Ghost

- - - - -

"This brings me way back."

Ana spun around in her seat in the back of Hank's van, watching as the computer monitors blurred together into streams of blue light. She was accompanied by Scott and Hank, who were watching over Hope as she entered a restaurant called Oui to meet with Sonny Burch. Ana had changed out of the clothes she slept in into a simple pair of black jeans, a white tee and a leather jacket. Scott planted his palm on the back of Ana's chair to stop her from spinning, and shot her a look.

"You're gonna puke again. Stop." He stated.

Ana sighed, and shuffled in-between Hank and Scott to grab onto the table that carried the monitors. "I should've gone with Hope. Staying inside was never my strong suit." She said.

Hank folded his arms over his chest as he looked at her. "Burch has dealt with Hope alone on multiple occasions. I'd like to keep it that way." He replied. Ana understood his response, knowing it'll only make Burch suspicious if Hope brought a friend along to their meetings.

Scott pointed at a small can of breath mints on the table and reached for them. "Can I have one of these?" He asked, then retracted his hand when Hank swiped the mints from his reach.

"No." Hank said. Ana sent both men an uneasy glance. This was going to be awkward. She turned her attention to the monitors, watching as Hope approached Burch with a bag full of cash.

"Who is this guy?" Scott asked, pointing at Sonny.

"Sonny Burch. He traffics in black market technology. He's been getting us what we need to build the tunnel." Hank answered.

Ana grinned. "Never pegged you for a black market buyer, Hank. I mean, I've bought a few things myself, but that's a story for another time." She waved off.

Hank shot her an amused glance while Scott narrowed his eyes at her. "You better fill me in on everything you've mentioned since you came to visit me, Ana. I wanna know about that alien!"

Ana patted his shoulder. "All in due time, Scotty."

Scott grumbled softly and went to reach for the breath mints Hank had in front of him, hoping this time he could grab one. "Could I just have one..."

Hank slapped Scott's hand before it could touch the tin. "No." He told him.

Ana reached over and raised the volume from the feeds they were getting on the monitors. "Shh, hold on..." She whispered, and listened closely as Burch spoke to Hope. Hank and Scott tuned in also.

"You know, I have a special friend, down at the FBI. And I say special, because... Well, he tells me things that I didn't previously know. For example, your name isn't Susan. It's Hope Van Dyne. And your unseen associate, that's your father, Hank Pym." Burch revealed to Hope, catching her off guard. From the video feeds, Ana could see the look of uncertainty spread across Hope's face, urging her to go inside the restaurant just incase anything... violent were to take place.

"That's not good, Hank." Scott commented.

"No shit." Hank stated.

Ana studied Hope's and Sonny's conversation. Sonny knew that she was building quantum technology from the parts she had purchased from him, and knew that technology like that was the future, it was something worth investing in. Sonny wanted to get involved with their project, having taken it upon himself to arrange a few buyers for the laboratory Hank and Hope were constructing. And the starting bid? One billion dollars. If Ana was still an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., she would want to know who Sonny was working for. And if she knew Fury as well as she thought she did, he would know what kind of man Sonny was, and already have him under investigation.

Hope had left Sonny, without the component or the money she brought to buy said part. Ana looked over at Hank as Scott asked, "So, now what?"

With a proud look in his eyes, Hank smiled gently, "You'll see."

Ana looked at the monitor, eyes widening in awe at what she was witnessing for the first time. Hope Van Dyne, in a super-suit, flying at the size of an ant. Or more appropriately, a Wasp. An audible gasp left her lips and Hank turned to look at her, "What?" He questioned.

"Hope looks awesome." Ana grinned.

"You gave her wings?" Scott asked as Ana scooted forward to cheer Hope on as the Wasp kicked ass. "Wings and blasters. So I take it you didn't have that tech available for me?"

Hank turned to him, "No, I did." He said lightly. Ana laughed at that, drawing her attention away from the screens for a few seconds to catch a look at Scott's downed expression.

"Dad, are you seeing this?" Hope asked, voice in a hushed whisper.

Ana instantly looked at the video feeds. She couldn't believe her eyes. The figure had disappeared on camera. It just vanished. She leaned in closer, wondering what it's next move might be. It was quiet for a while, and when nothing happened, Ana backed up and stormed out of the van with Hank calling out after her.

"Where are you going?"

"To fight a Ghost."

- - -

Ana skidded into the restaurant through the front doors, hair flying into her face and obstructing her view of the lobby. She forced the strands back behind her ears, and focused on the Ghost that was attacking Wasp. She counted numerous men Hope had knocked unconscious on the floor, and tried to spot Sonny in the fray. Without any luck, and an opening to use her Mystic Arts, Ana thrusted her hands out, calling onto the fizzling Eldritch Whip to her aid.

"Hope, move!" Ana ordered, and swung the whip at the Ghost.

Hope did as instructed and shrunk, flying off to the side away from the Ghost for Ana to intercept. The Ghost had paused, having been caught off guard by Ana's presence. The whip latched itself around the Ghost, and Ana struggled to keep it stationary. Her opponent was struggling, and when it realised it couldn't break free, it stopped. Ana was just about to smile in victory, but it was wiped clean off when the whip fell to the floor. The Ghost had disappeared yet again.

Ana sighed and got rid of the whip. "Great..."

"What was that?" Hope asked, enlarging herself to normal size next to Ana.

"Magic, my girl." Ana answered simply. "Effective against demons and sorcerers, not so much on whatever we're dealing wi-"

Before Ana could finish her sentence, she was nailed in the stomach with a kick from the Ghost, a move that launched her into one of the many marble pillars throughout the restaurant. The sturdy structure crumbled when Ana's back made contact with it, and the Warrior fell on top of the stone debris, coughing from the aching sensation in her torso. It soon faded away and she was back on her two feet, ready to beat the seemingly unbeatable. And there was also the point that she was a little pissed off.

"Wanna try that again?" She taunted it, voice booming.

The Ghost tilted it's head in response. Ana scoffed out a chuckle, and threw one of the fastest right hooks Hope had ever seen. It clipped the Ghost in the face, and sent it twirling to the ground. Ana went to grab it from the floor and continue hitting it, but all her hands reached for was air. She gritted her teeth and straightened up. She caught a flash of motion on her right and spun to face only an after image of the Ghost. It faded out of reality just as quickly as it appeared.

Hope saw the Ghost reach for the component from the floor a few metres away and stepped onto the object before it could obtain it. Wasp blasted a round at the Ghost, and without warning, was forced into a pillar. She grunted upon impact, alerting Ana. The Ghost went to punch Hope but her fist was caught by Scott before that could happen. Ant-Man kicked the Ghost and they all watched as it flew to the ground. Ana was satisfied by the move, and nodded at Scott.

"Damn it, where'd it go?" Hope groaned, seeing as their opponent was nowhere to be seen. They all ran into the back kitchen, eyes sweeping the area for any sigh of the Ghost. "We've lost it." Hope panted.

"I'm not seeing anything on the ant cams. Try lookin-" Hank's voice was cut off shortly and they all glanced at each other when they heard signs of struggling.

"Dad?" Hope called out.

When there was no response, Scott and Hope shrunk and flew off, leaving Ana on her own in the kitchen. She watched them leave, "Guys, wait!" She yelled after them and sighed. She looked down and noticed a piece of bread on one of the tables. It was fresh and half buttered. Ana swiped it, shoving the food in her mouth as she sprinted and chewed at the same time.

"I'm right behind you!"

- - -

"What was that?"

The group were back in the van with Hope driving. Hank had to give up the lab to the Ghost when it attacked him with a hand phased through his throat. Ana was in the back with Scott, holding onto the passenger and driver seat for stability as the vehicle bumped and moved. They were all still miffed by the very thought of a person with the ability to disappear and reappear while also moving though solid objects that easily. Ana hadn't seen anything like it.

"I don't know." Hank answered Hope's question, looking down shamefully. He lost the lab. He lost his chance to see his wife again. Ana could tell he was beating himself up about it, and patted his shoulder.

"We'll get it back. I promise." She stated, watching him nod in response.

"We need to regroup and find out where the lab is." Hank said.

"So, where to now?" Scott asked. "How 'bout my house? Hmm? I'm supposed to be there anyway and Woo could walk in any second."

"Exactly why we're not going to your house." Hank told him.

"What about your house?" Scott suggested to him.

Hank shot him a look. They had to pack up and leave their home to avoid the agents wanting to take them to prison. Scott sighed, and sat back. "Sorry."

Ana placed her chin on her closed fist. "Well, I don't have a house. I don't even know any safe houses in the area." She informed them.

Scott had a thoughtful look on his face. "There is one place I can think of." He said.

Hank immediately shut him down. "No! No, no, no, no."

Ana turned to Scott, "Three Wombats?" She figured. He smiled in return and they shared a laugh when Hank yelled out one more,

"No!"

Ana settled herself onto a desk near Kurt, facing Luis as he set down cups of coffee down for Hank and Hope. Dave was at his own desk in front of Kurt's and Scott was standing in the middle of the room, looking around at the office. After a heated conversation around oatmeal and desks, they all finally landed on the same page.

"Dr. Pym, you're like the smartest genius I know. Didn't you put some kind of lojack on your lab? Because if you didn't, we have a variety of affordable options." Luis tried his best to sell what he had to Hank by opening his arms and gesturing to all the equipment behind him on the wall.

Hank sighed. "Of course I did, Luis. It was disabled. Whoever stole the lab knew exactly what they were doing."

"They also looked like they were phasing." Hope added.

"Phasing?" Scott echoed, unsure.

"Quantum phasing. When an object moves through different states of matter." Hank explained.

"Oh, yeah. That's what I was thinking." Scott said.

Ana raised an eyebrow his way. "Of course you were."

"The lab emits radiation. Could we modify a quantum spectrometer and track it?" Hope asked her father. Ana blinked, really wishing she studied science at S.H.I.E.L.D. to know a bit more about what they were talking about.

Hank nodded. "That could work, yes. But all of my equipment is in the lab." He countered.

"Well, where else can we find that equipment?" Scott questioned.

"Well, there is one person. Bill Foster." Hank told them.

"Great!" Scott cheered, before frowning. "Who's Bill Foster?"

"He's an old colleague of my Dad's. They had a falling out years ago." Hope answered.

"From S.H.I.E.L.D., right? I've heard stories. You two were legends according to Fitzsimmons." Ana smiled, the memory of her two friends in her early days at S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to mind.

Luis glanced at Hank. "You seem to have a lot of falling outs with people." He chuckled slightly.

"It's probably just a waste of time." Hank waved it off.

Scott on the other hand thought they should take the leap. "Hey, I'm risking everything by being here. Don't you think we should check?" He asked Hank. Hope placed a hand on her father's shoulder, and offered him a small smile.

"We need to find out who took the lab."

Ana tapped her thumbs against the wheel, looking out of the car window at the large and lively campus of Berkeley University. Hank had asked her to stay back and watch the van while the rest of them paid Bill Foster a visit. She was a little confused by the request, but thought it was best to do as he says to earn his trust back. It had been half an hour since they left her manning the van, she realised, as she checked her watch.

Ana laid her head back on the head rest and puffed out the air from her cheeks. The sound of her phone ringing made her straighten up in her seat to fish for the device tucked into the front pocket of her jeans. She checked the caller ID, seeing how the number was blocked, and frowned. She answered the call and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

Soon enough, Fury's voice filled her ears. "Michaels, hey. You still in San Fransisco?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Nick."

"Alright, then. Look... I'm calling to let you know that I'll be in the area soon. So, when you're done hanging out with the Pyms, give me a call so I could pick you up. I've got something I need to tell you. And it's gotta be in person."

"You've been avoiding the subject for weeks, Fury. Weeks. Probably longer than that." Ana said, clenching her jaw. "When did you start hiding things from me? And I don't mean the usual spy secrets. This thing that you want to tell me, it's personal, isn't it?"

"I'll see you soon. Take care of yourself while you're there."

Ana scoffed when he hung up, and looked at her phone. She balled her free hand into a fist and threw the phone onto the passenger seat before she could crush it like the last one. Nick was driving Ana crazy with all the secrecy and vague answers. Part of her was afraid of what he had to say. She supposed all she had to do was wait and find out on Nick's terms.

The knocking on the car window let Ana revert back to reality. She looked at Hank and unlocked the doors, allowing them all to get inside. Hank sat in the passenger seat and handed Ana her phone. She said nothing and threw it on the dashboard. Scott and Hope removed their caps and sunglasses while Hank looked to Ana with a curious tilt of his head.

Ana shrugged at him. "What? I'm fine. What did Bill tell you guys? Any ideas?" She asked as she started the car and drove off.

Hank shook his head. "Foster hasn't had one good idea in his unremarkable career." He whined.

Hope didn't seem to agree. "But his idea about the diffractors could work, right?" She suggested.

Hank paused. "Fine, one decent idea."

Ana chuckled. "That's great."

"Except I eliminated the diffractors when I upgraded the suits." Hank continued.

"So if we had an old suit, we might be able to track down the lab?" Scott asked.

"Yes. But we don't." Hank told him.

"What if we did?" Scott mentioned.

"What do you mean?" Ana asked, glancing at him through the rear view mirror.

"I mean... life's funny..." Scott trailed off.

"Oh, my God." Ana began as Hope turned to look at Scott with a grin.

"You didn't destroy the suit." Hope realised.

"What?!" Hank exclaimed.

"Well, it was your life's work, Hank! I couldn't destroy that. Before I turned myself in, I shrunk it down and mailed it to Luis." Scott said.

"You sent my suit through the mail?" Hank stressed. Ana was worried he was going to have a stroke from all this new information.

"Hey, the postal service is very reliable, you know? They do tracking numbers now. Like UPS." Scott defended.

"Where is it?" They all asked him. Scott sighed. He knew his daughter took the trophy for show-and-tell at her school. So if they wanted to get it, they had to pay the school a visit.

"It's in a very safe place, alright? Don't worry."

- - - - -

Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this one and let me know what you thought about it. Work has been picking up for me so I've got less time to write, but I am trying to get something done for you guys. I am so behind on Rivals and I know many of you want me to update and I will try to get a chapter up soon, hopefully two to make up for not uploading.

In other news, the Spider-Man Far From Home trailer was amazing and Mysterio looks incredible! I really can't wait for it to come out in theatres!

Q- What are you looking forward to in the next Spider-Man movie?