5162/Afternoon Catchup

Afternoon Catchup
Date of Scene:	13 February 2021
Location:	Wade Shaw's Condo
Synopsis:	Mike has a conversation with Yellowjacket.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Hannigan, Hank Pym

---

Michael Hannigan has posed:
It is a peaceful Saturday afternoon in the condo that Wade Shaw and Mike Hannigan share. The curtains for the windows to one side of the studio layout are open allowing for the most amount of natural sunlight to eep through, which leads to the lights inside the condo to be mostly off save for the desk area.

The TV is off, allowing for just the sound of the kettle lowly hissing and the smell of beef and vegetables wafting from the slow cooker being the primary forms of distraction inside.

Well, until about 5 minutes ago when Mike got a heads up of an impending visit.

Wade remains seated at the desk. Laptop open as he types slowly with the hand that's not currently obstructed by a cast.

Mike meanwhile tosses an envelope up onto the mattress of his loft bed, not bothering with the ladder as he gives a cursory glance to the sofa and the general floor area. No piles of laundry. Instruments are under the loft beds as they should be... Ok, no tripping hazards. Exellent!

Hank Pym has posed:
And there is soon a tap at the window. Hank Pym in a trench coat and skully is on the ledge tapping away. When he makes eye contact with Wade he smiles and opens the window. "Good afternoon Mr. Shaw. I uh... my group isn't big on doors and this window offered me some concealment. You really should secure that window, you know? Even drill some holes in the lower frame and put in nails to pin it closed agains the upper frame. I'll do it for you if you want. MIKE?" The Avenger looks about for his friend.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
At the tap to the window, Wade's head turns to the source quickly. Hand moving away from the laptop it drifts over towards a pencil cup. Lingering once his name is called, he looks to the attire and then to - "...Dr. Pym?" Oh yes, he's aware of what that guy looks like.He's had more than enough reason to find out and he's much better with Google than Mike is. The hand drifts away from the cup. Not completing whatever mission it had initially set out to find. "Well, come on in." He offers to the man already in. "Mike filled me in on you finding me after my encounter with -" He pauses, at the name. "-the lookalike."

It doesn't take long for Mike to come into view. With a studio layout there were only two possible places he could have been hiding from Hank's vantage point of the window. And fortunately Mike has avoided an Archie Bunker like entrance as he pops out from the blind corner of the kitchen. He looks to Hank, to the door that wasn't used, and then back to Hank. "Hey Hank. Uh- Were you stopping after a mission or is it laundry day...again?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym hehs. "My other kits were destroyed along with Rover. But for all its history, this was the most advanced harness I came up with. I need it these days. You know the sayng about age and treachery? Total bullshit in my case. Here Wade... keep your mouth shut about these please? This is the capsule form of the meds I gave Rod. Big Pharm won't let them get passed. It's how no hero is laid up more than a month barring grievous injuries. It's one a day with a lot of water. You'll be better in no time." He grows to hand Wade a small blue bottle of capsules. "That look alike is not going anywhere. No worries. I was passing through and thought I'd check on you. I'm trying to get Rod released. I may even have a job for him. Can't say more right now, you know?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Hmm." Mike nods, "I kind of figured the other outfits got destroyed if you had to resort to wearing that one. Maybe you can try some rebranding with that tech so it gets kind of a clean slate?"

Wade, who had turned his head to look to Mike when he was talking looks back to Hank when he hears his name. Eyes widening as he gets deathly silent. A dumb look is given to the bottle handed to him. "...Rod? Like, Donovan- Rod?"

Mike gives a bit of a grimace.

Unfortunately for Mike, Wade does see the expression change. Which causes for a bit of a domino effect to his own mood, "You fucking bastard. You knew?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Hank Pym finding himself in the middle of a domestic dispute, Hank does what any sane person would, he steps quietly back and away. Seeing a comfy seat he makes the most of it to wait until the dispute is resolved. His perspective is a little skewed. Most superhuman arguments soon devolve into screaming at each other with your feet two yards apart and then Captain America stick his nose in and tell you to can 'it'.

Hank Pym is not Captain America which many people, especially his ex, would attest to. This is okay. Steve Rogers is no Hank Pym. Ask him to shrink something if you doubt.

To say the last few days were high energy and stress would be damning them with faint praise. A few moments after sitting down, despite the noise, Hank's head falls forward and his breathing slows and deepens. Zzzzzzzzz...

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Hank starts to drift off, he gets the background noise of the conversation between Mike and Wade to take him to dream land.

"Well, I didn't know for that long. He showed up looking for me."

"Just you?"

"Well to be fair, I don't think he thought any of us were alive and I just happened to be on tv so he knew to come to your office."

"Wait. Larry just let him in?"

"No. Larry was off, temp agency filled in."

"... Ok. Looks like I'll be making some calls about that but still. What the hell? Is there a Jack wandering around too?"

"...I'm not sure. Haven't seen any come in."

Hank Pym has posed:
Then there's another Hank, only not quite right. This one sports a week of stubble and is drinking a beer between drags on a cigarette. Jr nods to Mike.

"About time we met. I'm Yellowjacket. You must be Hannigan. The crybaby talked about you a lot. He won't be joinin' us. I have a lot to say." This is followed by a rimshot. Bo is in the corner behind a set of drums. Only he's more flesh tone than umber and manipulating the sticks with human hands. //Yo, Mike, how goes?//

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Ok so no Jack. What about you? Is there a Michael Drago or- whatever the heck name he picked wandering around?"

"I think he kept the name. I think whatever version there was of me was killed so no on that."

"Oh? How so?"

"...Not sure. The other Rod was kind of a jumble when he talked. But he definitely doesn't like Gellar."

"That I can understand. Wasn't really fond of him either."

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket gets up out of the chair he grabbed and walks over to Mike. Standing very close to him the black and yellow clad man whistles loudly.

"Ever see Primal Fear? Stars that guy Ed Norton, looks a little like Bruce. You don't want to ignore me. I'm Hank's worst nightmare."

Rimshot from Bo!

"I know you hear me. Gimme a minute."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Neither was I." Mike admits, "Something the three of us can agree with." Mike glances over to Hank who is sleeping on the sofa while sitting up. "...Okay with a third for dinner? He looks like he's going to be passed out for awhile."

Wade glances over to Hank, brow arching. "Yeah. Sure. You always make too much anyways. Based from the news I'm guessing its been a long week for him."

Agreement given, Mike walks over to the kitchen and pulls a folded chair off a wall hook.

Hank Pym has posed:
the bit of Hank's mind calling itself Yellowjacket frowns a bit. "OK, I can wait for you to chase stubby out. Get rid of this fucking double. I seen enough of them lately. Got hank going ape shit crazy." He walks over to Mike's dream double and with a quick motion pulls his head off. He walks over to Bo and pulls off the ant's head, replacing it with dream Mike's.and ten set's the giant ant's head on the dream Mike neck.

//Well skittlebittle?// ant-head says.

"Here's the thing Mr. Hannigan... maybe some minds can back engineer how you enter dreams and follow the same way out, sort of. So we're here sort of. We can only interact with you, not Wade or nobody else. See Hank as got to have rules for everything, don't you you big crybaby. Hey! Hankster, why don't you send us Saeko in a bikini to serve us tea? Jerk. Oh equations." A blanket of symbols and numbers hit Yellowjacket but he shakes them off, ignoring several rapidly closing wounds.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Chair unfolded, Mike sets the chair down with a slight thunk. Perhaps a bit heavier set than he normally would as his head lifts, looking to the wall blankly. Turning his head, he looks towards Hank and -

Oh.

Dammit.

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket pfffts loudly and rolls his eyes, barely visible through his visor. "And he finally gets it!" Slow clap here. Mike ant does a clumsy riff on the drums.

"Dreams don't have rules, magic don't have rules. All they have is guidelines, some with very rare exceptions. Hank finds this scary and fascinating. Like gambling. He has rules for everything at this point including when to feel things."

Yellowjacket extends a hand. "Call me 'Jack."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Wade turns his head, "Hey Mi-" He pauses, looking around to the sleeping Pym and no one else in the room. He looks over to the table with the two seats before it, the spare chairs still hanging on the wall. Huh. When did he sneak out?

Mike blinks, looking around to the ant-mike and the mike-ant. "...Jack." He repeats. The musician reaches over, features reversed as he takes the offered hand. "Ok. Less wordy than Yellow Jacket." Handshake done he drops his hand, considering the man before him. "Mr. Hannigan is fine for me." He allows. Stepping around him to look to the sleeping Pym. "Were you around before the costume was made or did you come after?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket ponders a moment. Then sits down. "Do you remember how you were conceived? You don't have to worry /Mister/ Hannigan. I am on the side of the angels at this time. I just want to have my say. That's all. I'm obliged to you for keeping the crybaby over there from eating a gun or throwing himself at a spider. I owe you. Really. I don't make that promise to everyone. I'm also a fan."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike considers the question before giving a shrug and a nod of acknowledgement to the conception response. "OK. You got me there."

With Jack seated, Mike pulls up a chair and sits, leaning back, he rests an arm on the kitchen table. His lips stay closed as he lets the other man have his say. His form remains still through each point before he senses a pause. Likely meant for his response.

"Hmm. Nice to meet a fan." He sighs, "Hank is a friend so yes, I care." He pauses, "I'm also inclined to believe that in some sense you exist to help at times as well. It's just that time is not now. And, if you think you owe me... could you do your damndest NOT to get him into trouble?"

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket shakes his head. "What makes you think I get him in trouble? You are not getting the picture yet. No one makes Henry Jonathon Pym do anything... except maybe Nadia and she doesn't even know what he'd do for her. Move worlds, destroy worlds, save worlds." There's a guarded tone in his voice, a shady look to his eyes. A quick glance at Hank will show strings like those of a marionette appeared on his arms and legs. He now sits up shakily. The strings reach upward to a large shadowy figure manipulating the Avenger. The face is unseen.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"I think you're a side of him." Mike replies, "A persona." He glances to the strings, "We all adopt them through life. The ones you show the public. The ones you keep to youreself." He glances to Jack, "The one you show when your back is against the wall and all you have to rely on is yourself to get yourself through. For years that was the only one I used. So I'm quite familiar with that one."

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket considers it a moment and then asks, "Who betrayed the Avengers? Really? Clutching at straws to remain on that team. Yes the team that left you a captive for over a week. Who built that robot? Who was it really?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Tunnelvision is a thing." Mike replies, "Sometimes stupid things are done in the name of survival. You get so focused on the goal that you miss what's going on around you. You miss the warning signs. I've done it too. I've missed a lot of key details. I've done things I regret too."

He shakes his head, "And the shit of it is, on the other side of the events you get hindsight. Which has all the time in the WORLD to point the things that couldn't be seen when things were actually going down."

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket humphs. "All very true but answer my question. Who attacked the Avengers? Who did all that with the robot, Salvation 1? I'm just... Jack. Could I have done it?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Mike tilts his head, "If you want a list of people who have gotten into it with the Avengers, that's going to be a long one and honestly one I probably don't have the resources to make up. And as for THE ROBOT, yes. Hank made it. But, you're a part of Hank."

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket gets up as if meaning to shake Mike. "Henry. Jonathon. Pym. Geeze. I hope that Wade guy runs the business. Jonathon? Who would you see if you pull this mask off me? Go ahead! I dare you."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike sighs, "Well being where we are, it could either be Hank's face again under the mask, the person he got the middle name from, or -" He pauses to look to Ant-Mike and Mike-Ant, "Something completely random. Because... well. Dreams. Hell, maybe when the mask goes off we'll see-" He pauses. Shaking his head, "Nevermind." He stands up, reaching a hand over to pull away at the mask. Might as well get this locked in before he risks planting that other thought in mind.

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket has no face. He had a mouth, eyes and a nose as well. Then they vanish as the mask is pulled away. Somehow the faceless man still speaks.

"I'm no one and nobody. Hank did it all. No split personality. But, he couldn't deal with that. So yeah I was created to protect him from the truth, a dirty little lie. At the core he wants to believe he's a good guy but knows he is not. Let the puppeteer take a bow!"

The immense shadowy form making Hank move bends low and it's Hank too of course.

"This was very liberating. Of course it was his fault. Maybe he'll even remember this time with you here. Maybe he can give me a rest." Jack replaces his hood and his face and slumps

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks to the face or lack there of one followed up with his response. Well. At least he didn't pick up on the hint he almost dropped and made the unmasking into the robot. So... That's a win. Although the 'dramatic reveal' does get a bit of an eyeroll from Mike as the figure slumps. "Oh my fucking God. What do you think personas ARE? You dense- "

He shakes his head.

Hank Pym has posed:
Yellowjacket looks at him as he vanishes and Hank stirs. "He's a physicist. Not a psychologist."