As they chat and discuss the battle, I find myself still fixated on their kiss… Ugh, maybe it's just the culture here—like their clothes, they might be more open-minded. Maybe they follow the French custom of kissing as a greeting?
Ah! Who am I kidding, Janet is clearly cucking Hank here with this redhead bombshell. Even back on Earth, I had felt a pang of envy seeing pictures of her—Hank Pym, that lucky bastard, married to such a stunning woman. Although now my head is filled with images of Janet and the tall redhead in a far more private setting—both naked, tangled together on a bed, making out!
Shaking my head, I refocus on the matter at hand. At least Janet's words confirm my earlier suspicions—this is Sub-Atomica.
Sub-Atomica, Microverse, Inner Space, Quantum Realm—various names had been used to describe this place in the Marvel comics of my past life. Essentially, it is a unique dimension accessed by shrinking matter to a subatomic scale. When an object—or a person—shrinks beyond a specific threshold, they pass through a nexus point and arrive in this dimension.
The word 'atom' or 'atomas'; itself is derived from the Greek word meaning 'uncuttable', but humanity had long since discovered subatomic particles: electrons, protons, and neutrons. These are the scales someone needs to shrink down to. To put things into perspective, the width of a human hair is, on average, about one million carbon atoms wide. So, if you pick a single atom, whose radius is about 10^(-10) metres, that would be the size a person needs to be.
It was generally accepted that no conscious life could exist or sustain itself at such an infinitesimal scale. After all, no one would argue that an atom itself is alive or possesses consciousness, much less anything smaller. Atoms form molecules, molecules combine, and out of these unions, life as we know it emerges. Yet, as I take in the surreal surroundings of this subatomic dimension, it defies all logic. The place is teeming with life—not just simple, single-celled organisms, but complex, fully-formed entities moving and interacting in abundance.
I am certain of one thing: I am at that scale right now. The excruciating pain I endured when entering this dimension must have been my astral body forcing its way through an unimaginably small nexus—a hole perhaps only a few picometers wide, or even smaller. Miraculously, my essence adapted, compressing and reforming to fit this incomprehensibly tiny space. I look down at my hands, marveling at the fact that they remain intact, functional, visible.
This is where the real strangeness sets in. The shortest wavelengths of visible light are vastly larger than subatomic particles. By all known physics, nothing at this scale should be visible. Without light reflecting off these entities, they should remain unseen, imperceptible to the naked eye. And yet, I see them clearly. I see myself. The entire world around me glows with a surreal brilliance, as though light—if it can even be called that—behaves differently here. Perhaps this realm operates under a different set of physical laws, or maybe my perception has been altered to interpret something beyond conventional light.
In the comics, it was mentioned that this entire dimension wasn't a naturally occurring phenomenon but rather a magically conjured realm, created by an individual with immense power. This revelation suggests that the laws governing this dimension could be vastly different from those of the universe I know. Perhaps only the entrance to this realm is unimaginably small, and once inside, matter and bodies return to a 'normal' size, relative to the dimension's unique reality.
Then again, size and scale are always relative, a concept that twists my perception as I stand in this surreal world. Everything about this place feels foreign, yet oddly coherent within its own rules. I decide to test a theory, recalling something from the comics. Within this subatomic dimension—or the Microverse, as it was sometimes called—there was said to exist an all-encompassing force: the Enigma Force.
It was described as an ancient and mysterious energy, predating the creation of the Microverse itself. Like the Force in Star Wars, it was capable of manipulating reality in ways that transcended physical laws, granting those who could harness it incredible power.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, focusing my mind. If the Enigma Force is real, if it truly exists in this place, then perhaps I can sense it. My thoughts align with the rhythm of this dimension, tuning into its unfamiliar frequencies. I reach out, not with my hands but with my will, trying to feel the enigmatic energy said to permeate this realm.
"Hey, Electric Man from Earth, are you alright?" I hear Janet's voice, breaking my concentration. Opening my eyes I find her standing beside the redhead woman, both of them staring at me.
"I am fine," I reply with a sigh. "Just… trying to sense something."
"Oh? He is speaking your language, but how can I still understand him?" the redhead woman asks, clearly intrigued.
"What? You can?" Janet exclaims, surprised.
"It's a spell called Allspeak, casted by my teacher, so I can understand and have others understand my words easily," I explain concisely.
"Oh, so it's Sorcery! Jan, you didn't tell me your friend was a Sorcerer," the redhead says with a grin.
"Uhm, I didn't know Earth even had Sorcerers," Janet replies, confused. "Anyways, sorry, I forgot to ask your name in all the hurry and excitement," she adds, sticking her tongue out cutely.
"I am Lucas Watson, you can call me Luke, Janet," I reply with a smile.
"Ah, such a simple Earth name. It has been so long since I have heard one like it!" Janet says excitedly as she approaches and wraps her arms around mine, her breasts pressing against me. "This is the handsome gentleman that saved us all from the ambushers, Pearl," she adds happily.
"Thank you for saving my troops, Sorcerer Luke," the redhead says, her voice firm yet graceful as she bows slightly. "I am Pearla, rightful Queen of Mirwood."
The name triggers a memory from my meta-knowledge. In the comics, there was indeed a Princess Pearla of Mirwood who eventually rose to become its Queen.
However, the woman standing before me is far more stunning than any depiction I have seen. Her regal aura, fiery red hair, and piercing blue eyes make her beauty almost ethereal—nothing like the more subdued illustrations in the comics.
"You should have seen him, Pearl!" Janet gushes, releasing my arm to throw her arms around the Queen in an enthusiastic hug. "He just swiped his hand, and electricity poured out like a storm, taking down the big commander ships in an instant!"
"That does sound impressive," Pearla replies, her blue eyes appraising me with interest, a small but genuine smile gracing her lips.
"Queen Pearla, there's a problem," an urgent voice interjects. I turn to see a striking blonde woman approaching, her face partially concealed by a small red eye mask. Her attire—if it could be called that—consists of a colorful one-piece swimsuit paired with long red boots. The revealing outfit leaves little to the imagination, drawing attention to her sexy, flawless figure. Yet, despite her provocative appearance, her posture is firm, and her tone commands authority as she stands flanked by armoured troops.
"I will attend to it, Marionette," Pearla says with a composed nod before turning back to me. "I am sorry, Sorcerer Luke. It seems I must handle this pressing matter. Jan, please take care of our esteemed guest. We owe him a great deal."
"Of course, Queen Pearla. Please, don't let me keep you from your duties," I reply, my voice understanding and respectful. I glance at the camp, where injured individuals are being tended to. Part of me considers offering my healing abilities to assist, but for now, staying with Janet feels like the right move.
"Don't worry, leave him to me!" Janet assures Pearla, her tone lighthearted as she plants a quick, affectionate kiss on the Queen's cheek. Pearla smiles warmly at Janet's gesture before giving me a polite bow. She then strides off with Marionette, her demeanour shifting to one of regal focus.
"That girl is Marionette, the second-in-command of the Queen's troops," Janet explains, noticing me checking her out. "I am the first by the way ... the great Wasp!" she declares smugly.
"The dress code for warriors, especially women, is quite strange here," I comment, glancing at Queen Pearla's metal bikini, Marionette's colourful one-piece swimsuit, and Janet's fully yellow, eye-catching bikini.
"Hahaha, no, no, no," Janet laughs, clutching her stomach as tears of amusement well in her eyes. "That was all my creation! I was just revisiting my old profession as a fashion designer and, well, I might have tricked Pearl into thinking that the brave warrior women of Earth wear outfits like this." She struggles to stifle her laughter, her voice shaking. "Pfft, Mari even came to me herself, asking me to make her some 'warrior clothes,' too," she says, nearly doubled over from laughter. "Although, you have to admit, the girls do look pretty hot in them."
"That… is true," I say, my voice trailing off as my eyes involuntarily flicker down to her cleavage, framed perfectly by her own 'warrior' design.
"Hey, eyes up, boy," Janet teases with a grin. "But I can't blame you. This is my favourite battlesuit—I call it the Yellow Wasp!" She thrusts her chest out in pride.
***
I give a heartfelt thanks to my new Patreon Supporter! :)
Roxas1224 Z
You are Alpha level on Patreon and Tier 1 on Discord now!!
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I have started the new Pokemon Quest/Story that won in the poll before!
The first chapters are updated on my Patreon and the fiction site if you want to read them! (The first chapters are free for all members!)
I will soon add it to Webnovel too!