MD-Chapter 359 Communication Across the Stars!

Pym's expression darkened on the spot.

He shot Arthur a sidelong glance, like he was trying to size him up— was this guy here to start trouble?

"…Take a seat."

After pouring a cup of coffee, Pym sat down across from him on the sofa, his eyes never leaving Arthur.

Arthur tapped the side of his helmet and gave a wry smile.

"Pretty sure I can't drink this while suited up. But if you've got a straw, I might be able to make it work."

Pym blinked, his face contorting into something between amusement and suspicion.

"Let's skip the small talk. Why are you really here?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" Arthur nodded. "I need a favor. Something that should be simple for a man of your expertise."

"This have to do with the Pym Particles?" Pym cut him off, eyes narrowing.

Arthur nodded again.

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll be back tomorrow."

"…Seriously?" Pym stared at him, momentarily at a loss. He'd dealt with mercenaries, spies, even HYDRA operatives. He wasn't scared of threats, and he certainly wasn't afraid to die. But this kind of relentless shamelessness? That was new.

He exhaled and rubbed his forehead. "What exactly do you need?"

"I'd like your help shrinking a car," Arthur said plainly. "And I'll need a device that can revert it to normal size in a pinch— just like the tank you keep on your keychain."

Pym's face froze mid-expression.

"Even my daughter doesn't know about that," He said slowly.

Arthur shrugged. "There are no secrets in this world that everyone can keep. I just happen to know this one."

"…Touché. And yes, what you're asking is well within my capabilities."

Pym stared him down. "But why should I help you?"

"You know, the way you said that almost makes me want to punch you, right?" Arthur sighed. "Look, if you're open to negotiating, I'm happy to hear your terms."

"Direct. I like that," Pym muttered, though he gave Arthur a dry look. "Still not thrilled about the punchable comment."

He got up, hands slipping into his pockets as he began pacing slowly. After a few thoughtful steps, he turned to Arthur.

"Truth is, I don't have a good reason to deny you. And frankly, it'd be arrogant of me to make demands. But… there is a situation on my radar. Something I might need help with, depending on how things shake out. If I agree to help you now, would you be open to lending a hand when the time comes?"

Arthur didn't hesitate. He already had a pretty good idea of what Pym meant.

"As long as it's not beyond my scope, I'm in," he replied with a calm smile.

"Perfect." Pym nodded and glanced around. "So… where's the car?"

"…I'll need two days to get it to you," Arthur admitted, scratching his head. "Honestly, I thought it'd take me longer to convince you."

"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I'm stuck in my ways," Pym said with a smirk. "Don't stereotype."

He clicked his tongue and chuckled softly.

"I'll be back in two days, then." Arthur stood up, nodding respectfully. "Thanks for your generosity."

And with that, he vanished on the spot— no flash, no sound, just gone.

Pym blinked, glanced around the room, and shook his head when he couldn't spot even a trace.

"These kids these days… no patience at all."

…

…

Sometimes, there's a lot to say; other times, barely a word. Just like that, two days slipped by in a flash.

To be honest, there wasn't much worth talking about during those two days. Aside from a quick trip to Hel, Arthur didn't do much.

And this visit to Hela? Even less productive than the last one. At least previously, they exchanged a few words. This time, the moment he showed up, Hela came at him like a berserker— with swords out, fury blazing, no questions asked.

They clashed instantly, neither of them holding back an inch.

Arthur, irritated, went all-in as well. The two of them tore into each other with full force for a good half-hour... before Hela finally beat him down and chased him off.

He did manage to leave her with one dramatic parting line: "I'll be back!"

Classic villain energy.

Back on Earth, Arthur took some time to reflect. He came to two painfully clear conclusions about why he still couldn't take Hela down.

First? Endurance.

His stamina just wasn't cutting it. Especially when the power of the Ten Rings was fully activated— cycling through them drained his internal reserves fast. Too fast. Within minutes, he'd be running on fumes.

That fact alone made Arthur grind his teeth. A man losing because of stamina? That is absolutely unacceptable.

It was downright humiliating.

Second? Complexity.

The ten distinct energy types granted by the rings were powerful, yes, but they were also complicated as hell. Managing one at a time was easy enough, but combining them effectively on the fly? That was a whole different level of mastery.

If he could figure out how to chain them together fluidly, his combat potential would skyrocket.

But at present, he wasn't there yet.

For starters, working out the right combinations would take time and theory. And even if he had that, wielding multiple powers simultaneously required serious training.

Which... led him back to square one.

Endurance.

The frustration over it hung with Arthur, and Lily clearly picked up on it. She didn't ask questions, though. Instead, she did what she could to lift his mood— with surprising creativity.

Now that Frigga had returned to Asgard, the house was just the two of them.

Before they'd crossed that unspoken line, they could act civil around each other. But now?

Now, they were practically inseparable.

To be fair, Lily was the bold one. She snuck into Arthur's bed in the middle of the night—uninvited, unbothered.

Arthur, ever the self-proclaimed gentleman in this modern era, had originally planned to hold his ground. But when she curled up in his arms, cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling with mischief… well, let's just say his "moral boundaries" didn't last long.

After a few rounds of push and pull, those lines vanished entirely.

By the time Lily had gotten what she wanted, she looked utterly satisfied and the next day, despite walking a little funny, she was practically glowing with energy, hopping around like she'd won the lottery. Arthur could only shake his head in disbelief.

Somewhere between all that, Arthur found time to visit Tony.

He asked Stark for a custom ride for Lily. Tony didn't even blink, he just pointed him to the garage while saying. "Take the white one on the far left. Already yours."

Now, that same sleek sports car had been miniaturized into a keychain-sized pendant, courtesy of some Pym-Tech integration. It dangled proudly from Lily's key ring.

Yep. Arthur's past two days had been calm, happy, and surprisingly domestic.

But just as he was relaxing on the couch, watching TV with Lily curled up next to him, his wristband started to blink.

He glanced down— it was a communication request. Not one from the wristband's normal built-in network.

He accessed the device's disassembly space, digging deeper.

Not from SHIELD, not StarkNet, not even one of Fury's burner channels.

No… this one came from a mask. A communication protocol he hadn't used in ages.

He smiled in surprise.

"Star-Lord!"

(End of Chapter)

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