters.

  Of course, if possible, John wanted his own helicarrier s through the clouds, but even with Howard and Hank by his side, that would probably take some time.

  And speaking of Hank...

  “This… This is incredible! you see it, el? Her cells have formed a e with quantum energy. High-iy Pym particles are spontaneously geed withi every moment!” John looked at the data Professor Pym had obtained after studying Ja's anomalous dition for several hours.

  The woman was also nearby, looking at the information with i, after all, it ed the dition of her body.

  “It’s fasating, Professor, but the important thing is to know if this is harmful to her. Her health is the most important thing here,” John said, causing Jao nod in agreement.

  The professor stopped looking at the analysis and thought deeply before responding.

  “I need more specialized equipment to give a definitive answer, but with the data obtained so far, it shouldn't be dangerous for the moment.”

  “Not dangerous for the moment?” Ja quickly asked with some arm.

  “Well, although I don’t kly where the particles f inside you are ing from, they show no signs of stopping so far. In fact, it seems their produ is increasing. For now, it’s not harmful, but the human body isn't desigo store so much power. Sooner or ter, it will fill up, and if that happens, well…”

  “Her body could colpse,” John finished, with a serious expression, making Ja's face turn pale as she also uood what could happen.

  “I-it’s just a possibility. Nothing like this has ever been seen before, so to say what will happen with absolute certainty could be wrong. Maybe when her body reaches the maximum possible ste point, the geion of particles will stop, and her dition will stabilize.”

  Of course, this was the best-case sario, but whether it was Ja, Hank, or John, they all uood that the ces of this actually happening were slim. Taking the risk of letting it happen to find out would only endanger Ja's life unnecessarily.

  Seeing the worry on Ja’s face, John reassured her by pg a hand on her shoulder.

  “Though the situation isn’t ideal, we’re not without options, Miss Van Dyne. Remember, you release that energy at will, so you just o do that until we find a better solution.” At John's words, Ja's face lit up. That’s right! She could release the energy through her hands. She had been so worried that she had momentarily fotten that fact.

  “Release the energy?” Hank asked, perplexed. John realized he hadn’t mentiohat to him. He looked at Ja and oward ay space within the improvised boratory that had bee up for Hank, where all his equipment had been brought earlier.

  Ja swallowed but still raised her hand, and a yellow light glowed, causing Hank’s eyes to widen in amazement. Then the projectile shot out, hitting the wall and causing the crete to crack.

  Of course, Ja didn’t want to cause too much damage, so she deliberately tried to trol the output power—something she hadn’t thought to do before but managed with some success once she attempted it.

  “Fasating! This—what else you do?” Hank looked at her with almost inhuman curiosity, making Ja feel a bit unfortable. Still, she khis was to be expected from a stist, and in a sense, she uood, as she herself had a great deal of curiosity.

  “Well, I haven’t tried anything else,” she responded holy.

  “H-how about shrinking rowing!? you ge your size?” Hank’s questio both John and Ja looking at him in fusion.

  “The primary fun of Pym particles is to alter the size and mass of matter. Although I haven’t tested it with living beings, it should be possible, and your body is full of those particles, so…” He didn’t o say more for both of them to uand. John had ahat this might happen, thanks to his memories, but he wasirely sure if that would be the case, as variables always existed.

  Ja hadn’t thought about it since she had been too focused on the initial use she had given these… strange abilities and the possible side effects they could have on her. But now that the analyses were out and her life didn’t seem to be in immediate danger, she could not help but let the curiosity and fasation of having obtained supernatural abilities begin to get to her. Could she really ge her size? It souoo fantastical, but… looking at her hands and the light they geed, she couldn’t help but want to try it.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what she was trying to do sihis hadn't e with a manual, but she was smart ahat she could figure it out; she just o trate and try.

  John stepped back a bit to give her space, and Professor Pym watched with a notebook in hand, ready to take all the notes possible.

  Suddenly, a faint and almost imperceptible yellow glow surrounded Ja's entire body. Then, to the naked eye, her figure began to shrink. Of course, her clothes did not, and before John could warhe woman's figure was lost among the garments, which fell to the floor.

  Ja was astonished. Somehow, she knew she was shrinking and could feel it throughout her body, but her happiness was interrupted when she felt herself being enveloped in enormous amounts of fabric. She opened her eyes in fusion, only to find herself surrounded by the texture of the clothing.

  And she was naked, something she quickly noticed, and she couldn't help but scream in panid embarrassment.

  "Rex, you're trapped in your clothes. It seems that the shrinking ability doesn't include them. Professor Pym and I will step out. Try to return to your normal size," John said as he pulled Hank out, who seemed somewhat relut because he wao withe entire process firsthand, but a dy needed privacy.

  Ja sighed in relief when she heard them leave, and with her amazemeurning, she began to move, soon emerging from the fabrid looking at the world from an amazing new perspective.

  "Wow!" she couldn't help but excim as she saw how everything had ged, how she had ged.

  Still, being naked in a pce other than her room or the bathroom felt quite wrong, so she quickly trated and tried to return to her normal size.

  She mao do so with more ease than she expected, and without hesitation, she began to dress again.

  Soon, John and Haurned when Jaold them she was fine.

  "It really works, it really be used on living beings." Hank was quite excited about the discovery, as it presented many possibilities, almost infinite possibilities.

  "Do you feel anything wrong? Any problems with your body?" John asked, paying closer attention to Ja's dition. The woman thought about it, analyzing herself before shaking her head.

  "Everything feels fine. In fact, I feel lighter. I think I used up some of those Pym particles, much more than when I released energy through my hands." Even though she was still a novice, she was already starting to familiarize herself with her ges and could say this with some certainty.

  "Good, that's a more effit way to trol the amount of energy within you. Professor Pym, is there any way we make Miss Van Dyne's clothes adapt to her size ge?" John asked, pulling Hank out of his thoughts and into new ones.

  "Yes? I think I do something, though I'm not sure how effective it will be. I'll o run more tests."

  "For now, let's make that a priority. I know it's not what you want, but this happened because of the i at the sce fair, and ensuring Miss Van Dyne's health is your responsibility. I hope you uand that."

  Hank frowned but nodded. In fact, it was his fault that this happened. Even if John didn't remind him, deep down, he knew he had to help Ja in some way or another.

  "I'd like to help, to learn more about the Pym particles. After all, they're part of me now, aren't they?" Ja said suddenly, causing Hank to frown.

  His research... this was the discovery of his life. The thought of sharing it so easily didn't sit well with him, but he also uood that she was right. The Pym particles were now part of her body, so learning everything possible about them would only be Ja.

  "Alright, I'll teach you," he said, albeit relutly, causing Jao raise a triumphant fist.

  Seeing this, John smiled, gd there were no unnecessary disputes, though, of course, it was still too early to say if the two of them would work well together.

  He supposed he'd find out ter.

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  "Fme On" the ral voice said, and in the instant, the fire ignited. Howard's eyes widened as he looked at the android, and John, beside him, smiled.

  Although John hadn't ied with the android as much as he would have liked, he had left some instrus before parting ways with it earlier that day. One of them was that it should say the cssic Human Torch motto whes fmes ignited.

  The android, of course, didn't uand why, but it obeyed without hesitation.

  "And you say the man gave it to you just like that?" Howard asked as he looked at the android and the data John had brought along with the robot.

  "Well, some cessions had to be made, but I mao vince him. I wanted him to work with us, but unfortunately, he refused, and you know I won't foryoo work with SWORD." At John's words, Howard nodded with some disappoi. He would have liked to speak with this Dr. Horton, as he seemed to have great knowledge that fasated him.

  Still, with the data John had brought, Howard erfectly capable of dug his own studies, and who knows, he might even tihe man's research if the opportunity arose.

  "So, do you think you repair it if it ever gets damaged?" John asked the question that had been on his mind, and Howard took a moment to respond.

  "Well, it would certainly be a challenge, but I'm Howard Stark, el; there's nothing in this world that I 't repair," he said with fidence, making John smile.

  "Well, I'll trust you. I'll leave it in your hands for now." Then he looked at the android, but before speaking, he paused in thought.

  "In fact, you don't have a , and just calling you 'android' wouldn't be right. Tell me, do you have something in mind?" At the question, the android blinked. A hadn't thought about that before.

  Could it have ohe thought was discerting but also made it feel good. Yes, now it could identify that sensation. It had read several of the books John had left behind, most of them quite descriptive regarding the different feelings aions of human beings, and even though it wasn't human, it could still identify with much of what was described.

  "Isaac, I like Isaac," it said after a moment, causing John to raise an eyebrow.

  "Isaac? That's an iing name. Where did you choose it from?"

  "One of the books yht. The author's name is Isaac. I really like his work," the android replied. So it decided to self after its favorite author. How iing.

  "Well, Isaac, I'd like you to follow Howard for a while, at least while he studies your design. Take his orders as mine and ensure his well-being. Do you uand?" Although John wao take Isaac with him immediately, he knew he shouldn't rush things. He would introduce the android to the war effradually.

  "Uood, el. I will protect Mr. Stark as required."

  "A real android will have my back," Howard couldn't help but whisper with childlike amazement.

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  "This pce seems cozy, a bit small, but well, as something temporary, I won't pin," Cassandra said as she looked around the provisional room John had given them.

  "fort shouldn't be a priority," Charles sighed, watg his sister move around the room before turning his gaze back to aremely detailed map of Pond.

  Although his role in this war wasirely clear, Charles khat his main objective was to find Hydra's main boratory and rescue James's brother, Victor. Initially, John wanted Charles to be just an interrogator, someone who would stay safely at the base they were going to use in Europe.

  But Charles had refused. There were several reasons for this, one of them being how impractical it would be t live prisoo the base. Not only would it waste time, but it would also risk the prisoners with valuable information dying before reag him, and with them, their ces of stopping Hydra before they perfected the inplete serum.

  John had said that his safety was important and that going to the battlefield would only put him at risk, but that risk was something Charles could accept. No, it was the least he could do. He wasn't going to sit back while others fought with their lives on the line; he couldn't live with that.

  Perhaps it was James's memories and thoughts influeng him, but ever since he decided to join this war, Charles did so with the iion of doing so as a soldier.

  His choice, of course, made John worry, but in the end, he had accepted his request, making Charles internally grateful.

  Oher hand, his sister had decided that if he was going to the battlefield, she wouldn't stay behind, which, of course, roblem. Although Charles should have seen it ing—she wasn't the type to atiently for things to happen, at least not when she knew what was going on.

  He knew he couldn't ge her mind, which frustrated him a bit. He tried to get John to prevent it, but the man had looked him seriously in the eye and said words that still lingered in his mind.

  "Listen, Charles, I know you're worried about her, but your sister is her own person. Her as and choices are hers alone, and she must be free to make them. It's not something you prevent, but what you do is be by her side wheime es."

  He didn't like it, not at all, but John was right—his sister wasn't someone who would sit idle for long. She was impulsive and, in a way, stubborn, and it was surprising that she had stayed at home as long as she did.

  Of course, Charles knew about their father's pns, but he hadn't known how to tell his sister. Maybe it was for the best that she found out on her own, but it also ignited a spark ihat Charles knew wouldn't be easily extinguished. He knew she would leave at some point, and he wouldn't be able to stop her.

  He never imagined a situatiohey would leave together, but now that it had happened, he could only do his best to apany her on this path, wherever it might lead.

  "fort is always important, little brother," Cassandra said, but she didn't argue further. Instead, she y down on her bed, staring at the ceiling, and asked another question.

  "How many more do you think there are?" Charles looked at her, puzzled, and seeing his fusion, she crified.

  "Metahumans. How many more do you think are out there? Hundreds? Thousands? Do you think we'll enter others in the war?"

  Charles pohis for a moment before responding.

  "I don't know for sure, but it would be good if they could be on our side. I don't want to faeone who do what you ." At that, Cassandra smirked, extending her hand to make one of the books she had brought with her float toward her.

  "Don't worry, Charles. If someone like that shows up, I'll take care of them."

  Yes... although Charles worried about her, the truth was that he knew she wasn't a damsel in distress. No, his sister was a real dao others, and that was why he was ed about letting her go to war aing her loose in a pce where she could unleash her abilities without hesitation.

  He didn't know if that would be good or bad or what kind of person it might turn her into.

  But John was right about ohing—he would be by her side, no matter what happened.

  "It's best if you stop reading for today a a good rest, we'll be leaving for Europe soon," Charles finally said, folding the map he had been examining and lying down on his own bed.

  "Don't remihe excitement won't let me sleep," Cassandra replied with enthusiasm, though she did set the book aside.

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  John looked at Peggy, who had been unusually quiet for a long time.

  "What's wrong? Are you still upset?" he asked, causio frown and sigh simultaneously.

  It was that Peggy had been strongly opposed ting Charles and Cassandra with them.

  "They're just kids, John," she said after a moment, making John look at her.

  "Maybe... but Hydra doesn't give us many options. We have to take every opportunity and advantage we have; you know that."

  Peggy bit her lip. She uood. She khey couldn't win this war relying on ventional methods, but still... Seeing her , John moved clently stroking her back.

  "Listen, I'll protect them. I won't let anything bad happen to them, I promise. And I—"

  "You never break your promises," Peggy finished for him.

  She sighed but finally smiled, taking his haween her palms, feeling its warmth.

  "I know I trust you, so don't let anything bad happen to them."

  Seeingher loving gaze full of affe and fidence, John almost hesitated for a moment.

  Lying had never felt s before.

  "I will."

  So he just had to make sure it wouldn't be a lie.

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  Note:

  I hope you like it! Please ent and leave ygestions—what do you think would be cool to see in the uping chapters when the war reaches its peak?

  Finally remember that You already find the chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on Patreon (patreon.maCruzader) All the support received is appreciated ;D