Wanda's hands glowed red with chaotic magic as she, like Gwen, stared at Hope with sharp vigilance. How dare she suddenly throw a punch at Alan?
Scott stood frozen in place, his right hand awkwardly raised in midair. The concern he'd felt just moments ago now seemed completely unnecessary.
Hope hadn't even touched a single strand of Alan's hair before being stopped by the two women beside him.
Scott's mind was in turmoil—was he hallucinating from getting punched too much by Hope?
Wanda's hands glowed ominously with energy, and Gwen had web-shooters in her wrists…
"I must be… hallucinating," Scott mumbled stiffly, trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't real.
Alan casually waved a hand, signaling that he was fine and that the two women should calm down. There was no need to overreact.
"You're not hallucinating," Alan turned to Scott before shifting his gaze back to Hope. Just like in the movies.
"You want to fight me one-on-one?" Alan teased. "Are you sure?"
Wanda tilted her head in disbelief. There was absolutely no reason for Alan to accept Hope's challenge.
"Yes," Hope replied, though her confidence wavered slightly. Who exactly were these two women beside Alan?
Mutants? Or something else?
"Alright, I accept your challenge."
Gwen took a step forward, wanting to persuade Alan. If a fight was necessary, she could take Hope on—even without using her powers, Hope wouldn't be her match.
But before she could step in, Wanda gently stopped her, shaking her head.
"Alan must have his reasons. Let's just watch," Wanda said, understanding his intentions.
"This is ridiculous," Gwen frowned. "Hope doesn't stand a chance against him."
Hope pulled on her boxing gloves again and scanned Alan, noticing that he was standing there empty-handed—he wasn't even putting on gloves.
Her expression darkened. "Alan, are you underestimating me?"
Alan shrugged with a smirk. "Not at all. This way, it's fairer. Come on."
At first, Alan had planned not to use his hands at all—if Hope could land a hit on him, he'd consider it her win.
But he decided to end this quickly instead.
She needed to understand why Hank Pym refused to let her go on this mission and retrieve the Wasp Suit.
Yet, Hope truly believed that Alan—just like Scott—was looking down on her simply because she was a woman.
---
Hope clenched her fists, launching a sweeping kick toward Alan while simultaneously throwing a punch at his forehead.
"Not bad," Alan remarked as he effortlessly blocked her sweeping kick with one hand. At the same time, he caught her incoming punch in his palm, then used her own momentum to strike at her waist.
Immediately, Hope lifted her other leg, attempting to use the momentum just like Alan had—to clamp his neck in a scissor hold.
Unfortunately, her speed and strength were simply no match for him.
BANG!
With just one hand, Alan pinned Hope to the ground. He neither needed nor intended to strike a woman.
His fist stopped just short of her nose.
"You lost, Hope. Now, calm down and listen to me."
He extended a hand to help her up.
Scott was so shocked that he forgot to close his mouth. "F— …"
He had thought Alan might at least take a hit.
But no—Alan had been holding back the entire time.
"Thank you," Hope muttered, still in disbelief. In the blink of an eye, she had lost to Alan.
...
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