4735/Stretching the Truth

Stretching the Truth
Date of Scene:	15 January 2021
Location:	Pym Technologies
Synopsis:	Scott meets a suspiscious Kamala and lays upon her his woes of a leggy redheaded stalker. While robbing Pym-Tech. Again.
Cast of Characters:	Kamala Khan, Scott Lang

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Kamala Khan has posed:
As far as after school activities go, there's a lot worse Kamala could be doing than practicing her powers at Pym Technology. Dolled up in her unstable particle suit Hank had loaned her (because he was very specific about that), she's out back hoping around from foot to foot with not but a domino mask covering her identity from the woooooorld... "Okay Kamala... time to get this right!"

Stepping forward, she throws her hand out towards rows of bottles lined up on the side of a dumpster in an alleyway. Her arm stretches out obnoxiously long, all the way across the twelve foot gap between her and the targets, to finger poke- not a bottle -but the dumpster itself. The simple fact that her finger was the size of an entire baseball bat aside, it still probably smarts! "AWGH!!!" Wiggling her droopy noodle arm up like one of those wacky inflatable, arm waving tube mens.

Scott Lang has posed:
What could be less suspiscious? An unmarked van pulling up outside in the dark (though to be fair it was Winter in Jersey, the Sun was long gone at 5 p.m.). Scott lets himself in, feeling rather pleased with himself as he hotwires the security system rather than using the alarm code he actually has now. "Still got it," he smugly remarks to himself as he steps inside, literally holding two empty boxes. He had permission to take a few things...he'd ask for forgiveness on the others later. Setting the boxes down on a lab counter, movement outside grabs his attention though as he peeks out at the well-lit but also well-fenced 'backyard' of the building. And sees, well, he's not sure what he sees.

Sliding the window open he leans his head outside, hesitating a moment before he calls out to the girl with the 12 foot long arm and bat-sized fingers, "Hey! You real, or did I inhale something in here I shouldn't have?" Looking over his shoulder suspisciously after as he examines the various pieces of equipment in search of any signs of leaks. At least he wasn't screaming.

Kamala Khan has posed:
It would be out of the realm of possibility to think she were out here not drawing attention to herself.. Security were aware of Kamala's presence, as this was largely the only place she was able to safely (relatively anyways) practice her powers without the ever watchful eye of social media... With that said, someone shouting out of the building at her was kind of an unusual, even startling, occurance!

Unusual enough that Kamala shouts herself!

It is not a graceful sound either.

Something like "AYEEEEEEEEEEEEE" but with a lot more eeeeee. She turns sharply to the sound of Scott's voice, hands up defensively, until the body of what he's asked her sinks in fully.. "Am I /real/? Is that some kind of science joke? Do all of you sciency types have science jokes?" Because of course he's a scientist right?

Scott Lang has posed:
"No that's not a science joke! You're just..." Scott catching himself before he calls her 'weird' looking but making it very clear that's exactly the word that almost came out of his mouth as he fumbles about with his tongue a moment while his hands twirl about in front of him in a desperate bid to bide time. "Different looking...hey if you want a science joke, you know why you can never trust an atom?! Cause they make up everything! Hah see cause, atoms are like," Scott trailing off awkwardly again as he presses his lips tightly together.

"Well you get it. Anyway I'm just grabbing some stuff so I'll-" It's about then Scott finds out something else. That Hank HAD upgraded the building's security as an alarm sounds off, Scott cringing a bit and looking about somewhat nonplussed. "Oh, he must've added in that third layer of protocols he always talked about," he mutters more to himself than her.

Kamala Khan has posed:
It doesn't take a scientist to decode what Scott's suggesting with that look... Kamala glances down at herself, dark hair spilling around the sides of her face as she grabs at the unstable particle suit and gives it a tug. The material stretching as easily as she does, matching whatever form or substance is within... Her right arm is still obnoxiously long and droopy at the elbow.

There are so many ways she could take that..

Thankfully there's no time to consider it with the alarm going off!

She ducks down, initially thinking it's her fault... then thinking it might be the terrible dad joke Scott's just told. It is absolutely not unimaginable that Hank would install a security protocol to farret out bad jokes, after all.

"Wait, you're suppose to be in there right? You're not stealing stuff are you? Because Doctor Pym doesn't deserve to be robbed."

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott hesitates. One really shouldn't hesitate when answering a question like that. "I mean, I'm not stealing PER SE. I know Hank, we go back a ways ever since I first robbed...OK this sounds bad, let me turn off this alarm before the police get here. Hold on Taffy Tammy," Scott's face vanishing from the window.

There's some muffled cursing heard faintly over the sound of the buzzing alarm, a loud crackle and the lights in the lab seem to flicker a few times. But the alarm does die, albeit not like it had been turned but with a long drawn out 'WHOooooooo' like a child's toy that was running on the last bit of juice its batteries had to give. Like some sort of Muppet Scott's upper body once more pops into view, quipping, "So what are you here to do? You gonna rob him? Cause I can tell you where the good stuff is at," flashing a grin as he says it. And yet one gets the feeling he's not entirely jesting.

Kamala Khan has posed:
Kamala's just nodding along with basically all of the things Scott's saying, but specifically, the part where it doesn't sound good. Arms crossed over her chest, she's the high and mighty morality police! "I don't know a whole lot about a whole lot, but I know robbing people is wrong... and robbing your friends who put any kind of trust in you is even worse. That's robbery and betrayal." So moral.

When the siren dies, Kamala frowns. That is not how it's suppose to sound when it's deactivated!

Slipping inside via a very small crack, she flattens out and slips through with relative easy, taking on her familiar shape upon entry. "I...no, wait, why would I be robbing him? He gave me... he lent me this suit! I'm basically the last remaining member of the Giant Man fanclub... He let me have one of the old shirts."

After a short pause,

"I'm... I'm not sure I have a name yet. Like a super secret hero name I mean."

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott misses her slipping through a crack in a wall, when she suddenly speaks to him from inside he jumps and stumbles back, knocking into a microscope that looks like it costs more than most cars. He quickly grabs it before it falls and rights it back up with a mumble before looking a bit more warily at Kamala now that she was up close. "There are worse things in the world than robbery," the mostly former and sometimes current robber proclaims a bit unhappily. The mention of her outfit has him examining it as well though, the look of the fabric such as it was familiar. "Huh, reminds me of the one I got," he remarks, sliding a sleeve up on his jacket to reveal a watch. A tap of his finger and the watchface opens revealing a hidden compartment. What was inside was almost too tiny to see but a pinch of his fingers and it suddenly expands, Scott holding a red and black suit with an odd silvery helmet dangling from his hand.

"The second generation of Ant-Man at your service," he boasts, a little tilt of his head as he remarks, "Guess I kinda took his name too. Way easier than trying to come up with something on your own though. Should think about it...or I could keep going with Taffy Tammy," he teasingly threatens, laying the suit out on the counter for now.

Kamala Khan has posed:
The instinct to reach her hand out, across the lab, and catch the falling expensiveness is there.. but Kamala is kind of a Karma police sort of person! Not that anything is karmic int his situation? Maybe she should have to prevent bad karma... crap, now she'll be knocking stuff over all weekend!

Lost, at least momentarily, in thought she almost misses his defensive of thievery! Almost... "Uh huh. I'm kind of surprised how often criminals resort to hey, it could be worse as a defense for crime..."

She's paying very close attention to the watch though. Squinting behind her domino mask when the suit becomes a less smaller suit. "Huh... you're pretty set in your ways on taking Doctor Pym's stuff, aren't you?" Grinning just so, despite herself.

"Ant-m- wait... you're ANT-MAN?! Like-" Hands way out, hands real high, measuring someone of an unusual growth pattern with her cheeks puffed like a big kid looking for the oreos by smell. "... I thought you'd be taller."

Grimacing at the end at his suggestion, "No, I'll come up with something when I need it. Hey! Do you know Captain Marvel?! I got to meet her, it was freakin' incredible! Look-" Fishing for her phone to show him the selfie she took with Carol. "Best day ever."

Scott Lang has posed:
"I'm not a...I'm an EX-criminal OK?! Ex-con, geeze that does not sound better. I'm just saying that, hrrmph, I'm not discussing morals with a 14 year old," Scott pulling the number from thin air. All these young kids looked the same after all, mask or no mask.

One of those cardboard boxes he'd come in with is repositioned now, and with the taps of a hidden keypad under a counter a series of even more hidden panels in the walls slide aside. Some of the equipment was unidentifiable. Others looked a bit more like weapons. Dangerous ones at that. And it's a couple of these Scott grabs placing inside the box.

He doesn't address that particular elephant in the room though as he carries, "And yes I'm the new Ant-Man. And I can GET bigger. With the suit on anyway," he admits, a bit embarassed it sounds like to say it. Since joining the ranks of heroes he'd learned very quickly how few had to rely on such a techno-crutch, and if they did more often than not could actually build and understand their own equipment. He felt like a fraud more often than not by comparison. Shaking his head to clear it he grabs something that looks like it belongs in a Men in Black movie and adds it to the growing pile in the box, pausing to lean in towards Kamala's phone.

"Oh, hey. No I actually haven't gotten to meet her yet. Sure wouldn't mind getting...to...right well. I think that's everything he gave me permission to take. Now to see what else is around," Scott making no qualms about his intentions, his own karma just building between the ogling of supposed teammates and the thievery.

Kamala Khan has posed:
Kamala scoffs at the age, "Oookaaaaay Boomer... 16, thank you very much." Because 2 years is a big deal at 16. A full 8th of your life! Think about it. The panels, or maybe the weapons, suddenly coming open has her out right frowning. "Listen, I'm sure you're totally cleared to take that stuff and not at all just trying to fast talk the stupid kid, but there's weirdo dopplegangers running around." Again squinting behind her domino mask.

"How do I know the weird old guy stealing stuff from his friends lab isn't a doppleganger sent here from the distant universe to do harm to the tried and true relationship of two long time pals? hmmm? Do you have some kind of... like... identification or something? I kind of feel like you should have a badge."

Tapping her left clavical with the end of her index finger.

"Something official, ya know? I tell you what, I'll just phone up Doctor Pym and we can clear all this up." She's already got her phone out and everything!

Scott Lang has posed:
"I'm THIRTY! I'm Generation X, not a Boomer you politically correct Stretch Armstrong!" Scott sounding truly hurt at this identifier as he goes so far as to briefly point a finger at her face only for his eyes to widen as the phone comes out and hurriedly step towards her, trying to put his hands between the phone and her fingers.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hey hold on! I know about the doppels OK! That's part of why I'm here! I just dealt with my own the other day and, look..." Scott's playful disposition faltering a moment at the memory. He looks haggard just thinking about it, pulling his hands back to draw them down across his face and let out a heavy sigh. "Long story short I beat my doppel OK? But I wound up getting involved with something more dangerous and, this stuff might be my only chance of fighting IT off now," keeping his phrasing vague though why is unclear. His brow furrowing though at her suggestion by the end. "And how would you know what an official ID looks like anyway? Ten minutes in photoshop and a laminator and I could make something 'official' looking. Where's YOUR ID to be here?" he accuses right back.

Kamala Khan has posed:
"Oh, that's real classy, insulting a teenaged girl..." Kamala gets her jabs in under the guard. Bobbing and weaving the precarious battlefield of social graces as only a Gen Zer can. "Let me guess, in your day we respected our elders?" It's hard not to break out in a grin.

She manages though.

Mostly because he's reaching for her phone, or at least reaching out to put his hand between her phone and her thumb! One big hand comes up to rest /right/ in his face-.. not actually touching him, so much as talk to it close. "Okay, budd...y..."

Her hands slowly fall down to her side when he explains why he needs the stuff he's stealing. "Oh.. wait, if I were a doppleganger, wouldn't I say something like that to keep from being exposed?" This is getting convoluted and circular! "Fine, okay, but I'm definitely mentioning it to Doctor Pym when I see him next.."

Taking a picture of him with a hoisted cellphone, sudden flash in the eyes, "I guess you've got a point, but do you even have a fake badge you made in photoshop?" Classic misdirection away from the fact she does not have a badge herself.

Scott Lang has posed:
"Cripes, do they charge you extra for palm readings or what?" Scott mutters into her hand. Somehow the jab about insulting teen girls seems to slide right off him. Perhaps cause he was little more mature than a teen himself. Still at least he slows down his grabbing stuff even if he doesn't exactly stop.

"Fine tell him, he'll just sigh and mutter something about 'dammit Lang' or whatever. But I NEED this stuff, I don't need him locking down the lab before I get it. I'm dealing with what made THAT!" Scott pointing to one part of the lab ceiling that is not like the rest. In that there's a hole in it, what looks to be a garbage bag stretched across and taped in position for now until more permanent repairs can be made.

What's going in the second box might vaguely resemble some sort of grenades, or bombs, or perhaps just fancy clocks. It's entirely possible Scott is guessing on some of it himself as he carries on, "Anyway not all the doppels are quite so exact or quite so, subtle. My ex-wife's had a mantis arm and my kid...hey there's your proof!" Scott perks up as he rushes to another counter.

Several photos and cards are taped up there, Scott tugging one free to show Kamala. On the front of the photo is none other than Scott and a young blond girl who looks to be no older than 5 or 6 smiling at the zoo in front of a gorilla exhibit. Hank is off to the side and appears to be taking notes while looking at the animal. Scott flicks the photo around after a second with a surprising bit of speed, on the back written in crayon, "Love you Uncle Hank!"

Kamala Khan has posed:
The hand shrinks back to normal size when her fingertip brushes the floor, but it does not make the sound of a deflating balloon and that's too bad.. Nor does her frown go away, despite the attempts Scott is making to sway her away from the worst possible eventuality of his purposes for these items of mass destruction. "Hm.. Is that a toaster?" Pointing at one of the items in the box, just casually grabbing it to turn it over in her hand as if it couldn't possibly destroy this entire block of Jersey.

Not that anyone would notice, amirite?

New Jersey Jokes.

Both her brows raise over dark eyes when he comes back with the photo of himself and Cassie. Squinting as she holds it, looking down and up at him several times like someone playing one of those find 4 things that are different pictures everyone keeps sharing on freaking facebook these days.

"Alright, alright... Okay, let's say I believe you. What is it you're going after? And... what does your ex-wife had a mantis arm mean? What the heck is a mantis arm?"

Scott Lang has posed:
"You know, like a praying mantis? The big arms they've got that look like knives? Don't they teach you kids anything in school now?" Scott huffs as he grabs back the toaster and gives it a second look over with a frown of his own. It might actually be a toaster, causing him to at least hesitate before he sets it back in the box. One could always use more toast presumably as he stacks one box atop another, apparently done with his almost legal heisting.

Turning back around he leans against the counter and folds his arms, letting loose another sigh as he thinks back. "I barely had to fight her though. The one I'm really worried about killed her. There's this, alien. Red hair, long legs. She's a Princess and...I'm being serious by the way," he warns before continuing.

"Anyway she got interested in Hank's tech when she saw me practicing with it, wanted to take it, or me. Maybe both. I've dodged her twice now but, I get the impression she'll be back and she's, well, you know Captain Marvel there right? Imagine that but with psychic powers and way less qualms about killing...frankly I've just lucked out the last few times but I can't keep relying on that," he finishes, fingers drumming on the counter next to him nervously with a rat a tat tap.

Kamala Khan has posed:
"Oh, right yeah, praying mantis." Kamala doesn't know. She's from Jersey and probably never watched a documentary on wild life in her whole life. Nevermind public schools being kind of amusingly bad in Bludhaven. "Yeah-" Hooking her wrists, she makes stabbing motions with her straight fingers, "Totally know what you mean know." She doesn't.

She does rest her hands on the counter while he explains the true horror behind his recent dopplegang war. "So a tall redheaded alien princess tried to steal the stuff you professed to having stole." Lips quirked to the side, "Who also killed your evil ex-wife mantis... and may or may not be trying to kidnap you." The gears on some pretty spicy fanfic are turning over here people.

She might also be thinking about toast.

With jam.

That sounds amazing.

"And your plan is to steal more stuff that, from the looks of this manifest, could wage a proper war on basically any country in the world, for her to maybe steal?" Going a little bug eyey behind her domino mask. "Which sounds like a good idea to you."

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott stares back at the teen girl with a clear look of annoyance on his face as she lays out how ridiculous it all sounds and how bad his plan might be. "Well if you like, she might also be interested in the power to make one's hand into a loveseat. Would you like I try and barter you away instead? She's more interested in strange superpowers than guns as far as I can tell. She apparently HAS guns also, think it's a whole warship or something..." the reminder causing Scott to groan and lower his head into his hands.

"I am so screwed. I'm going to be kidnapped by an alien princess and wind up wearing the guy equivalent of a Leia gold bikini the rest of my life. Gods you probably don't even know what that is," Scott having very little faith in Kamala's knowledge by this point after her clear failure with mantises. To his credit he at least sounds genuinely displeased at winding up a potential concubine as he pulls his face from his hands. He's not crying but the bloodshot look in his eyes is a bit more pronounced. It's quite probably he hasn't slept much between his daughter's kidnapping and now this.

Kamala Khan has posed:
"Okay, first off... Princess Leia is a cultural icon for young women everywhere. One of the first prominent female figures to be depicted as independant, fierce, and capable while also looking amazing in a white ball gown?" Kamala /actually/ snorts, like actually snorts, "Let's disregard the fact that disney plus has all of the star wars movies playing constantly right at the touch of my finger-" She pulls up the app and shows him, "Only $9.99 a month, by the way-... but they just put out a new movie like a year ago. From a purely marketing standpoint, if I /didn't/ know who Princess Leia was, it would be a failure of the whole system of advertising since her face was plastered on everything from coffee mugs to t-shirts for the better part of the last decade."

He's screwed.

Kamala puts her phone in her back pocket with a small frown.

Maybe because she's now suddenly a target of this strange alien princess redhead.

"I'm going to disregard the fact that your first thought about being kidnapped has you winding up a concubine on the grounds of you cannot possibly be serious.. and suggest instead that... like, I don't know... maybe you should ask doctor Pym for help taking care of this situation rather than just taking a bunch of his stuff that might end up getting stolen? I'm not saying you're not totally capable, I've been giving you a hard time but I know you're out there doing your best, but aren't more hands on deck kind of better in these situations?"

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott stares at her through the entire spiel with a dead-eyed expression, the noise at the end of it all less sigh and more groan that this girl is trying to school him, HIM on Star Wars. "And you still don't know what a praying mantis is," he solemnly adds as she finishes with a shake of his head.

"Look Rubberband Rita," still doing his best to give her such GREAT hero names she might be able to use. "I get the thinking I do. But the more people I drag into this the more chance she hurts someone. I managed to get a few concessions out of her. I think, I THINK she'll leave my friends and family alone. But if they start getting involved then all bets are off. I saw her nearly tear an entire street apart when she was upset. And I'm not even sure she was working at full power. This lady is a nuclear device in disguise and with a bad temper to go with. I can't be giving her more targets." Besides," Scott reaches behind him and pulls out one of the devices.

"I've been with Hank long enough to know how to..." the comedic timing working just so as it goes off in his hands. The beam that fires out strikes one of the glass windows making a pinhead sized hole that's barely visible. "Well that's not so..." he gets as far as saying before the glass practically explodes coating the better part of the floor with dangerous glitter. "Telling him you broke that by the way," Scott informs her without breaking eye contact.

Kamala Khan has posed:
"When will I ever need to know what a Praying mantis is in the real world?" Kamala wonders with a shrug.. about as much chance of needing to know who Leia is, one might reason. She doesn't mention it, though! The hypocracy is too obvious.

"Rubberband Rita... no, keep going though, these are getting better."

Which isn't to say she's not listening and watching as, instead of looking like he's aware of what he's doing with that device, he instead burns a hole in the window with a pinpoint laser... Pulling Kamala's face into a loooong frown, comically long, "Huh? Wait, but I didn't do- oh, you're such a mustache twirling villain, you are. Also, so typical in thinking..." Tapping the side of her head with one long finger.

"Of course your friends would want to help you. Instead of... whatever is going to happen? A person like that doesn't have to follow agreements she's made. I-..." Hands up, she shrugs and sighs, "-I don't know. I'm not a hero or nothing, but I know that you shouldn't be dealing with this alone."

Scott Lang has posed:
"Hey you're under eighteen, vandalism is a slap on the wrist for you. Very big, bulky wrists from what I've seen. Able to take a slap no problem," Lang insists as he put the explosion laser back in the box. Surely cardboard could contain that kind of destructive power no problem. He grabs his suit next, fiddling with some control on it causing it to shrink back to its previous 'barely there' size as he sets it back inside the faux watch.

"I'm sure he'd want to help but one mistake and she will literally punch a hole through someone's chest. I'd need like another alien that is pretty much invincible and..." Scott trails off, the hamster in his head running just a wee bit faster for a moment as an idea comes to him.

"Power-Girl. I do know Power-Girl! She doesn't like me but, I sort of saved her that one time, maybe...Flex Cape you're a little genius! I just need to turn the other violent alien woman I know against her!" Why did it somehow sound like a terrible idea when he put it that way? Despite this plan it doesn't stop him from picking up both boxes though. No sense letting a good armory go to waste. "I've got calls to make. This can work, I'm sure of it!" he declares as he starts awkwardly shuffling towards the door with his dangerous load.

Kamala Khan has posed:
Kamala watches Scott like scientists watch a mouse bumping it's head against a wall rather than going through an open doorway... at least that's what she imagines her look looks like. Suffice to say she's just staring at him with her mouth hanging further and further open as he spills out his new plan. "So you're going to pit two highly destructive super powered women at each other... here... assumbly on earth.. where, even if they do fight, they will do so catastrophically across the city?"

She nods slowly a few times actually, "I have a better idea, you sh-" Her phone starts ringing and she quickly reaches for it hearing the specific tone. "Hold on, it's my dad." One big finger held up in Scott's direction, "Hey Abu! Huh?... yes I told you I was staying after school for study hall- That's n- wait, hold on, you said be home at six thirty!" glancing at the phone, her eyes go wide, "OH! I'm sorry father! I'll b-... yes, I know, I'm grounded until I'm thirty five.... NO, I'm not talking back, I-... I'll be home!"

Phone cut off, she stares at Scott with a long sigh, "I have to go... Try not to get kidnapped by the redheaded princess alien okay?"

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott nods his head eagerly as he heads for the door and bumps it with his hip open. "Don't worry! It's the perfect plan! She'll have ME for backup after all!" As he says it there's a boom of thunder overhead and a few raindrops begin to fall. "Shoot, I should have checked weather for tonight. Anyway take care..." Scott pausing as he struggles to come up with one more 'hero' name on the fly. "Putty Patty. I've got some calls to make and new toys to figure out. Don't worry, she won't catch me..."

And there over the sound of the rain and another boom of thunder there's one more noise. Sirens. "Oh, that alarm did still go off didn't it. Hey you might wanna leave quickly! Good luck!" Scott dashing for his car, leaving Kamala alone in the lab with a broken window, mask on her face, missing equipment, and police closing in. She'd be FINE.

Kamala Khan has posed:
"She'll have you for backup..." Kamala agrees, but out of pure politeness, nodding her head slowly at Scott as he gathers up his ill gotten gains. She's headed for the small crack and is just about to squeeze herself back through when he announces the alarm had gone off- and that he was leaving her to deal with his fall out!

"What the huckin' no!" Her body flattens out, squeezing out through the opening, and reforming back in the yard. Her legs extend propelling her into the air, followed by an arm to grab the adjacent building and pull her into a swing through the alleyways. Climbing directly up the side of a further building with a LOOOOONG grumpy cat face as she watches the van pull away.

"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal.."

She has to get home though... She's already grounded until the Indiana's Clinch the Pinnet..