"Heh..."
Spark sneered, his hand crackling with electricity as he reached for Hank Pym.
"If I can't catch the daughter, then the father will do," he muttered, his tone dripping with malice.
Hank Pym, enraged, clenched his fist and swung at Spark's chin. But as soon as his punch connected, a surge of silver-white electricity coursed through his arm and spread across his body.
"Agh!"
Hank convulsed violently from the shock, his muscles twitching uncontrollably.
Spark smirked, tightening his grip on Hank's hand. "Pathetic," he mocked, letting more electricity flow.
From a distance, Mike, who had been feigning unconsciousness, observed the scene with growing frustration.
"Seriously? I had high hopes for Hank Pym, but this is just disappointing. Without the Ant-Man suit, he's completely useless," Mike thought.
He debated stepping in but hesitated. "If I intervene, it'll blow my cover... But this mutant doesn't seem particularly strong. Maybe there's another way..."
His eyes lit up with an idea. Hidden from view, several cards appeared in the hand hanging behind his back. Moments later, the cards disintegrated into light, and a strange glow enveloped Hank Pym.
[Blessing of Strength]
[Shield of Darkness]
The sudden radiance startled Spark, who instinctively gathered a surge of electricity between his palms and struck Hank's head.
"Bang!"
The attack was intercepted by an invisible barrier. Spark's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What the hell? You're a mutant too?"
Hank, equally confused, blinked in shock. "Mutant? Did I awaken powers I didn't know about?"
But a fleeting thought crossed his mind: "No... Someone's helping me!"
Feeling the numbness rapidly fading, Hank straightened up. Strength surged through his body, and without overthinking it, he lunged at Spark.
Spark responded by amplifying his electricity, causing silver currents to crackle violently around him. Yet, none of it penetrated the protective shield.
With a roar, Hank delivered a punch to Spark's chin. This time, there was no shock, no pain—just a satisfying thud.
Spark staggered backward, stunned by the blow.
Hank blinked in astonishment. "What is this power? It's incredible!"
Wasting no time, he charged forward, unleashing a flurry of punches. Stripped of his electricity, Spark was just an ordinary man, no match for Hank's fury and combat experience.
Watching from the sidelines, Mike exhaled in relief. "Blessing of Strength adds a fixed amount of power—not much for someone like the Hulk, but for Hank, it's more than enough."
Within seconds, Spark was battered black and blue, collapsing unconscious at Hank's feet.
Hank paused, catching his breath, and glanced around at the chaos. Panicked civilians scattered in every direction, leaving him unable to identify who had intervened.
"Hank!"
The shout drew his attention, and he turned to see Hope rushing toward him. She flung herself into his arms, her face pale with worry.
Clark and Hope had been hiding nearby, watching the scene unfold.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Hope asked anxiously, inspecting him from head to toe. Seeing he was unharmed apart from his singed hair, she sighed in relief.
Hank smiled softly, warmth spreading through his chest. "I'm fine," he reassured her.
Suddenly, Hope gasped. "Oh no, Mike!"
She sprinted toward Mike, who remained sprawled on the ground. Clark was already beside him, his brow furrowed in concern.
When Mike slyly winked at Clark, the younger man relaxed, suppressing a relieved chuckle.
The sight of Mike being electrocuted earlier had terrified Clark, but now he knew it was all part of the act.
"Dad!"
Eric and Charles came running, their faces pale with fear. Eric's eyes burned with anger, while Charles was already in tears.
"Dad, don't die!" Charles wailed as he knelt beside Mike, sobbing loudly.
Mike resisted the urge to groan. "Am I really dying, or is this kid just that dramatic?"
Eric, suppressing his emotions, walked over to Spark's unconscious body. Without hesitation, he delivered two hard kicks to the man's head before summoning nearby metal debris with a wave of his hand.
"Eric! Stop!" Clark called out. "Dad's fine. He's just passed out!"
Snapped out of his rage, Eric let the metal drop and hurried back to Mike's side, glaring at Charles.
"Stop bawling like that! Dad's not dead!"
Charles blinked and silently used his telepathic powers to link with Mike's mind.
"Dad?" Charles asked hesitantly.
"I'm fine," Mike replied. "But keep acting. Don't let Hope's dad figure anything out."
Charles sniffled and nodded, then turned back to Hank and Hope, who were approaching. Tears streamed down his face as he resumed his dramatic performance.
Mike chuckled internally. "This kid should win an award. What a performance!"
"Quick, we need to get him to a hospital!" Hank knelt beside Mike, examining him. He reassured the children, "Don't worry, it's just a concussion from the shock."
Hope dashed off to find help, and within minutes, a security guard arrived to transport Mike to the hospital. Clark, Eric, Charles, and Hope accompanied him, leaving Hank behind to deal with the aftermath.
When the police arrived, Spark was taken into custody, and Hank gave a brief statement about the incident. However, before the investigation could progress, a group of special agents arrived, taking over the case.
Among them was a tall, elegant woman with long, wavy hair streaked with gray—Peggy Carter. Despite being nearly 70, Peggy carried herself with a commanding presence, her sharp eyes scanning the room.
"Hank," she greeted coolly.
"Peggy," Hank replied with equal detachment.
Their exchange was civil, but the tension between them was palpable.
Peggy broke the silence. "Are you sure you won't return to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Hank scoffed, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "Return? So you can stab me in the back again? Like when you stole my research?"
Peggy flinched at the accusation but maintained her composure. "They only wanted to use your work for—"
"Don't," Hank interrupted, raising a hand. "'They'? Don't pretend you weren't involved."
Peggy sighed. "I'm sorry."
Hank stood abruptly, his expression hardening. "Don't come looking for me again. My company and I will relocate as soon as possible."
Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Peggy standing alone, regret flickering across her face.