Life with superheroes

"Welcome!"

Hank Pym opened the door, smiling warmly as he greeted the family of four standing outside. He hugged Mike and stepped aside to let them in.

"Hank, this is the hot pot seasoning Dad made especially for you," Clark said, handing over the gift in his hands.

Hank Pym's eye twitched slightly as he accepted the gift, already imagining the fiery burn it might bring.

"Wow! That's awesome!" Hope exclaimed as she took it eagerly. Turning to Mike, she added, "Thank you so much for this! I just mentioned it casually, and I didn't expect Clark to actually ask you to make it."

Hank took a deep breath, composed himself, and said, "Come in."

"Wow, your house is huge!" Charles and Eric marveled as they looked around.

Hope smiled generously and said, "Make yourselves at home. Explore and have fun!"

"Take a seat," Hank said, motioning to the couch. He asked Hope to bring drinks and water, then added, "Give me a moment; dinner will be ready soon."

"Need any help?" Mike offered, more out of politeness than expectation.

"That's great!" Hank replied enthusiastically. "I've been struggling in the kitchen all day."

Mike blinked, caught off guard, but quickly laughed and followed Hank into the kitchen, leaving the kids to explore the house.

The kitchen was in disarray, with half-prepared ingredients scattered across the counters. Mike's brows twitched at the mess.

"Well," Hank said, embarrassed, "I decided to go with barbecue because it's simple… or so I thought. Clearly, it's more complicated than I expected."

Rolling up his sleeves, Mike said, "What do you need me to do?"

"Help me chop some vegetables," Hank said, relief evident in his voice.

"Easy!" Mike picked up a knife and began slicing with a speed and precision that left Hank amazed.

"You're good with a knife," Hank praised while working on the meat.

In no time, the ingredients were ready. They moved everything to the backyard, where a grill waited.

"Wow, you have a swimming pool!" Charles said enviously as he spotted it.

Hope smiled and pinched his cheek. "You can come over anytime to swim. Clark, you too."

Clark nodded politely, but Eric turned to Mike and said, "Dad, can we get a pool at home?"

"Sure," Mike replied nonchalantly. "You and Charles can handle it."

Eric paused, then quickly changed his mind. "Never mind."

His brothers burst out laughing, and Eric, feeling provoked, lunged at them. A playful scuffle ensued, and soon Hope joined in, laughter ringing through the backyard.

Watching the lively scene, Hank sighed and said to Mike, "Your house must always be this full of life."

"Sometimes it's so lively my head feels like it might explode," Mike joked, handing Hank a beer. The two sat down at the table as Hank started grilling.

Before long, the aroma of sizzling meat filled the air, drawing the kids to hover impatiently around the grill.

"Grab your plates!" Hank called out. The kids whipped out plates they'd prepared beforehand.

"I've been ready for this!" Charles said with a grin as he handed over his plate.

Hank served the kids first, then brought a plate of perfectly grilled meat to Mike. Mike took a bite, gave Hank a thumbs-up, and said, "Delicious."

Hank, visibly pleased, continued grilling.

Time flew by in the cheerful atmosphere. Mike and Hank sat at the table, beer bottles in hand, watching the children splash and play in the pool.

"It's been ages since I felt this relaxed," Hank admitted. "I haven't spent this much quality time with Hope in years."

He hesitated, then added, "There were… issues between us because of her mother. And I barely had time for her when I was working. Looking back, I regret it. Especially since the people I worked so hard for—those bastards—they weren't worth it."

Hank's voice hardened as he referred to S.H.I.E.L.D., who had betrayed his trust by stealing his research.

Mike clinked his bottle against Hank's. "Cheers… to those bastards."

Hank raised his bottle toward the sky, a wry smile on his face. "Respect to them for teaching me a hard lesson."

Just then, a stream of water shot out, drenching Hank's head. His neatly combed hair collapsed into a wet mess.

Laughter erupted. Hope stood at a distance, holding a water gun and laughing uncontrollably.

Mike chuckled, pointing at Hank. "You look like a drowned chicken."

Before he could enjoy his joke, three jets of water struck him, soaking him completely.

Hank smirked. "Now you look like a drenched dog."

The two men exchanged glances before charging toward the pool, where the kids were still armed with water guns. Shrieks and splashes filled the backyard as the water fight escalated, leaving everyone in fits of laughter.

Three days later, back at Mike's house…

"Deeper! Yes, over there—perfect!" Mike shouted as he directed workers in his backyard. Wearing a straw hat, he supervised as they dug a swimming pool.

After returning from Hank's house, Mike had decided to build a pool of his own. Today, construction was finally underway.

Satisfied with the progress, Mike nodded. "That's it. I'll leave the rest to you."

He glanced at the nearly finished pool, proud of the decision. With plenty of land to spare, there was no limit to what he could do.

Later that afternoon, Mike picked up the kids from school. Clark had news to share.

"Dad, there's going to be a fun sports meet at school! Parents can participate too," Clark announced.

Mike groaned. "Your school really knows how to keep me busy. What's the event?"

"A four-person, five-legged race between two families," Clark explained. "Don't worry—I've already teamed up with Hope and her dad."

Mike raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Fine. What about you two?" he asked Charles and Eric.

Charles shook his head. "It's only for senior students. We're just cheerleaders."

Mike exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness. That's one less thing for me to worry about."

Eric, however, sighed dramatically. "I wish we could compete."

"Why?" Mike asked, puzzled.

"Because Eric loves watching people lose to him," Charles teased.

Eric smirked. "And I love watching you cry when I beat you."

"Who cried?!" Charles snapped. "Don't make stuff up!"

"Let me prove it then!" Eric challenged.

"Dad, he's bullying me!" Charles cried mockingly, hiding behind Mike.